GP

I've posted this picture several times in saddlebag threads.



There's a Park stick-on boot and a couple glueless patches folded up next to one of the tubes. The blue stuff on the tire lever is duct tape.

Using both tubes in one day is rare but it happens. What happens more often is getting a flat 10 miles into a 120 mile ride and not having a spare for the other 110 miles.

There's a lot of different opinions on what to carry. I know people that do double centuries with one tube and one cartridge in a pocket. I know others that carry giant expandable saddle bags with everything but the kitchen sink.

One thing I recommend is carrying light or extra light tubes because they fold up smaller.

10 Wheels

OP, add a master chain link and a tire boot.

Five different rides I have had three flats.
Now carry 5 tubes and a spare tire.

Got in 502 miles last week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVT2H...marvelous&lr=1



Guy on purple bike had EIGHT flats one day.:

TrojanHorse

That's what I pack and a spare master link and a spoke wrench too (which may be present in your multi tool)

ovoleg - when word gets out that you're a complete mooch, people are going to stop offering you help.

Nick Bain

Is the OP an Engineer?

the more you know the less you need.

NathanC

Dunbar

I think Cavendish has a guy that follows him around on a scooter with spare wheels etc on training rides. So he doesn't roll with a saddle bag

hhnngg1

2 tubes for sure. I learned this the hard way when I was 35 miles into a routine 50 mile ride, and failed to spot the tiny 2nd shard of metal in the tire after I pulled the first one out. Knew I was screwed when both tubes wouldn't inflate at all. I had to wait 20 minutes for another rider came and he was not happy that I took his only tube from him. Patch kit or 2nd tube for sure.

KenshiBiker

+1 on the gloves (and a couple of paper towels in a zip loc bag).

I carry:
2 tubes plus a patch kit.
2 spare CO2 cylinders plus one in the inflator.
boot
Quick stick
VAR tire jack (only way I can get my 650c Conti GP4000 on the rims)
Tire levers (probably should take them out since with the previous two items I don't need the levers)
chain tool (I usually am riding the fixed gear, so I don't use a quick link)
Mini tool (can't remember the brand off hand)
Park 4/5/6 ball hex wrench
8mm hex wrench (PW fixed gear hybs = no QR skewers)
Emergency cash ($20 - just in case I forgot my wallet/id)

This is in addition to a cliff bar and mini wallet (DL, credit card, insurance card) and cleat covers (Speedplays) in the jersey pocket, Road ID around the neck, and a minipump on the seat tube bottle cage.

I probably overpack, but I'm not a weight weenie, and I like to have backups (hence the pump and CO2).

Fiery

I very rarely see other cyclists on my rides and when I ride with friends, they typically have no spare tires, pumps, cartridges/inflators or tubes. I could call a cab if I needed to, but I think it's a lot more fun to be able to finish my ride than to have to call for help for every little defect because I had to look cool. I also find it funny that you think a bottle in jersey pocket looks better than a saddle bag on the bike.

Anyway, I carry tire levers, a spare tube, mini patch kit, multi tool with chain breaker, a quick link, a spoke wrench and a presta to schrader adapter in the saddle bag. I also have a mini pump on the frame. I could have all this in my pockets, but I prefer to have it on the bike and not have to think about it. I might add a derailleur cable too; it takes very little space and once it's in the bag I no longer have to think about it until I happen to need it.

Oh, and "You should not need 2 water bottles if you are riding less than 60 miles." - so, you never ride if it's above 23 C/75 F? Or is it just not cool/manly to drink enough during a ride?

Shimagnolo

I had missed that. That's funny. I once finished off (2) 1L bottles in 15 miles when riding hilly (up to 12%) terrain at 100F.

ksisler

There are a couple of other brands of seat bags that have a bit more room in them, but I have some of the same as yours in use without issue. I carry only 1 spare tube and do carry an air head and two nitrogen catridges. I still carry a mini-pump on the back of the seatube up near the top (under the seat stays). I don't carry tire irons anymore, choosing instead to run tires I can change natively.

I put the IDs, wallet, and cell up front in a mini-saddler as in here; https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 This saddle bag is really cheap, but well made and a Samsung Note 2 Fablet (really awesome and thin but rather large screened) fits nicely in one of the side bags. For those chronically needing to be connected, a 6,000 mAmp hr backup battery ($15 delivered from 1-Sale-a-Day site fits nicely in the other side, etc. That second side could also be reserved for a few granola bars and a few days of any critical perscriptions, etc.

/K

ksisler

Wow, lots of folks seem to be having lots of flats necessitating lots of tubes and fixes!

Are folks riding too small or too light of tires? Or not keeping pressure up?

bbeasley

See Rules 29,30, and 31

One tube carried up under seat between the rails
Two C02 cartridges held on one of these
Shiny object inflator and one tire lever in jersey

But, this is for group rides so I've got backup should I double flat. I've had it happen once in 3 years and ~6,000 miles. I always carry spare tubes in my car to pay back a friend should the need arise.

ovoleg

I'm not saying not to carry the proper equipment, but 2 tubes is definitely overpacking. Count back to how many times you had 2 flats in 1 ride and you were alone and couldn't find any help(road).

Part of not getting flats isn't just getting good tires, it's avoiding debris. When I first started riding, I rode over all sorts of things that caused flats, later, after I gained more confidence, I rode more to the center of the lane and away from debris. I do not flat as often anymore.

2 water bottles is subjective, but I usually just drink heavy before the ride and then drink 1 water bottle while refilling it.

rearviewbeer

I had 2 blowouts 2 weeks ago, and a third when I got home. Crappy batch of tubes. Does not happen often, but it does - put me in a much worse mood than having a "fred" bag and being able to finish the ride.

Bob Dopolina 

Incorrect.

Please ignore plebeian advice. They have no ****ing clue.

Bob Dopolina 

1. One tube
2. Patch kit
3. Tire levers
4. Tire boot
5. Min tool which includes spoke wrench
6. Spare quick link
7. Two spare nipples
8. Cash
9. Coin for a pay phone
10. My left nut for luck

Anything else is not a roadside repair and either should have been avoided with regular inspection or was just **** bad luck and you need to deal with it.

Clipped_in

No kidding! Do you all ride ultralight tubes? I put quite a few miles on regular weight tubes without all of the problems I'm reading about on the 41. Sure I get the occasional flat, especially during Goathead season. But wow!

Clipped_in

That's quite the laundry list. I'll have to start including number 10!

bonz50

I have, up until the VERY recent past (about a week ago), carried nothing. my old tiny seat bag had enough room for my wallet, cell phone and keys, though just barely. that is not longer the case, I'm slowly assembling some spares/stuff for a new slightly larger wedge pack. it will contain the following for my average rides (20ish miles or less, longer rides might have additional/different gear):

1 Tube (in hand)
1 Tire
1 multi-tool with chain breaker
tire levers (in hand)
co2 inflator w/ cartridges
couple spare quick links (due here tomorrow)
latex gloves (in hand)
clif bar or some kind of food that won't melt (in hand)

and of course my cellphone/wallet/keys

sure it adds a little weight, and of course it will hurt my "style points" (sic), but it only takes being stranded once to fix that problem. especially when you sag wagon (the wife) is not in a place to come get you because of her commitments to the kids getting home from school, had I waited I would have been waiting for about 1.5hrs or more. never again. I'd rather be a Fred in the eyes of some than looking cool for the beautiful people and stranded on the road cuz I took style over preparedness.

karenashg

Pump (on frame)
1-2 tubes, depending on length of ride
Patch kit
Tire levers
Multitool

AND

My secret weapon of awesomeness:

*Tweezers*

They have several times made extracting a very sharp, tiny, vicious sliver of glass or metal from my tire a quick and painless thing. Used them just this Sunday, and blew the mind of the guy I was riding with. (Of course, that could just mean that he needs to get out more, but whatever.)

Looigi

Yep. 1 tube, 1 lever, and a couple of stick-on patches in the rare event of a second flat. Minipump, minitool, cell, ID, cash. To find a leak, keep pumping the tube until the leak becomes obvious. For pinholes, the tube might get 2, 3 or more times its normal diameter and a lot longer. Of course even if just replacing the tube, you need to inspect the tire to ensure whatever caused the flat isn't still embedded in it. Sometimes finding the leak in the tube helps accomplish this (or finding the object helps finding the leak in the tube), which are reasons to align the tire label with the valve stem when installing it.

Christobevii3

I have a spare link too. No it isn't for going across the Sierras, but I also moved somewhere recently and only know a few people. Being stuck 50 miles out on a 100 mile ride in south Louisiana where people hate bikers and it is humid with a million bugs and alligators sounds terrible. Biking isn't a regular thing like you would have in California or Colorado, plus the road quality is lacking.

I don't like walking in my nice shoes and what is an extra pound or two going to hurt when I'm not racing. A few minutes lost due to weight vs walking 20 miles, i'll take the weight.

bonz50

*takes note*

*adds to list*

vesteroid

if I use a pump, I just pump it up a bit and can either hear it or feel it every time. not sure how it would work on co2 guess you cant get it in that small an amount?