stupid question i know,but whenever i am riding any distance,i just seem to take everything (including the kitchen sink 😳 example.yesterday i cycled to bath and back from devizes.i had a normal rucksack.in it i was carrying waterproof jacket/trousers,u lock,topeak mark 1 alien multitool,1.5 litre bottle of water,a bottle of sainsbury’s red bull type drink,bag mixed nuts,bag fruit jellies,spesch £10.00 pump,2 inner tubes,2 tyre levers,pack self adhesive patches,sony digital camera,my phone,wallet,coins,2 inhalers,my hope vision 2 led light with epic battery,knog light,smart rear light,2012 specialized product catalogue,i think that was all ❓ oh and i bought a small cheese on the way back (from a barge).i just don’t think my back can cope with all that weight (as i’m not fit).basically how do you ride light,but still have enough food water to keep you going?thanks 🙂

Way too much stuff!!

tube, pump, multitool, bottle of water is all you need

A bit more for me, off for 70 miles later with: tube, pump, patches, glue, leavers, lightweight shell, waterbottle and a bit of food: 2 gels and 2 nutrigrain bars, all in jersey pockets

Firstly, you need to use a bag that can handle the volume of kit and that can sit on your back properly.

Secondly, can you put stuff on the bike? Pump/water/lights

Thirdly, you need to thin out your kit. Don’t take your wallet, take a fiver. Don’t take all that food, take a couple of bars/gels. Spread all your stuff out and only take stuff that’s critical to getting you home.

Buy a smaller rucksack/camelbak so you can’t physically take all that crap. Pump, tube, energy bar/snack. Water, tyres lever x2. Multitool, some patches and a mobile. Only take a showerproof if I think I’ll need it

Whats your point, I usually need a forklift to get my pack on my back 😆

Water (if it’s a long ride), multi tool, tyre levers, spare tube, pump and puncture repair kit are all you really need. Thin/packable waterproof if it might rain. Probably wise to keep your inhalers with you as well 🙂 I keep my camera in my pocket. I don’t take anything out with me on road rides, it feels great but I’d probably be nackered if I got a flat halfway round.

So – you rode for 40 miles, through a populated area to and from a populated area. Carry less food for a start – buy things when you stop en route. You don’t need a full waterproof suit – just a jacket and the right tights / leggings. Did you use the U lock? Could you take a lighter lock, or not at all?
Leave the catalogue at home.

Always surprised how some folk go to great lengths and expense to make their bike light then load up with everything except the kitchen sink.
I carry a tube,patch kit,lightweight mulititool,levers in a seat pack,bottle and pump on the bike,phone and a tenner in the back pocket
I really don`t like riding with a pack on my back,which is also a good way to lessen the chances of carrying too much kit!

TooTall should have added that i picked up the catalogue during my ride (and the cheese 😉

As above

Bigger ride = Not too large pack but still able to carry what I need for a day for me can get everything in a Osprey Viper 10.

Local Ride = On the bike bottle cage, small seat pack which contains inner tube multi tool tyre levers patches. Pocket phone cash and your good to go. Much nicer than having to carry all the clobber around.

I always end up carrying quite a lot of gear. I got sick of it weighing too much too but realised I need most of what I carry. Anyway, I bought a wingnut pack, some folk love them and others hate them. The load is carried on the hips, it feels like you’re not carring as much weight as you are. Rough Ride Guide sells them and sorry for not answering the original question.

Why 3 lights? If you’re not actually planning to be out after dark surely a little blinky light as a ‘just in case’ is all you need. Stick it on the bars. Even if you carry a Maxx-D or whatever, put it on your bike!

No wallet, £10 and a card will cover it, what use is your Nectar card and a Blockbuster video membership?! Why coins separately? You’re not gonna need to pay for parking.

Leave the Red Bull-esque drink and some of the food (do you need any?), if you’re that desperate you can buy some.

You don’t need waterproof trousers. It wasn’t raining when you left, or you’d be wearing them. If it starts pouring a jacket will keep you warm, trousers can be nice (I imagine, never owned a pair) but far from essential.

Get a small cable lock, it’s presumably only to stop someone walking off with your bike while you’re in a shop, s D-lock will weigh a ton.

Do you really need your camera? Phone camera if you see anything you have to photograph?

Water, puncture repair kit, pump, multi tool, apple and some biscuits. Job done

kit for a 100 mile road ride: 1 pump, 1 tube. 2 bottles water… money and phone.

As othere say – Ditch all the shit. How long were you out for?

for a 4 hr ish ride in the nearby hills I carry
Spare tube,
patches,
glue, sram links,
cable ties,
couple of nuts and bolts.
Pump
Multitool
emergancy energy gel
all in a small underseat pouch.

One large water bottle (Usually only one – a second in summer / if refills are not available / longer rides.

Some sweets / or flapjack or similar in a pocket

If it looks like rain I might have a very light waterproof jacket in a pocket. If I am heading off on a night ride and it might get cold later maybe another shirt tied around my waist but this is rare

Ditch the rucsac. You are going for a short ride around a populated area – you don’t need much kit.

Helium

When I first read this post this morning I had just read the one on hardtails being hard and thought it was going to be asking about how to ‘float’ over rock gardens 😆

Anyway, I have recently trimmed down my kit to a multitool (15-in-1), mini pump, puncture kit with 2 tyre levers held to it via a re-usable cable tyre and a rubber band. Other stuff is limited to some id, a fiver, jelly babies and an old K800i for phone/camera duty. All in a small pack. I am still using a bottle in a cage for hydration.