Tools of the Trade

You need to carry enough tools and bits so you can hobble home on your wounded bike but not be laden down like a US Marine.

Equip yourself with:

• Pump, spare tube, puncture repair kit and a couple of tyre levers (check the valve on your spare tube matches the hole in your rim and that your vulcanising glue hasn't dried up). 
• 1.5, 4, 5 and 6mm Allen keys. 
• Chain breaker and 'quick-link' for joining your chain. 
• Spoke spanner. 
• A wide range of Swiss Army knife style multi-tools are available which combine most of the necessary tools. Check out the LezyneRap 14 orSV 10. 
• Duct tape or electrical tape. 
• Short length of inner tube. 
• Chain lube to keep the business end of the bike behaving itself. 
• Cell phone/credit card/hard currency - one or all are useful if you get in big trouble, need to quench a thirst or call for pizzas. 
• Tool wallet to shove it all in.

First Aid Kit

Surprisingly, your body is even more important than your bike. Take with you some grunty pain killers, plaster and dressings for the nasty falls, a crepe bandage and a survival blanket. And do a first aid course so you can make like a seasoned paramedic if something major goes down.