General Cycling Discussion - How long does it take you to get ready for a ride after work?

This is for those that ride after work and do not commute to and from work by bike.

After you get home form work how long does it take you to get ready for your ride?

What is involved in getting ready?

Just changing your cloths putting your helmet on and taking off?

Or do you do anything a little more elaborate?

Like air up your tires, fill your water bottles, give your bike a once over, etc?

Are your cycling cloths laid out ready to be changed into?

My cycling cloths are laid out the night before. And my camel Bak is always stored in the refrigerator with water in it.

When I get home I change into my cycling cloths, put the Camel Bak in its pack, air up the tires, give my bike a once over, then I'm out the door. It usually takes me anywhere from 15 min. to 1/2 hour to get completely ready.

How about the rest of you?

Originally posted by N_C
After you get home form work how long does it take you to get ready for your ride?



One of my concerns about using the road bike is the amount of time spent in preparation for the ride.

So, when I am limited in time, I keep my mtn bike ready to go, and at times just ride in street clothes and tennis shoes, sometimes not even changing. At the most, I put on a pair of street shorts, keep the same shoes on (the mtn bike has platforms with straps) and go. Takes about 5 minutes.

about 1 minute.... run upstairs... change clothes... run downstairs... then i'm off!

good preparation for my triathlon, eh? ;)

If it's a long ride, I'll want to eat first, then if it's winter I need to work out much to wear, putting booties on and taking my bike from the sixth floor to the first takes a while too. I'll do a last minute check too, make sure i haven't forgotten the wheels and that I tightened things back up. Decide what tools to pack, what sunglasses, no of spare tubes etc.

It's never taken more than 40 minutes and sometimes only 2-3 minutes, but if I'm planning to meet others, I usually organise it so that I have an hour between lectures and meeting for the ride as I have to include 10 minutes to get to and from home too.

After work I'm on an empty stomach. Dont forget to eat something before you go. Even if it's just fruit, powerbars, or whatever.

Let's see:

1 - change in to biking clothes (same for Donna)
2 - fill water bottles on but them on the bikes
3 - put both bikes on the car rack
4 - drive to starting point

We're usually out the door in 10 - 15 minutes.

Zack

It doesn't take me long at all. I commute to work about 3 miles at a slow pace as not to sweat, than after work-work clothes and all-ride for about 12 to 15 miles. It's after work so I don't care if I sweat up the work clothes, their going in the wash as soon as I get home.

Whether it is a morning ride to work or a ride on the weekend it usually takes 20mins to get my stuff in a pile.

1) decide which bike I am taking
2) grab mobile phone and toolkit from one bike bag and cram into the other bikes bag.
3) grab the correct tube, MTB, road, short valve, long valve.
4) fill bottles or wash camel back and fill
5) decide which gloves and jersey, long or short
6) pump up tyres
7) clean sweat off sunglasses from last ride
8) check quick release for tightness
9) tell my wife where I am going
10) get on and ride.......finally:D

CHEERS.

Mark

i _usually_ get my bike in working order the night before (like last night put on a new cassette and tested it out). i also lay out my clothes and pack up my pack - this morning i filled the camelback, and my gloves and bike light (for the ride home) are laid out on the bed..

after i get home, i HAVE to eat!

then i change really quick, throw my wallet and cell phone into the bag and head off --- so 15 minutes including eating (usally a bowl of cereal) but that's b/c i prepare a lot before

10 minutes. Change clothes. Put filled water bottles on bike. Give quick look over. 10 minutes tops. Maybe bit longer in Winter..more clothes.

I go to a technical mountain bike trail 5 inutes from work. (it's about 8 miles) . It takes me 5 minutes to throw off my clothes, dive into shoes and clothes and set off for the trail. (I pack up my bike and gear the night before).

Originally posted by N_C
After you get home form work how long does it take you to get ready for your ride?
Too long.


What is involved in getting ready?
Eat a snack on the way home, change clothes (not laid out), check bike, tires, brakes, cables, fill water bottles, put on helmet, check mirror, zoooommm!!


Well maybe zoom. :rolleyes: :D

Originally posted by ZackJones
4 - drive to starting point


Couldn't this part be skipped? (well, unless you are too far from the Gnarly ATB trail you love???)

then again, I'm guilty of doing this as well, though my excuse is that I dont have a helmet yet, thus riding next to traffic is inadvisable, so I use the car to ferry myself & gear to the bike path.

However, now I bought a helmet (Gisallo bell, $64 on clearance) so I won't have an excuse anymore :eek:

So, how many of us take our road bike in the car to where we ride? I've seen lots of other people doing it, I guess its pretty common.

take care,

Jester

Originally posted by jester69

So, how many of us take our road bike in the car to where we ride? I've seen lots of other people doing it, I guess its pretty common.

It depends... sometimes I start right away from home (if time is really tight on weekdays, which is usually the case). From my house, there are really only two decent routes to the Parkway. :rolleyes:

When I have more time on my hands, I load the road bike onto the car and drive further out to start, for a change of scenery, lighter traffic, or different terrain (ie: hills). :D

With the weather being so unpredictable lately, it takes me way too long to prep everything. In summer, it takes me about 15 minutes to get my act together. :)

I like to be able to go at a moments notice, so I try to keep all the gear in one place (the hall closet). I also give my bike the once over at the end of a ride that way I know that its ready to go for next time. If there is an issue I can deal with it then rather than be ready to ride and then have to fix something.

About 5 minutes- I get everything ready to go the night before so I can just snag everything and put it on and run out the door. I hate wasting time getting ready. It just seems so.... wasteful.

Koffee

Originally posted by Dutchy
Whether it is a morning ride to work or a ride on the weekend it usually takes 20mins to get my stuff in a pile.

1) decide which bike I am taking
2) grab mobile phone and toolkit from one bike bag and cram into the other bikes bag.
3) grab the correct tube, MTB, road, short valve, long valve.

Mark

I bet there are a lot of folks who have their bikes set up totally independently. I know I do, including toolkit, water bottles, etc. Therefore, any bike I grab is ready except for sell phone.

Taking that one step further- I think I am one of those people!

I have my clothes laid out and ready to go, including shoes and socks. If I know it's going to rain, I have the rain gear ready to go.

I have my water bottle pre-filled and sitting in the fridge and ready to grab as I walk out the door.

My toolkit is packed and ready to go, and I have all my id's in the kit in case I have problems.

I have my cell phone charging, and I usually extend the cord so that I can leave the cell phone in my bag and just plug it in while it's laying in the bag so I don't accidentally leave my cell phone behind. It works.

The only thing I have to do is wash my face and slap on some deoderant once I put my clothes on. I just hate wasting time, really.

I can get ready faster than an eye-blink. What takes time is finding a phone booth to change in my SuperBiker suit. :D

My clothes are always laid out... on the floor. I pick whatever smells less, fill the bottles, put whatever I might need (keys, snack, map, fleece and/or wind jacket, etc) and go. Time to get ready varies according to how difficult it is to find clean clothes.

Originally posted by jester69
Couldn't this part be skipped? (well, unless you are too far from the Gnarly ATB trail you love???)

then again, I'm guilty of doing this as well, though my excuse is that I dont have a helmet yet, thus riding next to traffic is inadvisable, so I use the car to ferry myself & gear to the bike path.


Most of the rides originating from the house are rides my wife Donna and I do together. As a new cyclist she is not yet comfortable with some of the roads we'd have to take to get going on the ride.

I'd rather drive to the starting point to ride with her than to do the ride by myself. If I do go out on my own then I do start the majority of my rides from the house.

Zack

HOw much time? Maybe I should answer by "How much people"!

If I go by myself, getting ready to go takes anything from 1 to 5 minutes, longest being in Winter (donning Winter vestments) or in Summer (filling those water bottles). If I go with one or two children, then add time to dress both children (youngest just turned 3, so she needs lots of help), get the trailer outside and unfold it, get either the trailercycle or the solo bike for the oldest daughter, attach everything together, get everyone seated, solve complaints...

Regarding my equipment:
- I always ride in street clothes (bikes have fenders).
- If it is Summer or I have planned something in the morning, I probably already wear cycling shoes; otherwise, I won't change, unless I want to go really far.
- I have one pannier with 2 tubes (20" and 700c), flat repair kit, raingear, lock. I simply move it to the bike I use.

I bet there are a lot of folks who have their bikes set up totally independently. I know I do, including toolkit, water bottles, etc.

Yeah I should actually sit down and sort my stuff out, after 10 years of doing this, I wonder why I haven't. Maybe it's just a habit thing. I will work on it.

CHEERS.

Mark

and ashort ride or ride in the afternoon after work, I just have to change to my cycling outfit about 20 minutes.
on a long weekend rides, Have to check my gears have decent meal/or snacks about 1 hour