You forget one thing...

[foxyrider]

Forgot my helmet once. Thought it felt a bit extra breezy!

Oh my god! And you didn't die? That's just like so amazing.

ROTFL!

[pwa]

Tandeming from near the S Wales coast to just outside Brecon , taking in some 400m+ summits, my son (10ish at the time) and I stopped for lunch near Ystradfellte. Then we got back on the bike and ascended for about a mile heading towards the Devil's Elbow from the easier side. Then my son yelled "Dad!" and I looked back at him to find him patting his head - to indicate that he had left his helmet, along with his sunglasses, at the lunch spot at the bottom of the long hill we had just come up. It was a while before we could laugh about it.

[TrevA]

The above is one reason why I have a pump and a seat pack with spare tubes on each bike. That way you can't forget them. I also now carry a spare chain link, a chain tool, multi tool and a bit of old tyre to use as a tyre boot. Again, one of these for each seat pack.

Forgetting once in 35 years of cycling isn't enough for me to want to have a separate kit for each bike, though I take a foam sealant canister in the back pocket when I ride the carbon racer as it has tubular tyres, I'm really not a fan of having small bags attached to racing bikes.

The one concession I have is that I like one particular mini pump so have a couple of clamps that attach under a bottle cage but the same pump gets used (keep the spare for when/if old one goes belly up). The retro bike has its own pump permanently attached but it's there for the look/aesthetics and not really convenience.

I'm not a big fan of carrying stuff in my pockets (apart from wallet). Too much scope for forgetting and tools and spares can make a tidy mess of you if you come off.

[The utility cyclist]

The above is one reason why I have a pump and a seat pack with spare tubes on each bike. That way you can't forget them. I also now carry a spare chain link, a chain tool, multi tool and a bit of old tyre to use as a tyre boot. Again, one of these for each seat pack.

Forgetting once in 35 years of cycling isn't enough for me to want to have a separate kit for each bike, though I take a foam sealant canister in the back pocket when I ride the carbon racer as it has tubular tyres, I'm really not a fan of having small bags attached to racing bikes.

The one concession I have is that I like one particular mini pump so have a couple of clamps that attach under a bottle cage but the same pump gets used (keep the spare for when/if old one goes belly up). The retro bike has its own pump permanently attached but it's there for the look/aesthetics and not really convenience.

I'm not a big fan of carrying stuff in my pockets (apart from wallet). Too much scope for forgetting and tools and spares can make a tidy mess of you if you come off.

Each to their own but as I said, once in 35 years to forget is no big deal, however I've no idea where you get the thinking that carry a mini tool, tube and two tyre levers is going to make a mess of you Chances of landing on your back are so infinitesimally small to start with it's not even worth a consideration, chances of landing on your back AND with it being enough force for it to do anything more than minor damage is in the realms of rocking horse poop.

[pwa]

Forgetting once in 35 years of cycling isn't enough for me to want to have a separate kit for each bike, though I take a foam sealant canister in the back pocket when I ride the carbon racer as it has tubular tyres, I'm really not a fan of having small bags attached to racing bikes.

The one concession I have is that I like one particular mini pump so have a couple of clamps that attach under a bottle cage but the same pump gets used (keep the spare for when/if old one goes belly up). The retro bike has its own pump permanently attached but it's there for the look/aesthetics and not really convenience.

I'm not a big fan of carrying stuff in my pockets (apart from wallet). Too much scope for forgetting and tools and spares can make a tidy mess of you if you come off.

Each to their own but as I said, once in 35 years to forget is no big deal, however I've no idea where you get the thinking that carry a mini tool, tube and two tyre levers is going to make a mess of you Chances of landing on your back are so infinitesimally small to start with it's not even worth a consideration, chances of landing on your back AND with it being enough force for it to do anything more than minor damage is in the realms of rocking horse poop.

I have heard it said before that it is a bad idea to carry things like keys in jersey pockets. I've no idea whether anyone ever really gets hurt that way, but it is a piece of advice that gets passed on.

[TrevA]

The tools in the pocket thing may be a red herring, but I'm liable to forget to take tubes and pump with me, so they are better left in a seat pack on the bike, with a pump permanently attached to the bike. No thought required on my part. It's enough remembering to take my wallet (with money inside), Garmin, gloves and phone. I used to have a cycling only wallet but a couple of times arrived at a cafe to find said wallet empty, as I'd forgotten to transfer the cash from my other wallet. Now I just put my normal wallet in a plastic bag to keep it dry.

I also like to keep my jersey pockets free for gilet, arm warmers, gloves, etc, if I decide to take them off.

[pwa]

The tools in the pocket thing may be a red herring, but I'm liable to forget to take tubes and pump with me, so they are better left in a seat pack on the bike, with a pump permanently attached to the bike. No thought required on my part. It's enough remembering to take my wallet (with money inside), Garmin, gloves and phone. I used to have a cycling only wallet but a couple of times arrived at a cafe to find said wallet empty, as I'd forgotten to transfer the cash from my other wallet. Now I just put my normal wallet in a plastic bag to keep it dry.

I also like to keep my jersey pockets free for gilet, arm warmers, gloves, etc, if I decide to take them off.

I never cycle more than a mile from home without some sort of bag. So I make sure my main bags each have their own pump, spare tube and a few other bits. If the bag goes with me, which it will, I know I have a puncture kit.

[foxyrider]

I'm not a big fan of carrying stuff in my pockets (apart from wallet). Too much scope for forgetting and tools and spares can make a tidy mess of you if you come off.

Each to their own but as I said, once in 35 years to forget is no big deal, however I've no idea where you get the thinking that carry a mini tool, tube and two tyre levers is going to make a mess of you Chances of landing on your back are so infinitesimally small to start with it's not even worth a consideration, chances of landing on your back AND with it being enough force for it to do anything more than minor damage is in the realms of rocking horse poop.

I have heard it said before that it is a bad idea to carry things like keys in jersey pockets. I've no idea whether anyone ever really gets hurt that way, but it is a piece of advice that gets passed on.

It might seem a bit left of field but IME not that unlikely. When I ended up on the deck last December I went down on my side, no sliding, rolling or the like. However the state of my Goretex you'd think I was dragged through a hedge and back again - tears and rips on the arm, side and back of the jacket besides a cut below the knee in my bibs.

The bike only suffered a scrape to the shifter, not even anything on the pannier which hit the deck.

In another incident a few years ago I hit akerb straight on and did indeed end up flat on my back after doing a flying somersault (luckily onto the grass of the roundabout, I was doing about ten mph at the time)

So whilst landing directly on your back is not too likely, resulting impacts can certainly get you in the back. Jersey pockets are for food and clothing not tools, I would consider anyone even on a full race bike to be a cycling amateur to not use a seatpack for their tools (racing is a different matter as you most likely wouldn't be carrying tools), check out all the carbon showpieces at sportives, the wanna be Sky crew are the ones with pockets stuffed ruining the line of those expensive jerseys!

[Cyril Haearn]

I always switch my phone off and put it in my right trouser pocket before cycling to work
Once I realised it was missing, cycled back home, went inside to get it
Then I realised it had been in my left trouser pocket all the time

You stupid boy!