where do you keep your stuff ready to go?
 

I'm refining my routine so I can jump on the bike quickly and properly dressed and equipped.

My house has a foyer where we have hooks for coats, hats and scarves. It has two small tables for keys, and I keep my bike computer on it if it's not on the bike. There's also a box, kinda like a toy chest, for gloves, etc so I keep my gloves, my under-helmet beanie, my blinky taillight, and my goggles.

My routine is to get dressed with outer clothing in the foyer and then head to the basement where the bikes are stored. I pick up the bike and hike it up the steps to the driveway. Getting dressed involves putting on outer clothing, taking my glasses off and hooking them onto my clothes and putting goggles on, and tucking my trousers into my socks. I clip my taillight onto my back trouser pocket.

One thing I have to refine is having a water bottle ready.

What's your routine?

The second bedroom is my computer room and bike shop. All my crap is strewn about between there and my bathroom. I have bike clothes all over the place.
In the morning, I grab some stuff for lunch, throw it in my bag and find some clothes appropriate for the weather.

By my back door I have all my shoes (depending on the bike and weather, I'll go from Adidas Sambas to winter snow boots to Florsheim dress shoes, to sneakers). As it's in the kitchen, I keep one water bottle in the freezer, another in the fridge. The bag (complete with a work shirt and any work I brought home) is hanging on a hook by the door, along with my windbreaker and fleece. The night before I lay out my work clothes (which also happens to be my cycling clothes).

Right now, my routine is this:

1. wake up.
2. hit the snooze about 5 times
3. get up, let the dogs out
4. come back to the bedroom and throw on my undies, long johns, undershirt, pants and socks (socks go over the pants).
5. Walk back to the back door (collecting my wallet, keys and cell phone from the desk as I go)
6. let the dogs in - they go to their crates where they sleep all day (what a life!)
7. put on the shoes of the day and either both fleece and windbreaker or just the windbreaker
8. nab the bag and bottles
9. head to the garage. Here, I have my stocking hat, gloves, helmet and bike.
10. throw in the earplugs, then stocking hat, then helmet. Put on the gloves du-jour (right now, wool work gloves, although that too changes)
11. drop the particular bike from the ceiling, lean on it to check tire pressure, throw in the water bottles (assuming the Univega), hit play, and head off to work.

Once I get to work, I have deodorant and my fresh shirt and tie waiting for me. Throw on the shirt and tie, some D-O for my B-O and check my hair in the mirror in my closet, and we're ready to teach the future of America!

On the garage wall I have a row of hooks, a wire shelf and wire basket devoted to helmets, gloves, glasses, lighting equipment, clamp-on racks, trunk bags, panniers, and so forth. The primary clothing articles I keep in in the bedroom, where I dress, with a drawer devoted to cycling clothes.

Winter has slowed my routine with all the extra layers, including the obligatory standing outside for a moment to guestimate which layers I'll need. Neoprene booties often seem more work than warm toes are worth on a short commute.

The wierdest part of my routine is waiting at the school bus stop with my 6yo son while completely dressed up for the ride.

My Routine is :

Get My Cycling Clothes on, I have Polyester stuff, no lycra padded shorts yet. Put those on, get about a 3 minute stretch of my muscles going.
get my ipod and the shoulder holder thing on. Get my gloves and helmet ready, get my bicycle from my basement, make sure my tires PSI are up to proper measurement. Check out brakes and make sure everything is good to go.Clip on the bike CPU, and turn on mr. blinky tail light and put gloves on and put shoes on and put helmet on. And this is where things get messed up, DONT FORGET THE WATER BOTTLE, take my bike out to the street and ride

I go to bed in my clothes for the next day, and my helmet. I wake up, brush my teeth using my finger and brasso, and go.

My wife bought me a small piece of furniture... some kind of "valet" that is used for hanging clothes on. I put my cycling clothes on it in order of first off, first on, so when I use the clothes the next day I put them on in the order I take them off of the valet. The helmet, gloves, balaclava, and goggles go in the little tray at the top. This winter, I've learned to keep my clothes and gear (that I wear, exept for shoes) inside so it stays warmer - this seems to make a considerable difference, especially with the gloves. Better than starting off with cold stuff on. I keep the lights on the bike, which is usually in the bed of my pickup truck, just inside the garage door. When I carry water (non-winter) I put the bottle in the refrigerator the night before and take it out before I leave along with whatever food I take from there. My messenger bag is in the bedroom near the valet, and I put my clean clothes in there so they are ready to go if I take a shower at work when my shift is over. Most of my EDC items (wallet, multi-tool, bandana, keys), my zippered "bike kit" (flat repair, allen wrenches, spare U-lock key, etc.), and my USB flash drive usually stay inside the bag. Usually I take my phone and flashlight out of the bag when I get home so I put those back in before I leave.

We live in a five unit browstone condo. When my son went away to college, his room located near the exit
became my embarkation point. When I get home at night I just leave all my cycling attire, and cycling and personal paraphernalia there for retrieval in the early morning without disturbing anyone. Unfortunately on weekends things tend to scatter. When he comes home I go back to cluttering a defined space in the living room.

stylish ! like it ! but either you live alone, or your significant other is very tolerant :)

I use the cellar for anything bike-related. All the hardware is kept there.

My current, winter routine is (ok I'll skip some items like preparing the bottle for the one-year old or taking out the trash...) :

0) Prepare coffee - check the weather forecast on the blackberry
1) Shower
2) Dress up : jeans, cotton base layer - will soon move to wool for the base layer, Converse shoes
3) Drink coffee
4) Go down to the basement with bag A (the one I always keep with me), containing :
- wallet/blackberry/keys/office stuff
- 2* "gant de toilette" (do you say "wash glove" in english ?)
- change for upper-body clothes (i.e. a polo shirt)
- deodorant
5) Get the bike ready :
- check the wheels for true
- check tire pressure
- check the brakes
- put on the lights (sometimes they're still mounted on another bike)
- insert bag A into the rear left pannier
6) Get the rider ready :
- put on additional clothes depending on the weather (wool sweater, additional socks, wool cap, scarf, jacket)
- put on security equipment (helmet, velcro ankle straps,)
- put on gloves
7) Ride to work
8) Park the bike, lock it up
9) Undress a bit
10) Take bag A from the rear left pannier
11) Take bag B from the rear right pannier - it contains things that are not needed everyday (repair toolkit, equipement for rainy weather, fluorescent jacket), and stays in the pannier except I will take it in the office during the day to avoid theft
12) Head to the gents to groom and change upper body clothing
13) Take all my stuff to my office, get the base layer to dry.
14) Work 8 or 9 hours
15) Put on the base layer I used for the morning ride, hoping it'll be dry.
16) Go down to the parking - alternatively go down to the mall to get some groceries
17) Unlock the bike
18) Put the lockers (I use 2) into the rear right pannier
19) Get the bike ready :
- put on the lights (sometimes they're still mounted on another bike)
- insert bag A into the rear left pannier
- insert bag B into the rear right pannier
20) Get the rider ready :
- put on additional clothes depending on the weather (wool sweater, additional socks, wool cap, jacket)
- put on security equipment (helmet, velcro ankle straps,)
- put on gloves
21) Ride home
22) At home, put anything wet to dry in the cellar, then go up with bag A

The need for fresh clothes is :
- one base layer every day, used for riding
- one polo - or business shirt every day, used at work
- two pairs of blue-jeans every week

and there are some items like cap, scarf or sweater to wash sometimes over the week-end.

My bikes and paraphernalia live in the basement. The night before I get it ready to go and leave it in the kitchen.

I try to keep everything but he bike by the back door in the dining area. My SON had a date come over recently (for the 1st time) and he cleared out all my stuff while I was out of town. On my way home he texted me: "get popcorn and don't embarrass me when you come come. you're not wearing your bicycling stuff are you?" hahaha ... so now my stuff is slowly finding its way back to the back door

hahahaha

You left the word "son" out, right? Very funny. Sounds like my 18 year old daughter. But really, she expresses her love for me more often than her disdain.

Step one: Get dressed. Shorts, baselayer, bib tights and shirts at the ready. Hmmm… Should I wear hi-viz, or hi-viz?
http://www.brucew.com/images/bikeforums/kit/step1.jpg

Step two: Pick a bike. Do I need studs today?
http://www.brucew.com/images/bikeforums/kit/step2.jpg

Step three: Outerwear and accessories. Which helmet? Choose a skullcap or balaclava, select gloves. Wear the Lakes or shoes and booties? Then, seat bag or trunk bag? Grocery panniers, regular panniers or none? Bungees? Air up the tires, grab the bottle, put on the jacket and gone!
http://www.brucew.com/images/bikeforums/kit/step3.jpg

tsl ~ you are probably everyone's hero right now!

IKEA is my hero. That entry hall valet combo thingie rocks!

you guys should move in together and post pictures ... hahaha :-)

but seriously - can you imagine a man and woman (or whatever) who both love cycling and both have awesome "bike get ready" areas - wouldn't that be the perfect union?

That's funny, it's like me! I Live in a two bedroom apartment and the second bedroom is my computer room/office/photography workshop/bikeshop. I keep all my bike clothing and accessories in this room in one place in the closet so it's always handy.

Adam

this is where I keep my bike ready to go. in the basement.

I park my bikes in one of three bedrooms and in the backyard. I take out the bike that I want to ride the next day. My clothing is kept in my bedroom where sleep, shower and change my clothes. My gear is kept in a box, in bike bags and baskets as well as on the computer desk. Each bike has its own gear so I am never short when I need to go for a ride.

I also keep most of my stuff by the back door. Messenger bag, handle bar bag, helmet, gloves, and shoes. Also depending on the weather, an assorted variety of hats and shoe covers. It's a little more organized than it sounds or the wife would kill me. We have a 9 cube shelf thingy we picked up at Target and I keep most of my stuff in that.
The bike is usually outside if the weather is nice or in the shed if it is raining or snowing.

The clothes I wear on my bike are co-mingled with the rest of my clothes in dresser drawers. They don't yet warrant their own space. ;) Likewise the shoes, jacket, hats/balaclavas, gloves are kept near the back door (off the kitchen) with the rest of the family's outerwear. It's all on hooks or in cubbies.

In the morning I pack my work clothes, lunch, laptop, wallet, and phone in my messenger bag. I shave but skip the shower until I get to work. My Messenger bag used to have its own spot but that was co-opted. Now it roams.

A good chunk of my morning is just helping the kids along in their process of getting ready for school.

When I'm personally ready to go, I take about 3 steps out my back door to the service door of the garage. The bike is right inside that door and my helmet is usually hanging from the bars.

Once at work I check my email and phone messages, grab my gym bag (which contains shampoo, soap, work shoes, etc) and towel, transfer work clothes from mess bag to gym bag, then head to the shower.

I could streamline that process by packing my work clothes and setting out my bike clothes the night before but I'm too lazy.

Thank you for this post, I've been trying to stream line and admire everyone who is so organized. I usually bring the bike into the kitchen at night from the shed and load the panniers with the clothes for the next day, lights and water bottle. Then I set out my riding clothes, minus the shirt base layer which will serve as pajama top. The helmet is hung on a curtain rod and stuffed with my gloves for the next day and balaclava as needed. (the panniers are cheap nashbar ones with a trunck bag and velcro). I'm already in about 10 min after a breakfast, coffee and news/yehuda moon fix in the am.

He just want his father to look his best. That's not disdain. To a certain extent, that's *care*.

He's mine, for sure.

I can imagine that. Maybe I found an example the other day : http://www.blayleys.com/

I can't tell. Way too dangerous :)

so I send this link to my current spouse and she says: "we need a foyer"

a routine is crucial. A coworker is getting into bike-commuting but only once a week so he routinely forgets his keys.

I don't have a really good routine. My kingdom for a mudroom... but I do keep things together in discrete chunks; helmet/hat/gloves one place, shoes/insoles/socks another. I keep day-in-day-out needs in a fannypack (watch, keys, phone, wallet), can grab that whether biking or not.

Dealing w/ panniers is the shakiest part in my routine. I'm forever leaving them packed until after the dishwasher starts (tupperware gets to ripen some more) or after the laundry has gone in (clothes get to ripen some more).