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.

Boys and Bicycles

A week or so ago, the Co-Habitant and I met up with Somervillain as part of the Boston Retro Wheelmen project. It has taken me a long time to upload these pictures, because I would start laughing when trying to process them. Behold what happens when you get two obsessive men and their bicycles together...

Somervillain brought his meticulously restored 1984 Shogun 2000, which he built up as a classic randonneur. The Co-Habitant brought his 1976 Motobecane Super Mirage (a lower-end model than the Shogun - but still nicely done up) to compare.

And compare they did.

This went far beyond test riding each other's bikes, and gradually turned into what seemed like a millimeter by millimeter comparison of various measurements.

There was a question of whose top tube was longer and no effort was spared to investigate the matter. I wish I were joking.

My Mercier stood back and stared in amazement. Having no top tube, she could not understand what all the fuss was about.

Having resolved this issue to their satisfaction, a discussion of component choices ensued.

I think the conclusion is clear: Both bicycles are gorgeous, because I helped choose the accessories when they were being built up. Obviously! I will post more about Somervillain's newly built up randonneur soon - it really is something, and I took detailed pictures.

The same morning, Somervillain helped us out by replacing a cotter on the Co-Habitant's 1972 Raleigh DL-1. Yes, that is a cotter press right there on the sidewalk.

Cotter press in action.

Cotter.

Crank.

And voila.

Boys. Bicycles. Boston.

There will be a group meet-up of the Boston Retro Wheelmen this coming Saturday, so come join us if you want to experience the fun for yourself.

Deteriorating Dress Guards

I've had my Raleigh Tourist for close to 3 years now and, not counting the brake pads, the only wear on the bike over the course of that time has been to the aftermarket dress guards. These dress guards were acquired new old stock from a connection in Portugal. They are very simple - essentially a bunch of elasticised cords. And I love them: the simplicity of the design does not detract from the elegant form of the iconic loop frame, while being sufficient to do its job. Unfortunately, over time the cords seem to have lost their elasticity and are now kind of saggy. Some have even begun to disintegrate and I've had to cut them off. I am surprised that they've lasted such a short time, and it's a bit of a pain because the number of holes they require in the fender is unique to them. I will have tobother the person who gave them to me for another set, or attempt to make my own.




Assuming that my experience is not a fluke, it might explain why so many vintage bicycles are found with holes in the fenders but no dress guards: Possibly, this accessory had an inherently short life span due to the elastic degrading.I assume the elastic is natural rubber, which would make it sensitive to heat and humidity - same reason it is so rare to find intact original rubber grips.




Those who are making dress guards today (I know there are a few of you out there now) might want to keep this in mind. I'd be curious to know what types of cords you use and how they have held up. If I make my own dress guards, I would like them to last next time!

First Snow Report

I have been looking forward to testing myBella Ciao ("Patricia")in winter conditions, and with the arrival of the season's first snow I finally got my chance. Before I go on, I will preface with the disclaimer / mini-announcement that I have begun collaborating with Bella Ciao on a special edition bicycle, which will be sold by Harris Cyclery in Spring . I will have more details about that soon, but just wanted to make that affiliation known in the meantime.



Though I love the way my Bella Ciao "Corvo Citta" model handles, I don't ride it as often as I'd like, because I haven't yet installed a rack and lights. Now that winter has begun in earnest, that will be my next project - I just wanted to first make sure that I'd actually be able to ride this bicycle comfortably in snowy conditions.At just over 30lb, the Bella Ciao is considerably lighter than the likes ofGazelle and Pashley, and - justifiably or not - I am weary of lighter bikes when it comes to cycling in poor weather. To my relief, I had nothing to worry about and Patriciahandled just fine after the first snowfall: She remained stable on slush, on slush mixed with salt, and on thin layers of packed snow.



As with other bikes I have ridden in such conditions, I switched to a lower gear and went slower than usual. The bicycle remained sturdy and cooperative. When braking in slush, I used the coaster brake only, which I find easier to modulate on slippery surfaces. The bike also did well cycling on the slippery stretch of brickwork that was part of my route. As far as safety goes, I feel comfortable using the Bella Ciao as a winter commuter in Boston and will get on with the lights/ rack installation so that I can use it more this winter.



While the brave Patriciaperformed admirably, my first snow commute of the season was not entirely stress-free. Driver behaviour was chaotic and there were few cyclists out on the roads. Several times, I got spooked by a car's ambiguous maneuvers and ended up cycling through a mess of wet snow by the curb. Based on last winter's experience, I know that things will get better once drivers get into their "winter mode". Meanwhile, perhaps there is a reason why most cyclists seem to have chosen to wait it out!



What I found fascinating about the Boston "bike scene" last winter and also noticed yesterday, is that often the only bikes on the streets seem to be those that are least suited for winter cycling - for instance, aggressive roadbikes with narrow tires and no fenders. Where are the fully equipped city bikes? Where are the rugged vintage 3-speeds?



It could be, that the aggressive roadcyclists are the ones most likely to brave these conditions, while, ironically, having the worst possible bikes for doing so. That's too bad, because winter is the time when features like fenders, stable handling, wide tires, internal gearing, and an upright sitting position, really make themselves felt. Last winter, I was extremely appreciative of the Pashley I used to own, and this winter it looks like I will do equally well on the Gazelle and Bella Ciao.



Though Patricia and I did not have many companions on our first snowy commute of the season, we hope that the winter wonderland will coax more cyclists outside soon. Once the drivers calm down, it is really not so bad: Just take it easy, dress warmly, ride a sturdy and properly equipped bicycle, and enjoy the beautiful landscape!

Chateau in the middle of nowhere

In most of my travels, I almost never blog about the hotel I stayed in, perhaps because my passion when traveling lies on discovering the country, the culture, the local culinaire and the people, and not my hotel bedroom or the hotel lobby and restaurant. I don’t stay in the hotel most of the day anyway—well, only to sleep. I am outside exploring new places, new things, new experiences and new ideas.



For this short trip in Wallonia, I wanted some nature. I wanted so badly to be surrounded with vegetation and mountains. I saw Chateau de la Poste, a lifestyle resort in the Ardennes mountains in my favorite hotel booking site and was right away attracted to its location. What I am trying to say is—I find this hotel very relaxing and very interesting as well, maybe because it’s a castle, so I took fotos of the interior and would like to share them here.



The chateau is located in the village called Maillen in the Assesse municipality of Namur province (Wallonia, Belgium).



This is the entrance of the castle from the main road.



I did a little walk so I can commune with nature and shoot a nice postcard foto of the chateau.







There are three salons in the chateau. Design is quite eclectic - a mixture of modern, period, log cabin country style with a touch of kitsch-ness.



My bedroom and bathroom.



The very surprising and modern breakfast room.



From the breakfast room you can walk outside to a corridor and down to the massive castle yard. The chateau is featured in the 'characteristic chain of hotels' book.



The terrace of the chateau hotel. I love the furniture design, the inflatable air sofa, very ingenious and practical (material looks like pvc tarpaulin).



The interior design is a mixture of contemporary, log cabin country style and surprisingly with a touch of royalty and kitsch-ness, both blending nicely with each other. I was told by the woman in the reception that the castle previously belonged to Princess Clementine of Belgium, daughter of Leopold II and wife of Victor Napoleon, the nephew of the king. Now I know why the restaurant of the chateau is named after her, Restaurant Chez Clementine.



The food here is lovely, the wine superb, the service great, there is attention to detail and the rooms are good. But most of all I love is its location: in the middle of the countryside, in the middle of the forest, in the middle of nowhere. I thank the Dutch in laws for this B-day gift!



Travel Period:

Destination: Maillen (Assesse - Namur), Belgium