Fifty Plus (50+) - Checklists

How many times have you forgotten to do something or bring something and it ruined your ride? Maybe you (like me) forgot to zip your saddle bag and you lost your keys. Or you forgot to pack your front wheel or shoes in the car and didn't realize it until you got to the starting point?

Well, we all know that a simple checklist can eliminate most of these problems, but how many of you use them? I just stumbled on this article in Fast Company that has a fascinating account of the value of simple checklists. Give it a read -- and then make a checklist that you can hang by your bikes! :)

Fast Company article on checklists (http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/123/heroic-checklist.html)

I have a bike basket in my van with all the equipment I'll need for the ride - helmet, mirror, gloves, water bottle, socks, shoes, etc. About the only thing not in that basket is the bike and clothes. This works well for me since I need to drive to most rides.

I'm one of those that lives by "lists":) I have checklists for travel, my daughter's trips to Special Olympics events, grocery lists, to-do lists for the house - the list just goes on and on.

Of course the list doesn't insure I won't forget something. Last year I had to cancel an after work ride because I forgot to put the bike in the van. At least I had the bike basket:o:o

I forgot my bike once, guess I should have checked for that one. Over the years, I have forgotten just about everything possible. Luckily it doesn't happen too often.

I have a bike basket in my van with all the equipment I'll need for the ride - helmet, mirror, gloves, water bottle, socks, shoes, etc. About the only thing not in that basket is the bike and clothes. This works well for me since I need to drive to most rides.

We do that too. My wife and I each have a plastic tub that's just the right size for a pair of cycling shoes, helmet, gloves, etc. Unfortunately, I found out that system's not idiot proof. Last Labor Day weekend we drove over 500 miles to the Miwest tandem Rally to discover I had left my shoes at home. During the week prior to the rally I had started and ended a ride at my home and had left my shoes in the garage. In my case it worked out swell because a fellow who was parked right next to us had a spare pair of shoes that were exactly the right size and had exactly the right cleat. Is that good karma or what?

Being task-oriented by nature, I keep a list at work or at home of important things I need to accomplish but would otherwise forget to do. I keep a small spiral-bound notebook in my purse and jot down notes about anything that I might want to remember later.

When I was younger I had a hard time understanding how older folks couldn't remember certain things that stood out in my memory. Now, I understand....... :(

I think that's an outstanding idea. Aircraft have checklists for good reason.

There have been a number of occasions when I have forgotten items related to cycling and other hobbies. I drove about 20 miles to the rifle range a month or so ago and found that I had left my target stand at home:mad:

As disorganized as I am, however, I'd probably lose the checklist:(

For those that pop their front wheel off to transport your bike to your riding place ... and then put your front wheel back on before doing your ride: Your checklist should include:
* Did you disengage the quick release of your front brake calipers, so that you have brakes for the front wheel?

DG's friend (who got mustard on his jersey) told me about how he took his Saluki ... I mean bicycle ... for a 30 mile metropark ride, without any front wheel brakes because the front brakes were still quick-released.

I've got a checklist. Somewhere. I've also got a book on how to get organized, but I can't find that either.

"The average Rooskie, son, don't take a dump without a plan."

Too much regimentation for this old dude. Most of my rides originate
from home anyway so not much chance of forgetting a wheel or my
bike. I often forget to bring my Gatorade, but that's available at
every corner store around here. So no, no lists for me......heck,
I'ld probably have to turn around and go back to see if I checked
the list or not. :rolleyes:

For some reason it ls likely appropriate to have a checklist thread on the +50 forum, LOL.

I have begun commuting a couple of days a week. It is a long ride for me, I need a shower at the work end, and I start work at 6:30. With all that I need to have the right stuff waiting at work, I need to pack up the night before, and a list is next to being required.

Mark

I almost always leave from home here and forget my water bottle a lot. Yesterday I had to stop at a little store and buy a bottle of water.

I don't usually have a problem forgetting things...except...

Last year after the 5 boro bike tour, I left my backpack on the Staten Island Ferry. It had my car keys, wallet, everything. I was stuck in NYC, about 175 miles from home, with only my bike and cell phone. And the cell phone battery was dying!
Went to the office of Homeland Security at the Staten Island Ferry, and the guy there gave me a real ration of s**t, told me they would process my claim within 30 days and get back to me. I pointed out that I was stuck right were I was, with no way to get home. After about a half hour, this guy finally asks me "is this it?" He had the thing under his desk the whole time. The worrisome thing was that he claimed it was found on a return trip to Staten Island, and brought back the Manhattan, without anyone looking inside it. He even said he didn't look in it. So, there was this backpack, unattended on the Staten Island Ferry, and no one questioned it. Thought it was odd for Homeland Security, not even checking it out.
I doubt I will forget something like that again....

Lists are excellent ideas. My father used them all the time and passed the tradition on to me. On the other hand, they're not perfect. I went on a ride a few years ago and stopped at a 7-11 to pick up a banana & a drink. Unfortunately, I forgot to zip up my seat bag before I left. Out came my wallet on the trail. The only reason I didn't loose my car keys was the little leash (strap + clip) inside the bag for just such an item.

Imagine my surprise, after realizing my mistake (after ~5 miles) and slowly riding back in an attempt to find my wallet (but knowing I had about a .0001% chance of spotting it) that my cellphone rang. A small kid had found it while riding on the trail with his parents and given it to them! We arranged a meeting and I made darn sure to thank the boy for having sharp eyes!

ADD people have a peculiar love/hate relationship with lists. Lists are the only thing that can keep us organized, but using a list demands "tedium skills" that we don't have...

I've found I have to organize my life geographically instead. For instance, back in the days before Internet banking, I had to keep my stamps in the checkbook, or else I'd set checks aside while I looked for the stamps, and they'd be forgotten until the late notices arrived.

Now admittedly, I have it easier than most since I'm single and have no-one to impress with my decorating skills, or alternately, my financial ability to hire decorators. So I can organize geographically without regard for such nonsense.

All of my rides begin and end in the living room. That's where the bikes are stored. I removed the audio equipment from one end of the room, relocated the desk there, and dedicated the entire wall nearest the kitchen (as the bikes enter and exit through the kitchen door) to bikes and bike schitt. (Remember, of course, that my apartment is tiny, so when I say, "the entire wall" I mean nine feet.)

Click images for larger...

http://www.brucew.com/gallery/albums/bikes/100_2953.thumb.jpg (http://www.brucew.com/gallery/bikes/100_2953)

I put down a trainer mat to protect the maple floors from dripping bikes, studded snow tires and metal cleats. The bikes are stored on a wall-mounted Delta Vincent rack next to the radiator so that they can be locked to the radiator.

http://www.brucew.com/gallery/albums/bikes/100_2955.thumb.jpg (http://www.brucew.com/gallery/bikes/100_2955)

Next, I typed in IKEA.com, and went shopping for bike schitt storage. From their Leksvik Hall Series (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/series/12565/), I chose the hat rack and bench/shoe rack. They looked like exactly what I needed and reminded me of the cloakroom at the school where I attended kindergarten.

http://www.brucew.com/gallery/albums/bikes/100_2954.thumb.jpg (http://www.brucew.com/gallery/bikes/100_2954)

Everything I need for commuting, shopping or rec rides lives in the IKEA racks. (With the exception of food, which lives in the kitchen, and clothes, which live in the bedroom.) Shoes, pump, tubes, lubes, panniers, trunk bag, rain gear, tools and accessories slot into bench/shoe rack. Helmet, jackets, gloves, bungees, cargo net, seat bag, lock, lights and batteries go in the cubbies on the hat rack. I only have to stop and scan the shelves for everything I need. It's a visual checklist.

I am totally disorganized. It's just me. But I have a trick for getting out the door with the right bike or ski junk.

I start at my head, get the helmet, sweat band and glasses, and work my way to my toes doing the same, every step of the way. It actually works. I came close to leaving my ski boots behind once, but I've never blown a trip by forgetting something...... yet.