How Light do you ride.

[Ballynoes]

Ok so not really eBike related, but it can be.

On a normal day out I carry everything I think I will need, especially as I can be 20 miles into the hills in the middle of nowhere, it’s just what I like to do.

So I carry everything I might possible need, and my backpack weighs in around 15Kg, doesn’t bother me.

However if I say just go out for a ride from the house, I can still be 10 or 15 miles from home, but nearer civilization, what would you carry.

I definitely would take some or all of these.

Water
Spare Tube
Pump
Puncture repair kit.
Tyre levers.
Mobile
Multi Tool

So the question really is, how light do you ride, and what’s the minimum you carry.

I have mates who carry… F&$$ All and just wing it.

I’m not that kind of guy, as a long walk home would P1$$ me off, or am I suffering separation anxiety from my rucksack…

 

[Andy McNish]

For my standard ride with my old MTB down ten miles of cycle path, riverbank and park I carry a water bottle (if it's hot), keys, £5 cash and an old phone which I use purely for Strava/emergencies. I don't use a rucksack.
As the bike and tyres have gone many years and thousands of miles without a puncture I'm not really concerned about that.

For longer weekend rides on my e-bike (Cube Touring) I have about 10kg of stuff in my panniers. Mainly locks, clothing and bike tools. And a water bottle of course.

 

[Steve Bowles]

My routes are pretty much aligned with Andy's -- cycle paths, Forestry Commission fire roads, old railway lines, so I don't worry too much about punctures with my Moto-X tires. So a water bottle, phone, Bluetooth ear buds, and a rain jacket if the sky looks iffy. Everything fits into a handlebar bag, and a rack bag. I wouldn't know where to begin with the gear you haul around!

 

[Ballynoes]

Never thought of a handelbar bag, Steve... nice idea.

The 15Kg rucksack, has everything from water, spares, tools, clothing, food, lights etc etc, as I say I love going to the middle of nowhere in the Scottish Highlands, to where you feel there has been no one else there.

I'm sad..

 

[Nev]

I take similar list
Water
Spare Tube
Pump
Lock (if planning on café stop)
Money
Tyre levers.
Mobile
Multi Tool
If riding just into the mountains then don't bother taking lock or money. I can currently carry everything in my pockets (lots of room in my winter coat). Come the better weather I don't think I will have the space to do this so will have to come up with another idea.

BTW the lock and wire with it is not top quality but the bike is never out of my eye sight when going to a café. I lock it up to something solid so its going to hold up a casual thief long enough for me to create a scene. Once or twice I have had some shady looking characters looking at my bike then they look at the café window, see me looking at them and they move on.

I am not trying to make out I am some sort of tough guy, I would not want to get into a fight with a thief, but they are usually looking for easy pickings. So if they see a bike locked up and the obvious owner sitting in the café window looking at them, they will move on and find something easier to steal.

 

[Nev]

as I say I love going to the middle of nowhere in the Scottish Highlands, to where you feel there has been no one else there.

I'm sad..

I like doing the same thing in the mountains of North Wales, my wife calls me sad too, but its a nice feeling just for a short period of time being miles away from any other human being.

 

[Steve Bowles]

Never thought of a handelbar bag, Steve... nice idea.

The 15Kg rucksack, has everything from water, spares, tools, clothing, food, lights etc etc, as I say I love going to the middle of nowhere in the Scottish Highlands, to where you feel there has been no one else there.

I'm sad..

Available from Amazon ~£60. You'll need the e-bike adapter -- not expensive. Comes with Hi-Viz yellow rain cover in pocket.

 

[anotherkiwi]

ID card and money etc are givens. As are reading glasses at my age

pedelec:
Rain gear
High vis vest (for out of city limits)
Small collection of tools in tool bottle
chain for frame lock

trike:
rain gear
tools
pump
puncture repair kit
water
D Lock, cable

I got bitten the other day because I hadn't put the pump back in the pannier and first puncture in thousands of km... And not only that but the glue in the repair kit had gone hard and I had forgotten to bring the tool bottle with the tyre levers in... A friendly bike shop was on hand.

Lesson learnt - puncture resistant tyres aren't resistant in the sidewall - I will chuck in a 26" and a 20" spare tube. Also when the trike gets the motor and I am out and about I will include a rain cover - not so much for parking in the rain, more to discourage people from trying the seat.

 

[Barrio Barranco]

I too venture into the scottish highlands as it's my back garden....
Backpack with:
Multitool, small leatherman, levers, 2 lightweight tubes, tyre boot, pump.
Spare mech hanger, powerlink, spare magnet for the spoke (shafted if that comes loose!), 6 cable ties, gear inner cable.
Water bottle inside backpack with duct tape wrapped half a dozen times around the middle.
Waterproof trousers and spare merino base layer, warm fleece hat.
Head torch and a small rear LED, some basic first aid stuff
Phone and spare battery, reading glasses, toilet paper, ID, cash and a credit card (in a extra small Exped dry bag), "Blizzard Bag", PLB (McMurdo Fast Find"), proper Garmin GPS, map and compass.
Maybe some nuts and chocolate? High energy dense food...

That's for a normal day out.

Soon to be added another 500wh battery (not always though), and a tubeless repair kit plus a handy 140ml Muc-Off no Puncture pouch/sachet

Maybe some shades and suncream but those days are rare....!!

 

[Ballynoes]

Glad to see there are others who go fully kitted out for all eventualities. We obviously like to be prepared.

I am more interested in what's the minimum folks carry if they are just out for a ride within reasonable distance of civilization, so far my minimum carry would be,

Water bottle.
Energy jells
Inner tube
Pump
Tyre levers
Puncture repair kit
Mobile
Glasses (it's an age thing).

This is what I would take for a quick ride before dinner probably, looking for a handy wee bum bag or the likes to carry it in.

 

[EddiePJ]

For the most part I carry the following kit, but for the last few months when riding local, I haven't been carrying anything other than water. It takes me less than a minute of leaving home to be off road, and I can roughly complete a 15 mile ride, within the space of the first forest that is only a mile or so wide, so never far from home. Also, as my interest is more slow speed trials related riding on the bike, I can stay pretty much within the same spot, so keeping a walk home to the minimum.



The one item that I wouldn't risk riding without when completing rides of 20 miles plus, is chain lube. The conditions here are so abrasive that no chain lube lasts more than that in muddy conditions, and I have tried pretty much every make going.

 

[argoose]

water
pump
multi tool
tyre levers

For the most part I carry the following kit, but for the last few months when riding local, I haven't been carrying anything other than water. It takes me less than a minute of leaving home to be off road, and I can roughly complete a 15 mile ride, within the space of the first forest that is only a mile or so wide, so never far from home. Also, as my interest is more slow speed trials related riding on the bike, I can stay pretty much within the same spot, so keeping a walk home to the minimum.

View attachment 29648

The one item that I wouldn't risk riding without when completing rides of 20 miles plus, is chain lube. The conditions here are so abrasive that no chain lube lasts more than that in muddy conditions, and I have tried pretty much every make going.

have you tried chain wax?

 

[EddiePJ]

Yep, even wax. Thanks though.

Sadly, the soil conditions here have a powder thin sand content, that acts as grinding paste, when both wet and dry. It is also very acidic, and corrosion can set in within the space of just hours, which can be seen in the bottom photo.

It is one of the reasons that I gave up owning a full suspension bike. Bearings and bushes wear out in no time at all. I still eat my way through headset bearings though, and brake pads don't fare too well either.

 

[argoose]

Nasty, not a lot you can do with that.
But I still think wax would be better than oil.
Can't beat a good melt on the hob wax.

 

[EddiePJ]

I'll give that a shot, as I thought that you meant the drip on cycle chain wax. I must have some old motorcycle chain wax stashed away somewhere.

 

[Barrio Barranco]

Still reckon a spare spoke magnet is a tiny yet critical spare to carry...just don't put it diametrically opposite the one on it as a way of storing it lol...

 

[argoose]

I use Putoline chain wax. It has graphite mixed in, was developed for MX motorbikes.
Make sure the chain is totally degreased before dipping into wax.
I put chain into old coffee jar cover with white spirit swill for a few minuets, leave stand for a few more minuets. Repeat.
Use a degreaser to clean off spirit, Gunk green is good. Rinse in clean water. Then dry with heat from oven or dry frying pan on gas cooker , only enough to warm chain to dry,
I use old camping cooker to melt wax, leave chain in melted wax for 6 or 7 minuets.
Best to put chain in wax with a hook made from old coat hanger.
Remove and hang up to cool.
Sounds like a faff, but you only need to degrease chain once. Then before re waxing all you need do is spray a rag with degreaser and wipe worst of crud off chain.
I normally get about three rides from a waxing. But you might need to rinse off chain then wipe with a rag after a ride in the pic above. Then re wax.

 

[argoose]

Still reckon a spare spoke magnet is a tiny yet critical spare to carry...just don't put it diametrically opposite the one on it as a way of storing it lol...

Plus
Bog roll
glucose tabs
dog turds
cable ties

 

[vfr400]

For a 20 mile ride on an electric bike on roads, I wouldn't carry anything. Marathon Plus tyres means no punctures, so no need for a puncture kit or pump unless you only carry those things to rescue other people who don't know about Marathon Plus tyres.

20 miles takes about 90 minutes, which isn't enough to need a drink. Have a cup of tea before you go, and you won't need a drink. I might take something if I was going 50 miles on a hot day.

The one thing I do take is a smartphone for navigation, recording stats and anything else, like receiving phone calls.

 

[Barrio Barranco]

Once I cross the hill at the back of my house there's no o2 phone reception, no idea if 999 or 112 would work...hence the PLB I use for sea kayaking.