Minimum spare kit for commute

[GrumpyGregry]

What is the minimum amount of bike gear you carry on the bike with you for your commute? For my 26 miles a day cross country round trip it is

• Waterproof top, Waterproof overshoes, Spare socks, Spare gloves - all in case I may get soaked on way in or for use on way home
• Spare clear lenses for dark glasses, Tiny 'be seen' LED front light (bike has rear lights fitted) - in case I have to work a bit late
• Spare Tube, Tyre Levers, Minipump with gaffer tape wrapped round it, Leeches/Park Patches, Multitool, SRAM powerlink, two zip ties, bit of cardboard as makeshift tyre boot - just in case
• Mobile phone, wallet, and loose change - to bail out with if it goes Pete Tong

Too much? Not Enough? What would you ditch or carry?

 

[Ben M]

Oh a 20 mile ride in the country i take:

In pockets:
£10
spare tube
hex keys and tyre levers
cereal bar
phone
keys

on bike:
water bottle
pump
lights if needed

there's also a thread on essentially this topic here:
http://cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=39094

taking a full set of waterproof gear for a 13 mile trip seems a bit much =
can't you just leave a set at work?

 

[redjedi]

Yours is a bit further than my usually 14 mile round trip. But when the weathers nice decent dry and have started extanding my commute home to 20 miles.

I carry with me

mini pump
Park patches
spare tube
tyre levers
2x cable ties
spare link
multi-tool
front and rear lights (although I don't have a mount for my rear light, as it was stolen with my last bike)
windproof jacket (sometimes)
water bottle in cage (filled wth water)
wallet
phone
keys

That sounds like a lot, but it doesn't take up much space.

 

[karlos_the_jackal]

Spare tube
puncture repair kit
multi tool
spanner
waterproof jacket
cash
phone

 

[swee'pea99]

phone to call 'er indores and cry like a little ween 'wah wah wah i broke down again can you come & get me'. Plus money for a cab if I'm stranded a long way out & she's not in & I need to get a cab (if it's not too far - up to a couple of miles, say, I just walk).

 

[GrumpyGregry]

[quote name='swee'pea99']phone to call 'er indores and cry like a little ween 'wah wah wah i broke down again can you come & get me'. Plus money for a cab if I'm stranded a long way out & she's not in & I need to get a cab (if it's not too far - up to a couple of miles, say, I just walk).[/quote]

clearly you call a different number to me. The response would be, quite rightly in my case "You choose to cycle to work so this is my problem to sort how exactly?"

 

[GrumpyGregry]

taking a full set of waterproof gear for a 13 mile trip seems a bit much =
can't you just leave a set at work?

Could that work with only one set of waterproofs?

 

[gaz]

For my 28mile round trip.

Overshoes
small waterproof jacket
Wallet
Phone
work clothes
2l of water
spare inner tube
pump
repair kit
multi-tool
D-lock
deodorant
hair wax
keys

all in my backpack.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

water carriers... do you drink it all on your commute? I drink a pint before leaving and hope that tides me over, however I've just gone, today, from using a rack pack to carrying stuff to using a camelbak and will be taking the rack off the bike at the weekend.

work clothes... I'm a bit of a skank; clean shirt pants and socks every day but one pair of trousers has to last Mon-Fri butwe do have showers...

lock... lives here, with another at home (but the bike comes indoors to my office anyway)

smellies... in the office

hair wax... no hair.

 

[Cubist]

Hydro pack which also contains spare tube, patch kit, tyre levers, pump, spare batteries in winter, hex keys, lightweight w/proof jacket, phone. Have showers and a locker at work so don't need change of clothes. Return journey sees a pair of worn grundies and shirt added to the list.

 

[Joe24]

Spare tube and pump, drink, mobile phone. Thats it
Oh, i might sometimes put in my waterproof, but often just dont bother with that.
I have some spare socks in my bag incase i forget to put some in one morning when its raining.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Condoms, slippers, a bottle of Jaegermeister and a Jackie Collins novel.

 

[Downward]

On the way home (Dry) - Pump (Doesn't seem to work though) Cashcard,Phone,Keys
If cold/rainy/chance of rain i'll take bag.
On the way to work always take a bag with food

 

[Joe24]

Dont forget keys!!!
I went out on my bike with no keys one time, in winter. Got home and was very cold and dark. I stood outside with my buff over my head, arms in my jacket, trying to keep warm.
Parents had decided to just go out.

Took my key ever since!

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

Well I am quite fortunate , I have 2 lockers at work, plus shower, so on Monday or the weekend if I visit town, I take the the weeks clothes in and put them in the locker and bring back the dirty washing. Toiletries and shoes etc all stay at work.

Commute each day 34 miles in total, carry

2 inner tubes
tyre levers
rubber gloves (hate getting oily hands etc)
multi tool.

All kept in bag under saddle

Me, I wear usual lycra, plus gloves and arm warmers, helmet.
Carry wallet, phone, rain jacket, keys in pockets, small pump, 2 bottles of squash, 1 if its cold, and thats it.