What are your "must haves"?

[smilingcat]

for the head: a working helmet.
for the eyes: pair of shades.
for the hand: pair of gloves.
I guess clothing can be optional.

back pockets have: spare tube coated in baby powder in a zip lock bag. three tire irons, patch kit with two tubes of glue, two or three patches, a small sand paper around 80 grid, two CO2 cartridge, one CO2 pump, about $10.00 in cash, cell phone, Luna bars. Hex key for my seat tube clamp. and if its cold outside, I also carry my arm warmers or be wearing them. don't have a saddle bag or bento box on my bike.

On my wrist I have my road ID.

Carry one or two water bottles depending on the length of the ride.

[Heifzilla]

So far, my must haves have been:

Helmet
Gloves
iPod (I listen to it in one ear, leaving the other open to hear)
Cellphone
Water
License & debit card
Portable hex wrenches thingermabob
Cyclocomputer
Windbreaker than I can stuff in my handbar bag
Keys (if I am driving to a trail first)
Bike lock (around my seatpost)
Cheap HD yellow safety glasses (indigoiis! Probably the same ones )

My RoadID just came in the mail today, so that will go with me, too. I also plan on getting an extra tube to keep in my bag, as well as the tire levers, a small pump, and a multitool (thanks to your suggestions).

[bmccasland]

Pretty much what everyone else said, other than instead of RoadID, I have MedicAlert. Which reminds me, I need to up-date my file with them...

[VeloVT]

Pockets:
-Cell phone
-wallet (if ride is over 15 miles)
-chapstick
-sometimes a small digital camera

Seat bag:
-gum
-one tube in a ziploc bag
-my cute teeny box of glueless patches
-two tire levers
-2 c02 cartridges and a teeny weeny c02 pump
-multitool
-alcohol wipes in case of scrapes (they don't take up any room really)
-1-3 individually wrapped "wet wipes" for cleaning up hands after changing flats

I will usually fit in a snack (luna bar, sportbeans) somewhere for rides over 30 miles.

[GLC1968]

I have the following in my wedge under my seat, so I never have to think about it:

spare tubes (I need two - two different sized tires)
a tire lever
tiny patch kit
tiny multi-tool
lip stuff
tiny golf pencil and a folded up piece of paper

I have a pump with a gauge mounted on the frame, so that's always with me. My road ID is attached to my shoes, so I always have that, too. My sunglasses, helmet and gloves stay with my bikes when I'm not riding, so they are always right there ready to go.

When I go to ride I grab ID, cash, cell phone, water & maybe food (depending on the length of the ride)...oh, and a cue-sheet or map of the route since we are still relatively new to the area and exploring.

[Becky]

Pretty much what everyone else said, other than instead of RoadID, I have MedicAlert. Which reminds me, I need to up-date my file with them...

Now if only MedicAlert would come out with some nice bands like the RoadIDs! Their sports bands just don't do it for me....

Think RoadID would engrave my MedicAlert info?

[Zen]

Such a minimalist.

I am
but I forgot something.

I always have my camera. You never know when you're going to find interesting road kill.

[madscot13]

Like becky originally said (sort of):

Spare tube
Patch kit
Tire levers
Pump
Multi-tool
ID
Keys
Cell Phone
Food
Water and sports drink (1 bottle each)




I'm the pits when I am hungry.

[jobob]

I carry a small flat zippable pouch that fits easily into the back pocket of my jersey.

In that, I have ID (at the moment its my previous drivers' license which just expired and is otherwise identical to my current drivers' license), a bit of cash and a credit card, and a card with my emergency contact info printed on it.

I also have a photocopy of my insurance card in there, which would have come in handy in my crash since I was pretty much out of it (except my husband was driving SAG on that ride and so he was there soon after and had my wallet with him in the car, and his insurance card info is the same as mine).

But still, it's good to have insurance info on you, just in case (along with info about allergies, medications etc. if need be - but I suppose that's what the MedicAlert is for).

jeeze, someday I'll stop obsessing about my crash, really ...

[madscot13]

tell me again, what is insurance?

[TxDoc]

Hi Heifzilla,
I do not use saddle bags much. I have one somewhere but I prefer to keep a patch kit and CO2 in the jersey pocket.

[jobob]

tell me again, what is insurance?

Errrr, sorry.

[Heifzilla]

Now if only MedicAlert would come out with some nice bands like the RoadIDs! Their sports bands just don't do it for me....

Think RoadID would engrave my MedicAlert info?

Depends on how much you need engraved. You have 5 or 6 lines to use and I'd think they'd engrave just about anything you wanted. I'd give them a call. I had all of my allergy info engraved on mine. I don't see why they couldn't put your MedicAlert info on there.

[Becky]

Depends on how much you need engraved. You have 5 or 6 lines to use and I'd think they'd engrave just about anything you wanted. I'd give them a call. I had all of my allergy info engraved on mine. I don't see why they couldn't put your MedicAlert info on there.

I was wondering about copyright or similar issues....b/c MedicAlert is a subscription service. I've heard at least one other organizations that won't engrave their info. Spacewise, I don't think it would be an issue.

[OakLeaf]

In my seat pack where I don't have to think about it:

*Multi-tool including chain tool. It's much more of a tool than I need for the short rides around the perimeter of town, but once I get out into the boonies, it's reassuring to have it "just in case."
*Spare tube
*CO2 inflater with two cartridges
*Tire levers
*Epi-Pen
*small lock
*patch kit

Mounted on my bike:

*Mini-pump
*Two bottles of water
*Garmin GPS. If I didn't have that, I'd carry a map. Sometimes I have a map too, anyway.

In my pocket:

*Phone
*Small jar of chamois cream
*Magnifying glass or reading glasses
*In a ziploc bag that stays together all the time, the following:

*Driver's license
*Insurance card
*Organ donor card
*Credit or debit card
*At least $20 cash
*Annual National Park pass
*Bicycling club membership card

Dang, sounds like a lot, doesn't it. It really doesn't seem like it (except for the multi-tool, which weighs a TON, but like I said, it's reassuring to have).