Originally Posted by
staehpj1
I am curious what tools you carry. Are we talking cone wrenches, a big honking headset and pedal wrench, bottom bracket tools, and chain whips?
FWIW, I manage to go ultralight and carry all the tools I need to do most tasks. I wind up loaning out stuff fairly often and generally never borrow anything from other riders....
Ditto the entire post, and my experience exactly on my last X-C tour. A couple of times I fixed a heavily loaded bike from stuff I had in my 17-pound load. In one case, the cyclist had all the tools he needed but didn't know how to use them.
I concluded that knowledge is more important than the tools you carry.
Since I didn't meet any other light or UL tourists, I could not form an opinion on if they were better at bike repairs than those who carried more. I doubt it. I'm sure some heavily loaded cyclists could have helped me out if I'd needed a heavier tool, too.
This same issue comes up in the hiking world. Appalachian Trail forums are replete with those who think all UL hikers mooch what they need from maps to stove fuel to shelter space (and shiver in misery whenever it rains). Experienced UL hikers know that often the opposite is true.