Jumping Cat

"Evil's" bastard son.

What is it about this shot? I like it, but I find it unsettling.The twisty posture? The way the rock receeds so sharply away, the rope trail? No, something else.It could be the toe hook.It stirs dread in me. Is that not the weakest move in a climbers bag?Using a muscle designed to do no more that lift the foot for walking.



Frey Yule on his route "Evil Knievel" 29 (8a)Starts up "Evil Wears No Pants" then goes left.















There's usually no elegant way of releasing a toe hook either. It's hook or cut loose.













The mandatory cut loose. And a chance for me to check the soles of Freys shoes up close.

Hmm, no special tread pattern, he must just be strong.













That's Sister Matt on belay.























Dark, moodypossibilities, all of them marginal.









Climbers, I know you are all thinking "let me at it" but this one looks veeery tricky.





















Come in out of the rain Frey.









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Hoh Rain Forest

We were up and on the go again. Still heading north but with a long side trip into the Hoh Rain Forest. The rain forests in Washington are the only rain forests in the continental United States. And I was disappointed as it wasn't raining. But still it was very enjoyable and beautiful to see. Everything, and I mean everything was covered with moss, and ferns. Everything was green, so very, very green, an almost jewel-like green. It was so different to the forests we have here in New Mexico. I was almost afraid to step off the trails because the undergrowth was so thick and I was sure I would get lost. The trees were so tall and the plants and scrubs so thick it was hard to see the sky and sun, so that you could tell the four directions. Even the pay phone booth and a tool shed were covered in moss and ferns. We followed the Hoh River on a lot of this journey and it was a clear, sparkling river, not running real fast as it was August but neither was it wasting any time.

Retrovelo Paula in the Countryside (with Her Vintage Friend)

I have written about Anna's Retrovelo Paula before, but I was not able to evaluate the ride after what was only a couple of minutes on a cold November day. This time around it was summer, and Anna and I went on a nice long trip along the Danube - she on her Retrovelo Paula and me on theSteyr Waffenrad (the bike I ride while in Vienna). Our ride was30-miles round trip, and for a stretch of it we swapped bikes.



Here is Anna on her beautiful bike.



I must pause and mention here that she was wearing a stunning outfit taylor-made for her in India: slate blue kaftan, white trousers and white cape. It looked elegant and kept her cool on what turned out to be a very hot day.



But back to the bikes: neither the Retrovelo nor the vintage bike I was riding had a problem with the magnitude of the ride, which did include occasional (but mild) hills.



We rolled out of Vienna and passed through the beautiful countryside of Klosterneuburg, Krietzendorf, eventually stopping at a scenic spot in Greifenstein.



Here is me with the Retrovelo Paula during our trip. This dog decided to join us for a bit - no doubt because he liked the bike!



Anna's feet and sandals. My main impression of the Retrovelo Paula is that it is a comfortable ride with a feel of gliding to it. The bicycle is clearly well-made and of high quality. It rode very differently from the vintage Austrian bike I was on, but similarly to my Pashley back home (afterthe latest round of modifications I made to the Pashley). Prior to its latest modifications,I would say my Pashley was more sluggish than the Retrovelo Paula, but post-modifications they are about the same. One interesting point, is that I did not feel a huge difference in "cushiness" between the Delta Cruiser tires that I had been riding on my vintage bike, and the Fat Frank tires on the Retrovelo; to my surprise the ride quality was similar.



Overall I liked the Retrovelo Paula, and found its ride quality to be in the same general category as that of Pashley and Velorbis. I think that between the three of these, preferences really depend on individual tastes more than anything else. I know of one former Pashley owner who tried the Retrovelo, liked it better, and has now gotten one (and is selling her Pashley). However, I do not feel the same, and wonder how much of the difference she felt is component and setup-related. The Retrovelo is a very pared-down bike in comparison to the Pashley, and I think the choices of tires and gearing further contribute to the sportier feel of the ride if we compare their "out of the box" set-ups - but all of that can be changed, and I feel that the basic ride quality is similar.



In terms of manufacturing quality, I would rateRetrovelo as being on par with Pashley and better than Velorbis.Aesthetically, I think the Retrovelo has hands-down the best fork-crown design and lugwork of the three, but it has a few practical drawbacks - such as a lack of chaincase and dressguard.As for weight, the Retrovelo Anna was riding felt to me as if it weighed exactly the same as my Pashley at home; it is not a light bicycle by any means.



Other random notes... The Retrovelo has handlebars that to me feel unusually wide, a bit like cruiser bars. Some may like this, others may not. The braking system is hand-activated hub brakes. If you are a coaster brake fan keep that in mind, but I know that some dislike coaster brakes and will see this as great news. The bicycle is equipped with dynamo lighting, front and rear.



The bottom line is: the Retrovelo is an excellent modern bicycle built in the classic tradition. It is fairly fast and maneuverable, comfortable, gorgeous, and its owners love it. If it is within your budget, I doubt that you will regret choosing this bike.



But... I have yet to find a modern bike with a ride quality I like better than my vintage Raleigh DL-1 or the vintage Steyr Waffenrad I ride in Austria. I honestly wish that wasn't so, as I'd feel more comfortable riding a reliable modern bicycle than a vintage one. But it is as if the modern designs did something to the geometry of the bikes that has made them less efficient than their vintage equivalents. Maybe someday I will figure it out.

Jam Session

I have wanted to do a jam session since we joined Thousand Trails. Austin used to play at them, so he asked us not to come and watch him. This past winter, we kept saying we'd go and one thing after another got in the way. So it was really special to us that we could do it today.



I forgot my camera, but I think I saw Rich and Dee taking some pictures, so if they did then I'll try to get them so I can post a few here.

Hawker Food Culture in Singapore

In the first leg of my Singapore trip I have only eaten at ‘Hawker’ places. What a delight! I just love these home-grown places. They are the archetypal fast food places in the country, a celebrated and brilliant idea in bringing together and showcasing the different food culture and tradition -- Malay, Chinese, Indian that reflects the country’s colourful history in the now modern day Singapore.



Hawker food centres are very local, very low-key and very affordable, which are the reasons why I fell for these quirky places in the first place.



Tanglin Halt Market & Food Centre



This area is known as the elderly district but don’t let this set you back because they have a yummy hawker centre. Here I ordered the 'Prawn Noodle' at this stall for just S$3. It was delicious.











We also ordered 2 plates of 'Roasted Chicken Rice' at Tong Kee Chicken Rice for Sister J and Myrrh:











Then our drinks / desserts at this place:









The epitome of Singaporean ice dessert - Ice kachang (with mung beans, jelly and pearls), and this is my dessert, just S$1.







This one is a cocktail of fruits, pearl jellies, beans, milk and ice. You squeeze the lemon on top of the pretty cocktail. S$2.



Hawker places are basically a food court, market or a centre. It houses food stalls with a common seating area. They abound in Singapore and each neighbourhood has its own hawker. In the city centre there are many hawker places and I have already been to a few of them.



Singaporeans seldom cook because the food at hawker centres are fast, readily available (hello 24 hours) and cheap. You can have a meal for just S$4 (Singaporean Dollars) which is around 2.30 Euros. Not bad for a lunch or dinner huh?



I’ve also had my fair share of fancy restaurants in the first half of this year in the Netherlands and in my travels around Europe, as well as here in the Philippines where I am currently sitting, so I think I will be continuing my hunt for hawker places in the second leg of my Singapore trip which will happen in a few weeks.



Watch this space in the coming days and weeks as I will be posting the hawker places I have visited in the city.

Hot Wire

This is called the Tumbleweed Crossing and it is tumbleweed time. The tumbleweeds are growing ----- well, their growing like weeds. Actually they are not a 'weed'. Weed means any plant that is unwanted in your patch of the woods or in my case the desert. Tumbleweeds or Russian Thistles were brought to the United States as cattle fodder. People can eat them if picked young and tinder. I would think you could cookthemin a pot of greens or stew or maybe have them added to a salad.(I've never tried them.)

Regardless the horses love them. And since they are growing well at this time of the year my mares are trying their best to get to each and every one. Tumbleweeds make a good treat for the horses if you dare to pull one. I can't understand why the horses want to eat something that has so many stickers on it after it is more than a week old.

My mare, Nita, thinks her neck will stretch out like a giraffe and she can reach the ones on the outside of her pen. She leans over the fence, pushing on the posts to reach them and gradually pushes the fence down. Star prefers to reach under the fence, and frequently has scratches on her face where she scrapes it on the wire fence.

We spent yesterday replacing a couple of broken fence posts, pulling the wire back up into place and checking out the hot wire we have run around the top of the fence that hasn't been used since last summer.

The electric wire works and now the horses are not trying to get at the tumbleweeds on the outside of their fences.



I was leery of using it with Star since she is blind, but the horses seem to be able toknow when the wire is hot and when it isn't. Don't know if they can feel it or hear it or what. Anyway I didn't see either of them touch it but now they don't get more than 3 inches from the wire.

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger - 1909 and 1910

In Oct. 1909, the families met at the home of Christian Phend in Nappanee, Ind. to re-organize.
Meeting was called to order by Wm. Phend.
A song was rendered.
Prayer by Rev. Walmer.
Talk by Wm. Phend
Talk by Grandpa Phend
Remarks by Rev. Walmer.
The following officers were elected
Pres. - Wm. Phend
Sec'y - Ivy Wehrley
Treasurer - Christian Phend
Song "God Be With You Till we Meet Again" concluded the program.
A good dinner was served to about 40 guests.
Adjourned to meet again at John Ernests, near Dunlap on June 25, 1910.The P.M. was spent in seeing the sights about Nap[panee]




The Sec[ond] reunion of the Phend - Fisher families assembled at John Ernests, near Dunlap, June 25 - 1910.
The A. M. was spent in getting acquainted and exchanging greetings.
At noon a good dinner was served, under the large trees on the lawn. Each one bringing a filled lunch basket. About 70 partook of the bounteous feast.
At 3 o'clock the following program was rendered.
Song by all
Prayer by Geo. Walters.
Solo by Mrs. Belle Miller.
Recitation by Freddie Phend.
closing Song by All.
Adjournment.
Later it was decided to meet at the home of Frank Wehrleys in Nappanee, Ind on June - 1911.The following were from a distance - Sam'l Fisher - Kan.
Mr & Mrs Delvin Phend - Iowa
Mrs. Belle Miller - Iowa
Mr and Mrs. Jno. Ringenberger - Garret
Mr and Mrs Jacob Phend and family - Mich
Mr and Mrs Henery Phend and family - Columbia [City]
Mr and Mrs. Geo. Walters
To view all articles in this series click on the "Phend-Fisher Reunion Ledger" label at the bottom of this post.

Happy Holidays at Sea World

Today we visited Sea World, which was decked out for the holidays. It was such a treat to walk around hearing Christmas music while seeing all the decorations. It definitely put me in the holiday spirit.

We don't even have a Christmas tree this year. Nathan said he brought me to a place where there were tons of trees instead.

Beyond the fabulous decorations, there was holiday entertainment too. Christmas music:

An ice skating show:

Even Shamu's show was Holiday themed. I sat next to a cutie pie who made the show ten times better because she squealed with delight each time she saw the whales.

We had a great time and really loved the different shows! We hope to get back again to see the few shows we did miss before they change them out.



Living the life in Florida!

Cinematic: The Pilen Give-Away Contest!

As mentioned earlier, I will be giving away the beautiful Pilen Lyx bicycle from Sweden after I finish test riding it for review. One of my strongest associations with Sweden has to do with film. I love Swedish cinema and have seen most films by Ingmar Bergman at least twice. Moody, ethereal, and with an almost fetishistic degree of attention to movement through landscape, Swedish films are aesthetically and emotionally distinct. When I received the Pilen, ahhed over its looks, experienced its nuanced ride quality, and learned that it was built for forest trails, my overactive imagination immediately cast it in such a film.



And so, a contest to win the Pilen's hand in companionship:

Please create and share with us a photo (or digital image capture, if you will) that (1) depicts a person and a bicycle, and (2) evokes some aspect of Swedish film. If you don't know anything about Swedish film, you'll just have to watch some! The deadline for picture submissions is Sunday, June 26th, so there is time.



Details: You can interpret this task as you like. The photo can be serious, or it can be complete parody. The person in the photo does not have to be you, but I think it's more interesting if it is. There can be more than one person and bicycle in the photo. Use your imagination!



Entry Criteria:Due to shipping restrictions, this contest is limited to participants in the USA only. The Pilen Lyx is suitable for persons over 5'7" and/or with an inseam of 32" or longer. I cannot stress enough that this is a large bicycle. I would say that it is ideal for someone 5'9"-5'11". Though men are not prohibited from entering the contest, I would prefer to give the Pilento a woman. Taller women in the US have very few options for step-through bicycles.



Deadline:Picture must be submitted by Sunday June 26th.



Submission Guidelines: If at all possible, please upload submission pictures toflickr or another image sharing site, rather than emailing me file attachments. Then post a comment here with some sort of identifier (does not have to be your actual name), a functional email address, and a link to your photo. Please only email me (filigreevelo-at-yahoo) if for some reason you are unable to do this. Entries for this contest will be public, and I will post emailed entries in the comments myself. Any questions, please ask in the comments.



Thank you for taking part and thank you to BoxCycles for donating this bicycle!

A "Special" Sunrise!

Why is this sunrise special? 'Tis the anniversary of my birth! The morning of February 17th was a little chilly but it turned out to be a splendid day. A beautiful sunrise. Blue Skies. Sunshine All Day. Temperatures in the upper 60s.

After spending three days in San Antonio with my friend Diana (also a Joslin cousin, 3rd cousin once removed - and thanks Diana for your hospitality!) I checked the weather forecast and saw that Padre Island and Corpus Christi were supposed to have several really nice days, I headed back east. I wasn't disappointed.

I arrived at Padre Island National Seashore at about noon on Tuesday to clear skies and sunshine and left on Thursday morning with gray clouds blanketing the sky and blocking out the sun. But it was still warm! Two days of strolling the beach and soaking up the vitamin D. Quite nice, thank you very much.

Riding the Pilen: a Multitude of Impressions

Since the Pilen give-away contest is happening before a final review will be published, I wanted to write up a separate post about its ride quality. It's funny that even though I should know better, I am still fooled into thinking that I "know" a bike based on the way it looks, and this was the case here. "A swan frame," I thought, "this will be just like my Austrian bike." But the Pilen is a completely different bicycle. Moreover, my impression of its ride quality differs from others' impressions, which apparently may be a factor of my size. But let me start from the beginning.

As described before, the bicycle is a 56/58cm frame with 700Cx50mm tires, which makes it a pretty large bicycle for a person my size. Since I am barely tall enough to ride it, I have the saddle almost all the way down. I also lowered the handlebars as much as I could. The bars are flared out quite a bit - almost placing the hands in a mountain bike style position - and having them set high felt unnatural. In the position shown, the saddle and handlebars feel more or less fine, though personally I prefer bars that are more swept back.



What I like best about the Pilen is its remarkable stability. Traditional Dutch bikes tend to have a light front end, which can make the steering feel difficult to control for those who are not used to it. Though I love the ride quality of Dutch bikes, I too remember being taken aback by the light steering when I first tried them. In comparison, the Pilen is extremely well balanced. It is a very easy bike to control and it handles predictably. I keep switching between the Pilen and my vintage Gazelle, and the Gazelle always feels shaky after the Pilen.



The wide, cushySchwalbeBig Apple tires offer another advantage. Potholes or road shock of any kind are a non-issue; the bike just rolls over uneven terrain and I don't feel a thing.



The surprising downside for me when riding the Pilen, is my experience with speed and acceleration. I am finding this hard to put into words, but let me try: When I attempt to ride the bike at the speed I am accustomed to, it is as if I feel a resistance. I have to push harder in order to keep it going fast, and this puts a strain on my legs. My first thought was that the gearing must be too high, because it feels better to start it in 1st gear, whereas on my other 3-speeds I am fine starting in 2nd. However, as soon as I accelerate, not only do I quickly find it necessary to switch into 2nd, then 3rd gear, but I also soon begin to max out the 3rd gear. This makes no sense, because the Shimanohub used on the Pilenis not spaced any closer than the 3-speed hubs I use on my other bikes; I should not be running out of gears. Even more odd is that I feel the strain in my legs regardless of what gear I am in and how fast I am going. According to the Co-Habitant's computer, I did manage to get the Pilenup to 17mph. But this was more effortful than on my other upright 3-speed bikes.



I shared these impressions with Todd of Clever Cycles - who is one of the North American retailers stocking these bikes and therefore has experience with them. Todd suggested it was possible that the bike is "overbuilt" for me - meaning that the tubing and the wheels are specced with a rider larger and heavier than me in mind. Though I have heard the "overbuilt" theory before (mainly when it comes to Surly bikes - which also seem to be best enjoyed by heavier riders), to be honestI found the idea improbable. I thought it was more likely that I needed to keep playing with the saddle and handlebar positions, or change the rear cog after all.



Then something happened to suggest that Todd may be on to something: A woman who is taller and heavier than me was over for a visit, and she wanted to try the Pilen. She did, and she absolutely loved it. She called it zippy and fast. She asked me what I thought of the bike, and I told her my honest impressions, but her impressions were totally different. She is not a stronger cyclist than I am. But the Pilens'ssize seemed just right for her and she looked a lot more natural on the bike than I do. She has tried a lot of other bikes at this point, including several Dutch bikes and the Rivendell Betty Foy, so she does have a solid basis for comparison. She preferred the Pilen's ride qualityto all of these.



Now I was seriously intrigued. I asked the Co-Habitant to ride the Pilen. He is just over 6' tall and weighs over 200lb. He raised the saddle and took the bike for a spin. He loved it and wanted to keep riding it. He thought it was nimble and a bit faster than his Pashley Roadster. He loved the cushy tires. He could not relate to my feedback at all and did not sense anything odd about the gearing.



Next I took the Pilen over to "cycler," of Biking in Heels. She and I are roughly the same height and weight. She loved the looks of the bike(as do I), but found the ride quality odd. Without my having said anything in advance, she had similar things to say about the gearing feeling too closely spaced as I have expressed above. She also found the "cockpit" configuration to feel unnatural compared to her own upright bikes (a Raleigh Sports and several DL-1s).



At this point, I am not sure what to conclude, or whether it is even appropriate to make any conclusions. I've tried to describe things as they are. It seems likely that the bike is indeed built with taller and heavier riders in mind, and that it handles differently for those riders. I cannot say via direct experience, as I can't magically enlarge myself and try it both ways. The two heavier persons who have test-ridden the Pilen in my presence were enthusiastic with their feedback, and witnessing this makes it clear that sometimes it is a matter of matching up the right bike with the right owner. Your thoughts on this are welcome. Have you felt that some bikes were overbuilt or underbuilt for your body type?