Saddle Bag Essentials?
 

I just recently got my first bike, and now I want to put together an emergency kit before I go on any long rides. What do you guys generally carry with you? I obviously want to carry as little as possible, but I also want to be prepared. Here's what I've come up with so far:

pump (strapped to downtube)
multi tool (possibly this + additional tire levers)
2 spare tubes
patch kit
(cell phone, ID, etc.)
in this (small?) saddle bag

What am I missing, or where could I do better?

i carry all that as well as a small bike lock, sunblock, and a cliff bar or two

but i have a large saddle bag on my bike.

some CASH:D
Pirk

Here's what I carry in mine: 1 tube, 1 pack of slime patches, mini CO2 inflator with 2 cartridges,
1 Park tool tire boot, 2 tire levers, 1 mini multi-tool.

I have two tubes, two CO2 cartidges, inflator, patch kit, multi tool, tire levers,tire boot and an old dinner napkin to wipe my hands off after fixing a flat or a chain.

The cell phone, food, cash etc. go in my jersey pockets.

Flat repair kit
tubes
spoke wrench
zip ties
multi tool
Tire levers
chain breaker

My cell phone, driver's license, health insurance card, debit card, 20 dollar bill and a house key go in a ziplock bag in my jersey pocket.

Saddle bags are for Freds.

1 tube, 2 CO2, 1 Microflate, 2 irons, phone. All in a jersey pocket where it belongs.

In saddle: 1 tube, 1 mini pump, 1 co2, patch kit, 3 tyre levers, keys

In jersey: (license, debit card, cash), (phone), (gu/power bars)

this or a bottle storage container. You should not need 2 water bottles if you are riding less than 60 miles. If riding over 60 miles, you will likely stop for water anyways so you can still rock 1 water bottle. If all else fails, the 2nd bottle goes into your jersey.

1 tube, 2 co2, 2 plastic tire levers, multi-tool.

If you bring anything else then you're overpacking.

patch kit? lol what is the 1900's? you guys have to be kidding

2 tubes? how many times have you guys flatted twice on a ride?

gigantic frame pump? good lord.

normal rides.. 1 tube and stick on patches... patches weight like 4g and if you accidentally miss whatever was in your tire, you're covered.

century rides.. 2 tubes and stick on patches... I was on a century once when i got a pinch flat from a pothole.. didnt see that my tire had a small tear in the sidewall.. flatted again from the tube poking out. 2 tubes and a boot needed

but dont' we do a saddle bag contents thread like twice a week?

Today, watched my boss tie a knot in his broken RD cable and draw it through the RD, sticking himself in 5th for the ride home. Hmmm, I thought.

What I have not seen mentioned:

- Disposable gloves in latex/vinyl/nitrile, so you can keep the hands clean when doing repairs.
- Presta-Schrader adapter so you can use a service stations pump if necessary.

I knew of a guy descending Mt Evans, coming around a blind hairpin turn, and hitting a pothole he could not avoid.
Snake-bite flats in both tires.

It doesn't happen often, at least not since tires improved twenty-five years back, but it will happen at the worst possible time. The last time it happened to me I was 50 miles into a ride, which put me 35 miles from the nearest cell phone coverage. While inflating the second tube, I managed to break the valve such that I had only about 50 psi, and very slowly falling. Of course I hadn't checked the state of the vulcanizing fluid in my patch kit (bone dry), so off I carefully rolled towards home. My planned self-supported double became a century that included a bit of walking after the pressure got too low.

Have to agree on the patch kit.
How are you going to find the hole without a tub of water?


S

I flatted twice on a ride last week. But this was due to an old rim that finally gave up the ghost and cracked at the valve hole, so it wouldn't matter how many tubes I brought... :notamused:

I usually bring a single tube and CO2 inflator with an extra cart, but it depends a bit on where I'm going and whether I'm alone. If I flat I usually stop at the next bike store I pass to get another tube, along with a CO2 cart and continue on. So it's more like needing two flats between bike stores... and there are a lot of those in Marin where I usually ride. There's even a 24x7 vending machine with velo necessities behind Mike's Bikes in Sausalito.

But if I go alone out someplace where I don't trust phone service and there's no population for miles I'll strap a Road Morph to the seat tube and stick a patch kit in the bag. Two flats is rare, but I'd rather be prepared for it when the alternative is to sit in the dirt in 100 degrees in the shade and no shade for hours. Or walk 30 miles on hot tarmac in socks or barefoot.

Inflate it and run your lips over it. When you have a suspect spot, use spit or a little water form your bottle to confirm. But it's usually not necessary and it's easy to tell.

Inflate it with with what - your sole remaining cartridge?

and some of us refuse to run our lips over any sort of tube...

You have to be kidding. He's talking about inflating the tube with your mouth just enough to find a leak, which is the most common way to find a leak on a tube. You're starting to call your previous racing history into question. I'll admit it does take a certain panache to be condescending and embarrass yourself at the same time, though.

Dude you gotta check the tire before mounting it. See a hole or something, put a dollar bill in it or something. Omggg

century is short, thats <6 hrs. Bring 1 tube. Most centuries are done with other people, lots of other cyclist would give you another tube if you got ANOTHER flat. I dont ride centuries solo, that's super boring.

dont be a h0mo. Check if you need to.

I dont bother looking for leaks, maybe do that at home or something. Just use your spare tube and check the inner tire to make sure there is no debri. Find the hole preferably and check in that same spot inside the rim to make sure nothing would damage it. Put new tube in and use the co2.

I bring 2 co2's just incase i am a m0ran and screw up the first one. Pretty sure I'm going to start carrying only 1 co2.

The one time I got another flat after I screwed the pooch on the 1st tube, I just waited on the road until another cyclist rode by so I could ask for his help. Man up and ask for help, dont carry extra equipment cause you think you're a superhero. Most of the time I'm fixing my flats and like 5+ ppl will come by and ask me if I need help. Even while MTB'ing.

You can also ask drivers for help, I've asked a few for water once.

Usually I bring:
Topeak 18+ multi tool
Two tire levers
Patch kit
Two tubes
Two c02 carts
C02 head
Two tire boots made from tire that shreaded
Topeak pump on frame

is this real life? are you packing for a 5 day trip across the Sierras?