Why?

SCR Pedro

Here's how my day went:

Long slow breakfast, ready to try out a new 115km route. I eventually set off, and all is good. The weather was ace, the legs felt good, and not a puff of wind in the air. Just short of an hour, I had to stop to try a new saddle position, because if I'm not pushing myself back and supporting my weight with my wrists, the penal colony will be numb. There's no in between. Blah blah, a wasp stung me after 80km, and holy shiiit, it blood hurt! I nearly crashed, but rode on with a swelling up leg.
A bunch of saddle adjustments, stupid road users and 115km later, I arrived home. Opened the saddle pack, ready to step inside for a long cool soft drink, but the house keys are gone, fallen somewhere along the route, when I stopped and opened the saddle pack. The flatmate is out of town for the weekend, and there are no spares anywhere. Going back to the places I stopped is out of the question. Locked out, with only sweaty lycra to wear, and no idea what to do.

Life :roll:

SCR Pedro

Yes. After a 6 hour round-trip to meet my flat mate, because luckily I always carry my phone and bank card when I ride. If I hadn't had them with me, I would have had to crash through the door!

SCR Pedro

madasahattersley wrote:

One man's curse and all that. I'd love to be in Bavaria right now, even if I didn't have a bed to sleep in

Well, it's perfect for cycling. From flat to brutal hills. I can go for 80km, without even leaving a cycle path!

Moonbiker

Why not ride back & look too tired after 60 miles?

SCR Pedro

They could've fallen anywhere, and there wasn't enough daylight to ride the whole route again.

iPete

Back pocket > saddle bag

ugo.santalucia

iPete wrote:

Back pocket > saddle bag

Exactly.. folks have been going without saddle bags for years, then this abomination appeared... it's a rather pointless piece of kit, that tends to break or the zip gets jammed... there is always something wrong with a saddle bag, and you can do without one...

SCR Pedro

They are certainly not pointless. Why would I want to carry multi tools, spare tubes and other crap in my pockets, which I could rather use for lighter items such as warmers and food? In any case, I can't see how pockets are any more secure than a zipped saddle bag. In my years of riding, that is the first time I have lost anything from a saddle bag. Carrying everything in pockets is uncomfortable for me, but if you want to go for the pro look with no saddle bag, but with bulging pockets, then go ahead.

jgsi

Defender of the Saddlebag.... even after your day of bike 'hell'...your strong stuff.. just think tho with just pockets, we'd have missed all this... your call bud... btw fck all to do with your rather naff pro rider comment either...maybe the rest of us can manage 70 miles without a drama

Mikey23

I thought it was only me that did things like this...

rolf_f

SCR Pedro wrote:

Carrying everything in pockets is uncomfortable for me, but if you want to go for the pro look with no saddle bag, but with bulging pockets, then go ahead.

TBH, as someone who has recently gone for the 'no saddle bag' approach, I do think it is a bit obvious that there is a fair bit of crap in my rear pockets. I am unconvinced that making my bike look better at the expense of fat pockets is much progress. However....

It got me to swap the stuff in the background for the stuff in the foreground. There's a lot of bulk in the stuff you carry around and it is probably easy enough to make it a lot smaller if you want. It did for me. Less bulk is good. A saddle bag just encourages you to carry piles of crap.



FWIW, the multitool and puncture kit shown, plus a pump, two inner tubes, some money and a phone isn't that bulky. The keys sit at the bottom of my pocket, underneath the money and phone. I can't really see how they could possibly get lost unless there was a hole in the pocket - and I try to remember to check that. It's pretty easy to get all my pocket stuff comfortable - the multitool and repair kit is the only really lumpy thing and that goes in a Leyzne caddy sack with the money - keeps everything neat and easily placeable.

I would never trust my keys to a saddle bag - pockets or tool bottle only.

jgsi

Bit harsh , sorry... had a race day from hell and it still 'hurts' ...

robbo2011

Carrying all that metal pointy stuff in your back pockets is great until you have an off and it smashes straight into your kidneys. Saddle bag for me.

Also, if I have to remember to put all that stuff into my back pocket for every ride, odds on, the time i actually need it, I would have forgotten to take it. At least with the saddle bag, spare tube, multitool, tyre levers and puncture repair kit are always with the bike so no chance to forget. Also my pump is mounted on the frame.

SoSimple

No locksmiths in Germany?

Seriously, I feel you pain and glad it eventually got sorted.

kingstonian

robbo2011 wrote:

Carrying all that metal pointy stuff in your back pockets is great until you have an off and it smashes straight into your kidneys. Saddle bag for me.

Also, if I have to remember to put all that stuff into my back pocket for every ride, odds on, the time i actually need it, I would have forgotten to take it. At least with the saddle bag, spare tube, multitool, tyre levers and puncture repair kit are always with the bike so no chance to forget. Also my pump is mounted on the frame.

I have everything in a Lezyne Caddy Sack - for every ride I just grab the caddy sack, stick it in a pocket and off I go. No having to think about it.

SCR Pedro

SoSimple wrote:

No locksmiths in Germany?

Seriously, I feel you pain and glad it eventually got sorted.

Plenty, actually. But the train ride was about a tenth of the price of a locksmith. That's hard to argue against, even when a shower and meal is 6 hours in the future

Cycling Caesar

Surprised someone hasn't created a compartmentalised bottle yet.

sigorman85

I had a bad day to was riding out to the south Dorset bikeathon (charity ride ) lymphoma and leukaemia research .....
I had non drive side crank arm come loose big ring was non existence as wouldn't shift up for some reason also lost a cleat bolt ..... Fixed it all apart from the bolt ...but really got me in a bad mood and I didn't want to ride...but as it was for charity I had to do it ....but I feel your pain

team47b

Cycling Caesar wrote:

Surprised someone hasn't created a compartmentalised bottle yet.

http://www.bike24.com/p230109.html

arran77

team47b wrote:

Cycling Caesar wrote:

Surprised someone hasn't created a compartmentalised bottle yet.

http://www.bike24.com/p230109.html

That's ingenious I tell ya T47, ingenious

damocles10

Keys are always in the back pocket and tools/tube/repair kit is in a SIS bottle on the seat tube....personally if I have tools etc in my pocket over a 3 to 4 hour ride the weight will be uncomfortable.

DavidJB

Saddlebags are for losers.

desweller

DavidJB wrote:

Saddlebags are for losers.

Boom boom!

Phil_D

team47b wrote:

Cycling Caesar wrote:

Surprised someone hasn't created a compartmentalised bottle yet.

http://www.bike24.com/p230109.html

I got one of those once but the water kept falling through the holes in my saddle bag.

ai_1

SCR Pedro wrote:

They are certainly not pointless. Why would I want to carry multi tools, spare tubes and other crap in my pockets, which I could rather use for lighter items such as warmers and food? In any case, I can't see how pockets are any more secure than a zipped saddle bag. In my years of riding, that is the first time I have lost anything from a saddle bag. Carrying everything in pockets is uncomfortable for me, but if you want to go for the pro look with no saddle bag, but with bulging pockets, then go ahead.

What he said^^^^^

Rolf F wrote:

....TBH, as someone who has recently gone for the 'no saddle bag' approach, I do think it is a bit obvious that there is a fair bit of crap in my rear pockets. I am unconvinced that making my bike look better at the expense of fat pockets is much progress. However....

It got me to swap the stuff in the background for the stuff in the foreground. There's a lot of bulk in the stuff you carry around and it is probably easy enough to make it a lot smaller if you want. It did for me. Less bulk is good. A saddle bag just encourages you to carry piles of crap.


FWIW, the multitool and puncture kit shown, plus a pump, two inner tubes, some money and a phone isn't that bulky. The keys sit at the bottom of my pocket, underneath the money and phone. I can't really see how they could possibly get lost unless there was a hole in the pocket - and I try to remember to check that. It's pretty easy to get all my pocket stuff comfortable - the multitool and repair kit is the only really lumpy thing and that goes in a Leyzne caddy sack with the money - keeps everything neat and easily placeable.

I would never trust my keys to a saddle bag - pockets or tool bottle only.

This may be true if you have a big saddle bag. My small bag has just enough space for a tube, levers, multitool, patch kit a disposable glove and €20 emergency/coffee money. I'd consider that the bare minimum. My spare tube is a normal conti butyl affair. Maybe I could fit two if I used a lightweight tube? I usually stick with a just a pump (frame mounted!) but can just about squeeze in either an inflator or two spare AAA cells for my rear light into the bag too if needed.
There's no risk of being tempted to carry unnecessary stuff because it just won't fit!

MountainMonster

Phil_D wrote:

team47b wrote:

Cycling Caesar wrote:

Surprised someone hasn't created a compartmentalised bottle yet.

http://www.bike24.com/p230109.html

I got one of those once but the water kept falling through the holes in my saddle bag.

What?

Bar Shaker

Ai_1 wrote:

I would never trust my keys to a saddle bag - pockets or tool bottle only.

This may be true if you have a big saddle bag. My small bag has just enough space for a tube, levers, multitool, patch kit a disposable glove and €20 emergency/coffee money. I'd consider that the bare minimum. My spare tube is a normal conti butyl affair. Maybe I could fit two if I used a lightweight tube? I usually stick with a just a pump (frame mounted!) but can just about squeeze in either an inflator or two spare AAA cells for my rear light into the bag too if needed.
There's no risk of being tempted to carry unnecessary stuff because it just won't fit![/quote]

I have two CO2 bulbs and a tiny valve head, two Supersonic tubes and two tyre levers in my tiny saddlebag. They all live in there mostly so if I grab my bike, I grab them too, with no faffing around.

Keys live in a jersey pocket, with a card and beer tokens. Phone in another pocket.

You can easily end up carrying a kilo of crap and tools if your bag is big enough.