Saying Goodbye to the Girls

We had another goodbye today. Ambir and Auburn drove up to Orlando to get Ace and visit with us. Since we won't be here for Ambir's birthday on the 16th, we ate birthday cupcakes tonight.





I'm having a weird mix of emotions about this day. We thought Auburn would be coming with us. For various reasons, I told her she had to come with us for a bit. Then we extended the offer to Ambir also.



We took Ace with us and the reality of having another dog was there in my face. A really big dog. With black hair. Black hair that overtook my RV. The thought of four big kids, two big dogs and us started to panic me a bit. Ok, more than a bit. It freaked me out more than I'd like to admit.



The other part of me was super excited at the thought of four of our kids doing this seeing the world thing with us. I truly believe this to be one of the finest educational opportunities that they could experience. That part of me hoped it would happen. Then I'd vacuum for the third time in one day and I hoped it wouldn't. Then I'd picture us all sitting in Chesapeake Bay and I'd hope it would.

That's how it seems to go when you are a parent. Your whole world can be turned into pros and cons columns. It's never super clear what we should do. There is rarely a right or wrong choice, just better and worse choices. And you rarely know which one it is, until after the fact. It's a maddening thing to a control freak like me.



In the end, they did not stay with us that day. And they still might be with us at some point. I'm really happy about that. And I'm still really freaked out about it. As you can see, I'm made zero progress on this one, even after weeks of pondering it.



For today, I am mostly sad that we are saying goodbye to them. It's never easy. I will miss them. I will worry about them. I will feel guilt that I am leaving. And I'll be happy to return to my normal once a day vacuuming schedule. That's just how I am.

Costa del Sol: Last day on the beach

Autumn has kicked in already and I’m still with my beach stories! Temperatures have slowly gone down here in the Netherlands, although today was an exemption, what a lovely weather, a bit warm than normal but you can feel the cold biting under your skin. Anyway, I’d like to post another beach entry while the weather is still good!



(Map of Costa del Sol) The Costa del Sol is the whole coast stretch of Malaga province in the South of Spain, from Nerja up north all the way down to Sotogrande.







Moi ready to become a beach bum on our last day in Costa del Sol.



The fotos below were taken on our last day in Costa del Sol on Playa del Bajondillo in Torremolinos. We pretty much didn’t do anything, Dutchman was trying to surpass his sun tanning quota while I, for the most part, just stared at the sea while listening to trance music. I read some magazines as well and I must admit some were glossies gossiping about BNers (Bekende Nederlanders, meaning famous Dutch personas) that I picked up in the lobby of the hotel. It’s alright to have some not-so-serious diversion sometimes.



















Oh, a bird poo’d on me! How big is the chance that I get poo on my hair in a wide open beach, huh? The poo got caught on my hair, yuck. Nasty bird.

Arc’teryx Alph FL Review

"The abseil off the Aiguille Du Midi Bridge into the Cunningham Couloir"

Nice Toque there Dave!

Arc’teryx Alph FL Review by Dave Searle.




I’m not really a huge fan of waterproofs
for climbing being as most of the time I don’t climb in the rain. As Mark Twight eloquently put it in Extreme
Alpinism “if its raining in the mountains, you should just go home”. I agree.
However summer alpinism isn’t that predictable and more times than I can
count I have had a good drenching on the walk out.




When I first laid my hands on the Alpha FL
I knew it was going to be a winner and is probably going to accompany me on
lots of my alpine adventures. I have
been using it for a few months now ski touring and steep skiing and it’s worked
really well. It really is no frills. No
pit zips, only one generous chest pocket, no wired hood and even the zip pulls
are just bit of coloured dental floss! It doesn’t even have a zip gutter on the main
zip because the zip itself is waterproof enough. I was a bit worried that the zip might not
stand up to serious windy wet weather but to be honest I don’t really
care. Wind is one thing and rain is
another but together and you wouldn’t see me leaving the house for much more
than a dash to the shops. If, however, I
was climbing in Scotland and I knew it was going to be grim (which it normally
is) then I might pack something a bit more bombproof but that’s not what this
jacket is trying to achieve. Even then I
still think I would grab the Alpha FL because it has a good balance of being
burly without all that extra useless stuff….like hand warmer pockets. Who needs hand warmer pockets when either
climbing or belaying? I don’t and I think if you ask yourself then you’ll
probably agree you don’t either. Extra
unnecessary weight for sure. Ueli
agrees…..







Three layer Goretex in it's own stuff sack.





Active shell is gore’s most breathable
fabric and it hasn’t let me down so far.
I’ve yet to reach the point of thinking “I wish I had pit zips” without
just whipping it off and shoving it in the tiny stuff sack provided. The outer fabric on the Alpha Fl seems pretty
sturdy to. Not a mark on it after tree
skiing and scrabbling about on granite for a few months, the two things which
are guaranteed to end the life of a lightweight waterproof prematurely.




The hood is good and it of course fits over
a helmet well and reduces down on a bare head neatly. The chin piece isn’t as
high as some other jackets I’ve seen but it still covers enough. As I said it doesn’t have a wired peak but it
is stiff enough for that not to matter.
The arm articulation is great, the sleeves don’t ride up my arms at all
and the hem stays put. Exposed waist and
wrists is a common problem I face with jackets due to my disproportionately
long arms.




So it’s not the lightest waterproof jacket
in the world at 295g but it isn’t that far behind either! I defy any sub 250g jacket to withstand half
of what I have put this jacket through in two months. A little extra weight can go a long way in
durability for sure. Definite thumbs up from me here. Oh and purple is the new green I have been informed.J












Dave using the Alpha FL in the Cunningham Couloir

Steven's Pass Ski ..

First ski of the season. (Or about four months, ten days since my last ski.) I couldn't get a mid-week partner, but figured it would be safe enough to poach at Steven's Pass. The ski area is planning on opening on Friday, and I had seen a few trip reports reporting an adequate snow pack. The trip reports I saw for Hyak didn't appear as promising.

I left Seattle casually after 8am figuring that would give the DOT some time to clear the road. By the time I got to the pass, it was sunny and there was a bit of slush on the road, so nothing to worry about.

The scene when I arrived

I geared up in the parking lot where there were already 30+ cars! I guess many others had the same idea. I hiked up the stairs and walked in the snow a bit before putting my skis on. The snow was already fairly tracked out from previous days. (Probably Sunday.) So I went in search of fresh tracks by skinning under the Skyline Chair and eventually reaching the top of the Brooks Chair in a half hour or so. I transitioned at the top of the chair. Four months is plenty of time to get a little rusty transitioning. I then turned the skis downhill to go nowhere. The lower angle and deep unconsolidated snow was sticky. (Those factors combined with a need for a wax.) I worked my way to a slightly steeper section and mostly headed straight downhill without turning. It was the only way to keep up speed. Then I jumped back on a cat track for a bit before trying some other slope near the bottom. While I didn't fall, things were not smooth, and I wouldn't exactly say I enjoyed the run. So I decided to try something different on the next lap.

The next lap had me skinning to near the top of the Hogsback Lift. Once near the top, I decided to turn around and head down before getting into terrain I didn't want to be in. On the way up and from where I transitioned, I could see plenty of rocky areas that did not have good coverage, and I wanted to avoid those. So I ended up riding a cat track almost all the way down from my transition with a slight excursion into the powder near the bottom. Once again, the deeper untracked snow proved slow and unenjoyable. The time was now 12:30pm. I wanted to get one more run in that I really could enjoy. So I transitioned to skinning and headed up.

Dork
This time I headed up near the Big Chief Chair, skinning up the Showcase run. It was fairly tracked from early in the day as well as days earlier. (There were about 25 teenage boys with snowboards running up the slope to catch turns. They were also building kickers near the bottom of the slope.) I went up the slope for almost 30 minutes and decided to turn around at a flatter section of slope so I would not have to attempt to ski down this slower low angle area. During my transition I was joined by one of the teenage snowboarders. We had a chat about whether the ski area could kick us out or not and then he took his ride down. I followed shortly afterward on what was my favorite run of the day! Unfortunately, I was looking to get home and get my skis to the shop for a wax as I hope to get out later this week. So I headed to the car after ending on a high note.

Closing shot

Overall, I enjoyed my day out. The weather was mostly sunny, and fairly warm. (High was supposed to be 33°) I skinned in a light base layer and shell pants. I put on a shell jacket for the descents. It was nice to get back into the motion of skinning/skiing as well as working on my transitions without having others to wait for me. I tried out my new ski helmet which seemed to work as advertised and will be anticipating bringing it on other trips in the future.

Mt. Shuksan

Mt. Shuksan had been on our list of mountains to climb for quite a while. It would be a new climb for most of us. So we made plans and headed north. We got off to an early start so we could make this a day trip. Here we are above the treeline heading for the glacier.

We were in and out of the fog and clouds for most of the morning.

This is one of the steeper sections of the Sulfide Glacier.

A climber approaching the 500' high summit pyramid.












Flowers at 9,000'






The easy rock climb up the summit pyramid makes for a great finish on this climb.







Dave picking a route to the summit.











Dennis, Dave, Jim, Doug and Mark on the top at 9,127'. Mt. Baker, our objective for the next day, in the background.
Dave looking down on the Mt. Baker Ski Area.












Some Foxglove growing by the road.

Review of "Lucy 3-Speed": Raleigh Lady's Sports

Lucy 3-Speed is a prototypical vintage Raleigh Lady's Sports, and I initially questioned the need to review her. But in the end I decided to go ahead and write the review, making it a sort of general commentary on buying a vintage 3-speed.

The benefits of Raleigh 3-speeds are that they are sturdy, comfortable, durable, easy to ride, have good front and rear loading capacity, and can be fairly easy and inexpensive to obtain. Some people, myself included, are also drawn to their aesthetics and history. The late Sheldon Brown wrote a great deal in praise of the English 3-Speed, and I invite you to read about it here and here.

From my own experience I especially stress the "easy to ride" aspect. Lucy 3-Speed is very much a "hop on and go" kind of bicycle. It is comfortable, but lighter than the Pashley. It is sporty, but more stable than the Motobecane. I don't think about it too much, I just get on it and go - and it always feels great.

A blurry illustration of the "lighter than the Pashley" factor.

My Lady's Sports is a 1970 model. It was "re-claimed" by me from the depths of my parents' garage, and you can read all about that here, as well as see lots of photos in its "before" state. In the classic "Raleigh green" colour and 21" frame size, this bicycle had all the standard features of a Lady's Sports, including a lugged straight step-through frame, 3-speed Sturmey Archer AW hub, North Road handlebars, matching fenders and chainguard. Though it sat abandoned for decades, there was nothing really wrong with the bicycle, other than a stretched out chain, flat tires, and some rust around the handlebars. Still, I made some upgrades to it that I consider crucial when one is buying a vintage 3-speed:

New Tires: As a rule, you should always get new tires after purchasing a vintage bike with original tires. It does not matter if the previous owner (or the bike shop you bought it from) assured you that the original tires are fine. Replace them anyway. The reason for this, is that vintage tires have a tendency to explode after their second decade of life, even if they appear "fine". You don't want this to happen while you are cycling in traffic. It is easy to find new tires for an English 3-Speed, because they come in standard 26" and 28" sizes. When you are buying new tires, spend a few extra dollars and get ones with kevlar protection to save yourself the trouble of getting flats. The nice cream tires on Lucy 3-Speed are Schwalbe Delta Cruisers, and I have written a detailed review of them here.

New Brake Pads: Vintage 3-Speeds have one tragic flaw: steel rims on the wheels. This means that in wet weather, the caliper brakes do not have great stopping power. Getting new, super-grippy brake pads will help with this, somewhat. The salmon Kool-Stop pads are generally considered to be the nicest and grippiest.

Lowered Gearing: Some find the standard gearing on Raleigh 3-speeds too high, making it difficult to go up hills. This is easily remedied. Simply ask you local shop to "lower the gearing" by replacing the rear cog with a larger one. For the hills in the Boston area, I recommend a 22-tooth cog. Lucy 3-Speed is now a great climber.

I also had the chain replaced, brakes and hub adjusted, and a general tune up. All this was done by the excellent Harris Cyclery in West Newton, Mass.

Other functional/aesthetic upgrades included replacing the old saddle with a sprung Brooks B67S in "honey", replacing the original handlebar grips with shellacked cork grips, installing a Low Rider Bullet Headlight by SunLite, adding a chrome pump from Old Roads, and adding a Pletscher rear rack. The bag on the rear rack is the Sackville Trunksack.

As you can probably tell if you have been reading this website, I am detail-oriented and tend to get carried away with aesthetics! Still, none of the updates I've made to this bicycle were expensive, except for the new saddle, which I could have done without. I hope this review shows that it is possible to make an elegant and comfortable bicycle out of a vintage 3-Speed. You might be surprised how many old, neglected 3-speeds are lying around in people's garages and basements, weeping and waiting to become somebody's beloved commuter!

Budget Bikes: What's Your View?

As more beginner cyclists are in the market for new bicycles, I receive more and more questions from readers asking what I think about various makes and models listed on the Budget Options page. People want nice bikes, but, understandably, they also want to save money - and myvintage bicycle recommendationis not for everyone. What about a simple, basic new bike that is classic and comfortable, at a reasonable price? After all, it seems that more and more manufacturers are starting to offer exactly that.



[screen capture of video via tankww2]

The latest that has been brought to my attentionin that regard, is this promotional video from Bikes Direct - an online seller of extremely inexpensive mass-produced bicycles. The video shows cyclists riding colourful mixtes along a path lined with palm trees. The caption reads:"single and 3speed Windsor retro city bikes, style which was popular in the 50s, 60s and early 70s". These are not on the Bikes Direct website yet, but I imagine they soon will be - most likely priced in the $300s. What do you think - Do they look good to you and would you consider ordering?

I am always torn when asked for my own opinion: While I want to be objective, I simply don't like most of the lower-priced bikes that are out there at the moment.I have tried 80% or so of the bicycles on myBudget Optionslist, and so far very few of themhave made me feel that they are worth the price. It's one thing to spend a couple hundred dollars on a bike and not care, but a price tag in the range of $500-600 is a lot of money to me -too much money to spend on something that I believe is shoddily made, will likely require upgrades, will not feel entirely comfortable even with those upgrades, and may fall apart on me within a year. In the long run, I believe that such a bicycle may costmorethan an "expensive" bike. And I am especially surprised to hear of people choosing the lower-end bikes, and then buying Brooks saddles, leather grips, fancy lighting and expensive pannier systems to go with them. By the time they are done upgrading, the cost of the bike can reach a price point at which they could have gotten a higher-end bicycle - with many of those upgrades already included, not to mention with a better frame and higher quality components.

Beyond that, I am not really sure what to say when asked for suggestions. I believe that a well-made, comfortable bicycle can be mass-produced at a reasonable price in the Far East. But I don't think it's happening yet.What has your experience been and what are your views on "budget bikes"?