What to Bring on Your Ride

What to Bring on Your Ride

THERE IS THE GEAR YOU WEAR, AND THEN THERE IS THE GEAR you want to have installed on your bike or carry with you in your pockets. Riders’ gear can vary from ultra-light to the kitchen sink depending on their temperament and the type of riding they like to do.

Saddlebags

Let’s start with the basics—the kinds of compartments you want to carry things in. The average road cyclist—no matter what type—has at least a saddlebag. This is a small bag (though they come in slightly larger sizes, too) that tucks under the back end of your saddle. It’s intended to carry your flat repair items, a few small tools, and maybe emergency money or energy gel (for more on what to carry, see “Bringing Up the Rear” at left). It’s limited in space, so it can really just hold the basics that you’ll need for every ride but don’t want to have to pack each time. It usually will live under the saddle on your bike.

Bringing Up the Rear: Your Saddle Bag

THIS IS THE HOLY GRAIL OF A cyclist’s carrying devices. The bigger your saddle bag is, the farther you can go. Whether you ride minimalist or with everything but the kitchen sink, there’s no shame in taking a page from the Boy Scouts: “Be prepared”!

Level I, Weight Weenie: You want the smallest, lightest, most compact bag possible.

Carry:
> A tire lever (or two)
> Tube—out of box and tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for ultimate shrinkage
> Patch, glue, and emery cloth (essentially a patch kit without the box)
> Cash (for food, bus fare, or as an emergency tire boot to keep the tube from pushing out of larger holes or gashes in your tire)
> CO2 and inflator
> ID/insurance card/debit card (Note: Debit card does not work as a replacement for cash in a tire boot.)

Level II, Easy Rider: You ride solo a lot and are wary of getting stranded.

Add:
> Duct tape (1 foot wrapped around a small piece of cardboard)
> Tire boot (reinforced piece of rubber to protect your tube from large gashes in your tire)
> 1–2 more tire levers
> Small multitool
> Presta-to-Schrader valve adapter
> Hand pump (may be carried on bike or in pocket)

Level III, Not Counting Grams: You’d rather be safe than sorry.

Add:
> Extra tube
> Emergency energy gel or bar
> A master link or replacement pin for chain repair
> Chain breaker
> Go to a bigger multitool with all the works.

Level IV, Going the Distance: You’re in it for the long haul.

You have a really long commute or are touring. You’re not afraid of the weight, but wary of the cold dark rain. Your small seat pack has morphed into a carrier clamped to the seatpost. You are just short of actually having a rack installed on your bike.

Add:
> Zip ties
> Lights
> Lightweight jacket/extra clothes
> Emergency spoke replacement
> More extra food
> Spare batteries
> 4-inch crescent wrench
> Anything else you don’t think you can live without

Bento Bags 

If you want to have more food or a wallet that won’t fit into your jersey pocket, there are “bento” bags, which rest in front of you on the top tube of the bike for easy access while pedaling. They’re usually the size of a very large wallet and can carry a few extra snack bars, some cash, or your sunscreen—anything you want close at hand.

Handlebar Bags 

For cycle-tourists who need to carry everything they need for day of riding and sightseeing, there are large bags that hang off the front of the handlebars that can hold a great deal—all of the stuff you can put in a bento bag, times 10. A camera, food, your wallet, extra clothing—really quite a bit can fit inside. Some have a specially designed window so you can have your route map for the day sitting where you can see it while riding and keeping it safe from sudden downpours. The downfall of these bags is that they catch a lot of wind, though for the cycle-tourist who is weighed down with gear, this usually isn’t an issue.

Panniers 

Finally, there are panniers, which are very large bags that hook onto a mounted rack. They are purchased in pairs, because they are designed to go on both sides of your rack and can hold everything from tents and food to laptops and clothes. So of course, before you get them you have to buy and install a rack, which most road bikes (other than touring and some cross-discipline bikes) will not be designed to accommodate because they are built for speed over carrying capacity. The average road bike is like a sports car (sleek and aerodynamic), while the touring bike is more of the minivan or pickup truck. They can both get you there, but the trip will be significantly different. If you’re planning on carrying panniers or any bag that mounts to a rack, make sure you buy a bicycle that can take one first.
There are racks and panniers designed specifically for the front or rear of the bike. If using racks, most riders start out with a rear only since weight in the front makes the handlebars harder to control. The beauty of pannier design is that it allows your extra weight to sit low (as opposed to up high on top of a rack or on your back), keeping your center of gravity closer to the ground and your ride much more stable. The downside to saddlebags is, of course, that you lose a great deal of aerodynamics. For some riders—like cycle-tourists or commuters—this will be an acceptable compromise to carry your gear.

Pump vs. CO2 

No matter what you carry in your saddlebag, at minimum you’ll need a new tube, some tire levers, and an inflation device. At home you’ll use a floor pump, but when it comes to airing up your tires on the road, it really comes down to two choices: a hand pump or CO2.

Hand Pumps 

These are a great option for almost any ride because of their dependability. You can use them to find the hole in your tube, refill your tire after a flat, and for a quick top-off on the road. The most minimal are usually the smallest, but the smaller the pump, the more strokes (and therefore time and effort) it will take to fill up your tire. A pump with a small hose attachment is recommended to make it easier to use without damaging the valve stem on the tube. Some larger and more deluxe hand pumps even convert into miniature floor pumps with foldout footrests and handles to make using them a breeze. Most hand pumps also come with mounts to attach to your bike, but it’s also common for riders to slide the pump into their jersey pockets.

Frame Pumps 

These are directly related to the hand pump. They lack a hose and some other features, but have a large air chamber that can make filling your tire faster. They use a spring system to compress the pump between the tubes of your frame so you don’t need a special mount. However, many modern carbon fiber or aluminum frames have odd-shaped tubing that makes it hard for these pumps to fit properly.

CO2 

If time is of the essence (like during a race or on a group ride where people are waiting for you), CO2 may be a better choice. Instead of having to spend 3 minutes or more filling your tire after you’ve replaced the tube, you can reinflate in a matter of seconds. The CO2 cartridge is a thumb-sized metal canister with pressurized carbon dioxide that comes in two sizes—12 or 16 gauge—the larger of which is for road bike tires. You’ll also need a special inflator to break the seal—the best of which have a lever to allow you to control how quickly and how much air goes into your tire.
The plus side is the speed of inflation, but CO2 has its downside, too. If you have more than one flat—or accidentally release the CO2 trying to fill your tire—you’ve lost one of your chances to repair the flat and get home. Because of the weight of the cartridges, you don’t save grams. You’ll also be carrying the empty metal canisters home with you after you’ve used them. An important note: CO2 won’t keep your tire inflated longer than overnight. Plan on refilling it with good old-fashioned air from your floor pump the next morning if you find it’s a little low.
Some people find that carrying both a pump and CO2 is the best solution. That way you have speed when you want it, but a backup if you need it. With either choice, make sure you practice using it once or twice before you hit the road so when the time comes, you don’t have to figure out how the thing works.

Computers

We have them at home. We have them on our phones. We use them as our TVs. It only makes sense that our bicycles would have them, too, right? Some riders just want to ride, enjoy the scenery, and use the time on their bikes to unplug from technology. For others, computers can be an invaluable training tool to keep track of changes from one ride to the next or follow cue sheets for turns when touring or on a club ride, or as motivation to meet certain goals or markers. The bottom line is, you don’t need a computer to enjoy riding, but if you think it would be a good fit for you, there are many to choose from.
All computers use a magnet attached to the spokes of your wheel and a sensor attached to the fork to collect information with each rotation of the wheel. The more basic and inexpensive computers have a long wire running from the fork reader to carry the information to the display on your handlebars ($15–$50). On the more deluxe models ($50–$90), the information is passed wirelessly and more functions are offered. On the most high-end models ($150+), the computer reader battery is generally rechargeable and there are ways to take the information gathered and upload it to your computer or phone to track your numbers.

Basic Functions (Found on All Computers) 

DISTANCE: Bicycle computers began as a simple odometer to track mileage on your rides. They still do, but now they also offer many more options specific to cycling needs. This includes a function that will let you track the distance of your current ride separately from the total mileage you’ve ridden with the computer (odometer).
SPEED: This can include your current speed (how fast you’re going), your average speed (how fast you go over your whole ride), or your maximum speed (how fast you bombed down the hill).
TIME: Hey, who wears a watch these days? These functions include a clock (so you don’t have to reach for your phone while riding) and also tracking total ride time.
WHEEL-SIZE SETTINGS: Since different-sized tires and wheels will change how far your wheel rolls on each rotation, most computers have codes to easily input the size you have on your bike.

Advanced Functions (Found on $40–$90 Wired and Wireless Models)

DUAL BIKE MEMORY: Allows you to use the computer on different bikes with different wheels and still get an accurate reading.
TEMPERATURE: So you can see how hard you had to work in the heat.
STOPWATCH: For interval training or if you are doing laps within one ride.
AUTO START/STOP: This allows your computer to stop tracking when you’re stopped at lights or for a snack break so you have a separate recording of your moving time.
SLEEP MODE: Automatically powers down to help conserve your battery if you’re stopped for more than a few minutes. Will “awaken” where you left off on your ride when you turn it back on.
ALTITUDE: This tracks how high and low you have hit on your ride and, more importantly, the total amount you climbed.

Advanced Functions (Found on Computers $150+)

CADENCE: This tracks how fast you’re pedaling by counting the rpms (revolutions per minute) your pedals make. This is a good feature if you want to practice spinning more—which makes you both faster and more efficient. This also requires another magnet that attaches to your crank arm and another sensor attached to your frame.
HEART RATE MONITOR: One way to track how hard you’re working is by measuring your heart rate. This can be very helpful if you are training for a race or event and want to do very specific workouts.
GPS: Computers with GPS allow you to track distance even without the traditional wheel sensor. The largest-screened and high-end devices even come with street maps, topography, and more.
UPLOADING DATA: This allows you to keep track of your numbers (distance, speed, heart rate, etc.) so you can use them for comparison and graph how your ride or race went. It also will keep track of your route, so you can always revisit a ride and see how you got there.

Phone Applications

If you’re interested in keeping track of your rides—speed, distance, routes, elevation, and time—but don’t want to buy a computer, there are now apps that allow you to do all of the above by making use of the GPS in your phone. Usually, they also have a social networking aspect that allows you to compare your ride times with friends or meet new people that you might want to ride with.
Like any app, the downside is that they are a huge battery suck, so if you ride a lot, you’ll need a booster for your phone so it doesn’t run out of juice. The upside is that the high-end computers with the “upload” function allow you to upload this same information into these apps on your home computer.
Either way, this can be a great way to find new routes, make ride buddies, and compete with local riders without having to race. All of which make them extremely valuable and, for some, extra fun.

Mirrors 

You can attach a mirror to your helmet or to your handlebars if you feel it will help to keep you more aware of your surroundings or if you have a hard time looking over your shoulder due to some kind of physical limitation. The handlebar mirrors are a little tougher to see clearly because they pick up all the road vibration, so many prefer the helmet type.
Many riders prefer not to use mirrors at all because they find them either distracting or, in the case of the helmet mount, they may block some of the rider’s forward field of vision.