pawl
Legendary Member
- Location
- Desford Leicestershire
Still have mine,and used it on friends old bike as he only had metric spanners.
Addmitedly has not had a lot of use over the years.
Tools to carry
- Thread starter hoppym27
- Start date
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Still have mine,and used it on friends old bike as he only had metric spanners.
Addmitedly has not had a lot of use over the years.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
I have one of these: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/500-bike-double-frame-bag-black-1l-id_8349817.html
In the right hand side I keep a topeak multitool (the one with the integrated tyre levers), puncture repair kit, inner tube, spare chain link and some kitchen roll. In the left hand side I keep sweets, a small snack, keys, phone, spare batteries for rear light, some money and a spare plastic bag. I have a topeak pocket rocket pump mounted on the downtube.
Works for me. Could easily squeeze a couple of ring spanners in there.
Edited to say that I only use a backpack on the bike if I'm commuting or if I'm going someplace else where I need to lock the bike up as I find it easier to carry my locks in a backpack.
In the right hand side I keep a topeak multitool (the one with the integrated tyre levers), puncture repair kit, inner tube, spare chain link and some kitchen roll. In the left hand side I keep sweets, a small snack, keys, phone, spare batteries for rear light, some money and a spare plastic bag. I have a topeak pocket rocket pump mounted on the downtube.
Works for me. Could easily squeeze a couple of ring spanners in there.
Edited to say that I only use a backpack on the bike if I'm commuting or if I'm going someplace else where I need to lock the bike up as I find it easier to carry my locks in a backpack.
froze
Über Member
- Location
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
No you don't need a spanner tool, any seat adjustment should be done before you leave, and besides you shouldn't have to adjust your seat spanner more than once every couple of years after it's broken in.
What tools to take along for a ride depends on how good you are at repairing stuff, and or how far you ride from home. I carry a Park MTB 3.2 multi tool because I can do most repairs myself and this tool will do most repairs. I also carry a cheap pair of folding pliers.
Even if you don't know how to work on your bike you at least need to know how to fix a flat, so you need a pair of tire irons, I like the Soma Steel Core Levers because they're the toughest made and won't mar your rims. On my touring bike I also carry a VAR tire lever (in addition to the tire levers), this tool will get on the last inch of even the toughest tire to install without chance of damaging the tube. My touring bike has very difficult to install tires on it so this tool is very handy.
yne
Another great tool is the QuikStik, this makes removing and installing a tire fast, once the levers get the tire started simply insert the QuikStik and rip the tire off; installing a tire you just reverse the action and it will get right up to the last inch or so where a lever will finish it. Of course some tires can be put on entirely by hand, this should always be attempted first before using a tool.
Obviously if you'll be carrying tire tools then you need a pump, but be careful of which pump you buy because about 98% of the pumps on the market will not get you to 100 psi or so, in fact most fail at about 75 regardless of their claim that they can reach 160 which I haven't found any carry on bike pump that can go that high, not even the much better full size frame pumps. The only mini pumps that I've found that can get your pressure up to 100 to 120 psi (note I said what I found, there maybe a couple others that can) are: Lezyne Road Drive large (they offer 3 sizes the smaller ones will not, the middle size might but it would be a lot of strokes and a lot of physical strength); Topeak Road Morph G (this pumps suffers from a poorly designed mounting system, and ungainly appearance), this pump is the easiest of all mini pumps on the market but it's more of a half frame pump than a true mini pump, this pump takes about 175 strokes to get to 110 and with the fold out foot peg and T handle it does it like a mini floor pump...very easy; Topeak Race Rocket HP, this one will take about 75 more strokes to get to 110 than the Lezyne Road Drive large but it will get there. I own all those pumps, I owned others but they failed completely to deliver the PSI I needed so sent them back for refunds or exchanges. I also own a SKS Wese RaceDay Carbon pump, this one does get to 110, it takes more strokes than the others I have but it's also the lightest of the others, sadly they no longer make this pump and SKS now makes mini's that won't do the job. I have a friend who has the Zefal Air Profil LL Mini and that pump can also reach 110 but it takes more strokes than the Lezyne Road Drive large, but less than the Topeak RaceRocket HP.
Also carry a patch kit and learn how to patch on the road, a spare tube is essential but if by chance you flat the spare you better know how to patchs. I use only glueless patches and have done so for over 20 years with only 2 failures. How to use these correctly is the key for the patch to last the life of the tube, otherwise glue on works just fine and covers any mistakes you might make in preparing the tube for the patch.
What tools to take along for a ride depends on how good you are at repairing stuff, and or how far you ride from home. I carry a Park MTB 3.2 multi tool because I can do most repairs myself and this tool will do most repairs. I also carry a cheap pair of folding pliers.
Even if you don't know how to work on your bike you at least need to know how to fix a flat, so you need a pair of tire irons, I like the Soma Steel Core Levers because they're the toughest made and won't mar your rims. On my touring bike I also carry a VAR tire lever (in addition to the tire levers), this tool will get on the last inch of even the toughest tire to install without chance of damaging the tube. My touring bike has very difficult to install tires on it so this tool is very handy.
yne
Another great tool is the QuikStik, this makes removing and installing a tire fast, once the levers get the tire started simply insert the QuikStik and rip the tire off; installing a tire you just reverse the action and it will get right up to the last inch or so where a lever will finish it. Of course some tires can be put on entirely by hand, this should always be attempted first before using a tool.
Obviously if you'll be carrying tire tools then you need a pump, but be careful of which pump you buy because about 98% of the pumps on the market will not get you to 100 psi or so, in fact most fail at about 75 regardless of their claim that they can reach 160 which I haven't found any carry on bike pump that can go that high, not even the much better full size frame pumps. The only mini pumps that I've found that can get your pressure up to 100 to 120 psi (note I said what I found, there maybe a couple others that can) are: Lezyne Road Drive large (they offer 3 sizes the smaller ones will not, the middle size might but it would be a lot of strokes and a lot of physical strength); Topeak Road Morph G (this pumps suffers from a poorly designed mounting system, and ungainly appearance), this pump is the easiest of all mini pumps on the market but it's more of a half frame pump than a true mini pump, this pump takes about 175 strokes to get to 110 and with the fold out foot peg and T handle it does it like a mini floor pump...very easy; Topeak Race Rocket HP, this one will take about 75 more strokes to get to 110 than the Lezyne Road Drive large but it will get there. I own all those pumps, I owned others but they failed completely to deliver the PSI I needed so sent them back for refunds or exchanges. I also own a SKS Wese RaceDay Carbon pump, this one does get to 110, it takes more strokes than the others I have but it's also the lightest of the others, sadly they no longer make this pump and SKS now makes mini's that won't do the job. I have a friend who has the Zefal Air Profil LL Mini and that pump can also reach 110 but it takes more strokes than the Lezyne Road Drive large, but less than the Topeak RaceRocket HP.
Also carry a patch kit and learn how to patch on the road, a spare tube is essential but if by chance you flat the spare you better know how to patchs. I use only glueless patches and have done so for over 20 years with only 2 failures. How to use these correctly is the key for the patch to last the life of the tube, otherwise glue on works just fine and covers any mistakes you might make in preparing the tube for the patch.
Depends upon 2 things.....
Your ability to carry out repairs, and how much you want to do by the roadside
Best Advice I was given is to "walk through" the repairs that you are happy with and then put those tools in your kit.
As your skills progress then you can add more.
You can also review the kit itself and replace multiple single items with a "multi tool" for compactness
- Location
- Glasgow
Or carry the tools, flag down another rider for help
Or carry the tools, flag down another rider for help
Or do as Roadies do (allegedly)....
Flag down a passing Commuter to Tourist who will have both skills and kit
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Meanwhile, in the real world, not everyone sets their saddle up right first time and the ability to adjust it mid-trip is far better than continuing to injure oneself, plus there can be other things like brakes or wheels which may need spanners unless you have awkward hex heads or Quick-Robbery (QR) fixings everywhere.
The Giyo Air Supply pumps are probably the cheapest which can, available from about £5 sometimes. These are also sold more expensively under various other brands.
Brand is important. Park Tool are good. Some others are little more than stickers. (Wilkinsons, I'm looking at you, not for the originals you used to sell, but the ones you changed to.)
GuyBoden
Guru
- Location
- Warrington
I still prefer the old style longer frame pumps, they pump tyres up quite fast, but unfortunately they don't fit on all frames.
The inexpensive plastic Zefal Frame Fit Pump is only £5.
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Zefal-Rev-88-Frame-Fit-Pump_42237.htm
The inexpensive plastic Zefal Frame Fit Pump is only £5.
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Zefal-Rev-88-Frame-Fit-Pump_42237.htm
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
That definitely wouldn't fit on my 38cm frame LOL...
I have a Topeak pocket rocket.
I have a Topeak pocket rocket.
GuyBoden
Guru
- Location
- Warrington
As an act of kindness, I've handed over my longer frame pump to many road side cyclists in distress with their small pumps.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Just in case anyone doesn't realise, the 88 in the Zefal Rev 88's name is the official maximum pressure (and Zefal are usually pretty accurate), so you'd need to be fairly lightweight on 28mm tyres (or heavier on wider tyres, of course) and it doesn't have a gauge. Like most direct-connect pumps, it's worth buying a £2 universal connector hose to avoid stressing the valve (sorry if I already wrote that here).
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
As an act of kindness, I've handed over my longer frame pump to many road side cyclists in distress with their small pumps.
Well, I have a small pump and I am a small cyclist. Some nice symmetry there.
youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
Re spanners - The only need I have for a spanner is for the mudguard fittings on one of my bikes. The three others are exclusively hex sockets - so I only carry a tiny adjustable spaanner in the sadle pack of the bike with mudguards. Otherwise a selection of allen keys/or multi tool with the sizes relevant to the bike - no need to weigh you down with others you'll never need. Also a small chain tool, spare tubes, tyre levers ( though I know that my tyres are removable/refitable without the need, so mainly for the benefit of others
), puncture kit, Park patches, tyre boot (roofing felt), CO2 chuck and gas, mini pump, spoke key, presta valve key - that's about it. I use Topeak Aero Wedge saddle packs - all the above easily fits into a medium, plus room for keys etc.