Breaking down far from... anything?

[kmccune]

All generally good advice here.

I'd just add that an ounce of prevention can save a lot of field repairs. So get in the habit of preflighting your bike before each ride. Be fussy about maintenance and fix everything that is broken -- stuff isn't going to fix itself on a ride.

Be proactive about replacing tires. Depending on the surfaces you are riding on you might want to replace tires every 1500 miles if you ride on a lot of janky stuff.

Get a good book on bike repair, watch youtube videos on bike repair, and consider taking a class on how to fix your bike. The lightest piece of equipment you can carry is information.

If you do need to do field repairs, you'll do a better job if you aren't cold and hangry, so take a hat, windbreaker, and a couple of granola bars.

There are lots of every ride carry lists out there that are quite good, and there have been several good threads on this site about what stuff you ought to carry.

Also, if you are riding alone in an isolated place, it is a good idea to take things easy and not be as aggressive or brave as you otherwise might be. A minor accident that would probably be a humorous recollection in a built-up area might be more like a Jack London story in the outback.

"To build a fire".

 

[m@Robertson]

Chain snaps very rarely. If that's a hub drive motor, you can just pedal without the chain on the PAS system or apply the throttle. With mid motor, using a master link is a breeze repair.

I never carry a chain with my hub bikes because of course the chain is irrelevant to the motor. But the original poster asked for advice and said

I bought a Biktrix classic duo. It's a mid drive,

and so I'm responding to his situation.

As for the master link repair. Sure. Maybe. Broken, mission-critical things might or might not be easy to fix. I have had enough roadside disasters over a lifetime of daily riding to opt out of taking the chance. You are and thats fine.

This is just one thread and it covers both experiences ("I have never have snapped a chain" vs. "I snapped two"):

Chain Snapping on Ebikes

www.mtbr.com

If you think the rare occurrence of a tube puncture is enough to make you carry patches and pump and tube, slime etc. etc. This is part of the same cheap insurance. Especially if you are riding in the middle of nowhere.

This new eMTB rider was riding up a hill and shifted under power - a rookie mistake but he snapped his chain. This was just over a month ago.

A spare chain is such a minor item on a 60-80 lb ebike I'm surprised anyone cares. You'll never notice the weight.

My pannier gets rain in it. A chain in there would just be rusty.

Ziploc.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

A spare chain is such a minor item on a 60-80 lb ebike I'm surprised anyone cares. You'll never notice the weight.

I'd prefer to carry a spare battery instead.
Why replace the whole chain if a single link has snapped?!

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I'd prefer to carry a spare battery instead.
Why replace the whole chain if a single link has snapped?!

The more likely scenario is that things go sideways and your chain is twisted, possibly along with your derailleur hanger. In the latter case a spare chain won't help you and the only thing that will get you home is taking out a bunch of chain links and field-improvising a single speed bike. If the chain is twisted the best bet is to take out a couple of links and possibly lose the lowest gear.

In my opinion if you have purchased a suitable chain, maintain it properly, and replace it when it begins to stretch out you are exceedingly unlikely to ever break a chain. The beefier e-bike specific chains are a good idea, and aren't grossly expensive.

 

[m@Robertson]

I'd prefer to carry a spare battery instead.
Why replace the whole chain if a single link has snapped?!

In a perfect world, you don't.

I suppose this goes to how you regard preparedness. I carry a spare tube as well as patches (and a tire patch). I would rather eat ground glass than just replace a tube with a silly little hole in it. I can patch in 10 minutes without removing the wheel. But on very rare occasion I have torn up a tube so bad I had to pull the whole wheel off and replace it. Without that "whole tube" that I lugged around all this time, I would have had to walk.

 

[retiredNH]

In a perfect world, you don't.

I suppose this goes to how you regard preparedness. I carry a spare tube as well as patches (and a tire patch). I would rather eat ground glass than just replace a tube with a silly little hole in it. I can patch in 10 minutes without removing the wheel. But on very rare occasion I have torn up a tube so bad I had to pull the whole wheel off and replace it. Without that "whole tube" that I lugged around all this time, I would have had to walk.

This makes a lot of sense! Carry both if you're far from help.

 

[indianajo]

A spare chain is such a minor item on a 60-80 lb ebike I'm surprised anyone cares. You'll never notice the weight.

Ziploc.

With 3 tubes, set of tools, panniers, dual leg stand, motor/battery, cargo rack, 40 oz water, my bike weighs 94 lb. A 12" crecent wrench would weigh less than the combo wrenches I carry, but when I needed it the adjustment would be rusted up. the 11" chanl-lock plier I do carry is very rusty. I oil it monthly.
When I've carried items in ziplock bags, I've usually found them full of rainwater, sealed in. The drain holes in my panniers plug up since the fabric is flexible. Also the tubes or rain poncho can block the drains. I have to pump the water out of my air pump sometimes. Happy everybody else lives in the desert.

 

[Alaskan]

The more likely scenario is that things go sideways and your chain is twisted, possibly along with your derailleur hanger. In the latter case a spare chain won't help you and the only thing that will get you home is taking out a bunch of chain links and field-improvising a single speed bike. If the chain is twisted the best bet is to take out a couple of links and possibly lose the lowest gear.

In my opinion if you have purchased a suitable chain, maintain it properly, and replace it when it begins to stretch out you are exceedingly unlikely to ever break a chain. The beefier e-bike specific chains are a good idea, and aren't grossly expensive.

Good to be aware that within a given brand of chain, as you spend more money you do not get a more durable chain. What you get is a lighter chain, that in most cases is less durable than the lesser chain from that brand. When I finally figured that one out, my chains started lasting longer and I spent less money on them.

 

[m@Robertson]

With 3 tubes, set of tools, panniers, dual leg stand, motor/battery, cargo rack, 40 oz water, my bike weighs 94 lb. A 12" crecent wrench would weigh less than the combo wrenches I carry, but when I needed it the adjustment would be rusted up. the 11" chanl-lock plier I do carry is very rusty. I oil it monthly.
When I've carried items in ziplock bags, I've usually found them full of rainwater, sealed in. The drain holes in my panniers plug up since the fabric is flexible. Also the tubes or rain poncho can block the drains. I have to pump the water out of my air pump sometimes. Happy everybody else lives in the desert.

good grief all that and you guys are laying into me over a little chain? :-D

This is my 'big' tool kit. I think since I took this pic I have removed the smaller crescent wrench. No need for it. And the screwdriver is for adjusting the variable current on the mounted onboard charger. Strictly speaking not a repair tool. The complete set of hex keys is more than I need and the motorcycle tire iron is definitely overkill. But this is enough to work on everything on the bike other than say pulling the cranks or removing the bottom bracket.

and hey... I carry along a chair, too! Don't just live. Live well.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It is everything I carry. I should add tyre levers to this set.
Note: I often ride with a backpack only.

 

[fooferdoggie]

With 3 tubes, set of tools, panniers, dual leg stand, motor/battery, cargo rack, 40 oz water, my bike weighs 94 lb. A 12" crecent wrench would weigh less than the combo wrenches I carry, but when I needed it the adjustment would be rusted up. the 11" chanl-lock plier I do carry is very rusty. I oil it monthly.
When I've carried items in ziplock bags, I've usually found them full of rainwater, sealed in. The drain holes in my panniers plug up since the fabric is flexible. Also the tubes or rain poncho can block the drains. I have to pump the water out of my air pump sometimes. Happy everybody else lives in the desert.

sounds like you need a pannier upgrade.

 

[Lar]

Been riding over 30 years off road with this type setup..

 

[antboy]

"To build a fire".

If you think you're going to be in a Jack London situation, you better toss a knife in your kit, too.

 

[theemartymac]

and hey... I carry along a chair, too! Don't just live. Live well.

No Judgement, I have a Wallaby Camp Chair that fits perfectly on my rack. Love it, and about as small as you can get for a standard height seat and 300lbs weight capacity (proven more by goofballs ).

https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5040-586/Wallaby-Chair

 

[m@Robertson]

If you think you're going to be in a Jack London situation, you better toss a knife in your kit, too.

Or just riding city streets in deepest, darkest California . I carry small hobby needlenose pliers in something quickly accessible to pull out jagged bits from the tire with something besides my fleshy fingers. Pull the shard or whatever, spin the tire and let the sealant do its job. the pocket knife comes into play if you *carefully* need to stick it into a tire crevice and remove a small shard of glass.

The big bag is for my Big Bike (Surly Big Fat Dummy). Everything else gets a kit that fits in a little pouch under the saddle. This is what I carry with a hub bike with tubes.

A Basic (e?)Bike Tool Kit

Rather than looking at the ideal kit, whats the basic everyman version?

talesontwowheels.com

Except the co2 is gone these days. In its place is an ebike-battery-powered compressor. You'll have to pry that little innovation from my cold, dead fingers.

 

[kmccune]

If you think you're going to be in a Jack London situation, you better toss a knife in your kit, too.

Number one consideration , avoid hypothermia, build a fire- cold corpse needs no sustenance( however of all the things I used to carry ,a good pocketknife was No.1.)
Multi tool on belt? Fuggetaboutit, thats the first thing that snagged on a tree limb or tight place, the "pliers" are very good at creating blood blisters, just do not have much need for screwdrivers on a snowpack. Of course wood may be hard to obtain as well.

 

[kmccune]

Or just riding city streets in deepest, darkest California . I carry small hobby needlenose pliers in something quickly accessible to pull out jagged bits from the tire with something besides my fleshy fingers. Pull the shard or whatever, spin the tire and let the sealant do its job. the pocket knife comes into play if you *carefully* need to stick it into a tire crevice and remove a small shard of glass.

The big bag is for my Big Bike (Surly Big Fat Dummy). Everything else gets a kit that fits in a little pouch under the saddle. This is what I carry with a hub bike with tubes.

A Basic (e?)Bike Tool Kit

Rather than looking at the ideal kit, whats the basic everyman version?

talesontwowheels.com

Except the co2 is gone these days. In its place is an ebike-battery-powered compressor. You'll have to pry that little innovation from my cold, dead fingers.

I have a nice Ryobi unit, weighs very little.

 

[Dallant]

Except the co2 is gone these days. In its place is an ebike-battery-powered compressor. You'll have to pry that little innovation from my cold, dead fingers.

What brand/model?

 

[Luto]

Wow, I can't believe how much stuff! I carry a small bike multi tool, a pump and disposable gloves, cash. I run tubeless and sealant, these days. I do all my own maintenance too.

I never had really needed more. I don't even carry the cell phone either.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Ok, ok... this is what I take on every ride. I literally won't go to get ice cream without all this:

Clockwise from left: Lezyne Micro Floor Drive Pump with duct tape wrapped around the body, Tubolito inner tube, Pedro's micro tire levers (with quick links and a valve core tool stored inside), tiny sharpie, wrench/pliers, patch kit for Tubolitos and regular tubes, Blackburn Wayside multi-tool. All of the above except the pump fit (tightly) into a tiny frame bag.

For extended trips I take a little bit more stuff (in addition to the above):

Clockwise from bottom left: Wolf Tooth quick link pliers and extra links, Leatherman Micro multi-tool, electrical tape, Loctite, rubber bands, zip ties, another tire lever (I think that one is a Bontrager), tire pressure gauge (Topeak), little jar with extra bolts and some fun things like Presta to Shrader valve adapters, fiberfix spoke.

There are other things I bring on expedition: chain lube, shop towels, a small brush, more duct tape, spare brake pads, another spare tube, tire boot, &c.