My Gear

Nothing else fancy about my commuting kit. Cheap biking shirt, shorts, shoes, socks, gloves and helmet. If it wasn't on sale, I didn't buy it. As any cycler knows, bike clothing can get very expensive. Since I'm not a serious racer, any advantage from wearing the latest moisture wicking apparel would be lost on me. So I opt for the least expensive bike clothing I can find.

Sometimes I can get carried away with a bargain however. I found a no name blue mountain biking jersey on a sales rack at Kozy's for $20. I really liked how it looked and the three pockets in the back. So I checked out the other Kozy locations for a few more so I wouldn't have to wear the same shirt every ride. I found a red one and a gray one but was so obsessed that I wanted more since they were so cheap. I ended up hearing they were made by a specific manufacturer and searched for them online. I ended up buying three of what I thought were identical jerseys from some place in Colorado. Alas they were cheap but not what I wanted. Decent quality but a total waste considering I won't wear them. But what a bargain!

Another obsession I had was with the Primal Wear Marine Corps jersey. Once a Marine, always a Marine and I wanted a cool shirt to tell the world I am among the few and the proud! For weeks I trolled online and eBay trying to get a bargain (I told you I was cheap). I could never find a jersey my size at a price I was willing to spend (the shirt retails for $70!). Then I saw a doofy kind of guy on the Lakefront Trail proudly sporting his Marine Corps jersey and the spell was broken. I realized a long time ago that Marines (myself included) have a tendency to think everyone is quite impressed with us when a lot of the time we just come off as shaved weirdos. Or maybe its just me.

I carry all my stuff in a Bushwacker pannier garment bag. The other usual gear are the spare tube, tube repair kit, compact bike pump, Topeak Alien multi-tool, and front and back bike lights. I mount a Garmin GPSMap 60C on my handlebars. I primarily use the GPS for hiking and driving but it is a nice way to check my speed, ETA and other data along my route. A pricey piece of gear I really like is a Phantom Jet Lite that attaches to my helmet. It is leftover from my AR days that virtually blinds anyone looking my way. DORK ALERT! I've also worn it (along with the helmet) while doing yard work after dark.