I'm going to be commuting about 3 miles to work starting next week, and am trying to figure out what gear I need to keep on my bike. I have a small under saddle bag, but it won't hold much. I have a patch kit and CO2 inflator in my bag for my other bike, and can't decide whether 3 miles is long enough that I need one for my commuter as well. I'm running Gator Hardshells, so I don't anticipate getting many flats. Thoughts?

Is it walkable if you get a flat? It would not be the end of the world if you had to walk home ~ 45minutes max, 30minutes jogging. If you are riding hadshells, I would estimate a flat every 2,000 miles. So, one flat per year. Can you deal with walking home once a year? If so you may not need anything. Definitely not a patch kit (it would take time to patch in the field that you could just be walking). All that being said I'd ride with 1 spare tube and a hand pump/C02.

On the one hand you'd never be farther than 1.5 miles from work or home so walking wouldn't be the worse thing.

On the other hand, whose to say you wouldn't end up taking a long detour or running an errand? Look at this way: I doubt you'd ever regret getting patch kit/inflator for your bike, but you may regret not getting one. You could buy a frame mounted mini-pump if space in your pack is a concern. Patches take up very little room.

I'd do the frame pump instead of CO2 myself, along with a patch kit, for peace of mind. However, depending on the area and how close you are to work if/when you flat, I'd be tempted to just lock it up someplace, walk to work, and come back for the bike on the way home.

I wouldn't count on a CO2 inflator for anything I couldn't walk and 3 miles is walkable so sure go for it.

It all depends, but for me, getting to work on time is a priority. Other people depend on me showing up on time, just like I may depend on them. Arriving late because of lacking tools to fix a simple puncture isn't something I want to do. A bag and a repair kit (spare tube) is just a small but necessary expense for me. I prefer to be in control on when I arrive at work instead on relying on random luck.

You should ask yourself similar questions; does it matter that you arrive late at work? Is walking 3 miles home in the rain an acceptable risk? What are your options if you puncture, bus, cab, walking?

I've ridden about 6 miles on a flat tire and it didn't damage anything - not even the tire. Had to ride pretty slow since the handling got rather squirrely at over 10-12 mph, but it was much faster than walking. But I'd still opt to carry a spare tube and a pump.

I have a four mile commute. Not too long ago I picked up a goat head on the way in and didn't know it until I took my bike out of the rack at work. The only thing on me at the time was my frame pump. I had to stop every 3/4 mile and pump up the tire. I carry a spare tube now but it might have taken me longer to fix the flat than to stop and add air on the way home. With the fast leak a C02 inflator wouldn't have helped much unless I had a box of cartridges with me.

As others have hinted, decide what the worse case scenario is if you get a flat. If it ain't too bad, then you can go without it. I personally would get one, but I don't know your route, how strict your work start time is, etc. Basically decide what your backup plan is (walk bike, put bike on a bus rack, call a spouse, call a co-worker, etc.) and if it isn't bad, don't worry about it.

Sure, you can certainly walk the 1-1/2 miles should you find yourself with a flat but without the tube, CO2, patch kit and tire levers, but if you intend to use the bike for anything other than your commute, you still need to have the bag on the bike so just do it.

You might keep a few spare tubes, tire irons and a floor pump at both work and home. That way the worst case will be a 1.5 mile walk.

Changing a tube on the road, perhaps in bad light or rain or on the side of a busy highway or with a difficult-to-use mini-pump or difficult-to-remove tire can be no fun. Even if you do have a pump and spare tube on the bike you might choose to walk the bike to work or your home and do the repair under better conditions.

It does make a lot of sense to have a permanent bag kit that would suffice for any type of riding. For commuting a few miles, I wouldn't bother with anything more than a Crank brothers mini-tool set, a set of levers and a tube, along with a small pump. I never used patches even when I was riding centuries in the middle of nowhere--a spare tube and levers, a dollar bill and duct tape and good to go.

I can't leave anything on a bike so I rarely carry a kit, but where I live, I can just take a cab home

I have a three mile commute as well, and I carry a wrench, tubes and pump. Changing a tire takes less time than walking would add to my commute.

I never go anywhere without flat repair items. Who wants to walk several miles in cycling shoes? Not me. I've done that and never want to do it again. Get a bigger seatbag if you need more space.

I go CO2 and also small frame pump. But I just like to be prepared.

I have a 26 mile round trip through central to north London. it's like riding through a mine field of shrapnel some days! My road bike has new Gatorskins, and my CX bike is riding Specialized Borough CX's. I always carry a spare tube as I really can't be bothered repairing them on the road - I also carry one of these https://www.btwincycle.com/EN/sealant-17135942/ which inflates and seals at the same time (great if it is raining!). The 2 times I have had to use them, once got me the remaining 10 of the 13 miles home, the other inflated and then stayed that way for 3 months until I remembered to change the tube.

Not to hijack the thread too much, but I've never gotten a flat tire in my life. Granted, I only recently started riding again, but I estimate I rode about 200 miles a week as a teenager in all sorts of terrain. Consequently, I don't carry a spare on my commute. Am I tempting fate, or are flats caused by avoidable things in the road (broken glass, nails, sharp rocks, etc.)?

@ Spivonious you are tempting fate and since you now voiced it on the forums you will probably have one soon. be prepared!

lol, I should have kept my mouth shut!

I would add a spare tube to the seat bag. I find it a lot easier and faster just to swap tubes and deal with patching at home or on lunch break at work.

I don't recall ever having a flat in all the years and miles I rode around as a kid either. Unfortunately, whatever made me immune to flats as a kid has worn off.

Depends on your tyres, to some degree. I've been riding every day all year round (car free, if you will) within the city of Boston for 2 years now, and have had exactly one flat, which was a nail straight through. Part of that's due to the kevlar belting in my tyres, part of that's due to trying not to ride through the massive piles of glass that litter the streets, and part is due to sheer luck. YMMV.

Exactly.

I'd call the wife to pick me up.

Originally Posted by tarwheel

I never go anywhere without flat repair items. Who wants to walk several miles in cycling shoes? Not me. I've done that and never want to do it again. Get a bigger seatbag if you need more space

+1