Venetian Lagoon Island: Lunch in Burano

We had lunch in Burano Island in a restaurant called, Bar Sport. A very interesting name for a restaurant I reckon. We sat outside of course.



Blondine had Pasta al Frutti di Mari while my lunch was typically Italian vegetarian--grilled vegies: peppers, aubergine and courgette, and green rucola and tomato salad on the side as well which we shared a bit. I love vegies, I can eat them every day.



The restaurant was quite busy, it was prime time lunch that they forgot to serve my grilled vegies on time. So I had to ask them about it and I had to WAIT longer. Good thing that I ordered a green salad so I started my lunch with it.



The prices were fairly decent though compared to Venice (obviously because this is in the islands, it is outside Venice) but Blondine was less pleased with her pasta. However, she only has great praises for the desserts. She ate mine as well as I cannot stand the sweetness!



So the verdict. 3.5 stars out of 5. Except for the desserts, I think Blondine will rate them 5 stars.



Beside the restaurant we found this cute cat sitting on the window sill. We tried to harass the cat but she was in her own world.



Our trip to Burano was lovely. We loved every minute of it. The charming and brightly coloured houses are one of a kind. They are so un-Venetian.

Gunks Routes: Gaston (5.8-)

(Photo: Past the pro-less start on Gaston (5.8-).)




Maryana and I were looking for something new to do on a beautiful Saturday in April, and it seemed like if we wanted something out of the ordinaryour timing couldn't be better, since we might not have any choice in the matter.We arrived at the West Trapps lot in the morning to find it was already nearly full, even though the temperature was still in the low 40's.As we walked down the carriage road it seemed like all theusual suspect climbswere occupied. It was the perfectoccasion for usto jump on something unpopular, something obscure.




When wepassed the connector trail I looked up at the cliff and saw theexpected sights. Climbers were on Arch (5.5). Climbers were on Strictly From Nowhere (5.7). But as usual no one was on the no-star climbs nearby: Calisthenic (5.7), Gorilla My Dreams (5.7), or Gaston (5.8-). And no one was on Splashtic (5.10a), a climb which gets a star from Dick Williams but which seems always unoccupied because the first pitch is 5.10 and the second is 5.9 R.




I was intrigued by Splashtic, because it seemed from the description that the crux is really one move, early in the first pitch. Looking it over on Saturday, I thought it looked doable and protectable. Maybe this was a good 5.10 candidate for me? I wasn't interested in the R-rated second pitch (although it sure looks exciting...) but I figured we coulddescend from the threaded anchor atop pitch one or continue with the upper pitches of another climb.




I was also interested in Gaston, because it has a reputation for being underappreciated and somewhat tricky for its 5.8- grade. I'd heard the upper pitches, which are just 5.5, were also good.




Maryana thought Gaston was a better choice for a warm-up than Splashtic so we were set.




Dick's guidebook describes the first pitch as going up a ramp and then moving right past a bulge. Then thin climbing left past two pins was supposed to be the crux.




For me the crux of pitch one was the lack of pro low on the pitch. There is nothing for at least fifteen feet or more. I went up the easy ramp and then expected to find something. But I didn't.




Then another move up and left onto a ledge. Still pretty easy climbing, but I was still lookingin vain forsome placements.




Finally I found gear, but it was to the left of the route. Theclimbingclearly went to the right through the bulge. I had two pieces but they were off-line.




After trying out a couple of different approaches I committed to the surprisingly thin holds and got through the bulge.




Then I think I got another piece, something micro, before moving up and left to an angle piton. (Dick mentions two pins but I guess one has since disappeared.) I don't remember these supposed crux face movesas tricky. There was nothing as thin as the move at the bolt on Wonderland (5.8-), for instance. All I really rememberwas wishingI had more confidence in the gear.But once I clipped the pin it seemed everything would be okay. The rest of the way I felt both the climbing and the gear were casual enough.




At the end ofthe pitchI felt like in retrospect there was JUST enough pro. And the climbing was nice; it was clean andinteresting. Maryana pointed out that I'd missed the key placement. There is a place right below the bulge where a runner could be threaded. You can see it in the above photo over to the right of where I have a sling connected to the blue rope. I had pro at the same height but off to the left. It would have been better-- I would have felt better-- if I'd found this placement.









(Photo: Maryana at the final overhangs on the 5.5 pitch two of Gaston.)




The next surprise on Gaston was that the threaded anchor atop pitch one was gone. I built a gear anchor and brought Maryana up. We had been thinking we'd rap after pitch one and go do something else, but nowwe wereforced to do at least one more pitch.




Maryana led pitch two and itturned out to bevery nice. We both enjoyed it. While pitch one features interesting face climbing, pitch two is moretypical Gunks terrain, with good features in a huge corner systemand plentiful horizontals, leading up and left to some final overhangs with jugs.




One we reached the GT Ledge we had an easy walk over to the bolted rappel route to our left. But I thought it was a waste not to finish the climb. We'd come this far. Would we ever bother to come to this spot again? Might as well do pitch three. It looked like a short romp up to a roof. Why not do it?









(Photo: Most of the way through the 5.5 pitch three of Gaston.)




I led the pitch in about five minutes. I'm glad we did it. It reminds me of the top pitch of Minty. It is a little harder and the move out to the roof is a bit more exposed. But it is very similar, featuring a nice corner and then another juggy overhang. Good fun.




I think Gaston is definitely underrated at no stars. It has a lot of quality climbing. Each pitch is worthwhile. The rock is good. It is clean. It should have at least a star. I think if the two 5.5 pitches were not guarded by the tricky pitch one this climb would beextremelypopular with new leaders.




As it is it should be more popular with moderate leadersof all levels of experience.

Pashley, Speed, Hipster Bag

In my review of the Pashley Princess, I mentioned weight and lack of "agility" as counterpoints to her positive features. One thing I did not discuss was speed. Many assume that heavy "Dutch"-style bicycles cannot go fast and are not appropriate for long distance travel. I assumed this myself, and initially did not take Eustacia on super-long trail rides the way I did my roadbike Marianne.

But when put to the test, Eustacia came through with flying colours. We took the Pashleys on the Minuteman Trail, where we had previously only gone on our roadbikes. Pashleys are fast if you only give them a chance! They are slow to accelerate, but once they get going, they pick up speed better than I ever imagined, and roll oh so smoothly while doing it. We were absolutely flying on these bikes, and to our amazement, we made about the same time as on the roadbikes. I attribute this to the fact that going fast on the roadbike feels scary and dangerous, so I tend to self-regulate my speed, especially limiting it on downhills. The Princess, however, feels safe and stable even going downhill at 30mph, so I don't feel the need to slow down.

Gaining a better understanding of the gearing has also helped tremendously. And of course, a broken-in saddle plays a big role in comfort level (I know that Sigrid of My Hyggelig has reported pain from the rivets in her Pashley's saddle when riding long distance, but I have not had this problem). I am very happy with how this bicycle handles speed and distance, and have no hesitation taking Eustacia on half-day trail rides - basket and all. Longer rides than that I have not tried yet on any of my bikes.

The bag I am wearing... After Anna's post on Cyling is Good for You, I broke down and bought a Chrome for carrying my laptop. Given their hipster status, I think it's pretty funny to wear one of these bags while riding a heavy steel lady's bicycle with a coasterbrake. But I just don't feel comfortable keeping my laptop in a pannier and the Chrome provides the best support and the safest closure of all the bags I've tried. The one I bought is the Mini Metro, all-black. It fits my 15" MacBook Pro and anything else I might want to carry in it for the day. I am thinking of covering up the logo and maybe personalising it a bit.

Choosing Your Gospel: Rivendell vs Bicycle Quarterly

For those who are interested in classic touring bicycles that combine speed, maneuverability and comfort, we live in interesting times. Such bicycles have gained in popularity over the past several years, with many custom framebuilders and manufacturers introducing touring models into their line-ups. And while trends like this are not easy to trace, I think it is fair to say that Grant Petersen of Rivendell and Jan Heine of Bicycle Quarterly deserve a great deal of the credit. Rivendell is a small bicycle manufacturer witha distinct philosophy, which they promote with a tireless output of literature. The Bicycle Quarterly (review here) is a niche cycling magazine, with a focus on classic bicycles in the French randonneur tradition.



To the untrained eye, the type of bicycle promoted by these two camps may seem similar, if not identical: lugged steel frames, wide tires, fenders, racks, classic luggage, leather saddles. But in fact, there are major differences as far as geometry and historical lineage go, and these differences have been inspiring impassioned debates among bicycle connoisseurs for years.



[image via stronglight]

When it comes to frame geometry, Rivendell's emphasis is on relaxed angles and clearance for wide tires.Theresulting bicycles are fast, stable, comfortable, and have excellent off-road capacity. The bicyclechampioned by Bicycle Quarterly is rather more specific. Jan Heine believes that bicycles made in the French randonneur tradition - which had reached its height in the 1940s and 50s before its recent resurrection - offer an unrivaled combination of speed and comfort. These bicycles are aggressive and maneuverable, yet cushy and easy to control. They are super light, yet designed to carry a great deal of weight. The main difference from Rivendell structurally, is that such bicycles have what is known as "low trail geometry" while Rivendell bicycles have "mid trail geometry." The difference cannot be easily summed up here, but suffice to say that this factor controls the bicycle's responsiveness, and that mid trail is considered classic whereas low trail is more exotic - not often seen outside the early French tradition. In addition, Jan Heine insists on wide 650B tires, lack of toe overlap, and integrated features such as racks and dynamo lighting. Grant Petersen does not place as much emphasis on 650B tires per se, considers toe overlap to be a non-issue, and does not take lighting into consideration when designing frames.



If these differences seem too subtle for those not familiar with frame design, let me rephrase it like this: The bikes may look similar, but they are built differently and ride differently, and there is some debate about which is "better."



[image via protorio]

As a reader of both Rivendell literature and Bicycle Quarterly, I am equally convinced by Petersen and Heine; both arguments make sense while I'm reading them. But they can't both be right, because some of their views are in direct opposition!



Since I own a Rivendell and have now ridden close to 2,000 miles on it, it would be fantastic to try a classic randonneur with low trail and 650B wheels for comparison. The problem is that these bicycles are extremely rare. To try one, I would need to either find a vintage Rene Herse or Alex Singer in my size to test ride - which is next to impossible, as they are not exactly the kind of bike a neighbour would have lying around in their garage, or commission a new one custom built just for me by the handful of framebuilders who specialise in them, or find someone who has commissioned such a bike, is the same size as me, and would be willing to lend it to me for a test ride. As neither option is realistic, my interest in classic randonneurs seems destined to remain hypothetical. Has anybody out there actually tried both a Rivendell and a traditionalrandonneur?

Netted Dress Guards

I love the look of netted dress guards, so while I am in the EU, I decided to stock up. Here are some lovely options from reliable online sellers:

[ Kleiderschutz; fits 26 und 28" tires; 5.95 €; image from fahrradsaturn.com]

The model above is the one I bought for myself. I think I will install it on my Pashley Princess instead of the one it comes with standard-issue. The prices are not typos; these dress guards really are available for under 10 Euros! Many of the sellers allow payment via paypal and some will ship to North America.


[ Kleiderschutz; fits 26 und 28" tires; 4.99 €; image from fahrrad-bike-shop.de]

One nice thing about the netted dressguards, is that they go with bicycles of any colour and they break up the space in an interesting way. I would love to find a truly gorgeous filigree-style set of dress guards, with a paisley or fleur de lis pattern, but have not seen one so far.


[ Kleiderschutz; fits 26" and 28" tires; 9.95 €; image from radhaus.de]

To give you an idea what a netted dress guard looks like on a bicycle, I include an image of the stunning Skeppshult "Ladies Nature" in Vanilla:

[Skeppshult bicycle, Sweden ; image from skeppshultbikes.com]

Bleak Prognosis for the Dutch Bicycle?

While I can't say I did not see it coming, it was nonetheless a surprise to spot one of the latest offerings from Trek at Interbike.

Meet the TrekCocoa: a "Dutch-inspired" 3-speed. Loop frame, chaincase, dressguards, vintage-style graphics and even - believe it or not, some lugwork (despite the allegedly aluminum frame?).



Here is an Interbike anecdote for you: Upon seeing Trek's Dutch bike, I naturally wanted to examine it carefully: to feel the weight, to move it to a location that would make it easier to photograph, maybe even to test ride it. But the bike was locked up to a display stand, so I asked a representative in the booth about it. He looked confused, as if I'd brought him some weird bike he'd never seen before and wants nothing to do with. "I don't really know anything about this," he said, "but let me see if I can get someone who does." I waited, but no one came, and so I ended up photographing it as it was, then moving on. It made me imagine that perhaps there were these warring fractions at Trek, with one adamant on designing European-inspired city bikes and the other disgusted by the idea and insisting that all resources be focused on Madones. Who knows what goes on behind the scenes over there, but the bottom line is that a Trek Dutch bike now exists.



If you are waiting for me to tear this bicycle apart, I will have to disappoint you. While I have not test-ridden it, visually and structurally it is not bad. The frame is partially lugged and the welded bits are not as horrendous as on other bikes I've seen. Though the frame size is smaller than typical for a Dutch bike and the wheels are 26", the proportions - from the thickness of the tubing to the curve of the looped top tube - come across as convincing. The graphics are attractive. There is no lighting, but perhaps they will add that as an option once the bike goes into production.



While the Cocoa is not an authentic classic Dutch bicycle as far as geometry goes, it is much nicer than I what I'd expected Trek to produce in this genre - especially after their take on the French mixte. I look forward to a test ride in .



At this point you may be wondering about the bleak title of this post. Well, in order to explain it, I ask you first to have a good look at the above photo. Then turn your attention to the photo below:



Do you see much of a difference? Because you are now looking at the latest model from the Dutch bike manufacturer Gazelle - namely, at a rather crudely welded unicrown fork. Seeing this at Interbike, it made complete sense as the finishing touch after a number of other changes Gazelle has undergone over the past few years, such as switching to welded chainstays and loop connector. Given that Batavus underwent the same changes a few years earlier, it seems that what used to be known as the two major Dutch bicycle manufacturers are essentially no longer differentiated from bikes mass-produced in Chinese factories by the likes of Trek and Republic - which is not surprising, because as of several years ago they are being produced in the same Chinese factories. While I am sure the geometry is different - at least for now - I see less and less of a distinction in construction and quality between the big name Dutch bikes and their imitators.



All this is to say, that the idea of the Dutch bike as it was first introduced to the North American market - as a timeless design, lovingly hand-made by specialists who'd been producing it in the exact same way for generations - is quickly becoming a marketing myth. The only manufacturer I can think of who still makes Dutch bikes entirely in that manner is Achielle, and they are based in Belgium. Correct me if I am wrong, reassure me, give me examples - I am open to it. But having seen the latest offerings at Interbike, I can hardly feel optimistic. If the likes of the Trek Cocoa ride decently, I don't really see a reason why an American consumer would want the more expensive Gazelle - the difference in quality is rapidly disappearing.

Another Sunday Drive

We had a nice, lazy weekend and except for Nathan working on taxes we didn't have any pressing matters to attend to. So once he was done with his taxes we took a Sunday drive.