Yes, I have several sizes of tubes so the emergency kit looks like someone held up a bike store and got stuck in the tubes section. My wife's bike and this one use the same tubes, so a couple of those. Plus my daughter's bike and my son's bike (another size), and my other daughter and the trailer (third size). Plus a patch kit just in case ;-)

We've always commuted as a family for short trips in good weather, so a lot of this gear just kind of congealed over the years. This Summer things kind of reached a critical mass where my bike became a more convenient and enjoyable way to get to work (or I just suddenly realized this) thus prompting the lights and fenders.

Welcome to Bike Forums.

Very nice bike.

I use a "regular" flashlight, attached to the handlebars with two interlocking hose clamps (cranked down with a socket wrench). A couple of pics...

http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/...ps88ac6d0b.jpg



http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/...psed31b2c0.jpg

It is super bright -- advertised at I think 1600 lumens, probably a bit less in reality, but essentially like a car headlight, I can ride in pitch black, no streetlights, and see the road just fine. You can see I've got it angled down a fair bit, and the sliding head allows to set the beamwidth, I can get a good-width spot at a good distance in front of me, which doesn't go up into eyes or bounce off street signs. For a similar light, search eBay for "cree xml-t6 zoomable", and expect to pay under $20 for a package including light, charger and 18650 batteries. Also expect the batteries to be crap and last only a few months, so plan to buy a better pair of 18650s from a trusted US-based source (I spent $10 at batteryjunction.com for a 2600mAh pair that lets me charge weekly).

Thule Commuter Pannier set

Some have asked what I think of my new Thule panniers. Let me just say that I am thoroughly in love with these bags! Prior to these, I had the Axiom Lasalles, which I also like, but the Thule bags seem to be of better quality and look so much better to me. Their functionality both on and off the bike is unmatched. The Thule bags are too narrow for distance touring, but are perfect for my daily commute. I can fit several books, a laptop, and a change of clothes, and my lunch. Depending on your bike and type of rack, some may have an issue with foot clearance. My rack is far enough back that this is not an issue for me. All in all, I would highly recommend them at twice the price I paid at bikebagshop.com.

Good Luck!

Still enjoying these hazy days of summer and for the most part, have been running light... did some wheel / tyre swapping on the DBR which lightened things up a little more.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...race%20(3).JPG

Agreed, I have fit a similar amount of gear in my two bags. I have used them for a few weeks now and they are a good deal at twice the price. In fact, I saw these exact bags at performance bike the other day for $120... a piece! Anyone on the fence about those bags should jump on it before they are gone.
[MENTION=7160]brooklyn[/MENTION] I tried to respond to your PM but I cannot write PMs on this forum until I have 50 posts! Hopefully you see this reply. The magnet system works like a charm and was super easy to install on my rack. I made the mistake of purchasing the universal mount magnet in addition to the bags thinking it wasn't included, it is. The bags come with everything you need to get them setup on most racks. They even come with an extra set of plastic tube mounts in case you have larger diameter tubing on your rack.

What Surly is that? And also, point me toward those brake mounted shifters. I like the bar ends on my cross check, but i'd consider switching to those for the convenience if they work well (and better?) i'm interested to hear a review of them.

mmmm.... Gevenalle (nee RevoShift) levers.

Surly CrossCheck, 60cm, Dark Dirty Blue, and Retroshift CX-2 (9sp, short pull for road/canti).

Not sure if you're making fun of me because I drop my links to my CrossCheck build and Retroshift review all over BF with reckless self-promotion, but there ya go...

(And yes, bigben is correct, Retroshift recently changed their company name to Gevenalle, apparently it means "Give [it/your] all" in Dutch)

Thanks very much for this info, I almost ordered a set from there when you first posted about the deal, but was confused/concerned that they wouldn't easily fit a non-Thule rack based on the product description and all the expensive accessories they try to make you add-on for mounting to other racks. Now that you mentioned this, I just jumped on it and ordered a set. Plan to leave one of em on each of the two bikes I commute on most often and save my huge unwieldy Ortliebs just for touring. Thanks!

Retroshift, not Revoshift... oops. :) At least I got the new Dutch name right. :)

hell of a bike, Sixty

Thanks for the update.

Winter here is more than long enough and the Apex is hella fun to ride anywhere... it curbs out at a little under 23 pounds and when my commute takes me through the river valley it just eats up the trails and climbs well with it's 1 by 8 drive.

It is also an excellent urban assault vehicle... our roads can sometimes leave a little to be desired.

Nice. What year was that color cross check?
Not making fun. I wanted to know. I think i've seen the review before actually, when I was searching for info on brakes and shifters for my commuter rebuild. I think I might bookmark it this time lol

thanks!

Cool beenz. I don't know much about CC color history, but my dark dirty blue is a 2012.

[MENTION=101819]Sixty Fiver[/MENTION] I agree this look like a sweet ride and with weight and drive train like that it would be a great ride for anything.

Grocery Getters

http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...ps38498a1a.jpg

http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8c2c20c2.jpg
(talk about some squirrely steering w a full milk crate up front :eek:)

http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...ps97ceebef.jpg

http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...psccc604e7.jpg

I don't know if I ever shared a picture of my wife's bike:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4065/...6aa63e4a_z.jpg

She absolutely loves it.

Just after riding home with my new fenders installed and a new chain. It was such a pleasant ride. shifting was precise and the bike was just quiet and smooth.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=406991

I just finished this bike for my dad today. My parents retired recently and have wanted to start biking for trips around town. I fixed up a bike I found in the garbage for my mom a month or so ago. This one's an old Schwinn police bike I bought at a little bike shop in Maine a couple years ago. I replaced the original flat bars with used cruiser bars from my LBS, replaced all the cables and housings, and tuned it all up. It rides really nice! Eventually I'll put a rack or a basket on it, but when I finished this I'd had enough for the day.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=407317

What fork is that?


.

Kona Project 2...

Ah, thanks! Looks pretty good! Usually I prefer a fork with a classic shape, but that one works, at least on that bike! :thumb:

All of my bikes are commuters, but this one is the most recent addition...

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=407719