Children's Bicycle Revamped

Visiting Nao ofTomii Cycles this morning, I finally saw this little gem in person - the bicycle he put together for his son Fugo. It is really something to see a tiny children's bike this elegant!






The frame started out as a regular kid's mountain bike (Nao doesn't remember for sure what it was, but possibly a Schwinn). Stripped of the original paint, it was powdercoated a robin's egg blue and customised with some lovely components and accessories -





including the tiny stainless fenders with leather mudflap in front







and vintage-style reflector in the rear.






The drilled-out chainguard was powdercoated to match the frame.






The handlebars are the Belleville bars from Velo Orange, which are surprisingly proportional for the bicycle's size.





Caramel coloured basket-weave grips and tiny silver bell.






Prior to becoming a framebuilder, Nao had been making components under the 3RRR name, and often bikes in Boston can be found sporting his custom chainrings and headbadges. This propeller badge is one of his.






I really like how this bicycle came out. It's beautiful and intriguing, but not "too much" for a children's bike. Recycled frame with decorative and functional touches, coaster brake, single speed, kickstand, nothing fragile or complicated. I like how the caramel accessories complement the pastel blue frame. The padded saddle has a scrap piece of leather stretched over it and matches the mud flap. The wide knobby tires are great for riding in the dirt and grass of the back yard, as well as in the nearby park.When I went to pick up the bike, I was warned that it would be heavy, but I didn't really believe it. How heavy could a bike this tiny be? "It weighs more than my own bike!" Nao clarified, referring to his steel roadbike, and he was right!






Fugo's relationship with this bicycle has been interesting. When Nao presented his son with the bike more than a year ago, the boy was not really impressed. He did not know how to ride yet and was not interested in learning. Then recently he suddenly wanted to try riding the bike. Nao was going to attach training wheels, but Fugo did not want them. He then got on the bike and began to ride, just like that.






The trouble with nice children's bikes, is, of course, that children outgrow them fairly quickly. But looking at Fugo's bicycle and watching him ride it, I still can't help but think it is worth it. Great job, Nao, and happy riding to you both.

Let’s go for a ride with OVI…

To gorgeous Granada!!! So we’ve just collected our rental car that was special delivered to us at our hotel, and now we are on the road! I was actually getting worried when all the rent-a-car shops we’ve visited didn’t have a car available for us until we hit our luck. August is a terrible month to rent cars because most cars are taken, its high season obviously and the agency we’ve hit our luck with says he blames it on the Italians.

On the road, we see for the first time the exquisite countryside views of Andalusia. It reminds me of Crete, Greece for its rolling valleys of olive tree plantations and white-washed villages and Nevada, USA as well for the dessert-like expanse and the rock mountains.


Now, to help us get to our destination (Granada) in time we have my trusted ‘Free’ OVI Maps on my Nokia Mini N97 mobile phone. No need to buy or rent a GPS with the car when traveling, it’s on my Nokia phone! I can drive or walk to my set destination, there is a canned version of Lonely Planet and Michelin, as well as handy apps like weather and events. I am not a gadget geek so I have yet to really tinker around on these functionalities; so far I mainly use the ‘drive to destination’ thing.

So my OVI review:

(1) I used Route66 with my defunct Nokia Navigator phone so I had to get used to with the OVI Maps layout.
(2) Very easy to set a destination if going to a place. No need for a ‘specific’ address like in Route66, I just write—Granada and the GPS automatically picks it up leading me to the core center of the city.
(3) Sometimes the voice and map timing is delayed (maybe 5-10 seconds) with the actual driving position. It’s annoying when you are in an intersection and you don’t know if you should turn right, left or go straight!
(4) I love it when the GPS announces that I am driving above speed limit and especially when it’s warning me of a traffic camera ahead!
(5) GPS loses satellite connection if driving on a street flanked with buildings (at least 8-storey and up buildings) on both sides. A problem in the cities with tall buildings side by side.

OK, we’ve just arrived in Granada, the city known for its hip nightlife and the infamous Alhambra, and now looking for parking. See you on next entry.

Boston :: No Go

Well, this will come as no surprise to some of you and I'm sure that my Joslin cousins will be somewhat disappointed, but I didn't make it to Boston.

Time was running out when I left Maine to go visit my Aunt in Maryland. In Coastal Maine :: Part One I alluded to the fact that I might return to Massachusetts. However, when I left my Aunt's place in Silver Spring, Maryland on Thursday morning (October 15th) it was raining, not a heavy rain, but raining nevertheless. The 35 miles that took me 2 1/2 hours to navigate the previous Friday only took about 45 minutes this time! It didn't take long to get around Baltimore either and soon I was on US 40 heading towards Havre de Grace.

In 1969 I went to Boot Camp at Bainbridge Naval Station, just a few miles away and was also stationed there in 1971-1972. As I drove around the area, nothing looked familiar. Except the road that leads to the entrance to the base. The hills and curves of the road were the same. And the spot where I totaled my car when someone came up over a hill on my side of the road. It's funny the things you remember.

The gate leading into the base was open but “No Trespassing” signs were posted all over. And it was raining. And it looked so very desolate. I drove a short distance down the road but chickened out and turned around. It was just too creepy for me, being alone there.

The entrance road to Bainbridge Naval Station.

No Trespassing! Especially on Sunday...

It was early afternoon and I figured I'd better get going so I headed north. In the rain. The weather forecast wasn't promising. They were calling for rain for the next few days and snow in the higher elevations in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. My Aunt had suggested that I stay at her place for another day or so, but I was ready to hit the road. I was thinking perhaps I should have taken her up on her offer!

As I drove further North, the rain was taking it's toll on my nerves. Intermittently pouring, then drizzling. And the mist thrown up by the other vehicles, especially the semi-trucks, made it difficult to see clearly. I wondered if all those drivers passing me could somehow see any better than I. It was getting dark as I stopped for the night.

The weather, along with the fact that I still wasn't really prepared for research in Boston and still wasn't in the “research frame of mind” and the thought of driving all the way there (and then having to return) and just dealing with the heavy traffic in general and driving in Boston in particular - were all factors which lead to my decision to not go any further North.

Checking the weather forecast I saw that the rain was supposed to let up some by the end of the weekend, so I slowly headed south towards Maryland's Eastern Shore.

To my Joslin cousins, I apologize for not following through on the research as promised. But just think, we'll be able to find that proof together – when we go on our Joslin Heritage Tour!

Rare Old Beast: a Very Early Brompton

Brompton folding bikes have remained virtually unchanged since they entered into production in the late 1980s. But before that happened, there was a small pilot run and the machines from this early batch were just a tad different. Only several hundred of these were made. Two of those recently ended up passing through Harris Cyclery on their way to the Brompton museum. And one of those I had the opportunity to photograph and ride. Pictured here is the 358th Brompton ever produced. Red and black 3-speed with upright handlebars, dynamo lighting, rear rack and fenders.





The most striking difference between the Brompton we know today and this early model is the "humpback" frame construction. As the Brompton history page explains it, "this feature had come about for the simple reason that standard pipe-bending tools could not produce the gentle radius desired. Change would only come with expensive retooling." By the time the bikes went into full production, the capital investment required for this had been secured and the bend of the main tube became more elegant.





Other differences are more subtle. For instance, the handlebars are welded(?) to the stem.






Here is a close-up. I take it this means the early handlebars were steel.






Likewise, the rear carrier is welded to the rear triangle.





Like so.






The bike comes with a wide, sprungplastic Brooks saddle.






Fitted onto a set-forward seatpost.






The dynamo lighting functions via a bottle generator on the rear wheel. The rear fender has a special cut-out to accommodate it.






The cable routing is interesting.






If I understand this correctly, it appears that several cables are gathered into the same housing and secured to the frame and stem at various points to facilitate the fold?






Here it is passing over the bottom bracket.





The fold itself is mostly identical. Same process, with similar bolts on the frame and stem as on the current production model.






Only the pedal fold is different.





Levers are involved; it is more complicated and bulky than the current snap-fold.






Finally, it looks to me as if the frame construction itself is different in places - the way the tubes are joined.The other differences are mainly in the components. The retro lights. The fender stay attachment. There is no front block system, and instead some of the early models were fitted with front racks. Brompton experts will no doubt notice a myriad of other differences that I haven't picked up on. As far as weight, the bicycle felt a bit heavier to pick up than current production models built up with equivalent specs, but not by much.




I rode the older bicycle carefully and briefly - not wanting to ruin its pristine condition (it had barely been ridden by the previous owner). The first thing I noticed was that there was much less room in the "cockpit" compared to my own Brompton; it felt a bit cramped. The difference seemed too great to be explained by the older bike's saddle being more forward; it seemed that the frame itself was shorter. Later I asked about this at Harris and was told it was indeed the case. Unfortunately I had no time to measure the two bikes, but it appears that when they got rid of the bend in the main tube, they also lengthened it.





However, the front-end handling of the older bike felt very similar, if not identical to modern Bromptons. Overall, riding it felt like riding an older and more upright version of the same bike.Reading Brompton's history and hearing about it firsthand from those in the know, it is striking how little the bicycle has been tweaked since its initial development. Aside from straightening out the bend after the pilot production run, they've mostly just worked on getting the weight down a bit and improving the components. The fold and the handling have remained the same.






For locals who'd like to see the pair of early Bromptons, they will remain on temporary display at Harris Cyclery until September. Many thanks for the opportunity to photograph and ride the #358! You can view more close-ups of ithere, and Elton Pope-Lance has photographed both bicycles here.

Sagging Saddles?

It seems that I complain a lot about saddles, finding fault with most of the ones I try if not immediately then certainly within a year's time. This one won't break in, that one hurts my crotch. This one is too narrow, that one is too wide. This one is too soft, that one is too hard... So what now?



Okay, I've had this Brooks B72 for about a year. No complaints about the shape, size or breaking in period - it felt wonderful from the start on a semi-upright bike. I have owned several other B72 models as well - both modern and vintage - and they've all been good. This was the one saddle of all my saddles I thought was pretty darn perfect. Then a couple of months ago I started to notice that the outer edge was pressing into my derriere. At first it was subtle, but the feeling kept getting worse - until one day I looked at the saddle, and the leather was visibly sagging in the center, with the outer edge (where the rivets are) forming a sharp ridge. Regrettably I neglected to take a picture of this before we messed with the tension, but I really ought to have emailed it to Brooks. It is unexpected that a saddle should sag that much under a 125lb rider in less than a year's time. It had never gotten caught in the rain, I am not a proofide zealot, and I had ridden maybe 600 miles on it in the course of 8 months (it is installed on a city bike) when the problem began to present itself.



Though some recommend not to mess with the tension on a Brooks we went ahead and did, and the saddle felt great again... for a couple of weeks. But now, slowly but surely, I am starting to feel the rivets pressing into my behind once more as the leather continues to sag ever so gradually. Darn.



Having spoken to a few long-timeBrooksowners and retailers, I do not think that this is an issue with the B72 model specifically, but rather a general issue with quality control and the natural variation in leather thickness. A couple of retailers have told me that some Brooks saddles will sag in this manner and there does not appear to be a pattern to which models are susceptible to it. Well, that's not very reassuring. I am especially disappointed since this particular saddle was my overall favourite before the sagging problem started. I guess perfection is a myth and it is best to keep that in mind to avoid disappointment. I am curious whether others have experienced the "sudden sag" syndrome on any of their leather saddles, and if so which makes and models. Is there a cure?

Thoughts on Fixed Gear Cranksets?

I am guessing you would welcome a break from Interbike at this point, so I am going to take advantage of that by asking for advice. Just in time for the cold season, I finally have a dedicated fixed gear frame to replace my Moser conversion. I will tell you about the new frame later, as it's part of a larger story. But suffice to say I have it and it's nice. My plan was to simply move all the parts from the Moser onto this frame. The parts are rather plain and cheap-ish, but they will do for now and maybe in a year I will upgrade to something fabulous and Phil Woodsy. But the one thing I forgot is that the crankset I have on the Moser (Sugino RD2) has the wrong length cranks for the new frame. The Moser had a low bottom bracket, so the cranks I have on it are 165mm, but the new frame has a high bottom bracket and I want to use 170mm. So I need a new one and therein lies my dilemma: I am clueless about single speed cranksets.



For example, one option would be to just buy another inexpensive Sugino RD2. However, I am told that this is ultimately an iffy idea for a fixed gear roadbike, because it's not made for a track chain. Also, if I do plan to upgrade the components, it doesn't make sense to buy cranksets twice - maybe I should get the nicer version already.



And the "nicer version" is apparently the Sugino 75. It is a Keirin-approved track crankset and is extremely expensive. Why I need it, I couldn't tell you - since my fixed gear frame is not a track frame and I won't be racing on it. Even in terms of aesthetics I don't find it all that spectacular. A friend might have one to sell secondhand, in which case it may be worth it - but otherwise I don't get the appeal of the Sugino 75 for non-racers.

image via antbike

There are also the American made cranksets, such as this one by White Industries. Expensive, but less so than the Sugino 75. And while beautiful in its own right, I can't decide whether it will look right on my frame - the design seems a bit busy.

image via Winter Bicycle

The Paul's"circles" crankset is simpler, but part of me thinks it should go on a bike with Paul's drop-outs, which mine does not have. Is that silly?



It is also worth noting that the "nice" cranksets call for equally "nice" bottom brackets, so the real price differential between these options and the Sugino RD2 set-up is even greater than it seems initially.



Of course my ideal scenario would be not to go with any of these, but to find a beautiful vintage Campagnolo Pista crankset - for a miraculously low price, of course, and with just the right length cranks. No such luck though, after months of looking.



So, dear readers: Any thoughts? What is your preferred crankset for a fixed gear roadbike and why? My frame is lugged and fairly lightweight and I'd like the crankset to look classic. The bike is not for the track, so all the debates about tiny differences in stiffness are not really relevant. Beyond that, I have no idea. Help?

Angels Landing :: Interlude

Doubts. Terrible things, they are. The longer I stood and looked at that peak, the more dubious I became. Finally, I gave in and turned around. I couldn't do it. Then a feeling of relief passed over me. It's okay. At least I had gotten this far.

The descent back down that first little peak was challenging. Going up you didn't really notice the height or steepness of the path. But coming down, that is all you could see. You had to look down in order to see where you were going. In several spots I sat down on my rear end and scooted over and down the rock. It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done! I didn't feel quite so bad when I saw other people doing the same thing!

Once safely down on the other side, I found a place to sit and eat my lunch, along with several other folks. We chatted. They too were the ones who couldn't go on. They were waiting for their spouse to return from the top of Angels Landing. They weren't ashamed, perhaps a little embarrassed though. Four out of the five people waiting were men. Waiting for their wives to finish the climb.

Other people came and went. Some only went a little ways then came back. Watching the people was fascinating. All shapes and sizes. All degrees of physical fitness. You couldn't tell by looking at someone whether they could do it or not. And you were amazed by some of those that did make it. The more I watched, the more I thought “I could do this.”

But I sat there and listened to the people talking. The excitement in the voices of those who had gone all the way. A bit of disappointment in those who hadn't, but acceptance of that fact also.

There was a group of five women who came up from Scout's Lookout. They sat down and rested for a few minutes and joined in our conversation. One lady, in her mid-30s, was back for a second climb. She had come with her daughters last year and they had all made the climb successfully. The daughters were 8, 11, and 16 years of age.

Another group of four women – two teenagers, a middle aged woman, and an older lady – came up the trail. When the older woman saw the trail over that peak she said “Oh, my!” One of the teenage girls giggled and said “Granny, we love you. You don't really have to go.” And Granny stomped her feet like a little child and exclaimed “Oh no, I'm going!” and without another word, they were on their way.

After an hour or so, I made my way down the trail and back to the campground. I talked with my neighbors, Maryann and Rob, who had done the climb to Angels Landing the previous day. The more I talked with them, the more convinced I became that I could actually do it. Maryann said she had second thoughts about the climb when she saw the trail, but then she looked at the people returning and figured if they could do it, so could she.

The next day was an “off” day for me. My legs were hurting a little so I took it easy. But the thought of Angels Landing kept running through my mind all day long.

To be continued... Angels Landing :: The Finale

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.