Safety-A Mother's Concern (Long and a little funny)

[GraysonKelly]

Hi All,
Now, to all of you mother's out there please don't take offense to this. But, I'm going to laugh at my mom for a minute or two.
Okay, so I talked to my mom this morning and we started talking about when I was going to start riding again. I told her that I won't start up again until the weather decides what it's doing and it gets a bit warmer (until then, I'm on the trainer). Anyway, she (who used to do K9 Search and Rescue) decided that NOW was a good time to grill me about what I take with me when I ride. So, not thinking, I told her:
1. Helmet
2. 3 water bottles
3. Small tool (allen wrenches, screwdrivers, etc)
4. Cell Phone
5. Road Id
6. ID and money
7. Small first aid kit
(I haven't gotten a spare tube and mini pump yet...that's on my list)
She said, "And...?". I stupidly replied, "And what? That's all."
Well she flipped. Especially when I told her I'd be making longer rides this spring, summer and fall, hopefully up to 80 miles a day by next winter. Unfortunately I also mentioned that I wanted to get into mountain biking this year.
Yeah, I'm in the dog house and if I wasn't 31 years old I'm pretty sure she would have grounded me. I got a 20 minute lecture about how I could be: Kidnapped, hurt, lost, maimed, get hypothermia, and die because I wasn't carrying enough "basic" equipment with me. This was the list of things I was told to add to my normal stuff:
1. A thermal blanket
2. 2 knives, one fixed blade one folding
3. Matches and lighters
4. Poncho
5. Flashlights (with extra batteries)
6. A bigger more comprehensive first aid kit (more comprehensive I already planned to take care of)
7. A signal mirror
8. A whistle
9. Snake bite kit
10. and a change of clothes
11. Compass (which I know how to use, but haven't in years since I stopped being her "victim" for K9SR)

Now, where, exactly does she want me to carry all of this? In this humongous backpack that she used to carry and stuff full of her "essentials" when she was on a search. This thing is one and half the width of my back. Granted, I do have a rack on the back of my bike, but I hadn't planned to really use it while on the road and I don't have one for my mountain bike.
Am I the only one that thinks this is a little over the top? First of all, riding on the road doesn't concern me as much as being in the woods because where I ride there are tons and tons of houses, businesses, etc. I won't get lost. Second, I suppose if I wanted to really challenge myself in mountain biking (yeah like it's not gonna be challenging enough when I don't know what I'm doing) I could see using the backpack loaded down with stuff as a training tool. But I just want to do it for fun. I agree I need to take some extra stuff with me in the woods, but i will never be alone doing that. I did learn something way back when.
I know she's just worried, but I couldn't help but laugh and just had to share all of that with you. I'm not being disrespectful to my mom, honest I'm not. But she forgets that while she was searching for those people and me (on Sat mornings in the forest for training) that I was learning too.
Next time I'll remember to answer the question completely.
Have a great day,
Gray

[Biciclista]

wait! what about your sleeping bag, winter coat, raincoat, camping stove, camping pot, several meals.
You need to have a radio, (with extra batteries!) and what about some dogfood in case a search and rescue dog finds you?
Splints, in case you break your leg. And in case you get a puncture wound to your lung, you need a straw.

You sound woefully unprepared. Thanks for the laugh.

[redrhodie]

I don't leave home without one of these:

http://www.keenzo.com/showproduct.as...2993034&ref=GB

[OakLeaf]

She forgot the two extra gallons of water. You'd die of dehydration before you even needed the rest of that stuff.

Seriously though, I keep meaning to add a reflective blanket to my seat pack. I keep one in the car for sure. They don't weigh anything, take up very little space, and if something were to happen, it could definitely save your life.

Band-aids, ibuprofen and antibiotic ointment on the other hand... even an ice pack... that stuff can wait til I get home. (Or until the squad picks me up, whichever's first. ) Aside from my Epi-Pen (and spare chamois cream), I don't see any reason to carry a first aid kit.

[GraysonKelly]

Isn't that funny? I didn't even try to explain to her why all that stuff wasn't really necessary...she knows I keep a fully stocked emergency/BOB bag in my car. Apparently I have to lug that with me.
I agree that the thermal blanket is not a bad idea and I searched in my collection for a reasonable and light weight knife just in case. Oh, and I've got about 50 feet of paracord too. Or I will have when I ride again. Sheesh! The woman's crazy! But, she's my mom so I love her anyway.
Gray

[Duck on Wheels]

Yeah, the blanket probly doesn't weigh much or take up much space. They fold up pretty compact. It might come in handy if you're stuck somewhere, or in shock after a tumble. Then again, if you're in shock, will you remember to wrap yourself up in the blanket? Well, maybe. I did do a lot of smart things with my backpack and what was in it when I was out in the woods with a broken ankle waiting for a passer-by and then for the passer-by to get help and for the help to arrive. As for the knife -- find a multi-tool with all you need for the bike + a knife on it, and tell your mom that's what you want next time she wants to give you a gift. Some cell phones also have a built-in flashlight. Mine does. Some have a pretty shiny mirror-like surface (mine doesn't). A small box of matches is no big deal to tuck into your underseat bag along with the rest of this stuff, or in your jersey pocket. The knife, sterilized with a lit match, can do snake-bite duty. You don't really need the suction cup. I have a pretty loud whistle that's an earring. I actually also have a sheath knife earring, but the knife isn't sharp enough to be useful. The whistle one, on the other hand, is a 2-hole ocarina that can be heard some distance and you can even play a tune on it, long as the tune only consists of 4 notes As for change of clothes and poncho ... I think the blanket can do multiple duty there, and you might comfort your mom that you generally start out with arm and leg warmers and a jacket on and stow those as the day heats up, so those are then extra layers if you're stuck somewhere, tired and sweaty, and it starts to cool off.

Let me know if you need one'a those earrings. I can prob'ly get more at the Medieval Fair come summer. They cost about $30 and weigh virtually nothing, so easy to mail. ... Anything to make a Mom happy

[GraysonKelly]

As for the knife -- find a multi-tool with all you need for the bike + a knife on it, and tell your mom that's what you want next time she wants to give you a gift.

Let me know if you need one'a those earrings. I can prob'ly get more at the Medieval Fair come summer. They cost about $30 and weigh virtually nothing, so easy to mail. ... Anything to make a Mom happy

Heh,
Well, see I have a problem with the multitool thing...I have no doubt that she'd get me one to take cycling, but I haven't found one that I like yet. I've discovered that I'm fairly picky about that. I do wear a very small backpack (it looks like a camelbak but no bladder for water) that I carry some little stuff in that doesn't weigh me down. As for the earrings, thanks for the offer but I can't wear earrings. I do have a whistle, I'm thinking I'm going to attach it with a break away clasp for around my neck or on my handle bars. I think that might work nicely. Thanks for the tips. Mom and I appreciate it.

[lph]

Wow! With that gear you should be able to not only survive in the wilderness, but make your own shelter, catch and gather your own food, and build your own airplane to get out of there.

Just kidding - only MacGyver can build an airplane like that

eta: I do carry a small plastic whistle quite often, not on the bike but on the anorak I use hiking+skiing in the mts. It's very handy when the wind is strong enough that yelling to each other is difficult, and of course to attract attention in an emergency. I attach it to the zipper pull.

[Norse]

And I thought my mom worried excessively. Wow. That's the kind of stuff I might carry on a back-country hiking trip, but certainly not on my bike. As a woman frequently biking alone though, in addition to cell phone I do carry a folding knife and a small, very lightweight mace sprayer.

[PamNY]

Oh, that sort of thing can be annoying . But it's awfully sweet as well. Your post made me smile and almost cry -- my mom was a lot like that. Yeah, it got on my nerves, but I miss it as well.

I have to say a mom like your gives you good preparation for life. When 9/11 happened and then the blackout, I was the most prepared person around. The many flashlights that were Christmas gifts from mom got handed out to my neighbors during the blackout. You would think after 9/11 people would buy flashlights, but no. When the front desk in my building lost power, they called me first (mom was so pleased). It's years old, but I still use a red blinkie that she gave me. I think it still works due to some special mama power.

I agree the reflective blanket is a good idea. I saw a biker on the ground waiting for an ambulance a while back, and she wasn't covered with anything. The blanket went in my bag that day. Even if you don't need it, someone else might.

Thanks for bringing up some of my favorite memories of my mother, and good luck in your future discussions with YOUR mother!

Pam

[lph]

Just to take Mamas worrying seriously - if you (you in general, not you GraysonKelly) want to think safety, you have to factor in the weather, temperature, and how likely it is that you will be found, in addition to what might happen. If you ride in low temps or rain on a road where you could break a leg in a fall and it's not likely anybody will pass for several hours - and where your cell phone doesn't work (phew), then some of it makes sense. If the chances are high that somebody will come by within half an hour, or you can call for help, there's not much point in messing about with knives and matches.

But a little extra clothing or a poncho or a space blanket is probably the first thing you'll miss if you're immobilized for any period of time. I used to do Red Cross search+rescue exercises and was "the victim" on several occasions, and it's quite amazing how cold you can get in the course of just 20 min sitting on your hiney on the ground, even in summer. Well, summer here that is.

BUt how do you get bit by a snake on a bike, anyway?

PS. Duck, you're full of surprises :-P

[Cataboo]

My mom still calls me most nights and asks if my doors are locked, if I'm scared, and tells me to go to sleep. Definitely if she's seen something about a murder or rape on the news. My biking does freak her out - but she's more worried about me being hit by car.

That being said - I do carry more than you do, especially on longer rides... and especially if I'm going alone. I do tend to ride in rural farm land, and the closest friends/relatives that I'd feel comfortable calling to come rescue me live an hour away. Now, I suppose there's co-workers who live near me, who'd be fine with coming to rescue me... But I feel bad about the "Yeah, I don't really hang out with you, but I'm willing to use you when I need help" and am not likely to do that unless I absolutely have to and if I absolutely have to, I'm probably injured to the extent that I need a first aid kit.

I tend to just keep a bag packed for biking, have another that I keep packed for hiking, and another for skiing, and there's a set in a dry bag for my kayak ... And pretty much they all have the same basic supplies.

I have a deuter race x air 1 backpack/hydration pack that I carry with:
- small multitool with knife in it (I have a couple different leatherman's... one stays in my hiking backpack, one stays in my biking backpack, one stays in my car)
- bike tool
- chain tool
- spare chain connector (I use sram chains, so their powerlock thingie)
- spare innertube, patches, a tire sleeve in case a tire splits (on longish rides, I will sometimes toss a spare tire in... just because I once passed some guy whose tire had split open and he was calling his sister to come get him)
- my cell phone
- a gps (I like having a track log)
- water
- a small first aid kit with tweezers & a suture kit
- some ibuprofen
- some duct tape (you can roll it around itself and use it for splinting or emergency repairs, whatever - and if you have to duct tape a wound closed, it works)
- a couple velcro straps
- a cliff bar or two, some cliff shot blocks
- one of those thermal blankets
- a lightweight wind/rain shell (I use the arc'teryx squamish pullover, extremely light... ), depending on the season I'll have a wool layer in my bag.
- a map
- a blinky light, a dot stick:
http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-DOT-S...0016844&sr=8-1
- a headlamp for the bike
- a reflective striping vest
- a kit of waterproof matches
- road ID
- a credit card
- a few dollars
- safety whistles just attach to my pack.


My deuter pack isn't that big, it does have a vented back panel so my back doesn't get sweaty, and yeah, it's probably a few more pounds... but there's more than a few spare pounds on me and I like the peace of mind. And most things have been added to the pack in response to something on a trip and realizing "oh crap, it would have been really handy to have that..."

[Cataboo]

If I know I'm only going 10 miles or so... I have a little seat bag that's packed a lot more minimally, still the tools & innertube.

[redrhodie]

Wow, you are prepared!

I switched bikes the other day, and in checking my saddle pack, realized I'd been riding all winter without my CO2 pump. How's that for prepared??? Flats happen way more on wet roads, so I'm lucky that I made the discovery the good way.

[MomOnBike]

You got off easily. When I went on my solo tour (the first of many - more to come) my brother wanted me to haul my gun along. Nope, the gun probably weighs as much as the bike, so somehow I forgot it - never needed it, either.

I do second the idea of a knife at all times, though, they are endlessly useful. Of course, basic bike/person repair stuff (pump, patches, bandaids, blanket, etc.) are always on your bike. Right? /Mother mode

The rest of the safety stuff fall into the category of "It Depends." Maybe you should expain why, say, the shark cage won't be terribly useful if you are riding in a desert, but you'll be sure to use one if conditions warrent. Likewise with any other thing she comes up with.

Remind your mother of all the lessons she taught you about safety and finding yourself, and, um all that. After all, you learned from the best!