Originally Posted by SanDiegoCyclist
I know some people who like to put their bike in their tent in case of bad weather, but I have always just left it out, locked up if needed. Usually I have a pieces of plastic to wrap around my saddle. If it rains and it is windy, that's life. The bike gets wet. You wipe it off and oil the chain, and you go. It's not any different than riding through a rain storm. The bike still gets wet.
For something between your sleeping bag and the ground, I would suggest buying a Thermorest pad. It rolls up tight during the day, and takes little space. And I have found them to be comfortable. In my younger days, I used a foam pad, which also seemed to work, but is not as comfortable.
Dave
Yeah, leave it outside. Put a plastic grocery bag or two around the saddle. Take some extra lube just in case however.
As for the pad, I prefer the Big Agnes pads over the Thermorest. They aren't self inflating but they are the size of a nalgene bottle. I can put it in with my sleeping bag and save some space. It also makes less luggage that you have to keep track of.
You can find them at
REI. They are thicker than a Thermorest too.