Touring toolkit

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RobinS

Veteran
Location
Norwich
As part of the refurb of our touring bikes, now complete, I am also looking at sorting a revised, more efficient toolkit. We normally tour for 3 months at a time, but only within Europe, where bike shops do exist. Previously I have used a multitool, with a few extra bits and pieces, but as some work is needed on every tour, and multitools are rubbish to actually use I want to sort a kit where I will not end up swearing everytime a repair or tweak is needed. We tour as a couple and tools and spares fit in a seatpack on each bike.
This is what I am thinking of:

Each:
Spare tube
Tyre levers
Self adhesive patches

Shared:
Ball-end allen keys, 3,4,5,6mm in a decent length (have checked bikes and these sizes cover everything)
Spanners, 8mm, 10mm, 17mm (these again cover everything, 17mm is for the Pletscher stands)
Torx 25 driver in a decent length (for adjusting Avid BB5 brakes)
Small long nose pliers (are any of these strong enough to cut gear/brake cables?)
Screwdrivers, phillips and straight (anyone know if/where I could get a reversible blade one in a sensible length?)

Any ideas of the best kit to sort? Anything important missed? I think this would cover every repair we have needed in the last 3 big tours apart from when we needed new parts (wheel rims!), or special tools (Hollowtech needed tightening up) - I don't need to cover every eventuality, as that is what bike shops are for!
 

Low Gear Guy

Veteran
Location
Surrey
Screwdrivers are available on Swiss Army Knives and as part of multitools.

You might want to include tape, cable ties and a chain tool.
 
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RobinS

RobinS

Veteran
Location
Norwich
The Swiss army knife/multitools are what I want to get away from - they are terrible in real use.

Tape and cable ties - yes I forgot we have those as routine.

Not sure about the chain tool - use one at home, but have not felt the need on tour - we fit new chains for each tour and have never had one break (thinking about it, I have never had a chain break in 50 years of cycling) - How likely am I to need a tool and not a replacement chain or other parts - if I need parts I can always buy a tool at the same time.
 
I find that Leatherman pliers and cable cutters are pretty good. Modern ones can gave replaceable cutters.
My household 2way screwdriver is Facom, made in France. For tools I get used or new European or USA made.

For broken chain on the trail I have a multitool chain tool but also some spare quick links.

Bacho make the best adjustable spanner.
 

Gravity Aided

Legendary Member
Location
Land of Lincoln
I try to get all the bolts for water bottle cages, derailleur fixings, racks, and other fittings in the same size. That way I am not hunting for an Allen tool that fits all the time. I would also say that cable ties are essential. For reasons that cannot be anticipated. I also tend to use screwdrivers that take multiple bits, so I can change out if need be, from Allen to Torx to Phillips or whatever. You'll still need the larger Allen wrenches for the saddle and stem fixings, maybe. I use something like this:
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RobinS

RobinS

Veteran
Location
Norwich
Small tube of grease
Small bottle of chain oil
Small handful of spare nuts & bolts (for mudguards, rack etc)
Yep, usually take some nuts and bolts etc, and chain lube - small tube of grease a good idea.

Have replaced all gear and brake cables so won't bother with spares - and even when I did have a broken gear cable on tour I could carry on riding until I got to a bike shop.
Valve core remover - have spare tube with a valve so not needed - and if need extra tube they are available in supermarkets in France for about 3euros.
Spoke key and spokes, and chain tool and quicklinks come up on lots of recommendations, but how often are they needed urgently on tour? - we have never needed them at all, and any failure that does not completely incapacitate the bike you can get to a bike shop to buy parts and tools if needed (or borrow tools).
 
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RobinS

RobinS

Veteran
Location
Norwich
Gravity Aided - did think of that sort of thing, I have a set at home with a more conventional screwdriver type handle and screwdriver and torx bits - can you get allen key bits for them as well?

Also, good idea re standard sizes, if swapped a few bolts I could get down to just 2 allen keys.
 
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You're only carrying 2 spare tubes between you? I had a day on my tour of Europe where I had four punctures in a day. If I'd had to patch them after each one I'd have thrown the bike into the canal. Better to swap and patch them during downtime.
 
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RobinS

RobinS

Veteran
Location
Norwich
You're only carrying 2 spare tubes between you? I had a day on my tour of Europe where I had four punctures in a day. If I'd had to patch them after each one I'd have thrown the bike into the canal. Better to swap and patch them during downtime.
What tyres were you using? With Marathon Plus or Plus Tour tyres penetration punctures are vanishingly rare. Last 3 month tour I only discovered that my spare tube was for my MTB rather than tourer when we got home. Between the two of us we had one flat in 5000km, and that was an old patch failed, from a puncture when we had rubbish tyres.
 

Baldy

Über Member
Location
ALVA
I don't see a pump on your list, I take it you do have one. Or is that so obvious you do need to mention it.
 
What tyres were you using? With Marathon Plus or Plus Tour tyres penetration punctures are vanishingly rare. Last 3 month tour I only discovered that my spare tube was for my MTB rather than tourer when we got home. Between the two of us we had one flat in 5000km, and that was an old patch failed, from a puncture when we had rubbish tyres.
On that occasion it was an older tyre that came with the bike, about 1900km into the tour the inner casing failed and the wire started poking through, but it wasn't obvious until I completely inverted the tyre on the fourth repair.

I bodged a fix that lasted me about 300km until I could replace the tyre.
 
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