Regardless of how long or how far from home you’re planning to ride, there are a few essentials to have on hand to be prepared for the most common curveballs you might encounter. You don’t need to ride with an overladen backpack or pendulous saddle bag to be prepared for most eventualities.
Here is how I’m equipped when I ride, plus some optional items depending on what the ride might throw at you.
On My Body
The few key pieces of gear for safety and comfort:
- Helmet – No-brainer (pun intended)
- Eyewear – Tinted for daytime, clear for night. Keeps sun, water, bugs and dirt out of your eyes!
- Gloves – Provide cushion for your hands; protect your palms if you have a crash.
- RoadID Bracelet – Includes name, date of birth, insurance carrier, two emergency contact numbers, drug allergy info, and organ donor status (Just about everything a first responder might need to know!)
On My Bike
Just the bare essentials:
- Water Bottle(s) – Always one, two if it’s super warm out or I’ll be out for more than an hour or so.
- Lights – Critical when riding at night/dawn/dusk. My headlight is a NiteRider Lumina 750, my taillight is a Portland Design Works Danger Zone
- Computer – Not strictly an essential, but it has become one for me over the years. My trusty compact and lightweight Garmin Edge 500 is still going strong.
- Saddle Bag – See below
In My Saddle Bag
I keep my saddle bag pretty trim to avoid overpacking, but it contains everything I need to take care of a flat:
- 1 Spare Tube
- 2 Tire Wrenches
- CO2 Inflator
- 2 CO2 Cartridges
- 2 AAA Batteries (Spares for my taillight)
I’ll occasionally squeeze in pre-glued tire patches like the Park Tool GP-2. They’re compact and lightweight and could save you an Uber ride home halfway through your ride when the valve stem fails in your spare tube. Not that I’d know anything about that.
In My Jersey Pockets
The things I always keep stashed in the rear pockets of my jersey:
- Cleat Covers – Protects my cleats and makes walking a little less treacherous when stopping for coffee or other libations during or after the ride.
- Bike Lock – A have a lightweight cable lock (aka “latte lock”) I’ll take for social rides. It’s peace of mind for coffee stops or post-ride libations, but I generally don’t bring it if I’m out solo and not planning to have my bike out of my sight.
- Phone – Doubles as music when necessary.
- Identification – I ride with my Driver’s License as well as the above mentioned RoadID.
- Credit/Debit Card (or cash) – I ride with these in a ziplock with my Phone and DL.
- Food/Water Supplements – For any ride over two hours, I’ll bring at least one bar or tube of energy chews. Extra electrolyte water supplements like Nuun or Skratch Labs are key for summer riding.
Optional
For longer rides, touring, or if you like being really prepared, here are other items you might consider bringing along. Note that on supported rides like Obliteride, pretty much all of these items are available throughout the course at rest stops or on-course support riders/vehicles:
- Multi-tool – Can be helpful if you’re still getting your bike fit dialed in. The Topeak Alien II is a little bulky, but has pretty much everything you might need for a road or trailside repair, including a chain breaker!
- Ouch Pouch – A basic first aid kit: couple of bandaids, gauze pad, antiseptic wipe, pack of Ibuprofen should be sufficient.
- Latex gloves – Can come in handy dealing with greasy components (or injuries!).
- Extra spare tube – When one isn’t enough.
- Extra CO2 cartridges – There’s nothing worse than having a spare tube and no way to fill it!
- Tire Pump – The belt-and-suspenders approach to inflating a tire. There are lots of compact and lightweight options that mount to your frame next to a water bottle cage.
- Sunscreen – Travel size tubes are great for summer rides to reapply after you’ve been sweating.
- Chamois Cream – Like sunscreen, it’s good to reapply on longer/hotter rides. Chamois Butt’r is available in single-use sizes that easily fit in your pocket or saddlebag.
Generally speaking, the lighter you pack, the more enjoyable your ride’s going be. It will take a few rides to get your gear dialed in, but once you get there it makes preparing for a ride pretty quick and easy.