For most of the season, I've been wearing a hydro pack on park days - I toss my keys, my wallet and my phone in there for emergencies along with some snack and such.
I grabbed a season pass to my local park this year (Highland) and have started wearing body armor and a neck brace. I love the extra protection, but wearing those + pads + FF helmet along with a hydro pack is less than ideal, it's bulky as hell.
I have no problem leaving a water bottle at the bottom of the lift, but I'd like to keep my phone and keys on me somewhere secure from crashes. My bike (2015 glory) has no storage on it to speak of - not even a cage mount - and I don't want to just stick either in the pockets of my shorts for the obvious reasons.
I end up doing a lot of work email nonsense during the trip up the lift, and like taking a lot of pics and such during the ride so I'd really like to keep my phone and keys on me at minimum.
What are you folks doing for keeping this stuff secure and handy for the day?
I've given up on carrying a phone with me. They're so large and bulky, and my newest phone was $930. I'm not carrying that with me. I've actually thought about getting a cheap-o phone to carry just in case, but it's just not that important at a bike park, imho...
Keys are another story... I had a friend get a car key jammed into his knee cap while skateboarding, so I do not carry keys in my pocket while doing anything remotely active.
I carry a multi-tool, small weed kit, and my ID and CC in my pockets and that's it. No backpack for bike park days.
I had a y-wrench multitool in my pocket many years ago (BMX days as a kid). I slid out into a corner and the 10mm socket end of it went straight into my thigh. I still have a scar ~20 years later. My keys are just a detachable fob these days but I totally know what you mean.
I always keep a house key in my wallet, that goes in a zippered pocket in the back of my shorts. On the few occasions I drive to the trail, I replace that key with my car key. The key always faces out, away from my ass. No good way to carry an expensive phone.
As nice as it would be to ride without anything weighing me down, I've just resigned myself to wearing a pack. I don't carry water, but I always carry my keys, phone, multi-tool, spare tube, pump, food and depending on the weather a spare set of gloves and jacket. Add in a shock pump if I'm doing any suspension setup/tuning.
I guess I'll never be one of the cool park rat bros that show up with nothing more than a tank top, but you also won't see me wasting an hour walking down the entire mountain because I got a flat either.
I'm sure it's a bit of carry over from decades of back country rides where you have to be self sufficient, but if I'm paying to ride the lifts, I'm all about getting in as many runs as possible, so carrying some essentials keeps me going. I can fix any issues trail side, eat on the lift, and not call it quits if it starts pissing down rain.
I recently picked up an EVOC pack with a built in back protector. It's pretty darn comfortable and secure (doesn't flop around), and the closeout price of $60 was a lot better than the original $175. I figured if I'm wearing a pack, might as well have one that gives me a bit of added protection.
For park days I only carry the truck key. I strap a water bottle to the top tube with velcro straps for the ride down to the lift, then leave the water bottle, wrap the key in the velcro straps and keep it in a small zippered pocket in the side of my shorts. The pocket sits over my padded shorts so hopefully I won't get stabbed with the key in a crash. I don't carry anything else, so if the bike breaks (I don't know how to fix it anyways) I'm doing the walk of shame.
why not get a topeak aero wedge that attaches under the rear or your seat. I keep these on all of my bikes. Out of my way, doesnt interefere with a dropper, and keeps the weight off of my body. I have a medium on my trail bike that can hold my iphone(or a multitool) and my keys no problem. I keep a large on my family xc bike so I can keep a rag and multitool in addition to the medium items. You might be able to get away with a small depending on your phone size. Most LBS have them instock or Amazon has all hte sizes for $15-25.
too many people underestimate the convenience of a pocket. sure some of you have "heard stories", but we have all fucked ourselves up pretty good while biking, but yet we are still here doing it...
i always use my Camel pack and wear full armor (I drink a lot of water)..it doesn't bother me because you get use to it......some guys are using fanny packs now days
I used to carry my phone in my pocket and hoped for the best. It has survived crashes, including a pretty good high speed crash and one that resulted in a concussion.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, I'm on my trail bike at the trail head and I tell a local rider "ok, have a good ride" and I clip in to take off. I stalled right then and there and fell over onto my phone. Destroyed.
I'm on my trail bike at the trail head and I tell a local rider "ok, have a good ride" and I clip in to take off. I stalled right then and there and fell over onto my phone. Destroyed.
I think you guys are overthinking things? Multi tool in left pocket, phone in right, sometimes carry wallet or just bit of cash or a card in a zippered pocket, no problems here. Phone in a fairly beefy case has held up fine to many crashes. I do 80-100 lift days/summer. Hide keys in truck usually lol.
I uave been using a cheap sports fanny pack from WalMart at Highland this year, no problems. Phone, wallet and keys on the pack, maybe a clif bar, Nalgene at the base of the lift. The runs are so short there that a pack is really unnecessary.
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