Preparation for a great day out.
Preparation for a great day out on your trusty ebike will make the difference between a smooth ride and a bumpy one. When we started doing days out or longer tours, we either took too much or too little or ended up without suncream or money for a coffee. It was annoying or spoiled the day a bit, so we learned from our mistakes, and our ‘list’ was born.
The Preparation Checklist
On a day out, you think, ‘Let’s just get on the bike and go’, but you will always forget something that could dampen the day. Preparation and a bit of thought will avoid this happening.
I have a couple of lists, 1 for a day out and then a longer 1 for a tour if you are going for 2 or more days.
Our basic list
- Money
- Energy bars & or picnic
- Map of planned route on the app (I use Komoot)
- Lip salve, sun cream, tissues
- Phone & extra battery (photos!)
- Rain jacket & Extra jumper
- Water bottle
- Battery and charger if a longer trip
- Helmet
- Basic tool kit if you can use it – tyre levers, multi-tool, inner tube
Top Tip for Preparation
A top tip I would give you is to learn how to repair a puncture, and you can find loads of ‘how-to videos’ on YouTube. I am lucky that my husband is a great bike mechanic; however, if you don’t have a mechanic handy, you will find that there is a bike shop that can help you in most towns. There is always ‘YouTube’ if it is something straightforward.
The Kit
I have a tube bag by Roswheel and panniers by Ortlieb. The panniers are expensive, but if you’re going to do this more than once, then investing in the decent kit is worth it. On the first heavy rain day you have, and everything is soaking wet in your bag, you will feel utter despair. (I know, 1st world problems, but wait till it happens). Like me, I’m pretty sure you work hard for your holidays and want to enjoy them. Getting caught in the rain is okay as long as you have the right gear, and even getting soaked is fine as long as you have dry pants and clothes to change into after a hot shower. Wet pants, or in my case it was wet pants, t-shirts, PJs, shoes, and trousers, did not put me in the best of moods, and I had a bit of a sense of humour failure that day. So buy, rent, or borrow some waterproof packs, and you will be grateful when it’s chucking it down.
If you don’t want to shell out on expensive panniers, then make sure you wrap everything in plastic bags. (please re-use and consider the planet). Be careful to properly wrap everything tightly as water literally gets in everywhere. Pay particular attention to any electrical items, as it could be a costly trip if your iPad or hairdryer gets wet. I split my gear into day and evening on each side. This makes it easy when you need a rain jacket, jumper, battery charger or hand wipes during the day.
Preparation for a great day out!