While we’re on kit protocol, what’s happened to proper long frame fitted pumps….

I don’t entirely get stuffing pockets to bursting. Its not very comfortable and what happens if you want to in out for am hour after tea in your baggy shorts and t shirt?

Seatpack for me. It’s tiny and winched up tight to the saddle hull.

I have one of those Rapha purses (“essentials case”..?), but can’t bring myself to use it.

Phone, cash card, NHS card for ID, tenner in placcy bag in middle pocket, gel/banana in RH. That’s it.

Oh, and I’m v unfit these days, so rides over 2 hours are 750ml + 500ml bottles. Used to be like crikey and go old school – 500ml for 60 mile chaingang was normal..!

While we’re on kit protocol, what’s happened to proper long frame fitted pumps…

Weird shaped frames.

Possibly ‘move to aviod object’.

Er, it’s not a macho thing, the lack of drink. I used to do 3-4 hour rides with one bottle and get home with half left, and I still seem to manage on less than some of my mates.

I regularly come home after 50 or 60 mile rides and only use one bottle, but can get through 2 or 3 if I put my mind to it, but then I have to stop for a wee a couple of times.

I think, and I have no evidence at all for this, that a certain amount of dehydration is natural during prolonged exercise; it raises your haematocrit, and therefore makes you a little tiny bit more efficient as the exercise goes on. I appreciate that this doesn’t fit with the ‘drink lots of our sports drink or you will lose’ nonsense that gets pushed on us, but there you go…

I think, and I have no evidence at all for this, that a certain amount of dehydration is natural during prolonged exercise; it raises your haematocrit, and therefore makes you a little tiny bit more efficient as the exercise goes on.

and lighter! 🙂

2tubes + levers + tiny multitool in a saddle bag.

pump snuggled up to the bottle cage.

‘nana, inhaler, £10, phone, door key in my jersey/jacket pockets.

easy.

what happens if you want to in go(?) out for am hour after tea in your baggy shorts and t shirt?

i change my t-shirt for one with pockets…?

I use a Camelbak with bladder. Can’t drink from bottles on a road bike. Also need somewhere to put the map.

I appreciate that this doesn’t fit with the ‘drink lots of our sports drink or you will lose’ nonsense that gets pushed on us, but there you go…

What, you mean they’ve been lying to us…?

I’m finding lots of water seems to help to bring down the post-exercise heart rate better (esp as not up to due mild dehydration), which in turn seems to result in less ectopic flip flops.

I never have flip-flops. I’ve found it hard to get the cleats to stay on.

Slightly off topic, but what CO2 inflators are the STW roadie’s recommending these days?

As I say, I’m not suggesting anything like ‘You shouldn’t drink so much you big blouses’, just that I don’t seem to need as much as other folk. I think you can train yourself to an extent, and I suspect that’s what happened to me. In evolutionary terms, I think the human body is pretty well equipped to do quite long periods of time without a supply of constant fresh water/energy drink; we aren’t camels, but we can do a bit of exercise without hydration.

Slightly off topic, but what CO2 inflators are the STW roadie’s recommending these days?

I have a fairly grim track record with CO2; the first time I used them I blew the tyre off the rim, and last week I got the canister frozen to my wet glove.

I prefer a pump.

I still like the SKS Airgun – particularly the fact than I can inflate the tyre a wee bit, check it’s all seated properly, then blast the rest in. I’ve seen a few tubes burst by folk using the simpler “one shot” CO2 pumps.

Smallest Topeak saddlepack with
Tube, SKS microtool, CO2 inflator, Topeak flypaper patches and key

Pockets:
Food, Jimi wallet with driving license, Blackberry, windshell

Frame:
one or two bottles and a topeak pocket rocket master blaster
Cateye Rapid 1

For shorter rides I put tools etc in a decathlon tool bottle (normally holds my commuting tools#). For longer, I take an extra tube and cleat covers. That saddlepack is TOO convenient, despite the rules.

#Commuting kit is tube, Park multitool, two Park tyre levers, cut down 15mm spanner, topeak flypaper and a small sigma front LED light as a head torch/emergency spare.

While we’re on kit protocol, what’s happened to proper long frame fitted pumps…

Weird shaped frames.

That`s not a problem on a decent steel frame that will last a lifetime

I use a Camelbak with bladder. Can’t drink from bottles on a road bike.

Why ?

Thans for your replies STW,.

I’m thinking one of these (the mini one)

Very little stuff for me all in jersey pockets. Tiny pump, small tool pouch with co2, tube and if a long ride, some gels or snacks. Bottles on the bike. Exactly the same for my mtb, love the minimal feel to a ride and means I’m used to using small amounts of kit for events/ races

Altura saddle bag which is a reasonable size

2x Tubes
2x Lever
2x CO2
Gel/Bars
Multitool with chain splitter
Phone
Thin Wallet or card/note in a bag

Jacket is optional
Extra food or layer goes in the top pockets

It helps if you ride in a bunch,so you can spread the load. 😉

garage-dweller – Member

While we’re on kit protocol, what’s happened to proper long frame fitted pumps….
Still use them have 2 steel 1 Alloy & 1 Carbon road bike and all have a proper frame fit pump, had too many bad results with CO2

pump on the bike an actual one that will inflate my tyres to the right pressure
2 tubes, multitool and levers in a saddle bag – saves looking for them to put in my jersey
waterbottle on bike
rest in the jersey

bum bag thingy if 60 miles plus

Slightly off topic, but what CO2 inflators are the STW roadie’s recommending these days?

http://tyreinflators.co.uk/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=23

Happy with my Ultraflate plus, albeit out of stock for the mo’

Small seat pack with tubes, tyre levers, allen keys. Mini pump on bottle cage lugs, one bottle. Varifocals, keys, phone, wallet and sweeties/dates etc in jersey pockets. Windproof shell velcro’d under saddle or under stem.

Phone, pump, cards and rain jacket in jersey pockets.

Multi-tool, inner tube, levers, patches in saddle bag. Water bottle (800mls) on frame.

Considering loosing the saddle bag and moving to a storage bottle on my frame.

Do you not find problems putting a new tube in without a little bit of air and then inflating with CO2? Like the tube can get caught in the rim?
I carry a pump rather than CO2 for this reason. But maybe I am missing something?

That’s why I recommended the SKS CO2 pump. It has a controllable valve.

Ta, will check it out

The post was addressed to ‘roadies’ therefore anyone answering other than ‘jersey pockets’ should not have replied.

Saddlebags – give me strength…

tube or tub under the saddle is the only permitted deviation from ‘pockets’.

I think it said roadies, not wannabe roadies 😉 Those of us who have been lucky enough to have been followed around by a team car in the past know what is a suitable amount to try and shove in a rear pocket. It’s amazing if you see an ex pro (or a current pro training without car) on the road how many of them have a little seatpack. It’s only those that want to look like the boys on the telly without engaging the old noggin that follow that “rule” 🙂

Have one of these (£4.99):

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/BAPXSSB/planet_x_small_saddle_bag

Which fits this little pump in (£3.99):

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/TOPHGP04S/phaart_sbd_mini_pump

Along with a tube, puncture kit, levers, couple of allen keys and my house keys. Leaving my jersey pockets for food and iPhone and Montane Pertex jacket if the weather might be changeable.

Mrs j is not a massive ‘heavy jersey pocket’ fan: she keeps a bit of food and phone in hers and has a rather small saddlebag which just fits in a multitool, levers (for she is a girl of feeble thumbs!), tube, patches, co2, keys, money. Also a smallish frame mounted pump and one or two bottles depending on temperature/wind/length of ride.

…just out of interest (for when mrs j inevitably gets “rim envy” and asks me to build her some tubs), if you take a spare tubular tyre out riding and need to use it, how easy/hard is it to get it to stay on the rim just till you get home? I remember reading of some rather long-winded process for gluing them on ‘properly’.

convert + 1

If you are out for a proper length hard ride you’ll need some water. Sitting in a bunch for 60 miles and stopping at a cafe half way and you might be ok on 500ml but doing a century solo and you’ll probably need a little more especially if you don’t know if you’ll be able to stop or if you don’t want to!

Normally a small saddle bag for me for hard stuff and then then the rest in jersey pockets. Can get away with one bottle on club cafe runs and will normally only take one tube as the chance of the entire group getting 2 punctures is low so someone will have an emergency spare.

saddle bag

2 tubes
tool
CO2 combination pump + canister
keys
phone

pockets

windproof jacket
card + note
food
water
warmers/buff in colder weather

On really long rides (120miles+) I have a top tube bag and will try and put a 500ml disposable bottle in my jersey pocket as well

food and drink carried by the domestique, spares by the team car….

…anything else is cycle touring :FACT:

You dont need to glue tubs on you can use tub tape which is a double sided adhesive .Providing you dont corner like Casey Stoner tubs wont roll off the rim after a puncture change because of the rim profile The tub sits in the well of the rim and providing you pump it up hard enough will stay there

0.2l (that’s 2/3 of a coke can, it’s tiny!) saddle bag from decathlon takes a CO2 inflator, tube, multitool, patches (rather pointless as I don’t cary a pump most rides!) and chain link.

That’s it for short rides. Longer rides a 2nd tube in a jersey pocket and a frame mounted pump (usualy a propper one, not a fiddly little ‘mini-pump’).

CC, £20, phone and house key go in a sandwich bag in the left pocket.

That leaves the other 2 free for clothing in the middle and ‘food’ in the right.

As for water, I used to follow the ‘mor eis better’ approach and take 2 750ml bottles on a 15 mile comute! But I think it’s an MTB’er thing to drink way too much as it’s too easy with a camelpack. Drink enough before a ride (including the 48 hours before), a couple of pints of water before bed and another pint of water with breakfast and another imediately before leaving the door is enough to keep you going for a very long time without pissing. If I get through more than one 750ml bottle now it’s a rarity, even on a really hot day 2 bottles will do me for 60-80 miles. How many piss stops do mtb’ers take, I’ve never stoped on a roadie group ride for someoen to piss.

I think there’s a parralel with nutrition, people spend ages planning their pre-ride meals, but don’t think to drink anywhere near enough. If you’re 100% hydrated and another pint sloshing through your gut you’ve got a good 1.5-2kg of water to sweat out before it begins to afect performance.

pfft, just use the camelback. its already got everything in, just add a road tube, pick it up and jump on the bike.

I see all sorts of people riding road bikes in all sorts of different kit, its only on internet forums where everyones goes on about all this “rules” stuff.

The last time this was asked a chap came on who packed a novel and other bumpf for when he stopped off at “owl sanctuarys”. Where are the weirdo’s now?

Drink enough before a ride (including the 48 hours before), a couple of pints of water before bed and another pint of water with breakfast and another imediately before leaving the door is enough to keep you going for a very long time without pissing.

I’d be pissing before I was out of the street 🙂

In the current weather – not too warm or cold – I use a 750ml bottle every couple of hours or so, so anything over – say – 40 miles and I’ll take 2

Genuine question – what’s the issue that some people have with using saddle packs?

what’s the issue that some people have with using saddle packs?

For me it’s the issue with swapping it around 3 bikes
Yeah, I know I could buy 3 lots of kit but I haven’t