I am posting this because of a few good products I have encountered over my 2 years of commuting now. First off, the Storm HID is amazing, I was commuting home @ midnight every day, and having an HID means being seen, and not to mention being to easily spot debris in the road. For the rear the Niterider LED taillight that connects to a 6 or 12V battery is $55 well spent. It will run in tandem so you only need to run one battery w/ the front light. My g/f followed me for a bit one night and she couldn't believe how bright the Niterider LED is. She backed way off and said she could still spot it a mile away. Lastly, the Ortlieb Panniers are amazing, even after a year's use and some rain storms they look as good as new. I highly recommend them. Oh.. and the bike.. It's a Bianchi Pista, running 48:19 or 48:17 depending on my fitness level. It has a flip flop hub with a White Industries 19 tooth freewheel in case I can't Fixie any more. I actually used it once on a 4 hour + ride I did and I just couldn't do the fixed gear thing for the last 10 miles or so home. All and all this is a great commuter setup, I highly recommend any of the products I listed above.
Ha ha... both Toyota's in the garage there don't get driven much. I estimate I save $45/week commuting, and I can usually go a month or so without refueling each car. It's really quite nice.
Yes commuting saves a ton on gas. I'm glad I discovered it. I might have filled up 4 or 5 times last spring & summer.
Ever try a deuter backpack? They are really nice! They have this air-comfortsystem where the backpack is suspended above your back for increased airflow. I've used one for several years. It's the best backpack I've ever used. You may want to consider it...
