One of the first questions that comes up when you begin planning a trip by bicycle is: what tools should I bring? The answer depends, in our opinion, on several different factors:
- Length of trip
- Type of terrain
- Availability / possibility of reaching a bike shop
- Knowledge of bike mechanics
- Economic budget
- Level of desire for adventure (fewer tools = more adventure!)
All of these factors are interrelated in one way or another so really, it depends on you, the traveler.
We carry quite a lot of tools, but we have our reasons:
- We know quite a bit about bike mechanics and what we don't know, we learn through trial and error or youtube and parktool.
- We like fixing things ourselves.
- We like being able to be independent and self-sufficient, fixing problems in situ as they occur.
- The less you know, the more you pay. And the less you spend, the longer you can travel
- We travel long distances and time is not an issue (+12,000km and +15 months)
If you're planning a one-week or even a 20-day trip, here's the shortlist:
- 1 multi-tool
- 1 spare innertube
- 1 set of tire levers
- Handpump
- Patch kit
- Pliers
If you're planning something a bit more ambitious, however, keep reading!
Here is a detailed list of the tools in our toolbox:
WHEELS
- 2/3 spare innertubes per person. When we get a flat, we take the punctured innertube off and put a working one on. It is of interest to have at least one spare innertube because it's not always possible to repair a flat with patches. Even innertubes that have reached the end of their use as innertubes can be cut up and used as bungee cords, rubber bands, hand-less hand brakes...your imagination is the limit.
- 1 hand-pump / person
- 1 set of tire levers / person
- 1 patchkit / person
- 2/3 spare spokes / person
- 1 nipple wrench / person (included in our multitools)
- 1 chain whip (if you break a spoke on your rear wheel you have to remove the cassette, I'm afraid)
- 1 freewheel remover (if you break a spoke on your rear wheel you have to remove the cassette, I'm afraid)
BRAKES AND SHIFTERS
- 1 rear brake cable (they tend to be a bit longer and you can always cut them if you need to)
- 1 rear shifter cable (for the same reason)
- 1 length of brake housing
- 1 set of brake pads (4 pads in total, we both have V-brakes)
MECHANICS
- Replacement chain (mine is old, later I'll explain why)
- Chain wear indicator (though I don't follow the suggestions)
- Chain tool (included in our multi-tools)
- Pedal wrench
- Crank wrench
GENERAL TOOLS
- 1 multitool / person
- 3 allen wrenches (for when the multitool is doesn't reach or you need one the size of the crank nut)
- Adjustable wrench
- Scissors
- Pliers of the leatherman (with its knife, file, screwdriver, etc)
- 2 screwdrivers
- Hexagonal wrench (several sizes in one)
- Wire brush
- Old toothbrush
- Screwdriver with changeable heads
- Small phillipshead screwdriver (for taking the covers off the shifters)
- Zip-ties
- Duct tape
- Electrical tape
- Assortment of screws
- Assortment of ball bearings
- Lubricant
- Grease
- Sugru (a putty-like glue that hardens into rubber for fixing just about anything)
- Needle-nosed pliers (for making mini wire bicycles and pins)
- Rags
Laid out in list form it looks like a TON, but in reality it fits into a reasonably sized bag. It does, however, weigh quite a bit. But if what you're after is self-sufficiency, it's worth its weight in gold.
Of course, in the end, it's up to you what you bring along - different strokes for different folks. Like we said before...fewer tools = more adventure! The following anecdote illustrates this fact:
Anecdote: "On a short bike trip in Ireland, 250km in 5 days, I left home with just a patchkit and nothing else. On the 4th day, I got a flat on the front tire and although I had a patch to patch it with, I had no way of pumping it up to find where the air was coming out (or pumping it up after patching it for that matter). There was nothing I could do. Nothing apart from walking with my bike until I found someone who could help me. After walking a couple of kilometers, and as luck would have it, I came across a local man pulling a cow trailer with his pick-up who kindly offered to let me throw my bike in the back and drive me to somewhere where I could fix my flat tire. This experience served to help me down from my little white tower, yes me, the one who thought he was sooo fast and self-sufficient. Truth is, it wasn't so bad. I mean, that's what traveling's for, right? To get to know people's hearts..."
Thanks for reading this far, I hope it's been helpful! I encourage you to try a long journey, one that doesn't end where it began, and you'll see how the whole thing changes. You tackle life with a different perspective. You never think, "This hill that I'm flying down right now, I'm going to have to climb up it later"... It's a beautiful thing!
Jose