Pining for Panniers

My Pashley Princess is undergoing a little make-over and, among other things, she will be getting panniers for her rear rack. My criteria for the panniers, are that they be of a classic design and colour, water resistant, connected at the top so that they hang over the rack (rather than two separate bags connected to each side of the rack), easy to open, fairly compact, and fit my 13" Macbook (sideways is fine). I have narrowed it down to the following:



[image via bikebarn]

Brooks "Brick Lane" roll-up panniers. I have been eying these since before I bought my Pashley last year, but haven't been able to afford them. The panniers are waxed canvas. They roll up tidily when unused and expand when needed. They look gorgeous and come in a "moss" colour that makes me weep. I have read reviews describing them as the best panniers ever, and I have read reviews describing them as impractical and too small. Retail price seems to be around $250.



[image via Basil]

Basil "D'azur" double-bag. Less than half the price of the Brooks roll-ups (around $100 retail), these look classic, practical and low-key. They are not compact and will stay 3-D even when empty. I have not found any reviews of these; they may be new.



[image via Rivendell]

Rivendell "TourSacks" rear rack panniers. I was so excited when Rivendell announced their plans to manufacture these, and now they are finally available to order. These don't roll up, but they will stay flat when empty. The price is around $200.



[image via Wald]



An alternative to the panniers are these Wald folding baskets for $40 per pair. But I am just not sure that these will suit the Pashley. I was hoping to try them at a local bike shop, but no one seems to have them in stock this summer.



So, what do you think? If anybody owns either of these and has any words of wisdom from experience, please chime in. Also, if there are other panniers out there I've missed that you can recommend (given my criteria), please let me know. I don't want to buy a set of panniers just for the looks, and it's so hard to know what's what based on pictures and online descriptions alone.

Petzl Lynx?

They are being delivered now. I saw them in several stores in the Rockies while on a road trip this week.

Everyone made a point of saying, "stock is limited".

SC II - first real ice routes of the season

Sunday we went to SC-II. It was seriously cold. Temps were below 0° and the wind was howling like crazy. It was Laura and I, Joel Toretti and PA Matt, CO Matt and his wife Rebecca. We were greeted by the howling winds at the Cliffs parking area. Upon hiking in, we found that the cold temperatures had locked up most of the water. There is still some water running and with the forecast calling for the lower 20's, the water will be flowing again in no time. Climbs are looking good. Laura and I climbed Called on Account of Security which was bonded much better than several days prior. The climb is a little thin at the bottom, but gets better as you go up. FYI There's a V thread backed up by a screw at the P1 Belay for lowering from there. P2 wasn't quite formed up yet. Joel tried to get on The Awakening, but the climb was very brittle and the temps were a little less than favorable for gear placement. They opted to drop a TR on the right central and run laps. Matt and Rebecca opted to head out earlier due to the cold. We ended the day around 3:00. It was a good day and we made some new ice climbing friends. I was glad to get up Called despite the temps and thin, brittle ice. Here's a few photos from the day.

Fashion Friday - It's a pants off!

The last week sawprobably the most exceptional pants wearingThe Cave has ever seen.









Frey Yulepulled off a stunning hibiscus board pant in bluewith a simple lemon chalk bag by Black Diamond and a translucent green denture brush.

jjobrienclimbing votes this look: Flawless





















Matt Walpole went all out Acid with awildPsy-Macaw Board Pant,

Dippers chalk bag in Acid Fluff with a deep pink plush lining (Aussie made too, that's nice)

framed in a Wild Country Syncro (way too many gear loops for practical sport climbing, but the added colour and structure works super, don't you think?)













Remember jjobrienclimbing says:Fashion iswhat separates climbers from monkeys.

Stream and Flowers

Because summer has arrived in the Netherlands

Finally! So I bought one of my favourite drink, Martini Rose sparkling wine to celebrate a bit. Really good when served chilled. I discovered this wine 2 years ago.

And I have been eating my favourite seafood salads in outdoor terraces during lunch. Yummy. I can eat this for days and I will not complain.

Ah, one must always seek the good life huh. But I hope the warm and dry weather stays???

Exploring by Bike: Alternative to Touring

While I both travel and cycle a great deal, I have come to the conclusion that bicycle touring is not for me. This is not to say that I have anything against bicycle touring at all; it sounds like fun for those who enjoy it, and I love reading others' accounts of it. But it does not appeal to me personally for the same reason I've never liked touring in general: I am not satisfied passing through places. For instance, the idea of touring Ireland - that is, trying to see as much of the island as possible by going from town to town - would leave me feeling disoriented and empty. I enjoy getting to know a place, connecting to it in some way. And I don't feel that I can do that via sight seeing and moving on.






The way I see bicycle touring, is that it is first and foremost about traveling by bike. But what if we want to delve deeper rather than go further? Exploring by bicycle could be a rewarding alternative.






My idea of exploring involves choosing a location of significance, and committing to staying there for whatever length of time is sufficient in order to feel settled. For me that means a minimum of a week. The key is then to have something to do there other than sightseeing in of itself. A work-related project. An artistic, literary or research pursuit. Relatives or friends to visit. Something that anchors me to the place and provides an occupation.






Long ago I've noticed that when we approach a trip as a vacation, we expect the place we are visiting to entertain us. But that approach cannot possibly reveal what this place is truly like. For that we need to actually experience it in a real-life setting, as a temporary resident with a purpose rather than as a tourist. We will still get to see all the sights while there, but everything we see will attain a far greater sense of context and personal meaning.





We will also be much more likely to notice nuances that might have otherwise evaded us.







So where does the bicycle come into all of this? Well, to me the bicycle makes an ideal tool for exploring, in that it allows me to set my own pace and to vary that pace spontaneously. I can go as fast or as slow as I like. I can cover long distances or I can ride around in circles. I can carry all that I need with me for the day, transitioning easily between cycling for the sake of cycling, exploring, and transportation. On my first day on the Antrim coast my travel radius was tiny, but I rode quite a bit. Another day I might find myself 50 miles from my home base.





On my bike, I can feel the landscape open up and reveal itself to me as it never does with any other mode of transportation. I can also ride to the grocery store - or to the pub, or to the library, or to a meeting, or to a friend's house.







The bike allows me to feel at home, comfortable, and entirely independent in the place I am exploring and I couldn't ask for more. Maybe I will tour some day. But for now I prefer to stay put and go deep. The bicycle is as perfect of a companion for this kind of travel as it is for touring. The possibilities are endless.

Girls, Girls, Girls

As I said, we pretty much had Mom all to ourselves this visit. We were able to see Katie and her girls for a bit on the day we were heading out. I so appreciated that also because Katie and I rarely get time together. We had a really nice chat while Abbey showed me how she can roller blade. Katie is like Aubi, she likes animals and they like her.



I had a little bit of time with my lovely nieces. They are two of the cutest girls ever and they are just cool kids to boot. Abbey is getting more grown up each time we see her. She is getting ready to enter that pre-teen stage. For now, she still seems to have a bit of the I'm happy being a little girl left in her. She drew me some pictures and showed me her talent there. She also loves animals. She is a sweetheart.



Mikaylah is the one who came and spent time with us in Arizona. She is much quieter when everyone else is around, which is too bad because she is an absolute hoot when she does talk. She is stunning with her beauty, both inside and out. She's really creative. She's smart as a whip. She loves crafts like me. And she is a sweetheart too.



They are typical sisters meaning they love each other and they fight like sisters who love each other.



One thing I did not like about this visit with the girls-Miss Abbey is almost as tall as me. How this is possible, I have no idea. I think she is going to be a tall one like Lauren, Auburn and Ambir.



Maybe Mikaylah will stay short like Ashleigh and I. Either way, they are gorgeous girlies and I love my time with them.



Living the life in Virginia!

Unexpected Not So Fun Trip

We were so excited to settle into one of our favorite places to land, and catch up with the local crowd here. I have said before how much the people here make this place so great. They are seriously the most friendly crowd of any of the parks.



We played some pickleball with them. We signed up for the (Ken and Faye's) Labor Day pickleball tournament. Then we headed to bed. A few hours later, I woke up in intense pain. I was sitting in the living room doubled over and only a few choice words kept rolling through my brain. By the time Nathan got up to check on me, I told him I think we need to get to the hospital.



We get to the hospital where it seems they have an unusually busy night. I was having so much pain that I wasn't helpful in telling them where it hurt. So it took them some time to narrow down what exactly was wrong. Early in the morning they said they could tell the gallbladder was enlarged and there was water around it. They thought it needed to come out.



Long story short, at 8 am the next day I had my gallbladder removed. It was infected and had needed to come out. This is not a trip I wanted to take at all. The upside to this trip was I couldn't imagine a better place to have this surgery done. The entire staff that we encountered was top notch. I have never had a staff be more interactive with us, explaining each and every step of the way what was going on. This is by far the best experience I have ever had in a hospital.



The funny part of this story: I realized the next day that I came in wearing my PJ's. I am guessing I was in a LOT of pain for this to happen because I don't think I've ever left my house in my PJ's. Well, not entirely true. I used to wear my PJ bottoms to pickleball. I will probably still wear my PJ bottoms to pickleball but I can't recall ever wearing the top out and about.



I am grateful to be not working so I can fully rest. Mom gave me a gracious gift towards my scrapbooking fun, so I will rest while doing something I love. Right now I'm very, very sore and very, very tired. I think surgeries are like having babies, they are probably easiest on the body when you are young and bounce back quicker. Sadly with surgery stuff, you tend to have more of them when older and not the other way around. Here's to hoping this is the last surgery I have for a long, long time.

Aunts

these are my aunts, Elnora and Wanda who also came to visit me for a couple of days. In the second photo are my aunts and myself. It was sure good to see them.

The Vintage Bike Shop: a Visit to 'Old Roads' in Cambridge, MA

Used and vintage bicycle shops can be great resources on a number of levels. For the beginner cyclist, they can provide clean, tuned-up alternatives to the treacherous waters ofCraigslistandebay. For the DIY tinkerer, they can be a source for older parts and accessories. And for the seasoned collector, they can, on occasion, offer up a gem of a bicycle that one would not normally come across elsewhere. A vintage bike shop is certainly worth a visit, if one exists in your area. In Boston, we are lucky to haveOld Roads- located in theCambridge Antiques Market, just a 15 minute bike ride from my home.



Presuming that most of the bicycles offered are found locally, vintage bike shops are in a sense like museums of history: They give you an idea of what kind of bikes were popular in your area over decades past. It amazes me that no matter how many of these bikes are sold (and I've personally played matchmaker in several deals), Boston does not seem to run out of its stock of early full-chaincase Raleighs. Just imagine how many of these things must have been on the streets in the '30s-70s. The model above is an original early 1930s version.



(Cuppa tea?)



Situated in the dungeon-like basement of the Antiques Market (formerly a coffin factory!), "Old Roads" is really a joint project between two shops:Menotomy Vintage Bicycles, owned by Vinny,



and Cambridge Used Bicycles, owned by Ed. They began selling bikes out of this space in , and have since become a staple of the vintage bicycle scene in the Boston area.



The full extend of their inventory is impossible to capture, due to the sprawling, cavernous nature of the space - which makes being there in person all the more exciting. There are rows and rows of vintage bicycles - on the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling, everywhere you look really.



Though initially, the focus of the shop was meant to be on antique bicycles, it soon became apparent that the local population was mostly interested in reliable 3-speeds and 10-speeds from the 1960s through the early 1980s, to be used as transportation. And so, increasingly, the inventory began to accommodate this. Now the shop offers a stagerring variety of bicycles, in one of five categories: vintage 3-speeds, vintage roadbikes, early vintage cruisers, antique bikes (pre-WWII), and some used newer bikes from the 1990s onward - including a couple of hand-painted "fixies".



For me, the 3-speeds are the biggest attraction. There are dozens of them, both men's and ladies'. Though Raleigh and Schwinn are the names you will see most frequently, more unusual offerings are often found as well.



Phillips, England



Royal Crown, England



Royce Union, Holland. And there are many others. With chaincases and without, English and Dutch, step through and diamond frame, some even with the original dynamo lighting.



And of course the antique offerings never fail to impress. The above is a Butcher's bike, most likely from the 1920s.

I am guessing this butcher was a heavy guy!

There is also a slew of accessories in stock, including chainguards, handlebars, saddles, tires and racks.

Even vintage bottle generators are available, for those who find the modern ones too high tech.

Ephemera and t-shirts, too.

In addition to its physical presence, Old Roads offers a number of online resources for the Boston area and beyond. They host a message board where visitors can discuss a multitude of topics pertaining to vintage bikes, as well as post for sale/ wanted ads free of charge. They offer a price guide for used and vintage bicycles. And they sell some interesting hard to find parts online. While in the summer, bicycles are sold only locally, during the winter they can be shipped outside the Boston area as well. For those looking for a vintage English 3-speed in clean condition, this can be a good option if your area has a shortage.

Like proprietors of used bookstores, vintage bike shop owners tend to be genuine enthusiasts - which means that the customer can benefit a lot more from interacting with them, than from interacting with someone who just wants to sell their old bike. Interesting stories, helpful advice, and local bicycle lore are just some of these benefits. Out of curiosity: Are there used or vintage bike shops in your area, and do you find them useful?

Hats Off!

Because quite a few of you have ordered hats from me as part of barter deals via the Trading Post, I wanted to announce that: (1) I am now done with all the ones I promised thus far and they are going out in the mail on Monday, and (2) My waiting list has cleared and I am ready for more trades. Thank you for your interest in these, and I am happy to make them. I have problems with the nerves in my hands and knitting is a good form of physical therapy for that - so it's great to be "forced" to do it. While I am not looking to start selling hats, I am more than happy to trade them for bicycle components and whatever other stuff might appear on my Trading Post "want" list. Since I've received a lot of questions about the hats, I thought I'd provide some details here, and link to this post whenever someone has a question. Please feel free to skip if this is not of interest.





Materials and Patterns: I use a soft 100% Peruvian wool. I have a very good source for the wool now and can get pretty much any colour you want. I don't use patterns, but make up my own designs.





Styles: I can make three basic type of hats in many variations: a ski-hat ("beanie"), a rounded Scandinavian style hat, and a slouchy beret. I don't make hats with ear flaps or visors.





Texture: Most of my hats have some textural variation to them. This adds structure to the hat, as well as visual interest - especially when the hat is all one colour. If you prefer them to be smooth, that is fine as well.





Extra warmth? By default, the hats are warm and wind-proof. But if you want one that is extra warm, I can do that by using stitching that makes the hat thicker.



Summer hats? I can also make a summer weight beret using a delicate cashmere blend.





Colour combinations: Hats can be made single tone, or in various colour combinations. I like stripes and organic forms. If you have something specific in mind, let me know!





Which hat for under a helmet? If you want a hat specifically to wear under a helmet, I recommend opting for a ski hat with no textural variation. The colour combination of course does not matter.





Trade value?No idea. So far I've traded for things like handlebars and vintage camera equipment, and multiple hats for a (new) wheelset. The more complicated the pattern, the more time consuming a hat is to make, but I have no concrete value system in place. I am not looking to start a hat business or to market these. It's just a fun way to trade and thanks again for the interest!