New film downloads in the shop

I have just added HD downloads of the Hot Aches Productions films to the shop. So now you have a cheaper and more instantaneous way to watch the classic climbing films: The Long Hope, The Pinnacle, Committed 1, Committed 2, Wideboyz, Odyssey and Monkey See Monkey Do. You’ll find them all here.




The DVD options are still there too of course...

Rock Detail - Latourell Falls

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon







I had the urge today to look through some images from the trip out west that I took in and work on a couple of waterfall images from that trip. Latourell Falls was my goal... I had remembered taking some photos of that falls that I really liked but hadn't worked on yet. Of the many waterfalls within the Columbia River Gorge, Latourell is unique among the best-known Columbia gorge waterfalls, in the way that it drops straight down from an overhanging basalt cliff. Most of the falls tumble to some degree, but not Latourell. The thing I found most amazing about this waterfall was the interesting rocks on the cliff face behind the falls.

Meeting of the Mercians

In the sort of uncanny coincidence that can only happen in the alternate bikeland universe that is the Boston area, our local Somervillain is now also a Mercian owner. His is a vintage model, restored with new paint and period-correct components by the bicycle's previous owner. Somervillain's bike arrived at about the same time as our frames. While we were building mine up, he was putting the finishing touches on his.



Once both bicycles were ready, we of course had to commemorate the occasion. We arranged to meet on a sunny day. Alas as I cycled to our meeting spot, the clouds gathered and so our Mercians met under dramatically overcast skies. They had a great deal to say to one another - though, regrettably we could not understand their secret language.

Somervillain's Mercianis really quite a find. It is a 1971 Olympian model in English Racing Green with white headtube and seattube panels and gold outlining.

The geometry is like that of a club racer (would that be Audax or Sportive?), and the frame fits him well at 61cm x 58.5cm.

The complete history of this bicycle is unknown. The previous owner found it in pretty rough shape - badly repainted and entirely unrecognisable. Only after stripping the surface layer of paint and finding a serial number did it become apparent that the frame was a vintage Mercian. The owner decided to get it restored. He sent the frame off to England for a full repaint and began to hunt around for period correct components.

A year later, the bicycle was restoredto its former glory, and it was beautiful... too beautiful! The former owner found himself incapable of riding it. He kept it as a collector's piece for a bit, but ultimately decided to sell it to someone who would be willing to give the bicycle an active lifestyle.

...which Somervillain was more than happy to do. He got a good deal on the complete bicycle, and is happy both with Mercian's restoration and with the former owner's choice of components -

- which include a Campagnolo drivetrain,



Weinmann centerpull brakes,



andCinellihandlebars and stem.



One thing Somervillain was keen to add to the build, was a set of English Bluemel fenders. He felt that the Mercian did not look right with French style fenders, or the plastic SKS. I've considered this as well and agree that English bicycles don't look right with, for instance, hammered or fluted fenders. But for me the plain ones would be all right, since they really have no identifiable style to them and look fairly neutral.

But the Blumelfenders are quite special and difficult to find. Behold the little contrasting mudflaps.

Despite the 1971 Olympic and my Vincitore being entirely different models made with different lugsets and hailing from different eras, we marveled at how similar they are. The finishing is similar, the tubing is similar, the overall "presence" of the bikes is similar, and our accounts of ride quality are similar. Somervillain describes a responsive, but comfortable ride, easy over bumps and potholes - which is how my bicycle feels as well.

It is fascinating to me that Mercianhas managed to keep their process so consistent over the years with their classic models. You can choose much lighter tubing now if you wish, but the method remains the same. I would love to try an older Mercianin my size and compare it to how mine rides. Unfortunately Somervillain's frame is much too big for me, but if I visit New York City, maybe Justine of Midlife Cycling will let me try her1994 mixte - it would certainly be a treat!

The Skinny on Narrow Brooks Saddles?

I did not think this would happen to me in a million years, but the Brooks B17 saddle that is so blissfully comfortable on my touring bike- is now apparentlytoo widefor me on my fixed gear roadbike. I kept lowering the handlebars on that bike (isn't it funny how our ideas of "what feels comfortable" can change?), until they've become considerably lower than the saddle. As a result, parts of my inner/rear thighs have begun to press into the hard edges of the saddle uncomfortably as I pedal. This never used to happen when the handlebars were up higher, so "saddle too wide" seems like a reasonable diagnosis. Just when I thought that the B17 was my "perfect" default saddle for roadbikes, I guess I am proven wrong.

I am completely lost when it comes to choosing a narrow saddle, and the Brooks classification system is not helpful. Even examining them all side by side (atHarris Cyclery) was more confusing than informative. Left to right, these are: the Swift, the Pro, the Colt, and the Swallow. I imagine the box of kleenex on the left is for clean-up, lest customers drool on the saddles. Or cry about not being able to afford them.



More frustrating still, is the fact that, once you get into the narrower-than-B17 territory,nobody seems to agree about what's comfortable. Some say that they ride the Brooks Pro exclusively and love it. Others say that the Brooks Pro is "unrideable". Reviews of the Swift and the Swallow are equally mixed. From what I read, I am beginning to think that as a lighter cyclist (125lb) I may find it especially difficult to deal with these saddles, as they tend to be harder to break in.



One model I am considering is the new (re-released)Colt. The width is similar to the Pro, but the nose is pointed down, like onthese 80s racing saddles. I have tried a couple of the old vinyl and foam saddles in that style, and found their shape surprisingly comfortable(though not the material they are made of). I am not sure what the actual purpose of the downpointed nose is, but it sure is female-anatomy-friendly, which is why I am considering it. The Brooks Colt has been out for a few months, but I have not found any substantial reviews of it. The hard-as-a-rock surface does give me pause.



WhileBrooks saddles are fantastic when you find the right one, they are just too expensive for me to experiment with. I am open to other brands as well, though in my experience I don't do well with anything other than suspended leather. Maybe some of the imitation-Brooks that people consider "flimsy" might actually work for me, since they break in faster.Any suggestions - keeping my weight in mind - would be much appreciated.

Mt. Rainier, Disappointment Cleaver

Someone had this crazy idea to climb Mt. Rainier on the 4th of July to watch the fireworks from the top. It might have worked, except it ended up being cloudy on the west side of the state!



We started out that morning and headed up the well worn, normally crowded, DC route. By the time we got above Camp Muir, all the climbers for that day had already come down. We had the entire upper mountain to ourselves! The Ingraham Glacier, Ingraham Flats and Disappointment Cleaver.



David on the nose of DC. Cadaver Gap and Mt. Adams in the distance.



David holding the hand line on the big traverse over to Gibraltar Rock.



David in the crater on the top of Mt. Rainier.



Doug in the crater.







The shadow of Rainier hitting some low clouds at sunset. It was really strange and pleasant to climb that route and not see any climbers above high camp. We did see a few distant fireworks in the Yakima area on our way down. It didn't turn out the way we had hoped, but it was still a great day to try something new on our favorite mountain!

Cycling with Cat: from Absurdity to Reality

By now many of you are familiar with our cat Peppy. She occasionally comments on this blog and even has her own twitter account. And no, I do not help her with that (though I have my suspicions who does). Although online she can come across as argumentative, in reality Peppy is an exceptionally friendly and sociable cat. And she is fond of flowers and bicycles, sniffing them with interest every chance she gets. This makes me daydream of cycling through the meadows, with her in a basket enjoying the fresh air.



Ever since we got her though, Peppy has been agoraphobic. No sooner would we take her outdoors than she would howl to be let back into the house. She also did not react well to wearing a harness. All of that is common with cats: They are not typically considered walkable, let alone bicycle-portageable.



We had pretty much resigned ourself to thinking of Peppy cycling as an absurdity, realisable only in our imaginations. Then this Spring she surprised us by developing an active curiosity in the outdoors. Noticing that she was spending a lot of time sitting on the windowsill and straining to sniff the fresh air, we tried the harness again... and somehow this time it was okay. So we took her outside. At first she panicked as usual, but eventually she was fine as long as we stayed very close to the house and the front door remained open. She relaxed and began sniffing around, enjoying herself.



We've done this several times now and each time she seems to like it more - to the point that she has started to scratch at the door asking to be taken out, donning the harness willingly. So I'm thinking, next step: bicycle basket. My plan is to procure one of those animal baskets with a fully enclosed wire dome and get her used to sitting in it. Then once she is comfortable in there, I will mount it on the bike and off we'll go. Not so long ago this seemed completely unattainable, but the way she is acting now I honestly think it might work.

[image via Adeline Adeline]

The basket I was thinking of is the front-mounted Pluto model from Basil. The Pilen test-ride bicycle was given to me with a heavy duty front rack that I have not attached (because it's heavy and the bike is already 47lbs!). Now I am considering attaching it and then mounting this basket. However, the Basilbasket has its own attachment mechanism and it may be a clumsy solution. There is also this one from Nantucket Baskets. It seems simpler, but I think it is too small for the likes of Peppy. As far as I know, there are no other commercially available front-mounted bicycle pet baskets with wire enclosures.



[image via ~jitahs~]

Possibly the nicest animal transport system I have seen so far is this one by "GR Jim." At first I thought the little Dachshund was amazingly well behaved to be staying put like that, but it turns out she is on a leash that's tethered to the wire roof. With my cat I would need full enclosure, and it would also make me feel better to have the basket in front where I can see her.



[image via Dorthe Alve Olsen and Copenhagen Cycle Chic]

Lest you think the idea of cycling with your cat in a basket is totally unrealistic, Todd from CleverCycles tells me that he's done it multiple times. Has anybody else cycled with their cat (or any other pet) successfully? Would love to know your method and container recommendation.

Fender Fantasies

[image from velo-orange.com]

I am choosing fenders for Marianne, my Motobecane mixte. Pictured above are my dream fenders: extra long fluted Honjos from Velo Orange. Look at those stylish art deco tips at the ends! These are like installing a piece of artwork on your bicycle.

[image from velo-orange.com]

The alternative and more economical choice, are these Velo Orange (not Honjo) plain polished stainless steel fenders. I am on the fence regarding this choice. The fluted Honjos are breath-taking, but the plain VOs look just fine. Maybe the fluted ones are too elaborate? There is also the size difference: The fluted are 43mm and the plain are 45mm. My tires are 31.75mm wide. Are the plain ones too wide?

[image from velo-orange.com]

Of course, when I mention my fender choice, the usual response is "What! You're not getting the hammered Honjos? Get the hammered Honjos!" Am I the only person with a bicycle who does not want hammered Honjo fenders?

The Co-Habitant has just installed hammered Honjos (from Harris Cyclery) on his Miles, and they do look marvelous (he has not trimmed the stays yet, but that will be done soon). The hammered look is an interesting aesthetic, just not for me.

Oh, and FYI: regardless of which you choose, installing these things is not for the faint hearted!

Happy New Year from White Sands, New Mexico!

Above left: New Year's Eve moonrise. Above Right: My friend Roger photographing the dunes under the New Year's Eve full moon.

Well, my trip is nearly over... almost 6 weeks ago I left Grand Portage on a quest to explore the West, focusing mostly on the Pacific coastal areas of Washington and Oregon. Its been a great trip, but some of the best experiences were at the end of the trip! My friend Roger and I arrived at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico the afternoon of December 31, . We were planning on camping overnight in the dunes and arrived at the park just in time to get our orientation and register for our campsite before the daily deadline. After we registered, we had just enough time to scope out a place to shoot sunset and the moonrise. Watching the moon come up over the white sand dunes was incredible.



Above: Our campsite. We placed our headlamps inside the tent to illuminate it for this shot.

After shooting the sunset and the moonrise we decided to set up camp before doing some moonlight shooting. Our campsite was about a mile from the parking area and after finally locating our site (which was a little difficult to find, since the trail markers through the dunes are VERY difficult to locate in the moonlight!), we set out for a few hours of moonlight shooting.



Above: Our campsite, nestled against a dune with the San Andres Mountains in the background.

White Sands is an awesome landscape during the day, but switch to night and throw in the light from a full moon and its downright magical! We had a blast hiking around the dunes and taking pictures. It was a lovely night, the air was crisp but not too cold and there wasn't a lick of wind. Its pretty amazing when its so still and you can't hear anything except for your own breathing. Thule (Roger's dog) even seemed to really enjoy the night as he was friskier than usual, running laps around us and jumping up and down.



Above and below: Roger photographing the White Sands landscape.



Below: A wider view of our campsite amongst the dunes. This view is looking south towards Mexico.



We were out shooting until about 1:30 a.m., so we rang in the new year while walking around on the dunes :-) We settled into our sleeping bags, hoping to get at least 5 hours of sleep before sunrise.



My alarm woke me at 6:30, and when I crawled out of the tent I noticed right away that it was much colder than it was when we went to sleep. In fact, our tent was even covered in a thin layer of frost! I don't know what the temperature actually was, but it felt like it was in the mid 20's. As I crawled out of the tent I turned my eyes skyward and the first thing I saw was the full moon just above the dunes directly out in front of the tent. What a sight to wake up to! I quickly forgot about how cold I was and went back into the tent to wake Roger and retrieve my camera gear.



As the sun got closer and closer to breaking the horizon, the sky to the West took on this amazing pink glow. The pink sky with the moon and the white sand made a view that was to die for. Definitely one of the prettiest New Year's Day mornings I have ever seen!

Because summer has arrived in the Netherlands

Finally! So I bought one of my favourite drink, Martini Rose sparkling wine to celebrate a bit. Really good when served chilled. I discovered this wine 2 years ago.

And I have been eating my favourite seafood salads in outdoor terraces during lunch. Yummy. I can eat this for days and I will not complain.

Ah, one must always seek the good life huh. But I hope the warm and dry weather stays???