Giro

Photo: Graham Watson - Velonews Giro d'Italia Coverage

Hauling an Xtracycle

Hauling Karen's Xtracycle home on the Big Dummy...=-)

A false sense of security...

Toronto Star - Icefield's Parkway Article

click on image to enlarge

My mother sent me this Toronto Star article about touring on the Icefield's Parkway. It was quite appropriate timing as I have several piles of gear in my living room ready for this weekend's tour which will entail a portion of the Icefield's Parkway.

I can't wait to get out there and enjoy the early season without hordes of other park users to contend with...=-)

Jumping on...

Kurt perfects the in flight transfer from long board to Big Dummy...=-)

Acting our age...

Try and stop us...

Spinning & Grinning!

Anna takes the bike path fashion scene by storm with her usual European flair...I guess she wanted to look good for the lads at Bow Cycle...=-)

Scalpel

Picking up Kurt's freshly tuned Cannondale Scalpel from Bow Cycle. I checked out a couple new ones, but the price tags were in the $6000.00 range - yikes!

Townie Porn

Ursula rides the Townie

I love bike shopping with friends - lots of smiles and it doesn't cost me a cent...=-)

RANS Street - Touring Edition

Nanda Holz [Spin Cyclz] setup this RANS Street crank forward bike as a touring machine with moustache bars, disc brakes and a rear rack. It looks awesome - I would love to take that baby for a spin around town. I've been intrigued with how these crank forward bikes handle. They look like very practical machines that might be a great solution for the urban cyclist.

Karen's going Xtra...

Karen dropped off her old mountain bike last night so I could check it over and see if it needed any love prior to her Xtracycle arriving next week. I'm excited to see how the Free Radical conversion process goes and I am also looking forward to having another longtail rider in my neighbourhood so we can haul some ass together...lol...=-)

I'll be posting all the gory details about adding an Xtracycle to Karen's bike on my Big Dummy Blog, but I'll be sure to post a few pics of the finished product here for you.

Karen has already begun scheming about all the car trips she can replace with her Xtracycle rig. Although I think all my bikes are uber cool the Big Dummy/Xtracycle & the Bike Friday Tikit are the ones that are really sparking an interest amongst my friends and associates. I can't blame them - these bikes represent two very different, but equally effective approaches to practical cycling.

Putting the Dummy to the test...

I met up with a Bike Forums member [Graham] after work and we chatted about cargo bikes and the finer points of the Xtracycle concept. It was fun to talk to another avid cyclist. Graham gave the Dummy a spin and had a positive experience. Hopefully I'll have another Xtracyclist to ride with soon..=)

Dos Amigos

Dave and I roaming the bike paths.

Big Dummy Action

Loading up Kurt's C'Dale and taking it to a Bow Cycle for some love.

Kurt pilots the Big Dummy down an icy slope - yeah I live in Canada!!

Little Bike Powerful Kung Fu!

I drive my truck about once a week when I commute to the next town to visit my office. That will drop to zero work related trips per week when I commute on my bike. I think it's funny that my smallest vehicle [Bike Friday Tikit] has become my go to ride for 80% of all my trips and my largest most capable vehicle [Mazda B4000 4x4] sits idle most of the time.

I'm not car free yet and I think I'll keep my truck running as long as I can. Although I don't use it often I do enjoy being able to load up 4 friends + their gear so we can be in the mountains in 90mins. Without a truck a lot of outdoor recreation possibilities would be unfeasible as it's a full day's ride to the mountains on a loaded bike.

Gas prices here are up to $1.26/L [~$4.76/gal] and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Perhaps I'll change my tune when gas is over $2.00/L and stop driving entirely. The good news is I'm able to take care of all my essential transportation needs on foot, by bike or with public transport. All my driving trips are optional.

I'm a Big Dummy....=)

I've been wanting an Xtracycle for a long time, but when Surly announced the Big Dummy was ready for sale I knew it had my name written all over it - thanks to John F @ Bow Cycle for making it happen. I went whole hog and built up a Big Dummy frame with a Rohloff hub - something I've also wanted to try for ages.

I won't bore you with too many details here, but if you want to know more click here. My long tail adventures have just begun...=)

More Cycle Chic

Photo: London Cycle Chic

Although Copenhagen Cycle Chic is still the ultimate in bike chic here are a few more chic-ilicious sites for you:

• Riding Pretty
• London Cycle Chic
• Chic Cyclist
• Velo Vogue

Do you know of any other chic sites I should be aware of?

Shopping with the Tikit

Touring with the Tikit

I just rec'd a custom 2 pannier front rack for my Tikit from Bike Friday. I'm one step closer to having the ultimate folding bike touring setup ready. Jump here to read more about it.

Thanks for the Feedback...

Thanks for all the well reasoned feedback on which direction to take this blog. The response was almost exactly 50/50 in support of keeping everything in one spot and having separate blogs for each topic. I can certainly appreciate the arguments in favour of both concepts. At first I was baffled as to how to proceed since there was no clear consensus, but then I realized it was possible to make everyone happy. I'll be splitting up each content stream into its own blog, but I will also publish all the posts on a unified blog. Blogger isn't setup to do this automatically, but the additional effort should not be major issue. I have a friend who is a heavy duty web developer so perhaps I'll end up with a custom site that will be able to provide multiple feeds in a more flexible way than blogger, but for now I'll keep using the blogger tools. You won't see any major changes overnight. I still need to ponder how to make things work the way I want them.

Momentum Long Tail Article

The Mar/Apr 08 issue of Momentum Magazine has an article about the rise of the long tail bike..=-) Since Momentum provides free PDFs of the whole magazine and posts the text of many articles to their website I figured they wouldn't mind if I posted an image of the article with photos on this blog.

I'd encourage you to check out Momentum on a regular basis. They seem to be one of the few bike magazines in touch with practical non-race oriented cycling. What a refreshing change from the mainstream cycling press.

Calgary Fast Foward Bike Article

....from Fast Forward - thanks to Sarah for spotting it.

Sometimes even Saturday is a Friday...

Calgary Herald Xtracycle Article

Juergen [Xtracycle Canada - eh!] turned me on to this article in the Calgary Herald. It is nice to see mainstream media giving some attention to cargo bikes.

Fixing the Fujin Fender

My Fujin's rear fender needed some love. I removed it completely as minor adjustments weren't working out. The forward mount had come loose and that allowed the tire to touch the wheel. I reattached the front mount, but I'm still not 100% satisfied with it. Due to the low clearance between the tire and the fender I can't secure it with a bolt. I reapplied copious amounts of electrical tape to keep the mount from sliding back and forth on the fender. If this doesn't hold for the rest of the season I'll pull the whole thing off and use some epoxy to bond the mount to the fender.

Although it was a fiddly job I'm glad I got it done and my Fujin is back in service. I'll give it a good test run this afternoon.

Sarah says...

..."...thank goodness it's Friday!..."

Ortlieb Velocity 5 Month Review

Hansel says..."....Ortlieb is sooo hot right now!..."...=-)

Read my initial impressions here.

I bought this backpack at Rarified back at the start of December 2007. I love Ortlieb products and although I probably didn't need a new backpack the shinny black waterproof goodness of this bag called to me...=-) 5 months later it has become my favourite backpack supplanting my old favourite a Camelback Transalp. Part of the reason the Velocity has become my go to backpack is that it is a very useful/comfortable design. I can carry several days or groceries in it by leaving the top open and over stuffing it. I can carry a 17" wide screen laptop in it with total confidence that rain or snow will not reach my computer. It is very durable so I don't baby it. It gets plunked down on a slushy sidewalk while I root through it for something I need. The other part of the equation is the Velocity looks a whole lot less grubby than my 6 year old heavily battle worn Transalp. I'm not trying to look like Derrick Zoolander everywhere I go, but us single cyclists have to at least pay a little attention to our appearance...=-)

Back view: love the ergonomic harness - I added the mobile phone pocket.

Pros:

• 100% waterproof
• extremely durable fabric
• ergonomic shoulder straps and waist belt carry moderate loads well
• Comfortable foam padding on back - also allows for ventilation
  
• Derrick Zoolander would approve the aesthetic even if he couldn't spell aesthetic!
• removable organizer pocket good for small items
• useful size without being too large
• can carry a 17" wide screen laptop

Interior organizer pocket: great for key, camera, notebook, etc..

Although I do love Ortlieb products this bag is not perfect.

• It lacks a tab on the back to mount a red blinkie.
• It has virtually zero reflective material on it. Given it is stealth black to begin with visibility at night is an issue.
• Like all Ortlieb products it is essentially a big waterproof bag. It does have a small removable interior organizer for small items - which I use a lot, but that only provides a limit amount of potential organization.

Ortlieb's Specs for the Velocity.

SNEWS Review of the Velocity.

Rarified Velocity sale.

Love the Fold!

What happens when the author of a SE Asian folding bike blog discovers the beauty of a Surly Long Haul Trucker? Tune into Love the Fold and find out. The pictures alone have me checking that my passport is valid!

Also have a look at this.

The Future?

If you are a regular reader you'll have noticed some changes on the right side of the screen. I've added a slide show and organized the links into different groups so they are easier to use.

I have been pondering more changes and wanted to run them by you for some feedback. This blog covers quite a few varied topics and I've been thinking it might be better to split them up and have a dedicated blog for each topic. I'm already doing that for my Bike Friday Tikit and it seems to work well. When you go to that blog all the posts and links relate to the Tikit. As you read the blog it flows nicely and the posts relate to one another quite well.

Assuming I make this change here is what you'd end up with:

• The Lazy Rando Blog - covering bents, brevets and other rando related topis
• Bike Touring Blog - covering my touring bikes, touring/camping equipment, tour reports and touring links.
• Mountain Biking Blog - covering my mountain biking exploits in the Canadian Rockies
• Commuting/Utility Biking Blog - covering all my "useful" bikes and rides

You would be able to read all the content if it interests you and if you only want to read specific content - such as bike touring - you could easily just tune into that blog.

Ultimately a blog only has value if people read and enjoy it so I'd be interested in getting your feedback on this idea. Feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email. While you are at it if you have any requests or suggestions for other improvements I'm open to any ideas you may have.

Bike Culture

I like this Xtracycle sticker. It's good to be proud of how you roll. I'd go one step further though. Bike culture is already here. I see it everywhere I go - on the streets and online. If you are reading this you are part of it.

I'd like to feel like I am pioneer. That I am part of something new, but the reality is the bicycle has been empowering humans with freedom and mobility for more than a hundred years. From the start bicycles carried our loads, got us to work and put a smile on our faces. My discovery of the joy and usefulness of the bicycle, first as a child and then again as a young adult, is just another echo of that shared experience.

I suppose I am part of something new - the online cycling community that has sprung up with the advent of global computer networks. I'm proud to continue a velocipede tradition. Joining with people like you. Taking our love for pedal powered conveyances into the internet age.

With the rising costs of fossil fuels and a growing awareness that the dominant car-centric culture isn't sustainable - nor particularly good for us - the status and awareness of bicycles in our society is likely on the upswing. That's great! I'm excited to see more and more people realizing how wonderful life can be from the saddle of a bicycle. Life is indeed beautiful.

There is an inherent truth in cycling that needs no words or explanation. Put someone on a bicycle that fits them reasonably well and the bicycle will teach them everything they need to know. Turning the pedals provides an instant karmic pay back. Demonstrating your thoughts and actions shape your world and your world shapes your thoughts and actions. Perhaps we need to update the old Zen koan from "...before enlightenment chop wood and carry water - after enlightenment chop wood and carry water..." to "...before enlightenment ride bicycle and lube chain - after enlightenment ride bicycle and lube chain..."????

Keep the rubberside down....

Schwalbe Marathon XRs for Sale

Update: Price Reduced

I'm selling two Schwalbe Marathon XR 26 x 1.75" wire bead tires. They have about 100kms on them and look new - very gentle use. I love XRs, but I need some 2.0" fatties for my Inuvik tour. I bought some already and then decided to use them for a different project so I need two more. These tires sell for $59.95 US + shipping each. I'll sell the pair for $85 US/CDN shipped to you.

Old & New Shoes

I can't believe my feet have grown so much since last year. The Sidis [outside] fit me last year and this year I needed to buy the Specializeds [middle]!!! I hope that doesn't keep happening...yikes!

BTW - if you have a wide forefoot give Specialized's line of MTB shoes a try. As you can see there is quite a difference in width and the front of these shoes.

Adjusting the boom...

...on my Fujin to work with the thicker soles of my new Specialized MTB shoes and the thicker bodies of the new Time pedals I'm using.

The problem with Calgary...

I got a sunburn last weekend riding my bike and this weekend....

Do I wear a helmet?

Bike helmets are a contentious issue. Some people won't ride a bike without them and others think they are a complete waste of time & money. I take a philosophical approach to the matter. I don't feel bike helmets are an essential safety item. They protect you from a very finite set of circumstances that are, in my experience, very low probability. In my whole biking career, spanning 34 years, I haven't had a single accident where a helmet prevented me from suffering an injury or where a helmet reduced the severity of an injury. This isn't to say I think helmets are not potentially useful.

What I do is a risk analysis based on my personal experience and based upon what I've heard from other riders. I look at all the factors I see as relevant and decide what safety gear to employ. This analysis goes further than just if I should wear a helmet or not. It includes things like what gloves to wear, reflective gear, sandals/shoes?, lights? Not all rides are created equal.

Some examples of choices I often make:

• I pretty much wear a helmet 100% of the time I go mountain biking. Although I don't crash often this type of riding has the highest likelihood that I'll end up on the ground.
• On casual urban rides close to home I almost never wear a helmet. I ride slowly and tend to spend a lot of time off the bike drinking coffee, eating dinner, shopping, etc... I ride defensively on these occasions which I think is more important than wearing a helmet.
• I always wear a helmet on brevets. I think it is a club rule, but regardless when riding fast for long hours day and night the chance I may have an accident is greater making a helmet a good investment.

I'm not suggesting my methodology is the best or the smartest. I'm just sharing how I look at helmets and safety. To my mind the most important thing is that each rider evaluates the risks they are talking and uses the equipment/tactics to keep themselves safe - whatever that means to them.

If you have a moment leave me a comment and let me know how use helmets.

Are helmets safe?

From an interesting article in the British Medical Journal:

"The statistical wrangle over the effectiveness of helmets is actually a side issue; what we need people in authority to understand is that cycle helmets inevitably damage public health. Even for cyclists on Britain's roads, the health benefits exceed the risks by a factor of 20. The health benefits of cycling are so great---and the health injuries from driving so great---that not cycling is really dangerous. By telling people that they need helmets for an activity that for a century has been regarded as "safe"---and in fact has a fine safety record---you inevitably engender the impression that cycling must have become more dangerous than driving and walking. That deters cycling. That reduces cyclists' presence on the roads. That increases the risk of death. And if wild claims about helmets saving lives are published in the media, helmet users are bound to feel overly secure, thus compromising their one vital safety feature---a sense of caution. In addition, over time most people--- and especially parents---will come to believe that it is wearing a helmet that matters, not acquiring skilful technique. These effects have been noted in every country where helmets have come into general use, including the United Kingdom. Millions will die early because they did not cycle. "

Strathmore 200K - Ride Report

My Fujin SL @ the start

Ride Map - Route Details
2007 Strathmore Ride Report

I should start by saying that everything good that happened on this ride is totally the result of my fine choice in bicycles and everything bad that happened was due to the fact I am truly a lazy bastard. How do I know this? Well I sure can't say that my massive recumbent base mileage of 63kms was responsible for the good bits can I??? I know I know - don't send me any emails. 63kms is beyond stupid when it comes to preparation for a new rando season. They probably haven't invented a word for how ridiculous it is. I have my excuses of course, work, bad weather, etc... Of course the other club members with thousands of kms under their wheels so far this year have demanding jobs and live in the same spot on the planet. Let's face it I'm lazy. At least give me credit for not falsely advertising when I named this blog!

I got up at 05:30 after a terrible night of sleep - no doubt a result of nagging guilt at my lack of preparation! I had my gear and bike largely ready so I was able to sip a cup of tea and spend a good 15mins surfing blogs pretending I didn't have to ride a recumbent 200kms today. Eventually I had to face facts and load my stuff for the ride across town to the familiar A&W in NE Calgary. I must say I was totally unconcerned about the day's ride. The forecast was for sunny skies, light winds, +15 deg C and a whole lot of suffering for my legs - it didn't disappoint on any accounts. Although I didn't ride many brevets last year I did work hard at getting comfortable on my Fujin. The pay off was that I knew I could ride 200kms regardless of training and that allowed me to be very relaxed at the start. Last year this time I was a bundle of nerves - meeting new people who were hardcore riders, not knowing what the route was like or how I'd feel. To be frank I didn't miss feeling freaked out!

Given that this was a post PBP year I thought we'd have a low turn out of 5-6 riders. To my surprise 12-13 fine members of the Alberta Rando Club showed up. After a quick briefing from the Ken Myhres, the club president, we were off at 8am sharp. Naturally I was the only recumbent rider so I took up my place at the end of the casual pace line.

Riders waiting @ the start

I don't mind riding with a small group of DFs, but this posse was too big and having to stay at the back meant I missed a crucial attack last year and I never made contact with the lead group for the rest of the ride. I had no illusions I was going to beat any of the fast riders today. These guys are HARDCORE and they have a ton of rando experience. My job this brevet was to 1) embarrass myself as little as possible, 2) get some training KMs in, 3) learn as much as I could and 4) have some fun. So in keeping with objective #1 I decided to spend some time at the front of the ride. I accelerated the Fujin up the pace line and had planned on settling in 10m up the road, but going faster felt so good I just kept my speed up and let the main group disappear in my mirrors.

I rode solo to the first control in Crossfield enjoying the beautiful Southern Alberta prairie scenery. Traffic was light and quite friendly - nice! The rolling terrain and crosswind was ideally suited to my Fujin so I made the most of it and enjoyed being at one with my bike. I had programmed my Garmin Vista CX the night before so I was able to relax and just follow its cues when I needed to turn. I sometimes feel like a GPS is cheating, but I cannot deny how useful it is. As a contrast last year I was fumbling with a small laminated cue sheet trying to read signs and make sure I