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[homemadesalsa]

I carry something similar, and have used various parts fairly often. Most notably, came upon a friend and her dog a couple miles back; dog was bleeding heavily from unknown encounter (wildlife or branch goring) and we managed to stop bleeding and carry it out.

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[Andeh]

Honestly how often do you guys use first aid kits? I’ve never carried one and can’t say I know anyone who does?

Cuts/scrapes, too bad just ride it out. Then again don’t do too many big backcountry rides around here, probably at most 4-5 miles from a road.

Not trying to be a dick, genuinely curious.


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I don't bring it for local rides. But for backcountry rides where phone coverage is questionable at best and you're looking at a few hour walk out, it comes with me. Basically my kit is tiny (smaller than a sandwich) and weighs nearly nothing, so anytime I am going on a ride long enough to need a Camelbak, it comes.

I'm usually the only one I know who brings one, other than a buddy who's a professional bike coach and another guy who's older and has gotten into some bad crashes himself.

[anotherVTskibum]

Almost never carry one for biking. Have a fairly basic kit in the ski pack. If I remember, I'll throw my ski kit in my bike pack for bigger backcountry rides, but that's maybe a small handful of rides each year.

I have a compression dressing and I think some tape and gauze in my hydration pack. My bigger kit usually only comes along for backcountry outings where I expect getting help would take hours. I generally operate on a similar theory skiing.

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[XXX-er]

our area has 2 icecream buckets with big crosses painted on them full of first aid supplies and even a naloxone kit in the main p-lot

[jm2e]

Maybe an alternative question; what injuries have occurred on your rides, and what did you use (or wish you had)?
Most common things I can think of are abrasions that are usually too generalized to do much first aid on, and orthopedic injuries where getting out is more of an issue than bandaging.
Edit, I ride with a pack and always have a little first aid kit. The ibuprohpen is hands down the most used item. Second most used is eye drops.

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[toast2266]

I can't recall ever using a first aid kit on a ride (either for myself or for anyone I was with). Plenty of injuries, but none that were going to get fixed or even substantially improved with any realistic first aid kit. Maybe one or two deep gashes that some tape / butterflys / tight wrapping would help with.

Most injuries were either minor enough that they could be ignored, or involved broken bones (collarbones are popular) and/or concussions.

[Andeh]

Personally: plenty of scrapes ranging from minor to requiring stitches. Pedal bites. 1 slash on my arm from a branch that didn't bleed too bad but healed into a badass scar. Also split my chin open going OTB without a full face, and the fucker wouldn't stop bleeding. Dislocated my shoulder.

On people I've been riding with: bad cramping from dehydration, bad diarrhea, lots of scrapes & pedal bites, 1 concussion, 2 torn rotator cuffs, 1 broken collar bone.

On people I know but weren't riding at the time: broken ribs + punctured lung + concussion, broken wrist, concussion. (All separate incidents / people.) The punctured lung guy rides with an InReach in the backcountry now.

[adrenalated]

Most injuries in my crew that we've dealt with were cuts/gashes/abrasions/etc. Irrigate, bandage, ride out, go get stitches.

We reduced a shoulder dislocation a couple years ago that saved my buddy from an 8 mile walk out on the Whole Enchilada.

Most of my first aid kit fits in a small waterproof bag under my seat (my particular setup has plenty of clearance to not buzz the tire at full compression). It weighs nothing and is always on the bike. Gauze, tape, bandages, triangle bandage, etc. I also ride with an InReach. Most of my rides now are solo and nearly all of them out of cell service and not many other people around.

[snowaddict91]

I have a first aid kit that lives in my ski pack all winter, I typically throw it in my camelbak on longer, more remote rides. I was glad to have the ibuprofen when I broke ribs this spring, and I used the triangle bandage to sling my shoulder, but that could easily have been done with a jacket or shirt sleeve or something. I used to carry some left over vicodins in the first aid kit, but they were super old so I tossed them. Now that I reupped my supply I'll probably keep a few in there, just in case.

My inreach mini fits great in my hip pack, and I spend a lot of time in the bike solo so it comes on every ride, unless I forget it.

[Dantheman]

I split my shin open 3" long to the bone a few years ago. It was pretty gnarly, the front desk lady at the clinic kind of freaked when she saw it. Luckily I was only about a mile from the bottom and then it was just short drive to the PC Instacare. If I had been far from the truck and/or had a decent drive to medical services some disinfectant, non-stick pads and a roll of coban would have been extremely useful.

[SKIP IN7RO]

^Electrical tape and a sacrificed piece of clothing works in a pinch. Here's an interesting way of carrying it.

[babybear]

Maybe an alternative question; what injuries have occurred on your rides, and what did you use (or wish you had)?
Most common things I can think of are abrasions that are usually too generalized to do much first aid on, and orthopedic injuries where getting out is more of an issue than bandaging.
Edit, I ride with a pack and always have a little first aid kit. The ibuprohpen is hands down the most used item. Second most used is eye drops.

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worst injury on a ride (knocking on wood currently) was when my bf (now husband) split his shin open towards the bottom of porcupine rim. Solid 6” split
I used my wrist sweatband and long sleeve layer to squeeze and keep it closed for the ride back to town. we called and stopped at a clinic on the hwy into town and the Dr. stitched it back up.
funnier thing was that it was windy af that day (windy like we had to pedal on the fast double track downhill parts of the trail) and after all that injury craziness we pulled into our campsite late just to watch our tent get blown away like a tumbleweed. It was also my birthday so we decided it was a sign to get a hotel

[Flounder]

I carry a small kit. Never used it for myself. Like my spare tube and quick links, always seem to be used to get others out of the woods. When I crash, it’s been ribs and no first aid kit helps that.

[jono]

Cactus. I try to make sure I have pliers (Leatherman style), duct tape and a lighter (sometimes useful for warming the duct tape, usually not) to remove big and little pointies in cactus country. It's been rare. So I know it's working.

Otherwise ibuprofen, band-aids and loosening my brake levers and stem just a little in the vain hope of softening a shot to the ribs.

[Dantheman]

^Electrical tape and a sacrificed piece of clothing works in a pinch. Here's an interesting way of carrying it.

That goddam brilliant.

funnier thing was that it was windy af that day (windy like we had to pedal on the fast double track downhill parts of the trail)

That's at least half of my rides on porcy

It's been way too long since I've done it. I really need to suck it up and deal with the shitshow so I can get the kiddo on it.

[BigHerm]

A couple years back my buddy rolls up to me at a picnic table and says he needs my help. I rolled down his sock and saw arterial spurting. I improvised a compression dressing out of gauze and an ACE bandage. Had just recertified WFR the week prior and learned this technique. We were at the trailhead so car evac to hospital was pretty fast.

Compound ankle fracture, made a full recovery. Dude is one of the best bike handlers I know and somehow managed this injury on a shaley sidehill bit of a green trail we were very familiar with. I now carry an Israeli bandage in my fanny pack along with a mini wound kit and an inReach on all rides. More on longer ones.

I also wrap some Gorilla Tape around my OneUp pump, similar to my touring poles.

[Lvovsky]

If anybody is in need of a Shimano direct mount chainring tool, TL-FC41, hit me up. I think I have more than I need…

Attachment 419625

Is it the same is this parktool LTR-4?

I need a tool to replace shimano <del>direct mount<\del> center lock rotor

[skinipenem]

First aid kit discussion is interesting. I think we had a thread somewhere.

Imho contents depend a lot on location of ride. In the east within an hour or so of the car, I don't care anything except a diy epi-pen (epinephrine ampule and 1cc syringe), an 18g needle (for tension pneumothorax, 3ft gorilla tape, and then use my tools/tree limbs and clothing for the rest (sling, bandage, tournique.) Should probably consider an antibiotic and pain med, but mostly only concerned with injuries that will kill. Not concerned with exposure due to proximity to assistance.

I have considered the inreach/spot. These are really nice, but I've been too cheap and riding close to/in cell service.

I suppose I could improve on this if I thought about/cared about it more.

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[criscam]

question regarding offset valve stem on rims....on my raceface rims, the valve stem is offset from the center and there's a small plastic shim on one side so it fits snug when tightened down. long story short, busted this and put in a new valve stem but doesn't have the shim so only about half the nut is in contact w the rim. rode it and seemed ok but should i seek out the same offset specific valve stem and swap it out w the regular one? hope this makes sense. can take pics if need be.

[dcpnz]

Tips and tricks for straightening brake rotors??

I’m trying to use a wheel trueing stand and an adjustable crescent wrench and feel like I need five fricken hands .
Is it easier to pull rotor off the wheel and find a flat surface?

[Eluder]

Im really proficient with the park rotor truer. You need to be able to bend far in on the blades as well as the outer braking track. The park tool is really good for both IMO. I just use the caliper as a guide.

[dcpnz]

^^ yep, thx. Went back to on the bike using the caliper for alignment. And yes, figured out my bend is much further in so bending the outer brake track with a wrench is not real helpful.

Think I will buy the right tool for this one eventually.

[Falcon3]

My Fox36 Factory Grip2 has started making a sharp loud cracking noise on hard compressions (not using full travel). It was brand new last winter and I’ve only got 48 hours on it.

All the tuning is in the middle of the road, nothing full open or closed. I’m used to the fork making some noise but this is very loud and very different. Yes my headset is tight. Anybody got any ideas?

[CantDog]

Anyone remember when trainnvain(I think? North Conway mag) came around a corner and clipped an obscured stick skewering his leg between his tibia and fibula? I think of that injury all the time riding. He could have used some electrical tape I bet.

[Dee Hubbs]

Tips and tricks for straightening brake rotors??

I’m trying to use a wheel trueing stand and an adjustable crescent wrench and feel like I need five fricken hands .
Is it easier to pull rotor off the wheel and find a flat surface?

Clean thumbs. I just bend it with my thumbs while its on the bike, using the caliper as my guide.
Since most of the rotors are now 2 piece design I don't find myself using a tool much, just a good bend with my thumbs is all thats needed. The truing tools (I have a park tool and an older unbranded one) are good for getting low down towards the center of the discs on the all metal discs.
But since 2 piece rotors are prominent, I barely reach for the tool.