biketocamp

Racing on Sunday and unfortunately my friends and family have to sit out on this one. Wondering where you store your travel packs? Do you just ask the registration to watch your stuff/ keep a blind eye?

LesterOfPuppets

What kinda race? For CX, crits, STXC I just ask to stash with reg, announcer, a shop tent, the med tent, whatever. Dunno what I'd do for long non-circuit road, MTB or gravel event.

alcjphil

Are there other riders you know at the races? Ask them if you can store your gear in their cars. When I was racing, if someone made that request of me I would have been happy to oblige

FBinNY 

The key to effective stashing in borrowed places is to be organized. If you can get all your stuff neatly packed into a reasonably compact bag, with your name tag just in case, you probably won't be turned down if you ask another rider, neutral support mechanic, or even staff near the podium if you can stash it with them.

Then be a good guy about it, and live without the contents until ready to retrieve them and go home --- nobody wants to do a favor and end up with a pest.

BTW - as an inveterate space scrounger years back, I always made a point of bringing something, a beer, snack or whatever, or simply offer to pick up a tab, when I went to connect and retrieve my stuff.

veganbikes

No real race knowledge but Jack Lauterwasser rode from London to his Olympic race in Amsterdam and got Bronze and Silver (sort of, the Italians were disqualified):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Lauterwasser

I figure if he can roll from London to Amsterdam to race to bronze/silver and build a sub 18lb bike in the 1920s, your bag won't be a huge problem?! : )

Machka 

I raced with a team my first couple years, so I stored my stuff with them. By then I'd gotten to know the other racers and so when I raced independently, I just stored stuff with someone I knew.

DMC707

I dont get it --- i usually pit out of my truck if i am not there with a team ----- i usually go solo , my friends/family has no interest in my racing . Its such a simple concept i cant even really explain it

That said , i dont do 24 hour endurance events or events where i need a mechanic outside of neutral support

Machka 

I think we're talking about cycling to the start of a race ... not driving.

DMC707

ahhhhh--- lightbulb moment. In that case, my answer is roughly the same, -- unless a race was only an easy 10 minute ride from my house, i'd throw the bike in the car -- if i blow up my legs i need to be able to get home, so i wouldnt ride with the thought in my head that i had to conserve enough energy to limp home.
As well, tough to carry a spare wheelset on the bike, -- stuff breaks when racing and i've always liked being prepared to fix it

but i realize no one asked for my unfettered opinion on riding a bike to a race ---- If i did, i'd just leave my stuff with prromoter or race sponsor with the caveat being that ultimately they are not responsible for my stuff. Or leave the panniers/ back packs at home and just use a butt wedge type pack for the bare essentials if its local

Clamms

Don't leave anything too valuable in your bag and stash it under a table in the registration area. Or if the event is centered around a store or a library or other indoor place, just ask if you can leave it behind the counter. That's what I do when I go solo to a 5k race (running not biking).

1989Pre 

Contact race organizers. If there isn't a dedicated bag check-in at the package pickup tent, then camouflage it and stash it in the woods.

caloso

I have never seen a dedicated bag check at any bike race. Keep the valuables to a minimum and leave it near reg, or better yet next to the wheel pit. A thief at a bike race isn't going to rifle through a random backpack if it's sitting near expensive wheels. Carry your phone and ID/license/cash with you like you would for a training ride.