Mischief Managed

[mousme]

I rescued my bike from my parents' place and brought it to Eddy's Bicycle Shop where they gleefully told me that they could have it ready by tomorrow, Friday at latest. Apparently with the rain today they got a jump start on all their work.

So the next thing to do is to get myself a backpack (hard to bicycle with a purse, don'tcha know), and the first day of good weather will see me cycling (very, very slowly) to work.

Now I just have to muster the energy to get back out there to go grocery shopping before I have to leave for work. Meh. Don't wanna. I also have to change into my work clothes. Moving bicycles is a messy business.

Comments

[ai731.livejournal.com]

Cycling with a backpack in the summer is really quite uncomfortable. I highly recommend a rear rack and panniers instead. Or, as taxlady says, a basket for your purse.

[taxlady.livejournal.com]

Rack, that's the word I was looking for. I agree that paniers are more comfortable than a pack. Some paniers have back pack straps.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Good to know. My bike does in fact have a rear rack, so maybe I can improvise something that way. I don't have a basket, but perhaps I can purchase one at Eddy's.

That reminds me: I need to get a reflective vest of some sort, so that the traffic doesn't squish me. That, and bungee cords. Oh, and a working bicycle lock. :P

[ai731.livejournal.com]

My bike does in fact have a rear rack, so maybe I can improvise something that way.

I would highly recommend getting a proper pannier rather than trying to improvise, especially when it comes to things that would normally be in your purse (wallet, ID card, lunch, etc.) - especially since you were planning to buy a backpack anyway

This one is a low-cost, minimalist pannier that will do the job:
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442617970&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693397&bmUID=1215640681156

This one has the cool convert-to-backpack feature that taxlady mentioned. It's a very handy feature to have for things like shopping at the Atwater market, because carrying a full pannier around by it's little handle is a pain:
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442619352&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693397&bmUID=1215640681153

This is the one I've had for almost 15 years; and it's still in perfect condition. Very, very rugged:
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442617969&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693397&bmUID=1215640681148

And for reflective cycling clothing, I recommend this jacket in yellow:
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442624749&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692501&bmUID=1215641165700

[dizietsma.livejournal.com]

The yellow vest I use is this one (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442530821&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692343&bmUID=1215641556319). I like it because it's not really another layer of clothing, an important consideration at this time of year.

As for bags, I'd suggest also looking at MEC's range of panniers, as ai731 suggests below. They seem to be a lot cheaper for quality than anyone else in Montreal. I started off using a backpack, and the Sweaty Back Syndrome(tm) is rotten at this time of year, even late into Autumn. Best to keep your back free and breezy.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Neat. Is their equipment only available at their store on de l'Acadie, or can I get it somewhere that's not quite so far away?

[ai731.livejournal.com]

Yeah, de l'Acadie is their only shop in Montreal, unfortunately.

[dizietsma.livejournal.com]

The alternative would be to mail-order with them. They accept Interac which is handy for me because the Canadian banking cartel has decided (based solely on a single digit in my social insurance number, no less) that I can't be trusted with a credit card.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Enh. It'll be faster if I go in person, even if it does take a couple of hours. The shop called today at *noon* to tell me that my bike was ready. I am very excited, and going to get it tomorrow. Then I'll get the rest of my safety/transportation gear, and I'll be set!

I should get a bicycle icon...

[cpirate.livejournal.com]

If you do go with a basket, watch out: it's a bit unwise to put a lot of weight on the handlebars. It makes your center of gravity high, and can make it hard to steer. Panniers don't have that problem.

As for reflective vests, they all well and good but they're not enough to ensure your visibility if you're riding at night. You really want front and rear lights for that; fortunately, you can get cheap lights with 3 LEDs that are fantastically bright and last for eons for pretty danged cheap.

All this said, yay biking! Riding to work makes me so very much happier than taking public transit. Not to mention that if you get into the habit, you can save a surprising amount on STM passes.

[dizietsma.livejournal.com]

Excellent point about the lights. I am a big squealing fanboy of the Planet Bike Super Flash rear LED light because it's so damned bright and flashes in a noticeably distinct way, and MEC at the moment are doing a bundle offer (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442623127&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692895&bmUID=1215660277810) of that rear light in combo with the half-watt Blaze front light for $33.50, which saves a dollar on buying them separately.

[cpirate.livejournal.com]

Oh, nice. I've just got a white (well, greenish) inferior equivalent of that rear flasher up front, which is fine for being seen in town where there's streetlights, but doesn't really light much up.

[dizietsma.livejournal.com]

Up front I've got a big bright thing similar to that Blaze one in the offer and I can tell you it doesn't light much up in front of me either, the city is just too brightly lit already. However it's great for being seen by cars, especially at dusk when the sky is still a bit light. I even use my lights on dark rainy days now as well.