La Vie Velominatus: The Toolkit
Even as a Pre-Cambrian Velominatus, the rusty wires in my brain must have made the connection between my machine’s aesthetics and the lack of a saddle bag; I can’t remember a time when I rode with a European Posterior Man Satchel. But riding without a saddle bag means the tools go in the pocket, and that means great care must be take in their selection; it has taken the better part of 30 years for my toolkit to evolve to the point where it is today: a minimalist set of highly reliable tools, each carefully selected for its function, form, and weight.
In addition to the endless cycle of tools that have come in and out of the kit, their locations have changed over the years. I’ve spread them across all three pockets, careful to distribute the weight evenly. I’ve put the heaviest items in the center pocket and kept the lighter ones in the side pockets. I’ve put all the weight in the side pockets and kept the center pocket free for stuffing with other items. I’ve ridden with minipump, with CO2, with minipump and C02. I’ve strapped the pump to my seatpost (we can’t all be genius all the time). I’ve carried two multi-tools, I’ve carried loose allen keys. I’ve carried chain tools. I’ve carried multi-tools with integrated chain tools. Suffice to say, nearly every conceivable permutation has been tried.
Before I go on, I want to make a point very clear: here we are wandering deep into Velominatus territory. Every item has been selected for a function, but that function is presupposed by the notion that our bicycles are meticulously cared for and we do not expect to make major roadside repairs. Punctures, silencing a creak or rattle, making a minor shifting adjustment, straightening a handlebar, or tweaking a saddle are the types of repairs within the scope of what may be expected mid-ride. Broken chains, snapped cables, broken spokes, handlebars, or saddles are failures that are to be preempted before departure and if they happen during a ride, one is expected to limp home or find alternative means of transportation. If going on a longer ride with no bail-out, one is to adjust their kit accordingly to account for self-reliance.
I also realize that I’ve now jinxed myself for tomorrow’s Cogal. (But I said it ironically, so I think I’m safe.)
The following considerations factor into my kit selection (in no particular order):
- I used to carry two (or more) spare tubes, several Co2 canisters, and a mini pump. I’m not sure exactly how many punctures I was expecting to have during my rides, but I am sure I was prepared for them. That fact that I rarely flat never figured heavily in my planning.
- Patch kits have gone from being big clunky things complete with a tube of glue that smelled alarmingly good when opened, to small things you’re more likely to lose than to notice you’re carrying it.
- Minipumps have become very small and very light, while still providing enough pressure to get you home.
- C02 chucks have gotten small and light, and are reasonably inexpensive.
- C02 canisters are similarly inexpensive, and based on how frequently I use them, do not seem an unreasonable investment.
- Loose allen keys are ungainly and can be lost; a screwdriver even more so.
- Most of the critical bolts on a bicycle take either a 4mm or 5mm allen key; a screwdriver head is similarly critical as sometimes a derailleur stop needs to be changed. 3mm or 6mm keys are rarely required.
- Tools are heavy, and the aggregate weight of the toolkit can be significant. Take care to find lightweight, compact tools (that still function well) and you can dramatically reduce the weight you carry with you.
- Latex tubes are significantly lighter and more compact that standard tubes.
- iPhones are wicked rad, but Steve Jobs was clearly not a cyclist. Those things weigh like tanks.
Nirvana is a state we cannot hope to reach, though La Vie Velominatus may carry us to its outer boundaries. That is where I feel I am today when it comes to my tool kit, the contents of which are the Lezyne V5 Multitool, Lezyne Trigger Drive, Lezyne Smark Kit, two Lezyne Alloy Levers, two 12g Co2 cartridges, my phone, cash, ID, and inhaler (like most Pros, I’m asthmatic). I organize my kit into separate small plastic bags, but do not store the lot in a Rule #31 Sack, like many of my esteemed peers. Instead, I opt to keep things stored separately in my center jersey pocket, such that I am able to pull items such as my phone or multitool out of my pocket (while riding) without needing to remove everything else with it.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/Toolkit /”/]
Thats quite nice of you. Id tell them to cache their co2 first and if they tucked it up they could use my pump.@Calmante
@minion
done it. No crash, wore off some tyre tread. Now I keep my hand touching the seat stay so it doesn’t drift toward seat tube and trouble.
Completely OT, but does anyone know of anyone streaming links for Mallorca? I have one for Qatar, but would like to see some Schlecking.
@itburns
I’ll elaborate on my “cursed day” and things mentioned since that post. I think I have experienced “normal” flat rates. Maybe one every 2+ years or so? Austin Cogal I had three in one ride. Had a SAG so not catastrophic but had me rethink the CO2 I was carrying for years. Second ride after switching to the minipump (fits fully inside jersey pocket and is lighter than my former CO2/cartridges) I hit several sabotaged stretches of road seeded with roofing nails. Houston, Texas – you get used to this shit. Maybe it was just construction but I doubt it. Anyway, would have been stranded after using all of CO2 instead of just delayed repeatedly.
Also, a line from the article sticks with me. “Every item has been selected for a function”. No one would ride with an allen wrench that is only good for “3 turns”, why ride with a pump that is? Weight isn’t an issue anymore and size almost isn’t.
As always, though, if CO2 makes you feel pro and makes you ride more, never switch to a minipump.
@Calmante
No flats for that long??!!?? I wanna live where you do. They must do a fantastic job of getting the broken glass and radial tire wire off the shoulder.
No matter what tyre, tube combo I use, I seem to flat about twice a month. More this time of year which is a bitch; working off a flat with frozen fingers in the pouring rain.
@Ron
Catching up, so sorry if this has been covered, but I’d take this option over a chain tool any day. Its a nice, small, elegant solution that will get you home in a pinch and keep your kit nice and light. I’ll certainly pick one up, though I’ll probably grab the ConneX, not the SRAM.
Gold!
What the appropriate post, especially after this week’s mechanicals…
I have never, ever broken a chain on the road in 30 years of riding (MTB is a different story). So some time ago, the chain breaker migrated out of the kit for some odd reason. Poor shifting on my part, under quite a bit of force, and one of the link plates popped off. Luckily the VMH was available to take the call. But standing outside in the +15F, breezy air, waiting 30 minutes for her arrival was a lesson I’ll not soon forget.
Only 36 hours later, I flatted on the way in to work (only my second flat in 2.5 years here in Germany). It was 4km from the office, so I decided to limp it in instead of trying to swap it out in the dark, windy, +07F morning. Get to the office, only to discover that the tire levers had migrated elsewhere. WTH!?!?! Luckily VMH was available to get me home that afternoon.
Complete rookie moves. Two times in one week. Time to regain focus.
Road Id on wrist, iPhone to call the team car/take photo/number of passing VMHs. Isn’t that all anyone needs?
@Gianni
Yep, me too. Resulted in me with my hand jammed down between the seat tube and tire, skidding to a stop. It’s only ever happened once though due to a moment’s inattention.
Trick is to hook your thumb around the seatstay.
This leads me to a question for @Oli.
Back in about 1982, when I first started racing, I did a ride with a local ex semi-pro who had done some racing in Europe and in Mexico. He had these devices that were fixed to the frame through the brake bolts that consisted of a crescent shaped bit of metal that supported a fine chain (like fine necklace weight and size) that in theory kept the tires clean and prevented flats. Have you ever seen anything like that?
Casting my mind back, He had the most beautiful red Colnago Mexico with chromed lugs. I wish I could remember his name.
@Gianni
Baking Sun or Torrential Downpour – it’s always one or the other when your stuck. yep I agree, I’m going with a nice sexy mini pump from now on. Cannisters would seem to be useful under race conditions but otherwise I think I’ll make the effort to pump. Plus when they go off, they go off – Jesus H Christ! nothing like carrying a potential bomb in your back pocket
@mouse
Yes, I have seen them Mouse, although in books more than on bikes. There were also ones that were just wire where the ones you saw had the little chains. By the time I got into cycling (late ’70s) they weren’t really in common use any more…
@frank
I say again, how do you deal with the remnants of the failed link without a chain tool? Seems to me the link is just to save the time/reduce potential error factor of rejoining the chain on the side of the road, but you’ll still need a chain tool too.
@Oli
That’s what I’ve been thinking (post #19). I wish I’d taken a photo of my chain but from memory I’d lost one outer plate and one pin by the time I’d stopped. The other outer plate was bent but I suppose I could have just pulled it out and fitted a powerlink (I had a Sram one with me but couldn’t get it to fit the Ultegra chain when first fitting the chain a few weeks ago which is why the chain failed as I had to refit a link).
If both outer sides of the link were still attached maybe it would be possible just to prise them apart till one side comes off, then fit the powerlink?
That seems like a fantastic idea. I wonder why they fell out of favor.
@itburns
I never thought a CO2 cartridge was especally Pro. I just use them because they’re a hell of a lot faster than mini-pumps. But I did learn my lesson about what happens if you screw up the attachment and lose all the CO2. So now I carry a CO2 for speed and a minipump as backup.
@Oli
I’m with Oli on this one. Carrying a powerlink is surely useless if you don’t have a chain breaker tool to remove the pins at the point of breakage to create two open ends. My multitool has a chain breaker I’ve never used, although it did come to the aid of a stranded rider I met out on my bike one day. In my experience, all chains can be rejoined with a bit of care – even ultra narrow Campag – without the need for a new link. I routinely trickle down my part-worn chains from road bikes to commuter bike and rejoin them successfully without using the overpriced chainlink kit.
At risk of inviting future disaster, I can say that I hardly ever suffer punctures. Once every 3 years would be about average. Then again, I don’t ride in the gutter, I check the pressures before each ride, replace tyres before the tread is completely worn, and don’t sit on the bike like a sack of potatoes when going over bumps or potholes :)
This reminds me of the last time I had a flat. It was during a cycling holiday in the Alps. My friends and I had ridden up the Col de la Colombiere and had lunched at the restaurant at the top. Didn’t check the bike over before starting the descent (mistake number one!) and within a few hundred meters realised that my rear tyre was almost flat. Pulled into the verge as my pals disappeared down the valley and set about changing the tube. In my haste not to lose too much time (second mistake!) I rushed putting the spare tube in and nipped it between rim and lever while struggling to get the last bit of tyre over the rim. Damn! Back in with the old tube, hoping the puncture was a slow one. So, wheel back in place, tyre pumped up as hard as possible, tools back in the EPMS (sorry!) and off we go. All seemed well until I glanced down to check my speed and, WTF, no bike computer – just an empty bracket smiling back at me. I’d taken the thing off and laid it on the ground before turning the bike upside down on the verge, way back up the mountain, and forgotten to pick it up. With tears in my eyes I turned around and rode back up – without doubt the most expletive-filled kilometer I’ve ever ridden! Everything turned out okay in the end – I found the computer, made it down the long descent in one piece, and rejoined the group in the valley where we fixed the flat properly (caused by a tiny sliver of metal).
Lessons to be learned from this:
1. Always check the bike over (tyres, brakes, nothing loose) before starting a major descent.
2. If mechanical troubles do strike, stay calm and don’t rush the repair!
@chubster
If your jersey fits, you should have no problems with your tools bouncing around. Or, add a cycling cap to the pocket and you’ll firm everything up. On the other hand, if your jersey doubles as a nightgown, that could be an issue for you.
Also, Anquetil and I like to keep our bikes light. He moved his bidon from its cage to his jersey at the bottom of every col. Psychological? Perhaps. Did it win him 5 tours? Absolutely.
@Ron
No, I ride Vittoria latex; the Michellin is a beautiful, thin, light tire but its so thin and beautiful and light that it tears easily at the valve stem. So I use it as a spare in my kit because all it has to do is get me home.
@Oli
That’s a good point, and I’m not sure. In 30 years I’ve never broken a chain riding, apart from when I improperly broke and re-attached my VMH’s chain. So I’m happily ignorant on the issue.
But I’ll roll back to the fundamental principle of my tool kit selection: take care of your shit and you won’t have these kinds of problems.
@motor city
Either the Michellin or the Vredenstein come packed this way. Rad.
@Oli
Oh, see this now. I think you’re right on this.
For those of you “carrying tools for other people”. Rule #84, folks.
@Nate
I went out for a ride Thursday on the tubbies and I realized while later I was still riding my my levers and my spare tube. Old habits die hard!
@Oli
You 86’d your EPMS? Congratulations!
@Marko
WHAT PATCH KIT IS THAT WITH THE ORANGE V ON THERE?
@Gianni
Your VMH needs to make those bags for retail. That is lovely, aside from the pattern on the fabric. With, say, a nice V-Cog on there, and made of black fabric, that would be a real gem.
@frank
http://www.customtirepatchkits.com
I gave it a go with the links I removed when getting the chain to the correct length.
It was very easy to put a 4mm allen key from my multitool in between the outerplates, twist and one popped off. I think it would be rare for the inner plates to break but if that happened you’d need a chain tool or a phone.
Frank’s right though as I doubt my chain would have broken if I’d done the job correctly.
@Calmante
Doing a long ride today, so I’ll answer your question tonight! Is that a tube wrapped in the pokemon rubber band? Two demerits.
@RedRanger
Nice! Now you just need to paint a V-Cog on there.
@MrBigCog
ok, I can’t help to ask, what park tool demise are you talking about?? I have always had great luck, precision and never a fail with my park stuff. Albeit, Lezyne is fantastic goods, prob better than park as its obviously thoughtfully engineered…i just haven’t used it alot…but haven’t looked at the park stuff as ‘demise’.
thoughts??
@MrBigCog
The is like a nudie mag to a teen. And, differently from porn, is actually real and functional.
Lezyne tool page
@Rigid
The Lezyne chuck lets you completely control the air output. I even use it to do just a bit to pre-inflate the tire, and then the rest to finish ‘er off.
@frank
it may get me in trouble, but when i trained on tubbies, i would carry the spare under the saddle. Now, only properly tied in old school fashion and rolled as to show it was the spare, instead of having the pocket packed so full that you had to be a contortionist to get it out if needed. CO2 in the pocket was all i needed. Now though, the trainer is clincher, tubular on race day.
hurl away now, will pay pentance later…maybe
really thinking hard on the C-24 tubeless though
@McTyke
3. Never turn your bike upside down!
@Souleur
No, that is super cool, and I believe that’s the right way to carry a spare tubbie. I’m talking about carrying a fucking inner tube with me. When ridding tubbies. With no spare tubbie.
@frank
I take part credit for the iPhone wallpaper;) so you know I’m rocking it. Just couldn’t get it to come out with the lame laptop camera.
Grrr. I wanna ride my tubs today for our little jaunt up the river. But this time of year, the possibility of flatting, then dealing with said flat, is too big a risk.
I personally carry: CO2 case canisters X3, patch kit, extra tube, levers X2, CO2 pump. My shit works when I leave the house, so I don’t bring a multi tool. The only time I’ve had to be “rescued” was when I had a set of Campa C-Record cranks that self extracted. Don’t have those anymore so not an issue.
Help!
Can someone advise how to get the VVallpapers installed on my iPhone/Pad. Please.
@936adl
Settle down and breath.
Click on the image then when it opens a new page press it and hold it till you get the option to save it.
@King Clydesdale
No, KC, you’re not the only one who carries a medical card with. My ins carrier has my emergency contact info. In Europe I carry a business card with my emergency numbers on the back. And it didn’t cost me a cent. In addition, I believe the road id folks are making money off fear. People are already afraid to get on a bike. I believe the ad campaign just stokes those fears.
@RedRanger
Correct. And then go to the wallpaper dealibob and choose it from your photo library. Good point – we’ll add instructions.
i view use of EPMS vs jersey-packing the same way i do use of co2/pump; it just depends on what the ride/conditions dictate. certainly it’s preferable to go sans-EPMS (the bike looks and feels better), but while trying to employ that approach, the one thing i absolutely DON’T want EVER is to look like this:
(ugh, it;s like a stuffed pita pocket.) so if i need the pockets for something other than the everyday ride essentials, i’ll employ the EPMS. to at least distribute some of the weight/cargo.
similarly with co2, i prefer to go with whatever’s lightest but also most appropriate for the ride. two co2 carts plus nozzle outweighs my topeak racerocket hp. so if i’ll need at least two, the pump goes. but if it’s a group ride and i want to hold everyone up as little as possible, i’ll bring co2.
also, first post. hello!
Carry the weight on the bike – not on you.
When dancing on the pedals uphill do you really want to be lifting that weight up and down every pedal rev ? So Anquetil put his bidon in his jersey pocket at the bottom of a hill. Just Jacque’s way of unsettling his opponents. He carried out mind games all the time.
Also the damage you can do to yourself if you fall off and all those angular bits of metal get pushed into your soft body. Ouch ! You really will be suffering for your art.
Nothing wrong with a small under seat pack to carry your stuff.
@Nate
Yes Nate there’s a powerlink for Campagnolo 11 speed chains and the best fitting one is made by KMC
Although Campagnolo 11 speed chain tool is the most beautiful tool I ever used in a workshop carrying it on your ride is really hard because of its size.
One thing you should keep an eye on is to make sure your 11 speed chain is connected properly using a Campagnolo tool or two separate tools made by Park Tool however I’d strongly recommend Campagnolo tool plus somebody with experience to do the job.
Since carrying just a powerlink is pointless you can customize yourself a small chain tool or use the one made by Cyclo.It’s small and does plenty in case of emergency.
@Nate
Oh and one more thing I forgot.
When 11 speed first came out and before KMC made 11 speed powerlink the best fitting 10 speed powerlink that could have been used with 11 speed was Wipperman 10S1 connex link but the fit was just ok.I don’t know how durable that set up would be cause myself I’ve always used pins and carry powerlink in case of emergency.
@frank
Good point Frank. I was obviously suffering from altitude sickness or something that day, to submit my bike to such an indignity!
Good piece Frank. My traveling toolkit is similar to yours, but since I have started riding tubulars I substituted the patch kit, CO2 bottles, and spare tubes for two cans of Vittorias Pit Stop. I have flatted twice and have a 50% success rate with this stuff working well enough to get me home. It also works well on inner tubes. On really long rides I carry a pre-glued spare tire with some CO2 cartridges. Finally, I add a credit card and a picture ID- with those two items I can solve just about any road side problem.
@McTyke
so it’s ok to rest your bike on the rear derailleur then?
just got back from a ride, and it occurred to me – on most of my road rides, which are 50km or less, i only take a wallet and phone, no tube or pump. i have sealant in my tubes, and so far, never had a problem. also got me thinking…i am tubeless on my mountainbike…why isn’t there a tubeless set up for road? or is there and i just don’t know about it?
Is it acceptable to keep one’s tool kit in one of those storage containers that fit in a bottle cage?
I’m trying to do without the EPMS but I have one jersey with a single rear pocket, and it simply won’t accommodate my tools, emergency rations and rain cape.
Cheers!
@frank
That is a Michelin tube wrapped in a Pokemon bracelet. A colleague’s little girl gave it to me as a present one day, and it fit perfectly, so there ya go. That and… Yeah, whatever, so I play Pokemon games on my Nintendo 3DS occasionally. I refuse to let go of my childhood.
@frahnk; my kit is similar to yours, but I’ve stopped using latex inners years ago, the lezyne patches are useful but after awhile-not sure how long that is-they dry out and leak. Once that happens you can’t repatch the same area even if cleaned with solvent and allowed to dry for a couple of days. As for punctures, shit, London’s roads are like gravel tracks.
When I did Rapha’s HOTN2 on the same tyres I didn’t get a single puncture I had two punctures in two days this week-I pulled out a bent needle for fuck’s sake!!
@chiasticon
No it’s not either.
You have a drive side and non drive side of the bike.Why would you lay your bicycle on a derailleur side since you can lay it down on the other side.