Badger suggestions

Toe Clips

For those less experienced riders, hybrid riders, and mountain bike riders there is a strapless toe clip.  I found four different brands that could be ordered through Emery's where I work and I am sure these and probably others are available through any good bike shop.  These clips position your foot properly on the pedal, give you a little bit of pull up ability and do not trap your foot at all.  See if you can find these at your local bike shop or at least have them look in their catalogs so you can see what they look like.

Prices are approximate.

1. Zefal half toe clips, sizes S, M, L, XL $12.These are probably the best because they match to the shoe size of the rider and result in the best foot position on the pedal.
2. Delta strapless $8
3. Cyclist mini toe clip $6
4. Winwood mini-clips $6
   

Anybody riding with platform pedals would benefit from using this type of toe clip.


Towels

Here is a trick we have found and use whenever we travel or camp out to save space and we never have to dry a towel from day to day or pack a damp towel in with our dry clothes.  All riders could use this idea.

Go to Ace Hardware in the auto department and buy an absorber towel for about $14.  It comes in a plastic storage tube.  Get it soaking wet, fold, roll and wring it out and it is ready for use.  At the end of my shower I get it wet, just before I turn off the water.  I do the fold, roll and wring routine and the towel will dry my whole body better than any cotton towel around.  When I am dry, I do the fold, roll, and wring routine and put the towel in the storage tube until my next shower.  After a trip we wash our absorbers with our regular clothes but do not dry them, we just fold, roll and put them in their tubes.  If a long time passes between uses and they dry out, we soak the towel in water for about 10 minutes and they are just like new and ready to go.  They are very durable as well, ours are in about their 5th year.

See, something good does come out of Wisconsin.

--the Big Kahuna