Spares & tools - what do you carry and how?

Spare cleats? That's impressive.

I had a SPD screw fall out whilst cycling and the first I knew about it was that my right foot seemed to have a lot of float. I stopped to check it out and realised that I couldn't get my foot free without taking my foot out of my shoe and even then I couldn't get the shoe free. I had to cycle the rest of the way home without putting my right foot down (which was fine - I rarely unclip that side).

A couple of friends had issues with cleats, one lost screws the other their cleat cracked, basically fell apart, thankfully I've not had to use them.

I once did the comedy slo-mo fall because of this (screw hadn't fallen out entirely but was no longer holding the cleat in place) - stopped to check out what was happening and only realised too late that I couldn't unclip it. 

Sorry to read you had to buy a new pair of shoes and pedals. Hope you got some good wear out of them.

Luckily I was able to free the trapped shoe by forcing it round to undo the remaining bolt so replacing the cleat and bolts was the only cost. I check my cleats every so often now so I can avoid it happening again. If it was my left foot, I'm sure I'd've done the comedy sideways fall.

I had the same at work but managed to get the shoe out. Ended up using a Dremel tool to get the other bolt free.
Not sure how I got home though !

Do you also have a carbon monoxide alarm?

Ha ha ha not quite but I've a running joke on the club ride that I've got a picnic blanket with me just in case.

I've considered carrying a space blanket - maybe you should get one to play up to the joke.

Ha ha ha I've got some of them I might just do it 👍

Spare cleats and screws

To lose one cleat is a misfortune, Cidermart, to lose two could be described as carelessness-apologies to Oscar Wilde. Are these SPDs? The problem with those seems to be usually the screws seizing- prevent by loosening and retightening occasionally.

With my SPDs, they seem to last as long as the shoes so I don't mind if the bolts seize as long as I don't want to tweak their position.

SPD SL. As I said it happened to friends and it's the "Justin Scenario'. Overly cautious? Probably. Borderline headcase? Long past the border sadly, far too much lead and occasional mercury in plumbing.

After losing one on a ride I now threadlock my spd bolts, 

flipping eck! Should just take a support vehicle!

Ooooo now there's a thought ha ha ha 👍

I've broken a chain while riding on my own, and have been part of a group when another ider broke theirs.  Both times it ws my chain breaker and spare quicklinks that sorted the problem.  A bit like a first aid kit (in my case, a couple of plasters, some paracetamol and a foil emergency blanket) you hope to never need to use them, but they are really handy when you do.

Broke another chain yesterday, 5 miles into a 50 (the chain is a new-ish - 300 miles or so - Campag 12-speed). Once again, the chain breaker saved the day.

I've never had to use my chain breaker (Park chain pup and original CoolTool) when out, but I have used it to help several others.  A colleague was quite surprised that I could fix so much stuff.

My chain has gone at the quick link twice, once after just fitting a new chain.  The other time I think it was because I hadn't realised that there was only a certain number of times they should be released and refitted.

Gave a quicklink to some poor unfortuate when off road, their front mech had destroyed itself, they had popped the rivet out and were trying to reinsert it, in the dark and cold.  They were impressed and were unaware of the quicklink.

Broke a few chains back before I learned the importance of looking after the drivetrain.

I have a small multi tool (Lezyne V10) which comes with a chain breaker tool. A spare quick link takes up no room whatsoever and weighs nothing, so I can't see any advantage to not carrying one.

Ive never snapped a chain either, but been with a number of people who have, or twisted a link with a jammed shift....

This happened to a mate yesterday evening. He, like you doesn't carry a spare link and chain break tool. Luckily he was only a few miles from home and his wife popped out in the car to pick him up. I did 100 miles yesterday, and would hate to have to call someone out or try to get home via trains, or a lift to a bike shop, all for not carrying a tiny part and a small multitool with a chain breaker, especially when in the middle of nowhere in what was a freezing wind yesterday.

It doesn't happen often, but I can recall it happening to three mates over the last 5 years or so.

Interesting reading the comments since my original post. My bikes are all 9 or 10 spd cassettes with triple up front. I wonder whether this is a contributing factor in my so far relatively trouble free chains! I use KMC or Shimano chains with links rather than pins and lube my chains with White Lighting Clean Wax ~300kms and cleaned ~900kms. I'm able to avoid riding in the rain in Oz. I'm a spinner rather than pedalling under load all the time. I usually get ~6000kms out of a chain when I replace it before I need to.

I think it's more your riding style rather than the actual chain choice. Like you, I get no chain issues, other than them wearing. I clean mine after every ride - less than 50 dry miles, a wipe down and re-lube. After any wet ride, degrease, rinse, dry thoroughly and re-lube. Once I get to 150 dry miles, or earlier if I can see the chain is getting gunky, the chain gets the full treatment again.

I run Shimano 11spd chains. I back off for every gear change, especially front shifting and always plan ahead for gradients to get in the right gear before I need it, never just after.

I have di2 on my two best bikes, and 105 on my winter bike. All are setup exactly as per the Shimano Dealer Manual guidance, which means end stops and indexing are always spot on.

I change the chains when they get between 0.5 and 0.75 wear, never later. I change big chainrings once the teeth reach the point of starting to visibly hook. I spend 90+% of my time in the big ring on flat/ undulating rides, and only about 50-60% of my time in the little chainring on hillier rides. Thus my big chainrings wear out well before the inners.

My older summer bike is 5yrs old, the other and my winter bike (well the groupset on it) are newer. All three of them on original cassettes which show hardly any wear. I use Ultegra cassettes with either Dura Ace or Ultegra chains. Usually Ultegra, only Dura Ace if they are on offer at a similar price to Ultegra. To be honest, I think the Ultegra chains last a bit longer. There is no noticeable difference in shift performance between them.

Preventative and ongoing maintenance and more than that, correct gear changing technique in my opinion mean no chain failures. I still carry a spare quick link though, just in case!

I use stick on Hydrotac reader lenses in my sunglasses....very good for what they are - I can read my Garmin, especially the map now, and of course the cafe menu....which is only really needed if I (sacrilege) am fed up of beans on toast!