FORGET ME NOTS

     Sorry, this is a cycling blog, not horticultural.  Because if you ride long enough, you will have arrived at the start of a ride or worse, race, and have forgotten an important element.  My Toyota Rav 4 is rarely a passenger vehicle, mostly it carries bikes and cycling equipment.  I have two bags, one for spare tires, tubes, helmet and one for clothes such as jersey, shorts, tights, wind jacket, head bands, gloves, aprés riding clean T shirt. They are available to anyone who needs something, no need to give them back.  I don't have spare shoes yet, but I've once brought the wrong pair, Look rather than Shimano cleats.  No ride that day.
     There is an explanation for today.  Today I drove the twenty minutes to Old Settlers Park with a recovery ride on the agenda.  I parked in the usual spot, got out and opened the back door to bring out the bike and was surprised to see nothing there.  Pook, Ding-fu!!  So I returned to the driver's seat and hooked 'em on home.  Forty-five minutes later I again parked the car and prepared to ride.
     I'm rationalizing here, there really is no excuse to go on a bike ride without a bike.  But I'm playing the "old" card on this one.  Here is the sequence of events.  Yesterday was my "hill" ride and for that I need low gears.  My custom titanium bike now is outfitted with a triple,  28-32 low.  I can manage Courtyard and Jester on it.  The foreseeable future has no large climbs, so this morning after my gym workout (5:15-6:15 am, legs) I switched bikes. But it's more than just taking one bike out of the car and putting the other one in.  I also have to switch the Stages Power Meter (because you wouldn't want to not have data for your Strava  posting) and the Roark has Shimano mountain bike pedals, the Emonda has Speedplays.
     Switch complete, I hung up the Roark and put the Emonda on an old rack I've attached to the garage wall since I have multiple bikes. Then it was time for coffee, then breakfast.  In order to work on the bikes, I moved the car outside and put the door down since it was still chilly.  Usually the last action taken before heading out is to attach the electronics, in this case only the computer since a taillight isn't necessary at OSP.  This is where I think I got off track.  Usually the bike is already in the car when I attach the Garmin.  Today it was still hanging on the garage wall, plus I did it early.
     I exited the kitchen door, out the garage and into the car.  Lord knows where my mind was, it wasn't on cycling.  I also usually glance in the rear view mirror to see if all is well, not today.
     It was a good ride once I got going.  The forty-five minute delay allowed the temperature to rise another 5 or so degrees, so I was comfy in jersey and wind jacket (thanks Todd), plus tights (under 65 degrees, cover the knees).  So I urge you rather than toss worn items, save them for one last emergency and keep them handy in your car.  But a spare bike might be a tad too much.