So, it's summer, you get dressed in sports clothes and take your bike for a quick - or not - ride, mostly for working out, but might later turn into a fun ride, too.
You must take your keys with you, while everything else is not necessary this time (cellphone, food, etc), but you don't want to have your keys on your pockets (or you don't have pockets, like in my case!).

Question: What do you do with your keys/key chain???

I'm not Phil Giamon counting grams to tackle climbing KOMs on a sub-14 lb bike. He has an assistant following to record the rides, and carry his stuff.

I ride a 25 lb steel road bike. A few grams or ounces here and there won't matter.

Especially in summer when I'm carry two or three 24 oz water bottles, and possibly a collapsible Mylar water pouch in a jersey pocket. On some rural rides the next convenience store or other source of water may be 10 miles away. That's a long distance when the temp is over 100F and I'm out of water.

If I'm on my road bike, keys go in my jersey pocket. If I'm on my hybrid, I'm probably wearing baggy shorts or jeans -- keys go in a pants pocket.

I've made a few concessions, mostly to bulk rather than weight. Fewer keys. A mini-wallet with only my ID, VA card and debit card, and a $5 or larger bill tucked inside. A phone always goes with me, especially after being hit by a car last year. Ditto a video camera, since the driver lied about the traffic signal to cover for looking down at her phone instead of the road.

Other stuff goes into a Serfas Speed Bag. I've switched from regular patch kits with cement tubes to Lezyne self sticking patch kits -- half the size of a credit card and only slightly thicker. They work. Saves bulk and weight.

If I eat gels or energy bars during a ride, I tuck the wrappers inside my shorts leg or sock -- sometimes in the saddle bag if I've stopped to have a snack. I wouldn't trust that method to retain anything important like keys. Although the compression socks I sometimes wear would hold a wallet and keys securely, but the weight would be annoying.

Issues like this are quite honestly the reason why I started wearing cycling jerseys (with pockets).

Assuming you don't want to go that route, a saddle bag can be great. I also got a little triangle bag that attaches to the top tube and seat post tube for my more casual riding around bikes, and it works great for holding my pile of office keys if I sneak out for a lunch ride.

String or lanyard around the neck works if you're riding in an upright position (like on a hybrid); not so much if you're in more of an aero position.

Clip over seat rail, over cable housing, make a small ZipTie loop then ZipTie the loop to top tube under saddle ......

https://www.amazon.com/Faswin-Stainl...700883&sr=1-12

That's why there are cycling jerseys with pockets and handlebar bags.

If you can't solve this problem, probably better that you should stay home .....

Key - issue

Quote:

Originally Posted by teomoto

...You must take your keys with you, while everything else is not necessary this time (cellphone, food, etc), but you don't want to have your keys on your pockets (or you don't have pockets, like in my case!).

Question: What do you do with your keys/key chain???

Counterpoint: What’s worse, forgetting your keys, or losing them en route?

I posted to this thread, "Keys fell out of saddle bag" :

Quote:

Originally Posted by waterfish_21

Hello all.

So the other day I lost my keys! My bontrager saddle bag developed a rip in the zipper. I was not careful upon putting my keys/wallet/ and tools inside it and after my 30 mile loop when I got home my keys were missing. My wallet and bike allens where still in there (barely hanging on!)

Has this happened to anyone else? And are there any other ways to secure these items inside a saddle bag. I ride with my headphones on 60-90% of the time so I didn't hear the keys falling off, not sure if I would of anyways.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unterhausen

I'm still emotionally scarred from the time I lost my keys in 1989, so I feel your pain. The last 5 saddlebags I have owned have a clip for keys

Quote:

Originally Posted by TenSpeedV2

Ditch the headphones. It is fun to listen to music, but riding is not the place to do it. You would have heard them hit the ground I would imagine, or bounce off your tire at least.

Before getting on the bike, swallow the key. You'll get it back eventually.

Jeez, talk about trying to complicate a simple problem. Put your necessary keys on a ball chain or a long shoelace and hang them around your neck.

I've tied a single key into my shoe laces on occasion. Works well, is out of the way and isn't going to be lost.

I have several bike lock* keys and the one to my door on a bit of swag from the beer distributors
that is handed out for halftime raffles at that sunday football game viewing , at bars.. like lasr week,
a ribbon around my neck, key ring..

*Went thru the effort of getting another same key lock, sent from Germany, just to keep from having 2 lookalike incompatible keys,, instead of one...


FWIW its a fluke of evolution that we did not have ancestors that were marsupials , and so, would have a pouch pocket from birth..






....

I put my keys in a pocket on my camelback. You always need water when you ride.

You can't put a bike bag under your saddle? I mean, I understand the drive for clean lines, but when a solution exists - a solution specifically designed to solve the exact problem you have - isn't it a bit silly NOT to use that technology? It seems that one is clinging to an image of "being cool" rather than being comfortable and efficient and is self-deluding to be thinking how clean your bike looks when you have keys, wallet, mobile phone, and a banana creating big lumps in your jersey, shorts (and socks, apparently).

saddle bag.....easiest. Usually only carry the FOB anyways just in case. I don't carry keys very often but this is my MO when I do.

Flower bed: In an old medicine bottle glued to the bottom of a rock. Less weight so I can go faster.

I agree. I have a medium size seat bag. I'd rather people say "Look at that stud on a dorky bike" than "Look at that dork on a studly bike".

Get some jerseys with zippered security pockets.


-Tim-

Wow, guys... I was just asking for opinions! (as a "newbie" in the forum I could not make more posts, so you kept coming... )

I have done ALL of the above. Yes, there are solutions.


But, my point is there is no specific product out there to solve all the parts of my initial question.


Yes, I can wear other clothes, but I don't want to change my clothes to be able to store my keys

Yes, I can store in socks, tights, etc, but it will bother me

Yes, I can hide my keys away. This requires a suburban environment (rocks, etc...) and lack of peace of mind while riding (if you disagree, ask those that take their keys with them)

Yes, I can definitely put them in another bag that I already have but it might make noise


For those that thought I would stay home preferring not to choose any of the above, well you misunderstood me.


So far, the SMALL seat bag solution sounds the best, so you can ride fast, too, without affecting the weight, but I should stuff something else there to keep the keys silent.