 | What Should I Carry on a Brevet? Self-sufficiency is a major part of meeting the challenges of randonneuring. For that reason, what you carry on a brevet is critical. It's also a very personal decision - as you'll see from the articles on this page, there's a wide range of answers to the question "What should I carry on a brevet?".
The discussion starts with Douglas Brooks' summary of the equipment rules laid out by the ACP (Audax Club Parisien), the sport's governing body. Then comes the collective wisdom - gathered over many years of riding long brevets - of Oliver Moore, Lori Mathhews, Phil Piltch, Graham Hallward, Peter Leiss, and Marc Pritchard. (Special thanks go to Cary Weitzman, who first suggested the idea for this page.)
The Legal Stuff Douglas Brooks
Bicycles
1/ Any machine may be used (e.g., cycle, tandem, triple, tricycle), as long as it is propelled only by human muscle power.
Lighting
2/ Cycles must have lights fixed to the front and the rear of the machine, which are sufficiently powerful and are in working order at all times. Blinking rear red tail lights are forbidden. It's strongly recommended that two lighting systems be used, generator or dry cell/battery and backup battery lights. Replacement bulbs must be carried (and must be shown at the Controls, both before departure and along the route).
3/ Lights must be switched on from nightfall until sunrise, or whenever visibility is insufficient without them, whether the participant is riding alone or in a group.
4/ Officials will penalize anyone contravening the lighting requirements by ONE HOUR, and this penalty can be applied more than once if the infringement re-occurs.
5/ Participants who are stopped for not having lights, their lights on, or insufficient lighting, will not be authorized to start again until the lighting failure is repaired, unless they have an interim source of light (for example, a small arm band light) to get to the next control point. Only one penalty will be applied in that case. Penalties will be recorded on the brevet card either immediately or at the next control, prior notice having been given. They will apply to the total time taken on the ride.
Less Clear Requirements
6/ The machines/cycles must have all the accessories currently required by highway laws and the relevant rules (rules of the road). This apparently means mudguards/fenders, bells, any other bike stuff are not or no longer required. (Once upon a time and no longer, for example, all parts had to attached with braze-ons rather than clamps. Have a look at Singers and Herses.)
7/ Tri-, or aero-, bars are not allowed at PBP, but are allowed in other clubs and in other events, such as Randonneurs Ontario and BMB. Riders need to check the rules for specific clubs and events.
Recommendations for Success
two sets of lights with extra bulbs
no blinking red rear lights
fenders means you will not make friends grumpy, but do not seem to be required; the same goes for bells or other accessories
The Bare Minimum Oliver Moore
Tool Kit
2 tubes (maybe 3 for a multi-day ride), and a patch kit with self-adhesive patches
set of allen keys
leatherman multitool (useful for many things, including opening bottles of beer in foreign locales)
chain tool
spare cables
Lighting
two Cat-eye Hl500II lights, mounted on an extension bar that drops off the handlebars (available at Velotique on Queen St. East)
one finger-sized MagLite-style flashlight
spare batteries for my lights if I'm going all night, and perhaps a spare bulb for multi-day events
Clothing
change of shorts if I'll be sleeping less than six hours (more than that and you can just wash your shorts in the shower, wring them vigourously and hang them to dry. they'll be wearable by morning)
other clothing depends entirely on weather conditions - I usually carry arm warmers, a fleece vest, and an ultra-light rain shell in all but the hottest of summer conditions; slightly chillier weather calls for a wool undershirt, colder still for a wool jersey, etc.
Personal
noxzema (for the crotchal zone)
sunscreen
blistex
ID, credit card, bank card, and cash
fig newtons and/or granola bar or two
anti-pain pills and Tums w/calcium (for cramps, not gippy belly)
Other
I carry a Rivendell Banana Bag. It's kind of pricey, but seems the perfect size, is tough as shit, and has also been pretty much waterproof.
Basic But Complete Lori Matthews
Tool Kit
brake and derailleur cables
freewheel tool
allen keys/screw driver set
spoke key
spare spokes (taped to frame)
spare tubes
tire irons
frame pump
patch kit
spare tire
Lighting
Petzl light (for lighting up road signs, maps, and safe spots for biobreaks)
Clothing
clear glasses for night riding, to assist in repelling bugs (anti-fog are usually the best)
on longer brevets, every piece of clothing I own
Basic (And a Bit More) Phil Piltch
Tool kit
Alien multi-tool
spare tube
tire levers
patch kit
tire boot
4 spare bulbs (2 front, 2 rear)
4'" crescent wrench
spare batteries
spare tire (not always - tire boot is usually sufficient)
Lighting
bottom bracket generator, powering a 2.4W halogen head light and 0.6W taillight
Cateye Micro headlight and LED taillight.
Bags
MEC standard rack trunk
small seatpost bag.
Clothing
cool weather/night/rain stuff ( tights, arm warmers, shoe covers, jacket)
change of clothes( unless you want to ride alone ); for 600K brevet - 1 pr of shorts, 1 jersey, 1 pr of socks; for PBP or similar event - 2 shorts, 2 jerseys, 2 pr of socks, a second pair of gloves
Personal
sun screen
Cytomax sport drink powder
energy bars
dried fruit bars, trail mix, etc.
salve (my current fave is Melagel)
acetaminophen
Required stuff
reflective vest and leg bands
The Well-Appointed Traveller Graham Hallward
Tool kit
1 spare inner tube and patch kit
1 spare foldable tire
1 set of appropriate Allen wrenches (2,3,4,5mm)
1 small adjustable wrench
1 small flat-head screw driver
1 chain tool
(Note: many of these items can be found in all-in-one tools)
2-3 feet of electrical tape wrapped around fat bolt/screw
1 new brake cable
1 new shifter cable
2-3 twist and zip ties (very versatile!)
1 extra spoke
1 spoke key
Clothing
if hot, change shorts every 200km; if cool once a day
one jersey per day; often they can be washed and substantially dried during a 3-4 hour sleep stop
ditto on socks; on hot rides, I skip socks entirely
light fabric long-sleeve jerseys to cut down on sun-burned arms and to act as a wick for cooling water on hot days
1 change of gloves if hot conditions, and light liner-type gloves to slip under padded gloves if night temp likely to fall below mid-forties
rain jacket to act as cool night-riding layer, and for rain
1 bandana (handy for cool-time scarf, grease rag etc.)
Personal
whatever skin or chafe product works for you
clear glasses/changeable lenses for night riding
miscellaneous toiletries: toothbrush, OTC pain killers, BandAids, disinfecting wipe. (Check your local pharmacy for toothpaste, deodorant, shave cream, etc. in small travel sizes)
Other
2 large water bottles. (I'm not a fan of camelbacks, but that's personal)
2-3 emergency energy bars. (I try to get my calories from proper balanced (i.e., palatable!) food en route
enough money, a credit card, and personal/medical ID for those real but very rare emergencies
Comments
I can squeeze all this into a single rackpack on my rear rack and in my jersey pockets. Interestingly enough, not much more is needed for a 1200K than for a 600K brevet. Most of these items are fixed suggestions, not variable according to brevet length. Assuming you will wash a few items as you go, you could ride days and days with this equipment list.
Just About Everything Peter Leiss
Tool Kit
allen keys for the following (check sizes before you leave): seat post bolt; stem binder bolt and stem bolt; seat adjusting bolt (some require a spanner); crank bolts
pedal adjusting screw and cleat bolts
derailleur bolts, cable bolts, and brake bolts
flat screw driver
2 spare tubes and patch kit
tire irons (or really strong thumbs)
1 spare tire (the kind that goes on a rim)
spare spokes (2 or 3 for each side of the rear wheel)
appropriate spoke wrench
1 spare seat post binder bolt (really important!)
Lighting
Schmidt hub generator with Lumotec lights
LED rear light
spare bulbs, batteries, and spare battery light
Personal
energy bars
energy fluid mix (dry in a baggy works fine)
sunscreen
salve to calm the burning nether regions
Advil
any required medications
2 large water bottles
money and credit/debit cards
health card
insurance card (if you have extended health coverage)
Clothing
For longer brevets (400K, 600K, 1,000K, and 1200K), additional clothing for varying weather conditions, e.g., arm warmers, leg warmers, jacket, spare shorts (2 pairs), spare jerseys (2 pairs), spare gloves, rain gear
Comments:
Boy, this beginning to sound like loaded touring isn't it? The point is to carry what you require to be self-sufficient. You'll probably not need any of it.
Why You Really Need to Carry Those All-Important Extras Marc Pritchard
spare tire (because I've needed one on three occasions)
tire boot (paper money seems to work almost as well, at least U.S. currency does)
spare cables (riding 3/4ths of a 300K day on the 2000K brevet would have been a pain on my 11T cog)
spare nourishment (getting lost isn't bad, but running out of energy while you're lost takes all the fun out of it; and sometimes you just plain underestimate)
CO2 inflator (on this year's BMB, I lost my frame pump in the night - after my third flat, but before my fourth flat)
backup batteries for your extra batteries (I've run out of light even though I had 3 systems and thought I had backup batteries for 2 of them; to make a long story short, sometimes everything that can go wrong does)
head lamp (because it's really handy when any of the above happen at night)
more clothes than you need (because when it starts to rain on a cold windy night you still won't have enough)
extra money or credit card ( for all the above reasons and many that haven't happened yet)
a small first aid kit (I don't want to talk about this one)
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