Thanks for pointing this out Ted ... agree 100%. Not carrying a tube IS something that will STOP YOUR RIDE ... right now. I've seen many tubes ruined from just one puncture or a pinch ...both street and dirt. Maria, you've been very lucky in the past. If you go with no spare tubes ... you may just be "pushing your luck"!

Sometimes a tube splits for no obvious reason, sometimes a nail (or whatever) is stuck in there and tears up the tube ... not repairable. Sometimes, like in my pic below, bloody valve stem pulled right OUT!

Try fixing that one! (the green stuff is SLIME)

As Ted says ... at least one 21" tube. (YES .. it will work in the rear) Use front fender pack for your tube. But if me, on a Mongolia ride? I'd take at least 2 tubes, maybe 3. They won't be for sale at every other Yert.

Note 21" tube mounted to front fender. Has never come off ... keep it tight.

In years of off road riding, lots of Baja riding I've seen many problems regarding tubes. Having a tube mailed in would take probably two weeks.

If cables are closely checked pre-trip ... I would opt for no spare cables.
i've not broken cable in 30 years ... since the "bad old days". No spares needed if cable routing is correct and no stress points exist and no wear shown upon inspection. If any doubt, replace with BRAND NEW cable PRE TRIP.

Packing camping gear is a challenge. Any way to leave it behind?

Maria, like you.. I never had a single puncture in all of South America in over 7 months... I think there is something in the water there

However, during the same period of time in Africa I had over 50 punctures and went through over ten inner tubes. I'm not even exaggerating (for a change). I had the same tubes, same kind of bike etc....

What you pack is your own decision of course and everyone had different priorities. You have to do what makes YOU happy.

But.....Could you not tie one up in a bag and stuff it under the rear subframe of the bike ??? Puncture kits will only fix a SMALL hole and even then there is no guarantee that it will hold. Your trip to Mongolia is going to involve a lot of rough roads. Puncture heaven.

Whatever you do.. DON'T put slime or any other puncture sealant in your tubes. Even though I used it in South America and credited my lack of punctures to it (mistake), It will guarantee that you will never be able to fix that puncture. I got a small puncture in a 'Slimed' tube and it didn't seal it at all. The coating can not be cleaned out and it will stop any patch from sticking to it even if you are sure you've cleaned it away from the area.

South America in December... Can't wait to see old friends again

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

It's true, SLIME and like products make patching a tube hard (but not impossible).

If you're in a place where new tubes can be bought easily, then SLIME makes more sense. SLIME can stop small punctures or may turn a flat into a slow leak. But it does not always work. Ride-On is a better product.

But in Mongolia, probably NOT a good idea. Ted's right about patching: Hit and miss. Some tubes just can't seem to be patched ... or patch won't hold. The old school Vulcanized patch is a sure thing ... but bicycle patch kits are not. especially if not natural rubber but are Butyl. (synthetic rubber)

As an aside, SLIME'd tubes can be patched if you wash away all the slime.

But how? Remove valve stem, add water to tube. Shake, Shake and Shake some more. Drain. Repeat.
Dry best you can. It works!! (but a major PITA!) On the trail we never patch a tube. Just replace with new tube and patch punctured tube later or have it done by a pro. (Vulcanize!!!) ... or often, toss it in the bin.

If the need for the huge top box is just somewhere to put your jacket when parked up, get a simple cable lock from a bicycle shop and thread the cable through the arms of the jacket and around the bike frame.

Agree no need for spare cables, personally I would take both front and rear tubes, but then I'm a puncture magnet.

.

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

Took spare tubes and a full tine of glue did uk to singer pore never had one puncture bet I would if I hadn't taken any as for cables always carry an inner rear push bike cable and screwe type ends didn't uses them that time but got me out of the shit before can be used for clutch or throtle

Ted, I will suggest to Alistair to get maybe a tube once we get in Central Asia.

Mollydog, yes we will need to be able to camp at some point once out of Europe... And nice to have the option.


We' ll see. We learnt a lot from our previous mistakes and no doubt we will learn a lot again from our new mistakes. AS long we make it to UB I will be happy!

__________________
Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

I had an expensive Continental heavy duty tube in my DRZ. Filled full of slime. I got a small puncture in it. As I had a spare tube I changed it and carried on safe in the knowledge that I was close to my destination and could leisurely repair that punctured tube. I removed the valve, filled, drained , emptied, filled, drained emptied etc etc... It was an on-going event for about 6 hours. I didn't want to throw the tube as it was an expensive heavy duty tube that was irreplaceable in Africa.. In the end I couldn't stop Slime from seeping from that hole when I tried to patch it. It was a bloody mess. I even hung the tube up with the hole at the top hoping all the slime would settle at the bottom. It didn't. It was like like an explosion at a snot factory... I finally gave up and as an experiment, I cut the tube open with my knife and poured out the remaining slime. A LOT of it. I cleaned the tube again and again and still couldn't get any patches to stick to it. I was using professional patched and industrial quality solution.

I came to the conclusion that the slime is partially absorbed into the inner tube making a good repair impossible. It's probably why garaged refuse to repair tyres once they've been slimed...

It's a mystery

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.