One of the great advantages of bicycle travel over car travel is that all the working parts are exposed (with the exception of hub gears) and any roadside problem is easily diagnosed. A cyclist with a little mechanical knowledge and a few basic tools can fix most problems at the side of the road. A basic emergency toolkit will cover every breakdown apart from total failure of the frame or a wheel.
The basis of a lightweight toolkit is a good multitool. Mine (see photo) includes a set of spanners, allen keys and screwdrivers. Add a puncture repair kit and three tyre levers and you have the essential emergency toolkit.
A chain breaker will repair a broken chain and a spoke key can be used to take a bad buckle out of a wheel with a broken spoke. In both cases these roadside repairs maybe enough to get you home or to the nearest bikeshop,where proper repairs can be done.
Wire is invaluable for binding anything that breaks or is hanging loose. It can be used to bind loose part until you get home or to a bikeshop and do proper repairs. Duct tape will do the same job.
I always carry a spare tube, it’s easier to change a punctured tube at the side of the road and repair it at home. A fantastic modern innovation is the folding tyre, which can carried in a bag and will cover you against the danger of a tyre blowing out on the road.
All the essentials are available from Chain Reaction Cycles
Park Tool Rescue Tool MTB 3 €30.98
Puncture Repair Kit €2.47
Park Tool Compact Chain Tool €16.10
Spoke Key €4.94
I did a long tour on my folding bike last year - I was so glad of the basic repair kit. On the road, it was enough to get me to the next town with a proper shop when I needed it, but not so much that I was weighted down with extra stuff I didn't need to be carrying.
ReplyDeleteChris the need for a light toolkit is a lesson I learned the hard way, by touring with about 2 kg of tools in my panniers. My multitool has the same range of tools but only weights 200 grams, one tenth the weight. I love the security of touring knowing that I have the means to deal with any roadside problem, it's adds to the feeling of freedom I get when cycle touring.
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