Question:
I’m not a great bicycle mechanic, but I want to have what I need for roadside repairs. What should I have in my repair kit on rides?
Answer:
The most important things are for repairing flat tires. They should be:
- 1 frame pump
- 1 pr. tire irons
- 2 spare tubes
- 1 tube patch kit
- 1 boot to repair medium sized tire cuts
- 2 feet of adhesive tape (e.g. duct tape) to repair
larger cuts to the tire casing - 1 valve extender for deep section rims
In winter, a spare folding tire is also a good idea (I use an old racing tire). I also like to take a presta-to-schrader valve adaptor just in case my pump fails but I can get to a gas station and use the schrader air supply.
Small tools for bike repair are also a good idea, but you don’t need too much. I recommend the following:
- 4mm allen wrench
- 5mm allen wrench
- 2mm allen wrench
- chain tool and extra master link
- spoke wrench
Small multi-tools are a good alternative. Crank Brothers makes a nice tool that costs less than $20 and has all the things I mention above and more.
All these things will fit into a seat bag that’s small enough that you won’t mind carrying it on your racing bike.
