Jumbo Rocks

In the northern portion of Joshua Tree National Park is an area known for its unique rock formations. It is a fascinating and fun area to explore. There were quite a few people bouldering and rock climbing, but I wasn't one of them! Although I did walk on a few of rocks, I'm just not adept or flexible enough to do the tough stuff. I'll leave that to the younger crowd and to those that know what they are doing!

Beer Tasting at Brouwerij de Molen

I was invited to a beer tasting event with dinner subsequently last month at ‘Brouwerij de Molen’ (literal translation: Windmill Brewery) in Bodegraven in the South Holland province. It was a business related event, and the brewery is really located inside a windmill.

The Netherlands is famous for beer brands such as Heineken, Amstel, Grolsch and Bavaria which I often call as water beer. I almost never drink them. So it was a big revelation for me to learn that the Netherlands actually produce real beers or something along the gastronomic beers that you can only find in Belgium. Well surprise, there is one in Bodegraven! And it looks like that the ‘Brouwerij de Molen’ is the only beer brewery in the Netherlands brewing the best beers in the country.

At ratebeer.com, an international site where beer enthuasiasts rate beers from all over the world, one can find a number of Brouwerij de Molen’s concoctions on the Top 50, even on the Top 10. Interestingly, it is the only Dutch brewery that entered the Top 50.

Anywho I don’t want to go into beer technicalities but what I do want to tell is that I enjoyed the beer tasting. I find the ‘Mooi & Machtig’ really grand. This is the cherry on top of the icing and can easily be served as an aperitif as well. Unfortunately, they only brew this beer for tasting and not for commercial production. All the beers we tasted had over 12% alcohol content which is pretty high for beer.

The nearest to taste to Mooi & Machtig is the ‘Bommen en Granaten’ so I bought four bottles to take home with me. The brewery has a little beer shop where consumers can buy their own locally brewed beers, as well as beers from other breweries around the world.

After the beer tasting we had dinner. I had the usual seafood but I did not take fotos of my starter and main, however I did for our desserts. Dinner was good and I would rate the food here 4 stars out of 5. And the beer? 5 stars of course =)

For the beer enthusiast, this is your place.

Brouwerij de Molen. Not joking but the brewery is in a windmill.

The beer guide telling us the history of the brewery.

The beer tasting starts!

We tasted 3 types of beers. The first one was a Stout (left foto). The second one was a Blonde or Pale Ale (see first foto at the top of this entry). The third one is the Mooi & Machtig, the most impressive (right foto).

Before dinner was served we were led to the little beer shop:

Brouwerij de Molen also sells other beers, imported beers.

I bought four bottles of Bommen & Granaten.

Then dinner was served and I had a pint of stout to go with it:

This was really good.

No fotos of the dinner except the desserts. Here is mine, a bavaroi tart with ice cream and melon... could not finish it.

The others had chocolate muffin with warm chocolate inside and some ice cream and melon.

Steph Abegg's Website

Seattle climber and photographer Steph Abegg has made a map of Mount Rainier with major routes drawn on it, each route shown in a different color. It is intended to be used for planning, rather than as a field map, and makes a nice poster for your wall. Click on the map to see it in a larger view:

Steph has also taken SAR, fatality, and climbing data provided on www.mountrainierclimbing.us and produced an array of graphs and analyses.


If you would like to make a poster of the map or look at her graphs and data, Steph can be reached via her webpage: http://sites.google.com/site/stephabegg/

Purple Handlebars: My Invisible Bike

In May I test rode a titanium roadbike by local manufacturer Seven Cycles. Unexpectedly, this turned into my renting a demo model for the remainder of the summer, culminating in this review of the bike. After much hand-wringing and testing of other bikes, this Spring I got a Seven of my own. Both Seven Cycles and their sister bike shop Ride Studio Cafe sponsor this blog, which afforded me the opportunity to purchase the bike at a manageable price point. My new bike is a Seven Axiom S - their entry level titanium road/race model - fitted with a Campagnolo Chorus group. Other than submitting myself to an extensive bike fit process, asking for no toe overlap, and specifying my preference for a level-ish top tube, I did not get involved in the frame specs. "Just make it the same as the one I test rode, only in my size" was the extent of my input. We also went with the same components as the demo bike I rode last year. On Seven's advice, I bought the bike bundled together with pedals, shoes and fancy computer. The complete bike was handed over to me in ready-to-ride condition. I have not kept track of the milage properly, but I estimate it to be around 1,000 miles at present. The kind of riding I've done on it so far has includedsolo rides,club rides, some metric centuries, and one overnight imperial century - all mostly road.



It took me a while to write about my bike, and I am still not sure what or how to do it. The problem is that it feels so oddly natural, that it simply disappears from my field of awareness. I feel myself pedaling, but I don't feel the bike. And because I don't feel it, I don't think about it. I don't even look at it much. When I do look at it, I am riding it - so even when I try to conjure up an image of "my Seven" what I am really picturing is the cockpit view of the handlebars, wrapped in purple bar tape. The bike itself is just not there. How can I write about something I don't feel and photograph something I don't look at? It feels forced. And so that's been the dilemma.





But of course the bike is a tangible object. Titanium frame, carbon fiber fork. I watched the frame being welded. I know the guy who built it up with components. The bikeis real.As far as aesthetics, there are certainly those who are crazy about titanium, but I can take it or leave it. I don't hate it - and Seven's frames have some nice design elements that I particularly appreciate, such as the curvy chain stays and super clean welds. But I don't love it like I do brazed and lugged steel. While aesthetically I am neutral, functionally I have come to see benefits. I like the ride quality. I like the durability. I like the light weight. I am okay with feeling "aesthetically neutral" about a material in exchange for these benefits.



As is common practice with titanium frames, I left mine unpainted. There is no need, as titanium does not rust. If the surface gets scratched, I can simply buff the scratches out. Easy, and truly low maintenance. The unfinished frame gives the bike a matte silvery look that contributes to the neutral effect. There is nothing to see here: No colour, no lugs, but no ugly messy welds either. The welds are subtle, delicate-looking puddles at the joints.





A technically interesting aspect of the bike is Seven's proprietary 5E fork. The curved blades give it a more elegant look than the more typical straight forks, and, some would say, have a positive effect on ride quality. Even more interesting are the adjustable dropouts that allow for these forks to be made in a wide range of rakes (36mm to 58mm) - something that is not commonly done with carbon fiber forks. Among other things, this enables them to make small bikes without toe overlap.



There are different opinions out there about carbon fiber forks, one of them being that they are prone to sudden breakage. This was my own understanding of the situation initially. But over the past year I have read up more on the topic, have talked about it with a number of framebuilders (including steel-loving ones), and have come to the conclusion that it's not as simple as "carbon fiber is more fragile than steel." As far as anecdotal evidence, I personally know many more cyclists who have damaged or destroyed steel forks than I know cyclists who have damaged or destroyed carbon fiber forks. Carbon forks may not be pretty, but I believe the modern high-quality ones are strong and safe. One is not obliged to get a carbon fork with a titanium frame. But last summer I liked the way the Axiom demo bike rode so much, that I did not want to change any part of the equation, so I went with a carbon fork. I do not lose sleep over this. I don't notice it.







Since I first got the bike in spring, it has undergone only a couple of minor changes. I changed the saddle twice (from Berthoud, to Selle Anatomica, then back to Berthoud), trying to determine which one was more suitable for long rides. I also switched out the original 23mm tires (Michelin Krylion) to 26mm tires (Grand Bois Cerf) - mostly just to experiment, but I think I'll keep them this way for a while. Otherwise, the bike has stayed the same. I have several saddle wedges and bags that I use, depending on the sort of ride I am doing, so it usually has at least a tool bag underneath the saddle. Unlike some other road/racing bikes I've tried, it carries weight in the rear very well - including a large Carradice-type bag full of heavy stuff. I have not tried weight on the handlebars yet. As far as geometry, it is basically a 52cm x 53cm frame with a 2° sloping top tube, mid-trail front end, and a steep seat tube. The frame and fork will fit tires up to 28mm. The drive-train is 50/34t in the front and 12-29t in the rear. I prefer to stay seated and spin when climbing hills, and so far this gearing has allowed that for most of the riding I've done. The Campagnolo ergo levers feel extremely intuitive to use. The Crankbrothers pedals have been easy and problem-free.




As far as limitations, I have noticed only one so far: When doing a 100 mile ride, toward the end I wished the handlebars had roomier "shoulders" behind the brake hoods. I am still not sure what kind of rides I will mostly be doing on this bike, but if I end up consistently riding it long distance I will consider different handlebars. Likewise, I may want lower gearing, should I ever do the kind of climbs that call for it. This bike was not designed for racks, fenders, wide tires, and the like, and so it isn't really meant for touring, transportation, or off-road use. So far it has proven to be more versatile than I expected, but it remains at its best as a light bike for spirited local rides. It is then that the bike is at its least noticeable: It's just me then, flying through thin air.






To explain the disappearing bike phenomenon, maybe I need to go back to the day I got it. I showed up for a Sunday morning ride at the Ride Studio Cafe on my old bike, and when I walked in the door someone was pointing toward the back of the store excitedly, mouthing "your bike is here!" I headed that way and saw a small group of people, crouching and leaning over what was presumably my bike. They were discussing the unusual decals (made using a non-standard font) and the leather saddle. Feeling shy, I stepped aside and watched them all watching my bike. By the time the crowd dissipated, it was time for the Sunday ride, and it was somehow just assumed that I would ride the new bike instead of the one I arrived on. In retrospect, it might have been wise to test ride it at least around the block before a 30 mile club ride, but there was no time. I barely had a chance to look at it in its unridden state. We headed out and before I knew it, I was pedaling and panting and braking and shifting in a small group of other riders, the wind in my face. Only later, as I rode the additional 10 miles home at an easier pace, did the reality that I was taking my new bike home set in. How did it feel? I really could not say, other than that I did not feel it at all. And that set the tone for our relationship: The bike absented itself politely from my cycling experience. I can tell you whether I ride fast or slow, how many miles, how hilly it is, how tired I am in the end, what sort of things I see around me - but I don't know what to say about the bike itself.






In my review of the demo model last year, I was excited about how fast the Seven rode. Since then, I have ridden other road/racing bikes. They are fast as a category, and the Seven Axiom is just one of many excellent fast bikes out there. What makes this particular bike well-suited for me is the intuitive, weightless, painless feel of it in addition to the speed itself. I do not feel the rough roads. I get less fatigued after riding than I do on other bikes. The fit feels perfectly natural. The components are seamlessly integrated. It really is as if the bike isn't there. When asked to describe it, I draw a blank and what comes to mind are the purple handlebars I see while I'm riding. Not very informative, though in a way maybe it is.

A winter walk in Austerlitz

It’s snowed again last weekend and its going to be -9C tonight in Utrecht (-12C up north). Early this month the Netherlands and Europe was plague with a snowstorm, one after the other, snow was 30 centimeters deep and I heard—while I was in Mexico, that Amsterdam Schiphol Airport was shut down because of very bad weather. I hope that’s not going to happen again although I’ll be a hypocrite if I say I don’t love snow.

It is lovely to go out when the grounds are covered with snow (and not snowing anymore), so Dutchman and I had a nice walk yesterday in Austerlitz in Utrechtse Heuvelrug forest. The Utrechtse Heuvelrug is H-U-G-E, this wooded area stretches from Zeist all the way down to Rhenen near Wageningen snaking along the path of the River Lek bordering Utrecht and Gelderland provinces. Austerlitz is located near Driebergen, Zeist and Maarn, a place where I would love to relocate if we find the right house there.




A sign board from the forest management -- Welkom in Austerlitz! We saw die hard joggers and there were a few couples out for a walk on that crisp Sunday.





Lovely horses on the snow field, nice contrast from the black and white background. Next foto is a junction in the forest with a bench and a bikers monument fountain (it has a nice bronze plaque around it with embossed figures of people on their bikes).





The wooden statue shows the direction to an old camp in the forest. On the middle foto is a map of Austerlitz and surroundings. Foto on the right is a row of trees and a fietspad (a bike path).



We probably walked six to seven kilometers, maybe more until it was dark. We noticed a lot of bike routes in the area too, which is another great outdoor weekend activity, well for the sporty types, cycle from one village and forest to another.

A few weeks ago before I went to Mexico, we also did a nature walk in Lage Vuursche, actually another winter in wonderland walk and I will post a separate entry and fotos of this after I’m done with my Mexican series—there’s three more entries to go!

A few more fotos here: Austerlitz, Utrecht - The Netherlands




A lonely snow covered path in the forest which looks bald now because its winter time. Next foto is the evidence that I have, one way or another, gotten lost between the bushes, and had to comb myself out of it.



I’m a sucker for charming cafes and restaurants to stop by after a long walk in the forest, so in a way we got lucky that we picked Austerlitz—thank you google, because the parking area of one of the entrances to the forest is across a theater café called the Beauforthuis, with its high arched glass windows, bell tower and lofty ceilings you’d mistake the restaurant for a mid-size church, which technically previously was.

Arriving in the theater café—it badly needs a face-and-interior lift and they are accepting donations by the way, a piano concert by a pianist Dutchman recognized from TV is just about to commence. It was past 6PM. We ordered our drinks and sat in the café while the concert began in the adjoining theater and this sour looking guy stood guarding the door making sure those with no tickets—like us, don’t find ourselves pretending to be lost inside, hehe.

I’ve checked out the list of artists scheduled on their weekend program and thought perhaps in another week or two, maybe three, we come back in the area, do a different walking route this time, somewhere nearby, then afterwards treat ourselves with some hapas (Dutch tapas) and watch a concert of our choice in the theater café.



Visit Period: January

Destination: Austerlitz (Zeist - Utrecht), The Netherlands

Jefferson OH to Celina OH

Last night we had Rene and Mira over for dinner and then we played Mexican Train with them. We have to get this game down before we head to Alaska with the other champion players. We had so much fun with them. It was hard saying goodbye to them, but we at least know we are very likely to see them again unlike many of the people we meet along the way.



Today we left Thousand Trails in Jefferson to head to Kozy Kamper in Celina, Ohio. We had a very short travel day and it was also a smooth one. We are excited to explore a new part of Ohio, and this one is on what was at one time the largest man made lake in America.



Still living the life in Ohio!

Flying Saucer

These two images represent my longest exposure attempts to date. The one above, which I named "Flying Saucer" (thanks to my brother, who said the star circles look like the bottom of a flying saucer) is a 3 hour exposure taken from 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. The image below is a 2.5 hour exposure taken from 11:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Doesn't Even Have a Top Tube

Rivendell Betty Foy [review here]

The other day I received an email newsletter from Rivendell, where, among other things, they announced that their mixte model - the Betty Foy - is becoming their most popular bike... which, they promptly added, "wasquite a surprise considering it doesn’t even have a top tube."




Okay, so I know that was meant to be tongue in cheek. At least I think/hope. But it references a sentiment that is prevalent in the bicycle industry: that step-through/mixte frames are inherently inferior to diamond frames and therefore it is not worth making them with the same degree of care, precision and attention to detail. After all, customers are unlikely to buy these frames at the same price point as diamond frames.This idea comes from the fact that the "two triangles" design of the diamond frame construction is stiffer and stronger than any variation of the step-through design, and I do not intend to disagree. But there is more to a bike than that, particularly when we are talking about "real world" bikes. When it comes to accessibility, ease of transporting a rear load, and cycling in one's everyday clothing, step through designs are in fact superior. It is no surprise that people are willing to pay for them.

Soma Buena Vista [review here]

When I considered buying a Betty Foy over two years ago, it left me with mixed feelings to read the following in the description of the bike: "This style - mixte, lady's bike, step-thru, whatever you like to call it - came about originally to allow a woman's dress to drape gently down so it wouldn't get blown up by the wind. Most women don't wear dresses anymore, and if they do they don't ride bikes in them; but there remain benefits to this style frame..." And this was the manufacturer talking, trying to sell this bike? Sheesh. Walk into any clothing store or office building, and it is clear that women can and do wear skirts and dresses. And why on earth should they not ride bikes in them?The Betty Foy's popularity is not news to me, or to anyone else who is familiar with the female bicycling blogosphere. Countless women with an online presence pine for this bike, if they don'thave one already. After all, bikes like the Betty and the Soma Buena Vistaare well-suited for hilly, long distance real-world North American commutes, and many women turn to them when Dutch-style bikes prove not to be sufficiently fast or light for their needs. But there aren't enough bikes like this made; we need more.





I was so excited when Velo Orange introduced its lugged mixte in , and I was equally disappointed when they discontinued it in - due, apparently, to less than stellar sales. I have a theory about why the VO mixte did not sell, and I will state it at the risk of being perceived as sexist. My impression is that (despite some vocal commentators ready to argue the opposite) it is women who mostly want mixtes. But VO was reluctant to cater mainly to women, and so they intentionally made the colour scheme aggressively sporty/ masculine just to say "look, this bike really is unisex!" Okay, yes technically it's unisex. But what ended up happening, is that many of the women who would have otherwise loved to buy a lugged mixte frame found the colour scheme unappealing. And the men did not want a mixte in the first place. I have a strong feeling that if VO were to introduce the same frame in a different colour it would sell. I hope very much that they give this a try some day.

Royal H Custom Mixte [review here]

Even custom framebuilders have a difficult time constructing lugged step-through and mixte frames, because standard lugs for these designs are no longer available. A few years back Reynolds stopped producing tubing suitable for mixte stays, which is why Mercian has discontinued their classic mixte and now makes only this. I believe there is money to be made in producing batches of split-stay mixte lugs and tubing, for anyone interested.




Bike manufacturers need not be afraid of step-through frames. And they need not be afraid of catering to women. And they need not be afraid of acknowledging the fact that many women wear skirts and dresses, and for this and other reasons they prefer step-through frames. Please do make bikes without top tubes, and make them nice. Rivendell is a case in point that it makes sense financially.

How Many Bikes Are You Riding?

Lately I've been testing and experimenting with many bikes, and some have asked which ones I ride on a regular basis. Or do I ride a different one every day? Well, definitely not that. Despite a penchant for accumulating temporary and permanent bicycles, I prefer to ride the same ones over and over, and the fewer the better. The rotation changes, but the pattern has been three bikes at a time. Now that it's the hottest part of the summer, I've been riding the mixte for transportation, as well as a roadbike and a touring bike for sporty rides. As the cold season approaches I will start riding the mixte less and my hardy 3-speeds more. For roadcycling I will probably switch to a fixed gear as the days grow shorter, because it packs more punch into shorter rides. But all in all, it's pretty much no more than three bikes at a time for me, one of which is always a fully equipped transportation bike.



Giving this some more thought, I can see how I arrived at experimenting with multiple bikes. I don't drive, so every time I leave the house to do anything it is on a bike. But I don't have a consistent commute either, instead traveling between different places numerous times a day. The destinations vary, the distances vary, even the terrain varies. And that's all just for transportation. Add an interest in touring and roadcycling to the mix, and it's easy to see how things can get out of hand!



How many bikes do you have in rotation at a time? Do you enjoy switching from one bike to another, or are you a creature of habit who prefers to stick with the same one(s)?

Crabfest at Camp Hatteras

Tonight we gathered with our co-workers and had a crabfest with them. I think this might be somewhat of a yearly tradition here, but I'm not sure of that since this is our first year here. Camp Hatteras provided the crabs and other people brought side dishes. I didn't eat any of the side dishes because I stuffed myself with crab instead.



I've never eaten crab like this, meaning crab I had to work for. It was a really neat thing to learn how to do it. It was well worth it because the crab was fabulous!



Jack was the chef and the seasoning he used was just perfect. We have really enjoyed our time here so far. Not only is the location wonderful, the people are really great. The time is flying by and I think it's because we are having so much fun.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

There are two main attractions nearby Krakow that visitors shouldn’t miss: Auschwitz Concentration Camps and the Wieliczka underground Salt Mine. Both are UNESCO world heritage sites and the tours take half a day only. They are easily booked in the many tourist points in Krakow and all you need to do is compare prices and the schedule that best fits your holiday.

Wieliczka Salt Mine is located not very far from Krakow. It is one of the oldest salt mines in the world. Since the 17th century, the mine was producing table salt, and only until 1996 when the commercial operation stopped. Nowadays, being a UNESCO world heritage site, the salt mine serves as a major tourist attraction of the Lesser Poland region boasting of sculptures and an underground cathedral hand crafted from rock salt by the miners.

I took the afternoon tour. Our group descended the mine cave via wooden stairs, 378 steps in total, and quite a long hike down really but for the unfit, there is a lift. After reaching precisely 327 meters down under, our tour guide announced that we are still above sea level. This is because Wieliczka, the town, sits on high altitude. Sebastian jokingly said that we are still higher than the Netherlands.


The Wieliczka Salt Mine entrance and our jolly tour guide called Sebastian descending the 378 wooden steps to the salt mine.


Here is a clearer view of the wooden staircase, it took some time to get down under. Middle foto is one of the chambers in the salt mine dated 1666 - very old. Right foto is a beautiful angel sculpture, hand crafted by miners from rock salt.


More rock salt sculptures hand crafted by miners. To think they are made of salt is quite mind blowing.


A walk through the history of salt mining, on the left foto you can see a wooden trolley pushed by a miner which is called 'Hungarian Dog' - maybe the Hungarians invented this or its a joke from the Polish side, who knows. Foto on the right shows a horse with a miner. Interestingly, and this is a fact, they managed to bring down a few horses in the cave during the olden days. How they did that before remains a mystery.


The underground stunning rock salt cathedral hand carved by the salt miners. Everything here is made of salt, the altar, the walls, the table, even the chandeliers, they are made of crystallized rock salt. Really impressive and so cool!


My only souvenir foto in the Wieliczka salt mine by the hand carved altar and next foto is a carving replica of the Last Supper on the wall of the underground salt cathedral.


There is also an underground lake and next foto is the fast old fashioned lift (elevator). It takes less than a minute from the bottom to reach the surface.

More fotos here: Wieliczka Salt Mine - Wieliczka, Lesser Poland, Poland

The 3.5 kilometer salt mine tour includes a visit to the underground cathedral hand crafted from rock salt by the miners, sightings of a vast array of rock salt carvings, a walk through salt mining history, passing an underground lake and a visit to a secret lake chamber that includes lights and show. There is a wellness and rehabilitation center as well, souvenir shops, a restaurant, more chapels and many interesting nooks and crannies with salt carvings.

At the end of the tour we boarded this old fashioned yet fast lift. The lift cabin is not entirely sealed; we could feel the wind blowing against our bodies and inside the cabin as we ascended in seconds to the light. Exiting the building I followed a group of ladies who I thought were with the group. As it turned out they were from a different group and when I climbed on to their bus (full of Russians)—they all shook their heads sideways and sang a chorus: “No!” LOL.

I quickly retraced my steps however I couldn’t find the rest of the group. It was becoming late, darkness started to seep in around me and I can see the last set of tourists leaving the property. I wanted to panic but I know myself, I just can’t. I’m always learning about myself every time I am in situations like this. My problem is I don’t remember where our tour bus was parked so with that dilemma in mind I went for a little walk following the souvenir shops down the road. As I was crossing the intersection, I saw a relieved Sebastian waving at me, haha.

It looks like I wasn’t the only one that lost the group. We had to wait for the other 2 French tourists as well!
.