I Prefer See's Not Whitman's

Alrighty, Christmas time is here again and I've made my annual list of Must Haves. 

I have either been lusting after or have actually used these awesome product(s) over

 the the past year, so I am here to share them with you. 

Maybe you're looking for some ideas for your precious loved one, maybe you want to kiss your 

boss's booty or maybe you just wanna scream out: 

"screw you all, I'm buying a motorcycle, you're all getting Whitman's chocolates!"

As for me, whether I see any of these things

under my 10 inch Italian Stone Pine super-ghetto Christmas tree remains to be seen.

Here we go:

Allen and Bijou are geniuses because this is the best drink mix ever.

I don't get icky belly while in the saddle, they're pretty tasty,

and these single servings look pretty snappy to use. Plus I have a

short attention span so the multiple flavors look right up my alley. Skratch Labs, 

believe the hype, because YES, they're just that good.

My deep, deep, undying love of cycling started with mountain biking. I was a fan of 

Missy Giove, Julie Furtado and John Tomac, so it's only natural that when 

I want to return to my roots I turn to Yeti, they've been around since those days 

and there's a good reason for it. They make frickin good bikes, that's why. 

I've had an itch to hit the dirt for awhile, there are trails calling my name, 

and it's not fair I have to look at them across the street all week while I'm at work. 

My dream rig would be the 

Yeti SB66 Enduro (lime) with SRAM components. 

Yeah, just something to spin around on.

Maybe, just maybe if I put this pic up my Hubby would be more likely to buy me some of these 

Assos knickers. Not a fan of their douchbaggery advertising but I would love to try a pair of their chamois for longer than 5 minutes. Because dancing around the dressing room is not the same as

sitting on a saddle. I tried on their bibs and fell in love with them, I just couldn't pay the $300. I'm happy with Rapha's 3/4 bibs but would like to have a pair of fall/spring knickers.

Clear the counter Darling, mamma wants a new toy! 

I'm not a genius when it comes to espresso but I do know that Eddy rode for Faema and how

bad could this machine be. It can't be worse than what they carry at Costco. And besides, 

everyday you get to be reminded of monsieur Eddy Merckx, I couldn't think of anything better.

Halsa mats, I wanted one last year and kind of forgot about em, 

but now I want one. I'm getting old, I have back pain and insomnia,

both of which can be helped with the help of these pokey mats. 

It's widely used in Sweden which may sway Hubby's view. 

.

Aaaaghhhh, I love Deus. Their custom builds are absolutely beautiful and they have more

soul than any new rides found on a showroom floor. Trust me, we looked this weekend and it's pretty sad. Plastic cookie cutters galore (except Triumphs of course).

Last but not least, the women's Rapha long sleeve jersey. It seems like I'm always 

on the fence about long sleeve jerseys. Living in Southern California can be 

kind of tricky, but for those early morning rides it just makes 

sense. I never take off my arm warmers anyways so why wouldn't I wear one. 

I kind of like the orange in men's but they're out of stock in small, 

not that I'm hinting or anything.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!

 I want to thank everyone who has supported

FreeBird Velo this year, and I don't just mean buying a tee or two, 

although that's really nice, thank you.

 I want to thank everyone for sharing their input and sharing FBV with others.

It means a lot to me and my little clubhouse company. I love sharing my ideas and 

I get so stoked that there are others who share the same brainwaves.

Bike Shop of the Week

Bike shop of the week goes to Laguna Beach's very own Laguna Cyclery.

I've been going here for a few years and the ambiance of the shop is what makes it so appealing. Set in what appears to be an old house is actually a treasure trove of bicycle goodness. Rafters full of hanging road and MTB frames, plus a few vintage bikes Everything is close and comfy on the floor but it's not phobia inducing. They carry Assos, Wilier Triestina, Bianchi, Ibis Mtn bikes, and lotsa other quality merchandise.

Laguna has some pretty respectable trails so Mtn bike gear is equally represented among the road. Just take a look at their site above. I came this close to buying a pair of Assos bibs there last year. They were even going to give me a deal, and I didn't do it. I'm regretting that decision now. When in doubt fork it out, cause it sucks being cheap.

So if you're ever in Southern California and want a nice diversion from the sun and sillycone head on down.

Laguna Cyclery

240 Thalia St.

Laguna Beach, CA

92651

ea

ch CA 92651240 Thalia Beach CA 92651

Douche de Jour

I was looking through the latest Road magazine and I came across this Assos ad.

DOUCHE DE JOUR

Now I've seen their ads before, I've even looked on their website a time or two and every time I see their models and layout one word comes to mind, douche. I know they make quality gear and they've raised the standard of cycling gear, but their shorts make you have camel-toe. So what is Assos thinking when they come up with these ads. Yes cyclists occasionally take breaks and lounge in the sun but do they do it while wearing Mickey Mouse gloves and a beanie(white even) over their Euro Blu-Blockers' temple pieces. They need to take a lesson from Rapha, amazing, Italians need to take a lesson from the Brit's about fashion. Actually I just wrote that in hopes that someone from Rapha might read this and want to send me a care package.(size small, xsmall gloves)

I know this doesn't involve cycling, but in other douche related news, I was at the bank and this Scion drives up the wrong way. What first caught my eye was the ginormous Chanel sticker, where would someone procure such an item and why. Then I realized they parked in not one but two handicapped places. The final thing that got me was the amount of time they took using the ATM, at least 5 minutes. It was a girl, in Dickies, no Chanel in sight, and her little Asian-man-boy servant. Well, my tick off buzzer just went off, thank you for your time.