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Birthdays and Bikes

\n\n\nThis past Saturday we celebrated the twin's birthday. We had discussed all sorts of options to celebrate, and ultimately went with just hanging out for the day with a couple of friends. Oh, and eating a pie.\n\nWe also went on a bike ride in the morning. We've been going on a lot of rides lately because I bought a new bike last month! It's a true hybrid...sort of a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike (my old bike was more of a mountain bike/cruiser cross). It's also about 10lbs lighter than my old bike, and it's a dream to ride. The only issue I've really been having is some soreness from the smaller, less cushy seat. And then, by sheer coincidence, the writer of a blog I recently started following went on multiple day ride and listed everything she had brought clothes-wise. Among those items was a pair of Canari Gel Liners. I usually wear a pair of heavily padded spandex bike shorts under another pair of shorts or pants when I ride, and they do help a little, but we were going on a longer ride Saturday morning, and I wanted all the help I could get seat-wise.\n\nI picked up a pair of the liners Friday night and was eager to give them a try the next morning. About 10 minutes into the ride, I could already tell they were a good purchase. We ended up biking 20 miles (there was a stop for a birthday brunch in between), and I know that if I had worn my old bike shorts, I would have been in so much more pain (there was still a little soreness, but I'm hoping I'll get used to it the more I ride). The Canari gel liner worked great, and they're actually meant to wear under other things, so they're more comfortable and breathable than the spandex I had been wearing. Perfect!\n\nOh, and that pie up there? I'm referring to it as \"The Pie\" now, because it's got a reputation and it's being requested frequently for birthdays. The Pie even has it's own set on flickr now.