My dad always likes to tell me he’s “almost set.” Usually I think he should be happy with what he has and not feel that there is something more required to be happy, or “set.” But today I feel like him.
With the fabulous summer weather we’re enjoying, I’ve been riding my bike almost daily (including weekends). I’m not the type to buy every toy that comes with a new hobby and have been reluctant to buy some basic biking gear, despite the fact that I ride anywhere from 30-50 miles a week, and have been for months now. I don’t have any shiny spandex, or clip-in pedals, and I ride with a falling apart cheap-o helmet, old school backpack and a good amount of dirt on the frame.
But this week I bought myself a gift. With the temperatures heating up (and therefore my sweat quotient going up) I’ve retired my backpack for panniers. I got these cool, multi-pocketed saddle bags for a reasonable price, saving both my wallet and my back from pain. You can see they hang over my bike rack with simple hooks at the top and two inside bungie-cords around the bottom. I simply detach the bags when I get home or arrive at work and unpack/pack them up again. I can’t believe it took me this long to commit to such an easy setup! (sorry for the stock-photo here, I’m too lazy to go down to my garage and take a picture of my actual bike).
So why am I “almost set” instead of perfectly content? Well, there’s one risk of shopping for new bike toys, you see other things you want! Now I’ve set my eyes on the most amazing helmet I’ve ever placed on my head. The Giro Pneumo is nothing less than a protective cloud for your noggin. Where my current helmet cuts into my jaw, condenses sweat to my scalp, and wiggles up and down my brow, the Pneumo has a “wind tunnel” to air your scull and fits like it was designed for you. Some would argue that there’s no price you could place on the safety of my head (particularly when cars whiz by me at 45 mph, paying little attention to the bike lane as they sip coffee and talk on their cellphones), but I still can’t swallow the $145 price tag for this piece of plastic.
But I’m almost set. Maybe justs one more paycheck.