Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Repair Kit Life Savers

Everyone knows that a bike repair kits needs the following:

tube
lever(s)
CO2 with valve
patch kit
multi-tool
tire boot

But as Steve B suggested to me the other day there are two more things that everyone should have tucked into their kit:

valve extender
zip ties



A few weeks ago I got my first flat on my new rims, and when I went to put in my tube I realized that my new wheels are five millimeters deeper than my old one rendering the valve too short.  Luckily Mike R had a long stem tube.  I've found this to be a fairly common occurrence on team rides and a valve extender renders the issue a non-problem.

Zip ties are like duct tape: you can do amazing things with them.  Zip ties are especially useful during the winter months when flimsy plastic fenders start to disintegrate.  Last year a zip tie bummed from Joe M saved me when I lost one of my fender attachment bolts.

1 comment:

  1. Don't forget you might need body repair as well. I recommend having wipes to clean the road rash or cut, Neosporin or equivalent, band-aids (wide ones are more useful), non-stick gauze pads, and stretch wrap or some of the tube stretch bandage.

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