Packing: Universal “On The Bike” List

I’m gradually going through past trip notebooks and jotting down all my packing lists in one place.

For pretty much any tour, whether supported or self-contained, camping or hotel, there’s a minimum set of gear I carry on the bike. These fit in the combination of an under-seat saddlebag (tools/medical/jacket), and a small top tube or stem bag. A typical example:

My standard list:

Bike Tools

  • Wide tire levers
  • Bike multitool with a chain tool. Often one without a knife if I’m flying somewhere, since I kept forgetting to check tools and losing them to airport security
  • Spare master link for chain
  • Valve core tool (such as the Lezyne “CNC TLR”, a valve core tool that doubles as a valve cap and can just permanently live on one of my wheels)
  • Spare tube
  • Vulcanizing rubber patch kit (I’ve found these last much better than the “sticker” patches)
  • Pump (I usually splurge and carry a mid-size travel pump with fold-out footpeg like shown– fixing a flat on a distant road is annoying enough without struggling with a tiny pump). I currently carry the Road Morph G, but the Mountain Morph would probably be a better fit for the larger tires I’ve drifted toward.
  • Individually-wrapped moist towelettes (Grease Monkey wipes)
  • Two straps– for attaching unplanned roadside finds to the rack in a pinch

Medical + Personal

  • Sunscreen
  • Medkit mostly aimed at minor accidents: bandaids, gauze+tape, alcohol wipes, antibacterial ointment, moleskin, antihistamines, ibuprofen, thin rubber gloves (useful both for medical safety and handling greasy bike parts), a few “dry soap sheets”, tweezers (useful for splinter removal or removing glass from a tire)

Bike Clothes that come on and off over the day:

  • Gloves
  • UV blocking sun sleeves
  • Sunglasses
  • A light breathable reflective layer regardless of the forecast– acts as an extra layer for warmth, visibility if out after dark, and slight rain protection
  • Bandana (many uses, like the towel from The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy: protect your head from the sun, cover your mouth in a dust or gnat storm, evaporatively cool yourself off by soaking it in water and wearing it under the helmet…)

Other:

  • Heavy ziploc bag (for phone in case of rain)
  • Mini USB battery pack (just enough to get a partial phone charge)
  • A few snacks
  • Daylight-visible high-intensity rear light (Cygolite Hotshot Pro)
  • Mask + hand sanitizer
  • If traveling internationally: photocopy of passport
  • Map printout if traveling somewhere new (even just to keep folded up in the bag as backup for electronics)
  • Seat cover for bike (to keep it dry in case of rain)– a thick velcro one, or a spare shower cap from the first night’s hotel
  • Basic cable lock (depending on type of trip)