Originally Posted by Giant Doofus

Wow - All kinds of great advice. Thanks everyone.

A few responses:
- Lots of folks are suggesting trunk bags. That won't work for me because I put my panniers on and off the bike several times a day. The trunk bag gets in the way of that. I also can't use the kind of trunk bag with built-in panniers because I count on taking my panniers into the office, grocery store, etc. with me.
- [MENTION=384662]bmthom.gis[/MENTION] - I can't leave the bead jack at home. I don't have the grip strength to mount my tires without it, which means a flat would leave me stranded. I love the look of that Brooks Cambium.
- [MENTION=104720]alan s[/MENTION] - The wheel reflectors! Why didn't I think of that? Yes, they do clutter up the look, and I don't need them because my tires have reflective strips.
- [MENTION=418370]canklecat[/MENTION] - That's an interesting bag. Does it have a way to connect to a front rack? I don't want the weight of a bag on my handlebars.
- [MENTION=86492]tarwheel[/MENTION] - my old bar tape was a natural cork color. It did look nice. I'll probably go back when this wears out. For now, though, I'm happy to have a little of this classic Bianchi color on the bike even though it looks a bit busy.
- [MENTION=339610]Darth Lefty[/MENTION] - That's a good thought. I like the idea of swapping out for components and accessories in polished alloy. The new front rack I'm looking at would fit that scheme. I could definitely do something similar with the rear rack, and move this one to a beater bike.




I like the way you think!