Tandem Cycling - What do you bring with you on a ride?

Being new to tandems, I want to make sure I'm prepared for any possible problems on the road; I figure if we're stranded one of us can't ride on and get the car LOL. I'm curious to see what people usually bring on a ride of 30-100 miles.

2 tubes, pump, small multi tool, spoke wrench, boot, $$, 2.50 glasses, spare der. cable, quick link.

Tube, CO2 inflator w/2 cartridges, frame pump, minitool, boot, patch kit, tire levers, money.

Never needed anything else.

YMMV.

A mistake I made when I first got a tandem was having an incorrect inner-tube. I bought a correct size for 700x28 tires, but I didn't take into account the deeper rims that needed a longer valve stem. When I got a flat, I couldn't pump up my new tube. That wasn't very impressive to my stoker.

So, along with proper tubes with long enough valve stems...
Valve stem extender in case I need to borrow someone else's tube.
Frame pump capable to 130psi (Lezyne)
Chain tool
Few links of chain
Quick link
Patch kit
Tire levers
Spoke wrench (Spokey)
money
Multi-tool (allen wrenches, phillips and straight blades)
Toilet paper in ziploc baggie.

Other items as needed, for example, last weekend trip was in bad weather, so I had fenders on the bike. I carried 8mm and 10mm wrenches for them.

That's what I carry. Stoker brings any number of things... cell phone, camera, snacks, etc.

What's the "boot" that you carry?

What's the "boot" that you carry?

patch to cover up a hole in your tire.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/Tire%20Repairs/pttb11-1.jpg

What you carry depends on where you ride and your level of desired self reliance. We get out where there are no stores and often not a lot of other riders. I also like to be prepared. Many can carry less. Keep in mind however that many friendly passers by have vehicles that cannot carry a tandem.

One tube,
tube patches,
One tire, (added after a long walk resulting from sidewall failure I could not boot)
tire boot material,
frame pump,
couple links of chain
two Connex links, (Will work on drive or sync chain)
Rear Der cable (light insurance against single speed tandem riding)
Brake cable (I do not want to captain a tandem with one brake),
multi-wrench that fits needed screws
spoke wrench (have only used to rescue single riders)
Kelvar emergency spoke (never used but very light)
phone
IDs
Cash
Credit Card

to be added before cold weather hits - space blankets. (very light)

Sometimes we also carry an old skinny single bike tube since we have had to help so many single riders that have blown their tubes.

Wayne, who has no one to call at home when riding the tandem.

What you carry depends on where you ride and your level of desired self reliance. We get out where there are no stores and often not a lot of other riders. I also like to be prepared. Many can carry less. Keep in mind however that many friendly passers by have vehicles that cannot carry a tandem.

One tube,
tube patches,
One tire, (added after a long walk resulting from sidewall failure I could not boot)
tire boot material,
frame pump,
couple links of chain
two Connex links, (Will work on drive or sync chain)
Rear Der cable (light insurance against single speed tandem riding)
Brake cable (I do not want to captain a tandem with one brake),
multi-wrench that fits needed screws
spoke wrench (have only used to rescue single riders)
Kelvar emergency spoke (never used but very light)
phone
IDs
Cash
Credit Card

to be added before cold weather hits - space blankets. (very light)

Sometimes we also carry an old skinny single bike tube since we have had to help so many single riders that have blown their tubes.

Wayne, who has no one to call at home when riding the tandem.

patch to cover up a hole in your tire.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/Tire%20Repairs/pttb11-1.jpg

The Park TB-2 is a nice product, but a section of tire case cut from a worn out tire is a zero cost alternative which works as well in most circumstances.

The last trip was a tour in Sweden at 151 km. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/118110695 . We used our Speedster with 700x28 mm Pasella Tourgard tyres + reserve tyre, 3 tubes extra, patch kit, Zefal HPX pump set of spokes, multitool, sandwiches, High5 powder, 2 bananas, Wasa crisp bars. Garmin 705 Edge and the route. All in 3 bags: a Carradice Lowsaddle saddlebag (xtra clothes and the High5 and map over the area. A stokerbag taken from a motorcycle to the swets we are going to use when on the road (Dorte also keep a little scissor to open up the plastic around the Sweets...). And a handlebarbag from Carradice for the bananas and the sandwiches.
Carsten & Dorte.

I don't see a hanky mentioned in any of the replies. It's nice to be able to wipe the sweat off your face when forced to stop suddenly to fix a flat. And then it helps to wipe grease off your fingers.

if not a hanky, then keep your spare tubes in an old sock, and that is good for wiping grease off fingers too.

I don't see a hanky mentioned in any of the replies. It's nice to be able to wipe the sweat off your face when forced to stop suddenly to fix a flat. And then it helps to wipe grease off your fingers.

if not a hanky, then keep your spare tubes in an old sock, and that is good for wiping grease off fingers too.

A small thing of baby wipes also does wonders for removing chain grease. :-)

If we know we're riding more than an hour we take food with us, too (I bonk if we don't). Stuff like dried mango slices, fig newtons, Gu packs, dried fruits, honey stinger chews, etc. are easy to transport, lightweight and surprisingly easy to ride on the bike. I carry our food stuffs in my camelback, and the stoker just unzips and hands me whatever I need and then grabs a gel thingy for himself.

I also tend to carry at least a couple of bandages in our bag--don't want to mess up the paint job. ;-)

We carry light first aid on every ride--gauze pads, gauze bandage, tape, neosporin and a few band-aids. It was originally in my touring kit but was glad to have it for my daughter when she rides with me. No accidents on the bike but she's tripped running on the sidewalk at a lunch break. The gauze pads and tape came in handy and she was able to ride back (she's a tough 4-year old).

The foil from a 2 pack Tylenol sold at convenience stores makes a good tire patch boot, just make sure it installs completely flat.
The allen from the multi-tool will not reach the eccentric bolts on our Co-Motion! So we pack an extra single allen wrench for this.
We were stranded once with a loose eccentric.
Check your multi-tool to see if it actually works on your bike....

On our backs, water and food. On the bike, spare GU, shop towels (to wipe hands after resetting a dropped chain, etc.), Crank Brothers' Speed Lever, four tubes, five CO2, CO2 inflator, two different multi-tools (haven't decided which one gets left home yet). In goes wallets, phones, car keys. Spare tire gets added tonight (new tires came today, tire rotation party is tonight). Oh, and a few business cards for our tandem dealer. :)

Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches.

Thanks for all of the replies. One of my concerns is regarding the chains. I guess I have to get a couple of links (and I guess the 2 chains are different?) Also, do you all use Camelbaks and/or seatbags and/or a rack?

Thanks for all of the replies. One of my concerns is regarding the chains. I guess I have to get a couple of links (and I guess the 2 chains are different?) Also, do you all use Camelbaks and/or seatbags and/or a rack?

I don't use a Camelback unless it is really hot and I am doing a longer ride. Stoker doesn't tolerate heat so usually on my single doing this. We carry up to three large water bottles.

I have one seat bag on rear for tools and another on the stokers stem to carry food and/or extra clothes.

Only put on the rack when we do touring with panniers.

patch to cover up a hole in your tire.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/Tire%20Repairs/pttb11-1.jpg

In a pinch you can use one of these folded up:

221631

We use Camelbaks since the Mrs. drinks a lot (water, that is), usually 1L/10mi. I use one, mostly to carry stuff and hang the tandem-com on it.

I use a Bento Box (or similar knock-off), mostly as a home for spare electrolyte pills and sandwich baggies to hold GU wrappers and such. Wifey uses my Camelbak as her "office" (and she chose the Camelbak based on functionality). We use a Topeak RS TrunkBag EXP on a Topeak MTX BeamRack A-type (since wifey is so short and rides a Thudbuster).

We tend to organize our stuff such that stuff we need in motion on my back. Stuff we eat at breakpoints is mostly on my back, with refills mostly on her back. Stuff we only need in the event of a problem, and at the end of the ride, are in the TrunkBag. It works very, very well for us.

What we bring depends on where we're going and how far from civilization we'll be, but our general kit includes the following in a seat bag:

Tube, patch kit, pump (on frame of bike).
Multitool, small adjustible wrench, spoke wrench, chain tool, and a Stein Hypercracker
A couple of quicklinks and a short section of chain (~4-5 links)
A tiny roll of duct tape (~10 feet rolled around a golf pencil)
Cash (enough for emergencies, and alwasy a $1 bill for a tire boot), credit card, debit card, and IDs and health and dental insurance cards for both of us
Small card w/ name, emergency contact info, Drs names, and medical info in case of an accident
Cell phone
Snacks/Energy foods
More water than I think I'll need

We do not like to carry stuff on our back (camelback/backpack).
Do have room for 7 water bottles on our Zona tandem (we live in a rather warm/dry climate ); 5 on the frame and one each mounted on pilot and stoker handlebar.
Carry spare tube, one tire tool (can usually remove/install tire without tools), double-headed allen wrench, patch kit, bit of ducktape, mini chain tool, quick link, couple chain links, tweezers (for thorns), couple food bars and some ibuprofen. Piece of Tyvek for tireboot (dollar bill, candy wrapper also works). Topeak MasterBlaster frame pump on the boobtube (turns into mini-floor pump) and two spokes under out boob tube.
In jersey pockets usual ID, $$, bandana, car keys, pocket knife.
When out of state or on longer trip we may carry a bit more as needed (map, extra tube, spare folding tire, etc.).
Through our 36+ years of tandeming we've found that most things you may seldom use; however better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it!
Have had breakdown on north rim of the Grand Canyon (couple hundred miles from nearest bikeshop) and was able to fix things just fine by improvising.
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

Minitool, chainlinks and quick links, 2 tubes, CO2, patch kit, boot, tire lever, minipump, wipes.

Gu, banana, advil

Phone, money

Add to the above a fiberfix spoke, saddle/seatpost clamp/bolt, folding swissgear mini-pliers, derailleur jockey wheel, folding spare tire
if support is not available.

You hope not to use these things yourself, but they can make you pretty popular.

BTW if you use the Park TB2s, cut them to size and replace the tire ASAP - they can form ridges that wear through the tube and cause another flat, usually a day or so after the first one.

Add to the above [snip] a folding spare tire if support is not available.


Do you actually take the tire out for supported rides? I'd be afraid they wouldn't have 28s handy.

Credit Card, Cash & a Cell Phone are the most important items.

Tandem has a frame pump, I carry a C02 inflator in a jersey pocket, and the saddle bag has a pair of tubes, tire levers, a Crank Bros multi-tool, and a patch kit with a couple of spare chain links thrown in.

Spare tire when "touring". Otherwise, any size tire will do.

Do you actually take the tire out for supported rides? I'd be afraid they wouldn't have 28s handy.

If you are running 28's front & rear and shred the rear, you already have a spare 28mm tire: it's on your front wheel.

Just move it to the back and put the SAG provided 23mm or 25mm on as your front to get you home: more than adequate for all but the very large clydesdale teams.

DON'T FORGET YOUR STOKER!

You'll be riding alone for months if you do :lol:

When I still had my old Burley Duet with the bolt on rear wheel, I carried a very nice Campy 14 mm box wrench. When I sold the Burley, I made the mistake of giveing the new owner my heirloom wrench! Shortly after, while riding my newer tandem with a group on the Manhattan Green Belt trail, I had my stoker's drive side crank fall off of its square taper. This happened in Spanish Harlem on a Sunday morning...and of course no Campy 14 mm wrench! I really thought that I was stranded, when lo and behold, a gentleman pulling the bottom half of a desk chair with some junk on it, produced a ratchet handle with a 9/16 socket-his only tool! I was able to get it tight enough to get me home. We said our thanks and my new best friend dissappeared into the crowd and was gone; very surreal! Over the next weeks, the story spread around and became a new bike club legend.
I still don't carry a box wrench, but I carry a spare rear der and brake cable, a homemade boot, at least one tube (more if long ride), Toppeak Allien tool, 5 mm long allen wrench (I think 5 mm...the size that fits the cable bolts and almost everything). pair of latex gloves for keeping off blood or grease, a couple of handi wipes, a very basic small first aid kit, a spoke wrench, and of course a frame pump. For a long trip-a spare spoke.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned....Sunscreen. We ride in the land of the sun and sunscreen is a mandatory item to have on hand for those long summer rides.

I carry most of what has already been mentioned plus one more very important item: nitrile gloves.

We dropped the chain off the big chainring yesterday (FD needs replacing) and the chain completely wrapped around the stokers BB spindle and the stokers pedal shaft! I had just completely cleaned cassette, chainrings and chains, but I was finger-to-palm grease.

Before you ask: we have a daVinci so the stoker BB is aft of the chainring BB.

Road Morph pump
Jacket (if wet or riding in the mountains)
Wind vest (usually)
Spare gloves, spare headband (for long rides)
First aid kit, incl. Vitamin I (in 35mm film can)
Tums
Endurolytes
Road ID
Sun screen (in 35mm film can)
Eye drops
Chamois for cleaning glasses
Chamois cream (in 35mm film can)
Electrical tape (emergency rim strip, wrap around film can)
Duct tape (wrap around film can)
Camera (charged)
Cell phone (charged)
Cash
Driver’s license
Health insurance card
Car key
Spare tubes, long valve (correct tube size! Check valves)
Multi-tool
Leatherman Juice
8mm wrench for FSA cranks
Spoke wrench
Chain tool
Tiniest Swiss Army knife, fits in patch kit
Quick links
Spare Shimano chain pins
Spare brake and derailleur cables
Fiberfix spoke
Zip ties
Tire levers for other peoples' bikes
Patch kit (check glue)
Glueless patches for inside of tire
Tire boots
Spare tire, 23c
Accident report forms and 2 pens
Spare cue sheets
Some sort of spare food

We carry long valve tubes even if our rims don't require them. They make better loaners. We carry 19-26 tubes for up and including 28c tires. We've used all this stuff except the accident report forms, cell phone, and Fiberfix spoke. If you have all this stuff, chances are you won't need the cell phone.

I started a whole thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/690997-All-is-vanity-saddlebag?highlight=lezyne) about the wonders of my saddlebag.

Once you decide what to bring, you're stoker will love it if you issue a bento box.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6117/6219515270_7c10e9c0ec.jpg

Credit Card, Cash & a Cell Phone are the most important items.

Tandem has a frame pump, I carry a C02 inflator in a jersey pocket, and the saddle bag has a pair of tubes, tire levers, a Crank Bros multi-tool, and a patch kit with a couple of spare chain links thrown in.

Spare tire when "touring". Otherwise, any size tire will do.

Wasn't that your Ducttape for frame repairs on someone elses broken chainstay?

Makes you wonder if a few tywraps were added for more structural strength, possibly R&E would have done the full distance.

That was one of the classic moments. Women standing around in disbelief, and men discussing some of the merits of Ducttape.

PK

Wasn't that your Ducttape for frame repairs on someone elses broken chainstay?

Nope. The small roll of duck tape was something Al & Heidi carried on their tandem. I just optimized the installation.

I've previously used duck tape to bind a left foot / cycling shoe with a broken cleat to a pedal so we could climb back up one of the gaps at Dahlonga, Georgia where our car was parked but that DT was purchased at a convenience store along the route, which is something we rely on for certain on-road emergencies.