Roe-Dee-Oh :: Steer Wrestling

Sunday, August 21st - - Some had better luck than others...

On the Road without a Roadbike

I like fast roadbikes, clipless pedals, bicycle computers, GPS, all of it. I do not subscribe to any philosophy that maligns these things in favour of the "slow bicycle movement" or whatever is the latest catch phrase to describe plain old regular bike riding. But I do believe in plain old regular bike riding, and sometimes I prefer it to any other kind. What are those times and what determines them, I couldn't tell you. It just happens.



When I went to Ireland last month I could have arranged to borrow a roadbike there, but opted against it - instead bringing along a folding bike that would have me riding upright the entire time. I knew I'd be slower and have more difficulty in the hilly areas, but somehow it just felt right to do it this way. I did not bring any cycling clothes. I did not bring a bicycle computer or a GPS device. Every day I simply looked at the map before setting off, then wrote out directions on a piece of paper. I explored interesting backroads and allowed myself to get lost. Occasionally I stopped to ask for directions. I did not miss my GPS. And I felt finehaving no idea how fast or slow I was going. What did it matter if I stopped every 20 minutes to take pictures anyhow.



Probably at least part of the reason I chose to do things this way, was to see how I would feel after more than two weeks without a roadbike - without that rush I get from the speed, without the reassuring glare of the computer screen and without the ritual of putting on the special clothing I'd gotten accustomed to.



But moreover, I have found that I prefer to ride slower and more upright when the focus of the ride is on exploring the surrounding area and not on cycling in of itself. Having never been to Ireland before, I really wanted to experience it as a human on a bicycle, rather than as a cyclist. And yes, there is a difference. Even the wearing of regular clothing and shoes played a role in this. The way people react to me is different, and the way I feel in the environment is different.



Now that I know the place better, now that it's more familiar, next time I would love to do some fast road rides along the Antrim coast. To ride through the glens on skinny tires, bent over my handlebars and pedaling as fast as I can. Bliss. A different sort of bliss than this time.



The more experience I gain with different types of bikes and different styles of cycling, the more I feel that the main thing is just to be out there, on your own terms. We like to define things, to draw boundaries. But often those boundaries are self-imposed. The road is calling. The bike is up to you.

Inflight Entertainment

Leaving for Austria again, I bought the new Bike Snob book to read on the plane in hopes of distracting myself from my terror of flying. I like the BikeSnobNYC blog, but what made me buy the book was Grant Petersen's review on Rivendell's website. I have to admit that I am a sucker for Grant Petersen's writing and find myself reading all sorts of things he wrote that I have no interest in, just for the narration. If he wrote a 2-page description of bathroom tiles, I'd probably read it. His enticing endorsement of the book put me over the edge.

And if this isn't proof of the existence of the Collective Unconscious, I don't know what is: No sooner did I stuff Bike Snob into my carry-on, then mention of me appeared on his blog. Scroll down to the bit about the Boston Globe story on sweat stains and fabrics with patterns. Right...

Bike Snob proved useful during my flight, as I was seated between two mothers with babies on their laps. The babies not only wailed for the duration of the flight, but now and again would reach out to pull my hair, poke my eye, or chew on my jacket. Noticing this, the mothers would smile at me generously - as if to say: "As a female of childbearing age, surely you must be delighted at the opportunity to interact with babies!" Trying not to start wailing myself, I took deep breaths and concentrated on Bike Snob.

If I had to use one word to describe the book it would be "heartwarming". It is gently humorous, and reading it feels like wrapping yourself in a warm and fuzzy sweater with cute little patterns of bicycles all over it. Though Bike Snob argues that there is no such thing as "bike culture," he contradicts himself by creating a sense of one - to the extent of even referring to cyclists as a distinct breed of people. He also contradicts himself by railing against the fetishisation of the cycling experience, only to go on and fetishise the heck out of it himself in later chapters. I am pretty certain that these contradictions are intentional, meant to illustrate his own hopeless love for bicycles and to demonstrate that he too is susceptible to the very things he mocks.

As for the contents, they are surprisingly straightforward. The chapters address such topics as bicycle history, bicycle ownership, bicycle maintenance, and road rules. There is also a part on "Velo-Taxonomy" where he categorises cyclists into various types and explains the differences in detail. According to his taxonomy, I would be a hybrid between the "Retrogrouch", the "Lone Wolf", and the "Beautiful Godzilla" (though the only thing in common I have with the latter is the type of bicycle I ride).

The Bike Snob book is generously illustrated, in a manner that evokes Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince. The design and layout make the pages almost seem edible. In a way, the presentation can be described as having a pre-packaged "cult status feel." Whether the book will actually attain cult status, only time will determine.

In other velo-news I can report from my travels, I saw these neat bicycles during my layover in Frankfurt Airport. These bikes have fenders, dynamo hub lighting, a the double-legged kickstand, a bell, a Basil front basket, a Pletscher rear rack, Schwalbe tires, and what appear to be license plates. From what I could tell, they are for the airport employees and not for flight passengers. Too bad, I would have liked to ride one around the airport!

Ladies Leading Double Lives: Sport vs Transport

Just as I have been experimenting with road cycling in parallel to using my bicycle for transportation, so have several other ladies with prominent bicycle blogs.



[image via Simply Bike]

S. from Simply Bike normally looks like this when she cycles. But above she is pictures riding across Iowa while taking part in RAGBRAI. This was her first time on a roadbike!

[image via Adrienne Johnson]

Adrienne Johnson of Velo Voguedons bike shorts and a (surprisingly attractive) jersey as she cycles in the Marin Century.



[image via Meligrosa]

And here is Meligrosa, of Change Your Life Ride a Bike, whodoes not allow a mere 100 miles get between her and her Style (yes, with a capital S!).

[image via Suburban Bike Mama]

One of my favourite sporty cycling pictures is this one of Vee from Suburban Bike Mama, who normally rides a cargo trike, completing a triathlon last summer.

[image via Chic Cyclist]

Of course the queen of the velo double life is Charlotte,of Chic Cyclists - who is as comfortable cycling to work on her upright city bicycle, as she is touring around France on her roadbike.Sigrid of My Hyggeligsimilarly alternates between her Pashley Princess and her Trek roadbike. And Justine, of Midlife Cycling, cruises around New York City on her mixte and takes regular roadtrips to neighboring states.

Over the past year I have noticed an increasing number of women who, after growing comfortable riding an upright bicycle for transportation, have begun to venture into sportier cycling, including club rides and touring. Being in this category myself, I have wondered whether this is a natural progression that will "stick," or whether it's the novelty of the bicycle that compels us to seek out different ways of using it in our lives. And if the latter, will we tire of it once the novelty wears off? I also find it ironic that, after having cited "seeing roadies wearing special clothing" as a major reason why we were turned off from cycling in our pre-bike days, many of us are now inching into that category ourselves. Not ironic as in "bad" or that I am critical of it, but ironic as in "something to think about".

I am still not sure what I think about it myself. I have been spending a lot of time on my roadbikes (yes, plural now!) this summer, but I am conflicted in my attitude about this type of cycling. Since the start of summer, I have been flirting with the idea of joining some women's training rides that are offered to the public by a local cycling team. Given their criteria for minimum speed and skill level, I qualify. I have thought about it countless time, but have not joined - and the summer is nearly over. Maybe it's my general dislike of teams, authority, and group activities, or maybe I just don't want to admit that I am now that kind of cyclist. But am I? Maybe I should give it some time and see if it "sticks".

Batavus Old Dutch: Not What I Expected

If you follow the Suburban Bike Mamablog, you may recognise that this is the fabled silver Batavus Old Dutch that has been the subject of some frenzied discussion due to its fabulous sale price. Vee didn't buy the bike because the frame was too large for her, so being in the neighborhood I hurried to see it. The price was so good that I was considering getting it as a winter bike and sparing my main ride from Boston's salt and snow. Heading to see the Batavus, I was pretty much prepared to take it home. But alas, I left empty-handed.



On fist impression the bike looked nice enough (though for some reason the shop fitted it with this strange basket). The bicycle is all silver, including fenders, chaincase and dress-guard.I like silver bikes and the loop-frame looked classic and elegant.



But a closer examination gave me a different perspective.Theframe is partly welded (as opposed to lugged), and the welds are kind of messy. Unicrown fork, too.



Seat tube.



And the "loop" connector. Now, some may be reading this and thinking "So what? Most modern bicycles are welded." True enough. But from a classic Dutch bike that advertises the "old" aspect of Dutch bikes, I would expect a more traditional frame construction.



But while the frame construction was disappointing, the more serious problem were the components. The front brake had almost zero stopping power - and that's riding around the flat parking lot in dry weather. We adjusted the brake and the bike shop even replaced the brake pads, but there was almost no improvement. Perhaps this had something to do with a combination of a low-end caliper brake and steel rims. Steel rims + caliper brakes = poor braking, especially in wet weather. The coaster brake did have decent stopping power, but was not especially strong either. Since I was thinking of getting this as a winter bike, that would rather defeat the purpose. Downhills might also be scary even in the best weather.



The closer I examined the Batavus Old Dutch, the more details I noticed that made it look cheaply made. The cable guides were plastic clip-ons that were starting to come off in places. The pedals and bell felt flimsy and loose. The chaincase was made of a vinyl cloth-like material apparently prone to yellowing and tearing (as it had both yellowed and torn... and this bike was a floor model that had never seen hard use).



I feel bad piling so much criticism onto this poor bike. I wanted to like it and fully expected to take it home. But the bike I saw did not make sense for me to buy, even at the sale price (which I think reflects its value more so than the retail). That said, the Batavus Old Dutch is sturdy and, from a distance, attractive. If bought at a discount, it could work nicely for someone who wants a Dutch bike for short urban trips and isn't bothered by the issues described here.

Children's Bicycles, Then and Now

A family member brought over a couple of old bikes to see whether I could sell them.The bikes came from the basement of an old property, and had been sitting there for several decades. They are in good condition, but nothing remarkable: Both are steel Columbia 3-speeds - most likely from the '80s. My plan was to post them on C-List and I had no intention to write about them here... But while snapping the photos, my imagination got the best of me and I started thinking about the bicycles' history.



The smaller of the two has 24" wheels and appears to be a children's bike. The larger one has 26" wheels, but the small frame suggests that it too probably belonged to a young person - maybe the teenage sister of the cream bicycle's pre-teen owner? I can picture them cycling together down a sleepy suburban street, trying to make it home in time for dinner - one on the cream bike, the other on the blue, their delighted squeals rising above the clicking of the hubs...



In addition to its smaller size, there is something about the little cream bicycle in particular that evokes gentle images of childhood and its possibilities - maybe the soft, delicate colour.



When I see children's bicycles today, the colours and graphics tend to be super bright; there are often depictions of cartoon characters and action heros on the frame. And while in some ways that's fun, in other ways I feel that this aesthetic in children's toys can be overpowering. Why can't a child's bike be just a simple little bike? A bike that will let the child's personality shine through and ignite their imagination, rather than feed them the same ready-made stylized imagery they see on television and on cereal boxes?



I wonder how typical it is - if at all - for parents today to pick up vintage children's bikes for their kids and restore them, instead of buying modern ones. Based on what I have seen, not very typical. Limited availability is probably a big reason: I don't actually see many children's vintage bikes around, even in Boston.

And I suspect weight may be a reason as well: The older bicycles are steel. Modern ones are plastic or aluminum, which makes them easier for children to maneuver. But when it comes to the weight factor, I wonder whether lighter is necessarily better.A flimsy bicycle feels like just another toy. A substantial bicycle feels like something important, a right of passage. After all, twenty years ago children were riding steel bikes with no problems.



Speaking of twenty years ago... I was 11 then, and riding something not too different from these bikes - as was my younger sister. That could be why I felt compelled to photograph these in a golden light, and to wonder about their history.

Hawaii the Big Island - East Coast

After hiking at the Volcano National Park we headed out to check out the East Side of the Island. We drove to Kalapana on the Southeast Side.

Kalapana was once a small Hawaiian fishing village. It was also the site of one of the Hawaii's Black Sand Beaches considered one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Hawaii. But in 1990, it was mostly destroyed by an eruption of Kilauea. Lava buried the town and the Royal Garden Subdivision under 60 feet of molten rock.

Hard to believe there was once a town here

We heard said not to feel sorry for those who lost their houses, but for those who did not. A few houses still stand, surrounded by lava without water or power or roads. Since the houses themselves were intact, the insurance companies would not pay out any claims on them.

This is a picture of the Black Sand Beach before the lava flow.

A local nativetook it upon herself to try and bring back the beautiful coconut grove that lead to the beach. She worked planting hundreds, then thousands, of sprouted coconut and other palms and encouraged others to join her. She was later diagnosed with cancer andrather than give up, doubled her efforts, continuing her campaign to replant and recover the village, the community pitching in even more after she passed away. Today there are thousands of young trees growing on the no-longer barren lava and a new black sand beach is forming.

Seems you can just toss a coconut anywhere and it will grow.

Though Madame Pele destroyed a beautiful beach and fishing village - the end destruction has its own beauty.





Back on the road as time is getting away from us once again. The road is covered by trees.

We stop in a small park and watch the surf pounding. Imagine this square rock was lifted up onto the shore by the waves.



Not your typical fishing hole.

Careful! You could get wet!

From here we head to Rainbow Falls. We take a short hike and find this great Banyan Tree.

Just how big is it? Pretty darn big!

Rainbow Falls. It is just a few blocks from downtown Hilo. It plunges 60' down into a 100' pool. There is a cavern behind it where legend says the Goddess Hina lived



2 miles further up the road are the "Boiling Pots" During the rainy season, which can be anytime, the river churns through a succession of "pots," resembling a steaming Jacuzzi. Some of the river water flows beneath a level of old lava, then suddenly bubbles up as if it were boiling.



Next stop is Akaka Falls. We get there just before sunset and manage to hike the trail there before it gets dark

It is quite impressive at 442 feet.

Time to head home - in the dark - in a dense fog!



Till Later,

Meanwhile, we keep on Trek'n

Melissa & Gary

Choosing Your Gospel: Rivendell vs Bicycle Quarterly

For those who are interested in classic touring bicycles that combine speed, maneuverability and comfort, we live in interesting times. Such bicycles have gained in popularity over the past several years, with many custom framebuilders and manufacturers introducing touring models into their line-ups. And while trends like this are not easy to trace, I think it is fair to say that Grant Petersen of Rivendell and Jan Heine of Bicycle Quarterly deserve a great deal of the credit. Rivendell is a small bicycle manufacturer witha distinct philosophy, which they promote with a tireless output of literature. The Bicycle Quarterly (review here) is a niche cycling magazine, with a focus on classic bicycles in the French randonneur tradition.



To the untrained eye, the type of bicycle promoted by these two camps may seem similar, if not identical: lugged steel frames, wide tires, fenders, racks, classic luggage, leather saddles. But in fact, there are major differences as far as geometry and historical lineage go, and these differences have been inspiring impassioned debates among bicycle connoisseurs for years.



[image via stronglight]

When it comes to frame geometry, Rivendell's emphasis is on relaxed angles and clearance for wide tires.Theresulting bicycles are fast, stable, comfortable, and have excellent off-road capacity. The bicyclechampioned by Bicycle Quarterly is rather more specific. Jan Heine believes that bicycles made in the French randonneur tradition - which had reached its height in the 1940s and 50s before its recent resurrection - offer an unrivaled combination of speed and comfort. These bicycles are aggressive and maneuverable, yet cushy and easy to control. They are super light, yet designed to carry a great deal of weight. The main difference from Rivendell structurally, is that such bicycles have what is known as "low trail geometry" while Rivendell bicycles have "mid trail geometry." The difference cannot be easily summed up here, but suffice to say that this factor controls the bicycle's responsiveness, and that mid trail is considered classic whereas low trail is more exotic - not often seen outside the early French tradition. In addition, Jan Heine insists on wide 650B tires, lack of toe overlap, and integrated features such as racks and dynamo lighting. Grant Petersen does not place as much emphasis on 650B tires per se, considers toe overlap to be a non-issue, and does not take lighting into consideration when designing frames.



If these differences seem too subtle for those not familiar with frame design, let me rephrase it like this: The bikes may look similar, but they are built differently and ride differently, and there is some debate about which is "better."



[image via protorio]

As a reader of both Rivendell literature and Bicycle Quarterly, I am equally convinced by Petersen and Heine; both arguments make sense while I'm reading them. But they can't both be right, because some of their views are in direct opposition!



Since I own a Rivendell and have now ridden close to 2,000 miles on it, it would be fantastic to try a classic randonneur with low trail and 650B wheels for comparison. The problem is that these bicycles are extremely rare. To try one, I would need to either find a vintage Rene Herse or Alex Singer in my size to test ride - which is next to impossible, as they are not exactly the kind of bike a neighbour would have lying around in their garage, or commission a new one custom built just for me by the handful of framebuilders who specialise in them, or find someone who has commissioned such a bike, is the same size as me, and would be willing to lend it to me for a test ride. As neither option is realistic, my interest in classic randonneurs seems destined to remain hypothetical. Has anybody out there actually tried both a Rivendell and a traditionalrandonneur?

The Bruggelen Hike

Last month Dutchman and I went with the Dutch family on a weekend hike in Bruggelen near Apeldoorn (Gelderland provincie) in the eastern part of the Netherlands. We first had some tea, coffee and tart in a restaurant where we parked the cars. It was a beautiful day; dry, not so cold, very little wind and the sun is up. A totally different day compared to the day before that was raining cats and dogs, I was already a bit worried that the hike will be cancelled but the weather forecast promised for a great day on Sunday and it did!


These fotos were taken just before entering Bruggelen forest in Beekbergen, we came across a manege and it looks like the horse likes me! lol


Progressing with the hike here, the forest lays quietly on a bed of bright red orange dried leaves, so beautiful! There were many needle-like trees in Bruggelen forest.


Mushrooms, acorns and dried autumn leaves...


A button red mushroom with white spots, I tried recollecting where I have seen red mushrooms with white spots, something like a cartoon show, then I just realized it was 'Super Mario' (Mario Brothers) and the mushroom kingdom, haha. I used to play the video game Super Mario like crazy in the early eighties.


Here is another red mushroom with lesser white spots that we spotted. The pole in the middle foto is part of a vast network of colour-coded directions in the forest. Next pole shows that we should watch out for dogs and horses as we are walking on their trails.


And good enough, we saw a couple of people on horses and this one is the most impressive, a little horse carriage, they were going so fast! We also came upon a group, a Dog club walking their dogs in the forest.


Beautiful forest in Bruggelen... I look a bit tired here, we have walked four hours already...


Almost there! I love the yellow colours of the plants and trees in this foto and the greyish blue dramatic backdrop of the skies.

More fotos can be found here: Bruggelen in Beekbergen, Apeldoorn - The Netherlands

Somehow we lost our tracks in the forest but found our way after asking a couple of people along the way. The three-hour hike became an almost five-hour hike! Although we stopped and rested in between, we were tired from the long hours of walking. I have good physical condition so I’m not really complaining.

I love nature walks, especially during autumn when forests are most beautiful. Looking forward to the next walk!