What Tools Do You Carry for Bike Repair When You Ride? * * * (Update)* * *

A while back a fellow cyclist stopped me to ask if I had some tools(I had my bag on the bike)so he could adjust things on his road bike. Seat tightening & etc. He carried NO tools at all ! No backpack, nothing. He became a bit unhappy because I could not totally help him with the tools I had. He 'thanked' me, and then moved on. So, basically, what tools and supplies should a cyclist ALWAYS carry ?


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Permalink Reply by Duppie on November 25, 2014 at 9:07am
It really depends. As a commuter in Chicago, I never carry tools. My Ventra card always gets me home.
Permalink Reply by Tristan on November 25, 2014 at 9:22am

Commuting in Chicago I always have:

- Tyre levers

- Spare tube and patches

- Multi-tool (hex keys etc.)

- Chain-breaker (coincidentally my chain broke the day after I added this to my kit)

- Small adjustable spanner

Permalink Reply by Apie (11) on November 25, 2014 at 9:23am

This: http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-MT-1-Rescue-Wrench/dp/B000OZ9WTQ/re...

2 tubes (in case I have another flat on the way home)

a pump.

2 tire levers

You can zip tie or rubber band it all together.  If I am going on a longer ride I bring a patch kit and a phillips.  If my chain breaks?  My ride is over.

If you have a long commute, its a lot quicker to have an allen key and tighten your headset or brakes then taking the bus.

Permalink Reply by David Altenburg on November 25, 2014 at 9:42am

For me, reusability trumps weight and speed at which I can change a tire. 

rwein5 said:

I'm amazed that anyone still uses a hand pump for on-the-go air needs anymore.

They are so vastly inferior to CO2 cartridges on almost every metric, including size, max pressure, speed, etc etc etc.

Permalink Reply by Rich S on November 25, 2014 at 10:02am

All but the most important one ... being able to use it again and again. Can't run out of air. Going on long rides 50+ miles I'll bring 2 CO2's and my hand pump. 

For commuting I'll carry spare tube, patches, pump, and a few tools. But once it's cold enough out that I won't fix a flat outdoors I just leave it all at home. 

rwein5 said:

I'm amazed that anyone still uses a hand pump for on-the-go air needs anymore.

They are so vastly inferior to CO2 cartridges on almost every metric, including size, max pressure, speed, etc etc etc.

Permalink Reply by Eric R on November 25, 2014 at 10:06am

TOOLS!

Tire levers, two CO2 cartridges, inner tube, small adjustable wrench, four hex wrenches (doubles as screwdriver), small knife, zip ties, chain links, chain breaker, bottle opener, cork screw, pair of latex gloves AND a Ventra card. It all fits in a child's pencil/ marker case, weighs about 2 lbs.

CO2 is pretty effin handy, especially when it is below 20 degrees, above 90 degrees, raining, 

Permalink Reply by Duppie on November 25, 2014 at 10:38am
How often does your headset loosen in the middle of a commute?

Apie (10.6) said:

This: http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-MT-1-Rescue-Wrench/dp/B000OZ9WTQ/re...

2 tubes (in case I have another flat on the way home)

a pump.

2 tire levers

You can zip tie or rubber band it all together.  If I am going on a longer ride I bring a patch kit and a phillips.  If my chain breaks?  My ride is over.

If you have a long commute, its a lot quicker to have an allen key and tighten your headset or brakes then taking the bus.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 25, 2014 at 10:40am

Multi-tool (hex keys etc.) - ALWAYS. Small adjustments and tightening loose parts can solve many problems.

If I'm going out all day - add spare tube, patch kit, tire levers, hand pump, and transit cards/passes (Ventra, Metra). While the transit option isn't technically a "tool," it can be a helpful Plan B.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on November 25, 2014 at 11:40am

Depends on the bike and day...

Sometimes nothing.

-Simple multitool.

-Tube

-2 CO2

-Inflator

-2 tire levers

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 25, 2014 at 11:42am

I've used zip ties, rubber bands or electrical tape for short-term emergency fixes.
 
Apie (10.6) said:

2 tire levers

You can zip tie or rubber band it all together.  If I am going on a longer ride I bring a patch kit and a phillips.  If my chain breaks?  My ride is over.

If you have a long commute, its a lot quicker to have an allen key and tighten your headset or brakes then taking the bus.

Permalink Reply by Julia 3.5/7.5 mi on November 25, 2014 at 12:06pm
Exactly the same kit over here. It's enough to fix anything I can predict, credit card and cell are usually enough to fix anything I cant.

Though, on the headset note, I once picked up my bike from a shop on my way to work and the headset was loose! Thankfully it was a quill stem and I happened to have an adjustable wrench with me too - because of my wheelset at the time. Called the shop and they talked me through tightening it up at Milwaukee/Elston during a morning rush!



notoriousDUG said:

-Simple multitool.

-Tube

-2 CO2

-Inflator

-2 tire levers

Permalink Reply by Tandemonium on November 25, 2014 at 3:05pm

Agreed to all on the right kit for the ride. CTA is a little more sparse along Elston than other routes and so I think I've developed a more robust kit than others. For me the time to fix < extra time to get downtown by CTA. Weight savings are not a concern.

Kit:

Leatherman multitool (needle nose, blade, file, others)

Bike specific multitool (hex's, spoke wrenches, chain breaker)

Wrench for rear wheel axle nut

1 spare 700x32 tube,

1 spare 26x1.9 tube (switch bikes often, don't want to forget the right size)

patch kit

hand pump (presta & schrader)

zip ties, several in assorted sizes

small roll of duct tape

latex gloves

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