annabtouring

Camo. Grey. Black. Red. Different style Camo. The color options for standard bike bags leave much to be desired.  To be fair, you can score a snazzy custom bag in your favorite color if you are willing to drop some coin.  I'm a teacher by day-not a sponsored rider or trust funder.  To add some flare to my bike I make it myself. As a kid, I spent summers sewing 4H projects.  20 years ago a pair of my homemade wind pants earned blue ribbon praise at the local county fair.  Since then I've mended a few sweaters, hemmed my work pants, and cut a pair of jorts.  Undeterred by my lack of experience, I optimistically headed out to my local fabric store and quickly learned a few things. The Do's and Don'ts Approach to Making Your Own Gear Do use appropriate local dialect when shopping for material.  I said bag three different times only to be met with confused looks. As a former Minnesotan, I pronounce bag as "bayg."  For sweet southerners to understan

With that logic Instagram is all one needs to share or remember their experiences. Yet, after a big ride, run, or weekend camping I often find myself struggling to concisely articulate all that unfolded. Sometimes a picture needs a thousand words to fully capture the experience. For example, on a bike-packing trip through New Mexico I posted the following photo and short caption to my Instragram: "Changing landscapes. Traveling by bike slows you down and allows you to fully experience the changes around you. This high open meadow is more reminiscent to southern Colorado than the deserts we road through in southern New Mexico. We gladly welcomed the crisp air, lush plants and abundant surface water in this remote, northernmost part of the enchanted state."  In the moment, I wasn't actively reflecting on the changing landscapes.  Instead, my mind raced about the changes of those closest to me.  A brief window of cell reception delivered a call from my folks