What are the minimum tools and/or equipment that should be taken on a road ride. I ask because I recently had both tires go flat and I had nothing on me. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you.
There's really no set answer to that, it depends on a lot of things:
how intent are you on finishing the ride?
can you call someone for pickup, friend or a cab?
how do you feel about carrying stuff?
Some really dislike carrying stuff and will either chance it, or rely on calling for help/pickup if something should happen. Some will happily carry a sizeable pack to be able to finish the ride.
As soon as I'm out of walking distance I always carry:
one spare tube,
tire levers
pump
self-adhesive patches to deal with a 2nd flat, if needed
a small plier, to help remove any penetrating debris
chain breaker
quick link
spare brake cable
spare shifter cable
a folding multi-tool
Some zip ties, a length of duct tape
It all fits in one saddle bag and seems like a reasonable compromise between bulk and self-reliance to me.
Longer rides, I add another tube and spare brake pads.
Maybe even a spare tire.
A patch kit (regular ol' glue-ons, not self-adhesive; and although not specifically gluons, there are **** loads of gluons on the interior volume of my seat bag)
2 tire levers
A piece of Tyvek (used as a tire boot for for those occasions when a tire cut is large enough that the inner tube might poke through)