MrPhil

In days gone by I carried drivers license, credit card, health insurance card, house key, $20 bill, and a quarter in a little zip lock bag. Now I carry the cell phone instead of a quarter. It's matter of being prepared. I've got flat repair covered, might as well go a little further. I don't answer the phone on rides. I'll check messages during a stop . . . maybe.

derath

I always carry mine. It is a fully loaded smartphone. I mostly work from home these days so I don't get in as many commuting miles. But I can "steal away" for a nice long ride over lunch. Problem is these rides tend to be longer than a lunchbreak. In case of work issues I can easily take care of these things during my ride if necessary. I'd rather have to stop by the side of the road for a few minutes to answer a critical email than be stuck in an office not riding.

Whoah! Which software/GPS feature are you using? I have a couple different GPS apps on my phone, but none give me "bicycle routing" The best I have is an "avoid interstate" option.

-D

tippy

"Do you carry a cell phone while out on a ride? Why?"

Define "carry".
If by "carry", you mean in your hand pressed to the side of your head?? then No. Why? Operating the bike is more important to me than anything someone has to say to me.
If by "carry", you mean on your person or in a bag?? Then Yes. Why? I carry alot of things I hope I never have to use. Band-aids, tubes, pump, patch kit, HALT, cell phone, etc.

powerhouse

OK, Tippy.

What I mean by "carrying" a cell phone is to keep it in a sensible place on one's person (jersey pocket, clipped to one's belt, pants, or shorts. Carrying it pressed to the side of your head while operating the bicycle is not a good idea. "Carrying" a cell phone can also be done by placing it in a knapsack that is to be attached to oneself or in a panier that is attached to one's bicycle.

I hope I've been of help.

Powerhouse

bkaapcke

My wife does, mostly because she is not interested in fixing flats. She figures that's why she has a contract with me. All of my explanations about how this really prevents her from learning how to fix flats fall on deaf ears. This makes it quasi-legit. bk

stringbreaker

Yep I carry mine all the time. I don't usually have it on unless the wife and I are both riding and we happen to get separated and also if the kids need to call or vice versa. A very handy tool but if it was ringing every 20 minutes I'd turn it off.

PDXracer

I carry mine in my under the frame bag.

Gotta have it, as there are not a lot of phone booths where I ride most of the time, and like the security of being able to call for any kind of help if I need it.

(Most of time call home to roommate, and make sure he puts a couple of my beers in the freezer for me so their like a Beer slurpee by the time I return home)

sumguy

Tracfone $99/yr. Carry it everywhere for the reasons above. 99.9% of the time it is turned off. Only turn it on for trips involving friends or family when going out of town. Haven't needed it yet for being rescued.

Rex G

Why have a mobile communication device, and not use its mobility? (I don't use it while moving; cycling IS multi-tasking, already.) I don't like the way some people have become too dependent on their mobile electronic devices, but I have used mobile phones to contact 911 several times to summon help for others, or report a dangerous situation such as a traffic hazard.

ATAC49er

My $15 pay-as-you-go cell phone is always with me, and only out of my reach when I'm at home (where I don't even know the # of the landline my extended family maintains) in the bathroom. It is my required source of contact with my job, and my contact with my xtd-fam when I am not home.

I average less than one call a week, but several texts per day. Haven't upgraded to the camera phone yet....

axis7613

I had a guy buzz me twice the other day and when I caught up to him at the next red light, I got the phone out and let him see me take pictures of his plates and him. Then I pulled up to his passenger side window and acted like I was talking to the police telling them I had photos of the truck and driver.

gcottay

Yes, because of personal and professional responsibilities. I do not, however, answer or initiate calls while riding.

obersts001

The things I always have with me:

1. Blackberry - when I bought a new mini-pouch for my bike, I brought the BB with me to ensure I could fit it.
2. House keys
3. Credit card - this is a "safety" card that always has zero balance, and exists only in the bike pouch.
4. NYC Transit cash Metrocard with a couple of rides on it
5. Photocopy of my driver's license
6. Allen wrenches that fit the bike seat and handlebars
7. $20 bill

Strangely, the only thing on that list that I've ever needed to use while riding is the allen wrench for the handlebars, one time when someone knocked me over and it pushed my front out of alignment. I should carry a spare tube & levers.

Miguelangel

I always carry mine...
1. I was able to get my lovely wife to pick me up when I ran out of spares.. and she drove two hours to pick me up!!!
2. Last Jan, when I had an accident and broke collarbone and 3 ribs (in two places) was able to call my wife for help and medical help to while lying on the floor.... the unfortunate thing is that the smart ass responsible for the accident ran away..I wish my phone had a camera..I wud have taken a pic of him...
have I said? I always will carry a phone!!!

billbass

Uh..Yeah! Pepper spray, cell phone, condoms, uh, I mean computer..Yeah.. Seriously, I always have a cellphone on my rides.

buzzman

Here's a strange reason to carry a cell phone but one that is probably the thing that makes it most useful for me to have-

WIND.

Why? Let's say I tell someone I'll meet them at 2 pm and they are 35 miles away. 35 miles I've done countless times, no big hills, predictable ride. I'll leave a little before noon and should get there right at 2 pm, or if I'm feeling spry a little sooner. Then I hit the brutal head wind and that 2 hour 17 mph ride turns into a 2 1/2- 3 hour grueling death march made all the worse knowing my friend, co-worker etc is sitting there wondering when the hell I'll show up.

It cracks me up that people think cell phones complicate their lives, like the phone is going to be ringing every 5 minutes- just turn the stupid thing off until you want to use it. Mine has this very interesting feature called "voice mail" where I can actually retrieve messages left when I don't answer my phone!

And cancel your land line or reduce the service to virtually nothing. I pay $12/ month for my land line at home, which I resent since I never use it but my wife is wigged out by the idea of getting rid of it entirely- I now find it useless. I never answer it and no one ever calls me on it.

I'm sure bicycles were seen by some as the devil's work and to be resisted at all costs when first invented. The cell phone seems to have it's detractors and I have friends who fall into that category, though I can't think of a single one of them who doesn't call mine when they want me or beg to use it when they're in a pinch.

Is there some special virtue I am unaware of that makes people NOT want to have one and of all the things people carry on their bikes a cell phone seems a pretty simple light weight thing to bring- certainly better than all the 9 mm Glocks people seem to be toting about according to some other threads.

Now that I think of it... this thread really is a no-brainer.

powerhouse

UPDATE

Many years passed where members of my family owned cellphones while I went without one. On March 3, 2010, this ended when my sister-in-law, a woman very familliar with the inner workings of computers, cell phones, and other such gadgets, gave me a cellphone for my birthday. There's a short list of people who know it's number and I use it for a limited number of reasons, emergencies being one of them.

I'd like to thank all of you who provided your entries with helpful hints and suggestions.

levelred

I carry my phone in a diy phone holder. I bring it along just in case something happens or work needs me. Also I love listening to music when I ride I put it on speaker phone nothing in ear. Also so I can have endomondo running in the background to keep track of time.

Keith99

Perfectly reasonable.

I have one so I'll carry it when riding. Honestly I've never used it and had one instance of a wrong number that got me dropped from the group.

Why? Because thsoe who know my cell number don't call for chit chat. If it had been a right number it would have been something imporant.

In the era before cheap (and I think reasonably sized) cell phones I had a couple of instances where I really would have liked a cell phone. Funny how the biggest mechanical issues I've ahd were all in inconvenient places. No pay phones within miles. I got lucky both times. Which is saying something as I look more like a wild mountian man than mister clean. I can totally understand people not wanting to stop to help the 220 plus wildman.

alexaschwanden

I carry my smart phone for incase of emergencies, or if I am going to be late, maybe music. It is useful most of the time.

waldowales

I carry mine in a rack bag, so my wife will get off my case. I don't answer it while riding, but I look to see if there are any messages when I stop for some other reason.

Antaresia

I'd say it's so I can call work if something happens to make me late, but I usually don't bring it with me for my commute. I recently got a smart phone, since my regular cell died. I resisted smart phones for a long time, but when I did give in I was so happy with the upgrade.

I LOVE the map function, I load the destination and any time I'm lost I can see the red dot where I need to be and the blue dot of where I am. This has never prevented me from GETTING lost, but getting lost doesn't bother me as much as staying lost.

Taking pictures is fun, as soon as my grandma figures out e-mail I'll be sending her some.

I have the numbers for police non-emergency, animal control, Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, taxi service, translink, and even my LBS. It's good to be prepared.

I also have an app that tracks my rides, it's really cool. I turned it on for the Pacific Populair:
https://j.mp/HBrGT6
which, you have to admit, is kind of fun. It gives you graphs too, the elevation, you can save routes and see how you improve.

I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, it's like handle bar mirrors. A tool that some people will love, some people need, and some people couldn't care less about. I take it with me on long rides, or if I'm meeting up with a friend.

RGNY

i'd say i carry a cell phone about half the time.

i'm an old curmudgeon and hate the things to begin with, but my wife asks me to bring it with, (like she asks me to wear a helmet) so i do.

i'm not allowed to have a cell phone at work (prison), so it stays home on weekdays.

never had one at all until 2005 when i had to travel to California and was in a situation with no other reliable communication. just kept it around since then. close to 2000 unused minutes on a Tracfone.

jputnam

I carry a cell phone for work, so it's with me every time I ride. Some say that's a leash that keeps me tied to work, but it's a lot longer leash than sitting at my desk with a land line! And it lets me ride more than I otherwise would -- I've even moderated a conference call from the Interurban Trail mid-ride.

Leebo

Who doesn't own a cell phone? Yowsza. My ring tone is my hadley rear hub coasting. When i"m pedaling, I can't "hear" it.