New Perspectives on Hemlines

In a local clothing shop yesterday I overheard a conversation between two young women.

Young Woman 1: This dress is cute, but I totally can't wear it on my bike (lifts hem and stretches it to show how narrow it is).

Young Woman 2: Yeah it sucks when a skirt is too tight and I can't bike in it. I'm like always looking for A-lines and pleats now.

YM1: Yeah I know! Or pants.

YM2: Nah I'm not really into pants. Oh but the stretchy miniskirts are good too.

YM1: Oh yeah! I just saw some over there (points at some shelves and they walk off in that direction).

Eavesdropping on this exchange, a few things went through my mind. First, that cycling really is becoming an ordinary thing in our area. These young women - the way they dressed, carried themselves, talked - did not stand out from other women their age; there was nothing identifying them as part of a cycling "subculture." And yet both used bikes to get around. That is like kind of cool, right?



Second, to me this conversation underscores the fact that women's attire - more so than men's - really does call for "bikability" considerations. There are some in the cycle chic camp who argue that we can cycle in absolutely all of our ordinary clothing, and that to look for cycling-specific features is to overly complicate things. But in my experience, even the most stylish women on bikes do not always feel that way. Skirts can be too narrow, trousers can be too constricting, shoes can be slippery, even blouses and jackets can pull at the shoulder seams making cycling uncomfortable (a co-worker in Vienna once tore her top this way cycling to work). Much of this has to do with the fact that apparel designed for women is more form-fitting than that designed for men; there is simply less leeway and less give. Women's apparel also tends to be made of more delicate, flimsier fabrics, more prone to wear and tear. For most women I know who ride a bike, cycling-specific considerations play an important role in their wardrobe selection even if their clothing appears "ordinary" (i.e. not cycling-specific) to the outside observer.



But the more interesting question for me, is that of whether and how clothing manufacturers will respond to cycling-specific demands of their target market, as this increasingly becomes a popular concern. I am not talking about designing cycling-specific lines of clothing; that would be unnecessary. But how about simply designating existing articles of clothing as "bike friendly" when appropriate? Particularly when it comes to online shopping, I think that could be such a useful feature that I am surprised no one has done it yet. When ordinary women start to choose hemlines with cycling in mind, this could be the beginning of something interesting.

Cozumel Cruise~The Ship

Today we headed out for our second cruise. This one was a Carnival cruise and was leaving from Tampa. We have an extra special bonus that some of our pickleball friends are taking the same cruise! Rich and Dee and Dean and Margie are the ones going. Rich and Dee's daughter is getting married which makes it even all the more special.





We spent the first little bit exploring the ship which was just as fun as the last time. We came upon the reception for Rich and Dee's daughter and got to see some of the toasts that were taking place. Their daughter is stunning so she made the wedding absolutely beautiful!



We found an outside deck by the food areas, and decided we would try to spend as much time as possible eating out there.





Nathan and I decided since we are now officially kid free, that we would truly spend time enjoying the kid free zone otherwise known as the Serenity Deck.



After heading out to sea, we spent the rest of this day and into the night with lots of food and watching the entertainment they provided. It was a great day!

Side by Side

My last ride of was with the delightful Bekka ofBikeyface, who is slowly but surely getting drawn into roadcycling (eeexcellent). We've been practicing our "epic" faces, as you can see.

We had some things to talk about, so we decided to "go for coffee" - a 20 mile ride to the Ride Studio Cafe and back.

Once there, we nearly took the rack down with 60lb of collective bike poundage, but never mind!

The weird thing about riding with Bekka, is that her bicycle - a Surly Cross-Check - is the same make and model as the Co-Habitant's bike - only about half the size and built up very differently. The smaller sized Cross-Check frames have sloping top tubes and different seat tube angles(75° on the 42cm frame vs 72° on the 62mm frame), so altogether her bicycle registers as sort of the same bike as his, but not really. Freaky. And it also goes to show that when reading bicycle reviews and test ride reports, it's worth paying attention to the size of the bike described - this factor can make a difference. But despite the blatant differences in frames, both Bekka and the Co-Habitant are quite happy with theirs, so it seems fair to conclude that the Cross-Check is a crowdpleaser.



With Bekka on the Surlyand me on the Rivendell, we were pretty well matched for speed, which was nice. It was a quiet morning just before New Year and we were able to ride side by side some of the time.I used to be vehemently against cycling side by side on the road - especially in the city - because I felt that this distracted me from paying attention to traffic. Now I am less vehement about it, simply because I've ridden with people who cycle side by side as a matter of course and have learned to adapt. Still, I seldom have a good feeling about it. While in Massachusetts it is legal to ride two abreast, one could argue that doing so is not always practicable, and therefore not in good faith. It has also been known to provoke driver aggression. The local cyclists I've been riding with are split on this one, with some groups prohibiting riding two abreast and others insisting on it, so I am getting some rather mixed messages. I'd like to decide on a policy and stick with it without being influenced by the people I am riding with, but haven't made up my mind yet.



Switching from "lone wolf" cycling to riding with others has caused a rather dramatic upheaval in my little world.I had tried the social cycling thing before and did not enjoy it, but somehow this time around it clicked. Suddenly I have a full "dance card" of cycling events every week, and in the winter at that. Not that I am complaining! But this is definitely a new era, and I am curious what the future will bring.

Beach Bums

A second opinion on the Scarpa Rebel Ultra

Patrick in his new Ultras.

Photo courtesy of P.J. Cooke



a guest blog by Patrick Walsh



As one would imagine, I was very very excited when I found out I
was going to own these boots. I had my reservations purchasing them
sight-unseen, not knowing if they would be the right size and/or fit my feet
properly. I figured worst case the boots should be pretty easy to re-sell if
nothing else.



My first reaction, and that of most to the Rebel Ultra, has been
“what are those, can I see them?” This is followed by “holy crap those are
freakish light.” They are more akin to a sneaker than an ice boot, and often
the next questions are “what size are they? Can I try them on!?” This initial
excitement is soon followed by “but are they warm enough?”



At this point i have spent twelve days climbing in these boots.
I was fortunate enough to receive them just before an end of season trip to the
Canadian Rockies. I have now spent eleven back-to-back days and one single
day on the east coast in these boots. Although this is not a long time to
have spent with a boot, I feel it has been enough time to offer some real
feedback having spent the better part of two weeks in them day in and day out.



I guess first we should talk about fit. I have what had been
described as a fairly low volume foot with a high arch. My feet measure US 11.5
left and 12 right. The first thing I did was toss the factory insoles and throw
the gamut of off the shelf offerings at the boots in an attempt to get the
perfect fit. In doing so I soon came to understand that these boots are not
your average ice boot, and that bit of toe wiggling room one usually looks for
in a attempt to stay warm and ward off black toe nails is not what this boot
wants to do. This boot wants to fit more like a rock shoe (think "all day
trad shoe") resulting in a boot that feels like a warm blanket but
performs like tightly fitted sport climbing shoe. I went back and forth with
insole/sock combos searching mostly for the ideal fit regarding volume. I kept
coming back to a fit that allowed me to just barely stuff my feet into the
boots without my toes bashing off the ends or cutting off my circulation, thus
leaving little need to crank down on the laces to keep my foot in place. Fit
this way, the boots offered an amazing combination of support and dexterity,
all the while feeling much more like a overbuilt running sneaker than an
uber-light ice boot of any sort. With so little to the upper of this boot, it
really needs to be fit this way in order to offer the support ones desires in
an ice boot. Had I fit the boots with room to wiggle my toes and cold weather
circulation in mind, the boots would begin to feel a bit sloppy and lack the
support I would want in a boot I planned on climbing ice in. Fit as I had them,
the boots offer the perfect combo of support and all day comfort and
performance.



My first impression of this boot was that it was a niche item. I
figured it would be one more tool in my quiver of gear probably reserved only
for warm and or fast and light days on moderate ice in moderate conditions.
Having now done everything from long alpine days on both hard and easy terrain
to a few short days spent ice cragging and even some mixed climbing in both
warm and cold weather, I have to say these are a do everything boot and a does
everything well boot. I would go as far as saying these are a do everything and
does everything better boot. Yes on a couple cold days high on a route with
wind whipping my feet got cold. But so did both of my partners’ feet in Nepals
and Baturas. Add to that the fact that I fit them with a lightweight Smartwool
PHD ski sock more akin to a cycling sock than a wool winter sock of yesteryear
and I think, although far from a warm boot, the boots are pretty darn warm. On
a coupe of high-teens to mid-twenties Fahrenheit days, my feet felt downright
warm. These boots both approach and climb so well that even days i expect to be
cold I still choose to wear them because they just climb that much better than
any other boot I have worn, and I have worn them all. I simply no longer want
to wear any other boot as my feet just love climbing in this boot.


In summary, this boot is crazy crazy light and built incredibly well
regarding craftsmanship and materials! The boot makes me feel more like a
spider monkey climbing ice simply on his way home rather than a giant ape
clumsily making his way up the Empire State building only to be shot down by fighter
planes in a attempt at freedom. For me at least this boot is a game changer and
one I might go as far as saying you will have to "pry from my cold dead
hands."



more feedback via previous emails:



On New England Ice?

"Boots are great! I can climb anything in them. Meaning they climb hard ice
just fine if not better than my other boots. Not sure if it is in my head but I
suspect a little of both. They might be a 1/2 size small but only cuz I have
had to run my high volume custom orthotics in them.

In all reality I am pretty sure these boots made me a better climber for
real. I pretty much have stoppedkicking as I can just place my feet on the
smallest of features. What once felt like a tiny ledge now feels like a
giant shelf.I am in love!! They will be cold on cold cold days but it is
clear this is not a cold weather boot. Still though it will be very
very hard to ever want to climb in anything elseever!"




Two weeks later:

"So we had a great first trip to the Canadian Rockies. We ended up
getting out 11 daysstraight.
The boots rocked. I brought my Phantom Guides and never once wore
them. I have only great things to say about the Rebels."






The original Cold Thistle review is here:

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//02/the-scarpa-rebels-part-one-ultra.html

To the Grocery Store: An Exercise in Aesthetics

There are many grocery stores close to where we live, but we prefer to go to a particular one, down by the Charles River. This is the shortcut we take to get to the river from the Harvard campus.

It is such a nice little stretch to cycle through. I wanted to document the feeling of being there before the grimness of November sets in.

The Co-Habitant advancing into the distance.

I must say that I love the look of men's coat-tails flapping in the wind when they cycle.

And here I am. Alas, no coat-tails.

The Pashleys arrive at the grocery store. If you are local, you can probably guess where this is, even with the limited visual cues. I thought the yellow stripes went nicely with the foliage in the previous photos.

I am happy here, because this was one of my first trips after the latest adjustments to my Pashley (raising and setting back the saddle). My legs are almost completely extended on the pedals now, and I can still touch the ground with one toe while remaining on the saddle. (I know, I know - I need to learn how to ride without being able to reach the ground! )

The Co-Habitant is happy here as well, because we did not spend too much time inside the grocery store. Most of the time, everything we shop for easily fits into my basket and his saddlebag. Not a lot of hastle there.

Back home through the tree-lined shortcut. The grocery store trip was actually at the end of a long day of riding all over town. We both had Friday-Sunday off (a rarity due to our unconventional schedules) and enjoyed the weekend together. A good thing, as in a few days I am off to Europe again for the rest of November.

Pinewood Estate

When I visited here last time, we did not go to see the house that is at Bok Tower Gardens. The house is named the Pinewood Estate and you can do a tour of this neat place. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.



A tour through the magnificent Mediterranean-style Pinewood Estate lets
you experience the luxurious lifestyle of C. Austin Buck, an early 20th
century industrialist. Mr. Buck was the vice president of Bethlehem Steel. The Estate occupies eight acres of Bok Tower Gardens and is enjoyed by thousands of visitors each year.



Pinewood Estate’s has beautiful gardens and a 20 room Mediterranean-style
mansion built in the early 1930s. It is considered one of the finest examples of
Mediterranean-style architecture in Florida.



Pinewood began its life in 1930 under the name “El Retiro”.
Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., who came to the area in 1922 to design Edward
W. Bok’s Gardens, was designing private gardens at nearby Mountain Lake
Estates. William Lyman Phillips was assigned as the Olmsted
representative and was retained by Buck to design the gardens and site
of “El Retiro” to take maximum advantage of the lush Florida landscape.



Charles Wait, long affiliated with the Olmsted firm, was brought in to
design the house in the Mediterranean-style Floridians still enjoy
today. Wait created a house that had the appearance of a Mediterranean
villa. The thick walls, wrought iron details, carved woodwork and doors
heighten the effect. Wait also incorporated large porches to give clear
views of the surroundings and provide constant air flow.



Buck, who admired Latin lifestyle and architecture, obtained the tiles
used throughout the house from Cuba. Phillips, who spent time in the
Canal Zone and had a great love for the tropics, set about creating a
series of vistas – a Spanish frog fountain leading to a grotto in front
of the house; an Oriental moon gate outside the dining room; and the
long view down a rolling lawn to the lily pool. The entire house was
situated to give views through the surrounding pine trees.



Over the years, Pinewood changed hands several times before it was
acquired by Bok Tower Gardens in 1970. The estate was restored to its
original design by nationally recognized restoration landscape architect
Rudy Favretti, the staff of Bok Tower Gardens and a corps of
volunteers. Today, work continues to preserve the mansion listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.

Wiley in the Trash

Our kitten Wiley decided to play in a little trash can the other day. He looked so cute I had to take his picture.

New "Unoffical" Speed Record Set

On Wednesday morning, July 11, Justin Merle, an avid climber, international mountaineer and current employee as a guide with International Mountain Guides (IMG), broke the Mount Rainier summit speed record with a time of 4 hours, 49 minutes and 35 seconds. Here is a link to a recent article on his climb in The News Tribune.

The previous record holder, climbing ranger alum Chad Kellogg, set the record in 2004 with a time of 4 hours, 59 minutes and 1 second. Like Merle's time, it too was not officially recorded; there was no time keeper available at Paradise, Camp Muir or the summit to confirm the event. However, we do have pictures taken by Merle of his watch before and after the climb and climbers up at Camp Muir also confirmed seeing Merle on his descent. This obviously leaves room for disagreement for all those non-believers, but this level of athletic achievement, in such a challenging sport as it is, and a dangerous location as Mount Rainier can be, deserves a nice tip of the hat and a hearty "congratulations". There is no doubt Merle has raised the bar, and the level of anticipation for those other hopeful climbers looking for a new challenge. So, a lingering question remains, “Who's next?”.

Below is Merle’s account of the trip:

Times 6:00:05 -- left the upper Paradise parking lot
7:33ish -- climbed through Muir
8:30ish -- top of Cleaver
9:27 -- Columbia Crest
9:30 -- left register after signing the book
9:35 -- descended from crater rim
10ish -- Ingraham Flats
10:10 -- Muir
10:30 -- Pebble Creek
10:49:40 -- back in the parking lot
Roundtrip -- 4:49:35

I wore light boots (Sportiva Trango S) and Kahtoola

aluminum crampons, lightweight pants and a lightweight longsleeve top. I carried a BD Bullet pack with 2 liters of Cytomax in a hydration bladder, a light Goretex top, warm hat, and gloves. For fuel I carried 6 Gu packages and a pack of Shot Blocks. Overall, the route conditions and weather were almost perfect. The route was direct above the Cleaver and there wasn't much for traffic aside from the guided parties, who were all quite nice in letting me pass. I went to the tippy top and took the time to sign in at the register. It was quite windy on the crater rim and on the summit; aside from that the breeze was pleasant and I did not have to add any layers except a pair of gloves during the ascent. The descent went well--good snow for plunge-stepping and striding out pretty much all the way down. I did fall once on moderate terrain near 13000' as I was cutting some switchbacks--slid a couple meters before regaining my feet. On the descent, I left my pack at Muir and my crampons at Pebble Creek--thanks to the guides for carrying them down. I timed myself on my Suunto watch, and also used the logbook funtion to record the ascent/descent. The only "proof" I have of the times are a couple of before and after photos of the watch, and video taken with the same camera, before and after (I left the camera in a stuffsack at the trailhead). I did sign the register, and saw a lone climber on Columbia Crest, but did not speak with him.

This was my 106th summit of Rainier, by my best count.

~Justin Merle

Fantastic views at Xigia Tavern during lunch

Leaving South Xigia Beach, we hit the main road and just 500 metres away we saw this tavern with a spacious parking lot. We stopped to check it out.

It turns out that the tavern is perched on the mountain sea cliff and looking out to the blue Ionian Sea. Fantastic views! I personally loved the thick trees giving shade to the diners, they bid a very cosy and romantic ambience, and oh, the birds happily chirping away from tree to tree. Well, what can I say? In this restaurant, you do not need man-made music to accompany the beautiful view.

So I told the Dutchman—this is it. We are not going anywhere else for lunch =)

When we came back from holiday I did some research on the restaurant and it turns out that its specialty is seafood and the owner is Italian who migrated to Zakynthos, Greece. This restaurant is very popular among the locals and the tourists as well. That is why it took us a LONG TIME to be seated. Guests came pouring in and we have to wait patiently in line. Dutchman was grumbling and ready to leave but I put down my foot and told him to be still.

Eventually we got our table with a nice view. Because the restaurant was buzzing with diners, ergo overcapacity, it took a while for them to take our order and for the food to arrive. I didn’t mind, I am enjoying my view with a glass of wine while waiting. Plus they gave us free bruschettas. That was a surprise indeed and it was lovely.

Dutchman ordered Greek salad and for me steamed mussels. We were going to order more but when the bruschettas arrived we decided to just leave it as it is. The food is enough already for both of us. Food here is 4.5 stars out of 5.

At the back of the tavern I saw a garden and an infinity swimming pool. It looked like a perfect place to hold a party or just to privately chill out. I wonder if the owner lives here as well? Well, one thing for sure they have a gorgeous property with breath taking views.

Waiting for our lunch to arrive...

There were lots of birds chirping from the trees and we noticed as well that there were many bird houses hanging above us.

Finally, lunch has arrived!

Bruschetta came first.

Greek salad never tastes the same outside Greece. Take note, onions and tomatoes here are sweet.

My steamed mussels and half a lemon.

Another angle foto of the taverna's terrace.

The verdict: food wiped out clean.

The taverna has its own private infinity swimming pool as well:

From our table we can see South Xigia Beach where we swam in the morning:

A boat came to unload its passengers for a swim:

Garlic and pine corns, they seem to be the theme of this tavern:

Next: More beautiful remote beaches!

Crud Road Racer Fenders

My long-suffering Francesco Moser roadbikeis now sporting some fenders. A 1970s racing bike that originally came with tubulars, the frame has very tight clearances, and the rear brake bridge is particularly low. Even with 23mm tires it will not fit conventional fenders. That is why I wanted to try the Crud Road Racers - described as "mudguards for race bikes with minimum clearances." These fenders are rated to fit bikes with 4mm of clearance under the brake bridge. The Moser has just barely that.






Crud is an English company, and according to the packaging information the fenders are manufactured in Yorkshire, UK. Crud has recently become a sponsor, but the fenders pictured are mine and not a complimentary sample. My discovery of the Road Racers is owed to local randonneur Pamela Blalock, who uses them on her main brevet bike and prefers them to other fenders she's tried. Pamela describes the Cruds as highly durable, easy to install and remove, and extremely lightweight - a combination of characteristics that appealed to me. On a pure roadbike with narrow tires, I do not want permanent fenders. But I do want the option of installing them on occasion. While temporary clip-ons exist, they are flimsy and do not provide adequate coverage. The appealing thing about Crud is that they are real, full coverage fenders with the same easy on/off versatility.






Being entirely unfamiliar with Crud fenders to start with, it took us some time to understand how they are put together and what the installation procedure is. There is a brief instructions manual and an online video that might be a good idea to watch before starting. But once you know it's done, I would say the process should take 15 minutes tops.






The installation does not require any tools, and it does not require the hand strength to use real tools. Everything is affixed by hand using moderate pressure, with a combination of the plastic bolts, zip ties and rubber bands included in the kit.





The fenders are modular - the blade in 3 parts, plus the stays - making them easy to store and transport.






To install the fenders, the fork/stay attachment points are first installed using the double rubber bands provided. The fender is then partially assembled, slid under the brake bridge, and then the stays are attached to these points.






This is the attachment point for under the brake bridge. On some bikes it might be necessary to deflate the tire or remove the wheel to do this.






And here is the screw connecting the different parts of the blade.






Zipties are used to affix the fender to the brake bridge.






And also to affix the rear fender to the seat tube, above the front derailleur.





At the point where the fender attaches to the seat tube, there are two sets of holes that the zip-tie can go through, and we managed to tear one of them when adjusting the fender, so be aware. This point of attachment should be the last step, after the fender's position is set.







This part of the fender provides extra coverage. The clearances are tight here and it's close, but does not interfere with the derailleur.





As part of the installation,Crud provides these fuzzy adhesive pads to guard the tire from rubbing the fender directly.






Here they are peaking out from the sides.




The rear of the front fender is very close to my toe, but there does not seem to be overlap with my feet strapped in.





The front part of the front blade is a little skimpy compared to the rest of the fenders, but otherwise the coverage they provide is excellent.






Aesthetically, I think the Cruds look elegant and appropriate on a racy roadbike. When fitting bikes like this with fenders, the classic ones don't really look right and the clip-on ones are extremely ugly. To my eye, these look just right. And if you want to make them fancy, they can even be painted.





The clearance under the rear brake bridge on my Moser is only borderline adequate for these fenders and I am still deciding whether it's a good idea to use them regularly. But I will definitely use them on my new roadbike, where the clearances will be sufficient.



If the fit is right, I think the design is great for road/racing bikes that have tight clearances and no eyelets, or where you simply do not want the commitment of metal fender installation. While I can't speak for the fenders' durability at this stage, I am pleased withtheir full coverage,easy installation and removal, light weight, and subdued appearance. More pictures here.