As the range of E-bikes is quite limited maybe repair on road is a non issue. But with all the weight the conversion adds its seems a good tool and spares complement adds little weight and space. My question is, do you carry things like tools, extra tube, pump, fuses, tape, etc... and whatever, as when I first started out I carried lots of stuff and now just do a quick pre-flight check and knowing my range is limited just go as I am generaly no more than 6 miles from home.
Do you carry tools
- Thread starter linear
- Start date
A
Anonymous
Guest
Yeah I carry a Fizer multitool with Allen wrenches (most important tool to have with you!), screwdriver, and chain tool, a razor blade knife, wire stripper and cutter, electrical tape, tire repair kit, tire removal levers. In the early evolution of my wiring, having the wire cutters/strippers and tape saved me from being stranded 15km from home three times. I use the Allen wrenches in the multitool all the time while riding, adjusting brakes for example.
MidniteTweeker
100 W
- Joined
- May 16, 2008
- Messages
- 121
Yup, all the tools previously mentioned (Topeak Alien II multitool) plus wire ties, tiny bit of duct tape, sun screen, spare change, ID, wet-wipes for clean-up, and small first aid kit. Plus a cable lock in case I have to abandon it somewhere. My pump also includes a CO2 inflator. Main reason for the this is that I frequently ride on a path that passes through a swampy area. If I have to stop in this area in the summer, the mosquitos and deer flies will eat me alive. Even a 30 second stop is too much. I don't want to think of spending one second more than necessary stopped in a place like this.
Tires have kevlar belts for more security.
My range is a bit over 30 miles which gets me further away than I want to walk back.
Knock on wood, but so far the wire ties and duct tape have seen the most use.
MT
Tires have kevlar belts for more security.
My range is a bit over 30 miles which gets me further away than I want to walk back.
Knock on wood, but so far the wire ties and duct tape have seen the most use.
MT
Russell
1 MW
linear said:
Limited range, I don't think so :wink:
Even though I run with self-sealing tubes on the ebike I still carry everything I need to fix a flat including a spare tube AND patch kit, tire levers, small pump plus a small multi-tool, a few other allen wrenches, a couple of small metric open end wrenches, electrical tape, needle nose pliers, universal nipple wrench, chain tool, chain pins and a master link. Now with the motor wheel I've added an adjustable wrench for the nuts, a full size screwdriver and 3/8" wrench for the torque arm and tie-wraps. I should probably add a spare fuse too but I gotta get one first. It all comes to 2.5 lbs but I wouldn't leave home without it.
On my regular 1x9 bike I want to keep weight down so I carry a better multi-tool, spare tube, a couple of stick-on slime patches and a master link in a small seat bag and a full sized frame pump.
-R
Plus Deep Woods Off because the bugs are bad in the summer at times. So far I've repaired flats, broken spokes and broken electrical connections all in the woods. This summer I'm hoping to use a slime tube/kevlar setup in the rear since I'll have dual torque arms on and that's a pain to deal with when changing a tire in the woods. All my flats so far have been rear flats. Grr. :?
Oh.. and those CO2 cartridges... won't get a tube anywhere near the pressures ebikes usually run, but will get you to 30psi to get you home. I run 60-70psi personally.
Zoot Katz
100 kW
The range of le Béte is limited to ~85 km though I've gone 110.6 km on one charge.
Pump, spare tube, patch, tire levers, a couple of allen keys, chain breaker, 6" adjustable wrench and a 22mm combination wrench for the rear axle nuts.
A pair of nitrile gloves, a rag and pocket knife. All of my bikes always carry a corkscrew too so I can call them Swiss Army Bikes.
I've not yet added electric specific stuff to the kit since I can always pedal the bike home if there's a roadside incident involving smoke.
Maybe I'll throw in the Leatherman, a couple fuses and some tape for good luck.
When I toured, I always carried a spare rear axle and never needed it. It was a talisman more than anything.
Pump, spare tube, patch, tire levers, a couple of allen keys, chain breaker, 6" adjustable wrench and a 22mm combination wrench for the rear axle nuts.
A pair of nitrile gloves, a rag and pocket knife. All of my bikes always carry a corkscrew too so I can call them Swiss Army Bikes.
I've not yet added electric specific stuff to the kit since I can always pedal the bike home if there's a roadside incident involving smoke.
Maybe I'll throw in the Leatherman, a couple fuses and some tape for good luck.
When I toured, I always carried a spare rear axle and never needed it. It was a talisman more than anything.
Thanks for the responses, I guess its just my range that is limited which I should fix. I do carry tools and tire stuff when traveling further from home on some of my bikes, right now I don't have the batteries to get to far from home. Glad to see some of you getting great distance out of your rides.
rguy56
100 W
I used to carry tools, patches, a spare tube, a spare chain on peddle only bikes. If something went wrong, I wouldn't even be late for work. With the motor on there I started to feel that there was just too much that can go wrong to know what tools I need. It's almost as if I should just call a cab or a tow truck. I should start carrying my cel phone at least.
p.s. pwbset...what is that blue plastic tool with the spring??
p.s. pwbset...what is that blue plastic tool with the spring??
Almasi
100 W
rguy56 said:
It look like a portable soldering iron and some solder for it!
I carry a set of bike multi-tool (alen key + socket) + spare air tube + tire removal tool + pair of plier + spare fuse + tie-rap (all this in a small carry bag that mount under the seat)
Robin
dogman dan
1 PW
Green slime, lots of it, in each tire, no flats for 2000 miles. I carry allen wrench, very small crescent wrench, and a chain breaker. I pedal hard and sometimes break the chain when I have done a crappy job putting it together. 30 mile roundtrip to work.
docnjoj
1 GW
Hey pwbset! Just a reminder that Nimh lose their charge rapidly due to poor charge retention qualities! You might be better off with those non-rechatgable lithiums that Ever Ready and others sell in the supermarkets! Just IMHO, but I have a lot of years experience with Nickel xx of all flavors!
otherDoc
otherDoc
Thanks otherDoc! That is great advice indeed... hadn't thought about that. Those rechargeables especially seem to not hold a charge so well over the months. I will get some lithium energizers or something for this summer.. bet they heat the iron faster too!
dogman dan
1 PW
Pretty hard core carrying a soldering iron. We are a bunch of fanatics aren't we? Cell phone did come in handy when I broke the collarbones.
John in CR
100 TW
Do you carry tools? Not any more on either of my bikes. I use small motorcycle tires, so no more flats. My rear brake is a motorcycle type drum brake, so it's adjustable with a wing nut, and the disk brake in front seldom needs adjusting. Phase and power wires are bolted together and held in ceramic housings, so they're not coming loose. Since I went to these hub motors for small electric motorcycles and got rid of those pesky bike brakes in front, I've had absolute dependability. Other than cosmetics, night riding prep, and brake lights, the only thing remaining is a permanent battery and charger config including a retractable extension cord on the bike, so I can just park, plug in and forget about it.
I've always believed electrics should be a near zero maintenance form of transportation with absolute dependability, and I'm getting there slowly but surely.
John
I've always believed electrics should be a near zero maintenance form of transportation with absolute dependability, and I'm getting there slowly but surely.
John
kazbluesky
10 W
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2008
- Messages
- 72
I carry a pump, glue, patches, tyre removers, couple of allen keys, very small adjustable wrench, fuse and car valve extension (basically it goes on the end of the shite dunlop valves that came with the bike, allowing me to pump up the tyres at any petrol station). Going to add rubber tape, disposable gloves, small pliers, spare valve and slime.
I got my first puncture last week 10 miles from home. I was soooooo happy that I had my kit with me. 15 mins later I was going again. I often wondered whether I was just wasting my time and energy putting this kit together and always carrying it around. Just goes to show, you don't need it till you need it.
I got my first puncture last week 10 miles from home. I was soooooo happy that I had my kit with me. 15 mins later I was going again. I often wondered whether I was just wasting my time and energy putting this kit together and always carrying it around. Just goes to show, you don't need it till you need it.
ElectricEd
100 W
Gee, you are lucky. My experience with Green slime has been a chain of horrors. The slime works well for pin-hole size punctures but fails miserably on a cut longer than 0.5mm. This then fills the inside of the tyre with slime. Some comes out of the tyre cut and then spreads all around the frame, and if on the rear, you get a scungy green stripe up your back. You then have to resort to normal patches. The slime although water soluble is not easy to remove. If you only have one water bottle there's probably not enough water. The slime self adhesive patches don't stick to a tube even with the faintest residue of slime. Neither will normal patches. If you don't have a spare tube you may have a long walk ahead of you. I then tried slime tyre protectors. They have a fairly blunt edge. On my rear tyre the squirming of the tyre section that is in contact with the ground wears grooves around the perimeter of the tube. This eventually caused a catostrophic failure of and rolling to a holt tore the tube into shreds. This all happened in the first week of commuting by ebike.
IMHO Slime products at first seem like a good idea, but just haven't been developed to a reliable state yet. I now use Duro thorn resistant tubes with Weldtite "Sureride" tyre protectors. The tyre protectors are laminated with two layers and have nicely tapered edges. I've had a builders staple go directly into the tyre and be deflected out again about 12mm away. I heard a ticking so stopped for a look and was gobsmacked. It's the best demonstration I've ever seen of a tyre protector that really works.
dogman dan
1 PW
If enough comes out to stripe your back, that is too big a hole, but I have seen a lot of 1mm holes filled by slime ok. Good tubes is a starting point for sure, i'm not too impressed with the ones that come with slime in them. Tube protectors work good on the short thorns, like goatheads, but mesquite thorns are 3-6 cm long, as bad as nails. Every dirt ride, I pull a few out along the way, and the slime takes care of em.
Like I said, lots of it, more than they say on the package by double. I've had some cheeze tubes fail like you describe, but not because of sime, just shitty rubber. Tubes have gotten thinner since I was young, so look for the thick ones, like you have now.
Slime does make patching on the road pretty impossible. Tire places here hate the stuff. They open up a 4x4 and two quarts of the crap spills out, yukkk! Then they have to clean the heck out of the patch area. Plugs work good along with slime in a truck tire so usually I'll do that if the tires are slimed.
Like I said, lots of it, more than they say on the package by double. I've had some cheeze tubes fail like you describe, but not because of sime, just shitty rubber. Tubes have gotten thinner since I was young, so look for the thick ones, like you have now.
Slime does make patching on the road pretty impossible. Tire places here hate the stuff. They open up a 4x4 and two quarts of the crap spills out, yukkk! Then they have to clean the heck out of the patch area. Plugs work good along with slime in a truck tire so usually I'll do that if the tires are slimed.
