Sometimes It About What You Get When You Get to Where You Went.

Some of the most important equipment for a regular bike rider is not bicycle specific and one of those things is something to protect the lips. Even in August riding across Coastal Georgia and South Carolina I learned the value of having something to counter dry, cracking lips. By day three I added a tube of generic, mineral oil based stuff that I found in a dollar store. It did the job and I have carried similar products in my handlebar bag since. Of the numerous ingredients in a typical lip balm one is commonly listed as an “active ingredients”; mineral oil or another petroleum product.
Because I like to buy locally and have been using Cross Creek Honey’s soap, which is available at the Saturday morning Farmers’ Market in Haile Village I decided to try their Don’t Bee Filthy branded Honey Kiss Lip Balm. Jennifer makes this along with the other Don’t Bee Filthy products; soap, lotion bar and bees’ wax candles. The ingredients’ list is short; Almond Oil, Honey, and Cross Creek Beeswax. I like that I’m not so going to ingest mineral oil, microcrystalline wax and copernicia cerifera. Those things might not cause me harm, but I am certain that almond oil, honey and beeswax won’t.

The only thing that really matters, I guess, is whether it works and it does; at least as well as commercial varieties. I applied commercial products about every 90 minutes of a recreational ride and Don’t Bee Filthy lasts as long if not longer. Honey Kiss Lip Balm cost $3 and is at least as valuable as a good pair of gloves.


Something that won’t improve your ride but is worth riding to the Haile Village Farmers’ Market to acquire is KN Candied Jalapenos. Few things do as good a job of turning mundane or boring into “damn, that was good.” Combining hot and sweet isn’t unique, but blending the two tastes so that neither overwhelms the other comes close to being an art and Al, the man behind the product, does a good job of creating a masterpiece of taste.
Al tells potential customers that his creation is “a lot like a bread and butter pickle” and it is, with the addition of jalapeno heat. Lovers of heat consume the jalapenos much like a pickle while others use them as an addition to other things. My favorite use is as a finely chopped addition to tuna, potato, chicken and egg salad. The sweet heat amplifies the overall taste of each.

The single negative about KN Candied Jalapenos is that they are not available every weekend as Al serves multiple locations. This is a minor inconvenience since I visit The Village weekly and it might mean you’d have to settle for fresh produce, coffee or some of the other locally produce products.