Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - What should I carry?

I'm looking to do an unsupported long distance ride(over 140mi) some time in the next few weeks. Physically, I think I'm ready for it, since I've done a couple of centuries already, and riding 60+mi is not really a killer for me. However, I'm worried about what might happen if something breaks. I plan on carrying the following gear:
1)spare tire, tube, and patches
2)set of bike tools, including a chain tool
3)headlights(20W flood, a 10w spot, and a white blinky)
4)taillight(2+ blinkies
5)reflectors

thoughts?

food and liquids?
pump (NOT CO2!)?
Arm and leg warmers, rain vest?
keep more than 1 tube on you.
Drivers License, cash, credit card, and cell phone...

Reflective vest or sash, reflective ankle bands, wet wipes, assorted zip ties, a spare SRAM chain half link, some kind of light to be able to see the cue sheet and map at night, perhaps a Fiberfix spoke, a handful of nitrile gloves, a good pump. I am assuming that you have already included nutrition, clothing, first aid in your list.

Food and liquids shouldn't be a problem. I'll be leaving with a couple of bottle of watered down gatorade, and there should be some form of convenience store every 12 miles or so until I'm at the extreme end of my route, so food shouldn't be too much of a problem. Same with maps/cue sheet--I'll be riding on US rt 7 north, then turning around and retracing my route--If I need a map, I've done something wrong, and by the time it gets dark, I should be on more or less familiar roads.

Since it will be still be summer, I'm not sure I'll need arm/leg warmers, but possibly I'll carry a raincoat.

Chain link and spoke OK, I'll need them.

And why would I need wet wipes and nitrile gloves? BTW, what are nitrile gloves?

Nitrile gloves are similar to latex gloves, but they can handle grease and lubricants without falling apart. I have a box that I use when I do maintenance on greasy components. I just throw a few in my bag when I go on long rides. Wet wipes are for cleaning hands, legs, anything that might get unbeararably dirty while I am far from water and soap. Or get some antibacterial ones and keep them in your first aid kit.

If the temp dips below 16°C (60°F), and you are wearing shorts, then you will need something (legwarmers or tights) to protect your knees. You may think that your knees can stand cool temps ("I've done it before and had no problem"), but your knees are the most vulnerable to cool temps.

Are your lights battery powered? Spare batteries might be needed.

Did you add a tire removing tool. I like the Park Tool tire remover

Do you have a bag for all this stuff? -- and a rack to mount the bag?

--I'll be riding on US rt 7 north, then turning around and retracing my route--If I need a map, I've done something wrong

what state are you in? as you can see I'm in Vermont and I ride sections of rt 7 all the time... during the week the commercial traffic would drive me insane but not bad on Sundays, especially early.

I like to travel lite... carry the same as I would on a century ride, very little... although a pump would've come in handy on a recent long ride... used up all three CO2 cartridges... that was a first :o

on a typical loop or out and back century ride I carry:

CO2 gun with 2-3 cartridges
tube tire sealant
clif bar or 2
couple hammer gels
2 water bottles mixed up with First Endurance EFS
pre-measured EFS mix in little ziplocks (enough for 1 per hr of riding)
cleat covers
cash and debit card in ziplock bag

I stop along the way for extra calories and water, preferably a grocery store... I like Ensure or those yogurt smothies you find in the dairy section... and a gallon of water only $0.74... which reminds me, on a recent ride I stopped at a convenience store in the middle of the White Mountains of New Hampshire and was charged $1.99 for a gallon of water. I kinda winced when I saw the clerk ring it in and she says "you want it or not"? :eek:

Food and liquids shouldn't be a problem. I'll be leaving with a couple of bottle of watered down gatorade, and there should be some form of convenience store every 12 miles or so until I'm at the extreme end of my route, so food shouldn't be too much of a problem. Same with maps/cue sheet--I'll be riding on US rt 7 north, then turning around and retracing my route--If I need a map, I've done something wrong, and by the time it gets dark, I should be on more or less familiar roads.

Since it will be still be summer, I'm not sure I'll need arm/leg warmers, but possibly I'll carry a raincoat.

Chain link and spoke OK, I'll need them.

And why would I need wet wipes and nitrile gloves? BTW, what are nitrile gloves?

Rt 7? Vermont?
Its been getting chilly here in morning and eve's.
I wore my shell and leg warmers last weekend on Rt 100 - started around 7am - going through the hollows I'd hit cold spots - was glad I brought em along.

I see a potential problem with the lights. A 10W light typically has about 3 hours of runtime. Forget about the 20W! Depending on how much you expect to ride in darkness, you may need a headlight with better runtime.

$1.99 for water???
Next time ask to use the restroom and fill your bottles from the faucet!

I'll be leaving and returning to the Danbury area. My guess is that I'll reach the end of my loop somewhere north of pittsfield. In the next 2 to 3 weeks morning temps might get down to 60, but that's kind of unusual, and would typically only be around predawn. The light has an advertised 4hr runtime on the 10w bulb. I'll have to test it. If it is much shorter, I'll buy a 5w and swap it in. I'm set as far as bags/rack is concerned. My main bike(a spec sequoia) is also my grocery-getter, and I've ridden loaded, but given the distance, I'm trying to ride light, so I have the capacity for a lot of stuff, but I don't want to take it. I have a set of tire irons that I carry with me along with a spare tube. I might go co2, but I'm more partial to just getting a better frame pump, pref. one w/ a gauge. As far as food is concerned, while I will be carrying fluids, I'm not carrying any food. I can stop for food at the 25 mile mark and the 50 mile mark, which gives me four stops within 100 miles of my loop.

$1.99 for water???
Next time ask to use the restroom and fill your bottles from the faucet!

Often the soda fountain will have a small lever at one of the dispensers that releases chilled water.

I'll be leaving and returning to the Danbury area. My guess is that I'll reach the end of my loop somewhere north of pittsfield. In the next 2 to 3 weeks morning temps might get down to 60, but that's kind of unusual, and would typically only be around predawn. The light has an advertised 4hr runtime on the 10w bulb. I'll have to test it. If it is much shorter, I'll buy a 5w and swap it in. I'm set as far as bags/rack is concerned. My main bike(a spec sequoia) is also my grocery-getter, and I've ridden loaded, but given the distance, I'm trying to ride light, so I have the capacity for a lot of stuff, but I don't want to take it. I have a set of tire irons that I carry with me along with a spare tube. I might go co2, but I'm more partial to just getting a better frame pump, pref. one w/ a gauge. As far as food is concerned, while I will be carrying fluids, I'm not carrying any food. I can stop for food at the 25 mile mark and the 50 mile mark, which gives me four stops within 100 miles of my loop.

Road Morph pump. Hands down winner.

You can run out of CO2, but you can't run out of pump.

Road Morph pump. Hands down winner.

You can run out of CO2, but you can't run out of pump.

I have a Road Morph... I long ago lost the frame mount for it... if I'm wearing my messenger bag I simply toss it in for insurance... but I rarely wear the messenger bag in summer... I was thinking about one of those real tiny pumps that fit in a jersey pocket, maybe even fitting in my saddle bag... the CO2 is nice but last time I loaded one in my gun it depressurized instantly... don't know why... that particular cartridge cost me $5 too :mad:

pump straps for the road morph. i strap it to the down tube or the left seat stay.

If you take everything being mentioned here you will OVER pack. If it were me i'd bring a few energy bars and possibly a couple gel packs. Then get the rest of the stuff at stores along the way. You can carry the bars and gel packs in your jersey.

Then take a couple extra tubes, a patch kit, co2 AND pump, of course any lighting devices if riding in the dark. That's about it. If your bike leaves the house in good condition you should't have to worry. One hundred sixty miles should not produce a flat nor a break down if things are in good shape.

Just bring items to fuel the rider. And of course a cell phone!!!!!!!!!

There is no need to pack a patch kit AND a tube. Skip the patch kit and be sure you have a tire removal tool(s).

There is no need for both a CO2 AND a pump. Skip the CO2. It takes less than a minute to pump up your deflated tire with a Morph pump.

Go through the rest of the stuff you carry and shave down the load.

There is no need to pack a patch kit AND a tube. Skip the patch kit and be sure you have a tire removal tool(s).

Not until you get a second flat. Then you had better hope someone else is around to give you a tube. It's a good strategy to have a spare tube for the first flat, and a patch kit for the second, third, etc.

Not until you get a second flat. Then you had better hope someone else is around to give you a tube. It's a good strategy to have a spare tube for the first flat, and a patch kit for the second, third, etc.

Patch kits are super light! I can't imagine not taking one along.

----

For flats I pack 2 lightweight tubes, a patch kit, and road morph pump.

I pack a hex key set, a small screwdriver, a very small needle-nose vice grip and a spoke wrench.

I carry a small roll of electrical tape, a couple of feet of light wire, several zip ties, a couple of rubber bands and a shop rag.

I always have a spare nipple, a couple of spokes, and a few small nuts and bolts.

The whole tool kit/pump weighs about a pound and a half.

---------------


My toolkit saved me today. I broke a cassette-side spoke about 45 miles out on a century ride. I thought I was screwed -- no chain whip and no lock ring tool to get the cassette off so I could replace the spoke.

I took the wheel off and wrapped my shop rag around the cassette. Then I took my small screwdriver and held it at an angle against the teeth of the cassette lockring. I'd only given the screwdriver a few knocks when the lockring spun free.

It felt really good riding home on a true wheel.

Patch kits are super light! I can't imagine not taking one along.

----

For flats I pack 2 lightweight tubes, a patch kit, and road morph pump.

I pack a hex key set, a small screwdriver, a very small needle-nose vice grip and a spoke wrench.

I carry a small roll of electrical tape, a couple of feet of light wire, several zip ties, a couple of rubber bands and a shop rag.

I always have a spare nipple, a couple of spokes, and a few small nuts and bolts.

The whole tool kit/pump weighs about a pound and a half.

---------------


My toolkit saved me today. I broke a cassette-side spoke about 45 miles out on a century ride. I thought I was screwed -- no chain whip and no lock ring tool to get the cassette off so I could replace the spoke.

I took the wheel off and wrapped my shop rag around the cassette. Then I took my small screwdriver and held it at an angle against the teeth of the cassette lockring. I'd only given the screwdriver a few knocks when the lockring spun free.

It felt really good riding home on a true wheel.

Good job on finding a solution to the problem!

You might be interested in one of these:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/stein-mini-lock/index.html

Supcom,

That "Hypercracker" looks like what I need!

I live in a rural area and there aren't a lot of bikeshops. I also ride a lot on Sundays, when few bike shops are open. I feel much more comfortable leaving on long rides when I'm prepared to fix common problems.

A FiberFix kevlar spoke can be used to replace a broken cassette-side spoke without having to remove the cassette.

I carry a patch kit and two or three tubes. I've gone through two spares before and then had another puncture. Really glad I had the patch kit.

Also, I usually carry CO2 and a Road Morph pump. I use the pump at all times, but either a) the pump could fail/break/whatever, or b) it could be freezing rain and I could be just too exhausted to deal with a pump.

...possibly too many redundant systems, but the extra weight (1 CO2 and a patch kit) is minimal and I like having the backup.

Dan

I'm more of a pack rat than I thought. I just took inventory of my underseat toolbag and found that I also carry a small chain tool with a quick link, a tiny tube of superglue, and a total of four tire levers.

I'm taking out half the levers.

Does anyone recommend a commercial all-in-one portable toolkit? I think Park makes several.

The major key to riding solo unsupported long distances is being able to handle any situation. For me, this is a major part of the accomplishment. Being 150 miles from the house at night on a strange country road you learn to improvise.