Surprised no one has suggested getting your butler to ride behind with all the support gear.
Short/local rides
Pump attached to bike. Water bottle.
Remote rides
Backpack with everything else in: waterproof, packed-down insulated coat, first aid kit, tool bag, emergency bivi, sunscreen, food, bladder, …
I've a semi rigid zip up bidon that fits either in a cage or can be bolted to the frame.
Made by syncros but I can't find it on line ...
Its a pity that nobody makes a bag that fits underneath the saddle. This would be the perfect solution.
Oneup edc, pump on bottle cage mount and a water bottle.
Are these short rides way out into the wilderness or close to home?
Its a pity that nobody makes a bag that fits underneath the saddle. This would be the perfect solution.
and gets covered in shit, or bottoms out on teh tyre, or rubs on the stantion of your dropper, or randomly falls off. and looks stupid (not that we should be fixated by looks but well...)
ive got a small neoprene pocket thing i stash it all in and just put it all in my pocket. found it in the house - I`ve no idea where it came from. i suppose i could strap it to the frame but thats more hassle than a pocket.
TBH built in storage, aka a massive hole in the downtube, would be a no from me – I’m sure they’re fine but something in me says cutting a huge hole in the most stressed tube of a frame shouldn’t be a good thing…
Do you realise that with a carbon frame you don't have to cut a hole in it? They're layed up like that.
Local MTB rides of a couple of hours or so a small Decathalon under-saddle pack that will just take one tube, a small multi-tool (with CO2 adapter and chain tool built in), a couple of levers, couple of canisters and quick links and a mini pump. It's tiny and not noticeable when riding. I'll probably move the pump to a frame mount to save a bit of space and make some space in the saddle pack for some tubless worms, couple of patches etc.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/500-bike-saddle-bag-0-6l/_/R-p-119985?mc=8354448
For longer rides a bumbag or rucksack with a bit more stuff.
Riding without any stuff as some on this thread has described is fine when completely on your own, but I've experienced a few times the annoyance of those types in group rides. It switches from "I don't need to take anything" to "can I borrow your tool / CO2 / spare tube" as soon as something goes wrong. I've used my stuff to fix others bikes far more than my own and finished a few rides without any spare tube for my own bike because I've given it to someone else.
I've got two of these:
One with off-roady type bits (inc tubeless plugs and tools) and one with Roady type bits (inc CO2 carts) and those get swapped between MTB/Gravel bikes and Summer/winter road bikes.
Pretty much all of my bikes have some sort of pump attached to the frame (apart from the pub bike)...
Gravel bike -
1 or two bottle cages as required, and a Lezyne 'loaded' saddle pack with tube, Gas, multitool etc.
MTB -
Various combinations of 'stuff' taken with me depending on how far, in ascending order:
- Tube+CO2 strapped to bike, house key and phone in pocket <1hr, pootling
- Tube+CO2 strapped to bike, bontrager rapid pack hip bag with big bottle, phone, multitool, minipump - 1-3hrs, most rides.
- Tube+CO2 strapped to bike, bontrager rapid pack hip bag with big bottle, phone, multitool, minipump + additional bottle under downtube. 2+ hrs, bigger loops or when its hot.
- Camelback with loads of water and stuff. Proper day out somewhere with proper hills.
ETA - I've used a few different hip packs but I really like this one I dropped on by accident when in a pinch (forgot to take one, bought at trail centre bike shop). Not too expensive and best one I've used. You can see how well it fits the fella in the photos, warpping round snugly not poking out like an 'add on' as many others do.
Bontrager Rapid Pack on review – perfection down to the last detail
My bike has a SWAT box thingummy (hole in down tube), I love the idea but actually don’t particularly like it - I can’t help thinking things will rattle around, and when I was using it everything got soaking wet.
I used to use one of those tool bottles on the road bike, think they’re really handy, but mostly use a saddlebag and/or tool roll as I need both bottle cages for water.
On the MTB, most of my riding is ~2 hours so I just take a multi-tool, tyre plugs, CO2 canister and head in a tool roll which goes in a jersey pocket. If riding alone phone goes in a case in another jersey pocket, water bottle in cage. Figure out the least you really need to carry then ping Beerbabe and ask her to make you up a tool roll to that size.
All my bikes have a saddle pack or tool keg that goes in bottle cage plus a pump so I can never forget the essentials.
Leave it behind. Easy. In the days of my youth my road bike had a tube taped under the saddle and a pump on the frame. Both lived there. Nothing else needed. Old timers had a dumbell spanner in their Carradice bag. When we started MTBing we did the same. But I guess in the mid 80's MTbs didn't break.
Still much the same but I carry more food nowadays. Phone is silly.
Phone is silly.
I was with you till that point. With a couple of tools, a tube and a pump I can get out of most situations on a bike.
With a phone I can get out of anything.
The phone is the one thing that never gets left behind.
nobody makes a bag that fits underneath the saddle
They do!
https://www.weecog.co.uk/collections/on-the-bike/products/bigslider
Dropper compatible. I've not bought one, but it's on my wish list. I will definitely buy one soon.
Phone is silly
Can't tell if serious. Have you seen a modern phone? Small, light, slim, can summon a helicopter rescue squad when you're lying in a broken heap at the bottom of a cliff?
But I guess in the mid 80’s MTbs didn’t break.
😂
I've been mulling over the same problem, I don't tend to use a bag on any bike now except my new hardtail.
It only has one set of bottle bosses, the 2.5" spare tube is massive so that rules out a saddle bag that doesn't need to strap to the dropper post.
Then I was trying to decide between the Restrap rear top tube bag and Alpkits version, chose the Restrap but stalled on the £35+p&p price.
Then saw the bum bag suggestion and got very close to buying one, until I realised it would make all my Jersey pockets redundant.
Then looked at the Evoc multifit bag to go under the rear of the top tube, but the cables run under my top tube and cross over so the bag wouldn't fit very well.
In the end I found I could strap the inner tube under the saddle with one of those Velcro straps (I impulse bought the STW one a while bag) and then dug out my old Alpkit top tube bag and fitted it to the rear of the top tube. Finally, found a rubbish old pump mount that fits my current pump.
Oneup EDC pump, lezyne cage with a storage bit at the back for plugs, chain link and cable ties etc extra CO2 on the bottle cage as well. Means I can't forget stuff and can ride for ages so long as I can refill the bottle.
I've got a bag under the saddle on the graveller with all those bits and a spare tube with a small pink on the one cage.
Yes, its two lots of tools and spares, but im forgetful and disorganised so I'd rather just have multiples and not have to think.
