Sindyeli,

Welcome to TE and to the wonderful world of road riding! I'm pretty much with everyone else: I carry a tube, a patch kit (periodically check that the tube of glue hasn't dried out), and a pump.

Whatever you use (CO2 or frame pump), make sure that you can use it to get your tire up to the appropriate PSI. Ideally you'd perform this experiment in the comfort of your own home rather than find out that it doesn't work when you're on the road. I had a lovely little Crank Brothers Pump that I borrowed from my Mtn. Bike. Unfortunately, when I was on the road, I discovered that I had neither the time or energy to get my tires up to 120 psi. I now have a lovely Road Morph pump that has served me quite well.

Mr. Silver,

I ride very, very small frames (a 47 cm Trek and a 40 cm Merlin), and I had a heck of a time figuring out where to mount my Road Morph. Ebay came to the rescue! I bought a Blackburn frame pump holder that attaches behind the water bottle cage. The pump is on the side of the down tube, and I can use two water bottle cages! The Blackburn pump holder is designed to hold a pump with a larger diameter than the Road Morph, but I was able to use a bit of padding and strips of an old inner tube to make it work.

- Melissa