It's not every day that one meets a cartoon character, let alone a bicycling cartoon character. And so imagine my delight upon learning that I live just minutes from one. Allow me to introduce:Bikeyface!
A sure cure for self-seriousness,Bikeyface is a weekly comic strip that offers a parallel universe where all the weird stuff we imagine but don't say out loud materialises in cartoon form. Rich in visual detail, manic undertones, and good old fashioned perversity,Bikeyfacehas charmed thebicycle blogging universe with unexpected gems like"Office Shower Politics","Men in Skirts"and "Winter Beard."
The heroine of Bikeyface describes herself as a "common commuter" type - who wears "non-spandex" clothing, "inappropriate cycling footwear," a hounstooth patterned helmet, and a "bikey smile" as she pedals around greater Boston on her bike, Marlene Dietrich.
Occasionally she will don a cycling-themed accessory, such as this gear pendant (okay, so they're the wrong type of gears)...
...or a beard/muschachio balaclava, to compensate for her lack of facial hair on chilly winter commutes.
But who is Bikeyface really, the woman behind the cartoon and the knitted facial hair?
Well, all right: She is Bekka. She is a painter with a non-painterly dayjob, to which she commutes by bike. She lives in Somerville, MA. Before that she lived in LA and rode her bike there. And she is from New England originally.
The bike she currently rides is a tiny Surly Cross-Check in her favourite colour, which she got last summer and loves. It is called "Marlene Dietrich" because it is sultry and feminine, yet with a tomboyish edge. Of course. Other bikes she has owned have included an Electra Amsterdam and a couple of hybrids, but Marlene is the preferred ride - used for both commuting and long distance recreational cycling.
Of all the people I've met so far via the cycling blog connection, meeting Bekka has been my biggest "the worlds collide" type of experience. Besides living walking distance from one another, we discovered that we have some uncanny non-bikey things in common and spend more time talking about those than we do about cycling. It sometimes feels as if we are interacting as two different sets of people: the real us, with our bikey alter egos hovering in the background. We've talked a little about identity - how we both come across differently on our blogs than we do in person, and how people react to that difference when they meet us. Whereas Bikeyface is a perky, mischievous and boisterous character, in person Bekka is subtle and analytical, and rather difficult to characterise. Visually, she is striking: A soft and delicate face withenormous, unusually shaped blue eyes - the type of face that belongs in a 1930s French film and not so much in a 21st century bike cartoon. I would certainly like to paint her some time, as herself.
In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy Bikeyfaceand invite you to do the same. The strip normally comes out every Wednesday morning and is certain to brighten up your day.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Farewell Festival
Last night Laura and I decided to take advantage of the last day of the and stack a few of our favorite activities. Laura came up with the name "The Farewell Festival." Not really a festival, but a seriously fun day of outdoor activities. Ideally we plan to continue this in upcoming years as well. Here's my recap of our great day!
Phase 1 - Skiing, Seven Springs resort (Somerset Co.)
First activity of our festival was to get in some skiing at Seven Springs. Ice climbing conditions have been dismal thus far, so we've been enjoying some local man made winter and decided this would be the first activity of the day. We left home in time to make a run down from the North parking lot and hit the lifts at 9:00AM when they first started running. We skied for about a couple of hours enjoying the best conditions of the season thus far. There were no mojo sapping crowds as in previous holiday mornings up there, just perfectly groomed, fast running slopes. Yesterday we had 7" of fresh snow which had skiers and boarders swarming the mountain like bees on a hive. We usually only stay until the lift lines take longer than the runs down the hill. Yesterday was a very short day. If we hadn't planned multiple sporting events for our farewell festival day we definitely would've stayed longer to take advantage of short lift lines, fast conditions and fun jibs. Laura and I cruised some hills, hit some rails all the while filming our hijinks! Alas we had to move on to the next phase of our festival which required considerably less clothes than our phase 1 jibwear!
Phase 2 - Ice climbing, Ohiopyle State Park (Fayette Co.)
After Seven Springs, we made a pit stop at home to exchange gear and clothes. After a quick change out of our baggy ski attire into more trim fitting climbing duds. We packed up the Subaru and set off to Ohiopyle. Meadow Run was our destination. We filmed more pre-climbing stupidity in the car then set off for the crag. Not much ice was to be found, but we managed a few laps each on Season Finale M6. I was anxious to see how my injured shoulder would handle dry tooling. I've been resting it for several weeks now under the care of my good friend Dr. Andy. It seemed to work fine for the limited climbing we did. Also to make my climbing day sweeter was that I finally tried my new Lowa Ice Comp "fruits".
They were quite fun and much lighter than my standard mixed boot and crampon combo of Lowa Mountain Expert GTX and Petzl Darts. They should prove to make for some fun climbing this season! With still more festival fun ahead we had to pack up and move on to even funnier looking outfits and phase 3. NOTE: Visiting climbers looking for ice. Next weekend should have some drips forming up. Check for ice condition updates both here and on NEice.com
Phase 3 - Winter Running, Mammoth Park (Westmoreland Co.)
Running is a great interest of mine. I've been running for a number of years now and have logged many, many miles and lots of elevation on both trail and roads. It's a great way to keep your cardio in tip top shape (be sure to focus on hills for climbers). Laura started running this fall and has been working hard while following a safe, proper training schedule. Today was proof how much effort and dedication she's put into becoming a runner. Conditions were less than ideal, but she crushed her 30 minute workout today in proper style. We made the short drive to Mammoth Park, a local county park that has a nice 1.04 mile brick exercise path that is usually kept clear of snow for users. The thermometer in the car read 35 Degrees with gloomy skies. The path was plowed, which resulted in removing the snow, but in its place remained ice. Running it required careful and attentive footwork. Several times I found myself having flashbacks to my morning rail slides at Seven Springs. It was a great run to end the year. Laura followed her program and ran 3 laps like a champ completing a 5k for the first time in winter conditions. I ran 4 laps in a slippery 29:42 then running an easy mile to cool down. We walked together and filmed some running segments for future laughs. We had an amazingly fun day of activities. We're going to be heading out early in the morning to follow our New Years Day climbing tradition. We're heading to the Higher elevations to see if we can't find a New Years first ascent!
Farewell ... Hello !
Happy climbing,
Tim and Laura
Phase 1 - Skiing, Seven Springs resort (Somerset Co.)
First activity of our festival was to get in some skiing at Seven Springs. Ice climbing conditions have been dismal thus far, so we've been enjoying some local man made winter and decided this would be the first activity of the day. We left home in time to make a run down from the North parking lot and hit the lifts at 9:00AM when they first started running. We skied for about a couple of hours enjoying the best conditions of the season thus far. There were no mojo sapping crowds as in previous holiday mornings up there, just perfectly groomed, fast running slopes. Yesterday we had 7" of fresh snow which had skiers and boarders swarming the mountain like bees on a hive. We usually only stay until the lift lines take longer than the runs down the hill. Yesterday was a very short day. If we hadn't planned multiple sporting events for our farewell festival day we definitely would've stayed longer to take advantage of short lift lines, fast conditions and fun jibs. Laura and I cruised some hills, hit some rails all the while filming our hijinks! Alas we had to move on to the next phase of our festival which required considerably less clothes than our phase 1 jibwear!
Phase 2 - Ice climbing, Ohiopyle State Park (Fayette Co.)
After Seven Springs, we made a pit stop at home to exchange gear and clothes. After a quick change out of our baggy ski attire into more trim fitting climbing duds. We packed up the Subaru and set off to Ohiopyle. Meadow Run was our destination. We filmed more pre-climbing stupidity in the car then set off for the crag. Not much ice was to be found, but we managed a few laps each on Season Finale M6. I was anxious to see how my injured shoulder would handle dry tooling. I've been resting it for several weeks now under the care of my good friend Dr. Andy. It seemed to work fine for the limited climbing we did. Also to make my climbing day sweeter was that I finally tried my new Lowa Ice Comp "fruits".
Lowa Ice Comp GTX |
They were quite fun and much lighter than my standard mixed boot and crampon combo of Lowa Mountain Expert GTX and Petzl Darts. They should prove to make for some fun climbing this season! With still more festival fun ahead we had to pack up and move on to even funnier looking outfits and phase 3. NOTE: Visiting climbers looking for ice. Next weekend should have some drips forming up. Check for ice condition updates both here and on NEice.com
Phase 3 - Winter Running, Mammoth Park (Westmoreland Co.)
Running is a great interest of mine. I've been running for a number of years now and have logged many, many miles and lots of elevation on both trail and roads. It's a great way to keep your cardio in tip top shape (be sure to focus on hills for climbers). Laura started running this fall and has been working hard while following a safe, proper training schedule. Today was proof how much effort and dedication she's put into becoming a runner. Conditions were less than ideal, but she crushed her 30 minute workout today in proper style. We made the short drive to Mammoth Park, a local county park that has a nice 1.04 mile brick exercise path that is usually kept clear of snow for users. The thermometer in the car read 35 Degrees with gloomy skies. The path was plowed, which resulted in removing the snow, but in its place remained ice. Running it required careful and attentive footwork. Several times I found myself having flashbacks to my morning rail slides at Seven Springs. It was a great run to end the year. Laura followed her program and ran 3 laps like a champ completing a 5k for the first time in winter conditions. I ran 4 laps in a slippery 29:42 then running an easy mile to cool down. We walked together and filmed some running segments for future laughs. We had an amazingly fun day of activities. We're going to be heading out early in the morning to follow our New Years Day climbing tradition. We're heading to the Higher elevations to see if we can't find a New Years first ascent!
Farewell ... Hello !
Happy climbing,
Tim and Laura
There Are Fifty States But There Should Be Fifty-One by Lynn Thorp
In honor of my big birthday, here are 50 thank-you notes and random thoughts about Planet DC and its satellites:
- I feel like I am really home in DC when I am at Ben’s Chili Bowl.
- When we were buying our house in Mt. Rainier, we were also spending every night protesting the first Gulf War at the White House, so 2 year old Nicole thought we were buying the White House.
- May 1993 – got arrested right there while handcuffed to Martin Sheen. Before he was President.
- The pedestrian thing is okay, but I miss driving by the White House.
- If it weren’t for one of DC’s homegrown industries, there would be no West Wing- television as an art form.
- Thank you for MacArthur Boulevard.
- Thank you for Fletcher’s Boat House.
- I could drive MacArthur Boulevard with my eyes closed.
- Newcomers can’t really understand what the Boulevard was like 30 years ago. But the spirits are very loud if you listen for them.
- The squatters just can’t get the Marion Barry thing.
- The Awakening belongs to DC, but at least my adopted county has it.
- I can’t find anybody who remembers Hamilton Arms in Georgetown, but I am 95% sure it’s not a Brigadoon-type thing that I imagined.
- The first time U2 came here they opened for the Slickee Boys. Three months later they were famous, and Slickees opened for them.
- The first time the Clash played here, opening act Bo Didley asked me to introduce him to some girls.
- Thank you for Garrett’s.
- Thank you for DC rock and roll.
- Thank you for The Raven.
- In the days of DC Space, people were scared to go down to what is now the Gallery Place “whatever it is.”
- Thank you for Lyn1.
- Lots of people don’t know that the guy who wrote the piano solo for Layla is a DC guy who was in Nils Lofgren’s first band, even before Grin, and he has a bit of a sordid history. Look it up.
- You could learn all you need to know about life at the People’s Drug Store lunch counters.
- Sitting in DuPont circle with a coffee and a book is one of my favorite things.
- I was taught to drive on the Beltway because there was so little traffic on it.
- Because they grew up around here, my kids don’t see color, and they can spot b.s. a mile away.
- Thievery Corporation could only come from DC.
- The sign at the Wisconsin Ave. Little Tavern said “Buy ‘em [chunk of sign busted off] the Bag.”
- My cat Kyoko and I used to share a roast beef sandwich across the street at the Georgetown Roy Rogers on pay day.
- My sister Maude built Washington Harbor.
- One year the Bullets won the championship, and the Kinks played. ( I thought the hollering and hoopla in the streets was for the Kinks.)
- Sky King was jealous of me because he wanted my old friend Dan all to himself.
- Thank you for all the local bands and the guitar heroes.
- The best 4th of July fireworks are the ones rescheduled due to storms. Rare but priceless.
- Piggy really did jump off Key Bridge and survive it.
- Mom and her women friends lived above Duke Ziebert’s downtown in the last year of WWII. They would go on group dates with the few men left in town, and someone would stay behind to pocket the excessive tip for spending money for the week.
- During WWII many women who were liberated ahead of their time came to DC and did all the jobs usually reserved for men, most of who were off in the military. These became some of our local and national heroes and paved the way.
- My mom had an apartment at 14th and Harvard in the late 1940’s. Dad lived his teenage years at 16th and Harvard. My parents lived together at 18th and Kalorama in the 50s. They lived in McLean next to Robert Kennedy’s estate in the late 50s.
- Thanks from a grateful nation for Chuck Brown.
- If Congress would stop meddling with DC, it would have more enlightened laws than many.
- My friend Dan never stopped considering NJ his home, but he loved DC as much as any native.
- Half smokes are our thing.
- Streets that are called “Roads” are the old farm routes used to deliver food to various parts of the area. MacArthur Blvd. was Conduit Road. There are still Canal Road, Loughboro Road, etc.
- Baltimore has Mencken but we have Pelecanos.
- Bistro du Coin is not a bad thing to inhabit the space of Food for Thought, karma-wise.
- Pizza and bagels are a shortcoming, I have to admit.
- It’s too bad you can’t sleep on the beach in Dewey anymore.
- Someone must have a photo of the old House of Wig on F Street that I can buy.
- Adams Morgan on weekend nights is like Time Square on New Year’s Eve. Rather frightening, not my thing but worth trying out now and then.
- The hullaballoo over snow days is a deliberate way to get a mental health day. Don’t knock it, join it.
- Until there was widespread AC, tons of people slept in West Potomac Park.
- Flying into National (don’t call it the other name), is awesome every single time.
- NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. THE TIME IS COMING.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Temperature Regulation and Underlayers
From a reader's email, quoted with permission:
...not sure how to put this delicately, but when I ride my bike in the cold I inevitably end up with a sweaty bra. Even if I am not exerting myself, the bra is soaking wet by the time I get to work and The Girls are not happy spending an entire morning waiting for it to dry. I've taken to stuffing paper towels in there, but was hoping you could share a better solution. How do you deal with this? Don't tell me you only wear wool bras?
Now approaching my third winter of cycling, one of the most valuable lessons I've learned is how to dress for the cold weather. Merely piling on layers can lead to overheating, then freezing underneath the sweat-soaked clothing when stopped at red lights. This is where choice of fabric becomes important. Wool and silk not only keep me warm, but regulate my body temperature - meaning that I sweat lessunderneath all those layers of warmth than I do wearing cotton or synthetic fabrics. And compared to technical synthetics, wool and silk do not retain body odor.
When choosing temperature-regulating fabrics, the key to the whole system working for me is to start from the inside out. If I am wearing a wool sweater with a cotton long-sleeve tee underneath, that cotton is going to be drenched in sweat; it's better to wear a wool baselayer and a non-wool garment on top of that. Similarly, underwear matters a great deal, since it is the first thing to contact the skin. Cotton or polyester underwear will end up soaked in sweat, causing discomfort even if every single other article of clothing I am wearing is wool.
So yes: In response to the reader's question, I only wear bras made out of fabric that regulates my body temperature effectively, which for me means wool or silk. Wool is the more durable and somewhat more effective option. But wool bras tend to be plain and sporty looking, and not everyone likes that. Also, women with larger chests often report that these bras do not offer sufficient support. If you prefer a look and feel that is more lingiree than sportsbra, real silk bras are available with everything from decorative lace to underwire support and nylon stretch. After having tried a number of manufacturers, I have settled on Ibexfor wool underwear,and onWinter Silksfor some fairly inexpensive silk bras. I also like to wear Icebreakerleggings instead of stockings once it gets cold, and always Smartwoolsocks. There are other excellent options out there. But as long as it's wool or silk, there should be no need to stuff your bra with paper towels before cycling to work.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger (1917-1918-1919)
There were no records kept of the reunions held in the years of 1917 & 1918.
The 10th annual reunion of the Phend-Fisher families was held on Sept 28, 1919 at the home of Christ. Phend at Nappanee. The morning was spent in a social way and, at noon a basket dinner was served after which a short business meeting was held and the following officers elected for the ensuing year.
Jacob Phend. Pres.
Fred Ernest. Sec.
Christ Phend. Tres.
It was decided by vote that the 11th annual reunion be held at the home of Harry Phend at Milford Ind. on the last Saturday of Sept. 1920
The meeting was then adjourned and an enjoyable time was reported by all.
Fred Ernest, Sec.
The 10th annual reunion of the Phend-Fisher families was held on Sept 28, 1919 at the home of Christ. Phend at Nappanee. The morning was spent in a social way and, at noon a basket dinner was served after which a short business meeting was held and the following officers elected for the ensuing year.
Jacob Phend. Pres.
Fred Ernest. Sec.
Christ Phend. Tres.
It was decided by vote that the 11th annual reunion be held at the home of Harry Phend at Milford Ind. on the last Saturday of Sept. 1920
The meeting was then adjourned and an enjoyable time was reported by all.
Fred Ernest, Sec.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Gold Field
Goldfields, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.
More goldfields along Mines Road south of Livermore. These flowers literally carpet the ground and in many places are the only plant growing.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Happy Ground Hog day! Kinzua klimbing and A day at the Cliffs
Wow... Its looking miserable outside today. Yesterday we had temps in the mid 30's and rain. The forcast was calling for a couple mild days this week. Well mild was an understatement for the start of today. I went out on the deck and it felt like spring. Sunny and 45°. The Weather channel is saying the temps are going to fall into the mid 20's and that it'll be snowing by this afternoon. I sure hope they're right. The last 48hrs most likely put a hurting on the mixed lines I've been working on as well as the ice routes I've been patiently waiting to see come into shape. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'll try to head out tomorrow to scope the damages. I'm sure a fresh coating of snow will make things feels wintry again. If winter comes to a screeching halt we can all blame that HOG up in Punxy for not seeing his shadow. Well enough about the weather. On to our recent climbing adventures.
Friday Jan. 28thLaura and I decided to take a short road trip up to Kinzua to climb. The climbing there is mostly casual with WI3 being the common grade. Usually its a great place for beginning leaders to cut their teeth on the sharp end. It was the location of my first ice climbing experience about 14 years ago. I've been at it ever since that first outing. In that respect Kinzua will always be a memorable place for me to visit. Laura had never been there, so we loaded up the climbingmobile and set off at 6:00am friday for the 3.5hr drive north. The drive went smooth considering the snow storm we drove in most of the way. Upon arrival, I was slightly disappointed to see the ice much thinner than what I had climbed in years past. I havn't been there in quite a few years, but every other tip I've made to Kinzua has provided FAT,blue flows. It was a real bummer since the trip was mostly for Laura to get in a bunch of time leading. Instead we pondered over which line was filled in most of the way. I could see rock through the clear ice as well as hear large amounts of running water. Seeing the ice in this current state, I decided to take the lead and check things out before Laura went up. I climbed the line directly across from the Entrance to the first parking lot. Its generally a low angle steeped WI3 with great protection. It took some searching to get in a few 13cm screws that were actually going to do something. As I climbed I could look down into the large holes and see the rock and water underneath. I reached to top and setup the belay to bring Laura up to the trees. She climbed up using her new BD Fusion ice tools. It wasn't much of a route to put them to use on, but she seemed to like them. I brought along some 8mm cord and rap rings to contribute to the local climbing community based on a post on NEice.com about the anchors being ratty and in need of replacement. I set up a station on a large tree up and left of the top out. Heres a photo of the new station and the climb.
Our second climb was to the right of the first one. It was in the little alcove. It went up the low angle start and up to a short pillar. The ice on this route was better up on the pillar, but the bottom was still somewhat hollow and not well formed. I took the line over right above the exposed rock section and belayed/rapped from there.
Well it only took two climbs and we decided to head back home to better conditions. We'll have to make another trip someday when things are more "in". All in all it was a nice quick revisit the moderates of Kinzua. will I do it again this season? Most likely not with the way conditions have been at home. There's always next season!
Sunday Jan. 30th. Laura was out for the day and I made plans with Dr. Bob to climb at the cliffs. Joel and Matt were already in town and were staying in Ohiopyle. They climbed Saturday at Upper Meadow where I guess quite a display of climbing went on. I wasn't there, but it sounded good. Anyhow... Sunday morning came and I drove to the parking area of the cliffs. It was snowed in and I did some shoveling to make parking better for those involved in the days antics. I was getting ready to hike in when Dr. Bob showed up. We split the ropes and made our way in. Dr. Bob is one of my oldest ice climbing friends. Due to life, etc. I haven't had the opportunity to spend much time on the rope with him recently as I have in the past. Bob and I decided to warm up on Called on Account of Security WI4. It was in great shape. A little new snow and some onion skin made climbing a little more interesting, but all in all it was in the best conditions I've ever seen. I led the pitch and belayed Bob from the top to shoot some pics on my new camera. Here are a few of the shots.
For our second route we decided to climb G-Gully WI4+/5- It was one of the driest routes we saw. The climb went well. It was much better than last season when we did the FFA. Bob commented many times how he enjoyed the 3D climbing that the route offered. Here's a few shots of Bob cleaning.
Joel and Matt showed up a little later than expected. They had spend the evening before getting familiarized with life in Ohiopyle. Here's a photo of Joel upon arrival at the cliffs. Needless to say there's not much to report on their activities of the day. Matt was the lone climber taking a lap on G-Gully before hiking out.
Overall there was a lot of running water and things were building fast. The Beast WI5+ was in the process of making a rare appearance. Albeit with massive amounts of water flowing down it. I hope the weather didn't take too much of a toll on it.
On the last day of season (last year), Laura and I went on an early morning mission to climb it before the day warmed to well above freezing, but were turned back by the stupidity of forgetting our ropes. It WAS just about ready for the 2nd time in 5 or 6 years... Until today's rain. With any luck the it will be climbable and I'll finally get to climb it. If not there's still lots of mixed climbs out there begging to be climbed. We'll see what the weekend holds.
The dam located directly across from the climbing |
Our first climb. Unusually thin compared to what I've typically seen here |
Laura coming up the first climb we did |
Laura seconding with trucks rumbling below. Notice our car in the lot? Worlds easiest approach! |
Our second climb was to the right of the first one. It was in the little alcove. It went up the low angle start and up to a short pillar. The ice on this route was better up on the pillar, but the bottom was still somewhat hollow and not well formed. I took the line over right above the exposed rock section and belayed/rapped from there.
Laura tooling on the second climb we did. (The steepest we could find) |
Coming up onto the belay of the 2nd climb |
Sunday Jan. 30th. Laura was out for the day and I made plans with Dr. Bob to climb at the cliffs. Joel and Matt were already in town and were staying in Ohiopyle. They climbed Saturday at Upper Meadow where I guess quite a display of climbing went on. I wasn't there, but it sounded good. Anyhow... Sunday morning came and I drove to the parking area of the cliffs. It was snowed in and I did some shoveling to make parking better for those involved in the days antics. I was getting ready to hike in when Dr. Bob showed up. We split the ropes and made our way in. Dr. Bob is one of my oldest ice climbing friends. Due to life, etc. I haven't had the opportunity to spend much time on the rope with him recently as I have in the past. Bob and I decided to warm up on Called on Account of Security WI4. It was in great shape. A little new snow and some onion skin made climbing a little more interesting, but all in all it was in the best conditions I've ever seen. I led the pitch and belayed Bob from the top to shoot some pics on my new camera. Here are a few of the shots.
Dr Bob coming up Called on Account of Security WI4 |
Dr Bob doing work! |
Bob cleaning G-Gully WI4+ |
Feeling a little fuzzy Joel? |
The Beast about touching down for the 2nd year in a row! |
Overall conditions photo from Sunday |
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
New Beginnings
Earlier this week I finally made it to 12 Channel Street in South Boston - the new home of Royal H. Cycles, Geekhouse Bikes, Hubway Bikeshare and a number of other local bicycle-related ventures.
Organised by the intrepid Marty Walsh of Geekhouse, HQ Boston is a new collective space in an industrial waterfront area dubbed the "Innovation District," and its acquisition has been the talk of the town among bikey people. It is big news. The space is big (24,000 sq ft), the commitment is big (10 year lease), and the scope of the project is big. The move shows there is growth in the local small scale bicycle industry, and implies a collective faith in this growth continuing.
Seeing the venue for the first time - an entire second floor of a warehouse-type building, still mostly open floor space - I was overwhelmed by the sheer blank canvas potential of it. Anything could happen here. Many things will, soon.
All morning long there was energy, movement. Planks scattered, walls going up. Men at work. At the same time it was oddly peaceful for a place with so much going on. The size of the space diffuses the construction noise. The light coming in from the outside casts a soft white glow over the debris.
The floor space occupied by Geekhouse and Royal H has been set up and operational for months.There are beautiful machines, jigs, tools, frames and wheels suspended along the walls.
The presence of the framebuilders is there.
Oh yes.
Walking through the space, I admit to feeling some nostalgia. The new venue lacks the personality of the oldGeekhouse shack in Allstonwith its famous graffiti mural. It lacks the charm of the tiny old Royal H workshop in Somervilleby the railroad tracks, just minutes from my house. There is no small neighbourhood feel here. Huge industrial buildings greeted me as I looked out the window, blocking the view of the Harbor. But even as I thought these things, I knew that it was the sentimentalist in me talking. Any place can become a neighbourhood once filled with neighbours, and the Innovation District is attracting new creative small businesses every day. Murals will be painted in due course. The personality of a space takes time to develop.
This place has the potential for growth and collaboration that was not available to either of the occupants beforehand, and the excitement of this is almost tangible.
The spirit of working together is in the air. Though I came to meet with Bryan of Royal H., I later encountered Shane - the man behind BostonBiker. I've corresponded with Shane in the past and I thought that we'd met before, but obviously we haven't because this was a totally different person. It took me a bit just to wrap my head around that and readjust my mental image of him, but soon we were giddy with talk of joint projects involving Shane's skillz and mine.
But back to the main purpose of my visit: I am working on a new mixte prototype with Royal H. Cycles. I sold the mixte Bryan made for me in to finance this, and although this was difficult I don't regret it. The new collaboration will be my design and Bryan's framebuilding. If the prototype works out and is cost-effective, the idea is that it would become a model available to order. I am not thinking of this as my personal bike and not getting attached to it. Very possibly I will sell the prototype, particularly if we end up having to make another. There is so much to say about what I hope this bicycle will be, but in these early stages I am too nervous and excited to talk about it too much. As far as form, I can say that it will be a low-trail 650B mixte with curved twin lateral stays. Fully lugged, with lots of modified lugwork. As far as function, my hope is to make a bike that will be suitable for both urban and long-distance transportation, including over hilly terrain, optimised for women who ride in their everyday clothing. There are lots of details regarding what this involves in my mind and why, and I look forward to sharing them.
In the meantime, it looks like I will be paying these gentlemen more visits over the summer, which is certainly not a bad thing. It will be wonderful to watch HQ Boston develop. If anyone local is interested in joining, there is space available and rent is cheap. Things are happening in Boston. Here's to new beginnings.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
East Carlton - Gretton, via Cottingham, Bringhurst, Great Easton and Rockingham
Part of Mel Jarvis'sAround Corby Walk, but anti-clockwise.
map and details
With Barry. 9 miles - fine warm and sunny. Lovely day for walking.
We arrived before the main car park at East Carlton was open, and set off past the café and across the field between the café and the pond.
We went down to the path (Jurassic Way) running along the lower edge of the park. We turned right and followed the path until it emerged opposite the Red Lion. Next we turned right and then left up a steep hill, past some houses with a magnificent view over the valley. A gate leads to a narrow path which took us to the church, then down some steps into Church Lane.
At the Spread Eagle we turned left and walked down the hill to the road junction.
We took the Bringhurst Road, and walked past the primary school until we came to a gate on our left, with a footpath sign half hidden in the hedge. The footpath hugs the edge of the playing field,and emerges at the junction of a road and a track to the right. We followed the track over the Welland and round a left hand bend and as far as a footbridge where we turned right to head towards Bringhurst high on its hill.
More info about Bringhurst
The path leads across a dismantled railway line with steps on each side, then over another footbridge and across two cultivated fields, one fairly flat, the other a steepish hill.
After picking a few blackberries we crossed a smaller grassy field and climbed over a stile into Bringhurst village.
We passed the church and a few cottages, and turned right at the road junction. A couple of hundred yards down the hill is a footpath sign to the left, and the path goes round the hill, below the site of a Roman villa, and then behind Bringhurst primary school and across a couple of fields before reaching the road at Great Easton. Turn right and over the stream, following the road to the centre of the village. Turn right at the Sun Inn, and continue along the road towards Caldecott, past a house with horseshoes on the wall, and a small cemetery with the graves of the Cave family. After this we took a track to the right, with recycling banks at the start.
The track leads across the dismantled railway and behind some buildings, across a footbridge over a stream, and then a bridge over the Welland.
Just after crossing the river, you turn left and go through a hedge to follow the path between two hedges. This leads to the road between Rockingham and Cottingham.
Slightly to the left across the road is another footpath sign.
The path takes you thorough a couple of fields and gates to Rockingham's cafe and shop, and out to the main road by the Sondes Arms.
We went up the hill, and turned left at the sign for the footpath to Gretton. This goes to the right of Rockingham Landrovers yard. We went through two gates, then diagonally down the field. From here it was mostly a question of following the path, keeping a look out for gates, and avoiding the path which crossed our route.
more to come . . .
map and details
With Barry. 9 miles - fine warm and sunny. Lovely day for walking.
We arrived before the main car park at East Carlton was open, and set off past the café and across the field between the café and the pond.
We went down to the path (Jurassic Way) running along the lower edge of the park. We turned right and followed the path until it emerged opposite the Red Lion. Next we turned right and then left up a steep hill, past some houses with a magnificent view over the valley. A gate leads to a narrow path which took us to the church, then down some steps into Church Lane.
At the Spread Eagle we turned left and walked down the hill to the road junction.
We took the Bringhurst Road, and walked past the primary school until we came to a gate on our left, with a footpath sign half hidden in the hedge. The footpath hugs the edge of the playing field,and emerges at the junction of a road and a track to the right. We followed the track over the Welland and round a left hand bend and as far as a footbridge where we turned right to head towards Bringhurst high on its hill.
More info about Bringhurst
The path leads across a dismantled railway line with steps on each side, then over another footbridge and across two cultivated fields, one fairly flat, the other a steepish hill.
After picking a few blackberries we crossed a smaller grassy field and climbed over a stile into Bringhurst village.
We passed the church and a few cottages, and turned right at the road junction. A couple of hundred yards down the hill is a footpath sign to the left, and the path goes round the hill, below the site of a Roman villa, and then behind Bringhurst primary school and across a couple of fields before reaching the road at Great Easton. Turn right and over the stream, following the road to the centre of the village. Turn right at the Sun Inn, and continue along the road towards Caldecott, past a house with horseshoes on the wall, and a small cemetery with the graves of the Cave family. After this we took a track to the right, with recycling banks at the start.
The track leads across the dismantled railway and behind some buildings, across a footbridge over a stream, and then a bridge over the Welland.
Just after crossing the river, you turn left and go through a hedge to follow the path between two hedges. This leads to the road between Rockingham and Cottingham.
Slightly to the left across the road is another footpath sign.
The path takes you thorough a couple of fields and gates to Rockingham's cafe and shop, and out to the main road by the Sondes Arms.
We went up the hill, and turned left at the sign for the footpath to Gretton. This goes to the right of Rockingham Landrovers yard. We went through two gates, then diagonally down the field. From here it was mostly a question of following the path, keeping a look out for gates, and avoiding the path which crossed our route.
more to come . . .
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The death of Emily Joslin Long :: 1929
A copy of Emily's death record was obtained from the Health Department in Columbia City, Whitley County, Indiana and is recorded in book 3, page 50.
first page of death record #108
Second column:
Full Name: Emily E. Long
Place of Death: Columbia Township Whitley County, Ind.
Sex: Female
Color: white
Third column:
Name of Husband or Wife: John Long
Date of birth: Dec 12 - 1837
Age: 91 Yrs. 11 Mos. 24 Days
Occupation: Housewife
Fourth column:
Birthplace: Ohio
Name of Father: Thomas Joslin
Birthplace of Father: Canada
Name of Mother: Abigail Goodrich
Birthplace of Mother: Ohio
Fifth column:
Informant: M. R. Long
Address: Anderson - Ind
Filed: Dec 31 - 29
Name of Health Officer or Deputy: E. U. Nolt, M.D.
second page of her death record
First column:
Date of Death: Dec 6 1929
The rest of the first column and the second column are the physician's statement.
Third column:
Place of Burial: Salem Cem - Noble Co., Ind.
Undertaker: Charles s. Smith
Address: Columbia City
Date of Burial: Dec 8 1929
Was Body Embalmed? Yes
==+====+====+==
The given name of "Thomas" for her father on the death record is not correct but it does give his surname, Joslin, and his place of birth is probably right (Canada or Vermont in other records). There was no Thomas Joslin in Delaware or Franklin County, Ohio during the time that Emily was born. Given the fact that she is listed in the 1850 census with James and Abigail Joslin, I'd say it was a pretty safe bet that her father was James Joslin. The other really important fact shown on the death record is that her mother was Abigail Goodrich!
Emily's obituary was published on December 6, 1929 in the Columbia City Post, Whitley County, Indiana. A full transcription of the obituary was posted in March along with photos of her gravesite as well as those of her husband and two of their children. The obituary confirms her date of birth stating "The deceased was born on December 12, 1837 and at the time of her death lacked but six days of being 92 years old." It also said she "was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Long [sic] and was born at Columbus, Ohio. When a small child she came with her parents to Lorane."
James and Abigail Joslin lived in the southern portion of Liberty Township, Delaware County - near the Franklin County line and a few miles north of the largest city in the area, then as well as now, Columbus.
Emily Eliza Joslin was married to John Long on October 12, 1854 in Whitley County, Indiana. Her obituary stated that "She was the mother of eight children, seven having preceded her in death." While John's obituary stated "Seven children was the result of this union, three of whom preceded him." Though they may have had seven or eight children, only the names of four are known.
first page of death record #108
Second column:
Full Name: Emily E. Long
Place of Death: Columbia Township Whitley County, Ind.
Sex: Female
Color: white
Third column:
Name of Husband or Wife: John Long
Date of birth: Dec 12 - 1837
Age: 91 Yrs. 11 Mos. 24 Days
Occupation: Housewife
Fourth column:
Birthplace: Ohio
Name of Father: Thomas Joslin
Birthplace of Father: Canada
Name of Mother: Abigail Goodrich
Birthplace of Mother: Ohio
Fifth column:
Informant: M. R. Long
Address: Anderson - Ind
Filed: Dec 31 - 29
Name of Health Officer or Deputy: E. U. Nolt, M.D.
second page of her death record
First column:
Date of Death: Dec 6 1929
The rest of the first column and the second column are the physician's statement.
Third column:
Place of Burial: Salem Cem - Noble Co., Ind.
Undertaker: Charles s. Smith
Address: Columbia City
Date of Burial: Dec 8 1929
Was Body Embalmed? Yes
==+====+====+==
The given name of "Thomas" for her father on the death record is not correct but it does give his surname, Joslin, and his place of birth is probably right (Canada or Vermont in other records). There was no Thomas Joslin in Delaware or Franklin County, Ohio during the time that Emily was born. Given the fact that she is listed in the 1850 census with James and Abigail Joslin, I'd say it was a pretty safe bet that her father was James Joslin. The other really important fact shown on the death record is that her mother was Abigail Goodrich!
Emily's obituary was published on December 6, 1929 in the Columbia City Post, Whitley County, Indiana. A full transcription of the obituary was posted in March along with photos of her gravesite as well as those of her husband and two of their children. The obituary confirms her date of birth stating "The deceased was born on December 12, 1837 and at the time of her death lacked but six days of being 92 years old." It also said she "was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Long [sic] and was born at Columbus, Ohio. When a small child she came with her parents to Lorane."
James and Abigail Joslin lived in the southern portion of Liberty Township, Delaware County - near the Franklin County line and a few miles north of the largest city in the area, then as well as now, Columbus.
Emily Eliza Joslin was married to John Long on October 12, 1854 in Whitley County, Indiana. Her obituary stated that "She was the mother of eight children, seven having preceded her in death." While John's obituary stated "Seven children was the result of this union, three of whom preceded him." Though they may have had seven or eight children, only the names of four are known.
- Edwin Monroe Long was born November 10, 1856 and died July 8, 1928. He is buried in Salem Cemetery next to his parents. Edwin married Dora J. Bowlby on November 18, 1877 and they had two children: (1) Estie A. Long married Samuel Swihart, had seven children and lived in Allen County, Indiana. (2) Coral Long may have first married Charles E. Spaid and later Earl Haynes or Haines. She lived in Spokane, Washington and Missoula, Montana.
- Jennie Candice "Candas" Long (1863-1911) married Ferdinand Myers on December 9, 1882 in Whitley County, Indiana. She is buried with her husband in Salem Cemetery next to her parents. They had five children: Flossie (married Virgil Nobles), Grace, Mabel (married Byron Ayres), John, and an unnamed female.
- Cora Alice Long was born on January 4, 1866 and died on July 6, 1926. She was married on August 16, 1890 in Whitley County, Indiana to Charles Winton Burnworth. They were the parents of six children: Lena Vivian, Emily Orene, Melvin Lafayette, Gladys Victorien, Doris Elbertine, and Clyde Charles. My grandmother was good friends with Gladys for many, many years. In the summer of .., I discovered that a niece of Gladys' lived just two blocks away from me. She had compiled a history of her branch of the Burnworth family and loaned me her book so that I could make a copy. It was a treasure trove of information on the family!
- Mott R. Long was born in November 1866 and died on July 15, 1950 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana. He was married to "Pearl" and had a step-son, Rollin.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Along for the Ride with the Veteran Cycle Club of Northern Ireland
Over the weekend I rode with the Veteran Cycle Club of Northern Ireland, and am still re-living the experience. To say that there were rare bikes, stunning scenery, and a charming group of riders doesn't do it justice. Put it this way: It was certainly my most memorable group ride to date. The Veteran Cycling Club is a world-wide organisation that promotes riding and conservation of vintage bicycles, and the Northern Ireland section has been around for 3 years under the leadership of Chris Sharp - a vintage bicycle collector who is known worldwide thanks to the jaw-dropping contents of his flickr account.
When Chris learned that my stay in Antrim coincided with the date of the club's monthly ride, he honoured me with an invitation and I gladly accepted. I have never done a purely social group ride like this before, and did not know what to expect - other than, of course, a fleet of vintage bicycles that Mr. Sharp and friends are known for.
And so, on a fortuitously sunny Saturday morning, I found myself outside a rural community center near the town of Limavady, where 17 riders from all over Northern Ireland gathered with their fine machines.
The bicycles did not disappoint, though after some time my head began to spin from exposure to too many rare and never-before-seen bikes at once. I am easily excitable, I need small doses!
I was so stunned by it all, that I didn't even manage to get decent shots of some of the most interesting stuff!
Highlights included an all-original Lapierre Porteur, which I even had a chance to ride very briefly. It was so strange to see a real French 650B lightweight with original components, having gotten used to contemporary tributes with Velo Orange parts!
The owner of this bicycle (also named Chris) is gradually restoring it and trying to locate a couple of original parts - not easy with French threading and 650B.
There was a fascinating Gundle Work Bike. The manufacturer was apparently the predecessor of Pashley Cycles.
The huge front carrier on this bike is built into the frame, right into the lugwork.It is meant to house a boxy basket.
Keith enjoyed riding this bike very much, despite his racing background and penchant for roadbikes. I believe there was even a sprint finish involved.
Then there was the mystery bike - notice the peculiar frame construction.
The frame is unmarked and the owner, Andy, does not know anything about its origin. He built it up beautifully.Any ideas as to what this frame could be? I seem to recall seeing pictures of German or Austrian frames in this style, but can't be sure.
Rose rode a stunningly elegant and very tall 1933 Elswick loop frame that Chris had lent her, and she honoured it with an appropriate outfit.
And of course there were plenty of vintage Roadsters. This particular one is a Rudge.
The bicycle I rode (also on loan from Chris) was a 1941 Royal Enfield Sport Roadster. I have a lot to say about this bike and will save it for another post. But let me assure you that it is not as innocent as it looks - and don't let the rod brakes fool you either!
This seemingly normal-looking Humber is pretty unusual as well if you look closely: It has twin fork blades! Presumably, this was done as an experimental suspension fork, to dampen vibrations from bad roads.
There was more, much more - in particular the stunning details and the rarely seen components on the many pre-1940s bikes in attendance. But to list them all would risk turning this into a catalogue.
And so I suggest visiting Northern Ireland instead and taking part one of these rides yourself, naturally!
We set off around noon and pedaled along a route that was both beautiful and suitable for the sorts of bikes we were riding. There were a couple of hills, but vintage roadsters are not as ill-equipped for them as some think. Once we got going, our procession somehow naturally arranged itself into a fairly well-organised double paceline, and we would fall into single file when traffic called for it. Riding in a group like this really helped me become acclimated to the left-handed flow of traffic. As I followed the group on turns, it became more and more intuitive.
Let me tell you though... Riding bicycles on loan from Chris Sharp is not without its consequences. By the end of the day both Rose and I were referring to the bikes we were riding as "my bike." Chris almost began to get nervous, reminding us gently that we would be returning them after the ride. Thankfully, that is the only problem anyone in the group had with their bikes all day. All the bicycles present were impeccably well maintained by their owners!
The scenery we passed was out of this world beautiful. With green jagged hills ever present in the distance, we rode along the river Roe and to Lough Foyle - the body of water that separates the western part of Northern Ireland from County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.
But the truly special thing about this ride was its destination. Around the halfway point of the ride, our group stopped for tea and pancakes in a traditional thatched Irish cottage. This cottage is privately owned, but by some behind-the-schenes magic they opened it up to us.
This cottage has remained unchanged through the centuries, which is a rarity nowadays. There was no heat or electricity, and so water was boiled on the open fire.
The fire mesmerised everyone with its glow and for some time we all just sat there, content to be warmed by it. It is amazing how quickly a fire can warm up the interior of a small house. We were all thankful, as the outside temperature was quite brutal.
Also as if by magic (my God, I can only imagine how much work went into planning this behind the scenes...), a gorgeous and delicate tea service awaited us inside the cottage.
Delicious pancakes with butter were served to the hungry riders.
The supply of both pancakes and hot tea seemed endless. It was not to be believed.
With all our bicycles lined up outside the thatched cottage, it was quite a sight and everyone around got a kick out of it. Even in rural parts of Northern Ireland vintage roadsters are a very rare sight nowadays - let alone a fleet of them, outside a thatched cottage.
It almost felt as if a festival was underway - which hopefully made it worth it for Michael to come all the way from Belfast to join the ride!
On the return route, we stopped by a couple more scenic spots and photographed the heck out of each other and our bikes in the afternoon sunshine. Rose and Andy were particularly picturesque in their period-appropriate garments.
I had considered dressing up, but the morning was such a freezing one that my body just said "no" and I wore about 20 layers of wool instead.
Once we were back from the ride, there was a great deal of trying out each other's bikes and discussing bikes, as well as discussing why and how we collect vintage bicycles. At this point, I am pretty sure my conversational skills had deteriorated to an incoherent babble as my eyes darted from headlamp to chaincase to porteur rack, to the beautiful green hills and baby lambs that surrounded us, unable to process it all as real.
By the time it was over, I felt drunk on tea, bikes, scenery, thatched cottages, and conversation. This was not a typical club ride, and not a typical club. It was not even a typical collector's society, compared to the others I've encountered. I do not know what to make of it, other than to say that I enjoyed it and would love to take part in more rides like this in future. Maybe it's time to consider a VCC membership? Thank you Chris, Susan, Keith, and everyone else I encountered for making me feel welcome. More pictures from the ride here and also from Chris Sharp over here.
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