If you ride a bike, then you should carry some basic repair supplies and tools, and you’ll need a way to carry them. Like most prepared cyclists, I carry a spare tire tube, puncture-repair patches, and basic tools, and I tuck these treasures inside a saddle bag (often also called a seat bag or a wedge bag) which rides out of the way behind the seat post. These bags are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, from tiny (holds a tube, a credit card, and a spare key) to big enough to carry a basic repair kit, a lunch, a jacket, and more. Some are even large enough to carry a spartan camping kit.

With better riding conditions fast approaching, along with the promise of long rides into tucked-away places, I’ve been going through the saddle bags for my bikes to make sure that everything is in order. If you haven’t checked the contents of your saddle bags recently, do so now. It’s better than discovering something essential is missing when you’re a long walk from home.

I checked the saddle bag for my Surly LHT yesterday. It’s an Axiom Catskill bag, with reflective piping and logo patch, and it’s expandable by the simple expedient of unzipping a bellows. Here’s what it looks like from astern:

And here’s what it looks like from the side, complete with lint stuck to the hook-and-loop strap:

I don’t usually need all the space inside, but if I want to carry energy bars, a second tube, more tools, or even a highly compressible wind vest, the bag expands quite a bit. Simply open the lower zipper and expand the bag:

So what do I carry inside? Let’s take a look. On top is a spare tube, wrapped in a sealed zippered plastic bag to protect it:

Beneath that is a square of old cotton t-shirt to serve as a rag and to cushion the rubber tube from the metal tools:

And then come the tools, folded inside a zippered plastic bag to help ward off moisture, but mostly to keep everything contained:

Here are all the items arrayed:

In addition to a spare tube, there are self-adhesive patches, Park tire levers, a range of Bondhus hex wrenches, a Park spoke wrench, a Park chain tool, a multi-tool (knife blades, slotted and philips screwdrivers, saw, can- and bottle openers, and pliers) and its case, a pair of vinyl gloves (for keeping hands clean), and a second cotton rag which can also serve as a protective “table” when laying tools out on the ground along the roadside. With these basic supplies, I can do most of the more common repairs that are required on a local ride. I carry additional repair materials in the handlebar bag, and on a long tour I’d carry more tools which would let me pull a crank, remove the cassette, and do other more ambitious tasks. But for rides closer to home, these few basic tools and supplies are all I need.

 
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