In no particular order.

Insulated water bottles I first got these to use in the winter but they have become our year round favorites. They are great in the winter since your drink is unlikely to freeze although on really cold days the contents may turn into shush and the nipple can freeze solid. In the summer we fill them with ice and just enough liquid to not quite reach the non-insulated top, good for 2-3 hours of welcome cold drinks.

Gatorade Powder We did a three day ride in the summer a few years ago. When we got home we added up our costs and found out that our #1 on bike expense was Gatorade from little stores along the route.

We started buying the stuff in bulk powder form at a huge savings. Better yet for some reason our own mix seems to taste better and we can make it to our desired strength. I carry it in a third waterbottle on the bike.

Another tip, water in the gallon size in little stores is often way cheaper than one 12 ounce "Sports" bottle of water. Ice is pretty cheap in these stores too, if you have a little liquid left in your bottle just fill with ice and you don't even need to add water.

Jandd Fannypacks you will rarely see Miss M without hers. They are well made, hold enough stuff and ride in the right place on your body with enough padding to not be a bother. We added reflective strips because although we like black since it doesn't show dirt we do like to be seen.

They seem to last forever.

Cateye Blinking Lights we are never without them. They don't weigh or cost much, are easy to mount and provide enough light to get home safely when those rides run late. Miss M has one on her helmet and her fannypack.

Every one should have at least one of these on their bike year round.

Bar end blinkies. Same as above. Always there when you need them, low cost and out of the way.

I have a cateye red light on my helmet along with the five LED tail light on the seat post. I use yellow reflective tape on my frame, rear fender, and a couple of dots on my helmet. I have a safety vest zip tied to my camelback. As far as gatorade, I mix my own too. For one group ride in particular, we stop at the 22 mile point at a park and refill bottles. I usually have one bottle with water and the other with gatorade. Before the ride, I mix my gatorade in the bottle and shake it up. Once it has settled, I dump another 1.5 scoops in the bottle and let it settle to the bottom. As long as I don't tip the bottle up, I can refill the bottle with water at the 22 mile point and have gatorade on the way back. I am cheap.

Our favorite jackets (from right to left).

I must wear my Burley Rain Rider jacket 100 days a year. It keeps me dry no matter how hard it is raining yet is so well vented that it is my outer layer all winter long. Again, it lasts for years. Nice and bright too.

Pearl Izumi OpTik jackets are our latest find. They are really windproof and really light. They fold up small. Don't know how well they will wear but the look well made. Nice and bright too.

Cheap plastic jackets for warmer weather. We have a couple each. Stash one at work just in case. The quality and materials are not much to talk about but we usually get a couple of years use out of them (buy them on sale for around $10). Since they are not really well vented I cut the arms off of one for really hot summer rainstorms otherwise they are going to be your own personal sauna. Nice and bright too.

Pretzel Nuggets. What with all the Gatorade we drink sometimes our stomachs can get upset when we are riding hard. Pretzel nuggets hold up well, sooth the stomach and get you a bit more salt. I stick a handful in the side net pocket of my fanny pack and munch away while riding. Plus it is nice to not always eat sweet things on the bike.

Dirt cheap if you buy big bags at a supermarket, pretty expensive and hard to find on the road.

CO2 inflator. Sure I carry a pump but that is just in case or to loan to folks who aren't prepared. We each carry a CO2 inflator and 2 cartridges. Make sure that your inflater can accept both threaded and unthreaded cartridges. Then buy unthreaded cartridges bulk from sporting good stores for about $.25 each.

Bike stores charge $3-5.00 for cartridges. Plan ahead and save.

The Thumper and the Stick, I don't know about you but I can never get enough massages. Massage yourself for free. A bonus, the stick is easy to carry on the road.

Don't be afraid to push hard and you can use the end of the handle to get really deep.

Fenders. Everyone who is commuting or touring needs to have at least one bike with fenders. No reason not to have them on every bike. It is amazing how nice it is to ride in wet weather when you are clean and aren't covered in road spray.

Sure they are not really fashionable in America but once you put a set on you will hate yourself for going so long without them. Don't even try to go on a group ride in the Coastal Northwest without them.

Staying clean and dry on a wet road, priceless.

Bring a friend.

We never ride without our best buddy Bugee. He entertains us on those long miles, keeps us from getting lost and points out interesting things.

Bugee always waves at other cyclists just in case we miss.

Bugee loves long rides, balloons and puppies who often come out to greet him.

Bugee loves us and we love him.

That is all good stuff there, lots of things that make the long miles more comfortable. I definately spend more money on Gatorade on the long rides then anything else. One thing I do that makes me well noticed from behind is to put orange reflective tape on the back side (towards the rear tire not towards the crank) and white reflective tape on the opposite side. That way at night it alternate white and orange as I keep the pedals turning. It really sticks out.

I've been looking at the bar end blinkies as they seem to be an easy way to never forget my light when I ride late. Are they durable? How are they binded in there? Ever had one fall out?

Then buy unthreaded cartridges bulk from sporting good stores for about $.25 each.

Great idea!

Sven

Insulated water bottles I first got these to use in the winter but they have become our year round favorites. They are great in the winter since your drink is unlikely to freeze although on really cold days the contents may turn into shush and the nipple can freeze solid.

This is a tip from the xc-skiing crowd. On really cold days, turn the bottle upside down to prevent the cap from freezing. Of course, you have to have a non-leaky bottle, but water at the bottom of a bottle is always the last to freeze.

-Damon

I'd like to add one.

Digital cameras- Small and compact. They fit in a jersey pocket. Keep the memories of great rides alive :)

Our favorite jackets (from right to left).

I must wear my Burley Rain Rider jacket 100 days a year. It keeps me dry no matter how hard it is raining yet is so well vented that it is my outer layer all winter long. Again, it lasts for years. Nice and bright too.

Pearl Izumi OpTik jackets are our latest find. They are really windproof and really light. They fold up small. Don't know how well they will wear but the look well made. Nice and bright too.

Cheap plastic jackets for warmer weather. We have a couple each. Stash one at work just in case. The quality and materials are not much to talk about but we usually get a couple of years use out of them (buy them on sale for around $10). Since they are not really well vented I cut the arms off of one for really hot summer rainstorms otherwise they are going to be your own personal sauna. Nice and bright too.

on your reccomendation I bought the Burley jacket about two years ago - it's pretty filthy now - yours looks like new - how do you keep it, or get it, so clean?

I've been looking at the bar end blinkies as they seem to be an easy way to never forget my light when I ride late. Are they durable? How are they binded in there? Ever had one fall out?

They are designed to fit any handlebar so that means that they fit loose in most good quality bars. I wrap them with electricians tape until they fit really tight then I jam them in place. Never had one come out accidently.

On the subject of rain jackets, I bought an O2 cycling jacket (Style 1111 on the link below) earlier this year. I've only had to use it once, but I think it will do the job well. They're cheap (under $30), light and breathable. I wouldn't want to wear it on a trail ride since the fabric will get torn by branches, but for the road I think its far better than the plastic jobbies for folks who don't regularly ride in the rain but still need decent rainwear for when its unavoidable (centuries for example).

http://www.rainshield.com/p_cycling.html

The one unusual thing I don't leave home without is a toe strap dangling from the seat rails. Good for extra clothes you've taken off or might need to put on.

In the pocket of your rain rider Jacket ?

I carry mine in front of my chest at the shoulder strap of my mini back pack for quick response when I see anything interesting on or off the bike.
Other stuffs are hanged at the other shoulder strap as well, i.e. walkie-talkie, sunglasses too.

I have a small camera bag pretty much like yours that attaches to the belt of my waist pack. It is no problem at all to reach down, pull the camera out and take photos without getting off the bike or slowing down (Miss M doesn't like to slow down much).

I have a small camera bag pretty much like yours that attaches to the belt of my waist pack. It is no problem at all to reach down, pull the camera out and take photos without getting off the bike or slowing down (Miss M doesn't like to slow down much).

I once carried my new camera at my waist belt at the first ride (MTB) with a camera. I fell at low speed, I was quite alright except a smashed camera and a bruise at my hip under the camera. I put the camera at my chest since then.

on your reccomendation I bought the Burley jacket about two years ago - it's pretty filthy now - yours looks like new - how do you keep it, or get it, so clean?

Just follow the manufacturers instructions-we machine wash it in warm water then air dry. There is a little red staining on the left side from my messenger bag otherwise, yes it looks almost new.

I once carried my new camera at my waist belt at the first ride (MTB) with a camera. I fell at low speed, I was quite alright except a smashed camera and a bruise at my hip under the camera. I put the camera at my chest since then.

nmnmnm

CO2 inflator. Sure I carry a pump but that is just in case or to loan to folks who aren't prepared. We each carry a CO2 inflator and 2 cartridges. Make sure that your inflater can accept both threaded and unthreaded cartridges. Then buy unthreaded cartridges bulk from sporting good stores for about $.25 each.

Bike stores charge $3-5.00 for cartridges. Plan ahead and save.

I have one of those things, but you can also use it as a little pump if you run out of CO2. It would take forever to pump anything up with it, but it's better than walking!

I need a new jacket at some point. I will check out the burley.

i do the powder thing, but with cytomax.

Don't take it with me, but at least I know exactly what to wear....

I am cheap.

Fiscally conservative works too.

Thanks for the outstanding post. In a sea of useless rants at the RBR, it sure is nice to see something worth while and cycling related. As always great job MB1.

i was right there with ya until you got to Buggee.

i was right there with ya until you got to Buggee.

I sure ain't gonna.

BTW LOL wondering if anyone was going to say anything.

Since I always have a CamelBak when I'm on long rides, my bottle cages are freed up, which means the camera (in its pouch) can go in there. The Velcro closure on the flap keeps the camera secure without having to mess with the zipper, and the strap on the pouch goes around the down tube to keep the pouch from launching on rough roads. I used to attach the pouch to the shoulder strap on the CamelBak, but the only really good attachment point was uncomfortably high.

I sure ain't gonna.

BTW LOL wondering if anyone was going to say anything.

to each his own...

bug.

around holidays i'll strap a date-appropriate celebratory pez dispenser to my seatpost.

I did this last year at a rest stop on a century.. filled up my 2 polar bottles and camelback
and had enough water left over to give away to 2 other riders.

In no particular order.

Another tip, water in the gallon size in little stores is often way cheaper than one 12 ounce "Sports" bottle of water. Ice is pretty cheap in these stores too, if you have a little liquid left in your bottle just fill with ice and you don't even need to add water.

I once carried my new camera at my waist belt at the first ride (MTB) with a camera. I fell at low speed, I was quite alright except a smashed camera and a bruise at my hip under the camera. I put the camera at my chest since then.

My method is not terribly convenient for fast shots but it protects my camera from crashes (I take more Mountain biking pictures than anything) and the rain (tho we don't have much of the latter here in the desert)
http://www.otterbox.com/product.cfm?product=142&code=NA

And I absolutely love Polar Bottles - gets hot enough here that I actuall freeze one solid and fill the other with ice so I have cool bottles for a few hours.

Show us what you got.