In My Saddlebag
By Andy Rice.
A brief guide to being prepared for club runs and other day rides.
Essentials for a Club run
- Your VCC ID tag for the year, fixed to your bike (if you're a paid-up member and have not received one, please contact Peter)
- Cash/Credit card - enough for your coffee and cake!
- 2 spare inner tubes
- Puncture repair kit plus
- Tyre boot patches
- Tyre lever(s)
- Var (bead jack) or similar if you struggle getting the last bit of bead over the rim
- Pump – that actually works! Options are:
- Mini/pocket
- Frame-mounted
- Mini-track
- CO2 Inflator
‘Cos you never know what might happen
- GPS (Garmin or similar) - with the route loaded on it!
- Multi tool with a chain tool
- Spare chain link
- Spare valve core and valve core tool (and a valve core extender in case you spare tube doesn't fit your rim!)
- Phone
- Cash - £20 note for emergencies (and a tyre boot if desperate!)
- Cable ties – six small ones will fix quite a lot of things
- Mini pliers or leatherman
Nice to have just to be prepared
- Rain Jacket
- Light weight, for unexpected showers, wind protection
- First Aid kit, including:
- A couple of dressings, small bandage, tape, antiseptic wipes, steri-strips, plasters, emergency foil blanket
- Disposable gloves – blood and oil protection
- Cleat covers for the cafe stop
- A snack - bars or gels (something that doesnt melt)!
What's in my saddlebag - Series Winter 2023
Thanks to Tom Gosling and Andrew Rice.
Week 1
For the next few weeks we’re going to do a weekly slot called “Whats in my saddle bag?” to help new (and existing!) members understand what kit they should take on club rides, how to use it and basic pre-ride maintenance tasks.
In the first few weeks we’re going to cover the contents of the club kit list. It’s really important that everyone is fully equipped on every ride. First, although people are always willing to help, it’s not fair to expect other people to act as your support team and carry your kit. Second, it’s always possible that you get separated from the group or have to return home early, so you need to be able to look after yourself if necessary.
See above for our Kit-list. We’ll start going through it next week.
Week 2
This week we’re going to talk about punctures for tyre’s with inner tubes.
You need two spare inner tubes suitable for your wheels and rims (it’s easy to get an immediate second puncture because you haven’t resolved the cause of the first one). Make sure that the spare tubes have valves long enough to go through the wheel rim and have enough length to fit your pump on! We regularly have members who have upgraded to deeper rim wheels and don’t upgrade their spare tubes to match!
Tyre levers are essential to remove the tyre and a tyre bead jack can help you get the last bit of tyre back on again on cold days when your fingers lose all strength! Here’s a link to explain the different types.
A cocktail stick or similar can help you prise awkward flints out of a tyre.
You also need a portable pump that works. A lot of people also carry a CO2 inflation canister to get full pressure quickly, but a good portable pump is good enough to get you home.
Finally, a tyre boot patch. This is something you place between the inner tube and tyre wall if you have a split in your tyre or something sharp embedded that simply won’t come out. It can be a 1 to 2 inch long segment of old tyre or even just a small piece of cardboard covered in insulating or gaffer tape. Also useful are self-adhesive tyre patches.
Practice the full process of changing your tyre on the back wheel (including removing and replacing the wheel) at least 5 times at home so you are confident you can do it. And remember to flick back your brake release if you have rim brakes!
See here for the full kit list.
Week 3
This week we’re going to talk about punctures on tubeless tyres.
These should self-seal, but they may not. So you need a tubeless repair kit. This typically includes a two-pronged fork that holds a rubber strip that can be pushed in to the whole to enable the sealant then to plug it. It’s worth carrying it somewhere you can access it quickly as the less sealant you lose from a big hole the better.
In case for any reason a tubeless tyre completely fails, you still need to carry an inner tube and the wherewithal to put an inner tube in your tubeless tyre and inflate it. This requires all the kit highlighted in last week’s newsletter.
You may also want to think about a small pair of pliers to help you get the tubeless valve out (in case someone has overenthusiastically tightened it during installation) and a pair of disposable gloves as a lot of gunky sealant can fly around when you’re putting a tube in a tubeless tyre.
See above for the full kit list.
Week 4
This week we’re going to talk about first aid kits.
Unfortunately, accidents do happen, and when they do it’s surprising how few people have a basic first aid kit. Your correspondent was once the only rider in a group of eight with a first aid kit on a ride when there was a nasty accident that definitely needed one. They are very important.
Any standard small kit bought at a chemist is fine. It should contain some antiseptic wipes, a bandage or two, some plasters, tape, disposable gloves, silver foil emergency blanket, and some ibuprofen or paracetamol.
See above for the full kit list.
Week 5
This week we’re going to talk about chain quick links and chain tools. A broken chain is rare and sounds pretty drastic, but can be resolved sufficiently at least to get you home. But as your correspondent found to his cost, it’s one thing to have a chain tool - quite another to know how to use it. And quick links are great - but only if you have the right size for your chain. Fortunately we were only a two mile walk from a bike shop.
A quick chain link provides a connection between two links of a broken chain, which should be good enough to get you home. However, chain widths differ slightly so you need to have the right chain link for your chain. The links are different for 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 speed. You can find out more about them here. You will also need a chain tool to remove parts of the broken link.
A chain tool enables you to remove and replace links in a chain - and normally shortening a chain by a link is good enough at least to get you home. Note; rejoining a chain with a chain tool is very tricky, especially if you have pushed the joining pin all the way out!
Using chain links and chain tools is fiddly and takes practice. The chances of you figuring out how to use all this stuff out on the road is remote, so it’s worth getting an old chain and practicing multiple times removing and replacing links, putting on quick links and so on. YouTube is your friend. This will improve your chances of succeeding when it matters!
Alternatively, just resign yourself to calling your partner or a taxi to pick you up if your chain snaps!
See above for the full kit list.
Week 6
This week we’re going to talk about other bits and bobs it’s worth having with you.
Three or four cable ties can help with all manner of disasters. A bike multi-tool is essential, and a small pair of pliers can be very helpful for running repairs and removing thorns etc.
If you have tubeless valves or inner tubes with removable valve cores then a spare valve core and a valve core tool are useful for when you break the valve pin in your rush to inflate your tyre whilst everyone is watching.
Then there is the obvious stuff: bars or gels for emergency sustenance; cleat covers for coffee stop; rain jacket; cash, phone and credit card.
If you don’t like stuffing your back pockets then think about fitting a second bottle cage and using a bike caddy for storing some of your stuff. There are also a plethora of bags that attach all over your bike these days!
See above for the full kit list.
Week 7
This week we’re going to talk about mudguards.
As well as keeping yourself dry, these are an essential courtesy on wet roads while group riding. If you don’t have mudguards expect the ride leader to tell you to ride off the back of the group.
But to work, mudguards need to extend to around 2-3 inches above ground level. Many mudguards, especially quick-fit temporary mudguards, are 6-12 inches above the ground and are completely useless for the person behind you. You might as well go up to them and squirt dirty water directly into their face. You can buy mudguard extenders which lengthen the rear mudguard so that it actually protects fellow club members as well as you.
If you contact Andrew Rice you can get a VCC-branded mudguard extender for £7.99 and he might even fit it for you!
Remember that you need mudguards even when it isn’t raining if it has been raining within the previous 24 hours, as water takes time to drain from the roads.
See here for the club guidance on mudguards.
Week 8
This week we’re talking about what you should do before or after each ride.
Clean your bike, to avoid a buildup of dirt leading to unnecessary wear and tear or corrosion.
Clean and lubricate your chain every few rides and especially after a wet ride, to avoid damage and protect against rusting. Check your chain for wear with a chain gauge.
Check your rim or disc brake pads for wear - worn pads can damage your wheel rim or disc, and that your brakes are operating correctly. Also if you have rim brakes check the rims for wear; there are often wear indicators in the rim – wheels don’t last forever!
Check your tyres for embedded flints. At certain times of year it’s common to get at least half a dozen of these on a ride and they can work their way through your tyre over time and cause a puncture.
Check your tyres for wear: some brands have two little indentations that look like dots in your tyre. If you can’t see these then it’s worn too much and needs replacing.
Check nuts and bolts, especially your seat and handlebars (including after your bike has been to the bike shop, in case they’ve forgotten to retighten - it happens!).
Your health and safety, as well as that of your fellow riders, depends on your bike functioning correctly. So do check before your ride. And have your bike serviced by a professional once a year if you’re not confidence to do it yourself.
See above for the full kit list.
That’s the end of the What’s in my saddle bag? series. We hope it was useful, do let us know if there’s anything else you’d like us to cover.
