Argh! I win the "duh" award for today...

[Dirt Girl]

One of the few days with a little sun in the last...well it seems like forever...and the first group ride of the season, and my new road bike, and I'm all jazzed with helmet on, bike out of the car and I realize I FORGOT MY SHOES. ARGH. I'd have trouble keeping up while clipped in, so there was no way I was going to try it with sneakers on my SPD pedals. I have never forgotten my shoes for a MTB ride.

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID

And I just bought a big bag to start carrying everything around in as I'm finding it hard to remember if the multitool is in the mountain bike or road bike saddle bag, do I have my pump, etc., etc. BUT I hadn't started using it yet. Needless to say, as soon as I got home, I packed it up and made a list to look at every time I go out. I guess that's the lesson I was supposed to learn today.

Nobody at home to give me sympathy so I posted a MTB ride for tomorrow. THAT will make me feel better.

Rant over. Thanks. I feel better.

[mtnbikenmama]

both my husband and i at different times have forgot our helmets and had to turn around and go home

[Hill Slug]

I actually did that a couple of weeks ago.....But I was not going to go home...I have the platform adapters on the other side of my SPD's so I rode on those. I was wearing my Keen sandals.....They are comfortable and sturdy. I was over compensating with my knees to make sure I didn't slip off the pedals, and was ok. Even on the few climbs we had, I really had to focus on not letting my feet slip. My knees were a little sore after 32 miles.....

I also, now have a list and double check for everything...

[Surlygirl]

I've done the same thing. I drove 45 minutes to a rail trail only to discover I forgot my shoes. I have candie pedals, so I was able to ride with sneakers, but it was hard not slipping off, but I refused to go home.
Now I have a huge Coal bag that is just for bike stuff and I always keep my stuff in it. I find that works great.
See your not the only one who has duh moments.

[nuthatch]

Aww, Dirt Girl, I can so sympathize! I've got stuff in my commuter panniers and stuff in my weekend bag and I think I need a big white peg board to hang EVERYTHING up on each time I come home. I've left home without a helmet, without water, without my shoes.... My brain hurts!!!

[DeniseGoldberg]

And I just bought a big bag to start carrying everything around in as I'm finding it hard to remember if the multitool is in the mountain bike or road bike saddle bag, do I have my pump, etc., etc.

Well, I only have one helmet and one pair of shoes - and I've been lucky enough to never (yet) leave my house without them. But the problem with forgetting the pump or multitool? Can't happen because I splurged - each of my bikes has its own frame pump, its own multitool, and a stash of patches + a spare tube stashed in its own seat bag. It would be cheaper to have one seat bag that I share between the bikes, but this way I know that whichever bike I throw in the car to get a lift to the start of the ride is outfitted with everything it needs!

[Biking Chick]

It would be cheaper to have one seat bag that I share between the bikes, but this way I know that whichever bike I throw in the car to get a lift to the start of the ride is outfitted with everything it needs!

Same here Denise ... one of the 'perks' about having the children off on their own - while you lose that tax deduction most of the time you gain in the income department

Hubby and I have bags for each of our bikes - all the bags have CO2 cartridges as well as tubes and one patch kit between us; dh has a multitool in each bag (we never have to wonder what we can get him for any of the holidays!) With the addition of our new 7500 FX bikes and new bags Al is looking forward to picking up the new '18' multitool this week-end.

We have a check list that we go through before we leave the house which includes taking our Joe Blow pump - the gauge comes in handy as there have been numerous times we've inflated someone else's tires.

To show you how anal we've become in our biking - I set our checklist up on the computer and had copies run out AND put into pads at the local copy center ... now that's anal but it does save us from arriving someplace only to find we've left our trail passes at home or forgotten gloves.

[Ninabike]

Ditto on the shoe thing!!

It happened to my riding companion this weekend. She had even made a special trip to pick up her bag, assuming of course, that the shoes were inside. Not so. Since she has "Looks", no choice but to go to closest LBS and buy new shoes. Of course, I couldn't go to the LBS without shopping. I now have a new pair of PI shorts and PI tights. Not so bad after all!!

[SadieKate]

Can't happen because I splurged - each of my bikes has its own frame pump, its own multitool, and a stash of patches + a spare tube stashed in its own seat bag.

Us, too. Each bike has own bag with tube, tools, etc. My car even has its own floor pump and Timbuk2 bag filled with tools. We spend so much time on road trips and hauling friends to rides that it was just best to keep everything stocked. We even keep a couple of Schrader tubes in the car tool bag even though we don't use them. I know all this gets expensive but it seems minor compared to the cost of gas to get somewhere and not be able to have fun and games.

I also run two duffel bags, one for mtb and one for road, because I use different shoes, gloves, helmet, glasses, etc. The only thing I've ever forgotten with this method is my socks, so Bubba has taken to keeping an extra pair for me in his bag (he's so sweet ).