[Closed] Riding without the kitchen sink.

Depends where you ride and how far from extricating yourself you are.
Weather is also massive factor.

One hour ride in local woods in summer = spare inner tube and pump.

You could take nothing.

Never bothered carrying a gear cable. Do you need patches and a tube plus pump and co2?

You could get rid of about half of that!

Co2& pump

Tube, patches, & tyre boot.

Multi tool & leather man.

Brake pads- check before you leave.

Depends where you ride and time of year.

Been doing this long enough to have needed survival bag and ability to give a grid ref for other people. So now tend to shove in a map regardless of how local.

Also done a long cold icy self extract with a popped shoulder in a place I've ridden for 20 odd years and would otherwise have been complacent about. So in cold or with kids we now shove in a scratty old down jacket (packs small and light, can be used over broken or wonky limbs).

None of that gear needs a big pack. I wouldn't take brake pads or CO2 on a day ride.

I've started riding my local woods carrying nothing. The one day I puncture and have to walk I'll regret it, but it means I can just get out without thinking for an hour or so.

For local rides of up to 40 miles or so I'd just take a pump, multi-tool, lever and a spare tube (all attached to the bike). At this time of year I also tend to ride with my SPOT tracker too though.

Tube,tubeless repair kit,powerlink,mini pump,multi tool.
All fits in my back pocket.

That's loads for most riding. Is that 2 pumps? Gear cable and pads seems excessive. You can ride with those failed. Two multi tools as well. Probably OK kit for an all dayer so you can keep riding without ruining your day but hardly the bare minimum.

Glueless tube patch kit in pocket.

5mm allen key in pocket.

Pump on frame.

Done me fine so far, touch wood.

Foil blanket always at the bottom of my camelbak. Not needed it in 7 years thankfully. Oh and a loud marine whistle no moving parts.

About the same as wally for me plus first aid kit and a gel or similar. I really ought to carry a tubeless fix kit but assume I could tube it if I had that big a hole.

No point getting stranded. I don't get to ride enough to put up with a screwed up one for the sake of 100g or whatever extra spare parts.

Often ride with nothing including no helmet. Managed for my whole childhood doing the same. Amazing!!!

Imagine riding without a camelback! 😉 It can be done!!!

Gear cable - no reason why not but with a screwdriver you can lock the mech and SS it home. Been stuck with a twisted chain that links couldn't fix without a chainbreaker, but never needed a leatherman type of tool. Could bodge a chain fix with it, maybe. Perhaps if it was below zero it could be useful. A tiny pocket knife maybe for a bikepacking trip, not for local rides - same for pads.

I used to ride with the kitchen sink in my camelback but have now ditched it. My list is:
Tube, patches, tyre levers and multi-tool in a small saddle bag
Pump mounted on the frame
Phone, cash and train pass in my pocket
Bottle in a cage

This also minimises faff as everything is on the bike and good to go.

OP why take all that crap, but no survival bag type thing? Why look after your bike and not yourself?

I usually ride within about 1hrs walk/jog of civilisation so I take nothing, quite happy to walk back, which has happened once in about the last 5 years. Of course take my mobile though.

Local woods/trail centre blast I take nothing, only had to walk/jog back to car twice in the last year. SS and tubeless help a little.

Longer and/or more technical/remote rides- a tube or two, pump, multi tool, spare links, tyre boot and cable ties.

Crank Bros 19 multitool (includes chain breaker)
Patches / Chain powerlink
Tube (x2 if long ride)
Pump
PHONE
£10
Drink/Granola bar
Goretex pack-light if forecast isn't 100%
PHONE

Gerber/Leatherman if going out all day

Out of all this things, I think that the phone is the most important thing. If you crash and break a bone or worse still, something unfixable on your bike then you can get help.
If I'm taking a CamelBak, I always take an extra layer. Having been caught on the top of the North Downs in a cold NE wind and no shelter fixing multiple punctures once, I vowed never to leave without one again!

Most of that crap is tiny useful stuff that fits in one 25 year old metal puncture box. I forgot about Iboprophen tablets. My point was a little subversive - don't fret about bike weight when you carry several pounds on your back.

Days out:
Tube
Pump
multitool (hexus)
gear cable
mini leatherman thingy
one pair brake pads
puncture repair patched and glue
chain quicklinks
Zip ties

Local woods:
tube
pump

Taking on board your point about weight of bike vs weight on your back (or belly) I think there's a minimal set of kit you should take with you. Quite how minimal depends on where you are riding, if you are at a trail centre then you can get away with very little but if you are on the high fells or moors then you should have a lot more - see Andyv's lists as an example. The time of year makes a difference as well.

Obsessing over saving weight then having to rely on others to help you out isn't particularly clever. Sure, minimise kit and weight but having to wait for mountain rescue in wind and driving rain isn't particularly pleasant if you don't have shelter or protection of some kind. Think how cold you get waiting for a mate to fix a puncture even in summer ...

I'd add a space blanket, first aid kit and some form of group shelter between a group as well as a dry bag with a small selection of spare clothes.

Road bike:

Tube.
Multitool with chain tool and tyre levers.
£2.99 topup phone in a plastic wallet.
2 x CO2.
Cash.
Sticky patches.
Chain link.
Bottle.

Plus, when on the mountain bike:

Space blanket bag.
Camelback.

For big days out I tend to take;

Multi-Tool (Hexus)
Old Leatherman for pliers
Tube
Puncture repair kit
Pump
Small bottle of chain lube
One set of pads
Survival Bag
3 Person group shelter
Food
A few gels

I have the group shelter after getting caught with a guy going down with Hypothermia whilst doing the three peaks, another guy in the party had one and by using the bag to cover the ground and the shelter over the top of us we were able to get him warm and changed despite some near horizontal rain. For the sake of a few hundred grams it's worth it.

During local rides I'm starting to err towards less stuff, just bought a osprey lumbar pack and intent to go with pump, tube a gel or two and the multi-tool 🙂

Surrey Hills native, so never far from civilisation (I can understand carrying more if you're miles from anywhere), but I carry:

- CO2 pump and tube attached to seatpost
- Hexus multitool with chaintool
- paper money of whatever denomination is to hand and a credit card
- phone
- keys
- bottle on bike, with spare sachets of High 5 powder if it's a long ride/hot day

Done. Never understood carrying brake pads and stuff, do folk really stop halfway through a ride to change them? I check mine before, and if they get that bad I just deal with the shit braking for the rest of the ride!

On my local loops in fair weather I've just started taking just water, mobile, snack and a couple of allen keys.

If the tubeless gods stop smiling on me, then a long walk is just the price that will have to be paid. On most of the loops I can stash the bike somewhere and leg it more directly home for the car/supplies.

Having once pushed my MTB for 5 miles to the nearest LBS after multiple punctures..., even when living in the south I carried more than most.

Now living in Scotland I carry pretty much everything to cover a breakdown of either me or my bike. And after every breakdown/emergency I take 'stock' and consider 'what-if'.

For example, now carry a Beanie-Hat after one meant that we could stop the bleeding from a riding buddies face after he'd OTB and it was too cold/wet to get any bandages/tape to hold...

And (multiple) tubes, co2*2, pump and patches - have all been used on a ride after splitting a rim.

shaver case - good one. Have a few old ones of those, ideal.

Done. Never understood carrying brake pads and stuff, do folk really stop halfway through a ride to change them? I check mine before, and if they get that bad I just deal with the shit braking for the rest of the ride!

big difference between a 2 hour ride around the local woods and a 3day ride in the hills.

I tend to try and drop some of the extra crap when close to home - but still end up with a heavy bag!

How about

[img] [/img]

and packed within:

http://gearjunkie.com/montane-minimus-jacket-review

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/biking-bum-bags

big difference between a 2 hour ride around the local woods and a 3day ride in the hills.

I did caveat my post by saying that I understand it's different if you're in the middle of nowhere. But, and call me a cynic, I doubt the average ride by folk on here is 3 days in the hills without a phone signal, slaughtering goats to survive.

I've done some longish rides - 60+ miles in South Wales, 100 miles at CyB, as well as many 50 mile rides locally. I'd still not think about carrying brake pads myself if trying to "travel light".

2x tubes
1x puncture kit
1x pump
1x shock pump
chain quick link
multi tool with chain splitter
spoke key
chain lube
spare gloves
cheap plastic over coat (even if I set off wearing a coat)
spare neck tube buff thing
2l bladder for long rides, 500ml bottle for short.
a few gels and an energy bar.
Should add a first aid kit and foil blanket really.

All in the backpack all the time, so take on almost every ride unless I'm doing an hour in the local woods, then I only take my keys and phone (steel city run etc... in greno woods are only 15min walk from home).

[s]2x tubes[/s] Only 1 for me.
[s]1x puncture kit[/s]
1x pump
[s]1x shock pump[/s]
chain quick link
[s]multi tool with chain splitter[/s]
[s]spoke key[/s]
[s]chain lube[/s]
[s]spare gloves[/s]
[s]cheap plastic over coat[/s] (even if I set off wearing a coat)
[s]spare neck tube buff thing[/s]
2l bladder for long rides, 500ml bottle for short.
[s]a few gels and [/s]an energy bar.

How can you fully enjoy a ride if you are carrying THE kitchen sink? Remember those salad days when we used to go out and play on our bike? Now we carry the detritus of life around with us. Literally.

In ALL my rides I've only been left stranded once. I fooled with shock rates and the chain growth ripped my rear mech and hanger off.

Two tubes? Maybe if you are on a big ride and not running tubeless. If on any ride with friends there will be a pool of tubes. You can even share the load/kit- everyone carries a specific item between everyone.

I really don't notice I'm wearing the bag after 10 mins of riding, can't say its massively better without it, except for when it's really hot and then I'm glad to have the 2l bladder with me.

I'm just in the "rather not get stranded and don't care about carrying and extra 300g of stuff" camp.

Each to their own like though.

I found my pack (itself) was getting heavier and heavier. Riding the same trails but without a backpack feels ace. I cant wait until summer -you dont have a damp back and feel 'free'.

I try to secrete as much 'emergency' stuff on the bike as possible. So pump is on frame and I use a small seat pack for multitool, tyre levers patches, tube, spare derailleur hanger etc. I strap things under the saddle in a small self seal bag, keep a length of chain in the seatpost together with chain links, and I keep a gear cable and zip ties inside the handlebar (lock on grips allow easy access).

For stuff in seatpost and hadlebar bar I use a suitably sized plastic bag with string and tab securely attached so I can pull things out easily.

If I need a backpack I keep it as small as possible. The larger it is the more it will encourage me to pack inside.

Someone should invent a dropper that can also be used as a pump. 😛

If I need a backpack I keep it as small as possible. The larger it is the more it will encourage me to pack inside.

I like the " gear cable and zip ties inside the handlebar" idea.

+1

I have zip ties and a few spare spokes in handlebars

ability to give a grid ref for other people. So now tend to shove in a map regardless of how local.

There are good apps for that, worked fine in my tests. There are many cases when a map is a benefit but I wouldn't carry one on my home turf unless professionally guiding.

If I need a backpack I keep it as small as possible. The larger it is the more it will encourage me to pack inside.

In reverse I find a larger emptier pack more comfy than a smaller fuller one.

Handlebars as storage = genius!

Pump, tubeless repair kit, multitool is all I need in my camelback

If it's a long ride I'll chuck some fig rolls in for emergency energy

Weight comes from the water I carry which isn't a lot this time of year.

Just a tiny ampule of super-strength pheromones.

what are you going to do with a shock pump? If the fork or shock are soggy and leaking air, pump's not going to help...is it?

Most of my stuff; multi tool, mini pump, tube, few spare links and such goes in a thin pencil case, it fits in pocket or sack.

I carry a pretty standard pack of first aid kit (yellow dry bagged variety with space blanket) two tubes (sometimes one if used one recently), fly patch kit and levers, Allen key tool with screwdriver, pump, phone, keys, couple of zip ties, bit of tape, soreen, whistle and water in bladder. Jacket at times if seems like a plan. Map and compass if doing something odd. Spare gloves if a big ride. Money if planning to be anywhere it'd be useful. Mostly it's all in the bag all the time and hardly weighs anything. I do vary the amount of water as carrying 3l is usually insane. 1l-1.5 is usually overkill unless it's a big day or hot. I've considered a little bottle of water and washing up liquid before now...

Pump in seatpost, that's a good idea. I may be able to squeeze a patch kit in there also, as long as it doesn't drop down into the frame during riding.

Maybe some sort of rubber bung?

Often ride with nothing including no helmet. Managed for my whole childhood doing the same. Amazing!!!

This is me now. but then again most of my riding is local woods so happy to walk back if I have too

ability to give a grid ref for other people. So now tend to shove in a map regardless of how local.

- OK, can you tell me where is that?
- Of course I can, officer! - here I took out a map from my hummvee's, quickly read the grid reference in 0,00 accuracy.
- OK, it doesn't tell me anything... Where is that?
😐

Multitool
Tube
Levers
Tubeless repair kit with a couple of patches
Mini pump
Small handy pack of tissues in case caught short.
£20 note
Phone
Door key
Tiny retractable abus cable lock (for securing bike in beer garden while nipping to the bar of country pub)
The times I have not brought this and stood outside a pub assessing the chances of a scroute stealing my bike while ordering a pint only to air on the side of caution and reluctantly pedal off with beer on my mind.

The times I have not brought this and stood outside a pub assessing the chances of a scroute stealing my bike while ordering a pint only to air on the side of caution and reluctantly pedal off with beer on my mind.

If its within eye-shot at all times through the window whilist ordering either pull out the front axle and leave the wheel just on the edge of falling out. remove the rear QR and do the same and also shift your gears to the top/bottom of each ring.

Remember to slot everything right though before you ride and not to stamp/crunch on your gears..

I do this with the butty shop in the morning. It'd RUIN your forks probably but it'd ruin someone badly too....

I have a spare tube strapped to my frame (for emergencies as tubeless)
Bottle on frame

in pockets

pump, food, gilet or waterproof if needed, phone

in a small plastic bag/ held together with a rubber band
multi tool, tyre lever, spare links, tubeless anchovies, tyre boot, instant patches

I only carry a pack if I'm going out for a long one and know I won't have access to taps. If I'm riding locally I know where all the taps are anyway

blat around the local woods...
- handful of €2 coins (1 or 2 for tram in case of chain spack or flat, the rest for icecream/refreshment)
- phone, keys

but then it's all too easy to add a pump, and patches, a tube, multitool, levers, ...

Foil blanket always at the bottom of my camelbak. Not needed it in 7 years thankfully.

Sorry, I just don't get it.
Once you've got a minimum of 2 ltr of water, a day's food and some extra clothing in your backpack, trying to save a few grams by leaving pads, quicklinks and cables out hardly seems worth it. 😯

What you take depends on your experience of failures along with a more general "how likely is that to happen" wet finger in the air sort of test which in itself seems to depend on how you ride your bike - some people just seem prone to breakages while others don't.

If you keep on top of maintenance then you are unlikely to need pads or cables but chains do snag or get caught between rock and chainring so might need repairing on the trail. However if you are doing something like the Highland Trail 550 then having sufficient spares with you might save a long, long walk.

Once you've got a minimum of 2 ltr of water, a day's food and some extra clothing in your backpack,

Don't carry 2 litres of water, a day's food and extra clothing then 😉

OP - that's pretty much what I carry too (minus the CO2) as well as a first aid kit.

I got used to carrying the kitchen sink while guiding and it feels odd not taking enough to be able to sort most problems on route now, despite most of my rides being under 30 miles.

[quote=njee20 ]

Once you've got a minimum of 2 ltr of water, a day's food and some extra clothing in your backpack,

- Pump
- Multi tool
- Chain tool (no link - I just remove the broken link)
- Flapjack
- Spare tube
- Puncture repair
- Credit card + cash
- Phone

I'm certain I could carry all that without a pack, however, my inability to regulate my body temperature means I carry my camelpak everywhere so I can change layers and also for the water.

I'd prefer not to carry a pack everytime, but thems the breaks.

Amazed at how few people carry basic first aid items. Several times I've been able to help other riders with bandages etc. Once I came across a kid who had fallen over and cut themselves quite badly - did my bit for mtb/walker relations there with antiseptic swab,pressure pad and bandage!

A few items in a ziplock bag weighs nothing and could really be useful

Really? Even when I cut my finger to the bone when a huge pane of greenhouse glass slid down I sellotaped it up and carried on. Trail abraisons can easily be left for a couple of hours- what would a plaster do? Anything that would need intervention would need immediate emergency services help anyway- degloving , deep wound, fracture etc. If it is a wound a clothing tight wrap (tshirt etc) would help.

A pack of bandages would be great but if you can improvise its not a biggie.

This isnt meant as a dig etc 🙂

Right Hora so you fall off in muddy rocks and get a deepish cut on your leg which is pumping out blood.

You can leave it to soak your kit, collect more mud and possibly get infected or you can clean it, bandage it/plaster whatever and get on with your ride. Why improvise when you don't have to?

I'm down to:

- Multi tool with chain tool
- Spare missing link
- Couple of CO2 cart & inflator
- Mini first aid kit (wipes, small plasters, bandage, tape & scissors. Small enough to go in a small packet).
- Tubeless repair kit
- Zip ties
- Tube
- Wallet
- Garmin
- Whistle
- (and on night rides) - battery pack for helmet light.

All in a small Osprey Viper 7 bag, which has limited space but I deliberately went for that to stop me carrying so much.

Might have a snack also, and if it's the bouncy bike and I've been fiddling I might take the shock pump in case I want to fiddle during the ride, but I try not to now.

Phone and keys go in pocket.

I'm trying to get the confidence to ditch the tube. I never use it myself, but it's often donated to someone else who's not carrying one.

Exception is if it's a big adventure and I might take my Camelbak Hawg. In which case everything in there, though may be an SLR camera 😀

If it's an explore and going to be far away from base, I'll have a printed map (yes, paper! small copy of relevant OS map area), and a compass. Yes I have the phone, but phone batteries die etc.

Water is at the most 1 litre in winter months and even then I barely use half of it. However in the summer I can go through 2 to 3 (3 needs the bigger Camelbak bladder) and half way round I might fill up again and drink a lot more!

Drinking less water in the winter is probably a bad thing. I don't feel the need to drink loads, but I probably should be drinking more than I do.

Nobody else carry a rear derailleur hanger?

Winston you wash it using your water and use a top and/or Strip it and bind it as a temporary solution. You can further irrigate it at the end. Pumping out blood? Most small biking first aid kits wouldn't offer a benefit in this situation without the joint use of improvisation.

If a wound IS pissing blood you stabilise and call emergency services ASAP.

Of course on big days in the mountains you pack more for the situations like this. On 2hr rides youd be more inclined to ride smart/light.

If im never gonna be more than 30 mins from the car or within 10 mins driving distance away for the mrs to pick me up, i basically take nothing.

Phone
Keys
Money
Water bottle in cage

Out with a group, i never want to be THAT person, so usually end up with (in addition to above)-

Tube
CO2
Lever

If im somewhere new, big ride, no access to food or water for a long while i will resort to a camelbak, in addition to above -

Multi tool
Snack
Mech hanger
Extra layer

I just never seem to have mechanicals, punctured twice in 3ish years, that's about it out on the trail. *Touches wood*

tillydog - Member
Nobody else carry a rear derailleur hanger?

Good point. Actually, I need to check. I might have one in the bag. I normally have one in the tool box in the car (along with all kinds of spares in there, mech, cassette, chains, gear cables, tools etc 😀 ).

I'd carry one mainly for something like an Alps ride where there are enough rocks to yank the mech off and going to be a very long away from anywhere, but they are small enough to just chuck in a pack without much impact.

grievoustim, what do you mean by "access to taps"?

Winston you wash it using your water and use a top and/or Strip it and bind it as a temporary solution. You can further irrigate it at the end. Pumping out blood? Most small biking first aid kits wouldn't offer a benefit in this situation without the joint use of improvisation.

If a wound IS pissing blood you stabilise and call emergency services ASAP.

Of course on big days in the mountains you pack more for the situations like this. On 2hr rides youd be more inclined to ride smart/light.

Is this assumptive, patronising post an ironic joke? I'm genuinely not sure.

I ditched the camelback about 3 years ago, hated the bloody thing anyway. Never felt properly balanced on the bike. Now I have a saddle big with a multitool, spare tube, puncture patches, zip ties and a chain link. Pump on frame if nobody else is carrying, food in back pockets and water bottle. All I have ever required.

Can't stand riding in jackets so if it rains I get wet.. Simples! Or take the Gilet to keep it off the body. I get the feeling some people just automatically pick up the rucksack or camelback to go biking with no real consideration to if they actually need it or not.

Is this assumptive, patronising post an ironic joke? I'm genuinely not sure.

Dunno, made perfect sense to me. Big day out I'd take a space blanket, bag and 1st aid kit, on a short ride I'd take a space blanket and maybe a creppe bandage/pad. Realisitcly IMO most injurys fall into 3 categories:

1) Yer ****ed without some good luck, quick action or a surgical team on standby. See Gracia tearing his femoral artery last year. 1st aid kit isn't going to help much.

2) Yer rides ****ed, but you'll either walk out without dying or sit ther in a space blanket untill the ambulance arrives, broken bones, head injuries, etc etc. A 1st aid kit that fits in your camelback still won't help much.

3) You're not going to die, but a plaster won't cut it. Deep cuts, etc. 1st aid kit might help, but you'll not die without it, even deep cut's stop bleeding eventualy unless you've hit an artery (see 1).

4) anything that a 1st aid kit that fits in a ziplock bag will solve but you could probably have ridden on anyway and washed off the dried blood in the shower later.

CO2 (tubeless tyres so 95% of punctures never happen), multitool, space blanket and an idea which way the car is the usual contents of my back pockets on a local ride. Depends how often you ride and how 'important' to you finishing that ride is, if you're out 3x a week for a couple of hours every week then walking back to the car once every few months isn't the end of the world, if you only get out once a week for a big ride then you're priorities will be different.

and CO2 on seatpost.
In back pocket Pump
and shaver case with..
multitool - SKS tom 18 job from Decathlon
gear cable
Leatherman Squirt
brake pads
tubeless repair patches and glue.
Park Tyre patch thingy.
Chain quicklinks

I bought a cheapy bumbag/lumbar pack a few months ago to see how I got on with it instead of a backpack. Enjoying the less sweaty back, and haven't missed the reservoir. Bottles take a bit longer to drink from, but I'm not racing anyway.
So, water bottles, waterproof, maybe a map, GPS/phone, and a snack in the bum-bag. Spare tube, patches, tyre levers, multi-tool and pump in a small frame bag.
Just upgraded to a swish Osprey Talon 6, which should be more comfortable.

I think there is something to be said for a level of protection offered by a backpack. My pack has some pretty good padding, and certainly helped in those OTB moments.

Can't stand riding in jackets so if it rains I get wet.. Simples! Or take the Gilet to keep it off the body. I get the feeling some people just automatically pick up the rucksack or camelback to go biking with no real consideration to if they actually need it or not.

Nae offence, but you ride in the UK without a jacket, and so, your opinion will be taken with a dose of salts.

+1 to that. Two weeks ago, if I'd been riding without a jacket then I'd have been an MRT statistic.

TINAS, Hora and Dean all spot on, Every first aid training refresher course I've been on, the instructors have all advocated the ability to improvise and use what you have instead of carrying a FAK everywhere.

I ride locally with nowt, as I'm never more than 10 miles from the house, and maintain my bikes regularly.

I used to carry all sorts, but got pissed off sorting the usual suspects bike for them.

I get the feeling some people just automatically pick up the rucksack or camelback to go biking with no real consideration to if they actually need it or not.

That's me! I don't want to have to check though my stuff and plan what I do or don't need for that particular ride. I know my bag has what I need for long or medium rides, so I just take it.

Put clothes on, pick up bag, get bike, go ride.

BTW, I'd rather carry a bag than use those silly pockets on the back of jerseys.

Once you've got a minimum of 2 ltr of water, a day's food and some extra clothing in your backpack,

Don't carry 2 litres of water, a day's food and extra clothing then

Yes, a quick local blast is different.

"TINAS, Hora and Dean all spot on, Every first aid training refresher course I've been on, the instructors have all advocated the ability to improvise and use what you have if you havn't got a first aid kit to hand however when engaging in activities where there is a reasonable chance of harm to yourself or others it is sensible to carry simple first aid materials and train yourself on appropriate first aid methods"

FTFY

TBH I really don't care whether you guys take a kit or not - I do and nothing will change that. I also have one on my motorbike and one in my car. Its just common sense.