Your Emergency Kit

When you ride you should always have an emergency kit with several key tools and extras of items you may need to replace on your bike. Included is a list of the items you will need and links to Amazon where you can find the best of them.

You will need-

Kit- hangs on the back of your seat or fits into a corner on your frame. Where you put all of your emergency stuff.

Topeak Aero Wedge Pack with Buckle (Medium)

Tire Irons/Tire Levers- for changing your tires or tubes. Some people can use just their hands, but most of the time it is easier to remove the tire with these.

Minoura Tool Alloy Set Tire Levers

Patch Kit- repairs holes in your tubes and saves you from having to carry extra tubes, although it is a good idea to have some.

Park Tool VP-1 Vulcanizing Patch Kit

Tubes- size will depend on your bike. Check with your local shop if you don't know what size or type you need.

CO2 Pumps- quick and easy pump. Inflates your tires in no time and lasts the duration of your ride. You will want to empty your tires when you get home and fill them with regular air.

Innovations Ultraflate Plus CO2


Hand Pump- if you run out of CO2 or have to change many tubes, pumps are an easy and efficient way to fill your tires and get going again. This pump will mount to your water bottle cage and is an easy install.

Hurricane Micro Mini Pump

Changing Tubes

Changing tubes can be a pain if you don't have the tools or the experience to do it. It is much easier to use metal tire "wrenches" because they allow you to push harder and give you more mechanical advantage. In your kit you are going to need an extra tube, wrenches and possibly a patch set. In case you get a hole in your tire, if you can pack a dollar bill in your kit. When you change your tube, put the dollar over the hole in the tire to spread out the pressure of the tube against the tire. This will help ensure that you don't blow out your tire before you replace it, which I highly recommend you do. When you go to change your tubes make sure you use a good tube that has no holes in it and check the inside of your tire and your rim to ensure there are no irregularities that could cause a flat. *You may need find videos on Youtube so you do it right.

Riding Tips (Riding Safe and NOT Crashing)

1) Never ride angry.

2) Always wear a helmet.

3) Ride within your comfort zone. (not too fast)

4) Keep identification on you in the even that you do crash.

5) Tell people when and where you are going to ride so that they know the general area in which you will be.

6) Bring a cell phone in case you need help.

7) Pack an appropriate kit with tools for changing tubes and pumping tires.

8) Be aware of your surroundings.

9) Ride in groups.

10) Use hand signals and vocals when you are around other cyclists and cars.

Recommendation

If you are interested in knowing more about your bike, cleaning, repairing, or you just want to know the names of the parts so you can explain your problems you NEED to get The Park Tool Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair. It tells you what tools you need for the components on your bike and is extremely helpful with all your bike needs. 

Where to Find Those Essential Tools

You can find the more common tools at your local Home Depot, Lowe's or on Amazon.com but you may need to go to your local bike store to find the bike-specific tools such as multi-tools or pedal wrenches. My personal favorite tools are ParkTools, the link for their website can be found under the "resources" tab.