Fifty Plus (50+) - Losing Things

Yesterday I extended my daily ride from 15 to 20 miles. When I got back to the condo the small bag strapped to my bike was gone. It held my keys, glasses, cell phone and a few dollars. I couldn't get into my condo to get my spare set in order to take my car back along the route I had just ridden to look for the bag. So I jumped back on the bike and started to look. I did the whole 20 mile ride again to no avail. This was the first time I had done 40 miles in one day and I was spent. I'm sure losing things during a ride is not an uncommon event.
I did recover the bag when a very nice person answered the phone when called. It saved a lot of trouble although the phone was damaged. She was smart enough to take the chip out and put it in hers and was able to answer calls. I must have rolled over it when it fell. It can be replaced.
I discovered that I didn't have the bag secured to the bike properly causing it to loosen and eventually fall.
Now that I've done 40 miles in one day, my daily 20 mile ride should seem short. I will have to extend again.
Take care of your stuff.

Frankfast,
Glad you did recover the bag, great that an honest person found it and returned your possessions. Find yourself a good saddle wedge bag with strong straps. I use an Avenir that can be unzipped at the bottom and expands a good bit. I keep a tube, repair kit/tyre tools, cell phone and my wallet in it in the small configuration. the extra mileage sounds good too.

Bill

Congratulations on the new distance record and on the recovery of your stuff.

Not that it is a fool-proof system, but I keep keys for vehicle and house along with ID in a small zip-lock bag in a jersey pocket. So far, so good.

I have a Topeak medium wedge bag that also has a zipper to make it larger. As for the Cell phone, keys, and ID, I keep those in the rear Jersey pocket(phone is in a zip-lock sandwich bag and OFF).

I have learned to double and triple secure anything to my bike.

I've done that.

It took a few incidences of dropping my phone and car keys from my pants pockets before buying a pair of real recumbent shorts with zip-up pockets. Fortunately, in my case, I never rode more than a short distance before realizing that I had dropped something.

Forgot to zip my bag a couple of years ago, lost my driver's license which I took in lieu of taking my whole wallet. Now of course I always double check that the bag is fully closed.

I also forgot to zip my bag, lost my wallet with a fair amount of $$. I got a phone call and the person who found it gave it back completely, minus the nice reward I gave her.

Many years ago, a local triathlete died when his pump fell off his bike and took him down with it. Since then, I always use at least two and often three reflective velcro straps to secure my frame pump. Of course, there are many other inflation options available these days, but the lesson still holds: you can lose a lot more than the item that falls off, so secure everything as though your life depends on it.

I always have an extra way of getting into the house. Last place I was living, I put my spare keys in a spice jar, and buried it by a stump. It isn't the 'under the doormat' type of thing.

It was also some distance from the entrance, and in a very unlikely place for anyone to do anything.

I am well enough organized that I don't believe I've ever been without my keys, but I still like to be prepared. I did lock keys in a vehicle twice, but both times my backup systems saved the normal time and expense.

Keys/wallet go into jersey pocket.
Extra car key is nhidden on exterior of the car, just in case.

Important stuff goes in the jersey pockets as does a ziplock bag for the phone and wallet when it rains.

i HATE when that happens!

i lost 2 sets of keys in 2 weeks. talk about inconvenient.

i eventually recovered them, but i had to cut the cable lock off the bike. i got a combination
replacement, and i limit myself to 2 keys on a lanyard around my neck and tucked inside
my shirt.

now all i have to do is remember the combination....

When I ride, I ride. No cell phone, doubt the wife would bother to pick me up. Carry no wallet. Recently started wearing a dog tag around my neck for ID, and have since added a front door key to the chain. I leave garage door unlocked when I ride; but if wife sees it unlocked, she will lock it. And prefer the mountain bike shorts as they do have the secure pockets for cash if I'm gonna stop for breakfast. But now that you mention it, the pump has a velcro strap to back up the snap fittings, and the flat kit is snap on, also with a velcro strap. So not losing much on the road. I loose everything in the house, laying down my keys and wallet at the strangest places. Wasting many minutes looking for.

I always keep phone and keys in jersey pocket. It's too easy to get separated from them if they are nt on your person.

I managed to lose my Garmin 705 off my bars while riding the C&O towpath trail last month. That's the most costly thing I've ever lost! As I get older I'm more likely to lose things from carelessness or forgetfulness and have developed coping strategies to deal with it, such as always putting things in specific places.

Good tip on the Ziploc bags. Stuff in my jersey pockets always gets damp in hot weather riding so I'm reluctant to carry my phone there.

Too complicated.

My cellphone and wallet go in the top tube mounted bento box. On a Bacchetta it's right in front of me at all times.

Everything else goes in the brain box. That's the nice thing about Bacchetta. The only thing I have too worry about is where I left the Bacchetta.

Watch out for Fizik seat bags - I have had the plastic clip/bracket mechanism break of two of them (medium size, fully loaded) over the past 6 months. Luckily I never lost anything. Now I'm back to the dorky old Mountain Equipment Coop bag that doesn't have the cool factor but works just fine.

As I get older I'm more likely to lose things from carelessness or forgetfulness and have developed coping strategies to deal with it, such as always putting things in specific places.

You can say that again....and again.....and again.....

[QUOTE=Dudelsack;14510189]Too complicated.

My cellphone and wallet go in the top tube mounted bento box. On a Bacchetta it's right in front of me at all times.

My stuff was in a top tube mini saddlebag. The bottom strap was around the top tube instead of the down tube. It was too loose. Even though it was in front of me, I still lost it.

Looked through my bike bag for 5 minutes trying to find my multi tool. Then took everything out of the bag and check all the nooks and crannies. Gave up, went downstairs and found it on my work bench. Lucky I didn't need it on my 56 miler the other day, thought I had it in my bag then too.

Wallet, keys, etc, always in my pants (I wear baggy shorts over my padded shorts; the public should be spared some sights). Camera and phone in the trunk on the front rack. Lock usually in a pannier, but sometimes (rarely) in the rear trunk. And since losing my previous camera (with last year's vacation pictures in it), I've become fanatical about making sure the front trunk is zipped.

I ride to the gym on my bike every morning. A couple of months ago I laid my glasses on the back rack while in the gym. When I left I forgot about the glasses, but realized it about 3 blocks away. I retraced my track about 3 times, but never did find my glasses. Cost me $300 for new ones.

I ride to the gym on my bike every morning. A couple of months ago I laid my glasses on the back rack while in the gym. When I left I forgot about the glasses, but realized it about 3 blocks away. I retraced my track about 3 times, but never did find my glasses. Cost me $300 for new ones.

I think it best to carry a cheap pair of drugstore glasses when out for a ride. I leave my hearing aids at home because I lost one ($2500) but it wasn't on a bike. Best to leave all valuables at home I think.

As I get older I'm more likely to lose things from carelessness or forgetfulness and have developed coping strategies to deal with it, such as always putting things in specific places.

You can say that again....and again.....and again.....

Enjoyed that. My favorite speaker (http://www.wopg.org/en/webcasts/special-videos) mentioned one time: "You get to the point that the only thing you have to remember is that you're going to forget." (That's different from his main topic, which is about feeling complete, happy, content, fulfilled. His little asides about household trivia or whatever also tend to be very good.)

But that one is almost the core of my memory aid plan. Just keep in mind that I am going to forget, and take care of it right away, or set up a prominent reminder. Works well, at least much better than my memory.



So not losing much on the road. I loose everything in the house, laying down my keys and wallet at the strangest places. Wasting many minutes looking for.

It might be possible to organize a solution. If I have my pants on, (and I do :) ) I have my pockets on. I never lay anything like that down anywhere. They always go right back into my pockets.


Extra car key is nhidden on exterior of the car, just in case.

Just in case it helps anyone, my vehicle key system was taping the keys to a cable or tube in the engine compartment. It would be where a couple of the tubes that house wires join. Tape there might be added during any home handyman repair job.

I've also spent enough time under vehicles that I don't mind getting under them, and the keys weren't in a place that was easy to reach.

Now you know that you can double your daily ride distances. Cool!