bike chick tip

hello :) i haven't done a bike chick tip in some time so i thought i would do one today! all about the racks and bags we use. i have a couple new bike posts that i am going to throw into the mix and i will start off the first one when i get back from my holiday :D hint hint: it will be very helpful for those ladies out there looking for used bikes! yay!

bike chic tip #:  13  bags, baskets & racks oh my!

it is so important to have bike accessories especially if you ride your bike often or go anywhere that requires you to bring something more then just yourself and your bike. wearing a back pack can be great, less load on your bike but.....if you are riding far or if it is hot a backpack is the worst thing...your back gets all sweaty and one of the things i hate most is having a sweaty back! i most prefer not having anything on me (ha!) while i ride that way the breeze can flow over me and cool me down :D

swift industry panniers PERFECT for camping!

having some type of sturdy rack is your best bet! strap a sleeping bag on it and your ready to go camping...well add a few more things and then your REALLY ready to go camping..another post of this to come! or clip on a bag or pannier and your set! the best is having a light weight rack especially for all those older bikes out there that don't need to add more weight to the bike.

this front rack is a cetma rack, modelo anyone?

this front bag from swift industries is great because you can get stuff in and out of it while riding!

 velo orange has some great racks! as well as cetma. i bought the mister one, which is pictured above for his birthday some years ago and it is really great! it is great for hauling larger items. for longer rides he uses his swift industries bag that he got for this birthday this year! he just LOVES this bag! we also have a pair for panniers from this company that are just beyond AMAZING (these bags are the first picture of the misters bike, they are the brown & red bags) if you like to go bike camping i can not recommend these bags enough! they hold SOOO much. the quality of this companies bags are amazing and they are all hand made in seattle! they even do custom colors!

please excuse my extreme silly face!

unlike the mister, i like having my racks and bags on the rear of my bike. for me, having anything in the front makes the steering a bit more touchy. when my stuff is in the back i don't have to worry about!

i have tried lots of accessories out. a wicker basket in the front on ursula...which was SUPER cute but then it started to fall apart once winter came...practical for the summer but not a good winter basket. since summer is coming it is really a great cheap and easy fix...check out out we did it here!

i also had a collapsing basket from wald that attached to my rack which was nice for a while but then it started to not want to fold for some reason. it was great because i just popped my bag in the basket and then folded it when i chained mary up. but i have found that for me a pannier works great for my everyday use! i pack up my things and then all i have to do is pull of  my bag and i am ready! so easy and really convenient!

another type of bag i am just dying to get is this bag

"white lightening" would look so pretty with this bag in tow! oh i can't wait for spring!!

xo,
cb