Pre-ride checklist...please add your ideas
08-08-14, 06:25 AM
#1
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Pre-ride checklist...please add your ideas
I'm a list maker. At 46, my memory isn't as sharp as it used to be, so I make lists in Google Docs. I recently started a pre-ride checklist of things to do before my rides. List is below, please feel free to add your ideas/comments.
* proper clothing for ride
* check weather/temp
* check tires
* check lights
* fill water bottle
* transfer front bag from other bike if needed (carries my FAK, sunscreen, gloves, glasses, spare batteries, lock keys, etc)
* transfer lock from other bike
* fitness app- set to record ride (I use Map My Ride)
* music/headphones (I listen to the news or podcasts, as well as music, but only in 1 ear)
* am I hauling anything? Don’t forget it. I try to put these items by my bike.
* proper clothing for ride
* check weather/temp
* check tires
* check lights
* fill water bottle
* transfer front bag from other bike if needed (carries my FAK, sunscreen, gloves, glasses, spare batteries, lock keys, etc)
* transfer lock from other bike
* fitness app- set to record ride (I use Map My Ride)
* music/headphones (I listen to the news or podcasts, as well as music, but only in 1 ear)
* am I hauling anything? Don’t forget it. I try to put these items by my bike.
08-08-14, 06:36 AM
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That's quite a list. I don't make lists and sometimes I forget important things to do, so good for you. I pay more attention to everything I need the longer the ride might be. So if I'm going for a short ride and I forget to do something, "oh well." But for longer rides the "oh well" can turn into "oh *&#!".
08-08-14, 10:54 AM
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I'm a list maker. At 46, my memory isn't as sharp as it used to be, so I make lists in Google Docs. I recently started a pre-ride checklist of things to do before my rides. List is below, please feel free to add your ideas/comments.
* proper clothing for ride
* check weather/temp
* check tires
* check lights
* fill water bottle
* transfer front bag from other bike if needed (carries my FAK, sunscreen, gloves, glasses, spare batteries, lock keys, etc)
* transfer lock from other bike
* fitness app- set to record ride (I use Map My Ride)
* music/headphones (I listen to the news or podcasts, as well as music, but only in 1 ear)
* am I hauling anything? Don’t forget it. I try to put these items by my bike.
* proper clothing for ride
* check weather/temp
* check tires
* check lights
* fill water bottle
* transfer front bag from other bike if needed (carries my FAK, sunscreen, gloves, glasses, spare batteries, lock keys, etc)
* transfer lock from other bike
* fitness app- set to record ride (I use Map My Ride)
* music/headphones (I listen to the news or podcasts, as well as music, but only in 1 ear)
* am I hauling anything? Don’t forget it. I try to put these items by my bike.
* open checklist on Google Docs, before the ride and check off the items on the checklist.
08-08-14, 11:08 AM
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What is FAK? I'd add ID/Cash/CreditCard. BTW, I listen with one ear, but only spoken word podcasts, or news. I find music, even one ear, too distracting.
08-08-14, 11:27 AM
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I have a list for races, but if I'm just going from a ride from my house, it's all pretty much there.
08-08-14, 05:31 PM
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I'm the opposite, and rather than lists, settle into habits. Years ago, when working with heavy machinery I was taught "do the same job the same way, every time" so you never have to ask yourself "did I .....?".
The basic rule has served me well, and I use it for cycling, scuba diving, or simply leaving home without ever wondering if I locked the door. (OTOH- I have locked my wife outside). I keep life simple by keeping each bike ready to go with it's own bag with tube and a the like, plus pump.
Now well past your age, I've made my single concession to forgetfulness by screwing my warehouse key to a waterbottle boss on my commuter bike. This beats riding 6 miles to work, then having to make an extra round trip (3 times before I took action).
The basic rule has served me well, and I use it for cycling, scuba diving, or simply leaving home without ever wondering if I locked the door. (OTOH- I have locked my wife outside). I keep life simple by keeping each bike ready to go with it's own bag with tube and a the like, plus pump.
Now well past your age, I've made my single concession to forgetfulness by screwing my warehouse key to a waterbottle boss on my commuter bike. This beats riding 6 miles to work, then having to make an extra round trip (3 times before I took action).
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08-08-14, 06:06 PM
#7
~>~
A small nylon bag w/ key attached & copy DL/Heath Insurance a credit card & some cash w/ 'phone go as a matter of course.
Air tires, add water bottles & gone.
An extended ride and/or lousy weather require a few moments of prep but it's grab & go.
-Bandera
08-09-14, 06:21 AM
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Small bag with the basics in it on each bike. I always check the weather, my job and life depends on it. Give the tires a quick squeeze and out the door I go, if the bike I choose happens to have a flat I grab a different bike. 
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
08-09-14, 06:33 AM
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I normally prepare the evening before so I don't forget anything.
08-09-14, 02:09 PM
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+1 for a list of stuff to bring for rides that start away from home. When actually getting ready to start a ride, everything is self evident or routine, like checking tire pressure, brake operation, etc.
Do you really need a list to remind you to check the weather and chose the right apparel?
Do you really need a list to remind you to check the weather and chose the right apparel?
08-10-14, 03:29 AM
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I need a “Nurse on Drug Round. Do not disturb” red tabard, but for cyclists.
08-10-14, 06:36 AM
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Fill water bottle
Pump up tires
Ride
Every once in a while check the tires to see if the cords are showing yet. If so replace.
Pump up tires
Ride
Every once in a while check the tires to see if the cords are showing yet. If so replace.
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08-10-14, 09:02 AM
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I'd add mini pump to your checklist. I have more bikes than pumps and I'll move them around, sometimes i forget to put it back on the bike I took it from.
08-10-14, 12:01 PM
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I think the basic idea is to have a habit of doing things in an orderly way. For some people, its difficult if one tends to wander or one does not have the discipline for everyday living.
But for specifics, one way is to create a staging area where all things related to a ride are located. Well, practically all things. Some things like hydration and nutrition are found in the kitchen. For me, its the garage and where I put things in some kind of systematic way.
Other things are like my Garmin and lights because they require charging. The Garmin goes onto the desktop computer so it moves around. On occasion I would forget the Garmin or forget to charge up the lights.
But for specifics, one way is to create a staging area where all things related to a ride are located. Well, practically all things. Some things like hydration and nutrition are found in the kitchen. For me, its the garage and where I put things in some kind of systematic way.
Other things are like my Garmin and lights because they require charging. The Garmin goes onto the desktop computer so it moves around. On occasion I would forget the Garmin or forget to charge up the lights.
08-10-14, 12:28 PM
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I check air, brakes and quick releases out of habit; just riding is hop on and go. I forget water about half the time.
Commuting is a different story. If I didn't have a mental checklist I'd forget my pants or something.
Commuting is a different story. If I didn't have a mental checklist I'd forget my pants or something.
08-13-14, 11:59 AM
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it takes me forever to get out of the house. I'm too scattered now. I miss the commuting days when everything was where it should be all the time. so, if I could suggest anything helpful it would be to consolidate your stuff in one place.
08-13-14, 03:03 PM
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I just try to stay organized. After every ride everything gets put where it belongs and due to habit I can get ready to ride in about 5 minutes.
08-13-14, 03:17 PM
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*knock*knock*knock*...Penny!
*knock*knock*knock*...Penny!
*knock*knock*knock*...Penny!
Tire levers.
Why do you need a checklist for clothing? Wouldn't you notice if you are naked or wearing a suit before a ride?
*knock*knock*knock*...Penny!
*knock*knock*knock*...Penny!
Tire levers.
Why do you need a checklist for clothing? Wouldn't you notice if you are naked or wearing a suit before a ride?
Last edited by tagaproject6; 08-13-14 at 03:22 PM.
08-13-14, 03:30 PM
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Some people's lives must be amazingly complicated, or they're suffering early-onset dementia.
It's a bike ride, not a trip to inner Mongolia.
The bike should be ready, except maybe for needing air in the tires, and if not kept with the bike, any items like a pump should be obvious and automatic. Getting dressed, grabbing keys, dough and the other stuff of daily life shouldn't need a list.
IMO- a bike trip should be no more complicated, or require any more thought than a car trip to the grocery store (do you need a list for that?)
OTOH- an extended tour, or trip of much different character than an everyday ride might require some extra thought.
It's a bike ride, not a trip to inner Mongolia.
The bike should be ready, except maybe for needing air in the tires, and if not kept with the bike, any items like a pump should be obvious and automatic. Getting dressed, grabbing keys, dough and the other stuff of daily life shouldn't need a list.
IMO- a bike trip should be no more complicated, or require any more thought than a car trip to the grocery store (do you need a list for that?)
OTOH- an extended tour, or trip of much different character than an everyday ride might require some extra thought.
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An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
08-14-14, 07:09 AM
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08-14-14, 09:11 AM
#23
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Headphones? Maybe listening to all the crap on the radio is the cause of your memory problems. No headphones! I need to hear everything around me.
10-07-14, 05:52 AM
#25
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Don't forget to take a pee. At my age if the trip is over 20 minutes it's best to drain it.
