Less is Enough

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Minimalist Tool Kit

While many people like to be “prepared for anything”, I have always strived to have the smallest and lightest toolkit that will simply “get me home”. For me this means: 

  • fit flats
  • reconnect broken chains
  • adjust critical bolts and screws.

In tube tire days, I needed a spare tube, tire levers and arguably a bigger pump for 120 psi tires. With a hooked bead tubeless configuration, I carry only a tubeless repair kit. I know, you can carry spare tubes but I find that to be impractical. Converting to tubes on the road takes a lot of time and is messy. Also, I use only hooked bead rim and TLR tires. They don’t come off the rim in a blowout like hookless rims commonly do. This improves the odds of getting by with just a tubeless kit.

After many iterations, here’s what I settled on:

1. Old versus new: As mentioned above, just a tubeless repair tool and “bacon strips”. I carry only the hex wrenches I need (that’s 3, 4 & 5 mm since I have replaced all screws on my bike to equivalent stainless steel hex bolts). Finally, I have a small chain tool for removing broken pins and a quick link (attached to orange tape so I can find it). That’s it for 2023.


2. Everything fits in a small canister, based on a Crankbrothers “Cigar Tool Kit”. It includes a CO2 valve that I don’t use. Instead, all my tools fit in the reclaimed space. Bonus: Like other anodized components on my ti bike, I remove the black finish and polish it to match the frame.


3. My canister toolkit fits under my water bottle cage along with a 30 year old Crank Brothers pump (also polished silver) on the other side. FWIW: This pump can easily handle hooked rim tubeless tire pressures (80 psi for me).


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