Removed and unloaded all my luggage, some of this stuff has been packed since 2016. Riding with basic tools/spares in a fanny pack now instead. Used to prefer being able to grab a bike and go with everything for that bike on that bike.
Now I’d rather just have one bag on my person and make sure to take the right tube for whatever bike. Feels odd to compulsively over-pack for a decade and then one day just decide not to do that anymore.
Racing 'cross last year for the first time again spun me off in a slightly different direction than I’d otherwise be going, I think. My rides this year have been shorter, and closer to home. When I do go out into the middle of nowhere, I essentially always have cell phone service - something that was not guaranteed until more recently.
My entire cycling history as an adult, I’ve only ever done 1/3 of a ride without a Crankbros M19. And that was because my saddle bag fell off. When I noticed, I immediately rode to the nearest bike shop and bought another one (along with tube and tire lever).
Each bike still has it’s own pump and that probably won’t change until I get motivated to see what’s out there smaller than the Topeak pocket rocket so it’ll fit in my bag.
Here’s the tubes. 6-7 different sizes in this pic? I’ve been tubeless since 2018 and have had to put in a tube 4 times - 2x catastrophic rim damage (2019/2022) and 2x catastrophic tire damage (2025). I’ll be sure to pack extra in 2028.
And while I’m going lets see how many times I needed roadside rescue - 3x in 2013 because I ran out of tubes, then again because I broke the valve stems on both spares, and finally rode over an edger blade and destroyed my tire and wheel. 2014; the one time I forgot my pump I got a flat. 2022 when a stick destroyed my derailleur.
That’s pretty good I guess. I’ll see how packing lighter goes, it certainly feels better not having a bag + 500g of stuff on each bike. Maybe I’ll want to put all this stuff back on next year or maybe that’s it and I’ll crash the market for M19s.
They built this great bike path and then spent 16 months fighting with the rail service about when it could be open so I would jump over the fence to ride it and one time dropped my bike wrong and bent a tooth on the big chainring - so then every bike needed some sort of pliers and/or wrench. I think I used it once.
Ooh! Are we doing a tool bag dump?
I mostly ride the cargo bike these days, but I try to grab my pouch and pump on the odd day that I grab a regular bike.
I feel like my kit is pretty dialed, I’ve used everything in it on multiple occasions. I used the teeny tiny knipex just yesterday to straighten a rotor that got tweaked.
re-assembled my cross-check (gorilla monsoon)
i really hated the paint so i just had it sandblasted and then put all new bits on it.
i like the oval chainring
i’m gonna let it rust tho and there’s nothing you can do or say to stop me
I was converting a 100mm wheel to 110mm. Put the spacers in my pocket… and later found a hole in my pocket ! Eventually found one spacer on the stairs. Might try 3d printing its buddy.
The Gain got new rotors and pads. I picked up one of the Hayes pad alignment tools. It did pretty well for the first time using it; I only had to realign the back twice. Flat mount calipers are always a headache for me.
Bar swap. I never really liked the Kyotes on the Cannondale, as soon as I put the Jones bars back on it things just felt right. We’ll see if the Kyotes work on the Marino (I’m feeling like they might just from the quick trip around the cul de sac)
Did a tarck century on the Marino today and I kinda like the Kyote bars but the hand numbness is better but still there. I decided to pull the dropper/narrow carpet fibre cambium and try the C15 with a regular post, man this saddle is way more comfy! I weighed them too, for science. 855g for heavy post/light saddle and 685g for heavy saddle light post.
Installed a truss fork for the first time. I was fully short circuiting with it last night but it’s pretty intuitive now. I just hope I never have to do it in, say, a hotel room on a trip.
