Fall Roses

Middle Falls of the Pigeon River

Today I hiked to Middle Falls of the Pigeon River in Grand Portage State Park. The state park is also where I work for my 'day job'. The Middle Falls Trail is a rugged, almost 5 mile round-trip hike. It covers a variety of terrain, since the trail goes up and over a tall ridge. There are fantastic overlooks of Lake Superior and the Pigeon River valley from the top of the ridge, which is roughly halfway along the trail to the falls. When you arrive at Middle Falls there are several views downstream, upstream and right at the falls. This photo was taken while standing right at the top edge of the falls looking upstream. It is not a very big waterfall, but the river is quite wide here and combined with the rapids that precede the falls it is a very beautiful stretch of river. The Pigeon River is the border between the U.S. and Canada in this area, so the opposite bank of the river seen in this photo is actually in Canada :-)

My favorite billboard

The devil sign is near Montgomery on I-65 north.

Just in case you didn't get the message:



Go to church or the Devil will get you!

We belong to anti-billboard Scenic Alabama, but I think this is one advertisement that everyone can appreciate.

The original sign was even more devilish. Satan was a more dynamic figure, hovering sinisterly, attached only by his scythe. Seemingly more prepared to leap and reap.

The earlier sign was damaged in a storm, I believe. You can see a picture of it here. There's also an audio story at that link -- Scott Simon speaking to the landowner, Mr. Newell, when he temporarily changed the sign during the last governor's race.

Lance again?

Here is a link to the complete USADA

report on Lance Armstrong.



http://d3epuodzu3wuis.cloudfront.net/ReasonedDecision.pdf



The referenced George Hincapie signed affadavit can be found here:



http://d3epuodzu3wuis.cloudfront.net/Hincapie%2c+George+Affidavit.pdf



I was likely the last to believe it but there should be no doubt LA doped now.

Lake Alexandrina path

Very short - probably four to five miles in all.

This lake doesn't have the turquoise colour of Tekapo or Pukaki

Growing wild

a path with a view

Harry walked from LakeMcGregor to the southern end of Alexandrina. I walked most of the way then back to pick up the car and collect him from the (unsealed gravel) road from the camping area.

here we had a picnic

We saw Southern crested grebes doing a courtship dance, plus mallards, coot and black swans. Canada geese as well, of course. These guys are everywhere!

Mt. Si

Mt. Si is the big hill, with the rocky top, right behind North Bend. For the most part, it is a hike on a dirt trail in the shade of tall evergreens. There is an inviting feature at the top called the Haystack. It consists of a few hundred feet of easy rock scrambling. It is fun to weave your own route to the top. For some reason it seems steeper on the way down.

The clouds rolled in as we reached the top. Pictured are: Dennis, Sabrina, Dave, Cody, Doug, Bethany, Danielle and Jim.

The Gardens of The French Laundry

These are some of the vegetable gardens in which The French Laundry (the 4th best restaurant in the world) grows produce.

Bike ride to Fineshade and Kings Cliffe

With Harry. Hot day. A few hills. loads of butterflies. Just under 18 miles.






Fab field of wild flowers just outside Gretton. Then downhill to Harringworth, up to Wakerley, down to the A43, across and down then up to Fineshade Woods. Quick stop for a drink, then we rode through the woods with a pause-papillons. No photos, mind, they hardly stopped fluttering.




Down to the edge of Kings Cliffe, past Blatherwick Lake, turn off to Laxton, cross A43 again. Through Laxton, downhill to Harringworth, then the long slow hill back into Gretton.



Had to go back later and take some more pics.

Padre Island :: Sunset

Another one of my favorite places in Texas – Padre Island National Seashore. Photo taken December 13, .. - a delightful 75 degrees! Oh, yeah....



But things are not always what they seem. Apparently the “Red Tide” had invaded the Gulf waters. According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife website it “is a naturally-occurring, higher-than-normal concentration of the microscopic algae Karenia brevis. This organism produces a toxin that affects the central nervous system of fish so that they are paralyzed and cannot breathe. As a result, red tide blooms often result in dead fish washing up on Gulf beaches. When red tide algae reproduce in dense concentrations or "blooms," they are visible as discolored patches of ocean water, often reddish in color.”



I didn't see the Red Tide, but I did see the results.... Along the upper edge where the tide reaches its highest level, the beach was lined with dead fish. Trust me. It was not a pretty site. And the smell? Well, lets just say that it left something to be desired. It really wasn't too bad once you got past the line of dead fish – which included several varieties of Jelly Fish.



According to a pamphlet handed out at the entrance station, Red tide can cause problems with breathing, coughing, sneezing, and teary eyes – especially with windy weather conditions and rough surf – the exact conditions when I arrived and spent a couple hours walking along the beach!



That night I developed a cough and was sneezing quite a bit. I hadn't yet read the pamphlet so just thought it was the cool, damp night air. But it continued to get worse the next day and when I read the material provided at the entrance station I realized what it was. When I left for several hours and went into Corpus Christi, the symptoms abated somewhat. I had already paid for the second night so decided to stay.



The campground (using the term loosely – it was basically a paved parking lot) was just a few feet from the beach somewhat protected by a ridge of dunes. The smell of decaying fish was negligible once you were off of the beach. I enjoyed the sound of the surf hitting the shore and was lulled to sleep with it each night. There is something that can't be explained about that sound. It's primeval. Coupled with watching the waves coming onto the beach, moving in and out... well, it is mesmerizing.



I had planned on staying here at least five days, but with the symptoms I was experiencing, I reluctantly decided to cut my visit short. I'm happy to report that within a few hours (8-10) of leaving Padre Island, the coughing and sneezing stopped ;-)

Visiting Neighbours at Work

A couple of weeks ago I visited Seven Cycles - a local manufacturer of titanium, steel and carbon fiber bicycles. I was given a tour of the factory and it was, of course, fascinating. I never tire of seeing local framebuilding shops: The machinery, the precision of the work involved, even the heaps of tubing and the scraps of metal lying around excite me. And there certainly was all that at Seven, on a grand scale.






To my surprise - seeing how they are TIG-welders mostly - there was even lugwork. Lots and lots of lugwork in fact, with interesting cutouts.






But what made the biggest impression on me during the visit was not the intriguing floor layout, the delicately carved titanium latticework, or the explanation of Seven's approach to the manufacturing process. It was the fact that I recognized so many of the faces I saw there.





It is hard to explain the state of mind this put me in without coming across as preachy about local manufacturing, which is not my intent. I am not thinking about the political-economic implications of local manufacturing as a concept, but about the very concrete existence of my local manufacturing. I mean, there is a factory 6 miles from my house, and in this factory they make bicycles from scratch, and the people making these bicycles - well I happen to know many of them and they live nearby, and sometimes we even see each other on the street. That is highly unusual is all. In today's society the relationship between objects and the people who make them has become completely abstracted. We do not expect our neighbours to make the stuff we might be using; we expect that stuff to be made by some nameless entity, far away from our little world.





When I told SevenownerRob Vandermark how much I enjoy watching frames being built, he replied that not everyone feels that way. For some seeing the process takes away the mystery, and it's more exciting if a frame just "appears" - shiny and new with flawless paint. I've heard that before. A framebuilder once told me that he discourages customers from watching him work, because it makes them more aware of the possibility of human error and later those customers are liable to feel more nervous about their frames. Psychologically, that makes sense. But it also means that consumers of goods prefer not to think about the process of making those goods, which has all sorts of far-reaching implications.





Maybe it's because I've made things by hand myself and used them, as well as given and sold them to others who've used them. But seeing how something is made excites me rather that ruins some illusion of flawlessness.






The first person I saw when I entered the production area during my visit was Bryan Hollingsworth of Royal H. Cycles - whom I watched make a lugged mixte frame for me more than 2 years ago now. He works for Seven(making carbon fiber frames!) a couple of days a week, and on Royal H. the rest of the time.





Welder Mike Salvatore has his own project on the side as well, albeit a Sketchy one.






Dan Pugatch lives in Somerville and is well known on the local cycling scene.





Dan writes ablog and contributes to Boston Retro Wheelmen, but what I didn't know is that he also has this cool tattoo that promotes cycling to work in regular clothing. Notice that the pirate is riding a step-through with a full chaincase. I wonder how the crate is attached to the rear rack, and whether there is a sword peg brazed onto the frame?






Jonathan Henig lives maybe 5 minutes from me and is a fellow photographer. First thing he did when we started talking was examine my camera lens and nod approvingly.





I had not met Neil Doshi before, but I knewhis bike - a happy marriage of titanium, green canvas and leather.






And now I saw it in person, along with dozens of other contraptions in the famous Bike Room. The bikes of Seven employees are staggeringly practical - lots of upright 3-speeds, handmade racks, huge saddlebags. More what I would have expected to see at Rivendell than at Seven, a company known for its racing bikes.






After my tour, I couldn't help but wonder whether I'd gotten the most out of it. The space is truly impressive and there is a positive energy that makes me want to run out and apply for a job there, regardless of what it is they'd assign me to do (I hear there is a titanium shavings sweeper position open?). In retrospect I should have asked more detailed questions about the manufacturing process. I should have taken close-up photos of the machinery with a medium format film camera. Instead I walked around talking to everyone, then watching them quietly, then talking some more. Not necessarily about bikes either. And then we all said "good-bye" and "see you soon" and then I rode my bike home - an idyllic route from Watertown along the Charles River Trail.






Cycling home after my visit, I remembered the first time I met Rob Vandermark. It was about a year and a half ago, when I had just discovered the Ride Studio Cafe. The first time I came in there was this tall, polite, unassuming guy serving coffee behind the counter. Naturally, I thought he was the barrista. Later someone came in with a flat tire and he went to take care of that, so then I figured he was the all-around shop guy. After a brief chat, it also turned out that he was my neighbour - living nearby in Somerville and commuting to Lexington by bike when possible. Only well into another conversation with him later did I learn, with some embarrassment, that he was the owner of both RSC and Seven Cycles. As a customer, you would never know. And of course the whole point is that it should not matter.







I guess all I'm saying is... My neighbours build bikes. And I think that's really, really great.

The Bobbin Birdie Lands in America!

It was back in September at Interbike that I first saw Bobbin bicycles in person and learned that they would soon be available in the USA. Excited by these news, I talked to the distributor and they've now sent a demo model to Harris Cyclery, inviting my feedback. This week I finally had a chance to ride and photograph the bicycle.



Bobbin Bicycles started out as a traditional bike shop in London (humbly advertised as "the most beautiful bicycle shop in Britain"), then developed a house brand of its own, eventually evolving into a full fledged bike manufacturer offering a range of models and accessories. I have followed these developments with interest, and it isn't difficult to see why the brand appeals to me: In their own words, "Bobbin reinvents romantic notions of traditional upright bicycles and makes them relevant to modern life." They are also quite budget-conscious, aiming to be affordable for the student and young professional. Oh and the loop frame models are lugged. I was very much looking forward to trying a Bobbin.



The model I received is the Birdie, in red. It's a lugged steel 3-speed with 26" wheels, rim brakes, fenders, a partially enclosed chain, a kickstand, and a rear rack. While Bobbin does offer bicycles equipped with a fully enclosed chaincase and hub brakes, the Birdie is presented as a more paired down, "jaunty" model. The frame is described as a combination of hi-ten and cro-moly tubing, made in Taiwan. The weight is 37lb as shown. The paint is liquid coat, applied via a multi-stage dipping and curing process that includes rust-proofing.



To my relief and delight, the Birdie frame is indeed fully lugged.

Head tube lugs.

Seat cluster.

Bottom bracket.

Loop to seat tube connection.

Fork crown.Bobbinare not trying to reinvent the wheel with this bicycle: It is basically a remake of a vintage 3-speed circa the 1950s-70s, made somewhat lighter with the help of modern tubing and components.

The classically-shaped rear rack is nicely integrated with the rest of the bicycle, painted body colour. The rack's tubing is not oversized and will accommodate a variety of modern pannier systems.

There are tiny plastic mudflaps on the front and rear fenders.

The partial chaincase encloses the chainring and the upper portion of the chain.

The rubber-footed kickstand is sufficiently sturdy.

The handlebars are a contemporary version of North Roads, set up with classic city brake levers, aSturmey Archer3-speed shifter, and not at all unattractive pleather(?) grips.

The sprung padded vinyl saddle matches the grips in colour.

ASturmey Archer3-speed (non-coasterbrake) hub powers the gearing.

This bicycle photographs extremely well, with the glossy red paint and the classic lines lending a "glamour shot" vibe to the images. In person it comes across as more subdued. My first impressions were of its relatively light weight and subjective "smallishness." The 26" wheels, thin frame tubing and bright paintjob made it look almost like a children's bike and I felt as if I were handling a toy, which was actually kind of fun. But the size (19" frame) felt like a good fit.



I tested for toe overlap and was glad to discover that there was no chance of it. Then I rode the Birdie for about 5 miles on mildly hilly suburban roads with car traffic. This has become my standard distance and terrain for test riding upright city bicycles, and I think it is representative of how such bikes tend to be ridden in real-life circumstances in the US.

Riding the Bobbin Birdie, I found the manufacturer's term "jaunty" to be apt. This is not a sluggish bike; it feels light and zippy. It accelerates and retains momentum nicely. Mild hills were not a problem. The gearing felt just right: not too high and not too low. The bike felt stable and tame enough for a beginner; not twitchy at all.Compared to a Dutch bike, the ride quality was on the harsh side, but I say the same about most city bikes that aren't fitted with balloon tires.

Speaking of tires, I do not care for the ones on the Birdie. I have no good explanation for this, other than that they felt a bit "cheap" and narrower than the described 35mm. Replacing them with nicer tires should be easy enough. I have a feeling that a pair of Schwalbe Delta Cruisers would improve the ride quality as well.

Overall, the Birde was a fun and very "normal" ride; nothing about the bike's handling frustrated me or struck me as being off. Speaking more generally, I think for the price ($650 retail at the moment), this is a good deal. For all those who have been pining for an affordable fully lugged bicycle, here it is. It looks to be decently made, uses solid components, handles well, has no toe overlap, includes a sizeable rear rack, and is not bad looking to boot.The absence of integrated lighting should be noted. And the rim brakes could be a concern if you live in an area where it snows in winter and plan to ride the bike year-round. But as far as the basic character of the bike and its ability to transport the cyclist's belongings, the Bobbin Birdie works for me.

Bobbin's full line of city bicycles will soon be available in shops across the US and Canada, and those interested should check with the distributor for stock lists. If you are local to the Boston area, the specific bicycle pictured here is available for test rides at Harris Cyclery in West Newton, MA. I plan to ride it at least once again - when it starts snowing - and will post an update on how it handles in winter conditions. If you happen to already own a Bobbin, please do share your impressions.