Spares
Now there’s nothing worse than planning your training and dedicating precious time only to get half way around your loop before being plagued by a mechanical. Whilst you can’t fix everything on the fly provided your equipment is regularly maintained you should be able to overcome most adversities, thus preventing an emergency phone call to a significant other or, at worst, a very long walk home. With road conditions generally worse in the winter, awash with gravel and surface water, don’t leave the house without the essentials.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/fm-coresites-assets/rcuk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Base_Taining_Spares-620x465.jpg)
Keep pockets free for food, mobile phone, money and any extra clothing. Use a saddle bag to stow essential spares including a couple of inner tubes, tyre levers and multi-tool (with chain splitter). Wrap inner tubes in a plastic bag to prevent anything else from chaffing on the tubes during riding and throw a couple of glueless patches in just in case. A spare inner gear cable takes up little space and can be a real life saver as is a good pump – fitted to the bike so you don’t forget it – you’ll only realise your mistake when it’s too late! Don’t forget that an energy bar wrapper can be used to great effect to line the inside of a tyre should you gash a sidewall and, although not a spare, remember to carry some for of identification with an emergency contact number.
Good luck with your winter miles! If you have any questions, get in touch @cottydale, and I’ll do my best to help. You can find me on Google+, too.
Mike Cotty