I'm a tinkerer at heart, so every year, (like many of us I imagine) I have to make little updates and changes to my bike. This year I incorporated a 12v electrical system for all my LED lighting, which can also charge my phone etc. The battery isn't very large or heavy, fits in the side pocket of my cellphone carrier, and lasts for at least 20 hours without a charge.
A few years ago, I searched for bicycle directionals, but everything I saw was cheap, toy grade crap. With the 12v system, I was able to use motorcycle directional signals front and back. The ones made for motorcycles are a little better quality and are very lightweight. It's so nice when I enter a busy intersection now and don't have to take my hands off the handlebar and away from one of my brakes in order to signal.
I also bought new rear panniers that have integrated taillights, which I was able to add the pulsing rear directional signals to. I imagine some of you might be thinking that they look too heavy, but they're ABS Plastic and really not much heavier then the Nashbar fabric panniers (with their stiffening frame) that I used to have. They certainly wouldn't work for someone who is traveling across the country with camping gear and are no replacement for your Ortliebs or Arkels etc, but I've been using these types of panniers for a few years now and they've worked out well for me. I've found that for the relatively short 2 to 5 day credit card tours that I do, they work out just fine. They're also entirely waterproof and they lock.
The XT groupset is still serving me very well, so with a few tweaks, a tune-up at the LBS, new brake cables & shoes, she's ready for another summer. I just hope, what with COVID-19, I actually get to go somewhere with it!
So here's a photo I took the other day at one of my favorite Catskill swimming holes:
