With a small selection of tools, you’ll be able to tackle most of the common issues you’re likely to experience while out on your bike.

In this super short guide, we’ll take you through what you should always carry with you and how to use them. All the items are designed to be small and lightweight and can be packed into a rucksack or saddlebag that tucks neatly under your saddle until you need it.

We will cover:

1. Essential Tools
2. Tyres and Inner Tubes
3. Saddlebag

Essential Tools 

1. Bike pump: some pumps have a tyre pressure gauge. Dual valve/smart valve pumps are best
2. Spare inner tube: correct size and valve
3. Tyre levers for removing tyres
4. Multi-tool: minimum of Phillips & flathead screwdriver 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, hex wrenches. Some multi-tools may have tyre levers, spanners & a chain tool too
5. Dumbbell spanner for nuts
6. Chain tool for removing chain links
7. Self adhesive repair patches
8. Quick Link: choose correct speed/size for your chain i.e. 10 speed for a 10-speed chain

Buy these Bike Tools here

Tyres and Inner Tubes

How to find the correct valve, tyre/tube size:

• Check your tyre wall for the tyre size and then purchase a tube to match.
• Check your wheel for valve type - this will be "Schrader" or "Presta"

That’s if your bike has inner tubes at all. There was a time when every bike had an inner tube in each tyre. That’s changed now, with the advent of tubeless tires, first in mountain bikes and now increasingly in road bikes too.

In a tubeless setup, there’s no inner tube; the tyre itself has an airtight seal to the rim and holds the air, without a tube.

But even if you’re happily riding your tubeless tyres, it’s a good idea to carry an inner tube with you, just in case you get a massive unexpected flat, which the the sealant in your tyre or a tubeless repair kit won’t handle and you need to fit a tube to get going again. Trust us, it happens.

The best way to check what size inner tube you need is to look on the sidewall of your tyre. Tyre manufacturers print the size on the sidewalls, so look out for numbers such as '700x23c' for a road bike, or '26x1. 75' which is for mountain bikes.

Now inner tube valve types...

• Schraeder valves – most people refer to these as ‘the same as on my car’. They are the chunkier looking valve, and are usually found on entry-level mountain bikes.
• Presta valves – a much thinner valve, with a core that needs to be unscrewed before you can inlate the tube. This type of valve is usually found on all good quality wheels. The valve lengths do vary in length, so if you are running deep section wheels, a longer one will be required

Saddlebag, or Seat Pack

Saddlebags are really useful for carrying your tools, inner tubes and quick links with you whenever you’re on the bike. They come in a range of sizes, styles and fittings and can be bought in most bike shops. They are designed to fit under your saddle and mean you’ll always have your essential tools with you when you set out.