One Wheel

I'm in the habit of carrying a spare tube, but definitely not a spare chain. I suppose if somebody's leaving a chain that means they got a ride home? That doesn't make sense to me.

SoSmellyAir

Yeah, no freaking fun to roll over a CO2 cartridge mid-turn.

rsbob 

Instead of disposable towel, try carrying a piece of tyvek from a shipping envelope. Light weight and doesn’t take much space.

CrimsonEclipse

I like turtles...

rumrunn6

both. it depends

PeteHski

Tubeless 30C GP5000S TR at 60-65 psi
Muc-Off sealant (generous dose)
Dynaplug kit (very rarely needed)
Spare tube (emergency backup only)
Patch kit (emergency for emergency backup)

In the last 3 years I’ve only had one flat that I had to plug at the roadside.

tempocyclist

I had to Google "Scrapple" to figure out what it was!

Oh and I tend to pop in a new tube, then take the old one home to patch later in the comfort of my garage.

indyfabz

I always put the bottle of vodka back in the dumpster where I found it. I’m not a complete heathen after all.

indyfabz

Srsly? How the PA Dutch live so long is beyond me. Maybe it’s all the hard work and other aspects of clean living, but diet ain’t one of them.

SpeedyBlueBiker

I always carry two tubes with me on my road bike. On my MTB I carry one tube and a patch kit. Of course, I always carry a pump. Without it that would be a big problem. I haven't tried a sealant yet.

rsbob 

I don’t know about everyone else, but I prefer to have my flats at home (except when planning to head-out).

wolfchild

When I get a flat I just leave the bike on the side of the road and purchase a new bike.

XxHaimBondxX

do you buy the least expensive bike for $3k on your way to the food bank?

pdlamb

Does anyone remember the cartoon (it's been a while, now) of the new Ford SUV that was so big it had a spare Explorer on top in case you had a flat or some engine trouble?

Carbonfiberboy 

I carry 2 tubes, a light spare tire, a patch kit, and a boot kit. I change the tube and the tire if I should flat. That's way quicker than trying to find the object in the flatted tire. I've had as many as 4 flats on a 60 mile ride. I have a friend who had 8 on a single pass climb in the dark, on a brevet of course. Hard to see bad stuff in the dark. Another friend carries 4 tubes. They're quite small and light.

Pantah

To clarify, what I had was the equivalent size and weight of a single paper towel sheet. Or, for the mechanic minded, more closely related to the classic blue Scott brand Shop Towel. Takes up hardly any space and weighs hardly anything. Only difference is I get these at the collision repair shop I work at and they're like a paper towel/shop towel but have a bizarrely high tensile strength, like I can't rip a sheet of it by hand.

rsbob 

If I got 8 flats on one ride, I would probably find another sport.

GamblerGORD53

Where's box for > both, neither, hitch a ride, cry for mommy, I DON'T get flats ?? LOL.

Trakhak

A gummed flap from a Tyvek envelope can be cut into pieces smaller, lighter, and tougher than a Scott shop towel and will, of course, stay in place in a tire. Tyvek is amazing stuff.

Carbonfiberboy 

This is rather the whole point. Randonneuring isn't called the Dark Side of cycling for nothing. It asks the question, "Whatcha got?" Some folks can't resist trying to find the answer.

rsbob 

I got tubeless so hopefully will never have to ask or answer the question. 🙋‍♂️

LV2TNDM

I carry a spare tube & patch kit on rides with bikes with inner tubes. On tour, I carry a length of Velox rim tape, dental floss and a needle in addition to the above. On tour, I also utilize Tire Savers, a wonderful invention from the 60's or 70's. Ironically someone mentioned them in my local NextDoor and a woman replied, "Hey my Dad is the inventor of Tire Savers!" That was cool.

Don't become a victim of the offending object that caused your first flat. Remove it so your new tube doesn't fail you!

Patching an inner tube on the roadside is something to be avoided. Patch tubes at home. In bulk. With a Dremel sanding drum. Works like a charm.

LET THE GLUE DRY!!!!

When riding tubeless, I carry tire plugs and a spare tube. On long tubeless rides, I carry 2 oz. of Stans.

This is in addition to other required repair tools & supplies.

LV2TNDM

Oh boy, you're in for a surprise!

There I was on ride #3 on my new bike, carving turns through the gentle Redwood forest enjoying my ride to the fullest. Then suddenly my ears were assaulted with "PSSHT, PSSHT, PSSHT!" as my rear tire began spewing air out at a very fast rate. Along with the air was sealant spewing out in a nice circular pattern all over the place!

Three whole rides in on a brand new bike with brand new tires. During Covid. When tires were scarce. 120 TPI tires too boot! (a pun!)

I just got very unlucky to have somehow kicked up a stick so when my rear tire hit it, it was facing straight up. It went straight through my tire tread and left quite a nice gash dead-center in the knobs. "OH NO! These tires are impossible to get AND if I could, they'd be over a hundred bucks!" Definitely too big for even a tire plug to repair. Three whole rides...

Well, that didn't stop me! No way! Not with my trusty dental floss by my side! Floss is a fantastic tire repair thread. So I sewed up the tire with the floss and glued a boot on the inside and outside of the tire. Worked like a charm. That rear tire is now 2 1/2 years old now and just about ready to be replaced (cheap skate here still hasn't gotten the will to toss it in the garbage, despite its replacement patiently waiting on the shelf, ready to serve!).

Anyway, my point is don't ever assume tubeless is flat-proof. It isn't. I've had three flats now with tubeless. So they still happen, although far less commonly. So you still need to practice proper ride preparation and carry appropriate supplies. And don't forget, if you carry the stuff, the chance of a flat is almost nill. But one you venture forth without proper preparation, a flat is all but certain!

rsbob 

thanks for the words of caution. I have ridden 14,850 miles to date on my tubeless and had one sidewall cut which I booted and inserted a tube. The second was a roofing nail in the tread that was still rideable for the 5 mile trip home which I then successfully plugged and rode another 3,000 miles. The tire lost 5 lbs pressure before the sealant did its thing. Hope you have better luck. Oh, and I use Continental Gran Prix 5000 S TLs, which are highly puncture resistant. I have ridden through a lot of broken glass that my old tires would have certainly flatted, but these really do their job.

downtube42

Like most I replace tubes on the road, only patching if I run out of tubes. Which has happened. Six flats on a 600k is my PR.

Tubed or tubeless, I carry two tubes, boot, patch kit, pump. On tubeless, add a plug kit. I've used every bit of it.

Two massive cuts lately has me thinking of carrying a tire on brevets - one in France on in Seattle.