Bike ride essentials...
 

Hi,

I am new to this group and new to serious biking. I have biked for years but just short trips, 5 to 15 miles. Now I am wanting to advance to some longer trips, say 25 to 50 miles.

I would like to know what kind of essentials I will need to travel with me. Things that I would need in case an emergency arises. Can anyone help me with this?

Thanks,
Nash

I carry a spare tube, patch kit, multi tool, air pump, cell phone and $20.

Aaron :)

You also need to pay attention to your hydration levels, especially during the hot summer months. Carry enough water and/or plan to stop for water along your route. You might also need a gel, but 25 miles is a pretty short distance.

It changes as you go but i carry tube and repair kit, levers, pump, allen keys, cell phone, cash, water. And for longer rides i take something like cereal bars.

One can envision any sort of emergency, so it's easy to end up with an awfully long list of things to carry. Usually I carry more or less what wahoonc carries, but it varies a bit depending upon the risk and how important it is for me to complete a ride as opposed to bailing out due to weather or a mechanical problem.

+ id.

Water
wallet
keys
multi tool
tube
patch kit
tire irons
mini pump
cell phone
more water

On my normal 15-20 mile ride, in the summer heat, I can easily go through two 24 oz water bottles -- in cooler weather, I easily empty one.

+ housekeys

In addition to what's been mentioned so far I like to ride with a red bandana.

It's good for wiping sweat, dowsed with water it and wrapped around your neck help keep you cool on hot days, and in real emergencies it can serve as a flag or a tourniquet.

And as I found out on the ride I just completed, it will serve as a hand wipe after dealing with a mechanical...

Why do y'all carry a tube AND a patch kit? I was packing both and then wondered why. The tube takes up so much darn room, I figured I'd just pack the patch kit and CO2 and then I could swap the tube out at home if needed. If you're going to pack a tube, why take a patch kit?

You might have more than one flat.

And if you only have a patch kit, sods law will ensure that the hole is just by the valve, and hence unpatchable.

small first aide kit
tube patch
spare tube
pump
tools to remove wheel and tire
tools to adjust brakes and derailleurs
cash
cell phone
rear rack
rear rack trunk
plastic bag to cover rear rack trunk
strobes front and rear
a note telling authorities who to contact in case you are in an accident
sunscreen

Slashed a sidewall on a tire on a broken beer bottle one time, cut in the tube was too long to fix, used the old tube as a boot, installed the new tube, pumped up the wheel, 2 blocks later the other tire went down due to a shard of glass that punctured the tube. Fixed it and continued on my way. Haven't had a problem like that in years, thanks to kevlar belted tires. But given where I ride and the distances between suitable shops...

Aaron :)

Geez... that has to suck having two flats on one outing :(

Multi tool
patch kit
tire tools
Large nail clippers, for fish line and things in tire
aspirins
frame pump
raisins
two water bottles, one water, one lime water.
cell phone, waist clip holder.
380 Berreta, nine rounds, one wax, eight wad cutters
Pepper spray, tear gas, dye comb.

No ID, everyone knows me!
No money, ain't got none!

Tube isn't that big. Make sure all the air is out, wind it up tightly and wrap in plastic wrap. I'll patch the old tube at home. I carry some Parks stick on patches for quick temporary fixes in case of double flatting, which happened to me the last time I got a flat. Also a good reason to carry a mini pump instead of CO2.

This was back in the mid 70's...IIRC our ride record was 11 flats among 7 riders on a 60 mile Sunday afternoon ride.:eek: Which is one reason most of us rode clincher tires rather than sewups on our road rides.

Aaron :)

because it is possible to get multiple flats. If one carry's just one tube and they end up picking up debris in both tires with just one tube and no patch kit you are now SOL. But with both a spare tube and a patch kit you can put the tube in one tire and patch the other tube and keep riding.

+1 to what others have said.

First flat gets a new tube and CO2. I can do this in under 5 minutes and I can still make it to work on time or catch the group. Second flat means I'm going to be late or riding home by myself, so it gets a patch and air from the pump.

Some of this depends on the bike, road bikes, the tube is fairly small, hybrids and MTBs, the tube gets larger.
Even a 1.5X26 tube is a fairly large package.

It is not too hard to air up a 60/80psi tire with a pump. I can stick a patch on my Multi Track with out taking
the wheels off. I have QR's, but the rear is still a deal. Finding the hole is the main thing.....

I also have a couple Handy Wipes.

Where do you keep the Beretta? I have a little Tomcat I'd like to take with me, but haven't figured out where I'd want it short of buying a little frame or bar bag.

Be like Bob Roll and don't forget the bazooka.

Small of my back, clip on waist band. Mine had a strap over.

http://www.kirkpatrickleather.com/product/h_mclip.htm

I have a concealed permit, but don't carry it concealed.
I normally only carry it when I ride at night.

I have a permit, too. I was out riding on a one lane gravel road last weekend out in the middle of nowhere and thought it'd sure be nice to have. Meth labs and all, you never know what you may run across.