Bicycling - Road and Mountain

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Road Cycling..... how do you do yours...

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goonas
goonas Posts: 205
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Since getting right into road cycling I've realised that you can't just get on the bike and go when you like - like when you was 13 years old, chuck on some trainers and just go....

My routine for an evening ride:

1. Make sure its been at least an hour since I have eaten
2. Make sure I've mixed and consumed some High5 Zero wth 750ml of water an hour before planning on going out.
3. Go and hunt down the BIB shorts from the wardrobe
4. Pick up one pair, realise there is a hole and think I should throw these out
5. Find the correct pair, y'know the one that is more comfortable and all in one piece
6. Go to the toilet
6. Put on BIB shorts now the bladder is empty (or you think it is)
7. Base Layer on
8. Realise that I forgot to put on the Heart Rate Monitor
9. Take off base layer, put on HRM then base layer
10. Decide which jersey to put on, find the brightest ones - that'll do
11. Pause for a second, think 'could I go for another pee?'
12. Back to the toilet, having to undress and see if can squeeze any more out.
13. Get iPod nano (if going out solo) and attach it to BIB shorts and feed the headphones around, put headphones in.
14. Get on the gloves, shoes and helmet
15. Fill a water bottle
16. Grab a couple of Go gels (just in case)
17. Realise that the headphones are now uncomfortable, take off helmet, take out earphone and make sure they go on after the helmet is on.
18. Wheel the bike outside, ready to go, turn on Garmin, wait for signal, and about to go...
19. *kitten* forgot sunglasses - get off bike, get glasses on and we are ready FINALLY!

When you were a kid the order went like this.

1. Get bike out of shed, put some air in
2. Put trainers on
3. Shout to the folks 'see you later'

:laugh:

Replies

  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
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    Base layer? In this heat? Are you mad? :huh:
  • goonas
    goonas Posts: 205
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    Base layer? In this heat? Are you mad? :huh:

    Helps keep the sweat away from the skin and soaking the jersey - it does work ;) granted I've gone from full sleeve to sleeveless ones this summer ;)

    Plus it helps stop unwanted rubbing ;)
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
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    Plus it helps stop unwanted rubbing ;)

    Funny you should say that; I got a bit of 'joggers nipple' the other day :embarassed:

    TMI? :noway:
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Plus it helps stop unwanted rubbing ;)

    I though "unwanted rubbing" was what happens on the London Underground?
  • daz_automatic
    daz_automatic Posts: 26
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    Haha yeah it is a bit of a rigmarole isn't it? It used to be sooooo much easier when I was a young 'un with no cares in the world :glasses:

    I pretty much do everything on auto-pilot these days, but I always seem to manage to forget my pump somehow!!!
  • BigG59
    BigG59 Posts: 396 Member
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    Your routine as a kid is pretty much the same as mine now :)

    I usually ride within minutes of eating, usually porridge.

    As for base later, I have been using a string vest under my shirt, seems to work.
  • TheKeithEllis
    TheKeithEllis Posts: 155 Member
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    You used to pump air in before riding as a kid, that's a step too many!!

    Incidentally you must be mad to wear headphones while road cycling, you need all the senses I find to avoid the many idiots that grace our roads. I usually have Samsung s3 on speaker for music and only on quiet country roads. A friend of mine wears phones all the time, and doesn't understand my fear be interested to hear more views on this.
  • goonas
    goonas Posts: 205
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    You used to pump air in before riding as a kid, that's a step too many!!

    Incidentally you must be mad to wear headphones while road cycling, you need all the senses I find to avoid the many idiots that grace our roads. I usually have Samsung s3 on speaker for music and only on quiet country roads. A friend of mine wears phones all the time, and doesn't understand my fear be interested to hear more views on this.

    Had to pump the tyres up on the bike as a kid, I rarely went out for rides - so the odd time the bike came out the shed the tyres inevitably flat.

    I have headphones in but not loud, I can still hear things around me easily, and even hear a cycling partner telling me to speed up or slow down. For example last night I couldn't hear the music in my ears because of the wind so its not that much of a distraction ;)
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
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    I have headphones in but not loud, I can still hear things around me easily, and even hear a cycling partner telling me to speed up or slow down.

    I thought 'Eek!' when I read that...

    I would NEVER ride with headphones on, (but that's me I guess?) I would however consider a pair of these: http://www.aftershokz.co.uk/
  • goonas
    goonas Posts: 205
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    I have headphones in but not loud, I can still hear things around me easily, and even hear a cycling partner telling me to speed up or slow down.

    I thought 'Eek!' when I read that...

    I would NEVER ride with headphones on, (but that's me I guess?) I would however consider a pair of these: http://www.aftershokz.co.uk/

    Each to their own I think, but don't want to give the impression that I am riding along with massive Beats on my ears not hearing a thing going on around me. If I couldn't hear the music due to wind noise last night I don't see it as a problem. Its more for background noise - if it was to cause me a distraction I wouldn't wear them that's for sure.
  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
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    1. Look at bib. Decide not to wear it, because it's a pain to wash.
    2. Fill up tires on road bike, put water bottle in.
    3. Find spd-sl cleats.
    4. Ponder cleats, then put them back because it sucks walking on them
    5. Put on shoes with recessed spd clats
    6. fill up tires on hybrid bike.
    7. ride hybrid out of the driveway, circle back for water bottle.
    8. ride hybrid.
  • narak_lol
    narak_lol Posts: 855 Member
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    I remember the days it took me forever to get ready for an one hour ride :laugh:

    Nowadays 15 minutes is plenty from back home from work to out of the door

    1. Drop the office stuff - bag, laptop etc
    2. Loo visit & put contact lens on
    3. Get change (I know what I will wear so no mess around)
    4. Four things on body/bike - phone, money+keys, eyewear, battery (I remove it everytime after riding so not to miss the the low battery signal)
    5. Wheel the bike out from bedroom, put shoes on in the living room (helmet, water bottle, pump & saddle bag permanently on bike)
    6. Wheel the bike out to the lift lobby - put helmet on & stretch while waiting for the lift :bigsmile:
  • narak_lol
    narak_lol Posts: 855 Member
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    Headphones is a personal preference so not going to say much in regard of the safety issue

    I don't wear it because I love hearing the sound of the tyres rub against the ground, those woosh woosh when you standing up mashing the pedal, the click click when you change gears, the rhythmic breathing (or heavy huffing puffing) just sound too good to miss. And the wire/bluetooth earpiece is just simply too irritating :glasses:
  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
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    Headphones is a personal preference so not going to say much in regard of the safety issue

    I don't wear it because I love hearing the sound of the tyres rub against the ground, those woosh woosh when you standing up mashing the pedal, the click click when you change gears, the rhythmic breathing (or heavy huffing puffing) just sound too good to miss. And the wire/bluetooth earpiece is just simply too irritating :glasses:

    Headphones are illegal on a bicycle here. I'll probably get a JBL Charge or something and put it in a water bottle holder or zip-tie to handlebars.
  • Scudder76
    Scudder76 Posts: 108 Member
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    I like to depart at sunrise for my long rides, and that has meant that even if I lay everything out the night before, I have to get up an hour before to have a coffee and let things, ahem... settle, before getting dressed and out the door. Last week I tried to hit the ground running, and was on the road 20 minutes after waking up. I was dead on the saddle, had horrible speed, and the lowest parts of my GI tract were out of synch for 2 days.

    I'd write more, but the suns going down, so it's time for bed...
  • Spatialized
    Spatialized Posts: 623 Member
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    Depends on if it's commute or out for a ride.
    Monring Commute
    Stagger into living room groaning about coffee.
    Fix and consume said coffee.
    Shower
    Put on clothes
    Load pannier with work clothes, lunch and bag o'stuff
    Wheel bike out of bathroom (yes, I store my bike in our spare bathroom)
    Curse if the tires are low...curse happily if tires have air.
    Put on shoes, hat, helmet, sunglasses, attach pannier. Fire up phone and start Strava. Ride to work.

    Just a ride
    Stagger into living room/kitchen groaning about coffee.
    Fix and consume said coffee.
    Put on bike clothes.
    Check tires.
    Fire up Strava
    Hat, helmet, gloves and sunglasses.
    Bottles in cages.
    Out the door.

    Mind you this is if I've thought about riding the night before...usually it entails searching for the needed things for an hour before I leave!
  • verdemujer
    verdemujer Posts: 1,397 Member
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    Oh my goodness me - rides have changed over time.
    Childhood: Out door, jump on bike and pedal around. Have a flat? Wait until Dad comes home to fix it.
    Teenager: No bike - no car either - I walked - a lot.
    Young Adult: The pump staid on the bike, the 'fix the flat' tools were under the seat saddle bag, the water bottle went on as I left the house, I rode in my skirts/shorts/pants. If it was the skirt, I sometimes had to stop to pull said skirt out of chain, but just rode and rode to work/school/dates/life.
    Adult: Attach baby cart to back, pack gear for babies into side bag, water bottles, out the door in shorts and pants - drop the kids and cart at day care and continue to work, change (maybe if it was hot I had shorts and had to change to more office appropriate clothes) and reverse it at the end of the day.
    Maturing Adult: Saddle bags with gear, office clothes, lunch, and stuff to fix a flat. I can no longer ride to work and work in the same clothes. Plus, the padded shorts are just a must anymore. Drop the kid at his summer camp and lock his bike (wow - that's half my weight right there), trundle on to work. Ride back to pick him up, and push him to get home so we can have dinner. I don't commute every day anymore. My knees no longer want to handle the abuse.

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