What's in your wallet?

I do my best to stay sponsor correct, or perhaps the term I'd rather not use because it sounds like something that I think a high school kid might say, "on brand."  It's not terribly difficult most of the time.  I like a lot of what the Dick Supporters listed on my sidebar make.  They are buenos companies, and there's at least one person on board at each one who doesn't mind being a "Dick Handler."

That said, sometimes I stray.  It's not them.  It's me.

For example...

If you've been reading this blerhg long enough, you know I've been sweating the stupid details that probably don't matter all that much when bike cycle sport racing.  I'm less worried about proper training and more concerned about what I'm carrying in my pocketses.

This is what I'm carrying lately:

Aside from the Tülbag that holds it all (and the ballsack gifted to me by Mills for my 49th birthday), I'm down to two purchased items that I consider essential on my bike cycle sport racing bike.  Topeak has something like a gajillionty multi-tools to choose from, and if I wasn't a picky little turd, I'd do one of them...

but I don't want a Phillips head...

but I do want an 8mm for pedal or crank emergencies... that I never really have...

and I don't want a 2mm or a 2.5mm... and I want it to lie flat in my Tülbag...

So I sought out another solution.  One I can wrap my head around, and one you shouldn't necessarily use.  The thing I bought from Blackburn has only what I want (and a 3mm I don't, but I can't get rid of).  It comes in its own pouch that I don't use, and obvs it includes more nubbly bits, but I don't wanna carry them as nubbly bits in a pouch.  Any of them.  Ever since I dropped an 8mm adapter in some leaves and detritus in the heat of the moment of fixing a slippy seat post (and wasted a hot half minute looking for it), I've been looking for the answer.  This is it.

Pull it out and I have a 4, 5, and 6mm Allen key at the ready.  The 8mm is stored in the chain tool and both those things I hardly ever use.  No fiddling or dropping tiny bits.  Almost everything that matters on my bike is one of those sizes already inserted in the handle.  I'm not pulling out a pouch, grabbing a bit, inserting it into the tool (whilst not dropping the other bits), fixing my shit, and then disassembling and re-pouching the bit (whilst again not dropping the other bits)...

You see where I'm going here.

Why should you not do this?

Chances are, you need more bits for your bike than I do.  Also, you're probably not a complete spaz under pressure.  A multi-tool would be fine... for you.  Just fine.  I'll admit to swapping to a multi-tool in my Tülbag if I might be riding the Vertigo Meatplow V.7 in a more social and adventurous manner in order to cover the bases that my group of friends might not have been aware of the need to cover.

You buy a multi-tool.  I'll continue to carry the minimal amount of tools when bike cycle racing whilst dragging around a ballsack that weighs as much as .45 multi-tools.

I also swapped from the Dynaplug Air plugger to the Race plugger.  I still think the Air is the bee's knees for the real racer looking to plug and inflate on the go in just seconds, but I don't think I'm that guy anymore. 

And I might do some more swapping in the future mebbe...

I've already got ideas on how I can combine the mount for the Tubi Bullet X (not yet available) with a Backcountry Research Super 8 strap for a super-stealthy, ultra-handy tire plugging solution.  I'm down to give it a whirl.  So many good plugger options out there, you just need to decide what's important to you.

The Dynaplug is great, what with its bullet-tipped bacons that slide right in... but they are expensive... but everything is made in the USA.

The Stan's Dart is pretty cool, what with its gash-filling feather bacons that react with the sealant... but they are also expensive and the tool's a bit on the large size.

The Tubi-Bullit looks dope, what with its fast-access, a reamer, and spare bacons all right there... but it still isn't in my hands.

The cheap Genuine Innovations plugger that I hacked down to fit in my EDC tool is cheap, and it usually works... as long as I can wad my bacon in the prongs without breaking one off the end of the tool.

Oh yeah, my EDC...

That's my chopped down Genuine Innovations plugger tool, extra bacons, and down at the bottom is a 10mm Allen bit that I hope I never need to tighten my eeWangs crunk.

I bought this for the Vassago Meatplow V.8 so I can go for a ride with zero pockets.  Everything I need is in the steer tube or strapped to my saddle with a Backcountry Research Race Strap.

I haven't cleaned my bike in awhile.  Give me a  break.

The tool is an awesome concept, although I don't find it entirely user-friendly, and I feel the need to carry a loose 6mm Allen in my tube to get my wheels off (reliably) and loosen/tighten my slider bolts if needed.

But I can go for a ride in my tightie whities and know that I can still fix my bike, so I'm not standing at the side of the trail in said tightie whities asking for help.

What's the point of all this??

Dunno.

I use what I use, and I like what I like.  You do you.

More Winter Shart Tarck on tap for the weekend...

photo cred: Supercycling

The only tool needed is the one steering the bike.