daacrusher2001

Hi All,

Just getting back into road biking after many years away. My new bike tires inflate to 120psi - I needed to buy a new pump to inflate to that pressure. I used to have a frame mounted hand pump and would carry an extra tube - never had to use it, but also never rode long distances.

Now, I have a nice road bike, it's fast, and I want to start doing longer rides. I feel like I should carry an extra tube, but what else do I need - can a small frame mounted hand pump inflate my tires to that level (my old one couldn't for sure)? What about tools..anything I should be sure to carry?

Thanks!

10 Wheels

I have this one.

https://www.performancebike.com/weba...FQiLaQodBKoPgw

rumrunn6

a positive can-do attitude

Quiglesnbits

depending on the tire you have and your rim, you may need tire levers (2 of them) to help get the tire on or off the rim. If you are carrying a pump, you don't need a CO2 inflator and cylinder, but you should look at them to see if that's something you're interested in.

Since you're carrying a spare tube, that will get you through the vast majority of times that something happens, but most stores also sell patch kits that can come in handy if you're out of spare tubes, or if you end up in a really bad way where you flat more than once during a ride.

As a tip, always remember if you get a flat to feel around the inside and outside of the tire, and around the inside of the rim to make sure you've removed anything pointy that might be stuck to your stuff. You'd hate to put in your new tube to have it go flat again from a thorn/nail that's still present.

asmac

Plus a wrench if your wheels require it. I carry a patch kit in addition to a spare tube. It's minimal to carry and covers you if the new tube is defective or gets poked by the same item that caused the first flat or if you get snake bites on both tires or whatever.

10 Wheels

I carry, CO 2, Pump, 4 Tubes, 1 Spare folding tire, Chain tool, Chain Link.

You can have THREE flats on a ride.

CO 2 is handy when you are tired, in the Sun, Rain, and lack energy.

mcours2006

A rag or some wet naps to wipe your hands after too.

Ballenxj

There's a little guy named Murphy who wrote a law that dictates the following.
A chase crew in a van equipped with tools, spare parts up to and including a whole bike, and of course a compressor.
Now in all seriousness, what tire and tube combo will defeat goat heads without resorting to foamed run flat tires?

Korina

Yep, pump, tube, and patch kit (I like Park's). I adore my Lezayne pump, and I'm sure there's a model that you'll like.

Edit: And a pair of tire levers. They're all heavy-duty plastic now, so don't weigh anything.

daacrusher2001

I saw the CO2 inflators, looks much easier than the hand pump. I think I'll get some tire levers and some patch kits.

Ugh...this is such a gadget sport! $1600 bike, and another few hundred for...stuff...

Quiglesnbits

I have found it to be that way. I prefer the type that accept a threaded cartridge, but some people like the non-threaded version.

If you go that route, just know that CO2 will bleed through your tubes more quickly than air, so you'll need to pump up your tires the next morning if you ride daily.

mulveyr 

While CO2 is handy, the 16g cartridges from the bike shop are REALLY expensive. As an alternative, you can bulk purchase 12g cartridges from any store like Walmart that sells supplies for air rifles or airsoft, often for less than half the price. And 12g is generally enough to get you home, depending on the tire. Just make sure you get an inflator that can take unthreaded cartridges.

rumrunn6

just reminded me I carry between 2-4 of these in my rear rack trunk

nitrile gloves

Doug64

You will also need a pump. Just replace the tube after checking for the cause of the puncture. Patch the tube when you get home or you have a second flat on the ride I'm not a big fan of CO2, but a lot of my riding is touring and a pump is more dependable and I don't need to worry about replenishing CO 2 cartridges.

HTupolev

Do you actually need to run them that high? There's plenty of times where I've only refilled my tires to half of my typical riding pressure, and it's fine to get home on.
What's your bike+rider weight, and what's your tire width?

10 Wheels

I know two riders use 145 PSI

JanMM

Very handy to have tires and rims that play together nicely - some combinations make it very difficult to remove or replace a tire.
I carry a Topeak RoadMorph pump, a spare tube, plastic levers and self-adhesive patches. Plus other emergency repair stuff not related to flats.

Altair 4

I keep a pair of vinyl gloves in my saddle bag along with the patch kit and spare tube. I also keep a cotton ball in the patch kit box, to run inside the tire to detect any shards that may still be stuck in it. Plus I have a couple folded dollar bills in the kit to use as a tire boot. And a multi-tool with the prerequisite tire levers. The pump is on the frame, so I'm good to go, I think.

fietsbob

I for decades have had a long frame fit pump.. to reach a high pressure you take a larger volume of air and with a long stroke

compress it into a small volume at high pressure, such that its higher PSI than what is already in the tire..

little short stroke ones fit in your jersey pocket but you need to pump a zillion strokes..

caloso

I'm a belt-and-suspenders kind of guy. I will carry (at least one) spare tube and a patch kit; a CO2 cartridge and chuck and a mini frame pump. (And tire levers, of course)

First flat gets a new tube and CO2. I can usually be back underway in 5 minutes. Second and subsequent flats (it happens) get a patch and a pump. By that point, I'm probably late anyway.

SylvainG

That's why you need a telescopic pump
(sorry for the image size)

mcours2006

Yeah, I was going to suggest latex/vinyl gloves but it seemed less environmentally responsible than a rag, or a biodegradable wet nap.

DomaneS5

I don't bother with patch kits. Tubes are cheap.. why even bother with a patch kit? My Topeak pump is capable of tire pressures above 100psi.. so CO2 is not necessary either.

I take:

frame pump
tubes
latex gloves
levers

Gets the job done.

KevinF

My saddlebag contains:

• One patch kit (that in all my years of riding, I have never ever used). I haven't looked at it in so long the glue is probably dried up.
• Two inner tubes
• Three tire levers (I can't get my tires off with one lever, and I've broken levers getting them off in the past).
• Four CO2 cartridges (just in case I accidentally blow one).

New England roads aren't always "good" (i.e., broken pavement and potholes galore, but proper tire pressure resolves that). However, we don't have the thorns and other debris that many others suffer from.

As mentioned above, the 12g CO2 cartridges are far cheaper than the bike-shop version. I got a box of 25 of them from WalMart or some such years ago. I still haven't used them all. I weigh in at 170, and run my tires at about 100psi, so a 12g cartridge is more than enough to "get home on".

All that said -- the tools don't do any good unless you know how to change the tire in the first place. Practice a round or two at home so you know how to use the levers, know how to use your CO2 inflator, etc.

italktocats

thats what black socks or underwear is for