Better bags and some year end totals.

So... bit by the creativity bug and a case of boredom, I tackled the problem of the Nashbar Townies. After remedying my shortage of 1/4x20 screws and nuts, and picking up a sheet of 1/4" thick masonite, I did this:

Replaced the back and floorboards with pieces of masonite, as well as putting a piece of oak across the top of the outside panel, replacing the flimsy plastic piece inside the fabric. I also moved the hanging hooks further apart and up, letting the bag hang lower on the bike, as well as making it more stable on the rack. I've tested the modded bags with about 50 pounds worth of stuff in them so far, and they don't deform now. And they still fold up flat!

In other news, with the impending Pugsley invasion, I had to run around town today, picking up tools that I needed but didn't have yet. As I was riding through the NAU campus, I had to stop and take a couple pictures:

The bike racks at the NAU Student Union... don't they all look sad and cold? There's not even any footprints going to most of them.

Happy bike with a winter kickstand! Studded tires make ice fun!

And so... since tomorrow is a new year and all that, I figured I'd post my recorded mileage from the past year, and re-visit it next year. I've only kept track for the last half of this year, and not on all the bikes at the same time, so yeah. It's still pretty crazy what I've done in just 5 or 6 months though.

Bi (Commuter and all around bike:) 814.7
The Giant (Mountain bike:) 139.3
Spork (Road bike:) 425.4
Total recorded mileage for 2008: 1379.4 miles

Tomorrow's another year.

Mileage: 13