This is fantastic, thank you! I'm making a list to take with me to the bike shop, so I remember what to keep in mind while I'm trying things on.

I'm tall and most likely looking at a 54 or 57 cm bike, so 2 bottle holders shouldn't be an issue. I did the same thing as Marni last year with one frozen and one just with ice cubes - worked out great. But, I had a basket that I could toss all this stuff into, so now I have to plan on how I'm going to attach all this stuff.

Thanks so much for all of your feedback and personal preferences, it really helps a lot to start to narrow down what will and won't work for me.

My main question on helmets (which has been addressed) was where to start? Why are some $60 and some $250? I'm not going to notice ventilation in the store (or shopping online), but knowing to keep an eye on that, or to ask questions about that, helps me choose. We have hot summers here (lots of days about or over 100°), and while I haven't found myself riding when it gets over 90°, I very much care about ventilation!