waterfish_21

Hello all.

So the other day I lost my keys! My bontrager saddle bag developed a rip in the zipper. I was not careful upon putting my keys/wallet/ and tools inside it and after my 30 mile loop when I got home my keys were missing. My wallet and bike allens where still in there(barely hanging on!) Has this happened to anyone else? And are there any other ways to secure these items inside a saddle bag. I ride with my headphones on 60-90% of the time so I didn't hear the keys falling off, not sure if I would of anyways.

unterhausen

I'm still emotionally scarred from the time I lost my keys in 1989, so I feel your pain. The last 5 saddlebags I have owned have a clip for keys

TenSpeedV2

Ditch the headphones. It is fun to listen to music, but riding is not the place to do it. You would have heard them hit the ground I would imagine, or bounce off your tire at least.

waterfish_21

1989 I found some guy at the park I ride through every day, he told me he would call me if he found any set of keys, even if it was 20 years from now.

waterfish_21

I think your right. It seem's 90% of riders/runners I see on the bike route use headphones but as I bike more I see more dangers of using headphones. This may be the final straw for me.

chaadster

I've had it happen, and I never wear headphones, so don't count on hearing it. Properly securing them is the right solution.

Use the tip above and get a bag with a security key clip. Also, don't use a dumb design that might tend to work itself open; I had one which would unzip itself thanks to gravity and sufficient jarring. I also prefer seat bag designs that you can't accidentally leave open (which I've done), for example because the need to be unstrapped or removed to open. Use bags that are snug and don't jiggle and sag. Replace bags worn with holes...as you know.

Pack just the key you need: lighter is less likely to jump out. Pack it under the spare tube if there's no clip. That'll help retain, and the process will also help avoid careless errors like not zipping closed the bag.

Lastly, if they're "mission critical ", don't bring them. Leave your house key outside at home. If you're departing from a car, stash the keys outside the car, like under a rocker panel, in the grill somewhere, up behind the bumper.

Strange

Dangerous? More like suicidal. Your best defense against becoming roadkill is situational awareness. Anything that reduces your situational awareness can get you splattered, and has to go. No exceptions.

As for securing your keys, why not just put them in one of your jersey pockets? If you're really paranoid, safety pin the pocket closed.

10 Wheels

Why not use a small bar bag for important items?

waterfish_21

Yeah I need them to get into my building and into my apartment. I guess I could always store them in my garage and just bring the Garage key.
I don't have a jersey ( yet!) The safety pin idea is great, I think I will put a safety pin on a garage key ring on my new saddle bag. And yes I'm paranoid now.

I hate the location of bar bags. I've tried a few and I never found one I liked.

Jim from Boston

Did we really need the headphone discussion on this thread? Would the OP have heard his wallet drop too without headphones, say over the sounds of traffic and wind noise? This thread for me reinforces my “pre-ride" and “post stop" checklists to make sure all my bags and pockets are zippered shut.

bakes1

Pretty sure that every time someone references wearing headphones for any reason it should at least be mentioned once.
No way around the fact they are dangerous.

indyfabz

You could put them in your jersey pocket. And ditch the wallet. Bring an ATM or credit card, old drivers license, health insurance card and cash.

Jim from Boston

Good tip abut the old driver’s license, though it might not be valid if you are driving to an event. Also AAA will now pick up disabled bikes and their riders so carry the membership card.

This summer while visiting via car to the family in Michigan I went out for a bike ride and my wallet was lost, or likely stolen (did not fall off). The Registry of Motor Vehicle here in Mass. could issue me an E-mail notice of license for a $25 fee; I had to cal home to get the credit card number. My sister lent me a wad of cash to live on and drive home (gas and tolls). We immediately inactivated the credit and ATM cards. My main losses were cash, and my pre-paid Boston Commuter Rail pass.

indyfabz

I carry both my current and old licenses in my wallet if I am driving and take the old one with me on the ride. As for AAA, it is an automobile lobbying organization first and foremost and has, in the past, advocated diverting public money away from alternative transportation project to auto-related projects, so I am not a member and wouldn't be even if I owned a car, which I don't currently.

Jim from Boston

Thanks for the reply, @indyfabz. I didn’t think of bringing both licenses (and leaving the new one in the car). I was not necessarily advocating for AAA, but I know of other BF subscribers with have used the pick-up service (allowed twice a year). I liked your list and tried to think of othe items to make it comprehensive.

BTW, I have been picked up in distress by a cab in over thirty years of over thirty years of year-round commuting and riding. I would much prefer to put my bike in a wide truck bed than stuffing it in the trunk of a taxi, espcially my high-end CF bike.

trailangel

My mom always safety pins my key and my lunch money to my clothes before I go.

fietsbob

Keyring on a loop over my head solved my Key loss episode. (10 years Ago)..

TenSpeedV2

Yeah, we do. It is unsafe. And yes, you hear stuff drop. I have heard my water bottle fall out before because I am not wearing headphones. It is also better to hear the surrounding noise like cars and trucks when you are on the road.

dual650c

I have used the following methods to keepsafe my keys while riding.
Keys on chain around neck
Fixed/DIY'd a strap inside the bag compartment and clipped keys to that
Stuck single key inside my shoe (there was room beside my foot and it never seemed to rub)
Used a retractable cable-chain attached to belt and hung inside my pocketless pants/shorts
Hooked key to helmet strap
Hooked onto wrist watch strap
Tied it to my shoelace
Stuck in my emergency toolkit.... I shouldn't need the key or the emergency kit while riding, right?!?!

And a few more I can't think of right now.
Haven't lost a key yet.

loky1179

Fanny pack. They're secure and stylish.

fietsbob

+1, DIY: sew a snap hook into the bag to clip the key ring onto..

loky1179

I had my car keys fall out of my seat bag once during a mountain bike race. Luckily for me, it was during a descent, so I was coasting. I felt something hit the back of my calf, realized quickly that something was not right about that. Stopped and was able to find them.

The cycling gods were being nice to me that day - the race was 150 miles from home, and I didn't have a spare.

After that, I started using a small carabiner to hold the zippers of my seat bag closed.

rollwithme

I came in here to see how one of my worst nightmares would play out but got this tip--thanks, had no idea! I haven't been a member of AAA in years but this is a good reason to do so. I don't drive anymore but having someone to pick me up in the case that nothing else was available would be awesome. I don't live near any family, nor do I know many drivers here, so this helps.

I have a saddle bag and now a rack on my bike (but no rack bag yet). I only carry the house key, building keyfob, and bike lock key on a hair rubber and loop it on my bra strap. I suppose it would also work on a belt loop or something as well. I don't carry ID at the moment, usually just the bus card and cash.

Someone mentioned a fanny pack---there are waist packs popular with runners that are very thin but still manage to hold the basics like keys, cash, etc. They look more "belt like" than "fanny pack like" if aesthetics are a concern.

Strange

Why an old driver's license? Why not your current one, if you have one?

79pmooney

One good reason for wearing a cycling jersey. I carry house and bike keys on my leatherman in the left jersey pocket. My cycling wallet (with duplicate/old versions of driver's license and health/insurance info and a few dollar bills for tire casing casing repairs) lives in my right pocket. It is a long time since I lost either riding (knock on wood).

Edit: I've lost stuff out of saddlebags I have forgotten to zip up and that have had zippers fail/open more than a few times. I am not always at my best when I get flats or mechanicals. I try not to leave anything in that bag that is really important. (And they are very easy to steal fast with a sharp knife.)

Ben