sloppy12

I pick C 50 miles is a just get on the bike and go ride. a multi tool and a snack I guess.

I assume water is just not on list because it goes without saying.

downtube42

Water, snacks, flat repair. In November in PNW, rain jacket regardless of forecast. Extra layer if any elevation on the route. Go.

msu2001la

Glad to see I'm not the only one who's lost a cleat bolt at some point. I keep an extra one in my tool bag now, as it's tiny and takes up almost no space.

For a 50 mile gravel ride with cell coverage, I'd just bring water, snacks and my usual flat repair kit/multi-tool. If it's through a remote area without cell coverage, I'd probably bring a mini-pump, otherwise I usually just roll with CO2.

billyymc

So just to point out, not all gravel rides are created equal. Some consist of nicely manicured dirt and gravel roads, and others consist of bone-jarring rocks, exposed shale or granite or whatever your local flavor is. Seasonal forest service roads may have rock filled ruts as deep as half a wheel, pooled water even in the middle of the hottest days of summer, trees down, branches to kick up and get in spokes, etc.

That said, if I can walk out of breakdown situation in an hour or two, I probably am not taking more than a basic kit to repair flats (plugs, a tube in case plugs fail, tire boot, CO2 and mini pump), plus a shifter cable and at least one quick-link for my chain. Multi-tool and a small Park chain tool. I've considered possibly a spare folding tire after slicing a sidewall badly in the middle of nowhere this summer, but even then I was able to ride out. And if I hadn't been able to - it was maybe an hour walk to a road where I could have flagged down some help if I needed to. If I frag both tires beyond repair, break my chain, and break a shifter cable all in the same ride I"ll let you know.

billyymc

Blue Loctite on your cleat screws and you won't lose them

shoota 

Blue loctitie to hold them in until they rust in place. Works for me!

xseal

50 is 3-4 hours. Seat bag: Tubilito tube, Dynaplug, tire boot, co2 cartridge/inflator, 1 tire lever, multitool. Top tube bag: $20, snack or 2, phone, mask, keys. 2 bottles on bike, gear for weather in jersey pockets.

pipeliner

3 bottles of water (22 oz) and 2 clif bars. Unless it's hot out, then I need a Camelback.

Wattsup

Two bottles of water. That's it. I do that 50mi gravel ride all the time.

Cyclist0100

Helldorado: Based on your original post I think you'll be well-covered with (A+B+C). If the worst happens somewhere on the trail and you're caught "unprepared", relying on options A or B doesn't seem horrible. And option C may save you from options A or B. I suppose it really comes down to how much you want to rely on options A, B and C compared to carrying more resources on the bike.

Personally, I'd rather carry more weight in order to be more self-sufficient. Most of my rides are 50+ miles (though mostly on tarmac or paved trails relatively close to civilization) and I always carry the following tools/repair items:

- multi-tool
- spare tube
- $1 bill in case I need a tire boot
- tubeless plugs / repair kit
- CO2 inflator
- three 25g CO2 cartridges (three cartridges is overkill, but I carry extras in case I encounter another rider who's in need)
- 4 oz. bottle of Orange Seal
- tire levers
- valve core remover
- spare Presta valves
- Wolf Tooth Master Link Pliers with spare master link
- multi-tool w/chain break
- needle nose and regular pliers
- chain lube
- 4mm, 5mm & 6mm hex wrenches (full size)

wilson_smyth

For any spin more than 5 mins from home:

-spare tube.
-self adhesive patch.
-super small saddlebag pump(still allows 90psi)
-multi tool Inc chain breaker.
-chain link
-cable ties

May add a tiny bottle of lube at some point.
Only thing to add for longer rides is food and liquid.

This kit fits in a small saddle bag with space for a choc bar or two, keys, sunglasses and a little room left over. wouldn't even know its there.

pbass

Same here. I may add my Spot Gen3 device if I'm gonna be out of cell phone range in the mountains (which where I live I can hit without going too far).

chaadster

Wow, what’s going on here? Do you folks have a lot of mechanical failures? Why? Other than flats, which themselves are uncommon for me, the chances of having a mechanical on any given ride are extremely low for me; like, if it were 1 in 50, I’d be surprised if it was that common. With that in mind, when someone asks what’s the absolute minimum gear for 3-4hr ride, my answer is no gear at all.

I understand that we ride in different conditions and face different hazards, but some of you pack out more stuff than I used to carry in the late ‘80s for MTB rides! Back then, we used to ride road equipment on rough trails, and the new MTB specific stuff was still experimental and sometimes lousy, and yeah, I’d crash and stuff would break, and even though it was pre-cell phone, I still never packed out stuff like pliers and lube!

I guess I’m really surprised that so many find cycling 50 miles so risky due to mechanical unpredictability in this day and age.

obrentharris 

Lunch!

Brent

CargoDane

I don't think people have loads of mechanical failures. The things I posted is what I carry anyways - although not lunch and not as much water (if anything) on a daily basis.


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chaadster

Yeah, I understand that, and I find that a shockingly huge array of stuff!

I carry a multitool (without a chain tool), one tube, 2 16g CO2 (because 47c rubber), an inflator head, and 2 levers. That’s it. Maybe I have unusually great confidence in my bikes because I build them with good stuff and do the maintenance, but I also see so few others broken down or doing roadside repairs that I believe bikes are really quite reliable generally, so why someone would carry around a spare tube and spare Presta valves is flummoxing.

illjustride

For a 50 mile ride on a gravel bike you should bring a multi-tool, 2 C02 cartridges, tire lever, extra tube, chain/ master link etc. Here is a better idea of what I pack on my bike. This is for a 56mile gravel ride which can be done in under 4 hours.