Helderberg

Obviously I do not mean if you are commuting or traveling I am just asking what your basic, if anything, you carry always on your bike? For me I have a mini pump, metric allen wrench set, tire gauge, patch kit, Gerber multi tool, and of course a water bottle and phone, & wallet.
Anyone else have a "don't leave home without it" list?
Be safe, Frank.

Rootman

Everything but the kitchen sink. I like longer rides and my wife is not much of a navigator. So in the event that I break down I might have to hoof it for a long way if I can't fix it on the spot.

I carry:

• A spare tube
• A foot pump (fills faster than a hand pump)
• Nitryl gloves
• A rag
• A patch kit (in case of a second flat
• A few wrenches
• Tire irons
• Cable lock
• Magnifying Glasses (help to spot that tiny sliver in the tire)
• Tire gauge
• Tire bead jack
• Multitool
• Knife
• Pen
• Small bottle of baby powder (for tubes)

LesG

While I may keep track of pounds added to what I carry, I'm not an ounce / gram counter. So with that in mind, I carry a bike specific multi tool (Crank brothers), CO2 along with the inflator valve for it, a spare tube, a couple of band aides, very small needle nose pliers, tire lever tool, master link and a mini pump mounted to the down tube which has a tire gauge incorporated in the hose... accurate to within 5 lbs and plenty close enough to get me home. Like you a water bottle (2 during the hot months), phone mounted on the handlebar and my wallet... also a pocket knife. Once in awhile I ride an old beater bike that doesn't have quick release wheels so I'll carry a small adjustable wrench with that one in case I need to get one of the wheels off.

subgrade

Always (commuting included):

• U-lock
• mini pump
• multi-tool
• a folding knife

On longer rides (in addition to the previously mentioned):

• spare tube
• tube patch kit, including tire mounting levers
• water bottle
• a few paper tissues
• a few zip ties

The only of all those thing that goes on my bike is the water bottle, everything else goes into my backpack.
Of course, phone and wallet too, but I always have those on me when leaving home.

rumrunn6

3speedslow

badger1

Card (credit), cash (usually a $20 bill), and house key. Mini-pump with spare tube strapped to it. That's it.

I maintain my bike so that chain/cassette etc. is always in new/near new condition. Bearings (b/b, hubs, headset) are checked twice-yearly. I check bolt torques (bars; seat post; that sort of thing) every month or so. Ditto tires. I use at present Specialized Roubaix Pro 32s, w/black belt puncture protection. I do not let the tread depth diminish below the 'wear dots'.

Never had an issue. Don't understand the need to carry everything but the kitchen sink on rides that take less than one day -- up to and including 'century' rides. If I were doing a multi-day tour, different story.

hokiefyd 

I have started carrying a trunk bag on most rides (except for on my MTB, where I don't carry near as much). In my trunk bag, I have tire changing tools (tire levers and a tire jack), a tire boot and a couple of tube patch kits, a mini pump, a multi-tool, a few grease rags, a KMC Missing Link for a 7/8 speed chain and one for a 9 speed chain, and a compact chain tool. That stuff will let me fix nearly any flat, regardless of how tight a tire might be on a wheel, and will get a broken chain going again. I also have light medical stuff (bandages, and healing cream) and my daughter's inhaler when we go together. I may also add a brake and shift cable to the bag and a small pair of needle nose pliers with snippers. This stuff weighs hardly anything, and I'm already carrying the trunk bag anyway. And then my phone and wallet and keys go into the trunk also.

I don't carry this stuff as much for me, but to be able to help others while out riding.

Doctor Morbius

As little as possible - keys, garage remote, phone. That's it. I should carry some ID and a medical card in case I get snuffed out by a car.

badger1

Heh. Never worried much about ID, but now I have to (well, 'should' but I'd be stupid not to!) wear a MedicAlert ID at all times, so that base is covered in a fashion.

daoswald

First, what I don't carry:

I carried a mini tool set with a total of nine bits including hex wrenches and phillips and flat screwdriver. But then I came to the realization that it had gone unused over the course of several years. So I leave it home now. I mean really, on a typical 15-60 mile ride what am I going to need it for? My derailleurs are dialed in. Indexing is by twist adjustment. All of the bolts on the bike are checked frequently enough. Why carry this thing around?

Now for what I do carry:

• Topeak Road Morph Mini in its frame clip, zip-tied to the bottom of the downtube.
• Two bottle cages with one or two bottles depending on distance and temperature.
• Topeak medium wedge bag under the seat.
  • A tube
  • Tire levers (2)
  • Small adhesive patch kit.
  • A velcro strap cinched down around the spare tube.
  • Sometimes a couple of CO2 cartridges and a CO2 dispensing bit.
  • Three pouches of gummy fruit snacks.
  • A cliff bar.
  • $20 bill.
• On the handlebars:
  • Small cycling computer.
  • Headlight sometimes (L&M Taz 1200)
• On the seat post:
  • Tail light (Cyglolite HotShot Pro 150)
• On the back
  • Tubus Fly Evo rack
    • Occasionally one or two Ortlieb panniers for commuting or trips to the store.
• Jersey pocket:
  • Ziploc
    • Cell phone
    • ID
    • Credit card
    • Sometimes a banana or other snack.

That's about it. The rack is so lightweight, and with no top-plate it presents no appreciable aerodynamic drag, so I never remove it. But I only affix panniers when I know I'll be needing them. The decision whether or not to bring CO2 is something I go back and forth on. I have the pump, and it has never failed me. CO2 is just trading weight for speed. On a flat ride I don't care. On the hills there's a .00000001% placebo advantage leaving the CO2 home. The additional snacks come along if my ride is going to exceed 2 hours. Less than that I don't really need to be eating on the bike.

canklecat

Whatever I can fit into a Serfas medium expandable Speed Bag. Which is a heckuva lot, for a smallish looking bag.

The hybrid is my casual riding and errand bike, so I'll carry as much as I need that day. It doesn't have the fenders and racks on it at the moment since I'm swapping cables, housing and upgrading other stuff. But pretty soon it'll be back into full all-purpose mode so it'll be ready to haul whatever I need.

My road bike is my minimal bike -- just a flat repair kit and multi-tool.

KraneXL

3speedslow

KraneXL

As do I. The quote was actually an expression of similar taste (the bolded parts), and the phone reference reminded me of my primitive phone which my friends make fun of. The emoji was added to show the comment was in jest. It wasn't intended to offend, just the opposite.

442dude

For fear of kind of repeating what everyone else said...here's my list

phone
wallet
pump
2 tubes
patch kit
tire irons
multi tool
metric allen wrenches
snack of some sort and water
and a pack of gum since it tastes better than trail dust

3speedslow

mtbikerinpa

On the trail bike, lights. All else goes in camelbak
On the city/commuter, lights, rack, pannier, pump, camera. Sometimes said camelbak also.

Pompiere

Another flip phone user. I had a really small one for several years that fit nicely in my under seat bag, but this year I was issued a new one from work and it is much larger and heavier. On the plus side, it is robust and waterproof.
I also carry a spare tube, tire levers, wallet, energy bar, and a multi-tool. I usually have a frame mounted pump. For water I use a 24 oz. insulated bottle. When the weather is cooler, I'll take arm warmers and a head band.

TakingMyTime

Some of the above and...

1. latex gloves to keep the grease off of me during a roadside repair.
2. Individually packaged alcohol Wet-Wipes.

I can't stand having my hands all greasy and dirty after a repair and still have another 10 - 40 miles to ride before I can properly clean up.

Korina

I always carry basic repair stuff in an under seat bag, and frame-mounted pump. When I'm not commuting, I carry wallet, phone, and small first aid kit, usually in a trunk bag. When I am commuting, it all goes into my saddlebags.

fietsbob

Front Panniers , Rain cape and hat in one , tools at the bottom ,

other one has my man purse contents . mini pump and spare tube in the bottom.

mrodgers

The usual repair kit

Water and lots of it. Depending on what kind of ride it is. Just an hour or so after work, 1 bottle in the cage (I only have 1 cage) and 2 bottles in the trunk bag mounted on my rear rack. I've switched a little now as I have small front panniers and I'll use a single front pannier mounted on the back since the trunk bag makes quite a racket.

Usually add to the after work ride, dinner. I am 8 miles from the lake and if I leave work after 8 hours at 3, I like to ride out to the lake to eat. At rush hour time, not so much as it's western PA, lot of hills, and lot of traffic.

On a weekend ride where we will be out for 12 hours or so, I carry at least a gallon and a half of water plus usually 2 bottles of Gatorade. I'll refill two more times also through the course of a 60 - 70 mile ride and probably stop at least twice for more Gatorade. I sweat a ton (whether it's 90 and humid or 40 and dry.)

daoswald

Anyone who sets out more than walking distance from home without the ability to fix a puncture or pinch flat is eventually going to have to call for a pick-up or walk a lot farther, in less comfortable shoes, than is desirable. A bike tool is less important if the bike is well maintained and dialed in. But even so, it's possible that a bike tool can save the day.

My kit is: mini-pump, adhesive patch kit, tube, tire levers, small mini-tool, some cash, a photocopy of ID, and a velcro strap. Those things never leave my bike except to be used. I fix flats one or two times a month, on average, and it's always goatheads.

If you're riding around the neighborhood and could just walk home, travel light. But there's nothing worse than being 7 to 50 miles out without the means of rescuing yourself from an event that is almost assured to happen from time to time.

Pompiere

I'm not recommending that anyone leave their pump and patch kits behind, but AAA has a bicycle breakdown service for members.

https://ohio.aaa.com/membership/lp/b...n-service.html