What is the minimum I need to keep in my saddle bag?

[Melalvai]

I always bring my cell phone - what else should I have in there? Spare tube or patch kit and tire irons? What is everyone else carrying around.

It depends on what you are doing. As a commuter, I keep a lot of stuff in my rack trunk. Recreational riding, or racing, or touring, etc will have different needs. The contents change when I do a century.

I agree, don't bother with patch kit etc unless you know how to use it. If you can't take a class, go to your local bike shop and ask them to show you.

The multi tool has been a good investment for me. I like being able to make my own adjustments, I've spent a lot of time with my riding buddies & the LBS learning from them. I can adjust my saddle angle in the middle of a ride, for example.