Beginners Guide to the "Basic Must Have Items"

jesstercpa

jesstercpa

Member
Hello friends,

So as I am enjoying this sport again more & more, I am feeling like I am not really all that prepared for basic issues such as flat tires, broken cables/chain, etc. Heck I'm not even sure what water bottle/hydration solution to get.

So can we discuss the basic-must-own items everyone has, and maybe more importantly, what are the items we should not waste our money on.

All of your help is GREATLY appreciated.

Jesse
 
Hand pump or CO2 or both, tire irons, spare tube, patch kit, quick link, chain tool (practice on old chains), lighter, 3 way allen key.

Don't waste your money on multi tools as the chain tools break.
 
tube, CO2 inflator with 2 Co2 cartridges, multitool with chain tool, quick link, spare der. hanger. thats what i keep with me every time i ride because i have needed each of those things at one point in time. for something thats extra long or really far out there, ill bring extra stuff, but i generally try to keep it simple
 
Everything said so far is valid. If you expect to be "out there" I'd suggest taking a couple zip ties along and wrapping some duct tape around your pump. It won't add much weight and is great in an emergency. If you have those little nuts on your valve stems, make sure they are loose enough to get off with just your fingers. If you can't get them off, the spare tube you're carrying ain't gonna help.

2c.

Dan-
 
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Hydration/food
-water bottle (I prefer to keep the weight lower so its now my primary hydration source.
-hydration pack for extra beer..I mean water
-1 random gel. Just in case.

Repair.
-multi-tool of choice
-co2/pump
-tire lever
-spare compatible chain quick links
-few zip ties
-1ft of 1inch gorilla tape rolled up
-spare tube

First aid
2 triangle bandages
Steri-strips
Roll of cloth medical tape
Sam splint

All these things live in my pack. With a few creature comforts like eye drops cause my contacts suck.

As far as first aid, I've become the "medic" for my ride group and I personally am prone to injury. So my first aid kit centers around trauma stabilization and blood lose management. I don't use quick clot just due to experience I can control bleeding with direct pressure a good amount of the time. And if I can't with pressure quick clot prob wont do much regardless so I can't just tie a tourniquet.
 
Used gel wraper works well to.

Also if your mech cable breaks you can pull it out of the shifter and thread it straight into the rear mech at the cable stop and bolt it back down at your desired gear for a quick SS set up.

njmark said:
Learned this at Cranks last summer, bring a dollar bill with you along with all of the above mentioned stuff. Came in handy when I ripped a gash in my tire.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you. A few of these caught me by surprise and made a ton of sense. Zip ties, tape, and bandages - who would have thought?

Just bought the derailleur hanger off the Kona site, and getting the spare links, tubes, CO2 ordered up today.
 
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