Carrying tubes - Drink cage or bag

[Stera]

Hi all,

Just started getting into the road bike thing and have had a couple punctures.
Just wondering what people carry when they ride.

I generally carry the following:
* Spare tube
* Tyre change tools
* Keys
* Phone
* One Water bottle (only do uptp 50km rides so far).

The trouble I find is I only have a small bag (under the seat) and no pockets in the jersey and it doesn't all fit!

Im thinking that a jersey is the place to put the phone, but have considered a drink cage container to put my tools and tube in, freeing up the bag under the seat. The only thing, is that I will be limited to one drink bottle.

What do others do/use?

[TimW]

I have a small underseat bag, with spare and co2/tyre lever.I carry another tube /c02 in my jersey pocket, with spare food.
I put some gels/food/phone in a tri bag
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/topeak-tri-bag-with-mesh-cover/

most of my rides over 50 k so allways carry 2 bottles.Tim

[grnis200]

I always carry 2 bottles so I use a small under seat bag for 1 tube, co2 and levers.
For a recent event I used my commute pump and got 2 tubes, levers and cash/VISA in the same bag.
Do yourself a favour; get a jersey with pockets for food, wallet and phone. I put my iPhone in a ziplock back for sweat and rain protection although I know many who don't bother protecting it.

[damhooligan]

on the bike: seatbag; tubes/tyre levers and tools.
Always on the bike.
In my jersey: food/money/phone.

I would advice to always carry two water bottles , even for a short ride.
If it's a warm day, you need both !

You can always use sticky tape to tape the phone to the bike, this wil also free up seabag space...
And you can attach your keys to the seat rails with this:

[wombatK]

50 km is likely to be taking you a couple of hours. You should be taking on approx one bidon (750 ml) per hour (see Sports Dietitians Australia recommendations). Do your kidneys a favour, and start using that second cage for what your body needs

There's various size of seat bags - see for example http://www.wiggle.co.uk/topeak/saddle-bags/ . I use the largest topeak saddle bag. It easily accomodates a spare tube, patch kit, levers, topeak multi-tool with link breaker, spare link and chain pins, rubber gloves, and a 2.5 m coiled stainless steel cable and shrouded padlock. Smaller sizes are more popular with the euro-cool kids who've got a wife or mother on call to bail out of more serious trouble.

Mobile phone usually goes in jersey pocket with ziplock bag, but if caught out without a ziplock, can give it some protection in the saddle bag (it's not rated as waterproof, but seems to keep it dry in light showers).

Cheers

[toppity]

I put a spare tube, levers, glueless patches and a multi-tool in a container in one of the cages and a large drink bottle in the other. You can usually stop to re-fill the bottle if you have to. I carry a pump on a bracket on one of the cages. I carry my phone in a platic bag, money and arm warmer/knee warmers etc' in my jersey pockets.

Works o.k. for me. I'm not a great fan of under saddle bags. PITA taking them off to race.

[Xponti]

It's against the rules (See rule 29 http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/#29 ) to carry a European Posterior Man Satchel http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-lexi ... an+Satchel

I carry my phone, wallet, keys, spare tube, levers, patch kit, gels in my jersey pockets. Anything over a ride of 30 minutes and I am carrying two drink bottles. I also trvel with a backpack to work, and so my levers, spare tube and patch kit then go in the backpack. I have a small pump clipped onto a bracket next to a bottle cage.

[snark]

It's against the rules (See rule 29 http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/#29 ) to carry a European Posterior Man Satchel http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-lexi ... an+Satchel

I carry my phone, wallet, keys, spare tube, levers, patch kit, gels in my jersey pockets. Anything over a ride of 30 minutes and I am carrying two drink bottles. I also trvel with a backpack to work, and so my levers, spare tube and patch kit then go in the backpack. I have a small pump clipped onto a bracket next to a bottle cage.

So a posterior man satchel is bad, but a backpack is ok? I think the rules might need some sort of adjustment...

I use a largish Toppeak too as has been mentioned. That has two tubes (ever since I had two flats on one ride) and a few other bits and pieces, and the phone fits in as well.

My question is for the longer than 2-or-3 hour rides where there isn't a easy bottle fill available. Time for a camelbak? I've seen a couple of drink holders that appear to be mounted on the saddle while riding around, but don't know if that would interfere with a saddlebag.

Cheers,
Simon.

[sogood]

Seriously, unless the OP is willing to upgrade the gears, there's no real choice in where to put the tubes is there? My suggestion, buy a jersey or two with proper triple pockets and get a larger saddle bag that's suited to the length of ride and tools/spares needed. Using the wrong equipments for the "job" is bound to add grief.

[wombatK]

My question is for the longer than 2-or-3 hour rides where there isn't a easy bottle fill available. Time for a camelbak? I've seen a couple of drink holders that appear to be mounted on the saddle while riding around, but don't know if that would interfere with a saddlebag.

Cheers,
Simon.

Depends how much dead weight you want to carry. 2 x 750 ml bidons give you 1.5 litres. The next step up from that is a 2.0 litre camelbak - gives you 30 % more, but also means you're carrying an extra 500 g for a lot of the journey - and it's higher up (on your back) rather than low in the bike frame.

A 3.0 litre camelbak will take you even further, but again at a much bigger weight penalty and strain your back and arms even more. FWIW, I have a 2 l camelbak that I use for the longer rides in hot weather - one-third to half frozen to keep it cool along the way. The main advantage is that I can keep the drink nice and cold longer than by freezing bidons, and can sometimes even get a top-up with some ice remaining to chill the added water.

Cheers

[Redbull]

Buy 1 litre bottles from Ribble ( or whoever has them now)

[ALAN Roadie]

I carry two bottles - a small under saddle bag that fits my levers, 1 spare tube, patches, glue, pump adapter etc. My Jersey has phone, wallet, food, mini pump and a second tube and whatever else I need and can fit...

"A 3.0 litre camelbak will take you even further, but again at a much bigger weight penalty and strain your back and arms even more. FWIW, I have a 2 l camelbak that I use for the longer rides in hot weather - one-third to half frozen to keep it cool along the way. The main advantage is that I can keep the drink nice and cold longer than by freezing bidons, and can sometimes even get a top-up with some ice remaining to chill the added water"

I was always led to believe, in other sporting pursuits I have done, that cold water is no good during extensive excercise as it can increase cramp. Should be consumed at body temperature. is this different in the bike world??

[wombatK]

I was always led to believe, in other sporting pursuits I have done, that cold water is no good during extensive excercise as it can increase cramp. Should be consumed at body temperature. is this different in the bike world??

Not it's not. See Sports Dietians web-site http://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/cont ... adCycling/
and particularly follow the link to the Fluids in Sport article.

For training or exercise over one hour in duration, isotonic drinks will have a better effect as they do not disrupt your body cells electrolyte balance like straight water would.

See http://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/reso ... 0Aug10.pdf for the options. If I take my camelbak, it's a long ride and I put gatorade in it.

[ALAN Roadie]

I was always led to believe, in other sporting pursuits I have done, that cold water is no good during extensive excercise as it can increase cramp. Should be consumed at body temperature. is this different in the bike world??

Not it's not. See Sports Dietians web-site http://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/cont ... adCycling/
and particularly follow the link to the Fluids in Sport article.

For training or exercise over one hour in duration, isotonic drinks will have a better effect as they do not disrupt your body cells electrolyte balance like straight water would.

See http://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/reso ... 0Aug10.pdf for the options. If I take my camelbak, it's a long ride and I put gatorade in it.

Hey Wombatk

I was not disputing the fact that you need to rehydrate, thats a no brainer for anyone who is into fitness / sport. i was more questioning the temperature of the liquid. it was always explained to me, including by an Olympic field coach, that water was always best consumed at body temperature to help it's absorbtion. This was in the late 80's. It seems that, as these things do, the thoughts on this have changed. You definately seem to be doing the right thing chilling your water as it is now widely considered that COLD water, not body temperature, is absorbed faster by the body.

Into the fridge go my bidons from now on.

Thanks

[Stera]

Thankyou to everyone for your responses! There is some great information here that benefitted both myself and a few others by the looks!

I’ve added a second bottle cage and was expecting to hold a tube and tools in a container, but came to the conclusion, that if I want to ride and decent speed over decent kilometres, Im going to need another water bottle.

Therefore, Im going to shove the tube and food in the jersey and everything else (tools, phone and keys) in the seat bag. That way food is easier to access, etc. Pumps on the bike under the bottle cage.

Lets hope it works!

[The Walrus]

Does anyone use an additional bag around their waist?

Desperately trying to avoid the whole 'bum bag' scene but you can get quite slick looking bags that go around the waist and could easily take a phone, money/card, keys and maybe other bits.

The ones I know about are actually dog walking specific but could be used for anything!

This kind of thing

http://www.doog.com.au/shop/category/ca ... Belts.html

[wombatK]

Desperately trying to avoid the whole 'bum bag' scene but you can get quite slick looking bags that go around the waist and could easily take a phone, money/card, keys and maybe other bits.

If you don't want a large saddle bag, an alternate is that you can get triangular shaped bags that strap to the front or back underside of the top-tube. The front ones make a mobile phone pretty easy to reach. I don't have them, but if you search the forum you should be able to find pics of some on Christine's Hello Kitty bike.

Cheers

[chill]

What's the smallest, slimmest, most unobtrusive seat bag?

I find with my seat and seatpost setup there isn't a lot of space and the bag overlaps where the back of my legs are. I put most of my stuff in my jersey pockets but would rather have the tube/tools/co2 on the bike.

[Chef]

What's the smallest, slimmest, most unobtrusive seat bag?

I find with my seat and seatpost setup there isn't a lot of space and the bag overlaps where the back of my legs are. I put most of my stuff in my jersey pockets but would rather have the tube/tools/co2 on the bike.

Hi,
http://www.bike24.net/p218900.html - small and neat, but you will need to put CO2's in jersy pocket or use a mini pump.....

[chill]

What's the smallest, slimmest, most unobtrusive seat bag?

I find with my seat and seatpost setup there isn't a lot of space and the bag overlaps where the back of my legs are. I put most of my stuff in my jersey pockets but would rather have the tube/tools/co2 on the bike.

Hi,
http://www.bike24.net/p218900.html - small and neat, but you will need to put CO2's in jersy pocket or use a mini pump.....

That's just perfect. Cheers!

[Leeroy]

Bags and frame pumps are all against the rules

I used to carry Co2 but no longer do that due to a few mishaps - a good mini pump is better, doesn't take much longer to inflate and actually use less space. The Lezyne ones are fantastic btw. Pump, spare tube, repair kit (including tyre levers) and phone (inside ziplock bag) all comfortably fit into jersey pockets with more than enough room for a banana/get etc as well. Keys & minitool stay at home.

This leaves me with two bidons free for longer rides.

[davidk]

I use one of these bags - Ravx Mini X Pro http://www.ravx.com/products/bags_racks/mini_x_pro.html.
I can just fit 4 CO2 carts and 2 tyre levers into it, at a push.

I carry 1 spare tube, which I have folded up and compressed as tight as I can, and place it in the space between the top of the seat post and the bottom of the seat, nested between the seat rails. Its out of the way and nice and neat.

[gururug]

Bumbag is an option......my phone/keys/money/id/extra goes in a bumbag. I prefer this to jersey pockets.

Warmer liquids save some energy as the body does not have to take temp from it's core to lower. Electrolites/Salts or lack of relate to cramp.