# How do you carry your spare tubes?



## joepa150 (Jul 23, 2010)

I know this sounds really dumb and probably is a personal thing. I just bought a hydration pack and it is on the small side. I can fit my pump, multitool, wallet, cell, keys, and tire levers. It is pushing it to fit a tube in the box.

Is it ok for the tube if I just take it out of the box and squish it into my bag being carefull of the valve?

I guess I could buy a saddle bag also for more storage.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Remove it from the box , it packs a lot easier without it .


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

In its original case and in the hydration bag or saddle bag. Always a good idea to carry patch kit as well, sometime when it rain it pours.

I carried the tube by itself before but after some time in the bag something may rip or put a hole in the tube. If you don't have that much space. Look around, the one I carry is slime lite, the box is long and taller than standard fat box.

What ever you do don't wrap it around your waist or your neck


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

Ditch the box. Maybe put the tube in a sock, or something, to keep your keys and stuff from rubbing on it.


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## c0ld (Jun 29, 2010)

I put it in one of my jersey pockets when im out on a long trail with full gear.


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## xenon (Apr 16, 2007)

I carry one tube in the saddle bag and another in a small bag on the bottle rack, along with everything needed for tube replacement/repair. All my spare tubes are kept in sealed (read - just tied tight) plastic bags with some talc inside, to prevent rubber from drying.


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## William_Cannon (May 5, 2009)

I carry one in the saddle bag or camelbak (out of the box).


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## Varaxis (Mar 16, 2010)

I have a Deuter hydration pack I just toss mine in, including the box. There's enough space in it to carry half a dozen of em comfortably. I carry some obscure stuff too, like a remote to my garage door, headlight, helmet light, tail light, shock pump, bike lock, multiple cameras and camera mounting gear, and all the normal stuff. It's not a big bag either... Deuter Race X Air.

In your case, you can ditch the box and put it in something more compact like a zip-loc, like others have mentioned.


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## dexetr30 (May 8, 2008)

Take it out of the box without unfolding it, rap a rubberband around the center of it to keep it in compact and find somewhere in your hydro pack to store it. You're other option is to store it in a saddle bag. And, like someone else said...get a patch kit.


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## BigSharks (Oct 4, 2009)

out of the box, velcroed tight to my seatpost.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

Mine's in a saddlebag with the stem sticking out so it doesn't rub through the tube.


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## fesch (Jul 30, 2009)

You can carry your spare tubes in your teeth, if you like, you can take the tubes of their boxes. Really the boxes are only good for stacking on a shelf. I keep my spare tube in my hydration pack and only carry one. I don't ride for six hours so I am not worried about getting two flats on the same trail.


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## floydlippencott (Sep 4, 2010)

Taped to the seat post .


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## qreeek (Sep 22, 2010)

If you fold it so the valve is pointing away from the folded tube, then tie it with a fat rubber band and throw it in the bag.

As long as you keep all things with sharp/pointy edges isolated in separate compartments or packed in their own neoprene bags (like multitool, patch kit, keys+wallet, phone, etc.) you do not really need to worry about how it is packed.
Neoprene is light and not that difficult to work with. So it adds almost no weight to your pack and you can custom make to fit your gear.
It also has the added bonus of having a texture that prevents all those small bags from bumping all over the place as you ride.
If you are really anal, you can make a bag for the spare tube too, so the valve is covered up.
And a last top-tip: Make them different colors, so it is easy to find what you need. Especially if you do night-rides.


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## andy b. (Sep 7, 2010)

perttime said:


> Ditch the box. Maybe put the tube in a sock, or something, to keep your keys and stuff from rubbing on it.


I thought I was the only person who did that.  What started it all was one time I needed a rag to wipe some stuff off out on the trail and didn't have anything to use (other than my shirt). When I got home I remembered a few mismatched socks I had, and I figured it couldn't hurt to stuff the tube inside the sock for protection, and then have the sock to use as a rag if needed. And yes, I have had to use the rag/sock since then several times. Sometimes even to wipe off blood.  When the sock gets all beat up, I just toss it in the trash and find another one from the pile of pairless socks.

andy b.


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## miatagal96 (Jul 5, 2005)

I took mine out of the box and put it in a baggie with an elastic band around the whole thing. When it came time to use it, the elastic band had failed, the baggie was brittle and in pieces, the tube had holes, and the seals in the pump dried out and failed. So I gave up and carry patches and CO2 for long rides and take my chances with nothing on short rides.

Lessons learned are: as others said, don't let other tools share compartments with your tire. I like the back pocket and sock ideas.


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## Carraig042 (Nov 12, 2009)

Mine stays in the original box and fits right in my hydration packs. I have room left over in mine all the time,

-Brett


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## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

Saddle bag for me. I rarely ride with a pack on my back.


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## Sarguy (Sep 25, 2010)

Carries everything I need - Camelbak Blowfish.


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## frdfandc (Sep 5, 2007)

Out of the box and placed in a sock. Helps protect the tube from other crap in your seatbag/hydration pack. 

The sock also doubles to help keep your hands clean if you have to mess with a drivetrain issue.


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## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

frdfandc said:


> Out of the box and placed in a sock. Helps protect the tube from other crap in your seatbag/hydration pack.
> 
> The sock also doubles to help keep your hands clean if you have to mess with a drivetrain issue.


+1 .


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## nikwashere (Mar 5, 2008)

I do the sock trick, but do this little extra to prevent any holes caused by friction/rubbing.
Put a little baby powder or talc in with the tube. it will reduce any friction placed between the rubber folds. comes out silky smooth and easy to install.


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## wickerman1 (Dec 24, 2003)

i just put it in the mesh section of my camelback mule, that way nothing can pierce it in the other pouches. Take it out of the box. box takes more room then what its worth.


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## PhxChem (Aug 4, 2010)

fesch said:


> I keep my spare tube in my hydration pack and only carry one. I don't ride for six hours so I am not worried about getting two flats on the same trail.


Do your tubes know they're not supposed to both go flat until the crucial 6 hour mark? :madman:


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

PhxChem said:


> Do your tubes know they're not supposed to both go flat until the crucial 6 hour mark? :madman:


No, I think he meant if he rides longer than 6 hr, the chance to get "a" flat increase significantly , also if'n'when he get a flat it would only be one, cuz that's how flats happen:thumbsup:


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## PVR (Oct 29, 2006)

Short rides - in a saddle pack 
Medium rides - in the camelbak 
Epic rides- one in the camelbak, one in the saddle pack,and a patch kit.


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## YuoGotOwn3d (Jul 23, 2010)

I leave it in the box and threw it in the main compartment of my pack. Sometimes I remove the box and throw it in the side pocket.


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## Firemedix911 (Jul 13, 2010)

I don't own a saddlebag so here's what i do. On my HT SS I carry two waterbottles. One for water obviously and the spare waterbottle where I put the tube, tools CO2 cartridge and car keys. On my FS I just put it on my Camelbak. I take the tube out of the box as well.


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## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

I have a mini nylon stuff sack I use to protect the tube in my hydration pack, but if you have a pack with a spare pocket you can dedicate to the tube, that works. I like the sock idea. Never thought of that.


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## bad news (Jul 12, 2008)

I personally carry two inside a big heavy duty ziplock bag in my hydration pack. I also carry a pump, not co2. Couldn't tell you how many times I've seen people run out of co2. Co2 inflaters work great for the first flat of the ride...but often not the second, third, or god help you fourth.

Also, beware the common mistake of slightly underinflating the tube when refilling it, making yourself prone to another flat shortly down the trail...especially if it's your last tube. If it is, pump that thing up good and solid and live with the reduced ride quality on that ride. On the next flat, you'll be walking.

I'm not sure what good a pack is if you can't even fit a tube in it. Keep that one for racing or something and get something a bit larger.


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## LWright (Jan 29, 2006)

My water pack (Gary Fisher) has an inside pocket in the large compartment that is perfect for a tube, out of the box and into a sock or handkerchief. The cloth protects the tube and helps find thorns in the tire.
After a year or so of no flats toss the old tube and get a new one, they do dry out and become useless.


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

In my camelbak. I carry three - two 29" tubes and one 26" tube. This covers me regardless of which of my bikes I ride, and covers my friends if they run out of tubes.


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## washington_desert_rat (Aug 30, 2010)

I like the sock idea and will be doing that from now on. I have an under-seat mini-pack on my Trek 4500 that carries a tube (out of the box), my multi-tool and my car keys. On the Y-frame Trek I have a rack with a top pack on it that carries a rain cape, two tubes (out of the box), lunch or snack and a "tool kit" my wife got with her first mtb in the 1990s.


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## Crosstown Stew (Aug 16, 2008)

Take it out of the box and fold it tight and wrap it with electrical tape to keep it folded. I carry my co2 and quick valve and spare tube in my seatbag wrapped inside a wal-mart bag and taped. Will keep debris out and in case you zipper ever open up will make it easier to find on the trail. 
But I run tubeless now on my bikes and haven't had to change a flat since I switched.


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

andy b. said:


> I thought I was the only person who did that.


I am not really using a sock myself.

I happened to have a soft pencil case that is the right size and shape when I unfold the tube a little. Mine also has a couple of small pockets for holding quick links and other tiny items. ...just need to be careful when zipping the case.


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## mtnbiker64 (Nov 17, 2004)

Nothing wrong with a seat bag. I have a camelback which I just put in the basics. But since I ride with the girlfriend and a few others I went and bought a seatbag from Pricepoint. It was a Sette expandable and it only cost $8. I got 2 tubes, tool kit, slime patches(12) for tubes, patches for tires, tire levers, and I'm able to put even more in, if I expand it. This way I have extra room in the camelback for a lite jacket or anything else I may need for those extended rides.


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

mtnbiker64 said:


> Nothing wrong with a seat bag.


Not really, no.

My approach has been to have everything in one place, and I don't carry all that much gear. So the hydration pack is the logical choice for me.

I wouldn't want to carry tubes just taped to the frame: there's too many ways they can get damaged there.


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## Fuelish (Dec 19, 2003)

perttime said:


> Ditch the box. Maybe put the tube in a sock, or something, to keep your keys and stuff from rubbing on it.


 This works for me .... my tools go in an old sock or wrapped up cloth, and the tube goes in an old Crown Royal pouch/bag/whatever.


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## PVR (Oct 29, 2006)

LWright said:


> ...After a year or so of no flats toss the old tube and get a new one, they do dry out and become useless.


Man, I wish I could go a year or so with no flats!


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## Noclutch (Jun 20, 2010)

I have one of these.
http://www.bikeparts.com/search_results.asp?id=BPC354141

Fits bottle cage and is totally waterproof (unlike a bag). Big enough for one 29er tube, an inflator, a multi tool( kept right under the lid for easiest access) , maybe a bit more. It doesn't hold nearly as much as a medium bag and is inflexable to odd shapes, but it covers the basics. Lower CG than a bag, too. Mine never comes off the bike. :thumbsup:


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## veloreality (May 10, 2009)

depends,
velcro to seatpost
jersey pockey
saddle bag
camelback
all out of the box


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## spyluke123 (Sep 4, 2014)

Neil donoghue electrical tapes them to the bottom of his saddle


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## spyghost (Oct 30, 2012)

zip lock in hydration bag


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## Thmp Thmp (Jun 29, 2008)

I don't have one, but there is a lot of talk about the Awesome Strap for carrying a tube. 
Backcountry Research - Makers of the AWESOME STRAPS


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

Old thread...but what the hell. Backcountry Research - Makers of the AWESOME STRAPS

Awesome strap w/ tube tarp.

Seat bag.


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## travisfinn (Jul 5, 2017)

I've been using a spare tube strap from WINN Racing for a couple years now. Holds the spare tube snug and protects the frame from damage. Also doubles as a truck pad protector. Available in lots of color choices at www.winnracing.com.


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