Do you put things in your jersey pockets?

capt_slog

I found "the rules" the other day through a link on here. Great fun, a good laugh and I realise that most of it is 'tongue in cheek' but do you really put things in the pockets of your jerseys?!

here's a couple of cautionary tales....

1. I used to ride a motorcycle. A friend of mine was out one day with his trail riding mates. One of them came to a halt at one of the stops they made, and put his foot down as usual. However, he didn't notice that there was pot-hole where the ground should be, and over went him and the bike onto the tarmac. When they had stopped laughing they went to help him up but he was in agony and obviously not going anywhere without medical help. The ambulance was called and he was taken away in it with a smashed neck of the femur. None of them could understand how such a slight fall could have done so much damage. It turned out to have caused by a zippo lighter in his leathers pocket, and it was this that had been driven into his thigh bone.

2. A old gentleman from work that I used to know as a 'nodding acquaintance' was absent for ages one year, when he got back he'd obviously been ill so we asked what had happened. He told us he'd been on a coastal walking holiday and stopped for a breather and to look at the scenery on a cliff path. He sat back with a bit off a bump against some heather covered rocks so that he was half sitting half standing. As soon as he did this he lost the use of his legs. A small lump of the rock, about the size of his thumb knuckle sticking out from the heather had punched into and broken the base of his spine. He had to be airlifted off to hospital, where he made a full (if long) recovery.

Considering where your pockets are on your jerseys, do you think it's a good idea to be carrying hard objects in them for the sake of bike aesthetics? I know I don't.

styxd

Yes, I always carry items in my jersey pockets. Not for the sake of aesthetics though, I dont know where else I would put them. Usually carry wallet, keys, phone, food if I take any and my jacket. Tools and puncture repair kit usually stay in a saddle bag.

Not in the slightest worried about falling off and them injuring me, sounds like a freak occurence. Probably got more chance of being hit by a car whilst out on a ride.

islwyn

Only gels! Feels uncomfortable to me otherwise...

rozzer32

I always carry stuff in my jersey pockets. Phone, keys, money, spare tube, jacket etc.

john-e-big-guns

2 spare tubes
3 tier leavers
1 spokekey
1 {old 35mm film case} containing £5 note + £1 coins
House key
1 m/phone

upperoilcan

Everything goes into my jersey pockets as the thought of having to have a saddle bag makes me cringe..

verylonglegs

We had a guy at work who used to be a motorcyclist and had used a dlok for security. He always rode with it stuffed down his jacket and it cost him a kidney when he had an off as it got pushed round to the side and then pushed into him.

Redhog14

On the road...
Food - hard stuff in RHS pocket - gooey stuff in LHS
Phone
wallet or just cash
Multi tool
1 x Spare inner is carried in minisucule saddle bag inc 2 x tyre levers and packet of stickies

Off road... but in a pack
2 x inners
stickies
chain links
tyre levers
spare brake pads
first aid kit
waterproofs
lunch and sometime dinners
2 l of water
toothbrush (don't ask, i just do right)
spare gloves
spare socks
multi tool inc chain splitter
Pump

Mr_Cellophane

Nothing. I'm just pleased to be cycling. :oops:

cougie

I've not heard of any injuries through items being in the back pocket in cycling, and I've been around a while.

Its practicality really - saddlepacks are OK at times, but if you have more than one bike - its easier to have a nice little tool pack that you just pop in the back pocket, rather than make sure you've transferred the kit from one bike to the next.

rozzer32

cougie wrote:

I've not heard of any injuries through items being in the back pocket in cycling, and I've been around a while.

Its practicality really - saddlepacks are OK at times, but if you have more than one bike - its easier to have a nice little tool pack that you just pop in the back pocket, rather than make sure you've transferred the kit from one bike to the next.

I use Fizik saddles on my bikes and have the saddle bag that clips to the bottom of the saddle to it's a 2 second job to change them over, very handy

BrianTrousers

Where do you keep your sandwiches or Haribo? Surely you don't stop everytime you need to eat something?

You'll be telling us next that riding along one or non-handed trying to simultaneously balance, keep an eye on the road and fish things out of a small plastic bag which you put your stuff in to stop your jersey getting sticky, is somehow fraught with risk.

cougie

Rozzer - I've two Ariones. And two non Ariones. I've heard tell that the saddlepacks fail ? Mines lasted a few months so far, but it does seem a bit flimsy ?

wasabi_m

upperoilcan wrote:

Everything goes into my jersey pockets as the thought of having to have a saddle bag makes me cringe..

+1

Tom Butcher

I have stopped sticking a mini pump in my pockets most of the time - partly because someone did suggest it's a potential spine breaker - but it's more convenient on the mount by the bottle cage anyway. You can worry too much about these things though can't you - there's probably as much chance of stuff in your pockets protecting you in a crash as hurting you - and neither are very likely.

verylonglegs

Yeah I don't think it's such an issue for a cyclist as potentional impact speeds are much lower. I have my phone and door key and food in jersey and everything else in a saddlebag.

cornerblock

Redhog14 wrote:

Off road... but in a pack
2 x inners
stickies
chain links
tyre levers
spare brake pads
first aid kit
waterproofs
lunch and sometime dinners
2 l of water
toothbrush (don't ask, i just do right)
spare gloves
spare socks
multi tool inc chain splitter
Pump

Like this?

One Man And His Bike

Phone, MP3 player and mints is all I put in my cargo pockets when riding on the road, the rest gets stuffed in my Saddle Bag.

Diogenes

Commuter / winter / tourer (all the same bike):-

Summer Under saddle bag with tube, small lock, levers, multitool and cash, pocket has mobile and any food.
Winter Bag on rack with everything but the kitchen sink, nothing in pockets.

Summer bike Under saddle bag with tube, CO2 cartridge, Multitool, levers, small lock and cash.
Pocket Food, phone, Gilet or waterproof.

D

Oh and touring, two panniers, rack bag with everything and two kitchen sinks!

surreychris

I have everything in a bidon in my second bottle cage. With just food bits and a gillet/waterproof in my pockets.

nickwill

SurreyChris wrote:

I have everything in a bidon in my second bottle cage. With just food bits and a gillet/waterproof in my pockets.

That's something I've never understood. On a longish ride you must have to stop every couple of hours to refill your one bottle!

stigofthedump

One Man And His Bike wrote
Phone, MP3 player and mints is all I put in my cargo pockets when riding on the road, the rest gets stuffed in my Saddle Bag.

I think you might find you are breaking 2 rules there.

Frank the tank

Do I put things in my jersy pockets, yes.

Two innertubes,multi-tool,mobile phone,energy bars/gels, asthma inhaler,pump.

Redhog14

Cornerblock wrote:

Redhog14 wrote:

Off road... but in a pack
2 x inners
stickies
chain links
tyre levers
spare brake pads
first aid kit
waterproofs
lunch and sometime dinners
2 l of water
toothbrush (don't ask, i just do right)
spare gloves
spare socks
multi tool inc chain splitter
Pump

Like this?

Woweewoowo - where can I get me one of those?

I will admit that I do not like the saddle bag that speedybird always rides with, it is not one of the cool looking wee areo/mini fit one finger of twix in type things but is big enough for waterproofs an all the other crap... but i can't complain as it does not seem to slow her down, damn!

beverick

Having once have my house keys wedged into my thight when I fell off as a teenager I rarely carry items, other than my ipod, in my pockets.

Bob

petemadoc

Capt Slog wrote:

do you really put things in the pockets of your jerseys?!

Is this serious? WTF are the pockets for if they're not for putting things in? Do you put things in your coat or jeans pockets.

All my tools, tubes etc go in the saddle bag (yes I know this breaks the rules). Food, money, phone, car key and any other bits 'n bobs go in the jersey pockets.

Speller78

Having read this thread I have decided to stop carrying things in my jersey pockets.

I'm going to fill them with bubble wrap instead to protect my vunerable lower spine area. It will have the added advantage of stopping my Italian relatives worrying about me being out in the cold with such exposed kidneys.

capt_slog

PeteMadoc wrote:

Capt Slog wrote:

do you really put things in the pockets of your jerseys?!

Is this serious? WTF are the pockets for if they're not for putting things in? Do you put things in your coat or jeans pockets.

All my tools, tubes etc go in the saddle bag (yes I know this breaks the rules). Food, money, phone, car key and any other bits 'n bobs go in the jersey pockets.

Yep, it was serious.

I'll agree they are there to put things in, and that it would be silly not to carry anything at all, but I think you should consider what goes in there. I'd say you have it about right, it's not the place for tools.

Styxd said early on in the thread......
"Not in the slightest worried about falling off and them injuring me, sounds like a freak occurence. Probably got more chance of being hit by a car whilst out on a ride".

I'd say that if you have pockets full of hard item it's almost a certainty rather than a freak occurrence, and it turn would mere 'fall' into quite a serious accident, especially at any sort of speed.

petemadoc

Just thought of some more things that go in the jersey pockets.

When I start to boil up. Gilet, gloves, arm warmers and any other clothing that will fit

cougie

How often do you come off and land on your back ? Not ever in my experience.

Maybe I'll look at my tool pouch and see if theres anything pointy in there that I dont really need - but for most of us - pockets are essential - and you'll be in better shape with a rain jacket or food in there in the case of a bad crash.

I think we have enough to worry about on the roads anyway.

Bunneh

Usually wear a waterproof with a front top zip for my overpriced phone, back pocket covers a couple tubes, and puncture kit whilst a small Camelback rucksack thing, wrapped in 5 LED flashing light things from Poundland is filled with tools, food and a small tazer so i can buzz scrotes as I ride past. I'm a freakin' Christmas tree on wheels!