What do you carry with you?

gdp

I was wondering what tools, spare tyres, tubes, food, water etc other cyclists carry and what do you use to carry then in? On my MTB I use a hydration backpack with multitool, spare tubes, tyre levers etc, but I'm trying to cut down what I carry for road cycling. I'd be grateful to hear what others take out with them. Cheers...

Rich Hcp

On my roadie, I carry:

Water bottle on the frame with mini pump

A couple of allen keys, a spare tube and levers in the small bag under the saddle

I carry my mobi phone in the pocket of my top

For long runs I have a Camelbak Slipstream and I'll carry some food in there to.

On my MTB, all the above goes in my Camelbak Slipstream (Except the water botte of course)

It keeps it out of the dirt

fluff.

Seatpack thing:
Phone, multitool, spare tube, levers, stick on type tube patches, tyre boot, couple quid emergency money + spare light batteries if at night. I keep meaning to get a powerlink or two as well. Oh, and house keys

Pockets:
Food, any extra clothing depending on weather and mp3 player as often as not.

Bike:
a water bottle or two, minipump, lights as needed,

Nuggs

Saddle bag:
2x Inner tubes
CO2 pump
Spare CO2 cartridge
P*ncture kit
Keys

Jersey:
Phone
Energy Bars

daz51

ok

I only really do 30 mile training / weight loss rides in the evening so before the ride i have 2 shredded wheat and a bannah

then on the bike i have

500ml water
pump
inner tube
tyre levers
phone

CrookedCucumber

Water. Spare tube. Puncture kit. Tyre levers. Allen keys. Emergency waterproof. GPS+spare battery. Phone. Lock, if necessary. MP3 player if I'm expecting a boring ride. Lights if it's dark.

madturkey

Saddlebag: puncture kit, levers, wallet, keys, travelcard (insurance if I'm riding nearish to London), snowboard cable lock (visible deterrent if I want to pop into a shop), minitool, phone

Pockets: energy bars, spare tube, waterproof if rain likely

Bike: 2*water bottles, pump

FSR_XC

When on Road bike:
Phone
Multitool
few £


When on MTB:
Multitool
Spare tube
SRAM chain link
Phone
£

Only carry bottle if doing over 15-20 miles

99% of time on MTB with mates who have a pump.
New to road riding. Considering slime in tubes. It's this or fix pump to bike, carry spare tube / puncture kit and levers.

Nuggs

FSR_XC wrote:

Considering slime in tubes. It's this or fix pump to bike, carry spare tube / puncture kit and levers.

Slime may not cope too well with the high pressures of road tyres.

Stewie Griffin

i realise that Im extracting the urine out of fate and am going to pay for it big time probably very soon but I carry as little as possible :P .

Frame pump, water bottle, front door key, mobile phone, £5 note. I have the idea that when the already overdue happens I will just turn around and ride home jumping off to reinflate when necessary. Worst case scenario has me on the phone "Well what time does your programme finish? Cant you sky plus it? Im cold, hungry, peed off, miles away from home and deserving of all of it I know but can you come and get me please :oops: ?

daniel_b

Mountain bike:
Water bottle in cage
Pump on frame
Frame bag with one inner tube, phone and some form of sustenance in it
Saddle bag with another inner tube, cash, multitool, tyre levers, park tools repair patches

Road bike:
Water bottle in cage
Pump on frame
Saddle bag containing 2 inner tubes, tyre lever, multitool, phone, park tools repair patches, sustenance - the last bit being vitally important!

Dan

robmanic1

I carry the troubles of the world, a large chip, guilt and insecurity.

bombdogs

Saddle bag:
2 x spare tubes
2 x tyre levers
4 x leeches (tyre patches that requrie no glue)
1 x House keys

Bike:
1 x 750/600/500 bidon (size depending on length of ride - may use combination of two bidons if really long ride and no shops in sight to refill)

Jersey pockets:
1 x Nokia 95 8gb (has built-in gprs, tomtom and sportstracker - plus, it even makes phone calls)
2 x fruit&nut bar (depending on length of ride - sometimes i don't bother)
1 x gillet
1 x pump


In the end, a mobile phone is invaluable. After suffering three punctures in 45 minutes due to thorns from farmers cutting back hedges, had to make that 'dreaded' emergency call to my dad. Needless to say, he never let me live it down and kept proclaiming that 'lance would never need rescuing'.
He fails to realise that the seven-time tour de france champion had a bloody support car with him most of the time!!!![/b]

feel

Robmanic1 wrote:

I carry the troubles of the world, a large chip, guilt and insecurity.

Great minds think alike, just as well i read the thread before posting
I don't carry the large chip though - have usually eaten before i go out

cyclinggirl

Spanner, plasters, paracetamol, water bottle with water in, mobile phone, tissues and a bit of spare change.

DavidBelcher

On the bike I usually have;

Sapo mini-pump
Bottles - number and volume to suit length of ride

Under-seat pack (which isn't very big) usually contains;

Tyre levers
Repair kit (in case spare tube also punctures!)
A bit of cash
Small multi-tool
Keys
Phone (in plastic sandwich bag)
CO2 canister

Jersey pockets;

Spare tube
Food (if I take any)
"Boil-in-the-bag" style rain cape, if particularly grim weather

David

doktorsteve

Does no-one carry wipes and antiseptic?
Last week I almost flattened my 6 year old when he stopped his bike in front of my MTB. Could have done with a wipe and some antiseptic to put on my knees. All I could do was rinse with water from my bottle.
Come to think of it an ice pack would also have been useful to take down the swelling. Does anyone carry an ice pack?

dennisn

I carry a chain master link. You never know. Also my multi tool contains a chain breaker
(Crank Brothers).

Dennis Noward

DavidBelcher

dennisn wrote:

I carry a chain master link. You never know. Also my multi tool contains a chain breaker
(Crank Brothers).

Dennis Noward

Sensible precaution. I often take a chain link tool out with me just after fitting a new chain, in case of any bother with the transmission that escalates if unchecked (translation; OK, I don't always trust my own workshop skills... :oops: ).

David

CrookedCucumber

doktorsteve wrote:

Does no-one carry wipes and antiseptic?
Last week I almost flattened my 6 year old when he stopped his bike in front of my MTB. Could have done with a wipe and some antiseptic to put on my knees. All I could do was rinse with water from my bottle.
Come to think of it an ice pack would also have been useful to take down the swelling. Does anyone carry an ice pack?

When I'm with my kids, I carry a full paramedic kit They have been known to ride ride over each other

gdp

Thanks for all the replies - very helpful and informative. No one mentioned a life jacket which looking outside right now is an absolute must. Cheers, Gary

appleand

I feel really unprepared now after reading all this =S
All I take with me is what i can fit in my jersey pockets lol

So:

A water bottle
Keys
Mobile Phone
Some cash
and some fruit or a flapjack

Thats on my roadie dont take anything on my MTB

kettrinboy

the other day I,m glad I had my allen keys with me as my handlebars came loose and started turning in the stem a quick tweek and it was sorted but without that little key it would have been a bloody nightmare getting home , so I always take basic tools plus spare inner tube co2 inflator tyre levers, 2 gels , headache pills , 5 quid ,pages from map books relevant to my ride and they all fit into my little saddle pack, oh and a mobile phone so I can call the old man out if something unfixable occurs

C-S-B

Saddle bag:
-multitool + puncture patches

Jersey:
-bars/banana
-phone
-directions sheet (if needed..)

Bike:
-water bottles

Used to take a frame pump, but Ive never punctured in 4000km, so have (complacently perhaps) stopped bothering

woody-som

C-S-B wrote:

Saddle bag:
-multitool + puncture patches

Jersey:
-bars/banana
-phone
-directions sheet (if needed..)

Bike:
-water bottles

Used to take a frame pump, but Ive never punctured in 4000km, so have (complacently perhaps) stopped bothering

why bother with the patches then?

I take manual mini pump and co2 combined - bottle cage mount. 1 tube, patches (glueless), tyre levers, multi-tool, tyre boot in saddle bag . connex quick link taped to seat post. water bottles 1-4 as needed

Cheshley

Reading this makes me wonder just how big some of your saddle packs are!!!!!!!! Mine is big enough for one tube, 2 Co2 canisters, tyre levers and a (tiny) multi-tool. I carry a CO2 pump in my Camelbak along with patches and phone (in a ziplok bag) in the storage pocket in the Camelbak. I know Camelbaks are frowned upon by most roadies but it's a throwback to my MTB days. It's only a slim 1.5 litre pack and I prefer it to bottles, so there

gavintc

I carry as little as possible; water bottle, mini pump, spare inner tube, a few patches and glue, 2 x tyre levers, mobile phone, keys, some cash, debit cash card. It is look rain, a rain jacket and perhaps some food - bar, gel or banana.

C-S-B

woody-som wrote:

C-S-B wrote:

Saddle bag:
-multitool + puncture patches

Jersey:
-bars/banana
-phone
-directions sheet (if needed..)

Bike:
-water bottles

Used to take a frame pump, but Ive never punctured in 4000km, so have (complacently perhaps) stopped bothering

why bother with the patches then?

thought someone might ask that; they came with the multi-tool, so Ive left them in the the bag with it

AMoy

I always carry antihitamines - I've been stung in the mouth by a bee on 2 seperate occassions!

scwxx77

I carry a shoebox and tea towel. I fear the first time I forget to carry them I'll inevitably need them.

johnnyc71

On road bike I get all in this a smallish saddle bag:

tyre levers
mini pump
2 x co2
2 x innertubes
Allen keys
mobile
lithium ion battery (for dinotte tail light).
house keys

On hybrid - same kind of kit but in a pannier.