Wild green apples and cultured red apples

While at Marienwaerdt I wanted to show MadamE the place. I was planning on taking a walk to the klooster (monastery) and the river banks however we did not have enough time on our hands. So instead we went by car.

We actually drove outside of the property. We drove on a narrow winding dike that protects the property from the rising rivers. The dike road was lined up with wild green apples. Being city girls, we were so amazed at the rows and rows of green apple bearing trees.

Further ahead as we reached the nearby village we saw fences of cultured red apples clinging to a stake. Apples seems to be a popular fruit in Geldermalsen area.

Next time when we or I have time I will go to a fruit farm and help pluck the fruits.

Visit Period: September

California :: Point Mugu

While serving in the Navy, I was stationed at Point Mugu during the years 1974-1977 and lived nearby at Port Hueneme and Oxnard. The last time I was there was in 1979 upon my return from Japan.

Many things have changed, but unlike a few other places I've revisited, I also found that some things were the same.

My apartment was only a few blocks from the beach and the park at Port Hueneme. The park has been expanded and improved. In fact, there was work going on during my visit. Condominiums and large apartment complexes have been built along the shore. Surprisingly my old apartment building was still there as was the shabby motel and strip shopping mall.

My drive from the apartment to the base took me down Hueneme Road. It really hadn't changed all that much. There are still fields of strawberries – I used to stop at a stand nearly every day when they were in season – and acres upon acres of vegetables being grown. That part of the valley was mostly agricultural and still is.

From what I could see on my drive past the base, not much has changed there either. The housing visible from the road looked the same as it did 30+ years ago.

Driving on down Highway 1 beyond the base was “the rock” and the coast, where I spent many an hour watching the waves crash against the shore. Ah, memories.

The Point Mugu Rock, seen from the south, with Highway 1 passing through the opening.

And from a distance, along the shore.

Stainless Steel Rainbow Bike

Here's something to brighten up your weekend: Rainbow bike!



Back in November, reader Jim P. was trying to choose a colour scheme for the stainless steelRoyal H. bicycle he had ordered and somehow I ended up helping. Jim mentioned turqouise and possibly violet. I suggested multi-coloured bands. The painter's interpretation was unexpected, but delightful: Rainbow Bike was born.



Just as the wildflowers of Somerville started to blossom, so did Rainbow Bike emerge, fully built up, out of the Royal H. workshop.



Bryan Hollingsworth makes diverse bicycles, and this one is a combination of classic and modern: A lugged steel frame with contemporary colourwork, an 8-speed hub, upright handlebars, dynamo lighting, drum brakes, and deep V wheels with 700Cx32mm tires.



Decidedly sexy fork ends.



Massive Shimano 8-speed hub with cooling fan to prevent overheating during prolonged braking.



Sturmey Archerdynamo hub.



Italian Porteur-ish handlebars from Bella Ciao.



Twist shifter with built in brake lever.



Sugino crankset.



Velo Orange city pedals.



Brooks B72 saddle.



And zippyContinental tires with sleek modern fenders (I believe these arePlanet Bike, but not sure).



(Have mudflaps ever been used with deep V wheels before?..)



And lest I forget - the lugwork.



More lugwork!



Rainbow lugwork...



Looking at this bicycle is making me feel hyperactive!



One nice thing about Bryan, is that he and I are roughly the same height, as are some of his clients... which means I can test ride the bikes! With permission, of course.



Ever-curious to try new bikes, I could not resist taking it on a test ride.



At first I was nervous, since I was riding somebody else's bicycle. But Rainbow Bike was so much fun, that I soon got over it and began to enjoy it. I rodethrough Somerville and Cambridge, stopping for photos along the way.



Designed to be light, zippy, but comfortable, that is exactly how Rainbow Bike handled. The ride quality felt similar to my mixte in its stability and responsiveness, but slightly less aggressive. It's possible that this might just be the result of my bike's handlebars being set lower, but it could also be something in the geometry, not sure. I also did not feel as much flex in the fork on this bike as I feel on my mixte, and Bryan confirmed that he made the fork on this one stiffer, because of the drum brake.



All in all, I was surpsised at how quickly I felt at home on this bicycle. If it were my bike, I would have set it up somewhat differently - choosing classic components and wider tires. But it's not my bike, and experiencing something that I would not myself order was part of the fun. I was almost disappointed that the deep V rim wheels did not feel any different to ride than standard wheels. Bryan says that he prefers them, because they are stronger. I think that they fit in well with the overall theme of this bicycle. The 8-speed Shimano hub was 5 speeds too many for me, but it performed absolutely fine and had a very comfortable 6th gear that I stayed in for most of the time. I loved the Velo Orange city pedals, which I'd never tried before. Everything functioned smoothly, and the bike seems ready for its new owner - though first it will be heading to the New Amsterdam Bike Show in New York City to prance and show off a bit.



Thank you to Bryan and Jim for letting me test ride the bicycle. Rainbow Bike wishes you all a sunny and beautiful weekend!

Phu Nuru Sherpa volunteers with Climbing Rangers

The Mount Rainier climbing rangers at both Camp Schurman and Camp Muir were honored to have a special guest volunteer with us over the past two weeks in Phu Nuru Sherpa. Not only is Phu Nuru a strong, talented climber with an extensive climbing resume, he's also a fun, light-hearted man who everyone enjoyed working with. Before arriving at Mount Rainier, Phu Nuru also volunteered with the Denali climbing rangers, patrolling North America's highest peak with one of our own rangers, David Weber. Phu Nuru is visiting the United States for a variety of rescue trainings on scholarship from the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation (http://www.alexlowe.org/).

Phu Nuru, a resident of Phortse, Nepal, has an extensive climbing and guiding resume that includes four summits of Mt. Everest (29,028'), eleven summits of the sixth highest mountain in the world, Cho Oyu (26,864'), and climbs of twelve different 6000 meter peaks in the Himalaya. He is also a senior instructor at the Khumbu Climbing School which is held every winter in Phortse to train local guides in technical mountaineering, rescue, wilderness medicine and English language skills.

While on patrol at Camp Muir with climbing ranger David Weber, Phu Nuru enjoyed a beautiful sunset from the summit of Mount Rainier via the Disappointment Cleaver route. A majority of his time on patrol was spent practicing technical rescue, avalanche rescue and wilderness medicine skills with Weber. During his stay at Camp Schurman, Phu Nuru not only climbed the Emmons-Winthrop route but he also participated in an impromptu day of mountaineering rescue training (see photo) taught by lead climbing ranger and veteran rope rescue instructor, David Gottlieb.

Phunuru will spend the month of August enrolled on a mountaineering course in the North Cascades of Washington State to compliment his mountain rescue apprenticeship. Upon his return to Nepal later this fall, Phunuru plans to continue collaborating with Weber, the ALCF and Dr. Luanne Freer (http://www.everester.org/) to develop a similar rescue program on Mount Everest to respond to accidents during the spring climbing season.

Mountaineering aside, the cultural and social exchange between the climbing rangers and Phu Nuru benefitted everyone involved and we hope to host many more Nepalese rescuers like him in the years to come!

Vienna's Wrong Way Bike Lanes

As many other cities with cycling infrastructure, Vienna is full of one way streets with bike lanes going against traffic. This is done to make travel more convenient for cyclist. The drawback is that it places cyclists and motor vehicles in situations where they can potentially collide with each other. One way this could happen is when the road is so narrow that a car cannot keep out of the bike lane entirely. Another potentially hazardous scenario is when vehicles emerge from around the corner, as shown here.



When I first saw the wrong way bike lanes, I was scared to ride on them. Surely it was only a matter of time before some car or motorcycle hit me head on? However, cyclists in Vienna use these lanes all the time, and as far as I know collisions are very rare. Eventually I got used to the design and began to trust it.



Drivers appear to be vigilant and in control of their vehicles; they can stop on a dime, and have for me. And no doubt the 30km/h (18.6mph) speed limit helps. The funny thing is that whenever I leave Vienna and remember the wrong-way bike lanes, their safety seems implausible. Only when I am here do I again believe that it's okay. What are your thoughts about this design?

The Paper Bicycle: Cool and Practical Transportation

I had the Paper Bicycle on loan from Adeline Adeline in NYC for several months, and have so many things to say about it that it is hard to organise my thoughts. While the unique look is what drew me to this bike initially, it is the handling that left the biggest impression. I will try to cover all the bases.




The Paper Bicycle is Scottish, designed byNick Lobnitz originally for use by the Royal Mail. Over time, the design moved toward something that could be used by everyone, as an "everyday bicycle." The designer describes it as "relaxed and nimble... a machine that just works every time you need it to, and a journey that leaves you comfortable, clean and refreshed." While it is difficult to glean where the name "Paper Bicycle" came from exactly, to me it makes sense because the bike resembles an elaborate origami creation.





The Paper Bicycle's frames are TIG-welded of oversized cromoly steel tubing, handbuilt in Taiwan and finished in Scotland. Notably, the frame has no seat stays and no top tube. Instead, it is reinforced with an elaborate "double chaincase" structure on both the drivetrain and non-drivetrain side.







The structure is an inherent and multifunctional part of the frame that simultaneously gives it sufficient stiffness, contributes to the low center of gravity, creates a number of convenient spots for locking up the bike, acts as a lifting handle, and of course houses the full chaincase.





The joints of the frame are smoothly finished, as is the wide unicorn unicrown fork (typo was too funny to remove). The downtube protrudes slightly past the joint with the headtube, and the rear brake cable is routed through it internally, the tube's opening covered with a lid of sorts with a cutout for the cable. I have seen similar tube joints on a couple of other contemporary bicycles (VanMoof's protruding top tube comes to mind), but the Paper Bicycle's design strikes me as the most elegant and harmonious of the bunch.






The Paper Bicycle is available in one size only and will fit riders 5' - 6'4". It is designed for 26" wheels with fatSchwalbeBig Apple tires. It comes equipped with front and rear Sturmey Archer(roller) hub brakes, fenders, optional dynamo lighting, and it is available as either a single speed or an 8-speed. A number of powdercoat and chaincase panel options are available and the bike is easily customisable with company logos. For detailed specifications, see here.






The handlebars have just enough sweep to them for the hands and wrists to rest naturally, while remaining aggressive and allowing for a great deal of steering control. The diminutive teapot bell works via a trigger mechanism.





The gripping areas are quite long - for me at least a handful and a half each. The rubber grips are finely textured and non-slip. The Sturmey Archer levers provide good leverage and easy to squeeze.







I received the bicycle with a sprung vinyl saddle, though I believe other options are available. In environments where the bike is to be shared, the seatpost is quick release.





The spring-activated kickstand is sturdy and resembles a tailpipe when folded.






The large platform city pedals incorporate non-slip rubber strips and side reflectors.




An integrated rear rack (dubbed the Starship Rack) will soon be commercially available, and I reviewed the prototype here in detail. The rack plugs into the rear of the chaincase structure, takes less than 5 minutes to install, and is strong enough to support a passenger.





I rode the Paper Bicycle on and off for several months, first without and then with the rear rack. Most of my trips were around town, with a handful of longer distance (20 mile) trips to the suburbs. Overall I probably rode this bicycle for 150 or so miles. The riding position felt immediately comfortable, and remained so over longer distances. The bicycle has no toe overlap.



For some of the time during which the bike was in my possession, I left it outdoors for weeks at a time and observed no adverse effects. The bicycle is intended for all-weather conditions and for outdoor storage.







As I adjusted the saddle for my height, the first thing I noticed about this bicycle was the very low bottom bracket. This allows the rider to get full leg extension on the downstroke when pedaling, while also being able to reach the ground while remaining seated - useful in traffic.





This is how much of my foot I can put down while seated, and still have full leg extension on the downstroke. This aspect of the design makes the bicycle safe and easy to handle in stop-and-go traffic, especially for beginner cyclists.






When cycling on trails, a low bottom bracket can mean picking up leaves and twigs. Luckily, they cannot get tangled in the chain on this bike, since the chain is fully enclosed. The Paper Bicycle handles well on and off road, and it is remarkably stable. I normally do not ride no-hands, but this is the only bicycle on which I've been able to do so comfortably. At all times, the bike feels as if it is "unfellable" - it just wants to remain upright. I have written here earlier about the emerging breed of city bikes with mountain bike heritage, and the Paper Bicycleis probably my overall favourite among these.







The bicycle I test rode was a single speed, and I was skeptical about how such a massive upright bike would handle without gears in the greater Boston area. It was not a problem, and I am still trying to understand how the 38x17t gearing can feel so versatile. It was low enough for uphill stretches and high enough for downhill stretches - for me at least, it was the perfect fast and easy gear. It is not for proper hills in mountainous terrain, but it is certainly adequate for the types of short hills one is likely to encounter in urban areas, as well as for long but gentle uphill stretches in the countryside. It also does fine in the headwind: The positioning makes it easy to lean low over the handlebars if so desired.




Overall,I did not expect a bicycle this stately and stable to feel so fast on the road and so maneuverable in traffic. And with the 2" balloon tires, the ride quality over potholes was fantastic. Of all the upright city bicycles I've ridden so far, the Paper Bicycle's handling is possibly my favourite.




Of the bikes I've ridden previously, the ride quality of the Paper Bicycle is most comparable to the Urbana and the Pilen. I found it more comfortable over long distances than the former, and faster than the latter.






If I try to summarise my thoughts about the Paper Bicycleinto pros and cons, they would be as follows: Positives include its ergonomic comfort, speed, stability, durability, low maintenance, transportation-readiness (full chaincase, fenders, rear rack), and aesthetics. And yes, I do love the aesthetics. The lack of lugs and the unicrown fork don't bother me on this particular bicycle, because they work with the overall design; I honestly find it gorgeous. The biggest potential negative for others is probably the weight (35lb as a single speed with no rack or lighting; more as you add stuff), though personally I do not care as long as the bike moves well for me, which it certainly does.





What I do care about is the lighting. While dynamo lighting is an option, it is set up like this which to me seems weird considering that the hollow joint in the front of the bike seems to be just begging for an integrated headlight. If Paper Bicyclemade this type of headlight design happen, that would be out of this world.






I will disclose at this point that I seriously considered buying the Paper Bicycle fromAdeline Adelineat the end of my test ride period. The reason I did not, is that ultimately I was not prepared to let go of my current transportation bike which I also love, and I cannot afford to keep both bikes. But happily, the Paper Bicycle remains in my neighbourhood and it is now in the possession of Josh Zisson of Bike Safe Boston - who likes it quite a bit. Josh is looking into doing something clever with the lighting installation, and I am looking forward to seeing what he comes up with.






The Paper Bicycle is a cool and practical transportation bike, suitable for beginners and experienced cyclists alike. It is certainly different. But it is worth taking note of for reasons well beyond its visual eccentricities.




My sincere thanks to Adeline Adeline for the opportunity to ride and review this bike, to the designerNick Lobnitz for entrusting me with the rear rack prototype and to the Ride Studio Cafe for receiving and setting up the bicycle. The full set of pictures can be viewed here.