1 tube, a pump, and lots of patches.

Instead of latex gloves get nitrile ones. The nitrile is much stronger than the latex.

David

I had two blowouts today, both of them sounded like gunshots. First one was a metal shard that slit the tire. I overlooked it and changed the tube. Second one was a bulging tube which bulged out of the slit in the tire, and BOOM! The slit was pretty small but the tube still exploded. I cut a section out of the old tube and used it as a backing for the tire. Sure hope it holds...

I had a flat a few months ago. I thought I was prepared, but found out I had the wrong CO2 cartidges for my pump. Lesson learned: check your thread sizes!

- 1 tube
- patch kit
- road morph pump
- 3 tire levers
- 3 tire boots

I carry a spare tube and CO2 inflator in my seatpost bag. In my backpack I carry another spare tube and a mini-pump. I don't carry any levers as I can work a tire off and back on without using tire levers.

I always make sure my cell phone is charged before I head out to work or home.

I'm not going to get myself dirty on the way to work. I just grab a cab, drop the bike at the bike shop, and continue to the office. My bike mechanic's billing rate is less than mine.

Paul

I know I'm playing with fire here in that I don't carry ANYTHING for flats!! That's over the last 2 summers riding too... pretty bad I know. This thread is a great reminder that I should be prepared!! And learn how to actually FIX the flat too.

Nothing. I carry nothing. It's only a 5 mile commute. I'll walk if I get a flat. I know it will happen someday. So be it.

Spare tube, pump, tire levers, and a patch kit. I like the idea of a pair of light work gloves.

I carry nothing. I have a 2.85 mile commute though.
Is it necessary to carry patches if you have a tube? I haven't changed a bike tire since I was ten and I actually forget how. Anybody have a how-to article? Also what is a tire tool? I have a park tool multi-thing and I think it has one.

I have regular frame pump on my bike. No need to worry about what happens if I have n+1 flats where n if number of CO2 bottles. :)

I'm in the same boat. Suggestions anyone? Anyone?

Here's a how-to page. Very complete narrative.

http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/skills/fixflat.htm

i carry two tubes, levers, alien tool, a patch kit that i rarely use, a couple of cans of air and a lightweight frame pump.

i'll use the CO2 first, jsut cuz its faster, but i like having a pump cuz i've been stranded without air before and i bought the frame pump THAT DAY, after a nice roadie stopped and let me use his frame pump so i could getto work sorta on time.

so yea now i rock both. the extra couple of oz is negligible at the end of the day, and the peace of mind that i can make it home under my own power under almost any circumstances is comforting. also its nice to be able to offer to help a stranded rider without then having to prey you dont flat out on the way home.

Patches, glue, tire irons, a minipump, and a valve adapter (Schrader2Presta). Overkill was riding with a floor pump until I found the minipump on the road side. Overkill is also riding in the summer with the 700x38 Armadillo tires the wife got me.

Yep, I checked the whole tire, and didn't see or feel anything either. The 2nd flat happened at a different spot too, so unless whatever caused the first one moved inside the tire and I missed it...

spare tube, patch kit, levers, road morph pump, duct tape for making boots and a partridge in a pear tree

This may depend on your tires since 16g theoretically gives you 130psi, but my experience is that it's the minimum I'd want to put in. I won't use anything but 16g -- a 12g fill leaves the tires feeling mighty soft.

Don't forget something to use as a screwdriver for the shifter pin ... My multi-tool didn't have one but did have a knife blade that worked when i discovered I needed the screwdriver. :)

On my commuter, I carry 2 spare tubes, a patch kit, and a topeak road morph pump (as a side note, i also keep a floor pump at work).

I didn't have flat this year until this Monday. Had a flat on my front about 10 min. from the house. No problem. just swapped the tube with one of my spares (I carry 2). About 1/4 mile from the office, another flat on my front. Okay, just walked the rest of the way into the office. Worked on patching the tube. Found 4 holes on the first tube. Not sure if I pinched it while mounting or what, but after all that patching, it held fine. On the ride home, was a block from home and flatted on my rear. Ack. So, I never needed any of this all year, but on that one day, I needed it all.

On my weekend bike, I keep 1 spare tube, stick on patches, and CO2 pump and 1 cartridge. I'm ususally riding with my wife who also carries another tube and another cartridge. Haven't flatted this year although she flatted 2 weekends ago when we were about 3 miles from our finish.

Thanks! That's a great "How-to" on flats.

why bother carrying the tool if you have no idea how to use it??? :D

my girldfirends co-worker is hillaroius, everytime he gets a flat he gets to work late cause he's gotta walk, then goes to the bikeshop to get it fixed... then he always comes over to her and b!tches about it; i think he tells her about it in hopes she will fix it??? i dunno, wierd guy; but man he coulda saved himself some serious time and $$$ by now if he just learned to do it himself.

learning to change your own flat should be one of the basic rights of passage for any bicycle rider!

Wow, I can't believe the people who get no flats. That's amazing. I get dozens per year. I carry at least 1 tube, a patch kit, levers, co2, and a mini pump while commuting. Even all that didn't help when I wore all the way through threads on my tire.

I just chance it. My commute is only 1 mile each way and I wear a suit or dress clothes, so I would walk it home or to work in any case. Luckily, 26x 1 3/8 tires are pretty bomb proof.