User Friendly Interface

Now that it's winter, I find that strangers talk to me more than usual about cycling - typically when they see me locking up my bike. Over the past couple of weeks, several women have told me that they'd love to ride a bike, but find the logistics daunting: having to buy lights and figure out how to mount them; constantly getting flats (something they remember from previous cycling experiences); having to figure out how to carry their handbag, struggling to mount the bike in business attire, and other similar concerns. Their misgivings are fueled by the perception that cycling will complicate their lives - compared to walking, or taking public transportation, or driving.



What frustrates me about this, is that all of their concerns can be addressed with the right bike. As I explain about step-through frames, dynamo lighting, tires with puncture-protection, dress guards, chain cases, and panniers that attach to the bicycle's rack in seconds, I can see the ladies' faces light up as they eye these features hungrily.



One woman tried to step through my frame in her skirt-suit and squealedwith delight when she was able to do it. She had never tried anything other than a mountainbike before. She said: "I knewyou had a special type of bike! It's got this... user-friendly interface!" That phrase echoed in my mind for some time.



Even though I enjoy learning about bicycle design and own multiple bikes on which I constantly experiment, I am first and foremost a "transportation cyclist." My main priority is to have that one bike that is reliable, comfortable, and as low-maintenance as possible. The bicycle I use for transportation needs to make life easy for me. It needs to minimise the extent to which I think about it and tinker with it - so that I can focus on work and life itself, not on the bicycle. Skirt suit? Heavy bag? Dark outside? Raining like crazy? The "user friendly interface" on my machine accommodates all of these scenarios.



Many manufacturers are making what they are calling "transportation bicycles" nowadays, but not all of these bikes work for everyone. When a woman wearing a skirt suit walks into a bike store and says she would like to start cycling to work, my hope is that the salesperson will point to the section with the right kind of bicycle for her - rather than saying "Well, you won't be able to do it wearing that!" Auser-friendly interface means that we should all be able to do it. Holiday wish: more elegant, practical, comfortable bicycle options for the women in skirt-suits who feel out of place in bike shops. It's getting better, but we aren't there yet.

Mt. Adams

Mt. Adams from the Southwest.












Carbo-loading at the Cold Springs base camp.

High camp at Lunch Counter.













Climbers on the South face.

A beautiful day on the summit.

The 2,000' glissade down to Lunch Counter.

Dani glissading.

Wipeout!

Trave & Storm

Our two ponies Traveler and Stormy

Superba Give-Away Recipient! ...and On Give-Aways in General

I would like to announce that the special edition Bella Ciao "Superba" bicycle that has been kindly donated for me to give away, will go to Julia D. - a reader from State College, PA. The picture above is one that I took earlier, and which she then marked up with "anatomical labels" and posted on her blog. Julia, congratulations and I hope you enjoy this bicycle! I will email you details regarding its arrival and everything else you need to know.



There was a total of 45 entries for the Superba give-away. Some were eliminated, because it was clear that the applicant could afford a new bicycle. Quite a few other entries were eliminated based on the applicant's height. This still left me with many applicants to choose from, and at this point it became quite difficult to read the emails. There are so many people out there who are in financial need, and I am just not in a position to help them. It would be wonderful if someone - like a large bike manufacturer looking to promote their product - would host a give-away on a grand scale. But this give-away was for someone who specifically wanted the Superba... which eliminated all but a few applicants. Most of the emails I received were fairly general, some even asking questions about the bicycle that made it plain they did not know much about it, other than it being free. Again, I am very sorry to have to choose, but as described in the original give-away post, this bicycle was intended for someone who wanted it and not just a free bike. With the remaining applicants I chose at random, and Julia was it. I hope that this explains my selection process satisfactorily and I thank everyone who took part in the give-away. For me, this was very difficult.



As a general note on give-aways... I've been getting all sorts of emails about them since I began doing them, and so I would like to address a few points. Some readers - including industry members - have suggested to me that "I'm not doing it right," in the sense that the way I go about it does not generate publicity. I am supposed to say that you have to "follow me" in order to be eligible, to write about the give-away on your own blog, to post it on facebook, and so on. So I wanted to clarify that my not doing these things is intentional. It's not that I don't want publicity for my blog. Of course I do. Just not like that. I want my give-aways to be friendly, low key and without stipulations.



The other thing, is that I've also received emails from manufacturers offering various products for me to give away on their behalf, most of which I have politely declined. Though I am willing to do this in theory, I have two criteria: First, the product has to be of interest to me. And second, I am not comfortable with stipulations of the nature I described in the above paragraph: namely, telling readers that they have to "follow" the manufacturer in order to have a chance at getting the product. I am all for collaborating with manufacturers in giving away stuff, but I am not a free-for-all marketing vehicle. There is a line between those two things, and every blog author must decide for themselves where to draw it.



To end on a positive note, I hope to have more give-aways for you soon. The lovely touring bike project got somewhat derailed by the unexpectedly long winter (which made it impossible to test the bike in between stages), but it has now come out of hybernation and I will post about it soon. The give-away should take place some time in June. Stay tuned, and thank you for reading Lovely Bicycle!

Another View

This is a view of the Indian Market Place from the other end.

Picture Perfect day for a paddle!

Yesterday Jessica and I spent the morning paddling the shoreline of Esther Lake up the Arrowhead Trail in northeast Minnesota. It was a spectacular morning to be on the water and as we were making our way back to the boat ramp these postcard-perfect clouds were rolling in, making for some beautiful scenes to photograph.

Antelope Canyon Adventure

Yesterday's Antelope Canyon adventure was AWESOME. We spent a total of 6 hours photographing the canyon, 4 hours in Lower Antelope and 2 hours in Upper Antelope. Both are equally impressive and so magical that they defy description. The two sections of Antelope Canyon are also very different from each other and have completely different characters. Lower is very easy to access via a short trail from the parking area and the canyon is skinny at the bottom and wide at the top. Upper is accessible only via heavy-duty trucks with big tires that have been modified to drive the several miles up the soft sandy wash. Upper is also different from Lower in that it is very narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.



Above: Driving up the wash to Upper Antelope Canyon



Above: The entrance to Upper Antelope Canyon. If you look to the left of the trucks (where you can see people standing), there is a slit in the rock. This is the entrance to the canyon.



Above and below: A magical world awaits you just a few feet inside the entrance of the canyon!





Below: My friend Roger posing in one of the most interesting sections of Lower Antelope Canyon. The way the light washes down the canyon walls here is unreal!



Below: Lower Antelope is also different from Upper in that the floor of the canyon is very uneven and in several places rugged stairs have been installed so people can make their way through the canyon without the use of climbing gear.





Below: Self-portrait in Lower Antelope Canyon

Summit Trips and Road Access

Winter-like snowfall continues on Mt. Rainier, but you can feel the presence of spring and the coming summer in the air. Many climbers are planning summer trips; reservations are in full swing, and the guide services are working again on the mountain.

The best Mt. Rainier climbing news, of late, is the recent summit by two independent climbers. Tim Ryan (photo credit) and his partner (Erik) hiked in from the Nisqually Entrance (i.e. park boundary) up the Tahoma Creek drainage and to the summit via the Tahoma Glacier. Their trip report is here (almost verbatim).

Of interest to many is the updated list of road openings; there are no major surprises. Along those lines, the Nisqually to Paradise road is nearing completion. Park crews have reconstructed the embankments at Milespost's #5 and #9. In the next few weeks, the road crew hopes to complete the installation of two massive 12-foot culverts at Kautz Creek. They're still calling for a May 1 opening (barring unanticipated delays) and plan a "media day" once the major repairs are completed (just in case there wasn't enough press already).

A quick word on campgrounds... Cougar Rock Campground will be open May 18th, one week earlier, to help offset the loss of Sunshine Point. Otherwise, it's business as usual at the other locations (except for Ipsut Creek).

More Charleston~The Porches

I couldn't resist sharing this lovely part of Charleston. The porches on the houses were incredible. I feel like the city should be dubbed "The Porch City". I mean, I couldn't snap pictures fast enough in an attempt to get all of the insanely incredible porches.

This is just a small sampling of the beauty here. This place was hands down one of the prettiest cities I've visited so far.

"Low Pressing" Systems

Late last week and early this week (with some respite on Sunday) low pressure systems are moving through the Northwest. The mountain typically has some "Jun-uary" weather roll through in the early part of the summer season. The last low pressure system came through with a high freezing level and lots of moisture. There was rain up to 11,000 feet. Whew. The cloud deck has lowered to around 9000 feet the last couple days restoring the typical upper-mountain snow pack. Guide companies, independent parties, and climbing rangers have all been out making snow pack assessments. Be sure to get familiar with the conditions yourself - don't get sucked into the "herd" mentality.



On another note, the solstice is coming up! There is lots of daylight
for climbers to complete their ascents. Lower freezing levels also make
later ascents more practical. New snow pasted on the mountain has made it quite the spectacular sight. Don't forget your cameras! See you up here soon.

Running in Petrusse Valley, Luxemburg

I mentioned awhile back that I have stopped running because I hated this sport. I really do hate it but it seems that this is the only sport that I can do and tolerate in order to keep myself in shape. Plus you get some fresh air, which is a bonus. I am 42 years old and my metabolism has slowed down in the last 10 years and it has only become worse as I enter into serious middle age.





No makeup on. Just curious, would you wear make up when running?







I do watch what I eat, not religiously though and sometimes I cannot help but indulge. It helps that I am not a big meat eater and I am not into sweets, bread and baked goods. I love fruits and vegetables!



Anyway, I have since went back to running and I do this during the weekends. I am also alternating it with dancercise at home. It is a combination of dancing + exercising with music on headphones for proper concentration. These two types of physical activity are the only ones that I can endure. The gym is not for me really. I am too lazy to pack my stuff in a bag and go after work. Moreover, I don’t like the idea that I am sharing the place with strangers who are sweating the whole night.



So when I was in Luxembourg, I went running on a Sunday morning in the Petrusse Valley. I was not the only person who had the same idea but it wasn’t busy at all.



I took some pictures of course...

















One of these dogs came up to me while I was sitting on the bench. I almost screamed, lol. You never know if the dog will bite you. When I was a little girl, I was bitten by the doberman of our neighbour.





A walkway under the bridge.



If you are not into running, going for a walk here would be the next best thing to do, especially during the warmer months when the valley is rich in flora. A nice picnic would do as well.