Nothing kills a ride faster than a mechanical. From the ubiquitous flat tire to a slipping seat post, the worst thing in the world is being stuck in the middle of nowhere without the basic tools you need to get home. That being said, carrying a few simple tools can make the difference between walking home in cleats and gliding into your driveway with a smile on your face.
What's in your pocket?
You'll need simple tools to fix the most common issues you'll run into on the road, including saddle, stem and shifting adjustments and flat tires. Whether you carry your tool kit in a saddle bag or in your jersey pocket, the contents should be basically the same. The main difference between a saddle bag and jersey pocket is the extent of the tools you carry (usually you can carry more/larger items in a saddle bag than you can in a jersey pocket.)
For a minimal tool kit, you'll want to be carrying the following:
- A spare tube – In case of flats, you need at least one spare tube
- CO2 inflator and (2) CO2 cartridges – Get a good, easy to use inflator. In case one cartridge leaks or in the case of two flats, carry an extra CO2 as insurance. Alternatively, carry a small pump instead of the cartridges and inflator (but the pump may not fit into a saddle bag.)
- Patch Kit – If you only carry one tube, you'd better carry a patch kit in case you happen across the bad luck of multiple flats on one ride.
- Multi Tool – Make sure it has the most commonly used allen key sizes on it (4mm, 5mm, 2mm) along with flat and phillips head screw drivers. A chain tool is often very useful as well, but generally only comes on larger tools. The bigger your saddlebag or pocket, the more gadgets you can carry.
- KMC Master Link – To mend a busted chain (SRAM Powerlink for 9 speed chains.)
- Presta to Schrader adapter – For filling up a low tire at a gas station. You won't be filling a presta tube at a service station without an adapter.
- Tire Lever(s) – If your hands aren't strong enough to get tires off rims alone, bring a lever or two to make life a little easier.
- A couple wraps of duct tape – Wrap them around one of your CO2 cartridges. You can use it for so many things…
- Plastic baggie – Use it to store your small parts (KMC link, Schrader adapter, etc) and keep it on hand in case you need to boot a tear in a tire.
Addition and subtraction
The items listed above are only a very basic run down of what you'll need to fix most issues out on the road. There are other things that would be silly to leave home without; things like some form of ID, a bank card, $20 bill and cell phone can be more of a lifesaver than any tool or tube. With the case you can call a cab or buy a tube if you happen past a bike shop. A cell phone will let you phone a friend (or a spouse) if all hell breaks loose, and your ID is a no brainer.
You can also think about adding and subtracting things from your toolkit based upon the amount of space you have available in your saddle bag or pocket. For example, if you want a larger multi tool, you can ditch the tire levers (your quick release skewer levers will make fine tire levers in a pinch.) You might want to swap the CO2 inflator and cartridges with a small pump, which only runs out of air when your arm gets tired. You may even opt to carry two tubes if you're facing long, rough or gravel covered roads.
The most important thing to remember is to tailor your tool kit to the conditions you ride in and the equipment you use (for example, if you're riding tubulars, it makes no sense to carry a tube, but a can of sealant is a necessity.) Be familiar with everything in your kit, how to use it and how to fix basic roadside issues, and you'll never find yourself that guy duck walking down the road in his cleats.
