I went for a short spin yesterday and considered putting stuff on my bike instead as it’s easier to fill a bottle, and I had the eqiuppment. But then I realised the extra faff of transferring stuff over wasn’t really worth the convenience of using a bottle.

How much stuff do you need to transfer over for a short spin?

Can we have the “people carry too much junk around in their huge packs” debate now? 😈

Molgrips, That’s just bad planning.
One bag. One set of tools. Only thing I have to swap is the tube. Which goes in a pocket anyway. Bag moving takes ~15 seconds in the winter. And less than that in the summer (as it goes in a pocket anyway)

Can we have the “people carry too much junk around in their huge packs” debate now?

Rationalisation time, one set of co2 tool and tyre lever is transferable, mech hangers and tubes are not

All of my shorts have at least one zipped pocket – either side or rear – so phone (Sony Z1 Compact) goes in that. Small multitool in one of the other pockets along with a chain link and a couple of zipties. Any problem that can’t be fixed with that, or a puncture, and I’m phoning for a pickup! Helps that 95% of my rides are sub-2hrs and the furthest point is >10 miles from home. Any further out than that and I take a pack.

Most of my rides are tame as anything local stuff that involve me getting out on the bikes. There’s no trail centre, no rock gardens, no mountains, no berms

So my phone goes in a pocket if I have one, a bumbag if I’m wearing one, or on a bag on the bike if there is one (have been using a couple of bikepacking bags on the bike for ease)

Let’s face it if you’re able to get the phone out of whereever you’ve stashed it and are in a good enough state to phone the emergency services with your location and needs then you’re probably not badly injured enough to need those services.

As people above have said, it depends. It might also not be you that needs the help.

One of my students got her foot stuck in a hole while walking alone last week, and there was no mobile signal. Fortunately, the farmer who found her had a phone and didn’t have to go far to call 999.

They had the saw out ready to remove her foot, but fortunately managed to free her in time. Had they arrived any later, because the farmer had to go all the way to a phonebox or house to call for help, she’d have lost her foot.

I find a good comfortable backpack solves all these problems.

and I quite like having a decent camera and the option of mapping with GPS, along with other interesting stuff like https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.peakfinder.area.alps&hl=en_GB.

A bit off topic, but thanks. I’ve been looking for an app that will do that for a while.

Yes please – it always amuses me how much some folk carry for a couple of hours in the woods.

Yes please – it always amuses me makes me superior to see how much some folk carry for a couple of hours in the woods.

😉

I put mine in airplane mode, that way the battery lasts for days and I don’t have to faff turning it on when I need to check my offline map app.

I wrap it in cling film to waterproof it.

How much stuff do you need to transfer over for a short spin?

I always have two tubes, multi tool, pump and patches then for the FS I bring a shock pump and for the Salsa I bring a screwdriver (don’t ask).

So switching to back from non-bag involves fitting the saddle back, getting out bottles, swapping tubes to saddle bag, fitting pump to frame and so on. We’re only taking a minute or two here either way, so it’s hardly a big deal. If wearing a backpack bothered me it’d be worth the switch for shorter rides, but it doesn’t.

Decathlon sells a cheap zip bag that keeps the phone dry in my rear pocket. I used to use kitchen ziploc bags, but they wore after a few rides.

My rides generally aren’t a “couple of hours in the woods” round the back of my house! Even on a local ride, if I get a puncture, it would mean a good couple of hours’ walk home if I didn’t take a pump, tyre levers and tube. And since most of my rides are in or near the Peak District I’d be an idiot to go out without a waterproof except on a rare hot day.

Plus, I couldn’t be doing with pump, phone, etc jangling around in my pockets. I do carry a water bottle on my bike frame though.