Not every frame-strapped goodie could fit in our recent Stash-Gadget Mashup, but the gear below was designed with the same goal in mind: riding without a bag. The main bagless bases to cover seem to be tubes and puncture repair, levers to remove tires, and some way to re-inflate a flat. Here’s some clever gear to check off those boxes, along with a few others.
Granite Design Talon
Talon tools from Granite Design combine a chain quick-link separator, a tough set of tire levers, and link storage in a thin and packable setup. Quick links can be exceedingly difficult to separate on the trail when you need to remove a bent section of chain, and having them attached to these extra robust levers is sweet. The Talon can easily be wrapped in a frame strap alongside a tube and CO2 canister or tossed in a pocket.
- MSRP: $11.99, available at Amazon
- Weight: 40g
Muc-Off B.A.M.
If you would rather not pack a pump and tire plugs then Muc-Off B.A.M. might be your ticket to traveling light. Sealing 3-4mm punctures, this 15cm-tall canister shoots air and sealant into the tire together. Muc-Off claims that one B.A.M. can will fill a 29er tire and have you pedaling again in under a minute. Having used Muc-Off sealant for more than a year now, and sprayed plenty of it on frames in rough rock gardens, there’s little doubt that this stuff will do precisely what it’s designed to do.
- €16.95 or two for €22.95, available at Amazon
- Weight: 123g
- Compatible with MTB, gravel, and road tubeless tires
Schwalbe Aerothan tube
Thanks to tougher tire casings, most of us only carry a tube to cover one or two annual punctures these days. That tube should be as durable, lightweight, and packable as possible — in that order. Schwalbe put the work into making a feathery-light option that will hold up well when you do need it.
There was a heavy dose of skepticism around this new Aerothan tube being a copy of the Tubolito tubes when it first came out, and I can confirm that it’s not. This one is far thicker, a smidge less packable, and a touch heavier than the orange Tubolito offerings. It’s also more durable. I have ripped a few Tubolito tubes while inserting them in tires, rendering them useless and me walking. The thicker wall and colorless design of this new model seem like a better way to go.
- €29.90, available at Amazon
- Weight: 87g for a 29″ size
What are some of your tricks and gear bits that keep the bag off your back?
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