The Epicurean Cyclist

www.epicureancyclist.com

2009-04-27T00:42:00.000-07:00

last reminder...

If you link to EpicureanCyclist on your Blog...don't forget to redirect!

2009-04-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to others who might have sites that point here, be sure to point it to the new address.

http://www.epicureancyclist.com

If you HAVE a blog but are pointing at neither, watcha waitng for?

R

Moving to Epicureancyclist.com

2009-04-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Loyal Readers (that means you!),
I've been blogging EC for almost a year on blogger and I think it's time to move her to a proper home (atleast someplace where I have a little more control)! I've been playing with wordpress and am taking the jump. Excuse the dust, while I migrate everything over to....

www.epicureancyclist.com

I hope you join me during the move. If you read EC through an RSS feed (wow, I sounded so techy just then!) point your RSS thingies to http://epicureancyclist.com/?feed=rss2 (thanks J)(that didn't sound so techy).

http://epicureancyclist.com/?feed=rss2 (thanks J)

Thanks for reading and I hope you join me at the new digs. I'll keep EC on blogspot, as long as they're willing to have her, but it won't be updated anymore (unless I royally screw up the new site!)

Happy Tours,
Russ

Yehuda on Hiatus

2009-04-16T12:47:00.001-07:00

Old news for some. New news for others. Somewhere in the middle for me. Yehuda Moon is on hiatus for an unspecified time. Sad to see, but totally understandable. It was great to see a cyclist in the media (for lack of a better term) that loved wool, fine bike luggage and bikes with fenders - an epicurean cyclist if I ever saw one.

Stars and 'Stache!

2009-04-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

Looking for a fun way to dress up your bike? These are some semi-custom designs Laura came up with for my Surly last night. Both are simple and fun and are sure to turn a few inquisitive heads (especially the 'stache!).

Both the designs are pierced out by hand, hammered to fit your headtube (or any tube, for that matter), and given a slight texture and patina. These are copper, but they are available in sterling silver for the extra bling (and contrast if you have a dark colored bike).

The star can come stock as just a plain star in silver or copper. I had her pierce out an initial. (Stock Star - $45 copper, $55 sterling / Star with monogram - $60 copper, $75 sterling).

Here's the 'stache ($45 copper, $55 sterling). I love it. Cute. Understated. Gives a sly wink to those in the know. Also great for those who are hair-impaired.

If you'd like to order your own 'Stache or Star, email her today!

Which should I put on the Surly?

Review: PDW's Dapper Dans

2009-04-15T16:59:00.001-07:00

Speaking of classing up your bike, I've been riding around the last few weeks with some Dapper Dans ergo grips from Portland Design Works. Wow, these things are plush!

I mounted the grips on my Surly Steamroller turned English 3 Speed (the bike has been through many transformations). Prior to the Dapper Dans, I was rocking some shellacked cork grips, my old standby.

I have to say, prior to the Dapper Dans, I wasn't a particularly big fan of ergo grips because they always end up looking so techy/goofy. Like, whoa, your handlebar has a swollen lymph node or aero handlebar grips. You get the picture. However, these Dapper Dans really make the whole ergo thing a lot more palatable.

Functionally, they have two constricting bands that you tighten with some pretty standard allen wrenches. The bands work well to keep the grips from moving around. It's a pretty basic feature, but is nice nonetheless. When compared to shellacked cork grips, which take all sorts of voodoo to make them stay still, the constricting bands are a blessing. Similarly, they're a lot more elegant and easy to put on then say your typical OURY rubber grips.

They fit my hand really well. The fat fleshy part of my palm rests perfectly on the flat fleshy part of the grip. The leather has a real nice tactile texture that is pretty non-slip. The contrast stitching is a nice decorative touch.

There isn't a whole lot to find fault in with these grips, other than that they are a bit longer than your average ergo grips. On my Surly with the swept back Tourist bars, they ran a little long and I ran out of handlebar bar for the grips (about an inch). Still, even with one constricting band, the grips are pretty solid.

So if you are planning to use this with bar-end shifters, be sure to measure your bar to make sure you can slip them high enough on the bar before hitting a bend. Otherwise, another work around would be to get some Paul shifter pods for your bars.

Pros
-Super nice looking. I feel like I have to wear a tie when I'm rocking these grips.
-Very tactile and pleasing to the touch (though obviously not vegan friendly).
-Constricting bands make for easy installation and removal.
-Ergonomic design truly ergonomic.

Cons
-A little on the long side and may not work with some handlebar/bar-end shifter setups...use a ruler to confirm.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Spotted: Axiom Wood Front Rack

2009-04-15T16:50:00.001-07:00

Popped into the local Bikestation today and spotted this curious Axiom "DLX Front Rack." It's a mini front rack with a wood platform.

It looks to be functionally very similar to the Nashbar mini front rack, but with a touch more class.

The finish is sort of a blasted silvery color. It's ok. For me, I would have preferred chrome or something more metallic, but it's not too shabby.

The rack appears to have pretty adjustable fittings, so there's a good chance you'll be able to dial in the fit to your bike.

A downside is that the rack is not shaped to play well with certain randonneur bags that are meant to be slipped over the back of the rack. It will still support them from the bottom, but it won't have that added stability.

I believe retail is about $45.

Great Western Bike Rally

2009-04-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

If you live in central/southern California and you like cycling, you owe it to yourself to go to the Great Western Bike Rally. It has been described as church picnic with Bike as the religion. It's 3 days of camping at the Paso Robles fairgrounds (or moteling).

I'm planning to go this year because I had such a blast last year. There's a Huffy toss, a bicycle swap meet and a bicycle show (my Bilenky won 1st last year!). There are "rides" but they're all unorganized. You grab a route sheet and you go. Cycling in the Paso area is just beautiful.

Of course, it wouldn't be enough if my friends and I went JUST for the rally. We're going to turn it into a week long bicycle tour. We're riding up from San Luis Obispo and camping at Moro Bay. We're also going to ride back from the rally, up and over the range into the Carizo Plain, following the San Andreas fault to the 33 into the Sespe Wilderness and down to Ventura. Phew. Can't wait.

Hope to see some readers out there!

Here are some snaps from last year:

Rene Herse

2009-04-14T18:07:00.001-07:00

Another short multimedia bit from the San Diego show. Enjoy!

Epicurean Cyclist - Rene Herse from Russ Roca on Vimeo.

The Pedal Museum

2009-04-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

Ok..I finished this one a little earlier. I took some audio and snaps at the San Diego Show and have one or two more of these to put together. The person that is speaking is Richard Bryne (atleast I'm pretty sure), the CEO of Speedplay. Super cool! On another note, what video player do you think I should use for future vids? Youtube or Vimeo or ?? Youtube seems to have the most users, but dang if it ain't ugly as sin.

Epicurean Cyclist - The Pedal Museum from Russ Roca on Vimeo.

For more on Speedplay's pedal museum, click here.

Posts in a few days..

2009-04-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

Hey all...I've been in the fog of some mystery cold/flu/sickness the last week, so sorry about the lack of posts. I'm working on some more epicurean goodness very soon. Thanks!

Russ

Ian Hibell Video

2009-04-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

Sent in by a reader Scott! Great find. Up until now I had only seen the grainy Darrien Gap video. This is awesome!

Your Dream 5

2009-04-09T19:55:00.001-07:00

A twist on the "who would you like to have at a dinner party alive/dead/real/made-up" parlour game. Who would be your dream 5 touring partners?

Laura Crawford
I write this, not just because if I don't, I'll be sleeping on the lawn tonight, but because, she's been my greatest touring (and life for that matter) partner. We both got into touring at the same time so our riding styles and rhythms are the same. We can tell when we're each getting tired, we like to ride at the same pace and we both have a love for serendipity, gravelly roads and uncertainty. We've toured with a few people, enough to know that everyone has their own touring style and most likely it won't synch up with yours.

Chris Quint
I've mentioned Chris a bit on the site and even shot a video of him and his Carradice/boat cleat trick. A lot of what I know about touring came from him. In his pre-retirement life he was a teacher. He still is. There's never a dull ride with Chris. He's one of those persons with encyclopedic knowledge that will talk about foliage and fauna you're riding by and about the minutiae of beer brewing in the same 5 minute span.

The Great GP
I've never met The Great GP in person, but from what I've read from the Riv. Reader, he sounds like he would be loads of fun to do a tour with or atleast an S24O. That happens to be on my "bucket list" btw, to do a S24O with Grant. Before I discovered Rivendell, I was a bit lost. Trek, Specialized, Giant and Schwinn and the kind of riding they really promoted didn't speak to me. I knew there had to be something else, but what? That's when I discovered bike touring which eventually led me to Riv.

Barbara Savage
If there's any one thing that really got my blood moving about bike touring it was Barbara Savage's "Miles from Nowhere." For me, she seemed like the most approachable and kind person. She seemed honest about her short comings but still persevered. Here is someone that did something epic in scale but wasn't necessarily epic in stature. She made bike touring feel like something I could really do. It became accessible and not just some unreachable fantasy.

Ian Hibell
I would have loved to just sit around a little wood fire and listen to Ian Hibell talk about his adventures all night. Crossing the Darrien Gap, pushing through the Sahara. Maybe he'd even give me a copy of his book Into Remote Places, which is now ridiculously expensive on the trader's market. I just want to read the darn thing, I'll give it back! From what I've read and the little footage I've seen of him he's a traveler through and through. It would be great to hear what makes him tick and keeps him moving despite the harshest of conditions.

So who and why are on your top 5?

Mini Review: Esbit Stove

2009-04-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

I'm becoming a bit of a stove geek, I think. I find something utterly satisfying about small simple mechanisms that you can use to cook food with! Anyway, I picked up this Esbit Stove at an Adventure 16 in Oceanside, CA. The two guys that were there were just opening up and didn't have a problem with me rolling in my fully loaded Bilenky.

I have read about the Esbit and was always curious. It seems to be sold pretty widely (compared to the Trangia) and you can get it from Campmor, Riv and REI.

The stove itself is small and remarkably simple. Two pot supports unfold on rivets. It has two "settings", indents really, that keep the supports at either 45 or 90 degrees. I'm assuming this is to fine tune the supports to match the surface area of the pot you're using.

In use, all you do is put one of the individually wrapped fuel tablets in the center and light it. You can light it with a match or a lighter. I wanted a "matchless" experience on this trip, so what I did was put a little vaseline soaked cotton ball on the top and popped a few sparks on it with a ferro rod. Worked like a charm.

Stated burn times run from 9 to 15 minutes. I found that I got burns somewhere in the middle there. About 12 minutes seemed right. It took about 8-9 minutes to bring about 20oz to boil in my GSI kettle. It worked well for making boiling some water for tea and for my freeze dried dinner.

The Great GP really describes the stove's use well when he says "this is the perfect stove to bring when you're not sure you want to bring one, but aren't sure you want to do without, either." With a stove system this small and easy to use, it almost seems like a no-brainer to take along, if even just for emergencies (the fuel tabs can also double as fire starters). In fact, I'm considering getting another one just to put in our Post-Apocalypse Survival Bag.

Some things to consider.
The Esbit seems to really do its one intended purpose really well, bring some water to a quick boil. If this is all you need a stove to do, then it's a good choice. However, because of the limited burn time of the tablets, it would make it difficult to cook anything that won't be done in about 10 minutes.

For example, Laura and I usually make a version of corned beef hash and potatoes when we go camping. We need constant burn times in the 30-40 minute range to soften and brown the potatoes. We can do this with the Trangia. However, this would be a difficult task for the Esbit.

Conclusion
If you can accept the limitations of the Esbit, then you'll be happy. It's great for making a quick cup of coffee or tea in the morning, or boiling some water for your MRE. It's small, simple to use and really has little to break. I would consider taking one and 4 tablets along every trip just as an emergency stove when you're in between population centers.

Highly Recommend

Some snaps from the road...

2009-04-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

Picked up an Esbit stove at an Adventure 16 store located conveniently across the street from Pacific Coast Cycles

Holds up the GSI kettle pretty well.

Inside Pacific Coast Cycles, home for any epicurean cyclist. Need an obscure part? Walk around long enough and you'll probably trip on it.

TA cranks anyone?

The perfect firewood getting bike.

What it looks like from the cockpit.

Prototypes of some Rene Herse rando bags.

The vegan B-17?

Getting a tour of Speedplay's Museum of Pedals.

A tight fit for the Bilenky.

Back from my San Diego Sojourn

2009-04-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

Just a short update. I just got back into town a few hours ago and I'm tired and sick (again!). I had a pretty good time, all things considered.

I rolled into San Diego a little before 11am on Sunday. When I was at Union Station I saw two other tourists. We sat next to each other on the train and they told me of their trip thus far. Tony and Clarence had just ridden from Florida to El Paso. They hitched a ride to LA because the winds were killing them. They were great company and full of entertaining stories.

After some talk, I convinced them to join me to the hand made bike show in San Diego. At the show, I met Simon Firth and Bina from Bilenky. A historic meeting! I also talked a bit to Chuck and Gretchen from Pacific Coast Cycles. I did some audio interviews with Speedplay regarding this cool display they had of antique pedals, Calfee and some bamboo bikes and Mark from Rene Herse.

Those should be ready in a day or two.

When I got back to the hotel from the show I felt like crap. Fever, chills, sore throat, coughing the whole bit. My trip wasn't looking good. Somehow I managed to sleep and when I got up I felt a little better so I rode out to San Elijo campground and spent the night there. Not before having breakfast with Tony and hearing about some great bike adventures he had in Egypt (for example, accidentally riding through a live mine field in the desert!).

On my way up and over Torrey Pines (it's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be, btw), I ran into Chris Kostman from XO-1.org and AdventureCorps. What a small world. I was pulled over the side of the road drinking some water when I see a van veer into the shoulder and start backing up towards me. Out he jumps and from his AdventureCorps shirt I put one and one together pretty quickly.

At San Elijo were two other tourists, an uncle and nephew pair on their first outing, Craig and Lucas. Craig was great fun to talk to. He was heavily involved with the Boy Scouts and knew a lot about camping. I tested out my Wetterlings Axe and Mora knife. I used both to split wood with good success. I'm surprised all the things the Mora can do for a $15 knife!

The next day, I decided to ride to San Clemente for the night. I stopped at Pacific Coast Cycles in Oceanside and chatted with Gretchen and Chuck some more. They're great people and I highly recommend their shop. Chuck worked with Masi and knows as much about bikes and has as many opinions as even The Great GP.

Across the street was an Adventure 16 shop where I picked up an Esbit stove. I ran out of fuel for my Trangia and decided an Esbit and 6 tablets was about the same price and quite a bit easier to carry than a tin of denatured alcohol.

I rode into Pendleton and got lost! I figured I rode about 30 extra miles around the base. By the time I got out of the base I was starting to bonk pretty bad. Being sick all weekend and not having enough food and water with me, plus riding around with the Bilenky and TOO much gear. It was not looking good.

When I got into camp, Craig and Lucas were there. I felt like on the verge of blacking out. I quickly boiled some water with the Esbit and ate two dehydrated Mountain House meals in quick succession. That brought me into near consciousness, but I felt pretty tired the rest of the night. I went to bed early but had a tough time sleeping because I was coughing all the time.

Today, I soft-pedaled to San Juan Capistrano and picked up an Amtrak back to Los Angeles and I took the metro home. Whew. I'm tired, my throat hurts and I feel a little bit delirious.

I think it was a fun trip. It was certainly a social trip. I had never met such interesting people before while I was on the road. I just wish I wasn't sick again. Enough for now.

Goin to San Diego!

2009-04-04T22:58:00.001-07:00

It's 11pm and I'm beat. Just shot two full days of Bike Fest for the city of Long Beach. I had a wonderful evening with fellow bike blogger Gary and Megan tonight. We've emailed a few times but it was good to meet them in person. They've got the touring bug, so I hope to do a trip with them in the future.

I have a train to catch early in the morning and I should be in San Diego for the custom bicycle show. So, I'll be out for a few days (planning on riding back). I'll try to post on the road, but we'll see. Haven't quite decided whether to bring the computer or not.

See ya'll soon.

Battle of the Baskets

2009-04-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

Wald is pretty much synonymous with the bicycle basket. They make all shapes and sizes for every conceivable load you can imagine (ok, probably not that many..but a lot). I spotted these SunLite baskets at Bikestation in Long Beach today.

But a basket is a basket, right? Well, yes, but you have to appreciate nice touches. This SunLite basket has some nice looking tubular stays! Many of the Walds I've tried use what basically looks like a crowbar with drilled holes in it.

The SunLite basket has cleaner looking stays that allow you to adjust the height by screwing in the inner tube. Nice. Elegant. Better than the crowbar look. The stays end in loops that can attach to nutted axels and perhaps fender eyelets with some spacers and washers. Not too shabby!

On bike touring magazines....and other stuff

2009-04-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

Spotted on the ACA website, a little video donation pitch for their map department.

Also on the ACA site was a link to a Bikecentennial Flickr group! Ah the good old days!

And speaking of the good olde days, I just took a peep at a friend's copy of Bicycle Quarterly and its chock full of historical photos and stories about touring in Europe in the 30s! (As a side note, I think we're primed for a touring re-birth! The economic conditions are just right for people to start to look at simpler, less expensive and more adventurous ways of travel!)

If you like EC, you'll love Bicycle Quarterly Magazine (subscribe today!). Jan writes some of the most thorough reviews of the most interesting bikes and bike accessories I've ever seen. It really puts that other "bicycling" magazine to shame (you know which one). It's sort of like reading Shakespeare after flipping through the National Enquirer.

Upcoming Reviews: Dapper Dans and EOS Bike Light

2009-04-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

Some upcoming reviews for you in the next few days.

Dapper Dan Ergo Grips

These grips, made by Portland Design Works just arrived so I popped them out of the box for some quick photos before I put them on a bike and run them through the paces. Initial impressions? Wow. These look great and feel great on the hands. I'm super impressed. The leather is thick and plush and seems to give a lot of cushion. Can't wait to ride with them.

Princeton Tec EOS Bike Light

Could this light by Princeton Tec be the ultimate bike touring light? One minute it's on the bike, the next it's on your head helping you set up camp in the dark. Popping it out of the box, the light felt good in the hands. Nice and dense. This is no flimsy girlieman light, but something that should last the rigors of a bike tour. It comes with accessories to mount it on your bike, your head and your helmet. I'll be taking it with me this weekend on a quickie excursion to San Diego and back.

Sweet new Swobos...

2009-04-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

Spotted on BikeRadar (why do they get everything first!), some new designs from Sky (chick designed!) for Swobo. Check the link out here. I'm really digging the Baxter, an 8spd IGH bike with swept back bars and matching chain guard. It has some more modernish touches such as a carbon fork and discs (love 'em or hate 'em) but it is still pretty classed up with a minimalist paint job that is more nuanced than nuisance. Not shown with fenders but the description says "Clearance for fat tyres and mudguards."

Nice.

Looking at the pic, the off the peg bike looks good. Though, if it were up to me, I'd throw on a Brooks, change the seatpost to a silver VO, ditto for the stem, and maybe toss on some dapper dan ergo grips.

San Diego Custom Bicycle Show

2009-04-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

Anyone else going? I'm planning to go on Sunday and finally meet the Bilenky folks in person. I think it is the coolest to actually meet the people that built my bike. I'm going to take a ton of photos, of course and hopefully do some interviews while I'm out there.

Chap

2009-04-02T14:02:00.001-07:00

Completely new to me, but looks like loads of fun is The Chap magazine (thanks Colin!). It appears to be full of tweed, trousers and loads of irony. Here's an excerpt from the Chap Manifesto:

Society has become sick with some nameless malady of the soul. We have become the playthings of corporations intent on converting our world into a gargantuan shopping precinct. Pleasantness and civility are being discarded as the worthless ephemera of a bygone age - an age when men doffed their hats to the ladies, and small children could be counted upon to mind one's Jack Russell while one took a mild and bitter in the local hostelry...

It is time for Chaps and Chapettes from all walks of life to stand up and be counted. But fear not, ye languid and ye plain idle: ours is a revolution based not on getting up early and exerting oneself - but a revolution that can be achieved by a single raised eyebrow over a monocle; the ordering of a glass of port in All Bar One; the wearing of a particularly fetching cardigan upon a visit to one's bookmaker. In other words: a revolution of panache. We shall bewilder the masses with seams in our trousers that could cut paper, trilbies angled so rakishly that traffic comes to a standstill; and by refusing the bland, watery substances that are foisted upon us by faceless corporations, we shall bring the establishment to its knees, begging for sartorial advice and a nip from our hip flasks.

Is Mixte the new Fixie?

2009-04-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

Well, probably not yet. Though I did see a really nice one at last nights bike advocacy meeting (photos soon). SOMA seems to think there's some interest. Check out their blog about more information on their Buena Vista. (thanks to RL from Bikecommuters.com for the tip.)

* The Buena Vista is a true mixte with the double top tube/stays.
* This is not just for the ladies. "Mixte" (pronounced "MEExt") is French for "mixed" or "unisex"and fully envisioned for both men and women from the beginning. North Americans have come to pronounce it "mix-ty". Both are acceptable to use.
* Ride characteristics/geometry is somewhere between road sport and touring
* An oversized butted downtube makes this frame stiffer than the mixtes of the 70's.
* Removable decals make it easier for you to customize your ride
* Four sizes to start: 42, 50, 54, 58cm
* Horizontal dropouts w/hanger allows you to run it with a rear derailleur, with internal geared hubs, or single speed
* Downtube shifter bosses
* Rack and fender braze-ons
* Bosses for single bottle cage

You'll probably like this book...

2009-04-02T00:49:00.001-07:00

Still on pre-order, this book looks to be bike p0rn for an epicurean cyclist. Not to mention, there's a photo I took of my Bilenky cargo bike in it (thanks to Richard Masoner for the tip!) I hope to get a look at the book soon to see what other goodness is in there.

What's in your BikeBurrito?

2009-04-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

Wait. Don't have one, yet? Well, whatareya waiting for? Order them online here. And when you do, take a photo and upload it to the BikeBurrito Flickr Group.

Don't know what a BikeBurrito is? Well, watch this video with OhSoCatchy music. You'll be humming it all day...week...month. Trust me.

Sigg vs. Kleen Kanteen

2009-04-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

While we're on the topic of water bottles. Here's a post that discusses the differences between Sigg and KKs.

Kleen Kanteen week?

2009-04-01T09:13:00.001-07:00

Something must be in the air...or the water bottle this week. Another quickie mod with a Kleen Kanteen. Reader, Paxton shows a Kleen Kanteen given the good ole' twine and shellac treatment. Quiets the rattle, gives the KK a little more grip and a touch of diy earthiness to it.

DIY Wood Burning Stove....from Surly?

2009-03-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

Probably NOT something that will be in the QBP catalog anytime soon, is this DIY wood burning stove I spotted on the Surly blog (of all places!). Made from a paint can, it has two large holes to accept the chimney and a Kleen Kanteen for boiling (pretty darn cool).

Check out the post for more.

Some things I like and some that are ok...

2009-03-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

In my short time interested in cycling and bicycle touring, I've gotten to try out quite a lot of stuff. I'm the sort of person that has a need to experiment and get to know things intimately before I can make a decision. But even when the decision is made, I always have an eye out for other alternatives. Here are some quick notes about different things I've tried and some conclusions.

Trek 520 vs. LHT - prefer the LHT
I owned a Trek 520 for a few years and it was good but had a tendency to shimmy. Plus, it was sorta ugly with the welds on the frame and fork. No pizazz at all. Bought a LHT and found it to be superior to the 520. No shimmy. Super stable when loaded and descending. Haven't looked back.

SWOBO wool gloves v.s Ibex wool goves - prefer Ibex
I loved my SWOBO gloves when I first got them. They were the bee's knees. However, when I lost one of the gloves I decided to give the Ibex ones a try. Now I prefer the Ibex gloves, especially for cold weather. The knit is thicker and tighter and it doesn't seem to pill as much. They're noticeably warmer than the SWOBO ones. That said, the SWOBOs are still fine gloves, but if I were to just own one pair it would be the Ibex gloves.

SWOBO Merino Bobby vs. Ibex Frisko - prefer SWOBO
I bought both the SWOBO bobby and IBEX Frisko on sale. They're both polo style shirts with a collar. The SWOBO has buttons and the Ibex has a zipper. The Swobo has a useful pocket, the Ibex doesn't. In terms of weight of wool, I thought the Ibex was a little thin. The SWOBO one was just right. Light but had enough weight to it to keep you warm and last a long time. Plus, it has nice contrast stitching and a little chain plate on the sleeve.

MKS Touring Pedals vs. Rivendell Grip Kings - Tie
Simply put, it depends on the shoe I'm wearing. The MKS ones seem to work with the wide toe-box of my Keens better. The Grip Kings seem to support every other shoe except the Keens really well.

Plastic vs. Kleen Kanteens - prefer KK
Plastic still wins in squeezability, of course. However, the KKs will last forever and don't impart a plastic taste. More importantly, you can put coffee, tea or juice in a KK, wash it out and it won't have the same residual taste that plastic would. Just don't bite down on the hard sport top of a KK.

Jannd Rear Rack vs. Tubus Cargo - prefer Tubus
The hardware on the Tubus is tubing, which is super stiff compared to the flexy stays of the Jannd. Didn't think I would notice, but the first tour with the Tubus, the load just felt "tighter." Also, the two sets of rails lets me put the panniers on a lower tier, not interfering with things I have to tie to the top. The Tubus racks also wear a lot nicer. The paint doesn't flake off as easily.

Acorn Bag vs. Ostrich - prefer Acorn
The Ostrich is a good bag in its own right. Affordable. Available. The Acorn is just nicer and there are a lot of great details. Better closures for pockets, main bay opens toward the rider, a lot stiffer fabric and stiffeners. Plus the tan one totally matches my LHT.

Riv Wool Undies vs. Justin Charles Wool Undies - prefer JC
The Justin Charles boxers seem to be a wee bit thicker and more robust wool. I've had to darn my a few of my Rive ones, but the JC ones are still going strong. The extra length of the JC ones also prevent the legs from riding up AS much.

GSI Kettle vs. boiling in a pot - prefer GSI Kettle
The kettle is small and lightweight and looks good. You'll always have nice non-food tasting water for tea with the kettle, instead of washing out a pot you used for dinner.

Dirt roads vs. Paved Roads - prefer Dirt
Though a lot tougher, more remote and demands more from you, I prefer the dirt roads. Less traffic. You can ride two or three abreast. And no doubt, wherever you go it'll be an adventure. Just have a good map and sense of direction and you'll be ok.

Monday reminder...

2009-03-30T08:24:00.001-07:00

Apologies for the repost from my other blog...just a friendly reminder ;)

We broke 100 votes! Awesome! Thanks so much to everyone that has voted and left a word of encouragement. It means loads to Laura and me. Special thanks to EcoVelo, Team Potter Cycling, Cycleicious and Bilenky for putting something up on their sites!

We've still got a ways to go, so if you haven't voted yet, then click HERE!

And if you want to post about it on your respective site/blog/tweet, then that's just more awesomeness!

A little montage...

2009-03-30T00:17:00.000-07:00

Decided to make a small vid with some photos. The opening footage is one of two videos I shot while in Joshua Tree before my Flip stopped working. Luckily, it was good take and makes for a great intro! We haven't quite been everywhere (yet), but we've been a few places and I took some pictures to prove it :)

Planet Bike Dynamo Light - Part 2

2009-03-29T15:05:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking. Finally, the follow-up to my first article about the Planet Bike Dynamo light! Well, I try to be thorough and really try to put a product through the paces before I post about it.

Just a quickie recap. The Blaze Dynamo is the dynamo powered version of the very popular Blaze 1W light by Planet Bike. They share a nearly identical form factor. For all practical purposes, it is almost the same light with these two exceptions 1) the Blaze Dynamo runs on a dynamo (duh) 2) the Blaze Dynamo only has two settings, a high steady light and a strobe setting. The original battery powered version had three settings 1)high beam 2) low-ish beam 3) strobe. I'm assuming that the thinking is that since there is no need to worry about batteries, you'll just run it on high...which just makes sense.

So, if the Blaze 1W is great, shouldn't the Blaze Dynamo be great +1? Well, yes and no and it depends on your expectations.

Let me explain.

Blaze Dynamo as City Light
If your expectations are that this will be a Blaze 1W that you don't have to bother with batteries, then you'll be perfectly happy. The Blaze 1W, I feel, is one of the best in-city bike commuting lights there are for the price. The dynamo version is just as great without the need to worry for batteries. The strobe mode gives you plenty of fire-power to BE SEEN. I've even taken to leaving the strobe mode ON during the DAY as sort of a daytime running light.

The high beam is pretty bright, though to be honest, a bit narrow and focused for my taste. It will work just fine in the city with ambient light, allowing you to anticipate pot-holes and other road irregularities.

If you judge it within those parameters, then you'll be pleased. It fulfills its promise in delivering the same quality of light as the Blaze 1W without the need to worry about batteries.

Blaze Dynamo as High End Touring/Rando Light
There are A LOT of new LED-based dynamo lights out there. When I was shopping around for one a few years ago, the only decent looking one was an Inoled 10+ that I bought from Peter White. Now there is quite a few to choose from. Just check out Peter's page on "lighting systems" for pete's sake.

You've got the Edelux, the Supernova E3, B&M Fly, IQ Cyo, InoLed Extreme, etc., No doubt in a few months, we'll see the introduction of the Suprem-elux, SuperDuperNova E10, InoLed XXXtreme...you get the picture.

The Blaze Dynamo is not in the same class as these lights, but nor was its designed to compete with them. I say this because if you're looking to find a cheap Edelux in the Blaze Dynamo, you ain't gonna find it there.

That said, I have taken the Blaze Dynamo on tour and have ridden with it at night in some areas where there wasn't a whole lot of light. The light was pretty bright, maybe a little less bright than my InoLed 10. However, the issue isn't really brightness as it is beam spread with this light. If you could take the same amount of light and just make the coverage broader, the light would be exponentially better. Because it is so narrow, I had a tendency to be a little more cautious when riding with it if there wasn't sufficient ambient light.

Design Issues

The problem with using the same exact form factor as the battery version is that it looks too much like a removable battery powered light. The thinking is that if it looks like something you can swipe, people are going to try to swipe it. It's a point I can understand, so I went a little out of my way to make it seem like a more permanent light. I more or less field stripped the handlebar mount and made the light into a bolt on light on my front rack.

I think it works. It isn't as readily identifiable as a removable light, I think. However, I do agree with many readers that future iterations should have a more stubby, permanent looking form factor.

OR, if they are going to keep the same form factor, there should be some sort of in-line release mechanism for the cable. A few readers suggested splicing an inline connector like the ones pictured below. I think this would be a good design change, if PB decides to still produce it with the QR handlebar bracket.

Conclusion - The Pros and Cons

The Pros
-Affordable (if you've got a dynamo wheel already). A good LED dynamo light from reputable company that will not kill your wallet. What you pay up front you save on in batteries.
-If you liked the battery version, you'll also like the dynamo version.
-Good light for city and commuting. Very eye-catching strobe mode (something you can now leave on during the day as sort of a day-time running light!)

The Cons
-Looks like a "steal-able" light, might tempt someone to rip yer cables out.
-The light has QR bracket but there is no in-line QR for the cable!
-Bright light but narrow beam, not the best for riding with no ambient light.

Recommend with some caveats.
As an in-city Commuter light - B+
As a touring light for use on roads with no ambient light - C

EC on CBC / Food vs. Goo

2009-03-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Just a heads-up for anyone that listens to CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation), I did a shortish interview with their food columnist! I'm not quite sure how much they'll use (probably just a snippet), but keep your ears at the ready. It all started with a reference to Epicurean Cyclist on the Guardian blog about "Cycling food: eating or refueling." Here's an excerpt:

Non-racers go further still, and in fact some cyclists are genuine foodies. There is now an emerging sub-genre of cycling food bloggers. They include Sam the Cycling Cook from Leicestershire and the Epicurean Cyclist who guides us on the delights of Belgium waffles on tour in Southern California.

One of the questions that the reporter asked (who happens to be a big fan of Rivendell, btw!), was when did cycling food change from "real food" to squishy goo. While I think its impossible to give an exact date and time, I think it has a lot to do with marketing. Just as people think the latest carbon-fiber-electronic-shifting-bicycle-shaped-object will make them go faster, the same assumptions are made about space-age goo dispensed from foil packets.

Simply put, they're spending the advertising dollars so they got a lot of press. Like Laura pointed out to me when we were talking about it, there's probably not a giant apple lobby pushing the agenda of Big Apple in Bicycling magazine. Aside from the marketing, I think there's also just the basic human desire to believe that performance or happiness is a shiny packaged object away.

Now, to be fair, there are instances when goo is indeed good. While eating a roasted chicken from your handlebar bag during a triathlon is more satisfying, it probably isn't very practical. Goo has a home in competitive cycling and sports. However, the causal rider that is pedaling at a comfy 12mph for a days ride, probably doesn't need to suck down XtremeUltraPowerMegaGel like their life depended on it. Horses for courses.

For the kind of riding I'm interested in, the goo can stay at home. I much prefer real food, especially foods from little cafes, or the local farmers market, or that are regional specialties. Or if I'm going to pack food with me, I'll go to the local grocer and get some cured meats and hard cheese for the road, something which I prefer over gels.

Some of my greatest memories of being on tour are inextricably tied to food. Having a cone of Bubblegum flavored Tillamook ice-cream for breakfast in Oregon, eating nearly a pound of fresh oysters and salmon at camp in Reedsport, drinking fresh brews at Pizza Port on the Southern California coast, eating arguably some of the best Belgian Waffles of my life at the Filling Station in Orange, having the thickest juiciest slices of bacon at Hoover's Beef Palace during the Great Western Bike Rally in Paso...the list goes on.

Dang. Now I'm hungry.

Cargo Bike with Drops

2009-03-28T14:43:00.001-07:00

Just put up a post about a switch of handlebars for my Bilenky on my other blog. I had to use two different types of brake levers Tektro R100 and Tektro RL520 to make it work. There's also a little discussion of why I went from the Albatross bars to drops (Nitto Randonneurs) with the bike.

A little help from some friends

2009-03-25T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I've entered a competition for a "Dream Photo Assignment." Here's my submission below. Please click on the link and VOTE today! The contest ends April 3rd. Not much time! Please PASS IT ON too!

I would like to ride a bicycle through North and South America on an ambitious portrait project, photographing the work of community leaders and activists who are striving for a more sustainable planet.

I am a freelance photojournalist in Long Beach, CA and I travel to all my assignments and shoots with a specially made cargo bicycle, able to carry up to 400lbs of equipment.

I have done this day in and day out for the last three years. In this time, I've come to realize that the environment will be the crises of our times. We've become trapped in a circle of consumption that fills our air with smoke and our lands with trash.

There is hope however. There are people around us that are working for a more sustainable way of life in large and small ways.

In the spirit of the work, I want to ride my bicycle across the country and document the work of these people in multi-media portraits combining stills and recorded audio.

SEE SAMPLE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_XCltiEW-g

I will bicycle every mile of the journey, making it the first zero emission multi-national photo assignment.

I will seek out local environmental advocates and celebrities, park rangers, bicycle commuters, leaders of co-operative markets, small organic farmers and tell their story.

This is important.

People need to know that there is hope, that around them are others who are working in ways no matter how small or large to make our lives better.

The work will culminate in a website with a series of downloads of the stills and multi-media stories.

It will be the most ambitious zero-emission paperless photography assignment to date.

Let's make it happen.

Camp Tools

2009-03-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

I received an order from Ben's Backwoods (a great place for bike camping gear...fyi) a few days ago and have been trying out my new bits of camping kit.

Swedish Fire Steel
This is the "scout" version of the Light My Fire fire steel. Not quite as enormous as the "army" version, but probably plenty for a bike tourist with only minimal pyromaniacal tendencies :) Don't know if you can tell, but it's new but already well used as I've tried it on quite a few things to see if I can get them to light. I've gotten the most success out of lighting cotton balls with Vaseline which make a great homemade fire starter. I've also been able to easily light my Trangia stoves with it! There have been times when we couldn't get the stove lit because our matches and lighter got wet.

Mora #2 Knife - Laminated Carbon
This is a fair amount of knife for the money. At $15 you get a plenty sharp, pretty sturdy fixed blade knife that can handle most camp chores. Now, I haven't taken this touring yet but I have been practicing different knife techniques. We had a recent bit of wind that knocked down a lot of Eucalyptus branches around the neighborhood. I broke off a few of different widths and tried making tent pegs, splitting small diameter branches and general whittling. So far, so good. It takes a good edge (not as sharp as my straight razor) and will cut through a sheet of paper like butter (not that you would be doing this often in the woods, but its a popular sharpness test).

Wetterlings 19" Bushcraft Axe
Wow, my first real axe. It makes my cheapo $15 hardware store axe feel like a cheap $15 hardware store axe. Truth be told, at 19" it is a little long and I should have ordered the 15" one instead. Not so much for weight, but for packability. Strapped down to the D-rings on my Carradice the axe pokes out a fair bit. I'll have to figure out how to pack it or shorten the handle (what a shame). It's a Wetterlings, not quite as nice as the axe Riv. use to sell but of similar build just without the fine touches. I haven't really gotten to use this yet, but I'm hoping to practice splitting some wood this weekend.

Acorn in Black - Richard's Bag

2009-03-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

(Apologies if I'm slow to respond to email. I get a lot of it, work and blog related, but I'm making more of an effort to respond quicker.)

An EC reader, Richard V, sent in photos of his Acorn Boxy Rando Bag in black! What a sweet ride it's on! A chrome/silver Bob Jackson with VO racks. Nice. Richard opted for the decaleur mounting. Do you have an Acorn Bag or ride pimped out in leather in twine, send it in, with a short description of the build and maybe an anecdote of a ride you've taken with it.

Fancy Water Bottle Holders

2009-03-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

I decided to do a little arts and crafts on the bike this weekend. I love the Retro Cage from VO and always thought it would be nice to put some leather on it, especially when I'm using my Kleen Kanteens. (Advance apologies to the vegans and vegetarians right now).

So, I took some Toe Clip Leathers (also from VO) and stitched them on to the Retro Cages. Once I got the hang of it, I was able to stitch them on pretty quick. The toe leather kit comes with a pair of needles and some thick waxed thread (black). The pieces of leather themselves were just the right length and come pre-perforated (no awl necessary.. though it takes some poking sometimes to get the needle through)

The finished product, I think, looks great. It certainly stops the rattling and that irksome metallic scratching sound that sometimes happens when I pull my KK out.

JetBoil Recall

2009-03-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

Just saw this on Bikeforums.net. JetBoil is doing a recall of some of their burners. Since I know that some readers use that system, I thought I'd post it. Click here for details.

Rediscovering Camp Fire Cooking

2009-03-20T08:33:00.001-07:00

(These photos were taken by Bernadette Mckeever)

A few mini-tours ago, Chris, my touring mentor, made us some rather fancy quesadillas over a campfire. At first, I thought it was for the sake of being quaint and rustic. We had, after all, 4 Trangia stoves between us and could have made short work of the cooking.

However, as we began to cook, I saw the utility of using a small stick camp fire, not a "white man's" fire as you see here in Huntington Beach during the summer months, where people burn whole wood pallets at a time :) The more experienced outdoors persons have to forgive me. I grew up in Los Angeles and when we went camping as a child, the fire was for looking and for occasionally burning marshmallows over. The idea that you could cook over the fire is rather new to me.

So after that mini-tour where we cooked over the fire, I decided to try it out on our last trip, hence, the hatchet. The first night we did it was in Joshua Tree. Firewood was a few uphill miles away and we were tired. We sent Jenny to ask for some wood from another camper. She came back with one largish log. Having the log alone would have been useless without the hatchet.

I split the single log several times until we had pieces about the width of your thumb. It was enough wood to get a burn for about an hour. We flipped the grate on the fire pit and put our pots there. We heated up a quart of water and cooked a tin of canned corn beef hash.

Was it fast? Heck no.

But that's ok sometimes.

It was relaxing and gratifying to build the fire and watch it grow and feel in touch with your surroundings. We could have used our stoves and cooked up everything in about a quarter of the time, but sometimes speed isn't the point.

There were practical advantages as well. We were burning through our alcohol for the stove pretty fast and in the desert, the task of finding more was pretty inconvenient. Using the campfire to cook stretched out our fuel. Fires are also great for keeping a constant pot of hot water on. We made some water for tea with our kettle and when we drained it, we just filled it up again and put it over the fire, providing a constant source of hot water. To do this was a Trangia, or any stove for that matter, is very costly fuel-wise.

While I'm still pretty new to cooking with a camp fire, I'm learning and enjoying it. I just ordered a Wetterling "bushcraft" axe from Ben's Backwoods (my new favorite bike touring store). It should come in a week and I hope to learn how to sharpen it and wield it a little better for our trips to come.

Women's Wednesday (on Thursday): The Perfect Sweater...Found!

2009-03-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

I wrote earlier about my quest for the perfect wool sweater. Partly to keep warm and partly to look less ghetto on our bike tours, I decided that a wool sweater was a needed item. I tried the Ibex Shak Full Zip and the Icebreaker Glider. And, then, in a stubborn, I’m-not-giving-in sort of maneuver, I ordered a Smartwool Hahn’s Peak.

The Smartwool arrived and I was instantly in love. Jackpot! It’s made of a thick, densely-knit wool that’s warm without being overly bulky. It has a ribbed neckline and quarter zip that give it a classy finish, and a nice easy shape that doesn’t look too boxy. This sweater hits at the hips, which I consider the perfect length for this type of garment – long enough to keep you warm without being so long that you get lost inside. The sweater is loose enough that you can layer several items underneath and still move your arms and torso enough to load up a touring bike and head out onto the road.

I took this sweater on our recent trip to the desert, where it got down to 30 degrees at night, and I was thoroughly delighted. At 30 degrees, you obviously need a few layers, so this sweater isn’t the end-all-be-all, like a down coat might be. But, at 45 degrees, this sweater plus a long-sleeve wool shirt was incredibly toasty. It’s not wind-proof, but the knit is dense enough that it keeps out more wind than the Icebreaker Glider.

The tag says “dry-clean only,” but I have to believe that if you wash your wool responsibly and don’t throw it in a machine, you can forego the expensive and environmentally-un-friendly trip to the cleaners.

Added bonus, if you act now (and wear a size medium), they’re still on sale at Rock/Creek…

The Perfect Mug?

2009-03-18T15:58:00.001-07:00

Right before our last trip, I broke down and bought the "mug" I had been coveting for the last year and a half, the Snow Peak Titanium Trek 700 (it just SOUNDS so spacey doesn't it?). It is sometimes sold on the Riv. site (not there right now), but I ordered mine from REI. So what's so great about this mug?

Well, to call it a mug really doesn't describe it well. It's really more of a tallish pot that can be used as a mug. From what I've read, it's suppose to mate well with the Snow Peak Giga stove system. I don't know how well that works because I use it with my Trangias. In fact, I can fit two Trangia stoves into the 700 (see picture below for scale). I also stick some matches and a lighter in a waterproof baggie inside as well.

Some of the neat features are the folding handles, of course, that make it pack easily. Even with the 700 full of liquid, the handles didn't seem to show any undue bending or stress. I imagine with reasonable care, this mug/pot should last a long time. Another really nice feature is the lid that you can use as a colander. I've cooked some pasta in it and have successfully drained out the water without losing a single noodle.

I've used it as a mug. I've boiled water in it over my Trangia and over a camp fire. I've heated soup in it over the range. The underside has a slightly different patina (pleasant to me), but otherwise it's fine.

Someone asked if I burned my lips on the 700 when used as a mug. Well, here's the thing. It's not double walled so the bottom and sides get hot! If you use the handles you'll be fine holding it. Now, when I make coffee or tea, I probably only fill it up to about halfway. While the heat does creep up the sides of the mug and the lip does get hot-ish, I can drink without having asbestos lips. That said, if you filled it up to the very top, you would get burned. However, with a normal serving of coffee, there is enough space from the lip of the mug to the liquid that it won't get overly hot. Makes sense?

A nice plus is that the folded 700 fits perfectly into the side pocket of my Carradice Camper Long Flap, so it is always within easy reach.

While perhaps not being the perfect mug, or a mug really, the Snow Peak 700 is a great bike camping accessory. You can cook in it, use it to strain out your pasta and yes, drink from it like a mug. It may not be an absolutely essential piece of kit (I've survived years with a lesser mug) it is a nice thing to have. Recommend.

Some Quick Gear Notes...

2009-03-17T17:30:00.001-07:00

Before I forget, some quick gear notes.

GSI Kettle - Worked really well. I really enjoyed a dedicated pot JUST for water. Probably our most used bit of cooking equipment on our trip. Used it on a Trangia stove (that fits inside the kettle when packed away), but also used it over a fire as well.

MSR Dromedary Bag (6L) - Nice bag. At first, I thought it was a little overkill. I could have used the bladder of a Camelback wrapped in some cloth. In the end, it was nice that the drom. bag has a tough exterior since it was getting squished around on top of my rack. Super convenient for getting camp water (fill it once instead of walking back and forth). I carried 3 Kleen Kanteens and the drom. bag when we crossed Josh. Glad I had it along with us. I'll definitely bring it whenever water availability is in question. When not in use it packs down next to nothing.

Snow Peak Titanium Mug 700ml - This is the mug that Riv. use to sell. I ordered one through REI. It works great and actually fits a Trangia stove inside. It holds A LOT of coffee and has a convenient measuring notches so you can measure water in for MREs. I've put it directly on a flame and it has survived. Slight discoloration and the bottom got a little rounded but it's fine (and now has a nice patina :)

Opinel - I bought two knives and brought two. One was permanently in the bag with the hard cheese we carried. The other was in my handlebar bag. Great food knife. Made short work of chopping vegetables. Lightweight and classy. I did try to use it to make a fuzz stick for a fire but it didn't work so well for that.

Hatchet - This is the first time we brought a hatchet. Not quite sure the make of the one we have, but its nothing fancy. It is definitely worth bringing. We used it at camp to hammer in stakes (nice in rocky territory). We also used it to split wood. We were able to cook and enjoy a fire with just ONE largish piece of firewood. At one of our campsites in Josh, Laura and I scavenged small pieces of unburned and slightly burned wood from empty sites. Because we had the hatchet, we could break up the pieces into kindling and smaller bits that allowed us too cook. No need to buy a whole bundle of firewood with the hatchet. I'm going to get a big bushcraft knife in the future and see how that compares to a hatchet for splitting wood.

Panaracer Paselas 26 in. x 43mm - Nice tires. Folding bead lets you carry a spare. One problem is that these fit REALLY loose. When you get a flat, you will fishtail like crazy and these may pop themselves off the rim....which is exactly what almost happened to me. Coming down a steep hill from Pioneertown I got a flat while descending and I had a hard time controlling the bike. The tires have a really supple casing, which is good in terms of suspension, but seems to be its detriment during a fast flat situation. Although I like these tires, I am considering looking into Schwables.

Riv. Seersucker - Once it started to get really hot, I just wore the shirt with no undershirt and it worked great. The light color reflected the heat, the loose fit helped me stay cool. I can flip up the collar and keep the neck buttoned to keep the sun off my neck. A nicer option, I think, than slathering sun block on every bit of exposed skin.

Surly LHT - Awesome. Stable. You can see from the pics there was a fair amount of Vitamin G (gravel) in our road diet. We got bumped around and I dumped the bike once or twice in soft sand but it still kept ticking.

Things I would consider getting for our next trip...

GPS - getting lost on dirt roads was no fun. AAA maps had lots of mistakes as did Google Maps. When you have limited resources, getting lost is no fun.

Large Bushcraft Knife - looking for a knife that is capable of splitting wood, non-serrated, full tange, and able to be sharpened in the field. Must be able to take baton strikes on the non-cutting side.

Solar charger - the batteries in my cam ran out and I had to borrow Laura's just as we got into Josh for the rest of the week. I'm planning on teaching myself to solder and some basic electronics. Anyone have suggestions as how to begin? Learn?

Back!

2009-03-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Laura and I just got back a few hours ago. What an adventure! We made it through Joshua Tree. We rode literally through the windmills (5 miles of gravel and dirt that took 3 hours to get through)! Lots to write about, but for now, some pics.

Packing up for Joshua Tree...

2009-03-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

My bike is sitting in the livingroom pretty much loaded. Just going through the final checklist of what to bring and what to leave behind. All the S240s and 3 day tours generally make packing easier, but on longer trips there's always that nagging feeling of leaving something behind.

The weather looks good. No rain for a change. However it will have wild swings. Highs in the 80s and lows in the 30s, so the clothes and gear have to layer well.

I bought some groceries for the trip. Dried fruits. Hard cheese. Baguettes. Prosciutto. Coffee. Tea. We'll probably buy groceries for dinner as we roll near the campsites. Bringing a hatchet this time to chop up fire wood so we don't spend two hours trying to get giant logs lit.

Everything is almost packed and ready to go. This tense stillness before a trip is always so excruciating and wonderful at the same time. Looking at the bike with gear, you can almost feel the kinetic energy that is all stored up and waiting to be unleashed.

You can almost hear the bike whispering, "All you have to do is push me out the door and you'll never have to come back."

Don't know if I'll be able to update on the road, but I'll try if its possible. If not. I will when I get back! Till then.

Lightening the load...

2009-03-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it's reading Crusing in Serrafyn, or maybe because it's getting closer to finally heeding the road's siren song, but I'm considering selling a great amount of my camera gear to fund future adventures. I know many here are photographers and aficionados (in the Hemingway sense of the word) with discerning taste so some of you may be interested.

Here's a partial list. If you're interested, zip me an email. Everything is in good working condition. Used not abused and with many decades of life still in them.

Rolleiflex 2.8 with prism finder and close-up filters
Leica 111a with collapsible Summar 2.0 (includes yellow contrast filter)
Kobalux 21mm 2.8 with finder (slight crack in finder...doesn't affect picture)
Leica M4P Black
Leica M2 Silver
28mm 1.8 Ultron in M-Mount
Super Graflex (late model Graflex) - 4x5 camera with 135mm lens

Nikon F100
Nikon D100 + Sigma 18-50 2.8

-Russ

Mini Review: Opinel

2009-03-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

I ordered some Opinels from Ben's Backwoods and have been testing them around the house. They're inexpensive but of nice quality. It's not everyday that you can buy something that is also exhibited at MOMA.

The knives have a pleasant feeling beechwood handle and high carbon steel blades that can take a good edge but need to be sharpened often (similar to the blade on my straight razor). They are really beautiful looking knives that have a nice old world simplicity to them and are perfectly at home in your Acorn or Carradice bag.

In use, they do short work of domestic tasks like the slicing of apples and oranges. I haven't field tested it yet so I can't comment about its carving and whittling abilities. However, do read this very thorough review here from Cutlery Science.

My feeling is that these will make great camp cooking knives and general utility knives. Perhaps, not robust enough for full on bushcraft work, but it should be able to carve out the occasional tent peg or notch a piece of wood.

GSI Halulite Tea Kettle

2009-03-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

I ordered a few bits of new gear the last few weeks and they've finally arrived. I haven't been able to do a super thorough test but I have played with them around the house to get acquainted with them.

GSI Halulite Tea Kettle
I ordered this from Ben's Backwoods and it arrived hassle free. The kettle comes in a nice gun metal finish with orange rubber handles (bonus). The kettle itself weighs next to nothing.

What the heck is Halulite? From the GSI site:

Halulite is a proprietary alloy that also conducts heat better and more evenly—so you can leave the extra fuel at home. Plus, every piece is Hard Anodized to create a surface that withstands scratches and abrasions like nothing else. It's ultra light without the sacrifices.

It is large enough inside to fit a Trangia stove and mini stand.

The kettle was also small enough to nest inside our pre-existing MSR pots (double bonus!), there by not increasing the overall volume of our load.

In use, the kettle works like a kettle should. There is no whistle cap so you have to monitor the water by peering under the lid. Use a knife or a stick to lift the lid since it gets hot there. Once nice touch is that the large handle stays standing upright without making contact with the rest of the pot, this lets you pour without burning your fingers.

Why get a kettle at all? Truth be told, it falls more under nicety than necessity. I could get along just fine without it, but it's nice to have along. It's great for Tea for Two rides. It is also nice to have a dedicated bit of cookware just for boiling water. I've made tea using a pot that was used for making chili the night before and let's say that the tea just didn't taste the same.

What I'm reading : Cruising in Seraffyn

2009-03-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Cruising in maritime-speak is the equivalent to bicycle touring. And there is perhaps no book more influential about cruising than Lin and Larry Pardey's "Cruising in Seraffyn." All my friends who enjoy sailing have constantly referred to this book. And one friend who enjoys both sailing and bike touring recommended it as a MUST read.

The Pardeys' creed is "Go Small. Go Simple. Go Now." Sage words indeed. I've barely cracked the book open but I'll be taking it with me to Joshua Tree and should have a book report done by the time I get back :)

Here's an excerpt from the introduction.

The decision to go is the hardest part of the whole project. There always seem to be so many reasons not to go:children, aging parents, a business or job you've worked so hard to develop...But if you are determined to go, you'll analyze each of these factors and probably discover that each problem can be solved. If not, it may be just an excuse to hide your fear of heading into the unstructured existence that a cruising life seems to represent.

Sounds a lot like going on an epic bike tour doesn't it?

Wool Watch: Swobo Bobby for $42

2009-03-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

(Sorry for the lack of posts lately, it has been a mixture of being busy and also sick. I'll spare you all the gory details, but I spent the latter half of the weekend heaved over and praying over the porcelain altar, if you catch my drift. Food poisoning? Stomach flu? Who the heck knows but I'm glad I'm starting to feel normal again, especially being so close to our Joshua Tree trip. Anyway, I'm going to put up a flurry of posts the next few days to give you guys some fun reading.)

SWOBO's Merino Bobby has taken another price dip, putting it at a very affordable $42! At the moment I own four of these shirts and am tempted to get a few more at this price?

Why? Well, I forget exactly which Riv Reader The Great GP advised that if you found something you really liked, buy several of them, because they will no doubt be discontinued or their design will be tampered with. This is how I feel about the SWOBO Merino Bobby. The wool is just right thickness to feel like a proper shirt. Unlike some IBEX and Ice Breaker shirts that feel like you're wearing lingerie because they are so thin.

I've worn the Bobby around town, to photoshoots, on long rides and some short tours and I think it really is the best all around shirt I own. It has buttons so you can open it up when it gets hot during a long ride. It has a useful chest pocket for putting things like subway tickets, spare cash and receipts. I get mine a little on the loose side so when I'm on tour I can layer it with a longsleeve shirt underneath. On sunny days, I'll flip up the collar to help protect my neck.

Can you tell I really like this shirt?

Is that an Acorn Bag he's holding?

2009-03-05T13:01:00.000-08:00

Sent in by reader, Gary. Atleast I feel that I'm not alone in my bike luggage fetish. Check out Yehuda Moon for more bike hilarity.

Eerily similar :)

Mid-March Adventure - Joshua Tree!

2009-03-04T21:47:00.000-08:00

I've been quiet the last few weeks about doing any trips, but I'm still sticking to my New Year's resolution of doing atleast one mini-tour a month. For March, Laura and I (and hopefully some friends if I can convince them) are heading out to Joshua Tree!

Here's a rough map of our proposed adventure.

San Bernadino-Banning-Pioneertown-Joshua Tree-Salton Sea- San Bernadino

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

The plan originated because one of our friends is in a band called The Fling. They have a gig in Pioneertown and we wanted to go see them. So the gears started turning. I got some maps from AAA (I'm a AAA member almost exclusively for all the free maps...great for touring...thanks Chris for the tip!) and started planning. By combining the Metrolink, we are able to get to San Bernadino which brought us to a rideable distance to Pioneertown. Not content with just going home, we decided to extend the trip to Joshua Tree and to the Salton Sea before going back home. Thus, an adventure is born.

If anyone is interested in meeting up with us along the way, zip me an email.

Women's Wednesdays: In search of the perfect wool sweater!

2009-03-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

After our last tour, the third in a row, of being quite cold at night, I realized there was a serious flaw in my logic that I didn’t need a heavy layer because I live in Southern California. Layering three or four lightweight wool shirts, I came to realize, isn’t warm enough in 30-degree weather. Nor does it seem particularly economical, space-wise, to pack a half-dozen shirts over just one decent sweater.

So I set out on a mission to find the Perfect Wool Sweater. I wanted something that was not only really warm, but versatile enough to wear with everything else. Brownie points for a bit of style.

With an image in my head of what I wanted, I started trolling the internet. I ended up plunking down the money for two different sweaters that I had been eyeing (in part because it’s that great time of year when everything is on sale). The first was the Ibex Shak Full-Zip. The second was the Icebreaker Glider 320.

The Ibex Shak Full-Zip was the first to arrive. After chuckling to myself about my lesson learnt to read about the color in the description and not rely solely on the internet picture, I jaunted off to try it on. The thing that I was most excited about with the Shak Full-Zip is the decorative stitching, which creates a much more tailored look. It has one front pocket that is quite big and a collar that zips up without choking you. All positive aspects, in my book. Unfortunately, I have long arms and a long torso, and this sweater does not. So, when I tried it on, I was disappointed to discover that, when I stretched out my arms, the sleeves pulled in just enough to not fully cover my wrists (and to really bug me). And, yet, despite the not-quite-long-enough sleeves and torso, I really wanted to make this sweater work. I had been so very excited about the stitching on the sweater when I pulled it out of the packaging. But, when I tried it on, I felt a bit like I was wearing a track suit jacket (which may work for some folks, but just isn’t my style). With a long, heavy sigh, I realized that this was not my Perfect Wool Sweater, and I opted to send it back.

The Icebreaker Glider 320 was the second sweater to arrive. Unlike the Ibex Shak, the Icebreaker Glider is a pull-over sweater, with a quarter-zip. Also unlike the Shak, the Glider has no decorative stitching, which makes it more of a sweatshirt sort of shape (albeit a well-fitting, feminine-looking sort of sweatshirt). At first, I honestly wasn’t sure if I wanted to hang onto it. But then I tried it on. Not only is the Glider noticeably softer than the Shak (it’s really extraordinarily snuggly), it has wonderfully long sleeves which end in a thumb loop to help keep your hands warm (a huge plus for me, as my hands are always cold). I decided to hang onto the Glider, even though it didn’t quite meet my criteria for the Perfect Wool Sweater, because it’s so fantastically comfortable. But, it doesn’t just sit in my house for me to snuggle into on cold evenings - it’s a wonderful layer for riding. I’ve worn it with layers underneath, as well as just the sweater by itself, and it keeps me toasty warm, while allowing a huge amount of breathability.

Despite keeping the Icebreaker Glider, I feel like I haven’t yet found my Perfect Wool Sweater, so the hunt continues. I’ve ordered the Smartwool Hahn’s Peak Half-Zip Sweater, and I’m hopeful that the third time’s a charm. (I’ll let you know…)

Some images from NAHBS

2009-03-02T12:26:00.001-08:00

Check out p3dals photostream on Flickr for some pics of the cool new creations in the indy bike world.

I'm a little partial to Bilenky, but they do some awesome work. Check out that wicked chain guard.

And this beautiful longtail from Black Sheep.

And this beautiful rack with a mixed wood mosaic base?

Laphroaig Video

2009-03-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

I picked up a bottle of Laphroaig at BevMo the other day to finally see what an Islay whisky tastes like. I have to say, that I quite prefer it. It is smokey and peaty (now that I know what peat tastes like). Anyway, here's a neat video I found that talks their process. Some neat clips of where the peatiness and smokiness come from.

Ben's Backwoods

2009-03-01T18:06:00.001-08:00

I was poking around the internets for some more camping gear and happened to find Ben's Backwoods. I haven't ordered from them before (anyone here with any experience?) but they had a few things that looked really interesting and great for bicycle touring.

For one, they sell the Ghille Kettle (which is identical to the Kelly with the exception for a whistling cap on the spout). Up until now, I think the only source for these kinds of kettles were overseas. Well, here's a local-ish (within the US) source. Ben's also has a blog and he has a post about using the Ghille with some comparisons to the Kelly. Check out that post here.

At the moment, it seems like he just carries the basic kettle without the cooking accessories. Maybe in time, he'll sell those too. (EDIT: Just got an email from Ben himself and he has the cooking accessories, but hasn't put them in the store yet. So if you want those just wait a little while longer.)

Another interesting blog post is on how to make a good feather stick. A feather stick is a piece of wood that has been carved down to have a bunch of curls. It's used to help start a camp fire and is effective even when your wood is wet. What a great find for some camping advice!

I ordered a few things from Ben's , among them an Opinel knife and a space blanket with grommets. I'll have reviews of those when they arrive.

Anyone else have an Acorn Rando Bag review?

2009-02-27T10:38:00.001-08:00

I know I'm not the only here that ordered the new Acorn Boxy Rando bag. If you have any reviews of it or photos of it on your ride, send them in.

Email me!

Sweet Creme Tires in 700x35 (UPDATE)

2009-02-27T10:27:00.000-08:00

Wallingford Bicycles has some new Schwable DELTA CRUISER tires in Creme. Not a whole lot of details other than "no reflective stripe. Basic puncture protection" and that they are 700x35. I've been looking for creme colored tires (in 700) for a while, but couldn't find any other than the ones that came included on the Amsterdam bike. However, those were huge width-wise!

(NOTE: The ones in this picture have a reflective sidewall and are NOT the ones from Wallingford, but I was trying to find a better pic of the tires, so here ya go.)

700x35 seems a lot more reasonable. I'm not quite sure about the ride characteristics but at only $22/tire (compared to the Fat Franks at $39/tire) they're not as cost prohibitive.

UPDATE:
Bill from Wallingford left a comment and gave a little more detail about the tires. Thanks Bill!

Delta Cruiser, 700x35, 35-65psi, 650g.

Thanks for the mention, Russ.

People were asking for the creme Fat Frank without the reflective stripe. That tire doesn't exist but I found this one in the back of the catalog under "Basic Line." Where the higher end tires have a lot of ® names for their protective belt this tire has "puncture protection."

Each size of the Delta cruiser comes in a mix of colors but the 700x35 and the 28x1/12 are the only ones in creme/no reflective stripe. Other colors are gumwall, black, black-reflex, whitewall, and the mysterious lever-reflex.

I'm not sure how this tire rides. I don't have a bike that will fit it. On one hand it is a basic Schwalbe, on the other hand it is still a Schwalbe. It sure looks good.

Bill

Acorn Bag Review (and comparison to the Ostrich)

2009-02-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

I've had my Acorn Boxy Rando Bag for a few days and I've taken it on a few rides with different kinds of loads. I haven't taken it touring yet, but I think I have a good sense of how it will perform.

Initial Impressions
Opening the box was followed by "oooh's" and "ahhh's". The bag really exudes high craftsmanship. The tan colored bag with the dark brown trim and light leather accents, I think, is a rather handsome color combination (and seems to be custom made for my Surly :). The canvas is thick and stiff and holds its shape rather well. The metal turnbuckle clasps have a nice positive feel to them and closes more precisely than elastic cords.

Overall, the bag holds its shape rather well. There is a solid formed stiffener (with radius edges so it won't abrade the bag) that runs from the side-bottom-side of the bag. This keeps the bag standing tall and also allows it function well without the use of a decaleur by minimizing lateral movement.

Decaleur or No Decaleur?
When Acorn first announced they were going to make a boxy rando bag, they mentioned they were putting great effort into designing it so it wouldn't necessarily need a decaleur. Why is this important? Well, for one, decaleurs and all the hardware is expensive (per VO prices, decaleur's run $59 and bag mounts $19, not counting the front rack!). When you buy these kinds of bags it's not just the bag you're buying, but a lot of hardware that can add up!

Did they succeed in creating a decaleurless design? Yes.

With a combination of several mounting points and an excellent stiffener, they've been able to make a bag that only needs a front rack. First of all, on the bottom are 4 velcro fasteners that wrap around your front rack's tubing, preventing any side to side movement. This is more effective than having a strap that wraps around the whole rack, since it would have a tendency to rotate around the rack. With 4 opposing connection points, the bag isn't going anywhere.

Secondly, there is a large leather pocket that slips over the back of your front rack. It is stouter than a single leather strap and holds the bag more securely in place (see the second photo on this post..that leather patch with slits, slides over the back of your front rack).

Thirdly, there are the two cords that wrap around your handlebars from either side. This further prevents any side to side motion. The end result is a bag that is well secured and won't budge despite having a lot of weight in it. I have stuffed this bag full with a journal, my camera, 6 foot OnGuard cable, large Kyrptonite U-Lock and a sweater and the bag remained perfectly still.

The downside, of course, is that there's a bit more too it when you put on and remove the bag. It's not quite "slide it on" and "slide it off" easy, but it's not brain surgery either. You're talking another extra 20 to 30 seconds if you're slow.

Some Niceties
There are lots of great little details that make this bag a superb piece of bike luggage. First, there are the turnbuckle clasps on the rider side of the bag. They're easy to turn, easy to open and easy to close...even with gloves on. It is much less finicky than elastic cords.

Another great touch is the map holder. It is sealed on 3 sides. On the side it does open, it has really aggressive velcro. Nothing is escaping the map holder. This is a bit of a weakness on the Ostrich bag. The map holder is open on the sides, which means every time I lay the bike down to take photos, my maps would work their way out.

Capacity
My only other rando style bag is the Ostrich bag from Velo-Orange so I'll compare the two here. As you can see from the photos, the VO bag is slightly bigger. They are both roughly the same width and height, but the Ostrich bag is about 2 inches deeper. In practice, this is actually quite a noticeable difference.

When I'm using my Ostrich bag, I usually keep my BikeBurrito in there with plenty of room to spare. With the Acorn Bag, I have to economize a little more and I'll put my BikeBurrito somewhere else to make room for my camera, gloves, arm warmers, etc.,

If you absolutely need the room, then the Ostrich bag is the clear choice. If you can economize your space a bit, then the Acorn bag is no big sacrifice in terms of capacity.

Conclusion
PROS
-Awesome craftsmanship. Well made. Durable materials.
-Super secure even without a decaleur (saves you $80 in additional hardware...not including front rack)
-Great stiffener that helps hold up the shape of the bag.
-Very usable and functional turnbuckle clasps that can be operated even with gloved hands.
-Excellent map holder that keeps the maps INSIDE!
-Buckles to use with a shoulder strap for off the bike use.
-You can open the bag while you're riding :)

CONS
-Slightly smaller capacity than other bags out there (Ostrich, Jitensha)
-Availability. Acorn is a small cottage industry and their output is limited. However, if you can get one of their bags, it is well worth the price and wait.

Overall: Highly Recommend++

Planet Bike Dynamo Light - Part 1

2009-02-22T13:49:00.000-08:00

With the maturation of LEDs and bike technology, there has been a recent slew of dynamo powered lights. Many of them, however, like the Edelux and E3 can be a bit spendy. That's why it's nice that Planet Bike has created a dynamo version of their Blaze 1W in the form of the Blaze Dynamo.

The Blaze Dynamo has a similar form factor as its battery powered cousin, but comes in a nicer dark grey shell (in my opinion). When you purchase it, it comes with the light and its power cord that has the ends stripped, ready to be plugged in. NOTE to buyers, it does not come with the plastic connector caps for your dynamo, so make sure you have one that matches your hub.

The first thing you have to figure out is where you want to mount the light. I first tried the handlebars, but the power cord was TOO SHORT to mount to the handlebars and hub while having sufficient slack for turning. This light is either going on your fork or hub via a nub of some sort (Minoura Besso Light Holder, VO Lowdown Light Mount, Gino Light Mount), or on your rack.

I went the rack route. I took parts of a Minoura Top Swing that I had, a little metal piece for a reflector (I think) and cobbled something together to the front of my Rivendell Mark's Rack. Worked pretty well and lets me put two lights side by side for comparison. (VO also shows some alternative rack mounting methods here.)

For those that have never used a dynamo light, this is what the connector end of the wires look like. They're stripped and are sometimes color coded. You have to slip them into a connector cap that is specific to the dynamo hub you're using before you can plug it in. Takes about five minutes. No biggie, but can be confusing if you've never done it before.

This is how the light sits on the mount after it's plugged in. I'll write more about the performance after a few night rides.

Thoughts on new roads, climbing and my Acorn Bag

2009-02-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

After reading an article from UrbanVelo about Danny Chew, the Million Mile Man, an accomplished long distance rider (he crossed the country in 8 days, 14 hours!), whose mantra is "new roads!," I decided to find some new roads of my own. Well, not particularly new, but one that I have never ridden.

Long Beach is flat and the only significant hills are either 15 ugly industrial miles to the North (Palos Verdes) or 20 suburban/McMansion miles to the south (Newport Beach). OR, there is the independent municipality of Signal Hill, which as the name suggests, resides on a hill. And what a hill! From the top, you have clear views of downtown Long Beach and on a clear day you can even see downtown Los Angeles pretty well.

I've never ridden up the hill before on a bicycle, primarily because I've had an aversion to hills. However, with the recent tours I've been doing, I've come to appreciate a nice climb. That's not to say I'm fast or particularly graceful at climbing, but I appreciate the Zen/Pure Being/Existential state that one arrives to when slogging up a hill. Also, I wanted to take some more pics of my Acorn bag :)

So empowered with Danny Cheew's mantra, my new found joy of climbing and my desire to photograph my Acorn bag, I had all the needed momentum to power up the hill. For locals, I took Temple to the base of Signal Hill and went up Stanley to Hill Street to the park. Now, I'm still sort of sick, so by the time I got to the top I was breathing pretty hard and hocked up a good fistful of phlegm.

The view, for Long Beach, was grand (though a bit smoggy). I took a few pics and rode down Skyline to Cherry and ascended again. The second ascent wasn't as bad since my legs were warmed up. All in all, it was a pretty good morning. I had conquered Signal Hill, I rode some new roads and I coughed up a bunch of phlegm (oh and I took some pics).

Apologies for the rambling narrative.

Acorn "Boxy Rando Bag"

2009-02-20T10:23:00.000-08:00

I just received the Acorn Boxy Rando Bag this morning and it sure is pretty. I know a lot of you have been anxiously waiting to see more pics and get more details about the bag so I took some quick snaps at the park. I'll fill in details about the bag in the coming week, for now, some bike luggage porn.

Map of our trip to Ojai

2009-02-19T16:13:00.000-08:00

I put up the route of our last trip on Bikely, for those that might be interested. It's a great intermediary tour. Relatively lowish miles but some climbing that opens up to some great scenery. Spring and fall are the best times to do this ride, since it's off-season and also because it's not so HOT! I did part of this ride during the summer and it's a scorcher, not to mention the campsites are full.

3 day Ojai tour.

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

The Tour of the Tour of California Tour

2009-02-19T10:37:00.000-08:00

Rapha and the MASH folks are all riding the Tour of California route this year. Not to be left out, I'm beginning to think I should assemble a band of bike tourists (the pannier toting kind) to tour the Tour of California route.

I've even got a great name all worked out...The Tour of the Tour of California Tour or TTTCT....3TCT.

Who's in?

:)

A good site : Post-Car Adventuring

2009-02-18T22:01:00.001-08:00

I know most of my rides are Central and Southern California-centric, but hey, it's where I live :) Unfortunately, I can't quite traipse around this big blue planet just yet and find all the wonderful S240 or short-tour possibilities (trust me, I would if I could).

So I'd like to point people to a site that documents many car-free adventures (using a combo of transit and bikes) in Northern California.

Check out BikeandHike for a collection of some of their favorite rides. Heck, they even have a book/zine out to purchase.

We even have a little bit of a back story. Laura and I met Kelly and Justin while we were on tour last summer. They were biking down the coast and we had just finished our Not What I Signed Up For Tour. I think we ran into each other in front of a coffee shop on State street near the ocean.

I noticed instantly that Justin had a white powdercoated CETMA rack. I happened to be using my CETMA rack on that trip as well. So, of course, we geeked out a bit and we compared mounting methods (Justin had affixed his to his QR, I believe and I had hacked together a way to mount it to the front eyelets using a stack of spacers).

We were all trying to board the same train. There was a tense moment of wondering if we were all going to get on (Amtrak has only space for 6 bikes on a train that goes all the way from SLO to SD...ridiculous!). But, we all got on and met for a few beers in the cafe car. We shot the breeze about our trips and we talked a bit about touring and Rivendell.

It was a good time and we've kept in contact periodically. It's nice to see that they're still touring and they're doing well. So if you live in the Bay Area or are looking for some good trips around there, check out their site and tell them Russ sent you!

On Whisky

2009-02-18T16:48:00.000-08:00

I got some great responses regarding my interest in a little more compact beverage for the road. Proving that many of my readers either have wide tastes or a penchant for alcohol :) Thought I'd post some of the comments for easier reading (and finding).

A great one from Fin Lumsden that gives a good overview:

Ah, whisky. Now you're talking! (Note lack of 'e' in spelling - whisk'e'y is for Irish or rye, whisky is for Scotch whisky). Glenrothes happens to be one of my favourites - as with The Macallan, it seems to improve massively with age. The Glenrothes (based in the Speyside town of Rothes) release their product with a 'vintage' mark (eg. 1989, 1992 etc) rather than the more usual age statement (12yrs, 18yrs etc). It's a 'big' whisky but not in the slightest bit aggressive. It's spicy, full, rounded with lovely plummy, fruitcake flavours and a lovely creamy velvety mouth-feel. Try the 1989 vintage if you can - all the major characteristics of G'rothes there in full flow, but it shouldn't break the bank. If you're feeling flush (and who is in these straightened times...) go mad and find a 1973 or a 1978.

Another big spicy malt is the Dalmore (dal-MORE). A few years ago they released a 'Cigar Malt', designed to compliment the smoking of good quality cigars (not that I condone smoking...), but what they came up with was, by necessity, a big-hitter of a whisky - caramel, chocolate, pepper, leather, sultanas - it has the lot!! It might be just what you're looking for if you want that malty, full stout flavour.

The Islay (pronounced EYE-la) malts are very much love 'em or hate 'em. These malts from the Scottish island of Islay, include Laphroaig (la-FROY-g), Lagavullin (lagga-VOO-lin), Bowmore (bow-MORE) and the imperious Ardbeg (ard-BEG). All are massively flavourful, but are almost medicinal in their impact. They come under the classification of the "Phenolic malts" - phenolic as in 'phenol' as in 'trichlorophenol' as in, you guessed it, TCP... :) They make great winter-warmers (especially Ardbeg) but are very much an acquired taste. (An exception to the Islay rule is Bruichladdich (brook-LAH-dy) - it has the peatiness, the slightly briney character that comes from maturation halls that sit cheek-by-jowl with the seashore, the things which mark out an Islay malt, but it's as if someone has turned the volume control down slightly. Well worth a look.)

Hope that's been useful to you. I was born and brought up about 150ft from a whisky distillery (Deanston) and can still leave my front door, turn right and see the still room :o) I love the stuff!! :)

From Sweet William. The link he provides has some tasting notes:

Anything from Islay is going to be big and peaty, with Laphroaig being the prototypical beast.

Something like The Macallan is more mainstream and, frankly, less brutal.

Another place to go is brandy - the French stuff is pretty expensive but some other countries have some real bargains - eg Angove's XO 7 (from Australia c. $60US)

With all of the barrel aged spirits, time in the barrel is a strong determinate of quality.

http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/people/nieminen/spirits.html is a good place to wander down the wrong stack
If you want something "dessert" then Oporto, Jerez, Tokay and all the antipodean hybrids using Solero systems are very intresting. If sticky and sweet.

Josh Mitchell has some great stouty/bourbony beer recommendations:

A bottle of either of the following takes literally hours to properly enjoy (so one of enjoying on these is like three I-Stouts):

Harviestoun - Ola Dubh
(12, 16, or 30 year reserves)

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
(yearly production, released in november-ish)

There are some others of similar vein. However, I can't remember the other ones that don't come in a large bottle (ala, Boulevard's Smokestack Series) at the moment (check the limited edition PDF - bourbon barrel quad was quite good).

Oh, and typically these have a higher alcohol content (for instance the Bourbon County is 13%).

You might check out the Beeradvocate.com review of those as well.

Mephistopheles' Stout is another. Though it's not cask aged like the two above, it's still pretty good.

bmike with his favorites and some tasting notes:

Taliskar - sharp, warm, nice heat in the throat - used to be my favorite
Oban - has a great heat, esp after it goes down, sharp and peppery
Bowmere - smokey, peat flavor - I appreciated it but I thought I was drinking distilled dirt
Glenmorangie and Glenfedich - 2 different brands, slightly different flavor, solid and you can usually find it when out - bonus if you can get the Glenmorangie in the port or sherry finish - not something I'd drink all the time - but lovely
MacAlan 12 or 14 - a good standbye when the 18 is too $$ or not available
MacAlan 18 - my all time favorite, warm, a bit of smoke flavor, smooooooth going down, I drop some $$$ on a bottle and keep it in the house and sip it on special occasions

Gear Notes - Ojai Trip

2009-02-18T09:01:00.001-08:00

Seal Skinz socks and Keen Sandals - continually impressed with the combination for wet (and muddy!) weather. Very versatile, allows for easy cleaning of both. No more hassles with wet shoes or wet socks.

Ortlieb Bike Packer Panniers - also continually impressed with the convenience of these panniers. Though not as many compartments (I use separate stuff sacks anyway) as Arkels or others, the waterproofness of the bag is very much appreciated on wet weather trips. It's nice that they're waterproof while you're riding, but even nicer at camp. You don't have to worry as much as leaving them out in the open or on a particularly damp spot.

Swobo Merino Bobby - I decided to try this out as a riding shirt on this trip. I tend to run real hot and am always stripping layers after a few miles. It worked out great. Though probably not intended as a riding jersey there's no reason you can't use it as one. On cold mornings I wore a thin wool base layer below the shirt. I think pairing it with some wool arm warmers would have worked as well and would have been less hassle to remove.

EVT Mirror - I think it's now my favorite mirror. Lots of surface area means that when it rains, you can still get a good image even when rain droplets form.

Velo-Orange Ostrich Handlebar Bag - This bag is still going strong after several trips. The fabric has gotten a little floppy but still works well. I have had to retie the little cords to insure good closure since the bag has begun to slouch a little. The little rain cap works ok but during a real downpour the bag will get a little damp. Nothing serious, but just note that.

Rivendell Wool Cycling Cap and Kachurik head band (ORANGE) - I used them together when it got really cold. I wish they'd come out with a version of the wool cap with ear warmer thingies. However, it is nice to use them independently as well. Like I said, I tend to run hot, so it's nice sometimes to cover the ears but leave the top open.

Epicurean Racing

2009-02-17T17:35:00.001-08:00

A beautiful video for Rapha. I'm not a big fan of pro-cycling because it seems a little boring and soulless (mostly because of the blah camera angles). However, this vid is beautifully shot and even though it is about roadies, it evokes the same feelings I have about touring.

Rapha Rides The Tour of California from RAPHA on Vimeo.

Request for Article Submissions : Whiskey, Scotch, Bourbon

2009-02-17T16:09:00.000-08:00

I'm a beer snob. I think it's a wonderfully complex drink with a real wide palette of flavors. But, it's a bit on the heavy side. As much as I'd like to lug around a big bottle of IPA for lunch and an Imperial Stout for dinner, there are a few other camping necessities that take precedence.

So, I've been looking at more distilled beverages like whiskey, scotch and bourbon as something a bit more compact for a bike tour nightcap. Is anyone here an aficionado? I'd love to have someone write something about their favorite style of spirit, make some suggestions and some analogies (for example, "if you like the smokey flavor and body of an imperial stout, you'd love this...".)

If you're interested, send me an email!

Stuck in the Mud-dle with you!

2009-02-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

(photo by Laura Crawford)

Excuse the terrible terrible pun, I couldn't help myself. On this last trip, we lucked out with some great riding weather the first two days. It didn't really rain until the third day, but boy did it come down in buckets (mostly when we were sleeping...and while we were having breakfast so we missed the brunt of it).

On our way out of Ojai I came into close contact with something that I don't see very often as a Southern Californian. Mud. Thick, concrete-like 3-inch thick mud. I'm not quite sure what I was thinking, perhaps that I could just ride through it really fast. It didn't happen. In fact, my bike went from about 13mph to 0 in four feet. When I got off to push the bike, my feet sank deep into it and it actually removed one of my sandals.

Now, this is all preface to tell you how great this Seal Skinz and Keen sandal combination is. I've been riding this combo during the rains here and it works great. Because of the open design of sandal, it dries really quickly. If you're on tour, this means you don't have to wait days for your shoes to dry. The Seal Skinz keep your feet dryish and warm (I wear a pair of wool socks with the SS). I have had the waterproofness compromised a little, but it was still FAR better than any other setup I've tried.

In this particular instance, my Keens were completely caked in hard mud. The next clear puddle we ran across, I simply walked around and stamped in it and was able to get most of it off. The same for the socks, I just waddled around a bit in a few inches deep of water and got the mud off while my inner sock stayed dry.

If I had shoes and regular socks, this would have sucked a lot. I would have had to wash out the shoes and change socks, unless I wanted to rough it until the next available spigot.

So, just saying, Keen sandals + Seal Skinz + wool socks make for happy feet.

Wow!

2009-02-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

(photo by Laura Crawford)

Laura and I just got back a few hours ago and are dead tired, but I couldn't help but post some of the pics from our trip. Due to an Amtrak snafu, Laura and I had to do our trip in reverse and go over a little ridge we hadn't planned on. It was a little extra climbing, but WOW, the scenery was great.

Here are some snaps. The riding and the views were amazing. I could hardly believe it was so close to Southern California.

Riv Reader Online

2009-02-13T17:42:00.000-08:00

Again....just casually surfing the internets and lo and behold I find myself on the Rivendell site. There's a link on the home page with the latest Rivendell Reader as a PDF. If you're not familiar with the RR, then you're in for a treat. It's a largish download but worthwhile.

Check it out here!

Women's Wednesdays : Support Your Local Crafter!

2009-02-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

It’s Wednesday, and I thought I’d share some more clothing finds for all the women readers. In particular, two items from a rather non-traditional source… Etsy. Etsy is a website dedicated to selling handcrafted items from independent makers. Because I am a maker in my own right, using Etsy to sell my jewelry, I like to support other makers on the site as much as possible. And, I’m happy to report that the number of bicycling and wool items on Etsy is growing day-to-day.

The first item is the Kingyo wool shirt from Vigilante Laboratories. Made from a mid-to-heavy-weight wool jersey, this shirt is unlike anything you will find from REI, mainly because it has personality. Granted, this shirt was probably not intended to be a technical item, but, given that it’s 100% wool, it performs incredibly well. A cowl neck and kimono-style sleeves give the shirt a lot of style, while also allowing a tremendous amount of breathability. Plus, this is a warm shirt. Layer it with sleeveless wool shirt underneath and some arm warmers and you’ll be right toasty in 40-50-degree weather. But, one of the best features about this shirt is the fact that it is individually made for you when you order. I happened to fall right in between the usual sizing and Lianna (that’s the maker) worked with me to customize the fit. It is hands-down one of my favorite pieces that I own. (I have the blue shirt featured, but she also makes a purple one.)

The next item is a pair of Snuggly Warm wool arm warmers from Overcast. These arm warmers are made in New Zealand from merino wool, and are designed with a thumb-loop so that they keep the base of your hand warm as well. I bought a simple black pair, so that they would coordinate well with everything, but they come in a wide range of colors. And, again, these are made individually, and Lucy (the maker) welcomes you to contact her with any questions. The arm warmers come in two weights, Superfine Spring and Snuggly Warm. I bought the Snuggly Warm and, while they feel lightweight, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how warm they are. If you tend to get cold hands like I do, this is a worthy investment, as it helps keep your fingers from becoming icicles while also allowing you full movement of your fingers. The only things I could wish from these arm warmers is that they stretched up over my elbow (as they are, they stop right at the elbow). But, I am truly enjoying them and encourage you to take a look as well.

Etsy also features several other independent makers with wool items (as well as other epicurean fabrics like linen and seersucker). I recommend going to the Clothing category, selecting Men or Women as appropriate and then type “wool” into the search box. I promise you’ll be surprised by what you find. One small note about Etsy… because it is a community of independent makers, recognize in advance that everyone has different policies as far as shipping and returns, and make sure you read everything in advance, leave plenty of time when ordering, and contact the maker with any questions or concerns.

Going on another trip this weekend :)

2009-02-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

After much debate (ok, it wasn't that hard of a sell), Laura and I are going to take advantage of the upcoming 3-day weekend. We're planning to take the train to Carpenteria and ride up to Lake Casitas, Ojai and Ventura. It may or may not rain, but we're prepared to deal with that. If anyone would like to join us on part of the route zip me an email.

It should be a fun trip. I did a portion of this trip by myself during the summer. See the pics here. Mileage is going to be pretty leisurely, leaving lots of time for pics and exploring.

Good luck Shawn and Jonathan.

2009-02-10T14:37:00.000-08:00

I had the great luck of meeting two touring cyclists of the epicurean variety during lunch today. They were on the tail end of a two week trip from San Francisco to San Diego. Just as I was about to stuff myself with a reuben from Naples Grocer, I stopped when I spotted a porteur style rack from Pass and Stowe in their newish greyish color, a Jitensha handlebar bag (in a really lovely grey), a pair of Honjo fenders, some old school TA cyclotouriste cranks and Phil Wood hubs :)

I talked to them a bit and recommended they check out Pizza Port while they pass through San Clemente (they were beer aficionados). Anyway, good luck to you guys. When you guys get to San Deigo a good 2-3 day trip is to go to Escondido where Stone Brewing is at :) Enjoy!

More Photos

2009-02-09T08:31:00.001-08:00

A slideshow from the recent trip. Enjoy:)

O'Neill...again

2009-02-08T22:09:00.000-08:00

Got back earlier this afternoon from O'Neill Regional Park. It was a fun time and it was nice to have some added company. Chris and Michael came along with us on a neat folding tandem. We've spoken so long about doing a tour together that it was nice to finally hit the road and do it.

When we left early Saturday, it was raining. It rained more or less the entire morning until we got to The Filling Station in Orange, where we made short work of another spectacular breakfast (it is a definite must-stop!). After breakfast part 2, we started doing a little climbing in the hills and had pretty good weather until the campground.

We set up our tents and unpacked. Laura and I then went to the showers. While we were in there, it started hailing! I could see the marble-sized pellets resting on the glass panels on the roof while I was in the shower. By the time we were out of the shower the hail had turned to rain. We couldn't quite bring ourselves to run out into the rain after such a relaxing shower so we killed time and hung out beneath the roof of the bathroom until it stopped and we walked back to camp.

We rode back to the ranger booth and strapped on two large bundles on the back of our bikes, much to the delight of the people on duty and some park guests.

Then we started making a rather elaborate dinner, cooking on Chris' paella pan. We cooked both on the Trangias and the campfire. He showed us how to control the heat by moving sticks around in the fire. After dinner we enjoyed the fire and the beautiful night. The moon was framed marvelously by the storm clouds.

Then, it started raining again. We packed up everything that needed to be packed and stood around the fire while the rain came down around us. We talked and kept warm by the fire, holding our hands over our glasses protecting them from the rain.

Finally, we decided to call it a night. A few minutes after Laura and I had jumped into our sleeping bags the rain came down again with a vengeance. It was pleasant, since it drowned out the sounds of passing cars.

The next morning (I guess technically this morning, though it seems like ages), we packed up. Most of our gear was soaked. I managed to keep most of my down gear relatively dry. We hightailed it out of camp and made it back to Long Beach at around 2pm. Whew.

Another fun trip. I have to say it was nice to do a trip in the rain, to get a sense of how prepared we were. I'm definitely investing in a few more dry bag sacks, particularly to protect down filled items. Other than that, most things performed admirably.

Some Quick Equipment Notes:
-IBEX leg warmers performed excellently again! Love em!
-North Face Apex Bionix gloves are NOT waterproof.
-Seal Skins socks worked well. I'm really liking this Keen Sandal, wool sock, Seal Skins sock combo for wet weather...now only if I can find a way to keep the toes warm.
-Jackson and Gibbens jacket I have worked fairly well in the heavy rain. My Pearl Izumi jacket would have been rendered useless in about 10 minutes. The J&G jacket, kept the water off, but slowly got wet where it was making constant contact with my other layers (just like a rainfly in a tent).
-REI Quarterdome 3 worked pretty well. We guyed it out for the first time and that kept things dry. Though, there was a mystery puddle beneath my sleeping pad that I still can't figure out where it came from.
-Earth, Wind and Rider jersey worked well...my current favorite for cool to wet weather.
-The EVT mirror I've been using has really grown on me. Yes, it's big, but you get use to it and it really becomes and invaluable tool.

Going Adventuring this weekend!

2009-02-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

Going on another weekend tour. The original plan was to go to Chino Hills using a super secret dirt road provided by one of our faithful readers. However, the recent rains are going to turn that road more into a tar pit, so our band of 4 (hey, not just me and Laura this time!) are going to head over to O'Neill Regional Park again.

I haven't toured with more than one other person since Oregon. Group dynamics change a little bit, but we're all friends so I'm sure it will be ok.

Have a great weekend everyone! I'll be back with more snaps.

Minniehaha Small Saddlebag - Extended Review

2009-02-06T09:27:00.000-08:00

(Laura has been the main user of the saddlebag over the last few months, so she has a really good user perspective of it. It has been on a few tours with us, so here are her impressions. A little late for Women's Wednesdays this week but early for next :)

I used to have a really ugly saddlebag on my bike. Totally functional and made out of some black rip-stop material, it held most of what I wanted to carry and kept it all dry. But when I got my new touring bike up and running, the ugly saddlebag just had to go away.

Luckily for me, Russ had recently gotten a hold of a small Minnehaha Canvas Saddle Bag and he was happy to let me give it a whirl. This simple black canvas bag with leather straps looks much better on my bike – and gives me an air of sophistication as I roll down the road. It attaches with one leather strap around the seat post and one leather strap through the rails of the saddle. A third leather strap provides the closure.

What I discovered with the Minnehaha bag is that I can carry so much more than I could with the aforementioned ugly bag. I feel like Mary Poppins, in that I can just keep stuffing things in. There’s even a small inside pocket and a clip for your keys. On average, I carry two spare tubes, a patch kit, two tire levers, a multi-tool, two rear blinky lights, a granola bar, plastic bag (to cover the Brooks in case of rain), cargo net, kleenex, ibuprofen, chapstick, and a padlock (a lighter-weight locking option when touring, just pair it with a cable).

There’s much talk of the benefits of “over-stuff-ability” – and this bag certainly expands to allow you to carry more and more. Simply stuff as needed and then use a different notch on the leather strap. In fact, I’ve found that the more I stuff in the bag, and thus have it cinched up more tightly, the more I feel assured that everything will stay put inside. (Just beware the pack-rat tendencies that this might encourage.)

The bag has two flaps on the sides of the opening that are meant to fold over the goodies inside and keep them from falling out. (They also feature grommets, which I assume would allow you to lash something to the bag if needed.) Most of the time, this design works with no problem. But, as I’ve taken it on more trips (including laying the bike sideways under a bus and standing it up on a hook on a train), I’ve started to become a bit wary of the strength of the flaps to actually do their job (I’ve even had to scramble after a few smaller items that have fallen out when orienting the bike in a not upright position). As much as I disliked the ugly bag I started with, its zipper closure always gave me the peace of mind that my stuff would stay put. My solution has been to stuff way to the back all of the smaller items that would be more liable to slip out, and then put something larger (like my cargo net) at the opening as a sort of block. And, as long as I don’t get too lazy with my stuffing, this works out just fine.

In all, the Minnehaha bag has been a great addition to my touring bike. It’s a lovely and very well-made bag. And the strap closure provides an excellent spot to attach a rear blinky light. I would simply recommend putting a lot of loose stuff in a separate bag inside or stuffing small items to the back to avoid anything rattling out if you plan on orienting your bike in anything but a normal riding position.

A quick note: In looking at the Minnehaha site today, it appears as though they have modified the bag design slightly. It now features two loops on the top of the bag, allowing you to strap it to the tabs on your Brooks saddle, instead of attaching through the rail. This would effectively tilt the bag so that the opening is facing more upward, and would hopefully help items stay inside better. A definite improvement.

Riv posts new bags!

2009-02-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

Just casually perusing the Rivendell site today (ok, I compulsively check it), and they have links to the new bags!

The line is called Sackville and they look really promising! Hopefully, Riv can keep enough of them in stock. Here are some pictures of the LARGE bag from the Riv site.

This LARGE Saddesack (about 1,425 cubic inches without overstuffing, and it is quite overstuffable) is the most capacious, easiest-to-load/unload saddlebag we've ever offered. It's big enough to require a rack or some kind of under-support, but it holds a massive heap of anything. Ideal for camping, commuting, shopping. Combined with a bag or basket up front, it's great for ultralight week-long tours.

On the country side, you can force in a tent, sleeping bag, clothing, toiletries, and small stove and kitchen.
On the ciity side, a laptop, books and files up the wazoo, and shoes and clothing loosely packed.
On the shopping side, stacks of binders, and armfuls of cauliflower, or a Thanksgiving dinner for four, turkey included. (One of the photos shows what Jay here recently picked up on a shopping run for lunch and snacks here.)
Yet it's light, and never in the way even empty.

The Sackville isn't just another fancy dupe of a Carradice either! They've added some pretty neat additions. Most notably are zippered pockets that face toward the rider that you can access while riding. Pretty cool! A great place to leave some Sweetarts or phone.

They also feature a small zippered pouch that can be separated from the main bag. So you can store your valuables in it while on tour and take it with you.

Alongside the LARGE version, they're coming out with a medium-sized bag that can be used without a rack (if you have enough seatpost showing). The medium-sized bag lacks the front-facing zipper pockets (bummer), but has the removable zippered pouch.

Which would I get? Hard to say, but I'd lean towards the large one to quench any existential doubt like "geez, if I only got the other one I could carry more stuff for this trip, etc.," They're taking orders now and the bags themselves should be in mid-March.

Panniers with Style!

2009-02-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

Panniers suffer the usual problem with other bike products. Too techy. Too drab. No neat patterns. Blech. Well, Queen B Creations is looking to change that. Her new line of panniers are ready for sale. Check out all the neat patterns here.

New Riv Bags

2009-02-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

Posted on their website today:

We're introducing a new line of bags: Sackville (after the famous town in Canada). They should be called Blackville, because they're black. We'll have pixup on the site in a week or less, and if you've room for another bag in your life, they're worth a look or even a long, creepy stare. They're different from anything we've done before, and I think they'll be tough to equal. They're made by a small company comprised of former Coach and Dooney&Bourke workers who lost their jobs when those companies went to China.

Also something new on their website are the rotating images on their webpage. Some great new BW photos of them riding around in the hills.

The Long Haul

2009-02-02T12:26:00.001-08:00

I know I write about short trips most of the time, but I do have future intentions of doing longer round-the-world type trips in the future (hopefully sooner than later). It doesn't get much longer than Rob Lilwall and his wheeled adventures. I hope to one day join in the ranks of these intrepid tourists.

www.cyclinghomefromsiberia.com

Some days in the life of a Siberian cyclist... a dazzling rush through some random encounters from Rob Lilwall on Vimeo.

A funny video on recording your bicycle trip.

How to make a cycling expedition film if you are both the cameraman and the presenter from Rob Lilwall on Vimeo.

The Tweed Run

2009-01-28T16:58:00.001-08:00

This was sent to me by a reader (thanks Dominic!), that should be of some interest. Reminiscent of the 3-speed tour, it's the Tweed Run, put on by a fixed gear group in London. How awesome is this?!

From their flyer:

Ladies. Gentlemen. Announcing the first LFGSS Winter Dress Club Run: a social ride with a bit of style.

We will be gathering for 2pm in Hanover Square. Please be prompt; at 2, we'll head down to H Huntsman & Sons, 11 Saville Row to begin the ride. The route will be a fairly leisurely ride through London. No need to pack Kendal Mint Cakes, the ride will include a stop at a tea shop at Tour de Ville for mid-ride fortitude, and will finish at the Bethnal Green Working Men's Club for refreshments and cheer.

Proper attire will of course be expected, so dapper gents and elegant ladies, polish off your lugged steel beasts and prepare your best outfits. Suggested attire: woolen plus fours, harris tweed jackets, flat caps, fair isle jumpers, alpaca coats, merino wool team jerseys, cycling skirts and perhaps a jaunty cape for the ladies, cravats or ties for gentlemen, and of course a hip flask of brandy.

Be sure to dress with a bit of panache, there will be prizes awarded for:

Most dapper chap
Most dashing dame
Best moustache (open to both men and women, of course)
Most enviable period bicycle
The Doff of The Cap award for most civilised behaviour on the day

For more Tweed Run pics...click here.

Gloves not to buy...

2009-01-27T09:37:00.001-08:00

Mourning the loss of one of my Swobo gloves, thereby rendering it only half as useful, I picked these up at a local LBS (PI Grip-Lite Glove). I know, I know. Not wool, but I wanted to give them a try.

Well, they're gloves and they do indeed cover your hands as advertised. However, the seams are pretty weak and I split the palm open on this last trip. I wasn't doing handstands or anything on them, just plain old touring riding and they split! I probably only had about 300 miles on these gloves.

To their credit, my hands were warmish. The interior material these use inside is sorta weird though. It made my hands felt like they were perpetually sweaty with this weird warm slick feeling. Eww.

Needless to say, I'm not a fan of these. I wish I had purchased them at REI so I could exchange them for some proper wool ones. Bummer.

Trip Report: LBC to O'Neill Regional Park

2009-01-26T19:42:00.000-08:00

Here is the route that Laura and I took to O'Neill. For all the city riding, it was a relatively mellow ride. Partly because, I suspect, the rain. A little grey in the sky and Southern Californians don't leave the bed. This, of course, worked in our favor.

The main road we used to cross OC was Lampson. It has a Class 2 lane on it for most of the way and where it doesn't, it is a pretty low-traffic street with Class 3 signage.

Long Beach to O'Neill Regional Park

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

About 20 or so miles into the ride, we stopped at the Filling Station, for a remarkable breakfast. Laura had the French toast breakfast (two eggs, bacon, french toast) and I went for the Belgian waffle breakfast. Both were amazing. The bacon were nice thick cuts, not the weeny sort of Farmer Johns bacon (apologies to FJ fans). Both the French toast and waffles had a slightly buttery flavor which added a nice nuance. The syrup was top-notch. It wasn't cloyingly sweet like others, but just the right balance of sweetness and body.

After an amazing breakfast (and several cups of coffee), we mounted the bikes again and headed for the hills on Chapman. After the traffic circle, Chapman becomes a manageable arterial. Chapman slowly thins out and climbs and at one point becomes Santiago Canyon road. Suddenly, you find yourself right smack in the middle of some rolling hills. While I wouldn't say it was say as scenic as something like Orcutt in San Luis Obispo, on that grey drizzling day you felt many miles away from The OC.

Santiago Canyon weaves its way around the hills. You pass Irvine Lake, which was my first thought of a camping spot. However, upon a quick visit, we were glad we were going to O'Neill. Irvine Lake looked nothing like it did on the website. On the site, it showed a beautiful lake surrounded by a thick ring of trees. The reality was disappointing to say the least. The trees were gone (burned in last round of fires?) and that was left something that looked like an overgrown mud puddle.

Riding a bit further, we eventually got to Live Oak road. At the intersection is a famous little biker cafe called Cook's Corner which is suppose to have some great food. When you turn on to Live Oak, you're greeted with a sign that says "Steep Grade Ahead". That's usually a good place to strip layers and pop some Starbust or Sweetarts into your system.

The road takes a firm turn heaven-ward at this point. It's a stiff but shortish climb (about a mile or so). At the top both of us were grunting and using equal parts brute force and The Secret to will us over the hump. From there, it is more or less downhill through a corridor of oaks (I'm assuming from the name) into the campsite. That portion of the road is just heavenly. It's beautifully paved and riding through the tunnel of trees you feel like you're somewhere in the Northwest. Beautiful.

O'Neill is a nicely maintained park, and one would hope so for it's $27 camping fee ($15 for additional nights). It's well manicured while still looking rustic. We chose a site by a dry creek and far (as far as we could get) from the road (site 58). Our site had a firepit, BBQ thingy, and two picnic tables. There was lots of flat space to pitch a tent and we had two trees that hung over our site.

While the site was far from primitive and the sound of some passing cars never completely disappeared, it was still pretty darn good for an urban camping experience. When we were there, there was a lot of empty sites. I'm sure during the summer the place becomes a zoo. However, on this particular weekend, it was bliss.

We cooked some corn beef and potatoes for dinner. Boiled some water for hot chocolate We made a fire ($5...the ranger looked a little surprised when I bungeed the bundle to my rear rack) and watched it slowly burn down. Not bad, considering we started in the streets of Long Beach (home to Snoop and Sublime) and were still in The OC.

Another great weekend tour...

2009-01-25T21:41:00.000-08:00

We got back a few hours ago and we're beat. Our trip from Long Beach to O'Neill Regional Park was a great success. We managed to find some great roads that crossed through Orange County and got us to the park. We got a bit of weather which made the trip even more magical. It didn't feel like a typical sunny blah Southern California day, but almost like Oregon. The weather also helped in keeping people off the roads and out of the campsite (almost all the sites around us were empty!).

Here are a few snaps. I also put the our route to O'Neill up on Bikely here, for those who are interested (thanks to Carl and Adrian for some route tips).

I'll post a bit more later in the week.

Touring through "The OC"

2009-01-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

Is it even possible to tour in the land of The OC? The county of fake boobs, cars that cost more than most houses, and McMansion developments sprouting up around every corner (anyone here watch "Weeds"?).

Well, when I get the touring itch, I have to scratch it. So against all odds, we're going to find a suitable location to S24O in The OC. At first, I considered Irvine Lake (I didn't even know they had a lake!), but reader Carl and his friend Adrian tipped me off to O'Neill Regional Park.

I brought it up with Chris, local touring guru, and his eyes lit up. Back in '71 O'Neill Park was the site of his very first bicycle tour and his first bit of free camping. Back then, it was a different place. It was largely undeveloped and there were many dirt roads to adventure.

I think there have been changes since then.

However, I'm hopeful. By many accounts, O'Neill is suppose to offer decent camping (as far as suburban-ish camping goes). So I'm packing up my bags and getting the cooking gear together for a quick weekend out.

More Wool on Sale! IBEX outlet

2009-01-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

I'm always poking around online for good deals on wool clothing. You guys know the drill. Resists odor, keeps you warm when wet, etc.,

I pointed out some great deals on the SWOBO site last week. This week, take a gander at what IBEX has on sale in their outlet (this is the link for the men's clothing....there is a women's outlet too)!

Of particular interest are all the great deals on wool shirts. Though perhaps not designed specifically for riding in, there is no real reason why they wouldn't work (a little cheaper than the cycling specific stuff...and you can wear them off the bike as well).

Take for example the Ridgeline Zip shirt that would make a great SS jersey for only $39.

Or these spiffy Frisko Zip S/S shirts that are sharp looking zippered polos. A great commuting shirt! Regular price was $115, sale price is $57.

Or these LS Striped Zip shirts that are reminiscent of the striped shirts on Riv, but about more than half the price at $44.

You get the idea. Anyone else have great links to good prices on wool?

Welcome District (and other) readers!

2009-01-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

The local weekly did a small profile on me this week and talked a bit about Epicurean Cyclist (thanks Rachel!). So welcome to you new readers that are interested that may be interested in touring.

Here are a few links that will give you a flavor about what this site is about and a video montage of a tour I did (I don't usually just obsess about wool underwear). I hope you enjoy the site and hopefully I'll be able to recruit some fellow tourists in my own home town to go on some adventures :

-Grant Petersen's article on S24Os from Adventure Cycling.
-The joys of small rides.
-Videos of English bike tourists in the 50s using the train.
-A video of some good riding tips (filmed here in Long Beach, btw).

Wool Man-gere - Justin Charles

2009-01-17T09:38:00.001-08:00

For me, nothing seems to work better than wool for base layers. I've been slowly replacing all my cotton shirts and boxers with wool ones.

For the last few months I've been wearing the wool boxers that Riv. sells. They're great but to be honest they've always felt a little on the thin side for me. I bought a few pairs to put into rotation so I wouldn't stress them too much, but alas, one of them is in serious need of darning.

So, I began searching for another source for wool boxers. Both Ibex and Icebreaker sell wool boxers and they all hover around that $30-$35 range, which for boxers seems a little spendy.

Well, I discovered Justin Charles recently. It's a man's man outdoor store. None of this wussy Eddie Bauer crap or hipster Ambercrombie :) That said, it's also a rich man's man store. Some of the stuff is spendy, however their Merino Thermal Underwear section is on par with others.

A particularly good deal is their 6 inch Merino Boxer at $19 (save me some guys). I just received a few pairs yesterday and they are NICE! The wool feels a bit thicker than the Riv ones, so I'm hoping they'll wear a little better. There are a few more seams and I haven't taken it on a super long ride yet to see if that will be a problem. However, my first reaction is that they're a steal given the quality and the price.

So if you're looking for some Man-gere, check out Justin Charles.

Rider's Wanted

2009-01-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

At the moment, most of the rides I've talked about on the site are So. Cal and Central California centered. I'd like to feature some rides from other parts of the country and make this a sort of clearing house for short tours / S24O rides. So if you like to ride, camp, eat and have a camera handy, then feel free to submit a ride reports. It doesn't have to be epic, though those are nice too.

If you'd like to submit something, feel free to email me!

SWOBO Sale / Love for the Merino Bobby

2009-01-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

SWOBO is having a yard sale on some great items! If you want some wool clothing with a little more styling, then they're your ticket.

Sunday Bobby
I have to confess, I've been lusting after the merino bobby for a while but it was a bit too spendy for my wallet in these tough times. However, they're on sale and I ordered a few of them. Let me tell you, they're pretty awesome as far as polos go (something that I thought I'd never wear). The lines of the collar on the bobby are sharp and contemporary. The polo sports a single breast pocket attached with some red stitching for a little bit of contrast. There is also the signature sewn in chain plate on the left sleeve with red thread, so as not to be confused with those nerdy polos :)

The wool has a nice smooth hand and instantly feels like a shirt you've owned for a while. The wool weight is thinner than say the typical Riv wool shirt but thicker than an Ibex baselayer (is this wool-speak making sense?). I've only owned the shirt for about a day or so, so these are short-term impressions, but I think these have a good chance of being some of my favorite shirts.

These shirts are casual enough to wear just lounging around but also look nice enough to wear on a night out or at some meetings. Definitely a step up from the basic wool crew cut T-shirt. For me, I forsee these being my "go to" shirts on Spring and Summer days for photo shoots (heck I'm going to wear one at an assignment in a few hours). They would also make great riding shirts or touring shirts (they're a little more respectable looking so it doesn't look like you just tumbled out of the woods).

Anyways, a great buy and at this price you can get a few.

A few other things of interest that I don't own so I can't really comment about...

Men's Bruno Knicker
These are a nice looking knicker. The Yard Sale price makes it bit more competitive with say the offerings from Chrome and Bicycle Fixation (and definitely Rapha). If it's the typical Swobo quality then these would be a steal!

Women's Hickey Knicker
I'm not a woman, obviously, but if I were these would be on my short list. In the era of 3-digit knickers, one that comes in at $60 and made from Swobo is a good deal.

Men's Merino Origins T
Priced at around what a Smartwool or Riv. merino shirt would cost, but with nicer better styling.

Subscribe to EC (electronically)!

2009-01-14T23:12:00.000-08:00

I've gotten a few requests to add an RSS feed or subscriber thingy for E.C, so I put up a gadget that Blogger offers (see stage left). Can someone try it out and tell me if it works? And no, it's not a quaint trick to get you to subscribe (though that wouldn't hurt either).

EDIT: Thanks everyone. It looks like it works!

Women's Wednesdays - Silk Tunic Review

2009-01-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

After much begging and pleading, Laura is going to start contributing every Wednesday, giving a female perspective on gear/touring, etc., So, for you female readers, I hope you find these helpful and insightful (rather than my constant oggling of handlebar bags :)

It’s January in Southern California, which naturally means that it’s 80 degrees outside. Strange, yes, but it means I get to dig out one of my new favorite riding shirts… the Indian silk tunic.

Last fall, we took a ride up to Little India (aka Artesia, CA), and I took the opportunity to browse some shops for a shirt or two. I figured that folks in India are used to hot, humid weather, so surely their traditional fashion must be designed to withstand these conditions. In this small little shop, I worked with a very friendly saleswoman who pulled a whole pile of shirts for me to try on. I ended up walking out with two of them, the green one above and it’s bright blue cousin, because they were only $15 each.

Now, I don’t think the print on this shirt could possibly be any busier. But, the more I wear it, the more I’m convinced that I’m onto something. Silk is one of those magical natural fibers that breathes well and keeps you cool when it’s hot out. And because this shirt is a tunic style, it fits really loose, allowing the wind to flutter its way through and provide some nice natural air conditioning while you ride. And the fact that it covers my shoulders means that I don’t turn into a lobster while I’m riding. Plus, it’s actually a relatively flattering and almost-stylish look, provided you don’t mind standing out in a crowd.

All of this is to say that, sometimes, non-traditional and not-meant-to-be-technical gear can work just as well as the expensive stuff. :)

Unfortunately, the very nature of how I purchased this shirt means that I can’t put up a link here so that you can go buy your own. If you happen to live near a Little India enclave, or if you happen to be fortunate enough to travel to the real India, then by all means hunt one out. Otherwise, might I suggest thinking about other cultures who live with a lot of heat and humidity? Perhaps there’s an Indonesian shop near you or a Moroccan stall at the local farmer’s market.

Another Handlebar Bag...in the works

2009-01-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

Adam A. of Zugster has been teasing the masses with his Flickr Stream that shows the development of a new handlebar bag.

I've been doing it wrong all these years!

2009-01-12T18:07:00.000-08:00

I wrote an earlier post about learning to tie knots. I've just had a major personal knot tying breakthrough (if such a thing can be said to exist). I've always had problems with my shoelaces untying. Laura can attest to this. One of the reasons I like velcro :)

I've recently learned that proper shoelace should be a square knot. Doing a little research, I found that I've been tying my shoes wrong all these years. Instead of tying a square knot (right-over-left half knot followed by a left-over-right knot), I've actually been tying a granny knot (two consecutive left-over-right knots). Apparently it makes all the difference.

I'm going to try some empirical testing by tying one shoe with a granny and the other with a square knot.

Who said an old dog can't learn new tricks!

Epicurean Cyclist...branching out...

2009-01-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

While on tour, I feel the most alive and that it is something that I'd like to do for a long time. I love touring and I'm very enthusiastic and I want more people to do it. That's one of the primary purposes of this site, to inspire others to hop on a bike and explore, even if it is just for a weekend to grab a beer :)

I'm exploring the idea of creating a Epicurean Cyclist newsletter that will come out 6 times a year. It will be simple, something like a zine format. You'll be able to stick it in your Ostrich or Acorn handlebar bag ;) With the Rivendell Reader going digital, I think that those that like the tangibility of the printed word are at a bit of a loss (FYI, there's still Bicycle Quarterly which is an amazing magazine for the touring/rando cyclist with discerning taste).

I'm also exploring the idea of creating postcards or some sort of photo book with all the pictures I've taken while touring and in the long-term, creating a series of guides of a rambling nature.

What do you guys think? Would there be any interest? What sort of things would you like to see?

Short Term Review : Dahon Speed TR

2009-01-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

The Dahon Speed TR is Dahon's dedicated folding touring bike. After a weekend away with the Dahon with a load, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Having owned a Bike Friday, I wasn't expecting the Dahon to compare so favorably. There's a lot to like, a few things to change, and some things I wish they would have considered.

Gearing/Drivetrain
The drive train works around the SRAM DualDrive II rear hub, which has planetary gears that mimic the experience of having a triple up front, without the problems a front derailleur/ 3 chainrings create with a folding bike. The left hand trigger shifters have little icons that indicate the rough gearing adjustment (little uphill symbol, flat, downhill logo). The cassette is an 8 in the back and is shifted with trigger shifters with numbers from 1-8. Basic stuff.

The shifting was straight forward. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I'm a die-hard friction shifter so I wasn't expecting to like the index shifting of the SRAM set-up. The shifts were crisp and responsive. One GREAT advantage of the DualDrive is that you can use EVERY gearing combination. There's no need to worry about cross chaining since the "triple" is in the rear hub. I found myself really liking this feature. Usually, it would be that the granny gear had only 3 or 4 usable gears in the back and anything beyond that would require an upshift in the front. That's fine, but this shift usually happens on something steep and with a load for me and there's a great to-do in the front. The DualDrive eliminates this problem and I'm free to traverse all 8 rear cogs while in the "granny".

Brakes
The brakes are V's and stop the bike well. Enough said. For me, the feeling was more responsive than a Brompton's brake and the same as the standard V's on a Bike Friday.

Wheels
This is one of the areas where I had a few concerns. The front wheel is radially laced to a dyno hub. The rear wheel is laced radially on the non-drive side and crossed on the drive side. For me, I was a little uncomfortable with this set-up. I've built the wheels on Laura's touring bike and my own and can attest to the the strength of a good hand built 3x wheel. During this trip, everything went smoothly. No broken spokes. However, if I were going to take this on a longer trip where I was further away from towns with bike shops, I would rebuild the wheels to 3x in the rear and 2x in the front.

Saddle and Pedals
Stock one is fine, but I prefer a Brooks. So for me that was a no brainer.

After having used the QR MKS pedals for a few weeks, I decided to replace them with the non-QR MKS Touring Pedals. The reason was the QR ones seemed to pop off at inopportune times.

Kickstand
The bike comes with a kickstand but it is useless. It was cut about two inches too short so the bike kept leaning over and toppling. I didn't use it at all while on tour.

The photo above shoes it standing with the kickstand but that took some serious finessing to get it to settle in between the open and closed indents.

Racks
The Dahon comes stock with front low-riders and a rear rack. The rear rack is rated only to 25lbs. I don't know if that's a conservative estimate or really how much the rack will take. For fully loaded touring, it would be nice to have a rear rack that is rated to atleast 50lbs.

I don't have any front panniers, so I can't really comment on their strength or how they affect steering.

The rear rack performed well. I had some concerns that my Ortlieb Bike Packer Plus rear panniers would hit the derailleur but they cleared it just fine even when stuffed pretty well. One concern would be for people with big feet or people with panniers that don't allow for any adjustment. I had to adjust the QL2 hooks on the Ortliebs to allow for maximum clearance (meaning that the racks were shoved as far back as possible). I was able to eliminate pannier strike but anyone with really big feet may have a problem with pannier strike (I was wearing size 10 Keens).

If I were to go on a really long and remote tour with this bike, I would probably try to see if I could fit a Tubus rack on this bike or perhaps the folding rear rack that Bike Friday sells.

Lighting
The Dahon comes with a Euro style rear light that has a steady on setting and that's it. No blinking. It's bright and visible.

It also comes with a front dyno-light. On the website and other samples, I've seen the light mounted at the fork crown. This particular sample I have, the light is mounted low to the fork, which is bad place to put it. Without any bags on the front, the beam is already obscured by the tubing of the rack. With a bag mounted on the front, the light would be rendered useless.

The output of the light isn't that great to begin with, so I would either augment/replace the light with something from Planet Bike (like their dyno hub or battery Blaze model).

Fit/Handlebars
This is a real tricky part about this bike. When touring, it is imperative to have a bike that fits well since you're putting in some serious saddle time. With the Speed TR you can adjust fit with the saddle height, some fore-aft and tilt with the saddle rails, and some minor adjustment of the handlebars.

The seatpost is a proprietary diameter (it includes a pump), so you can't swap it out for something with more or less setback.

The handlebar and stem angle/length can be adjusted to some degree by rotating the handlebar around the tube to which it is attached to. This gives you maybe about an inch of height and reach adjustment. Not bad, but if you need more serious adjustment, the proprietary stem design doesn't allow for a quick swap.

Fortunately for me, I was able to get a pretty good fit with the bike. I'm about 5 foot 9 inches with a 30 inch inseam, for reference. A little taller and a little shorter and you're probably in the bikes golden fit zone.

One issue I had was with the handlebars. I usually ride with drops or with Albatross bars, both of which give multiple hand positions in varying degrees. The Dahon comes with a more or less flat mountain bar with a slight bend. Another hand position is provided by bar-ends. I'm sure that the bike uses this type of handlebar to facilitate folding, but perhaps at the detriment of some comfort. Now, that's not to say you can't do long rides with this. Many people tour on mountain bars with bar ends, I'm just not one of those people.

I may experiment with changing the handlebars to bullhorns .

Folding
This is a good bike to consider if you forsee yourself doing a lot of tours that require the train or other modalities of transportation. I've had the unpleasant experience of being bumped off an Amtrak train because there were no free hooks available. Had I a folding bike, I would have been able to get on.

The fold is in the same class as the Bike Friday, which is to say that it folds but isn't necessarily elegant.

The Brompton still folds much neater and locks together. Then again, the Brompton doesn't have the great gearing of either the BF or Dahon.

The Dahon folds a little better than the BF since the cables don't get as kinked and the Dual Drive eliminates the risk of banging the front derailleur out of adjustment (which happened often with my BF). It's still not ideal, but certainly acceptable for the occasional fold when hopping a train or a bus.

The Ride
During this past tour, I had a small Acorn bag in the front, a Camper Longflap hanging off the saddle and two Ortliebs on the rear rack. My guess would be that the combined weight was probably around 20-25lbs.

The bike rode really well with the weight. The smaller wheels put the weight really low to the ground and provided a nice stable ride without too many surprises. I had minimal weight on the front so I can't really comment on how a load on the front would affect the handling.

After an hour of adjusting to the bike, I forgot that I was on a smaller wheeled bike. It accelerated well and climbed pretty well too. The gearing provided enough low gears to spin up the hills in Laguna even with a load. If I were going to go to really mountainous territory, I would probably swap out the chainring from a 53 to something more like a 48 or 46. The bike tops out at 114 gear inches (too high for touring) and would benefit with a lower low end (stock low is 21 inches...something in the teens wouldn't hurt).

Standing climbs took some getting use to, probably more from my heavy Carradice swinging back and forth than the small wheels. The bike developed a rhythm that I had to time for, but like all things it was pretty manageable.

I would say that the only time that I felt the smaller wheels made a big difference was in descents. I definitely had to concentrate a bit more when descending at high speeds compared to my Surly LHT. The Surly is rock solid. The Dahon was stable but demanded you pay attention. The same could be said about riding while tired. The smaller wheels made for a more "responsive" ride. Nothing specific to Dahon, but to all small wheel bikes in general.

Conclusion
After this shortish tour, I was pleasantly surprised with the Dahon. Off the shelf it's a capable commuter, credit card tourer and S24O bike. There's a lot to like and it would make a great base for a better touring bike (much like the stock LHT).

If you were to use it for more serious touring, I would do the following: change the saddle, change the pedals, change the front chainring to a 48 or 46t, change the rear rack to a Tubus, possibly change the handlebars, change the wheels to ones with a cross pattern. This sounds like a lot of mods, but considering the bike retails for around 1k, you can do these changes and still be a few thousand ahead of a custom Bike Friday or tour ready Brompton.

If the bike fits you, it's a good deal. If it doesn't and you want a folder, go for a Bike Friday.

Off the Shelf: Recommend
Off the Shelf with Modifications (if it fits you): Highly Recommend

Anyone else tour with a folder? BF? Dahon? Brommie?