Tools for a day ride

[jags]

you need tools on a spin ,most if not all roadies carry  the bare minimum tire leavers 1 tube and thats it,have you ever noticed if your in a group when someone gets into trouble they always look around for the guy that carries the tool kit ME  i lost count the amount of times i gave people a spare tube  never to be returned fixed punctures (ANY ONE GOT A TIRE LEAVER)
yeah can't understand why  people dont put a neat wee tool together.
swiss army knife is a handy tool to have .allan keys dont leave without them,good multi tool can be good.you need a chain breaker essential piece of kit and if you have a rear mech which are as rare as hens teeth on this forum well you need a allan key for jocky wheels tiny.
ok i'm rambling on here but it's sunday morning and it's lashing rain so what else can i do     

[Swislon]

This has generated a lot of interest. The reason I asked the question is because my RST is off the road having a new rear wheel built at Woodrups. This means I am using my other bikes and transferring my Barley bag between them. Although not a big job it is still a little irksome to do if I want to change bike. I think I said somewhere else that my "go to" bike is the RST so it had the Barley with tool kit in situ. I have other under small under seat bags but now it is colder I like to have the Barley with me so I can strip off layers as I warm up. I don't use a SQR as I don't care for its looks but I guess I could as a solution for moving the barley from bike to bike. However I then have to think what's in the tool kit as the bikes have different needs

I think I will invest in another Barley for my Bob Jackson audax and build another tool kit and leave on this bike. This can then be moved to the other bike which is also 30 speed dérailleur and 700. C wheels. Where as as we all know the RST is 26inch and Rohloff. That covers the bases for day rides I think.
I do not do multi day tours yet so don't need the extended tour tool kit. I just need tools to keep me (& the wife) on the road until I get home. I can't phone home and ask for a lift if she is standing beside me!! Besides we could be 50 miles away and I'd be bl@*^y cold by the time she got there.
I'm now in the market for an additional multi tool so will study all your suggestions and also add some extras in like tyre boot, zip ties and a bit of gaffer tape for example.

I'll list what I decide when complete if anyone interested.

Cheers Steve

[Andybg]

I am sure there will be interest in what you decide to carry.

We go out and choose the most reliable bikes that money can buy and then carry a bag full of tools and spares.

I am sure a shrink would have a field day on this site.

Regards

Andy

[jags]

 my son in law just snapped a photo of my tool bag hopefull dan will post it shortly.
btw my soninlaw thinks i'm mental .

Swislon be honest what do you think of the barley i might just buy one next weel but want to be sure its the right one . ;)if you have a photo of it on your bike please post thanks.
chers
anto.

[Swislon]

I'm afraid I don't have a photo but could take one in next day or two. There are lots of photos on the web, try lovely bicycle blog, my favourite and she has a review of the Barley, sorry cant link you to it because I'm on my daughters iPad and don't know how to!!!!
I like the Barley. The small under seat bags are ok for a summer short ride and many in the group I ride with only use these bags all year round even on long rides. However for me on anything over two hours I want some capacity! I have tried a few different options like a rack top bag or a Carradice maxi saddlepack but always found the solution wanting. The Barley for me is ideal abit Old school and perhaps a little heavy but plenty of room for tools, snacks, rain jacket, gloves, leg warmers and an extra layer. I usually take a while to get warm on a ride and prefer to wear layers that I can take off once warmed up.
I use the Carradice Bagman to support it on the RST but use nothing on the other two bikes. I have also put something in to give it some structure so it doesn't flop when empty.
I think the Barley is already a classic certainly with a lot of audax riders but apparently only in black mines green so doesn't count apparently! My wife's is black so hers does!!!
What else can I tell you?

[jags]

swislon thanks for that  the barley sounds good so.i was using the camper saddlebag but yeah it's way to big for day rides, i also have the bag support nice  rack but find it that bit to narrow, i hate the carradice bag floping over the sides looks terrible pity carradice dont stiffen the inside of there bags in some way.
anyway no more moaning thanks for the info.

[Swislon]

Jags, I use correx board to stiffen the Barley. It is what Estate Agents boards are made from but ours comes from fresh fish boxes when we buy from the fish man! You can buy on the web. It is stiff and waterproof so good for the bags. The difference between the Audax bag and the Barley seems to be the fastenings. I actually like the leather straps myself but could easily get used to the clips.

[Danneaux]

[Posted on behalf of jags...]

Hi All!

Here are some photos of Jags' day-ride, take-along tool kit...looks like it covers just about every contingency in an amazingly small space!

Also, some photos of his bags, mounted on his two most frequent rides, his Raleigh go-fast bike, and his Sherpa tourer, followed by a fine photo of the man himself.

Best,

Dan.

[Danneaux]

I use correx board to stiffen the Barley. It is what Estate Agents boards are made from but ours comes from fresh fish boxes

Ah! Steve, I know this stuff as "coroplast". Wonderful stuff, it is like corrogated carboard, but made of waterproof plastic instead. It can be silkscreened, and takes paint well. Best of all, you can make just about anything and everything out of it, including shells for velomobiles ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/15644592486/photos/ ). It makes really nifty stiffeners for panniers, bag liners, whatever. Coroplast materials resource here: http://www.coroplast.com/

Here are a few of my favorite sites for bike and touring-related coroplast/correx projects:
http://highmileagetrikes.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
http://highmileagetrikes.blogspot.com/
http://forums.mtbr.com/bikepacking-bike-expedition/frame-bag-made-coroplast-781618.html
http://www.carsstink.org/peterson/FendForYourself.html

Best,

Dan. (...a whole world can be made of repurposed Coroplast, but it will be faceted and likely have names printed on it)

[jags]

excellent Dan what would i do without ya,
did you notice my bell on the raleigh and my dog and viser on front mudguard  sherpa.
yip my tool  box has all i need for a tour and its small enough to pack in the pocket of the rack bag.
thanks dan.

[Danneaux]

did you notice...

It all looks "class", jags! First-rate and top-notch!

The brass bell on the Raleigh and the little dog "mudguard mascot" on the Sherpa both look terrific. Gotta have a mudguard mascot! See: http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk//index.php?topic=4523.msg22087#msg22087

Nice toolkit, too. I see...a Swiss Army knife, 3 anodized-aluminum tire levers (with a special cap made of clear tubing so they will stay together and the ends are blunted), a little caddy full of allen wrenches, a spanner, screwdriver, cable nippers, a tube of Super Glue (smart!), at least one spare battery (also very smart!), and maybe a patch kit..all in a nice zippered case so things can't get lost. Good to include that 10Euro note, too. A nice, practical setup to cover all contingencies; I can see why you're popular in a group.

Now I can leave all my tools home when we ride together! (ducking and running...).

All the best,

Dan.

[jags]

yes Dan well covered actually theres a few more bit n bobs in there  extra  batteries brake cable and gear cable spoke key  wee bit chalk  i'm quiet happy to break down with this kit well you know what i mean.

[Andre Jute]

Hell, if I rode with anyone who had a toolkit like that, I wouldn't carry any tools at all! Unfortunately my typical pedal pal doesn't even know which end of the tool to hold, never mind own it. So I either fix their bikes or I ride alone. You wouldn't be thinking of moving to the sun in West Cork, would you, Jags?

[jags]

Hah no danger Andre as beautiful as it is it's very hilly .
mind you you do get a reputation when your known to carry a good tool kit .
lets get anto to fix it, i used to go out with a group and when they  knew i was going to be there they wouldn't even bring a spare tube.