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OPINION

In my Sticky Pod

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I carry loads of stuff around with me on rides. Is it just me?

I've got a bit of a thing for carrying loads of stuff around on longer rides. "Longer rides" is a pretty moveable feast. It can mean:

  • Erm, longer rides. Like maybe over 100km or when I'm on my own or going somewhere where there isn't a Tesco's every five miles;
  • Rides where I feel responsible for someone, or a group of people;
  • If I'm riding with people I don't know, or don't trust to be able to fix their own bike;
Dave's Sticky Pod 2.jpg

Anyway, I carry my Sticky Pod and cram it with stuff. It'll fit in my back pocket still. Although sometimes I stick it in a frame bag, if I'm doing a longer thing. Anyway. Here's what's in it. I don't always carry everything, but this is more or less the full kit.

Dave's Sticky Pod 3.jpg

A multitool. This one's a Merida one, with a chain splitter and some just-about-functional spoke keys. It's quite flat so it fits in the Sticky Pod nicely. Sometimes I swap it out for a Tern Tool, which has a pedal spanner so it's handy if you need one.

Dave's Sticky Pod 4.jpg

An inner tube. I run tubeless on my bike that I do long rides on. This one's a lightweight 700C tube; if I'm on 650 wheels i tend to put a bigger tube in there, still a 700c one that works in a pinch in a 650 but will also patch up someone else's 700c bike.

Dave's Sticky Pod 5.jpg

Tyre levers. The Tern tool has tyre levers built in which'll do if you're desperate but these Park Tool ones are much better for roadside repairs.

Dave's Sticky Pod 6.jpg

Spare lube. it says Muc-Off C3 on the tube but I've filled it back up a few times with whatever's in the shed. Although actually I might have filled it back up with Muc-Off cause I have about a gallon of that. I can't remember.

Dave's Sticky Pod 8.jpg

A mini pump. Most mini pumps are pretty average to be honest. This SKS Spaero isn't: it has a proper screw-on hose and you can get 100psi in a tyre. 

Dave's Sticky Pod 7.jpg

A CO2 inflator. I don't always carry both but sometimes it's handy to have one quick change in your kit if you need it. Especially if it's horrible out.

Dave's Sticky Pod 9.jpg

A survival blanket. Again, not all the time. But on a really long one, or in a big group, it can be a handy thing to have. I haven't used it yet but I take that as a good thing.

Dave's Sticky Pod 10.jpg

Antiseptic wipes and plasters. I've used these a bunch of times though. Last time when I was riding back from Exeter and made a mess of a junction.

Dave's Sticky Pod 11.jpg

Puncture repair kit. The contents of a Rema Tip Top touring kit decanted into one of the pockets. Except for the little rubber tube for repairing your Woods valve. Anyone ever used that?

Dave's Sticky Pod 12.jpg

Tyre boot and instant patches. A tyre boot is handy, though less so now fivers are made out of plastic and you can just use one of them. The instant patches I didn't even know were in there, to be honest. As you can see from the puncture kit above, I'd need to have a pretty bad day before I needed them.

Dave's Sticky Pod 13.jpg

Quick link. It never hurts to have a spare one of these. I've needed it more than once. For other people's bikes generally.

Dave's Sticky Pod 14.jpg

Tubeless repair kit. This one's a Maxalami kit with the tool Dremeled down a bit to make it smaller. So far I haven't needed it. Although I have used someone else's when I didn't have one of my own.

Dave's Sticky Pod 15.jpg

Needle and dental floss. Amazing what you can fix with a needle and dental floss. Floss is super strong, and it's waxed so it's easy to pull through stuff. I've fixed a shoe with it, and a rip in someone's tyre sidewall. You could probably give yourself stitches. I wouldn't recommend that, I guess.

Dave's Sticky Pod 16.jpg

Spare cable. A gear cable will do as a brake cable in a pinch if you carry a washer that'll stop it pulling through the lever. So you really only need one. Unless you're really unlucky.

And that's it! Except for a fiver for a coffee. Or to use as a tyre boot. What's in your kit?

 

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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21 comments

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StraelGuy | 5 years ago
2 likes

Agreed. I only starting carrying a mylar survival blanket recently. They cost buttons for a handful online.

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gmac101 | 5 years ago
2 likes

The survival blanket is a good idea.  With the increasing demands on the ambulance service if you're not having a heart attack or suffered a head injury you'll be a long way down the list for pick up  in the event you have an "off" and can't cycle to help.  

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ktache | 5 years ago
1 like

I had been meaning to ask if the new plastic 5 and 10 pound notes work as well as the old linen ones as very emergency tyre boots?

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aegisdesign | 5 years ago
0 likes

So it's just me with Jubilee clips then?

 

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dave atkinson replied to aegisdesign | 5 years ago
1 like

aegisdesign wrote:

So it's just me with Jubilee clips then?

i doubt it. actually there's usually a couple of zip ties in there i just remembered. I used them and didn't replace them

 

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vonhelmet | 5 years ago
1 like

I’ve also used a hexus ii to repair a chain. It definitely works.

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Woldsman | 5 years ago
0 likes

No paramedic kit, but similar apart from...

roll of electrical adhesive tap

folding tyre

Hollowtech II spinny thing

Brooks saddle cover

gear and brake cable

cable lock

spare derailleur hanger (oh, and make sure you have a hex key long enough to remove your rear mech and the right hex key to remove the hanger from the frame).

 

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dave atkinson replied to Woldsman | 5 years ago
0 likes

Woldsman wrote:

spare derailleur hanger (oh, and make sure you have a hex key long enough to remove your rear mech and the right hex key to remove the hanger from the frame).

I did have an emergency mech hanger in there, which was cool - it replaces the quick release nut so it'll fit on any bike with a quick release (albeit with a more limited gear range)

I don't know where it's gone though, and it wouldn't work on the Tripster anyway cause it has a 12mm thru axle. i should get a spare hanger really.

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brooksby | 5 years ago
2 likes

And, just because...

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brooksby | 5 years ago
0 likes

Its odd, that I've never even considered carrying medical stuff (plasters, survival blanket, etc).  Mind you, the bulk of my riding is commuting.  Wonder if I ought to, just in case...

I've never understood why chain breakers are fitted onto multitools.  In order to use the chain breaker fitted onto the multitool you have to use an Allen key (usually) to wind it.  But the Allen key is also on the multitool, and not on some sort of extendable wire.  So you have to carry another Allen key to use the chain breaker on your multitool...  Am I missing a trick here? 

(That said, I know I've got a spare master link / quick link in my tool roll even though I don't carry a chain breaker...).

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TheHungryGhost replied to brooksby | 5 years ago
1 like

brooksby wrote:

I've never understood why chain breakers are fitted onto multitools.  In order to use the chain breaker fitted onto the multitool you have to use an Allen key (usually) to wind it.  But the Allen key is also on the multitool, and not on some sort of extendable wire.  So you have to carry another Allen key to use the chain breaker on your multitool...  Am I missing a trick here? 

My Topeak Multitool has an Allen Key Head built into one of the removable tyre levers, which is to be used for the chain breaker. 

I've never had to use it though so don't know if it's strong enough.

 

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brooksby replied to TheHungryGhost | 5 years ago
1 like

TheHungryGhost wrote:

brooksby wrote:

I've never understood why chain breakers are fitted onto multitools.  In order to use the chain breaker fitted onto the multitool you have to use an Allen key (usually) to wind it.  But the Allen key is also on the multitool, and not on some sort of extendable wire.  So you have to carry another Allen key to use the chain breaker on your multitool...  Am I missing a trick here? 

My Topeak Multitool has an Allen Key Head built into one of the removable tyre levers, which is to be used for the chain breaker. 

I've never had to use it though so don't know if it's strong enough.

Ah: I am missing a trick!  Clearly a case of RTFM - I actually had one of those years ago (but lost the tyre levers in any case and bought a separate pair), but I'd never noticed the Allen head built into them... (embarrassed).

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Beatnik69 replied to TheHungryGhost | 5 years ago
3 likes

TheHungryGhost wrote:

brooksby wrote:

I've never understood why chain breakers are fitted onto multitools.  In order to use the chain breaker fitted onto the multitool you have to use an Allen key (usually) to wind it.  But the Allen key is also on the multitool, and not on some sort of extendable wire.  So you have to carry another Allen key to use the chain breaker on your multitool...  Am I missing a trick here? 

My Topeak Multitool has an Allen Key Head built into one of the removable tyre levers, which is to be used for the chain breaker. 

I've never had to use it though so don't know if it's strong enough.

 

Can confirm that it does work.

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dave atkinson replied to brooksby | 5 years ago
1 like

brooksby wrote:

I've never understood why chain breakers are fitted onto multitools.  In order to use the chain breaker fitted onto the multitool you have to use an Allen key (usually) to wind it.  But the Allen key is also on the multitool, and not on some sort of extendable wire.  So you have to carry another Allen key to use the chain breaker on your multitool...  Am I missing a trick here? 

the merida tool above has a captive chain breaker that doesn't require a separate allen key. the tern tool has an allen key head attached to one of its tyre levers that you use to drive it.

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Ashok C | 5 years ago
4 likes

Twine for stubborn chain link removal even though I carry master links for 8,9,10, 11 speed chains and a chain tool.

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dave atkinson replied to Ashok C | 5 years ago
0 likes

Ashok C wrote:

Twine for stubborn chain link removal even though I carry master links for 8,9,10, 11 speed chains and a chain tool.

 

Ooo. that's a nice idea

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ped | 5 years ago
0 likes

I think I bought my sticky pod on your recommendation Dave, and the contents of mine are very similar too. 

Having had bad luck with spokes of late, I'm about to add one of these emergency spoke things

And some advice: Check your minipump once in a while. I had to use mine in anger for the first time in years the other day and it can barely have managed 40psi, which made for a very cautious roll back to a LBS for a borrow of their track pump. 

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Grahamd | 5 years ago
3 likes

Whilst not a cleanliness freak, I always carry a pair of disposable gloves and a sealed hand wipe. 

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SpiceBoy replied to Grahamd | 5 years ago
2 likes

Grahamd wrote:

Whilst not a cleanliness freak, I always carry a pair of disposable gloves and a sealed hand wipe. 

 

+1 for gloves - nice black ones give a more professional look!  (Also, don't chuck them in a hedge when you're done - take them back home and dispose of properly!)

Ibuprofen and antihistamine tablets - lifesavers on multiple occasions...

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dave atkinson replied to SpiceBoy | 5 years ago
1 like

SpiceBoy wrote:

+1 for gloves - nice black ones give a more professional look!  (Also, don't chuck them in a hedge when you're done - take them back home and dispose of properly!)

Ibuprofen and antihistamine tablets - lifesavers on multiple occasions...

I have gloves in my Carradice, probably I should have a pair in the sticky pod too. I've carried ibuprofen in the past too, although at the moment i'm trying not to use it after being sick in a hedge one too many times  1

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Yorky-M | 5 years ago
0 likes

at least 11 punctures and a crash all covered.

Must organise me saddle bag!

Im 2 punctures and a broken chain only

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