Saturday, February 28, 2009

Goodbye Florida Keys

We waved a sad goodbye to the Florida Keys today.



As sad as we were to leave, we were happy to be heading to Fort Lauderdale again. We spent the night with Bryce, Renie and our grandkids. We got them a Wii game for Christmas and had fun playing that together. Liv and I did some crafts and chatted. Gabe adored Austin and spent as much time by his side as he could. The dogs snuggled up to Nathan. We had a wonderful time.



Austin has been sick this past week and I'm afraid he passed it on to me. So I am looking forward to heading out tomorrow where we will stay put for three weeks. I'm hoping I can rest and heal there.



Happy Holidays!

A Memorial Day Story







Back inthe 1930s, the little town of Elkton,Maryland was a happening place if you needed or wanted to get married in a hurry. Maryland did not have the waiting period that other states had imposed, and Elkton was conveniently located in the Northeast corner of the state- close to the border of Pennsylvania and not too far from New York and New Jersey. People eloped here from far and wide- both celebrities and the not so famous, and the main street was lined with wedding chapels. Cornel Wilde eloped here in 1937.











Debbie Reynolds, Joan Fontaine and my parents, George and Bebe Cokinos all got married here. (The only difference being my parents' marriage turned out to be the only one of these that lasted.)



My father was a Greek American, and he was not supposed to marry outside the Hellenic community, but he fell in love with my very non-Greek mother. That's part of the reason why my parents snuck away to Elkton when they were only 17 and 19 on Memorial Day. In 1935 the holiday was always celebrated on May 30th, and was not the weekend event it is now. The newlyweds did not have enough money to spend the night, so they settled for a fried chicken dinner before heading back down to D.C. without telling their parents what they had done. They might have been less nervous if they had known that, despite the odds, their marriage would last until death did they part- happily 72 years later.










Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Wordles Wednesday

No, that isn't a typo. And no, don't worry, this won't be a feature every Wednesday ;-)

Last week when footnoteMaven passed around the Wordle virus to the genea-blogosphere with her post Let Me Get A Wordle In Edgewise, I didn't have time to play. She did a follow-up with Do Not! I Repeat - DO NOT - Read This Post! With links to other genea-Wordles and some other fun stuff.

In school, and the Navy, I was nearly the last in line for everything (surname Wiseman, right). And have a tendency to be a bit late for meetings and appointments. Not on purpose, though it might seem so. Anyway, as the saying goes "Better Late Than Never" here are my contributions to the genea-Wordle-world. One is for the surnames in my Mom's lines, and the other is for my Dad's lines. The size of the name is dependent upon how many ancestors have been entered in my database with that name. As always, click on the images to see a larger version.



Summit Trips and Road Access

Winter-like snowfall continues on Mt. Rainier, but you can feel the presence of spring and the coming summer in the air. Many climbers are planning summer trips; reservations are in full swing, and the guide services are working again on the mountain.

The best Mt. Rainier climbing news, of late, is the recent summit by two independent climbers. Tim Ryan (photo credit) and his partner (Erik) hiked in from the Nisqually Entrance (i.e. park boundary) up the Tahoma Creek drainage and to the summit via the Tahoma Glacier. Their trip report is here (almost verbatim).

Of interest to many is the updated list of road openings; there are no major surprises. Along those lines, the Nisqually to Paradise road is nearing completion. Park crews have reconstructed the embankments at Milespost's #5 and #9. In the next few weeks, the road crew hopes to complete the installation of two massive 12-foot culverts at Kautz Creek. They're still calling for a May 1 opening (barring unanticipated delays) and plan a "media day" once the major repairs are completed (just in case there wasn't enough press already).

A quick word on campgrounds... Cougar Rock Campground will be open May 18th, one week earlier, to help offset the loss of Sunshine Point. Otherwise, it's business as usual at the other locations (except for Ipsut Creek).

Monday, February 23, 2009

Help Wanted! A gift received from a Genea-Angel!

The letter below was found on the internet by Jeff Somers who, just a few days ago, found my story of The Search for Hawksbill Church. And then, wonder of wonders, Jeff actually contacted me!



He was able to obtain a partial transcription of the letter, which seems to be a letter of recommendation for my ancestor, Wilhelm George Forster (aka William Foster) signed by two of Jeff's ancestors!



Here's the transcription that Jeff sent:

The Hawksbill Church

We, the complete evangelical, protestant, lutheran parish hereby state

that we have had Mr. Goster (or Foster, name is not clear) for ten years as a pastor in our parish.

He had asked us for this reference, to be presented to an "Honorable Menisteri" (?)

and we are willing to confirm that he has served faithfully and never missed any of the duties of his office.

Especially he spend much time in the youth ministry and tried to keep the youth with their mothers.

This would be desirable for others to do as well.

He does not accept help for his office duties.

He takes all the time needed, to visit sick people, in oder to be with them and to comfort them

So far, we have been quite happy with him, and he ...
I'd love to have a more complete transcription, so, if anyone out there can make sense of the Old German Script, please contact me!







For printing purposes I split the letter into two images and also enhanced the contrast a little. The original image of the letter that was found by Jeff on this Ancestry.com message board posting. I have contacted the poster of that message but have not received a response from him.



If I hadn't blogged about my little trip to find the Hawksbill Church, I would not (most likley) have found this letter on my own. Thank you, Jeff, for contacting me. It's very nice to end this year on a "high" note!!



Sunday, February 22, 2009

Frozen lake

I often detour from the way and have alook around this lake, it has to be said I have never seen it frozen.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Snowpack Profile Update

There is 17" of new snow on the ground since the extreme avalanche conditions and avalanche activity earlier this week. The forecast is calling for 12-18" tonight and 7-11" on Saturday with the possibility of more snow on Sunday.





Neither a compression test or extended column test yielded any failures. No evidence of recent avalanche activity in the immediate area allows me to think that the slope did not fail earlier in the week, unlike many other slopes in the area.





All layers were well defined and fairly settled.

Snow Worm

Friday, February 20, 2009

WHAT... There's still ice

Just when I thought it was over. Ice season had ended. Low and behold there's (a little) more. We were given a bit of good news the other day. Laura caught wind from a good friend of ours that there was still some climbable ice if we were interested. Of course we were. He told her of a still fat 20' pillar tucked away in a shaded little nook. She called to tell me right away. Other than somemixed stuff with poorly bonded "snice" we really haven't had much climbable ice in a few weeks due to the heavy rains and unseasonable warm temperatures. Eagerly we made the half hour approach to see if we could squeeze in one more ice climb. Sure enough there was a short 20' pillar with a mixed exit that was still in good condition. Granted it wasn't a rope stretcher by any means, but it sure was fun to get on a little more ice. It was smooth and lovely (a little hollow), but amazing compared to anything I'd seen in a while now. Not to mention that it was a beautiful day for a walk in the woods. A much appreciated thanks goes out to the searching samurai that gave us the tip on this little beauty. Here's a few pictures of our fun outing.




As we set out. I'll admit I was doubtful





a little break for the passing trains, will there be ice?





Here's what we found. Hard to believe!





Laura finishing a screw unaware of the muck that lies ahead



On the ride home we stopped to check

out other ice enthusiasts

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Traveling to Ireland with a Brompton

Brompton, DART Commuter Train

Over the past weeks, I have traveled to, from and around Ireland with my Brompton folding bike. Aside form flying from Boston to Dublin and back with the bike as part of my luggage, I also did a great deal of what I think is called "multimodal commuting"in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, making frequent use of localtrains and buses. Overall I experienced relatively few problems and would certainly do this again.




I flew Aer Lingus, and they treat bikes as any other piece of checked-in luggage. Passengers are allowed one checked bag as part of their ticket price. If they want to check in an additional bag (or bike box) it costs extra. The size of the Brompton - no matter what bag it is placed in - exceeds the size limit of Aer Lingus's carry-on luggage allowance and must be submitted as checked luggage. Knowing this, I decided to get a hard case for the bike. I needed to replace my old hard shell suitcase anyway, and figured it made sense to do it this way.




Packed

The padded hardshell case is made by B&W (they call it the Clapton Box) and is not technically a Brompton-sanctioned product. However, it fits the bike perfectly and is sold by several retailers as a Brompton accessory. I bought mine fromClever Cycles,and I knowNYCE Wheels sells them as well. There is some debate as to whether the hard case vs the Brompton B-Bag is preferable for airplane travel. Based on my own experience with international travel, I prefer to use a hard case.




The B&W case is nice in that it fits the Brompton so exactly that there is no room for the bike to move around inside. At the same time, the nature of the folded shape allows stuffing the case with other (soft!) items. I packed all of my clothing, as well as 2 pairs of shoes into this case in addition to the bike, rolling each piece up and stuffing it into a crevice. The total weight was just under the Aer Lingus checked baggage limit. The size of the hard case fits Aer Lingus's checked baggage parameters.




The hard case with the bike and all my clothing was the only piece of baggage I checked in, thus managing to avoid extra fees. I also took a small rolling suitcase as a carry-on, and my Carradice bag as a purse/ personal item thingie. The airline had no problem with this.




An Elegant Arrival

The problem I did have was with the TSA. When I checked in my hard case at the airport in Boston, the person handling the luggage pointed out that the closure seemed easy to open accidentally when left unlocked. She suggested I lock the case and attach the key to the outside, lest the TSA wish to open it. That is what I did. Once I landed, I was horrified to discover that the closure on the case had been tampered with and the key was no longer there, with no explanation as to what had happened. I had a spare key, but somehow it no longer worked. Trying not to panic, I arrived at my relatives' house, then looked for a locksmith at 7am as my first order of business in Ireland. There was one nearby and I rolled the hard case to them, close to tears at this point, imagining that the Brompton was all mangled inside as well. The locksmith examined the damage. Turned out, there was a piece if key stuck inside, which is why my spare key did not work. They used a pick to remove the piece of key and opened the case. Thankfully, neither my bike nor any other contents had been touched. And there was a note from the TSA inside, with the other half of the broken key taped to it. The hand-written part of the note said: "difficulty opening lluck." There was also a bunch of legal text saying that my case had been opened as part of standard procedure and that the TSA was not liable for any damage.




The lock on my case is still functional, but it is slightly mangled, and I will see whether I can get it fixed. On my return trip on Aer Lingus I did not lock the case again, but wrapped packing tape around it - in addition to the velcro closure strap the case already comes with. Not very elegant, but it did the job. The case was not opened on the return flight.




Dublin-Belfast Luggage
My trips from Dublin to Northern Ireland and back were completely problem-free. I left the hard case at my relatives' house and traveled with just the small suitcase, Carradice bag, and the bike sheathed and folded. I got to the Antrim coast by train and bus via Belfast, and wrote about that trip here. That went well, but the way back was even easier: On the day I was leaving Northern Ireland a friend took me to see Derry, and from there a bus goes directly to Dublin. I stored both the sheathed Brompton and the suitcase in the luggage compartment on the side of the bus, and it was very simple.I have seen cyclists store full sized bikes in the luggage compartments on the sides of buses, though I don't know what the official policy regarding this is.



Having done both, I would say that long distance travel within Ireland is more convenient by bus than by train. The buses run more frequently, the stops tend to be more conveniently located, the platforms are easier to access when carrying luggage, and overall it was just a more straightforward experience whenever I opted to get somewhere by bus as opposed to train. In the US I do not like to travel by bus, as I get motion sick. Oddly I did not experience this on the buses in Ireland.




Waiting for the Train/Bus

Even when not traveling, I would sometimes take my bike on a local bus or train when visiting friends, or when doing a ride with a remote start.




Ulsterbus Bus Stop
In Northern Ireland, I made use of the Ulsterbus, which runs frequently between the various towns and villages along the coast.





DART Commuter Train

In the Republic of Ireland, I rode the DART commuter train from the seaside suburb of Dun Laoghaire, where I was staying, to Dublin a couple of time. All of this was extremely easy to do, with no one questioning my bringing a folding bike on board. I did not have to sheath the Brompton in order to disguise it, and in some cases did not even need to fold it.



Brompton, Ulsterbus Bus Stop

I am happy with my decision to bring the Brompton along to Ireland, and with how I chose to do it. Traveling around with the bike and additional luggage was easy. The transportation system there is excellent compared to most parts of the US. I also enjoyed flying Aer Lingus. They have straightforard baggage guidelines and are pleasant to deal with.




As with any international travel from the US, the biggest risk factor is the TSA. Their behaviour is unpredictable and you just never know. In my experience, TSA-specific locks do not always help: Many of my colleagues have had these locks cut and their luggage damaged regardless. The best thing is not to lock your case, period, and to use extra velcro straps or tape for added security if desired.When it comes to bikes specifically, there is also some debate as to whether it is preferable to travel with the bike in "stealth mode" or to make it as obvious as possible that there is a bike inside. Based on the combined anecdotal evidence I've heard, I believe the latter is best when it comes to the TSA. If they don't know what something is, they are more liable to damage it in the process of trying to find out. Either way, travel insurance is a good idea when overseas travel from the US is involved.




Back in the US now, I may return to Ireland later this year - again with the Brompton in tow. Having my own bike at my disposal at all times was invaluable; I cannot imagine traveling otherwise from now on.

Monday, February 16, 2009

BQ Issues Give-Away

I've been gifted a stack of olderBicycle Quarterlyissues (thanks, A!) and a few of them are redundant with the ones I already have. So, if anybody wants them, I have the following three to give away:



Volume 3, Number 4 (Summer 2005)

Volume 4, Number 4 (Summer 2006)

Volume 5, Number 4 (Summer 2007)



The last of these is one of my personal favourites, because it has some great information on theBritish lightweights - but all three are pretty good.For the full contents of each, please see here.



If you would like one of the issues, just leave a comment specifying which you prefer and be sure to include your contact information. Comments are accepted throughout Thursday, March 24th. I will pick at random for each and will mail it to you at no cost if you are within the USA or Canada.



Thanks for reading Lovely Bicycle and enjoy your day! The weather forecast in Boston promises snow again...

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Test Riding the Breezer Uptown 8

Breezer Uptown 8Since the start of this blog, I've received more requests to review the Breezer Uptown than any other city bike on the market. I have not done so earlier for two reasons. First, availability: Until now, I had not seen the Breezer for sale in any local bike shop. After a break of several years Harris Cyclery now carries them again, which is how I came across this one. But additionally, I was reluctant to review a bike that I was unenthusiastic about: theBreezerhas never appealed to me, and I have no interest in it other than general industry curiosity. However, I would have said the same about Seven Cycles a year ago, and trying one of those (in response to readers' requests as well) had a profound effect on me as a cyclist. I also unexpectedly liked the Urbana, which I tried for no reason other than the manufacturer's urging. In short, you never know and it's good to keep an open mind. That is how I approached my test ride of the Breezer Uptown.

Breezer Uptown 8The Uptown is Breezer's fully equipped commuter model, available in 3-speed and 8-speed variants. The bike includes fenders, a chainguard, a rear rack, a kickstand, an integrated rear wheel lock, and front and rear dynamo lighting.

Breezer Uptown 8The welded aluminum U-frame has "unitube" construction.Steel unicrown fork. The 26" wheels are fitted with 1.5" wide tires.I tried the 17" sized frame. There are other sizes and also a diamond frame version.Please seeherefor full specs.

Breezer Uptown 8The colour is a deep, sparkly forest green, with contrasting silver panels on the chainstays, near the bottom bracket,and on the fork. The two-tone paint job gives the bike a sporty look that strikes me as being at odds with its purpose as a commuter. But the dominant green colour is pleasant.

Breezer Uptown 8As far as functionality, it must be said that this bike is excellently equipped for commuting. Front and rear dynamo lighting seems to be of good quality and is internally routed, exiting through the rear fender for the tail light.

Breezer Uptown 8The rear rack's tubing will accommodate a variety of pannier systems.

Breezer Uptown 8The tires are wide. The fenders provide full coverage and include small plastic mudflaps.

Breezer Uptown 8There are braze-ons for the shifter and brake cables, so that nothing is hanging loose, and there are waterbottle bosses.

Breezer Uptown 8The wide range Shimano8-speed hub could be attractive for hilly areas. The shape of the handlebars provides a sufficient gripping area despite the twist shifter.

Breezer Uptown 8The handlebars are mildly swept back. The brake levers are comfortably placed, and the front and rear v-brakes provide strong stopping power.

Breezer Uptown 8All of these features, for a retail price of $980 (or $720 for the 3-speed model), make the Breezer Uptown look undeniably good "on paper." This is the kind of commuter bike you are likely to find in a mainstream European bike shop today - modern, affordable, fairly lightweight, designed to be ridden in everyday clothing, and fully equipped - and it's great to see the same available in the US.

Breezer Uptown 8Having said that, I did not like this bike on a number of levels. From an aesthetic and emotional standpoint, I found the Breezer to be "unlovable." The huge welds, the hollow feel of the aluminum tubing, the athletically-inspired colour scheme - it all feels so generic and impersonal. I like a bicycle with some warmth to it, with some evidence of a human touch, and I just don't feel any sense of this from the Breezer. It's not just about lugged vs welded and steel vs aluminum, but about the very essence of how the bike feels to look at, to touch and to ride. This is truly the vacuum cleaner of bicycles - and while for some that's a good thing, for me it's uninspiring.

Breezer Uptown 8But more importantly - and more disappointingly - the Breezer's ride quality did not work for me. I rode it for about 3 miles and already felt the sort of strain in my knees that I've experienced on bikes with the infamous "comfort" geometry. This could also be because I would consistently end up in a gear that was too high: I found that being in too high of a gear was the only way I could make the bicycle go at the speed I wanted. In a gear where my cadence felt appropriate, the bike would not move fast enough for my liking.

Additionally, something about the relationship between the seat tube angle and bottom bracket felt "off," and after examining the frame geometry online I still do not know what. Subjectively, it felt as if the seat tube angle was extremely steep - almost a straight drop from the saddle down to the pedals - which contributed to the knee discomfort, but, oddly, failed to add to pedaling efficiency. According to the frame specs, the seat tube angle is actually 72 degrees, which is entirely normal for a city bike. I do not know how to explain my subjective sensation of steepness in light of this.

Aside from these issues, I thought the bike felt rather harsh going over bumps and potholes. Not horrible, but definitely not great. Even on smooth terrain, I felt road buzz through the handlebars, which became painful for my (overly sensitive) hands fairly quickly. Maybe wider tires or a suspension fork would help here.

Breezer Uptown 8On a positive note, I thought the BreezerUptown was solidly put together and truly functional, unlike other bikes that only play at being fully-equipped commuters. It was also stable and well-balanced, and there was no toe overlap on the 17" frame. This bike should be easy to handle for a novice transportation cyclist.

When it comes to impressions of ride quality, everyone is different, and I urge you to take that into account when reading my earlier feedback. I know there are people who love this bike and commute on it daily, so obviously it is possible. The manufacturer's history is also quite interesting (lugged mountain bikes!), and worth looking into. Would I buy a Breezer Uptown for myself? No. But if the ride quality works for you and you find the bike attractive, I agree with those who call it a good value.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The Apprentice... aka ice skills again

"Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a structured competency based set of skills."











Ice climbing is a subtlesport. At first glance it would seem to be all strength andbravado.



It isn't. Knowing the difference between a high volume flow and a low volume flow can not only save your life it might well tell you where the best line on the falls will be or tell you whento climb or not in a snow storm or bright sun light instead.



Having an "eye" to know where the quality of the ice changes and will most effect screwand tool placement is not something you can learn in a day's outing. It is just a start. Most will need seasons, or moving to Canmore to accumulate that education.



Pulling plastic has about as much to do with ice climbing as playing basket ball. Both will get you in shape if done at a high enough level. Neither skill will mean squat when you clip on a pair of crampons.



Ice climbing is alsoextremely gear DEPENDANT. I have said many times any old club will do in place of a decent ice tool if your skills will. That is true. But miss match boots and crampons and having the ability to do a gazillion pull ups won't help you for long.



I know for a fact having good rock climbing and rope skills will make you a better ice climber. For no other reason than it will allow you to manage the rope systems easier and quicker.Basic rock climbing skills on how a rope runs or should run are required on ice just as they are on rock.



But being able to lead 5.12 trad (and few really do) isn't going to help you much on ice if you have never placed a screw. It is simple right up until the point it isn't. Why anyone would ever put in a bad screw is beyond me.Finding poorly placed screws while following simply dumbfounds me. Either the leader is WAY in over his head or they are an idiot. Take the time to learn how to put in perfect screws while on theGROUND. Then never, ever put in a bad one. Learn what it takes to accomplish that. It aint rocket science but then it isn't all that easy either with out some practice. Your first grade 4 pillar is NOT the place to belearning how to place screws.



Just as your first 5.10 hand crack isn't the place to learn how to place your first cam. Hello!



I learned to climb ice with a couple of friends who had also....never climbed water fall ice. The sport was new then. The original screws and ice pitons seldom worked. We learned together as the ice climbing standards became more difficult and the gear better. We paid our own dues. Luckily none were costly. But they easily could have been. I can still honestly stay I have not taken a lead fall on ice. But only through the grace of God.



The skilled ice climbers I am lucky enough to climb with can all generally claim the same. Only "modern mixed" has changed that. Even then a smart man/woman will go to great extremes not to fall with a pair of crampons on. You down climb. You hang on the rope, your umbilicals or a screw. You DO NOT fall off.



Remember, "it is a all fun and games until someone loses and eye." Fall off and it just may be your eye!



These days "ice climbers" seem to be born in a gym. Falling is a way of life.



Don't get me wrong...nothing wrong with falling. I have done my own share learning to lead well enough to put up trad .11s and 12s. Andthere were a lot of falls involved both on a top rope and on lead.



You must learn how to DOWN climb.



Climbing up something you can't easily down climb is tantamount to swimming off shore and well out of sight of land. Better to have a safety net. A big one if you can't down climb easily and quickly what ever you climb up. Sure you'll do leads that you can't easily reverse. But they should be damn few and far between. If you can lead grade 4 ice in comfort, you should be able to easily and quickly down climb grade 3 ice. Grade 5 ice on lead then Grade 4 ice should be an easy down climb.



Picked out climbs make you lazy. Make an effort to get on ice climbs that aren't just "sport ice" and totally picked out with foot steps and pick hooks up big sections of the climb. I like that kind of fun climbing myself, "hook and book". But it is TERRIBLE for the techniques required to climb virgin ice.

Get on new ice when you can. You might find Grade 3 ice is hard enough again to get your attention and still be really fun.



Following? If you can't follow any ice pitch faster than your leader can run it out......you REALLY NEED TO STOP AND ASSESS you own skill level. Reality needs to meet ability. Because one of two things is happening here. You are either attempting to climb way out of your skill level or the leader has skills you are a long ways from attaining yet. Nothing wrong with either......it just makes a hard day (and possibly dangerous day) in the mountains for leader and follower if that difference isn't recognised and understood. Just be honest with yourself and your partners. Always push yourself on a top rope or as a2ndto go faster and climb better. You can bet that is how the otherguy got thatmuch better.



Danger? Yes, ice climbing will get youkilled if you aren't careful. It aint the gym or the local cragging area. Things go to shit quicklyon ice and snow. Lots of pointy things to poke holes in your own personal meat bag that can cause problems. Lots of things falling down for one reason or the other. Climbers at drastically differing skill levels put the responsibility (and the majority of the safety issues) on the more experience and generally faster climber.



Leading? Leading isn't a big deal. Falling off and getting injured is. Who do you think will have to haul your sorry ass off the mountain if you take a winger? Better hope your partner is up to the task.



No one has the "right" to lead. You earn that right through experience, patience and skill. You may know how to clip on a pair of crampons. But do you know how to actually fit them? You can buy all the cool gear, read of the books or pump your instructors and partners for infobut if you don't know how it works and most importantly UNDERSTAND the gear/info what good is it when the shit starts to fail?



And all of it will eventually fail, including your partner...



You better have a good plan.



Soloing?



If you want to climb in the alpine fasterand climb more difficultwater icelearn how to be confident soloing in your comfort level of technical skill. In the right conditions WI3 should be casual. The same bullet proof ice in the alpine might well take a belay, the rope and protection. Know the difference. Learn how to simul climb and more importantly...when you should and should not simul climb.



Grades on ice and in the alpine mean very little. Conditions generally mean everything. Think condition, then the technical grade if it is a concern.



You don't yet know what you don't know. Again, nothing wrong with that. But time to open your eyes if you fall into that category and start paying more attention. We all "fall" into that category in case you are still wondering. Including me as well as everyone i climb with. Work harder at going faster, being more aware of your own and your partner's skill setand over all safety. Learn how to down climb among other things. Up your rock climbing skills and over all climbing SPEED in the summer. Better and faster belays, not just your pure climbing speed. It will help your ice climbing and alpine climbing next winter.



Back to the Apprenticeship?



It is asystem oftrainingthe practitioner ina structured competency based set of skills.



To get good and stay safe ice climbing (or alpine climbing) you need to serve a Apprenticeship.



Either get some good professional instruction or find a friend (or a long list of friends) who has/have the ability and desire to pass those skills on to you.



I am still asking questions and learning every trip to the ice. Are you?



Days are long past that I would suggest a few buddies teach themselves how to climb ice....if you want to stay safe while learning our craft.



This post has been called a rant. Fair enough, but IMO more an impassioned plea.But rather a rant to wake some up than stone silence and let them get hurt.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

The Broadmoor-Once Upon A Time and Still Here Today


My grandfather, Roger Louis Calvert, was the first manager of The Broadmoor Apartment Building on Connecticut Avenue when it opened in 1929 which was a long way from the farm he grew up on outside of Meridian, Missisissippi. Here is a clipping from the Washington Post:


Today the Broadmoor is a modern co-op, but still has the details of grandeur. A friend of mine is a current resident and is looking to gather history about it. Recently she found out about another restaurant there (pre-1948) called The Marguery.


If you have any stories or memories, please write or leave a comment here.

Seymour Blueskies

As some have already noticed, I recently acquired one more bicycle that I have not yet written about. It is a vintage Trek roadbike - fast and aggressive, with super-responsive handling. Don't ask how I got the bike; sometimes these things just find you. It was in exactly my size, and came along at a time when I had begun to experiment with more aggressive road cycling. I wanted to try a "real" roadbike without spending more money, and here was my chance.



So please allow me to introduce Seymour Blueskies. He is a Trek 610, built in 1982. The lugged steel frame is made with Reynolds 531 tubing, and cro-moly fork and stays. The frame is 52cm, with 700C wheels.It is an interesting blue-gray colour that Trek called "gunmetal"in its catalogues.



The 610 was a higher-end model, and the previous owner built it up with nice components - though over the years they had become somewhat of a medley.



The wheels were handbuilt using Rigida racing rims with a gunmetal finish, a Campagnolo rear hub, a Suntour XC 9000 front hub, and double butted spokes. The drivetrain is Suntour Sprint 9000, with Suntour downtube shifters. The stem is vintage Nitto and the handlebars are ITM. The bicycle also came with a Brooks Finesse Titanium(!) women's saddle.



I have kept all of the components as they were, except for the brakes and brake levers, which we replaced with newTektros.We also added cork bar tape, installed SKS fenders and a bottle cage, replaced the original clipless pedals with MKS Touring pedals (withPowergrips), and attached my Zimbale bag and a Crane bell from another bike.



I prefer cloth tape on handlebars, but these bars have a weird, squared-off shape to them with a carved-out channel for cable routing. This can all be felt though cloth tape, making the bars uncomfortable to hold without a layer of cork. They are also a bit too narrow for me, and if the Trek ends up being a keeper I would like to replace them with something like Nitto Noodles, or a vintage equivalent.



The reasoning behind the SKS fenders was initially budget-driven, but I am very happy with this choice. They are quieter and less fussy than Honjos; I hardly even notice them. The Co-Habitant hates SKS fenders, because he thinks they are "ugly". I do not find them "ugly"; just more sporty than Honjos - which was exactly the look I was going for here. Incidentally - even with the fenders, saddlebag and waterbottle, the Trek is the lightest bicycle I own.



After a few weeks of ownership, I have also justreplaced the original Michelin 25mm tires with 28mm Panaracer Paselas in white. The Michelinsthat came with it are supposed to be fantastic, but they felt hard as rocks and made for a very harsh ride. The Paselas, on the other hand, feel as if I am riding on a cloud. 28mm tires are probably the widest this bicycle will fit with fenders, and that is fine with me.



Now, for the ride quality... The vintage Trek handles very differently from the Rivendell Sam Hillborne. The best way I can describe this bike's behaviour, is that it wants to go fast and does not like to go slow. At slow speeds the Trek feels unstable and difficult to maneuver, especially when cornering. It took me a few rides to learn how to handle this without panicking, but eventually I got used to it. By the same token, it becomes amazingly stable and precise at fast speeds: Once I exceed 16mph, it seems to magically "relax" and almost floats above the asphalt. Accelerating is easy - almost too easy! One turn of the pedals, two turns - and before I know it, I amflying. This is great fun now that I am more or less comfortable on a roadbike, but even a couple of months ago I would not have been able to handle this kind of cycling. When riding the Hillborne, I feel that I am exploring - I can go fast, or I can go slow. Riding the Trek, I feel that I preparing for a race - going slow is not really in the cards.



All other factors remaining equivalent (road and traffic conditions, my energy levels, etc.), the Trek is a faster ride than the Rivendell. I cannot tell how much faster exactly, because conditions are never identical on any two rides - but when the Co-Habitant accompanied me, he said the difference in my speed on the two bikes was noticeable. One explanation for this could be that the Trek's handlebars are set lower, but it could also just be that the bike is designed to be a bit racier. On the flip side of the speed advantage, the Trek is not as comfortable as the Rivendell(which is insanely comfortable) and encourages over-exertion - leaving me feeling far more exhausted after a ride. One curious thing about how I feel on the Trek, is that my hands always hurt at the beginning of a ride - but stop hurting as the ride progresses and I pick up speed. This is surprising, because when something hurts at the start of a ride, it typically only gets worse the longer I cycle - so each time I get on the bike I have to suspend disbelief and remind myself that my hands will stop hurting in a few minutes. And thankfully, they always do. I also find it challenging to hold the drop portions of the bars on the Trek (something I have already mastered on the Rivendell) without losing some control of the bike or at least weaving a bit. I am sure this will feel comfortable eventually, but I am not there yet. Just yesterday, I was finally able to use the downtube shifters for the first time - after having tearfully declared that they were "impossible" time after time on previous rides. Everything takes practice.



When I first got the Trek, I was not at all sure that I would be keeping it. We modified it just enough to make me comfortable, and it would be easy to resell this bike at no loss. I wanted to experience a "real" roadbike without the coddling qualities of the Rivendell, and now I have. So what next? Well, I don't know yet, but I don't really want to let it go. It has been bewildering to discover that I kind of, sort of might actually be good at road cycling, and I would like to see this discovery through. Depending on how much time I have in a day for a ride, I take either the Rivendell (for long rides), the Trek (for medium, but fast paced rides), or the fixed gear Moser (for shorter, intense rides) - and together they are helping me understand my potential.