Velo Conversations

Over the past two days I have been cycling a lot around town on various errands. It's been cold but sunny, and the roads are entirely clear of snow. Cycling down a main road, I often get the feeling that I just want to keep going and going, picking up speed until I am faster than all the cars and not stopping until I reach some mysterious far-off place, like Western Massachusetts. Alas, there were errands to do.

One nice thing about winter cycling, is the availability of bike parking. In the summer, all the bike racks next to or even near the post office are usually full. But nowadays I am one of the few bicycles there.

Interestingly, the racks outside my favourite grocery store are full even in winter. When I came out of the store, there was a woman waiting for me next to my bike who wanted to ask some questions about it. She was riding a "winter bike" - an aluminum mountain bike with very wide knobby tires - and complained that it was much too slow, and that the chain often came off. How was mine? I summarised for her everything that I've described here, and she was excited - until she asked me about the price. She then told me that she is "not in a position to afford a bicycle in that price range". I asked how much her winter bike cost. The price she told me was 60% of what my Pashley cost. I decided to leave it at that, rather than get into a long conversation about "value".

This was one of several unexpected velo-conversations with strangers that I've had over the past few days. The second one happened when I was stopped at a red light. A cyclist on a road bike pulled up next to me, said hello, and asked whether I was riding an electric assist bike. "Oh no, it's just a regular bike," I said - secretly offended that someone would even think it was electric assist. He then asked what the hub on my front wheel was for, and I explained about dynamo-powered lighting. This seemed to be a new concept for the roadbike cyclist and he was pleased to learn about it.

I wonder now how many others who see me cycling think that I have electric assist on my bike because of that front hub! Hopefully, as city bikes with good lighting and drum brakes become more popular, such misunderstandings should decrease. As it is, even Shimano is all about dynamo hubs and drum brakes - as this advert I recently saw attests. It is nice to see a large manufacturer embrace the image of the upright city bicycle in its ads: It is a good indicator that city and transport bicycles have a future in mainstream cycling.

But the third conversation I had took the cake: I went to a cafe to do some work, and locked my bike outside in a way that was visible from the cafe windows. As I settled in with my coffee, a group of older ladies began a conversation with me that basically consisted of disturbing admonitions about all the horrible things that could happen to me on a bike. One of them had a grandson who was hit by a truck. Another knew "at least six young people" who had been involved in gruesome cycling accidents. And so on. I assured them that I was very careful on my bike and somehow managed to politely disentangle myself from the conversation. But my goodness, it is frustrating that cycling seems to invite unsolicited advice of this sort. On the one hand, I know that it's because people "care". But on the other hand, there is a fine line between "caring" and relishing an opportunity to dispense advice. I try to keep that in mind.

Mont Bell Mirage

The conversationstarted like this:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//02/jer-first-bit-of-our-kit-is-on-way.html








And ended like this at 7am @ 10K feet on Rainier. Jerry crashed out and sound asleep at Muir just aftersunrise and aquick 2 hr ski to get there. Some amazing corn skiing to follow gettingback to the Nisqually Bridge.


I suspect I am not the only one to stand in the early morning cold, sweaty and chilled wishing I had the warmth of a nice thick down parka to swallow me up and comfort me while I brewed a warm drink or waited for the first rays of sunlight to heat up the surface of your skin if not the air.



I've used a down parka so seldom in my own climbing career that they are seemingly trivial. Unless of course you really need/want one. And you are cold.



Jerry's relative comfort just made me really jealous on that trip where I didn't think I would need a Mirage. Dumb mistake on my part. Something I won't easily repeat in the future. 15oz of warmth is just too easy to carry when it will pack this small. 900 fill down and a silk weight material on the jacket's body will allow that.



For those that follow such things Cold Thistle started with a search for the "best" cold weather parka as it applied to my own us. If I looked I suspect I could actually tell you how many of the "best" parks I have bought or been given over the past 3 years. I still have 3of them in my closet now.



The Mont Bell is one of them and the jacket I now usethe most.







It is an easy decision when you take a close look at this jacket. It is fully box baffled for one.



My size Large weights in at14.7 oz or 420g on my postal scale.



3.5" of loft made up of 900 fill down loft at the shoulder.









When stuffed this jacket doesn't even fill my lower compartment of the 9oz CAMP Race pack. The Mont Bell Mirage jacket off myback at sunrise and into the pack justbefore leaving Paradise on a cold Spring morning.








The 9oz. 20l ski pack?



The perfect pack for a quick ascent of Rainier on skis. The Mont Bell Mirage is the perfect compliment at the less than a pound of "survival gear" in the pack's lower compartment.



http://www.camp-usa.com/products/packs/rapid-260-1893.asp









Any time I am"alone" on Rainier I like having a little extra security. The Mont Bell Mirage offers that for so little extra energy. Bigger, colder mountains? Even more so.




The Mirage's pockets are perfect for me. Two hand warmers and twobig internal chest pockets. Just enough for my needs. Thehood is simply an awesome design. It is big and puffy. Makes a great high collar as well when a hood is too much. Easy to adjust and a Velcro tab in back to make bigger or smaller depending on what you require at that moment. Cuffs are closed via a Velcro tab. Simple and effective.



















There has to be a down side right? Of course not that I care about any of them or totally agreed with the detractors.



Mont Bell sez:




FEATURES

• 900 fill power goose down
  
• 7-denier Ballistic Airlight rip-stop nylon shell & lining
  
• Standard DWR treatment
  
• Box construction eliminates cold spots, while encouraging maximum down loft
  
• 2-way adjustable fixed hood
  
• 2 zippered hand warmer pockets
  
• Draw cords for waist adjustment hidden in pockets
  
• 2 internal drop-in pockets
  
• Adjustable alpine cuff

TECH
SPECS

• [Center Back Length] 29.3 in. (Size M)
  
• [Weight] 12.8 oz. (Size M)
  
• [Fill Weight] 5.3 oz.
  
• [Compressed] φ5.3’’ x 9.5’’ (stuff sack included)
  
• Size: XS/ S/ M/ L/ XL/ XXL
  
• Color: rust/black

(I'd love this one is a full on BRIGHT red!)



They also say the 7-denier cloth makes this insulation piecea "mid layer".... or as they say "An excellent piece when you’re in need of warmth from every gram of your
mid-layer."



My buddy Jerry thinks using the Mirage as a mid layer is agood idea and didn't think the Mirage warm enough for a full on Bozeman winter. And just think my plan was to take it to theCassin! The 7 denier shell cloth doesn't repel wind like a heavier cloth but for my own use it is durable enough as a outer layer. And a good enough wind layer. So I sized accordingly.

Jerry is also the guy pictured here, sound asleep in his Mirage on top of his skis at Muir on an early spring morning. So go figure! He surely isn't using the Mirageas a mid layer there. And seems satisfied with the performance.



I didn't get to Alaska a this Spring. And may not again. But I do have some really nice down jackets in my closet right now. None being used in the mountains but the Mont Bell Mirage. Some even lighter or close enough to the Mirage but none warmer for the weight. There have beena few stand out products for my own use in the last couple ofyears. TLT5 and Rebel Utra forboots come to mind. Fat, rockered ski and full on race tech bindings are good examples. The Nomic ice tool,Neoshell and Polartec Power ShieldPro garments a few others. The Mont Bell Mirage is one of those pieces. Gear that has set a new standard in performance formy own use. That kind of gear is hard to find and difficult to replace. I'd love to see this jacket with a water proof, breathable outer shell with a little more wind resistance even if it added a few ounces to the over all package. And if they are going to that effort I'd add another 3 oz of that amazing 900 fill down to a size large. Make this one a 20 oz, over stuffed, water proofjacket and you would better anything else on the market. Till that happens I am all in (and very comfy) with theMirage. Not may "heavy" down jackets that you can add to a super lwt ski mountaineering rig and still think you are still "feather weight". The Mont Bell Mirage fits that bill soeasily it is almost a no brainier.Rather amazing really.







If I make it back to Alaska this is the jacket I will be using for any quick ascent. Till then it will keep going into my skimo race pack. And on when I want a little early morning comfort and a hot drink.



More here fromCold Thistle on Mont Bell:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//02/the-mont-bell-permafrost-down-jacket.html



and a outdoorgearlab.com review here:



http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Down-Jacket-Reviews/MontBell-Mirage-Parka

Gear for Sale

I'll be adding more gear, clothing and boots and deletingthe itemsthat havesold on a daily basisfor the next week or so. Happy to ship Internationally if you are willing to pay the postage.



More here if interested:



http://coldthistletools.blogspot.com//12/cold-thistle-review-gear-for-sell.html

I Like Coffee, I Like Tea...

It's hard not to notice that many cyclists are also avid coffee drinkers. I guess I am too, in the sense that I am thoroughly addicted and must drink several cups a day in order to function. But I am not a coffee connoisseur. I am okay with most espresso blends. I keep it simple with a French press. I add a bit of milk. And I prefer a nice big mug over a dainty cup. After more than two decades of drinking the stuff, I have never felt compelled to explore the world of coffee beyond this.




Tea, on the other hand, has always been a danger zone - something that I sensed could plunge me into yet another crazy hobby. Perhaps that is why I've mostly played it safe and stuck to grocery-store tea bags. I did not want to cross that line.




That is, until recently. There has been a lot of tea drinking at my house this winter and at some point I was gifted a teapot and some loose tea. Long story short, I now have a small collection of delicious teas, about the properties and history of which I know more than I care to admit. It wasn't long before I began to develop my own masala chai recipe, andpurchased a dedicated Tokoname kyusu for green tea. Right...




Well, at least playing around with this stuff has kept me sane over the past couple of months - althoughI use the term "sane" loosely. Earlier today I was debating the idea of a Mobile Tea Party. Inspired by conversations with Jacquie Phelan and by memories of theXtracycle displayat the last Interbike, I had the idea to install a samovar on the back of a bike and turn it into a neighbourhood Tea Chariot. Say a driver is cranky sitting in traffic - I can offer them some tea. A passing cyclist looks thirsty? Cuppa tea. Pedestrian in need of refreshment? Tea! Heck, I can even drink some myself at red lights.




Sadly, I don't think it is feasible to boil water via pedal power while cycling around the neighbourhood. According to this video, it took11 cyclists on bike generators to boil 1 cup of water with a 1kW kettle! But it's a nice idea. And probably a sign that I should put down the tea (it's Darjeeling tonight) and get out of the house more.




So: coffee or tea? What's you preference and how into it are you?

Old rock!

It is August after all and I thought we could afford a tiny break from crampons and all this talk of past skiing and ice on the way. Hopefully no one will be too offended. Dbl click for full value.





Couple of friends on "Illusions", 11a,a stellar thin crack climb I did a life time or so ago.. It is a perfect 0 TCU crack. Just scanned in 300 slides and negatives fromclimbing in the 70s and 80s. Only another 500 or so more to go. Got a look at climbs I have forgotten even existed let alone stuff I had done. I'll add a few of the better ones when I get time. Dbl click the photos for full value.

Another thin crack crux and another favorite climb of mine, "Rock 106" .11c face, bolted. Wendy leading again.

This is where I first put on my big boy pants.Max on the 2nd ascent of "Yahoody".11b, Hands, fingers andfists. No one gets left out here.You'll have to excuse the tights :) Six yearspreviousDarcy and Idid the first ascent. A big adventure in *many* ways in 1980. Likely the purest line I have done and some of the most beautifulrock. Back then it wasjeans, a tee shirt and EBs.

Creatures of the Night

As others are noticing, summer is slowly ending and darkness is descending earlier and earlier each day. Today I spent most of the daylight hours working on a difficult photo shoot(nothing to do with bikes) that in the end may or may not have been successful. Let me tell you... even if you love photography, it can be frustrating. Spontaneous pictures are fun, but when you have to get something just so or the whole project is no good, and there is a timeline, and you are working with medium format film photography... well, it can get just a tad stressful. I got home after dark and with every fiber of my body felt that I had to ride the Gazelle toclear my head. So I rode in slow motion to a cafe, drank coffee while staring out the window, and rode back. I felt better.



The bottle dynamo lighting on the Gazelleis not the brightest, but for now I think it will do. And I like the soothing, barely audible swishing/hissing/whistling sound that the bottle makes as it rubs the tire. Riding along and listening to it, I feel such a direct connection between myself and the light that illuminates the road. That's me, making light with my feet... how nice that is. (Andwhen such thoughts run through my mind, I know that I must be tired!)



From a more practical perspective, I will eventually need to either supplement the existing dynamo with LED lights, or upgrade to a stronger system. I have been considering the Dymotec 6. Any experiences with it or suggestions for alternatives? Autumn is coming, and increasingly this bicycle will become a creature of the night. Just imagine the tire sidewall singing this to the dynamo bottle...

The Bobbin Birdie Flies to Iowa!

I hope that everyone is having a nice Valentine's Day - either celebrating it, ignoring it, or doing something delightfully un-Valentinesy, whatever your persuasion.




But what will thered Bobbin Birdiebe doing, you might ask? She will be spending the evening packing her bags, for soon she will fly to her new human friend in the Midwest. I would like to announce that the winner of the Valentine's Day Give-Away and the recipient of the Birdie is Audrey W., whose submission I repost below:






The photo is a little fuzzy, but a close look reveals details that struck me as both sweet and meaningful. On the right is a picture of a heart shaped wheel in a truing stand. And the poem on the left reads:




"true love

discouraging, tiresome
amassed frustrations
quick release–
escape
restore sanity?

true love, loyal to
youth, to health, to
the beating-
heart

celebrating curves,
bearing pain and
bliss–
eternal"




Though not as sleek in presentation as some of the other entries, the impact of Audrey's card stayed with me, and many readers reported the same effect in their feedback.




Audrey is involved inthe Bike Library in Iowa City, where she and the Birdie should feel right at home as a couple.Please join me in congratulating Audrey on her new bicycle!






I would like to thank everyone who submitted their poetry and art for this give-away (see the 15 finalists here). Your work brought joy to lots of readers, and I hope there is some satisfaction in that. Thank you also to those who gave feedback about their favourite entries; I read all the comments and they definitely influenced my decision. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to the fellows atForth Floor - the North American distributor of Bobbin Bicycles -for sponsoring this give-away with no stipulations or strings attached. As always, thank you everyone for reading, and a lovely evening to all!

Grand Canyon :: Bright Angel Trail to Indian Gardens

Prior to our little adventure yesterday we had gone to the Backcountry Permit Office to see what was available for an overnight trip. Somehow, Sue and Fred had talked me into a little backpacking hike and an overnighter. It really didn't take much convincing on their part as I was ready for a little adventure. Sue and Fred have hiked all the way to the river previously, spending a night at Phantom Ranch, then stopping off a second night at the Indian Gardens campground, making the trek to the top the following day. They have also done a lot of hiking and backpacking to various other places. They had also “trained” for this trip. So they were “old pros” at this backpacking thing. Me? Never backpacked. Never slept under the stars. There's a first time for everything!

As it turns out, there was a spot open at the Indian Gardens Campground for the next day, Tuesday. We were warned that there was a chance of precipitation Monday afternoon, possibly even some snow Monday night. We went ahead and made the reservation anyway.

Monday afternoon, after our return from Cedar Ridge, the temperature dropped dramatically. It had started raining in the late afternoon but that rain quickly changed to snow! Big flakes. Wet flakes. Lots of them. At first it didn't stick, but we soon noticed it accumulating on the branches of trees. By the time we went to bed Monday night, there was about two inches of snow on the ground. And it was cold. It got even colder during the night. And the snow was still there on Tuesday morning.

The scene we awoke to on Tuesday morning.

It was pretty, but we really could have done without it! I guess Mother Nature just wanted us to be able to experience all facets of the Grand Canyon.

By the time we had breakfast and double checked to see that we had everything, the sun had come out. It was about 8:30 when we left for the trailhead. Fred dropped Sue and me off, parked the car in the overnight lot, and returned within a few minutes. Then we walked to the trailhead. When we got to the Canyon, another surprise awaited us!

Fog! Filling the Canyon! Yes, snow, we had expected. But fog? One amongst our party, who shall remain nameless (not me), wasn't sure that we should continue. It would be too slippery. We couldn't see. But the other two of us took the positive attitude (or perhaps, were a little crazy) “It will get better. The fog will go away. The snow won't be very far down.” On we went. This picture was taken at 8:42 a.m. just beyond the first turn into the canyon.

Sue and Fred at the first tunnel, just .18 miles from the rim and ten minutes into the hike. The tunnel is visible in the previous photo. It was slow going. It was slippery. We took our time. Others had gone down that path before us, so it had to be okay, right?

The view of the rim from the trail, 20 minutes into the hike.

One of the worst patches of the trail, about 30 minutes into the hike. Beneath that fresh layer of snow was a very thick layer of slippery ice. This section of the trail gets little, if any, sun.

To be continued... part two

Geraniums

My geraniums are enjoying being outside after a long winter in doors. They are all starting to bloom better. They bloom in the winter but not as well as they do outside.

When Cyclists Complain About Cyclists

[image via Copenhagenize]

Spring is here and the number of new cyclists is multiplying rapidly. It's fantastic to see so many people in Cambridge and Somerville going about their day on two wheels, as if this were entirely normal and natural - which of course it is. But with more bicycles on the roads, this is also the time of the year for complaints: motorists complaining about "scofflaw cyclists" and cyclists themselves complaining about "newbies."



While motorist hostility is nothing new or surprising, there is somewhat of a debate in the bicycle blog world as to whether it's right for cyclists themselves to criticise other cyclists' behaviour. On the one hand, when cyclists don't follow traffic laws and behave recklessly, they not only "make all of us look bad," but actually endanger us. The biggest example of this that I experience in Boston, is when I am intentionally riding toward the left of the bike lane in order to avoid the door zone, and a cyclist passes me on the right. I have also had cyclists nearly crash into me as a result of their running a red light: Ironically, those who do so tend to watch out for cars but not for other bicycles. Naturally, I find such actions disconcerting. I feel no common bond with those who jeopardise my safety - regardless of what mode of transportation they are using.



But when cyclists criticise other cyclists, I wonder about its overall effectiveness. Do the scofflaws feel shamed and curb their transgressive behaviour in response to the critical rants of law-abiding cyclists? Or is it more likely that they carry on just as before, and it's the timid, fledgling cyclists who are scared off from even trying to navigate such a treacherous landscape? This is what I was thinking while reading this post on BostonBiker this morning. While I actually agree with most of the points the author made, the tone just seemed so hostile. It also made me uneasy that the author criticised "new cyclists" - while themselves having only begun cycling this past winter. I have been cycling for over two years in Boston, including winters, and still consider myself to be fairly new at it. While I am safe, law-abiding and friendly, I am not perfect and sometimes make mistakes despite my best intentions. Is there a cyclist ranting about me on their blog because I neglected to signal a right turn last Thursday? A depressing thought.



I would not go so far as to suggest that cyclists must not criticise other cyclists, as part of some Velocipedean Brotherhood Code of Honor. But there has to be a way to discuss these issues in a more constructive manner. Do you complain about other cyclists when you think they are behaving recklessly, or do you opt for a united front? Is there an approach that accomplishes both?

DZnuts for the Ladies?

One discovery I have made in my attempts to battle roadbike discomforts is a product called DZnuts. This is a chamois cream that promises to "protect your junk" from chafing, irritation and infections that can occur during long distance cycling on a roadbike. This stuff is sold in most bike shops, branded as a men's product. So I present it here surrounded by lavender and a cup of herbal tea to indicate that it also works for ladies.



If you are wondering for what purpose you would possibly need something like this, then you probably do not need it. But if leaning forward on your saddle for hours rubs you the wrong way, then you know what I speak of. Oh I know it is a delicate topic, and I assure you that I blush and swoon at my own impropriety even as I write this, but somebody had to address it. So yes: DZnuts helps against that. The cream both alleviates the pain if you've already hurt yourself, and will prevent it from happening in the first place if applied before the ride. If they come up with a better product that is women-specific, that would be wonderful. Until then, DZnuts it is.

Dolphins At Play

One of my favorite things to do at Sea World is to watch the dolphins.

I especially like it when they are moving around in what I assume is more natural and less "trained" ways.

To watch them move through the water is a beautiful thing.

It might just be me thinking it should be so, but they just look happy to be moving about so freely.

Even if they aren't really smiling, they put a smile on my face. Dolphins are truly amazing creatures. It is always a wonderful thing when we can watch them, especially when we can get this close to them.

Living the life in Florida!

Raleigh Lady's Tourist: Two Generations

As some might recall, I own two vintage Raleigh Lady's Tourists. Being in the midst of a major bike upheaval right now, I've retrieved these from storage and took the opportunity to photograph them together. The bicycle on the left is a 1973 DL-1. It has been refurbished and modified over the years (aftermarket chaincase, tires, rack, dress guards, pump, saddle, grips and rear wheel), a very ridable bike but definitely not a collector's item. The bicycle on the right is a 1936 Tourist. This one is inoriginal and unaltered condition, including an intact chaincase, rotting grips and tires, cracked frame pump and dilapidated saddle. In the future I would like to have the older Tourist restored professionally, and until I can afford that I will continue to carefully store it. The newer Tourist I've decided to use as a transportation bicycle again, having now sold off most of my other bikes (a topic for another post). In the meantime, I'd like to share some observations while I briefly have these beauties side by side.






I am not very good at lining up bikes and comparing them properly, but I'll try. Despite the older Tourist appearing smaller to the naked eye than the newer model, their wheelbases are near-identical - as are their bottom bracket heights (300mm), the lengths of their chainstays (500mm), their front-center measurements (680mm), and the lengths of their seat tubes (540mm center to center, or 560mm center to top - a.k.a. the 22" frame size). The seat tube angles look identical. The headtube angle on the newer bike looks like it could be slightly steeper, but I am unable to measure precisely. The forks line up identically. The virtual top tube on the older bike is a little shorter (570mm compared to 580mm on the newer one, measured center to center). But the most glaring difference is in the height of the head tubes.






The headtube on the 1973 Tourist measures 185mm from the very bottom of the lower lug to the very top of the upper lug. On the 1936 Tourist, the headtube measures 265mm. That's a considerable difference, placing the older bicycle's handlebars quite a bit higher. Combined with the slightly shorter virtual top tube, the rider is overall more upright.








The quadrant shifter on the older model is on the top tube.





Notice also that the handlebars used in the '70s are different than those used in the '30s. The older ones were narrower, and angled straight back with no forward sweep to them.





On the older bike, the pump is behind the seat tube and there isa lugged connection between the down tube and the looped top tube. On the newer model the pump sits between those tubes and there is no lugged connector.





Overall I would say that the two bicycles are more similar than not, and it's interesting to me that so few changes were made between those 4 decades. I would love to see how a 1950s model compares to these two.

Upheaval

I've been doing some major restructuring lately that I haven't been sure how to discuss. I finally bought a new roadbike and have been enjoying it very much. However I do not want to write about it yet. It has made me uneasy to realise that when I buy a bike it is seen by some as a strong endorsement of the brand.As I start to take my role as reviewer more seriously, I struggle with how to avoid or at least mitigate this.There are many great bicycles out there, and the ones I buy for myself are not necessarily "better." I've toyed with the idea of not naming the manufacturers of my personal bikes from this point forward, but that would introduce logistic difficulties that would border on absurdity. So I won't go that route. But I do think it's unfair to feature my brand new roadbike here while still in the grips of new bike bliss. I will wait to write about it until I am able to do so dispassionately.



Another big change, is that we now own a couple of folding bikes, which we've been riding for transportationalmost exclusively. It is impossible to hide the brand, because of its very recognisable silhouette, and you will be seeing more and more pictures of them soon. The folding bikes were the Co-Habitant's idea and have been for years. And while I was not entirely on board at first, since owning mine I've changed my mind. The bike works for me, and I am especially excited to be taking it along on an upcoming trip.



In parallel to these purchases, I've been selling off most of my other bicycles. Aside from the financial necessity of selling bikes when new ones are acquired, it is clear that increasingly I am focused on long-term reviews of loaner bikes and on design projects (I've got two going on behind the scenes at the moment). There seem to be always bikes in my tiny apartment that do not belong to me, and so it makes sense to get my personal bicycles down to a minimum.



As someone who is both the author of a moderately known bicycle blog and a real-life person, I feel the need to be transparent about these sorts of things, but I also want to retain some privacy, which I hope is understandable.It's a very personal thing, to buy or sell a bicycle. I am looking forward to writing about new projects soon, and to posting lots of detailed reviews this summer.

The amazing alpine photos of John Scurlock!

All Images Copyright 2004/, John Scurlock, Photographer & Pilot.



You have to dbl click this photo!



http://www.pbase.com/nolock/root

Snowflakes

This morning there were snowflakes frozen on one of our windows. So very pretty to be able to see every part of them like this.

What is it?

Speaking of foals. An email friend sent me a photo recently of a foal that is a cross between a zebra and a donkey. Now that critter is really cute. I WANT ONE.