The cyclist's first aid kit: what to pack for road, gravel and long rides

Of course, a two-hour road ride starting and finishing at your home requires a different approach to a five-day remote bikepacking adventure, so you should adapt your kit as needed, but all cycling first aid kits should include a few essentials.

In this guide, we'll cover cyclist first-aid essentials, what to include when riding off-road or bikepacking, how to treat road rash and when it's necessary to call for emergency assistance.

Why every cyclist needs a first aid kit

Cycling is an inherently risky sport where, even if you're extremely technically proficient, you can be involved in a crash due to factors outside of your control.

For most of us, the majority of our rides are completely uneventful, but now and again, a lapse of concentration or an unexpected occurrence in the path ahead results in you or someone in your group hitting the deck.

In these situations, having a few first-aid items on hand will allow you to patch yourself or a friend up until you get home or emergency services arrive.

All that said, it's worth highlighting that a cycling first aid kit is unlikely to save your life unless it's packed with more advanced medical equipment that you have the requisite knowledge to use, such as a tourniquet to stop a haemorrhage or an EpiPen to stop anaphylaxis. In more serious situations, the biggest lifesavers are having your mobile phone to call for emergency help and having basic first aid training to slow major bleeds, perform CPR and know when and when not to move an injured person.

The essential 10: what every cyclist should carry on every ride

In an ideal world, you'd carry the following items on every ride. That said, if you're going for a short cycle where you'll always be within a few miles of home or your vehicle, having a charged phone, while not best practice, is probably adequate, as surface wounds can usually wait a few minutes to be cleaned and dressed.

Aside from your phone, the rest of the items listed below will fit neatly into a small zippered pouch or zip-lock bag. A bag this size can be easily carried in a handlebar bag, frame bag, top tube bag or 1L saddle pack. The most important thing is that it's in a waterproof bag. If you don't use bike bags, carrying it in your jersey pocket is also perfectly fine.

• A charged phone (the most important item)
• Antiseptic wipes for wound cleaning
• Gauze roll and wipes
• Waterproof tape and safety pins
• A few assorted plasters
• One large non-adhesive sterile dressing
• Butterfly stitches
• One pair of nitrile or latex gloves
• Stainless-steel tweezers
• Basic medications: ibuprofen or paracetamol and an antihistamine

Wound care: water, antiseptic wipes, gauze, non-adhesive dressings, plasters, butterfly closures

The most common injuries sustained in bike crashes are cuts and grazes, such as mild "road rash" from sliding over the pavement after crashing. Thankfully, these injuries are easy to treat and fast to heal. Other deeper cuts may require professional medical attention, such as stitches, and will take longer to heal. Cuts that result in a haemorrhage (rupture of a blood vessel) require emergency medical attention.

Cleaning and covering road rash is the main job of a cyclist's first-aid kit, as it's something you can do quickly and easily at the side of the road or on the trail in order to get back riding again.

Antiseptic alcohol or iodine wipes are used to clean the area, then plain water and sterile gauze swabs to remove any dirt or debris, and a large non-adhesive dressing to cover, held in place with your tape.

For deeper cuts, butterfly stitches can be used to hold the two sides together until you can get it looked at by a medical professional.

Tools: surgical gloves, tweezers, small scissors, safety pins

Having a pair of nitrile or latex gloves in your kit can help protect any open wounds from contamination.

As many of us have experienced, when debris gets stuck in your skin, such as a splinter in the hand or grit in road rash, it can be extremely uncomfortable. Sometimes the only way to get these stubborn objects out is with tweezers. A proper pair of stainless steel tweezers should be included in any cycling first-aid kit. However, if debris is lodged deep into the skin, it's best to seek professional medical attention.

A small pair of scissors is another handy tool that you can use to cut tape, bandages and dressings to size or, in rare situations, cut your clothes. Safety pins are used to secure a triangular bandage.

Medications: ibuprofen / paracetamol, antihistamine, antibiotic ointment

Painkillers are another essential in any cycling first-aid kit. A couple of doses of ibuprofen or paracetamol can help take the edge off pain from a fall or other pain, such as a headache or menstrual pain.

These painkillers are widely tolerated, but they shouldn't be taken by anyone who is allergic. Ibuprofen should also be avoided by anyone who has had a stomach ulcer, and those with liver issues should avoid paracetamol.

Non-drowsy antihistamines are another useful medication to have in your kit. These can be taken to alleviate mild allergic reactions to insect stings. However, if you've ever had a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to any food, sting or bite, or medicine, you should carry an EpiPen in your first aid kit at all times.

Extras: sting relief, sunscreen sachet, blister plasters

Some nice-to-have extras in a first-aid kit include a cream or ointment to treat stings and bites, a couple of sachets of SPF50 sunscreen for outdoor rides that unexpectedly run long on sunny days, and blister plasters to cover blisters that have developed over the course of a multi-day ride.

Road vs gravel/MTB vs bikepacking: how to adjust the kit

The essential 10 is the starting point for all ride disciplines and durations, but if you plan to be on the road or trail for multiple days, there are plenty more items you can add to your kit to cover the different possibilities that may arise.

If most of your riding will be done in well-serviced areas, the essentials kit is probably sufficient, but if you plan to cover long distances in remote areas, you should plan accordingly.

How to treat road rash on the trail (step-by-step)

As mentioned, road rash is the graze or abrasion you experience when you fall off your bike, and your skin makes contact with the ground and rubs off as you slide. It's a painful injury, but it's simple to treat. Proper, timely treatment helps reduce overall pain and prevent infection and scarring.

Here's a step-by-step sequence to follow in the event of a fall and suffering road rash:

1. If the fall isn't serious, immediately move off the road away from traffic to assess.
2. Put on nitrile gloves before touching the wound.
3. Rinse the wound with plain water (before the blood starts to dry, if possible), clean the area with an antiseptic wipe and use a gauze pad to wipe away any debris. If some debris isn't budging, you can use the tweezers to remove the remaining superficial debris. Anything lodged deeper should be removed by a medical professional. Don't wipe the skin with tissue paper.
4. Dry the area with another gauze pad.
5. Cover it with a non-adhesive dressing cut to the appropriate size and secure it with your tape. For the first four or five days, keep the graze covered. Wounds heal better when slightly moist than when left to dry in the air.
6. When you get home, reassess the wound. Clean and dress it again properly and watch for signs of infection (redness, heat, swelling, pus or fever) over the following days, and see a doctor if any appear.

Pre-made first aid kits vs DIY kits: pros, cons and best pre-made options

For most of us, the convenience of buying a ready-made first-aid kit is the most appealing option. Many of these kits come in handy pocket-sized waterproof pouches and contain most or all of the essentials we've mentioned above. If anything is missing from the kit, you can just buy it from your local pharmacy and add it, then replace whatever you use as you use it.

Making your own kit from scratch is more time-consuming and probably more expensive, as you'll have to buy multipacks of the different dressings, plasters and wipes. Additionally, you'll need to find a suitable waterproof pouch. However, once you have all the gear, you can top up the bag quickly and use the spares at home.

What to do in a real emergency: when to call 112 / 911

For injuries that are more severe than grazes and sprains, it's essential to waste no time, secure the area and call professional help. Call your local emergency number (999 or 112 in the UK and Europe, 911 in North America) if you notice any of the following symptoms:

• Loss of consciousness, vomiting, confusion, seizures
• Severe bleeding that won't stop with pressure
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain or severe pain anywhere in the body
• A suspected spine/neck injury
• An obvious fracture or bone breaking the skin
• A severe allergic reaction

Taking a basic first aid course can save lives in the event of a serious crash. Never move someone with a suspected spinal injury unless there is immediate danger such as from oncoming traffic. If the person isn't breathing, call emergency services on loudspeaker and start CPR or have another person make the call.