When your bike doesn’t ride properly you can feel it. It makes a clicking sound, there’s something rubbing, the tires need air, or it’s harder to pedal than it should be. You can try figuring out what’s wrong for yourself but if you don’t have bike accessories it won’t much matter.

Even if you do, you can find yourself in the same predicament after a week of heavy riding. If you carry bike accessories with you, however, you can protect against problems while you ride, which will allow you to get home or to a bike shop safely.

I carry a wrench (in part because my rear wheel isn’t quick release) because if anything loosens up or something’s wrong with my derailleur I can adjust it, which will help at least for a little while. I carry a spare tube and a patch kit, just in case, as well as a butter knife which is great for popping off the tire from the rim. I also carry some bike lube, which goes a long way toward a smoother ride, especially after being caught in the rain.  These bike supplies aren’t too heavy and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used them to save my ride.

Whenever you cross state lines on a bike you feel a certain achievement, like you’re amazed you came this far, and somewhat scared that you’ll have to turn around. The distances are great, such as when I used to bike from my dorm in New York to my long-time Connecticut home a hundred and forty-three miles away. It took a few bike accessories considering that I had four flat tires along the way, and at points I wanted to just dismount and walk that baby. But, I kept on. I kept riding, my bike supplies in my backpack with my toothbrush and bathing suit and sweatshirt.

But when I finally arrived, surprising my parents, they were astounded. They couldn’t believe I had biked so far. And, what if we hadn’t been home! they asked. They made me cheeseburgers with watermelon. I took a hot shower and went swimming in the watering hole under the August sun-dappled branches and the swaying pine needles and it was clear that summer was over. But, I had come so far and seen so many things on the way and I remembered my excitement and worry during my first flat tire, which  I fixed with my bike supplies outside of the Bronx, how inexperienced I was…