mjr wrote:horizon wrote:But if it's Andalucia in the summer - how much stuff do you actually need?
Food, water, bug spray, sun spray, first aid kit and some clothes, I guess. The water will be in bottle cages and you could probably cram food and sprays into a tri bag, but then there's clothes and first aid kit. Ideally tools, as waiting by a road for hire company recovery/replacement sucks in those temperatures (BTDTGTTS)....
It needs very little when using B&B and getting food from the road side. I'd say that 10lt of capacity is more than enough.
Food?
Assuming they are not cooking and not having particular allergies it's "emergency food" then.
-small bag of dried fruit like figs/apricots/dates
-a couple of oat bars (no chocolate in the summer!)
-may share a jar of peanut butter and bread between the group
Water?
Plan your water points and refill every time there is a chance.
2 big bottles on the bike, wrapped with the metallized-foil sold for the back of radiators, will be enough
First aid?
Check everyone's needs, allergies, etc. and write down the phone numbers of A&E/hospitals that are closer to the route.
All this gets as big as a men's wallet, no more:
-a couple of plasters
-a couple of medical cleansing wipes
-adhesive stiching
-a couple of insect-repellent wipes, or a small spray (to share)
-eye drops
-a couple of caplets of each: Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Hayfever tablets, Painkillers
Clothes?
That depends a lot on everyone's body temperature, plus the chances of washing facilities. On top of what already wearing (shorts, jersey, socks, cycling shoes) I would carry:
-1 spare light jersey
-1 spare underwear
-1 spare socks
-1 merino baselayer
-1 light rain jacket
In hot weather having a full set of waterproofs makes no sense, it never gets really cold and good fabrics will dry quick, it's important to keep the torso dry and protected from wind
Bike tools?
As above, we all have different needs, and again I recommend for thorough checkup of the bike before leaving, replacing everything that is borderline to a problem. This means no major spares and tools to carry, less hassle, more time for riding and keeping on the roadbook.
I.e. I do not carry spare spokes. Travelling light, keeping an eye on the road for potholes,
lifting the bum off the saddle when it needs to (rough terrain, potholes, kerbs, drains, etc.), using good quality wheels; it all makes for 25years when I've never broken a spoke and I don't see why they should.
A well-built 32 or 36h rim and spokes will give no trouble for years if correctly used, yet easy to service if a shop is en-route.
I carry only what needs to deal with common problem that can happen: puncture, quick adjust of gears, brakes or saddle/bars; it all packs down the size of the smallest saddle bag, imagine 3 iphones stacked.
This is what I carry:
-multitool with 2-8mm allen keys, T25 and chain tool
-small pump with presta&schrader adapter, a length of gaffer tape rolled around has many uses (tyre boot, for example)
-a valve extender and the little plastic tool for the valve core, plus a spare valve core
-self adhesive patches
-two tyre levers
-a gear wire (doubles as an emergency brake wire)
-a container of eye drops (or single-use soy sauce as found in packed sushi) with oil just enough for one chain
-3 nitrile gloves
-2 chain links
You may add 2/3 zipties and two M5x20 bolts just in case.
All of the above would easily fit here. No racks needed, just loop two straps and off you go