Heading off on a family bike trip? When it comes to bike maintenance, there’s a lot that can go wrong. Here’s our list of what bike tools to pack.
To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail they say. From broken chains to broken spokes, and from punctures to those random nuts and bolts that come loose, many things could go wrong on a family bike trip.
However, by ensuring you pack some essential tools, you should be able to successfully remedy any potential disaster. Here is a list of essential bike tools to pack before you head off on that family trip.
Each morning before your ride you should ensure everyone’s tyres are pumped up to the correct pressure. This is best achieved with a track pump as you’re about to depart. With a pressure gauge and an easy-to-use design, it’s by far the most efficient method. Mini pumps are a useful accessory to carry in your jersey pocket in case of emergencies, but if you rely on them to pump your tyres each time before a ride, well, that’s a workout in and of itself each time.
Complete with wrenches, allen keys, sockets, tyre levers, spoke keys, screwdriver heads and more, a good bike toolbox is perhaps the most useful piece of kit stored in your boot. Mechanical issues can occur at any time when on a family ride far from home and having a good toolbox ensures you’re covered. From nuts and bolts of all sizes across a variety of bicycles, it's hard to bring a specialised tool for each. A complete toolkit will cover all the options, and in a neatly organised box, they occupy minimal space in your boot. Ideal for any pre-ride checks or adjustments.
One of the essential bike tools to carry, the reliable multitool has salvaged many a cycling trip from the jaws of disaster. Failing a specialised toolbox, the simple multitool may be your primary weapon in terms of bike maintenance. At the very least, you should always carry one in your jersey pocket. A good multitool is great for those on-the-fly adjustments. Whether cleat alignment or quick saddle height adjustments, they’re a convenient lightweight solution that can be easily carried in your saddle pack or back jersey pocket.
You should always carry spare tubes with you on your ride. Afterall they provide the most convenient method for getting up and running again quickly after a puncture.
However, an unlucky run of several punctures can see you run out of spare tubes on the road far from home. On a family cycling trip, when one punctures, more punctures are likely never far away. Whether it’s glass, or thorns from hedge cuttings on the road, an unlucky encounter can see you run out of spare tubes very quickly.
A puncture repair kit is something you should consider packing. They’re especially useful if you're off the beaten track far from any bike shops. At the very least, being able to repair old tubes in the evening will ensure your covered during an extended trip away.
Workstands, also known as bike service stands, can be packed away compactly and take up minimal boot space. They’re an item well worth packing if you head off on a family bike trip. They are most useful when carrying out running repairs on a bike, especially when it comes to the drive chain. With both wheels up off the ground, they enable you to engage the gearing, whether for lubrication or tweaking, ensuring it remains a one-man job.
A workstand can be one of the most useful mountain bike tools. If you happen to be mountain biking on an extended trip with family, a workstand can prove a most useful ally when it comes to cleaning your bike each evening. As we all know, dirt tends to find its way into those hard to reach nooks and crannies. With a workstand you can easily remove the wheels to get at those hard to reach areas such as the chain stay or seat stay.
Many things can go wrong on a family bike trip, but perhaps the worst is a broken chain. It’s a show-stopper, and means you’ll need to wait for help to arrive if you haven’t packed a bike chain tool.
A bike chain tool will enable you to remove, repair and refit your bike chain on the road. You simply remove the damaged links and rejoin both ends with the bike chain tool. It’s an almost effortless procedure that takes mere minutes, providing a neat solution to what can be a potentially major problem if you get stranded far from home.
A very simple and small tool, but once mastered a buckled wheel can be quickly put true to ensure you can brake safely and ride smoothly if you hit a pothole or a curb at speed.
Whether you're competing, or are on an extended family trip where you’re taking in both high mountains and lowlands, a cassette remover is a useful tool to pack. It allows you to quickly and easily switch out a cassette with minimal effort. Definitely one for the more experiences mechanics out there
On the flat coastal roads, standard gearing may suffice, but on those steep mountain passes, you may want to quickly switch in that 32-tooth sprocket on the morning of a ride. The cassette remover holds the locking ring in place allowing you to unthread the cassette for a swift changeout.
At Decathlon, we stock all manner of tools and gadgets to help ensure your family bike trip runs smoothly. Remember, the right tools packed in the boot will give you the peace of mind you need to really enjoy the trip!
