Show me your tool kits!

[HaYWiRe]

Over prepared? Or weight weenie?

What tools do you carry on you? And what's your thinking behind them?

I consider myself pretty minimal with my repair kit, and it varies on distance and bike, but usually its atleast at minimum:

Inner tube + patches/boot
Co2 micro pump
Tyre lever
2x individual Allen keys
Chain breaker

I also follow the EDC lifestyle and will always have on my person a mini multitool with pliers and appropriate Knife (for whatever circumstances legally justifiable)

Ive just abandoned a bike multitool and now use individual keys as my Btwin only uses 3 sizes of keys on the entire bike, very handy

How does your kit vary based on distance? And at what point does preparing for every eventuality become overkill?

[gravitysucks]

Spare tube
Tube patches
Small carbon multi (4 x allen keys)
Chain breaker
A few pairs of speed links (9 & 10 speed, always good to be someone's saviour!)
Duct tape (about 1meter wrapped length ways around an old credit card)
A few zip ties
Bum Cream
Pain killers

All of the above will fit in a small Alpkit fuelpod (70g)

If its a multi day effort or i the wilderness I might throw an extra tube in (I run tubeless anyway) & a small first aid kit.

[ootini]

Small multi-tool
Mini pump
1 tube
Tube patches
Tyre levers
Cable ties

Takes up about half the space in my Deuter front triangle bag.

[Solo]

Multi tool with chain splitter.
Mini pump
tube plus glueless patch kit/2 tyre levers.
couple of reusable zip ties.

Maybe (not always) a Swiss army knife.

[benp1]

What I typically carry

Commuting
Spare tube, 2 levers, small knog multitool, Co2 x 2 and small head.

(I carry lots on my keys which includes multitool and knife)


On a trip I'll carry quite a bit
Multitools (crank brothers m19 and leatherman wave)
Spare tube, mini pump
Petzl e+lite
Tyre levers
Powerlink
mech hanger
cable ties
duct tape
Tyre boot

Sounds a lot but doesn't take up much room at all. Fits in a bumbag with other bits (like a waterproof), a rucksack, or in a half frame bag on a bikepacking trip

I've needed to use most of the bits in the past. There have been two particularly good uses for the Leatherman - to straighten a bent brake disc after a minor OTB crash, and to undo the nut on the box covering the tap of a sheep trough - i desperately needed water and it was the only place I could source it from

[Scattamah]

Put together over the last few years...

Contents of Revelate Jerry Can:
Chain lube (season dependant - Dumonde Tech Lite in the dry, Finish Line Wet or Dumonde Tech Liquid Grease for the wet)
Parktool VP1 with additional PT GP-2 stuffed inside
Small self-sticking tyre boot
A section of innertube for a larger boot with a small container inside of teflon grease and some Dyneema cord
Tenacious Tape - in the middle of the tube I put 3 SRAM powerlinks, presta->shrader chuck, spare cleat bolts, spare Ti bolts for bottlecage/stem
Folding toothbrush for cleaning chain
Topeak Hexus multi
Leatherman Freestyle (straight/serated blade, needlenose pliers and wire cutters/strippers)
Trek #6 hanger
Shimano RD bracket
Spare cleat

External to Jerry Can:
2 x tubes (one in the fuel tank for quick access, one in the Viscacha - sucks to have both tubeless go and just the 1 tube)
Cable ties of various lengths in the fuel tank
Serfas Big Stick on seat tube beside bottle cage.
Chain rag

Alternately, if I want standalone tools, the Hexus gets left at home in favour of a Topeak Survival Box, which is also useful for holding patches/boots/bolts/chucks. Jury is still out on which approach is better, although I'm leaning towards the Survival Box.

Greetz

S.

[HaYWiRe]

@scattamah

Thats quite an extensive list, though it seems each item is chosen for a reason, I take it you've learnt from past experiences?

I have also learnt myself being able to improvise can be more useful than simple carrying spares of everything, which is why my EDC always contains:
Duct tape
Electrical tape
Cable ties
Dyneema/fishing wire



What influences buying a pump?
I use co2 mostly because its so compact and quick, but longer trips it wont be viable without a trailer full of bulbs
I'm looking for a new mini pump mostly for top ups and regulating pressure, rather than puncture repairs, are there any compact ones that have gauges for PSI?

[Scattamah]

@scattamah...Thats quite an extensive list, though it seems each item is chosen for a reason, I take it you've learnt from past experiences?

Thankfully, I haven't had to use all of it at once, but yes - it's put together from being caught out a few too many times too far from civilisation.

Crank Bros do a mini pump with gauge; mine failed horribly when it was mounted to the frame rather than stashed in a bag and got full of water. Maybe if kept dry it would be nice. IIRC, the *morph pumps have an inline gauge.

Greetz

S.

[benp1]

I think the road morph does but the mountain morph doesn't (I have both, but currently use neither...!)

I forgot I usually carry some cable ties too. And have some handy things in a mini FAK

[whitestone]

Hope BB plastic container containing:

Multi-tool
Tyre boots made from old toothpaste tube
Cable ties
Tyre levers x 2
Tube patches (MTB is tubeless but I use the same kit for my commuter which isn't)
Chain powerlink
Plastic gloves from service station
Duck tape wrapped round outside

In addition I'll carry a pump and an inner tube.

Depending on trip/thoughts I may take some of:

Stans sealant
Shock pump
Spare brake pads
Spare links
Leatherman (ripoff)

[Joshvegas]

Whatever multitool that i can lay my hand on first.

And a puncture repair kit and levers. The wee tub also contains a leatherman squirt -considering grinding the jaws for quick link duty.

Each bike has a pump attached all of them with flexible tube connections.

I always have a hunter swiss army knife in my pocket from waking up to going to bed for emergency porkpie cutting and rioja opening.

[fatbikephil]

Good think about a bike is that you only need a limited amount of tools to take the whole thing to bits (or put it together when a bit falls off)
Topeak alien does for me plus a torx bit for disc bolts (my old alien doesn't have one)
Hypercracker for getting cassette off is well handy for replacing spokes or getting at the freewheel. Dunno if you can get them anymore
Leatherman pliers are good as this enables you to cut and bend fence wire which is good for bodges
Always take spare chain links and joining links, various nuts and bolts to replace lost ones, a spare jockey wheel (if the bolt comes undone a jockey wheel will ping off a surprisingly long way, usually making it impossible to find.)
tyre thread, patches, glue, superglue.
Brake pads, spring and pin
Lots of cable ties - good for bodging bag straps as well as various bike bits
My Ht560 tool kit weighed a hefty 750g (less inner tubes = another 750gs!) most of which was the alien and the leatherman but I'd rather humpf this than have to push the bugger

[FLV]

Pump,
Self Stick Patches
tyre boot
Allen Key mini tool
6mm - 8mm adapter
Chain Tool
chain Links
1 Tube (although I have both wheels tubeless)
Shimano crank doofer
Spoke Key
Duct Tape on pump
Brake pad split pin
M5 Bolt (brake caliper and cranks)

Multi dayers,
Another tube
Zip Ties
Spokes,
Magic cassette remover (currently lost)
Section of chain
Leatherman with knife and pliers
Valve cores

i think thats it.

[johnnystorm]

Mack Workshop Saddle Wrap
Contents pretty self-explanatory!

Tooled Up!

DSC_0027.jpg (71.72 KiB) Viewed 3374 times

[jameso]

Depends on the ride / bike, but generally -

Micro chain tool - Finish Line Chain Pup, with 2 pins and a set of quick-links
Multi-tool - tiny, just the basics with a torx for BB7s and an 8mm head for the MTB rear axle
Longer 4mm allen for my Bushnell if needed
Patch kit - usual glue and patches, stick-on patches, tyre boots, patches for thermarest, bits of tyre sidewall and needle + dental floss, powerflx superglue
UST Kit if needed - 60ml sealant, spare valve, worms sometimes, tiny leatherman copy for tubeless valves and quick links.
Pump and 1 tube
Brass adapter valve to use garage airlines or cheap pumps on a presta tube
Essential spare bolts - a bottle / rack boss M5, a jockey wheel bolt and a spare QR/seat clamp bolt.
Cut down DT Swiss plastic spoke key, also now fits HT2 crank caps
Gaffer tape and zip ties
Chain lube, 60ml
Spoke or 2 on longer rides. Could do with a cassette cracker..

Takes up hardly any space and is as light/minimal as I can get it. Kit can vary depending on who I ride with too.. : )

[HaYWiRe]

How do you guys usually carry your tools?
Both bikepacking and otherwise.

I've never been a fan of zipped saddlebags, they're clunky, everything rattles unless tightly packed and useless touring with a full seatpack

I've tried strapping stuff to the frame, but worked poorly and looked horrendous,
Now they sit in my frame bag, but I experimenting with how to keep them organized without resorting to a bag inside a bag inside a bag....

I've sewn up a little strap thingy I'm gonna try, I need to get pics up.
It holds a tube, co2 jet pump, levers, patches, chain tool and 2 Allen keys in a neat little size

(which reminds me I need to post a picture of my frame bag in MYOG too..... )

[jameso]

How do you guys usually carry your tools?

Wrapped / folded in a cloth bag that's like a small toolroll, stuffed into far end of a frame bag where it's easy to get to but is usually the last thing out / no risk of falling out if the front end of the zip is opened. A tool-specific jerry can as mentioned up there is a good idea.

[HaYWiRe]

Just picked up a Topeak survival gearbox,

It has made my toolkit a bit heavier, but is about the same as most multitools.
However its given me the usability of standalone tools and its quite extensive for its size, weighs in at 195g

Might be upsizing but I feel more prepared, and i can always disassemble for shorter trips, kit now as follows

Topeak survival box:
hex + torx keys
Chain tool
Spoke key and spanner
Levers
Patches
Tyre boot
Spare chain links

Inner tube
Pump/2 co2 bulbs
Rockshox fork pump
Dry lube
Tape, cable ties and fishing wire
Gerber mini paraframe
Spare glucotabs

[Scattamah]

The v2 of the Survival Toolbox is a bit better than my v1...the missus scoffed at the lack of philips head screwdriver in my set. For a super-light setup, carrying just a pump, a tube and the ST attached to the seat post is pretty effective.

Something to note - grab a pair of Park Tool levers or something sturdy of that ilk and carry one (or both) of 'em. I've snapped a ST lever and was lucky enough to be carrying a spare lever external to the box.

As to where I stash my tools...as per my toolkit post, Jerry Can is the primary storage bag. Other stuff is spread between fuel tank and saddle bag.

Greetz

S.