What Kit?

[Paul Russell]

First off, Hi everyone... another Newbie to the site and Road biking for that matter....
For my first question, one of which I have no doubt has been asked before.. I have had a look through the Beginners section and I see that someone has said about using a back pack for day trips. This I can understand, but what if your just doing a 30 mile circuit, and you get a puncture, what should you have with you. Puncture kit, levers and pump, or just a new inner tube, or a can of Tyre weld/seal, or maybe a mobile phone to get someone to pick you up?

 

[Deleted member 20519]

Welcome to CycleChat!

This is what I take with me if I'm going out on a ride:

Inner Tube
Puncture Repair Kit (Levers etc)
Money
Phone
Spare Batteries
Bike Tool

Pretty much the things that, if something were to happen, you couldn't do without.

 

[Pauluk]

+1 and I would add: A good pump, chain link tool and a piece of spare chain

 

[HovR]

Hey, and Welcome!

Personally, I carry a fairly comprehensive toolkit for on-the-road repairs - But it can all fit within a relatively small container which I put in my saddle bag.

In my toolkit I carry:
8, 9, 10 and 15mm compact spanners
Spoke tool
Tie wraps
Multi-tool which contains various allen keys, phillips and flathead screwdriver
Chain tool
2 quick links
3 tire levers
Inner tube patches

Spare inner tube
Frame fit pump

All of which fits quite nicely into the bottom of this saddle bag, leaving room in the top compartment for items of your choice. A CO2 pump would also fit in there.

 

[Sandra6]

I was going to say mobile phone! Most people on this forum seem to take things more seriously though.
Do you ever have cause to use all these tools and spares?
I cycle a mile to and from work daily and do a 10 -20 mile route twice a week on top of that, I don't even own half the kit people carry with them, but I've never needed any of it. Is it just a matter of time?!

 

[Deleted member 20519]

I was going to say mobile phone! Most people on this forum seem to take things more seriously though.
Do you ever have cause to use all these tools and spares?
I cycle a mile to and from work daily and do a 10 -20 mile route twice a week on top of that, I don't even own half the kit people carry with them, but I've never needed any of it. Is it just a matter of time?!

I've never needed to use anything yet, apart from an allen key to adjust my brakes. When something does happen though, you'll need it. It's a long walk home.

 

[HovR]

I was going to say mobile phone! Most people on this forum seem to take things more seriously though.
Do you ever have cause to use all these tools and spares?
I cycle a mile to and from work daily and do a 10 -20 mile route twice a week on top of that, I don't even own half the kit people carry with them, but I've never needed any of it. Is it just a matter of time?!

I've used everything in my kit except chain tool and spoke wrench at one point or another when out on the road.

For the tiny weight penalty it gives, it's worth carrying this stuff for emergencies. As jazloc says, if something happened such as a broken chain whilst out on a 30+ mile ride, it could be a long walk home.

For your mile commute however, I personally wouldn't be too worried about tools. With those kind of short distances it'd probably take longer to fix the issue than it would be to walk home.

 

[potsy]

I was going to say mobile phone! Most people on this forum seem to take things more seriously though.
Do you ever have cause to use all these tools and spares?
I cycle a mile to and from work daily and do a 10 -20 mile route twice a week on top of that, I don't even own half the kit people carry with them, but I've never needed any of it. Is it just a matter of time?!

For a mile commute I probably wouldn't carry anything either

I always carry 2 tubes, patches, a few tools and cable ties, and a pair of latex gloves

 

[lulubel]

I was going to say mobile phone! Most people on this forum seem to take things more seriously though.
Do you ever have cause to use all these tools and spares?
I cycle a mile to and from work daily and do a 10 -20 mile route twice a week on top of that, I don't even own half the kit people carry with them, but I've never needed any of it. Is it just a matter of time?!

Well, it depends, I guess. I do carry a phone in case of emergencies, but in the case of a mechanical failure, there isn't anyone I could call to rescue me and my bike, so I'd have to get myself home. The point of carrying all the tools is in hope that you don't have to use them! I've given away an inner tube to someone who didn't have a spare, and lent my pump to another cyclist who'd come to use his to find it was broken. The only tool I've used on my own bike - so far - is the multitool to make adjustments to my position, and tighten the headset mid-ride.

If you're only cycling a mile to work, you'd get there quicker if you just pushed your bike the rest of the way than if you stopped to change the tube, and even on a 20 mile ride, you're never more than 10 miles from home, so I suppose a mechanical failure would be less of an issue than if you're miles away from anywhere.

 

[Sandra6]

Funnily enough the only time I've had an issue is on the ride to/from work -and that was my chain coming off. My "trusty" metis does not take well to a gear change on the uphill.
It never crossed my mind that something might go wrong on a longer ride - until I came here. I guess I should get myself equipped, ten miles is quite a hike wheeling a bike, not sure they'd let me on the bus!

 

[Andrius.B]

what people above have said is pretty comprehensive.
Anyway, I just have one more recommendation: buy a cheap phone just for cycling. These days you can get a cheap mobile phone for a tenner, and you really wouldn't want your £400 smart phone getting scratched by other tools or getting wet.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

For the commute I carry my lunch and my laptop.

For fun rides I have a cheap hydro pack rucksack in which I carry:

Puncture repair kit
Money
Phone
Pedal spanner
Crap multi-spanner that came free with an MTB many years ago
My spare set of house keys
A mini maglight
Tube of zero hydro tablets
Long sleeve tee shirt
Bunch of latex gloves
Crapo cheapo bike lock
Swiss army knife
Gels
Tyre levers
Hand pump (I HATE hand pumps)
Spare inner tube (when I remember to buy one)
A small tube of liquid extreme caffeine boost for dire emmergencies
Long finger sealskin gloves
My hopes and dreams


I almost never need any of this, but the day I do I'll be very glad of it!

 

[Brad]

Welcome to CycleChat!

This is what I take with me if I'm going out on a ride:

Inner Tube
Puncture Repair Kit (Levers etc)
Money
Phone
Spare Batteries
Bike Tool

Pretty much the things that, if something were to happen, you couldn't do without.

Could you enlighten me on what you need spare batteries for? Is it for front and rear lights?

 

[lulubel]

what people above have said is pretty comprehensive.
Anyway, I just have one more recommendation: buy a cheap phone just for cycling. These days you can get a cheap mobile phone for a tenner, and you really wouldn't want your £400 smart phone getting scratched by other tools or getting wet.

This is what I do. I have a cheap PAYG phone with a bit of credit on for emergencies. Also, the only person who knows the number is my partner, so it has the added advantage of no random phone calls or texts to interrupt my ride.

 

[Pauluk]

The point about cheap mobiles is a good one. A week last Thursday I rode home through the storms and flood. I was absolutely soaked, as if I had swam home. Thunder, lightening, rain and hail stones the size of golf balls. At a couple of places the water level was well over my bottom bracket. My wallet took about 2 days to dry out as did my shoes. I'd forgot about my smart phone in my pocket!

Fortunately it survived although I don't know how. Could have ended badly for my phone so I won't be making that mistake again. I probably won't carry a cheap phone but I will carry a zip plastic bag from now on.