Getting ready for my first 70.3 this weekend. Had 2 flats on the way to my OWS this evening, had one CO2 and a mini pump. Used the CO2 on flat number one, was pumping up with flat number two when the valve on the new tube sheered right off. So instead of a nice long swim I had a nice long walk home and now need new cleats.
This all being said I’ll be damned if a flat is going to ruin my day this Sunday. What do you carry with you, and where? I have a behind the seat bottle holder, so no room for a little flat kit there. I can keep one CO2, and 2 tire irons taped between the rails of my saddle (although I do feel weird riding around with a mini bomb right under my junk… you can see the cartridge through the cut out of the saddle ) and for training I’ve just been taping a tube to the bottom of my behind the seat bottle holder. Probably not the most aero, or prettiest thing ever… but I’m on a road bike, so I don’t think it’s slowing me down too much.
What do you carry for races, and where do you stash it? (I don’t need to hear from the people who carry nothing - that’s not an option for me).
I keep mine in an aero bento box made by dark speed works. I can fit a tube, 2 co2, 2 tire lever, a multi tool, co2 inflater, and I also have a KMC missing link in there too. For a full IM I shove a second tube under my saddle.
Nope, Vancouver. Finally looks like we will have a weekend without rain too (I hope I didn’t just jinx it).
I’ve got a little soft bag meant for holding a cell phone (I think). I can get my irons and CO2 inflator with one cartridge in there, and it cinches up pretty small and snug. I figure I’ll just toss that in the pocket of my singlet and keep the 2nd CO2 and tube under the saddle.
Thanks for the heads up on the bento box, they look pretty cool.
I too have a behind the seat water bottle holder plus an aero bottle that fits between my aero bars so I have 4 bottles plus the aero bar bottle. I keep my flat kit and all my tools in one of my water bottles.
I use the XLab Carbon Wing for rear-bottles, inflation and tubes. It’s not cheap (and I’m not sure if it’s a Slowtwich no-no), but it has worked for me: http://www.xlab-usa.com/carbon-wing.html
This is kind of the set up I had envisioned, but I have a V-flow plus, which doesn’t seem to have much room, especially with the rear water bottle (cage zip tied to seat post, so it’s quite tight to the back of the saddle). I’m thinking of ditching the 3rd bottle for the race (I can always pick up on course) to give myself more room for flat repair stuff.
I use a v-flow max and often zip tie the cage to the posts as well. It is a tight fit but both C02 are under the rails along with the tire lever. The tube is then jammed in from the back side and attached to the bottom of the tube is the air chuck and patch kit. Usually I use a few rubbers bands and some electrical tape. The zip tied cage adds extra support to keep everything in there but obviously you have to zip tie the cage as the last step.
I’ve tried many different methods. In the end I finally just started using a simple saddle bag. I was prepping my bike for IMTX last year worrying about where this and that would go and thought to myself how crazy this was. A saddle bag is so simple and I’m not in Kona contention so why am I fretting about this. Went on to have my fastest IM bike split. Plus, it’s got to be better than those crazy Xlab contraptions.
For training I have a bento box that has a tube, levers, CO2 and an allen wrench. For race day I put a butyl tube (I race w/latex but wouldn’t use that to change on race day) w/extender, tire levers & CO2 into a plastic sandwich bag, tape it shut, then in T1 stick it into one of my rear pockets in my tri suit. I also only race with two water bottles (downtube and aero bars), so that I’m as aero on race day as possible. In training I will go with 4 bottles for a longer ride.
On a different note, always ride with your cellphone so you can call someone for a ride when you flat (or double flat). Throw that, some money, and your ID into a plastic bag as well.
i use a very small specialized saddle bag with 2 co2’s, a small multi-tool (with a tire lever) one tube and some self adhesive patches. I had to get a little creative since I have my seat just about all the way forward in the front hole of my p3. the velcro straps on the bag weren’t long enough…so I used zip ties to make small loops for the velcro ties to go around. And I got a long velcro tie down to go around the whole bag and seat rails to make it more secure. for the seat post i cut off the velcro strap from the bag and just used a zip tie.
I was struggling with the same things as most people. I had an xlab system (hated the look of it). this is the simplest solution i have found. i know it won’t help with your behind the seat hydration system…i also had that and didn’t like it. (i have one bottle in the aero bars…cage secured with zip ties…and one on the down tube).
Getting ready for my first 70.3 this weekend. Had 2 flats on the way to my OWS this evening, had one CO2 and a mini pump. Used the CO2 on flat number one, was pumping up with flat number two when the valve on the new tube sheered right off. So instead of a nice long swim I had a nice long walk home and now need new cleats.
This all being said I’ll be damned if a flat is going to ruin my day this Sunday. What do you carry with you, and where? I have a behind the seat bottle holder, so no room for a little flat kit there. I can keep one CO2, and 2 tire irons taped between the rails of my saddle (although I do feel weird riding around with a mini bomb right under my junk… you can see the cartridge through the cut out of the saddle ) and for training I’ve just been taping a tube to the bottom of my behind the seat bottle holder. Probably not the most aero, or prettiest thing ever… but I’m on a road bike, so I don’t think it’s slowing me down too much.
What do you carry for races, and where do you stash it? (I don’t need to hear from the people who carry nothing - that’s not an option for me).
For IM:
Bottle between arms (sports drink to start with and replaced at aid station), aero bottle on down tube (concentrated calories that I hit roughly once per hour). 1 tube, 2 levers, 2 CO2, 1 Adaptor all in my Dark Speed Works box tucked behind the stem.
Old water bottle for me. I can hold enough to fix three flats if necessary. I carry three tire levers because they take very little room and a tight (eg. new) tire can be a challenge I don’t want to have to deal with during a race.
Well that’s the thing, I’ve been using 3 for training, and carrying my spare kit (minus a tube which is taped to the bottle of my rear bottle cage) in my jersey. My tri top pocket is very small, so this may not work or be comfortable. I’m thinking of using two bottles for the race (I can always pick up at aid stations) to get the extra room for the spare stuff on the bike, or finding a way I can keep the 3 bottles plus spare kit crammed on the bike somehow =).
Spare tube, two levers, CO2 inflator/cartridge, in one of these cinched up really tight under the saddle (it’s narrow enough that the top of it kind of squeezes up between the saddle rails):
) and for training I’ve just been taping a tube to the bottom of my behind the seat bottle holder. Probably not the most aero, or prettiest thing ever… but I’m on a road bike, so I don’t think it’s slowing me down too much.