volosong

GFish's note in a different thread reminded me of something that has been bugging me and I wonder if others go through the same thing...

[whole bunch of prep steps deleted] I sort of expected the negative comments, but got some nice comments too. These steps remind me of one of my class exercises when I was working on a computer science degree back in 1979. It was an algorithm class and the assignment was to list the steps required to change an automobile flat tire.

"No", the teacher said. You have to stop the car before you can change the tire. Then, "No", he said again. After you stop the car, you have to get out of it first before you change the tire. And yet again, "No", he said, you have turn off the engine before you exit the car. And so on. The idea, of course, was to break a task down into its individual elements.

Thank you all for your comments, negative and positive. As I said, I'm a technonerd and will continue "playing" with my "toys", even if they are electronic in nature. We all ride for different reasons. I have reasons for the techno toys. To me, they are enjoyable and enhance my cycling experiences.

chasm54

Dump the technojunk. Are you going for a ride or directing a feature film?

No need to check the saddlebag unless you took something out if it last time. And the pump is still attached to the bike. Top up the air only if you didn't do that yesterday.

Get up, get dressed, fill the bottles, go. It isn't complicated. And why plan a route? Don't you know where you live?

RideMyWheel

I'm not as good a rider as you are, nor am I as serious about it, but I'm planning routes constantly. I never cared where I was going 25-30 years ago, didn't own a helmet, lighting, camera, GPS, or a cell phone. If I lost my train of thought and wandered a few miles off course, no big deal. I was young.

I think the issue is that we're a lot more cautious about everything because the mishaps hurt worse and take longer to heal. Maybe we're less confident in our ability and endurance. And I've given some thought to something that was written to me in another thread--I commented about children being more vulnerable today than we were 40+ years ago. The response was, if anything the kids are safer. We're exposed to a 24-hour news cycle and all we hear is the bad stuff, so we think it's happening more often.

The same can be said about this forum, YouTube, and all of the biking accidents we read about and see on video. We're convinced that it's a more dangerous world than maybe it actually is. I have to say, drivers are a lot more courteous to me today than they were on the same roads in 1986.

So I say don't worry about it. We should do what we have to do to feel confident and secure before we saddle up. Otherwise we won't enjoy the ride as much.

nuke_diver

Sounds like that is what you want to do. If you didn't want to do all of that you wouldn't, IMO

Pamestique 

Wow! If I had to do all that I probably wouldn't ride...

morning ride: Get up early, eat the same breakfast always (coffee and peanut butter toast), shower. I put on cycling clothes together with watch and Road ID, fill the Camelbak, grab a snakkie, go to garage, pull out whatever bike I want, check tires, lube chain (if needed), put bike on rack, drive to where ever I am starting. My helmet, shoes are in car. Once at start of ride, I put shoes/helmet on together with Camelbak and gloves and I take off riding... I sometimes carry a camera but half the time I forget my phone... that whole GoPro; Strava whatever nonsense harshes my mellow... start dressing to start riding is usually less than hour (sometimes an 2 hours if going way remote) and that includes driving to my start! I like early starts as well so am usually up at 4:30 - 5 to ride before 7...

chasm54

Not sure who you're responding to here, but why should you think you're a less good rider? And I don't really grasp why being older should make you plan routes more carefully. Is a few extra miles really a big deal?

Well, I agree and disagree. I certainly agree that we, and kids, are no more at risk than we used to be. The roads, per mile travelled, are safer. The number of kids killed by strangers has stayed pretty constant for a hundred years. So it is publicity, rather than prevalence, that has caused us to worry more. But i don't understand why being older would cause us to take longer to prepare for a ride. What has longer recovery time got to do with it?

I too say don't worry about it. Cycling is very safe. Here in the UK there is one cycling fatality for every 28 million miles cycled. The US isn't all that much worse. At those odds, you really haven't much to worry about.

fietsbob

+1, all you need is something to wear, and the bike.

RideMyWheel

Sorry, I was only referring to the laws of self-preservation. We're probably 100% in agreement. As a child when I scraped my knee falling from a bike, you couldn't keep me from getting back on it. I've read two threads today where someone over 50 mentioned a previous accident that has deterred them from getting back in the saddle. Irrational fears lead us to take extra precautions, that's all. No matter how hard we try to reason those fears away, subconsciously we end up doing what the O.P. does, check and double-check, etc.

I stated that I'm not as good a rider as the O.P. because I probably am not. I've only been back in this game since mid-April, and although I've made a tremendous amount of progress in a very short time, there is no substitute for time in the saddle climbing hills and building confidence in traffic. I'm another 6-9 months away from being where I want to be, depending on the severity of my winter.

Your signature is brilliant, by the way.

chasm54

OK, I get it.

Your confidence will build with familiarity. I'm an old git, and I'm more cautious than I used to be, but I don't give the traffic a second thought. It's just what you're used to.

RonH

I check the calendar the night before and if its clear I plan on riding the next morning when I get up.

Doug64

It seems like 90% of the morning ritual could be taken care the night before. Also, a lot of the gear seems like it should stay with the bike, and not have to rounded up each morning. I have to get dressed in the morning regardless of whether I'm riding or not, so it is not a big deal. Even when riding in the middle of the day it only takes a couple of minutes to change into riding togs.

It takes us about 10 minutes to put on sunscreen and grab a couple of water bottles. However, the only thing electric on my bike is the computer, and sometimes I take it off just so I can feel free from fretting about speed and distance.

wphamilton

The ritual is important. Psychologically and also to get everything in place. But for me, yes it's way too much.

My typical sequence, assuming this is a longish planned ride:

Put on my cycling costume, or tech shirt and running shorts or whatever.
Grab my phone and wallet, sunglasses and sometimes helmet
Decide if I want water and food and if I do, grab some before I forget
Squeeze the tire, remember from the last ride if I need to oil the chain, check quick releases.
Roll out the door
Brake check
Turn on Strava, sometimes

rm -rf

Summer riding: Air up tires, water bottles, energy bar, sunscreen, helmet, jersey, shorts, gloves, socks, bike shoes. Ready.

Fall and Winter riding: check temperature forecasts. Will it warm up or get colder during the ride?
Decide between:
Jacket? as a vest, or use zip in sleeves?
Long sleeve or short sleeve jersey?
heavy or mid base layer?
thin tee base?
Shorts or shorts with thin tights?
windblock tights?
fleece gloves?
Glove liners and shell gloves?
heavy skullcap?
neck gaiter?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For driving to group rides, I should allow 15-20 minutes to collect all the stuff and load the car. Otherwise, I'm rushing around, looking for that one missing item that I need to bring.

OldsCOOL

I keep it simple by doing my prep long before the ride. Bike is checked over and cleaned, clothes washed and riding gear near the bike. I can throw it together in less than 10min unless the ride is beyond the 50mi mark.

Wileyrat

My morning ride prep time is the same as if I was getting up for work, 11/4 hrs. I get up drink coffee and watch the news...wake up sort of...eat a p&j sandwich...wake up more...Fill the tires and the water bottle, make my ride "trail mix", pack mix and phone in saddle bag. Then I get dressed, stuff my wallet, house keys, powdered energy drink, and a banana in the jersey, grab the bike and go ride.

If I'm going for an after work ride it takes about 15 minutes to get ready, so the first hour is waking up

nkfrench 

It takes me about 5 minutes in the morning to throw my bike computers into a mesh bag, throw that into a backpack with shoes, clothes, throw helmet and other gear into a drawstring bag, then get empty water bottles/gel/electrolytes into a lunch bag for carrying convenience. The bike lives in the car along with a floor pump.
4:45pm - clock out from work, fill the bottles from an icewater dispenser. Electrolyte tablets are kept in my personal backpack.
4:55pm - in my car
5:10pm - At the ride start. Into the ladies room, I change clothes, use the restroom, strap on the heartrate monitor, apply lube, don helmet and headsweat and gloves, and stuff center jersey pocket with phone and large park pass.
5:22pm - at the car getting the bike tires topped off, mounting the garmin and polar, mounting a headlight (if needed), sunglasses on, waterbottles into cages, stuffing my wallet and car key into the bike saddlebag. Boot up the Garmin and reset the CatEye. Gel flask goes into R rear pocket. Clear lens safety glasses (if needed) L rear pocket.
5:30pm - Start Polar HRM, garmin, rear blinkie, ride.

It really helps to have a set routine and have a place that everything belongs in. I avoid conversation and other distractions.
The saddlebag always carries the standard repair items and is always kept on the bike. The rear blinkie is only removed for the occasional recharge then immediately replaced.
Not having to fuss with the wallet and phone helps. The otter case protects the phone so no baggie is needed. The wallet stays clean in the bike saddlebag.
The gel flask only needs refilling every few rides and takes a few refills between cleanings.

I have to sneak out early for after-work rides, every minute counts. I also sleep to the last possible minute before morning rides.
In the winter I do allow a few extra minutes to calibrate weather, decide on layers, and factor more time to dress.

The thing that does take time is uploading ride data off the computers. Our wellness program at work provides incentives for doing so, and, well, strava is fun both for my stats and to harrass my friends.

spdntrxi

I lay everything out the night before... bikes are keep indoors but before the ride, I have mine facing out the garage ready to go. Clothes are laid out.. tires pumped the night before... couple extra psi because I know I'll lose some... water bottles prepped.. ice already inside, all electronics are charged and on bike already.... if I don't do all this it might take 30min to get out the door and risk waking ppl up and causing more delay.

woodcraft

What's a GoPro?

gregf83 

When I'm commuting I put my lunch and a shirt in my backpack grab my garmin or SRM and go. If I think about it I'll squeeze the tires to check tire pressure. If it's been a few days I might squirt some lube on the chain while I rotate the crank a couple of turns. Wipe off the chain, put my shoes and helmet on and go.

I never prep the night before.

If I'm not commuting I have a routine where I put the phone in one pocket, a tube and CO2 in the middle and a baggie with money in a different pocket. I keep my clothes in the laundry room and take one of 4 kits. Not much to think about in the summer.

doctor j

You omitted a portion of the list...

Out the door. Ride a mile down the road. #*%!!%$##!!!. Turn around and ride back. Fish keys out of jersey. Open door. Take water/Powerade bottles prepared last night out of frig and insert them in cages. Out the door. Lock door. Keys back in jersey. Ride half a mile. #*!!%$##!!!. Turn around and ride back. Fish keys out of jersey. Open door. Place helmet on head. Out the door. Lock door..........

Dave Cutter

All the prep stuff is the hobby within the hobby. Most hobby's have little sub-categories of hobbies. Some cyclists are cycling advocates, some wrench, some are big-time club members, some do video, some are very detailed in the data collection (and/or sharing).

Since I am retired I kind of enjoy some of the prep rituals. It sort of reminds me of when I got ready for work in the morning.

You may have gotten a little excessive with the prep stuff.... for practical reasons. But it's only a problem if it gets in the way of having fun.

big john

It's a camera.

I ride with others, usually club rides which always start at 8:00. If I'm late I will be riding alone, so I'm trained to get there on time.
I also don't use any electronics on the bike, don't even have a cell phone.

spdntrxi

gopro=electronics to me.

jon c. 

I have no electronics nor any lengthy routine, so I putz around and check the weather on-line and stop to look at some other useless thing and end up wasting half an hour before I get out the door.

big john

Of course.