Race Day Equipment

I always carry my flat kit with me.  Although a flat might ruin my race, I still want to get home again.  Most of the local races I do don't have much in the way of SAG support and I'd rather not carry my bike back or wait for an hour or more hoping someone's going to stop by and help.

Mark

I'd rather finish than DNF because of a simple flat, way to much time invested in training!  I always carry two spare tubes, three levers, three 12oz CO2 cartridges and when training a small pump.  I can change a flat pretty quickly, had lots of practice on the old RB that always seemed to get flats.   Tire patches take longer, save those for repairing the flats when you at home.

I just got this an i'm real happy w/ it:

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I carry a kit on all my races.  I've used it before too, and still managed to finish in the top half of my age group.  Am I going to place if I flat?  Not likely.  But I'll be damned if I'm so prissy as to think that everything has to be absolutely perfect and that if I can't be the winner (metaphorically speaking, of course) I'm just gonna quit. 

anything i start i will darn sure finish.  there's no point in going out there if you plan 'B' is a DNF.  as a lot of people on here will say:

DLF > DNF > DNS

Dead F---ing Last is greater than Did Not Finish is greater than Did Not Start

I plan on contending for a top 10 in a sprint or oly one day but i could never concede total defeat for a flat tire that i can change in under 5 minutes.  BTW ditch the pump and get a CO2 inflater.   It saves scads of time over the pump.  and don't worry about patches on the race course bring another entire tube and swap them, patch the old one later.  there isn't too much time to look for the puncture.  DO take the time to look for a thorn in the tire.  if your ride is just jinxed and you get a second flat you can take the time to look for and patch that one, no since in rushing the second as your time for the bike is completely blown.

my two pennies... 

Raced only twice - no tools - have never had or changed a flat.  Hey, I'm a beginner.  I recently got a tool kit and plan to learn how to properly use it.

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I always carry an extra tube and cartridge on my bike, including during races.

I wouldn't place if I had to change a flat, but I'd rather finish a couple of minutes behind my goal rather than walk my bike back to the transition area and not finish at all.