Mitchell Robinson of Gainesville, Florida is a veteran cyclist and bike mechanic. He opened BikeSpeed Repairs in 1979, and in the thirty-five years since then has developed an international reputation as a mechanic and builder of high-end, custom made bicycle frames.

He has also been a mechanic for several teams riding the Tour de France and the other Grand Tour races. He has had to perform some creative roadside fixes during these races. And yet he says that when it comes down to everyday cycling there are only four common issues, and he most often needs just a few tools to get by.

The most common repair by far, says Mitchell Robinson of Gainesville, Florida, is fixing a flat tire. But a flat, he says, is one of those repairs where you need several things; if any are missing you're out of luck. He says that to fix a flat tire you need a spare tube, a couple of tire levers, and an air source. "You don't absolutely have to have a spare tube," he says, by way of clarification. "You can usually patch an inner tube. But sometimes they'll get a crack along the valve, and you can't patch those. So I recommend always carrying a spare tube." As for an air source, he says that means either a pump or a C02 cartridge.

The next most common repair, says Mitchell Robinson of Gainesville, Florida, is a broken gear cable. You'll need a five millimeter Allen wrench and a spare gear cable for this.

After that, you should be prepared for a broken spoke. "The problem with a broken spoke is that it throws your wheel out of true," he says. "That means it will probably rub on the brake pads. To fix that all you need is a spoke wrench. It goes without saying that you need to make sure you have the right sized spoke wrench for your spokes. If you don't have one, or you don't have the right one, then you can open up the quick release or disconnect the brake cable. That will lift the brake pad away from the wheel and eliminate the rubbing."

Finally, you should have a tool to work on your chain. That means either an old-style chain tool or Master Link pliers. "A broken chain doesn't happen too often for roadies – it's more a mountain bike issue. But it's always best to be prepared."