Ride prep time
 

I’m asking this in the Road Cycling forum because I’m strictly a road cyclist, and also I think that other styles of cycling might be affected differently. But…how long does it take from the time you decide that you’re going to ride, to the time you actually roll away? My wife, and my sister (who aren’t cyclists) are constantly chirping about how long it takes to get rolling. It mostly happens when I’m riding with one of my brothers (who are also cyclists) during infrequent visits. Granted…sometimes it does take us a half hour…maybe more…from the time we say “let’s ride” to the time we’re actually rolling away. Deciding on a route, changing clothes, pumping up, filling water bottles, synching GPS, etc. Just wondering how long it take others, and if you hear similar chirping from your significant others/family members. — Dan

4m 17.2s

Assuming all my electronic gadgets are charged (Garmin, headlight, taillight, Varia, iPhone, Iwatch), usually no more than 10 to15 minutes. I try to stay ahead on the charging part and hook them up post ride.

Thanks. I need to know that split down to the thousandth.;)

Dan

30 mins to an hour depending if the bike needs some drivetrain or cleaning maintenance.
It's just not me but caring for a pup and aged parents so "just one more thing" slows that getaway.

15 to as long as 30 minutes. However, sometimes much quicker if I'm focused and in a hurry.

A half hour! Are you guys retired?

For indoor rides - 10 min from when I decide its time to ride. For outdoor, a couple minutes longer since I need to put on a jersey and a helmet.

5 minutes or less.

15 to maybe 20min max if I'm procrastinating.

Let's see:

• fill bottles
• undress
• sunscreen
• put on HRM and kit
• electronic doodads onto bike
• pump tires

15 minutes or so. And yes, I am retired TMonk

Edit: Add extra time for bathroom break, if necessary. Better before than during the ride.

I can get out the door in 10-15 min. I usually have the GPS and radar unit on charge, so just air up the tires, fill a water bottle and put on my kit

Forgot to add, this also includes a bowel movement :)

Yes.

It's really surprising how much I've slowed down for anything once I retired. Not sure if it's just the incentive isn't there to rush or what the deal is.

I'm jealous. I work full time, have a young child (almost 2) and find whatever time I can to train to be a competitive road cyclist. Most of my training is in the garage for those reasons.

On some occasions I get to sleep in more, take my time getting ready, and not worry about being done by X or Y time of day. That usually requires PTO mid week. Otherwise it just ain't happenin'. On the weekends I agree with my wife I'll be done by X time, and it usually ain't that late, so I'm cramming in what I can

Hard to say, because I don't do it all at once. I don't tend to do impromptu rides. I decide the day before whether I'm going to ride, so I get things like the bike and my accoutrements ready the night before, so on the day, prep time is relatively short.

This tends to be the biggest variable in the timing of my Sunday rides. Not a factor at all for midweek post-work rides.

Or two.

Where is the poll??

5 minutes, maybe a few more in the winter as it takes longer to get all the gear on.

it depends if I remember where I left my special roadie shoes

I was going to but then figured there’d be too many variables. “Sometimes I have to do ‘this’ but not ‘that.’ “It all depends on if _____”, etc. So I just left it as a question.

Dan

Full disclosure, it's 4m 17.2 ± 0.3 s

Takes a while but who’s counting

I almost always plan my ride the day before. And that can be a few moments to simply decide to ride route X that I've done before, or it might be 30 minutes if I'm putting together something I don't do regularly.

Before the ride proper, usually in the morning, I can get going in 30-45 minutes. There's a bike prep that mostly involves topping off tire pressure but will includes a tire inspection for thorns embedded in the tires. I may also give the bike a quick wipe down. This is mostly to clean dried drink mix on the down tube where the "water" bottle mounts.

Then I prep my drink bottles which means mixing in a high-carb drink mixture in whatever number of bottles I need for that ride.

In the summer clothing is fast to select as it's simple summer kit. Winter takes longer because I study and fret about weather conditions. I hate trying to select winter clothing.

Getting dressed itself is a routine of putting on sunscreen, more so in the summer. Then the same steps as always to get mostly dressed, then final bathroom stop, final dress and then out the door. Then sometimes, "oh, I better go back to the bathroom just in case."

It takes much longer if I'm NOT riding from the house as I have to double check everything to make sure I don't forget something. And of course loading the bike on the car rack etc. Hard to forget your helmet and shoes when riding from your house, easy if you are driving somewhere to start the ride.

When I ride with my wife, she chides me for taking so long. Of course, I'm the one that has prep'ed her bike. Plus she has an e-bike with a "trunk" that she can stuff all manner of extra clothing in. SO, she doesn't have to be as careful about clothing selection. But I'll admit to throwing a thing or two in there fore myself.

In the end, I'm sure I take longer than most to get ready. But at the same time, I rarely get caught out having forgotten something or dressed inappropriately.

Good lord, what I wouldn't give to be able to take a dump in under 10 minutes!

an hour.
(If it’s not a commute) sync garmin to get the route
breakfast
read some nonsense on the internet
dunny
quick freshen up to avoid stinking out the jersey
brush teeth
Check weather & choose clothes from those packed in the drawer (jersey system is good, the rest not so much) and those on the floor and those on the dryer
fill bottle
realise I forgot the gloves, go back upstairs
realise I forgot the HRM so half undress
fight shoes on
out the door
realise I forgot pump & plugs, unlock and go back in

I can get on the trainer in less than 10 minutes
this will involve forgetting one of; towel, phone, headphones, water