I got the Bobbin Pannier this week and have been loving it more and more with every use. The Bobbin Pannier not only makes your bike stylish (as proven in the images below), but it makes you look stylish when you get off your bike. I got my Bobbin Pannier from Le Velo Victoria, a must visit when shopping for unique bicycle clothing and accessories online in Canada. This bag is completely functional, it hooks on to a variety of sized rear carriers with an easy to use mounting system. The bag goes on and comes off with little to no effort. You can also swivel the mounting system so it does not hook onto your clothes or anything else while carrying it. The pannier has a retro look that is really cool. It also has an air of professionalism about it, I almost feel like I am carrying a briefcase, which is probably due to its slender and sturdy build. In this post I would like to acknowledge that I have had an amazing experience shopping at Le Velo. Online shopping can be a very impersonal transaction, but not with Le Velo. I received a very friendly e-mail notifying me that my item had shipped, that they appreciated my business and that they would love to see pictures. When my pannier arrived there was a handwritten thank you card, a brooch and two business cards waiting for me as well. I have ordered a few things from Le Velo and have received the same level of awesome service every time. I ordered my House of Talents basket from them and I was not sure that it was functional (sturdy) enough for me to use on a day to day basis. When I commute to work I carry a lot of stuff with me, including my super heavy Abus lock. I e-mailed them about possibly returning it, in the end I decided to keep it for recreational use only (for Sunday rides) and they gave me a $35 gift certificate just because and thanked me for keeping the item. I think that great business like that needs to be acknowledged!
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I am still in recovery mode, but I had a couple good days this week and managed to capture this biking outfit I wore. Photo credits to my hubby! The left hand picture is what I wore while biking and the right hand picture is what I wore while at work. As you can see there was not much of a transformation. All I had to do when I arrived at work was take off my helmet, let my hair down, take off my sunglasses and swap them for my regular glasses and I was ready. Your personal fashion sense does not need to be sacrificed when you commute by bike!
I am wearing some of my personal favourites:
Unfortunately I have been sick this week and did not have the time or energy to try something new and exciting for Fashion Friday so... here is another biking outfit suggestion from items I found online. It has been below-zero-cold here so this outfit is all about looking fashionable, staying warm and safe!
A friend suggested that I feature my MEC Crosstown Jacket for Fashion Friday, so here it goes! I have not had to wear the jacket much this summer, but we had a couple rainy days this week so this post is timely! When I first got this jacket I was skeptical of its claim to be "waterproof", mostly because the fabric did not feel like traditional rain gear. While most rain jackets have a plastic or rubber texture to them, the MEC Crosstown jacket is soft to the touch. The claim that this jacket is waterproof is highly accurate though! The first time I wore the jacket the weather was terrible, there was a big storm coming, the rain was pouring and the wind was blowing. I was so pleasantly surprised when I got to work, took off the jacket and found my base layers nice and dry! I would like to give a shout out to Lou Binik of Foxwear who custom made me a pair of Power Shield rain pants that also left me nice and dry that day. I have the curse/pleasure of being a tall lady (almost 6 foot with a 36+ inch inseam) with limited options for pants! While my Foxwear pants were a good $20-$30 CAD more than buying off the rack, having stuff custom made is incredible, nothing can beat that fit!
When I was ordering my MEC Crosstown jacket online I noticed that a lot of the reviews were saying to size down. I am a US size 6, sometimes I wear a small and sometimes a medium, so I ordered both sizes with the intention of returning one. While both sizes fit decently well I decided to keep the medium. This jacket is thin, it is waterproof and windproof, but if the temperature gets too low you need a sweater or something underneath to stay warm. The medium fit better with a chunky knit sweater under it! This is a necessary requirement to wear the jacket in the Fall. The MEC Crosstown jacket has built in bike friendly features, including reversible cuffs that reveal reflectors, a reflector strap that goes over your shoulder (the reflector lives in your right hand pocket when not in use and clips at the shoulder when in use so it does not fall off) and a hood large enough to fit over a helmet. I found other rain jackets online that I liked better, that were more fashionable, but the built in bike friendly features put this jacket ahead of all others! Even though it is not the most fashionable jacket, in terms of rain gear, it is pretty darn attractive! The MEC Crosstown jacket truly and successfully combines fashion and function! I am so glad that I did not have to choose function over fashion! If you have any ideas or wishes for future Fashion Friday's please contact me! Have a lovely weekend everyone! The Bookman is a really handy little gadget. It is great on a chilly Fall morning to have a few hot tea breaks during my commute. I was a tad bit bummed when I first got the Bookman, because none of the travel mugs I owned fit in it (they were all too big). However, paper cups from Starbucks and other coffee joints fit perfectly and I eventually decided to give in and invest in a thin non-disposable travel mug. I was in need of a new one since I cut coffee out of my diet (all of my old travel mugs smell and taste like coffee forever and ever). A full mug of tea is heavy and the Bookman does slide a bit when full and you are biking, but even when it slides it has never threatened to fall off! The Bookman is a great and fun product! |
AuthorMe is a "lifestyle cyclist" and a lover of all things bicycle! Archives
January 2016
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