Night interior. Runlovers’ meeting. Stephen says, “When I go out biking, I always have a question about what to take with me. It might be useful for others, too, so why don’t we write an article?”
Yes, it could definitely be useful for many people-especially beginning people-who either carry too many things or too few. And neither is a good option: because it is foolish to carry extra weight and because–by Murphy’s law–if you need something, you can be sure you will need it when you do not have it with you.
Transportation Solutions
Before you make the (very useful) list of things to bring, you have to have a place to store them, obvious no?! Leaving aside the more challenging carrying solutions derived from bikepacking, there are three options available: the under-seat bag, “the bottle cage,” and jersey pockets. The last one, clearly, is a makeshift solution.
The under-saddle bag
I won’t explain what it is and where it should be put because, come on, the name is already self-explanatory. While it is very comfortable, I am not crazy about it because it interferes with the aesthetics of the bicycle and, you know, when we pedal everything has to be beautiful and perfect.
The bottle cage
As you can easily imagine, it is cylindrical in shape and looks like a water bottle only instead of filling it with water or salts, you put all the items you need to carry in it. Yes, I know, it takes away a space for your water bottle but it is not a big problem. Believe me.
Other solutions
Boxes built into the frame, bento boxes, pockets. It is all right as long as they allow us to bring all the things we might need.
Indispensable items when pedaling
Here is the list. Things to always have with us when we go out for a bike ride (both road and mountain bike). And we start from the beginning.
Lights
You do not carry lights but you must always have them on: rear on the seat tube and front on the handlebars. There are very light and LED ones, even with rear radar that alerts you when vehicles arrive. Lights are an essential safety device when cycling because they make us more visible. Even in the daytime, especially in the daytime!
2 air chambers
Melius abundare quam deficere, the Latins used to say, and since we know that luck is blind but misfortune sees very well, it is always better to have two inner tubes with us (should we use tires). In addition, I recommend that you also bring a patch, in case Fantozzi is an amateur by comparison with you.
Remember to always carry inner tubes with the schwalbe valve of a length appropriate to the profile of your rim. Otherwise they are useless.
Levers for the clinchers
Essential for lifting the clincher and extracting the inner tube. If you forget them, working on the wheel is much more difficult.
A piece of clincher
It is also useful to have a piece of clincher about 10 centimeters long in case ours cuts conspicuously-we will put it underneath to keep the inner tube from coming out and ruining itself.
Mini pump and inflation solutions
Personally, I prefer to use CO2 cartridges and always carry at least 2 or 3, with the corresponding nozzle. On longer outings-where you never know what might happen-I still also carry a mini-pump to keep in the back pocket of my jersey.
Latex gloves
Very useful when we need to replace the inner tube: they practically do not add weight but make it more comfortable to work with.
Dog bags
Any small bag will do, I use the ones (for the dog’s needs) because they are light and I already have them at home. Lu you can use it for garbage but also to put gel packs in it, which, in this way, do not get dirty or sticky.
Multitool
It is a kind of Swiss Army knife that, instead of blades, has the most commonly used tools for maintaining your bike. You will then be able to fix screws, remove the through-pin, and work on the mechanics without bringing your toolbox. If you go out with friends, they don’t all need to have one: one is enough. But there must be.
Paper handkerchiefs
They are not needed but, if you need them, you will eat your hands for not bringing them. In fact no, you better not eat them: they are dirty! :)))
Money
I always bring at least 5 euros, paper because coins slam and are noisy. They come in handy if you have to stop at a coffee shop for coffee, water, or an unexpected pit stop.
It sounds like a lot of things, I know, but they are all very useful and fit in a container the size of a small water bottle. You only need to know how to play Tetris.
(Main image credits: aleksey_rezin on DepositPhotos.com)