Bikeforumuser0011

WOW! Very nice.

Bikeforumuser0011

I have two of the Park Tool's Patch Kits that I mentioned, then I forgot that I also have a pack of the Slime Skabs Pre-Glued Patches.

noglider 

Speaking of crappy tire levers, I think it was super dumb that they stopped making them out of steel. First they switched to aluminum, and the folly of that became apparent quickly enough. Now they're made of plastic. I break one every time I use one. I found these. Good old steel. Am I a curmudgeon? I dunno, but these work.

Bikeforumuser0011

Nope, I haven't had any flats yet. *crosses fingers & toes* But, I also have tire liners in my tires, so I tend not to worry too much. I'm thinking about getting a mini pump, but I don't think it would fit in a tool roll ... any suggestions a tool roll? I really like the one in my original post, but I am not sure that it will fit under my seat due to the positon of my rack as it is attached to my seat with (I believe, please correct me if I am wrong) stays (they're long and metal and attach the rack to my seat, I'm assuming for extra support?) I, also, have a spare tube, I just don't have it in my kit ... I don't know why either.

Thanks!

Update: I actually just bought (well, returned a mini u-lock & got store credit for it from PB) Spin Doctor HPV Mini Pump, so now all I need is something to put it all in. I really want the Minnehaha Small Barrel Saddle Bag from Velo Orange.

Bikeforumuser0011

Nice!

AlmostGreenGuy

I have a whole bunch of stuff in my tool roll. The only thing I've needed out of it all year is the old red shop rag to wipe grease off of my fingers. But I know that if I remove anything at all from the roll, I'll immediately have a major breakdown.

Bikeforumuser0011

On another note, do you take your tool roll (or whatever you happen to carry your tools in) off your bike with you, that is to say if you keep them in something that is on your bike? I do not keep anything on my bike that is not (for lack of a better word) nailed down ... ... or that I cannot quickly take with me, which is why I switched to Reelight 770's, because for the first time last Tuesday night it took me about 10 minutes just to put everything on my bike to get ready for the 5-10 min ride home. For me, being able to put my purse/pannier (that is what I am calling my new OYB Bike Bag ... ... because I only use it as a purse/pannier on my bike) on Lola, slap on my helmet (and if I need to my PB Blinky, and Knog Blinder 4 Standard as back ups, and hit the road. The less I have to do (in terms of lights & stuff), the better ... that is what works for me anyway.

You guys?

Sixty Fiver

Figured it was a good night to check / re-pack the kit and take a crappy photo... I added an S.A. cone spanner which is specific to Sturmey Archer internal hubs.



I forgot about my 1/4 full bottle of all purpose home brew lube (no sense in carrying a full bottle), spare cables, and the nitrile gloves.



Quite a number of my bikes (road bikes and mtb) have their own smaller tail bags that will carry a spare tube, multi tool, nitrile gloves, and sometimes CO2... I always carry a frame pump or mini pump.

Bike Gremlin

They can be bought for around 2 euros for 3 levers at my LBS. Steel made. Did have to grind them a bit to better shape, but they are the only ones reliable enoug for my taste - especially for dismounting Marathon and similar tyres. 2 in the commuter tool bag (with one plastic) and one in the road bike tool bag.

Sixty Fiver

Sixty Fiver

I take my tools off the bike... quite often they are stashed inside a pannier or in a backpack and those come with me too.

Bike Gremlin

Plastic outer, so no marks on the rims? Nice... For those normal people who care about marks on the rims.

Sixty Fiver

Word.

I find that by carrying a good set of tools I am always capable of fixing other people's rides... have actually stopped to assist stopped cyclists who were amazed I had a spare shifter cable, and stainless to boot.

I have even been known to carry a portable bottom bracket tool (touring set up) and one day when I was doing this I helped a guy who's crank had loosened up on him.

Sixty Fiver

I have a few Mafac tool kits with the combination wrenches that have a lever at the other end... these came in many sizes for bicycles and mopeds.

Not mine...



Bonus points if you know what the square socket on the small wrench is for.

I-Like-To-Bike

You use your bare hands to patch a tube; no patches or glue necessary? Or do your bare hands make a new tube appear from that tool bag?

Bike Gremlin

I leave things on the bike if I don't need them anymore - thieves take care of recycling for me.

Always in a bag that is carried in a backpack, pannier etc. Only on weekend joyrides do I dare to place it all on the bike, since I will be leaving the bike in a forrest or somewhere where it's safe.

Sixty Fiver

My old tool kit was stolen from my pannier when I was out in the boonies but away from my (locked) bike... the thief took nothing else.

The idea for the new kit came when I got an extra battery pouch and thought that this would be excellent as it can be carried alone by strapping it to the frame or a rack and is not so large as to not fit in a pannier, backpack, or small pocket and the straps will even let me carry it on a belt.

When I take bikes out for road tests it also provides for a very portable kit I can take with me.

MEversbergII

Yep, if it's not bolted on, it comes off.

Fortunately my tool bag is also my luggage bag! This is part of the reason I'm resistant to getting anything else bag-wise.

M.

lungimsam

I have tools I carry with everything else in my carradice bag.

small hand pump
Topeak multi tool with chain tool
small wrench for fender bolts
2 security allen wrenches for my security bolts
patch kit
2 tubes
extra brake cable
extra shifter cable
a length of twine
extra chain link
a length of electrical tape

I think that is it.

dynaryder

They do still make them. Cheap too.

Srsly? I've broken one Pedro's in 8yrs. For real bastich installs I do use my Girl Scout Tool(my shop mechanic friend says real mechanics only ever need to use their hands ).

niuoka

there are days, like last sunday in the rain in a strong side wind, everything felt heavy, and my tools felt this heavy

WestMass

two plastic tire levers, spare tube, multi-tool.

ItsJustMe

I've never come close to breaking a plastic tire tool - what kind of tires are you changing to break one?

Heck, I mostly don't use tools at all, I can get them off by hand easier than digging out the tire tool and having to put it back away again.

I just started riding a Giant Seek 1 with an IGH - so I went to Lowes and bought a stubby 15mm combination wrench and added that to the tools. I need it to remove the rear wheel. I thought about adding an adjustable wrench but in 10 years I've never needed a wrench on the road for anything (everything on the bike has hex sockets or needs some custom tool that I'm not going to carry) and I'd prefer to use the box end on a proper wrench to avoid possibly rounding off the nuts.

It's interesting that a high quality chromed drop forged wrench is < $5 while a vaguely wrench-shaped hunk of stamped sheet metal with a bicycle tool supplier's logo stamped on it is $20.

MEversbergII

Kinda bugs me that modern bikes require so many specialized tools. I mean, I can understand chain breakers and pedal wrenches (can't get a regular wrench in such a narrow space I presume), but specialized things to get to the hubs, remove cranks and the like is a bit much.

M.

noglider 

It's true that a complete tool outfit is pretty expensive compared with a bike. Perhaps it's not out of disregard for the mechanic's budget but in order to make the components sufficiently light and small. Similarly, if bikes were as reliable as cars, they'd be too heavy to ride.