I'm fed up of swapping kit between my two bikes (MTB & gravel) so have decided it's time to invest in some more. I ride with a pack less and less these days and both bikes have frame bags so seems to make sense to stock both. The new (nicer) kit to go on the MTB.
At present I currently carry:
Multitool with chain breaker
Small C02 inflator head and a single cartridge: C02
Small Boardman pump: Pump
An old puncture repair box containing: Tyre levers, quick links, valve core remover, spare valve cap, patches.
A spare tube
Something to act as a tyre boot
Cable ties
On longer rides a leatherman too, but it was free and happy to swap that, I'm not buying one!
So what do we think? Combined C02 and pump? Ditch the patches (am tubeless on MTB) and get a dynaplug? What's the go to multi tool?
And any other thoughts, or things I'm missing?
Don't bother with co2 myself. Am tubeless on all bikes, can't remember the last time I had a puncture. At least with a pump you can let someone else use it & not leave yourself short. Cable ties sound useful in theory but not something I've ever needed.
Really just depends how far you're going to be from your house/vehicle/nearest bike shop and what commonly goes wrong with your particular setup!
Ditch all the tube repair stuff unless you are taking it with you to help other people.
Pump is essential, CO2 pointless unless racing.
Leathernan? Where are you going? Outer Mongolia?
CB19 https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Crank-Brothers-Multi-19-Cycling-Multi-Tool_23813.htm Does all the tool needs
I've got the bontrager CO2 pump with 2 carts mounted on the frame of the gravel bike
Tyre lever and tube goes in a tool bottle on the frame with the tool
Don't carry too much more, something to use as a tyre boot goes in but that is a bit random
For anything that goes in as a tool I try and think what I'm going to fix with it, why are you removing valve cores and what do you use valve caps for?
Not carried patches for years once the tube is in then it's carefully home 🙂 In your case it's there in case you puncture the one tube you have.
and on the CO2 vs Pump CO2 is for when it's crap and I just want enough air in the tyre fast, racing or not it's something I can live with due to the low rate of punctures.
Topeak Alien XT, Lezyne Control Drive head & two 25g CO2 canisters, 1 park tyre lever, DynaPlug Racer, 1 inner tube. 1 split link. Sorted.
If you want to buy new kit that's OK, but if you like this kit then you could just put them in a pouch, or use some some of rubber band/cable type arrangement to keep it together, you can then just pick it up and drop it into a different bag
I have some kit that stays in my commuting bag, but all fun cycling uses the same tools. They fit inside a clear pencil case so I can move it easily
Actually the Topeak Alien XT is no longer produced, so maybe their Ninja 16+ instead.
My MTB tool kit is:
multi-tool (Lezyne - unknown model) with chain breaker
Leatherman Squirt
Pump - decent sized one strapped to the frame, think it's the Topeak double action without going and looking at it.
Sahmurai tyre plug kit (goes in end of handlebars)
Cable ties - various sorts
A couple of patches and glue.
Just commenting about this on Bearbones: a Patagonia Expedition sewing kit. It's got enough bits to be able to sew a tyre sidewall.
The chainbreaker on a Lezyne multi-tool can be used as a valve core remover - the bit to use is the slot at the end that the pin pushes through.
Spares:
Inner tube, even though I run tubeless.
A small tin (60x30x12mm) containing spare bolts (rotor, hanger, cleat) and a couple of valve cores
Power link
spare tubeless valve
Emergency spoke (it's a kevlar cord contraption)
Apart from the pump and tube it's pretty compact. For multi-day trips I'll add a small bottle of lube and a 50ml bottle of sealant. I'll also take a spare hanger.
@zilog6128 - the other weekend in the Lakes the ratchet fastening on one of my wife's shoes broke - the plastic tongue with the ridges came away from its holding strap. Using the knife on the Squirt I made a hole in the strap and we managed to pass the cable tie (a big one provided by a passing motorist!) through part of the tongue and fix it.
I have a gear cable in my bag, has definitely been used at least once on a long ride. When riding in a group I also have a compact first aid kit and always a spare inner tube, either for my tubed road bikes or when the tubeless MTB's just won't seal.
Reading glasses
Reading glasses
+1
Oh, and practice those things you don't often do *before* you head out. Trying to work out how a tool works or how to do a job when it's lashing down is not fun.
I've used the leatherman on several occasions to make bodge repairs to get me home without pushing, or riding buddies, which makes my ride better too!
That is a great trailside repair I'll grant you! Although the lesson might equally be, don't buy cheap shoes that will break on you 😀. (Actually my MTB shoes are always lace-ups under the keep-it-simple policy!)Using the knife on the Squirt I made a hole in the strap and we managed to pass the cable tie (a big one provided by a passing motorist!) through part of the tongue and fix it.
The Hexus X is going cheap at Halfords at the min. Good multi tool.
https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-maintenance/bike-tools/topeak-folding-tool-hexus-x
I think the shoes (Specialized) were about five years old so she'd got her money's worth from them. The repair was pretty solid - lasted all that day and the next - but obviously there's now the cable tie constantly moving around in the strap slowly wearing it away so not a permanent fix.
(Actually my MTB shoes are always lace-ups under the keep-it-simple policy!)
Ever snapoed a a lace?
Just remembered: On last year's HT550 Javier Simon ...
lost the nut from his rear axle just before Kinlochewe. Carried on with a proper trailside bodge of DT RWS cable tied to frame, to stop the axle falling out.
He then rode the 280km to the finish! He finished in under four days in third place.
nope! got to be easier to improvise one though. Cord from a hoody/waterproof, other lace cut in half, slice of old inner tube, use your imagination!! Also significantly easier/cheaper to do a permanent repair once you get back to civilisation i.e. buy a new lace!Ever snapoed a a lace?
they look like cheapo Louis Garneau to me but if you're telling me they're Spesh I'll believe you 😉I think the shoes (Specialized) were about five years old
[i]Leathernan? Where are you going? Outer Mongolia?[/i] - Ever tried to get a valve inner core tightened, or lockring off the tubeless valve with no pliers?
[i]CO2 pointless unless racing.[/i] - I had a sidewall puncture 30 miles from my hotel and running out of light. Tried to tube it but could not get the tyre seated back on the bead, it would hold air but the bike was snaking all over the place. In the end the only way I could get it seated was to try and clean the sealant off the rim, lubed it all up with shower gel and water, and then used my one and only CO2 cartridge to get it onto the bead and then followed up with some frantic pumping. I'd got much higher pressure on the pump alone, but the instant inflation from the CO2 seemed to be more effective even though it did not get as much pressure into the tyre.
I have cable tied:
My brake lever on to the bars after a crash.
Panniers onto rack after fixing broke
Light battery onto frame after fixing broke
Jersey after zip broke
Rear mech to hold it in middle of cassette after a cable snapped.
And probably several other things while out riding. Needless to say I always carry a few.
they look like cheapo Louis Garneau to me
Actually you may be right - she's two pairs of shoes, one Garneau and one Spesh, that look very similar.
As for Leatherman and other "exotic" tools - you don't have to be in Outer Mongolia, the middle of the Scottish Highlands can be just as "remote": break down in the middle of Fisherfield and you can be a minimum four or five hour walk to the road and that's assuming your car is there.
The other thing is: do some maintenance! You are unlikely to snap shoelaces if you've checked them beforehand and replaced if they are suspect. At last year's Dirty Reiver there were riders setting off with badly adjusted gears and other simply fixed problems.
Just repacked the water bottle with bits for road/gravel duties in Weymouth from Thursday.
1 Inner Tube
2 Tyre Levers
Crank Bros M18(?)
2 AAA Batteries for rear light.
Puncture repair patches and sand paper.
Leatherman for pliers and knife.
Cable ties (5)
Pump> Topeak RoadMorph Mounted alongside the bottle cage.
For the MTB it would be the same, as the innertube for the bigger tyres is in a dark coloured plastic bag between the saddle rails, the only addition would be half a dozen links and 2 split links. The RoadMorph works well enough on normal MTB Tubed tyres. If I can remember I would swap over the pump to a Mountain Morph. Both pumps have a length of gaffer tape wrapped around them as it seems the best way to take a decent length with you.
Usually have a few plasters in a pocket somewhere.
I have not read every post
I always carry a topeak alien multitool. 3 quick links and 3 chain links ( most of my bikes are either hub gear or SS) a few cableties and a pump with some gaffer tape wrapped around it. spare tube on everything but the fatty ( tubeless)
Often a can of aerosol sealant for quick repair of slow punctures
Longer trips ( multiday) a few small spares such as an m6and m5 bolt each with two nuts, patches and glue if on a bike with tubes. I don't need owt else.
Disposable vinyl gloves (2 pairs)
Interesting post, when I did my MBLA qualification they required everting including kitchen sink !
I now have, in all the MTB bags, a Hexus, a couple of tubes (though ride tubeless on most bikes), some insulating tape and zip ties, and a tiny set of pliers. Also have a sticky pod bag that I move around, with a tyre boot, some brake pads, some quick links, mech hangers for the MTBs, some patches and glue, and a pair of latex gloves. Often carry a small bespoke FA kit, more often if riding with others. Sticky pod bag is smaller than a paperback book so all quite compact.
Member
Don’t bother with co2 myself. Am tubeless on all bikes
That's precisely why I started using CO2, trying to re-seat a burped or off the rim tubeless tyre with a compact pump is a total non starter in my experience. I have managed it with a CO2 inflator though.
Hexus X ordered from Halfords, and a Dynaplug, will have to lay all my kit out before the weekend and sort it out!
I have a chain tool and power link in my fork top cap, multi tool on the bottom of my bottle cage and in the compartment in my frame a tube, tyre levers, dynaplug racer, tyre patch and pump. Will soon swap the pump out for CO2 and head.
only recently switched to the dynaplug after using a diff kit which didnt work twice for me out on the trails. Dynaplug worked first time on a front tyre cut over the weekend, was very impressed.
"and a pair of latex gloves"
"Disposable vinyl gloves (2 pairs)"
For those critical trailside examinations!
My list is:
- Spare inner tube.
- Plastic tyre levers.
- Tyre boot
- Multi-tool.
- 2x power links
- Rear mech hanger
- Spare Hope disc brake pads
- Portable mini track pump with pressure guage.
- Paracetamol and ibuprofen.
- Emergency cash (notes).
- 3x medium plastic cable ties
Actually, that's more than I realised before listing it all out, but it doesn't weigh much and fits neatly in my rucksack. The mini track pump fits vertically alongside my camelback bladder and is barely noticeable.
Wolftooth pliers, quicklinks, chain splitter multi tool , spare tube , zip ties
a few standard size bolts
A 60x40mm piece Rectangular toothpaste plastic tube with a few metres of duct tape wrapped around it
dynaplug (regular and max hole) not had a puncture since
Mini first aid kit a few antiseptic wipes and 2or3 large 150x100mm dressing patches and smaller ones and a bandage
Right, I've consolidated my kit for the mountain bike (Cotic Flare) and it's now living in the frame bag/frame bag and a louri strap under the saddle (LOURI):
Hexus X multi tool
Dynaplug ultralite (and stowed inside - valve nut, quick links, valve cap, cage bolt)
Tube
Micro pump
C02 inflator head
C02 cartridge or 2
Tube
Toothpaste tube tyre boot
Cable ties
Leatherman if I think I'll want a knife/pliers or it's a long/remote ride.
Toothpaste tube tyre boot
Cable ties
They live in the handlebars of my bikes
might be worth carrying one of the shiney silver emergency blankets ( thermal ) for further rides too. They fold up to nothing.
I always have a gear cable as it is quicker and easier than trying to bodge a single speed and the rest of the ride is more enjoyable with gears.
Also the cap on my spare tube is a valve core remover/tightener.
Paracetamol and ibuprofen? I'd ditch one of them and carry aspirin instead.
Never go out without wet bum wipes.
Seriously? What do you do with them after wiping your arse bearing in mind they are not biodegradable (even the ones that say they are)?
Over the years what I carry has been refined to the following:
Small hand pump (plus obligatory gaffs tape strip) carried loose in my bag.
Packed into a small zip up pouch to get thrown into my bag:
2 x CO2 cartridges & valve
Tyres plugs
Tyre boot made from toothpaste tube
2-3 quick links
Lezyne multitool (V10)
Zip ties
Small tube of lube
Self adhesive patches
Small penknife
Brake pads
Spare tube is held on the frame/beneath saddle.
I also carry a 1st aid kit which consists of a couple of bandages, a few antiseptic wipes, small roll of tape, ibuprofen/paracetamol, spare contact lenses and for when it’s all gone tits up, a whistle. All in a small pouch in my bag.
In the car, I carry a more comprehensive st aid kit.
a good idea picked up on a gravel fb post....
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@Alpha1653 - why brake pads? Surely you check your bike before heading out on a ride? For multi-day rides or if heading to somewhere remote (by which I mean the Arctic rather than somewhere without 4G mobile coverage) then fair enough.
Looks like most of us have something very similar - the Venn diagram would have a lot of crossover!
Someone mentioned disc and cleat bolts. These are the same thread so a brake disc bolt will fit a cleat hole (a guy sorted out Mrs Kilo’s shoe with bone in Canada) They are also the same thread as a standard bottle mount and iirc mudguard bolt so if you’ got spare bosses you can carry a spare bolt there or just take one of the disc
@whitestone: I remember doing an enduro at Afan way back (2007?) when ‘enduro’ meant riding for a long time as opposed to a stage race. Conditions were awful and although my bike was fully prepped and checked in advance, a set of pads were destroyed about 2/3 of the way round meaning I did the last 20km or so just on my front brake.
Since then I’ve carried a single set just in case and I’ve had to use them once. That said, a set is the size of a postage stamp and weighs practically nothing so I’d rather carry them just in case.
@Alpha1653 - fair enough. I wasn't criticising, just wanting to know your rationale. There are certain areas, Kielder's one, where bad conditions chew through brake pads. Like you say they don't take up much space but it does help if you don't pack Shimano pads when you've got Hope brakes!
Four bikes, four sets of tools etc, just because I can't be arsed swapping things over and always forget when it actually matters. I work on the principle that I'd rather carry too much stuff with me, than keep it to the minimum and be caught out when the worst case scenario happens. One thing I insist on having at the bottom of my two MTB packs are the aluminium space blankets things as mentioned above - weigh nothing and really can be a life saver. Most people above seem to be far more organised that me though, so picked up some tips here!
I carry a quick link but i also carry the four or five links of chain that you take out when you fit a new chain.
Space blankets are a great idea to carry. In-fact I'm think that stuffing those into the fork steerer would be a good use of the space.
I carry a quick link but i also carry the four or five links of chain that you take out when you fit a new chain.
I also do this but take two quick links so replacing a section of chain is easy. Also run all my bikes in the same chains to make this easier. In my big bag I'm pretty sure I still have 9 and 10 speed links as well.
On local rides I carry:
Pump
Tube
Levers x2
Crank Bros multi-17 tool
wolf tooth chain pliers and chain links
Zip ties
£5 note that can double as a tyre boot
A tubeless tyre sealant thing prefitted with an anchovie (protected with a pen cap).
All carried in a Zefal muppet bag under the saddle.
For longer rides I would shove in a second tube, artificial (kevlar) spoke, and brake pads.
Talking of zip ties, have we mentioned George Berwick and his broken frame yet? http://www.thedrumup.co.uk/cycling-riders/george-berwick-500km-on-a-broken-frame/
Top bodge that's a proper break too
