TRI Tip: What to carry in your bike saddle bag?

If you follow my Facebook page: Just A Mom Who TRI's you may know that every once in awhile I like to include my collection of "TRI Tips." These are just things I have learned over the years that have helped me. I'm certainly no expert (far from it) so take each bit of information as you'd like! And what has worked for me, may not work for you. This tip about saddle bags required a little more information than just a snippet on my Facebook page. 

TRI Tip: I highly recommend carrying  a saddle bag or under the seat bag on every ride. 

A saddle bag is typically that little pouch that hangs underneath the seat of your bike. It contains some very important items, especially those that pertain to changing a flat tire. I can't stress how important it is to know how to change a tire on your bike. You never know when a flat will happen and you may not be in a place where you can get help. My advice is to practice many times until you can do it all by yourself. Then practice it again.

So what do you carry in a saddle bag?

Here's a few things I carry in my saddle bag:

1. Rubber gloves. I am a little obsessive about having clean hands. I can't stand bike grease and gloves is a must for me. I put these on before I do anything to my bike.

2. TWO CO2 cartridges and nozzle head/base This is what you will use to inflate your tires. I always carry 2 cartridges in case I screw up and inflate incorrectly or by chance the cartridge is empty. These are small and lightweight so it's not a big deal to carry an extra one.

3. Tire levers These are small plastic tools that are used to assist with pulling the tire off the rim.

4. Handlebar end cap Did you know that the USAT requires your handlebar ends (and aerobar ends) to be capped? And if they are not you could immediately be disqualified from a race. I have raced a few triathlons where officials would check your bike as you began setting up your transition area. What a bummer it would be if by chance one of yours had just recently popped out by accident! I always carry an extra one, since it doesn't take up much room in my bag.

5. TWO spare tubes As my rides started getting longer I began carrying an extra tube. I would hope that I wouldn't have to use two but again you never know.  You could also end up being a hero if someone asks you for one during a ride!

6. Hand wipes/alcohol pad Did I mention I was a little obsessive about bike grease? I also have white bar tape! Can you blame me?

7. Money (with at least a single dollar bill) I always have cash in my bag. This way if I run out of water or just crave a cold drink, I can stop and purchase one. I also make sure I have a one dollar bill because this could be used to repair a tire. If you get a gash in the tire you want something that will cover the hole from the inside to avoid exposing the inner tube. Fold the bill in half (or more), place on the inside of the tire to cover the hole and replace the tube as you normally would. This is only a temporary fix and hopefully sturdy enough to get you home.

8. A band-aid No explanation needed on this one.

9. A mini bike tool kit This little tool allows you to make adjustments to your bike. Imagine if you took a hard spill and were fine but noticed your seat was knocked out of place. This way you could loosen it with the tool and adjust it back to the correct setting.

Am I missing anything important in my saddle bag? What do you carry in your bag?