Saturday 20 November 2010

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.

3 comments:

  1. I like point 10. Never thought of that. Nice tip.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My rear pack usually includes.

    1. C02 Cans + inflator
    2. 2 Innertubes
    3. 1 Tyre lever
    4. Multitool
    5. Cash/CC
    6. Phone

    I'm amazed at the number of people out on rides that don't carry these things. On at 40mile + ride they are essential, unless you want to walk home.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Add...

    Space blanket - £2 off eBay - it's tiny and you never know when you or someone else might need it!
    Unlocked mobile phone with .I.C.E. numbers programmed
    ID - driving license
    Chain tool + emergency spare link

    ReplyDelete