Minimum kit requirements:
When it all goes horribly wrong 20km off-road away from the car, everybody will pitch in to get you home, but we strongly encourage everybody to be self-sufficient. While we appreciate that not everybody has the technical skills to fix a major mechanical miles away from home (and usually either in the pouring rain or besieged by midges), we ask that you have/carry the following.
Essentials:
- Bike in good mechanical condition.
- Helmet. No helmet, no ride, not negotiable. When you come off and go head-first into a rock or tree, and crack your helmet rather than your skull, you’ll be glad you had it on.
- Spare tubes (two minimum) and a pump to suit your valves.
- Puncture repair kit, for when you run out of tubes.
- Multi-tool, plus any other tools specific to your bike.
- Powerlinks to fit your chain – turns fixing a snapped chain into a 5 minute job.
- Lights – outwith summer a front light minimum of 300 lumens with 2-3hr burn, and a rear LED for road sections.
- Water and food to your requirements.
- Clothing appropriate to season. In summer shorts and short sleeves ay be all you need. Winter needs warm clothes, with an eye to having to stop to fix mechanicals where you will get very cold very quickly.
- Eye protection.
Nice to have:
- Spare gear hanger for your bike.
- Zip ties and tape to taste.
- Brake pads.
- Bug repellent in what passes for our summer.