Ortlieb's far traveled classic model made of robust polyester fabric is designed for low riders in the front or for the rear rack. View our complete (and extensive) pannier collection at  Adventure Cycling's online store, Cyclosource.

I was chewing on some ginger trail mix and all of a sudden a flood of memories rushed over me. I thought about a trip that I did with my friend Keri on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes bike path in Idaho last summer, and all the fun we had while we were snacking. "Don't eat all the ginger!" she laughed, as she caught me poking around picking the best parts out. "That's cheating!

And now ... for someone who really needs no introduction. If you're a member of Adventure Cycling, chances are you've talked to Julie -- she has worked here for over 26 years!

Okay, maybe I can't really call our staff overnight epic (it was only 30 miles each way), but it was epic-ly fun! It was a great chance for everyone to get to ride together, have a look at Paul's hand-made bikepacking setup, and enjoy a lazy afternoon at a time of year when the evenings are still fairly long.

Sometimes it's challenging to mix bike touring and fashion. A certain friend is fond of reminding me that I'm dressing for a bike ride, not for the prom, when I complain about my limited outfit options.

There's a new mountain bike course here in Missoula and we're all having fun getting out on it! However, with the large number of scary bumps and crazy pitches, I've been adding something else to my usual carry-along stock of tubes, tire levers, etc. After a nasty little spill awhile ago, I've decided to carry a basic first-aid kit with me as well.

Summer is here. I was reminded of this in full force when I nearly passed out while mountain biking during a 92-degree afternoon at the beginning of the week. Yikes! We need to drink a lot! And, while water is of utmost importance, sometimes it's nice to drink things that aren't just plain water, too. Salt and electrolytes are important when we're sweating a lot, and besides ... who doesn't want to change up the flavor occasionally?

I've been thinking recently about all the friends I make on the road. Not friends I make while touring, although those are certainly special friends indeed, but the friends I make during my daily commute to and from work each day. The lady who somehow always ends up stopped at the same stoplight as me and says, "Do you really ride in ALL KINDS OF WEATHER?!" The little old man who gives me the thumbs up whenever I pass him walking on California Street.

The truth of the matter is that I'm a shy person. I'm a friendly person, I'm just shy. I feel nervous around new people, and it takes me awhile to think of things to say. Sometimes I blurt out really awkward things at first, just to top it all off. Needless to say, doing the traditional things new friends do isn't that appealing to me: sitting around over a cup of coffee trying to think of conversation topics is basically a fate worse than death.

Piggybacking on our pannier discussion of last week, I want to introduce a newer bag that's a little more urban. The Arkel Switchback is designed to take you from the office/school to the grocery store to the gym, in one fell swoop.

Pretty much once a week someone calls and says, "So, just lay it out for me. Which are better? Ortlieb or Arkel panniers?" If only it were that easy! First off, I'll start out by saying that Arkel (Canada) and Ortlieb (Germany) are both fantastic companies that stand behind their products. If you ever have any problems with them, you'll have no problem getting them warrantied or replaced.

Yesterday, Mo and I were taking our picture in a photo booth (long story) and we started talking about how fun it would be to take a tour where the theme was photo-booth portraits.

Valentine's Day is coming up, and I'm lucky to be spending it again this year with Josh, who you may know from his fabulous gear reviews. Or maybe you were lucky and called in to renew your membership and got to talk to him. Anyway, he's an all-around great guy: fun to have adventures with, watch movies with, eat cookies with — and I'm sure he's looking forward to spending Valentine's Day with me, too. Of course, I know, in my heart of hearts, there's 'someone' he'd rather be with.

When it comes to picking out the right saddle for your bicycle, the options can seem overwhelming. That's partly because there really isn't one correct solution. Some prefer or need something softer; others, something firmer. Some riders comfortably ride the saddles their bikes come with for thousands and thousands and thousands of miles.

Even when you have a really awesome job, and you get to work at the Adventure Cycling world headquarters, sometimes it's a good idea to get away from it all. That's why, when you're reading this post, I'll be in the Big Apple: relaxing, visiting friends, family, and generally enjoying big city life. And, you're never going to believe this -- I'm not bringing my bicycle.