Let’s assume a 30-40 mile ride or a few hours. If I was on a mountain bike ride that long then my sack would be bulging with tools and spares and food and layers. Yet all the roadies I see, right out in the sticks so assuming a long way from home, have **** all with them that I can see…

Is it just tube+pump/Co2, £10 and a phone or do you have some tools etc?

I ask as I’ve never done the dark side stuff but am getting out on my new CAADX to keep Mrs Lister company as she is training for the Ironman in September. I’m not planning on doing the big +50 milers, just the shorter stuff.

Cheers

Loads of threads about this but FWIW, 12 quid & credit card (the 2 is for an emergency coke or the jetwash) 🙂

Jersey or jacket pockets:
Phone, debit card, fiver (in a ziploc back), some bars/gels, maybe arm warmers and windproof gilet depending.

Little Lezyne saddle pack:
Tube, levers, multitool, SRAM chain link, little pack of Park Tool glueless patches, maybe another gel

Tiny Lezyne seatpack with tube, multitool, missing link and patches. Pump and phone in pocket, if over 30 miles a munchy bar also. Bottle or 2 on bike.

Yep 2 tubes, pump, phone, small lever and a couple of bars of some sort for that distance – oh and a chain link in case it snaps to make a quick repair.

Good luck in her Ironman. I am assuming it is Wales at that time of year? I did it last year. Fantastic location and course but very tough. Enjoy.

Very much depends on the time of year etc. Pump, bottles, saddle bag (multi-tool, tube, chain link, lever, patches), phone.

Clothing is weather dependent but in decent conditions a jersey, gilet and arm-warmers is a flexible combination and the extra layers can be stashed in jersey pockets.

A couple of gels, a few quid.

It’s still winter here so I’ll likely take a jacket of some sort, maybe even an insulated one if there’s a chance of being stranded. Depends how busy your roads are.

On the bike:

Water bottle.
Frame mounted pump (oh the shame, see the Velominati’s “The Rules” to understand my infringement.

On me (in rear pocket of cycling jersey):

2 x inner tubes.
Phone.
Cereal bar/energy gel.
Multitool.

Thats it.

Yes, mountain bikers do carry too much crap with them….you’d be forgiven for thinking they were cycling into remotest South America when you see people in the carpark at Swinley.

2 tubes, tyre leavers, multi tool in a small saddle bag. Stoats porridge oat bar, phone and some cash in my jacket pocket.

IANAR, but when on the grrravel bike;
Chain tool and links in headtube
Saddle bag with tiny Allen key set, tyre levers, keys, tube and Park patches. Possibly an emergency gel or bar.
Phone, card and cash in jersey or jacket pocket
Two cages, one with a pump underneath

Pump & waterbottle(s) on frame
2 tubes, tyre lever, instant patches, powerlink in small arundel saddlebag*
If I’m going out all day then I’ll also put a bit of cash and a tiny cafe lock in a jersey pocket.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/rfoqDk]Resting[/url] by simondbarnes, on Flickr

*until recently I didn’t use a saddlebag but have decided it makes things easier as don’t need to scrabble round for tubes & levers before heading out on a ride.

+1 Makes things much simpler knowing it’s all ready to go.

saddleback for the reason noted above – same as camelback it means just get on bike and go.
Flapjack, two tubes, chain links, multi tool and tyre levers.
Everything else [ clothes mainly] in pockets + pump is on the bike.

Winter…

Two tubes, levers and in a small water bottle shaped tool bottle thing.
Pump on frame.
One bottle of drink.
Money, food, key and phone in jersey pockets.

Summer…

Two bottles of drink on the bike.
Pump on frame.
Two tubes, levers. money, food, key, phone in jersey pockets.

I keep on top of my road bikes in the maintenance department. Fresh tyres every 3000 miles, new cables twice a year and a new chain every 1k or so.

Pretty much same as everyone else really.

Pump & bottles on the frame

Tube, patches, tools & levers in a saddle bag

Jacket, phone, wallet, banana & lock in Jersey pockets

I’ve started doing almost the same on the mountain bike and it’s resulted in far less lower back pain than when I was using a rucksack

If it’s only a shortish ride (upto 50is miles) then a tube, 2 tyre levers, keys, phone in jersey pockets. Pump on the frame.

Saddle bag or front Deuter like this frame triangle bag (or both).
Quite often have to carry a few things to work including my lunch.
Also, small topeak pump, multitool, levers, repair patches, emergency gel, keys, cards, phone, sandwiches, helmet torch, money.

Tube, tyre levers, Park patches, multi tool and inhaler in a small saddle bag. Pump, CO2, phone and train pass (with cash card and £10 note) in pockets. 2 bottles on the bike.

I don’t ride on the road anymore but when I did, 2 tubes, lever & mini tool in a Lezyne Caddy pack thing, phone tenner & card in a poc-pac thing. Lezyne mini pump. Tools & pump, central jersey pocket, phone left pocket, food right pocket.

only bottles on the frame, no saddle pack.

One or two water bottles on the bike. C02 air bomb and nozzle, spare tube, tyre lever and £10 note in my jersey pockets.
Gilet if it’s looking ‘iffy’, knee warmers and arm warmers get pulled up or rolled down as needed but they stay on (of a fashion).
House key is left hidden outside the house. I can’t lose it then.
I don’t take a phone. Who would I call? The AA? No bugger’s coming to get me anyway.

Yes, mountain bikers do carry too much crap with them….you’d be forgiven for thinking they were cycling into remotest South America when you see people in the carpark at Swinley.

😆

That distance means the normal, permanent, small saddle bag thingy of 1 tube, 1 small multitool, a few patches. Probably 1 gel or munchy bar to eat at about 25 miles. A fiver and the driving licence for ID I the pockets. Wind or water proof in the other pocket. Pump on bttle cage.
Why take phone? I did call my mum to rescue me .I was just out of junior school and 20 mile from home. As that was about 1974 a mobile wasn’t an option anyway.

Haven’t read the replies, so apologies if someone has already said this.

I was told recently that some people keep their bikes in excellent order so they don’t break down. Because they don’t break down they don’t need to do ad hoc repairs. So they don’t need to carry tool kit.

This was a complete revelation to me. I work on the assumption that I do the maintenance on my bike as things break. How do I know what needs done until it’s actually snapped in two and hanging off?

So that approach isn’t for me.

I tend to favour the four leaved clover approach where possible. Park in the centre and do little loops in various directions, never getting far from the starting point. Then when the bike does break it’s not too far back to the car.

Small saddle bag with spare tube; box of patches; CO2 cylinder and valve; tyre levers; multi-tool. This is permanently on the bike so I don’t forget it.

In jersey pockets: pump (not got a frame mount for it); phone, debit card and cash; a couple of gels or energy bars.

Got two bottle holders but in winter one water bottle is used to hold a waterproof.

Worth noting that on a road bike you tend to keep moving: none of this stopping, chewing the cud at the top and bottom of every section 🙂 On Saturday I headed out and didn’t take my feet out of the clips for over 100Km – I was glad of the sit down in the cafe though! I only unclipped once more on the way home.

For my road bike/tripster i have a small ortelieb saddle bag that holds a tube, co2 canister, topeak multi tool, chain joining link and a patch kit – in my jersey pocket i carry a mini SKS supershort pump.

When i used to be able to ride the ss mtb silly distances (used to do all day 80mile loops from house out into the Galloway hills and back home) i’d carry a mini saddlebag but as i was tubeless i never had to fix a puncture or a sidewall cut etc (guess i was lucky) and i never had a mechanical of any sort but i did have a few big offs. Never used camalbaks or suchlike as i can’t stand to wear anything on my back/spine.

As kids in the 80’s we reguarly rode 30/40 miles through uninhabited areas of Argyll with nothing apart from mars bars and in the early 90’s upon getting proper mt.’s we used to ride silly distances with nothing part from a pump/tubes/patch kit so i’m always perplexed by the amount of stuff that folk pack/carry for a spin round a trail centre.

I always made sure my bikes were 100% serviceable before every ride and being of a mechanical persuasion i have always taken pleasure in having a mechanically perfect bike.

Pump, tube, tenner, phone (the phone sends my position via &
Garmin Live track).
All in my jersey pocket.

2 tubes, lezyne sv10 mini tool with chainbreaker and tyre lever built in, and a couple of quick links in a topeak wedge under the saddle. I too like it always there with the bike.

Pump attached to bottle cage.

Any food, cash cards keys etc goes in jersey pocket.

The kit that stays in my backpack for mtbing is nearly identical, just the tires are fatter and the pump is a bit more industrial. I don’t understand how some people stuff their backpacks with so much junk.

This was a complete revelation to me. I work on the assumption that I do the maintenance on my bike as things break. How do I know what needs done until it’s actually snapped in two and hanging off?

As soon as you start getting punctures then get rid of the tyres asap. Keep everything clean, the chain fresh and change the cables regularly.

For me it would be. One bottle 500-750ml depending on weather. One tool bottle containing small pump, tube, small tool, few odds and ends like quick link.

Pocket would be phone, card, money, key. Maybe a gilet/jacket at night or in colder weather and a cereal bar.

Same as most it seems. A lezyne caddy sack in the jersey pocket with a tube, co2, glueless patches, tyre boot, small multitool, and chain link. Phone. A bottle or two. May grab an extra tube, small pump, and some cash if it’s an all dayer.

Wow, lots of answers, thanks to you all. Seems to be a fairly standard set of kit and carrying options.

The stuff I carry on my mtb is due to 20+ years of accumulated knowledge/breakages and incidents.
I’ve done about 20 miles on the road so not much experience for me to work with!

Marty Mayhem…yes, she’s doing the Tenby Ironman, we live in Pembroke. She’s alternating between really excited and terrified about it all. Not sure if knowing the route really well is a good thing or not…

Cycling Ride Pouch

Treated myself to one of these, might be a tad bulky for summer jersey but works well as a grab and go option with other 2 pockets for food/lightweight jacket.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1gv6Y5NSno[/video] this is a very useful video, the pump wrapped in the gilet is one that I’ve adopted

For a 30-40 mile ride.
2 tubes/pump/levers/multi-tool/spare link.
Phone.

Maybe 1 500ml bottle of water if weather is warm.

Everything except water goes in Jersey pockets.

Usually a glock 17L chambered in 0.45 ACP, failing that, a few patches, x2 CO2 pumps, tyre lever and some skittles.

As soon as you start getting punctures then get rid of the tyres asap.

This ^

Once you start getting punctures that aren’t obviously from a sharp object it usually means that the tyre is near the end of its useful life: when you take the tyre off it will feel almost paper like. I’ve had a tyre go from looking OK if a little worn to showing fabric in 30Km, fortunately it coincided with a cafe stop near a bike shop so was replaced mid ride.

If you ride on roads that have recently been top-dressed then your tyres will wear down pretty quickly with all the extra sharp mini edges.

On a normal 2-4hour ride-
Phone.
Bottle of water on bike.
Door key.
Buffalo windshirt in pocket if it looks wet.

On club ride-

Small bag of jelly babies sometimes.
£5 for cafe.
Small multitool

On the frame
2 bottles (it actually gets hot here)
Pump

In the saddle bag
Tubes
Tool
Credit Card/Cash
Bit of food
CO2

Pockets
Other food
jacket/other top
sunnies
phone (waterproof pocket)

Road biking by it’s very nature ends up passing civilisation more than mountain biking, the emergency £10/CC can get you out of many holes from food, drinks, somewhere warm to sit or a Taxi home.

Yes, mountain bikers do carry too much crap with them….you’d be forgiven for thinking they were cycling into remotest South America when you see people in the carpark at Swinley.

And sometimes mountain bikers go out into actual mountains where carrying the right equipment is simply the right thing to do as spending 4-5hrs walking back to civilisation can become a real issue in poor weather.

Frame –
Pump
1 or 2 bottles dependent on weather

Saddlebag –
2 tubes,multitool,CO2 inflator + 2 refills,tyre levers,chain tool, split link, patches.

Jersey pockets –
Phone, wallet,gels/bars, light jacket, cafe lock, key.

Under the saddle bag;
X2 inner tubes.
X2 tyre levers.
£10 for emergency.
Drivers licence in case I get killed
Bank card in case I’m stuck real far from home .
X1 banana
X1 energy/protein bar.

Back pockets;
Phone.
Rain jacket (super lightweight and compact)

Bike; tiny pump attached to frame.

I always carry two tubes even on small rides. Been caught out before. Quicker to change a tube than dick around with puncture kits.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ……… Please God can someone make a what to carry thread sticky, put it next what pedals are best and do I wear underpants under Lycra.