Witterings

I'm thinking I carrying way too much junk / unneeded things with me and wondering if I may go minimalist ... what's the least you carry with you and and is it distance dependent .... carrying more if you're going further.

One of the things that takes up a lot of space in relative terms to the size of a saddle bag is a spare inner tube and I would have thought it'd be rare you'd need it and couldn't repair a puncture (the ground we cycle over isn't that rough or flinty).
I have CO2 inflator with 2 cartridges as well as carrying a small pump .... I may just go down to the pump, I have normal tyre levers as and a Crank Brothers one which whilst it's good the shape of it takes up quite a bit of space, maybe I'll just keep it at home for swapping tyres etc ... I'm sure I could cut down what I take by quite a bit getting it down to

3 Tyre Levers (have had some really tight fitting tyres you need 3 for)
Packet of Scabs
Small Pump
Mini Multitool
Small Bike Lock ... Never leave it where it's out of sight / far away.
Spare torch batteries ... Winter only.
Plus phone and either a bit of cash or a card and the front door key.

Can't think I'd need anything more than that??

Do you "Load Up" just in case or carry as little as you can??

fietsbob

I have the bottom of 2 front panniers to stow stuff in .... 1 bag has my rain gear in it too..

caloso

1 tube
1 lever
1 CO2 cartridge and chuck
patch kit

I also have a minipump mounted under my waterbottle, and I always carry a phone, ID, CC, and epi-pen in my jersey pockets.

ThermionicScott 

On the fixed-gear, it's pretty minimal, similar to @caloso:

1 tube
1 patch kit
1 tire lever/15mm combo wrench (tire lever function is really only needed with the Suomi winter tires)

pump is mounted on the frame

PaulH

Hooded rain jacket
Rain pants
Neos overshoes.

Darth Lefty 

One of my favorite topics since my answer evolves and it helps me to run through it and see if anything needs to change or needs replenishing.

• A 5/6 combination Allen wrench I got with a kiddie bike. Way more convenient and doesn't get in its own way like the multi tool does. I think this might be my most-used tool. I'm always adjusting things.
• A Topeak Power 21 multi tool. Really compact! Bag, tire irons and chain hook long since lost, just carry the two forged pieces.
• Knockoff Leatherman, for knife and pliers. Wish it had scissors.
• KMC combination tire levers / quick link pliers
• Quick links
• Patch kit
• Dozen or so zip ties
• One unopened tube of gel superglue
• Slime branded CO2 filler from Walmart, takes screw or smooth cartridges in 12g or 16g size... and a second cartridge. Pumps are a pain!
• A little pump. Tubeless bikes don't like CO2! But really avoid using it. Little pumps suck. It's a last ditch.
• Duct tape wrapped around the pump. Possibly not needed, there's 10yd of tape in the first aid kit.
• A first aid kit. The one I have now is from REI and is light but not very compact. I just tossed it in and never tried repacking it or anything.
• Extra medications (heart meds, pain killers)
• Bic disposable lighter that came sealed in a bag
• Rain jacket or poncho (seasonally)
• Always carry phone, with emergency info easily accessed despite security code

All this stuff is not heavy (except for the Leatherman, could replace with a mini, or with a Swiss army knife and lose the pliers), or bulky (except for the first aid kit).

Considering but have not added a little bottle of Stan's and tubeless plugs, and a Fiber Fix.

dahoneezz

Gresp15C

I carry the means to fix a flat, and an allen wrench set.

In principle, I could patch flats while on the road, but in my experience, I can't always find the location of the puncture readily, so I still carry a spare tube. It's not all that much stuff.

AndreyT

Saddle bag:

1. Spare tube. Mine is 700x32, so it takes some space
2. Tire repair kit (small plastic box with patches, glue and sandpaper)
3. Tire levers (two)
4. Two 25g CO2 cartridges (again, quite large)
5. CO2 inflator
6. Crank Brothers multitool
7. A few large Band-Aid patches
8. House keys

Phone and wallet go into the jersey pockets

dedhed

urban commuter -

Park multi tool
tube
presta adaptor
extra quick link (saved from an old chain) for that bike chain
tire levers (gatorskins)
spare shift cable
patch kit
might be some other small misc in there - haven't checked them in a while

Darth Lefty 

That's why I'm thinking about adding the little bottle of Stan's. No need to find the hole or even take the tire off, just put it in the tube and air it up.

Also for replenishing tubeless sealant if needed, but so far I haven't had a tubeless puncture bad enough that the sealant hasn't just handled it (touch wood)

jadocs

As far as maintenance this is all I carry in a jersey pocket. I don’t use a saddle bag.

daoswald

Minimum, tube, tire boot, stick on tube patches, two levers, cash and ID. Longer rides, add mini tool. There's always a mini pump somewhere on the frame.

ButchA

Tube
Tire levers (two)
Co2 inflator & cartridge (w/ schrader valve attachment)
An old Schwinn 9-in-1 multitool (allen wrenches, screwdrivers)
A small pack of bandaids

...and (don't laugh) but I still carry an old, ancient, "Dog bone wrench" from the 70's or 80's. It's one of those things I just can't get rid of!

Reynolds 

Minimum: 1 tube, patch kit (patches, glue, sandpaper, tweezers) in very small box, 2 tire levers. Frame pump.

woodcraft

Heh heh.

wipekitty

I ride solo a lot, pretty far from civilization. This is the basic, shorter ride stuff, not including items that go in the jersey:
- 2 tubes
- Patch kit
- 2 CO2 cartridges + inflater
- Tire levers
- Set of allen keys (3, 4, 5, 6) - the reverse end of the 4 is a screwdriver.

I've considered dumping one of the tubes for group rides, but then, there's always that one time, and I hate having to IOU a tube.

Rick

01: 1 pump
02: 1 tube
03: 1 patch kit
04: 2 tire levers
05: Park Tool SPA-1 adjustable pin spanner
06: Park Tool CBW-1 8/10mm open end wrench
07: Park Tool DCW-3 17/18mm open end wrench
08: SS Coupler wrench
09: Park Tool BBT-69
10: Sterling Premier 72 tooth bit ratchet.
11: Hex bits 2mm 2 1/2mm 3mm 4mm 5mm 6mm
12: Torx bits 10 15 20 25 30
13: 1 no2 Phillips bit and 1 straight head bit.
14: 1 1/4 drive bit and 1 3/8 drive bit.
15: 1 8mm socket and one 10mm socket.
16: 1 bit extension
17: 1 spoke wrench

a1penguin

Ditto! Plus

9 4 $5 bills so I can buy a spare tube off a fellow rider
10 spare Clif gel
11 pair of nitrile gloves

Wilmingtech

25 - 50 mile rides 3-4 times a week -

1. Saddle Bag
2. Tube
3. (2) CO2 cartridge with screw on inflator
4. No glue patches
5. Park Tire Boot
6. Topeak Mini20 pro (chain breaker)
7. ID

I also use my phone mounted as my bike computer. One device to rule them all.

If Im on longer rides or away from home Ill tale a credit card and a 20$ bill for anything that might come up.

79pmooney

Toll bag (permanently on each bike):
2 tire irons (I use Paselas and Vittoria tires near exclusively and two work just fine)
2 tubes plus patch kit (I've had a few nightmare rides with flats over the decades. Rare, but all that has kept them from being "epic". Epic as in nightmare.)
1 full size frame pump. (Not likely to change as long as inflation is as critical as it is these days. Very useful now that I do off-road rides. I can ride to the trails and back on full pressure and the trails on 30 psi.)
Spoke wrench if I have any doubts re: those wheels
Special tools that bike might require. (Wrenches for my fix gears, etc.)
Sunscreen (in season)
For long rides: a stretchy sock and custom long toestrap to secure jackets, night gear, etc. under the tool bag.

Jersey pockets
Folding wallet with velcro folded over my (small) cell phone. (Protects phone even if it comes out of my pocket which has never happened. Also in a crash.)
Either a Leatherman with bike lock keys and house key on a ring in a small leather pouch or Gerber with the same, no pouch. On the road, the Leatherman; a real tool but hard on jersey pockets. For commuting, the Gerber; far smaller and faster to get at for quick lockups.
Comb and lip screen
Glasses if I may be returning at night
Food as required

Edit: in my wallet I always carry a credit card and at least 5 bills. preferably adding up to $15 or more. The large number of bills so I can (probably) survive two real casing cuts. They make great casing boots.

Ben

taz777

Bottle bag mounted in the second bottle cage mount:



- Spare tube
- CO2 + Lezyne pump
- Disposable gloves
- Hand wipe
- Tyre levers
- Multi-tool
- Puncture repair kit

A pump is mounted next to the bottle bag on the same bottle cage mount.

martianone

MikeyMK

It really depends on your bike and what you use it for.

For starters, I'm not carrying an inner tube. My wheels do not come off easily, the front uses two security skewers and the rear is bolted, cabled, and has torque arms both sides.
Then theres the innertubes from a motorcycle, one of which wouldn't fit in a bottle cage let alone a saddle bag.

Thankfully the Kevlar balloon tyres have only let a safety pin through in the six months of daily use, though patching the tube was an easy job.

bakerjw

2 - Levers
2 - Tubes
Pump is on the frame.

I run tubeless but the bag has enough room for 2 tubes.

Now on my bikepacking rig... That takes paragraphs.