We know that everyone has their own pre-spin checklist, however the below may help with items that you have not thought of, that will make the spin more enjoyable for you and all. Hopefully you find these suggestions useful.
Pre-Spin Checklist
- Ensure you have signed up for the spin on Strava
- Complete the Covid-19 registration form
- Pack your Phone - in case of emergency
- Cash and/or card in case you need buy something or cover the cost of a taxi, etc.
- Know the route: Take personal responsibility. Don’t depend entirely on the spin leader. Load the route up on your bike computer if you use one.
We know that many people have their own checklist of essential kit for a club spin. Others don’t. We thought it would be worth sharing some suggestions.
- A well maintained road bike (winter rules: ensure mudguards and lights are securely attached)
- Check bottle cages have not worked loose
- Check brakes - ensure they are correctly adjusted and both front and back are working
- Check gears - ensure they shift correctly and do not need to be adjusted. This can reduce the risk of a dropped chain
- If you have DI2 or SRAM electronic gears, ensure gears are sufficiently charged up
- Ensure all batteries are charged up - lights, bike computer, electronic gears etc...
- Saddle pack (or similar) - more on this below
Clothing and nutrition are an essential component to ensuring you enjoy the ride. Here are some suggestions...
- Check the weather the night before a spin. prepare your gear in advance to ensure you dont forget an essential item in the morning rush (eg. armwarmers etc!)
- A helmet (mandatory)
- Appropriate clothing, bearing the conditions and planned route in mind. In shoulder seasons it can be handy to have a spare pair of arm warmers or light jacket or gilet packed
- Food and drink to sustain you for the spin. We often stop on longer spins, e.g. >80km, however it is always advisable to carry some gels or energy bars. You can also put energy drink tablets/powder in your water bottles
Saddlebag
Your saddlebag is a critical item to supporting you on your ride. Below we list the suggested contents for the saddle bag.
Basic items that should be in every saddle bag:
- One or two spare tubes (1). Ensure the valve length is sufficient for your wheel rim depth. Top Tip - if you roll your tube, you can remove any small bit of air in it. Then wrap it in insulating tape tightly to keep it small. You will also have the insulating tape then for any emergency repaired required eg to bar tape, etc.
- Tyre levers (2) - good quality ones that don't flex
- Multitool (3)- preferably one with a shain breaker so if your chain snaps you can remove the broken link
- Mini pump
Optional (but preferable) items:
- CO2 inflator & CO2 canisters (4)
- Spare valve core (5)
- Spare quick link (6) in case of issues with your chain
- Schrader-presta valve converter (7) so that you can use the air pump at a garage if required
- Cable ties (8) - you never know when these could come in handy
If you have tubeless tyres on your bike, you should also carry:
- Tubeless plug kit (9) to plug a large puncture
- Valve core remover (10), so that you can remove the tubeless valve if you have an irreparable puncture and need to put in a tube
- Disposable laytex gloves. These scrunch up small and can be handy to avoid getting filthy if you have to change a tube in the wet or have an issue with your chain or drivetrain
If you have deep rim wheels (above 30mm), you should also carry:
- Valve extender (11). If your spare tube punctures you will unlikely be able to borrow a tube from a ride buddy as their valve may not be long enough. However a valve extender will allow you to extend the short valve to work on your deep rim wheels
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