What are your "must haves"?

[ny biker]

I do.

The extra weight on the bike is nothing compared to the extra weight on me.

It's really not that much stuff. Most of it is small, lightweight items. What's a driver's license weigh, for heaven's sake? Is the 0.25 ounces a hair band weighs going to keep me from climbing a hill?

On at least 2 occasions I've been VERY glad of the extra shorts. Since I rarely ride more than 60 miles in one day, that's a higher proportion of the time than you might at first think.

The extra gloves have come in handy several times, once because I crashed and tore hell out of the gloves I was wearing. The rest of the time, well, if I get caught in the rain, eventually those gloves get soaked and it's nice to have a dry pair on the off chance it stops raining before I stop riding.

What would you have me leave? The frame pump? Uh uh, even one use justifies that, and I've used it more often than that.

My cell phone? Nope, it's a safety device when I'm out riding.

The snacks? I only take about 4 oz total of snackish type food with me, not worth the leaving, compared to the risk of bonking. Ditto the fluids.

Maybe my bike shoes? That's the heaviest item on the list. Sure, I could go barefootin' . . . LOL!

If you're seriously going to be inconvenience by a pound or two of "extra" weight, I don't know, you might want to consider a training regimen.

You think that's a lot, you should see the extra weight when I go to the grocery and load 'er up!

Wow. What's with the hostility? Thanks but I have a training regimen already.