PMC Tips #6: Packing

[ornoth_cycling]

Today may be a holiday, but there are no holidays in my ten-part weekly series of hints, tips, pointers, and advice for other Pan-Mass Challenge charity riders. These are the things I've learned during more than a decade of participating in the PMC.

The full list of posts will be compiled and permanently available online at http://www.ornoth.com/bicycling/hints.php

Whether you're a first-timer or a longtime veteran, may you find these ideas useful, and I hope you have a wonderful PMC experience!

This week I help you plan what to bring, so you don't forget something essential to your ride: Packing!

• Make a packing list, and keep updating it after every ride, so that you have a reliable checklist of things to bring. This is just as useful for other travel and cycling events as for the PMC.
• When packing, put things in separate bags based on where you're going to need them: e.g. one bag to bring to the Sturbridge hotel room, another for things you'll need on the bike Saturday, one with what you'll need at Bourne, on the bike Sunday, at the Provincetown finish, etc. Plastic grocery bags (doubled) work well for this purpose. Make sure they're clearly labeled, so you can grab and go!
• The PMC has a bag drop that'll transport your bags from the start to Bourne, and then to the finish. Use it! Be sure to pack street clothes, shower supplies, and comfortable shoes! And use a distinctive, highly-visible bag that you'll be able to pick out in a huge luggage pile.
• Because there are plenty of water stops, you actually don't have to carry much during the ride. A seat bag with basic repair and first aid kits is sufficient, plus water/Gatorade and a tiny bit of emergency food. Don't overdo it!
• Bring a pocket camera and use it. Something small enough to fit in your cycling jersey pockets, that you can whip out and use quickly. If you're going to take pictures from the saddle, get lots of practice first, and be aware of other riders around you!
• It's very handy to write the distances to the water stops on a piece of cloth tape on your bike's top tube. And the major hills, too. That way you'll know what's coming up next. Estimated arrival times are good, as well. And maybe something inspirational. This is what the pros do at races.
• When preparing the food you'll carry on the bike, consider pre-unwrapping it and cutting it into bite-sized pieces for ease of use. But learn from my experience: don't put unwrapped donuts in your jersey pockets!

Next week's topic: What to do during the ride.