#Cycle Saddle Bag

[adventure12f]

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VISIT: cycling gilets

[generouszombiepeach]

The essential must-have of a cyclist is are Cycle Saddle Bags. The right Cycle Saddle Bags can make your cycling easy and pleasant. And, it’s necessary to think and invest wisely in a Cycle Saddle Bags as it lasts for a long duration.

[cycletouringlife]

Exploring the Open Road: A Comprehensive Guide to Touring Saddle Bags

For motorcycle enthusiasts, the allure of the open road is irresistible. Whether you're embarking on a weekend getaway or a cross-country adventure, having the right gear is crucial. Among the essential items for any touring rider are saddle bags. These versatile storage solutions not only enhance your bike's carrying capacity but also add a touch of style to your ride. In this guide, we'll explore the benefits of touring saddle bags, the different types available, and tips for choosing the perfect set for your journey.

The Importance of Touring Saddle Bags

Storage Capacity: Touring saddle bags provide ample storage space for your essentials, allowing you to carry everything from clothing and toiletries to tools and spare parts. This ensures you're prepared for any situation, whether you're camping in the wilderness or staying at a hotel.

Organization: With multiple compartments and pockets, saddle bags help keep your gear organized and easily accessible. This can save time and reduce stress when you need to find specific items quickly.

Weight Distribution: Properly loaded saddle bags distribute weight evenly across your bike, enhancing stability and handling. This is especially important on long rides where maintaining balance and control is crucial.

Weather Protection: High-quality saddle bags are designed to protect your belongings from the elements. Many models are waterproof or come with rain covers, ensuring your gear stays dry even in adverse weather conditions.

Security: Some saddle bags come equipped with locking mechanisms or can be secured to your bike with locks, providing an added layer of protection against theft.

Types of Touring Saddle Bags

Hard Saddle Bags: Made from durable materials like plastic or fiberglass, hard saddle bags offer superior protection for your belongings. They are often lockable and weather-resistant, making them ideal for long-distance touring. Hard saddle bags also maintain their shape, providing a sleek and stylish look.

Soft Saddle Bags: Constructed from materials like leather or textile, soft saddle bags are flexible and lightweight. They are easier to install and remove, making them a convenient option for riders who don't need permanent storage. Soft saddle bags often feature adjustable straps and multiple pockets for organization.

Throw-Over Saddle Bags: These bags are designed to be draped over the rear seat or fender of your bike, making installation and removal quick and easy. Throw-over saddle bags are typically soft and adjustable, accommodating various bike models and sizes.

Custom-Fit Saddle Bags: Tailored to fit specific motorcycle models, custom-fit saddle bags offer a seamless integration with your bike. They provide a clean and polished appearance while maximizing storage capacity.

Choosing the Right Saddle Bags for Your Needs

When selecting touring saddle bags, consider the following factors to ensure you find the perfect match for your riding style and needs:

Capacity: Assess how much storage space you require based on the length of your trips and the amount of gear you typically carry. Larger bags are better for extended tours, while smaller bags may suffice for shorter rides.

Material: Choose a material that suits your durability and style preferences. Hard saddle bags offer robust protection, while soft bags provide flexibility and a classic look.

Installation: Ensure the saddle bags are compatible with your motorcycle and easy to install. Some bags require mounting hardware, while others simply strap on.

Weather Resistance: Opt for saddle bags that offer weatherproof features to protect your gear from rain, dust, and other elements.

Security Features: Look for bags with locking mechanisms or the ability to be secured with additional locks to safeguard your belongings.

Tips for Packing Your Saddle Bags

Distribute Weight Evenly: Pack heavier items at the bottom and towards the center of the bike to maintain balance and stability.

Use Packing Cubes: Organize your gear with packing cubes or smaller bags to maximize space and keep items easily accessible.

Protect Fragile Items: Use padding or soft clothing to cushion delicate items and prevent damage during the ride.

Keep Essentials Accessible: Place frequently used items, like maps, snacks, and rain gear, in easily accessible compartments.

Conclusion

Touring saddle bags are an indispensable accessory for motorcycle riders who love to explore the open road. They offer the perfect blend of functionality, style, and convenience, making long-distance travel more enjoyable and stress-free. By choosing the right saddle bags and packing them efficiently, you can ensure a smooth and memorable journey, no matter where your adventures take you. So, gear up, hit the road, and experience the freedom and thrill of motorcycle touring with confidence and style.

[roadie1963]

Midweek Post for September 27, 2023 - Ride Essentials: Saddle Bags

Image of the Contents of My Saddle Bag Earlier this summer, I wrote about the individual items you should carry with you on a ride. I also wrote about the use of a ride wallet. However, I never talked about the container that holds those items: the saddle bag. The lowly saddle bag is the recipient of a lot of grief from serious cyclists and weight weenies who wouldn’t be caught dead with a…

[shirefantasies]

Heyyy i just wanna say that I LOVE your writing. Its so so comforting 🫶🫶🫶

Can I request a story/headcanon about how Thorins company/ specifically Kíli would react if (fem) reader got her hair braided by her (non dwarf) friend, and it was just a friendly thing, but the dwarves thought it was a courting braid?

Pairing Fem!Reader x Kíli

Thank youu🫶💗

Omg thanks! Comfort writing is a big honor 🥹

Mission of Misunderstanding- Kili x F!Human!Reader

Shout-out to my girlies in the unbraidable hair community lmao 🤝 Warnings: one minor swear lol, a couple suggestive remarks

One more step and your feet were going to fall off. Surrendering to the burn, you all but fell down onto the log, tilting your feet so only your heels rested upon the earth. A sigh escaped your lips and you didn’t even move when the rustling sounded at your back.

A familiar voice spoke your name. Bilbo. “Are you quite alright?”

“Yes, my friend,” you breathed, “so long as you don’t count anything below the knee. Or my hair. Can’t imagine how much dirt and leaves have gotten in it after all that.”

"Well, yes," Bilbo chided, ever the little mother-hen, "you've got to keep it back. Why don't I braid it for you?"

Your heart burst, and not from exertion this time. "You would do that for me?"

"Of course," the hobbit shrugged, "haven't had much practice of it of late, but certainly I can give it a go for you. I understand. I wouldn't want the mess either. Come here."

Thanking him again, you scooted closer to where Bilbo stood, gritting your teeth for the pain of him detangling your hair, only to relax at the gentle touch of his nimble fingers. Eyelids fluttering shut in contentment, you sat as Bilbo worked his magic neatening your hair up and making fresh braids of it for you. Feet still elevated and aching, but less so the longer you sat off of them. When the hobbit pulled back with a quiet, still-focused finished, your first instinct was to reach up around your head, touching the new set of braids with a widening smile.

"And now it shall be free of my face! Truly, thank you, Bilbo!" Pulling him into a quick hug, you vowed to repay him somehow with a teasing final statement. "Since I doubt you want me to braid yours."

"That is quite alright, thank you," he chuckled, "let's head back to camp before Bombur chases us down, eh?”

Camp was nearby, and still sparsely populated as you approached it. Bofur and Bombur were there building a fire, and Thorin stood a ways aside having a conversation with Balin. Dwalin and Gloin sat playing a game with a rock as their table, and Ori sat knitting. The others, you presumed, were hunting, saddling ponies, or else getting attention from Oin. Thinking nothing of it you sat down again, this time near Dwalin and Gloin, asking who was winning and if they were taking bets just to laugh at their responses. Bilbo helped Bofur and Bombur get set up for dinner a few feet off, propping up sticks strong enough to hold the cooking pot.

Sure enough, the rest of the company began trickling in, Oin, Bifur, and Nori first, the latter two with poultices and bandages. You winced. Perhaps you should complain less about your feet. Next up came Dori and Fili, who each carried one half of a felled deer, shot clearly with one of Kili's arrows. The younger prince had a bag in hand, likely having won whatever silly game determined who got the lightest load. Smiling and meeting his eyes, you gave a quick wave, indicating your amusement at the game behind you with your eyes.

Kili smiled back and waved, then swiveled his head away and back again in a double-take. You found yourself frowning as he averted his gaze to help his brother, blinking as you wondered what that was about. All you'd done was say hello. Not even say, really. Did he think you were making fun of the others?

Perhaps it was nothing, but considering your feelings for the prince, it was everything in your mind. Cycling ideas began overtaking your brain like mist. Had he suspected malice of your joke? Had he simply heard something? Why had his expression shifted so? Maybe he was just worried by what he heard.

~

"What did I miss while we were gone?"

At Kili's words, Dwalin simply frowned, peering at him like he'd thoroughly lost his marbles. "What do ya mean, lad?"

"Did...did anything happen?"

"Took Gloin for a right fool on the card table," the older dwarf replied with a smug look, chest puffing and shoulders widening.

"No," the prince shook his head, "not with you, with..."

Despite the way he trailed off, Dwalin gave him a knowing smirk, crossing his tattooed arms. "Ah, I see," he nodded, "not with me, not with me at all. With the lass, eh? Why, she didn’t greet you with a kiss?”

Having an older brother really steeled one to teasing. Much as Kili wanted to fight, to protest and say oi, quit that or I’ll make you, he knew it was exactly the rise Dwalin would’ve wanted to get from him. Beside the other fact that his elder could kick his ass easily.

“‘Course not,” he replied nonchalantly as he could, “I just noticed someone had braided her hair was all.”

Even Dwalin had cause for surprise at that, dark eyebrows shooting up to his metaphorical hairline. “Just since this morning?”

“Yeah,” Kili replied, trying not to sound as deflated as the words made him feel, knocking the air clean out of him now that he’d said them out loud, “thought maybe you’d seen who did it.”

“Hadn’t even crossed my mind, but I think it was like that when she and Bilbo headed back to camp.”

“Bilbo?” He’d lose to a three and a half foot…grocer? “Well now, I’d not have expected that, eh?”

“I can tell ye don’t actually want to laugh, son.”

Sighing, he finally let himself deflate. Bilbo? You and Bilbo?

~

“I hardly see them talk that much. Do you?”

“Not nearly enough to warrant a marriage. Those take time.”

“I know, Fee.”

“Spark.”

“I know.”

“And I thought you two had it. Not even just saying that because you’re my brother. You know I’m honest with you. The only reason those two would have is both feeling like outsiders, and that hardly seems cause to f-”

“Thank you, Fili, yes. Perhaps I was just wrong. Perhaps she could never have loved me after all. She wasn’t my One.”

“Now, brother,” grabbing him by the cheeks with one hand, Fili pulled his younger brother’s gaze to meet his, “not so hasty. Have you talked to either of them yet?”

“Wasn’t ready,” he mumbled, shaking out of the squishing grasp.

“Well, perhaps you should. Knowing is pain, yes, but it is also the thing that keeps us going in the end.”

Kili dropped his gaze thoughtfully before meeting his brother’s eye again, smiling faintly. “Remember our old espionage days? Maybe it’s time we had another mission.”

“Alright,” Fili nodded and smiled, “for old times’ sake.”

~

“Well hello there, Master Burglar.”

“Whatever it is, I won’t fall for it.”

“Now, now, so dry and for what?” Fili wrapped an arm around the hobbit. “I was just wondering how you you were coming along with…a certain member of the company.”

At that, the hobbit’s face crumpled in disgust. By Fili’s reckoning, Master Bilbo seemed barely interested in romance and certainly not with any of the types he currently ran with. He needed someone more doilies and dishcloths and the lot. You may have been the closest to his type, but still far too much of an edge, far too much indeed.

“I beg your pardon?” Bilbo simply replied.

With a conspiratorial wink, Fili leaned in and whispered your name, glancing back to the hobbit’s eyes, which narrowed slightly. Suspicious.

“Uh, w-well I would say,” Bilbo stuttered, shrugging lightly, “well as we could be, all things considered.”

“All things considered?” Fili’s grip tightened a bit. “There are things to be considered?”

“There are plenty of things to be considered!” The burglar shot back. “Why, is she upset with me? Last I heard, she liked the braids and I made her feel much more comfortable. Have I done something today?”

Blue eyes closing to near-slits, Fili released his grip entirely, arm falling back to his side. “Did she ask you to arrange her hair?”

“She complained about it,” Bilbo replied, shimmying in his newfound freedom and using his released arm to slide his pack closer, “so I offered to do something about it. Can’t imagine that is much of an outrage…oh. Oh, good heavens! No! Oh, no. No. She could be my daughter, who on earth sent you over here to…?”

Blonde brows raising, Fili’s head shot back in surprising hard enough to send his mustache braids swinging. “Wait, so you do know about courting braids?”

“Gloin was just telling me all about his,” the hobbit replied, freezing in place even in spite of his awkward, hunched-into-his-pack-hands-deep posture, “neither of us thought a thing about it. Privately I was hoping she and Kili would do whatever it was to get the tension out there, you know?”

Fili did know. He knew, all right.

~

“Psst! Psst! Hoo! Hoo! Caw!”

Kili’s head snapped up at the sound, dark eyes meeting his brother’s fair head popping from the scraggly bushes surrounding camp. One gloved hand waved wild beckoning at the younger prince. Rising from the rock he’d sat down on, one with a strategic view of some conversation between you, Uncle Thorin, and Balin, Kili strode to the edges of camp.

“Reconnaissance successful,” his older brother hissed.

“What?” Jaw dropping, Kili felt his hands leave his chest and clench in surprise. “That was fast. Nothing for me to do?”

“Not true, brother. Not true at all,” Fili smiled, “your part is far more important. You have to go talk to her.”

With a sigh, Kili nodded despite the heavy clunk of his heart in his chest. All the childhood playtimes were nice and all, but at the end of the day he had to be a dwarf about things. Face his fears, just like Uncle Thorin and his father and even Fili.

“You’re right. Though I dread it in my heart, I must speak to her. Even if my love is never known.”

“I wish you the greatest of luck,” Fili patted his shoulder, smiling eagerly, “and trust me. She won’t do a single thing to hurt you. I know it. Alright?”

Another nod. “Alright.”

Inhale, exhale. One step, then another. It was hard sometimes. Putting on the bravado. Fili was always so capable and Uncle had high standards. Not that he shouldn’t, but…it just got easier to act unafraid of everything. In truth, there was much Kili didn’t understand. Much he feared. Perhaps even his own heart, and that was why he had allowed himself to play games with it for so long. No longer, though.

Crunching across the dry campsite ground, he marched up to you as your conversation ended and asked to speak with you, frowning slightly at the nod Balin and Thorin exchanged. Focusing instead on your gaze, the way your eyes were intent in his and the-admittedly quite adorable-way shock bloomed across your face before giving way to a smile and a nod.

“Of course,” you said, and that was that.

How was it that one little smile from you could simultaneously calm Kili's heart and set it leaping like nothing else? There truly was no denying that you were special. Perhaps Bilbo had seen what was so dazzlingly obvious, too. Guess that wasn't too much of a shock.

You both ventured toward the tree line, stopping next to a particularly sturdy trunk. Eagerness was written across your face as you leaned against the smooth bark, encouraging Kili with a smile he couldn't help faintly mirroring even as tears swam in his eyes.

"Are congratulations in order?"

"For me?" You asked, head tilting and hand reaching to your chest. "Forgive me, but what are you asking? I thought maybe I'd upset you last night, but now I really fear it. Or are you teasing me again?"

All thought was scrubbed from Kili's brain at your words, a thick blanket of confusion draping over the prince's mind and furrowing his brows. Is this what Fili meant? Were you not to hurt him because you thought him cross with you? That hurt a bit in and of itself. Perhaps you'd known he would be jealous. But then again, you had greeted him so casually, giving him a cute little wave when he came back...

"Please," he all but begged your name, "the suspense is just killing me. Is that not a courting braid you've been given? I know it is new as of yesterday."

"Is that why you looked so perturbed? Courting...courting braid? Kili," you laughed, "my hair was full of sticks and leaves and all manner of muck, so Bilbo detangled it and got it out of my face for me! Bilbo could be my father!"

Still a bit shaky, but Kili's face surrendered a smile at the teasing smack you gave his upper arm. "Oh, forgive me for being a dwarf," he shot back, "I was hardly the only one who noticed."

"But you were the only one who was jealous," you teased him back, "is that not right?"

Kili could tell by the faltering smirk you gave, by the dart of your beautiful eyes, that you did not truly believe it, but by Mahal, you would when he was done with you.

"Madly," he agreed, eyes boring into yours, "never let anyone but me braid your hair again."

Eyebrows shooting up to your hairline, you peeled yourself from the tree as if to get a closer look. "Kili..."

"I mean it," he implored your name once more, gently taking your shoulders in his hands, "please. This isn't a joke, but if you'd like me to convince you..."

Surging forward, Kili closed the gap between you two, his lips soft against yours and stubble pleasantly tickling against your skin, which shifted as you moved in response to his kiss. Your hands found purchase in his hair, tangling in it and eliciting a sound Kili was too focused on you to be embarrassed about. When you finally pulled away for air, he pulled you back, resting his forehead against yours with a growing smile.

"So, you convinced?"

Your eyes glittered with mirth, joy, mischief...perhaps even love, and Kili knew he should have never doubted you were his One. "So convinced I practically want you to rip out all of Bilbo's work and do it over again yourself."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

Taglist: @lokilover476 @fuckyoumakeart @mossthebogwitch @ibabblealot @kilibaggins @joonies-word @stormchaser819 @pirate-lord-of-narnia @datglutengoblin | Reply/Ask/Message to join 🥰

[johannestevans]

bike... bell...? none of the bicycles i've ever owned have had a bell

Bicycles don't come with a bell, you purchase a bell and you put it on your bicycle. You ring your bell to alert pedestrians when you are coming up behind them or are about to pass alongside them, or to alert others you are approaching in low visibility conditions, such as in heavy fog.

In my opinion people shouldn't be allowed to ride a bicycle on streets or pedestrian walkways without knowing things like how to indicate their direction or without having it drilled into them the importance of stuff like having a bell or reflective devices on their bike.

I'm a disabled man with impaired hearing who frequently walks with a cane - if someone on a bike comes up behind me too closely without warning, even if they don't actually clip me, the sudden whoosh beside me is liable to send me off balance, and I've also seen cyclists straight up clip pedestrians by trying to cycle past them without warning them beforehand - walking along the canal in Galway, I once saw a cyclist clip an old lady with her shopping bags and send her and the bags spilling everywhere.

You should wear a helmet when you ride your bike, you should put reflective tabs and/or lights on your bike's handlebars and the back of its saddle and/or the back of your jacket or rucksack whilst riding, if not wearing high vis clothing, and you should put a bell on your bike.

Many cyclists become infuriated with the fact that motorists frequently disregard cyclists or outright try to do them harm, and that's a very shitty thing - it doesn't mean cyclists should adopt a similarly dismissive or uncaring attitude as to pedestrians.

[gauntletqueen]

Just had my first time cycling since the bottom surgery, and it went well!! I think mainly my pelvis just isn't used to the saddle anymore gsafhgaf

More important than that though, is outside the grocery store, when putting away my shopping cart like a normal decent human being, I offered to help an older person who had back problems with their grocery bags. Turns out they were another trans person! That was cool yay :>

[wowbright]

National Clean Your Home Month Day 12

Today was a big production because of the first item on the list:

- I cleaned all my CPAP machine parts that needed cleaning (for the tubing and headgear this generally meant rinse, wash with soap, soak in vinegar-water solution for some of the parts, wash in soap again to get the vinegar smell out, rinse again; the reservoirs got wiped down, soaked and vinegar solution, and then put through a dishwasher cycle in the top rack). I have not been working nonstop on it all day since a lot of it is just waiting around for things to soak, but the project has been going all day. The tubes and headgear aren't dry yet but hopefully by tonight all of them will be. I really need to pay attention to the calendar reminders that tell me to do this in smaller increments on a more regular basis lol.

- Inspired by @likearumchocolatesouffle to make a dent in my online banking and balancing my statements with my registers. A good thing, too, because I found out that the automatic credit card payment that was supposed to go through on Thursday didn't, so even though I don't want to spend any time tomorrow calling up the credit union to complain and try to get any late charges dropped, at least now I know I need to. And I paid it manually.

- Currently soaking the kitchen faucet in vinegar solution because might as well make as much use of it as possible before dumping it down the drain.

- Put away my remaining laundry from Friday/yesterday.

- Put away the bike saddle bag that had dried (the other one is still wet but wow I can nonetheless tell how much cleaner it is than before I washed it)

- Put a rain cover on the bike to store it for winter

- Stared at and thought about the comforter project I mentioned yesterday

The podcasts I listened to while cleaning and things I read while waiting for things to soak/wash:

I listened to the most recent episode of Nobody Should Believe Me, which focused on disheartening breaking news. To get in a better head space, I then listened to the most recent episode of Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding, which was about the pros and cons of ethical consumerism. (The podcaster's main focus is always on how whatever topic she's covering affects people with hoarding disorder, which I don't have, but a lot of what she talks about is applicable to people in other circumstances as well. This week's episode was super thought-provoking, and I know I will keep thinking about it in the coming weeks. I really enjoyed it.)

I stared at Tumblr a lot but then I ran out of new post to read, so I then read Living Bird magazine, which is published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Most interesting articles to me were one about the effects of geomagnetic fluctuations on bird migration and another on the encroachment of woodlands into Nebraskan prairie due to inappropriate land management post-colonization, and how people are now trying to reverse the trend.

Oh, and I posted a new chapter of my fic!

[mahayanapilgrim]

JUST DO IT ...

'Spiritual practice is a bit like riding a bicycle. Once you have learnt how to cycle there is no need to go over the theory behind how the gears work or the best height for your saddle every time you go for a ride. All you have to do is get on your bike and start pedaling.

And the key to this practice is to do the best you can and don't worry too much about whether what you are doing is right or wrong; eventually you will get the hang of it. The pith instructions are extremely pragmatic: just do it! Which makes realizing nonduality a little like learning to drive. However preposterous it may sound when you start out, having spent weeks learning about where all the different buttons and levers are in your car, there will come a time when you have no choice but to put the manual aside, turn on the engine, and drive.

The same goes for visualization practice. At first the dissolution may be more like dropping an apple into a bag than merging one with the guru, but unless you take a risk and have a go, nothing will change. With practice, though, your guru will become less like an apple and more like a glass of water that you then pour into a bucket of water-which is an indication you are beginning to understand the process of nonduality a little better.'

~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

[adventure12f]

Athletic Bag / Sports Bag / Backpack

₹2,399.00

This incredible athletic bag / sports bag is a much loved everyday companion for the athletes. This bag is designed with all features and detailed compartments which are needed by an athlete to carry all her / his training gear to the ground everyday. It has provision to store change of clothes, towels, spikes/running shoes, training mat, foam rollers, water bottles, mobile and accessories, even a separate compartment to store wet clothes. And when it rains it has a rain cover to protect the bag. If you are an athlete you need not carry a college backpack to ground anymore. This bag will be your best cheer leader while you practice.

VISIT: Trekking Bags In India

[hannahssimblr]

Chapter Two

On the first freezing day of Autumn, I zip my coat all the way up to the top and shiver as I exit the apartment building, a huge, converted Georgian house that opens onto Fitzwilliam Square. My hands are stiff as I try to wrangle my bicycle loose from the iron railings out front, my condensed breath floating over my face to warm up my nose and cheeks. I swear under my breath as the key gets stuck, again, and then stand there jangling it madly for a minute before it releases and the heavy chain pools onto the concrete at my feet. 

I’ve learned quickly that the trick to owning a bicycle in Dublin city is to get the cheapest bike you can find and then make it look even cheaper. Shane and I spent an evening destroying it in the bin yard a couple of weeks ago, stamping the pedals until pieces broke off, using spray paint in lurid colours to obscure the brand name and shiny red coat on the metal work. We wound duct tape around the saddle and the handlebars, which doubled as an anti-theft method, happily enough. It was a cathartic experience. Claire had come along with a sticker book and helpfully dotted the body with flowers and hearts and rainbows too, insisting that all thieves are men, and none of them will want a girl’s bike. I then went to the nearest bike shop and bought two locks, the most hard wearing and expensive ones they had, because nobody is going to pick two massive locks for the pathetic reward of a dinged up bicycle covered in stickers. 

“It’s a rite of passage to have a bike stolen in the first month.” Shane had said with some sympathy after I cried at the college gates having discovered my brand new bike gone, only an easily sawed through lock pathetically coiled around the stand left as any evidence that it existed. “Sure, bits off my bike get robbed all the time. I had to cycle home from town without a saddle the other week. We’ll get you another one, I know a guy who deals them out of his ma’s garage.”

“Isn’t that kind of like contributing to the negative cycle?” I whimpered. “I bet all those bikes are stolen too.”

“Yeah probably, but, ah, sure. They’re only sixty quid.” 

That’s how I ended up with this ‘new’ bike, and luckily, nobody has stolen its saddle yet. We made sure that it’d be so inconvenient that even the most hard-up, desperate thief wouldn’t come near any part of it, but as a payoff it’s so uncomfortable. It squeaks, the back brake doesn’t work and sometimes when I go too fast I feel as though I’m going to slide off it and bash my most private areas onto the crossbar, but it gets me where I need to go. In the cold, early morning in the mist and smell of turf I throw my leg over it and manoeuvre it out onto the road, my bag and drawing tube strapped across me, and zip up towards Baggot Street, then skirt around Stephen’s Green, the new, cold wind throwing icy daggers at my face as I weave in and out of traffic, eluding busses and taxis and pedestrians who keep crossing the road before it’s their turn. Rust coloured leaves drop onto the pavement before my wheels as I pass the flats along Kevin Street, children in tiny uniforms walking to school hand in hand with their parents. 

“Use your arms!” A taxi driver screams at me as I swerve to the right ahead of him, and I ignore him, already used to men screaming at me on these streets, whether it’s because they think I’m cycling them wrong or because they have an opinion about my body that they’d like to share. 

Dublin isn’t awful, but it’s harsh in ways I’m still unused to. When I visited it I saw it as more beautiful than it really is, but back then I only saw the shops, the parks, the huge Georgian houses, and now I see the back alleys too and the places that don’t feel all that wonderful. I’ve seen the yellow pallor of the people at the back of the bus, the men in alleyways who dare you to look in and see them so they can shout at you for doing it, women climbing into sleeping bags in the sheltered doorways of department stores for the night, battered paper cups set out hopefully in front of them as they curl up to sleep on the cold pavement. 

I get shouted at a lot here too. By bus drivers, for not knowing how to use my Leap card properly, and by the people on said busses for standing or sitting in the wrong places, by taxi men for crossing the road at the wrong time, by screechy women in windows for throwing my chewing gum in the wrong bins. I apologise a lot more than I ever have now, which is really saying something. 

I swerve down a bumpy, cobblestone side street and through the gates of NCAD, taking the time to chain my bike onto the same rack where its predecessor was nicked from, giving the locks a hard, intentional look as if I could intimidate them into staying put. Then I hurry inside and up the stairs, the central heating blasting over me so intensely that by the time I stumble into the studio I feel like a piece of ham wrapped in cling film. I drop my bag and drawing tube onto the floorboards by one of the drawing tables and start ripping my outerwear off in a frenzy. 

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[cycletouringlife]

Bicycle saddle bags

Are you in the need of bicycle saddle bags? You have come to the right place. We brought together an in-depth collection of the best bags around that are durable, will keep your gear dry, and are excellent value for money. For more information, you can call us at +1-902-900-0136.

[jimclassicstoycollection]

Transformers

The Movie

Studio Series 86

09

Voyager class

Wreck-Gar

By Hasbro (2021)

Picked this up at Walmart, in the wild on 09-17-21. I originally had this figure pre-ordered on amazon, but considering I did find it in the wild shortly after payday, I canceled my order and bought it on the spot.

And that is my brave and harrowing tale. 

Originally seen in the 1986 ‘The Transformers The Movie’ as the leader of the Junkions.

Vehicle Mode:

Vehicle Mode is a motorcycle, a LARGE motor cycle. Big enough for other Transformers to ride him…in bike mode...

It’s a blocky Mad Max style chopper with spikes, saddle bags, spiked wheels, and all around chunky.

It’s mostly reds, browns and yellows.

The bike overall feels pretty solid, and has a playable feature of having other Transformers ride the bike, and much to my surprise the spiky wheels rolled fairly well too.

The bike has two kick stands so it doesn’t topple over.

My main issue with the bike mode are the four axle spikes. They’re all long and thin, and a possible breakage issue down the road.

Comparing all my Wreck-Gars.

Transformation:

Converting Wreck-Gar into robot mode pretty easy. There’s a little bit of parts forming with the wheels detaching and pegging into other parts of the body.

Robot Mode:

Once you get Wreck-Gar into robot you find out just how big he is, for a Voyager class toy. This guy is tall, and bulky, very animation accurate.

The figure stands really well, and poses really well too, aside from the ab crunch. The ab crunch is a pivotal part of the transformation, and in robot mode it tends to get a little floppy and loose.

His head sculpt is just wicked with the robo-stash and goatee, and the grin on his face.

Wreck-Gar’s classic nipple guns are blast compatible.

Comparing all my Wreck-Gars in robot mode.

Accessories:

Wreck-Gar’s accessories are his axe,and his two wheels. they can be attached to his limbs in robot mode, but this does kind of double as parts-forming so you’d best not to lose those wheels.

Backdrop:

The back drop is the Junk home world.

Final Thoughts:

Studio Series Wreck-Gar is a really cool toy! It looks great, it stands and poses great, the head sculpt is phenomenal.

My only gripe about the figure is that he’s a bit floppy around the mid section.

Highly recommended, especially if you have the older Junkions so you can form a squad.

[onikaswardrobe]

Likkle Miss remix video:

Nicki wore a cross strap lace bodysuit with Dior cycling shorts ($1,550), Chanel quilted high boots (approx $3k) and carried a Dior fringe saddle bag ($5,200)

[ndfan3]

Nancy heard a screeching of rubber on tarmac, and turned, her bike crazily swaying, to see Mike, a malevolent smile on his face swing his vehicle into that of George. The girl gave a shriek and tumbled off the saddle, rolling onto the road. “George!” cried Nancy but had no time to stop and see to her stricken friend because Mike, his eyes flashing madly beneath his cycle helmet, sped towards her. The girl detective looked wildly around her but there was only hard rock on one side, a cliff edge on the the other and the open highway ahead- but Mike was bearing down on her at speed making flight impossible.

Adrenalin pumping, Nancy acted purely on instinct: she slammed on her brakes and then turned, spinning her bike around and cycling as fast as she could towards the fallen figure of George. Mike was taken entirely by surprise. He tried to match his quarry’s manoeuvre but his forward momentum was too much. His bike skidded, wobbled dramatically and threw its rider. Mike landed heavily on the road on his back. He lay there, stunned, groaning in pain. Nancy threw herself off her bike, which clattered to the road, and ran over to the stranded man and flung herself across his body, pressing him down. Mike groaned again but made no attempt to throw the girl off. Nancy looked over frantically at her friend and smiled broadly as she saw George get unsteadily to her feet. “Ow!” George winced, rubbing her arms up and down as she approached Nancy and her captive. “So what’s his story?” she asked angrily. Nancy looked up at her friend, the satisfied glint in her eye of having cracked another case that George knew so well. “I think we’ve just caught the diamonds thief.” the sleuth replied. “Fetch some rope from my saddle bag, George, and then let’s get him tied up.” “With pleasure.” answered the dark haired girl and wandered over to Nancy’s abandoned vehicle. “Is that ok with you, Mike, or should I call you, Alex?” she grinned down at the winded man beneath her. “Oh get lost!” was all the beaten Mike could manage by way of defiance as George returned, a coil of camping rope in her hand.

My interpretation of the story behind this cover to The Nancy Drew Files, Case 87, Moving Target (1993)