It always amazes me when I meet fellow riders carrying nothing on a ride but one water bottle, a phone and faith that nothing will go wrong. Personally, I distrust faith.
All those years mean that I’ve had a lot of things go wrong. I’ve had plenty of rides turn into long walks because something broke (or, more honestly, because I broke something) and I didn’t have what I needed to fix the bike then and there.
I’ve been mountain biking for a long time. Seriously. When I started, “suspension” is what you did to belief, and three rings was something circuses and front derailleurs had in common. The phrase “dropper post” didn’t mean anything at all!
My pack is a testament to all those walks. And also, sadly, a reminder of times when I, or those I’m riding with, took a tumble and needed patching up.
Stuff for Bikes
Stuff for Humans and Other Animals
All this adds up to about a kilogram, once you add in the zipper pouches that keep it neat. Cheap at the price, for peace of mind alone.
Am I over-cautious? Maybe, but I hate seeing my blood leak out. Or other people’s blood, for that matter. And I still hate walking when I should be riding.
Rebecca Lewington, Board Member-at-Large
