Are you "addicted" to your bicycling gear?
 

Are you "addicted" to your bicycling gear? By that, I mean spending too much time with (i.e. preparing, assembling, packing, donning, removing, folding, etc.) the various items that you wear or carry with you in various stages while out on a ride. Think about it. I can give you a good example.

I was last out riding one windy day in Maine where the hills can be long and steep. The weather was clear but was to become overcast with the possibility of rain. I was dressed in full kit in helmet, club jersey, wind jacket, spandex shorts, socks with biking shoes, and warm gloves. A Hydrapak hydration unit was also strapped to my back if I grew thirsty. My riding partner was dressed relatively the same way. In my rack trunk, I carried a rain jacket and long spandex pants in case it let down.

From the start of the ride, it was three miles before we reached the top of the first hill. After two of those miles, I was beginning to sweat. I stopped, removed my windbreaker, and put it in my rack trunk. The ride down the other side would be freezing if it were drenched in my own persperation. My riding partner caught up and waited while I struggled back into the hydrapak. At the top of the hill, we stopped again where I took a long drink and enjoyed the view. When my riding partner saw me reach inside my rack trunk for the windbreaker again, she lost her patience and rode off ahead of me. After a freezing ride, she put the question to me. I'm guilty to some extent.

So I ask you Foosters. Are you "addicted" to your bicycling gear? Please discuss.

Gear is a means to an end. It gets you out there to enjoy the ride and reap the health benefits; it gets you home safely.

Your actions to avoid hypothermia (or even discomfort) are prudent. In fact, folks like your friend are only too willing to let you vouchsafe them aid when they fall prey to the imprudent neglect of their gear.

Forget the slur.

I know there are practical asseccories for cycling but one has to draw the line somewhere. I have a couple of cycling shorts and a cheap ($3) yellow shirt and that is my "kit". I do wear a helmet, and carry a pump, extra tube, and flat-repair items, and this past summer I began regularly carrying water with me. When I was a kid I pumped my old 20-inch tires up about every couple of months, didn't wear special cloths or a helmet. Now I pump up skinny road tires before every ride. Since I'm going to be 15+ miles away from home during my ride, I find myself closely examining the bike for any potiential problems and making sure I am not forgetting anything important.

Sometimes just getting ready to ride seems like a big ritual. That is one reason that I will stay with flatform pedals (two other reasons: I am cheap and slow), I don't want another chore to get me out the door (though I probably still need to get "real" cycling gloves for protection in a crash)

Used to be, but I got over it years ago. When I started, in college in the '70s, I'd buy crap like titanium seatpost bolts ($13 when the standard Shimano part was $2) to make my bike lighter and me faster.
Now I rarely buy anything I don't need or that doesn't contribute in some way to comfort or enjoyment--$90 for a Brooks saddle, for instance, but only $18 for tires because I can't tell the difference between those and the $45 ones.

I do go through my saddle bag now and then to add something or take something out. I'm more addicted to keeping my bikes (the one I'm gonna ride the next day) up than may gear though. I'm always checking tires, check wheels, lovingly annointing my chains with oil and parts. I usually just wear biking shorts and just any old, clean shirt if on my mtb or a jersey if on my hybrid or schwinn. I do need to get mathcing helmets though. That is, helmets that match my bikes.
Ernest

Nah, I wear MTB shorts and MTB shoes with my road bike. I've been known to do a 35-mile ride in jeans. Sometimes I forget to bring a water bottle with me.

"Are you "addicted" to your bicycling gear?" Hell, no! I ain't got no stinking "bike gear" cause 90%
of it is pure damn waste of money for 99% of the people. :notamused:

If ya get hung up on "gear" then ya got to much money to play with.:roflmao2::roflmao2:

Sweet. Then I am in that special 1% of that lovely generalization.

I am addicted to riding. All the gear comes with that addiction but I frequently ride without said gear.
Tis a means to an end.