Tips for getting out the door for a ride faster?

Training
41

I mean if your pump is near your bikes then attaching it, reading the pressure, pumping it 3-5 times to get it back up to pressure, then disconnecting the pump takes, what?, 60-90s. Really not worth the headache of remembering at 10pm the night before an event (which for some is 15+ times per year) that you forgot to switch your tubes.

I at least check my tire pressure before every single outdoor ride and it is probably one of the shorter pieces of the entire ‘getting ready’ process. And it’s one of the few things that I really want to make sure is right instead of getting 5min away from home and realizing for some reason that my tire lost 20psi when it normally only loses 2.

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42

Yeah it’s a pita for me in the winter also (i don’t do well in cold so i have many layers). I’m probably 15-20 min.

Kinda discouraging to do shorter rides.

I got myself rollers so if I’m not going somewhere and I only have an hour, I just use those to train now. Less fun but it takes ~2 min to get on rollers vs 15-20.

I do as others say…try to do what i can the night before…or an hour before…whatever…just so it’s not 15-20 min continuous. I also don’t get dressed like I’m a fire-fighter at fast speed…so some of that is loafing around. It’s nice to move at a slow pace for me sometimes.

I know you were looking for answers but really I think there are none other than tidying up your organization and prep a little bit…this is just part of the deal imo. So maybe you got a few tips but confirmation you’re just doing what’s normal. Ty for posting…I have been thinking the same thing this winter.

Edit: also if it makes you feel any better, I store my bikes in my basement so I need to lug them up and down narrow steps - requires a monthly touch-up paint monthly to keep my wife happy from tires marks on the wall when I’m off a bit.

And I am sure some people’s storage solutions really suck

And some people have the extra burden of having to drive their bike somewhere or go through 15+ min or terrible traffic…where I can just go right out my door.

So it could be way worse than 15-20 min to get on the bike.

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43

I think the organization and how the different things you’ll need are laid out in your house are going to be the biggest time savers. The times that I take 2x as long to leave the house is when I’m running around looking for things that I put in the wrong place. So for me I try to have it so:

  • HR monitor, Bibs, Jerseys, Jackets, Warmers, Gloves, etc are all in fabric boxes in my bedroom closet. So I can get undressed and 100% dressed all in the same place.
  • Drink mix is next to where I store my bottles in the kitchen and near the sink. Grab a bottle, grab the mix, scoop into bottle, fill with water.
  • My ride food is one that isn’t all together. But my ‘real food’ like granola bars and such is in the kitchen, so I can grab all that and put it on the counter next to my bottles. Then my ‘ride food’ like gels are in the basement near my bikes so I grab that when I go down to get my bike.
  • My bikes are stored in the basement next to a table, desk, or shelf with all the appropriate chargers so that I can just pull the cord out and attach them to my bike as fast as possible. In the same area are also the bike pump and any maintenance stuff like tools or chain lubes in case there’s any last minute thing that needs doing (or to be done when I put my bike back at the end).
  • Then once I carry my bike up with my gels in my pocket, helmet and shoes in my hand I put it next to the front door, sit down and get the last of my shoes, helmet, jacket, etc on and I go out the door.

If I’m trying to do an extra early morning ride then I’ll prep the food and bottles the night before. Have my bike upstairs next to the pump, shoes, and helmet. And have my clothes laid out.

So the normal time to leave is like 10-20min (shorter in the summer, longer in the winter). If I prep ahead of time I can get it down to 5-10 (not including breakfast if I need to eat).

44

FYI a 200mg Caffeine pill would be more like 2+ coffees.
Most coffee is 60-100mg but does depend on the bean type, size of cup and brewing time.

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45

Correct. That’s why I said it’s the equal to about 1 mug of coffee. My mugs are around 2 cups. Trust me, a one-mug equivalent is WAYYY less caffeine than I was consuming when I drank coffee. I was a six-mugger in the morning :upside_down_face:

46

Live shot of Brian having his morning cup…

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47

Seems pretty well answered, but I have noticed a thing about myself that I’m trying to fix at home, work, grocery, and most other parts of life. I walk quite slow, often to the chagrin of my wife. I’m generally a chill, non-stressed, easy-going guy while still getting done what I need to, but I’ve come to notice how my time could be used more efficiently if I just walked faster. Yes, in general, it’s usually just seconds saved here and there, but I suppose it adds up. It also shifts the mindset a little–not full-on hurried panic, but just a reminder that time is of the essence. At times recently, I’m actually jogging around the house to get things done, so that makes me feel like I’m at least using my time better and maybe there’s a little warm-up included as well. :sweat_smile:

48

Eh, I’ve run tubeless for 5 years or so. I give the tire a squeeze and if it feels good I roll. Put a little air in every 4 days or so.

Also, why don’t you have the computer and light already on the bike? Mine live there unless I pull them to charge once a week.

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49

Maybe part of the difficulty is that you’re riding different bikes?

Would it be easier to choose one bike for work? So you can keep a few of your items on just the one bike, like your ID, and I have an old bank card as well.

50

A few years ago I ended up with an extra Amazon Echo after a prime day shopping spree. It ended up in my bike room and has actually ended up being a bit of a time saver. Instead of taking the time for another check of my phone for a weather update (which I can get OCD about . . ), now I can just have Alexa brief me while I ride prep.

Another tip - I have a cheap clock on the wall in the room where I dress for rides or trainer workouts. That both keeps me on track and, when I’m ahead of pace, lets me relax. I usually do one or two rides a week that have a specific start time and one of them is a hard 5:55 pm departure and often is a mad rush. At this point I know within a minute or two how long it takes to get ready. I aim for a leisurely Z2 prep pace but I know my Z6 sprint pace for emergencies too.

1 Like
51

If you eat extra prunes or fiber before bed you might just save a few min in the W/C in the morning.

52

Skip the chamois cream, food, and pumping tires.

I find chamois cream just annoying and gross…I dont bother.

Bottles with mix plus food is a belt and suspenders approach…just pick one. Bottles with mix only kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

I just pump tires for fast/competitive rides if it hasnt been more than a fews days. I’m perfectly fine riding 20psi less than ‘ideal’ for an easy solo zone 2 ride. No drawback, plus way more comfort.

3 Likes
53

Can you not set things up before your shift, or the day before that, if you want to jump on your bike straight after your shift. Unless its a race, which if you’re carrying lights it probably isn’t, you can do a little more in advance and it’ll not really harm you. Also do you need the full list of stuff you carry. On the commute 30miles round minimum I’ll just fill up my bottles, top up my tyres every so many days (a quick thumb check suffices in between pumps), I’ll not worry about chamois cream (I do shower at work though so its not needed) and as other say the lights mostly stay on the bike except charging.

54

Hey, thanks, everyone, for the replies. There are a lot of great ideas to get out the door quicker. I’ve already taken some of the advice given here and made some changes to my setup. Here is what I’ve done:

Morning Routine:

Eat breakfast

  • Trying overnight oats

Bike Prep:

  • Check tire pressure (sticking to this one)
  • Mount computer and lights the day before; also moved the changing station out to the garage next to bikes.

Nutrition:

  • Mix bottles (the night before)
  • Grab food for the ride (moved food out to the garage)

Clothing:

  • Repurposed an old basket to put all the kit for the next day’s ride in my closet

Additional Items:

  • Headphones (in helmet with sunglasses)
  • ID & bank card (put cash/Visa gift card in saddlebag, use phone ICE screen)

Looking back, a big chunk of the morning routine is eating breakfast and waiting for coffee to get things moving. The overnight oats will help here. Oatmeal is my go-to anyway, so that’s an easy switch. I’ve used caffeine pills in the past and liked them, but it’s pretty much non-negotiable for me to use the toilet prior to a ride and the pills don’t seem to do anything to speed this along like coffee does… This is probably different for everyone, but most of my rides are 2+ hours long, and it’s not an if, but when I’ll have to use the restroom if I don’t before I leave the house…

Regarding bike prep, I guess I’m a bit of a Boy Scout on this one. I often ride in some rural areas, and while checking tire pressure does take some time, I feel it eliminates one potential problem while on a ride. My road bike is the worst for losing pressure. I run the Veloflex Corsa Evo TLRs, and maybe it’s the tire. Maybe I need to redo the rim tape. I ran GP5000s but had terrible luck with punctures that were too big for the sealant to do anything. The Veloflex has been problem-free and tests pretty fast on the Bicycle Rolling Resistance tests website. My gravel and MTB lose much less air; on those, I could probably go without checking for a week or more. I charge my lights, headphones, and computer before each ride; maybe overkill, but there is no battery indicator on the lights, so better safe than sorry, I suppose.

I’ve mixed bottles the night before group rides and races; I don’t know why I had it stuck in my head that mixing a large batch was my only option for pre-mixing. I guess I just needed it pointed out, but hey, that was the whole point of this post. I’ve also moved my ride food to a bin in the garage to cut down running around the house.

For clothing, I’ve repurposed an old basket and put it in the closet so I can put all my ride clothes in there the night before. I think the issue here was that I do laundry right after my ride then hang dry everything in the laundry room. Some items I have multiples of, like bibs, jerseys, socks, but other items like warmers, gloves, and jackets, I’ve only got one. So I found myself going between the laundry room and bedroom closet to figure out what I’ve put away and what’s still hanging up from drying. I use a little plastic drawer deal in my closet to hold all my ride clothing, basically a mini dresser just for bike stuff.

I’ve put my headphones and glasses in my helmet, which hangs on my handlebars. Also going to throw some cash and maybe a prepaid Visa gift card in my saddlebag and use the phone’s ICE screen for ID purposes.

Regarding chamois cream, I suppose everyone is different on this one. I’ve found that with tighter/more compressive bibs, it’s not as much of a necessity. If I’m going beyond 3 hours, I definitely want it. On 4+ hour rides, I actually bring one of the little packs of Chamois Buttr with me. I rarely need it but I’d rather not create a sore that will keep me off the bike. I don’t use the whole thing and store the open pack in a tiny ziplock to get multiple uses out of it

Thanks again.

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14 Likes
55

Wow that’s a lot of bike food. I just buy 5 pound bags of sour patch kids and gummy bears…

56

Damn, you actually followed through and did it all. And quite quickly, too. Good on you, mate.

Hopefully this takes the edge off of getting out the door.

I have most of my bike gear out in a home office area along with my bike and trainer. However, my cycling clothes are in my bedroom. I select my kit for the ride and a little more just in case and leave it out. However, occasionally I realise I forgot something and I really don’t want to creep back into the room and risk waking up my partner at o’dark thirty in the morning. Sometimes I go without and sometimes I need to risk the wake up.

I should follow your example and get my ish together. For me, that’s moving my cycling clothes to the office.

2 Likes
57

Not much more frequent than once a month impacts maybe 5 rides a week. You can always have race wheels and training wheels if swapping for a race seems too much. Would you rather pump your tyres 20 odd times a month, or swap wheels once a month?

58

To me this is one of those “I wish i’d spent the 30 seconds to look things” when you’re caught out.

I’ve always run the routine of “would I regret not doing this” before every ride. But I am a meticulous person by nature.

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59

I spend way too long on the toilet. Not bringing the phone in saves some time. But sometimes I need a second round, quite annoying that I need to budget some time for that.

60

Yeah, I also tend to check tire pressure before every ride. Imo, its a bit tricky to evaluate it by eye, especially for tubeless mtb or gravel rigs, where it usually stays relatively low. I’m using a digital gauge to measure it, which makes it super quick. Kind of like this