As if it wasn’t hard enough to train for a race, drive there, and keep your mind focused on race strategy, there’s another obstacle thrown in… packing everything into your car! You have to pack your bike and clothes for the race, plus everything else you may or may not need before, during, and after the race.
If you throw stuff in at the last minute, yes, it’s hard. But with some planning beforehand, you can pack everything you need without worry. Just create a checklist of everything you need.
Don’t worry, I’ve posted mine below. Feel free to use it.
___ Bike
___ Water bottles (filled)
___ Seat bag
– spare tube
– tire levers
– CO2 inflator
– mini-tool
___ Helmet
___ Sunglasses
___ Jersey
___ Undershirt (optional)
___ Gloves
___ Shorts
___ Socks
___ Shoes with cleats
___ Energy bar and/or gel
___ Change of clothes
___ Post-race food and water
___ First-aid kit
___ Bike lock (optional)
___ Camera (optional)
___ Towel
___ Baby wipes
___ Money
___ Registration form and/or license
___ Floor pump (for topping off your tires)
___ Stationary trainer (for warmup)
To make things easier, I suggest printing out a copy of the checklist and checking off items as you pack them into your car.
Want to download and print out a fancy copy of this in PDF format? Just click here. (Right-click + “save as” to save it to your computer.)
Or…
Prefer to race off-road? Then see our MTB Race Equipment Checklist.
Levi Bloom is an experienced endurance athlete who has been training and competing for over 17 years. A former Cat 1 road and mountain bike racer (professional class on the regional circuit), he is now a cycling coach (USA Cycling Level 3 Certified) and sports nutrition coach (Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified).
What a great site – now bookmarked as a favorite…