I dont understand some cyclist

[mickle]

I assembled the mother of all tool kits to go with my mother of all touring bikes that i put together over the last few years (and might now actually be considered "finished"). It fits in a canvas tool roll and includes an Allen key nest, Swiss Army knife, Gerber knife with bit driver, Gerber Dime mini tool with pliers, mini tyre levers, Brooks spanner, Giant ratchet/8mm socket, chain rivet extractor, a patch repair kit suitable for my plastic inner tubes, plus a spare tube, mini pump and assorted spare bolts, chain links etc. I have spare spokes and a spoke key. The bike has self-extracting crank bolts and i even have a cassette lockring removal tool. So i could, if i so desired, (with the exception of the bb) completely disassemble the whole bike and put it back together again. In a field.

But the thing is, in all my 60 years of cycling I've only ever broken one spoke, never broken a chain and I've not had a puncture for over a decade. My bikes simply don't break down. This is possibly to do with the fact that i derive as much pleasure from fettling my bikes as i do riding them, so they never get a chance to deteriorate to the point where they might fail. Also, i have several bikes so any mileage is shared between them.

Perhaps the mere presence of a comprehensive tool kit is enough juju to keep breakdowns at bay.

I long ago sold my soul to the Puncture Faery.

 

[PaulSB]

As we're talking about risk assessment, I will not stop to help a female cyclist on her own, and I'd hesitate to offer help to a group. My male colleagues in social care operate in the same way. All it takes is one comment about "he made me feel unsafe" and everything I've built for the last decades could potentially be destroyed in a few hours.

I fully understand and share your concerns. The safeguarding policy at my club stated there should be two other people present if a female was in need of help. Whether anyone applied that or not I don’t know. I've ridden solo with female riders on more ocassions than I could count. How does that work?

I'm involved with our local u3a. From time to time this requires me give some of our female members IT support. Our safeguarding policy is strictly enforced and I can only do this if two people are present or the member comes to my home and my wife is in the house.

The whole issue was brought home to me 25+ years ago. My son was on a one day sailing course on a local reservoir. A young girl of 12/13 fell in. She didn’t want to continue and was left to sit with me on the jetty. After a while she got very cold and was very distressed. I gave her a hug, asked if she'd like to get changed and when she said yes I took her back to the changing rooms..........completely out of sight of the reservoir.

When I got home my wife was chatting with a good friend and neighbour, a social worker. I told them the story. Both were horrified at the danger I had put myself in. Until that point I thought I'd done no more than the natural reaction of a parent to a distressed child.

My PT is a woman. I'm alone with her for an hour in a small gym. I ride solo with women. I go out for coffee with female friends.

It's a difficult world to navigate......

 

[presta]

I was driving today and saw several cyclists, dressed in all black!

Can you spot these:

 

[Andy in Germany]

In the UK men are responsible for 95+% of all violence and sexual assaults. Women comprise 88% of the victims of these crimes.

We get regular updates and worldwide it is roughly the ratio I mentioned (40/60%) There is some debate as to why the UK shows such a discrepancy.

 

[katiewlx]

Im acutely aware as more often than not a lone female rider,without the option to call for backup or help, Ive got to be self reliant to fix any issues I have, so I do pack enough tools/spares to fix the most common of problems, and for protection too, and more importantly can use them as well.

And yes, I know chances are if anyone does come past and sees me struggling to get a tyre off a rim, and this is where marathons arent always the great idea that they seem at the time, theyre 90% likely to be a bloke too, but most blokes certainly in a cycling context Ive met are ok, there are a few who are a bit odd, but I still think theyre mostly harmless overall, Ive never felt threatened in that specific way that youre all talking about.

Id still rather people called out and asked if I wanted help, they dont have to stop at all, but then its down to me to decide if I want their help, its not then about them making that choice for me.

Because there was this instance once where my chain snapped, and my foot slipped off the pedal (before I went clipless) and I raked the front chainring down the back of my calf, and so Im at the side of the road, bike upside down (yes I know) my leg is covered in blood, only a graze rather than a deep cut but there was alot of blood still, Ive got the bits to fix the chain (always carry spare quick links) and can do the job myself.

but Im very obviously hurt, in a bit of distress, which is making it all alot harder to fix, and I was passed by like at least 5 cyclists, all male, but not one of them even acknowledged my existence, let alone checked if I was alright. For sure Id have no doubt gone yep Im perfectly fine, had they asked, but it was just you know that human interaction that I wanted to be recognised, given that option to refuse, and not be ignored.

 

[blackrat]

So often when I ask a person on the side of the road who has the wheel off if they need help I get the reply "do you have a spare tube". If I say yes, and ask if they have any levers, I get a similar reply. It is really incumbent on cyclists to carry spares and tools and practice before setting off using them. Many shops give classes so there is no excuse. Relying on others to save us really is unforgivable.

 

[PaulSB]

So often when I ask a person on the side of the road who has the wheel off if they need help I get the reply "do you have a spare tube". If I say yes, and ask if they have any levers, I get a similar reply. It is really incumbent on cyclists to carry spares and tools and practice before setting off using them. Many shops give classes so there is no excuse. Relying on others to save us really is unforgivable.

I know of one rider who eventually got called out by the group. After yet another stop to fix something for him, he was told in no uncertain terms to get his bike serviced and some basic tools or next time the group would leave him. They did!!!!!

Some but not all of this comes from experience. The basics such as tube, levers etc. yes, there is no excuse to be without these. There are many things which come with experience, sometimes hard won. In the last twelve months or so I've helped out people I'm riding with:

• tyre boot - twice
• tweezers for thorn removal
• pliers - small folding variety to cut a jammed cafe lock!
• di2 shifter batteries
• small screwdriver to remove di2 battery cover
• tubeless plug kit

I'm far from a kitchen sink cyclist but I have read about things. Tyre boots I learned on here, pliers I once borrowed from a guy working in his garage. di2 batteries? Shortly after I got di2 a shifter battery failed just as I set off. All I knew was the cassette wouldn't shift. I didn't know about the warning light in the top of the shifter, the battery size etc. I removed the battery, jumped in the car and drove five miles to town at 7.00am, visited three supermarkets and begun to realise this is an unusual battery size. Later I ordered a load of cheap spare batteries off the web, within two weeks those failed. I then bought branded batteries at four times the price - all problems solved.

The guy I helped out with batteries 40 miles into our ride, didn't know about shifter batteries or the warning lights and therefore couldn't know the size or the need for a very small screwdriver. Should one know? How does one find out? Should the LBS provide a run down? I think anyone who doesn't carry the basics deserves criticism. The more unusual stuff, just learn by experience. I've carried a tyre boot for 20 odd years, it wasn't till last summer one was needed and that was to hand out.

On another ocassion the guy I helped with the batteries marvelled as I produced a pair of tweezers. Later he was kind enough to say "Riding with you guys (me and my buddy) is brilliant. I've learned so much" We took that as a huge compliment.

 

[Dogtrousers]

If you are watching you-tubers then forget it - that's not real life.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here. Any videos which are of watchable quality will have been made with a support vehicle.

But that said it is possible to carry minimal kit (spare tube/ Co2/ multi tool/ split link) in a very compact way and be pretty sure you'll be OK. Add in route design with ample bail out options and you should be fine.

I'm more of the kitchen sink persuasion myself. But minimal kit options are completely feasible with a bit of forethought.

 

[Oldhippy]

Not entirely correct, Debs and Tom, Wandering Wheels are just two couples travelling the globe who are totally unsupported. Their videos are good quality in my opinion. They have had epic breakdowns and local lbs's have helped where needed.

 

[Mike Ayling]

The tools i need to keep me on the road take up very little room. My allen keys, tyre levers, chain tool and puncture patches fit in a neoprene case intended for a compact digital camera. I keep it in a small saddle bag but it will wedge under my saddle or sit nicely in a pocket. Would the OP see my tools if i didn't have the saddle bag? I very much doubt it.

Compact digital camera- we have a couple of those somewhere in the house, just use our phones now.

 

[Mike Ayling]

A while ago I realised that I need 2 multitools

becuase some moron designer put things on the bike where you need 2 different allen keys

Ok they are of different sizes - but in a tool kits that means 2 multitools!!

but people not carrying a puncture kit and pump is just crazy to my mind

I don't own a multitool although a chain breaker might be handy at some stage.
I carry a small pack of L hex keys but can't remember when I last used them.
Although most of my riding group carry mini pumps my Zefal HPX is usually used to inflate a tube after a mostly infrequent puncture.

 

[Dogtrousers]

The tools i need to keep me on the road take up very little room. My allen keys, tyre levers, chain tool and puncture patches fit in a neoprene case intended for a compact digital camera. I keep it in a small saddle bag but it will wedge under my saddle or sit nicely in a pocket. Would the OP see my tools if i didn't have the saddle bag? I very much doubt it.

Another option is a tool bottle. A friend if mine uses one. You can fit quite an extensive kit in there and it wouldn't be obvious to a casual observer that you were carrying anything.

Obviously not ideal for long rides in hot conditions with no access to shops as it restricts you to one bottle.

 

[Sharky]

In addition to all the basic stuff that all sensible cyclists carry, following any minor or major work done on the bike the night before, I always carry the "portable" tools that I used for the work, for the next few rides.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I not only cycle but being in the snow belt, I sit inside and watch a lot of cycling videos in the winter. I see so many rider on long rides that seem to have nothing in the way of tools or tire repair kits. What happens if they have a flat. I myself have a trunk pack on the back of my trike with tools parts patch kits and tubes. I hate the idea of walking home.

I don't think I took any tools or spares either. I really can't remember. Commuting - I could have pushed the bike to work or back home in half an hour and then organised a lift there/back. It would have been a good excuse to be late for work, But on longer rides I still can't remember if I had any spares. I tended to do longer rides on impulse and at the time I guess having a flat would have been part of the adventure. It was more of a day out than a focused cycle ride!

 

[Moodyman]

As someone wittier than me said: Fail to plan, plan to fail.