The Outdoor Edit Newsletter: A Raincoat You Need, A Gift Guide for Cycling Girls + What I've Been Reading!
The obsessive nomad in me clearly didn't want to get too comfortable at home in Ontario, so we're in Costa Rica for the first vacation that I've had in years! And OK, it started as no computers for the trip and has been downgraded to 'we'll go online at least every other day to check in' but it's still pretty big for us. We've been working like crazy this last couple weeks trying to prep to be offline as much as possible, so it's been a lot of looooong days and a couple of grumpy moments, but I'm feeling super positive that we'll be able to actually zone out and enjoy time off!
XO, Molly
PS: Respond to this email or hit me up on Instagram... I would love to hear from you all, what you're into, what you want to see more of, etc., so feel free to respond to this and let me know!
1 THE LIGHTEST RAINCOAT
We're heading to Costa Rica and while rain season is mostly over, there are showers in the forecast for a lot of the time we're there. It's a pretty warm climate and we're trying to only bring carry-on luggage, so I wanted to bring the lightest raincoat I could possibly pack. Enter my current favorite raincoat for running and serious riding, GORE WEAR C5 Women's Tex Shakedry Jacket. It's pricey AF, as any good quality athletic raincoat is, but at 130 grams, it's SO light and SO tiny, while staying super comfortable — and it has a hood and TWO zippered pockets that can keep your phone 100% protected. I'm a firm believer in raincoats being the #1 piece of cycling kit to invest in (after bib shorts!) so I honestly can say it is a worthwhile investment.
2 RUN COMMUTING
Strava's yearly report showed that Run Commuting is on the rise, which is freaking awesome. While I walk to commute as much as possible — that is, whenever it's under an hour, I walk, bike or run — I also rarely have to look put together when I get to my destination. So, huge props to anyone doing the run commute thing to an actual office... and if you're reading this, email me your best tip!!!
3 A VERY SHRED GIRLS GIFT GUIDE
I'll have a more adult-oriented (not in a sexy way, just in a gear-that-fits-grown-ups way) Gift Guide coming out this week, but if you have any younger girls that you're hoping to get into cycling / know any young shredders, I wrote up a list of awesome presents for younger girls over on Shred-Girls.com (Click here for the list)
4 CLEANING OUT MY CLOSET
(Anyone else immediately get Eminem stuck in their heads when doing a cleanout?) ANYWAY. I stumbled on this great article on Time about why we buy clothing we never wear, and it struck a lot of chords for me, as a very active human who works mostly from home but loves the concept of business casual and looking chill in jeans despite hating any constricting clothing. Basically, we shop aspirationally, for the person we want to be. "We purchase for fantasy, not reality," the author writes. *Raises hand.* I've gotten better at not shopping quite so randomly lately, but I still have a looooong way to go.
5 TOTAL NON-SEQUITOR
If you know me, you know I am a total Frasier-phile. It's a weird thing to be obsessed with, but there you have it. So, I've been re-reading Vanity Fair's Oral History of Frasier and if you liked the show, I can't recommend it enough. Jane Leeves (Daphne) talking about Eddie, the dog, is my favorite moment: "Moose was a complicated little fellow. There were many times when he just improvised or went completely nuts, rolling around on the couch with his legs in the air, making funny noises."
That's it for this week—if you found anything inspiring in here, do me a solid and forward to a friend!
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Just a reminder, since pre-orders are key to the success of any book, and I would love to get this into the hands of tons of girls, not just ones who already love riding bikes. So, if you've enjoyed my writing over the years, give this book a shot and buy a copy for the Shred Girl (or future Shred Girl) in your life!
An empowering new series from the cyclist who runs Shred-Girls.com is guaranteed to give readers an adrenaline rush--and the confidence girls gain from participating in sports!
It's time to ride and save the day!
Lindsay can't wait to spend her summer break reading comics and watching superhero movies--until she finds out she'll be moving in with her weird older cousin Phoebe instead. And Phoebe has big plans for Lindsay: a BMX class at her bike park with cool-girl Jen and perfectionist Ali.
Lindsay's summer of learning awesome BMX tricks with new friends and a new bike turns out to be more epic than any comic book--and it's all leading up to a jumping competition.
But some of the biker boys don't think girls should be allowed to compete in BMX. Now it's up to Lindsay, Jen, and Ali to win the competition and prove that anyone can be great at BMX.
PS: If you pre-order, email me the receipt and I'll send you a signed Shred Girls postcard + Shred Girls bike frame stickers so you can still give it as a Christmas present!