Reducing pack size for credit card tour

[mnichols]

One good thing to be said about spare spokes is that the spokes themselves are as easy to find a space for as anything. You just find a suitable tube on the bike and tape them to it. But you also need whatever tools it takes to make use of them if the need arises, especially something to get the cassette off.

My philosophy with the spokes is not that I change it myself but that I can get to a bike shop that can change them, but if you arrive without the correct spokes the chances of them having the right ones are small and the order times long. I could do a simple change, but I don't carry a chain whip, cassette tool, etc

This happened to a friend that I was cycling across America with, his spoke broke, he hitched a ride to the next town on a pick-up, and got the spoke changed by the time that I had arrived

[mnichols]

Would this be easier to fit roadside than proper spokes? Will it work for all wheels?

Here's one of a few vids out there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF8R7psdtN4

I'm far from an ultralight tourist, but I am intrigued by the ultralight tourist.

I very much appreciate the time you've taken to make your list.

The best of luck to you and a request to come back with details of your tour and a review of what you brought/used/missed.

P.S. If anyone who camps has a similar list I'd love to see it!

This list has been honed over the period of 20+ tours. It varies a bit depending on the weather that I am expecting and the country (currency, visa, etc), but this is a simple list for a summer tour in the UK

[mnichols]

Looks like a well thought through list, doesn't look anything like mine, but then why would it. Two comments
I'd take two tubes, but use light ones, maybe even a size down depending on the tyre size.
Fiberfix spoke - before you leave the real spokes at home in favour of it, you might want to read Chris Juden's less than favourable review, the best he can say about it is that it's better than an empty hole.
https://www.cyclinguk.org/sites/default ... -rides.pdf

They look interesting, but I've already got the spokes for the wheels that I'm touring with. Also, fibrefix is a temporary patch, whereas changing the spoke should be a permanent fix

[rualexander]

Here's an interesting temporary spoke repair method https://www.instructables.com/id/Emerge ... epair-Kit/

[whoof]

I'd take sun cream. I've had a few friends who have developed skin cancers, not people who burn easily. Not burning does not make you immune to skin cancer.

My father never used sun cream, never burnt and made Dale Winton look pale.
He twice had skin tumours removed. Ultimately it didn't do for him as he died from a different cancer but he was only in his sixties. If he hadn't smoked and had lived longer it might have been a different matter.

[mnichols]

I'd take sun cream. I've had a few friends who have developed skin cancers, not people who burn easily. Not burning does not make you immune to skin cancer.

My father never used sun cream, never burnt and made Dale Winton look pale.
He twice had skin tumours removed. Ultimately it didn't do for him as he died from a different cancer but he was only in his sixties. If he hadn't smoked and had lived longer it might have been a different matter.

I get your point, and I don't know if it's relevant or not, but I'm mixed race, ultimately from African descent. Although if you met me you would think I was Caucasian, possibly Mediterranean. I've never burnt. Ever. This is a pack list for a short 4 day tour in the UK. If I was going to somewhere sunny and for longer I would take sun cream. Although, having travelled to poorer, but sunnier climes the locals don't use it and never had. Do dark skinned people need to wear it? My wife wears it and she's black, the kids do, but I sometimes wonder if they need to. I think for a few days I'll be fine. TBH, it hasn't stopped raining for a fortnight

[pwa]

I'd take sun cream. I've had a few friends who have developed skin cancers, not people who burn easily. Not burning does not make you immune to skin cancer.

My father never used sun cream, never burnt and made Dale Winton look pale.
He twice had skin tumours removed. Ultimately it didn't do for him as he died from a different cancer but he was only in his sixties. If he hadn't smoked and had lived longer it might have been a different matter.

I get your point, and I don't know if it's relevant or not, but I'm mixed race, ultimately from African descent. Although if you met me you would think I was Caucasian, possibly Mediterranean. I've never burnt. Ever. This is a pack list for a short 4 day tour in the UK. If I was going to somewhere sunny and for longer I would take sun cream. Although, having travelled to poorer, but sunnier climes the locals don't use it and never had. Do dark skinned people need to wear it? My wife wears it and she's black, the kids do, but I sometimes wonder if they need to. I think for a few days I'll be fine. TBH, it hasn't stopped raining for a fortnight

That is a very good question and i don't know the answer. Does having a naturally darker skin (more melanin?) mean that sun blocker is superfluous?

[mjr]

Not completely superfluous but you might need a high SPF less: see Myth 5 on https://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.or ... -debunked/

[pwa]

My philosophy with the spokes is not that I change it myself but that I can get to a bike shop that can change them, but if you arrive without the correct spokes the chances of them having the right ones are small and the order times long. I could do a simple change, but I don't carry a chain whip, cassette tool, etc

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s72p595 ... ng-remover

You don't need a chain whip with this little cassette ring remover. But to avoid breaking your frame when using it you should make sure the cassette ring is not done up too tight when you set off on your trip. I've taken one, with spokes and spoke key, but not needed to test in on the road yet. If I can get the cassette off I know I can replace a broken spoke and get the wheel true in fifteen minutes or so. No chain whip, and no big spanner.

[mnichols]

My philosophy with the spokes is not that I change it myself but that I can get to a bike shop that can change them, but if you arrive without the correct spokes the chances of them having the right ones are small and the order times long. I could do a simple change, but I don't carry a chain whip, cassette tool, etc

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s72p595 ... ng-remover

You don't need a chain whip with this little cassette ring remover. But to avoid breaking your frame when using it you should make sure the cassette ring is not done up too tight when you set off on your trip. I've taken one, with spokes and spoke key, but not needed to test in on the road yet. If I can get the cassette off I know I can replace a broken spoke and get the wheel true in fifteen minutes or so. No chain whip, and no big spanner.

In the picture the device is shown in the frame? Does that mean you install it and leave it on rather than use when needed?

[mnichols]

Not completely superfluous but you might need a high SPF less: see Myth 5 on https://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.or ... -debunked/

According to a magazine for black people, dark skinned people have a natural protection equivalent to factor 13 suncream, and whilst we/they can get sunburn or skin cancer only represent 1% of cases globally

https://www.ebony.com/health/doctors-orders-yes-black-people-do-get-sunburn-405/

Given that we currently have so much rain I've got ducks in the garden I think I'll run the gauntlet. If the sun does make a guest appearance after I've recovered from the shock ill pop into a chemist, or more likely poundland and buy a travel sized tube.

[mnichols]

I'm not sure if the list includes clothes to be worn while riding, otherwise I would only carry a single spare shirt and shorts. For leg cover knee warmers take up no space and make a big difference. I would also take cycling trousers for off-the-bike wear and omit the cycling longs.

Yes, the list includes clothes for on and off the bike, which is essentially the trousers. I wear my 2nd cycling top, pair of socks, base layer w/p jacket, pants, and the same shoes on and off the bike.

When i get to the b&b i immediately wash what ive been wearing, put on second pair and let the first pair dry overnight. The next day i'm wearing what i wore the night before.

This does influence my choice of clothes, for example i like the merino wool top from Alpkit as it looks good off the bike and is practically on the bike. I wear lace up spd shoes with recessed cleats and overshoes to keep them clean and dry even when it's not raining

[pwa]

My philosophy with the spokes is not that I change it myself but that I can get to a bike shop that can change them, but if you arrive without the correct spokes the chances of them having the right ones are small and the order times long. I could do a simple change, but I don't carry a chain whip, cassette tool, etc

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s72p595 ... ng-remover

You don't need a chain whip with this little cassette ring remover. But to avoid breaking your frame when using it you should make sure the cassette ring is not done up too tight when you set off on your trip. I've taken one, with spokes and spoke key, but not needed to test in on the road yet. If I can get the cassette off I know I can replace a broken spoke and get the wheel true in fifteen minutes or so. No chain whip, and no big spanner.

In the picture the device is shown in the frame? Does that mean you install it and leave it on rather than use when needed?

No. It is buried deep in your bag with other bits and pieces you might just need. Then ping, a spoke goes. You stop, take all the bags off (faff), dig out the NBT2, take the rear wheel out (more faff), skewer off, NBT2 slotted into the cassette ring, then skewer back on and wheel back in to the frame with the squarish shape on the NBT2 sliding in to the dropout. Then I think you simply turn the wheel (not sure of the direction) and because the NBT2 is now preventing the cassette ring turning with the wheel, it unscrews a little. Not a lot, just a little. So that when you take the wheel back out the cassette ring is loose enough to unscrew by hand. But because it uses the frame as a tool it is not suitable for very fragile frames.

This is all very faffy, but it seems like a doddle compared with my memories of struggling by a French roadside to get an old style freewheel (not freehub) off. And it has to be better than cycling an extra twenty miles to a bike shop on a damaged wheel that is getting more damaged with every pedal stroke.

And this tool weighs next to nowt.

[mnichols]

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s72p595 ... ng-remover

You don't need a chain whip with this little cassette ring remover. But to avoid breaking your frame when using it you should make sure the cassette ring is not done up too tight when you set off on your trip. I've taken one, with spokes and spoke key, but not needed to test in on the road yet. If I can get the cassette off I know I can replace a broken spoke and get the wheel true in fifteen minutes or so. No chain whip, and no big spanner.

In the picture the device is shown in the frame? Does that mean you install it and leave it on rather than use when needed?

No. It is buried deep in your bag with other bits and pieces you might just need. Then ping, a spoke goes. You stop, take all the bags off (faff), dig out the NBT2, take the rear wheel out (more faff), skewer off, NBT2 slotted into the cassette ring, then skewer back on and wheel back in to the frame with the squarish shape on the NBT2 sliding in to the dropout. Then I think you simply turn the wheel (not sure of the direction) and because the NBT2 is now preventing the cassette ring turning with the wheel, it unscrews a little. Not a lot, just a little. So that when you take the wheel back out the cassette ring is loose enough to unscrew by hand. But because it uses the frame as a tool it is not suitable for very fragile frames.

This is all very faffy, but it seems like a doddle compared with my memories of struggling by a French roadside to get an old style freewheel (not freehub) off. And it has to be better than cycling an extra twenty miles to a bike shop on a damaged wheel that is getting more damaged with every pedal stroke.

And this tool weighs next to nowt.

Agree, it looks like the lesser of the two evils

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Pushing the bike backwards it will tighten the lock ring.
You will need to select bottom gear and stand on the pedal to undo.
Sort of neat idea but you need to keep the lock ring well greased.
Do the lock ring up as you would normally do, then use the tool to undo it.
See how you go with that and how much force will be applied To the dropout, if you dare.

Would not work on any of my bikes simply because I do the cassette up really tight!
If you don't Do it up tight and you stomp on the pedalsLike me undoing needs Full body weight on a 12 inch plus lever.

PS I am not sure even with a one-to-one ratio gearing that your body weight on a seven Inch lever will work okay?
Edited with a sub 20 inch gearing you could increase this force to approximately 1.5.
Even then I think you want might struggle.