Carrying stuff with you on long rides

[skywalkerbeth]

Hello

How do you carry "stuff" on your longer rides?

Right now I've got a fanny pack which holds my phone, a tiny tube of sunscreen (something I got at REI - zinc oxide - small, mostly for face I think), a breakfast bar, a few dollars, etc.

It won't hold much else and for longer rides I think I'll need a banana and maybe peanut butter or something. Or just more of what I already have. Not to mention more sunscreen and something better suited for arms/legs than just the tiny tube of zinc oxide I have. Plus I have two water bottle cages and on the trail I can think of only one water fountain and it's near the beginning/end of my ride so not much help in refilling.

What do you do?

[pll]

A seat pack for a spare tube, levers, a patching kit, and very basic necessities (including ID, cell phone and keys), the jersey pockets for sunscreen and munchies. For a banana, I usually stop at a coffee place or convenience store or even gas station along the route.

[spokewench]

Camelbacks are good for lots of water and carrying things. They have more pockets for carrying, and more water for water if you buy one large enough. I also use a small seat bag for tire levers, co2 cartridges, and a multitool.

this plus three nice sized pockets in my jersey do it for me. That is one of my pet peeves of course with women's jerseys. Sometimes they don't have enough pockets or enough room in the pockets. Of course, I don't carry more sunscreen usually and a small one would work for me. I carry, extra jacket, (rain or warm), sometimes tights, since I live in the mountains and weather can change in a second, my tire changing stuff, with a tube in my back pocket or my camelback since tubes often get a hole in them in a small underseat bag from the zipper, extra food - a bar or two, and gels, a banana if I want, or pbj sammy, chapstick.

That's about it as I recall

[pll]

Camelbacks are good for lots of water and carrying things. They have more pockets for carrying, and more water for water if you buy one large enough. I also use a small seat bag for tire levers, co2 cartridges, and a multitool.

this plus three nice sized pockets in my jersey do it for me. That is one of my pet peeves of course with women's jerseys. Sometimes they don't have enough pockets or enough room in the pockets. Of course, I don't carry more sunscreen usually and a small one would work for me. I carry, extra jacket, (rain or warm), sometimes tights, since I live in the mountains and weather can change in a second, my tire changing stuff, with a tube in my back pocket or my camelback since tubes often get a hole in them in a small underseat bag from the zipper, extra food - a bar or two, and gels, a banana if I want, or pbj sammy, chapstick.

That's about it as I recall

Have you noticed that some jerseys have very shallow pockets? It makes me mad! In the seat pack, I put my tube into a tight fitting zip lock bag. I've never had a hole made in a tube (yet, I guess!).

[indysteel]

I use a relatively large seat bag, a top tube bag and my jersey pockets to hold what I need. Usually, I plan my routes to pass by a convenience store or gas station for extra provisions. This past weekend, DH and I did a route that we weren't sure had a store along the way, so we brought our Cambelbaks. Ouch. While I find it to be relatively comfortable on my mountain bike (and it's more upright position), I found it hard to wear by the end of our 45-mile ride. My low back was killing me. My guess is that I could get used to it, but I don't think I really want to use it for most rides.

[KnottedYet]

Rack and pannier, baby!

[Knot flexes arm muscles and does best Incredible Hulk impersonation]

Actually, they aren't that heavy and the convenience of having a pannier more than makes up for any extra calories I have to burn to haul it along. I can carry other people's stuff for them, too.

[Becky]

Jersey pockets for food, phone, etc. and a small seat bag for flat repair stuff.

For longer unsupported rides or any ride that requires easy camera access, I'll add my Mountain Feed Bag.

[GingerbreadGirl]

...seat bag for tube and tools and cell phone and in this heat I have been wearing my running tanks instead of jerseys (don't have a sleeveless jersey yet) so I've been carrying a tiny drawstring nylon backpack. I freeze my second water bottle and throw that in there so my back doesn't get hot, and have my id and a snack in there. A shot blok or maybe one of those packed lunch-sized potato chips.

I am trying to figure out how to squeeze another water bottle onto my road compact... do those cages with the velcro strap really stay on? What if I reinforce with zipties?

[indysteel]

...seat bag for tube and tools and cell phone and in this heat I have been wearing my running tanks instead of jerseys (don't have a sleeveless jersey yet) so I've been carrying a tiny drawstring nylon backpack. I freeze my second water bottle and throw that in there so my back doesn't get hot, and have my id and a snack in there. A shot blok or maybe one of those packed lunch-sized potato chips.

I am trying to figure out how to squeeze another water bottle onto my road compact... do those cages with the velcro strap really stay on? What if I reinforce with zipties?

I assume you already have a cage on the seat tube. Will another cage not fit on the downtube? I have a Bontrager cage on my MTB's downtube that offers a "side entry." If a standard cage won't work, you might try something like that.

[Biciclista]

first you need a lightweight rack on the back of your bike. You can hold all sorts of things there, including panniers, booster seats, etc. And you can get a little bag that ties on the back of your seatpost as well.
Another possibility is to get a little bag that hangs in front of your handlebars. Hm, I have all of that sutff.

[shootingstar]

All my bikes have a permanent bike rack. I have 4 bikes.

I carry a pannier...about 90% of the time. Whim sometimes takes me to store during a ride or I carry some raingear.

It's the only way I can carry a U-lock, given my bike geometries.

It's not a big deal to me..it's been this way since I returned to regular cycling 19 yrs. ago.

And we live a car-free life. I do have to be prepared for...anything.

I haul home toilet tissue, art supplies on top of rack, etc.

[maillotpois]

Mimi you have a lot of baggage.



(From someone with a lot of baggage.)

[Owlie]

Large-ish seat bag for tubes, tools, tampon and emergency gel (and a few other things). My phone, wallet and food go in my jersey pockets, or Camelbak pockets if I'm using it.

[tulip]

I have a under-seat bag for my tools, 2 tubes, a patch kit, spare Powerbar and a tube of Nuun for emergencies. And my epipen should I get stung by a bee.

In my jersey pockets (I only buy jerseys with deep pockets), I carry a mini pump, phone, wallet and ICE information in a ziplock bag, and a Powerbar or two to eat.

Sometimes I'll attach my bento box and put my cell phone in there, maybe along with some gels or chews or dried apricots in a ziploc bag. Depends on how far I'm going. 50+ miles I use the bento for extra food.

I have two water bottles with G2. For rides longer than 30 miles, I make sure to pass by a convenience store to stock up on food and drink.

[RubyTuesday]

I struggle with this one. I have to take diabetes supplies (meter, strips, lancer) plus a cell phone, food for lows and tube and tools. I am thinking I will get a small pack on the top tube for my cell and meter and then my seat post bag can hold tools. I carry blocks or gel and starbursts in my pockets.

I have always been an over packer!