Advice on spares for a LEJOG

Specific board for this popular undertaking.
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Ben Lovejoy
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Advice on spares for a LEJOG

Post by Ben Lovejoy »

I emailed ICE for their advice on spares for the trip, and they've recommended:

Pulley with bolt and washers £13.73
P Clips £1.06 each (these are ICE-specific things for the chain tubes)
Quick Link £0.50
Spokes £0.39 each
Spare Marathon Plus 1.75 £29.99
Wheel Bearing £4.82 Each

as well as plenty of tubes, of course.

Bearing in mind that this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for me (as opposed to a once-a-week thing for Mick :-)), and I would *far* rather spend money on spares we won't need than lose a day or more waiting for a part, I'd like to base my spares stock on a 'worst realistic scenario' basis.

In other words, I won't take 27 tyres on the basis that aliens could invade and vapourise them, but if it is feasible that, with lots of bad luck, we'll break the chain five times or break 12 spokes or whatever, then I'd like to prepare on that basis. Any spares we bring home with us will probably come in handy sometime or other anyway.

So ... how many of the above items would you recommend on that basis? (This is for a trike, so three wheels rather than two.) And what else would you suggest we take?

Mick and Donald, being a mechanical incompetent, I'm relying on you two to work out what tools we need!

Ben
TRICE Q with Streamer fairing for the fun stuff
Brompton M3L for the commutery stuff
LEJOG blog: http://www.benlovejoy.com/cycle/tripreports/lejog/
Biscuit
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Post by Biscuit »

Only thing I've lost on my Qnt is one of those 'cute' little bolts that have a domed hex head with two rubber washers and a nyloc nut (they hold the mudgaurds onto the mudguard stays). Zip tie fixed that for the duration.

Of all the things to vibrate loose a nyloc nut + rubber washer combo'!

No broken spokes yet but I would take one or two (not sure I could tension them up properly tho' if I broke one :shock: ). I suppose LBS could fit them.

ICE could have recommended a load of stuff really and I guess they are reasonable people and that seems a 'reasonable' list

Not sure I would take a pulley but I would take the bolt (I would probably notice a pulley falling off but probably wouldnt be able to find the bolt :roll: )

P clips (yeah why not but consider zip ties?)

Definately a spare quick link.

Not too sure about the tyre but depending on the conditon of items already on seems reasonable (especially as your footman can carry it in the RV :) )

Hmmm wheel bearing............ that would need a drift + hammer or 'tool' to remove and press in or a bike shop with one..........

Maybe look at it from the point of view that what would you take if you were unsupported and then decide what is reasonable blended with a little bit of what is 'critical' to your trike (see SA bolt above)

I've just stood staring at mine thinking what would I take....... I'll get back to you but as you are supported you could take as many bits and bobs as you like really...... but for now a handful of critical nuts and bolts e.g. I've got SA drums so one of those 'gripper' bolts to secure the brake cable but most other bolts can be bodged

Spare tube or two.... Donald will tell you how many I went thro' on IOW I truly believe aliens were vapourising them!

Make sure all the tools you take actually fit and you have enough e.g. two headset spanners. I presume your taking the standard p"*^&*re kit, tyre foam for quick repairs etc?
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Si
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Post by Si »

Probably worth working out what spares you can have in common so that you only need one of everything between you. Obviously Mick will make this awkward as I think the Chopper will probably have more in common with an Austin Allegro than your trikes.

I'd be more inclined to take a light folding tyre than a Marathon Plus. OR even just a boot.

A couple of spokes between you won't add much to the weight or size of packs.

One long gear and one long brake cable (assuming you aren't hydraulic). Spare brake pads. Assorted nuts and bolts. etc Possibly a clamp on friction shifter that will fit your bars if you have STI/Ergo.

And remember the bag ties and gaffer tape - you can fix many things with them, after a fashion.


As for the trike specific stuff - you've probably more idea than the rest of us....ask your self what equipment has broken on you most in the past? If everything is working OK when you set off then it's more likely to be this that breaks in the future.
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Ben Lovejoy
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Post by Ben Lovejoy »

Thanks, guys.

Yes, the motorhome makes a huge difference, as we don't have to worry about size or weight. Hence no point in a folding tyre when we can have the normal one. As Biscuit says:

> especially as your footman can carry it in the RV

Just need to check that Jeeves' silver tray is large enough for him to carry it to us.

Some of the jobs we might need an LBS for to do, but I want to make sure we have the right parts on hand so we're not relying on them for anything that isn't stocked as standard in plentiful quantities.

Cables are a good addition, thanks. Brake pads shouldn't be needed - I don't think anyone has ever worn them out! Lots of nuts, bolts and cable-ties for sure.

> what equipment has broken on you most in the past?

Mudguard bolts worked loose - two of them so far - so will definitely include a bag of those.

> I presume your taking the standard p"*^&*re kit, tyre foam for quick repairs etc?

I carry the foam stuff, but I figure plenty of spare tubes rather than repair outfits. I'm going to have photos to process and a blog to update on arrival each day, so I won't want to add any more chores to the list.

Ben
TRICE Q with Streamer fairing for the fun stuff
Brompton M3L for the commutery stuff
LEJOG blog: http://www.benlovejoy.com/cycle/tripreports/lejog/
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Mick F
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Post by Mick F »

Spares?

Seriously folks, you don't need much.

Tools for every eventuality of course, but:
tubes, pump, puncture outfit, spare tyre or two, a bit of chain and Power Links, chainlube, oil and grease, some nuts bolts and washers, and don't forget sticky tape and nylon zip ties. That lot should do it. What do you want, a mid-ride overhaul?

Raleigh Choppers are crap, but I can't think I'll need a LBS.

My Mercian has done many many thousands of miles without a problem that would have stopped me riding. Potholes notwithstanding!!
Mick F. Cornwall
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Ben Lovejoy
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Post by Ben Lovejoy »

Mick F wrote:What do you want, a mid-ride overhaul?

I don't know about the trike, but I probably will!

Ben
TRICE Q with Streamer fairing for the fun stuff
Brompton M3L for the commutery stuff
LEJOG blog: http://www.benlovejoy.com/cycle/tripreports/lejog/
yakdiver
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Post by yakdiver »

list of my tool kit on all rides
1 P*ncture repair kit
1 allan keys
1 set of tyre levers + 2 spare
3 inner tubes
Folding tyre
Tyre patches
1 small head torch in winter
marigold gloves
Small length of chain (3 inches)
1 small chain tool
Cassette tool and chain whip
Spare spokes
Kevlar spoke
hypercracker
Spare nuts, bolts, powerlinks
Wire cutters
Pliers
2 small screw drivers
Small sockets to fit screw driver handle
First aid kit with triangular bandage paracetamol, co-codamol, gaviscon tablets
Batteries for rear light and computer and bulbs
Small tyre pump (not mini)
1 Co2 pump
Zip ties
spare keys for house, bike locks
Phone
Pen and paper
10 sheets of kitchen roll
Very small bottle of hand cleaner
Insulation tape
£5 in small change
Small roll of gaffer tape
Brake and gear cables
Spare bite valve for camalbac
Small roll string
Spare gloves
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Ben Lovejoy
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Post by Ben Lovejoy »

Looks like a useful check-list, thanks
TRICE Q with Streamer fairing for the fun stuff
Brompton M3L for the commutery stuff
LEJOG blog: http://www.benlovejoy.com/cycle/tripreports/lejog/
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lauriematt
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Post by lauriematt »

instead of treating it like that special ride...just treat it like a normal ride - but longer :lol: .

what run-of-the-mill problems would you expect to happen on a normal ride???

punctures? cable wearing out??? etc...

its rare for something just to suddenly break - normally it will rattle or the like which should give you enough time to get to a bikeshop.

one handy thing is to put your ride in comparison. your going to ride 1000miles....yet over the last few months how many miles have you ridden without major problems...probably alot more than a 1000.

but then again i dont know trikes so....

the tools i took were:
chain-breaker
multi allen tool including some socket heads
puncture kit
inner-tube
cone spanners
adjustable spanner
tyre levers
spare change
shoe lace

i also picked up a mini bottle of chain oil as mine dried out after a while.

the only problem i wasnt expecting was i lost a bolt for the pannier!!! worth carrying a spare!
id already lost one BEFORE the trip so at this point i had the rack held on by 2bolts and 2shoelaces :lol:

just remember youve only got to repair your bike good enough to get you to the nearest bikeshop
WHAT DOESNT KILL YOU .... CAN ONLY MAKE YOU STRONGER
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lauriematt
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Post by lauriematt »

ps might be best to bring a spare set of brake pads too :lol:
WHAT DOESNT KILL YOU .... CAN ONLY MAKE YOU STRONGER
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Ben Lovejoy
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Post by Ben Lovejoy »

I've been very lucky in my cycling in the past - the occasional you-know-what, and the odd bolt dropping off, and once a thin carrier-bag that jammed very thoroughly in the rear derrailer set - but never actually experienced any mechanical failure that's put an end to a ride.

So the short answer to your question is: I don't know. :-) But I do want to be prepared for all reasonable eventualities, as I don't want mechanical issues getting in the way of this one.

Ben

PS - Brake-pads are the one thing I shouldn't need on a TRICE! They are hub-brakes that people have done five-figure mileages on without wearing them out. :-)
TRICE Q with Streamer fairing for the fun stuff
Brompton M3L for the commutery stuff
LEJOG blog: http://www.benlovejoy.com/cycle/tripreports/lejog/
2Tubs
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Post by 2Tubs »

On our supported e2e we took the usual + a tiny bit more.

On the bikes: -
Tubes and repair kit with multi tool, tyre levers and mini pump.

In the van: -
A Spare Chain (between 4 bikes)
Spare Cables (1 gear cable got used)
Brake Blocks
Handlebar Tape (between 4 bikes)
Assorted fixings, nut's bolts.
Full Tool Box and track pump.
Muc off (give the bikes a clean if the weather got too nasty and clogged the chains up)
Oil.

Through the whole 907 miles, the 4 bikes needed no more than a teak here and there and I used a gear cable after the one on the bike got a bit sticky.

But, one of the guys had to replace his seat post after his snapped (a carbon fibre jobbie). We didn't think to carry a spare one of those . . .

Gazza
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Ben Lovejoy
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Post by Ben Lovejoy »

Thanks - some Muc-Off seems like a good addition to the list.
TRICE Q with Streamer fairing for the fun stuff
Brompton M3L for the commutery stuff
LEJOG blog: http://www.benlovejoy.com/cycle/tripreports/lejog/
thirdcrank
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Post by thirdcrank »

Ben

I get the impression that your advisor quoted in your OP was thinking in terms of what you might possibly need but which would not be readily available in a reasonably decent bike shop. (+ trouble with tyres.)

Can I suggest first, make sure everything is properly tightened up, fastened on, oiled , adjusted etc before the off? (It's my experience that if anything is going to go wrong on a group ride, it usually reveals itself within the first 5 minutes and it's down to poor maintenance.)

Then, if there are bits and pieces specific to your machine which might reasonably be expected to fail and would be hard to find, carry spares - it shouldn't be a long list.

We've had all sorts of suggestions for preparing lists of bike shops along your route - along with some chauvinism - but then somebody much wiser than I am pointed out that the info is now all available on google maps and this can be accessed through the right sort of mobile phone.

With any sort of bike if you have a catastrophic failure - frame breaking, or similar - then you've got a catastrophe. Otherwise, there's not much that cannot be cured with cable ties, Duck tape, and junk from the side of the road. You are then usually within distance of a bike shop for something more permanent. (Except on Sundays, especially in some parts of Scotland. Wednesday, if your route is through Shipley.)
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Ben Lovejoy
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Post by Ben Lovejoy »

thirdcrank wrote:I get the impression that your advisor quoted in your OP was thinking in terms of what you might possibly need but which would not be readily available in a reasonably decent bike shop.

Yes, that's right: that's the main thing I asked ICE to advise on: the TRICE-specific things we might have trouble sourcing, plus the standard bits they would suggest carrying.

Tyres are on the list as, although 20-inch tyres are readily available from LBS, decent ones aren't always, so I've ordered a couple of those.

Can I suggest first, make sure everything is properly tightened up, fastened on, oiled , adjusted etc before the off?

Indeed! The plan is a service beforehand, then a shake-down ride to make sure all is ok.

Ben
TRICE Q with Streamer fairing for the fun stuff
Brompton M3L for the commutery stuff
LEJOG blog: http://www.benlovejoy.com/cycle/tripreports/lejog/
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