On Friday, August 16, 2019 at 5:15:41 PM UTC-7, sms wrote:
On 8/16/2019 4:12 PM, bob prohaska wrote:
The seat bag toolkit went missing on my bike after 30-odd years.
Unfortunately, I noticed only after getting a flat tire 8 miles
from home. As penance for my inattention I elected to walk, despite
half a dozen offers of help from other riders and one motorist. The
exercise is one I'm not eager to repeat 8-)

Beyond the obvious (tire levers, patch kit and spare tube) what have
folks found worth carrying to fend off routine trouble? My kit
acquired quite a bit more, including a chain tool, spoke wrench and
freewheel tool, along with hex keys. I don't think any of the first
three have ever been useful on the road, but they don't weigh much
and they're far easier to find if they're on the bike. Has anybody
ever had use for them, or other "shop" tools, on the road?

Suggestions for a seat bag would also be welcome. For the moment
I'll put the tools and spares in the pannier baskets, but that's
dangerous as they can be removed and forgotten. Much better to have
necessities permanently living on the bike.

Thanks for reading!

bob prohaska

Last year I finally had a broken chain while out on a ride and got to
use my chain tool for the first time in about 30 years. Well that's not
quite right, I have used it to help other people when their derailleur
broke and turned their bike into a one speed so they could limp to a
shop or to home. On a long tour I would take a freewheel tool and spare
spokes, but never used either.

As to seat bags, the ones I have been using are these
https://www.amazon.com/BV-Bicycle-Strap-Saddle-Cycling/dp/B00A3W8FFM?th=1&psc=1

The large size is just large enough to fit a small high-pressure pump if
you choose the pump carefully. I think that I paid less than $11.99 when
I bought mine (I bought several a few years ago) but $11.99 is not too
bad. A comparable quality bag from Trek or Specialized would be at least
2x the cost.

A freewheel tool? You have a freewheel? And you have a chain you can cut and connect?

Meanwhile, speaking from the present, a spare quick-link and a chain tool might come in handy once every few years, unless you are Joerg, then it would come in handy three times a day. A cassette lockring tool is useless without wrench -- but I HAVE found adjustable wrenches on the road. The trick there is to tighten your cassettes before you leave. I have a spoke wrench on my keychain. I've used that a number of times. It's a keeper, assuming I'm on wheels with external nipples, which I am.

Super important things: whatever hex wrench fits your cleats. It is usually the size NOT on your pocket tool. The usual pocket tool has standard sizes for seat clamps, HS compression caps, stems, etc., etc. Can't go wrong there. If you have something unique, like torx bolts, then you'll need that tool.

Make sure the tube in your pack fits your rim. I've been on too many rides with the aero guys who have a spare tube with a 40mm stem when they're riding 50mm rims. You can usually make an undersized or oversized tube work, within limits -- but you can't fake it with a too short stem.

I keep a dollar for a boot, but that's usually in my pocket -- or a Cliff Bar wrapper. Personally, I take a granite surface plate in case my frame goes out of alignment. It's heavy, but when I want to be sure my frame is straight, it's great.

Actually, the one weird tool I wish I had once was the pre-load cap tool for a Shimano Hollotech crank when my son got massive chain suck and jammed the chain between the stay and the ring. It was really, really stuck, and I was going to pull the crank. I tried to back out the cap with a screw driver and just munged it up. I eventually got the chain loose, but not without marring the stay.

I had an old square drive crank come loose while riding out the Gorge and actually found a maintenance guy at the Falls with a deep 15mm socket. It was a miracle-ette! https://www.flickr.com/photos/132716...4/24011520264/ I wasn't carrying my peanut butter wrench since I wasn't on the track bike.

-- Jay Beattie.