Leaves

Sholom Park in Ocala Florida

Today was the girls turn to do a day trip, so Donna and I headed out to find some fun things in the area to see. We were going to a botanical garden in Gainesville, until I realized last minute that it was the one that Nathan and I had already visited. So we scrambled a bit to figure out what else we could do. We ended up visiting a place listed on a website for botanical gardens in Florida, a place in Ocala named Sholom Park.



The park was built to capture a place of peace and was named Sholom to honor Sidney Colen's grandfather's name. The place was in fact very peaceful. It had many paths to walk along and everywhere we went it was peaceful.



It is the kind of place that if I lived nearby, I'd go there often to just walk to get a little bit of exercise and the chance to unwind. After visiting the park, we headed over to Chick-fil-a where Donna ate her first ever meal there. I didn't have my camera inside with me so I did not get a picture of her eating her first chicken sandwich there. We then headed out to see what else we could find to do. More on that in the next blog post!

N.O.S.

Oh, that sweet acronym that makes collectors tremble with anticipation! NOS stands for "new old stock." Parts that survived generations unused and untarnished. Parts that look and function now as they did on the day they were new.




It is not often one sees the status NOS preceded by a date in the 1930s. But the things I have seen appear in the hands of collector Chris Sharp over the past week... new old stock chased rubber grips, rod brake handlebars, carbide lamps, original roadster bells, sculptural quadrant shifters... Stunned out of my wits I could only wonder where on earth such things come from 80 years past their hey day.




Up until a few years ago there were bicycle shops in Ireland and the UK that still had spare parts left from way, way back in the day. Usually these shops were run by generations of the same family, never changing owners or locations, which is what made such stockpiling possible. Bikes that went unsold and parts that went unused had been piling up in the cellars and back rooms of these shops for decades, undisturbed. Then one by one, these places closed. And when they did, they would liquidate. Local collectors would then buy out a shop's entire inventories of parts from specific periods or manufacturers. Some bike shops owners were themselves classic bicycle enthusiasts, in which case unsold inventories from decades past turned into personal collections.




It was sad to learn about the last of the old bicycle shops closing in Northern Ireland. But also good to know that there are locals who are dedicated to preserving the things salvaged from them.




I used to think that the purpose of the NOS market was to feed a collector's high, and did not really appreciate NOS bikes and parts myself. After all, I ride all my bicycles, so anything NOS would be wasted on me - its status immediately obliterated through use. But now I understand that new old stock has value: It affords a rare opportunity to appreciate vintage bicycles not just from our current perspective - as old, well-used things covered in mud and rust - butin their original splendor,as the highly coveted machines they once were.

Lugs. Chicks Love 'em!

...Well, at least this chick does. I think lugs are absolutely beautiful. Plain or filigree, generic or custom, I love them all. Here are some nice ones I've photographed around town:

... on a powder blue Dusika

...on a sage green Puch

... two-tone red and white lugs, on an unusual Glockner Rad with a cool headbadge depicting a mountain range. Notice the pretty filigree work on that pedal! Where can I get pedals like that?

... on an old KTM in olive drab (I love green bicycles!)

... and some simple, austere lugs on a silver Hercules.

To me, a bicycle frame without lugs just seems to lack soul, and this is probably why I can't feel any attachment to the modern bikes whose manufacturers do not use lugged frames. Seeing those welding marks grates on my nerves like hearing nails on a chalkboard.

Is my love of lugs unreasonable? Not according to Rivendell Bicycle Works. They understand! Have a look at their articles "Why Lugs Are Good" and "A Lug Primer".

See also "Lugs: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" by Bohemian Bicycles. Lots of useful information and photos there!

Over the San Juan Mountains

Wednesday, May 11th - - After a little stop in Alamosa, about 25 miles southwest of the Great Sand Dunes, I continued west on U.S. 160/285.





I was somewhat alarmed at what I saw down the road after leaving Alamosa. I did get into some rain and, at the higher elevations, some snow. But it wasn't really all that bad. The temperature was 49 degrees with a fairly strong wind. By the time I got to the summit at Wolf Creek Pass, (elevation 10,685 feet) the temperature had dropped to 25 degrees. It warmed back up once over the mountains.





On the way up to the summit at Wolf Creek Pass.



On the other side of the San Juan Mountains.



Love this! A nice shot purely by chance! It helps when you roll down the window and the sun comes out for a second.

Retrovelo Paula (Thou Shalt Not Covet!)

I have been dying to see Anna's new Retrovelo Paula, but ever since my arrival in Vienna circumstances conspired against it. Finally, we arranged to get together a couple of days ago. We planned to meet by the river for an elaborate photoshoot, naïvely expecting the warm spring days of the past couple of weeks to continue. Alas, the weather here has turned absolutely horrid - freezing temperatures and icy gusts of wind. We abandoned the riverfront idea and instead met near Anna's university department. It was so cold that we barely managed to take a few pictures before seeking refuge indoors. For what it's worth, here they are:

Anna and the Retrovelo Paula by the Goat Statue outside her department at the University of Vienna. The bicycle frame is what Retrovelo calls "pigeon blue", with cream Schwalbe Fat Frank tires. I have to say that the bicycle is difficult to photograph and I almost feel bad posting these pictures here, because in person it looks so much prettier. I was simply speechless when I saw it.

"Pigeon blue" is a soft powdery French blue that goes perfectly with the cream tires. If you ask me, the loop frame Retrovelos are much more attractive that the diamond frame version. I like this bicycle soooo much better than the Paul we tried last November.

Closeup of the fenders, tires and my favourite part - the triple-plate fork crown. Yum.

Despite still being in pain from my injuries, I obviously had to try the bike. I rode it briefly on the campus path, and I must say it is spectacular. I liked the ride better than any of the Dutch bikes I have tried so far (Azor, Gazelle and Batavus) - mainly because it is just as comfortable while being considerably sportier and easier to handle at slow speeds. And possibly I liked it a bit better than my Pashley. The seat post is more slack than on the Pashley and at the same time the Paula seemed faster to accelerate at slow speeds. I can't jump to conclusions after such a short test ride, but this was my initial impression. I must admit that I had a serious case of bike envy after riding the Paula.

In honor of meeting Paula, I wore matching tights - which she liked very much.
On this picture you can see the hubs, chainguard, rear rack and tail light (which is dynamo-operated, like the headlight). I love the rear rack design, and it looks even nicer on loop frame models than it does on the diamond frame. It would be very easy to install a dressguard on this bicycle, but I am not so sure how easy it would be to find a full chaincase to match. If Retrovelo offered a chaincase to go with these bicycles, it would be much appreciated.

In general, while the specs on this bike are pretty much identical to the Paul reviewed here, the overall impression is completely different (nicer!). All in all, it is a bit of an overload on the "stunning" scale. I can only imagine how I would react if I saw this bike in my favourite green-gray colour, which is also one of their standard options. No, better not think about it!

After our faces and fingers went completely numb, Anna carried Paula up the stairs into her department building and we all paid her office a visit.

Amazingly, all three of us fit into the tiny elevator.

Paula was kind enough to wait in the storage room while Anna and I had coffee in the downstairs cafe and recovered from the freezing cold. We had a nice time and it was good to see Anna again... but the downside is that I now covet her bike. Shame on me!

Braking: Not Always Your Friend

The other day I was cycling on a busy road where the city has recently installed those raised-platform intersections to make the cars slow down before crosswalks. Ahead of me, I saw a cyclist brake just as she entered the intersection - probably hoping to reduce the impact of the bump. Watching her, I somehow knew what was going to happen next and winced. And then it happened: As her wheel hit the raised platform, her bicycle flipped over, and she with it. All this occurred at a slow enough speed, so that she wasn't hurt and was soon back on the bike. But I suspect that she has no idea why the fall happened, which means that it might happen to her again.

To me, it has always seemed self-evident that it is "bad" to brake while going over bumps, and watching the cyclist's fall confirmed that. But were there actually any facts behind this belief? I got home and looked it up, stumbling upon Sheldon Brown's explanation.

Bumpy surfaces. On rough surfaces, your wheels may actually bounce up into the air. If there is a chance of this, don't use the front brake. If you apply the front brake while the wheel is airborne, it will stop, and coming down on a stopped front wheel is a Very Bad Thing.

Okay, that makes sense. It has also since been pointed out to me that braking transfers the weight of the bicycle forward, so braking on the bump drives the front wheel right into it. Makes sense as well. So, we essentially have two forces working against us when braking over a bump.

When we find ourselves hurdling towards an obstacle n the road that we cannot avoid, naturally the reflex is to slow down. But this should be done before going over the said obstacle, not during. Braking is your friend, but only when done correctly (brake before the bump, then release before going over it). I would also venture to say that most casual cyclists who use handbrakes do not differentiate between front and rear.

Of course, this is just one more reason why I love coaster brakes for cycling in the city. If you're used to braking with a coaster brake in order to slow down, you do not rely on the front brake as much and are not likely to squeeze it while going over a bump. I know that some will not agree with me on that one, but that is how I see it, and the coaster brake has been a reliable ally for me in pothole-ridden Boston Metro.