Road Cycling - pre-ride/post-ride routines

just wondering if you guys have a routine you go through before you go on a ride.. like what kind of warm ups/stretching.. what you eat.. which hand you always use to apply chamois cream.. etc etc

here's a quick breakdown of a routine i've just started:

6:30 wakeup/hit snooze
6:35 wakeup/bathroom/gear up/tall glass of water
7:00 oatmeal/coffee/wheat toast with peanut butter/read the paper
7:30 bathroom break
7:45 15min stretching
8:00 ride ride ride

just wondering if you guys have a routine you go through before you go on a ride.. like what kind of warm ups/stretching.. what you eat.. which hand you always use to apply chamois cream.. etc etc

it depends... some rides are typically prep-involved than others. For rides with my riding partners who live fairly far apart, it goes something like this:


Wakeup
Look at clock
Panic
Perform bathroom duties
Brush teeth
Wander into bathroom and stick contacts into eyes
Eat quick breakfast if time permits
Pull on jersey, shorts, socks, etc...
Stuff necessaries (wallet insert, first-aid kit, camera, mini-lock, etc) into jersey pocket
Fill bottles
Load bike into Jeep
Throw gearbag into Jeep
Attach and prep hitch-rack onto Jeep
Drive to pick up riding partner #1
Meet riding partner #1 and load bike onto hitch rack
Drive north about an hour to pick up riding partner #2
Meet riding partner #2 and load bike onto hitch rack (sometimes we skip this step if we're leaving directly from riding partner #2's place)
Stop off at Starbucks for a toffee nut latte
Drive to departure point (sometimes we skip this step if we're leaving directly from riding partner #2's place)
Arrive at departure point
Unload bikes and riding gear
Attach lights if needed
Apply sunscreen
Change into cycling shoes
Don gloves, helmet and jacket or arm/leg warmers as needed
Perform pre-ride check (check and inflate tyres, look for bent spokes, check for cracks in frame, etc)
Remove cleat covers and stow in jersey pocket
Check that I put spare key in wallet
Lock Jeep
Begin warmup portion of ride
Stretch after a couple of miles
Continue ride


At the end of the ride the ritual goes something like this:


Unlock Jeep
Load bikes and gear
Munch on something
Drive to riding partner #2's place (assuming we didn't leave directly from there)
Unload riding partner #2's bike and gear
If time permits, change into swimsuit and soak in riding partner #2's hottub
Drive back to return riding partner #1
Unload riding partner #1's bike and gear
Drive home
Take shower
Eat dinner

during week:
alarm 4:50am
look at outdoor temp from outdoor digital next to alarm
bathroom/contact lenses
biking clothes depending on weather
make coffee, little cereal while getting dressed
take out bottles (water, sometimes accelerade) from frig
ESPN/get e-mail
stretch
last chance for bathroom
out the door, 5:25am for 5:30am ride at train station.
***************
after:
shower,etc
catch up with wife/kids
get kids dressed (off to school or lathered for camp)
make/pack lunch>bring 2 full water bottles to work
OJ/yogurt/other goodies.

(ride 5:30am to 7:10am, 26-28 miles)
leave for work at 8:15am

repeat.

1. get on bike
2. ride
3. get off bike
4. have a couple beers

I noticed that a lot of you guys stretch before riding. How/what do you stretch? I used to try and stretch before my rides, but found that it didn't really help at all. I find that taking off at a slow, easy pace (~17 mph, 80-90 rpm) for about the first five miles usually helps more than any stretching. Am I missing something by not stretching?