Sort of.
Despite all my protests against the obvious, I admit, my thinking is changing.
I am resisting, with all my might, but I am weak.
The transformation is almost complete.
When I go out for my rides on The Flat Tire Black Bullet, I am usually well prepared.
I pack all my preparedness stuff in a saddle bag and haul basically the same thing in a waist pack:
Redundancy saves lives.
Or something.
Well, in adjusting my bars, you know, the Bars of Infinite Reach(BOIR), I come home, adjust and then go out for a test ride to check if the changes made any difference.
I go out sans waist pack.
I gotta admit, it feels pretty darn good not having five pounds of stuff hanging off your back.
It also feels cool.
Like cool breeze cool, unhot small of the back cool.
So I decided to downsize.
Carry just the essentials.
First of all, I need a pump:
A nice gift from my pal Hoku, who I haven't seen in like three months, that is small and light.
Course, I need a tube.
Okay, I don't need a tube, but it's good to be safe.
I mean I got a patch kit.
Seeing as how these newfangled roadie tires take like a GAGILLION pounds of pressure, I figured some bottled air would be good too.
So we got a pump, some canned air, a tube, and a patch kit:
Hey Mr. Flat Tire! how you plan on getting that tire off the rim?
Hang on! I'm coming to that.
Of course I need a tire thingy.
Luckily, one comes with my Park Tool I-Beam:
Gotta have some tools for that roadside repair don't you know.
Now the I-Beam also comes with a chain breaker.
Something I've never used except at home, when replacing a chain.
Actually pretty darn lucky considering the enormous amount of power my massive quads put through the drive train.
So I'm thinking, maybe I should just take a mini tool, one of those small thingys with only the wrenches.
I mean I have one of those too, which I carry around in that waist pack, despite having the I-Beam in the saddle bag.
Thing is, I just know, I mean I just know that I'll need that chain breaker the minute I leave it at home.
This leaves me a bit undecided on the tool.
Now, this is like the minimum of stuff I figure I need to carry around with me.
I can leave the dental floss, the 8x monocular, the bandage tape, the extra batteries, the loose change, the extra tire lever, the extra patch kit, the presta air pressure gauge(maybe), the combination screw driver phillips thingy, and the little notebook at home.
Since I don't have the little notebook, I guess I can leave the pen behind too.
Maybe.
The question is, where to stuff the minimum basic stuff I need?
Get it? stuff the stuff? I mean I got stuff I need to stuff?
Nevermind.
Rear pockets?
Doesn't that defeat the purpose?
Saddle bag?
No room:
Not if I want to keep that Super Flash on there.
Conundrum.
Dilemma.
I think I'll call this the Quest for the Incredible Lightness of Road Biking(QFTILRB).
Stay Tuned.
6 comments:
I keep everything for a 100 mile ride in a seat bag or a rocket bottle (see post from last June 17). Including a cell phone, snacks, and camera.
Lighter is always better! Right up to when you have to walk or call for a pickup because there's something you don't have. Trade-offs!
I'm the same as Steve A.
I always have a tiny seat bag packed and ready to go on each bike.
I wanted to try and get away from the seat bag thingy, but I may have to succumb to it's innovative usefulness.
I too have a seat bag on each bike, but was trying to avoid a third.
I'll try and move the blinky to the seat stay.
Steve A., I forgot about the water bottle thingy!
Man, I love that tire thingy! What a great-looking tool that is. I don't even care what it does. I'd pack it in my guitar case!
To impress people.
They will be impressed!
You can tell them it's like a folding tuning fork!
Or something.
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