TOOLS AND SPARE PARTS TO CARRY ON THE BIKE
TOOLS AND SPARE PARTS THAT I MUST CARRY ON MY BIKE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GET HOME IN CASE OF A SMALL MISHAP
Many of us are users of this fantastic means of transportation, training or simply leisure. But many times the outing is truncated by not carrying spare parts or necessary tools. And then comes the phone call dreaded by many. I have seen people shivering (and not from the cold) when dialing the number on the phone calling their partner to come and pick them up because they have been “stranded”.
To avoid this, it is enough to stock up on three or four basic things to make sure we can ride back home, or at least to the next town to get to a bike store or workshop or a bar where we can be warmer while waiting.
The most common are punctures. So that everything remains a minor setback, do not forget to take with you replacement camera. On the road, I don’t wear tubeless, I always carry two because if I get a puncture once, I’m already worried all the way, knowing that I won’t have a spare. Of course it is also essential to have a air pump (or, failing that, CO2 cylinder). Nowadays there are very efficient ones with reduced size, so it is worth to carry it always on the bike, either clipped next to the bottle cage or inside the saddle bag. Because if you are one of those who take it every day and carry it in the pocket of the mayotte, Murphy will be waiting for the day you forget to put a small spike on the road you pass.
If you have tubeless on your mountain bike (the tires do not have an inner tube but a liquid inside the tire that seals all the pores and small punctures) and even so it has not sealed because the hole is too big you will have to put a wick. A wick is a rubber or glue wrapped strand that is inserted into the crack of the tire and helps to seal those larger holes. It is very simple, they usually come with a kit that consists of the wicks and a kind of two-pronged punch. The wick is inserted between these two tips and then simply insert the punch with the wick. When taking out the punch the wick will be hooked. If in spite of all this we continue losing air we will have to change the chamber. The mechanics is the same as fixing a puncture, but you will get wet and you will have to remove the valve from the rim (do not throw it away because you will reuse it when you put the liquid back in). And remember! Even if you have tubeless you should always carry a spare tube. You know Murphy is unforgiving!
If we suffer a blowout with a crack or prominent hole in the tire the thing gets a little more complicated because even if we put a new tube we would puncture as soon as we ride again. For these cases it is very useful to carry a piece of tire or plastic (something flexible) of about 8 x 2 cm. In this way we can temporarily cover the hole (putting it inside the tire). This is for “survival”, so go to the nearest place where you can put a new tire and do not try to finish the remaining 50 km of your training today with the wheel like this.
Small set of Allen keys and screwdriver. Indispensable for any small adjustments needed along the way (saddle, brakes, cleats,…).
One thing we don’t usually carry that is very useful is a small wire (like the ones used to close sliced bread bags) or small bridle. This can be used when we break a spoke. Fix that broken spoke to the nearest one with the wire so that it does not go dancing as it could get tangled and cause an accident. With a broken spoke you can continue to ride with care. But a word of advice, if you break the second spoke then stop, get your courage up and call to come and get you.
I would also advise you to carry, especially on mountain bikes, a chain sprocket. Although if you have never used it, it probably won’t do you any good. In mountain biking it is more common than we think to break the chain and with this gadget we can reattach it by sacrificing some link. In this case it is also about “surviving” and generally the derailleur will stop working properly, so put the chain where it works and try not to change it on your way home. But if you want to go with your back covered, get a quick link. With this you can replace the broken link in a few minutes with the help of the chain sprocket. It is important that you buy the quick link for your bike chain (this depends on the number of gears).
Finally, I would always try to have the derailleur hanger of the model of my bike next to my tool. This is the part that probably breaks the most when the derailleur gets tangled in the bike itself or with a branch or stone. It is an inexpensive part but it should be noted that it is different for each make and model of bike. I have seen encyclopedias that some catalogs of bike derailleur pins!
I think that with all of the above you can go out with peace of mind and you will be self-sufficient to return home in case of small bike mishaps, without having to bother anyone to come and pick you up.
