Another thing that’s taken me way too long to do: get a Road ID. They even make a clip on version for Garmin, Apple Watch etc. so you don’t have to remember one more thing when you go out for a ride!

Don’t mind the paint splatter on my band…

This link will get you $5 off your own!

In unexpected ways, biking lets you be super lazy sometimes. For instance, why walk over to the community garden when you can ride out and fill a pannier?
Speaking of which, I’m really digging my Brooks rolltop pannier for my commuter. It’s waterproof, has a nice neutral tone look, and stays put nicely on a standard rear rack. I already have a set of Ortliebs for touring and grocery runs, but the simple hooks plus exterior pocket and interior organizer features on this pannier made it worth the impulse buy (and it was half price to boot!). Frustratingly I can’t find this exact model online but it’s most similar to the Land’s End Rear Pannier here (just with aforementioned pocket and organizer).

Abus recently sent me my new favorite Tshirt (that’s saying a lot, given my bike Tshirt collection). While I may not be wearing it to work, it will get some good wear, especially during bike month.

I’m also testing out the Abus Bordo lock and pretty happy with it so far. I really only go for this security level when in a bigger city (I also lock my bike to a rack that’s properly bolted into the ground..), but it’s comforting to be able to leave your bike outside and not have that vaguely worried feeling in the back of your mind. My only gripes are that I’m not great with keys and would prefer a combination version, and I’m used to threading a coil lock through a wheel as well as through the frame. But neither are a very big deal (locking skewers are a good idea in higher theft areas so your wheels don’t walk off).
Ride on and prosper 🖖
(That would also make a good Tshirt)

As a self-confessed app addict, I figured I would update my list with what I’ve discovered since last posting about my favorite apps –

1. Fresh Air

Like Dark Sky for weather, but free. And with pretty visuals.

2. Goals

Also free, easy way to visualize habits that you want to build and it has a reminder feature that you can set for a certain time of day. I’ve tried a few similar apps but this one is my favorite because it’s so intuitive. I’m currently using it to remember to log at least 1 mile on Strava per day in 2017 (so far so good!)

3. Achievemint

Better than free, it actually pays you to exercise. It’s just $10 per 10,000 points, but you can sync it to apps like Strava and Apple Health, and then go about your usual business. And yes I do have a referral link if you want to try it.

4. ByCycling

This new app is just released from beta testing, and automatically detects your rides and counts up mileage for you (as long as wifi is enabled). It claims to use up very little battery while running in the background, and so far this seems to be true for me. I don’t Strava every ride, but it’s fun to see how many miles rack up just commuting back and forth. It appears to be pretty accurate too and doesn’t pick up walking or driving as far as I can tell. If you can encourage your employer to sign up, you can put the incentive feature to use as well!

I’m not the pickiest when it comes to saddles, but after trying the Selle Anatomica X series I’m pretty sure it will be hard to switch to anything else.

My first road bike was a steel touring bike that came with a thin, flat Selle Royal saddle. I had no problems until I started doing longer rides, and past around the 40 mile mark I started to notice my legs going numb. Not so great.

I graduated to a San Marco Concordia, which had sloped sides that didn’t cut off my circulation and was generally comfortable, so I figured that would do just fine. And it did for awhile.

And then my friend had me sit on a Selle Anatomica, and I realized everything my butt was missing. It’s pretty much like an armchair got installed onto your seatpost, but with the shape and performance of a road saddle, plus flexibility and movement that eases discomfort that usually sets in with saddles on longer mileage rides. It can be tightened as you wear it in by a bolt on the front, and it has rear attachments for the vintage style saddle bags (which I have my eye on for my birthday, hint hint family). I’ve got one on my road bike and one on my commuter, and it’s comfortable with or without a chamois. I also love that they’re made in USA out of excellent quality materials.

Cons: it weighs about 1 lb, and if they make a version that can get my new road bike under 20 lbs, I may just go for it. You also do need to make sure you put on saddle sauce/ take care to weatherproof it as needed to protect it from exposure to the elements. That said, I’ve put my commuter saddle through hell and back already and it’s doing fine so far 🙂

[Not a sponsored post. Just a very happy butt.]

When I decided to move to Greenville from Charleston, I knew I had to say goodbye to my beautiful single speed beach cruiser (her name was Lulu) and find a new steed that was more compatible with rolling hills. I was evidently so worried about finding a bike shop in Greenville (ha) that I looked up Affordabike on King street, and fell in love with Oliver. He made the journey to Greenville with me and we had a great many adventures together. Suddenly no longer limited by geographical barriers such as bridges or bodies of water, it was with Oliver that I began to explore the possibility of living car free permanently, rather than going a few weeks at a time without driving.

Unfortunately, our love was not built to last. As beautiful as he was, the hills were calling and he weighed a hefty 42 pounds.  Being exposed to the road cycling culture of Greenville made me realize there was a more efficient way to get around. After just 6 months, I bought a touring bike and eventually sold Oliver since I simply don’t have room in my apartment to keep him.  As nostalgic as I can get about my past bikes, I like to imagine them continuing on their journey and bringing joy to other riders.

The bike poncho I contributed to on kickstarter should be shipped to me this week, just in time for me to find something else to anticipate getting in the mail (though hopefully this project will be a lot less complicated in production and should ship in the next month or so).

I’ve been wanting something besides a top tube mounted tri bag for my commuter bike, as I can envision myself using this bag for my keys, a breakfast bar, phone, sunglasses and gate remote. Having these things at hand prevents needing to stop and rummage around for them, and anything else I’m taking to work (papers, makeup bag, wallet, emergency items) I can just keep in my handy Mme Velo bag in the back.

This project is almost fully funded, and to be completely honest at the retail of $30 I’d consider just making my own version, so for the discount go ahead and check it out now! As soon as mine arrives I’ll be sure to test it out and share my thoughts!