What are your "must haves"?

[Miranda]

Something I forgot to put in my original post I'll add here...

a plastic sandwich or snack size baggie.

I originally brought the baggie along to roll up the packaged contacts to help them from getting lost in my saddle bag, or accidently falling out if I stopped etc. (baggie is more noticeable). However...

I used that same baggie once when caught out in the rain. Luckily I didn't have far to ride home, but the baggie worked great for giving my cell phone enough water proof protection until I got in.

On a womanly note, if you have any sporadiac cycle issue, a compact size tampon is nice to have in the saddle bag. Though a female fellow rider might help you out there if needed. Unfortunately I am one of those that tried the Diva Cup and it didn't work for me (short of story).

Sure... bike shorts are normally black, like a lot of saddles, but if you are too soaked through things can well... 'travel'. Sorry, not a happy ride picture, but a fact of womanly life for some of us.

[ZenSojourner]

(snip)
I used that same baggie once when caught out in the rain. Luckily I didn't have far to ride home, but the baggie worked great for giving my cell phone enough water proof protection until I got in.

(snip)

On a womanly note, if you have any sporadiac cycle issue, a compact size tampon is nice to have in the saddle bag.

Two more good ideas. I guess I'm just going to have to load up another ounce or two, LOL!

If you keep the spare tampon IN the baggie, maybe I could count that as one item, LOL!

[VeloVT]

Something I forgot to put in my original post I'll add here...

a plastic sandwich or snack size baggie.

I originally brought the baggie along to roll up the packaged contacts to help them from getting lost in my saddle bag, or accidently falling out if I stopped etc. (baggie is more noticeable). However...

I used that same baggie once when caught out in the rain. Luckily I didn't have far to ride home, but the baggie worked great for giving my cell phone enough water proof protection until I got in.

Yeah, now that you mention it, I usually keep an empty sandwich sized ziplock in my seatbag too, on longer rides. It's a good place to gather miscellaneous trash -- energy bar wrappers, gum (yuck, but better than leaving it somewhere if there's no trash around), etc.

[Vireo]

Something I forgot to put in my original post I'll add here...

a plastic sandwich or snack size baggie.

I originally brought the baggie along to roll up the packaged contacts to help them from getting lost in my saddle bag, or accidently falling out if I stopped etc. (baggie is more noticeable). However...

I used that same baggie once when caught out in the rain. Luckily I didn't have far to ride home, but the baggie worked great for giving my cell phone enough water proof protection until I got in.

On a womanly note, if you have any sporadiac cycle issue, a compact size tampon is nice to have in the saddle bag. Though a female fellow rider might help you out there if needed. Unfortunately I am one of those that tried the Diva Cup and it didn't work for me (short of story).

Sure... bike shorts are normally black, like a lot of saddles, but if you are too soaked through things can well... 'travel'. Sorry, not a happy ride picture, but a fact of womanly life for some of us.

I ALWAYS pack my Blackberry Curve in a snack-size baggie for the most common thing I will encounter in SoCal -- sweat. On rainy days the snack size baggie it is a "must have". The sandwich baggie is loose enough to operate the keys but the snack size packs in my jersey pocket better.

[aicabsolut]

I ALWAYS pack my Blackberry Curve in a snack-size baggie for the most common thing I will encounter in SoCal -- sweat. On rainy days the snack size baggie it is a "must have". The sandwich baggie is loose enough to operate the keys but the snack size packs in my jersey pocket better.

+1

Even when my cell is in my seat bag, that thing is not 100% waterproof (particularly b/c of the zippers). If I get caught in the rain or something, the phone is soaked. If the phone is in my pocket, it's soaked in sweat. My cell phone always goes in a sealed sandwich bag.

[redrhodie]

I don't know, that baggie sounds too heavy.

[OakLeaf]

If the phone is in my pocket, it's soaked in sweat. My cell phone always goes in a sealed sandwich bag.

+1. I keep it in the same baggie with my paperwork and cash. I got tired of the looks I'd get from store clerks when I'd have to wring out two limp dollar bills before handing them over for a bottle of Gatorade.

[maillotpois]

I've seen boom boxes strapped to bikes, and that makes me smile.

There was a guy on DMD last weekend who had a water bottle shaped boom box thingy that fit in his bottle cage. It was VERY cool; however, I did NOT like his choice of music.

My forum options include bold, italics, underline, font size, font color, etc., not to mention just using quote tags (that little icon that looks like a square cartoon bubble). Lots of ways to differentiate.

But we're not all as creative (and computer talented) as you are!

[aicabsolut]

For snow/extreme cold, try neoprene gloves instead of changing gloves. I got some this winter. They ROCK. It doesn't matter how sweaty or wet you get (and you will get sweatier hands than usual, but it's worth it to have them stay warm).

[SadieKate]

But we're not all as . . . ( . . .computer talented) as you are!

That would be BikerZ. Not moi. I merely kowtow at her feet (as she spends my money).

[Grog]

I prefer other people to bring more stuff than less with them.

Why does it matter to me?

Because I'm the kind soul that ends up giving a spare tube (I usually carry two) or a CO2 cartridge to someone who's stuck on the side of the road and didn't have the good sense of bringing their own. I'm not talking about the guy that had gone through four tubes on a rainy day, but the people that bring NOTHING. Then they try to call someone on their cell phone and they're out of range or something.

I've also loaned water bottles and my spare gloves. Of course I could have let them freeze their fingers off and enjoy the toasty dry gloves myself, but mine were not that awful and it sort of would have ruined the ride if a fellow club member lost her fingers, no?

I've also been on the receiving end of a phone call for help and while I didn't mind (it was an unpredictable mechanical problem: who brings spare cranks and pedals on rides??!), if it would have been a simple flat tire it would have made me... cranky.

So I'm happy for people to bring the kitchen sink with them on bike rides. Who knows, if I have an urgent need to do dishes I can borrow it from them just like others have "borrowed" tubes from me!

[smurfalicious]

On a womanly note, if you have any sporadiac cycle issue, a compact size tampon is nice to have in the saddle bag.

Tee hee! <sarcasm> as a stick up my butt, elitist, spandex wearing, "you are not worthy to polish my carbon fiber with your ExOfficio panties" racer snob I've found that my IUD is a much better solution. Not only is it incredibly lightweight, but I don't have periods anymore. I find this to be insanely beneficial to my rigorous training schedule of "Hmmm, today looks like a good day for a ride," and my strenuous weight lifting program of long neck bottle lifts (6 reps thankyouverymuch!). </sarcasm>

Kitchen sink bringers might do well to avoid looking at this. I got this bag from the Topeak rep and I love it!

http://www.topeak.com/products/Bags/ProPackMicro

It holds a tube, my Park MT-1 "multi-tool," CO2 cartridge and levers. If I really beat on it I can get some chapstick in there. I suppose for anything above 50 miles I might switch to my slightly larger bag and take two tubes, two CO2 just in case.

Otherwise I throw my Jimi wallet in my back pocket with my phone, some grub in said pockets and call it good.

I can empathize with those who bring what seems to others as a lot of stuff. I was very much the same way for a long time and then inevitably I'd regularly forget something, or it would get taken out of the pack and a few rides would go by and I'd realize I didn't need it.

I took an outdoor living skills/survival class a while back and one of our outings was to simulate being lost on a day hike. We had to have our packs weighed beforehand, couldn't be over ten pounds. Essentially an extra layer or two and snacks was all we could bring. So we had to build and sleep in emergency shelters in November, at 3500 feet.

Perhaps that has an impact on my minimalist packing. Sure I could bring a boo boo kit, but is a bandaid going to really make my scraped up palms feel any better riding home? Probably not. Major flesh wounds will be addressed with whatever piece of apparel fits the bill, and in that case my phone will do lots more good.

And to this day whenever I travel I bring oh, about ten pairs more socks and underwear than I could possibly need. Why? Because once when I was young I had to spend a week at my dad's and forgot underwear. It was awful and despite only being 15-20 miles from my mom's I didn't dare say anything to my dad because uh, well I haven't talked to him in 8 years if that says anything. Inside out underwear, not too terribly uncomfortable though.

[Biciclista]

I have to let you guys know that if i am going to be on a ride that is going to last more than a few hours and therefore, with more than one temperature, I'm going to bring extra gloves too. Why why would i rough it? gloves don't weigh anything. I might bring 2 extra pairs! and you know what, when it gets hot out, my hands get icky and sweaty. how nice to change gloves.

And bandaids? most of the people I ride with carry little first aid kits. Maybe I'm going to be home in 30 minutes, but maybe i'm going to be out all day. And just maybe, I'm going to run into a 10 year old who just crashed his bike! he might like a bandaid.

If i am riding with faster friends, I will wear a camelbak in the summertime even for a 25 mile ride. Why? I can drink at my leisure and in comfort.

I have a buddy who carries practically everything and the kitchen sink. He and a friend were on a 200k ride where something broke in the crank. My friend had EVERYTHING they needed to fix it and they completed the ride.
I REALLY like riding with that guy.

I agree with some of the other posters on here. Each of us is entitled to having our VERY own list of what we feel we "MUST HAVE" on a ride. I see no need to critique other people's lists. what they carry on their bike is their prerogative.

[Grits]

Along with the basics for fuel, tire changing and ID, I carry a baggie with some various sized bandaids, including some really big ones, some antiseptic wipes, a few ibuprofin, and a papertowel.

I was with a friend when she crashed, and we used just about everything in my little baggie. Fortunately, she was not seriously hurt, and it was not necessary to call an ambulance or anything, but it sure was nice to be able to bandage up that road rash. I scraped my leg one time on a ride, and the rest of the ride was much more enjoyable since I was able to put something on the cut and not have blood running down my leg and messing up my cute Sock Guy socks.

[Redhed]

Hello,
This is my first post, so pretty please be nice! I've been considering commuting to/from work (right now I only ride on the weekends/evenings on road/easy MTB trails). I work rotating 12-hour shifts from 5.30 AM to 5.30 PM (or vice versa), so depending on the time of year, one or both of my rides to/from work are in the dark. Given this, I was searching the web for must haves for nighttime commuter biking and came across this thread....

Does no one ride in the dark? No one mentioned carrying or having installed lights or reflectors on their bikes?! Are they just not helpful? Right now, I have two LEDs installed on the front and back of my bike and they are useful at dusk, but I haven't yet used them at night. Do you think they will be enough or should I get something else?

Any other helpful suggestions?

As for the OP's question, I usually have the following with me on any sort of ride:

helmet
sunglasses
gloves
ID
keys
$$
water
some sort of food
vitamin B
extra socks (I have a thing about sweaty socks)
bike lock (we frequently stop for beers at a brewery on the way back from a ride in a semi-seedy spot)