Back to reality

Here I sit getting ready for work after three days on the bike. The weather cooperated, the company was great, and the bike didn't make a chirp. About the only thing that blundered was the panniers. I got the REI Traverse panniers a couple of days before the trip and I didn't try them out first. If I had to describe them in a word, it would be "f##ked". It seems like they were designed only for smooth roads because every time I hit a little bump, the clips would come right off the rack and the whole bag would only sit halfway on, dangling in the wind. This really screwed the first day up.

Erin not only had REI panniers on the back, but had front loaders as well, and all the REI panniers have the same extremely stupid clip system. He had a major crash because on a downhill one of the front ones dislodged, went under his front tire, and caused him to flip over. It's surprising because he had the most stuff this weekend, and it took a lot to flip that much weight face forward.

Anyways, it was crisp all three days and I got a chance to try out two 100% Merino wool tops, which I used as base layers. I wore my new DeVold zip T-neck on the first two days and it was perfect. It is an excellent multi-day bike top because it stayed warm and comfortable and didn't skunk up the camp when we got there. I'd change into my Smartwool top (which debuted this weekend as well), and even though it was built differently, it worked great as well. If I had to choose between the two, I like the DeVold because it seems like it is better engineered for sports and active use with its unique weaving and construction. The Smartwool is thinner and would fit perfectly under a tight jersey because of its lack of bulk.

Time to get to work, but I'll provide stories and pics later.