Bicycles have come up a few times on the forum lately and having just bought a new bike myself for commuting, I figured I'd start a new thread.

I used to commute by bike and now that I am again (starting tomorrow) I'm packing my bag. My commute isn't very far compared to what I was doing last winter but as I'll be in the River Valley quite a bit and will be riding there for fun too, I'm treating preparedness like a day hike only with extra stuff that's cycling specific.

Question to the cyclists here on the site. What do you differently when riding? Most people I see out on the streets and paths seem to be less prepared than the people going by foot.

Here's what I'm carrying that would be over and above just because I'm cycling:

• Switching from shoulder bag to backpack. I'd use a courier bag if I owned on but my MEC Deluxe Book Bag is a great bag for this task.
• Tool Kit
  • 10mm/12mm combo wrench
  • 6" crescent wrench
  • Patch Kit
  • CO2 filler (1 cartridge good to fill 2 20" tires to 30psi)
  • Schrader valve adapter
  • Micro Pump (for top ups and backup to CO2)
  • Chain Tool
  • 2x Tire Levers
  • Tire Pressure Gauge
  • Princeton Tech Scout Headlight
  • Mechanix Gloves
  • Nitrile Gloves (great for dirty chain work)
  • All other needed tools are covered by EDC Leatherman Charge TTi + Bit pack
• Spare Parts
  • Extra Tube
  • Folding 20" BMX Street tire
  • 2 spare stem valves
  • 2 spare valve stem caps
• First Aid Kit
  • AMK UltraLight .5 (modified for road rash with below)
  • burn gel
  • surgical scrub brush
  • Tweezers
  • 2x triangle banage
  • Roll of gauze
  • Nitrile Gloves
• LED Head Lamp (modified to fit over helmet)
• Red LED flasher
• Change of clothes (either work clothes or just a change in case off unexpected wetness)
• Bus Money (if it breaks and I can't fix it, I'm NOT walking it home )

A few properly sized spokes taped under the down tube and a spoke wrench might come in handy.

Jeff

A spoke wrench is something I've been thinking about getting. Unfortunately I've never learned how to properly tighten spokes so there really has never been a point.

Also, I forgot the cable bike lock.

A reflective vest can be a real benefit in city traffic and on bike paths.

I have a dedicated backpack for recreational cycling with:
- Jacket
- 0,5 Liter bottle of water
- A snack

- spare tube
- patch kit (glue, patches, tire Levers)
- A few spare bolts
- Wrench (not sure what size, but it fits)
- Swisstool
- Hex keys
- Piece of cloth
- Working gloves
- Latex gloves
- Pump (mounted on the bike)
- Bottle with diluted energy drink (mounted on the bike)

- FAK (don't have a list of the contents)
- LED lights, front and back. (optional)

For daily commute from mine home to the trainstation and from the station to work (i own 4 bicyles), well just mine EDC and workgear and no bicyle stuff.

The one thing I'd suggest, for anyone considering riding a bike in traffic, is to read up on how to do it. I've seen people get in trouble around NYC by not knowing what lane to be in. If you are going to turn left, then you need to get in a left lane, etc. Don't be afraid to take a whole lane. If you are in doubt, then walking the bike across a lane of traffic or an intersection is not a bad option.

The other day when I was driving home from work I saw someone on a bike, going uphill, pulling a trailer similar to this:



I have no idea what was inside it, or how heavy it was, but he was doing it.

That's the kind of rig I want to make for touring. It needs to be low enough to pull behind my new folding bike though so I can use it to run errands around my condo. If it attached high like the one in the above picture it could pull the bike over backwards! I think I'll have to make some kind of hitch thingie that bolts to the frame.

If you want to attach something at a level lower than the top of the seat tube, then you might want to do it with a yoke that the hub can pass through. However, that may complicate wheel removal. I could see a yoke made in two pieces, one long that went to one side of the hub and back to the trailer. the other than bolted into the first part and went to the other side of the hub.

I don't think I would want to attach anything to the chain stays or seat stays, as those are usually the thinnest tubes in the frame.

It shouldn't happen if your weight is over the center of the bike, unless the trailer is really, really heavy. The exception would be while climbing a steep hill, when a more moderate weight could be a problem. In that situation you might want to position your weight more over the handlebars