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I've been very lucky and I've not had anything eject itself from my Jersey back pockets (now Jinxed by that statement).
But I've had a couple more instances lately where I've felt stuff move on Road/Gravel rides when I've maybe done a little hop or had to shift about a bit on the bike, this is probably because I've been trying to minimise pocketed items/go lighter. So retention of stuff is a thing I've become a little paranoid about on and off, things I've previously tried:
-Putting Adhesively backed Velcro pads on one cheap jersey (the adhesive kind of leached into the fabric, and it was a bit faffy in use)
-Putting some of those sticky dot things on Phones etc, not really sure they improved friction with the Lycra of the jersey.
-Modifying on of those little cord leashes you get for phones, by attaching a safety pin to one end (to pin to inside of pocket) and putting the little loop round the pop-socket on the back of my phone.
That last one has worked the best I reckon, having a little tether that I can easily release the item from one handed is good but I feel like something better could be done, I'm getting into the idea of actually stitching little fabric loops into some of my Jersey pockets now to take some of those mini carabiners so I can just snap keys/phone/wallet with appropriate loops/lanyards on, or is that just getting stupid?
I'm keen on any other little tricks people have found just to make sure things stay with you on the go, so any Suggestions or clever ideas?
Never lost anything on or off road.
Jersey should be tight fitting, so pockets are held taught.
Wot footflaps said. I've never lost anything from a jersey pocket on road, gravel, or MTB. I do use one of those waterproof phone holder/wallet type things though so nothing jingle-jangling
^yeah, bung your small bits n pieces into a velopac or similar.
My phone's connected to my Garmin, so I know where/when I lose it, if I do. My wallet has a bluetooth tracker in it connected to my phone. Anything else I'd carry in jersey pockets is kind of acceptable risk.
As others have said, a smaller/tighter jersey. Winter jerseys sometimes have looser pockets. A gilet worn over adds some security in that case at expense of easy access
Buy a jersey with a zipped pocket?
I have one zipped pocket to put my phone and keys in (ie the 'unlosable' items) then I have food and gillet in the pocket. When I don't take a saddle bag, I use a small velcro strap to attach my pump and multitool to my inner tube (tyre levers wrapped inside the tube), this stops the tube potentially jettisoning as the tube adds some weight.
I've only ever had stuff fall out after an OTB. A quick check after you pick yourself up is a good idea. My phone once spent 30 hours in the forest before I thought back to an OTB and sure enough found it lying where I crashed.
Phone/cash etc go in a Velopac, grippy texture keeps it secure. I carry a cafe lock and jacket in pickets, again with no issues, but anything else is in bag on the bike.
Buy a jersey with a zipped pocket?
I have several and they are my default jerseys. Zip pocket for phone, debit card, a couple of tenners and house key. If I am wearing a jersey without a zip pocket all the above go in a tiny dry bag with a roll closure. The added bulk of that makes it a tight fit.
Pockets on some jerseys are a bit shallow.
Last year had a minor off on Holmbury Hill, and not until I got home did I realise my phone had disappeared. I had to return to Holmbury with my iPad and used find my phone to track it down. Nobody else had seen it a few meters off the trail and partly hidden by leaves.
I now put the phone in a jersey pocket stuffed with other items to prevent it easily sliding out next time. 🤞
As with some other posters, all my jerseys have a zipped pocket as I wouldn't buy one without it. Phone and keys in zipped pocket - anything else in other pockets. Also never lost anything in many years riding.
Working in A+E, I saw a roady who got taken out by a car whilst coming down a fast hill. He had a pneumothorax, several rib fractures, knackered helmet (no head injury) and a broken pelvis. His phone, keys, wallet, gilet and flapjacks were all still in his jersey, which had made it on to the helicopter with him. For me that put a lot of confidence in jersey pockets holding on to stuff, as long as the pockets tensioned by either being properly fitting or full of stuff.
The above +1. The only thing I've ever lost was a pump that must have been at least 2.5x the length of the pocket.
A silicone wristband seems to do a good job of keeping things together into jersey pocket sized bundles and they're grippy enough to keep them really secure.
Regardless of all the evidence to the contary, I'm still paranoid about jersey pockets. You'd think all jerseys would have a decent sized zipping mobile phone pocket, but guess zips increase production costs and impact shape of the jersey.
Regardless of all the evidence to the contary, I’m still paranoid about jersey pockets. You’d think all jerseys would have a decent sized zipping mobile phone pocket, but guess zips increase production costs and impact shape of the jersey.
Most decent ones have a car key and card wallet sized zip pocket. It'd defeat the point of the big pockets though if you couldn't just reach back and grab your gilet/food/etc.
Maybe sew a strip of fabric along the top of the pockets, like the flap of an envelope, so stuff can't come out vertically unless you reach under and over the top? Wouldn't need to be very deep, 1 inch tops would do it.
One benefit of using Shokz headphones is that if your phone jumps out of your pocket you’ll be alerted by the sudden silence. For keys I’m paranoid about one piercing my kidney in an OTB so I prefer to leave them hidden somewhere.
One thing I always do is to put my keys 'outside' of my phone in the zip pocket so that if I land on my back there is less chance of getting stabbed by a key.
Blimey that was a bit of a stomping, so just buy new tighter and/or zipped pocket jerseys?
Or put loads of bulk in? The opposite of what I really want to do currently...
I think I've only got one jersey with a zipped pocket and it's a bit of a stretch to get my phone in it and done up, no chance if I add keys and wallet (although I normally just shove a card and/or tenner in the phone case now. I have a good gillet with a zipped pocket but that's not coming out till October at the earliest, same goes for jackets.
Not sure I fancy binning all my jerseys just for the lack of a zipped pocket either.
Nah, I'm more and more into the idea of a sewn in mini-carabineer it feels like a neat solution to my pocket paranoia.
Blimey that was a bit of a stomping, so just buy new tighter and/or zipped pocket jerseys?
Don't forget that most people on here are old enough to be tech-phobic and so will be using tiny Nokia flip-phones (with BIG numbers), not giant smart phones which very definitely don't fit into jersey pockets securely. Also, despite any evidence they give, they will ride once every 5 or 6 months, so haven't lost anything due to paucity of riding rather than anything else. Although the fact that they will still be using their lycra, bought for the only race they ever entered 18 years ago, when they were 2kg lighter, might make the back pockets a little more snug than they used to be.
😀
Mini karabiner sounds a great idea. You can sew in a loop (if you’re better at that stuff than I am ) so the karabiner doesn’t have to go in the wash 🙂
How do you attach the karabiner to your phone? Is it an apple feature?
I still have the CT scan of my back pocket contents! My new kit has a small zipped pocket I use for keys. I used to use a safety pin for retention previously. A dedicated pouch can be useful for some items, but my pockets are; food/gel, phone, small pump and second inner tube for longer rides, and a folded gilet.
The main toolkit: CO2, tube, spanner (fixed wheel) and multitool lives under the saddle or in a tool bottle.
How do you attach the karabiner to your phone? Is it an apple feature?
Currently I just loop one of those little tether things with a keyring loop attached to a pop-socket on the back of my phone case, it's pretty easy to attach a short length of dangling stuff to a phone or phone case, it doesn't need to be Steve Jobs endorsed.
Mini karabiner sounds a great idea. You can sew in a loop (if you’re better at that stuff than I am ) so the karabiner doesn’t have to go in the wash
That's what I thought, seems I'm in the minority I've nothing against zips, but they do tend to eventually fail and all I really want to do is tether items ...
TBH I'm fine with the mini-carabineers going through the wash, they're celheap, normally pretty robust, easily replaced, and it's better than them getting lost between uses (IMO)...
If you're happy to be stitching, wouldn't a button and button hole be the easiest thing?
just loop one of those little tether things with a keyring loop attached to a pop-socket on the back of my phone case,
All these years reading your posts and I never realised you were a 14 year old girl. It feels like the first time I saw a photo of DLT. 😉
All these years reading your posts and I never realised you were a 14 year old girl.
😀
Pop-sockets are surprisingly useful, makes holding your phone easier, can act as a little stand, can interface with a neat little holders for the car. Much better than one of those flappy Grandad phone wallets, or just fumbling and dropping the bastard thing.
A button/button hole could well serve the same purpose, I like the mini-carabineer solution though.
I can stitch you a zip on one or all of your pouches. I've done internal elastic loops in jersey pockets before. Stole the idea from high-end combat trousers that have them in the cargo pockets.
Few members have my handiwork floating about. Drop me a DM, it'll cost you postage and the zips/elastic.
Alternatively how about a small saddle bag?
I've a small top-tube pack for tools and spares, saddle bags are the work of the devil (IMO) and would probably need to be quite large to hold a modern phone
Few members have my handiwork floating about. Drop me a DM, it’ll cost you postage and the zips/elastic.
Cheers but I'm OK DIYing it (famous last words).
https://miles-wide.com/product/sticky-pods/
Maybe something made out of innertube from veloculture or beerbabe
Although I just put phone/keys/money in a velopac wallet. Gillet/Jacket in one pocket, Velopac in the middle food in the other. Been fine XC racing like that.
Pop-sockets are surprisingly useful, makes holding your phone easier, can act as a little stand, can interface with a neat little holders for the car
Don't they also make it impossible to keep your phone in your jeans pocket like a RealMan (tm) and necessitate a hand bag instead?
I have some cargo bib shorts which have pocket in them at the back that gets covered by the jersey so keeps things secure, phone goes in there although it’s not as easy to get to. Also some of my jerseys also have a large zip pocket at the back which phone can fit in and a smaller zip chest pocket for keys/cash etc. Otherwise I just use a bar bag.
Don’t they also make it impossible to keep your phone in your jeans pocket like a RealMan ™ and necessitate a hand bag instead?
Well obviously, but compromises have to be made.
Rapha phone case, seems to grip well to the inside of a jersey pocket, house key goes in there as well.
Everything else is stashed on the bikes. Working on the road bike solution, as saddle bags look horrendous, have a mount that goes under the bottle cage so can store a small 76 projects bag in there.
If you’re using a case for your phone you can add a “tether tab” (I can’t do an Amazon link) to attach to your pocket karabiner (or safety pin)
Spare clothing only in pockets, everything else is in the barrel bag on the bars. I'm paranoid about holing/injuring my back with things in the pocket if I fall off.
If you’re using a case for your phone you can add a “tether tab” (I can’t do an Amazon link) to attach to your pocket karabiner (or safety pin)
Oooh, that's neat, I'd not seen one before, another thing I reckon I could knock up from spare fabric. Cheers!
Wee Cog in the borders do a great range in bike bags (including bespoke). I use one of their grippy cordura phone cases to keep my phone secure in jersey pocket
On the inner tube theme, Beerbabe do a Pocket Pouch
I use a seat pack and bar bag on Klik Fix.
I can attach in a few seconds, they are full of what I need already, and have never come detached.
Plus, no sweaty back.
I just make sure I co-locate my phone and spare tube in the same pocket; car key goes under the tube if I've driven to the start - which is unusual. Then it's tools on the left, food on the right.
While out cycling today I noticed another rider with a cycling jersey which had one wide pocket, one narrow pocket which was retaining thier phone and a zipped pocket.
Might be worth a look it was a Endura jersey but was a womens so not sure they do a male version.
Surely a safety pin would do the job to keep a pocket closed enough to keep big items secure?
Safety pin! Works for me, low tech, simple, environmentally correct as there’s probably one in the house already and very inexpensive if not.
or spend £100+ on the latest ‘gravel’ specific jersey and be a consumer victim.
Safety pin! Works for me, low tech, simple, environmentally correct as there’s probably one in the house already and very inexpensive if not.
or spend £100+ on the latest ‘gravel’ specific jersey and be a consumer victim.
If you'd bothered to read the OP, my starting point was a safety pin, and not wanting to piss money up the wall on new tarty kit.
Anyway I've got 5m of 15mm wide elastic coming so I'll be able to stitch lots of useful little loops into all of my Jerseys, shorts and anything else I fancy ...