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 Tandemonium on November 26, 2014 at 1:54pm

Nope - this is the same tired bicycle forum argument you always see:

Cyclist #1: I prefer _____, because is is more durable, reliable and I don't care about carrying a few extra grams or costing me a few watts of power.

Cyclist #2: You are a dummy, don't use _____, use ______ because you will be faster, your life will be easier, and who cares if it costs a little bit more.

Almost everything I listed fits, including handpump v. CO2.



rwein5 said:

8 on the left, 3 on the right, and 2 for both if you MUST know.

But you're reaching - I'm just talking about hand pumps vs CO2, here. 

Permalink Reply by Andrew Bedno on December 2, 2014 at 8:51am

Like a good boyscout I've carried a compact under seat kit for years optimized for the most common urgent needs.  I always swap the tube in case of flat, and draw the line at no chain tool.  The bottle is of course emergency Everclear.
Just noticed, the multitool (hex and screw drivers, one of the most important items) is missing from this old photo :(

Permalink Reply by T.K. 3.5 mi on December 2, 2014 at 9:59am

Hand pump for reliability. Carried like the below image or in a pannier/backpack. FYI, for winter, a backpack helps a little with insulation. (http://www.topeak.com/products/Pumps/RoadMorphG) 

Centerline Mount Bracket included

The rest of the tools and lock fit here (from https://www.ynotcycle.com/products/rollie/ ..I think the tiny fix gang recommended this one.) If I am carrying a backpack or pannier, I just throw the tool pouch in the larger bag. 

Just posting as evidence against the argument to not carry tools. I have fixed my own flats and strangers in 10 to 85 degrees, from Douglas Park to Humboldt. I have also locked up a disabled bike or put it on the bus with me. Being prepared and fixing the problem immediately was always more rewarding. 

Permalink Reply by Apie (11) on December 2, 2014 at 9:59am

I'm totally adding some everclear to my kit, to calm me down after a particularly annoying flat

Permalink Reply by mike w. on December 2, 2014 at 10:10am

i was glad for the chain breaker on my multi-tool this summer when my 30+ year-old rear derailleur finally  bit the dust. i just picked a good middle gear and shortened the chain .Only wished that i had the gloves in my kit... messy job. There's a pair of 'em in there now.

i carry a full-size frame-fit pump (Zefal HPX). Never a problem getting 90+ lbs out of it and no worries about using the last co2 cartridge with 100 miles left to go from bumble-f-land... it also makes a good farm dog deterrent in a pinch.

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on January 23, 2015 at 9:34am
Co2 inflator info request from Chainlinkers: Since this thread had a heated discussion about them, I would like to know if they are only for urgent-on-the-go-air-needs. I'm about to buy one and just read online that, Co2 is a gas that quickly dissipates through the rubber and that you will lose about half your pressure by the next day. Does it have a "deflation phase"? When you use a Co2 to fix a flat, (inflate empy replacement tube) do you have to, later on, replace the Co2 gas with 'air' from a stand pump, or just continue to Co2 fill to keep up the pressure? I'm gonna buy one, but wanna hear what you think.
Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on January 23, 2015 at 10:05am

On my daily commutes:  Multi-tool, 2x CO2 cartridge, small CO2 pump, 2 tire levers, and of course, a spare tube.

On a long distance or touring rides: Same as above, plus 2 extra CO2 cartridges, and 1 extra tube. Sometimes I bring a mini pump along that is mounted onto the frame.

All of the above will fit in one mini zip-lock bag to keep everything in one place and put in my back shirt pocket or saddle bag.

Yes, of course, my Ventra card

Permalink Reply by David Beazley on January 23, 2015 at 10:16am

Every time I've inflated a tire purely with CO2, I've found the tire to be flat or nearly flat a few days later.  Simply inflating it with a floor pump fixes the problem.  So, I'd say there's some truth to what you describe.  

Tom A.K. said:

Co2 inflator info request from Chainlinkers: Since this thread had a heated discussion about them, I would like to know if they are only for urgent-on-the-go-air-needs. I'm about to buy one and just read online that, Co2 is a gas that quickly dissipates through the rubber and that you will lose about half your pressure by the next day. Does it have a "deflation phase"? When you use a Co2 to fix a flat, (inflate empy replacement tube) do you have to, later on, replace the Co2 gas with 'air' from a stand pump, or just continue to Co2 fill to keep up the pressure? I'm gonna buy one, but wanna hear what you think.
Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on January 23, 2015 at 10:17am

There are two kinds. One is just the head that uses threaded cartridges and one that has a container for the cartridge and can use either threaded or non-threaded as well.

In the winter, I carry the one that has the container exactly as shown below:

In the winter, I only carry the head inflator but I still make sure I have something covering my cartridges, exactly like shown below:

For a minimalist, the mini inflator works great and people say the one with the container doesn't work as well. But I've done both, and I like both.

I carry these for convenience and speed. I only give myself 15 minutes extra time for work and I need to get my tube replaced and aired as quickly as possible. 

In my experience, though, I think compressed air doesn't last very long. I would always still stop on my way home, by any open bike shop and empty the air and use a regular pump to fill it back with non-compressed air. But that's just me. YMMV.

I did mention that I will also bring a mini pump on long rides. That's for the sake of other people if they get a flat ;)

Still, the trick is to practice, whichever you choose to use. If anything, you'll know if the product will work or not and on the plus side, you'll be an expert the device.

Buy extra cartridges for spare and for practicing.


Tom A.K. said:

Co2 inflator info request from Chainlinkers: Since this thread had a heated discussion about them, I would like to know if they are only for urgent-on-the-go-air-needs. I'm about to buy one and just read online that, Co2 is a gas that quickly dissipates through the rubber and that you will lose about half your pressure by the next day. Does it have a "deflation phase"? When you use a Co2 to fix a flat, (inflate empy replacement tube) do you have to, later on, replace the Co2 gas with 'air' from a stand pump, or just continue to Co2 fill to keep up the pressure? I'm gonna buy one, but wanna hear what you think.
Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on January 23, 2015 at 10:21am

Another thing to note:  Once you pop a cartridge, you better empty it, because there's no saving it for later.

JustWill said:

There are two kinds. One is just the head that uses threaded cartridges and one that has a container for the cartridge and can use either threaded or non-threaded as well.

In the winter, I carry the one that has the container exactly as shown below:

In the winter, I only carry the head inflator but I still make sure I have something covering my cartridges, exactly like shown below:

For a minimalist, the mini inflator works great and people say the one with the container doesn't work as well. But I've done both, and I like both.

I carry these for convenience and speed. I only give myself 15 minutes extra time for work and I need to get my tube replaced and aired as quickly as possible. 

In my experience, though, I think compressed air doesn't last very long. I would always still stop on my way home, by any open bike shop and empty the air and use a regular pump to fill it back with non-compressed air. But that's just me. YMMV.

I did mention that I will also bring a mini pump on long rides. That's for the sake of other people if they get a flat ;)

Still, the trick is to practice, whichever you choose to use. If anything, you'll know if the product will work or not and on the plus side, you'll be an expert the device.

Buy extra cartridges for spare and for practicing.


Tom A.K. said:

Co2 inflator info request from Chainlinkers: Since this thread had a heated discussion about them, I would like to know if they are only for urgent-on-the-go-air-needs. I'm about to buy one and just read online that, Co2 is a gas that quickly dissipates through the rubber and that you will lose about half your pressure by the next day. Does it have a "deflation phase"? When you use a Co2 to fix a flat, (inflate empy replacement tube) do you have to, later on, replace the Co2 gas with 'air' from a stand pump, or just continue to Co2 fill to keep up the pressure? I'm gonna buy one, but wanna hear what you think.
Permalink Reply by bk (aka: Dr. Mambohead) on January 23, 2015 at 10:22am

first aid kit

patches

pump

wrenches

small vice grips (invaluable)

master link

chain breaker

extra tubes

Permalink Reply by Reboot Oxnard on January 23, 2015 at 1:19pm

The math is complex but the key to the question about using air versus CO2 to charge an inner tube lies in the molecular weight of the three gases. Reduced to simple terms, the heavier a molecule is, the larger it is and the larger it is the more slowly it will permeate/effuse through a substance.

Air is comprised of approximately 79% N2 and 21% O2. There is a smattering of other stuff in it but not enough to make a difference. Both N2 and O2 are lighter/smaller than CO2 which tells you that, all other things equal and constant, CO2 will diffuse more slowly than air. If your experience is that it doesn’t, that is that your CO2 inflated tires are losing pressure faster than air inflated tires, something else is changing that is disproportionally affecting the permeation rate. The biggest variant is the water that is in air: as it heats up it expands more than any of the gases and that increases tire pressure. Of course, at the end of the day, your air filled tire is going to deflate more as the water cools.

Gas = Molecular Weight
CO2 = 44.01
N2 = 28.0134
O2 = 31.9988

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