It’s winter. Which means lots more night riding. And clothing.

Last night I left at sunset to head to South Bank for dinner. I gotta say, cycling at sunset is a nice way to travel. I enjoyed a crisp cool ride there and had a delightful evening dining at Stokehouse on the river at South Bank. Buddha was kind enough to put on fireworks so that was a bonus. I then bundled myself back on the bike at the end of the night and zoomed home.

The roads were quiet and the night was cool, so it didn’t take long to get home at all. I went super fast. I kicked it! It was heaps fun!

I lost my mojo after my accident in November. It took a while, but it’s nice to have it back.

The cyclist’s winter quandary: The faster you go, the quicker you get to where you want to go. However, the faster you go, the stronger the cold wind is on your face. Will need to ponder the pros and cons of each I feel.

But hey – I’m sure I’ll be fine with the right gear. It’s not Melbourne or Tassie cold, just Brissie cold.

My fingerless gloves need fingers. My reflective vest needs to be a reflective jacket and my nose, well, it needs warmth. I think a fancy bandana/scarf thing is in order. Definitely time for a Buff! Something that differs from the scary black balaclava I saw a fellow cyclist wearing the other night. Scared the bejeesus out of me!

One bonus entering winter is that my office has moved from South Brisbane to Woolloongabba, so at least it’s quicker to get home! I was so excited to be working across the road from Planet Cycles. How convenient! So I tried to do some shopping.

Being in the market for a warm, weatherproof flouro jacket, I tried to buy one there. Unfortunately, the women’s jackets were not only for a lesser woman than I but were over $100! Bugger that. I went home and found some on eBay for around $20-40 so I’m very pleased about that. Can’t wait until pay day!

I also tried to buy some night glasses at Planet Cycles – basically sunglasses without the, well, sun protection. Clear glasses. They were all locked up in a cabinet and started at about $100! What a waste of money. So I’ve found some on eBay for $8. Ugly as sin, but hey – it’s night time, right? Who’s gonna see me?

Putting the fashionista in me aside, I think eBay is going to be my new bicycle accessories friend. I also found a iphone mount for about $30 (Planet Cycles $80). I found a bicycle cover for $10 (Planet Cycles $25).

There’s nothing more glorious than cycling in the beautiful winter sun in Brisbane by day. Nights will just require some rugging up, methinks.

And while I might look super fashionable in a sexy scarf, I’m quite sure the dorky night glasses will bring this winter bicycle bunny down a notch. I might not be wearing a balaclava, but my daggyness will frighten people for sure.

I’m quite sure I’ll still be cooler than this guy. 🙂