Originally Posted by
mm718
From what I've gathered from forum comments most people do not wear underwear. Part of the idea is to not have any seams against your skin. Plus boxers tend to bunch up and "ride" and in IME bike shorts alone don't do this. Some believe that it's important to keep bike shorts clean to avoid saddle sores but I've had no problems with odors or saddle sores by going a few days between washings now and then. In a pinch the shorts can also be turned inside out and placed in the sun and the UV rays will kill bacteria.
Books are nice for the reasons you describe and if you've found that you've had time to read on other tours that seems like a pleasure well worth it's weight.
The thing about looking over your shoulder with a mirror is that no one is going to do that enough to really reduce one's risk. A helmet or handlebar mirror allows frequent mirror checks to see what's going on behind you when a distracted, drowsy, intoxicated, or angry driver is doing something that isn't safe. It takes a little practice and sometimes a few trials of different mirrors but it will make you safer. A mirror may have saved my life a few years ago and you can find other similar accounts in touring journals.
Reading before I go to bed helps me sleep. I have insomnia and even after riding 100 miles in a day (for example) I don't sleep well without reading first. So yes, the book is important to me.
Maybe it's the brand of bike shorts I own (Trek) but they weren't comfortable without boxes. I do wear compression boxers though so it's important to point that out. Not lose boxers. They don't bunch up on me. I do have two pairs of biking shorts and what I've done on previous tours is worn pair A on M/W/F and pair B on Tu/Th etc for example so I was never wearing the same pair two days in a row. I would put the second pair under my net on the back of my pannier rack and allow them to air out and then switch them day after day.