Happy riding starts with careful preparation. It's hard to enjoy a long day on open roads when, in the back of your mind, you worry that the slightest mishap could leave you stranded. In general, cyclists travel light, but that doesn't mean leaving essential tools, clothes and food at home. A few essential items can prevent a minor mechanical or unexpected bad weather from derailing your ride.

Saddle Bags

Finding a reliable way to carry your extra gear is key to ride preparation. A saddle bag should be just big enough to hold the essentials, and maybe have a bit of extra room to slip in a map or extra PROBAR Energy Bar. Saddle bags vary in size and often can be attached to your seat with straps or a quick release bracket.

For the fast recreational rider/racer, a Topeak Small Aero Wedge Pack - Strap will be big enough to hold the essentials and easy to switch between bikes. Big enough for an extra tube, CO2 cartridge and inflator, a tire lever or two and a multi-tool the small wedge pack will ensure you are rolling with the essentials, but not weigh you down for your group ride. Fizik saddle owners can use a Fizik Small Saddle Pack, which attaches conveniently to the clip hidden on the back of Fizik saddles.

Recreational/Touring riders may find the Topeak Large Expanding Wedge Pack more suited to their needs. Large enough for the repair kit, a map, a snack and maybe even a wind vest, Topeak's large wedge pack attaches to your saddle using a convenient quick release clamp. Be sure to note that each bike using the pack needs its own Topeak Fixer Saddle Rail Mount.

There are plenty of large bags, suitable for touring, that don't require a full rack. Detours High Tail Exp Seatpost Bag should give you all the storage space you need for those really epic rides.

Flat Kits

Flat tires are the most common mishap on the road, any experienced cyclist has had to do their fair share of on-the-fly tire repair. For this you will need an extra tube, an inflator and a tire lever or two. A lightweight tube like the Michelin A1/B1 Aircomp Tube will fold up nice and small to fit in most any bag or pocket.

There are a wide range of pumps and CO2 devices that will give you air on the road. Topeak Micro Rocket AL is one of the most compact pumps we've seen. A traditional frame pump, Topeak Road MasterBlaster Frame Pump, is the best way to ensure a ridable tire pressure in your repaired tire.

A CO2 inflator is a fast way to inflate a tire to rideable pressure. Genuine Innovations Microflate Nano CO2 Inflator is our smallest inflator and attaches to a WesternBikeWorks 16g Threaded C02 Cartridge. Trigger activated CO2 like the Genuine Innovations Ultraflate Plus CO2 Inflator offer a bit more control over the airflow and use WesternBikeWorks 16g Threadless CO2 Cartridge. A 16 gram cartridge easily fills a road or MTB tire to a rideable pressure. If you only carry a CO2 inflator, we would advise you to carry at least two cartridges. Even inflators that appear to reseal the cartridge lose pressure in a matter of minutes after the cartridge's seal is broken.

No roadside repair kit is complete without a patch kit, the Park Tool VP-1 Vulcanizing Patch Kit allows for simple on-the-go tube repair. A Park Tool TB-2 Emergency Tire Boot is always useful in the event of major tire damage A couple Genuine Innovations Tire Levers will help ease those stubborn tires off the rim.

Multi-Tools

In the event of a true mechanical emergency, a good multi-tool is often the difference between riding home or hitch-hiking. A good multi-tool will have a selection of Allen wrenches, screwdrivers and hopefully, like the Park Tool IB-3 I-Beam Mini Fold Up With Chain Tool or Crank Bros Multi-17 Tool, a chain tool. A chain malfunction is a quick way to find out your cycling shoes aren't made for walking. While a chain tool may not get everyday use, having it for that one emergency will be worth all those days of carrying it around. A great, inexpensive and tiny addition to your kit is the Wippermann Connex SS 10-speed Link or its 9-speed version. In case of a broken chain link this puppy can save the day.

Wind Vests

Whether they fit in a pocket or pack, wind vests are indispensable, especially in springtime when a cold breeze can quickly take the fun out of a ride. The Castelli Air Windstop Vest can easily be stored in a jersey pocket and provides plenty of protection from a cool breeze. Showers Pass Protech Rain Jacket utilizes space-age fabric to provide breathability, weather resistance and amazingly light weight. The Bellwether Screaming Meenie Jacket is a standard clear polyurethane rain cape. It doesn't have the best breathability, isn't the most compact, but you will be happy to have one when you need it. I keep one in the trunk of my car just in case the sunny race-day weather forecast takes a turn for the worst.

Food

Nothing is longer than the ride home after "bonking", depleting your glycogen stores. Most experienced cyclists can recall a few times, at the end of long rides, when they simply could not generate the strength needed to push the pedals. While an extra gel won't completely ward off the "bonk", it will ease the pain as you limp home. Hammer Nutrition Gel Single Serving Packet and Clif Shot Energy Gels are individually packaged gels that easily fit in your saddle-bag. It's always good to carry a little more food than you think you'll need.

A PROBAR Energy Bar or Hammer Nutrition Recoverite 6 Single Servings waiting at the car will help kick-start your recovery.

Flat kit, multi-tool, jacket, food. Four essential items to take with you whether your ride is planned for 10 or 100 miles. After a bit of practice, carrying these items will be second nature and take up very little room. Ideally, a flat kit will fit in your saddle bag, food in one jersey pocket, jacket in another, leaving the third to store your cell phone, ID and a little $$$ for a coffee stop. Being prepared on the road doesn't have to weigh you down.