This update has been a while coming, but at least I have now thoroughly tested the new additions before writing about them!

First, I got some waterproof Nashbar front panniers - on sale for around $40. How it's possible for them to be so cheap, I don't know.. The only shortcut I can see, is that the panniers don't have the fancy fitting system that more expensive brands like Ortlieb or Jandd do. Instead it's the old-school system of hooks at the top and a bungee at the bottom. I replaced the hook on the bungee with a keyring, and fitted hooks to the forks instead (see pic). I also adjusted the bungee tension to be quite tight. Well, I haven't had them jump off yet, even on the insanely bad roads here in SF. And they really are waterproof too - I have my laptop in there, and it hasn't gotten wet yet.

Another addition is the Zefal kid fenders/mudguards. I got them from a French webstore, xxcycle.com, for only $5!! A real bargain, and I had fair hopes for them since I had some Zefal clip on mudguards on my mtb. I was really impressed by xxcycle.com - I ordered the fenders and some Klikfix spares for my handlebar bag, and they arrived in roughly a week. The Klikfix bits were half the price I could find in any US webstores, and the postage from France was less than I would have been charged in the US. A winner all round! The fenders were pretty easy to fit, though I had to make a front fitting for the rear one, and I also used a heat-gun to reshape the back one. The results? The front works great. The back one is just a little too short. I'll see if a short mud flap will take care of it, otherwise I'll probably get a pair of Planet Bike Freddys.