December 25, 2012
Christmas day turned out to be a lovely day! The sun shone and the roads had been mostly cleared by the plows. At 25 F (-4 C) I didn't have to bundle up too much to ride.
The snow doesn't bother me as much as the salt and grit that gets spread on the road. And any day I can take a ride is a good day.
Bright sunshine low in the sky.
Santa brought me some very cool cycling gear.
Showers Pass Portland Jacket! This is last year's model purchased for almost half off. While being totally focused on biking, it doesn't have a totally bikey look. It's made of a heavy waterproof fabric that cuts the wind completely. The sleeves are long and have a zip closure at the wrist to control ventilation. The piping is 3M reflective fabric. There's zippered slash pockets, very convenient, and a zippered breast pocket with an internal opening for earbuds. I don't think I'll use it, but the iPhone fits really well and is accessible for photographs.
You can just see the open hidden pit zip on the left side. The tail drops down to reveal more reflective fabric or can snaps up to be more stylish. I'm a huge fan of Showers Pass jackets. This one is not really packable like the Double Century I have for rain, but it's great for cold riding.
Santa brought a work stand!
The Park Tool PCS-10 has the easy spin feature and is foldable. As you can see, that is a necessary feature in my crowded laundry room/workshop.
I like how it can fold up and hang on the wall.
And it is so great to get the bikes up off the floor for cleaning and service.
