What's in your racing bag?

Herbsman

Apart from the obvious clothing, helmet (which I once forgot, but luckily got to borrow the race commissaire's husband's helmet!), drinks and license, what do you take to races with you?

I take:
Full set of brake and gear inner cables + cable cutter (after rear derailleur cable snapped during a warm-up and I had to sit the race out)
2 spare inner tubes (never needed them, touch wood)
Pump
Alan's keys
Bars + Gels
Flask of tea
Bananas
Self-belief and confidence, or lack thereof
MP3 player with favourite death metal album to get me pumped up
Sandwiches

allezcourage

Why do you have Alan's keys? What if he needs them? :?

stefanoboggia

Hi,
when I started from my home before the race I usually thing: "helmet, shoes and glasses".
I was a professional rider, so when I had to have a race I took with me a bars or banana to eat every 45 minutes.

fish156

stefanoboggia wrote:

Hi,
when I started from my home before the race I usually thing: "helmet, shoes and glasses".

My mantra as I'm pulling away from home in the car is "helmet, shoes, licence".
I've normally got a bag full of junk, half of which I doubt I'll ever need, but I can't race without those 3.

Pseudonym

you'd look a bit daft racing in just helmet and shoes...

Suprised nobody has mentioned spare safety pins - or is that just me...? Old habits die hard...

Herbsman

There have always been sufficient safety pins at the races I've been to but I think I'll buy a pack just in case.

The time that I 'forgot' my helmet, well. I rode to work wearing it, and put it in my drawer instead of hanging it on my stem. Someone at work gave me a lift to the race, and he was in a hurry to leave, so I rushed, and....

I forgot to add, toilet roll! A couple of times there has been no bog roll at the race HQ, or it's run out. It takes at least five watts to hold in a poo - over 70 miles that's a lot of energy. Around 63 kilojoules!

stefanoboggia

I subscribe the toilet roll. It's very essentials!
Recently I had some race in mountain bike, and here I always take a tool for the chain. When there was mud, a couple of time the tool gave me a help in an area so far from my car

Herbsman

Chain tool is something I never carry but keep meaning to buy. One of these days it'll snap and I'll get my arse in gear and buy one

Pross

Herbsman wrote:

Apart from the obvious clothing, helmet (which I once forgot, but luckily got to borrow the race commissaire's husband's helmet!), drinks and license, what do you take to races with you?

I take:
Full set of brake and gear inner cables + cable cutter (after rear derailleur cable snapped during a warm-up and I had to sit the race out)
2 spare inner tubes (never needed them, touch wood)
Pump
Alan's keys
Bars + Gels
Flask of tea
Bananas
Self-belief and confidence, or lack thereof
MP3 player with favourite death metal album to get me pumped up
Sandwiches

No safety pins?

Herbsman

Read the whole thread!

stefanoboggia

Last year I went to Milano - Sanremo. Do you know Milano - Sanremo for amatorial riders?
I put on my bicycle 4 bottlecages, but just out from Milano I lost 3 bottlecages! I had to do the whole route with only one bottlecage! I was very thirst...on Cipressa, I thought I will dead! But I could finished in 8h and 25 min
I think 4 bottlecages would be perfect for 300km

Pross

Herbsman wrote:

Read the whole thread!

Don't know what happened there - I thought I had! I've been to a load of races where there were no spares (organisers too tight!) and the numbers themselves have been missing some.

For me, all the kit obviously plus towel, spare tubes, multi tool, track pump, sports balm, garden spray full of a mixture of water and old aftershave (great for getting oil, road muck and sports balm off your legs), licence and safety pins. I don't bother with too many tools / spare parts as no matter what you take it will be something else that breaks!

lone wheeler

I always used to make sure i had a bog roll and the spray with water and aftershave mixed in.

stefanoboggia

I never heard aftershave mixed. Why do you use it? Is it better with the rain for the chain?

Pross

stefanoboggia wrote:

I never heard aftershave mixed. Why do you use it? Is it better with the rain for the chain?

It's good at getting oil and sports balm off your legs especially as most venues don't have shower facilities (it's also a good way of getting rid of that cheap aftershave you get given for Christmas )

stefanoboggia

xixang

sudocreme or similar to keep things from chafing. Whole club uses it

FransJacques

Suocreme is awesome. Helmet, shoes, licence indeed are key. No one forgets their jersey or computer or shorts (well, I forgot shorts once, wore my heavy cargo shorts and got a 4th!).

Please give Alan his keys back! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Keyes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_key

Herbsman

Pseudocrem sucks - it makes my perineum itch for weeks. Must be allergic to one of the ingredients.

cyco2

Condoms
Hair gel
Talc.
Nose hair clippers
Clean underwear
Bottle of wine
Have you got the message!
Pro plus
Some bits of cycle clothing just in case she wants me to dress up

My racing days have been over for years but got other interests now and cannot get out of the routine.

xixang

FransJacques wrote:

Suocreme is awesome. Helmet, shoes, licence indeed are key. No one forgets their jersey or computer or shorts (well, I forgot shorts once, wore my heavy cargo shorts and got a 4th!).

Please give Alan his keys back! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Keyes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_key

I once forgot my chain once. Had taken it off to clean it mid-week and forgot to put it back on again!