Another Pony

When Star was 3 I came to the conclusion that she wasn't going to get very big. She is big enough, and strong enough for me to ride, but not the most trust worthy horse. And at the same time the horse next to her at the stable where I was boarding her came up for sale. After trying him a few times I knew I had to have him, just as I had been determined to have Star when I first saw her. My new horse, and I say horse lightly as he isn't much bigger than Star, is a black Morgan gelding. At that time he was 9 and is about 14 now. BlackJack is a great riding horse. He was well trained when I got him. He is just big enough to be a horse, 14 1/2 hands, but is short enough that I can get on him. He is smart. He always knows what you want and he is ready to go. Unlike Star who is lazy. Jack isn't a solid black horse, he has brown around his muzzle and on his flanks, as well as a white star on his face too. Being a Morgan he is very strong. He is usually very well mannered with people but can be a bully with the other horses. He wants to be the boss with his own kind. He and Star are totally attached to each other now, especially Star who will holler and through a fit when separated from Jack. Jack is my trail horse. He doesn't care much for riding around in circles in the pens but loves to get out and explore our desert trails. I am so glad I finally have a home where I can ride my horse, that I had wanted so long, right out my gate and down the road.

The Beach

So my parents are off to the beach. They make the three hour drive to their house in South Bethany every weekend from about April until October. My father is 90, and he didn't wear a seat belt until he was about 85 when he got pulled over for speeding in his red BMW convertible. The cop was so astounded at his age that he let him go on the speeding, but he gave him a ticket for not wearing a belt. That's what got him. Not the years of my mother nagging, but the $25 ticket. My mother can't stand the drive, or the sand, the sun, the water or the wind. She hates the beach. My father loves it -all of it. My mother hates the way my father drives. He is a big proponent of relaxing with one finger on the wheel and cruise control, and if the exit for Route 50 is coming up, and he has to cross four lanes of 495 at the last minute and cut off a dump truck- it doesn't bother him a bit.

Sometimes they stop at Jimmy's Grill. My mother likes that. She gets at least one soft shell crab sandwich once a year. They always stop at Short Brother's farm market. It is one of the tiniest markets on the road- no advance signs, no wind gadgets- it just appears near the Delaware line. Diane, who is the ever present farmer's wife, knows my whole family and will report on one member to another as we go by. She will pick you out the best corn or a good melon if you ask her. My father will take my kids to the barn to look at the horses. He knows the whole family. Everybody gets back in the car. When we go past a graveyard, my father will say -do you know how many dead people there are in there? The answer is: all of them.

They have been going to the Eastern Shore since there was ferry instead of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Back then they couldn't afford to spend the night. Much later, when I was around, we stayed at the Delmar Hotel in Ocean City, MD- the great old kind with a dining room and rocking chairs on the double decker porch. You slept in saggy beds with your brother, and you both had to cling the edges to keep from landing in the middle. One time when I was about four, my father got a huge splinter in his foot walking on the boardwalk. He had to go to the hospital in Salisbury. The thought just makes me cringe even now.

My parents have had a beach house since the late sixties when ocean front property was cheap and risky. They used to rent it all summer, and we would go every weekend in the winter. Every day was cold and windy. For a kid, It was grim. Now they can afford not to rent, and eveyone in the family loves it there except for my mother. The only problem is my father always has a project or two- from screen repair to retiling the kitchen floor. If you are a male guest you might not make it down to the sand. Once one of my children wanted to know why their Daddy was the only one not on the beach. My father had decided that weekend that the deck railing was looking shabby, but if you ripped out all the nails and flipped the boards over, it would look good as new...

My mother occupies herself with planning all the meals and cooking up a storm, and hopefully a cocktail hour or two. Even if you have killed yourself all day trying to replace a garage door, you will be well fed. How my parents stay married through all these years is one of the last wonders of the world. I say hats off to my mother who grits her teeth and climbs into that car every Friday. As long as her VCR is working, she'll make it through another long weekend, and another year of marriage.

Catch the Feather

This and the next two photos are of Wiley playing his favorite game of Catch the Feather. You can see a chicken feather floating down a little bit above his nose, looking like it is almost part of the plant.

How come?

How comeI try gear and love it, then I read the latest gear review..doesn't matter where... and it sucks? Sucks bad in fact.



I have to wonder if they actually even used the item for what it was intended.



Not only that but I paid just under $20 cash for two hard copies of the annual "gear guide" that are total BS for content. Ads were good though. And manufactures pay $3 to 5K for a color cover? What are they thinking?



An incredible 7K meter peak down jacket reviewed for boulderingcomes to mind.(no really that was the review!) Or one of the best skimo/touring skis I've been on, written up as a total looser when used as free ride ski? No, really, who would have thought.."free ride lift ski"? (me rolling my eyes here)



Do the stars,moon and freaking Sun have to align with a hefty wad of cash for the FREE gearto get a decent/honest review in hard print? The more I think about it and see what does get published the more pissed off I get.

Velosteel Coaster Brake Hub

When I decided to build up an ANT Truss Bike as a single speed with a coaster brake, I soon discovered that the only commonly available hub choice was Shimano. I have ridden Shimano coaster brake hubs, and there is nothing wrong with them. But somehow having one on a bike that was otherwise so old-school and classic felt off. So I asked around and learned, via the ever-helpful bikeforums, about a small manufacturer in the Czech Republic called Velosteel.






Velosteel focuses exclusively on producing single speed coasterbrake hubs. As I understand it, they took over the machinery that was used by the former Fichtel & Sachs company to manufacture the original Sachs hubs before SRAM bought them out. Therefore, Velosteel hubs are supposed to be identical to the vintage Sachs single speed coaster brake hubs found on many continental European city bikes made prior to the year 2000 - especially Dutch and German bikes. I have ridden a number of bikes with Sachs hubs in the past and I've always liked them, which made Velosteel an appealing choice.




As of last summer, the way to buy a Velosteel hub was on ebay. I do not remember where I bought mine, but I am told this is a reliable source in the US. I am still not aware of any US bike shops that carry these hubs, but if you are please let me know and I will update this information. I bought the hub, and Jim at Harris Cyclery built me a wheel around it.






While I am not sufficiently knowledgeable to explain why the Velosteel hub is more "old school" in its construction than a currently-produced Shimano hub, suffice to say that its overall form, its finishing, and the way the shell is put together all look distinctly different from modern hubs and distinctly similar to vintage ones.




There is no branding on the hub itself, and the only mark of the manufacturer seems to be on the reaction arm, which is stamped with: "VELOSTEEL MADE IN CZECH REPUBLIC." There may be a serial number stamped somewhere indicating date of manufacture and such, but I have not noticed it.






Having ridden the ANT over the past several months, I can make some observations about the Velosteel hub. My first impression was that it was too "soft;" I could not lock up the rear wheel without exerting a huge amount of effort. However, I wanted to wait before sharing this impression - thinking that it was possible the hub would "wear in" over time. And it did, after about 40 miles - during which I made it a point to use the brake often. Now the hub can lock up the rear wheel with reasonable effort. It also modulates braking power very nicely, which is something I love about a good coaster brake.I do feel that the Velosteel allows for finer modulation than the currently produced Shimano coaster brake hub.I get into the rhythm of using it, and it makes city cycling feel like such an organic, smooth experience.




Last year I started a discussion about vintage vs modern coaster brakes and the amount of backpedaling "give" they allow before the braking mechanism is engaged. I noted that in my experience, older coaster brakes allow for more give, which I prefer. In the comments others reported this difference as well - but some suggested that it might be a function of the vintage coaster brakes being worn out with age, as opposed to differently designed. Well. My Velosteel hub started out brand new, and it has "give" similar to the old vintage Sachs coaster brakes I've ridden. This is just one piece of anecdotal evidence of course, but I think it's useful to offer it.






Overall I like the Velosteel hub and have a feeling it will only improve with age - somehow, I feel as if it's still wearing in. I would love to get feedback from others who have used it, especially on a bike that's their regular commuter and for a period of several years.




As with everything, I think it is good to have options. The Velosteel hub might be a welcome alternative to Shimano for those who prefer a coaster brake hub with a more classic look and feel. I wish more American bike shops carried Velosteel.

Spiral Aloe

Fibonacci, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

This is one of the coolest plants I've ever seen. The natural geometric pattern is incredible...this specimen was at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden in California.

On Bicycle Maintenance and Limitations

Some food for thought for those who believe that all cyclists must do their own maintenance and repairs: Not everybody has the physical strength for it. I've lately spoken to several persons who have sheepishly admitted this, and were then relieved to hear that I have the same problem. My personal weak point is lack of hand and upper body strength, which can result in difficulties with even routine tasks. For example, I am not always able to open the quick release levers on wheels. On some bikes it's easy, but on other bikes I simply can't - no matter how hard I pull. Similarly, tires can be difficult to get off the rim: With some wheel and tire combinations I can work the tire iron until I am red in the face, but it won't budge and the tire refuses to come off. It is frustrating, because with many bicycle repair tasks I can give precise step-by-step instructions to someone else, but just can't physically do the work myself. And it's even more frustrating to watch the Co-Habitant do in 2 seconds what took me 10 minutes of pantingnot to be able to do.



From the correspondence I get, I know that there are cyclists out there who feel sad when they read unkind remarks on bicycle websites about those who don't do their own maintenance. If bicycle repair is easy for you, that's super. But please keep in mind that it is not easy for everybody. After all, just because knitting and sewing are easy for me, does not mean that everyone who buys their clothes ready-made is "just being lazy." Some people have arthritis, others have a bad back, others still are simply not strong enough - or even not dextrous enough - to work on their own bicycle. In areas where cycling is more common, this is acknowledged as "normal" and people are not expected to repair their own bikes unless they are enthusiasts. But in the US there is often an "oh please!" mentality when a cyclist mentions that they don't work on their own bicycle.



The way I see it, it is helpful to be aware of your limitations and to plan accordingly.If you can't repair a flat, accept it - and be prepared. Buy tires with good puncture protection. Know where all the bike shops are in the area where you travel, in case there is a problem and you need support. Know where the nearest subway, train and bus stations are. Carry a mobile phone, cash and a credit/debit card as a matter of course, in case you are stranded in the middle of nowhere and need to call a friend or a taxi to get you. And most importantly, please don't feel bad if you can't do repairs on your own - you can certainly still ride a bike! We are all good at some things and bad at others, and there is not a thing wrong with that.