I packed my pannier, and in it I put...




When I pedal my bike through the city, I carry some things with me. Some other things I pick up along the way. Here are the contents of my red Arkel bike bags (Red Bike, Cliff), in no particular order of weight, after this morning's ride.

  • Ziploc large freezer bag, transparent, containing orange bandana from murder mystery dinner night in Chelem, México, where Shelagh was a reporter and Sheryl was the sheriff, eyeglasses (right lens chipped, prescription: -1.00, -1.25, not bad), 3x pencils (2 Blackwing 530 special edition California Gold Rush series from Stylus, closed on Saturdays in the summer, 1 with Chinese charactering, gift), eye drops, pencil sharpener containing shavings that remind me of a dancing woman's hemmed dress, City of Edmonton red reflector and blue reflective bracelet courtesy bike grid street team because Edmonton now has a bike grid street team because Edmonton now has a downtown bike grid, iPhone 6
  • ring of keys: Honda Accord, not driven in a month, unknown gold, ATB Place bike cage, Thule rooftop bike rack, house, Kryptonite
  • U-lock and cable
  • dry cleaning chits (the woman at Page The Cleaner waves, from behind the counter,  I wave back. 
  • ATB Sugoi windjacket (last year I wore it and couldn't keep up to Alex Stieda downhill at the Tour of Alberta Velothon)
  • Ink by Ted Bishop, who taught me expository writing in my second year, changed my life. Thank you! Gift from Peggy Garritty. Thank you!
  • Wine (três bagos/douro valley/vinho branco/2015/, Michel Guignier/Mâcon Villages/2014/Chardonnay, from Wine Gallery, Edmonton, where Peter pairs wine to the regions of the Grand Tours
  • 2x 120mL Finish Line Dry Bike Lubricant (I cleaned the chain and re-oiled today after a few days of grit buildup)
  • Reclaim Urban Farm edible flowers (Shelagh found these at the 104 St market)
  • 900 Koh-I-Noor graphite pencils 8B-2H, to be gifted in miniscule repayment for dinner tonight
  • first aid kit, London Drugs, used only once so far, when fellow cyclist's wheel got caught in rail grove on 100 Ave, sending her to asphalt, sending blood to surface
  • air pump
  • Rapha zip wallet (I can't lose any more bank cards. I just can't)
  • tube (700 x 32-50C)
  • Atoma notebook (I am capturing a thought, insight, question from each ride over the course of year. Now 9 months+ in)
  • bicycle tool
  • MacBook Air (using it now to record this)
I try to pack light.
And carry a lot with me.


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