Road Cycling - What do you bring on a ride?

I've got a Klein Stage Comp R that I've been using for short commutes for a few years. Recently I've started riding it more seriously, on trips of maybe 50 to 70 miles. Typically I bring nothing on these trips except my bike, some water, and myself.

Do experienced riders bring more stuff? I mean, should I have stuff to fix a tire or make an adjustment to the bike?

Basically, do you all carry a little kit with a spare tube or patch kit, C02 inflator, tire levers, and a multi-tool?

Really, I'd like to carry as little as possible, but I'd consider bringing the stuff above, especially if I start on longer rides, if most other people are also bringing it.

Robert Swier

Hi Robert and welcome to the forums. There was another thread not long ago about this same thing. You might find some good info there too.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9304

Oh, thanks for pointing me to that thread. The guy who started that thread assumed that he should bring everything was asking about, and he wanted to know what more to bring. No one raised an eyebrow, so I guess I should stop worring and just bring that stuff along. It's really not that much, after all.

Thanks. This looks like a great forum...I'm sure I'll start reading it regularly.

Robert Swier

>>little kit with a spare tube or patch kit, C02 inflator, tire levers, and a multi-tool?<<

In addition to what you mention, I suggest a spoke wrench and possibly a chain tool. I usually carry a spare and a patch kit, using the spare first and the patch kit if I get a second flat. Personally, I prefer a full-size frame pump over a C02 inflator. Also, don't forget some change for emergency phone calls.

You ride 50 to 70 miles without a spare tube, air pump, and patch kit!!! Your crazy! What if your tire went flat? What would you do?

I like to bring a lot of junk food on rides because I always get hungry when ever riding my bike. Snickers bars, ding dongs, twinkies, swiss cake rolls, nutter butter bars, fruit roll ups, gummy bears, etc. I started bringing bananas as my main source of food on rides because bicycling magazine told me to. I sometimes get the occasional urge to stop and eat at Denny's, but I do not have a lock for my bike so I can't take that risk.

Other things to bring...money (like $20), your Id card (just in case you get ran over, and the cops need to identify your mangled body), gatorade (if your getting tired of drinking water), a comb and hair gel (just in case you meet a fine young lady). Thats usually all I bring.

Somehow, it didn't seem that crazy, although it does seem crazy now. I never had a flat on any of those rides, and thought to myself that, in the extremely unlikly case of a flat, I would just call someone to pick me up. I ride in a loop, starting and ending at my doorstep, so a 70 mile ride could only put me at most 35 miles from home.

For fun and practice I did a trial flat replacement the other day in the living room, and see now that it's far easier and quicker to just swap the tube than looking for a phone, let alone waiting for a ride to come.

Now, to tell the truth, I find myself wanting a flat, just to put my skill to the test. I suppose that means I'll have to start riding more :-)

Robert Swier
Rochester, New York

Personally, I'm a repair idiot! I wouldn't trust a flat tire I fixed myself!

I carry plenty of Gatorade (2/3's) and water (1/3), my keys (because getting back in the house is fun and cool!), an extra pair of shades (amber; in case it starts to get dark) and (most importantly) a cell phone!

It's lightweight and easier to call someone than to figure out how to repair a flat, especially when you're p-ssed off at your luck. But like I said, I'm a repair idiot.

Erm, if I can only choose a single thing to bring along, it would be myself of cos. No me, no ride, right? You people should start considering how to bring along yourself, which means how you should prepare as an individual to respond to any situation that would be hard to tackle!

About flats: Bring a tube AND a patch kit. If you get a small puncture, patch it and save the extra tube in case of a larger puncture where a patch may not work. I rarely have gotten 2 flats on a ride, but it did happen. Be prepared, especially on long rural rides.

I once went on a ride with a guy who had five flats in one day. It was pretty mysterious. The road was in good shape (Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah Nat'l Park). There wasn't any glass, they weren't pinch flats, and the inside of his tire was clean. After the 5th flat, we got tired of stopping and figured we'd better help him out as he wasn't mechanically inclined. After some investigation we spotted one of the spoke ends pushing through the rim tape. So we put a tire patch over the spot, patched the tire, and didn't have any more flats!