Christmas morning brought a bevy of biking accessories.

For commuting:

• Topeak MTX bike rack
• Topeak MTX basket – I had thought about getting the DXP bag with panniers but decided I didn’t want to repack my backpack into another bag on the days I’m biking. this way I can just put my backpack in the basket
• bright orange hunting vest for visibility

For winter:

• Pearl Izumi Barrier Lobster Gloves. my fingers have poor circulation, so these really do the trick to keep me warm.
• same brand booties. I used to think these were overkill and that I’d be okay with toe warmers, but wow they make a difference
• felt insoles to keep the bottom of my shoes warm (i don’t wear bike shoes). these coupled with my balaclava and I’m toasty. just need to put tape over the vents in my helmet.

Went for a 9m ride today in sub-freezing weather and was totally fine. What a difference! Another 10m ride tmw, and then I’ll try the commute on Monday.