What Should I Carry on a Ride? – An RBR Roundtable
Because everyone’s comfort level is different, beyond at least one spare tube, a pump or CO2, tire levers and perhaps a mini-tool, what to carry with you on a ride is a matter of personal preference, and there’s no right way or wrong way of how to do the carrying.
So instead of a recommendation, we’ll provide a quick rundown of what the RBR Crew carry on the road; and in some cases, we’ll note how we carry it. You’ll see commonalities and may get some ideas for additional items for your own stash — or you may think we’re a little batty for what we do or don’t tote. Share your own atypical “carry-on items,” and anything you think we’ve missed, on the Comments page.
John Marsh
Seatbag
– 2 spare tubes
– 1 tire lever
– tire boot (old piece of tire; paper money works well, too)
– glueless patch kit
– 2 CO2 cartridges and chuck
– a mini-tool that has allens, screwdrivers and a chain tool (and a master link)
– a thin, soft cloth wrapped around the CO2 cartridges to keep them from rattling; can be used to wipe off hands if needed
– a band-aid or 2, 3 or so Ibuprofen tabs, and a couple of antihistamine (for bee stings)
– Victorinox SwissCard Lite, a Swiss Army knife in the size and shape of a credit card (was a long-ago gift from a friend and fits perfectly in the side pocket of my seatbag)
Jersey pocket
RBR JerseyBin with:
– about $20 in cash
– mobile phone
– photocopy of drivers license, health insurance card and emergency contact info
– I also wear a Road ID on which is duplicate emergency contact info
Jim Langley
Seatbag
– a spare tube
– a patch kit
– a tire patch (boot)
– a mini-tool that has allens, screwdrivers and a chain tool
– a 10-sp master link to repair the chain, like a Wipperman Connex link
– if I’m on unique wheels that require it, I carry the correct spoke wrench for my wheels – otherwise, I use the spoke wrench on the mini-tool
– if I remember, I carry money
– if I’m worried about the ride for any reason, I carry my cell phone
– SPECIAL NOTE: I don’t carry tire levers because I don’t need them, but most people should carry them.
– Also note that Jim carries a frame pump on his bike
Coach Fred Matheny
Seatbag
– 2 tubes
– patch kit
– a square of Tyvek material for a tire boot
– a Park MT-1 mini tool
– 2 tire levers
– CO2 cartridges and chuck
Jersey pockets
Bike Wallet with:
– ID
– cell phone
– small tweezers (for extracting goat head thorns from tire)
– money
– energy bar
Pump:
– Blackburn FP-1 frame pump tucked in along left seat stay
Long rides:
– I add a chain tool, master link and spoke wrench
Additional Tips:
— Make sure nothing hard in your seat bag is resting against the seatpost because it will bang against it and slowly but surely make a hole in your seatbag that your tools can fall out of.
— Make sure nothing sharp is rubbing against your spare tube(s)
— Make sure to roll up the glue tube after using it to patch a tube or else the remaining glue will evaporate/dry up quickly
— Make sure your pump or CO2 air chuck fits your valve type
