Ten Things to Carry on your Road Bike

Chatting with a new roadie the other day, they asked me what things I carry in my saddle bag. So, for their benefit, here's the things I always carry when I'm out on the road.

1. A spare inner tube (or two if you have room).
2. Some hand wipes (avoid greasy hands on bar tape post puncture).
3. A puncture repair kit in the event that you get a double puncture.
4. Tyre levers (carry three, because some tyres are a very tight fit).
5. A multi-tool.
6. A piece of old inner tube to patch a tyre up with in the event of a tyre rip.
7. Contact details of who to get hold of in an emergency. I have one of these on my helmet. Well worth nine quid if it means life or death.
8. A mobile phone. We've all been there, double puncture, buckled wheels, broken spokes resulting in a long walk home if you cant ring someone to come and get you.
9. Some money to get you out of a tight spot. A taxi home. An emergency cuppa. A bar of chocolate if you bonk.
10. A plastic glove or two. You know the ones you get at the diesel pump at a petrol station. They scrunch up really small and are the ideal thing for putting over your hands to mount a de-railed chain or a wet tyre which is gunked up with brake dust.