Just something on my mind. I had a friend (and former customer) email me about building his travel toolkit. He's heading on a road trip, and remembered the race kit I used to bring for wrenching on team bikes.
Well, that old Shimano hardshell case has been donated to someone still wrenching for a living, and I carry a far more basic set up for trips to places like Angel Fire: small Milwaukee tool bag with a DaKine tool roll inside of it. Wera hex wrenches, adjustable wrenches, cable cutters, BB tools, pressure gauges, shock pump, chain whip, cassette tool, torque wrench, 6oz ball peen, a couple of tire levers, pad spacers, flathead and Philips screwdrivers, sealant and chain lube...
Just about everything in there is something old that I probably wouldn't use if I were still getting paid to do it.
It got me thinking about how little I take these days, and thinking that I might invest in some better tools for the go-bag. What are you taking for bike trips, park days, etc.?
I’ve found the Wolftooth Tool wrap can hold almost all the tools to assemble or disassemble a bike. Then I bring a small little bag with the other random tools or parts I might need.
https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/travel-tool-wrap
when driving on a trip I take way too much stuff but it’s hard because you never know what little part you might need.
All the normal tools and chain lube etc.
derailleur, chain, shifter, set of brakes and rotors, pedals spokes for all my different wheels, tape, box of bolts and headset parts, tube and tubeless goo not pictured. All the parts are old clapped stuff that still barely works. Would be fine to run for a day or two to save a trip.
Was packing for a race so thought I’d share
Thanks for bringing up the spare parts! Really good travel kit you got there.
Like you, I always have a tupperware container with bolts, der hanger, cables, brake fluid, etc., along with a semi-worn chain and a couple of spokes. I haven't packed a shifter and derailleur, but that would definitely save the day on a trip!
Really nice travel kit! I struggle with buying dedicated Knippex pliers for my travel kit, since I don't go on the road very often. But those things are as good as gold, I doubt there are very many quality tools that are as versatile. I'm really impressed with the Wolftooth chain pliers, I had to get a second set for on the bike.
I love the plastic vernier calipers for a travel kit, mind if I ask where you got them?
I have the same blue plastic calipers! Have had them for ages and never bothered replacing them. Not quite accurate enough to measure a 27.2mm vs. 27.0mm seatpost but good enough for anything else.
Those calipers are just Amazon specials. They found their way into the kit for a specific test day and have proved to be super useful so that's where they live now.
i have a few different setups depending on what traveling means:
If I'm flying and I only have my carryon and a bike bag, I bring the following:
-Basic (obvious) tools: Crank brothers multi-tool (the big one w/chain breaker and spoke wrench), mini beam style torque wrench, leatherman, rotor truing tool, park tool pad spreader, plastic tire levers, accugauge tire pressure gauge, Wolftooth chain pliers and sram quick links (2 of them) and a short section of eagle chain, zip ties, gorilla tape, knipex pliers that go from 8mm to 19mm, small bottle of dot 4 and a tiny syringe with a code/guide lever fitting (race bleed ready), tire plugs, oneup large volume pump, shock pump, dumonde tech chain lube
-Spares: tubeless valves, valve cores, 1 spare brake rotor, shift cable, brake pads, flat pedals, dt swiss star ratchet & springs, sram code lever with those tiny screws that like to come out, 6 bolt rotor bolts, spare crank bros cleats, derailleur hanger, spokes and nipples, axs battery
My pro tip for flying with my bike is to wear my 5.10 flats as my only shoes and carry on a set of flat pedals, and put my clipless cb mallet shoes and pedals in my bike bag. That way, if my bike gets lost, or there is heavy rain, I can swap to flats and don't have to carry extra shoes.
In my car and for road trips, I have a tool roll with a much more robust kit of spares and tools. Pretty typical stuff but mostly I add spares. Notably, a full spare rear wheel/tire setup (usually more burly then what I'm riding), a bottle of stans, a spare shock (usually air as I mostly run coil) and a few other items.
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