What if your expedition bicycles broken?
- Thread starter ellasmoth
- Start date
Co-opski
Expedition Leader
ellasmoth,
I bring light basic tools. Here is a list of what I carry. Some may bring more or less, it is all up to the rider.
Crank brothers multi 10 tool.
Small Park chain tool
1 oz of stans
quick links for chain
patch kit for tire
pump
Leatherman small one
Pro gold pen lube if I'm on a beach or in glacier silt for multi days the 10 speed shifts better
bailing wire and duct tape are in my general gear repair kit along with tyvek tape or k tape and zip ties.
Anything more than that I bust out the Visa and a sat-phone.
I bring light basic tools. Here is a list of what I carry. Some may bring more or less, it is all up to the rider.
Crank brothers multi 10 tool.
Small Park chain tool
1 oz of stans
quick links for chain
patch kit for tire
pump
Leatherman small one
Pro gold pen lube if I'm on a beach or in glacier silt for multi days the 10 speed shifts better
bailing wire and duct tape are in my general gear repair kit along with tyvek tape or k tape and zip ties.
Anything more than that I bust out the Visa and a sat-phone.
fog cutter
Adventurer
no spokes, cables, or tubes?
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
For me, this topic begins with good bike maintenance. If you can't go 200-500 miles without some sort of mechanical issue, your bike is in terrible shape. I can ride for thousands of miles with little more than a few flat tires here and there. I break about one spoke per 30,000 miles on average as an example.
At any rate, for trips far from home I often carry:
Tire/Wheel
- Tube (removable valve core with two extra cores)
- Tire levers x 2
- Tire boot to repair cuts
- Needle and dental floss to sew up big tire sidewall cuts
- Duct Tape for cut repair
- 2 small bottles of tire sealant
- Pre-glued patches (for the tube)
- Pump
- Small piece of Tyvek fabric for tire boots
The above can overcome darn near any tire problem and repair a variety of tire failures multiple times.
Tools
- Multi-tool (check to make sure it has all the tools needed for your bike and that the tools FIT THOSE BOLTS.)
- Chain tool if not on the multi-tool
- Torx wrench for rotor bolts. Never leave home without it.
Spares and supplies
- Lube. LOTS OF LUBE.
- Rag for lube
- Spare bottle cage bolts and bolts for shoe cleats, derailleur jockey wheels, etc. They're small and easy to carry.
- Super glue
- Extra chain links, usually 4-6 full links as well as two master-links.
- Zip-ties, typically a dozen of various sizes.
There's really no need to carry spokes or cables unless you're on a multi-month epic on a far corner of the globe. Cable and housing failures happen, but only on bikes that have been neglected. The most common failures are broken chains, mangled derailleurs, and flats that can sometimes be really tough to remedy, particularly if they include severe cuts to tire casings.
The most common trail maintenance items are relative to squeaky parts that need lube, like chains, pulleys and suspension pivot points. Brakes can sometimes be problematic, but also remedied with basic tools.
At any rate, for trips far from home I often carry:
Tire/Wheel
- Tube (removable valve core with two extra cores)
- Tire levers x 2
- Tire boot to repair cuts
- Needle and dental floss to sew up big tire sidewall cuts
- Duct Tape for cut repair
- 2 small bottles of tire sealant
- Pre-glued patches (for the tube)
- Pump
- Small piece of Tyvek fabric for tire boots
The above can overcome darn near any tire problem and repair a variety of tire failures multiple times.
Tools
- Multi-tool (check to make sure it has all the tools needed for your bike and that the tools FIT THOSE BOLTS.)
- Chain tool if not on the multi-tool
- Torx wrench for rotor bolts. Never leave home without it.
Spares and supplies
- Lube. LOTS OF LUBE.
- Rag for lube
- Spare bottle cage bolts and bolts for shoe cleats, derailleur jockey wheels, etc. They're small and easy to carry.
- Super glue
- Extra chain links, usually 4-6 full links as well as two master-links.
- Zip-ties, typically a dozen of various sizes.
There's really no need to carry spokes or cables unless you're on a multi-month epic on a far corner of the globe. Cable and housing failures happen, but only on bikes that have been neglected. The most common failures are broken chains, mangled derailleurs, and flats that can sometimes be really tough to remedy, particularly if they include severe cuts to tire casings.
The most common trail maintenance items are relative to squeaky parts that need lube, like chains, pulleys and suspension pivot points. Brakes can sometimes be problematic, but also remedied with basic tools.
calicamper
Expedition Leader
The only spoke failure I've had was on a very light set of cheap road bike wheels once you start breaking spokes on those typically they keep failing till you replace the wheel for a beefier one. Given that a good wheel set built for strength doesn't need to be a big expense its worth it just to start out with decent wheels.
Tubes, patches and zip ties and a strip of tire liner plastic incase you need to make a tire patch with zip ties and liner plastic isn't a bad idea. I had to use a $5 bill once to keep the tube from sticking out of a split sidewall. All I had was a $5 bill LOL. If your sporting hydrolic brakes might be good to know how to bleed them. I need to learn that step and sort out how given my last ride I finished without a rear brake due to air in the system. New high tech fangled bike stuff I haven't learned how to mess with yet.
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
Bleeding brakes on the trail isn't going to happen. A typical bleed kit is pretty big to portage around. If a brake fails for some reason, the common solution is to unbolt the caliper, zip-tie it to the bike frame or fork and carry on without one stopper.
I did forget to mention that I ALWAYS travel with a second set of brake pads and very seldom have a problem changing pads without a bleed. It's not always perfect, but..
Again, it's pretty rare for many problems to just suddenly sneak up on you. Good maintenance, regular maintenance, is going to virtually eliminate every possible mechanical failure save for flats and damage from crashes, nasty conditions, etc.
Oh, and I always take three pairs of latex gloves on longer rides. Who needs to get their hands dirty?
I did forget to mention that I ALWAYS travel with a second set of brake pads and very seldom have a problem changing pads without a bleed. It's not always perfect, but..
Again, it's pretty rare for many problems to just suddenly sneak up on you. Good maintenance, regular maintenance, is going to virtually eliminate every possible mechanical failure save for flats and damage from crashes, nasty conditions, etc.
Oh, and I always take three pairs of latex gloves on longer rides. Who needs to get their hands dirty?
calicamper
Expedition Leader
True I was hoping that someone might have a bleeding process for the on the trail effort but suspected it probably wasn't going to be the case.
I think the worst crippling thing I've experienced was having the rear derailer decide to commit suicide and hook spokes while way out in boony land. I was pretty screwed and after about an hour of fiddling with my limited multi tool and some modification via force I was able to get it to hold a gear so I could at least ride the bike and limp it 15miles back to the car. Thats probably my worst fear on a way out there ride is having the damn derailer implode given there isn't much you can do if you really mangle it.
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
Derailleurs suffer catastrophic failures for really only three reasons, two of them very avoidable. In order of most common:
- Bent hanger. Riders often neglect to understand the importance of inspecting the alignment of a derailleur hanger. These things are easily bent, but easily inspected. When it does get bent, which could be as easy to do as bumping it on a doorway, the derailleur shifts into the wheel and causes all sorts of hell. Avoidable hell.
- The loose pulley screw. These little screws have been known to come loose, fall out, and then causing excess chain slack to clog the derailleur cage, wrapping it around the cassette. Again...totally avoidable with a little regular maintenance and inspection.
- The busted chain. Much harder to anticipate and avoid, sometimes chains just fail and again, cause the der to wrap around the cassette. Good chain maintenance and proper shifting technique (not shifting under load) can reduce the risk of chain failure.
- Bent hanger. Riders often neglect to understand the importance of inspecting the alignment of a derailleur hanger. These things are easily bent, but easily inspected. When it does get bent, which could be as easy to do as bumping it on a doorway, the derailleur shifts into the wheel and causes all sorts of hell. Avoidable hell.
- The loose pulley screw. These little screws have been known to come loose, fall out, and then causing excess chain slack to clog the derailleur cage, wrapping it around the cassette. Again...totally avoidable with a little regular maintenance and inspection.
- The busted chain. Much harder to anticipate and avoid, sometimes chains just fail and again, cause the der to wrap around the cassette. Good chain maintenance and proper shifting technique (not shifting under load) can reduce the risk of chain failure.
calicamper
Expedition Leader
True except not all are avoidable. I lost two primarily to being just plum worn out those were predictable. The third was a long ride in Tahoe back country a loose branch kicked up and the result was a truly mangled bit of derailer that was an interesting adventure. I would take a busted chain any day over the derailler biting the big one. I do carry a chain tool given I've fixed countless broken chains on the trail.
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
Well, sure. The rogue stick and unexpected crash have potential to damage anything. I am speaking primarily to simple mechanical failure. It is possible to almost eliminate most mechanical failures with good maintenance and care. I can literally go tens of thousands of miles without on-trail mechanicals.
Last time I went, I broke two spoke nipples, because I slid down a deep (as in axle-deep) rut where a tree root poked out of the sides. Not a problem, though, I continued on my merry way until I found a bike shop and bought a couple of nipples. I will not carry spokes, though, but I have surmised that a few nipples aren't too heavy to bring the next time around.
As for chain, I haven't bothered carrying anything more than a couple of quicklinks and a few extra inches of chain. Instead I opted for the 11-speed in-hub gear (it runs on oil, btw, not grease), and use a rather strong chain which I can't remember the name of at the moment. All in all, this means less strain on the chain, but I have to say I wonder if a Rohloff 14-speed hub would be stronger or nicer, although I have had no problems with the Shimano.
I use Shimano hydraulic brakes, and they are dead easy to bleed without having to carry anything extra (you can bleed them from the top), and I do carry extra brake pads, as they weigh next to nothing.
My bike is a Bullitt "long john" cargo bike. I find it so much better than most other solutions that I also use it on everyday basis when a motorised vehicle is not needed.
Tyres are Schwalbe Marathon Supremes. On the front is a 1.6"/20", and on the back is a 2.0"/26" (if they made the 20" in 2.0", I would use that on the front = floats better over soft ground).
As for chain, I haven't bothered carrying anything more than a couple of quicklinks and a few extra inches of chain. Instead I opted for the 11-speed in-hub gear (it runs on oil, btw, not grease), and use a rather strong chain which I can't remember the name of at the moment. All in all, this means less strain on the chain, but I have to say I wonder if a Rohloff 14-speed hub would be stronger or nicer, although I have had no problems with the Shimano.
I use Shimano hydraulic brakes, and they are dead easy to bleed without having to carry anything extra (you can bleed them from the top), and I do carry extra brake pads, as they weigh next to nothing.
My bike is a Bullitt "long john" cargo bike. I find it so much better than most other solutions that I also use it on everyday basis when a motorised vehicle is not needed.
Tyres are Schwalbe Marathon Supremes. On the front is a 1.6"/20", and on the back is a 2.0"/26" (if they made the 20" in 2.0", I would use that on the front = floats better over soft ground).
I agree with Christophe in that, so long as maintenance is done BEFORE a big ride, you'll rarely have troubles on the trail - save the unknown/unavoidable breakdowns. Before my wife and I rode the White Rim in a Day this April, I saw my lower pulley had cracked. Replaced it for $7 or so and it didn't break at mile 40 with 60 more to go! That would have been ugly and dangerous. We've done some terribly remote and long rides in Moab this year, and just completed a 24 hour race in New Mexico with absolutely no mechanicals during the ride, except a flat tire. It's not luck...
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