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For Lindsay of You Ain't Got Jack: Basic Budget Tool Kit.

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Which Tools do you need?

I recently replied on a blog post by Lindsay of the blog "You Ain't Got Jack". I really like the fact that Lindsay has taken it upon herself to get healthy by riding a bicycle. This is the same reason that I originally took up cycling again. My reply to her post was about the need to carry a spare locking cable for the Yuba Mundo inside the giant Go Getter Bags. This is an idea that hatched like a new born baby chicken with the incubator set in overdrive when I realized on a grocery run that I didn’t grab the key chain with the key for the U-lock that lives on my Yuba. So I rode over to Home Depot and bought a combination cable lock which now makes its place in my go-getter bags. I figure any lock is better than none in my low crime area.

So on to helping a fellow cargo biker:

A basic budget minded tool kit (what I carry on my bike):

• $1 Small Adjustable Wrench (that fits the Yuba's rear axle bolt and front bolt)
• $5 Basic Inter-tube without Slime
• Slime tubes are good but it makes the tube thick and harder to store in a saddle bag.
• Make sure it fits your needs (know your tire size)
• $2 Bicycle Flat Repair Kit (old fashion glue kind, none of those peal and stick jobs here).
• I remove the patches, sand paper, and rubber cement from the container it comes in (that just takes up space)
• Practice! If you've never repaired an inner tube before learn how to!
• I usually just replace tubes and only patch to "get home," wasteful, I know, but I don't like slow leaks and patches are hit and miss. 
• $10-12 Compact Air Pump
• Just be careful you don't damage the inner-tube's nozzle thingy filling it up (it can get cut on the rim if you don't support the pump while airing up the tire)
• For the reason stated above, I sprung for the CO2 Air pump and I carry 1 extra CO2 Cartridge for good measure. The CO2 route cost usually between $25-$60 depending on the model and you will have to shop at a bike shop to get these. 
• $1 of spare cheap-o AAA Batteries as back ups to my lights. 
• Get what fits your needs and I like cheap-o non-alkaline batteries are because  cheap and most importantly they are very light weight.
• $7 Bicycle Multi-Tool
• Something similar to one posted in the link above. 
• $10 Under the Saddle Bag just a cheap department store (Target) one is fine, just make sure everything fits. These are also know as wedge packs.
• $2-3 Plastic Tire Wrenches - These help get that tire off the rim. You need 2 or 3. 
• I like the kind that fit together for storage  (more compact)

Hank Repairs My Yuba Mundo Cargo Bike

So the grand total comes to $38 to $41 for the basic pump set up and $51 to $86 for the option with the CO2 Pump which will not make your arm fall off when installing a new tube, and it gets you back on the road faster. Plus you want to have a $20 bill tucked away in there too as well as a couple of band-aids. 

In researching the options out there I saw some things that I liked that could form the basis of a kit, personally I think that an extra inner-tube is a non-negotiable item. 

• Park Tool WTK-1 Essential Tool Kit $18
• Bell Ultra Tool Multi Function Kit $20 
• With the Bell kit you are still going to need that adjustable wrench for the rear axle on the Yuba.

For home use I'm more advanced setup with a Park Tool Bicycle Repair Stand, Turing Stand, and a Tool Kit from Performace Bicycles. Perhaps I'll a blog on that later... I was able to completely rebuild an old cruiser with those tools. 




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-Matthew

Bill Nye: The City of the Future

I was amazed to see this short clip of Bill Nye the Science Guy... I like his idea only I'd add air conditioning to the bicycle paths he is talking about - Matthew