Another vote for RDU and central NC. Very active outdoor community here! ... View more

@SVBeta  I've been using Revelate bags exclusively for the last 5 years and they are still rocking strong! That said, I'll also recommend Bedrock bags as I have a few of those and they are equally strong, but a bit more stiff/bulky. ... View more

@Bikergirl    Another vote for Stages here... I've been using them exclusively for the past 4-5 years and their customer service has been exceptional. Just be sure to buy a V2 or V3 crank arm. The V1 had some problems with water getting inside and the battery doors falling off. ... View more

Dirty Kanza 2016... it was HOT and shade trees out in rural Kansas are sparse. Somewhere between miles 100-150, I recall being in a group of 4 other riders baking out on the prairie when we happened upon 5 trees along a fence line spaced about 200 yards apart. Each one of us occupied the shade of a single tree to get some relief. It just so happened that the tree I had chosen was bearing fruit... imagine a 20-30' tree completely covered in what looks like blackberries in all stages of ripening. I reached up and grabbed a handful of what looked like the most ripe and touched one of them to my tongue. Tasted like a blend of blueberry and blackberry. I scarfed down about two handfuls and they.were.amazing. Gave me a little sugar pep for the last 75 or so miles that year and that was a LONG day in the saddle. I'd been fighting flats for hours between the first and second stopping towns and had nearly pulled the plug on the whole thing, but pedaled on... rolled in to the finish around 1am. ... View more

@Nfinn wrote: Hello, Does anyone have a recommendation for pedals for my road bike that I could use with a normal shoe but then also clip in when I go on longer rides? I use the bike to commute to work where I’ll wear my normal work tennis shoes. But then, on the weekend I’ll go on longer rides and where my clip in shoes. I’m hoping to find one that works with Shimano SPD.  Thanks!  If you really want the best of both worlds, there are manufacturers that make flat pedal adapters for the SPD interface. Essentially, it's an SPD cleat machined to a flat platform. You can then use regular shoes for commuting and cleated shoes for ripping. ... View more