Innovative ways to carry spare tube and kit

I read somewhere that having two water bottles (one on the down tube, one on the seat tube) is actually better aerodynamically than having zero or one water bottle.  Personally I'm not obsessed with aerodynamics that much.  I figure until I can honestly say I can't lose any more weight, the easiest and cheapest way for me to get faster on the bike is to get lighter.

There are smaller bags you can get behind the seat that will just barely fit a CO2 canister, tube, and tire irons.  They're not much wider than your seatpost.  There are also ones that go under your top tube and fit into the triangle of your top tube and down tube.

I don't know what else would be "clean."  Maybe you could invent/find a way to store it inside your seat.

1.  Bento box

2.  In your back pocket...even for racing.

I use the xlab super wing to carry all my junk during training.  It's heavy, and it's not aero...but it's training.

For short races (sprint/oly), I put my flat kit in my bento box and remove everything behind the saddle.

For my upcoming HIM, I plan to put my nutrition in my bento box, and put my flat kit in a ziplock bag that will sit in my helmet.  When I get out of the water, it takes me 2 seconds to put it in my back pocket of my tri top.  If I want to get fancy, I can lightly tape it to my saddle, then as I'm running with my bike, rip it off and put it in my back pocket...no time lost there.

When I come into T2, same as above...when running with the bike, use one hand to take the bag out of my pocket, and drop it on my towel when I get to my rack spot.  Absolutely no time lost there.  To me, it's the cleanest way to carry a flat kit.  I just hope I don't forget to take it out because I'll have to run with it...LOL.

I also keep my spare tube (just one) under my saddle between the rails.  For now I have a small saddle bag with everything else - it sure is spacious once you get the tube out if it.  I may try to tape the rest of what I need under the saddle too for races, not sure yet (I could use the bento box I guess).  I could probably get tire levers and a patch kit under there but would need to find a smaller/minimalist 'bike tool' than the one I have currently (I wouldn't need the spoke tool, etc. it has during a race anyway) in order to fit it under there with everything else.

CJ

Hmmm... The tape idea just might work. I have some gaffers tape I could use (doesn't leave any residue). I could tape the CO2 between the rails in the front, and the tube in the rear. I'll give it a shot and see how it goes.

No bento box for me, my stem is too short. The bag between the cross bar and the down tube might work, I'll investigate that too.

Thanks for the ideas!

I usually change a tire with one, but I have broken several of them (even the metal/plastic coated ones) so I carry at least 2. 

CJ

Depends on the tire/wheel combo I'm running.  Some change fine with just thumb pressure, but others are tight & I need 2 levers. Never found that levers take up much space.

Here's one with WIDE mouth made for the purpose.  I keep my ride repair stuff in it & just stick it bottle cage of whatever bike I'm ridin'.

http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=NP07739

Most of my training tires are fine with one lever.  But my race tires...no dice.  I can't even think about getting a Zipp Tangente or Bontrager R4 Aero on without two hefty levers.  Just isn't going to happen.

Always found it hard stuffing stuff in and getting it out of a water bottle. I use 2 peanut butter jars glued together and put into a bottle holder - perfect width for the holder and you can make it as high or short as you need.

Lewis.