This morning I received an email from a reader asking whether I prefer long or short hair for cycling. Short answer: Long!
Last summer I chopped my hair for the first time in nearly two decades. While I didn't do it for the sake of cycling, I did expect short hair to be easier to manage for someone who rides a lot compared to my previously unruly mane. Surely it would feel lighter, be less prone to getting disheveled and sweaty, be easier to comb. Lots of active women have short hair, so this logic made sense.
But oh how wrong I was.You know how sometimes you have a bad hair day? I feel like I've had a bad hair year.While I like the look of my bob and it was nice to have a change, as far as cycling it's been annoying and fussy. Not long enough to fit into a pony tail, it is long enough to fly into my eyes when I ride unless I use lots of pins. This includes the times I am roadcycling and wearing a helmet - loose strands won't stay under the helmet, but fly in my face unless I remember to pin them down. Post-ride maintenance is harder as well. When my hair was long and it got disheveled or tangled after a ride, I could simply put it up in a "messy bun" and it would look decent enough. With short hair there is no way to hide the mess; looking presentable after a sweaty or windy ride is a challenge.
So while it may seem counter-intuitive, my experience as a cyclist has been that long hair is easier to deal with: With or without a helmet, I can just tie it back or braid it and forget about it. Now that mine fits into a pony tail again, I am ecstatic and feel like I need to write a note to myself with a reminder to never cut it again. I could see how a buzz-cut or pixie cut would be low-maintenance, but my chin-length bob has been anything but.
What are your thoughts on hair maintenance and cycling? Have you changed or tweaked your hairstyle as a result of riding a bike?
One of my Althea or Rose of Sharon bushes. They are easy to grow elsewhere but I have trouble keeping enough water to them here. It is kin to the Hibiscus plant that is so common in Hawaii but this one can survive our winter cold. The bad thing about it that each flower only lasts for a day. 
Po Campo is a small Chicago-based company that has been making a variety of bicycle-compatible women's handbags since . This year they introduced a larger, briefcase-like pannier to their lineup and I acquired one in trade a couple of months ago. The Loop Pannier is available in several floral patterns, but I opted for the more subdued waxed canvas version. It is umber with tan straps, metal buckles, and honey leather trim. At 14"x10"x3.5" the size is small enough so that there is no heel strike on bikes with short chainstays, but large enough so as to fit some laptops. These bags are designed to be used on the bike as panniers, off the bike as shoulder bags, and as luggage attachments while traveling.
The Po Campo attachment system consists of leather straps with sturdy metal clasps.When I saw this, it was one of those "why did no one else think of this earlier?" moments. The benefit of this design is that it can fit bicycle racks with any tubing diameter. Other quick-release systems max out at 16mm tops, which means that they will not fit some heavy-duty Dutch and Roadster racks. None of our other panniers are compatible with the monstrous tubing on this Pilen rack - but the Po Campo straps have plenty of room to spare.
While using the clasps is not quite as instantaneous as the sort of quick release where you lift up the handle and the hooks open up, it is still easy and quick.
Since the straps are soft and flexible, they also offer the benefit of being adaptable to the rack's layout. Some racks have complicated rat-trap setups that can interfere with typical pannier hooks. The Po Campostraps can simply be looped around them. The more I used this system, the more I began to appreciate the design. Those who dislike plastic hooks will also rejoice at the complete lack of plastic here; it's all metal.
There are two short straps integrated into the pannier, and a longer detachable shoulder strap. While initially managing the system of straps seems complicated, it ends up being very intuitive.
The long shoulder strap folds over the top of the bag. Then, the second of the short straps gets tucked into the leather handle attached to the first, which closes with velcro. This keeps all three straps neatly tucked in and away from the spokes.
When the bag is off the bike, it can either be handheld, or used as a shoulder or messenger bag. I prefer the latter, especially since adjusting the shoulder strap on the go is very easy - the adjustment buckle slides freely.
I have walked around with the bag as pictured for a couple of miles and it felt fine. I've also shortened the strap and have worn it over one shoulder, like a handbag. Either way is pretty comfortable and the clasps absolutely do not catch on my clothing. It basically feels like a normal bag to carry, not like a bicycle-specific pannier.
Another feature of the Po CampoI appreciate is the way it is organised inside. There is a large main compartment, and a side compartment that they refer to as a "file/lock pocket." However, I use it for my laptop, which is a MacBook Air and is the perfect size for it. I use the main compartment for clothing, books, notebooks and my DSLR camera.
There are also three elasticised interior pockets that will each fit a wallet, phone, writing instruments, or even a small bottle of water.
The exterior pocket is quite roomy. It is especially useful for those times you need to remove a sweater or grab some water in traffic.
I tend to overpack whenever I leave the house, so this pannier is always bulging with stuff when I use it. Still, the structured design keeps it all looking neat and presentable.
The reflective strip along the back is nice for extra visibility.
I have tried the Po Campo pannier on five different bikes with different types of racks, and it works well on all of them. I cannot imagine a rack design with which this bag will be incompatible, and in my view that is one of its most valuable features. Other strong points include the durable construction, the professional look, and the ease with which the bag can be used off the bike. This is a small pannier and you will not be able to fit groceries in it; it is really meant as a briefcase/ professional bag and will accommodate only the smaller laptop models. But the compact size has the added benefit of preventing heel strike on bicycles with shorter chainstays.
