Ziva & Wiley

Our new puppy, Ziva, playing with our black cat, Wiley. Check out more about Ziva at my blog, http://thepuppytale.blogspot.com/

Christmas Moose

One of my 4 Christmas Mooses that I use to decorate at Christmas.

Winter Follows Me Around

When I complained about the unseasonably cold weather in Vienna, the Co-Habitant comforted me with tales of 60 degree temperatures back in Boston. Imagine my dismay when I came home to this.

Snow, in October!I went for a 25 mile ride wearing layers of wool and a down vest, my nose running the entire time.

The sun helped me warm up, but even as late as mid-morning there were some icy patches on the Minuteman Trail, and cycling over slippery wet/ frozen leaves was especially treacherous.

But I realise that I've reached a level of being comfortable on the bike where I will actually cycle over slippery leaves and frost-covered brickwork intentionally, just to see what happens. So far, nothing. Once my rear wheel skidded a little, but that was all. I am trying to develop a feel for traction on a fixed gear bike, so that I can be more confident once it starts snowing properly... but I am not sure I understand it.

Last winter the transition from riding a roadbike almost daily to not at all was very difficult for me, and I am trying to mentally prepare myself this time.I had been counting on at least another good month of cycling before the snow, but apparently nature has other plans and I will have to adapt (i.e. get the trainerout from under the bed). Of course I will still keep cycling for transportation, but last winter that did not feel like enough. What are your winter cycling plans?

Assateague Island National Seashore

It was as if I had entered a different country. Indeed, I had. Driving south on Route 213 on Sunday morning (October 18th) from Elkton, Maryland, the land became more rural and flat. No more big hills. Traffic was nearly non-existent. A welcome relief from the hustle and bustle driving of the past few days. It was still raining but from the weather reports I was hearing on the radio, I had missed the worst of it. By early afternoon the rain stopped, the clouds were clearing though the sun had yet to make an appearance. There were reports of flooding in the low-lying areas along the eastern shore so I stopped early for the night.

Monday morning brought clear blue skies and sunshine, a glorious morning though cold with temps in the 40s, but at least it wasn't raining! In just a few hours I arrived at the Assateague Island National Seashore south of Ocean City, Maryland. There were areas that were flooded due to all the rain they had received and some of the campsites were affected. I drove around the “loops” in the bayside campgrounds managed by the National Park Service and located the “perfect” spot. It was a relatively large site with a view of the bay and just a small low area, close to the bay, that was filled with water.

That afternoon there were several visitors in the area where I was staying...

Random Things in Raleigh

After our wonderful trip to see our granddaughter, we flew back in to Raleigh. Nathan had a meeting, so we had to spend the night there and stay in a hotel until he was done with his meeting. We stopped at a few stores before heading home, so Nathan could buy some things he needed. I was driving and noticed something odd at a stop light. Really odd.



An abandoned lawnmower, just sitting in the middle of the intersection.We laughed so hard. You know there is a good story behind that!

Land of the Lily

Taken along the Pigeon River in Northeast Minnesota. I love lilies, but taking a nice photograph of them is a challenge. This was shot from my kayak without looking through the camera's viewfinder. I held the camera as close to the surface of the water as possible and pressed the shutter button… “shooting blind”, so to speak. It took several tries to get a level horizon!

Solomon's Castle

Last year, Austin and I visited this quirky place. It ended up being one of our favorite things since we went on the road. We have tried to explain what it was about this place that captured our hearts, but it is really hard to put it into words. Last week, Nathan and Aric were able to see what all the hoopla was about.

First, there is the castle. This eye catching art studio/home was built by Howard Solomon. Then there is the art. If you hadn't realized there is a sense of humor in the artist just by seeing the castle, you will know it after seeing the art.

Some of the art, like the stained glass windows, is so beautiful.The bonus to this neat place, is Howard Solomon.

I think Aric said he was one of the funniest guys he has ever met. When you take the tour, and hear his life story, he is equally impressive in his drive to follow his own path. Given we are living a somewhat out of the box lifestyle in order to pursue our dreams, we always respect it when someone else is bold enough to do the same.And we love it when someone finds a way to take what is burning inside of them, and instead of quenching that thing...finding a way to keep it alive, and share it with the rest of the world. Even if it is not "our thing", we can appreciate the beauty in the process and the delivery of someone honoring what is their thing.

We use a lot of sappy phrases when sharing with our kids to convey what we hope for in their lives. You know..things like, "You only have one life to live so you might as well make it yours". And sometimes they look at us like uh yeah...sure...what does that even mean though???? It's a really cool thing when they can see what that looks like, and we can simply say "that, is what we are talking about". So we thank this artist for being a fine example of that.



Not that my kids seem to need a whole lot of help in living their lives as their own.



They still can use heroes though, even if they are the most unlikely ones.





Living the life, our life, in still so chilly Florida!

The Florida Air Museum

Today Nathan and I visited a museum that I'd been to before, Florida Air Museum in Lakeland. It was Nathan's first visit and he really enjoyed it.



The museum has a main building with exhibits and an annex building with bigger aircraft. From their website: The Museum displays a wide variety of vintage
aircraft, ultralights, experimental homebuilts, air racers, military,
aerobatic and factory-built aircraft from all eras.The aircraft are
supplemented by an interesting collection of engines from WWI to the
present day.



My favorite display in the first building was a model of the Spruce Goose because we have visited the real one and it was incredible.



There was some kind of show that was wrapping up while we were there and we asked a gentleman a bit about it He had driven all the way from Louisiana to see the show. He restored and flew model planes himself. He shared some interesting things with us.



It was a great time, and since I had been here before, I spent a little less time reading signs and a little more looking up close and personal at the planes.





I think we will visit here again, and hopefully catch one of the shows.



Living the life in Florida!

Velo Corsetry: Rescuing Vintage Saddles

The Co-Habitant has recently acquired a gorgeous vintage Roadster. The bicycle itself was in great condition, but the B72 Brooks saddle seemed to be a goner -- hard as a rock, with cracks on the verge of forming all over the surface. Rather than give up on the saddle, he decided to try the lacing technique. Lacing can rescue saddles that have become rigid and brittle with age: It holds the shape of the saddle under pressure of the cyclist's behind, allowing the leather to slowly regain its flexibility. Here is how it is done:

A dried-out saddle should first be treated with Neatsfoot oil. If the saddle is rescuable, it will begin to soften. Take care not to use too much oil, so as not to oversaturate: Rub the saddle with a cloth or napkin, never soak.

Punch several holes on each side of the saddle, through which the laces will be threaded.

Thread the laces through the holes, overlapping them underneath and pulling the two sides of the saddle closer together -- like tying a shoe. The traditional method is to use a long strip of leather, though some use shoe-laces.

The tightness can be adjusted, like a corset, to control the shape of the saddle. Afterwards, the laces are tied in a secure knot.

This is what the saddle looks like in the end. The stiching itself can be executed in several different ways. The Co-Habitant likes the "underneath" stitch, but the side-to-side stitch is also popular.

And voila: an ancient B72 saddle rescued and happily returned to its proper place. It has not cracked after being riden on. Happy saddle, happy Roadster, and happy Co-Habitant.

More information about lacing Brooks saddles is available from Wallington Bicycle Parts.

Hershey ZooAmerica

Today Nathan, Aric and I went to visit the Zoo here. It was founded by Milton Hershey and is celebrating it's 100th anniversary. All of the animals are native to North America which was interesting to us. We practically had the zoo to ourselves which meant we spent as long as we wanted at each exhibit.



We are even more fond of these majestic creatures after our time with them in Michigan.

We are less fond of these animals after our time in Ohio at a park where they covered our patio with their gifts each day.

This guy is about the same size as the bear that Nathan got up close and person with in TN. I wish the bear we saw in the wild seemed as zen as this one. I might have been a hair less nervous then.

These two fought the entire time, and I'm pretty sure they were males based on how they fought.

This most likely was the female, because as soon as she saw they were fighting she came over to check it out. In fact, I think she is Mom because she has that look on her face like, "I can't leave you two alone for five seconds!"

This beautiful animal was checking out a bunny rabbit that was running free, so he couldn't be bothered with us at all.

And this is the beautiful creature I wanted to bring home with me:

Living the life in Pennsylvania!

Yeah Baby! Transportational Elegance Reigns at Interbike

As I was setting off for Las Vegas, those who'd been to Interbike before warned me that 90% of what I'd see there would be completely irrelevant: that the road, mountain bike and BMX industries would rule the floor, with city bikes and classic bicycles making up a tiny fraction of the offerings. So what surprised me the most about my first Interbike, was that this was far from the case. The upright, step-through city bike was downright ubiquitous: From exclusive European makers such as Cicli Montante (above) to mainstream giants such as Trek (see my post about their "Dutch bike" here), it seemed that anyone who is anyone had one on offer.



I start with the Italian Cicli Montante, because it's companies like theirs that really set the pace. Montante city bicycles are unapologetically opulent, bombastically over the top - and I think it's good for the industry to have a manufacturer who is willing to exhibit such showmanship and attention to detail.



Old school touches such as newspaper racks, satchel-style panniers and leather-shod rod brake levers are victoriously exhibited with little concern for weight reduction.



Every component is pantographed with the company name; everything is covered in leather and dripping with colour. It's too much for me, but I am glad companies like Montante exist and I hope they find a North American distributor.

But if you are looking for a more accessible burst of colour, you will be pleased to hear that Bobbin Bicycles are coming to the North American market. Distributed by Fourth Floor in Canada, they should soon be available at bike shops.



Bobbin are offering a full line of classic city bicycles and accessories in a multitude of colours and for what look like fantastic prices (sub-$1,000 on all the models, as far as I could tell).



Here is their Birdie model in sky blue and yellow.



And here is a more sombre model in black, with full chaincase and dressguards.



Bobbin also introduced a number of pannier prototypes, including this leather satchel. I think the satchel is stunning, but I am wary of the snap-closure attachment system.



Here is a handsome canvas and leather one as well. I've spoken with the Bobbin representatives and may get to test ride one of their bicycles - fingers crossed.



It is also official now that standard production Bella Ciao bicycles (i.e. not just the Superba) will be available for sale in North America - distributed by BoxCycles/ the Nordic Bike Project.



Here is the men's model suspended from the ceiling. I can also tentatively announce that there may be a new line of Superba bicycles (ladies' and men's!) in and I hope to have details on that shortly.



Pilen had their classic Lyx models on display,



as well as a beautiful raw finish prototype with a SRAM automatic 2-speed hub. I have mentioned before that I think Pilenframes are unusually well finished for their price category, and the unpainted model really shows this off. I am picturing a swan-frame version with cream tires and feeling a little light-headed.



Pashley did not disappoint with their multiple booth display that was like a cozy clubhouse. I found myself falling in love with them all over again, returning repeatedly to take more photos and speak with the reps.



What appeals to me about Pashley is not only the beauty of their products, but their genuine commitment to making their bicycles on a small scale, in England, by the same people who've worked for them for years - despite external pressure to produce more volume. Though I ended up selling my Princess a year ago (see my review here), I wish that Pashley would do some research on how to tweak its geometry or tubing so as to make it a bit faster and more responsive - perhaps a loop frame version of the Guv'nor (come on, wouldn't a Reynolds 531 loop frame be awesome)? I truly want to support them as a business and to ride one of their bikes, as the Co-Habitant still happily does (see his review here).



In addition to having their range of loop-frame models on display, Pashley introduced the Parabike. My understanding is that this model is similar (or identical to?) the Tube Rider, but with a vintage military colour scheme of dusty slate blues and sage greens. I had not known the history of this frame style before, and it was explained to me that the bicycles used to be disassembleable, and British paratroopers would jump out of airplanes with the bikes strapped to them - then assemble them on the ground and ride away. Clearly Pashley needs to make at least a promotional prototype of a version that actually disassembles and film someone jumping out of a parachute and using it in this manner!



On board with the elegant transportation trend, Velo Orange had more than half of their display models set up with upright handlebars, which I thought was interesting. Does this reflect the preference of their customers?



The new green Polyvalent looked stunning and very inviting with its chaincase, Porteur handlebars and sizable front rack.



Happy to see the Sturmey-Archer 3-speed trigger shifter - not only on this bicycle, but on many others at Interbike.



Finally, the new colour they chose is a very pleasant shade of green, with a touch of soft gray mixed into it. Lovely all around. I am hoping VO will re-release their mixte in with a similar set-up and a softer colour scheme than their previous model.



One thing VO did I thought was interesting, was put small handlebar bags on upright bikes. I sometimes get emails asking whether I think this would look good and my instinct is usually "no," but this set-up is quite nice. I think the harmonious paring is largely due to the shape of the handlebars here, so that's one factor to consider. Another view of this set-up here.



The trend for colour was prominent among all city bicycles on display, and this pair of Gazelles illustrates nicely the two categories the colours seemed to fall into: vibrant "candy" shade, such as yellows and pinks, and subdued "vintage" shades, such as slate blues, creams, and sage greens.



Though I've focused on what I found to be the more interesting and trend-setting offerings, I cannot stress enough how popular the city bike was. There were so many, and from such a large number of manufacturers, that featuring them all would have been akin to posting a laundry list.



They came in all shapes and sizes, with the common design themes being a step-through frame and upright handlebars. Here is one from Benotto - an entire range actually.



The new city bike from Terry - the women-specific roadbike manufacturer.



And here is what looks like an Electra-imitation from Shanghai Forever.



A Pedersen-esque contraption from Virtue Bikes.



A couple of readers asked me to stop by the Linus booth and determine to what extent their mixte is lugged, so here are my findings. The front end is completely lugged (including the split lug for the mixte stays!), but is paired with a unicrown fork. And the seatcluster is welded.



Somewhat to my surprise, e-bikes were a huge trend at Interbike - I mean huge. I did not photograph many only because they do not interest me, but there must have been over a dozen manufacturers selling some version of an electric assist bicycle. This one is a Zoomi Monterey.



And here is an Achiever PedElec tricycle with enormous wicker baskets that make it resemble a laundy-getter. I spoke with a couple of the e-bike representatives, and each mentioned their belief that e-bikes need to look more classic and not so "techy" in order for the demographic they are trying to reach (read: women) to find them appealing. I agree.



Though this post is ridiculously long as it is, I can hardly neglect to mention folders. As with e-bikes, there was a huge folder epidemic - including electric folders. However, I am sorry to say that most of them were not easy on the eyes or simple to operate at all, and I will leave it to other blogs to post photos of them. Of course, the ever-practical and attractive Brompton was there, the rep tirelessly folding and unfolding it for awed spectators.



And Moulton wowed everyone with the limited edition stainless steel F-frame bicycle. As I understand it, this was actually made as a gift for a long-time Moulton employee upon his retirement, which is pretty amazing.



There were also miniature non-folding bicycles, such as the Bobbin Shopper - reminiscent of the Raleigh Twenty, outfitted with a rack and basket, and reasonably priced. The more folders and miniature bikes I try, the more convinced I am that they are a great solution for those who make relatively short trips and share bikes in the family, as well as for still-growing children and teenagers. Problem is, that not every manufacturer makes these bicycles equipped (or even compatible with) racks, which essentially kills their versatility. I am glad to see more models that do take this factor into consideration.



One aspect of the transportational bicycle trend that I noted was lacking at Interbike, were "box style" cargo cycles. There was the Christiania and I think the Gazelle Cabby, but I am pretty sure that was it. The Yuba, the Surly Big Dummy, and other long-tails were on display, but not the large, Dutch and Scandinavian bakfietsen and long-johns. It may be simply a matter of the design being difficult to replicate and "Americanise" by manufacturers, or perhaps it's just too much of a specialty item for Interbike at this stage.



So where does all of this leave us? The variety of designs and price points in the "city bicycle" genre, as well as the sheer number of models, are an encouraging sign, to say the least. But do you think this is a sign that we - and by "we" I mean those who have been stressing the need for user-friendly city bicycles that can be ridden while wearing regular clothing - have arrived? Is the industry showing its commitment to catering to transportation cycling, or merely testing the waters? Your thoughts appreciated.