The on going soft shell test @ CT

I promised this soft shell review/comparison last fall. Several things got in the way from getting it done.



The trivial excuses don't really matter. But what does matter and what has influenced this comparison the most is the newest fabrics that have been incorporated into these garments. Both Gortex and Polartec are represented here. As climbers we have never had it so good.



There are so many really great fabrics available that you have to really work hard to get a bad one.



But the best fabrics simply point out no matter how good the fabric is the fit and patterns of these soft shells are whatreally make or break them.



As far as function in concerned you would be hard pressed to better the original Dachstein sweater for breathability, stretch, warmth and being weather proof in wind, rain and snow.



Weight and bulk it iseasy enough to better however in a big boiled wool sweater. But as hard as it might be to believe, when it comes to soft shell comparisons the Dachsteinis not a bad place to start.







I look for a couple of very specific attributes for a soft shell fabric and the garment's pattern cut. The first is how "soft" is it? I want my soft shells to stretch and be comfortable from the inside out. Ideally they will stretch a lot. That means a garment I can fit pretty tightly but never have it bind on difficult gymnastic style climbing. And a soft interior that keep them from feeling clammy when I am working hard.





Generally I'll want to tuck my soft shell jacket's tail into my harness and never have it pull out while climbing. That means a preference for longer than normal hem line and hopefully a sophisticated pattern the keeps the hem down when my arms go up. Up? As in swing an ice tool or making that long reach to clip a fixed pin. When you have to stretch to your max it is also nice to not pull your cuff over the glove and break the seal there. I want to keep the seal tight there and not have a gapfor wind, water or snow sneaking in. That with a long gauntlet glove and shorter gloves as well. It is a tall order.



I ski in my soft shells on occasion, walk the dog and may be even ride my bike or trail run in them if the weather is bad enough. But I have better clothing for all those activities than a soft shell generally. So my likes and dislikes and how I judge a soft shell is based on what I like about them for climbing. If you read the last bit on climbing packs or "climbing sacs" in part three of that commentary you will get the idea of just how climbing specific my own uses are and because of that bias how my own judgement calls are attained. Pays to remember while I live in the rainy and wet PNW I seldom climb in the rain and I really like cold weather climbing. So while water proof protection is nice I don't typically require it. But what I do require is the best breathability any of the newest fabrics has to offer



I'll take breathability over water resistance every time. I haven't used a soft shell for a couple of seasons now until this Spring. I've been lucky enough to try some of the best new fabrics in several different garments and I am still testing them. As much as a fabric will define the performance of a garment, the design of the garment will also define in part just how well a fabric will perform. It is a synergistic combination of fabric and pattern. As my comparison and reviews will point out you have to have both the best pattern and the best fabrics to compete these days.



I am really happy that I have gone back and given the current crop of soft shells a try. Because things have changed for the better with these garments...all of them... in just a few seasons.. As much as I like the Arcteryx Atom LT as my main outer garment for the light weight and warmth I have never been happy with its durability on anything but pure ice routes. Heaven forbid you ever run one up against the rocks or actually have to climb anything mixed and get it dirty. You would likely shred the Atom quickly on Canadian limestone or Chamonix granite on a climb like the one pictured below.









The newest soft shells breath better, are more water resistant, can be lighter and can in the right material offer more protection from the typical climbers abuse of mixed rock and sharp tools..



The blog is acting up a bit so composing a new review has been slowed way down. I will get it done and published in the next few weeks. Just wanted to give you a heads up. .

Once More with Feeling: the Return of the Winter Tire Dilemma

After last year's mild winter, this holiday season caught us off guard with a bountiful snowfall. My two ridable transport bikes at the moment are a Brompton and a 650B prototype mixte (more on that soon). The mixte sports 42mm Grand Bois Hetre tires, and so I thought it would be a great idea to ride it in the snow. After all, the Hetres ride so nicely over unpaved, uneven terrain. Crusty snow feels kind of similar. I took to the streets.




Here I will pause to admit, that despite 3 previous winters of cycling behind my belt, I had never before ridden on roads that look quite like what's pictured here. There was never a need to, since our neighbourhood usually gets plowed and salted pretty thoroughly. Typically the streets look morelike this-with snowbanks piled high on the sides, but the travel lanes mostly cleared. This time around, maybe on account of the holidays, they had not cleared the snow all that well. I got to experience the real deal.






The snow on the roads created terrain of three distinct categories. There was the even, packed snow. Riding on it felt similar to riding on post-rain dirt roads, nicely packed and kind of softish. The Hetres handled well there. There was the crusted-over snow, uneven and slippery at times, though not outright icy. This too felt manageable. And then there were the occasional stretches of deeper, slushier snow. I expected it to feel similar to mud, but it was way more slidey and my front wheel kept fishtailing. Still, overall I thought that the tires did fine. There were only a few stretches where I felt uneasy, and I attributed that to a lack of confidence.




So I got home and uploaded some pictures of my snow ride, planning to comment on how decently the Grand Bois Hetres handled. But promptly the pictures received feedback from others to the opposite effect, warning that these tires ride poorly in the snow. The fact that I happily rode them and felt they were fine strikes me as funny - in a concerning sort of way. Ideally, I'd like to be able to tell the difference between lack of traction and lack of confidence.






And so, once more the Winter Tire Dilemma is upon me. Naturally, everyone is suggesting studded tires. This is my 4th winter commuting by bike and I have yet to try them. Partly this is because they are expensive and I cannot seem to commit to a wheel size. I am riding 650B now, but in winters past I've ridden 26", 28" and 700C, and who knows what I'll be riding next winter. I am also convinced that getting studded tires and mounting them on my bike will activate the Umbrella Carrying Principle, ensuring that I will not need them.






Finally, the very fact of having gotten through 3 winters without them makes me question whether I really need studs. Winters here aren't really that bad, and tires with some tread seem to do pretty well. The Schwalbe Marathon Plus are the husband's favourite for city slush and snowy paths alike, and they are even available for the Brompton's wheel size. The performance-oriented Continental Top Winter IIs also come highly recommended. Knobby mountain bike tires are another popular choice. One issue, as I understand it, is that no tire is equally good for both snow and ice. Studded tires help with ice, but not snow. Tires with heavy tread help with snow, but not ice.This winter, my commutes cover longer distances and more remote areas than previously, so a good winter tire is worth considering ...though with all the choices and factors involved, I suspect spring might come by the time I decide.

Happy Valentines Day

This year, Nathan and I decided we were not going to do Valentines Day cards or gifts. Austin couldn't stand to see the day not being celebrated properly, so he not only got me gifts from he and Aric, he also bought for Dad. He did a great job!



I got two beautiful cards, one with a doggie that resembles my girl. I also got chocolate covered cherries that my girl snuck into, ate all of them and then puked all over my comforter and sheets and floor. Yes, I know dogs aren't allowed to eat chocolate...she did this while we were all at work and she somehow broke into our room. Now I know to put the chocolate up high so there is no way she can reach it. I also received Good N Plenty candy, and Ghiradelli candy. I ate those before she could get to them!



Thank you guys for such a sweet surprise. You made my day! I love all of my best gifts of love-my husband, five children and three grandchildren!



Happy Valentines Day!

WORD!

Yet to be verified but word is Colin Haley recently soloed Mt. Hunter's North Buttress, stopping just short of the true summit, specific route is unknown. But Colin has done three different routes there in previous seasons, the Bibler- Klewin, the French Gully and Deprivation. (thanks for the update John)



"Next we geared up for an attempt of the Bibler-Klewin on Mt. Hunter's North
Buttress (commonly and erroneously referred to as the "Moonflower Buttress").
First climbed in 1983 by Todd Bibler and Doug Klewin, this route snakes up an
aesthetic line of ice streaks on the crest of the North Buttress."



Stunning solo obviously no matter what route or where he stopped high on the mtn. But a nice tribute as well imo to his visit there climbing withBjørn-Eivind Årtun.










Bjørn-Eivind Årtun leading the Shaft

photos courtesy of Colin Haley




http://colinhaley.blogspot.com/

Invasion

A sample of how it looks from my house when the balloons take off and fly over Albuquerque. It was a bit hazy for taking a good shot this morning.

Belles and Beaus, Oh My!

Big Sigh. To my knowledge, there are no wedding pictures of my parents or grandparents. If they exist, I surely don't know where they are! I went through the box of old family pictures that my dad had given me but found no pictures that "screamed out" the "belles & beaus" theme for the upcoming edition of fM's Smile for the Camera Carnival.

So what's a gal to do. I've never been married so I can't show you any pictures of my (non-existent) ceremony. You could use your imagination and think of what it might have been like. Something non-traditional and a bit unusual perhaps. I do have pictures of several fellows that I dated in past lives but I don't think it would be fair to them to show their mugs all over the internet.

Instead, here are a couple of pictures of my grandparents, Hazlette Brubaker and Victor Phend, together, in casual poses. These were from a box given to me by my uncle a few years ago. None of the photos are dated so I don't know where or when they were taken.

If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say these pictures were taken between 1919 and 1921. They didn't meet each other until after the end of World War I and they were married on October 15, 1921 (the first time). Grandpa was 28 and grandma was 19 years old at the time of their marriage.

I wish I had seen the pictures when grandma and grandpa were still alive. What's going on in that first picture? Why are they walking in the railroad tracks, and where? Who took the pictures? Notice grandma's brother Bill in the background of the last picture, thumbing his nose at the camera, the little imp! [As always, right-click on the images for a larger version.]

Looking South

From the Crest of the Sandia Mts you can look almost in all four directions. It was so hazey that day that we weren't getting the best views as you do on some days. I didn't get any good ones from the walkway but did get this one at the start of one of the trails where you can actually hike from the top of the Crest all the way down into Albuquerque, about 11,000 feet down.

Da Vinci Bicycle... Or Not

Forget the Fendi Bicycle. It has been proposed that the first Italian designer bike was invented by Leonardo Da Vinci. The wooden construction above is a model "Da Vinci Bicycle", from an exhibition of the artist's inventions.

A bicycle-like sketch was discovered in 1974 during the restoration of the Codex Atlanticus and attributed to Da Vinci. Conferences were held about this discovery; academic articles written... until 1997, when the sketch was proven to be a 20th century forgery.

Okay, so Leonardo Da Vinci did not really invent the bicycle. But it's a romantic idea.

Welding and Brazing: a Visual

When I wrote about fillet brazing (a lugless form of brazing) earlier, some wanted to know what was the difference between that process and welding. The quick and simplified answer is like this: welding involves heating up and joining two pieces of metal to one another directly; brazing involves using another material (one with a lower melting point) to join them, sort of like a hot glue. Last week I photographed an unpainted frame made for Josh of Bike Safe Boston that shows the two methods alongside.






Here is a shot of the underside of the frame, by the bottom bracket area. On the right is a welded kickstand plate, and next to it on the left are two little braze-ons that are (I think) cable guides. Notice the pools of golden liquid (melted brass) that surround the braze-ons, but not the welded plate. Instead, the welded plate and the chainstays it is attached to are a sort of rainbow colour, from the weld pool that is formed when joining the two pieces.






Similarly, here you can see that the seat cluster joint is welded (weld pool rainbow), but the little rack attachment point on the chainstay is brazed on (brassy border).






My description is simplistic and leaves a great deal out, but it's an easy visual for a layperson to identify brazing vs welding on a "raw" or unpainted frame. I love the colourful look the juxtaposition of both techniques creates on this one - built by Ted Wojcik and designed by DBC City Bikes. More pictures here.

What I did on a Saturday in Luxembourg City

Luxemburg (or Luxembourg) City is a very small cosmopolitan city. It is a trilingual city, locals speak French, German and Luxemburgisch. I guess it should be quadringual if you throw in English into the equation which most people speak anyway.



The country has a reputation of being a tax haven which is the reason why it is rich in the first place.







Now, many people who come to visit the Grand Duchy find themselves wondering where to go, what to see and what to do here other than shopping. Shopping in Luxembourg is definitely better than PC Hooftstraat in Amsterdam, and that is if you are into signature labels. But other than that, in order to enjoy this city, you really need to know where to go.



The easiest resource in order to get to know the city would be Luxemburg Tourism’s website and of course some intensive googling, which is the reason why I blog my travels in detail; experience by experience and bit by bit. It is my way of giving back to the travel world for all the great advice I received online.



Nevertheless, I was planning to do some art viewing but realised I was too lazy to stare at other people’s works so I stuck to my fall back plan—go slow, walk around, do nothing, just be free. I need this wandering aimlessly to de-stress and recharge myself. It helps empty my mind when I do not have a plan and when I do not think of serious stuff, like work.



Well I did went to the Grund as planned but other than this, I just went with the flow. Here’s what I did.









First thing that I did was to check in to my hotel, Le Place d’Armes Hotel on Place d’Armes. I have a very strategic home base to explore the city. Place d’Armes is the heart of Luxembourg City.



Then I chilled out at Cafe de Paris located just beside the hotel with a glass of port and did my favourite pastime, people watching. The city and women are quite fashionable, just my kind of style--classy, with taste. Of course expensive, but not show off.









Checked out the Grand Ducal Palace along the way of course.









When I am wandering around aimlessly, I love to look at delicatessen and bakery shops. Sometimes I buy something, sometimes not, but it gives me warmth to see the lovely delights on the window display. It was Three Kings when I was there and this deli-patisserie shop and restaurant called Kaempff-Kohlercomes highly recommended. Amust visit if you are a foodie.







Place Guillaume is a big square you will not miss.









Another square you will not miss, Place de Clairefontaine. The Notre Dame Cathedral is located just beside this square.







I was curious of the cathedral of course so I went inside to take a peek. Majority of Luxemburgers are Roman Catholics including the royal family.



Then I went to visit the Grund. I wanted to book my dinner reservation at Mosconi and have pre-dinner drinks at Scott’s Pub. It turned out that Mosconi was closed so I just walked around the little commune and consoled myself at Scott’s with a glass of sparkling wine. Dinner will have to be somewhere else.









Then I went back to the city centre and passed by Place de Clairefontaine again. The squares here in Luxemburg city are very bright and sparkling at night.









My wandering led me to the shopping lanes and surprisingly there were still shops open. What happened? Naturally I shopped. I am an accidental shopper; I only shop when the opportunity is in front of me. I bought stuff at Vicomte A and Massimo Duti, two of the very few shops that were open late.







I was debating with myself if I should just eat at my hotel’s restaurant, La Cristallerie or look somewhere else, when I saw La Lorraine on Place d’Armes. The restaurant looks inviting from the outside and there were many people dining already which is positive. In addition, the French menu didn’t sound shabby at all. This will do.







Delicious pumpkin soup.







Escargot! Garlic buttered snails. They are so delectable. I can do another serving really.







My main: Salmon with sea snails, cooked egg and vegetables. This was nice except for the vegetables--dry and overcooked.



No desserts for the evening but a little cup of espresso. Service at La Lorraine is top comparable to real fine dining restaurants.







Place d’Armes at night. A quick stroll on the square after dinner.









Then it is time to call it a night, and go back to my hotel. I will be pampering myself with a nice hot bath.

All the Leaves Are Brown

Looks like the foliage season is officially over.

All the leaves are brown (yes, and the sky is grey la-la-la). And while I would not go so far as to say this makes me dream of moving to California, I do find myself curious - for the first time in my life - about what it would be to like to live in that year-round cycling paradise where the Rivendells roam free with the carefree riders upon them wearing nothing but the thinnest layer of soft merino. But these are just idle thoughts really; I need seasons and I love the winter. It's just that this bleh season between the beautiful leaves and the arrival of snow can be a little dreary.

As you can see, Eustacia Vye is doing well, and the gray weather does not bother her too much. She is especially proud of having perfected the act of carrying my satchel in her basket. We have figured out a way to shove it in sideways and diagonally, so that only a corner sticks out. I am hoping that my next laptop (the current one is slowly but surely dying) will be the smaller MacBook Air, which will solve my transportation difficulties altogether.

One thing I keep forgetting to comment on, is cycling in a long coat. All of my cold-season coats are long - with the hem ending either just at the knees or below. I was nervous about cycling in them, but I am glad to report that it's been just fine. My Pashley and vintage Raleigh have skirt-guards, but the Globe I rode in Vienna did not, and even that was problem-free. I think that wool coats are too stiff to fly into the spokes, but I am curious whether other people have had this happen? Also, I find that the heavy wool texture of my coats has excellent non-slip properties, so that I can wear even the silkiest skirts underneath and not worry about sliding on the saddle. So really, give it a try - winter outerwear is great!

Driving As a Cyclist

Until last week I had not been behind the wheel of a car since 2007. ButI knew this day would come - the day I would want to drive again.




Over my years as a driver, the cars I've owned have always had automatic transmission - I never learned how to drive manual. When I mention this to an Irish friend, he shakes his head and roars with laughter. "Automatic!"He says it as if the word itself, used in relation to cars, is amusing in its absurdity."Automatic?! Okay, so you never learned to drive properly in the first place. Well come on - I'll learn ya!"




And just like that, I am in the driver's seat. I feel ready for this, looking forward not only to being behind the wheel after such a long time, but specifically to trying the manual gear-shifting. And the funny thing is - this enthusiasm comesfrombeing a cyclist, not in spite of it.





The 8 mile stretch of Benone Beach is like an unpaved extension of the road. Cautiously I maneuver the rickety Saab along the sand, my left hand on the gear shift knob, my senses heightened, trying to listen to the engine's sounds and feel the give in the clutch.



Things do not go as badly as I thought they might. I am not stalling out. I press the correct pedals. My hand is getting used to the positions of the gears, so that I can shift without looking. Operating the gear box makes sense, having gotten used to the concept and feel of gears on the bike. When the gear is too high, the car makes a straining noise - not unlike a cyclist grinding along at a painfully low cadence. When the gear is too low, the car feels as if it is spinning out, unable to pick up speed efficiently. It is not a perfect analogy by any means, but it is just enough to make sense. And I can feel that with some practice this will become intuitive.



I think of driving now differently than I did 5 years ago. Cycling is a very physical activity, and it has made me more viscerally aware of the mechanics involved in operating a vehicle. I think of driving as a serious skill, rather than a perfunctory action. When in the passenger's seatI now find myself more aware of the driver's technique and degree of control under different road surface conditions and speeds.Having worked so hard to learn how to handle my bike on winding mountain roads, I appreciate the handling skills involved in operating all vehicles - be they motorcycles, tractors or cars.Some of the people I know here are extremely skilled drivers, and I must admit that riding with them is exciting. I am impressed with the smoothness and precision with which they operate their complicated, heavy 4-wheel motorised vehicles. And if I do drive myself, I aspire to aim for the same degree of proficiency.