Just like any other cycling related journey, road biking has a list of must bring items for every ride. Road biking creates a unique situation that does not apply to mountain or commuter biking. With road biking, your storage space is extremely limited, so the size and weight of the items that you bring with you on your ride has a much larger impact than they would with other disciplines of cycling. On a typical road bike, you are confined to the use of a saddle bag and jersey pockets to store all of the necessary items for your road biking journey. As we set out on our road biking ride of the week, what items do we need to make sure we have at all times?

9 Must Bring Items for Every Road Ride

1. 

   Identification – ID is probably the most important item that you will carry with you on your road ride. Recently, a family member of ours got in a bad accident while riding alone. He was not carrying his ID with him, so the paramedics and hospital technicians had a hard time finding out who he even was. Do yourself, your family and your help a huge favor and keep your ID with you at all times. You never know when you might need it. Another option: Look into www.RoadID.com

2. Credit Card or Cash - On road rides, carrying a credit card or cash with you on a ride is a necessity. With numerous gas stations, shops, etc. on your route, these items can get you home in the event of a technical or get much needed hydration/supplement in cramping and over training situations.
3. Tube – This is pretty self explanatory. Do you really want to be stuck 20 miles away from the start point with a flat tire? I don’t…so I carry a tube with me on all rides.
4. Air Pump – A small air pump is always a great backup to CO2 and it is a lifesaver when your CO2 has run out. In many cases, your CO2 cartridge will not completely fill your tube, so a small air pump will top it off.
5. CO2 – CO2 cartridges provide a fast fill in a small, light package.
6. Tire Lever – Generally, I have been able to remove and install tires without the aid of a tire lever, but many times…this comes at the expense of my finger tips! New tires and certain brand tires are much harder to work with on the side of the road, so carrying a tire lever is always good practice to help you with that annoying roadside flat change.
7. Goo or other Electrolyte Supplement – Have you ever been out on the road and felt your muscles start to twitch? It is time for some electrolytes and fast. I try to keep 1 or 2 goos in my jersey pocket during the ride to help my body during periods of over exertion.
8. Keys – Unless I am leaving from the house, I always need to carry my car keys with me so I can get home after the ride. Typically, I remove the car key from the ring and lock the keyless entry/other keys in the car during the ride. This cuts down on the amount of weight and mass I have to carry in my small storage availability.
9. Cell Phone – Unlike a lot of mountain biking rides, you will probably have cell phone service during your entire road ride. Carry a cell phone with you at all times in case of an emergency.

Unlike the 14 must have items for every mountain biking ride, the road biking “must have” list is very compact, lightweight and only contains the absolute necessities. With the size and weight constraints we encounter with road biking, it is more important to carry the bare essentials that will get you through the days ride.

What do you head out with on your regular road rides?