How long do YOU take to get ready to ride?!

[Sheesh]

Ha ha! I'm always giving my husband a hard time about how long it takes him to get out the door! Surprisingly, it takes him WAY longer than it takes me, and I can't figure out why.

I like to lay out my clothes the night before, but it still takes me a good 20 minutes to get out the door. My routine is very similar to yours, Jiffer.

[Jiffer]

\ I like to lay out my clothes the night before, but it still takes me a good 20 minutes to get out the door. My routine is very similar to yours, Jiffer.

So there's hope yet for me! 20 minutes sounds like a nice goal! I don't typically lay out my clothes the night before because they're easily accessible, but I often think through what I'm wearing and make sure it's clean and that it's really where it goes.

[Torrilin]

2 hours if it's a get up and go utility ride (not that I moved any faster with a car...)

About 15 minutes for short fun rides. Grab water bottle, bike, helmet and go. I usually don't go more than about 5 miles from home, and I can walk that distance easily as long as I have water. Longer fun rides mean I need to pack a lunch, and sometimes other stuff so the time til I'm out the door goes up.

[BikeDutchess]

Well, tonight I got ready in record time (about 5 - 10 min) since I was running late for a club ride. I threw on my cycling clothes (luckily everything was clean!), filled my water bottles, swapped out the lenses in my glasses since it was overcast, hopped on my bike (I pumped the tires yesterday and figured it was good enough) and sped off. It has been a stifling hot day, and as I was zipping along I was surprised that it didn't feel as hot as I expected. Then I realized I had forgotten to put my helmet on! Aaargh!

So I lost all that saved time in having to turn around to get my helmet. At least I still made it to the club ride since they were a few minutes late starting.

[suzieqtwa]

I do the exact same things you do ,in the same order except ,I have 2 cats ,no dogs...I lay my clothes out the night before ,and I pump my tires the night before. I fill 2 bottles of water /fitness drink ,and have them in the freezer ,so they are cold for me. It takes me about 25-30 minutes.

[AllezGirl]

Start to change at work...phone rings...blah, blah..try to be friendly but don;t you people know I have somewhere to be?, put out fire, I have to go...get in full lycra kit, damn, I forgot to put on HRM...drive to ride (if I leave 15 min. late, forget it, traffic will be too bad). Get near ride start, dressed...stop at WaWa, in full lycra, but there's a bike on top of my car, so it's not weird! Buy a boatload of gatorade. Get to ride start, pump tires, put on gloves and helmet, and oh yeah, HRM. I'm ready to go...........but the ride doesn't start for another 45 min. Yes, I'm one of those perpetually early people.

[oxysback]

All I know is it'd take me a lot less time if I didn't have to pee about 5 times before a long ride.

Why is it that I do that??

[csr1210]

All I know is it'd take me a lot less time if I didn't have to pee about 5 times before a long ride.

Why is it that I do that??

Good Grief this is ME! This makes me nuts - I also have to do that before bedtime.... I could get out sooo much quicker without this affliction. When I ride with hubby, I am constantly inquiring, "are you almost ready--I have to do my last bathroom run if you are..." It's not good if I've "buttered" up too early

End of rant

[GLC1968]

My routine varies greatly depending on the type of ride and where we are starting from.

My commute:
it takes me 10 minutes. I get up, pee, splash water on my face, put on my clothes (already stacked neatly in the bathroom so that I don't wake DH searching for stuff), put my hair in a pony tail, grab the waterbottles out of the fridge, put on my shoes and go. Everything is already set up on my commuter bike and waiting for me. I wake up somewhere about 3 miles down the road. If DH is also commuting, then it's about 15-20 minutes longer as I need to leave time to take care of the dogs. If he's not commuting, he does it when he gets up after I'm gone.

Long ride from home:
about 25 minutes or so. Here I do the above but I also apply chamois creme, pack snacks, and air up the tires, decide on sunglasses, apply sunscreen, etc.

Long ride from somewhere else:
about 20 minutes to get in the car and then about 15 minutes at the location. All the same as above, except that everything I need gets tossed in a huge messenger bag and thrown in the car (shoes, sunglasses, helmet, gloves, water bottles, snacks, etc). I spend a bit more time getting ready at the location than DH, but I also never forget anything with this 'big bag' tactic.

Lunch ride from work:
20 minutes to get ready. I have to change, apply sunscreen, get water, got out to my car, air the tires, get all my stuff tucked away (cell, id, computer, etc), get shoes, gloves, helmet and sunglasses on...and go. The worst is after the ride...I feel like it takes me so long to get back to work! All in all, a 1 hour lunch ride takes me about 2 hours between getting ready, riding, getting cleaned up, and eating at my desk.

I will say that reading everyone else's routines makes me feel much better. When we are getting ready to head out for a long ride, DH is notorious for getting all steamed at me for taking too long. He stresses me out and I end up forgetting stuff (like usually, to pee one more time)!

[Grog]

I'm with GLC1968, my prep time varies.

This week I rode twice in the early morning, sub-1-hour rides. I just threw my bike clothes on, didn't have to pump the tires (I pump them every third day unless I'm going to a club ride or to something with lots of climbing), filled one bottle with water, put my wallet (it's quite small) in my pockets (instead of the plastic version that I take on long rides), my cell phone, my keys and a gel in my pockets, pull the bike out of storage, put on the buff, shades, helmet, bike shoes, and off I am. Took me 15, maybe 20 minutes.

For some reason, knowing that I'm just going for an hour, close from the house, pulls me out faster. Whenever I go for a long ride, it's more prep time, for some reason.

Happily I just need to go potty once.

It's 7:30 am, so no sunscreen.

It's important that I make up my mind the night before about riding though, and run the routine through my head before falling asleep, and tell my partner I'm going to go riding in the morning. That creates a commitment and somehow it's faster that way. I don't do the other stuff I would normally do as soon as I get up (coffee, email...).

Obviously this would take me longer with kids or even pets.

ETA: No HRM in the summer. I just leave it. One less step, one less thing to consider, more fun, somehow...

[Starfish]

I hate riding in the morning. I'm not thinking or moving well. So, it really depends for me on whether it is a morning ride (that I have to do for some reason), or a very late morning or afternoon ride.

Morning rides take me forever to get out the door for, with many missed items, retraces of footsteps, etc. Up to an hour. Even when I think everything is ready in advance.

Afternoon rides are quick to get to...15 minutes. Dress, fill bottles, pump tires, go. Firing on all cylinders.

[jobob]

Heh, my routine is a lot like Queen's (maybe a bit quicker, but not by much) which is why I get up so freakin' early for my before-work rides.

[pooks]

I'm glad you asked this question because I keep thinking, "There has to be a better way!"

Clearly, there's stuff you simply have to do and it takes time.

Of course sometimes I end up hunting for socks or kit or whatevers. I do need to get better organized.

This summer I've loved riding in my Keen sandals that I'm usually wearing most of the day, anyway. It's amazing how much faster the "getting ready" seems when I'm not putting on socks and cycling shoes. (It can't really make that much difference, but it feels like it is.)

[singletrackmind]

I'll get everything ready the night before if it's an early morning ride. Camelback ready in fridge complete with anything I'm taking with me or packed next to sink with bladder out and ready to fill, bike set out, aired/lubed, gear laid out and waiting.
If it's a 4am slip out before the hubby goes to work ride I'm out of here in ten or less, but everything's been done the night before, I don't bother with teeth or sunscreen or food (have some with me, just in case), lighting is already set up on camelback/helmet and the dogs are still asleep.

Getting ready from scratch 1/2 hour is quick, I think.

[farrellcollie]

I am impressed with how quickly you get out in the morning- It takes me at least 30 minutes to feed and play with the dogs before I can leave them - let alone what I have to do for myself and the cat. I am not really a morning person - so except for school yr when I commute - I usually bike later in the day.