+1 on the good bike shorts. I have tried Pearl Izumi, Giordanna, Performance brand, Louis Garneau Ergotex, and Sugoi RS Flex. My favorites are RS Flex which retail for $125 shorts or $150 bibs. I have kept the Louis Garneau but got rid of the others (mainly because I lost weight over a couple months and they were too big for me). Last fall I found new RS Flex bibs for $79 on ebay from a cycle shop and then shorts ('06 model) for $45 at campmor.com, so bought a couple of pairs of each and wear those pretty much exclusively now. The way I got into RS Flex was by buying a custom printed pair on ebay (new) for $38, which was quite a savings of walking into Sun & Ski sports and paying retail.

I have bought a LOT of my cycling gear on ebay, like new saddles or stems to get my bike set up just the way I want, and most of my clothing. You can find stuff at great prices not to mention stuff you can't get at your local shop. Probikekit.com is a good place for good prices on tires and other stuff. Tubes, CO2, other small stuff I buy from the local bike shop.

You are probably going to be one of the most prepared people for the MS150 2009. You may already know that the 2006 ride filled up by Jan 2/3, the 2007 ride filled up in mid-November 06, and the 2008 MS150 filled up in a matter of 11 days. I imagine the 2009 ride will fill up even faster yet, so be sure to sign up the first day or two. I think registration opens Oct. 1 every year, so keep an eye out.