Ask the Gear Guy

Contents of a bike emergency kit

Q. I go biking with my friends to the beach all the time and I always keep a repair kit and a cell phone handy, but is there anything else I should be carrying, like a Swiss army knife or the like?
– Christian the Cyclist, Bronx, N.Y.

A. Way to think ahead, Christian. That’s the first step to making sure that your bike ride doesn’t turn into a long hike home. To fill you in on the best stuff to carry I called up my buddy Adam Craig, nine-time national champion mountain biker. Here’s his advice for you: “I never head out on a bike ride — even if I’m just riding down to the beach — without three key pieces of equipment: a spare inner tube, a mini-pump to use on the tube, and a bike-specific combo wrench. The wrench should include allen keys, screwdriver and a chain repair tool. You can get a seat-bag to hold all of these things or just put them in your pocket like I do.”

Read 6 comments about “Contents of a bike emergency kit”

1. 1 - bigboots says:
   May 29th, 2008 at 5:49 pm

   Wouldn’t you want tire wrenches to change the tube?

2. 2 - plybon12 says:
   June 18th, 2008 at 4:18 pm

   I cary a pack of HUMAN repair tools, caws im more important than a bike.

3. 3 - expert biker 101 says:
   June 26th, 2008 at 9:37 pm

   i carry a first aid kit, and a bike repair kit in my seat bag, i think that you especially need these in the woods with mountain bikes like i do.

4. 4 - expert biker 101 says:
   June 27th, 2008 at 6:46 pm

   when you have to fix your gears on the trail, you don’t need a tool to do that so don’t pack one, because you can do it by hand, and it also cuts down on the weight.

5. 5 - Mr.Meaty says:
   July 9th, 2008 at 3:24 pm

   My friend and I have a track in the woods

6. 6 - duct tape says:
   July 30th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

   i like the stuff on that list but i think a first aid kit and extra water would be also good to have on that list.

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