What Kit To Carry

Know your equipment, your ability, what you are likely to encounter by way of trails, and prepare accordingly.

General Pointers

Be self-sufficient
Keep your equipment in good repair, and know how to use it!
Carry necessary supplies for changes in weather/terrain
Always wear a helmet
Get padded cycling shorts - if you think they look rare, wear your baggies over them, but they will change your life if you are used to riding in a pair of sweaty kaks!
Have some kind of first aid kit, JUST in case

Kit Lists for Different Rides

The following kit lists are just suggestions - different folks have their own preferences in terms of what they are happy to bring or do without, and sometimes even the best laid plans are scuppered by circumstance.

Quick blast close to home

Food and drink for the occasion
Dress for the occasion!
Helmet
Gloves
Pump - make sure your pump will fit your tubes
Spare tube and/or puncture repair kit
Tyre levers
Tyre wall repair patch (old toothpaste tube cut up)
Multitool / small wrenches that fit YOUR bike
Chain tool
First aid kit - Space blanket, crepe bandage, triangle bandage, 2 safety pins, wound dressing & 4 big adhesive dressings as a minimum

Out for the day / epic

As above plus:

Another spare tube
Pliers
Cable ties
Pen knife
Spare insulation layer that will pack tight
Water/wind-proof top that will pack tight
Spare folding tyre
Some spare chain links
Spare brake pads
Loo roll - it ain't no fun with a handful of heather!
Small first aid kit
Money - keep a £20 note just in case
Mobile phone
Map & compass?
Lights?
Suncream?
Ibuprofen & Paracetamol - if you are old!

NOTE: The trails on this site have been ridden before, but you should not interpret their inclusion as an indication that mountain-biking is officially sanctioned on them. Seeking permission from landowners is your own responsibility, as is conducting yourself in a manner that is courteous, respectful to the environment, and conscious of the safety of others.