What tools do you carry?

secretsam

Am looking to rationalise/lighten my load by buying some nice new tools to carry with me; am still trolling round with separate allen keys, spanner etc

What (other than a tube and tyre levers) do you folks carry on your trips?

Mine's a short-ish series of journeys totally around 10 miles per day

Thanks

sarajoy

Tube & tyre levers plus:

Smallish multi-tool
Thin little spanner, which fits all the nuts on the bike
A cable tie or two
P*ncture repair kit (tiny little pack thing from Tesco)
Think I might have something with a little spoke turning-notch on it too.

Think that might be it... I considered putting a chain tool in there but, I have none of them magic links yet so it's rather redundant. If my chain goes (unlikely yet I hope, touch wood) I'll have to call a taxi!

Gussio

Tube
Mini pump and levers
Self adhesive patches
Small multitool with chainsplitter
J-cloth to wipe my hands after mending p*nctures, which is usually in the p1ssing rain

sarajoy

Oh, small pump. Forgot that one!

mattybain

Small multi-tool, spare inner tube, puncture repair kit and some disposable plastic gloves nicked from ASDA petrol station (for use by diesel owners).

lost_in_thought

In london, none.

Out of london, tube, tyre levers, pump, allen keys (multi-tool).

Agent57

I carry one of these. It's not the lightest multi-tool in the village, but it has a lot of options when it comes to tightening things up. I also carry a bit of cash. Enough for a phone call, at least.

Jamey

I carry the following on every commute:

1 x Multi tool
1 x Spare tube
1 x Puncture repair kit
3 x Metal tyre levers
3 x Spare chain powerlinks
1 x Chain splitter (full size)
2 x Spoke nipple wrenches
3 x Small hex wrenches (in addition to multi tool as it doesn't feel sturdy for really tight bolts)
1 x Pair overshoes
1 x Big D-lock
2 x Cable locks

So I'm probably not the best person to help with lightening the load

Gussio

Jamey wrote:

I carry the following on every commute:

1 x Multi tool
1 x Spare tube
1 x Puncture repair kit
3 x Metal tyre levers
3 x Spare chain powerlinks
1 x Chain splitter (full size)
2 x Spoke nipple wrenches
3 x Small hex wrenches (in addition to multi tool as it doesn't feel sturdy for really tight bolts)
1 x Pair overshoes
1 x Big D-lock
2 x Cable locks

So I'm probably not the best person to help with lightening the load

All that kit is why you need to ride a CX

Gussio

Jamey Nice photos in your link, BTW. I like the whole industrial decay / urban grit thing that you have going on.

Jamey

Gussio wrote:

All that kit is why you need to ride a CX

I wish that were the case... The truth has far more to do with pies than tools

il_principe

I have a huge amount of cr@p stashed in my bag, including:

Levers
Minitool
MASSIVE adjustable wrench
pump
Co2 canisters
Freewheel remover
Montane jacket
inner tubes
lights
spare batteries
D lock
Cable Lock

Most vital stuff is in my saddle bag which lives in my courier bag during the week and on the roadie at weekends!

_Brun_

Bolt croppers
Bottle jack
Blade

Gazzaputt

lost_in_thought wrote:

In london, none.

Out of london, tube, tyre levers, pump, allen keys (multi-tool).

You really carry nothing on your commute?

For me a multi tool, 5/8 spanner, 2 tubes, patches and powerlinks.

biondino

2 tubes
multitool
mini pump
Crank Bros speedlever

Unless I'm out with Brun, in which case it's

jemmy
torch
blackjack

lost_in_thought

Gazzaputt wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

In london, none.

Out of london, tube, tyre levers, pump, allen keys (multi-tool).

You really carry nothing on your commute?

For me a multi tool, 5/8 spanner, 2 tubes, patches and powerlinks.

No, I carry my handbag, work clothes and washbag.

But no tools. I'm never far from civilisation.

_Brun_

LiT just stands at the roadside looking a bit helpless. Even if she has to wait more than two minutes for some poor bloke to stop, the tube will still get changed faster and her fingernails will all be intact.

Stuey01

sarajoy wrote:

Think that might be it... I considered putting a chain tool in there but, I have none of them magic links yet so it's rather redundant. If my chain goes (unlikely yet I hope, touch wood) I'll have to call a taxi!

You don't need a magic link to fix a chain. I've fixed loads with just a chain tool.

Remove the broken link without pushing the pin all the way through, re-join chain by pushing pin back from other side using chaintool. job done.

lost_in_thought

_Brun_ wrote:

LiT just stands at the roadside looking a bit helpless. Even if she has to wait more than two minutes for some poor bloke to stop, the tube will still get changed faster and her fingernails will all be intact.

Fortunately Greg T has a 'damsel in distress' location and homing device - I never have to wait long.

In all seriousness, though, I tend to just go to the nearest bike shop or get a black cab.

sarajoy

Ah, I guess there's a bit of play in amount of chain.... maybe I'll shove it in then! It was a cheapo thing from an ALDI saddlebag but might be worth having in there just in case...

MrChuck

I don't carry anything on my commute/just-getting-around riding, but for MTB/road I have:

Tube
Levers
2 patch kits (the glueless Park ones and some 'proper' ones)
Multitool (including chain tool)
Pump
Cable ties (not on the road)

I don't carry them on my commute because if I was swapping them around all the time I know the day would come when I didn't have them when I really needed them. The worst that's likely to happen on my commute is a few miles walk and that's rare enough that I'm not bothered. Also I'm a student so can be a bit more sanguine about being late!

Deadeye Duck

In my saddlebag, I have:
multitool
innards of p*nc repair kit / a small bit of rubber (from inside of old light mount) / some cable tie; all in a jiffy bag.
spare tube
tyre levers (soon to be a speed lever because I'm not very good at using normal ones)
one of those pack down waterproofs
multi spanner thingy with 4 sizes & with spoke bits too
keys
phone

On my bike, I have:
pump
bottle
lock
lights

On me, I have:
phone
food

It just keeps adding up. I'm probably going to end up carrying a spare bike, 10 years from now. :? :oops:

EDIT: I'm also on the look out for a spare BB cable mount, simply because there's a vid of some old lady on YT who said she carries one, and I decided it was a good idea

gtvlusso

Long valve tube,
Tyre levers
Allen key tool
15mm ring spanner
crank brother high pressure pump.

job done.

amnezia

muliti with chain breaker
spare links
co2
inner tube
tyre levers
tiny p* repair kit.

bigmat

On the MTB - nothing (its a tank, nothing can stop it)

On the road bike - often nothing, but if I remember:
- multi-tool
- mini-pump
- spare-tube
- self-adhesive patches
- tyre levers

iclestu

gtvlusso wrote:

Long valve tube, ...

Humour an ignorant newbie here:

I saw 'valve extensions' when buying a spare tube recently and wondered what on earth they were for, now you spelcifically mention a Long valve tube.

What is the purpose of these long valves?

-spider-

Does anyone carry a corkscrew?

_Brun_

iclestu wrote:

gtvlusso wrote:

Long valve tube, ...

Humour an ignorant newbie here:

I saw 'valve extensions' when buying a spare tube recently and wondered what on earth they were for, now you spelcifically mention a Long valve tube.

What is the purpose of these long valves?

Long valves are for the deeper than your average rims. Extensions are for the massively deep section carbon ones the better-off TT riders (and certain bike tarts) favour.

Aidy

For commuting, I tend to carry:

Multitool with allen keys/chain tool
CO2 cartridges & inflator
Spare tube
Tyre levers
Puncture repair kit

I'm probably switching out a CO2 cartridge for the smallest pump I can find, though.

I've also got a completely separate set of tools for not-commuting bike rides, because I'm too lazy to switch stuff between bags These go:

Multitool with allen keys/chain tool/some spanners/spoke key
Leatherman tool
Pump
Spare tube
Tyre levers
Puncture repair kit
Spare brake pads

cjcp

- Insulating tape can come in handy.
- Couple of a chain links.

Gussio

Aidy wrote:

I'm probably switching out a CO2 cartridge for the smallest pump I can find, though.

I can recommend one of these, the Topeak Micro http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Topea ... 360036953/ you can splash out another tenner for the carbon version, but not sure that the weight saving justifies the extra cost.