RE: Cyclist Clothing Storage (Belts, Backpacks, Spell Component P

> pants I mean). I would also love to be able to bring my digital camera
> with me when I go places, but it isnt that streamlined and I
> might break it. Argh.

I usually ride trails with a medium-sized fanny pack (or butt bag), and a
Camelbak Mule. The Camelbak holds a pump, patch kit, food bars, and spare
tube (and up to 3 liters of water). It has straps on it to hold a jacket or
whatever layers I’m not wearing.

The butt bag holds the camera, and whatever else. In my case this is tools,
tiny tripod, extra batteries for the camera (essential with a digital), and
wallet & keys if I don’t have pockets.

This is not necessarily the optimum setup, as it bounces around when you
hop, but it’s comfortable, convenient, and easy. The butt bag is on my butt
while I’m riding, so it’s safe unless I fall on my butt. You have to be
comfortable with your riding style, or adjust it to prevent falling on your
butt, if you care a lot about your camera.

Most of the time I do ride with a camera in there, and have only fallen on
one once. Before digitals, I had an Olympus XA (35mm) which is a tiny camera
I used to often bring. At the second MUni Weekend (1997, Northstar and
Auburn), Roger Davies took pictures of me gliding on a trail. At that time
(before Kris Holm even knew how to glide), doing this off-road was
considered ridiculous. I even have a picture of me doing it on my ‘Things
not to do’ page (http://www.unicycling.com/things/default.htm#29).

But Roger caught me in an “unplanned dismount” and saved a picture (very
underexposed) for posterity and shared it on the Web as promised:
http://web.onyxnet.co.uk/Roger.Davies-octacon.co.uk/muni.htm

Scroll to the bottom part of that page to see the before & after. In the
before picture I have a 35mm SLR camera around my neck. This was something I
only did on exceptional rides, and this camera was not hurt. It was the
little camera in the butt bag, which was unable to take well-exposed
pictures after the mishap. Fortunately I found a replacement at a camera
flea market, same (1979 or so) camera for only $75, and it looked brand new!
I still have that one.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com

“We were discussing Big Mac Meals. I think that has little if anything to do
with cow parts. There are probably more UNICYCLE parts in a Big Mac than cow
parts.” - Greg Harper on cuisine