Originally Posted by
indyfabz
When deciding what to take, I evaluate the chances of needing something and the ability to make due without it if I don't take it and something does happen to go wrong.
Don't we all?
Originally Posted by
indyfabz
I took a spare tire on my Black Hills trip primarily because I would be riding the Mickelson Trail, which is rough in places and presents areas with limited or no opportunities to even get a ride from someone should something go wrong. I had also planned to head to a very remote area of Nebraska using some dirt roads. In contrast, I would not dream of talking a spare tire on one of favorite three-day getaways to S. Jersey which is all on paved roads and which is never far from civilization.
Neither would I.
Originally Posted by
indyfabz
And where does it end? Spare crank just in case? What if the handlebars crack? Spare saddle in case the rails break?
Don't know where it ends but so far we agree it sometimes extends as far as a spare tire.
Originally Posted by
indyfabz
More than 44,000 bike miles crossing the country with a small group. Not one chain or cable issue among the lot of us. Throw out the one guy who was cheap and refused to spend money on quality tires, I would be surprised if we had even 30 flats between the remaining 12 of us.
Did a similar trek in 2015 ... lots of flats to tire wires because we had to ride along side some highways in the first week ... after that, just the kind of tuneups one could do with a multi-tool and a spoke wrench.
Originally Posted by
indyfabz
Just my philosophy, and it's worked so far over 15K loaded miles. To each his own.
We have the same general philosophy, we just apply it slightly differently specifically.