1. Inner tube (700c users should be aware that there are at least 2 sizes of tubes, one for sections 28 mm and smaller and one for 28mm and larger)
Tyres and tubes (plus rims). I would suggest that everyone takes 2 spare tubes. Tyres should be fairly new for the start of the trip with no cuts. For several years I carried a spare folding tyre in my saddlebag and on a trip to theIsle of Wight had a puncture which resulted in a big split in the tyre. 'How fortunate that I have this spare' I thought but no matter how hard I tried to get the folding tyre on it would not fit the rim and I had a walk into Newport
The introduction of folding tyres has meant that rims are now hooked at the top edge to hold the bead in place and the metal is thinner on the braking surface. This has led to the problem of 'exploding rims' which anyone who has read Chris Juden's technical pages in the CTC magazine will know about. As the brake blocks wear down the side of the rims the pressure of the tyre on the hooked part forces it outwards, a crack appears and a section of the rim explodes outwards, hopefully not on the front wheel when you are going down a steep hill and hopefully avoiding spearing your leg with the shard of aluminium. If your rims are fairly old check them for wear and any cracks. Chris Juden suggests testing them before a tour by pumping the tyre up to about 160psi and if it doesn't blow out then it should be OK for a while. However, if it does blow out you will need a new rim, a new tube and an explanation for your neighbours who have just called the police after the explosion.
Tyres and tubes (plus rims). I would suggest that everyone takes 2 spare tubes. Tyres should be fairly new for the start of the trip with no cuts. For several years I carried a spare folding tyre in my saddlebag and on a trip to the
The introduction of folding tyres has meant that rims are now hooked at the top edge to hold the bead in place and the metal is thinner on the braking surface. This has led to the problem of 'exploding rims' which anyone who has read Chris Juden's technical pages in the CTC magazine will know about. As the brake blocks wear down the side of the rims the pressure of the tyre on the hooked part forces it outwards, a crack appears and a section of the rim explodes outwards, hopefully not on the front wheel when you are going down a steep hill and hopefully avoiding spearing your leg with the shard of aluminium. If your rims are fairly old check them for wear and any cracks. Chris Juden suggests testing them before a tour by pumping the tyre up to about 160psi and if it doesn't blow out then it should be OK for a while. However, if it does blow out you will need a new rim, a new tube and an explanation for your neighbours who have just called the police after the explosion.
2. Brake cable long enough to use on rear brake (one for front and one for back if they have different fittings). Check the nipple (as you all do!) there are at least 2 different types
Some cables are now sold with different nipples at each end so that you cut off the one that you don't need. These are a bad idea as you cannot cut them cleanly on the road and the frayed end after cutting will not fit through your outer casing, so make sure that you get a spare rear length cable with the correct nipple and the other end neatly soldered.
Some cables are now sold with different nipples at each end so that you cut off the one that you don't need. These are a bad idea as you cannot cut them cleanly on the road and the frayed end after cutting will not fit through your outer casing, so make sure that you get a spare rear length cable with the correct nipple and the other end neatly soldered.
3. Saddle wire (if using centre-pull brakes. If you have the type of cantilever brakes that have a separate piece of wire attached to the main wire to pull one side of the brakes, I don't know what you do in case of failure.
I think you meant straddle wire here Pete? (not saddle wire). If one of yours shows signs of fraying replace it before you go but I have not known of one breaking.
I think you meant straddle wire here Pete? (not saddle wire). If one of yours shows signs of fraying replace it before you go but I have not known of one breaking.
4. Set of brake blocks for each wheel.
If brake blocks are new then spares shouldn't be needed but make sure that new blocks are bedded in correctly before you go, it is best not to test them out for the first time on a steep Cornish hill.
If brake blocks are new then spares shouldn't be needed but make sure that new blocks are bedded in correctly before you go, it is best not to test them out for the first time on a steep Cornish hill.
5. Gear cable long enough to reach rear mech (also one for the front mech if it is a different fitting) again do a nipple check
6. Freewheel if using the screw-on type) I don't know what you would carry in case of failure of a cassette type
Pete asked me to give details of modern cassette hubs where the freewheel mechanism is bolted to the hub to become an integral part of it. With these you just renew the set of sprockets (or 'cassette') rather than replacing a screw on block and sprockets as before. Until last year I thought that freehubs were totally reliable as I had covered around 20,000 miles on a couple of them, whereas the pawl springs in Regina blocks always used to break after around 6,000 miles. Last year I had the pawls in a new Campag hub break after around 2,000 miles, but the freehub was replaced free of charge and the new one seems to be OK. The cassette of sprockets slides onto splines on the freehub so no force is needed to remove them to replace a spoke on the gear side, but they are held in place by a lockring which can be quite tight when fitted by the manufacturer. I have a small tool called a 'hyper cracker' to remove the lockring but they are no longer made. It is probably best to make sure that your lockring is not fitted too tightly before you leave in case you need to replace a spoke during the trip.
Pete asked me to give details of modern cassette hubs where the freewheel mechanism is bolted to the hub to become an integral part of it. With these you just renew the set of sprockets (or 'cassette') rather than replacing a screw on block and sprockets as before. Until last year I thought that freehubs were totally reliable as I had covered around 20,000 miles on a couple of them, whereas the pawl springs in Regina blocks always used to break after around 6,000 miles. Last year I had the pawls in a new Campag hub break after around 2,000 miles, but the freehub was replaced free of charge and the new one seems to be OK. The cassette of sprockets slides onto splines on the freehub so no force is needed to remove them to replace a spoke on the gear side, but they are held in place by a lockring which can be quite tight when fitted by the manufacturer. I have a small tool called a 'hyper cracker' to remove the lockring but they are no longer made. It is probably best to make sure that your lockring is not fitted too tightly before you leave in case you need to replace a spoke during the trip.
7. Chain (be aware that if using 10-speed blocks) the chains are very narrow and cannot be joined using the normal rivet extractor, a special link is required)
Connectors for modern chains are very convenient as they can be fitted by hand, but you need one that is the right width for your chain. The latest Campag groupsets have 11 rear sprockets (who needs that many?) and therefore the narrowest chain yet.
Connectors for modern chains are very convenient as they can be fitted by hand, but you need one that is the right width for your chain. The latest Campag groupsets have 11 rear sprockets (who needs that many?) and therefore the narrowest chain yet.
8. Rear wheel spindle, ball bearings and grease (if using non-quick-release hubs). I have never known a quick-release spindle to break due to the mechanism keeping the spindle in compression. Hubs with cassette freewheels also are not prone to spindle breakage as the hub bearing is close to the frame drop-out (they are probably all quick-release as well)
9. Ball bearings and grease for bottom bracket (if using the cup and cone type). I will take a spare cassette bottom bracket set but it probably won't fit anybody else's frame.
Bottom bracket. I don't think that it is necessary to carry a new bottom bracket with you, even if you can identify exactly which type you require, as most problems here will only lead to a gradual deterioration. Having said that I had the outer face of my fixed cup on the bottom bracket shear off a few years ago when going to Badby Hostel. Fortunately the balls were in a cage so they didn't fall out and I completed the final few miles freewheeling down the hills and walking the rest. The following day I purchased a pack of substantial plastic zip ties from a local garage, bound these tightly round the bottom bracket shell to hold the broken part in place and managed to ride home using low gears so as not to put too much pressure on it.
Bottom bracket. I don't think that it is necessary to carry a new bottom bracket with you, even if you can identify exactly which type you require, as most problems here will only lead to a gradual deterioration. Having said that I had the outer face of my fixed cup on the bottom bracket shear off a few years ago when going to Badby Hostel. Fortunately the balls were in a cage so they didn't fall out and I completed the final few miles freewheeling down the hills and walking the rest. The following day I purchased a pack of substantial plastic zip ties from a local garage, bound these tightly round the bottom bracket shell to hold the broken part in place and managed to ride home using low gears so as not to put too much pressure on it.
10. One or two chain ring bolts - check the tightness of them before leaving home but I have known them work loose and drop out
11. A selection of spokes to fit your wheels (fronts may be different to rears, and one side of the rear wheel could be different from the other)
Modern wheels are mainly factory built and come complete but each manufacturer tends to have different ideas about what constitutes the best design. Many now have straight direct pull spokes, possibly threaded at each end, which does remove the bend where the spoke passed through the hub on a conventional wheel. As the bend was usually the point where breakages occurred the modern designs may prove more reliable. Try to identify what type of spokes you have and take some suitable spares. Mick suggested taking a spare front wheel in the car but I don't think this is necessary as there will be enough luggage to carry without having a front wheel that has to sit on top of everything and get in the way. If there is a major problem with a wheel it is more likely to be a rear anyway.
Modern wheels are mainly factory built and come complete but each manufacturer tends to have different ideas about what constitutes the best design. Many now have straight direct pull spokes, possibly threaded at each end, which does remove the bend where the spoke passed through the hub on a conventional wheel. As the bend was usually the point where breakages occurred the modern designs may prove more reliable. Try to identify what type of spokes you have and take some suitable spares. Mick suggested taking a spare front wheel in the car but I don't think this is necessary as there will be enough luggage to carry without having a front wheel that has to sit on top of everything and get in the way. If there is a major problem with a wheel it is more likely to be a rear anyway.
12. Selection of nuts and bolts, screws and zip ties (check they actually fit - threads used to be BS Cycle Thread and BA they are likely to be metric on a modern bike)
Include bolts to hold your mudguard stays to the frame and to hold the stays to the mudguard as these are the ones that most often come loose and fall out.
Include bolts to hold your mudguard stays to the frame and to hold the stays to the mudguard as these are the ones that most often come loose and fall out.
[Dave] Don’t forget the spare cleats and screws !
13. Fasteners threaded with BS Cycle Thread usually have heads the same size as Whitworth/BSF fasteners, whereas Metric fasteners use entirely different size heads. Many of the fasteners on a modern bike tend to be of the socket headed type so an appropriate set of Allen keys is needed. Are any bikes using Torx heads?
I found that Campag have used them on the adjusting bolts for my Ergo brake levers but not elsewhere.
I found that Campag have used them on the adjusting bolts for my Ergo brake levers but not elsewhere.
14. Freewheel remover and a large adjustable spanner to turn it
15. Special spanner to dismantle the cassette bottom bracket
16. Tiny Allen key to use on stop screws at the ends of the pull-off springs if you have cantilever brakes with the main wire going to one brake block and a short piece of wire attached to it to operate the other block.
Final general comments.
Having been on CTC tours regularly for the past 25 years I have to say that it is fairly rare for any problem to occur with a bike that makes it impossible to at least continue slowly for the rest of the day to reach a cycle shop. Usually when something does happen it seems to be to a bike that has been meticulously maintained and yet the person who has done nothing to their old bike gets round without problem - Sod's Law in operation. We are not going to be travelling in a Third World country and will never be that far away from a cycle shop that can sort out any problem that one or more of us may get. If I have some spare time before we go I will try to Google cycle shops along our route so that we are aware of where they are if needed, most of the towns will no doubt have a Halfords Bike Hut.
Having been on CTC tours regularly for the past 25 years I have to say that it is fairly rare for any problem to occur with a bike that makes it impossible to at least continue slowly for the rest of the day to reach a cycle shop. Usually when something does happen it seems to be to a bike that has been meticulously maintained and yet the person who has done nothing to their old bike gets round without problem - Sod's Law in operation. We are not going to be travelling in a Third World country and will never be that far away from a cycle shop that can sort out any problem that one or more of us may get. If I have some spare time before we go I will try to Google cycle shops along our route so that we are aware of where they are if needed, most of the towns will no doubt have a Halfords Bike Hut.
