Donner Creek

Donner Creek, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Donner Creek in Mt. Diablo State Park. To get this photo, I got down into the rushing creek with my tripod in the water. It really is an amazing creek, exciting and interesting. Upstream, in the canyons, there are several large waterfalls.

The Winter Carnival has Arrived!

Jasia has posted the 64th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, the topic this time around was Winter Photo Essay. Thirty contributors featured a variety of "winter" photographs. A chilly trip back in time to be sure, but heartwarming nevertheless.

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is: "The Happy Dance. The Joy of Genealogy. Almost everyone has experienced it. Tell us about the first time, or the last time, or the best time. What event, what document, what special find has caused you to stand up and cheer, to go crazy with joy? If you haven't ever done the Happy Dance, tell us what you think it would take for you to do so."

This next edition will be hosted by yours truly, right here at kinexxions. The deadline for submissions is February 1st. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using the carnival submission form. Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blogcarnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link.

So that we genea-bloggers can plan ahead (yeah, right!) Jasia has provided a list of topics for future carnivals (in the lower left column at Creative Gene). Several dates are still available for hosting. If you're interested, contact Jasia.

The COG posters are a creation of footnoteMaven.

Exquisite Beauty

Friday, September 24th - - Words cannot describe, nor photographs convey completely, the simplicity and incredible beauty of this place... Crater Lake National Park.

Starring Nobody

I took on a touch too much this weekend. Huge group at work, cooking for 150 hungry black belts, rush out for a lap on the project with Lee and Sam, dash to Brissy for photos with The Red Phoenix Style team (AKA my twin daughters), back to work for Ethical Pickles production team (Yaana and Sandra) and more.

Let's just say corners were cut. Things were compromised. Mistakes were made.

But the results were fab.

Celebrity blogger "Starring Nobody" AKA Kirsten Morrison modeled some stunning threads by some totally important designers.

But this is not one of them. Lotus picked up this sparkly number in the op shop for 10 bucks. That's immersion quality clothing. And in she went.











The whole shoot was for the client "The French Peg" a sweet little Paddington boutique.

But this is not that.








Climbers, it's possible you are getting a pre-release peek at The Red Phoenix Emporium collection of necklaces and earrings "Nature in Neon"

This cowboy blogger never checks permissions. No time.








Adrift.































The style team at jjobrienclimbing are totally and utterly impressed with the new collection, seriously I don't know how those girls keep hitting the trend bang on.








Kirsten looks superb in this rig, confirming the fact that an RPE necklace will make a $10 dress look a million. That's a fact.








Snapped between shivering bouts. Kirsten is die hard dedicated to style.






Is the collection online yet? Keep checking Red Phoenix Emporium or drop into The French Peg


2/237 Given Tce, Paddington Brisbane.








There is nothing this girl has not covered in style on her blog starring-nobody.blogspot.com

Thank you Kirsten, Lotus, Willow and all for another amazing shoot.




jj

Photographing the Lake Superior Ice Mountains

Last night I met up with my friend Bryan Hansel (http://www.bryanhansel.com/)to photograph the large mounds of ice that have formed along the shoreline in Grand Portage, MN. We met up about an hour before sunset and had a blast shooting the incredibly large and incredibly BLUE ice formations. When I set up this shot, Bryan was not in it but I knew if he was able to stand up on that tall mountain of ice it would really make the shot. So, I asked him if he could make his way there. Once he was in position I knew it was going to be a great shot. I think this is my favorite image of the evening.

Beach

Here is a photo my sister took when she and her hubby and dog went to the Oregon beach near Astoria, OR for their 30 Anniversary.
Happy Anniversary!!!!

Cup and Saucer

This cup and saucer is marked on the bottom that it belonged to my grandmother, Alma Coe Green Williams. It also has a sticky tag on bottom that says 'Made in Japan'. I have no idea of it's age but I really like it. Notice the saucer has cut outs around the edge.

The Unicrown Fork

Those who have been reading this blog for some time, are no doubt familiar with my rants against unicrown forks. "The bike is nice... if it weren't for that unicrown fork," and so forth. When the topic comes up, some agree, others question my fixation on this detail, and others still want to know what a unicrown fork is. Now that I am temporarily living with a unicrown forked bike, the time seems right to elaborate.

A vey basic primer in bicycle fork construction: A traditional fork on a traditional lugged steel bike is made up of two blades and a crown, whereby the blades and crown arebrazed together - just like the tubes and lugs on the frame itself. There are many fork crown designs in existence, but the general concept is the same. Now, a unicrown fork is constructed differently in that there is no crown. The two fork blades are bent towards each other at the top, then (typically) welded together at the steerer tube. A unicrown fork is simpler and less expensive to make than a lugged crown fork, which is why it has become so ubiquitous among contemporary bicycle manufacturers.

For some time now I've been trying to figure out the history of the unicrown fork, and I keep reading about the first mountain bikes, BMX bikes, and the quest for rigidity - suggesting that its origins were in the 1980s. But then I see antique bicycles- like this ancient Sterling pathracer at the Larz Anderson show last summer - which to me look like they are sporting hundred year old versions of unicrown forks. I have also seen what I can only describe as antique crownless flat-top forks - which appear to be similarly constructed, but are squared-off, rather than round. Would someone care to educate me on their history?



The thing about unicrown forks, is that I don't actually dislike them per se, at least not in of themselves. What I dislike is when they are incongruent to the overall design of the bicycle. On a welded frame, a unicrown fork looks perfectly natural - integrating harmoniously with the bicycle frame. Just like I prefer lugged frames to welded frames, I similarly prefer lugged forks to unicrown forks. But objectively speaking, a unicrown fork looks fine on a welded frame - like on the D2R Boogie above.



Unicrown fork on a welded DBC Swift, also looks appropriate. The frame joints and the unicrown fork match, and all are filed equally smoothly.

Unicrown fork on an ANT mixte. Now, if I were getting an ANT, I would opt for his segmented fork or his dual-plate crown fork - just because I prefer those styles and they are kind of his specialties. But I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with ANT using unicrown forks on TIG-welded bikes - again, the overall design is harmonious.



The only time a unicrown fork actually bothers me, is when it is attached to a lugged frame - which is done quite frequently nowadays. Azor/Workcycles puts unicrown forks on their lugged frames, as do Batavus, Velorbis (balloon tire models only) and Abici (above), just to name a few. The reason is most likely a cost-cutting measure, undertaken perhaps with the hope that most customers simply won't notice. And it bothers me, not because I think that unicrown forks in themselves are "bad," but because I feel that a traditional lugged bicycle - especially when the manufacturer takes pride in describing it as such - calls for a traditional lugged fork. When the frame is lugged but the fork is not, the overall look of the bike comes across as disjointed to me; it doesn't "flow." It's only my opinion, but I think it's a fairly simple and logical notion as far as design goes.



Do you care what kind of fork your bicycle has? What do you think of unicrown forks - in of themselves, and in combination with lugged frames?

The Paper Bicycle: Cool and Practical Transportation

I had the Paper Bicycle on loan from Adeline Adeline in NYC for several months, and have so many things to say about it that it is hard to organise my thoughts. While the unique look is what drew me to this bike initially, it is the handling that left the biggest impression. I will try to cover all the bases.




The Paper Bicycle is Scottish, designed byNick Lobnitz originally for use by the Royal Mail. Over time, the design moved toward something that could be used by everyone, as an "everyday bicycle." The designer describes it as "relaxed and nimble... a machine that just works every time you need it to, and a journey that leaves you comfortable, clean and refreshed." While it is difficult to glean where the name "Paper Bicycle" came from exactly, to me it makes sense because the bike resembles an elaborate origami creation.





The Paper Bicycle's frames are TIG-welded of oversized cromoly steel tubing, handbuilt in Taiwan and finished in Scotland. Notably, the frame has no seat stays and no top tube. Instead, it is reinforced with an elaborate "double chaincase" structure on both the drivetrain and non-drivetrain side.







The structure is an inherent and multifunctional part of the frame that simultaneously gives it sufficient stiffness, contributes to the low center of gravity, creates a number of convenient spots for locking up the bike, acts as a lifting handle, and of course houses the full chaincase.





The joints of the frame are smoothly finished, as is the wide unicorn unicrown fork (typo was too funny to remove). The downtube protrudes slightly past the joint with the headtube, and the rear brake cable is routed through it internally, the tube's opening covered with a lid of sorts with a cutout for the cable. I have seen similar tube joints on a couple of other contemporary bicycles (VanMoof's protruding top tube comes to mind), but the Paper Bicycle's design strikes me as the most elegant and harmonious of the bunch.






The Paper Bicycle is available in one size only and will fit riders 5' - 6'4". It is designed for 26" wheels with fatSchwalbeBig Apple tires. It comes equipped with front and rear Sturmey Archer(roller) hub brakes, fenders, optional dynamo lighting, and it is available as either a single speed or an 8-speed. A number of powdercoat and chaincase panel options are available and the bike is easily customisable with company logos. For detailed specifications, see here.






The handlebars have just enough sweep to them for the hands and wrists to rest naturally, while remaining aggressive and allowing for a great deal of steering control. The diminutive teapot bell works via a trigger mechanism.





The gripping areas are quite long - for me at least a handful and a half each. The rubber grips are finely textured and non-slip. The Sturmey Archer levers provide good leverage and easy to squeeze.







I received the bicycle with a sprung vinyl saddle, though I believe other options are available. In environments where the bike is to be shared, the seatpost is quick release.





The spring-activated kickstand is sturdy and resembles a tailpipe when folded.






The large platform city pedals incorporate non-slip rubber strips and side reflectors.




An integrated rear rack (dubbed the Starship Rack) will soon be commercially available, and I reviewed the prototype here in detail. The rack plugs into the rear of the chaincase structure, takes less than 5 minutes to install, and is strong enough to support a passenger.





I rode the Paper Bicycle on and off for several months, first without and then with the rear rack. Most of my trips were around town, with a handful of longer distance (20 mile) trips to the suburbs. Overall I probably rode this bicycle for 150 or so miles. The riding position felt immediately comfortable, and remained so over longer distances. The bicycle has no toe overlap.



For some of the time during which the bike was in my possession, I left it outdoors for weeks at a time and observed no adverse effects. The bicycle is intended for all-weather conditions and for outdoor storage.







As I adjusted the saddle for my height, the first thing I noticed about this bicycle was the very low bottom bracket. This allows the rider to get full leg extension on the downstroke when pedaling, while also being able to reach the ground while remaining seated - useful in traffic.





This is how much of my foot I can put down while seated, and still have full leg extension on the downstroke. This aspect of the design makes the bicycle safe and easy to handle in stop-and-go traffic, especially for beginner cyclists.






When cycling on trails, a low bottom bracket can mean picking up leaves and twigs. Luckily, they cannot get tangled in the chain on this bike, since the chain is fully enclosed. The Paper Bicycle handles well on and off road, and it is remarkably stable. I normally do not ride no-hands, but this is the only bicycle on which I've been able to do so comfortably. At all times, the bike feels as if it is "unfellable" - it just wants to remain upright. I have written here earlier about the emerging breed of city bikes with mountain bike heritage, and the Paper Bicycleis probably my overall favourite among these.







The bicycle I test rode was a single speed, and I was skeptical about how such a massive upright bike would handle without gears in the greater Boston area. It was not a problem, and I am still trying to understand how the 38x17t gearing can feel so versatile. It was low enough for uphill stretches and high enough for downhill stretches - for me at least, it was the perfect fast and easy gear. It is not for proper hills in mountainous terrain, but it is certainly adequate for the types of short hills one is likely to encounter in urban areas, as well as for long but gentle uphill stretches in the countryside. It also does fine in the headwind: The positioning makes it easy to lean low over the handlebars if so desired.




Overall,I did not expect a bicycle this stately and stable to feel so fast on the road and so maneuverable in traffic. And with the 2" balloon tires, the ride quality over potholes was fantastic. Of all the upright city bicycles I've ridden so far, the Paper Bicycle's handling is possibly my favourite.




Of the bikes I've ridden previously, the ride quality of the Paper Bicycle is most comparable to the Urbana and the Pilen. I found it more comfortable over long distances than the former, and faster than the latter.






If I try to summarise my thoughts about the Paper Bicycleinto pros and cons, they would be as follows: Positives include its ergonomic comfort, speed, stability, durability, low maintenance, transportation-readiness (full chaincase, fenders, rear rack), and aesthetics. And yes, I do love the aesthetics. The lack of lugs and the unicrown fork don't bother me on this particular bicycle, because they work with the overall design; I honestly find it gorgeous. The biggest potential negative for others is probably the weight (35lb as a single speed with no rack or lighting; more as you add stuff), though personally I do not care as long as the bike moves well for me, which it certainly does.





What I do care about is the lighting. While dynamo lighting is an option, it is set up like this which to me seems weird considering that the hollow joint in the front of the bike seems to be just begging for an integrated headlight. If Paper Bicyclemade this type of headlight design happen, that would be out of this world.






I will disclose at this point that I seriously considered buying the Paper Bicycle fromAdeline Adelineat the end of my test ride period. The reason I did not, is that ultimately I was not prepared to let go of my current transportation bike which I also love, and I cannot afford to keep both bikes. But happily, the Paper Bicycle remains in my neighbourhood and it is now in the possession of Josh Zisson of Bike Safe Boston - who likes it quite a bit. Josh is looking into doing something clever with the lighting installation, and I am looking forward to seeing what he comes up with.






The Paper Bicycle is a cool and practical transportation bike, suitable for beginners and experienced cyclists alike. It is certainly different. But it is worth taking note of for reasons well beyond its visual eccentricities.




My sincere thanks to Adeline Adeline for the opportunity to ride and review this bike, to the designerNick Lobnitz for entrusting me with the rear rack prototype and to the Ride Studio Cafe for receiving and setting up the bicycle. The full set of pictures can be viewed here.

Storing Water on a City Bike

Many city bikes are made without braze-ons for bottle cages on the frame. This is probably because they don't look right with roadbike-style bottle cages, and manufacturers expect that trips on these bikes will be short anyhow.But what about those of us with longer commutes, especially in the summer heat and humidity? While clamp-on bottle cages exist that can be fitted onto the frame without braze-ons, the shape of the frame can make attaching them challenging and unsightly.






With upright handlebars, it is also not exactly convenient to reach all the way down to the down tube or seat tube for the water bottle. Most seem to prefer alternative solutions.






DIY handlebar setups are popular, and above is the Co-Habitant's somewhat eccentric solution. He modified regular water bottle cages to clamp onto the bars and can have up to two water bottles at his fingertips as he rides. For him this setup works nicely, though others might find it cluttered - particularly on bikes with not a great deal of room in the "cockpit."






A more conventional solution is to install a coffee cup holder, the likes of which several manufacturers are producing now. From what I hear, the quality of these holders varies from one brand to another, and they do not fit all water bottles. But if you get one of the good ones and it does fit your bottle of choice, they can work great.






Personally, I prefer to have as few items attached to my handlebars as possible and would rather carry water in my bag or basket. When I ride a full-sized city bike, I keep a bottle of water in my pannier and keep the pannier unzipped for easy access. When I get thirsty en route, I reach for the water when stopped at a red light, drink, then put the bottle back when done. I don't need to turn around in order to do this and kind of know where it is by feel.






On the Brompton it is easier still, because the Carradice front bag has stiff rider-facing pockets that are the exact size of a small Klean Kanteen bottle. I can reach the bottle, drink from it, and put it back in the pocket without having to stop the bike.Of all the different ways I have carried water on a city bike, I think I prefer this front pocket option most of all.Not only is the water bottle close at hand, butI then easily can take it with me once off the bike without having to carry it in my hand.



Do you feel the need to carry water when riding for transportation? Do you think city bikes should come with provisions for doing so? Please share any clever systems you've come up with as well.