Cherry Tree

The cherry tree si on the left. The deer come here to eat grass.

Revisiting the KHS Green

If anybody out there has been reading this blog from the beginning, you know my fondness for the KHS Manhattan Green. A simple, inexpensive steel 3-speed, the KHS Green is the bike that got me back into cycling after a 12 year hiatus. For months I had been visiting local bike shops, but in / there was not much choice out there. The KHS Green was the first bike that I felt comfortable riding. I rented it from Cambridge Bicycle, rode around Boston, and experienced the born-again momentthat led to this blog. Ultimately I did not buy this particular bike, because I wanted something with more features and fell in love with lugs. But the happy memories of its simple ridability remained with me, and it is the bike I suggest to anyone who tells me they have a tiny budget. At the moment the KHS Green retails at $365. For that price you get:





a welded steel loop frame, made in China, size 14" or 17" in subdued black or silver colour schemes,






set up with 700C wheels, city tires, fenders,





upright handlebars, sprung vinyl saddle,






partial chaincase,




3-speed coaster brake hub,





front v-brake, ergo grips, bell,





large rear rack,platform pedals, kickstand,





and a "cafe" lock.






It is my understanding that Cambridge Bicycle contributed to the design of the KHS Green, and that the New England based distributor was instrumental in these bicycles coming to exist as well. Maybe that is why there are so many of them in the Boston area (though this begs the question why it has "Manhattan" in the name...).






KHSGreen bikes are so ubiquitous in my neighborhood in fact, that I have made a game of snapping pictures of them. They are usually black, and are left parked overnight on the streets with abandon. Here is one locked up next to my Gazelle. And here's another. And another. A friend of mine has one. A neighbor has one. I've even seen two seemingly unrelated ones locked up to the same rack at the grocery store. The ones from a few years back are a bit rusty, sure. But they appear to be fully functional and well-used.





It's been nearly 3 years since I rode a KHS Green, so I thought it would be useful to refresh my memory and see what I think of the bike now. After all, I've gained considerably more cycling experience and have tried many different bicycles in all price ranges.



I rode my own bike to Cambridge Bicycles, left it with them, and then took the Green around town on some of my typical urban routes. Clipping my pannier to the rear rack was easy, and I carried all my stuff just like when riding my own bike.






The bike I rode was quite small, because they only had the 14" size in stock, but it was ridable with the saddle all the way up. There was no toe overlap for me on the 14" frame - but it was very close and whether you experience it may depend on your shoe size and how you hold your foot on the pedal. My positioning on the bike was bolt-upright, with a short reach from handlebars to saddle - though of course on a larger frame it would be somewhat different. The seat tube angle felt fairly steep, with the sensation of the pedals being directly below the saddle. I started riding in the bike lane along the very busy Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, rode home to Somerville, circled around and returned via the MIT campus where I snapped these pictures. All in all it was about a 4 mile ride on busy roads and side streets.



The bike felt fairly easy to ride, with the 3-speed hub being more than sufficient for the urban environment. It does not have the luxurious ride quality of a Dutch bike, but it is not terrible over bumps either. It is not a fast bike, but fast enough for local commutes and errands. The brakes and gears worked without problems. Nothing rattled or came loose during my test ride. The bike rides as it looks: simply and with no frills.






The KHSGreen is missing lights, but otherwise it is fully equipped for transportation cycling. While I cannot personally comment on its durability, the dozens of exemplars I have seen parked around Boston don't look too shabby and I have not heard any feedback about component failure tendencies. Having test ridden the bike 3 years after I last tried it, my impression has not changed much. It is not a gorgeous or an especially fast bike, but it is perfectly decent and functional. With a price tag in the mid-$300s, it is a great deal if you are in the market for a step-through city bike on a tiny budget. Many thanks to Cambridge Bicycle for the test ride!

Tiger Lily

Tiger Lily, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

A spotted tiger lily in the John Muir Wilderness near Big Pine, California. The John Muir Wilderness is excellent for hiking - lakes, streams, waterfalls, forests, desert, and even glaciers!

My Plan to Prepare for Disaster

After writing the post Are You Prepared? I'm Not a couple of weeks ago, I've decided to take my own advice and have begun devising a plan to tackle some of those issues. But something else came up this morning that added to the mix. Apple's post Uncertain Future brings up some things that I hadn't really thought about. So, what happens to all this stuff in the future, after I'm gone or incapable of living on my own? Wouldn't it be disastrous if it were all destroyed or lost? Looks like another plan needs to be made, or at the least, added to my list.

I'm posting this list for all to see so that perhaps it will give me some incentive. Time spent on these tasks will, obviously, take away time that might otherwise been spent on research or other more "fun" things, but these are things that really require some attention! With that said, I've identified what I think needs to be done, though I may have forgotten a thing or two. Now I have to prioritize these tasks and start working on them!

1. Inventory Household. Take pictures of stuff. Give a copy to someone else to keep in a safe place.

2. Go through all of the boxes (about 30) in the garage. Dispose of what I don't want (sell, give away or trash, if necessary). Inventory items in each box that is kept.

3. Investigate the various services available for scanning photographs. Do they scan the pictures themselves or send them elsewhere? What is the turnaround time, cost, etc. The Genealogy Insider had a post on Batch Photo Scanning Services in October that I've used as the starting point for my investigation. I have negatives for nearly all of the pictures I've taken, so the negatives could be scanned or printed if the pictures were lost in this process. It would be costly, but not disastrous if something were to happen to these prints.

4. Scan Mom's pictures that are in magnetic album pages. Put those pictures into new archival albums. These don't have negatives so they won't be sent out for scanning.

5. Review and reorganize genealogy files (20+ years worth). They look organized, yes? But appearances can be deceiving. I need to put all information for my ancestors into their own file. Currently my files are organized by record type by location. When entered into Legacy a file number is given to each item so it can quickly be retrieved for reference. However, if something should happen to me, no one else would know which documents are specific to which families. Thus, these files need to be reorganized. I also need to confirm that the data has been entered into Legacy.



6. Scan the documents pertaining specifically to ancestors.

7. Finish scanning the old family photographs that I got from Dad (way back in 1992).

8. Create a CD or DVD to distribute the digital picture and document files to my brothers and cousins and anyone else interested in them.

9. Reorganize the files on my computer so that if something happened to me the "important" files would be easier to access, i.e. not buried in several layers of folders. Similar to my paper files, the organization of my digital files make sense to me but could be confusing to others.

10. Post my genealogy databases online. The Bray-Wiseman data is on WorldConnect but none of my other family data is available in an online database. The databases require some clean-up before they can be posted.

11. Be more conscientious about backing up the data on my computer.

12. Try to come up with an answer to the question: "What happens to all this stuff in the future, after I'm gone or incapable of living on my own?"

Sunday Drive

Aric spent his vacation with us, so we had the pleasure of having his company for this past week. This is the most time that we have had with him since we left Clermont, so it was a real treat that he did choose to spend the time here. He went back home on Sunday so we headed out for a Sunday drive afterwards.



Arcadia ended up being our final destination and there was plenty to see along the way.

Lug Samesies! Vintage Bianchi vs Trek

I was initially going to sell my vintage Trek in October, but decided to wait until Spring. Now I am glad to have waited, because it is interesting to compare it to its replacement, the Bianchi.While the two bicycles differ in purpose and geometry (the Bianchi is a racing bike whereas the Trek is a "Sports Touring" model), what amazed me when the Bianchi arrived is that their lugwork is nearly identical. I had camera troubles on the day these pictures were taken, so excuse the quality - but have a look:



Plain and "pointy" lugs on the Bianchi with fork crown.



Identical style of lugs and fork crown on the Trek, only with "Trek" engraved into the crown instead of the Bianchi's "B".



Classic seat cluster engraved with a "B".



Same classic seat cluster engraved with "Trek."I don't have good pictures of the drop-outs, bottom brackets and brake bridges, but those are equally similar. Even the spacing of the braze-ons for the rear brake cable along the top tube is the same.



As far as tubing goes, the Trek is Reynolds 531 for the main triangle and the Bianchi is Columbus, both with cro-moly stays and fork. And they were produced just one year apart - the Trek in 1982 and the Bianchi in 1983. I guess I should not be so amazed that just because one bike is American and a sports turing model while the other is an Italian racing bike, there are such similarities in lugwork. After all, both are factory-built frames and these lugs must have been popular at the time. The Trek and Bianchi ride very differently and there is no mistaking one for another once I am on the saddle. But my disappointment in the generic frame construction makes me aware of how much Ivalue difference in bicycles. I like looking at a bike and being able to distinguish its lineage from another by details of construction and not just by the stamped brand name and the decals.

the best of the lwt ice climbing boots

The LWT ice boots:

Things have changed in the last couple of years and it continues tobe for the better!

































Scrapa Rebel Ultra size 45 1# 14oz




Scarpa Phantom Ultra size 45 weight 2# 4oz










La Sportiva Trango Extr Evo GTX size 45 weight 2# 3oz







La Sportiva Batura 2.0 size 45 2# 2oz











La Sportiva Trango Extr Evo GTX size 45 weight 2# 3oz




















Largervolume on the left, the Batura 2.0 and the smallervolume, the Rebel Ultra, on the right

All these boots fall between these two for volume and warmth.




weights are PER Boot:



Scrapa Rebel Ultra size 45 1# 14oz



La Sportiva Batura 2.0 size 45 2# 2oz



Scarpa Phantom Ultra size 45 weight 2# 4oz



La
Sportiva Trango Extr Evo GTX size 45 weight 2# 3oz



Zamberlan Paine GTX 2# 8oz



(how much do
your gaiters weigh?)



Every boot listedhere except the Trango has a gaiter built in.

All are Goretex lined. Except the PhantomUltra. Which is notable imo.



La Sportiva Trango Prime is another boot that would fit this category.



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//11/la-sportiva-trango-prime-trango-extreme.html



These are fiveof my favorite lwt single boots for
winter use. Given the option it is a hard
decision on which to choose when looking at the temps that will easily allow
any of them.



Soles flexibility depends on you shoe size. The bigger the boot the more flexible the boot sole.

All of these boots are rigid enough for vertical ice using the right crampons. "Right" crampon choice on these boots is the key toperformance IMO.






Scarpa's PhantomUltra





Phantom Ultra in use with a PetzlDartwin




I am a big boy weight wise. 190# stripped and a good bit more kitted out on the ice. The Scarpa Ultra (both versions) and a Dartwin is IMO a very good set up for vertical ice. This coming for a guy who really prefers a rigid crampon and rigid boot mid sole. I learned to appreciate the softer flexing mid solesScarpa has offered recently.



But given a choice I still like a fairlyrigid boot with lots of support. Thelighter weight thebetter, imo.



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//01/true-love-dane-and-his-boots.html





Let me do a run down of my thoughts on each and let you
choose.



I have long skinny feet with very (VERY) narrow ankles. I'm a Size 45 or 45.5in theseboots. The Scarpa and Zamberlan lasts seem to fit me the best. I see a lot of comments saying theLa Sportivas are a narrower last. I am not convinced as I can wear any of them with little complaint.Best to always try on the boots you want to consider. I find all of theboots listed very close on sizing and lasts. Only toe boxes changing the fit very much and of course the lacing systems. For melacing systems are best designed, KISS. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID.They make or a break a boot in the end. I think that gets forgotten some times by the design teams.I run between a 45 and a 45.5 in all of these boots.



Here is my 2 second review on all of them.




Scrapa Rebel Ultra size 45 1# 14oz



Best fit of the bunch for me in a 45.5 by far. Easy enough to get in and out of.Lacing is slick and ankle support very good. I like this boot. For the fit and support it offers for the weight I'll put up with the lack of warmth to a point. 1/2# per pair lighterthan the Batura.



La Sportiva Batura 2.0 size 45 2# 2oz



Likely the warmest of the boots listed. But the Phantom Ultra is right in there as well. Very flexible ankle and a high tech honeycomb carbon mid sole. Hard to notlike this boot. I find the lace system annoying. If the lace system offered a better fit for methiswould likely be "my" boot.



Scarpa Phantom Ultra size 45 weight 2# 4oz



Advantage Scarpa here. Almost the fitof a Rebel Ultra. Almost the warmth of the Batura. Heavier than either. Easy in and out. They dry faster than any of the GTXboots and they climb well. I suspect they dry faster because they never get as wet on the inside. The Goldilocks boot? May be. It needs a Scarpa update and to be imported into North America in half sizes. Likely never ever happen though. Phantom Guide is already well established in the market.



La Sportiva Trango Extreme Evo GTX size 45 weight 2# 3oz



Super slid all around performer. This is the boot that needed a gaiter. One designed"out of the box."But a super hard boot to dry out once wet. I really like this boot for a lot of reasons. The best reason? It is simple and it works every where.....till it gets wet inside.



Zamberlan Paine GTX 2# 8oz



Old school fit and finish. Which are good things. The mid sole is pretty rigid and very supportive. They fit almost crampon exceptionally well. Not every boot here does. They are a bit heavy. But the craftsmanship and materials clearly show you why they are 6oz heavier per boot than the Batura 2.0. If you have the money for only one boot and need it to last for a while. This is your boot. May be the most comfortable boot of the bunch for me out of the box.


FWIW until recently the Zamberlan boots were extremely hard to get a hold of in the USA. That has changed.I'll have full, detailed reviews up shortly on the Paine, Eiger and Denali versions. They are bootsyou will want to know more about. Took me 3 years to finally get a pair in hand and I think, worth the wait.



They areavailable here:

http://www.prolitegear.com/Zamberlan.htm



All but twoof the boots
offersticky rubber soles with minimal lug height. The Zamberlan Paine and the La Sportiva Batura 2.0 being the exceptions with a full size lugs. Makes short lugsa little slick in some snow conditions. But that is why we wear crampons isn't it?



I have heardof the Trango having too narrow of a foot print and being unpleasant on
trails..an "ankle twister". "BS" was my first thought...but I heard it more
than once and always from people I trust using the boot. Not something I
personally experienced though. And I have walked a bunch in the Trangos.



The Ultra is a OutDry lined boot. The
restGoretex lined boots.



All stay dry if you keep the water below
boot top height. The GTX bootsseems to retain more moisture from foot sweat.
Allare difficult to dry once wet.



More here on an Ultra and Trango comparison I made earlier. I was wrong on the Dart/Dartwin/Ultra combo btw. There are crampons that can be made to fit better but none more reliable and proven over the last couple of years nowthan the Scarpa-Dartwin combo.



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//12/phantom-ultra-vs-trango-extreme-gtx.html



Lots of options these days to get a really good boot and more importantly to me a GOOD fit. It has not always been so in this category of boot. Some work to be done yet.



As I have mentioned so many times previous.

A super light weight double boot that will climb ice, under the magic1.5# in a size 45. And something you can actually dry in the field over night should be the on every one's mind.



Till then I will do my best to wear a few of these out!

Regaining ground in the park, the NPS makes its move

The skies parted for a while today and the mountain finally revealed itself. Plastered ice and snow coated the upper 3-4,000 feet, seen here from a recently improved view point near Kautz Creek. Everything below 9-10,000 feet appeared thin and icy, i.e. very little winter snowpack, see below. Rumor has it, another storm is on the way. I hope it brings colder temps.

I snapped this image late today before the clouds returned. That is the Nisqually Glacier on Mt Rainier, the trails of the Paradise area in the foreground. The glacier ice looked really blue after the intense rain, and the mountain looked awesome.

For 24 hours, this was a place that people simply left. Today, the NPS resummed its plan to restore facilities and order to the park after 18 inches of rain fell at Paradise in 36 hours. The level of the primary rivers and tributaries remains high and it's very easy to note the newly scoured banks and freshly deposited log jams along the river corridors.

There was a noticeable change to the silence as the restoration effort moved forward. Electricians, water treatment specialists, and heavy equipment operators returned to Longmire and other parts of the park to assess the damage and begin the repairs. Highway 410 will open soon (probably Thursday) but the Carbon River road, Highway 123 and the Nisqually to Paradise road will remain closed (probably for a few weeks).

We surveyed the storm damage from the air this afternoon. The main hits were taken at Sunshine Point, Stevens Canyon (in somewhat predictable locations, see photo above-left) and on Highway 123 (left) where the road washed out entirely. The damage to Highway 123 looked severe given the time of year; I wonder if it won't be fully sorted out until 2007. At the Sunshine Point washout, I saw earth movers in the remains of the campground (now river bed). They were trying to make things happen for the road to Longmire, but the job seemed large because the road was entirely gone.

The sound of silence approaches, as soon the generators will be turned off for the evening.

Velo Conversations

Over the past two days I have been cycling a lot around town on various errands. It's been cold but sunny, and the roads are entirely clear of snow. Cycling down a main road, I often get the feeling that I just want to keep going and going, picking up speed until I am faster than all the cars and not stopping until I reach some mysterious far-off place, like Western Massachusetts. Alas, there were errands to do.

One nice thing about winter cycling, is the availability of bike parking. In the summer, all the bike racks next to or even near the post office are usually full. But nowadays I am one of the few bicycles there.

Interestingly, the racks outside my favourite grocery store are full even in winter. When I came out of the store, there was a woman waiting for me next to my bike who wanted to ask some questions about it. She was riding a "winter bike" - an aluminum mountain bike with very wide knobby tires - and complained that it was much too slow, and that the chain often came off. How was mine? I summarised for her everything that I've described here, and she was excited - until she asked me about the price. She then told me that she is "not in a position to afford a bicycle in that price range". I asked how much her winter bike cost. The price she told me was 60% of what my Pashley cost. I decided to leave it at that, rather than get into a long conversation about "value".

This was one of several unexpected velo-conversations with strangers that I've had over the past few days. The second one happened when I was stopped at a red light. A cyclist on a road bike pulled up next to me, said hello, and asked whether I was riding an electric assist bike. "Oh no, it's just a regular bike," I said - secretly offended that someone would even think it was electric assist. He then asked what the hub on my front wheel was for, and I explained about dynamo-powered lighting. This seemed to be a new concept for the roadbike cyclist and he was pleased to learn about it.

I wonder now how many others who see me cycling think that I have electric assist on my bike because of that front hub! Hopefully, as city bikes with good lighting and drum brakes become more popular, such misunderstandings should decrease. As it is, even Shimano is all about dynamo hubs and drum brakes - as this advert I recently saw attests. It is nice to see a large manufacturer embrace the image of the upright city bicycle in its ads: It is a good indicator that city and transport bicycles have a future in mainstream cycling.

But the third conversation I had took the cake: I went to a cafe to do some work, and locked my bike outside in a way that was visible from the cafe windows. As I settled in with my coffee, a group of older ladies began a conversation with me that basically consisted of disturbing admonitions about all the horrible things that could happen to me on a bike. One of them had a grandson who was hit by a truck. Another knew "at least six young people" who had been involved in gruesome cycling accidents. And so on. I assured them that I was very careful on my bike and somehow managed to politely disentangle myself from the conversation. But my goodness, it is frustrating that cycling seems to invite unsolicited advice of this sort. On the one hand, I know that it's because people "care". But on the other hand, there is a fine line between "caring" and relishing an opportunity to dispense advice. I try to keep that in mind.