I always carry a ziplock lock bag with toilet paper in it just in case.

nwiabikr said: I always carry a ziplock lock bag with toilet paper in it just in case.

I always butt always carry the ziplock w/tp in my pocket, not in my bike bag.  You won’t know if the KYBO is “papered” until you step inside.

RIDE RIGHT

It can get cold in Iowa in July.  I remember riding “Soggy Monday” when it rained and temps droped into the 30’s or 40’s I was COLD, wet and glad when my sag showed up and I got in and warmed up.  That was my worst day of riding in my riding history.  I have ridden TOSRV several times when it rained all the 105 miles on Sat.  They were never as bad as “Soggy Monday”

Last year, leaving Waterloo, I thought I had better grab my jacket but opted not to. Too much of a hassle getting it out of my luggage. After riding over an hour, I though I was going to freeze. Some wonderful fellow biker gave me a garbage bage and told me to put it under my shirt so it wouldn’t flap in the wind. I looked  Note to self. DONT leave camp on a rainy looking morning without the proper garments!

rfattic said: It can get cold in Iowa in July.  I remember riding “Soggy Monday” when it rained and temps droped into the 30’s or 40’s I was COLD, wet and glad when my sag showed up and I got in and warmed up.  That was my worst day of riding in my riding history.  I have ridden TOSRV several times when it rained all the 105 miles on Sat.  They were never as bad as “Soggy Monday”

On Soggy Monday I was riding with my daughter on the back of my bike – in one of those seats that mount over the rear wheel. She was 26 months old at the time and bundled in everything we had for her, topped with a poncho that probably wasn’t acting as much more than a windbreak. We ultimately ended up taking a ride in the back of a pickup and spent the night in a gym in the overnight town. Even though it was a standout RAGBRAI anomaly, we had to deal with it just the same.

That said, I figure a lightweight shell, even if not waterproof, might be a good thing to have along and it doesn’t take up that much more room than the garbage bags we used as rain gear on Soggy Monday.

Best,
~ Kevin

One of the advantages of baggin it………….Having dry clothes to put on when you are riding in cool rain. Everyone should remember it if very easy to ge hypothermic when riding in the rain.Even in Iowa in July!

i carry a tube, couple of CO2 carts, phone, multi-tool, patch kit, money.
and if it looks like rain, a jacket rolled up in my jersye pocket.

Bartaped said: One of the advantages of baggin it………….Having dry clothes to put on when you are riding in cool rain. Everyone should remember it if very easy to ge hypothermic when riding in the rain.Even in Iowa in July!

Bar your so right!  Friday out of Waterloo was the coldest I’ve ever been on a bike in July!  And… I was wearing raingear!

I carry a folding bead spare tire in my bag in addition to tubes. On the road a punctured tube or tire is removed & thrown into the bike bag to be fixed later. A new or ready-repaired tube/tire goes on then hit with a CO2 inflater. Down the road we go!

I remember that, Mich! I had a rain jacket and though, soaked to skin, I was glad for it. Shivering so hard my front wheel oscillated like a lame shopping cart. By 1:30 Mr. Sun was out and we were wringing out clothes at Beekman’s Ice Cream! We wolfed-down ice cream when just hours earlier we were so hypothermic we couldn’t talk. Then the laughter ensued. It was great!

I’ve always been a minimalist. Also suffer from weight-weenyitis. Have always packed only tube,patch-kit, co2, 2 tire levers, and a multi-tool. However, last year leaving Waterloo was the second time (I’m a slow learner) I got caught in an extensive rain. And as was stated, after a while it got darn cold. So, this year I got a compact fanny pack (OMG) filled with rain gear. A decent rain jacket and my Hy-Vee triatholon hat. They were giving them out at a (I believe the second go thru town) stand last year. It was awesome. Kept the rain out of my face (for most part) and my head fairly dry. It is now my required rain gear.
Just me, but I strongly recommend 2 waterbottles. If you don’t use it, great, but if you need it you’ll be darn sorry you didn’t have it. I’ve suffered from dehydration too many times.
ben

Seems to me that you could buy one of those throw-away plastic ponchos for a buck and zip-tie or tape it to your top tube before the ride and there it would be if your need it.  Easier than finding a 50gal garbage bag and cutting out the arm and head holes when you are 5 miles from civilization.  As Amanda says WEAR IT UNDER YOUR JERSEY and it will not flap.

RIDE RIGHT

Being a bagger and a minimalist this it the qualifier for something to get in my bag.  

If riding the tandem I add a full size frame pump, an extra tube, a pin spanner for the eccentric and a chain tool. Make sure your spouse (who is on the bike) is not the only emergency contact you have listed.

Most multi tools have way too much useless crap. Don’t buy one of those boat anchors. Instead get one or two allen keys and some sort of small screwdriver. I would guess about half the stuff on a multi tool would not even fit any component on your bike. The other option is to take a multi tool and modify it, removing useless items.

Most important is a well maintained bike along with the knowledge of how to use the tools you pack and be creative (ie wrapping a broken shifter cable around a water bottle bolt). My favorite thing is to go through someone’s bag with them and ask them if this tool fits anything on their bike or if they know how to use the tool. For instance does someone even know how which way to turn a spoke wrench? If the wheel is only a little out of true just open the brake calipers – if it is way out of true you kind of need to know what you are doing. If it is just a broken spoke tie it to an ajoining spoke with a zip tie until you get to the shop.

In my jersey pockets
2 small baggies of powdered energy drink mix
1 gel, just in case I or someone in our group bonks
1 energy bar, snack on during last leg of ride (eating for tomorrow = recovery)
Mentos
Chamois Butt’r
2 Wet Wipes (repairs, first aid, hygene)
Camera
Lip Balm
Sunscreen
2 water bottles (one with energy drink)
Small zip wallet (cash, ID, Credit Card, emergency contact info)
Route (mileage to pass through towns, Beer Guide!, profile)
Ziploc baggie

If there is any chance of rain I will include a cycling cap and a short sleeve raincoat. If there is a chance of cool weather I will start wearing arm warmers and a piece of Tyvek tucked inside the chest of my jersey.

If it does not fit in my jersey pockets I really don’t need it.