At a guess I think I need 4,5 & 6 hex, torx for the brakes, some sort of pump & repair kit for tubeless, what am I missing & can you recommend anything?
I’m currently rocking a boat anchor of a seatpack with loads of stuff I never use, although I suppose a chain splitter is a must?

Never further than a couple of hour walk from home/the car BTW.

Cheers.

Tube for when tubeless fails
Chain Splitter
Some Emergency Food
First Aid Kit
Multi tool

Never further than a couple of hour walk from home/the car BTW.

You’d get away with nowt most of the time if you’re not in a hurry.

If you’ve got a chain splitter then pack a spare split link too. I carry a bit of chain with a couple of old links in it.
Also a front and rear knog-style led light. Small and light, but got me home on a couple of occasions when I misjudged the distance and time of day.

Tube for when tubeless fails
Chain Splitter
Some Emergency Food
First Aid Kit
Multi tool

+1
and water, plenty of water

One of THESE it has all the tools you need (hex, chain tool tyre levers etc) and is nice and small.

that plus a powerlink,tube and pump is all you really need.

What I take:

Multitool inc Hex and chain splitter
Spare powerlink
Tube
Pump
Tyre lever x2
Tubeless repair bacon strips
Emergency energy gel
Spare brake pads (OK, these are clearly not essential but I never check these before I ride and it’s just as easy to change them on the trail as at home)

All that lot fits in one back pocket, then I just need a water bottle and we’re good.

Good quality multitool (so many are crap)
Powerlink
Tube
Pump
Mech Hanger
Cable ties
Haribos
Mech hanger for a bike you sold 2 years ago

It’s not so much about need, for me, it’s about simple stuff that can avoid a ride being ruined. All it takes is a loose brake bolt or a snapped chain to knacker you so even if you never use this stuff for a year it’s still worth it. For most of my rides I could carry nothing at all, it’s always realistic to walk back but walking is less good than riding.

I’ve got a couple of small “nice to haves” in mine as well- a set of worn brake pads (easier to fit in the cold than a new set), a couple of common sized bolts (though mostly you can just move bolts around from less critical locations if one goes missing). A pair of latex gloves, both good for trailside spannering and saving your fingers if it’s unexpectedly cold or wet, and weigh nowt of course.

Oh and a couple each of paracetemol, ibuprofen indigestion and imodium tablets because nothing improves a ride quite like the shits, and a couple of those big compeed blister plasters as they’re good for patching up holes in people, can be used as tyre boots, and also fix blisters brilliantly (it only takes a wee cut or blister in the wrong place to spoil your day)

There’s also a single leftover tramadol in case I ever need to walk off a mountain with a broken leg or something.

That actually sounds like a lot but all the extras there are tiny and light. So I guess what I’m really saying is, consider what the point is of minimalism. With all my extras, there’s really very little reason to get rid of them.

Phone for emergencies. That isn’t being drained by Strava 😉 . Turn off all the internet guff and stick in power saving and it may last the day. Or take an old Nokia for emergencies.

But my list is multitool with chain tool integrated, spare links, cable ties, tubeless repair kit, CO2 and mini inflator (wear gloves!), tube, Garmin, mini medical kit, snack if space.

Even then I’m trying to cut that down further, maybe leaving it all behind at times, but only if it’s a short enough to bail back to the car/house or walking isn’t too far.

When I used to ride my BMX everywhere, I took nowt, zilch, zipp (shhh, not even a helmet) and everything turned out just fine.

Thanks all, it seems that most take more with them then I do now, maybe my seat pack is not an anchor after all 😉

Cheers.

I carry:
Pump, 2 co2 cans and co2 pump thing, tube, multi tool, kmc magic links, tubeless repair kit, tyre levers.

Pump on frame, tube, multitool, phone all in a mini frame bag

Most of my MTB rides I go with nothing these days. Minimum for me is tube, levers, multitool, kmc links and CO2. For the two long rides in the alps I added in two pairs of brake pads, an extra tube, a gear cable and a mech hanger.

If I’m doing a short local loop then I’ll take nothing. For anything even slightly longer then I take a similar basic kit to most above. My riding is pretty limited so it’d be a pain to ruin it with a minor mechanical.

Crank bros multitool (with chain tool)
Pump
Tube
Puncture repair kit
Tyre levers
Spare pads
Zip ties

Way too much, change all the bolts to one size, two at the most, park patches a tyre lever and a micro pump that’s it.

I don’t think I’ve ever in my whole life needed two tyre levers and a multitools? Who needs a screwdriver?

Don’t forget a space blanket.

As for not needing a screwdriver, how do you adjust your mechs if they go iffy mid ride?

Good small multitool will cover most eventualities. Not much I haven’t been able to fix with a topeak alien ii.

One or two tubes. I normally carry one standard and one superlight tube as it is rare I’ll need 2 on a ride as I’m tubeless.

mini pump with CO2 capability and one gas cartridge.

A few bits and pieces depending on ride length – tyre boot, few cable ties, electrical tape, brake pads etc.

Tubes are the bulkiest item.

I check the forecast so don’t always take a jacket, smoetimes just a gillet and sometimes nothing.

Take enough food and water but not too much. I know I can ride for 3 hours on the road on 1L so don’t take a full camelbak unless I know it is a long ride with no opportunity to refil.

It is nice to ride light but a hour walk back to the car or house would be rubbish so I’d rather have the bits I need to fix things. Still baffles me that some people take so much though.

MTB :

Camelback contents : 2 tubes, Topeak Hexus, small pump, shock pump, couple of chunky tyre levers, small roll of insulating tape, couple of zip ties, leatherman, latex gloves, small pouch with couple of brake pads, mech hanger, tyre boot, powerlink. a chocolate or energy bar.

ROAD :

Either small seat pack or tool bottle, with – tube, Topeak Hexus, small pump (on frame on carbon bike, in bottle on cx), puncture repair kit, powerlink, tyre levers, latex gloves. Will pop phone, keys and food in jersey pockets

Don’t forget a space blanket.

Modern thinking is that these are useless. Get a survival / bivvy bag shelter for proper mountains.

As for not needing a screwdriver, how do you adjust your mechs if they go iffy mid ride?

Why worry about an iffy mech sort it out before or after the ride, stuff getting cold out and annoying your mates just to fix some indexing.

When I bought my mountain bike I took it for a quick detour ride from the bike shop back home.

Got a flat about 2 miles away from my house, was so annoyed – no pump, no spares, nothing

Was only about 45 minutes or so to walk home, but that was pretty annoying. I’ve carried spares ever since

Used to be in a seat pack, since getting a dropper its in a bag that sits inside my frame. I carry the following
– multitool – Crank Bros M19 (includes chain splitter)
– leatherman
– tyre levers
– spare tube
– mini FAK pouch with some plasters, steristrips, cable ties, flat pack duct tape, patch kit, powerlink
– mech hanger
– Petzl e+lite (headlight for fixing stuff in the dark, flashing white or red for emergency bike use on the road, whistle just in case)

Sounds a lot but doesn’t take up much room and lots of bits have been useful. Leatherman seems like the most superfluous but I’ve used it to straighten a bent brake disc following an off and undo the bolt on a sheep trough to get water (which I put back on!). I’ve not needed to use the e+lite in anger so could take it out but i’ve got the space and it doesn’t weight much

For local I just take phone, tube, pump + widdy multitool.

chain thingy on my specialized multitool snapped (cracked on first emergency chain repair, snapped clean in half on the 2nd).

now carry a proper chain tool. and a topeak multitool with chain thingy.

so for local rides, that, quicklinks, pump+tube, a few €2 coins, and a phone with the app for the local transport company suffice (tells me the nearest tram stop, can buy ticket, etc.).

except in winter snow, when the backpack contains 3 pairs of gloves, a hat,…

I carry water and a lightweight jacket. I pack everything else in Mr TW’s backpack. I find this really helps to keep the weight down.

Second the energy gel / bar. Been caught out before when riding for longer than I anticipated and struggled to get home because of fatigue.

I usually tuck a £20 note in a jersey pocket or the seat bag just in case, as well as the usual tyre repair stuff.

Mech hanger for a bike you sold 2 years ago

I larfed. 🙂

I slimmed mine down from carrying all sorts of junk a couple of years ago, now I carry the following, which I’d consider pretty much the minimum:-

450g and all (bar the pump) fits in the bottom compartment of a camelbak rogue with space left for a 2nd tube if on very long rides.

Inner tube: 200g
Pump: 100g
Multi tool (with chain splitter): 100g
small box (bit bigger than a matchbox) (50g) containing:-
– vulcanising solution
– tube patches
– 2 ibuprofen tabs
– 2 immodium tabs
– quick chain links
– £5 note
– tyre boot
– 2 cleat bolts

I run tubeless, so should probably have some of those “worm” things too…

Tube
Pump
Multitool
Bit of cash
Credit card
Phone
Keys

I’d consider something more if I was properly off in the wilds. Not necessary for Surrey!

I have

Tubes x2 as I ride tubles
Multi tool inc chain splitter
Tyre levers
Pump
Brake pads
Tyre boot
couple of zipties
Some ducktape rapped round a bit of old bic (not a whole roll)
Chain link
Mech hanger
Phone / money
Small first aid kit

Chain splitter
Multitool
Spare Tube
Puncture kit with £10 inside
Pump
Cheapy front and rear emergency lights (Aldis)

Road & Offroad
Tube
Quick patches
Co2
Gel
Phone + £5 note secreted behind the case
pump
Quick link
Lezyne V11 with chain tool

Off road in addtion in C/Bak:
Zip ties
Brake pads
Spare mech hanger
Tubeless repair kit
Tyre boot

…and if it might get dark I slap on some flashing LED’s.

Martin Cox is heading off for a 3000km ride with this much kit;

If your bike is well maintained and you run tubeless then you’d be unlucky to need anything.

However at the minimum I’d say a comprehensive multi-tool (Topeak Hexus), a pump and tube should be all you need.

Just had a family morning at Glentress. All my usual tools and spares, plus a first aid kit, plus tubes for 3 different wheel sizes, plus a spanner for those of us without QR, plus waterproofs, plus at one point the two kids sweatshirts.

The youngest may be 7 now, but I think we should get a trailer.

You NEED to take all of this.. Yes you’ll use all of it on every ride so its worth it. 😉

CO2
Tube
Patch
Chain link if SS
Multitool.

Extra layers if it’s not summer, survival bag and 1st aid if not on the road and more gnarr than Surrey.

You NEED to take all of this..

A mixing desk and tables seems a bit extravagant.

I emptied mine the other day to wash it, it contained: –

2 x tubes
pump
tyre levers
zip ties
multitool (inc chain splitter)
10spd quicklink
SS quicklink
SS halflink
5 link of 9spd chain (dont even have run a 9spd chain any more!)
2 sets of brake pads
bit of rubber for tyre boot
gear cable inner
gearhanger
patches, glue, bit of sandpaper
2 x hope hub pawls
2 x cleat bolts
2 x SS chainring bolts
Oh and a mouldy clif bar

It now feels a lot lighter, so no need for a new carbon frame 😉

As for not needing a screwdriver, how do you adjust your mechs if they go iffy mid ride?

By replacing the screws with allen bolts (before the ride, natch). But, are limit screws really likely to go iffy?