What all do you pack on your Bicycle?

[Tbars]

..No matter the type of bicycle riding you do, what do you carry on your bike?

..What tools, camping gear, First-Aid supplies, or other accessories do you carry? Have you found that one item you can't live without or the one item that replaces 10 other items?

..What spare parts do you carry?

..Do you have a way to charge your cell phone, pad, or laptop while biking?

..Have you seen a new product for bike trips that you would like to see tested?

 

[Christophe Noel]

That's a lot of questions, my man.

For my daily rides, I carry the standard: Tube, pre-glued patches, tire levers, one small multi-tool, tire boot, and a pump.

For longer rides, or group rides, I carry the same plus: bigger multi-tool with a chain breaker on it. More patches. Co2 cartridges and inflator.

For super long rides I might throw in a SPOT. I might carry a few extras like zip ties and duct tape but no spare parts to speak of. That's fully unnecessary.

...and....I definitely don't take the laptop on bike rides. Getting away from this thing is reason #1 why I ride.

 

[Tbars]

..As many, and as diverse as the different bikes and riders are, I didn't want to alienate anyone who saw bike riding any different from the next guy..

..This way, the guy who picks up his bike off the ground and goes riding with no more than a knife in his teeth could share as well as the guy who spends weeks at a time on his bike with loaded panniers running his business from his laptop and cellphone while touring a foreign land..(I know they are out there )

..I figured everyone sharing in this thread could only help us that do more than one style of bike riding..Just my thinking..

 

[gwittman]

I usually don't ride for more than a couple hours at a time. So, I carry minimal stuff. I carry a spare tube and the tools I need to fix a flat. That is; tire levers and a patch kit just in case one tube is not enough. Of course, a tire pump is always mounted. I never leave without a bottle of water. That is it, unless you want to count my computer that give me speed, distance and time information.

 

[Tbars]

..Long time no see..

..Yep, even your computer..

...I know there are guys who run their phones for GPS and also have bike computers, while some just use a "runners" app on their phones as it gives a lot more realtime info..

What alternate ways they use to charge either the bike computer and their cell phones could help others too as well as preferred tools for the chain or patches...

 

[DJGoo]

You mean people actually bring cell-phones when they go biking? O__o

Wow.. ANYWAY, since I don't really do overnight trips on the bike, I only carry what I can fit in my pockets or on my belt. A big knife, fire starters, a bit of food.....if it's in the desert, then I bring a pack with water, otherwise I plan to get water from streams. So, I actually don't put anything ON my bike. I hate having things on my bike; it just throws me off and feels awkward.

 

[gwittman]

Hi Ted, I forgot that in my last post. I came across your thread on biking Catalina. It tempted me to give that a try but that would require much more stuff on the bike.

 

[Tbars]

..I was surprised at how little I actually took for a self sufficient week long trip (all bags were pretty empty)..When I got back I had learned of a couple things I wanted to add/change and went shopping...

Now I can carry more stuff in a lot smaller space and lighter weight..

If I could easily charge the electronics and store more food, I would definitely do a month long trip..

 

[ywen]

i carry a couple of these.. awesome

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1024248_-1_400024__400024

 

[keezer37]

The usual tire repair stuff, some band-aids and a few baby wipes in a ziplock bag.

 

[Tbars]

..I like those ultra lite towels and the price is perfect..

..I've been trying to find more ultra lite equipment to pack on my trips...Common things like a decent bath towel that would be quick dry or a rag like that towel might come in handy when repairing on trail and need to wipe the grease off your hands ..

 

[madmax718]

urban? Cell phone, patch kit, tube, co2 inflator, and an allen key/chain brake tool, tire irons.
Woods? Same thing, just add more water, maybe a compass or GPS.

I have tried doing the solar panel, and it does work, but there's no reason to do it for the most part- if its not a multi day excursion.

I will bring an ace bandage, and some rolls of small gauze, and some duct tape. Its usually enough to cover any large cuts/bleeding situation.

 

[Tbars]

..Cellphones are pretty much the norm for short 1-3 day trips but I know there are a number of people on here that take 5 day or longer trips on their bikes and hopefully they will chime in also..Not having to ride into town somewhere just to find a receptacle to charge up a cell phone cause you used the GPS for a few minutes would be awesome I think..

But yes, Solar for a longer trip would help and hopefully those who use solar panels with their bikes can shed some light on what the smallest, best, and most durable of these are..Their downfalls on certain ones would help too..

..I do think I have 90% of my electrical supply needs for both my trucks when offroad and now also my bike when I Bikepack for a week and hopefully up to a month long trips..

..I picked up one of the Micro-Start XP-1's.

..I am still looking for the best little solar panel for these trips for my bike and I know I'm going to need to keep reading up on the solar panel specs..I will be hooking this up to the XP-! to charge it hopefully fast while riding..If not, just the XP-! will come along as it is only 14 oz. and can charge laptops, cell phones, and jump start a v8 truck multiple times on a single charge..

..I'm actually doing some pre-trip test on the Micro-Start XP-1 as well as testing some tents and sleeping pads for various future trips at the moment..

..These items are all lite weight in one form or another, proportional weight and size are based on the comfort level and local of each independent trip though.. and they are some of the things I pack on my bike..

 

[Navman]

For normal before/after work MTB rides I take 1 bottle, 1 tube, 1 CO2 (all 3 on bike), 1 key to open the car door. I've grown to love the minimalist rides without a pack.

For longer or more remote rides I'll add a pack with phone, more water, food, multi tool, and patches. Maybe some layers if needed.

I don't go out longer than 4 fours, unless a chairlift or shuttle is involved.

 

[Christophe Noel]

..Cellphones are pretty much the norm for short 1-3 day trips but I know there are a number of people on here that take 5 day or longer trips on their bikes and hopefully they will chime in also...

It's probably good to make the distinction between a bike tour and bikepacking. Typically, bike touring is done on roads, and as such offers more opportunity for resupply–usually. Touring also allows for more gear to be hauled, so it's not uncommon for touring riders to go a couple weeks without a resupply.

Bikepacking is the term applied to travel on primarily singletrack, in the deep backcountry, almost always on a mountain bike. Being more remote in nature, bikepacking often takes place in areas were resupply is not possible for a few days. Wilderness being a relatively small thing these days, the longest I've gone without any OPPORTUNITY to resupply is around 4-6 days. Bikepacking requires the rider to carry the very minimum of gear needed. It's all about being as light as possible. Many bikepackers (me) go uber light, often with as few as 17 pounds of gear in total including food, shelter, etc.

Regarding power, for bikepacking I just carry extra batteries for my SPOT and GPS. I do carry an extra rechargeable battery for my phone. I either use a Snow Lizard case with a built-in battery, or I use a New Trent Extreme power pack which will charge my phone 3 times.

I have used solar panels, but the are a huge hassle.