I, like many outdoor mavens, love wool. I’m thinking about buying my own sheep, just so my supply can’t be interrupted. So, I gravitated right to Save Our Soles merino blend selections and saw this ultra-cute pair with pink elephants marching around the cuff.

You wool lovers already know that wool doesn’t mean hot, necessarily. It really means flexible - warmer in winter, but still venting and cool in summer. The Ellie socks have ventilating knit woven into the right places, so they can carry you from cool spring riding to fall leaf-peeper tours and keep your tootsies comfy.

Founded in 2003, Save Our Soles is a local neighbor of Women’s Adventure, just down the road in Westminster, CO. All their product design, knitting, and packaging happen under one roof, so they can keep quality high.

Socks are a small indulgence. When I can’t afford that $25 seat bag or those gorgeous $250 road bike shoes, I can still save a few bucks for a pair of socks and they always cheer me up. Even if no one else is noticing them, I ride with a little more spark when I have a cool new pair on. So, go ahead, and treat yourself to a pair of socks!

Save Our Soles Ellie Socks (57% merino wool, 40% nylon, 3% Lycra): msrp $11.95, available at your local bike shop, Bike Nashbar, and our favorite online cycling gear gals, Team Estrogen.

Waterproof panniers from a company that knows how to build really super packs and bags! Deuter has redesigned its entire line of seat bags, rack packs, and handlebar bags for 2008 with quick release systems and lighter fabrics. The DS Rack Pack Panniers are the roll-down style top loading panniers - they completely seal off the contents from nasty weather. The advantage with this style bag is their ability to expand when you are really carrying a lot or roll down and be compressed by their straps when you don’t fill them completely. The only disadvantage is a lack of compartments for folks who like to organize gear into separate spaces.

These bags were tested on my daily commute and got exposed to all sorts of weather, but nothing ever got wet. The mounting system is really easy on-easy off, so it wasn’t a problem to pull off a bag and carry it into the office. But I wasn’t able to take them on safari and check durability over many days of constant use and road abuse. You’ll have to watch for them to be featured over on the Adventure Cycling website for that acid test!

I didn’t have any heel-strike (hitting the back of your shoe against the front of the pannier) and I’ve got long feet, so, unless your chainstay is super short, you shouldn’t have any problem. And they feature the requisite reflective material to enhance your visibility after sundown.

I’d like to see these bags made with a slightly more squared off bottom. If you’ve ever owned a purse with a rounded bottom, you know all the little stuff finds it’s way down there and somehow manages to hide from you when you want it. You’ll want to develop a system of organizing those small bits into their own bag or container inside the pannier. Other than that small nitpick, these are excellent panniers for anyone doing a cycle tour or commuting.

Deuter DS Rack Pack Panniers MSRP $189 rear set, $179 front set

The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga by Sage Rountree (VeloPress; $21.95) www.velopress.com

Over-tight muscles can cause injury and pain during your sports activities and that can keep you from playing. Not good! Yoga is the perfect counterbalance to your regular sport, whatever it may be. Whether you’re a yogini or you’ve never heard of a downward facing dog, you’ll come away with something useful from “The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga.” Yoga brings strength, flexibility, and balance to your body as well as your mind. Author Sage Roundtree makes yoga an essential tool for anyone who is active in sports with her clear explanations and large photos of each pose. The sections on mediation as mental training and sports-specific yoga for your training routines are particularly helpful. There’s a short DVD included with 15-minute warmup and cooldown routines and a longer DVD with three routines is available as well.