Kit

[psmiffy]

It would be interesting if people would post the weight of their tool kit along with their list - my touring tools are around 1500g - not a lot to do the basics

Tools - multi tool with chain tool - proper long allen keys to fit all allen heads - 8mm spanner for rack bolts - 4 spare rack bolts - small piece of chain & small piece of bent spoke - 5m of duck tape - a few zip ties 750g
pump 200g
puncture repair kit - 100g inc levers
oil - 75g
2 *tubes - 340g

 

[psmiffy]

For Bilbao to Malaga this June I'll be taking:-

• Cycle multi-tool.
• Puncture repair kit/spare tube.
• Lube

All you need for a short tour like that

 

[PaulSB]

Just thinking about the kit I carry and the likelihood of a dramatic failure. To me the tools to carry are those which you would be able to use. Therefore, for example, no point in me carrying spokes as I don't know how to replace one!

I think one has to consider the likelihood of disaster. In all my years of cycling my one incident, p******s aside,was a failed bottom bracket - walked and scooted 5 miles home!!! never needed recovery.

On club rides I can recall two incidents when a roadside fix wasn't possible - first was a sheered crank and second a buckled wheel.

 

[psmiffy]

In something like 45k km Ive only had one dramatic failure on tour - about 60cm of the rim on my rear wheel came off in a nice quiet piece of southern France- quite exciting as I was going down a small hill at the time - I took the tyre off and rode on the bare rim for twenty something ks to a small town where I was fortunate to find a guy who would open his bike shop on a Saturday afternoon and sell me a new wheel

The only other event that could be described as a drama would my chain snapping going very slowly up a very steep hill in the eastern Pyrenees - my one and only ever occurrence of a chain breaking and my one and only clipless moment as I had no idea how to get my feet out of the pedals before I keeled over - fixed easily in 20minutes with a chain tool. Because I could mend it it never became a drama.

There is not much on a bicycle that you cannot fix or bodge with a few basic tools - carrying less than the basics on tour is pure folly - carrying more than than the basics smacks of paranoia.

 

[Simon_m]

I wouldnt take a torque wrench on tour. I have 8 bikes and do not own a torque wrench.

Take only the allen keys you need. But take 2 of each.

I take a spare folding tyre but my tyres are 47x622 which are a bit unusual.

Small first aïd kit.

my bike only uses torque wrench to do any bolt, so thats why I'd take one.

got the first aid kit and stuff from the hospital so that is all taken care of too

 

[Simon_m]

Tubes, inner x 2
Pump
P***ture repair kit, patches + levers
Presto/shraeder adapter
Multi-tool/set of allen keys, flat and + screwdriver
Spanner 8mm with spoke slot 15
Folding mini knife
Chain tool
Cables (1 each: brake & gear)
Tape, small roll electrical, 50cm of duct tape
Zip ties and wire (10cm, thin/stiff)
Bolts – shoe cleat bolt and spreader, bottle cage bolt, rack bolt
Chain ‘magic’ link and spare 3 links of chain
Tyre boot (plastic)
Spare spoke (maybe)
Chain lube
Plastic gloves (v thin)
Wet wipes
Lights, emergency

Consider a spare folding tyre (280g for the 622-28)

great list, thanks

 

[Simon_m]

For Bilbao to Malaga this June I'll be taking:-

• Cycle multi-tool.
• Puncture repair kit/spare tube.
• Lube

I used to be laden down with "What if"? tools when I toured with a partner yet, on my bike, no chain ever snapped, no bottom bracket failed, no spoke popped. They've never done so in all my normal non-touring cycling days either. On my own I revert to my normal "Why should it"? mode and carry a lot less weight. Surely it depends where you are going? If I was crossing the Nullarbor Plain then of course I'd take more but I tour in western Europe, nowt much can go wrong...............if it does, I'll catch the bus to the nearest town.

yes sounds good. going to be in France so not far some towns with bike shops or even those large out of town type "sport shops" I guess it depends on what your load is, what type or terrain and like you say, what country you are in.

 

[Simon_m]

ok great info, looks like everyone likes to do things differently no matter what the tour is. Seems everyone likes to do it differently on the amount of gear to take and the incidents they have had.

on my last tour most things were mended roadside like a broken chain, (not mine). The only thing which on our van supported tour I had to call the van back was for a tire which had blown, (front tire while nearly 50mph down a steep hill). If I was self supported I would have had the tire with me. Wheel was fine. Another one of the guys on tour, his back wheel blew, so he had to get that replaced from another town a few days ahead.

seems you can try and plan for every type of incident, but seems a little pointless as most don't happen that often. thanks

 

[MarkF]

yes sounds good. going to be in France so not far some towns with bike shops or even those large out of town type "sport shops" I guess it depends on what your load is, what type or terrain and like you say, what country you are in.

France and Spain are also littered with those 1 Euro Chinese shops where you can pick up bike bits, chains, lubes, cables, brake pads, tubes etc

I am 53, I've never suffered more than a puncture in all my life and can count those on my fingers, with some spare. So when I get packing for a tour, possible mechanical calamities don't enter head, why should they, what's new? I don't think of them at other times. My bikes are well maintained and inspected morning and night on tour.

My cousin cycled with me on a 3 week tour in 2012, he did suffer a rear spoke failure and his bottom bracket went near Salamanca. But the bike was old (new to him) and he must have been carrying twice my luggage weight in "what if" stuff, wet weather clothing, warm clothing, safety clothing, a shed load of tools etc...............each to their own........

BTW if not camping my 2 panniers (inside an Ikea bag) including everything I need to cross France or Spain comes to about 4.5kg according to the airport weighing scales.

 

[steveindenmark]

my bike only uses torque wrench to do any bolt, so thats why I'd take one.

got the first aid kit and stuff from the hospital so that is all taken care of too

Are you talking about an Allen Key Simon?

 

[Simon_m]

Are you talking about an Allen Key Simon?

nope. the only allen key it uses is the smallest one for the brake adjust, the rest is all torque. Saddle adjust, handlebars, bottle cages, everything

 

[Turdus philomelos]

I thought this topic was going to be about

.

 

[Simon_m]

ho ho, that would have been KITT though. nice graphic btw

 

[recycling]

nope. the only allen key it uses is the smallest one for the brake adjust, the rest is all torque. Saddle adjust, handlebars, bottle cages, everything

I don't understand this Simon. Do you mean torx head bolts as I know of no fittings which actually require a torque wrench.
I will, however, be interested to learn something new.

 

[sidevalve]

+ 1 for the cable ties - weigh naff all, will hold almost anything to anything