I totally would have been rocking the spandex and helmet, sitting on the couch sipping a water bottle and watching "Breaking Away."

Morning routine:
Up at 6
Shave & Shower
Put on underwear, socks and cycling shoes in bedroom
Fold work shirt and pants
Grab water bottle out of fridge
Grab keys, wallet, cell phone, glasses from table by back door
Take it all into garage
Put on bike clothes (hung above commuter)
Load pannier (keys, wallet, cell phone, glasses, clothes and sweat towel which are stored near bike)
Back into house for breakfast (toast with peanut butter and water)
Back to garage to put on helmet, gloves and riding glasses
Roll out at 6:30

Bikes are in garage. All bike tools to take on ride are already in backpack. Shoes are in shoe cabinet. So are gloves and overshoes. Clothes are in tumble dryer from night before.

Wake up, get ready. Run to tumble dryer, obtain cycling clothes, put on cycling clothes. Get in garage, get out of house, on bike, start journey. Enjoy.

No kidding! when everything goes right, I pack as much as I can the night before in the panniers or backpack and leave that in the hallway by the door. I put my lunch in the refrigerator the night before and into the bag before I leave. The bike is usually downstairs in the boiler room, and I bring everything down in one trip.

I usually end up packing things up in the morning the rest of the time, and starting later allows me more time to do this so I'm not late.

Well, I live alone in a small apartment.

My bikes are parked in the hall that they call a dining room. My winter layers are draped on the desk chair by the door. My backpack is on the floor where I left it last night. The water bottle stays in there and gets refilled from a water box in the refrigerator. My leg bands are in the bookcase under the TV. Fresh clothes for the day come out of my bedroom closet.

But my glasses, where did I put my glasses? :lol:

Most bike clothing in 2nd bedroom/computer room next to my dresser in a storage box which I need to upgrade to a larger size (I get up much earlier than husband so this arrangement lets me turn lights on and he can sleep). I pretty much get out what I need the day before and just accessorize according to morning weather report. Gather food for day.

Bike stuff is in garage. Husband cleared out a space and installed hooks to hang my bike from so I don't have to trek all the way to the other garage to get my bike. All my shoes, extra jacket, gloves, reflecty things, dirt/grease encrusted things and outerwear are there. Another storage box holds my tools/misc. stuff/batteries. There's also a heating vent right above this area so in the winter I can gear up in total warmth.

If we're ever in a position to have a house built (not likely while I'm working in the cycling industry), there will be a decent sized room near the back door that will be a cycling specific room. Washroom w/shower, dresser drawers and closet for my cycling clothes, bench space to work on my bike, wall space to hang my bikes, and a trainer set up in front of an A/V system. My family would be all too happy to never have to see or trip over my cycling stuff, and I'd be very happy to have private space to deal with my addictions. A real bonus would be an indoor self-contained washdown bay to keep all the equipment clean and sparkly.

Interesting how different climates and living arrangements affect the preparation process. I'm surprised at the number of people who keep their bikes in the basement and the number that get dressed in the garage.

Our garage is attached but has no entrance from the house. Besides that it's only about 20 degrees in there during the month of January. Warmer than outside but not even warm enough to leave a water bottle in.

I get dressed In my bedroom, based on what it looks like outside. I just wear normal or work clothes if its nice or barely raining, but if its really coming down, which is rare, I wear waterproof pants and a heavy duty PVC raincoat. I keep my non-driveside pannier, helmet, and a selection of toques near the back door. usually my gloves are there too, but sometimes I have to hunt for them. Driveside pannier is kept upstairs, where its safe. I don't use it often. I have to be very careful to not let any of my stuff end up on the kitchen floor, because my roommates cat WILL pee on it. Seriously, if anything is left on the floor of the kitchen over night, there is a 100% chance it is getting peed on. Emergency gear cleaning/swapping can add a frustrating few minuites to my get ready go time, which is ideally no more than 10 minutes from out of bed to out of door. only ten more days until her and her cat are gone. only ten more days until her and her cat are gone.
Anyways, after stepping outside to see if the temp requires a toque, I go down to the laundry room, grab my bike, throw the pannier(s) on, turn on my blinkys and go.

Pleasure rides are somewhat more complicated for me, as they often involve changing the contents of my panniers from work stuff to a normal change of clothes, putting on my bike shorts, and then proceeding to my mothers(7 minute ride), Which is where my workshop area is and other bicycles are stored. I then change into my SPD shoes, do any lock/tool/keys/wallet swapping from pannier to under-saddle bag, and hit the road.

If.... I prepare the night before, I pack the bike with everything but my lunch, layout my clothes in the bathroom, the over-layers in the living room near the bike. No big deal. Sometimes I just wing it (which alomst cost me on Tuesday when I had to run back in to get a towel for my shower at work!)

The boiler room is in the basement of the condo I live in, and the extra warmth is nice when I'm leaving but makes me want to grab me stuff and head upstairs as quick as I can to avoid sweating when it's cold out.

keep it stuffed in my hip bag. i mostly wear street clothes so...

Was keeping all the gear in the foyer but that was getting a little cluttered so moved things around... the jackets, gloves, toques, etc stay hung up and stashed inside but once that base gear is we can walk out to the shop and grab my helmet and change my shoes and panniers if needed.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/newshopgear.JPG

And then it's a matter of picking out the ride of the day... with winter upon us and the roads being a mix of excellent or ice covered it's either the extrabike or my fixed mtb and for that I just wear my winter hikers.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/newshop5.JPG

I can't wait for spring and less icy roads as then my bike options really increase.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/newshop10.JPG

TSK: I scoff at your organization. You give us all a bad name, actually thats really impressive. In cooler weather I have my clothes for work packed in the panniers the night before. I have my riding clothes,baselayer midlayer and riding pants ready to put on as soon as I get up. My lunch is packed the night before so all I have to do is grab the lunch and phone and keys and wallet stuff all but my lunch in my jacket after I put on my shoes and go out to the garage pack the panniers put the water bottle in its cage throw on my beanie and helmet and away I go. From the time I get up to the time I roll out of the driveway is about 15 minutes, that includes brushing my teeth and choking down a granola bar. In the summer its about 10 minutes start to finish

I was reading this thread backwards, getting very upset wondering if there was something wrong with me until I read this delightful post which put me back on the ground.
Out of courtesy to my wife, all my gear is balled up in the back of my closet. I just grab something appropriate for the day's weather. I do make sure it is dried before re-entering the closet. Once she complained bout a strange funkness coming from inside there.
Man... sometimes it looks like y'all scrub your tires and Q-tip your cassette after each ride.:)

All over the basement floor.

I really should stop posting here and restore order below grade.

My bike is on one side of the living room right beside the front door. Clothing is on a chair nearby. It nicely balances the wife's clutter on the other side. Actually the bike side is a little neater. I often have a hard time finding a place to sit to put my booties on. Good thing we hardly ever have company.

(preceding items happen in a dull amnesic fog... so not sure of order)
19. Put on the last sweater, then wind pants and windbreaker jacket. Opeb front door. Suck in frigid air. Second thoughts. It's -30F is it?
20. Open the garage door.
21. Put seed in the bird feeder.
22. Dump scaps into rear yard compost bucket (well frozen this time of year).
23. Check air in tires, check brakes, make mental note to self to clean up the bike one of these days.
24. Turn on lights on bike.
25. Blast off...

I was reading through this and I must have skipped over the "Put on bike clothes (hung above commuter)" line, cause I was thinking "you ride in your underwear, socks and shoes??!" :eek:

Some of you guys have complicated setups!

I get up, grab my lunch and put it in my pannier, go out to the garage hop on and ride to work.

yikes, might want to edit that post

I just take my bike and my crap I use to commute with down to the basement, helmet sits on the seat, gloves, rain cover and beanie on top of the helmet, shoes next to the chair which is next to the bike, clothes go into the wash fresh clothes are waiting in basement to put on, computer and lights always stays on the bike except in the summer the lights come off and goes into my tool box. I also have a plastic tool box originally made for a circular saw that I put my helmet, gloves, shoes, beanie, rain cover in case I need to travel with the bike on the back of a car.

great thread. those 5 or 10 minutes I like to save on the commute by pushing hard or running lights can easily be squandered in not having my stuff ready. or, worse, if I waste time without my stuff in place then I'm more tempted to run lights (saves me 10m when I do - lots of lights!).

I keep my baselayer upstairs with my other clothes so I can suit up quickly. I usually wear black jeans without rivets - most people don't notice they're denim - over tights over briefs. I stuff my work shirt and undershirt into my trunk bag and just wear a baselayer + jersey under a jacket. almost always wear thin wool socks

gloves, balaclava, booties, etc stay in trunk bag. I grab them when I go downstairs. also put laptop, papers, lunch etc in the fold-out panniers at that point as well. I leave my water bottle half full and on the bike.

attaching the rear-view mirror to my glasses always takes a couple of minutes, esp with a balaclava.

The night before:
I pack my backpack: Laptop, wireless broadband card, reading glasses, keys, wet weather gear, helmet light, yellow tinted glasses, wallet.
I put my cycling clothes on the bike seat. Right now, that's just nicks, jersey and underwear. Winter will be another story!
Fill water bottles and actually put them on the bike. That last part is really important!
Hook helmet strap over the handlebars, put gloves and sunglasses inside the helmet so I don't forget them.
Go to bed, and spend at least 10 minutes wondering if I've forgotten anything before finally nodding off.

The day of the ride:
Get up, go to the loo
Eat a delicious meal of baked beans and toast
Get dressed
RIDE!!!!!!!!!

On Mondays, I drive to work and leave a towel, a stash of clothes there as well as some shoes. When I ride in, I have a shower, and get changed. On Fridays, I take it all home to throw into the wash. This routine works pretty well for me.

Max

great thread. those 5 or 10 minutes I like to save on the commute by pushing hard or running lights can easily be squandered in not having my stuff ready. or, worse, if I waste time without my stuff in place then I'm more tempted to run lights (saves me 10m when I do - lots of lights!).

I keep my baselayer upstairs with my other clothes so I can suit up quickly. I usually wear black jeans without rivets - most people don't notice they're denim - over tights over briefs. I stuff my work shirt and undershirt into my trunk bag and just wear a baselayer + jersey under a jacket. almost always wear thin wool socks

gloves, balaclava, booties, etc stay in trunk bag. I grab them when I go downstairs. also put laptop, papers, lunch etc in the fold-out panniers at that point as well. I leave my water bottle half full and on the bike.

attaching the rear-view mirror to my glasses always takes a couple of minutes, esp with a balaclava.