Rando Bikes in Use: Boston Edition

When I post pictures of bicycles belonging to cyclists I know, I often receive surprised comments from readers in other parts of the country: How representative are these bikes of what the locals are really riding? The lugs, the refurbished vintage frames, the custom builders, the handlebar bags, the leather saddles... My posts imply that these are typical, yet they are far from the norm today. One sentiment in particular has been repeated and it stuck on my mind: "At real randonneuring events, everyone is riding carbon fiber." That may very well be true, I thought - having never been to a sanctioned randonneuring event.






However that has now changed, as I've just returned from working support at aNew England Randonneurs 600K brevet. More on that after I get some sleep, but for now I present to you a tally of the bikes that were ridden in the event. Among the 11 machines at the start, there were: two Rivendells, a Rawland, a refurbished vintage Mercier, a Bianchi Volpe, a titanium Seven, a titanium Lynskey, a luggged carbon fiber Colonago, a carbon fiber Trek, and 2 carbon fiber Specialized.






All of the bicycles present sported dynamo lighting, usually supplemented with additional battery lights.






About half of the bicycles were equipped with some sort of handlebar bag, including several of the classic randonneuring varitety, supported by front racks.






Full coverage fenders, classic saddlebags and leather saddles were also well represented.






The aesthetic highlight for me was the elegant black bike with a "Jean-Pierre Danguillaume" decal - made in the 1970s by Mercier (a French manufacturer not to be confused with the English Mercian).






As I understand it, the bike belonged to the rider's father and sat dormant for decades until he - the son - refurbished it to use as a brevet bike.





It is now fitted with modern components, lightweight racks, dynamo lighting and a handlebar bag. The owner also managed to wrangle in wide fenders and tires - an admirable accomplishment, if you have a look at the clearances.






The double top tube Rivendell Homer Hilsen was probably the most unexpected bike there for me. While Rivendell did not invent the "2TT" concept (heavy-duty Dutch bikes and Roadsters are often built with double top tubes), it is surprising to see this construction on a roadbike.






The second Rivendell present was an older Rambouillet model that happened to be exactly my size.






The more I examined this bike, the more I liked it: Great proportions, roadish geometry, 26" wheels. No toe overlap, even with wide tires and fenders, and fairly lightweight. I wish they hadn't discontinued this model.





I had not seen a Lynskey bicycle in person before, so that was interesting.






Though titanium, it looks distinctly different from the Sevens I am used to seeing around here. This bike sported a minimalist randonneur setup: small handlebar bag, saddle wedge, dynamo lights, no fenders.





The carbon fiber bikes employed a similar strategy.







Other bicycles were decidedly less minimalist. The Rawland was the only one of the bunch I had seen before, and the owner typically has it equipped ready for anything.




Overall, what I saw on the 600K brevet reflected the types of bicycles I generally encounter when out riding around Greater Boston. While minimalist carbon fiber is common, equally common around these parts are classic steel bicycles set up with traditional racks and bags. If I had to say what the randonneuring bikes had in common, it's that - regardless of their weight, accessories, and style of construction - they were all modified in some unusual way by their owners; they were all just a tad more eccentric than your typical roadbike. When I mentioned this to one of the randonneurs over the weekend, he nodded approvingly - expertly stuffing a turkey and Nutella sandwich into the pocket of his handlebar bag: "Riding with these crazies will do that to you!"



So, what is it like where you live? I am sure there are regional differences in what kind of bicycles dominate these types of events. You might also be interested in this 2007 survey of the bicycles ridden in Paris-Brest-Paris.

Emancipated But Still Vote Free Here in DC

It's Emancipation Day here in the District of Columbia which is sometimes called " the capital of the free world." In reality our fair city is a bizarre little fiefdom where the denizens are still denied the right to vote basically because Republicans fear that one more Democratic voice will tip the world into the abyss. DC Vote is working to change that. Check it out.

New Kids on the City Block

It is always exciting when a new bicycle company appears on the market, and so it was doubly so when two new brands of city bikes were introduced at Interbike this year: the Toronto-based Simcoe and the Detroit-based Shinola.





The Shinola display greeted visitors as they entered the front hall of the show. Above the yellow French-inspired city bike were the intriguing words "built in Detroit." Walking past the display several times, I listened to attendees debate whether this claim could be true. After all, many bicycle manufacturers state that a bike is "built" locally, when what they really mean is assembled. If it were true, however, wouldn't it be wonderful and ironic to bring domestic bike production to a city known for the former glory of its automotive industry. That was the gist of the buzz.






Later I spotted a company representative and spoke to them about the bikes. Some may recognise the Shinola name as a brand of shoe polish from the early 20th century. Recently, the name was resurrected and turned into a lifestyle brand that plans to sell not only bicycles, but also watches, leather goods and notebooks - all made in the US.






In the bike industry that kind of approach does raise some eyebrows. Can a manufacturer be serious about bicycles if it is not their sole focus? Then again, there are those brands that start with bicycles, then expand into bags, clothing and other items. In that sense, the main difference in Shinola's approach is that they intend to do this from the start.





As for the bicycles themselves, yes the frames will indeed be handbuilt in Detroit. As I understand it, the initial prototypes were built by Ira Ryan and Tony Pereirain Portland, OR, but production models will be made by Waterford. Prototypes of the first bikes - the diamond and step-through Bixby - were on display at Interbike.






There are some handsome details on these steel frames, most notably the biplane fork crown.






Points of entry for the brake and shifter cables are subtly incorporated into the frame design.





The copper headbadge is embossed with the bicycle model name.







One benefit to the company being involved in the production of other products, is its ability to outfit the bikes with its own accessories - such as these Shinola leather grips.






To create the Bixby, Shinola recruited designer Sky Yaeger - who has previously worked at Bianchi and Swobo and is credited for bicycle models familiar to many. Reading that she was responsible for the Bianchi Milano design, I realised that the curves of the Bixby remind me of that aesthetic. I wonder how they will handle racks and lighting once the bicycles go into production.








While I can't speak for the ride quality, the finish and components of the Shinolo Bixby bicycles are of a higher caliber than what one will see on a typical city bike in stores today. This, combined with the Detroit-built frames, will make for a high retail price. It remains to be seen whether customers will appreciate the bicycles enough to pay it.






At the other end of the spectrum, Simcoe's focus is on classic, affordable city bikes. It is the new house brand of the Canadian bicycle distributor Forth Floor. North American retailers have been familiar with Forth Floor for years, as they've been responsible for importing a variety of European city bike brands, including the latest brand to hit North America - Bobbin. The high demand for Bobbin's looks/quality/affordability ratio is in part what inspired them to start their own project. As a distributor, Forth Floor has gained a reputation for being knowledgable, reliable and easy to work with - which makes many optimistic about the success of their manufacturing practice.






The introductory line of Simcoe bicycles is uncomplicated: traditional diamond and step-through frames made in Taiwan, equipped with swept-back handlebars, fenders, rear racks, chainguards and a choice of 3 or 8 speed gearing options.






Like the Shinolo frames, Simcoe's are welded, but the forks feature attractive double-plated crowns. It is no secret that I love these crowns; I am pleased to see them become a trend again.






The models will be available in a small range of colours, both bright and subdued.






The slate gray step-through is probably my favourite.






Complementing Simcoe's new line of bikes, Beacon is developing some basic accessories - most notably these fits-all-racks panniers.






"Through this ride, freedom..."






These are all simple, been-done-before ideas; nothing radical or new. But retailers are paying attention, because frankly there is demand for more bikes of this category without the hassles and the markups that come with importing from Europe.






Interacting with the fellows at Forth Floor is a pleasure as usual. I learned that Donny (on the left) has recently taken a framebuilding course with Mike Flanigan and made himself a nice touring frame.






Steve is working on a side project making tiny, affordable LED bike lights (Beacon Bike Lights) that can be zip tied to any part of the bike.






The guys are, first and foremost, cyclists. They love bicycles, all kinds of bicycles, and they communicate a sense of commitment to being in the industry for the long haul.






How that will translate into the quality, appeal and sustainability of the Simcoe brand remains to be seen, but retailers seem cautiously optimistic.




Both Simcoe and Shinola represent the North American market increasingly embracing transportation cycling and seeking to establish itself as independent from European culture and European bikes. These brands will be welcome additions to Linus, Public, Urbana, Handsome Cycles, Heritage Bicycles, Brooklyn Cruiser and other American-based companies with a focus on city bikes. I will share information on pricepoints once the figures are available, and will hopefully get a chance to test ride both bikes.

The Black Diamond Crampon report

"A piece of climbing gear you don't trust 100% is probably best retired or simply destroyed. eBay is not a good answer here."




Dane Burns @ Cold Thistle







The full BD report is well worth the effort and the read imo.

QC LAB: Gear Doesn’t Last Forever – CRAMPONS




http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/journal/climb/all/qc-lab-gear-doesnt-last-forever--crampons

Bottom line from Black Diamond

• Vertically oriented front points are best for climbing water ice and/or heavy climbers, and tend to do better in cyclic fatigue.
• Horizontal front points are best used for the alpine.
• Flexible center bars can increase the lifespan of your crampons, but at a cost of performance.
• Boots aren’t as rigid as they used to be and break down/wear in quicker.
• Use flexible center bars with truly non-rigid boots.
• Gear doesn’t last forever.




My take from the report is there is still a lot of guess work as to what is really reliable and what is not for boot and crampon combos at BD. I tend to want my own gear to be 100% reliable without having to second guess every little decision. And I'd like to enjoy what I consider the highest performance currently available from both boot and crampon. That combo for my own needs would seem to be labeled as "unreliable" by BD. Anecdotal evidence would seem to back up that conclusion.







A crampon and boot combination I really like on steep water ice. But not a combo either I or BD recommends.






While I don't agree with every conclusion or all the numbers as they have been presented I think the newest BD report does go a long ways in telling us how Black Diamond has decided to answer the problems they have experienced with stainless crampons. Any answer is a good answer imo when it comes to climbing gear.




From BD's own data:

Sabre Pro SS
Average Cycles to failure: 12,312 +/- 3,047

Sabre Pro CrMo
Average Cycles to failure: 15,079 +/- 2454

In summary, the CrMo fails after completing 23% more cycles than the SS.













A rather esoteric boot here in North America, the Scarpa Phantom Ultra.





Previuous masthead photo...dbl click for full effect



Because of this year long discussion, my current crampon choice, with a rigid center bar and this boot is obvious in the masthead photo and below, Petzl Dartwins. While not perfect imo they and the Dart have no significant history of failure that I know of with any boot combo.















" Flexible center bars can increase the lifespan of your crampons, but at a cost of performance" BD QC

Leavenworth Ice ..

Jennifer was supposed to work Christmas and Christmas Eve, so I was trying to find something to do. I successfully wrangled Ryan and Dylan to be followers and climb an ice line up Icicle Canyon. I was hoping that the recent warm weather didn't destroy it, and we would be rewarded with an early Christmas present to ourselves.

We took a casual start and arrived in Leavenworth around 10am. The beauty of this route is the "ten minute" approach. So we readied ourselves at the car and hiked into the woods. The route was easy to find having done the trail to Condor Buttress earlier this year.

The route in Spring

Within ten minutes of hiking we were at the first step of the route. Since it was a bit steep, we opted to hike past it and start at the second step. So we roped up and started with the second step. The second step had an easier line on the right, and a steeper line on the left. Since it was the first lead of the day, and I wasn't sure how strong the ice was, we kept to the right side. After the step there was quite a bit of flat stream so I set a belay and brought Dylan up who then brought Ryan up. We unroped and hiked up the stream bed a distance before reaching the next step. While this step was a solid WI2, it was short and we decided to solo it as we knew there was more hiking above it.

While the climbing so far was generally easy, the ice conditions were quite variable. As I suspected, the wet warm trend from earlier in the week left the ice poorly bonded to the rock in some areas. A section of the first step had a hollow 3' square area surrounded by well bonded ice. This next step that also had areas of poor ice as well, but fortunately I used the pick holes from a soloist (who had passed us) so as not to damage the ice further when I went up.

Some more hiking through a now brushy and less open creek bed got us to the next step. This is where the real climbing starts. From the base of this next step, I thought I could make it to the base of the final step in one rope length. But once at the top of this step, there was a little more distance before another penultimate step. So I led to the base of that step and brought the guys up. I then led out on the penultimate step which was really fun. There was a bit of snow on the ice and there were some hollow sections, but I was able to sink screws in it fairly well including a 19 cm screw. Once at the top of that step I was in the basin below the final step and proceeded to the ice to build an anchor. Unfortunately, the ice on the final step was thin and I couldn't sink screws well. (I was out of shorties.) I had to use 21cm screws not fully sunk as the anchor.

I brought Ryan up and he belayed Dylan up. We discussed the final pitch when we were met with another soloist. We chatted with him a bit. (Turns out the other soloist was his buddy.) And then we let him go ahead of us. The left side of the final step starts with about 12' of 85° ice. It has been climbed as it had pick marks. The right side had also been climbed usually on the far right. I decided to take something right up the middle where I knew there would be pro (wrong) and it was a bit steeper than the right side.

I started up heading toward an icy rib that looked like it offered good protection. Unfortunately, it would not take a screw all the way and I had to tie it off. The stance also was not great for placing the screw and I really worked my calves while placing it. Just past the screw the ice was tympanic and did not feel comfortable, but this passed. A little further up and I found a rest stance, so I placed another screw in shallow ice. My calves were really getting worked and I decided instead of heading a bit to my left for a short step, that it was time to head straight for the top. I worked quickly and methodically through the final bit of the pitch and was on flat ground heading for a large Ponderosa. Once there, I made it my anchor and brought Dylan up. He belayed Ryan up while I sought out the descent or a possible continuation.

Most parties stop where we did and descend. This is the option we choose after the bits of ice above our location didn't seem to offer any great climbing (that we could do.) So we headed down, following the trail of footprints in the snow. Most of the descent was fine to do in bare boots, but there were a few icy sections that would have been nice to do in crampons. Not sure it would have benefited to leave them on the whole descent, but Ryan did and he didn't complain.

This was fun route, but the climbing really starts farther up and the first few steps are warm ups. Due to the short approach and the length of the non technical portions, it is an easy day trip. (Car to car for us was around six hours.) The ice wasn't in the best condition, and was hacked out in a few places as well. (Very different from how we found The Goatee.) The climbing on the upper three pitches was great, and I'd go back to do this again.

My pics are here.
(Dylan took pics, but I haven't seen them.)

Cascading Creek

Cascading Creek, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Another creek shot from last weekend in Las Trampas.

Right now California is being pounded by yet another strong rainstorm, and this one has dropped a few inches of rain in places. As the storm heads inland tomorrow, it will leave behind showery weather for what appears to be the remainder of the week.

All the while, the rain has caused the wildflowers to start growing and budding with high intensity, as evidenced by the poppies coming up all over the hillsides. On a recent hike, you could see that the poppies had flower buds...yes!

In Case You Were Wondering...

Yes, I did find someplace cooler! When last I left you, I was sweltering in 100 degree temperatures, along with much of the Midwest and the East Coast! Thursday morning (July 21st) I continued driving through Toledo and on into “Pure Michigan” northward. At Standish (north of the “thumb”) I followed U.S. 23 along the coast of Lake Huron. It was a very nice tree-lined drive with little traffic, but views of the lake were few and far-between. Of course, I could have stopped at one of the many public access areas but the temperature was still near 100 degrees and I was quite comfortable in my air conditioned van!



The temperature did drop the further north I drove but still in the 90s. Oddly enough it wasn't until I turned inland a ways that the temperature dropped into the upper 80s. I spent the night at very pleasant State Park at Onaway on the shores of Black Lake near the upper tip of the Lower Peninsula. The temperature actually got into the 70s overnight. Upper 70s but 70s nevertheless!



It seems that every campground has a different atmosphere to it. Some have open campsites with little privacy but the people seem friendlier there than at the campgrounds where the sites are more secluded. Some, by their very nature – such as those on or near lakes - tend to be noisier than others. It was tempting to spend a few days at Onaway but it was a busy place with lots of kids and dogs and was very noisy.



So on Friday morning I went in search of a more quiet, secluded place where I could simply relax and perhaps work on the research papers I had accumulated while in Ohio...



No, it's not Michigan! But thought I'd share this, which was taken about six weeks ago in the Rocky Mountains. Perhaps it will make someone feel a little cooler during this heat wave ;-)

Highway Sights

These are sights seen going down the highway on the way home after being on Mt. Tayler for the day. Some are blurry as they were taken from the pickup truck window as we were going about 70 mph. Some of the lava rock beds that are near the highway. Good for another days outing. Again there were lots of big trucks on the road. There was a cute little church on a hill of a village that I would really like to check out some day. The Sandia mountains hiding Albuquerque as we came in from the west. And last a truck that said England on it. Was it lost? If so it was a long ways from the country. An ocean away.