Bikepacking specific maintenance

[Honan]

Hi All,

I'm starting to get into bicycle maintenance. My main motivation is of course to be able to look after my bike better when on the trail on a bikepacking trip. However, I have noticed that for some jobs like bending a rear derailleur hanger back into alignment, one benefits from having expensive, heavy tools to do the job. Clearly it is not economical to bring your whole toolbox on a bikepacking trip. My question is: Can someone point me to a good resource (e.g. a book or article) that has reasonably complete list of all possible maintenance/repair operations that one could reasonably hope to do while on a trail without the benefit of heavy tools? And how would these operations be completed?

Apologies if this or a similar question has been asked before (I would appreciate a link to a duplicate thread if this is the case) - I did a brief search on this website and I haven't found exactly what I'm after.

Best,

Honan.

[white pass]

The decision of what to carry is mostly personal. Some folks believe you can never be prepared enough and so carry very little, while others will carry almost the whole toolbox.

Likewise I don't think you can ever be prepared to fix everything (frame or rack cracks, bearing issues, damaged rims, etc), but there are lots of good lists out there, including one on bikepacking.com which breaks it down in levels. Something like necessity, nice to have and luxury.

You should also consider carrying stuff to fix other items like your bags (duct tape, zipties, needle and thread, etc).

One thing I never used to carry but do now is a leatherman. There is no substitute for plyers when you need them.

[offroute]

The decision of what to carry is mostly personal. Some folks believe you can never be prepared enough and so carry very little, while others will carry almost the whole toolbox.


+1

Your tools and spare parts are always specific to your bike, so it's tough to give an absolute answer. Being an ace with tubeless tire repair will cover the vast majority of issues. This somewhat comes with experience assessing what method(s) will work best, but a plug kit, sidewall cuttings, superglue, tire tools, spare tube, CO2 and pump can get you through almost any MTB tire issue. Extra sealant and needle/thread for some rides. Check out the tubeless tire repair sticky thread here.

Chain repair might be the next most likely problem. The mini chain pliers from Wolftooth look sweet, but I've been able to get through with the chain breaker in my multi-tool and quick links. Shift cable and brake pads maybe after that, very minimal tools needed.

I sawed the handle short on a cassette lockring tool to make it portable, but would happily ditch it for lighter outings. I draw the line at bringing BB removal tools, depending on type.

I've depended on many bike shops and hardware stores along routes. Admittedly not an option on every route.

Aside from tire repair tools, leatherman w/ pliers, bike multi-tool, tiny vice-grips, bailing wire and duct tape are the backbone of my repair kit. A spare der hanger is better than a tool to try to fix a bent one, as they do break and bend beyond fixability. Beyond that, pre-emptive bike maintenance and extra care setting up and shaking down go a long way to keep repairs from being needed in the first place. Special attention to hydraulic systems, if you have them.

[Bob]

It's a balance between the likelihood of a breakage happening and the ability to fix it. As above, a broken frame isn't going to be fixable out on the trail. Personal experience plays a part here: some people take spares for items that I've never had need to replace.

Keeping your bike in good condition will go a long way to avoiding trailside maintenance but obviously won't cover accident damage. Make sure that bolts have thread lock or anti-seize as appropriate, your sealant is refreshed, stuff like that. Out on the trail, tyre and chain damage are most likely IME. It's worth keeping the bit of chain that you remove when getting a new chain to the right length. For things like tyre sidewall repair it's worth having a practice on an old tyre in the comfort of your own home - careful with that axe Eugene! - out on the trail in a storm isn't the place to learn. The same could be said for any bit of maintenance really.

What you take does depend on how long/remote your ride is. As a start I'd have ...

Tools: pump, bike multi-tool; Leatherman Squirt, tyre boot; sewing kit, duct tape; zip ties; chain oil; tubeless sealant.
Spares: inner tube; mech hanger; master link for chain; spare length of chain; a variety of bolts (disk rotor, etc.); valve cores; emergency spoke; brake pads

[white pass]

I was asking a mechanic friend about spare spokes and he suggested a thing called FiberFix emergency spoke repair kit. It's basically a rope with loop that threads onto the spoke nipple.

Anybody used these before? Are they durable enough to finish a trip, or just enough to get home?

[dh024]

I carry two fibrefix spokes, but have never used them (fingers crossed). I gave up carrying spare spokes, tools to remove the cassette or brake rotors, etc., when I found these.

I also carry tools for flat repair (e.g., tube patch kit or tire plugs for tubeless tires) and sidewall tears, allan keys and spare bolts, small bottle of lube and a rag and vinyl gloves, a chain-break tool and a spare length of chain plus two master-links. I also carry some duct tape and heavy-duty zip ties. That's about it, I think. If I can't solve my problem with those tools/materials, the problem is unlikely enough to warrant the extra weight, and I will be prepared to walk my bike out to a place where I can hitch a ride.

[Bob]

Ah! The Fiberfix is the emergency spoke, just couldn't remember the name of it.