You know what else is a nice thing to carry? A wad of paper towels to get the grease off. Even if someone can repair their own bike, they often don't have a plan for the grease.

I've handed out paper towels to 4-5 people this year and they were all delighted.

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lostlogin 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

That’s a good idea.

Less practical: the group I ride with did a 200km ride, with one member having a nice shiny case attached to his bike where the pump might go.

When they finished he smoked his cigar.

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mkl 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

And alcohol wipes. Just the other day someone stopped to give me alcohol wipes after I put my chain back on. The alcohol cleans off the grease completely, unlike paper towels. I'm carrying a pack in my car now.

	▲	lostlogin 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I’ve started waxing my chain rather than oiling it. It’s a hassle, but doing 2 at a time means the admin is much reduced. There is a huge amount less dirt and grease in my life now. Even when I change it to re-wax it I don’t get dirty. I probably get 2-3 weeks, 500-600km out of each waxing.