Keeping track of all yer stuff!

[gnat23]

I got myself one of these units with various sized bins in it and it has changed how I get ready every day:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/ca..._room/12018-2/

Top drawer (shallow): sunglasses, chapstick, keys, checkbook, heart rate strap, etc
Middle drawer (shallow): multitool, spare tubes, misc patch kits, maps, wool hat, etc
Middle drawer (Deep): Helmet, gloves, vest, windbreaker, arm warmers, leg warmers, etc
Bottom drawer (deep): warm jacket, waterproof stuff, neoprene booties, other misc bits like spare saddle bag, spare tire, backup gloves

I have it in-between my bike storage and the front door.

-- gnat!

[SouthernBelle]

I have a bag I bought off of Ebay which doubles as a purse or a handlebar bag. This helps tremendously. I seldom change.

[surgtech1956]

I use a bookcase, keep my bicycle stuff on one shelve and my motorcycle stuff on another, then in the winter I put either the bicycle or motorcycle stuff in a tote and put my cross country ski/snowshoe stuff on a shelve, I need something like bins to keep everything.....

[malkin]

One day DH called and said he'd ride to meet me at work and we could ride home together. About a half hour later he called to say that he thought the garage door opener was in his trunk bag, inside the garage. Now it's a detached garage at a condo complex, and there's no other door. I had the other opener on my keys at work.

I rode home, and upon arrival, realized that I'd left my keys (and garage door opener) on my desk.

It was the perfect storm of garage door opener amnesia!

[pardes]

It was the perfect storm of garage door opener amnesia!

Oh Malkin, that is the saddest (but funny) story. I can just imagine your frustration!

I'm too lazy to organize things the night before and two blurry to do it in the morning so EVERYTHING I need stays in my messenger bag and panniers. So far I've not forgotten or misplaced anything in three months of commuting.

On the other hand, I am obsessive-compulsive about the garage door opener. As I zip down the driveway I must look back at the garage door to make sure it's closed and then I fret all the way to the bus stop about whether or not the garage door opener in my pannier might have gotten pushed accidentally and my garage door is flapping up and down.

[GeoCam]

I'm too lazy to organize things the night before and two blurry to do it in the morning so EVERYTHING I need stays in my messenger bag and panniers. So far I've not forgotten or misplaced anything in three months of commuting.

I wish I could make it that simple, but . . . .

I need to transfer "work" from my briefcase to my pannier on the day(s) I commute, but the clothes are what really get me. I need to figure out what I'm going to wear on the bike, plus what I can take to wear at the office. I need to take shoes and a washcloth and make sure I don't forget underwear. It's getting easier, but these decisions took forever at first. Now that people at work know I'm riding, I don't worry near as much about whether my clothes will look wrinkled or my hair is kinda funny.

[jsdilks]

My DH is the one who packs our bags the night before. I get my stuff ready and put it in a tote that goes in the pannier. That being said, we've had two trips with no towel (which we bungee to the top of the center bag), which necessitated the washing of hair in the sink in the locker room and mopping up with paper towels. I have a hair dryer in my bag, so that was all right. And I have extra panty hose in my cabinet at work. I've finally broken down and left a pair of shoes at work to wear - black wedges that take up too much room in the bag. But most days they work fine with my clothes. And it was a good transition since I'm done with the summer flats that took up so little space in the bag. Now we need to work on that lunch thing...can't quite get that worked out yet.