Tools and Spares Kit?

[99percentchimp]

Recently been adding to the tool/spares kit after MnB.... I was helped out by Alan on MnB with a Powerlink (I didn't know you could get these to fit a Shimano 9 sp chain) and I've now added these along with spare pins for the chain tool (I bent one and was rescued by Alan too - THANKS!!). I've also added spare cleat bolts and more Shimano chain pins; thinking of keeping the drive train going as a priority . I've also used Park Tools tube patches on night rides with some success (having already used the spare tube on that particular ride). Thinking of adding a few spare bolts and Alan mentioned he carried a spare QR skewer nut (but has never used it. Duct tape and a few tie wraps in there too.

Then there's spare stove bits (when I use the MSR), a pole sleeve for the tent (I don't bother with spare pegs - count 'em out, count 'em in or use a spoon handle first) and spare batteries for various stuff. Small medical kit too.

Any other top tips/vital spares that people carry that would be good to add to the mix - these all add weight obviously but being stuck with no drive train could be most upsetting!

Cheers.

[Anthony]

For Bikepacking duty-

149g= Small plastic storage tub (old puncture repair box) containing-

XTR Brake Pads- 2 sets
Replacement pad pin
Park CT-5 Chain tool
1x Chain link 1x Powerlink
3x Small Zip-ties
Tubeless repair plugs
Razor Blade
DPM Tyre boot
£5 note
Needle/thread
Park instant repair patches
Spokey - Red

190g= 2x Continental Supersonic tubes
108g= Topeak Pocket Rocket pump with 1m gaffa tape rolled on
92g= Topeak Mini9 multi-tool
52g= Basic first-aid including tick tweezers
56g= Leatherman Squirt PS4
20g= 10m Mammut 2mm cord.
8g= TN pole repair sleeve (if in tent)
8g= Large zipties (wedged up into seatpost)

:D

[Bearbonesnorm]

I carry a few bits of old inner tube, maybe 4" squares. Make good emergency repairs for torn side walls when glued in place. There's also a 6m length of webbing in my bag for use as a tow rope (luckily only ever required once). Oh and don't forget a pair of mini nail clippers ... very important

[Ian]

My kit is similar, though not quite as comprehensive as Anthony's, but it does include a J A Stein mini cassette lock with me: http://jastein.com/Html/Tools_for_Wheels.htm

[Nick]

Couple of chain links
old skool punture repair kit
park tyre lever
2 inner tubes
park tyre boot
Crank bros Mult-17 tool (includes spoke key and chain tool)
Gerber Vise tool
Pump with duct tape wrapped around
4 releaseable zip ties
1 x spare set of brake pads
Small first aid kit

[bod]

Because I'm so sad I've weighed each item in my tool kit, this is all I carry even when doing multi week touring and I've never needed more:
Butyl gloves (stops grease on your hands from ruining the DWR on your waterproof jacket) 10g
Tyre levers (Pedro's coz they're the best I've found) 42g
Connex chain link 4g
Topeak chain tool (light but pin is made of metallic looking cheese) 43g
Park tyre boot 5g
Park patches (work as well as glue patches, only had 2 fail on me) 5g
Next Best Thing lockring remover 25g
Ritchey CPR-9 multi tool 25g (yup, lightest I've found...)
and nice home made waterproof bag to put it all in.
170ish grams in total.
I've no idea why people carry adjustable spanners, pliers and the like, all the bolts on my bike are allen key.
Oh, I also carry a couple of spokes for really long trips. No spare brake pads coz I run V-brakes and the pads last for over a year.

[99percentchimp]

Cheers Chaps, some good ideas in there - Ian I've sourced an alternative from the UK http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... 2b0s72p595 and it's good to know bod uses this too.
I've also found a good spare mech hanger too http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... b0s72p2602 so those are on order now. I've always had a bit of old toothpaste tube as a tyre boot - but a needle and thread seems a good get you home supplement too for tyre issues.

Thanks for the help! Mark

[Ian]

Ian I've sourced an alternative from the UK

I got my JA Stein from Spa Cycles. It's a great shop if you happen to be in the area to call in. There's a whole wall of small wooden drawers behind the counter with all sorts of stuff in. I'm sure you could go in and ask for almost any obsolete bike related part from the last two decades (at least) and they'd have it 8-)

[Anthony]

I quite like the look of that Ritchey tool, cheers Bod. I'm trying to work out in my head if there are any bolts that I can't access on my bike by such a tool, I can only think of one so far.

Do you not carry a pump?

A year on one set of V-pads, just think if you ran discs you may never ever need to buy replacement pads I used to get through a set within hours up in the Peaks :!:

[Nick]

I've no idea why people carry adjustable spanners, pliers and the like, all the bolts on my bike are allen key.

Ever tried removing a very tight valve collet when you do finally get a puncture that doesn't seal on your tubeless tyres, and your hands are cold, the gerber is great for that and only weighs about 50g.

Plus it has a bottle opener on it, and a knife.

Handy for messing around with cables too.

[Ian]

I quite like the look of that Ritchey tool, cheers Bod

Overlooked that first time around...
Thanks both, new tool ordered (£10 on CRC, only £0.15/g weight saving )

[Ian]

So, I spent a happy evening sorting through all my trail spares and kit to trim it down a bit in weight and bulk. This is what I've got:


Trail kit by ianbarrington, on Flickr

2x M5 caliper bolts (ti) (I discovered one of these can double as the handle for the chain tool)
3x M4 bolts (ti) - misc use incl. bottle cages, stem face plate, brake levers etc.
2x cleat bolts
1x 1/8" half link
1x 1/8" full link
several disc caliper shims
1x 8mm allen key bit (fits onto 5mm allen key) (for crank bolts, pedals)
1x spare tubeless valve
1x plastic tool for removing tubeless valves
1 pair of spare disc pads
Topeak chain tool with the handle removed
Ritchey CPR9 tool
J A Stein lock ring tool
Lezyne glueless patches, tyre boot and little metal rougher-up thing
The Stein tool and patches etc go in their own little case, the rest goes in a gaffer tape reinforced plastic bag. That all comes to 164g.

Additionally, I have 1 spare tube (26" to stretch into a 29er tyre if I need it), a Park tyre lever and a Lezyne pump, with two velcro straps and some gaffer tape wrapped around.

450g all in, which is about 70g lighter and a little less bulky than it was before I started

[Anthony]

Ian, the spoke key on the Ritchey tool, is it the same size as a Spokey Red?

CRC sold out now!

[Ian]

Just tried the spoke key on a 2mm nipple and it seems to fit OK.

I got mine from Winstanleys in the end. I added mine to a basket on CRC the other evening, got distracted and didn't complete the purchase. Sold out by the next morning...

[Anthony]

Spokey Red is 3.25mm, Spokey yellow is 3.4mm :?

Hovering over the buy it now

[Ian]

My mistake, the box says "2.0 spoke key", which fits the 3.4mm nipple I've just measured on the end a 2.0mm diameter spoke.

[Anthony]

Ah cheers. Although :? Ive ordered one! Hopefully being only 0.15mm out there is a minimal amount of play to still work in an emergency. I'll be grinding off the key-fob tab

You wonder why an American brand has designed it around a nipple size that it predominately used on cheap Far-East wheels rather than the more common 3.25mm US/EU size used on DT/Sapim spokes.

I'm hoping for a silver one.

[Ian]

If you got it from Winstanleys, then it'll be black I expect. I was mildly disappointed it wasn't silver like the picture

I may yet grind bits off mine. Most of the Allen key bits are longer than they need to be.

[thomthumb]

i carry a 100 mm swuare of plastic milk bottle to use as a tyre boot. can be cut down as needed. only ever needed it on small ~1inch gashes and it worked well.

other than that it's all standard stuff. multi tool, patches, zip ties.

what are you guys doing with cassette tools?

[Nick]

what are you guys doing with cassette tools?

I wondered that, but then realised that you probably need to take the cassette off to replace a drive side spoke.

[Anthony]

Although the funny thing is, those that carry them make no reference to carrying any spare spokes :!:

I ordered my Ritchey tool from Tredz, they are specific in their listing as being silver so hopefully they have some older stock. Who knows though.

[Ian]

I've had need to use a cassette on a couple of occasions, but only to fix mates' bikes where the lockring had come loose. For the weight of is, I think it's worth carrying as a loose cassette in the middle of nowhere could be a problem...

Removing a spoke is a good point, and although I don't carry any spare spokes I could see the possibility of having to take off the cassette to remove the damaged spoke.