Tools while touring

[P.H]

I carry a couple of Fibre Fix repair spokes instead of the cassette remover and spokes, I haven't used them yet but they pack small and weigh little. On bikes with STI/Ergo shifters I also carry a downtube lever, again something I haven't used, but purchased after three hilly days on a single speed after a minor fall buggered a shifter.

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/fiber-fix-emergency-replacement-spoke-prod20155/

 

[Danny]

I tour in the belief that when touring in Europe I'm never very far from help.
I just carry appropriate Allen keys a screwdriver and a small pipewrench which will tighten up any nuts that come loose, some adhesive plastic tape and a few cable ties. When these items are insufficient, I find some local currency or a credit card does the job.

That's my general approach too.

Funnily enough the only European country I've found where this didn't work was Scotland. When I broke down last summer the nearest bike shop was 50 miles away and didn't open at weekends.

 

[andym]

Funnily enough the only European country I've found where this didn't work was Scotland. When I broke down last summer the nearest bike shop was 50 miles away and didn't open at weekends.

In fairness to Scotland and Scottish bike shops you can encounter the same problems elsewhere in Europe eg in Corsica there aren't any proper bike shops outside the main towns and the ones that there do exist are closed on Sundays and Mondays.

 

[willem]

I have not needed serious tools for at least a decade. I think good maintenance and handbuilt wheels are the best thing you can do. So all I take is two Schwalbe xxlight inner tubes, plastic tyre levers, a small multitool (to be replaced by separates next time), a Gedore 8/10 mm wrench, a Rohloff cable set and a Torx key for that hub. Also some chain oil and Magura brake pads (sometimes hard to obtain en route). I would admittedly take more on a trip to outer Mongolia. The Swiss army knife is a kitchen tool, as far as I am concerned.
Willem

 

[Bodhbh]

re: chaintools. A can't remember exactly how it happened, but had an incident where some chainsuck jammed the chain solid between the stays and the chainrings. Things were wrapped round such that and the chain was pulled tight to rigidity and the rear mech pulled flat. I did need a tool to undo that, it would have been impossible to pull the quicklink appart.

I do like to carry indivdual allen keys and the appropriate spanner(s). Some of the nuts and bolts on the rack/mudguard stays are not easy to access with a multitool, although not impossible.

 

[psmiffy]

The great thing about bikes is there is not much that can go wrong to totally immobilise you – however even in France it can be a good distance to a bike shop - the delay being often the difference between being able to get to your point of departure on time or not.

However, saying that I do not carry a lot of tools – 5mm and 6mm long allen keys, 8mm spanner, a tiny pair of pliers, multitool with chain tool, cassette hypercracker (not because I break spokes but because I have managed to back off the locknut with a bramble) 2 decent tyre levers, puncture repair outfit and a pump

Spares – one gear cable, chain links, spare rack bolts, 2 sets of brake blocks and 2 spare tubes .

Add in a few m of gaffer tape, watchmakers screwdriver for glasses and reusable zip ties, rubber gloves and hand wipes

If I am flying then a huge allen key for the pedals and an electric screwdriver (saves me about 20minutes building/dismantling the bike at the airport) live in the bike bag

As to knives I always have a small sharp fishing knive in my cooking stuff in the pannier for cutting bread and boning meat/filleting fish that I am sure contravenes rules on carrying knives on the person – always wondered about the stop and search liabilities in the UK

 

[delport]

I carried a very large spanner, capable of removing a freewheel, as i knew i would likely have quite a few broken spokes over the space of more than a 1000 miles trip.
I ended up with 5 broken spokes, and i repaired them all.Without the spanner i'd have had to pay to get them all done.

I have a cheap rear wheel, £30 from halfords, and have broken nearly 20 spokes on it, so in the law of averages i needed to carry that spanner, i've done about 5000 miles on that wheel i think.
If you have good quality wheels you may not need to do the same as i did.

I've also had my back wheel totally go, as the axle snapped in half, after a tour in France and Belgium of around 500 miles.
I was literally stuck, and had to reach the nearest town, so i hitched a lift with bike and panniers.

Nowadays, i know how to do this repair, so i'd probably have hidden the bike, or locked it up, and got a bus to the nearest halfords or similar shop.

 

[andym]

As to knives I always have a small sharp fishing knive in my cooking stuff in the pannier for cutting bread and boning meat/filleting fish that I am sure contravenes rules on carrying knives on the person – always wondered about the stop and search liabilities in the UK

From the legal point of view it needs to be less than 3inches long (unless you have 'good reason'. Personally I think 'I need it to make my sandwiches while I'm on tour' but that probably won't cut much ice with the security people at the airport/station). But the major possible downside (unless of course you only take ferries) is having to empty out all your luggage, as well as having your knife confiscated.

 

[willem]

I think spending those 30 pounds on a Halfords wheel was a waste of money. I have not had a single broken spoke in the family in more than a decade of handbuilt touring wheels. Broken spokes are such a nuisance, and once you break one, the others usually follow suit, as in your case. Not for me anymore. Just add up how much you have already spent on this junk.
Willem

 

[tbtb]

Kudos to the £30 wheel guy though, for getting so far on it with the spokes snapping all around! Sounds like he was a bit unlucky with that wheel, even at £30.

I like Willem's superlight spare inner tube. I'd only use my spare if in a big rush or it was pouring or when a valve had failed at the seam (as happened last month, perhaps from trying to use a tiny pump on it previously) so I'll investigate the weight vs cost of these superlight tubes, for sure.

Re tools, I take a Ritchey cpr9 (the one that looks like a wee 3d crucifix). It has poor (but passable) useability but I carry it more than use it and it's only 25g. Also, a tube, instant patches, 3 plastic levers, pump, zip ties, and a small plastic-handled steak knife for slicing baguettes. I've got a powerlink and the chaintool bit off of an Alien. And an eye-drop container of oil.

I wouldn't know how to use replacement spokes so don't carry them. Apparently a 32 spoker can roll fine with a broken spoke. In a way, I'm riding a 28 spoke wheel but carrying my 4 spare spokes on board the wheel! Maybe..

 

[willem]

The Schwalbe superlight tubes are each not only 95 grams lighter for a wide 26 inch tyre (and 4x0.95 grams adds up to 380 grams...), but they have also been demonstrated to reduce rolling resistance. Since moving over to them I have not yet had a single puncture, even on an offroad tour in Norway.
Willem

 

[tbtb]

That's very interesting. I'd be using them on 28 x 700 tyres. Do they lose air much quicker than normal weight tubes?

I suppose if I had to inflate them every few days while touring, I could carry a road morph pump (instead of a tiny barely-functional pump) and still be in weight profit, and enjoy the rolling resistance / spinning weight advantages.

 

[e-rider]

I carried a very large spanner, capable of removing a freewheel, as i knew i would likely have quite a few broken spokes over the space of more than a 1000 miles trip.
I ended up with 5 broken spokes, and i repaired them all.Without the spanner i'd have had to pay to get them all done.

I have a cheap rear wheel, £30 from halfords, and have broken nearly 20 spokes on it, so in the law of averages i needed to carry that spanner, i've done about 5000 miles on that wheel i think.
If you have good quality wheels you may not need to do the same as i did.

I've also had my back wheel totally go, as the axle snapped in half, after a tour in France and Belgium of around 500 miles.
I was literally stuck, and had to reach the nearest town, so i hitched a lift with bike and panniers.

Nowadays, i know how to do this repair, so i'd probably have hidden the bike, or locked it up, and got a bus to the nearest halfords or similar shop.

this is crazy - why didn't you just buy a decent wheel in the first place?

 

[delport]

this is crazy - why didn't you just buy a decent wheel in the first place?

I didn't buy it, it cost £30-.Got it free.

I'm now using a different bike and trying to avoid using that back wheel.

What you should be asking is why are some wheels built to that low a standard, that actually was not the worst wheel i had, the wheel orginally on that bike, completely fell to bits every single spoke broke in one go, and the bike was brand new and only used for a few months.The bike was a bit under £200.
I really didn't expect a back wheel to fall to bits within the space of 6 months, but it did.

 

[hubbike]

bear in mind, unless you are going somewhere really remote, there'll be bike shops with all the tools you might fancy. All you need carry is enough to get you to the bike shop i.e a good hitch-hiking thumb. you could retrue your wheel by the side of the road but a bike shop with a trueing rig will make less of a balls of it (lets hope).

Handy things are a bit of dry bag material to use as a patch when a tyre starts to break (or just buy awesome tyres)
few chain links
cable ties
duct tape
small bottle of chain oil

puncture repair kit
tyre levers
pump

swiss army knife (get the one with sissors if you can) and/or leatherman
multi tool (such as alien II) or set of allen keys and a small adjustable spanner.