Ask the experts

[Dee Hubbs]

I couldn’t find a bag that suited my needs. So I got creative with what I already had.
I useda simple 5” x 3” zippered tool pouch from somewhere like Home Depot. Put my bits in there, fold it in half and Velcro strap it under my seat. It tucks neatly between my saddle rails, does not come close to touching my thighs, and barely hangs down below my saddle. No interference with my dropper, not buzzing a tire, simple and clean.

[rideit]

I use this Lizard Skinz Micro Cache, with an extra Velcro strap to cinch it tighter. I have never had the tire rub on it, but I have an almost 33” inseam (at 5’8”) on a medium bike with a 170mm dropper, so it sits tall out of the frame enough to not interfere. I carry a patch kit box that has cleats, cleat bolts, extra plate, extra 5m and 6m bolts, a chair link, a valve stem, and a cable. Also carry a set of Wolftooth chain pliers, extra brake pads, a derailluer hangar, and my dart tool with 4 darts, and a hefty zip tie.

[climberevan]

... jersey with pockets?

What? Are you implying that all of these threads asking how to carry food, phone, a jacket, etc around one's waist could have been avoided if people just wear, you know, bike clothes? C'mon, man! Next you're going to suggest that said "jersey" might be made of really comfortable and breathable material and have a really long zipper for ventilation. Crazy talk.

[toast2266]

... jersey with pockets?

bibs with pockets > jersey with pockets.

[climberevan]

I like that little LS seat bag. If my tire didn't nearly hit my saddle I'd pick one up.

I made a couple of bags for my Ripley. The front one is for food and a jacket (on 6+ hour rides my jersey is already full). The back one holds a plug kit, misc repair stuff, chain tool, mini-Leatherman, and a TPU tube. Hex bits live inside of the crank spindle on the sweet Lezyne kit. (The tarp material over the shock protects it from drips from the water bottle, which is often full of sugar water.)

[summit]

It seems to me that the seat is about the worst place to you can put storage except for on your body, doubly so when you are asking a dropper to move the weight. Lower your center of gravity and don't make the dropper push weight!

OneUp EDC with a tire plug and masterlink pliers is the lightest and most compact way to have all the tools (allens, T25, chaintool, and masterlinks). I put mine in my stem and use a super light Lezyne Pocket Drive HV (90g $30), but you can also get a OneUp Pump and put the EDC in the pump! If you pass through Summit and want to tap your steerer, I have a tap (install is redic simple).
https://www.oneupcomponents.com/products/edc-v2-tool

I strap the pump plus a Tubolito and lever to the downtube, what else could I need? I strap on a CO2 in that bunch if needed.

Garmin, food, medkit in frame bags... strap a coat to the frame if needed.

No packs unless I need more than the 1L I can put in 1-2 Fidlock bottles (then add my hip pack) or need to carry pads and chinpiece up the climb. No packs! Improve ventilation, keep the weight off the body, and low on the frame! Once you ditch the pack, you won't want it back.

[mmmm...pow!]

It seems to me that the seat is about the worst place to you can put storage except for on your body, doubly so when you are asking a dropper to move the weight. Lower your center of gravity and don't make the dropper push weight!

OneUp EDC with a tire plug and masterlink pliers is the lightest and most compact way to have all the tools (allens, T25, chaintool, and masterlinks). I put mine in my stem and use a super light Lezyne Pocket Drive HV (90g $30), but you can also get a OneUp Pump and put the EDC in the pump! If you pass through Summit and want to tap your steerer, I have a tap (install is redic simple).
https://www.oneupcomponents.com/products/edc-v2-tool

I strap the pump plus a Tubolito and lever to the downtube, what else could I need? I strap on a CO2 in that bunch if needed.

Garmin, food, medkit in frame bags... strap a coat to the frame if needed.

No packs unless I need more than the 1L I can put in 1-2 Fidlock bottles (then add my hip pack) or need to carry pads and chinpiece up the climb. No packs! Improve ventilation, keep the weight off the body, and low on the frame! Once you ditch the pack, you won't want it back.

This thinking boggles my mind. I can't wrap my head around how putting a bunch of stuff on the bike, instead of on your body, could possibly be better. Maybe if you are just sitting in the saddle and spinning, but maneuvering the bike over and around obstacles and in the air? Would you strap a bunch of shit to backcountry skis instead of having it solidly on your back? Or carry and drag all your camping stuff instead of putting it in a backpack?

[climberevan]

My thoughts on this are that the bike weighs 30#. The tools and shit that I put on it are less than 1#. It's negligible, and having that stuff always on the bike and ready, plus the comfort advantage of not having it on my body, is well worth it. I don't think the weight is noticeable.

Bottles are a different story. If I did a lot of jumping, or did rides that were primarily downhill, I'd probably wear a pack more. (But do you even need to carry water if you're not earning your turns?) However, my ride time is at least 75% uphill, and having bottles on the frame and letting my back breathe is way more comfortable. I'll only use a pack for additional water (running vests are pretty great, and keep the jersey pockets accessible) if going longer than about 4h or in really warm weather.

[summit]

This thinking boggles my mind. I can't wrap my head around how putting a bunch of stuff on the bike, instead of on your body, could possibly be better. Maybe if you are just sitting in the saddle and spinning, but maneuvering the bike over and around obstacles and in the air? Would you strap a bunch of shit to backcountry skis instead of having it solidly on your back? Or carry and drag all your camping stuff instead of putting it in a backpack?

Bad analogy, you don't want a ton of weight in skis/boots because you are most actively lifting those up and down while skiing, its (only kinda) like having unsprung weight on a bike. The better equivalent is packing your ski pack to keep weight close to your back and lower down. The analogy ends there because skis are directly connected to your body, the bike is not.

Bikes, if you are NOT sitting and spinning, you are way more mobile over the bike (moving your body a lot). You don't want weight on your feet, but you also don't want weight on your upper body because all that arms+legs-as-suspension has to absorb that momentum in combination with the bike suspension rather than having it just be sprung weight on the frame for the suspension to handle. That affects your balance and tires you out. If I am getting active over the bike, I am moving all the weight in my pack. Ride 25K at the park in a day and even that hip pack makes a difference in your fatigue.

Water, containers, pump, tools, tube, food, and a backpack, that could easily be 5+lbs... evenmore if you start adding jacket, FAK, and a Garmin.

Also, packs are hot, they swing around, and raise your center of gravity.

[Benneke10]

Thanks for the saddlebag tips. I get that adding weight to the saddle isn't ideal, but I thought adding weight to the front of the bike was more annoying. I used a Topeak Toploader bag for a little while and loaded with my repair kit and snacks the extra weight up front had noticeable adverse effects on handling. I will often wear a real jersey and bibs but don't like being forced into it, and I don't like carrying the weight of all my gear in my pockets while MTBing, its less annoying while road riding. I ride a hardtail 29er on a mix of trails and road and don't have or want a dropper for the time being. My current system is little saddle bag for tube, tool, and co2, and phone (and sometimes a mini pump) goes in jersey pocket on shorter rides. For longer rides, I will bring my topeak toploader and/or my salomon adv skin 12 vest for extra snacks, water and layers. I find the running vest much more comfortable for carrying weight compared to jersey pockets, and more secure. I like this system and don't do overnight rides so don't need much more capacity. I like the little roll up bags you can attach to the frame to put the weight down low on the bike where it should be, kind of like a poor man's SWAT system (someday I will buy a frame with integrated storage..). I am looking into the Bedrock and Salsa bags mentioned. I see Tailfin also just came out with the V-Mount pack which seems smart but overkill for my needs. I would rather have a sub 1 liter bag that stays attached to the bike at all times that is carrying the essential repair kit and just throw on the vest or top tube bag for the occasional big ride.

Now that I'm thinking about this I should probably upgrade my old, inefficient mini pump to something that I can attach to the bottle cage mounts. What are people liking for mini pumps? Worth it to spring for Lezyne or are the "PRO BIKE TOOL" brand knockoffs acceptable? Would like something light, around 3oz ideally.

[XXX-er]

Given that everything old will eventualy become new when will hydration packs be in ?

its been 20 yrs and I'm ready for it with my Dakine Apex

[summit]

Now that I'm thinking about this I should probably upgrade my old, inefficient mini pump to something that I can attach to the bottle cage mounts. What are people liking for mini pumps? Worth it to spring for Lezyne or are the "PRO BIKE TOOL" brand knockoffs acceptable? Would like something light, around 3oz ideally.

You can spend $90 on a fancy pump... or...

Lezyne Pocket Drive HV is $32 and 90g (3oz). Light. Cheap. Small. Metal. High volume considering all that. Works fine for mountain tires, but probably not for plus/fat tires. They make a HP one if you are gravel/road.

It comes with a small cage mountable clip+strap mount if you want to sue it.

OneUp pumps are higher volume, people love them, $65, double as a CO2 inflator, and you can store stuff in them like CO2 or tools.

[toast2266]

Lezyne Pocket Drive HV is $32 and 90g (3oz). Light. Cheap. Small. Metal. High volume considering all that. Works fine for mountain tires, but probably not for plus/fat tires. They make a HP one if you are gravel/road.

And since it's a lezyne, it has the added feature of occasionally unscrewing your valve core when you remove the pump, releasing all the air that you just spent 10 minutes putting in.

[summit]

And since it's a lezyne, it has the added feature of occasionally unscrewing your valve core when you remove the pump, releasing all the air that you just spent 10 minutes putting in.

Ha! Ya I ditched a Lezyne floor pump over that issue. Haven't had it with the hand pump... gotta be careful not screwing it on too tight

[Benneke10]

Oh yeah I remember dumping all my air using a borrowed mini pump like 10 years ago.. must have been a Lezyne. I imagine its not bad if you practice but definitely interested in other suggestions.. the OneUp looks great but I have a hard time spending $65 on a pump

[climberevan]

The valve core issue is 100% user error. If your valve cores are appropriately tight in the stems and you don't go crazy screwing on the hose too tightly, you'll never have that problem. But the new pumps have integrated core wrenches just in case.

I prefer the slightly heavier but much faster pumping models for my mtb. But the tiny ones do work. I can't believe that anyone would purchase a hand pump that does not have a hose. We're not in the 90s anymore.

https://ride.lezyne.com/collections/.../grip-drive-hv

This one is perfectly adequate too. https://ride.lezyne.com/collections/...mp-spdhv-v1s04

[summit]

Agreed no hose on a hand pump = not the best

[Benneke10]

Sounds like I definitely need to upgrade then since mine is like a decade old and doesn't have a hose

[skaredshtles]

And since it's a lezyne, it has the added feature of occasionally unscrewing your valve core when you remove the pump, releasing all the air that you just spent 10 minutes putting in.

I got a buddy with one of those pumps. Drives me nuckin' futz.

[VTskibum]

bibs with pockets > jersey with pockets.

Agreed for MTB for sure. Also stays tighter vs bouncing around in jersey pocket.


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[summit]

Sounds like I definitely need to upgrade then since mine is like a decade old and doesn't have a hose

If you have a high volume pump like a 100cc air chamber OneUp, the hose matters less because you are doing fewer/larger/less forceful strokes. If it is a smaller pump, to be efficient you want to slam the thing back and forth to the hilt rapidly just like a shock pump, much easier to do when you have the slack of the hose vs anchored to the valve.

[toast2266]

The valve core issue is 100% user error. If your valve cores are appropriately tight in the stems and you don't go crazy screwing on the hose too tightly, you'll never have that problem. But the new pumps have integrated core wrenches just in case.

When it happens to one person, it's user error. When it happens to 80% of the people that use the tool, it's a shitty tool.

[MegaStoke]

When it happens to one person, it's user error. When it happens to 80% of the people that use the tool, it's a shitty tool.

As a member of the other 20%, I like my Lezyne pump.

[Benneke10]

When it happens to one person, it's user error. When it happens to 80% of the people that use the tool, it's a shitty tool.

Whats your recommendation?

[SKIP IN7RO]

nothing to unthread with fillmores