Originally Posted by Tourist in MSN

A lot of people feel that you do not need to bring spare cables, but I always carry a spare brake and shifter cable on tour. I can't remember the last time I needed to replace a brake cable, last bad shifter cable was about eight years ago, so unlikely that they will be needed on a tour, but they weigh almost nothing so there is no reason to leave them out. Most trips I do not open my first aid kit either, but still carry one.

I have only had one tour with a disc brake, but I pack spare pads for the brake.