First Ride of the Year Checklist

Woo nicer weather is here! Time to RIDE! Okay wait, what do I need now? I’m sure you’ve had the “first ride of the year scramble” many times before. You get your bike off the trainer and spend more time actually getting ready to ride than your actual first ride. Even after 14 years of riding, I got halfway through my first ride and realized I forgot my flat repair kit (thankfully no punctures, phew!). Well look no further, we are here to help you get organized so your first ride can take off without a hitch instead of aggravated sweating.

Plug it in

While you may think the first thing to do is start getting your bike off the trainer and start getting dressed, this is actually the first mistake most of us make. You likely aren’t using your cycling computer or lights on the trainer, unless you’re taking “nothing new on race day” to a new level. There’s nothing worse than grabbing electronics before heading out the door and realizing everything is dead (especially if it’s your shifting), and what’s the point in riding if we can’t upload it Strava? In all seriousness, it’s especially important to have lights at this time of year as the drivers aren’t as acclimated to cyclists yet and the sunlight can be on an unusual schedule. If you have an electronic groupset, you’re also going to want to make sure your components are charged up. Depending on your trainer set up, you may not do much charging so it’s hard to say what your battery levels are.

Charging station with lights and cycling computer

Electronics take some time to charge, so let’s prioritize getting these up and running. I recommend plugging these in now (they’ll hold the charge until your soon to be first ride), the night before, or the morning of when you have a sense of when this year’s maiden voyage will be. To make this fool proof, I recommend making a charging station near your bike or bike stuff.

• To-do list:
  • Charge your bike computer
  • Charge your front/rear lights
  • Charge your bike

Setting Your Bike Up

Okay we are charged up, now let’s get the bike set up before we are dressed and sweating in our cold weather spring kit. Before you take your bike off the trainer, or take it down from the ceiling in the garage, do a quick runthrough of your shifting and ensure your bike is in working order. Test your brakes out as well since you likely haven’t used them much over the winter. Check the tightness of some essential components on the bike like the stem/handlebar, steer tube, seat post, and your wheel axles. If you are using a trainer tire, let’s swap that out next. Trainer tires are not meant to go outside, I repeat, trainer tires are not meant to go outside! Next we will reattach our bike saddle bags of our preference (saddle bag, handlebar bag, frame bag, etc.) and make sure it’s filled with everything you need (multi-tool, tubes, tire levers, Co2, pump if it fits). Set your cycling computer up, attach your lights, and grab your *filled* water bottles. Pump your tires up to your preferred pressure. Tire pressure is its own blog post, but choosing the right pressure can make all of the difference on your ride. I recommend checking out the free Silca tire pressure calculator to get this dialed in for the type of riding you do. Last, but certainly not least, I recommend checking your bike fit! A lot can change physically throughout those long winter months and you don’t want to be sore during or after your first ride. A slightly lower saddle and higher handlebar will help you ease your body back into the riding season!

Check your bike over to make sure it’s safe for the road

• To-do list:
  • Test your shifting and brakes
  • Check bolt tightness
    • Stem/handlebar
    • Steer Tube
    • Seat post
    • Wheel axles
  • Swap out trainer tire
  • Attach filled bike bag of your choosing
    • Multi-tool
    • Spare tube
    • Bike pump
    • Co2
  • Bike computer
  • Front/rear lights
  • Water bottles
  • Tire pressure
  • Check your fit

Let’s Get Dressed

Don’t worry, we’re almost riding! Time to locate all your spring riding attire that has been buried the last few months. Now this may vary depending on where you’re located and what temperature you deem fit for your first ride. Some things you’ll want to consider tracking down are your arm/leg/knee warmers, full finger gloves, neck warmer, base layers, jacket, cap, and shoe covers. A brand we love, Velocio, has a great layering guide that shows what ideal layering looks like depending on how cold it is. Now, you can get your kit on, I’m assuming this part needs no explanation…

Leg warmers, arm warmers, knee warmers, gloves, cap, shoe covers

• To-do list:
  • Arm warmers
  • Leg warmers
  • Knee warmers
  • Full finger gloves
  • Neck warmer
  • Jacket
  • Cap
  • Shoe covers

Odds and Ends

We are about ready to roll out the door, but these are the final essentials you won’t want to forget. Personally, I always recommend grabbing your ID, credit/bank card, and a touch of cash. Should something ever happen out on the road, you’ll always be grateful to have had these personal items on you. Pack some ride food in case. It’s been a while since you’ve been out there and you don’t want a nutrition crash to harsh the buzz of that first ride! Lastly, don’t forget your phone. You NEED a photo of that first ride to share with all of your friends! It’s also a great thing to have on you again, should any sort of emergency come up.

• To-do list:
  • Personal ID
  • Credit/bank card
  • Cash
  • Ride food
  • Cell Phone

Go Riding!

Now it’s time to ride! We’ve all done this runaround many times before and as a result, end up forgetting something important on our first rides of the year. For our more organized riders, we’ve compiled the above checklist into this document that you can print and use. Hopefully this checklist will help you start your first ride in place of excitement and zen instead of stress and sweat. I hope you have a safe and fun season of riding!

FREE CHECKLIST DOCUMENT