What to take on a long ride?

[indysteel]

You need to get another one before the ride unless you plan to wear hydration back pack, and I didn't get the impression the backpack you mentioned is for hydration.

+1. If space is tight, Bontrager makes a bottle cage with a side entry. It makes getting the bottle in and out pretty easy. I have one on my mountain bike.

What's the weather typically like for STP? I've done some tours in Tennessee in September where the mornings are cool enough for leg warmers, but I just try to gut it out so that I don't have to deal with storing them in my jersey pocket for the rest of the day. For the same reason, rather than wear a jacket, I usually tried to get by with arm warmers. Of course, if you ride with a backpack, it's a non-issue.