Essentials for a saddle bag?

[Joffey]

I carry gloves so I don't get oil all over my bars - plus they are handy for blowing up and doing chicken impressions.

 

[al-fresco]

I keep debating taking out the chain splitter, but I know the first ride after I take it out my chain will break.

Yeah, definitely a multitool with a chain breaker and a spare link.

 

[mythste]

Genuine question: what do people carry cable ties for?

Handcuffs for citizens arrests. Mostly for poor driving.

 

[Sixmile]

I have this bag on my bike. Not quite a handlebar bag and handier than accessing a saddle bag while on the move.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/topeak-tribag/rp-prod11335

I have my mobile, allen keys, tyre levers, patches, house key, bank card, cash, one rubber glove and 2 lollies (if the kids are in the trailer behind) and still have room to spare. I feel I should put in some cable ties now but I'm still not sure why.

 

[*Dusty*]

Genuine question: what do people carry cable ties for?

If it can't be fixed by duck tape, cable ties or wd40, then it simply can't be fixed

Seriously though, they're good for securing gear and brake cables which may come loose from the frame, on disc braked bike you can actually hold a tyre on with them in an emergency, they can replace plastic brackets or velcro straps on bags, they can replace bolts which have fallen out. Loads of uses for cable ties.

I don't know about this gloves lark. All you nancy-boys scared of getting dirty hands. More seriously aren't thin gloves going to split and thick gloves make it too fiddly to do the job. Just wipe your hands in some grass.

Don't, as my Dad insisted, stuff a rag under the seat to wipe your hands. If it falls down into the chain jamming the wheel against the frame 10 miles from home without a spanner

First aidy type stuff, if your hands are already minging then you don't want to be poking around cuts.

It's nice to keep your bar tape as clean as possible too

re chain splitter - the one and only time I needed one in 40 years (moderate) cycling, was immediately after I'd removed and replaced the chain and obviously hadn't put it back properly -having poo-pooed the instructions saying use a new special link - so chain splitter a marginal choice - but if you do need it, you'll really need it

You're absolutely right, I've never used mine but have lent it to others on the trails. They're so small though, better looking at it than for it I say.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I only carry soft things in my jersey pockets - folded rain jacket, spare gilet, helmet cover, energy bar, gel, handerchief etc etc, that sort of thing, as required by the weather. Anything hard and liable to do you damage in the event of an off goes in undersaddle bag, and or bottle cage bag - and that includes phone and keys (especially keys)

 

[vickster]

I can't imagine anything worse than carrying a pump in a back pocket for more that 5 minutes. You look a bit of a tit too, attach it to the frame under a bottle cage!

 

[Fab Foodie]

I don't like having my Jersey pockets stuffed and have multiple bicycles so I keep the following in a tool bottle (Decathlon) which is readily transferrable from bike to bike:

Topeak Hexus Multi-tool with chain splitter
Var Tyre levers
P*ncture repair kit/patches
Split link
Short length of chain
£5
Tyre boot
wipes
GTN spray (medication)
Buff (helps keep it all quiet).

I tend to be a fully self-supported kitchen sink type so each bike has a bag to carry the tubes that that bike needs, layers as required in season, emergency ration, spare batteries, keys, phone wallet. Each bike has a pump fitted somewhere.
The old Holdsworth uses a cheap Decathlon bar bag which holds the tool bottle as well.
The winter/Audax/night bike, Brompton, and old MTB use either a Carradice Zip Roll, Barley or Camper Longflap depending on season and length of ride.

OK, so I'm not a lightweight traveller but have only needed rescue once and on another occasion had to get a train home due to unfixable mechanicals on the road .... not bad in 30-odd years (.... and now I'm jinxed!).

 

[symon_r]

Thanks for all the responses.

To answer a couple of these questions. It'll be road riding not mtb. The aim is training towards a 100km event so rides will be centred on that and speed (athough aiming to complete in a respectable time) is not crucial.

I'm planning on using my phone as a cycling computer (although understand and accept the risks here). I think I'll be going down the route of emergency bits in a frame bag with other soft/quick access bits in pockets

 

[mjr]

Genuine question: what do people carry cable ties for?

I've used them to tie cables(!) after a front gear cable snapped (and used the limit screws to bodge it into the middle ring). I've also used them to fashion an emergency rear light mount by putting them through the saddle bag loops and to secure a bag when its mounting clip snapped.

don't forget to get a mini pump to mount on your frame or put in your jersey pocket.

If you have any other way to carry it, never put anything in a jersey pocket that can win a fight with your backbone in a crash. No tools, pumps or even keys - strictly squishables in those pockets. It shocks me that some people will don a crash helmet, but not see any problem with having a loosely-secured large metal bar with sticky-out gauge and footplate next to their spine!

I carry gloves so I don't get oil all over my bars

I prefer wet wipes to clean my hands - my skin seems to collect muck even doing non-mucky tasks, plus my nails seem able to split most lightweight gloves :-/

plus they are handy for blowing up and doing chicken impressions.

I like the sound of your rides

 

[mjr]

Second edit: I fear handlebar bags may be uncool.

I find they get in the way too often and affect the balance of the bike more than a saddlebag or rear rack bag.

I have this bag on my bike. Not quite a handlebar bag and handier than accessing a saddle bag while on the move.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/topeak-tribag/rp-prod11335

Tri-bags are OK (if a bit small), but most of my bikes have round top tubes now and most current tri-bags flop around annoyingly on them.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Ive discovered tool tubes. 28-32c tube, 2 co2s +pump chain tool patch kit tyre levers spare chain links house key spare rubber for headlight multitool and surgical gloves

The only downside is a bottle cage taken up

 

[Dogtrousers]

I find they [Handlebar bags] get in the way too often and affect the balance of the bike more than a saddlebag or rear rack bag.

Mine's only a little 'un (2.5l from Decathlon), not one of those big Ortleib jobbies. It doesn't prevent me from mounting lights and stuff on the bars. I don't find it affects balance either, but if I carried heavy stuff in it, then I expect it would.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/500-bike-handlebar-bag-25l-id_5994533.html


I've also tried one of those triangular bags that sits between the top and seat tubes, but I found it kept flopping sideways so the point of the triangle fell out of the angle between the two tubes. And it had very little capacity.

 

[steveindenmark]

I have a bar bag and in it are keys, bike lock, phone, cake money, ID, sweets, light rain top, rain leggings, waterproof overshoes.

Tool kit and tubes are under the seat.

 

[jonny jeez]

I can't imagine anything worse than carrying a pump in a back pocket for more that 5 minutes. You look a bit of a tit too, attach it to the frame under a bottle cage!

Sorry...did you just say attach it to the frame?

@vickster , that's 5 demerits for you.