i just got a seagull black bag large and the thing is humongous i need some ideas what to do with all this extra space. what do you guys carry on a day to day base? this is what i carry 24/7 because this is my man purse:

mini pump
tire repair kit
tube
tube repair kit
Schwinn bike multi-tool
(in a bag with a clip in the main pocket just in case i find something crazy on the ride home and i need to make space. this is a big phobia of mine)
bungee cords
electrical tape
moleskin
chapstick
spare t-shirt
sunglasses
emergency $20
extra ear buds
and my shtf altoids kit

I keep a spare tube, multi tool, and small adjustable wrench in a seat bag. In a messenger bag, I haul my lunch, change of clothes, deoderant, babywipes (for those extra humid mornings where simply changing clothes won't do) and my phone charger (Palm Pre isn't known for it's great battery life.

extra socks and rain paints; to add to your list. All things considered: Too much. Sometimes I get tired lugging all that stuff around.

Spare tube
Bell multitool
Tire levers
Leatherman utility knife
Reflective vest
PB Superflash
Flashlight

Sometimes I'll add rain gear to that.

I usually end up with several different clothing options, given the way the weather can change round here, and the reliability of the forecast, ( Reliability! thats a good one ! )

Man purse? Call it a handbag sweetie and get over yourself!

In my seat bag I carry Bell multi-tool, patch kit, adjustable wrench, tire gauge, small bungie cords and tire levers. Then in the trunk bag (Banjo Brothers with expandable panniers) I carry glasses (sun and clear, they're safety type glasses, one fits in the hard case while I wear the other ... they're cheap and fit the budget at this time) spare tube, spare gloves, sunscreen, small first aid kit, rain pants/jacket and spare batteries for lights. Then when commuting I add a pair of socks, a couple small garbage bags (for added protection of clothes in panniers if/when it rains ... washington state) work clothes of for the day, lunch, coffee thermos and book

under seat bag- spare tube and tube repair, couple of allens that fit brakes and seat, tiny wrench to fit fender nuts.

rack bag - clothes, lunch, sometimes gallon of milk and bag of bagels on the way home

Always: Homemade ankle strap, two spare tubes, mini pump, multi tool, 15mm ratcheting box-end stubby wrench(bling!), pair of disposable latex gloves(grubless repairs), tire lever(only need one), fleece vest folded to act as a backpad(also for emergency cold fronts) regular u-lock, combo cable lock. Usually: Stack of books, netbook, calculator, various pens/sharpies. Occasionally: Lightweight shell, beanie, warm gloves. All in a medium TB2.

I don't feel the need to fill all available space. It adds weight & slows me down. (I am slow enough already)

I carry:

- train pass
- bus pass
- work ID card
- lunch
- U-lock & cable
- wallet
- cell
- tea mug

I need to get the bracket mounted somewhere so I don't have the cram the U-lock in the bag. That, or just leave it on the rack at the train station, like a lot of fellas do.

My commute is only 1.7 miles each way, so I don't carry the tube, tools, and pump every day either. I figure I can just walk home and fix it in the comfort of my own garage.

Mine is pretty much the same as others have listed. I also have a pen and paper for noting details in case of accident. In addition to a multitool I carry tire levers because they are much better than what you get in a multitool. In the summer I include sunscreen and I have a showercap to put over my helmet in case of rain. I pack dextrose tablets because I am diabetic on insulin. I have a red blinkie on the back of the trunk bag in addition to the one on the bike. I tuck a plastic shopping bag into the elastics on the top of the trunk bag, for carrying my water bottles to/from the office.

Too much:
- spare tube
- patch kit
- tire levers
- mini pump
- bungies
- multi-tool (allen wrenches/screw driver/spoke wrench/chainbreaker)
- small bottle of triflow
- front and rear lights
- rain pants
- either rain coat or fleece sweater (whichever of the two I'm not wearing, though sometimes I'm wearing both)
- u-lock and cable
- iPod Nano + earbuds
- toque and gloves (if not currently being worn)
- miscellaneous pens and pencils
- calculator
- daytimer
- lunch
- sometimes dinner, too

I invested in a R.E.Load Midpack a couple months ago. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my bag, but sometimes it's overkill! I generally have:

-work shoes
-work clothes
-u-lock
-sunscreen, toiletries, etc
-lunch and snacks
-pens and work documents
-small amount of cash, ID, cellphone, keys
-pepper spray
-multi-tool
-depending on the day, an extra 20-30lbs of groceries on the way home
-red blinky on the back flap

I don't carry a patch kit. I only ride in the city, and it would take as long to fix a flat as it would to hop in a bus/subway/cab and fix it at home. Plus, I ride through some unsavory areas, so the last thing I want to do is linger by the side of the road looking vulnerable.

Sometimes I catch my reflection in a window, speeding by on my tiny folding bike with my gigantic backpack, and have to laugh at myself. I also have a single-strap bag that I use for smaller loads, usually on the weekends, so not for commuting anymore. It hurts my shoulder when I use it for anything but quick rides.

1) Toolkit (very small when bundled up):
- Pedro's tire levers
- "Dogbone" wrench
- 3 and 8mm allen keys, and a 5mm pin-in-socket allen key for the security skewers and general tinkering
- Bike tire gauge.
- small reversible screwdriver (phillips/slotted)
- Spoke wrench
2) Leyzene Micro Floor Drive Pump (switching to a CO2 "Air Chuck" later in the week. Heavier, but much smaller.)
3) Spare tube
4) Eagle Creek inflatable travel pillow. (essential for the train ride. Sooo comfortable, it's unreal... and two breaths really do fill it.)
5) A pair of bungie cords and a bungie net - may supplement or replace with some Coleman camping straps soon.
6) Moleskine and pens.
7) Spare set of keys
8) Small towel
9) a few pairs of disposable gloves (essential for when you drop a chain or need to swap a tube.3)
10) Rain-cape if rain is forecast.
11) Eagle Creek 15" Pack-It folder with a change of clothes if I don't already have them in the office ( I usually, but not always, drive in on Sundays when the trains aren't running, and bring in my clothes then. )
12) 15" notebook PC if I need to sync the home and office computers on the office network
13) Big ol' book - trade manual or a paperback.

Stuff I should have, but don't yet:

- First aid kit
- Patch kit
- Spare chain and 5mm bolts.
- Small set of pliers
- Spare derailleur cable
- Spare cellphone battery
- Small digicam w/ movie function

Work laptop, work ID card, book for the bus, spare tube, tire levers, cable lock and a hand pump. My lunch is usually in there in the morning, and absent on the way home. Right now, its in the fridge at work.

I have a Pac Designs Ultimate which has the great feature of compression straps, so the bag gets bigger or smaller depending on your space needs. It does, however, stay absurdly wide, as I am reminded every time I ride the bus with the bag or am riding into a stiff headwind.

On my way to work:

U lock (Mini Evo LS)
Cable
Kleenex
Emergency food
One or two books
A toolbag with probably 1 - 2 lbs of tools in it
Office clothes
0.75 L Sigg Thermos full of french press coffee
Two pairs of earbuds in an Altoid tin
USB iPod cable
Dinotte 200L with 8-cell lithium battery
Two PB Superflashes
Cigarette case (I smoke about a pack a month)
Zippo lighter
Portable ashtray
Checkbook
Thin notebook
A magazine
A couple of pens and a mechanical pencil
Patch kit
A couple of USB jump drives
Cell phone
Topeak Road Morph G
Extra layers
Lunch and possibly some snacks

Some days I'm also carrying a laptop in Tom Bihn Braincell along with a power supply and portable external hard drive. Also, I'll bring in my big cushy studio monitor headphones fairly often.

The heaviest my bag has ever been arriving at work was 32 lbs. That was with a laptop and a thermos of soup.
Most days it's more like 15 - 20 lbs.

sometimes too much:
lunch,
extra tube or two
patch kit or two
multitool
co2 cartridges and inflator
book to read
extra gloves and socks for warmer ride home
candy or other item to eat for energy
2 PB superflashes.
L&M vega for flasher for front of bike.

I like to keep following things in may bag....

Lip glass
lip color
Sun block
Sun glasses
Wallet
Mobile
Concealer
Kajal
Watch
Moisturize
Coach Outlet Factory Coupon
Han kerchief
Face wash


and a lots of.....

Pelican case with old ipod used as an external hd.
Ultimate ears case for when it rains and I cant listen to music when riding.
Phone
Wallet
keys
sunglasses

iPod with tunes
Ultimate Ears Triple-fi 10 Pros for sweet sounds while riding.

pump
Spare tube
levers
spanner for wheel nuts
3 allen keys
rope for rack if I need it

I have an apartment at work where I keep all my work clothes and sleep on Monday nights, so I often yomp supplies there:

Soap
Milk
Muselli
Toilet paper
Orange juice
Cigarettes

I think thats the lot.

z

bus pass
spare tubes (2)
tire levers (2)
patch kit
change of clothing
u-lock
sunglasses
tie-down straps
wallet
cell phone
keyz

A key element I carry over to commuting from randonneuring is to use the smallest bag possible, because if there's extra space, you'll find something to fill it with.

Because I have a locker at work, I don't need to carry much more than lunch on a daily basis. I have a Berthoud GB28 (12L) bag up front and that's usually all the space I need.

- saddle cover, good luck mojo, zip ties, tire levers and multi-tool in the front pocket.
- sunscreen, lip balm and chamois cream (in case I decide to take the really long way home) in the left pocket.
- wallet and phone in the right pocket
- tubes and patches in the rear left pocket
- camera in the rear right pocket
- lunch and spare ride clothes (jacket, arm/knee warmers, long/short gloves, shoe covers, helmet cover, other change of weather stuff) in the main compartment.

If I need to carry more stuff, I throw my Carradice Pendle (11L) on the back.

Still sorting out my bag for my commute, but currently have:
- spare tube
- CO2 pump with a spare cannister
- tire levers
- multitool
- mobile phone
- train pass
- wallet
- clothes for the day
- lock

Having read this thread, I'm going to be adding a first aid kit (based on my personal history with constant minor injuries due to clumsiness, seems appropriate), latex gloves, a pen and a pad of paper...

Another boy scout here. In my trunk bag I always carry:

two 700c inner tubes
two 26-inch inner tubes
a patch kit
Topeak mini-16 multi-tool (tire levers built into the handle)
small adjustable wrench
small and sharp folding knife
mini-pump
a very small first aid kit (a few waterproof finger/knuckle bandages, 2-3 antiseptic wipes, a few small patches of guaze)

2-3 feet of duct tape rolled into a flat square
some facial tissues
a couple of plastic bags from the grocery store (inner tubes inside)
two pairs of reflective ankle bracelets (can also be used to hold broken bike parts together)
an old 1-watt led light for my handlebars
a 130 lumen led flashlight that I velcro to my helmet
a 1/2-watt red tail light (superflash)
an old 5-led red flashing tail light
enough spare batteries to replace the lights on two of those lights

If it is a weekday, I also carry my work clothes, keys, etc.

I carry a lot less on weekend fun rides (just a couple of tubes and minimal repair equipment), but tend to be overly cautious on extended training rides before work. I also never know how late I'll be stuck at work.

Bailey Works Super Pro medium sized messenger bag (for reference)

Pants or shorts
shirt
undies
hand towel
wallet
phone
camera (sometimes small p&s, sometimes leica m6 with extra lens)
moleskine
pencil/pen
deodorant
contact solution (small travel size bottle)
glasses and contact case (i like to take my contacts out at work sometimes)
usb cable for phone
small tube of sunblock
u-lock in outer pocket
wet ones travel pack

When I ride my fixed gear i add: (because i leave the saddlebag on the road bike)
pump (road morph g, no mount on the fixed.. it's on the road bike)
multitool
spare tube
patches
tire levers
15mm wrench

Always in the port pannier: tube, cable lock, rain jacket, full finger gloves, a few feet of leather thong, deoderant, saddle bag for organizing repair stuff: minipump, patch kit, multitool, spare headlight, spare tail light, tire levers, small first aid kit, one paper towel, permanent marker, $.50 for a pay phone call.

off-side pannier: usually has stuff like lunch, clothes, and maybe a 6 pack or other important groceries.

Here's my list:

• a spare house key,
• tooth floss,
• allen wrenches, and
• a lighter, in case i need to set someone's house on fire to stay warm.

These go in my saddlebag.