His Pashley Roadster Arrives!

[edited to add: There is now a review of this bicycle here.]



The end result of our frenzied search, was that both my darling Co-Habitant and I decided to buy Pashleys: he the Roadster Sovereign (which comes only in black), and I the Princess Sovereign in green. My Princess is getting some custom work done at Harris Cyclery (a coaster brake installed) and will be waiting for me when I return from Vienna. The Co-Habitant's Sovereign arrived last week and he has been enjoying it ever since. Lucky, lucky him!





My dandified Co-Habitant added Brooks leather grips and bags to the bike, but everything else pictured here came standard. This is an enormous bicycle and he absolutely towers over the traffic as he rides to work. I can't wait to see him ride it in person, and to pick up my Princess!





The saddle that comes with the Roadster is the Brooks B33 in black. The bags are the Millbrook and Glenbrook. The leather grips in black are pictured here. All of these are available at Harris Cyclery in West Newton, Mass.

In Case You Were Wondering...

Yes, I did find someplace cooler! When last I left you, I was sweltering in 100 degree temperatures, along with much of the Midwest and the East Coast! Thursday morning (July 21st) I continued driving through Toledo and on into “Pure Michigan” northward. At Standish (north of the “thumb”) I followed U.S. 23 along the coast of Lake Huron. It was a very nice tree-lined drive with little traffic, but views of the lake were few and far-between. Of course, I could have stopped at one of the many public access areas but the temperature was still near 100 degrees and I was quite comfortable in my air conditioned van!



The temperature did drop the further north I drove but still in the 90s. Oddly enough it wasn't until I turned inland a ways that the temperature dropped into the upper 80s. I spent the night at very pleasant State Park at Onaway on the shores of Black Lake near the upper tip of the Lower Peninsula. The temperature actually got into the 70s overnight. Upper 70s but 70s nevertheless!



It seems that every campground has a different atmosphere to it. Some have open campsites with little privacy but the people seem friendlier there than at the campgrounds where the sites are more secluded. Some, by their very nature – such as those on or near lakes - tend to be noisier than others. It was tempting to spend a few days at Onaway but it was a busy place with lots of kids and dogs and was very noisy.



So on Friday morning I went in search of a more quiet, secluded place where I could simply relax and perhaps work on the research papers I had accumulated while in Ohio...



No, it's not Michigan! But thought I'd share this, which was taken about six weeks ago in the Rocky Mountains. Perhaps it will make someone feel a little cooler during this heat wave ;-)

Shenandoah National Park

After leaving the Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison, Virginia I drove south on U.S. 29 to Charlottesville then west on Interstate 64 to Waynesboro where I spent the night. The next day (Monday, October 26th) the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park beckoned me. The first 20 miles were still quite pretty with brightly colored foliage but further north and in the higher elevations, the trees were nearly bare though there were patches of brilliant yellow here and there.

That notwithstanding, the next several days were spent traipsing through the forest (or perhaps I should say, huffing and puffing) on several trails. The weather was not very cooperative with heavy fog and intermittent rain on Tuesday. It gave me an opportunity to catch up on writing blog posts (but I've fallen behind again – can't believe it's been two weeks already).

I was staying in the Big Meadows Campground, not far from Hawksbill Peak (the highest peak within the park) and hiked to the summit on Wednesday. The rain had stopped during the night and the fog had lifted mid-morning. The trail was just 1.7 miles long with only a 500 foot elevation gain, but it sure felt longer and higher!

Wednesday afternoon, I made a short detour out of the park to Luray to try and track down a church where two of my ancestors served (more about that in a future post) then returned to the park and spent the night at Mathews Arm Campground. It was cloudy on Thursday morning and more rain was in the forecast. I took advantage of the offer made by my Aunt in Silver Spring, Maryland and spent the weekend at her place.

10/26 near Bacon Hollow Overlook

10/26 Moorman's River Overlook

10/28 Fog Rising at Fisher's Gap Overlook

10/28 from Hawksbill Summit

10/28 Crescent Rock Overlook

10/29 Gimlet Ridge Overlook

Scotland and the "kids".......

The line topo of "To Those That Wait"







Big numbers being bounced around @ IX/9



And "It turned out to be much easier than "To Those Who Wait", but none the less "The Secret"was an awesome line ".



The Secret was X/10 last I checked.







http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/thesecretbennevis/







Will Sim:

"Greg gave the pitch the somewhat conservative grade of IX 9.....Its almost certainly the hardest onsight on the Ben to date. Its called "To Those Who Wait""





Will on pitch one...waiting for the money to come.











Saw this on Will's blog a bit ago when he got home from Patagonia. But missed the gist of ifuntil today.



Will Sim,Greg Boswell and Steve Lynch. Three we'll hear more from I suspect.



Obviously some very good climbing being done by all three.



Fun read as we sit out the local monsoon and 55F temps in mid Jan. and



More here:

http://steve-lynch.blogspot.com//01/stob-coire-nan-lochan-8th-jan.html



here:

http://gregboswell.blogspot.com//01/compare-and-contrast.html



and here:



http://willsim.blogspot.com//01/scottish-fix.html

The Heat is On...

Saturday, April 2nd - - Since Butler University, located just five miles from downtown Indianapolis, was playing in the Final Four, I splurged and spent the night in a Motel so I could watch the game! Old news now, but Butler won and will be playing (for the second year in a row) in the Championship Game! My first cousin, Ralph V. Reiff, is the play-by-play announcer for WISH-TV in Indy. I was hoping to be able to watch the game on TV and listen to his calling of the game at the same time but no such luck.







Sunday, April 3rd - - Still heading West, I came across this “tribute” to the Texas Longhorn.



I stopped for the night at Copper Breaks State Park (west of Wichita Falls). Though not far, the drive had been tiring - lots of wind with gusts from 35-50 mph and it was hot! Really hot.





The photo above was taken at 5:24 pm at the campground; the van was in the shade! Yep, it was hot. I did manage to go for a very short walk (about 10 minutes) after driving up to an overlook to get this picture(below)of the lake. The “lower” campground where I stayed was on the left side of the lake. Being lower didn't provide any relief from the wind or the heat.







The sun was completely hidden beneath the hills but for a few brief moments it lit up the clouds like they were on fire, appropriate for such a hot day. The setting of the sun provided little relief from the heat. Even with doors and windows open, it was perhaps one of the most uncomfortable nights spent on the road thus far. Relief did arrive, however, when after midnight a front moved through and the temperature dropped dramatically. When I got up the next morning it was a chilly 48 degrees! And still windy.

Dinner at our hotel camp near Wadi Rum

As we drove back to our hotel camp at Bait Ali Camp, just a few kilometers away from the Rum village, we were looking forward to an evening of chilling out.



Caught this postcard foto of 2 camels from the moving car.





Took a quick video as we leave the protected area of Wadi Rum back to our hotel camp.



We were not really sure what to expect for dinner that night but we were told there will be a buffet at the restaurant for all guests. I’m looking forward to some real Jordanian fares, I hope.



I heard that if you are staying at the Bedouin camps you get to see how they cook their meat traditionally. Under the ground! Wow, that would have been a very cool experience to witness and taste the actual food but I doubt if the hotel camp would be similarly showcasing this traditional aspect of Jordanian culinary.



When we arrived at the hotel camp, the first thing we did was to order a glass of drink. Red wine for me obviously. I need my spirits to help me relax and feel at home.



As for the dinner buffet, it was nothing that spectacular but it was OK.



I loved the ‘Arayes’ though. This is a typical Middle Eastern meat dish mainly found in Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria—grilled pita bread stuffed with minced meat mixed in spices and herbs. It was really, really good. If the whole meal were to be based on the Arayes only then it would have been 5 stars.



Blondine liked the dessert. I think it was called ‘Basbousa’, a crumble cake sprinkled with coconut strips on top.



The only thing we didn’t like during dinner was the music. They were playing some American pop music that does not really fit to the ambiance of the place. I made sure I communicated my displeasure when I submitted my hotel booking review.



Green salad, different types of Arabic dips and sauces, pickled vegetables and pita bread.



Couscous, lamb and chicken barbecue and the arayes.



Arayes, grilled pita bread stuffed with minced meat in spices and herbs. 5 stars!



For dessert, Basbousa.



There were quite a number of guests that evening at the hotel camp.

Review of Three Wool Cycling Jerseys: Ibex, Icebreaker and Swobo

I started buying wool cycling clothing last summer and I now own three bicycle jerseys. What I like about cycling jerseys - as opposed to regular t-shirts - is that they are well-ventilated, elongated in the back (good for a leaned-forward posture), and have built-in pockets, making them convenient to wear on a roadbike. Here are some details about the three I own:



The first wool cycling jersey I bought is this one by Swobo. I heard good things about these and they were on clearance. The entire line is now discontinued, which means that you can find these jerseys on sale at various online outlet stores. The colour of mine is "tree mud."



TheSwobojersey is styled like a vintage cycling jersey in everything from overall design to texture, featuring a classic front zip collar and side panels.



Medium-lenght polo-style short sleeves.

The wool is on the thick side. It is much softer than vintage wools, but similarly bulky. This makes the Swobojersey not the most flattering on female bodies - especially in the tummy and upper arm areas. It is cut with practicality in mind.

The back of the Swobois long and features two very deep pockets, each large enough to fit things like a camera, wallet, phone, sandwich or apple.

I wore this jersey frequently during our stay on Cape Cod last September, and it is especially good for cooler weather and for cycling in the wind with occasional rain. A durable and practical jersey, but not the most flattering or lightweight fabric.

After the Swobo, I purchased this GT jersey by Icebreaker. I wanted a lighter-weight alternative for warmer weather, and was also hoping for a more flattering fit. The Icebreakeris great on both accounts. This is a "multi-sport" model and I bought the previous season's version, on clearance from an online reseller (forgot which one). The current production model is styled a little differently, but it's same general idea.

The wool fabric is almost gauze-thin and 4% lycra, which makes it stretchy. The result is supremely flattering.

This might be hard to see, but there are panels made of a perforated fabric that run along the back and sides of the jersey. These provide great ventilation and contribute to the flattering styling. The back is quite long, and the stretchiness keeps it from riding up.

Mock turtleneck collar, reflective zipper, perforated panel under the chest, and elongated short sleeves that can be pushed up or pulled down.

The one flaw of the Icebreaker jersey is the pocket. Because it is not a cycling-specific garment per se, the pocket is on the side. This works so-so in a leaned forward position, but is not ideal because whatever you put in it will add more weight to one part of your body than the other and will pull forward. If you're carrying just a credit card, bills, or folded-up directions then it does not matter, but heavier things like keys or a phone may pull uncomfortably on a bike with dropbars.

I wore the Icebreaker jersey a lot at the end of last summer, and am starting to wear it again now that it's getting warmer. With all the perforated vents and the long zipper, it keeps me extremely cool.

My latest wool jersey is from Ibex, received as part of an equal-value trade directly from the manufacturer. Last summer I bought a pair of Ibex woolcycling knickers (shown in all the pictures here) and I love them so much that I was happy to get anything else Ibexmakes. The Indie Mountain jersey did not disappoint. It is flattering and lightweight, and while Icebreakerachieves its flattering look via adding lycra for stretch, Ibexdoes it via careful tailoring.

The elaborate multi-panel construction is almost architectural. It cinches the jersey at the waist, expands it over the chest, and drapes it over the tummy in a way that hides the treacherous folds that can form there.

The elegant Mandarin collar makes the jersey look almost dressy.

The short sleeves are finished so that they are loose around the upper arm, as opposed to cutting into it. This is more flattering than typical cycling jersey sleeve designs, especially for those of us who do not have upper arms of steel.

The one thing I could do without on the Ibexjersey is the cherry blossom/ crane rendering. It's just too girly for me, and I also think that it makes what is otherwise a subtle Asian theme way too explicit. This jersey is beautifully styled; it didn't need cranes and flowers.

The rear pocket is on the small side, but fits my smaller camera and zips up, so no complaints.Overall, this is a versatile jersey good for both warmer and cooler weather, and I've been wearing it more than my other two since I began cycling this season. (Ibex: Could you make just some plain versions without the drawings, please?)

The three jerseys described here are very different from one another, and I think either could be a good choice depending on the cyclist's needs. Several serious local cyclists I know swear by the Swobo jerseys, but I am not in love with the bulkiness. Icebreaker's performance range is paper-thin, flattering, and offers excellent temperature control - but consider a cycling-specific design instead of multi-sport if you don't like the side pocket, and notice that some of the models are made with a touch of lycra. With its impressive tailoring and soft, thin 100% wool fabric, Ibex would be my perfect jersey - were it not for that drawing on the back. Hopefully this was a useful comparison, and I'd love to hear which wool cycling jerseys you've tried and what you thought - especially the ladies, as there seem to be far fewer choices for us in that regard.