The Gear You Should Bring on Every Bike Ride

In my 30 years riding bikes, I’ve had lots of random things happen, from crashing, running out of food and water to name a few. Based on my experience, here’s the Gear You Should Bring on Every Bike Ride

1. Bring your cell phone.  For a million reasons, the least being to call for help. 
2. Water:  The rule of thumb is you need to drink one bottle of water per hour while riding. You want a cycling-specific water bottle. Click to link to the Camelback brand, the one I use and really like.
3. Food, AKA energy bar.  The rule of thumb is you eat at least 1 bar per hour. I really like Cliff Bars. Click this link to shop Cliff products
4. A way to pump air into your tires if needed.  A mini pump, or frame pump, or a CO2 inflator kit. My preference is to carry a c02 kit as they are more compact than a pump. Here is a link to a good C02 inflation kit.
5. Tire levers to get your tire off and back on. I prefer the Pedros brand. Click here to get yours.
6. An extra tube.  Ideally, you want to make sure you get the correct size tube but don’t worry if you don’t have the exact size, as you can mix and match on a temporary basis.
7. Depending on where you ride, a jacket or warm clothes in case the weather goes sideways on you. Click this link to my post on how to dress for cold-weather cycling.

Note:  Changing a flat bike tire is easy if you’ve done it a few times and can be next to impossible if you’ve never done it before.  You don’t want to fix a flat tire for the first time stuck in the middle of nowhere. I highly recommend watching this video then practicing by swapping the innertube in your bike with a spare and on the rear wheel as that’s the most difficult.  If you’re confused, just go to your local bike shop, and they’ll help you do it the first time.  

Another Note: Don’t be shy about asking other bikers for help. In my experience, most cyclists are happy to help their fellow cyclists. Some are almost annoying about it.

Another Note:  If you ride enough, there will be times you need to phone a friend or call Uber to get home.  Shit happens, and sometimes you can’t fix it.  It’s just part of the adventure.   

John