According to the latest wind tunnel tests from Cobb, the most aero solution is to carry spare tubes and tools rectally. Lube choices are very personal but very important if you decide to go that route.

I, being sub-optimally aero in many respects, go with a small saddle-bag.

For short races, yes, I forego spares and tools. For 1/2 IM or IM, I use a small saddle bag and carry a spare tubular. You are racing on tublulars right? ;-) Check out www.bikesportmichigan.com for an article about the 6 essentials. That is the saddle bag I use, and about what I bring, sans tube and patch kit.

As one newbie to another: go with the small bag under the saddle, unless you're hoping to win your AG and want to save the extra, what?, one to five seconds in a 56 mile ride. I would be shocked if the aerodynamics of a bag under the sadde were worth more than 5 seconds. In my case, averaging about 20 mph (on the flat with no wind), I'd be surprized if anyone could even notice the difference.

Shoot, I'd carry extra tude, CO2 cartidge, and full repair kit if it cost me 5 minutes! The peace of mind knowing that I won't get stranded is easily worth 5 minutes. For my first half IM tomorrow, I just want to finish; I have no chance whatsoever in placing in my AG. And when I go home and tell my wife I finished in 6:15 or 6:30 or 6:45 or whatever, she won't have the foggiest idea what it means and won't care. I won't care either, as long as I finish alive and well, within the time cutoffs.

Besides, my bag under the saddle will also contain: ID, money, ibuprophen, sunscreen, lip balm, and vaseline (all in very small quantities). I'm going prepared.

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Do not take counsel of your fears.--Andrew Jackson

I'd add two things to the "essentials." I use exactly the same saddle bag (Jandd mini tool wedge) and the same items with the following exceptions that I've added through trial and error:

(1) I've switched one of my plastic tire tools for a steel one because one time my chain snarled up between my cassette and drive side spokes so badly that I needed a steel tire tool to use as a crow bar to get my chain out. I would switch them both to steel, but I like to have the plastic one there for when I'm using my tubulars in case I can't get the tire removal started (I know this is not recommended, esp. with carbon wheels, but pretty damn its hard to get those things started sometimes).

(2) A 5-piece crank bros. multi-tool (had my seatpost start slipping into my seat tube during a race).

(3) A 4 inch length of coat hanger use to stick down into my really long valve extenders to let the air out of my zipp 404s. learned this the hard way when I had a slow leak and no apparent way to trigger the valve & release the pressure so I could take off the tire & replace it. Fortunately, I was wearing my Oakley wire frames (very unusual), pulled off the ear piece rubber and jamed the ear piece into the valve extender... worked like a charm. Now I carry the piece of coat hanger.

Its amazing what you can fit in that little bag when you set your mind to it.

I use the X-Lab Flatwing kit, http://shop.store.yahoo.com/...est/xlabflatkit.html, which attatches to the rails of my seat. It holds two water bottles, 2 CO2s, and a CO2 adapter. I then use the X-straps to strap on a tube, tire levers, and a patch kit. I cram ID and $20 into the patch kit. It's all out of the way, and I don't carry a bag.

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Mr Ed
Triathlete with one horsepower

Funniest freakin' thing I've read in ages! Love it. :)

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
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I have a water bottle with CO2's, levers, and tools. (No Water). I velcro a couple of tubes to my Minoura bottle holder and then carry one tool bottle and one (insert favorite beverage) bottle. Olympic distance races will usually have one bottle exchange, Halfs and Full IM will have one every ten miles or so. That will give me 20 - 24 ounces every 10 - 12 miles. More than enough for me. By the way I ride a softride, so my only bag option is the long sausage which I don't particularly care for.

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The Cuban Comet
(Comets are unbelievably slow over Cuba)

aero this and that. wieght schmate. my friend you need to go into the races with flare. with a euro style a road snob would hug you for. here is what you do...

take a water bottle, slice off the top just below where it starts to get big. stuff your junk in there. put the package in the water bottle holder on your seat tube. unless you really think you have a chance for an overall win look good instead. i also recomend beefy thirty two spoke training wheels. makes everyone think your just training for the bigger stuff later in the season.

always be sexy.

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customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

I take my tube and kinda wrap it around the rails of my seat... so it is not hanging out...

Other than that I carry a co2 inflator in my jersey with a tire lever, patch kit... you don;t really need anymore than that

A related newbie Q: I've read several recommendations to carry two spare tubes instead of just one. But having a relatively small saddle bag, I can't fit two tubes and still get the strap around the saddle rails. So I've been riding with one tube, a patch kit, and a multi-tool in the bag, plus a minipump mounted to one of the waterbottle cages.

Any feedback/recommendations for one tube vs two? My typical long ride is a 50+ mile out and back. It boils down to whether I go out and buy a slightly bigger saddle bag, switch over the the waterbottle-mounted repair kit suggested above, or be happy with what I have.

Thanks,
Lee

I don't see any problem with your actual setup. I use a similar one and have never been caught in a situation where I missed having a second tube. But I do carry a cell phone, just in case...