Polonswim

After checking the pictures of peoples bikes in the forums, I have noticed that some of the bikes have a seat wedge and others don't. That got me to thinking. What do people carry when they ride? Why do they carry what they carry? How do they carry it? Jersey pockets? Seat wedges? If they do use a bag/wedge, what kind?

I know. A lot of questions, but the question has been nagging me for some time.

forum*rider

$5
some food(crackers/grapes/some type of bar)
phone
patch kit
frame pump(attached to frame, obviously)
extra tube

all of this fits in my jersey pockets and is what I usually bring on my average(<30mi) ride. Longer rides I carry more water, another $10-$15, two extra tubes and a spare tire.

KrisPistofferson

My pump and water bottle go on my frame, everything else goes in my backpack. A lot of cyclists hate them, but I think they're KEEN.

my58vw

I always take the seat pack off for photos... well most of the time. Anything solo I ride with a pump and the necessities (tube, patchkit, levers, money, food)... in a wedge pack!

cheg

Carried in a pannier or rack trunk (yes I have racks on all my bikes). Also use a seat wedge for quick access stuff like wallet, keys, etc.

Multi tool
Small crecent wrench
Small pliers
Patch kit
Chain connector link
Piece of an old tire (boot)
Small bottle of chain lube
Pair of surgical gloves
Spare tube
Pump
Lock
Arm warmers
Leg warmers
headband
helmet cover
full finger gloves
fingerless gloves
goretex jacket
rain pants
Cel phone
GPS (sometimes)

The clothes are either worn or carried depending on temperature. Clothing varies some with season but not so much in Seattle.

FarHorizon

Credit Card
$20 bill
DRIVERS' LICENSE
Mini tool kit
Spare tube
Air pump
cell phone
Lightweight coil lock
one (or two) bottles of Squincher
rag
digital mini camera

khuon

I think some people might be tired of me reposting this every week or so but here goes anyways...

The following are things I carry with me when roadbiking. Some of these may or may not be applicable to your situation.

• One or two (depending on length of ride) 24oz. water bottles
• SKS Airgun - CO2 inflation system with spare cartridge
  
  
• Spare spokes shoved into seatpost
  
• Topeak Aero Wedge (small) Saddlepack
  packed with
  • Spare tube in its own little compartment
    
  • Park VP-1 patchkit
    
  • Crank Brothers Speed Lever extendable tyre levers
    
  • Presta-Schrader valve adapter
  • Spare links including spare removable ConneX-Link for my chain
    
  • Small bottle of DuMonde Tech Lite
    
  • Topeak Alien minitool
    
  • Special Mavic spoke tools because I have non-standard spokes
    
  • Kryptonite Gear Gripper lightweight retractable cord lock
    
• In my bike jersey pockets
  • mini-wallet with ID, credit card, debit card and small amount of cash
    
  • FA-112 First-Aid Kit
    
  • Minolta DiMage X digital camera with spare battery
    
  • Speedplay Coffee Shop Caps cleat covers for my clipless pedal cleats on my shoes
    
    
    If I don't need a second water bottle, I'll put some of the following things inside a bottle cage insert I got from one of the local club rides. If I do need the second bottle then I'll just redistribute these items amongst my jersey pockets.
    
    
    
    
  • A couple of plastic Ziploc bags to seal things against rain
  • Small bottle of sunscreen (SPF48)
  • Contact case
  • Rewetting drops for eyes
  • Rx insert (in microfiber sleeve for wiping off lens) for sunglasses in case I need to ditch my contacts
  • Clear lenses for sunglasses in case lighting conditions change
  • Arm warmers/leg warmers or lightweight Tyvek jacket (folded in on itself so it's very compact) depending on weather conditions
    
  • small mobile phone (Audiovox SMT5600)
    
  • A couple of energy bars
  • compact map (if I don't know the area well) or route-map (organised ride)

Curiously enough, even with all this stuff crammed into my pockets, I still have quite a bit of room for other small things. If I think I'll really be far away from civilisation or riding where water stops aren't plentiful then I'll drag along a CamelBak Lobo and reapportion everything appropriately. I've however been able to get away with 100-120 miles without one so far.

But on really long unsupported road rides (>100mi) and on all mountain bike rides, I'll use a CamelBak MULE.


In it typically contains the following additions to the above list:

• 100 oz. hydration bladder
• Topeak minipump (with patchkit in handle and built-in tyre-lever)
  
• Topeak pressure gauge
  
• additional spare tubes
• two spare 9V batteries for my shocks (K2 SmartShocks - MTB only)
• mini-tripod for digital camera
  
• replacement/spare derailleur hanger
  
• spare seatpost clamp
  
• a couple of zip-ties
• small roll of electrical tape
• small roll of toilet paper in plastic ziploc bag

And of course if I think I'll be riding into the night, I'll have the lights and blinkers along too.






And if I need extra room, I also will use a couple of Bento Boxes.

KrisPistofferson

Khuon=Batman.

Black Shuck

3 Allen keys for my brakes and gears, small adjustable wrench, pair of pliers, patch kit, TP, wire lock, cell phone and snuff, all stuffed neatly into the seat wedge.

baj32161

I carry Khuon!!

Bigmark

In a wedge bag:
3 alien wrenches (that’s all my bike needs)
3 tire levers
a 4 way screw driver
hub wrenches
a spoke wrench
a chain tool
a glueless patch kit

On The bike:
2 24oz water bottles. (even on short rides)
an emergency pump (Schwinn $12.00)
Toe clips (slide in, not the shoe hook in type, I am afraid of them.)

[In my $6.00 handlebar bag:
Sunscreen
Wallet
Keys
Cell Phone
Digital Camera (sometimes)
Chapstick (SPF 30)
An emergency poncho
A home made 1st aid kit

I ride with the following attire:
Bike Shorts (Sorry Public, but if they make them in a 50, someone should wear them )
Bike Jersey (No Name on jersey, I don’t believe in advertisements unless its for the NAVY)
Nike running shoes
Helmet
Watch

So I still need
a spare tube
a disposable camera (for accident reports)

Mark
307 this morning dressed!
My Cycling Page

Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There is something wrong with a society that drives a car to work out in a gym. ~Bill Nye The Science Guy~

Linchpin

On my Trek 7100 I have a rack and trunk bag that I carried lots of **** in, including a little rubber duckie. But I haven't ridden that bike since I got my Giant Rainier.
My rainier has a Topeak Large clip on/off wedge bag and a small phone bag up front.
The wedge holds my Topeak multitool, cheapo tire guage, patch kit, small cord lock, house keys, and anything I find along the way.
The phone bag up front holds my cell phone (duh!), sunglasses, and wallet.
On the bike I have two bottle cages. One holds a bottle of water/ice, the other holds an empty bottle that can be used for more storage if I need or can hold more water if I go on a longer ride. I also have a Topeak frame pump mounted under the verticle water bottle cage.

I commute 4 days a week. On Friday I bring fresh clothing and groceries to work and take my old clothing home. Seems to work out well and since I don't have a large ammount of storage capacity I am less inclined to be stuffing the bag(s) full of crap I don't need like I do on the Trek.

velocipedio

1x inner tube
1x allen key set
3x tire levers
1x co2 inflator
2x co2 catridges
electrical tape

velocipedio

gee khuon... good thing you have a lightweight bike.

Linchpin

Wow man, that sure is a hell of a lot of stuff you fit in those two bags.
I checked out your page too, looks like you've lost 70lbs thus far? That's damn good! I'm a few weeks away from weighing in at the 299lb mark myself from a little over 330.

jur

Always:
patch kit
pump
headache tabs
ID
money
phone

add, most of the time:
water
spare tube
mini tool
tyre levers

some of the time:
U lock

commuting, always:
rain gear

Perhaps I'm naive, but I think a bicycle is a pretty simple machine, very very reliable, so I am willing to chance it not to carry spares. One day if I went touring, I would carry some basic things, like a few spare chain links and a few spokes, just enough to get me to the next LBS.

Also, in winter I do not carry water on my commute. It's just unnecessary for me, and most summer days just a few sips on the way is usually good enough. I drink at the destination. On hot days though I do not take any chances with water.

bnet1

Some basic tools, patches, and a schrader/presta adaptor in a small yinyl bag that fits into a pocket in the seat back. I also carry ID there when I'm on pleasure rides. For work commutes I carry ID, extra clothes, optical equipment, and other work necessities in my backpack which hangs from the seat back and is strapped to the sprint braces. The bike is a recumbent.

Longhorn

Tool kit, patch kit, extra tube in seat wedge.

Clothes and shoes for the day, lip balm, premoistened wipes, extra batteries, lightsticks (gift from a Marine) in panniers on rack.

Cateye EL500 headlight, white LED blinker, Cateye Astrale 8 computer on handlebar.

Two mirrors on bar extensions.

Red LED blinker under seat.

Orange "Flash Flag" on rack extending horizontally to the left.

Rack pump.

Wallet, cellphone, keys, and small first aid kit on fanny pack around my waist. Bright orange towel tucked into strap.

Camelback with red LED blinker.

Helmet with mirror.

Sunglasses during day, clear glasses at night.

thelung

On Frame:
-Topeak RoadMorph
-water
-headlight and blinkie

In my Saddlebag:
-spare tube
-patch kit
-tire levers
-allen key set
-piece of an old tube to use as a shoe
-wallet
-house key

sometimes:
-Clif Bar
-safety vest
-Onguard Brute MS U-lock
-Masterlock cable lock (I use both at once)

Billy Ray

Those must be for the "special" probing?

BR

Bekologist

too much stuff, all over the bike, depending on where/how far. Most of my bikes have a wedge bag with the basics- tube, patch kit and levers, small multi bike tool, and some duct tape. Pump, of course. Maybe some zip ties, a couple of spare brazeon bolts, some bailing wire, a prestsa/schrader adaptor. All the other stuff like ID, cash, key is a given.

I started outfitting each bike with its own seat bag and kit because I didn't like the hassle of moving the repair kit, pump, etc, and making sure I had the right diameter inner tubes....one time I flatted on a my 26" cruiser, went into the seat bag to grab the spare, and it was a 700c.

All the rest of that crab, well, I guess if it makes you feel better out there, haul it around. I've never heard of anyone losing a seatpost clamp. Maybe it happens.

Retro Grouch 

I carry my wallet and enough stuff to repair one flat tire.

It's not the weight of the spares and tools that bothers me so much as the burden of worry that leads folks to think that they need to carry so much stuff with them on every ride.

hmai18

In a Topeak Micro Aero wedge that's always under my saddle:
spare tube
glueless patches /w sandpaper
Crank Bros. micro-17 tool
two tire levers
Co2 inflator loaded with 12g cart and two extra 12g carts
extra Connex master link

In my jersey pockets:
driver's license
debit card
Provincial health insurance card
$10 bill
keys /w small Swiss Army knife, soon to be replaced by a small Leatherman.
cell phone

Kabloink

This is what I found in my pannier today.

patch kit
spare tube
air pump
multi-tool
pliers
electrical tape
6 foot tape measure(not sure why I have this)
small crescent wrench
vinyl gloves
paper towel
2 trash bags
lightweight nylon rain coat
small packet of handi wipes
2 bungie cords
bicycle cargo net
red led blinky light
small 3 led headlight

I also carry the following
wallet
cell phone
bicycle locks
bottle of water.
change of clothes when commuting to work.

I carry everything in panniers when commuting. Otherwise, I carry everything in my rack trunk.

I keep all the tools in a large freezer zip lock bag which makes it easier to find what I need and transfer it from panniers to rack trunk when needed.

khuon

Bike computer calibration.