Carrying stuff with you on long rides

[ny biker]

I gather you never ride when it's chilly and you might need a vest or jacket. Or when it's blazing hot and sunny and you might need more sunscreen. Or where there might not be a 7-Eleven where you need it.

DH and I sometimes ride with folks who start out saying the same sort of thing. Sooner or later we'll hear something like: "Oh gee, I have no room left in my pockets for this vest, would you mind carrying it in your bag?" or "Mind if I use your pump?" or "Got a tube I can borrow?" or "Can I have a squirt of that sunscreen?".

We make lots of friends on rides like that. Part of why we tend to go out more on our own nowadays, taking care of the masses gets a bit old.

Word. I did a club ride a few years ago that started at a school. While in the parking lot, I took out some sunscreen to add an extra layer on my shoulders (I always apply the first layer before leaving home, to give it time to sink in). A few cyclists who I had never met and who had started the ride from a few miles away saw me and asked to use my sunscreen. They used lots of it, then said thanks and left. Never even bothered to introduce themselves.

A couple of weeks ago while riding on a rail-trail I saw a guy with a mountain bike on the side of the trail. He asked if I had a pump or CO2 canisters I could lend to him. He'd been riding for more than 90 minutes, and apparently toward the end of his ride noticed his tire had lost air. I got several mosquito bites while standing there listening to him tell me all about his tubular tires while he used my frame pump.

On the other hand, you have the guys with all the supplies needed to fix a flat, but they're walking their bike because they don't know how to use them...

[jobob]

On the other hand, you have the guys with all the supplies needed to fix a flat, but they're walking their bike because they don't know how to use them...

Eh, we all have to start someplace, these folks certainly get brownie points for having the supplies on hand. Lee and I help lots of newbies with tire changes when we're out on rides. And then we look 'em square in the eye and tell them to practice when they get home.

I'm much less likely to go out of my way to help someone who is obviously an experienced rider but who is woefully (and deliberately) underprepared.

[sarahkonamojo]

Osprey pack for longer rides. I prefer the weight on my back rather than my bike. Not aways the most comfortable solution, but works for me.