After purchasing a new bike plus accessories, followed shortly thereafter by more accessories (rear rack and panniers), a bit over a year ago, I decided I needed to go on a bike gear diet. And if memory serves, I did well with that for over a year.
A week ago, I bought a handlebar mirror for my favorite ride, only to find that it did not work at all — with my handlebars and riding position, and the limited adjustability of the mirror, I could not see anything useful! Today, I swapped it for a slightly different style, and I think I’m in business.
I still find myself looking over my shoulder, rather than looking in the mirror, but I imagine that will change as I get used to it.
In a previous post, I alluded to two bike shops, one with great customer service, and one that often leaves something to be desired when it comes to customer interaction. To give credit where credit is due, The Hub bike shop earned my praise in that previous post (and continues to do so).
Her Green Life 
Do you like your panniers? Any recommendations? I’m really tempted to just slap down my money, but they’re a bit pricy and I want to be sure that they’ll work for me before I do it.
Do you leave the panniers attached when you go grocery shopping or what not? Or do you take them inside and use them for shopping bags? And do your panniers have covers? I saw some that were like grocery bags with handles & everything, but they looked rather shallow and you couldn’t close them on the top… I’m afraid I’d go over a bump and spill everything.
OK… sorry to pummel you with questions. I’m totally loving your blog!
Rebecca, I might wait on the panniers and try a milk crate, which I’ve been experimenting with recently (I secure it to the bike rack with bungee cords). With the crate, you can easily toss in whatever you want. The panniers are a bit of an investment, so I always feel like I should take them with me whenever I’m leaving my bike locked up somewhere, but they’re a pain to carry around. With the crate, I can toss in whatever bag(s) I need and be good to go. I’ll do a post soon and talk more about the panniers vs. crate, because you have a lot of good questions.
Hmmm… thanks for the heads up! I’ve certainly got a pile of old milk crates that could be put to better use. I guess there’s no escaping buying a rack though. I’m anxiously awaiting your post on the subject!