Speaking from years of (bad) experience, I can say that sooner or later the worst is going to happen and something will go wrong on your ride. And when it does, it’s often not just one thing, but a whole range of catastrophes. Plus it usually happens on the wettest, coldest ride of the year – or the hottest.
The most common, of course, is a puncture, but everything from loose bolts to a broken chain can wreck your ride.
So if you don’t want to have to call out the broom wagon or that’s not an option, it’s worth carrying the items you need to handle most problems and get you moving again. The good news is that, if you pick the right item, almost everything you need can be found in a really compact design that won’t see your pockets sagging or add too much extra weight.
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So here is a rundown of the essentials to keep you riding through (almost) every eventuality. It’s also worth reading our guide to roadside repairs.
1. Spare inner tube
Although you can patch up your inner tube by the roadside if you’re carrying a puncture repair kit, swapping in a spare inner tube is usually the fastest and easiest way to get yourself rolling again.
Make sure that you check the inside of your tyre and remove whatever caused the puncture before putting your spare in though, or you could get another flat a mile down the road.
A spare butyl inner tube can be quite bulky, so consider buying a TPU inner tube to use as a spare. They’re expensive, but much lighter and more compact than a standard tube. If you have to use it, you can always replace it when you get home. Consider it an investment in additional carrying capacity.
Tubolito Inner Tube (£27.99 at Condor Cycles)
Vittoria TPU Inner tube (£29.99 at Condor Cycles)
2. Tyre levers
Although you can often remove a tyre from a wheel rim and fix a puncture without tyre levers, these will certainly make it easier. It’s worth carrying a pair of reasonably sturdy tyre levers, particularly if you have a tight tyre-rim combination, which can snap cheaper, lighter-weight plastic levers.
At a pinch, a hex wrench from a multitool or a key can help you lever the tyre off. Just don’t use the business end of the key; a bent or snapped key will compound your tyre problems by locking you out once you get home.
Park Tool Tyre Lever Set (£4.99 at Wiggle)
Pedros Tyre Lever Set (£4.99 at Tredz)
3. Instant patches
While your spare tube will resolve most tyre problems, what happens if you get a second flat? It can happen, particularly if there’s a tiny piece of flint or glass embedded in your tyre that’s hard to spot.
It’s useful to have a few instant patches with you as an insurance policy. They’re very lightweight and compact. The critical part is good preparation of the tube surface, then applying the patch without getting any wrinkles in it. If you’re running modern wider tyres at a lower tyre pressure, an instant patch is more likely to make an airtight seal than with a tyre run at higher pressure.
Park Tool Super Patches (£2.69 at Tweeks Cycles)
Slime Skabs Patch Kit (£3.98 at Halfords)
4. Tyre plugs and tool
So you’ve gone tubeless? Although it’s wonderful stuff, don’t assume that sealant will solve every puncture problem. Some holes are just too large for the sealant to close, in which case a tubeless tyre plug can help to fill it and give the sealant something to coagulate around.
You’ll also need a reamer to push the plug into your tyre. Some multitools now include the necessary tool and even the plug, avoiding having yet another thing to carry. Even then, it’s a good idea to have a pump and inner tube as a last resort.
Dynaplug Racer Tubeless Repair Kit (£31.49 at Tweeks Cycles)
Stan's Dart Tubeless Repair Kit (£22.50 at Wiggle)
5. A mini pump
Once you’ve got your new inner tube in place, patched your existing one or inserted a tyre plug, you’ll not get far without being able to reinflate you tyre. It’s tempting to look for the smallest, lightest pump you can get; after all, most of the time it’s just dead weight.
But when you do need to use your pump, it needs to be efficient enough that you’re not spending half an hour by the roadside trying to get a rideable amount of air in your tyre and a larger pump will almost always be more efficient. Fortunately, we’ve tested a whole range of the best mini pumps, so you can read how well a whole range of pumps performed.
A CO2 inflator can make things easier, but it’s a one-hit option and it's hardly the sustainable choice. If you get another flat or your tube still has a hole in it, you don’t have a Plan B unless you’re carrying multiple CO2 cartridges. It gets unpleasantly cold in use as well.
Lezyne Tech Drive HP Mini Pump (£25.99 at Merlin Cycles)
Silca Tattico Mini Pump (£86.00 at Sigma Sports)
6. Valve extender
If you ride multiple bikes or use multiple wheelsets, make sure that your spare inner tube has a valve that’s long enough to be usable in all your rims. A couple of times now, I’ve found that the top of the valve in my spare tube protrudes just far enough out of the valve hole in the rim that I can see it, but not enough to actually attach a pump and get any air into it.
It’s worth buying a spare tube with as long a valve as you can find to avoid the problem if you decide to buy a new aero wheelset, but a valve extender is a light, easy way to make a shorter valve stem accessible, even in a deep section wheel, so I’ve now added that to my ride pack.
7. A multitool
A multitool is a very useful thing to have along if something works loose. A slipping seatpost bolt is a prime candidate, but depending on how well you’ve maintained your bike, everything from chainring bolts to derailleurs to pedals can work loose.
But just any multitool won’t do, as I was reminded when I got a flat on a ride recently. If your bike has disc brakes, chances are that it will also have thru-axles rather than quick releases. Some thru-axles include levers to loosen them, but increasingly they just have a 6mm hex bolt.
My multitool didn’t include a 6mm hex and this is not an uncommon problem with older multitools. Make sure yours has all the tools you need to tackle the majority of bolts on your bike. Torx bolts are another item that some multitools don't cover. A flat-format multitool is useful, as it doesn’t take up too much room in a pocket or ride pack.
Topeak Mini Pro 20 Multitool (£29.99 at Wiggle)
Pedros RX Micro-9 Multitool (£31.49 at Tredz)
8. Cleat covers
If, like me on the above ride, you end up having to walk two miles to find a tool to remove your wheel, cleat covers can reduce wear on your three-bolt cleats. They’re also useful if you regularly take shorter walks off the bike, helping to stop you from slipping and will help keep mud and dirt out of the engagement mechanism.
I found that Wahoo Speedplay cleats, which now include plastic covers for the mechanism, have a wider surface area than other designs and the cleat itself is protected, so they don’t wear as quickly if you do end up walking.
Shimano SPD-SL Cleat Covers (£13.00 at Merlin Cycles)
Look Keo Cleat Covers (£7.00 at Merlin Cycles)
9. A chain tool and missing link
It can also be worthwhile to select a multitool that incorporates a chain tool. A few years ago, one particular chain design seemed to be particularly prone to breaking, but I’ve not had chain problems for a while. You’re more likely to break a chain while riding on gravel, where the stresses on it are greater than on the road and it’s more likely to get twisted around a branch or other obstacle.
If your chain does break, a chain tool will allow you to repair it and keep moving, otherwise it’s game over. At a pinch, you can remove a whole link, then replace it once you get home, but a quick link, as the name suggests, is a quicker and easier way to get going again; simply punch out the damaged chain link and insert the missing link in its place. They’re designed so that they’ll close without a tool, although most are now officially single-use, so you can’t remove them again for reuse once you get home.
If you've wrecked your derailleur at the same time, you can shorten your chain and ride your bike as a single-speed, although it's difficult to get the chain tension right with a thru-axle or standard quick-release drop out.
If you’re riding one of the latest groupsets, make sure that your chain tool will work with 12-speed chains and doesn’t top out at 10 or 11-speed.
Lezyne V Pro 13 Multitool (£32.99 at Tweeks Cycles)
Brooks MT21 Multitool (£49.99 at Chain Reaction Cycles)
10. Cash, preferably folding
As a last result, cash will keep a taxi driver happy or can be used to bribe any passing van driver who does stop.
It’s more useful than that though, as a folded banknote can be used as an expensive tyre boot if you get a sidewall slash. It works best with plastic notes, so sorry US readers. A piece cut from a toothpaste tube is a worthy alternative.
Paying Strava subscribers can get a taxi fare up to $50/£30/AU$60 reimbursed via Sundays Insurance, if they do get stranded by anything other than a puncture.
Park Tool Emergency Tyre Boot (£4.99 at Wiggle)
Restrap Tyre Boot Kit (£8.99 at Wiggle)
11. A ride pack
If all that sounds a lot to bring with you and you think that you’ll forget something, one option is to use a saddle bag or bar bag to keep it all together. If you don’t like how it looks or don’t want the hassle of moving it between multiple bikes though, a ride pack is a good way to keep most essentials together. The right choice of ride essentials should stop it from getting too bulky.
Plus you can fit your phone in there, so you can call the sag wagon if nothing you’ve carried with you will get you riding again.
Muc-Off Essentials Ride Case (£14.00 at Merlin Cycles)
Rapha Rainproof Essentials Case (£32.00 at Rapha)
For more guidance on how to fettle your bike at home or on the road, take a look at our comprehensive maintenance section.
