Here's my first, possibly my last, gear review issue. These are some of the things I've collected since starting to commute on my bike.
Timbuk2 medium messenger bag:
What can I say. This bag rocks. I got it 50% off at REI. It doesn't move at all on my back when I'm riding. It's big for what they call a medium. Today was my biggest haul yet. 3 half gallons of soy milk, my thermos, tube etc, plus all of my work & personal stuff:
I crammed it all in there, no problem. The soy milk was actually nice on such a hot day. I could feel the cold from it on my back the whole way. So you can haul lots of crap, plus it's built solid. It has the feel of something that will last a lifetime. Waterproof too. I can't wait to try out the 2 six packs of bottles plus ice like they show on their website.
Next up, my Eleven81 trunk bag:
This guy serves pretty well for trucking around a relatively small amount of stuff. It has an expandable top and straps on to your rack with strong Velcro ties. The biggest advantage to this bag is not having stuff on your back. But for a short ride commuter like me the cons win out. It is kind of a pain to take it off and put it on at every stop. So you either risk it being stolen or hassle with taking it off and putting it on when you stop for coffee, the library, the grocery store, etc.. It just adds up to a lot of on and off. It also REALLY bounces your stuff around. I never felt good about my camera or hard drives being in there. It also does NOT have that built to last a lifetime feel (it already has a stress tear after less then a year) and it's not waterproof.
next, my viewpoint cheap shit blinky light:
pictured here after being smashed open at Jones Vally Urban Farm. I hadn't noticed until I got home. I went back the next day, found the pieces, got a new battery, and it was blinking away again. You have to give big points to things that get smashed to shit and still work. Anyway, 5 settings (of which I use one), comes with a seat post attachment, retail price $4.99.
And last but totally not least, my new Michelin 1.4" city tires:
These replaced the 1.95" tires. The front was a worn out knobby off road tire, the rear was a relatively new 1.95" city tire. These tires are great. They make a huge difference on my commute. Noticeably faster. They hold the road really well in turns. Surprisingly so. I was nervous about riding on wet pavement at first, but that was totally unwarranted. They are really thick skinned. A layer of "Protek" under the tread is supposed to greatly reduce flats. So far, two weeks, no flats. I have them pumped up to 90psi, so they are a little unforgiving on the rough spots, but I suppose that is to be expected. I payed full price for these - $25 each. I have since seen them for as low as $17.50 on amazon. Added bonus of a reflective sidewall stripe.
I pass this dog every day. I remember when he first appeared here a while back. I think they used to take him home at night, but now he is the full time guard dog. He has a little dog house and it looks like they take good care of him, but it must be some lonely nights by the railroad tracks. It was about 5:30 when I rolled up and decided to take his picture. As soon as I got up to the fence with my camera, a pickup rolled around the corner and pulled right up to me. A man got out and I explained that I ride past here twice a day and was just taking the dogs picture. He seemed to be cool with the idea, but said that people sometimes come by and throw rocks at the dog. How special. Apparently he didn't think I was one of these people. He gave the dog a few pats, explained with a laugh that it was the new guard dog, the dog returned a few licks, and he left. I left as well, figuring he probably was still watching what I was doing. I forgot to get the dogs name. I'll have to make a point of stopping and asking him. That way I can properly harass the dog by calling it's name as I ride past.
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