Friday, 9/15/06 at 9:17 PM
by Tiffany Brown
by Tiffany Brown
Two Minute Tip... The Smart Woman's Saddle Bag
Assuming that you’ve checked your tire pressure (110 psi for road, 35 psi for mountain) and made sure your bike’s bolts and bits are nice and tight before you head out, take one more minute to make sure you’ve got the Cycling Ten Essentials. With these simple items, you’ll be covered in case of flats, road rash, or worse yet…nasty chafing! OUCH!
We’ve put together a check list of items for the smart woman’s saddle bag (and we don’t mean the ones on our hips!)…
“The Ten Essentials” Kit:
1. Tire Levers (At least one, but preferably two)
2. Patch Kit
3. Tube (Ask your local shop for the correct replacement for your type of tires)
4. Valve Adapter (This helps to insure compatibility with the two main types of valves found on inner tubes—Presta and Schraeder)
5. Allen (hex) Wrench Folding Tool
6. CO2 Cartridge and Adapter
7. Change for Phone Call
8. Identification (We like the new ID wristbands such as http://www.roadid.com)
9. Chain Tool
10. Mini pump (Those CO2 cartridges are tricky, can be used only once and if you’re doubly cursed you might get a second flat so sometimes you’ll need backup…)
The “Kitchen Sink” Kit (to be carried in addition to items in The Ten Essentials):
1. Cell Phone
2. Individually Packaged Chamois cream (We love this—it really saves the day! It’s one of those things you might not ever need, but oh, when you do…)
3. Lip Balm (with sunscreen)
4. Individually Packaged Sunscreen
5. Credit Card
6. Crisp One Dollar Bill (Handy for wedging between a slashed tire and a new tube)
7. Crisp 20 Dollar Bill (Well, it doesn’t really need to be crisp : ) … This is for the taxi ride home in case there’s trouble—some of us really cannot deal with a flat!)
8. iPod (Make sure you can still clearly hear traffic noises around you)
9. Snacks (PowerBar, GU, etc.)
10. Travel First Aid Kit
Feel free to pick-and-choose from both lists to build your personal inventory of “must-have” items. Once you’ve determined how much stuff you’ll need to carry, then you can pick the correct-size saddle bag.
These bags come in a wide variety of sizes and attach to your bike in many different ways. Whichever you choose, just remember to be realistic about how much stuff you’d like to carry and how much room you’ll need to carry it. If your “must-have” list exceeds the carrying capacity of your favorite saddle bag, remember there are other alternative locations on your bicycle to carry items. For example, a water bottle cage can hold more than just refreshment—it can hold specially designed “bottles” that can hold the remainder of your items. Still out of room? Try handlebar or frame-mounted accessory bags to expand the carrying capacity of your steed. Don’t forget your jersey pockets for any additional items that you can’t find room for. Just remember that every gram of weight you add to your bike makes it that much harder to make it up the “Widowmaker” climb on your way back home.
Did we forget something? Any more MacGyver-like tricks you have? Comment and let us know!
Happy riding!
Giant for Women
We’ve put together a check list of items for the smart woman’s saddle bag (and we don’t mean the ones on our hips!)…
“The Ten Essentials” Kit:
1. Tire Levers (At least one, but preferably two)
2. Patch Kit
3. Tube (Ask your local shop for the correct replacement for your type of tires)
4. Valve Adapter (This helps to insure compatibility with the two main types of valves found on inner tubes—Presta and Schraeder)
5. Allen (hex) Wrench Folding Tool
6. CO2 Cartridge and Adapter
7. Change for Phone Call
8. Identification (We like the new ID wristbands such as http://www.roadid.com)
9. Chain Tool
10. Mini pump (Those CO2 cartridges are tricky, can be used only once and if you’re doubly cursed you might get a second flat so sometimes you’ll need backup…)
The “Kitchen Sink” Kit (to be carried in addition to items in The Ten Essentials):
1. Cell Phone
2. Individually Packaged Chamois cream (We love this—it really saves the day! It’s one of those things you might not ever need, but oh, when you do…)
3. Lip Balm (with sunscreen)
4. Individually Packaged Sunscreen
5. Credit Card
6. Crisp One Dollar Bill (Handy for wedging between a slashed tire and a new tube)
7. Crisp 20 Dollar Bill (Well, it doesn’t really need to be crisp : ) … This is for the taxi ride home in case there’s trouble—some of us really cannot deal with a flat!)
8. iPod (Make sure you can still clearly hear traffic noises around you)
9. Snacks (PowerBar, GU, etc.)
10. Travel First Aid Kit
Feel free to pick-and-choose from both lists to build your personal inventory of “must-have” items. Once you’ve determined how much stuff you’ll need to carry, then you can pick the correct-size saddle bag.
These bags come in a wide variety of sizes and attach to your bike in many different ways. Whichever you choose, just remember to be realistic about how much stuff you’d like to carry and how much room you’ll need to carry it. If your “must-have” list exceeds the carrying capacity of your favorite saddle bag, remember there are other alternative locations on your bicycle to carry items. For example, a water bottle cage can hold more than just refreshment—it can hold specially designed “bottles” that can hold the remainder of your items. Still out of room? Try handlebar or frame-mounted accessory bags to expand the carrying capacity of your steed. Don’t forget your jersey pockets for any additional items that you can’t find room for. Just remember that every gram of weight you add to your bike makes it that much harder to make it up the “Widowmaker” climb on your way back home.
Did we forget something? Any more MacGyver-like tricks you have? Comment and let us know!
Happy riding!
Giant for Women
Comments
FOR THE SADDLE BAG: HOW ABOUT A BAG LIST FOR GYM TO SWIM TO SHOWER TO WORK (INTERCHANGEABLE) LIST?
Can't figure out what the OCR could be.
Great list!
If you really want to go all the way, hang a bear bell off your saddle or seatpost when on busy trails shared by hikers, and those on foot will not only thank you, but usually be off the trail by the time you reach them. You also get a lot of bad jokes about bear poop with bells.
PS: I can relate to the double-cursed on flats!!
Marty
You are right on... And OCR originally stood for Oversize Compact Road but now the frame technology has moved on and evolved a bit (and the nomenclature hasn't) but we have kept the OCR designation.
Cheers,
Giant for Women
A saddlebag will fit underneath your seat without the need for a rack. Of course, you can also find a rear rack and store items in a bag attached to that. Your local bike dealer should be able to point you in the right direction. Take your bike in with you and they can set everything up.
Giant for Women
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