Guide · Tools
Road and gravel ride repair kit: what to carry for your tires
Carry inflation, repair and tools that match your tire system and valve. A checklist for road tubes, road tubeless and gravel tubeless, from makers' own specs.
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Picks that fit
- Topeak Pocket Rocket mini pump (160 psi, Presta and Schrader), silverCheck price on Amazon
- ROCKBROS mini hand pump and CO2 inflator 2‑in‑1 (110 psi, Presta and Schrader)Check price on Amazon
- Topeak Shuttle Lever Pro magnetic tire levers (set of 3)Check price on Amazon
Short answer
Carry inflation, a repair and tools that match your tire system and valve: a pump or CO2 for your valve, a patch that suits your tube or a plug for tubeless, tire levers, and a multitool with your bike's bits. Try each item on your own bike at home before you rely on it on the road.
Picks that fitAll picks and how to choose
Inflation that fits your valve
Start with the valve on your tube. A Presta valve has a locknut at the tip that must be unthreaded before air can enter.[1] Not every pump takes every valve: SILCA, for example, states its Pocket Impero pumps can only be used with Presta valves.[2] See Presta vs Schrader vs Dunlop.
Pump plus CO2 is a common combination. Topeak lists the HybridRocket HP Mini as a Presta pump rated to 160 psi that includes one threaded 16 g CO2 cartridge.[3] If you carry CO2:
- Genuine Innovations says cartridges become ice cold during release and recommends a cupped head or sheath to protect fingers from cold burns.[4]
- Genuine Innovations' threaded cartridges use standard 3/8"-24 threading.[5] Lezyne says threadless cartridges do not work with its CO2 inflators.[6] Match the cartridge to your head.
Mounting depends on the pump. Lezyne says its Road Drive and Pressure Drive hand pumps come with brackets that mount to bottle-cage bolts.[6] That covers those two models only. Compare inflation options in electric pump, mini pump or CO2.
Tubes: a patch that suits the tube
If you run tubes, carry a spare and a patch kit that suits the tube material.
- Park Tool says its GP-2 glueless patches work on butyl and TPU tubes but not latex tubes or tubeless tires, and should be considered a temporary fix.[7]
- Tubolito says repair kits made for butyl tubes are not compatible with its tubes, and supplies its own patch kit with special glue.[8]
The makers disagree on TPU, so follow your tube maker. More in tube patch or tubeless plug.
Tubeless: a plug that suits the sealant
- Park Tool's TPT-1 repairs small punctures in tubeless tires with sealant and is not compatible with inner tube systems.[9]
- Stan's says its DART reacts with latex-based sealants and was developed for Stan's sealant.[10]
Plugs are for small holes. Many tubeless riders still carry a tube as a fallback.
Tools: bits, chain and levers
- Topeak's Mini 20 Pro has T10 and T25 Torx and a chain tool for chains up to 12-speed, excluding Campagnolo hollow-pin chains; Topeak calls its metal tire levers emergency-only.[11]
- Topeak's Mini PT30 adds a master link tool, T15, and a tubeless reamer and plug tool, with plugs not included.[12]
- Wolf Tooth's Pack Pliers combine master link pliers, a tire lever, a Presta valve core remover and a valve lock nut wrench, and store two master links.[13]
- Park Tool's TL-1.2 levers come as a set of three with a spoke hook, and the narrow tip works with tubeless systems, per Park Tool.[14]
Details and exclusions are in multitools, chain tools and tire levers.
Flying with the kit
TSA lists CO2 cartridges as not allowed in either carry-on or checked bags unless the cylinder is clearly empty.[15] Pack a pump and buy cartridges where you ride. See flying with a bike pump, light or CO2.
Checklist by setup
| Item | Road, tubes | Road, tubeless | Gravel, tubeless |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pump or CO2 for your valve | Yes | Yes; CO2 as emergency only | Yes; CO2 as emergency only |
| Spare tube | Yes | Fallback | Fallback |
| Patch kit that suits the tube | Yes | For the fallback tube | For the fallback tube |
| Plug tool and plugs | No | Yes | Yes |
| Tire levers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multitool with your bits | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chain tool or master link pliers | If your chain matches the tool's list | If your chain matches the tool's list | If your chain matches the tool's list |
For the bikes themselves, see the road bike and gravel bike pages.
Picks for the kit
Pumps. Approved mini pumps and a pump-plus-CO2 head. We have not confirmed their specs from the makers' pages; check that each names your valve.
Picks that fit7 products
Choose the RaceRocket HP (black), the Topeak Pocket Rocket (silver, 160 psi), the Pocket Drive (light gray finish), the Crankbrothers Klic HP in Black Midnight (120 psi, for tires 45c and narrower; either of its two listings, not the Gauge model), the Topeak Road Morph G (TRP-3G, a frame pump with a hose and a gauge that reads to 140 psi), or the ROCKBROS hand pump and CO2 head (cartridges not included; read the listing for the cartridge type).
More on choosing
Confirm each names your valve. On Amazon, check that 'Ships from / Sold by' shows Amazon.com or the brand.
Mini pump for the frame
Topeak RaceRocket HP mini pump (160 psi, Presta and Schrader)
Mini pump for the frame, from Topeak
Topeak Pocket Rocket mini pump (160 psi, Presta and Schrader), silver
Mini pump, second option
Mini pump with a hose, from Crankbrothers
Crankbrothers Klic HP hand pump (120 psi), Black Midnight Edition
Mini pump with a hose, from Crankbrothers, second listing
Crankbrothers Klic HP hand pump (120 psi), Black Midnight Edition (second Amazon listing)
Frame pump with a hose and gauge, from Topeak
Hand pump with a CO2 head
ROCKBROS mini hand pump and CO2 inflator 2‑in‑1 (110 psi, Presta and Schrader)
Repair and tools. Levers, multitools with and without a plug tool, and plug tools for tubeless.
Picks that fit10 products
Choose the TL-1.2 set of 3, the single Crankbrothers Speedier Lever or the Topeak Shuttle Lever Pro set of 3 for levers; the Mini PT30 (TT2583B) for chains up to 12-speed, not Campagnolo hollow-pin (plugs not included), the Crankbrothers M20 in Matte Black (16403) for 8- to 12-speed chains with plugs included, or the Crankbrothers M17 in Nickel (10752) for 8- to 12-speed chains without a plug tool; and, for tubeless with sealant only, the TPT-1 with 5 plugs, the DART tool with 2 DARTs or the Muc-Off Puncture Plug Repair Kit (20131; either of its two listings, and check the plug count on the listing).
More on choosing
On Amazon, check that 'Ships from / Sold by' shows Amazon.com or the brand.
Tire levers for any tire
Single tire lever with a knuckle guard
Crankbrothers Speedier Lever tire lever (single lever), Black
Tire levers, second set
Multitool with chain and plug tools
Topeak Mini PT30 multitool (30 functions, tubeless plug tool)
Multitool with chain and plug tools, from Crankbrothers
Crankbrothers M20 multitool (20 tools, chain tool, tire plug tool)
Multitool with a chain tool, without levers
Tubeless plug tool
Tubeless repair tool for Stan's sealant
Tubeless plug kit, second option
Muc-Off Puncture Plug Repair Kit (tubeless plug and reamer tool with plugs)
Tubeless plug kit, second option, second listing
Muc-Off Puncture Plug Repair Kit (tubeless plug and reamer tool with plugs), second Amazon listing
Next
Questions
What should I carry on a road ride?
A pump or CO2 that fits your valve, tire levers, a spare tube or a patch kit that suits your tube, and a multitool with your bike's bits. Check each item fits before the ride.
What do I need for a tubeless flat on a gravel ride?
A plug tool for small punctures, plus a way to reinflate. Park Tool says its TPT-1 is for small punctures in tubeless tires with sealant, and Stan's says its DART reacts with latex-based sealants and was developed for Stan's sealant.[9][10]
Should I carry a spare tube with tubeless?
Many riders do, as a fallback when a plug will not hold. Plug tools such as Park Tool's TPT-1 are for small punctures only, and Park Tool gives no maximum hole size.[9]
Can I take my repair kit on a plane?
Not with full CO2 cartridges: TSA lists them as not allowed in carry-on or checked bags unless clearly empty. Pack a pump instead and buy cartridges at your destination.[15]