Cycling in a Coastal Downpour

On the second morning of our trip I awoke to the sound of vigorous drums, which I soon realised was pelting rain. Outside, the line between sky and ocean was blurred and the patch of rocky beach we occupied was flooded. Inside, everything was damp from humidity - our clothing, the bedding, our faces. We had known that the forecast promised intermittent rain, so this was not a surprise and we didn't despair. We were not planning to cycle every day; we had loads of other things to do. We would see.



But as we drank coffee, the rain appeared to let up. Things were looking good - picturesquely stormy, but calm. It looked as if the downpour had exhausted itself in the course of the night and we decided to set off on our bikes after all, going along the coast for a manageable distance.



The ride started out fine. We made our way up a winding hill, past ominously abandoned beaches. Moody skies hung low over a dark gray ocean. The empty roads were promising. There was only a mild drizzle and we agreed that if things stayed like this, it would be even better than sunny weather - cooler, and less crowded. After cycling for a bit it grew humid and I removed my rain jacket, stashing it inside the handlebar bag. Two minutes later, the skies opened up. There was no build-up; it was as if someone opened a floodgate.



Instead of turning back we persisted, hoping the rain would eventually ease up again. But it only intensified. The amount of water was unbelievable, even compared to the many other times I've cycled in the rain. Visibility became non-existent, with everything turning gray and liquidy. The roads became flooded and soon I was cycling with my wheels partly submerged in water. Roads are terrible in this area, and even on a dry day it is a task to navigate around potholes. Now that they were invisible underwater, I could neither anticipate nor avoid them. My bike bounced violently over ditches at high speeds. This felt distinctly unsafe, especially on curvy descents. On a bike with narrow tires, the ride would have been simply impossible for me.



The coastal road was narrow and winding. As I tried to maintain a consistent line of travel, motorists sped past us, well over the posted speed limit, sending sprays of yet more water in our direction. I had my lights on and could only hope I was visible to them. My jersey - which had started out a bright crimson - was now a dark, dull brown. There are a few tricky spots on this route, where several roads merge on a twisty downhill - so that one must resist picking up speed and be prepared to brake instead. At these instances it became frighteningly apparent that my brakes did not work well under such conditions. I suspended disbelief and did my best, feathering the brakes and trying not to have a panic attack. Climbing up a flooded road while bouncing over potholes was horrifying as well.



Despite my best efforts I found this type of cycling too stressful to enjoy. I couldn't see where I was going, let alone anything resembling scenery, and frankly I had nothing to prove. This was meant to be a pleasant trip and not an endurance contest. I signaled to the Co-Habitant that I wanted to turn around, and we did - making our way back through the unrelenting downpour the same way we came. Before returning home, we took a detour and stopped at a hardware store to pick up oil for the bikes - later spending a great deal of time wiping sand and debris off of them and treating the components to prevent rust - which can form alarmingly quickly in a coastal environment. My wool cycling clothing took a day to air-dry, and my shoes are still soaking wet.



Though I know others enjoy the challenge of riding in this kind of weather, this is not an experience I care to repeat unless absolutely necessary. It is one thing to cycle in the rain, but a trip along the coast in a continuous and forceful downpour - with the roads flooded, visibility poor, and the wind assaulting my face, body and bike with sandy salt water - is not something I can justify, both in terms of safety and in terms of its detrimental effect on equipment. Hopefully there will be better weather ahead... though the forecast remains ominous!

Surfer Dudes

One of my favorite things to do while sitting at the beach, is to watch the surfers.



I could sit for hours and hours and hours and still not grow tired of it.

I've Been Out Walking

Before I started cycling, I used to walk a lot - and I mean a lot. It's a habit I picked up during childhood and carried all through adulthood, no matter where I lived and no matter the season. Whether wandering through industrial neighbourhoods, rambling through the woods, or strolling down endless beach roads - it didn't matter, as long as I walked. I walked fast and I could walk for hours. I exhausted friends who innocently asked to join me on my excursions, after which they no longer believed me when I'd say that something was "just a short walk from here." I horrified dinner party hostesses when they - upon seeing I had not arrived in a car - asked if I'd taken a taxi, by replying "Oh no, I just walked." "But you live an hour from here and you're wearing heels!" "Yes..."



Fast forward to a couple of days ago. With some snow and ice on the roads, I had not been on the roadbike for a few days and was feeling stir crazy. I decided to take a nice walk. It was 20°F out, so I donned my new unpadded bib tights (I am determined to get all the milage I can out of those!), some layers, and set off. This was the first time I'd attempted a real walk since maybe November, but it did not even cross my mind that it would be in any way challenging. I mean, I've always walked. Walking is what I do! Plus I've been cycling like crazy so I was in good shape.




Now I used to hear about this sort of thing from cyclists, but thought it was nonsense until it happened to me. Too much cycling can make you unlearn how to walk? You have got to be kidding me. ButI kid you not. After a pathetic half hour of brisk walking my feet and legs were aching, and I could feel some weird muscles around my knees straining as I tried to take my usual long strides. Like these muscles had gotten all scrunched up now from making pedaling motions instead of walking motions. I turned back, and then for some reason decided to run the last few blocks home. Within seconds there were shooting pains in my ankles and I arrived at my door practically an invalid. Unbelievable.


From now on, I am going to make it a point to walk several times a week. The very idea that something I think of as a lifelong ability and a physical strength of mine could atrophy so quickly is astonishing. I will get my walking groove back this winter and will try not to lose it again. Cycling isn't everything.

Hats and Scarves for Cold Weather Cycling: What to Look For

This Fall I've been sick a lot, so I am using the downtime to knit. After making a couple of skirts, I moved on to a special project: hats and scarves specifically designed to resist the cold and wind while cycling.



While it may seem that any hat and scarf should be sufficient for this, last winter I discovered that this wasn't so. Store-bought knits can be a mixed bag in terms of how well they work, even if they "look" warm and cozy. So while making my own, here are some criteria I've come up with that may help as you're winter shopping.



1. Adequate coverage



This may be obvious, but a hat is most effective if it covers your ears. It should also be tight enough around the opening so that it does not slide while cycling - especially if it's windy. For me, hats that are "slouchy" are often too loose and quickly slide off my ears - or off my head entirely - when I cycle. I solved this problem by making the openings on mine extra tight, and you can watch for that factor in store-bought hats as well.



As for scarves, they can often come loose and unravel, or at least slip in a way that exposes your throat to the wind while cycling. If you have found this to be a problem, consider getting what is called a cowl neck, or a neck warmer instead. This is basically a thick, knitted turtleneck, without a sweater attached to it. You slip it on over your head and tuck the bottom under the collar of your coat. Unlike a scarf, it stays put and provides adequate coverage - even when cycling against the wind.



2. 100% wool



Assuming that you are looking for knit hats and not forsportyhigh-tech fleece, pay close attention to the material. I have been amazed to discover just how much better 100% wool is at keeping out the chill than a blend that includes even a small percentage of cotton, acrylic, or other materials. It can be convincing to see a fluffy knit hat with fair isle patterns of reindeer on it - but if it's even partly acrylic or cotton, it just won't work as well as wool.



Some might worry about wool feeling scratchy agains their heads or necks, but today it is easy to find wool with soft textures - wool that feels cotton-like or silk-like. While cashmere is nice, it is not necessary if you can't afford it. To me, peruvian alpaca has a very pleasant feel to it, and it is fairly affordable.



Even a gauze-thin wool hat can be surprisingly effective against the cold and wind while cycling. I made this one when it was still summer-ish, but it works well even in November.



2. Dense stitching



It is easier, less time consuming, and requires less wool to make a loosely-knit piece than a tightly-knit one. Chunky, loose stitching also "looks" warmer. But in actuality, it means that the knit is more porous - making it easier for the wind and the cold air to pierce right through it. If you want a hat or scarf that will really provide an impenetrable border against the frost and wind, look for one with dense stitching, and not necessarily in the chunkiest wool possible. It will be more functional.



Cycling in the cold is a special challenge for knitted hats and scarves, because they need to remain effective when you are moving against the wind at 10-20 miles per hour.I own lots of knitted accessories, but when the temperatures fell to below freezing last winter, I discovered that only a few of them truly kept me warm.Pieces that provide full coverage of the ears and throat, are 100% wool, and are densely knit, will be up for the job where others fall short.



{all hats and scarves pictured here made by me}

A quick fix for the "new" Nomic or Ergo pommels..

Petzl is now offering to fix anynew tool under warrenty. Petzl'sis adding a pin through the pommel which is a much better solution than epoxy imo. Petzl was quick to respond and offer a fix and a replacement. They are a good company to support.



This is not an authorised Petzl solution for beefing up the pommels on the new Nomic and Ergo but it is the best I can come up with and not alter the handles.



Alter the actual tool handle and you void the warranty. Which you don't want to do!



The issue is that the pommels themselves are stripping out the adjustment system and wrecking the handles.

Pommels are easy to modify and inexpensive to replace. Petzl should love what I am about to suggest as it willprotect both your investment and Petzl's at least in the short term.



Couple of cautions first from my own experience. Make sure of the size you want the grip set at. Doing what I will suggest makes them bolted and glued into placeat only onesize. You could buy extra pommels when they become available through Petzl and do the same thing but with a different hand size setting if required. And have another size grip, bigger or smaller or all three. Just takes a extra pair of pommels for each grip size you'll require.



I found that I could climb on the smallestsize settingon the first day but by the second day of climbing my hands were swollen enough that I had to go up to the medium setting as the smallest size had become just a bit too tight and slightly painful. And these weren't the first days of the season for me.



That surprised me as the new tools have slightly different settings from the original Nomics. A bit smaller and a bit bigger in the same settings it seems.



OK, the short term fix? I used an industrial strengthsteel epoxy to fill in the bottom of the slot inthe pommel.But first and the most important, if you want to maintain the warranty, is be sure to use an epoxy that can be usedwith arelease agent. I used Steel Bed from Brownell's. (http://www.brownell's.com/) A number of similar products out there but that is one I am very familiar with. It will certainly reinforce the pommels...but no idea if it will keep them in one place long term. Seriously...I doubt it. Knowing the abuse these tools take it is not the best answer but an easy fix, short term.. But not a lot of options at the moment either.

Back to the fix I used.



Be sure to give the end of the shaft a liberal layer of release agent and cover everything including the nooks and crannies. Then add just enough epoxy (a layer 3 or 4 mm thick in the bottom of the pommel cut should do) of your choice to have it pushed out the end of the pommel on either side when you bolt your pommels back on. It won't take much so don't over do it here. Make sure the pommels are in the correct position that you choose before starting. Make sure both tools are the same position! Wipe off the excess that was pressed out when you slide and then bolted the pommel down. Let the parts drythe suggested 24 or 36 hrs. The longer the cure time usually the stronger the resin-epoxy bond's strength.



I'm off for 5 days of ice climbing in the morning so we'll see just how long the "fix"lasts.





Factory shaft with umbilical attachment hole pre drilled and beveled by Pertzl. Nicely done. And the three obvious pommel adjustment notches that are failing on the right hand side of the shaft.

4mm cord easily fits into the factoryumbilical hole if you want a lower profile umbilical attachment.

Cord and pommel in place at the medium setting..but not bolted down yet. It had better be right when you put this all together because you won't be moving it again other than to replace it after you have added the epoxy bedding material.

Easy to see here the tiny bit of pommel I groundoff to fit an umbilical clip cord if that is something you want to do while you are working on the shaft. The new pommels are aneasily replaceable part and inexpensive.



In the pictures below I am holding the pommel so you can look down into the shaft's slot and see the single steel engagement tooth. I laid a thick layer of Steel Bed Epoxy into that slot which covered the single steel "tooth." Putting your chosen bedding compound-epoxy here will help prevent the shaft end of the tool from being strippedout by excess movement of the pommel in hard use. The idea is to reinforce the steel notch pin in the pommel by addingsome support with the steel based epoxy in the other adjustment slots.



If you want to run umbilicals Petzl has made that easy now by the hole in the shaft able to take4mm or 5mm cord. Easy to grind off the back end of the pommels and thankfully not change the feel on the grip. 4 or 5mm cord will generally be about the same strength as the commercial umbilicals like Grivel's and BD's.

After the Heat Wave

With July's heat wave becoming a memory, we look forward to cooler temps on the upper mountain. Freezing levels have dropped back down to ~12,000 feet. Check out the Route Conditions on your intended climb for updated reports.

It is that time of the year...

It is indeed that time of the year. I was hoping for some rebate luck but looks like this year will be a dry one with no change, but maybe I am wrong with my math. We will see. My suspicions are there's more blue envelopes coming down to visit my mailbox.

This year the Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Department) is penalizing tax payers who do not file their taxes on time. I am cramming!

We pay incredible high taxes in this country, with 4 tariff brackets depending on income: 33.45% (only if you are earning below 18K euros a year), then the normal brackets starting at 41.95%, and then 42%, and finally, the highest income tax bracket, 52%. Yep, we pay 52% tax.

Plus more taxes if you decide to spend less and save more. With the new tax return the government wants the account number/s of your bank/s and the corresponding moolah in it, beginning of year and end of year. Tsk, tsk, tsk...

I just hope my tax would be put to good use by the government. Or maybe that is a joke.