We have a winner.

Sorry climbers, this post suffers from missing photos. I did some deleting of online albums, turns out they were linked to here. jj






Or "Michael" as his mother prefers to spell it. Sorry Mrs. Houghton. Thanks Lee.
Have you ever seen Michael look this good?






Michael recently became a follower of jjobrienclimbing to win this sharp new Consina T-Shirt from Ubud Adventure.

Instantly transforming him from style tragic to covershot cool.

Michael already knows the superior traction and style power of Dunlop Volleys.

Fact: sign up to jjobrienclimbing.blogspot.com and you are on your way to better climbing style.















Michael climbs rocks too.

jjobrienclimbing supports Michael's choice of photo-approved brilliant yellow chalk bag.













Thanks for the support Michael.













Need more Nick? Who doesn't?









Nick absolutely tears apart the crux traverse on "Evil". I can't believe this guy. I'm still refining this sequence after 191 attempts.

Lee Cujes, Matt Cochrane, Russel Bright, Tom O'Halloran, Vinny Day, Matt Schimke, have all made the demanding ascent.

I've forgotten someone. Who?

Then he flares his lats like a cobra and dispatches "A Knee Bar Too Far" 8a











Abi and Kaylee entertained/frightened us with some Aerial Tissue work.

Comments, Arguments, Bicycles...

[image via Chris 531]

Over the past couple of weeks, I've spent considerably more time moderaring comments than usual. For the most part, it's been a handful of readers getting overzealous in their debates with one another. But when hostility enters a discussion, others get sucked into it as well. All I know is: I don't want to be the Jerry Springer of bicycle blogs. I would rather have fewer comments, but retain the atmosphere of comradery that has been characteristic here thus far.



I have wondered whether discussions about bicycles are somehow more prone to conflict than other topics. Readers often tell me that they are uncomfortable commenting on various online bicycle forums and blogs, because they find the atmosphere hostile. And I understand that: I myself have a difficult time communicating on bikeforums, despite it being such a valuable resource for technical information.I also can no longer read the comments on Yehuda Moon,because of all the bickering between readers there. It is well documented that there exist genuine differences between what kind of interactions people find enjoyable: Some prefer for everything to be in the style of a debate, with technical inaccuracies in the wording of others victoriously exposed. Others favour a more nurturing, open form of communication. My own preference is somewhere in between: I like a good debate and I am fine with being challenged, as long as the underlying mood feels friendly.



[images via Schwar]

Sometimes I think that we'd all be nicer over the internet, if we just imagined all the unknown others out there as kittens. Kittens, who love bicycles - at times feisty, but ultimately sweet and fluffy, pedaling happily through the fragrant meadows. Do you really want to hurt their feelings?



But for those who can't deal with the kitten metaphor and prefer specifics, I will be more direct: I think that it is a matter of common sense to refrain from mocking or deriding others' points of view in the comments. It's not that everyone has to agree, but sometimes there are nicer ways to disagree. In the same vein, consider refraining from statements that, while technically speaking may be phrased politely, you know in your heart of hearts are inflammatory (for example: "No offense meant, but riding a blue bicycle lowers your IQ and transmits STDs"). Finally, allow me to suggest that it is best to avoid making speculative, or misleading statements about individuals or entities that can be considered slanderous (for example: "I heard that Lovely Bicycle is written in the Far East, using child labor and toxic inks"). I trust that most people understand the difference between comments that are "in good faith" and "not in good faith."



Meaningful reader feedback has been a defining element of "Lovely Bicycle" from the start, and it makes me happy to be the hostess of such thoughtful, interesting discussions. As one reader recently suggested, my posts are collaborative: I offer my views, and others offer their views in return. It's a constructive exchange, which I think works nicely. Please help me keep it that way. And think of the cycling kittens.

From Strange to Familiar

For the first time in a long time, I've been riding for transportation along routes that started out as uncharted territories. As it often goes, at first these routes seemed hostile, strange. Unfamiliar towns. Different patterns of motorist behaviour than what I'd gotten used to. But over time, the trips grew familiar, peaceful, and therefore unremarkable. This reminded me why I write so much less frequently now about transportation cycling than I used to: because nothing "happens." Whether my commute is 2 miles or 22 miles, nothing about the process is really novel anymore. With roadcycling, there is still the rush of going a longer distance, discovering a new route, learning a new skill, riding with a new group or partner. But with commuting, things have become automated.




Most of all, I tend to forget the spectacleI make of myselfwhen I - a woman in a long belted overcoat, knee high boots and a beret - ride a weird bike through areas where such sights aren't as normal as they are in Boston Metro. Drivers roll down their windows in freezing temperatures just to get a better look at me. No one has honked or gotten angry with me yet for being on the road; I think they are too stunned to.




The other day I was just riding along, heading homeward, when I sensed a car hovering behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw it was a white minivan. The sun was in my eyes and I could not make out the driver. I got a little nervous and moved over to the right encouraging them to pass me, but they kept hovering. Finally, the van did pass, only to pull over to the side of the road in front of me. A woman jumped out and started waving her arms wildly, beckoning me to stop. Out of the windows I could now see several children's heads peeking out. So I braked and put a foot down tentatively, hoping this was not some trap to kidnap me and harvest my organs. And the woman shouted "Oh my God, I just wanted to tell you I love your bike and your outfit!" She asked some questions about the bike and where I was going, and was stunned by my answers. What about a bike that could fit her kids? (Just two kids, the others in the van were the neighbours'.) Yes, there are those kinds of bikes as well, I told her, and described the different options. She was so excited, it was really quite marvelous. A little extreme to pull the minivan over to talk to me, sure, but I'll take it over driver hostility any day. What started out as being strange to her became familiar. These are good encounters.

Update from Salt Lake City :: Nearing the End

Two more days... then the Research Marathon will be over. It has been an incredible seven weeks (and a few days) and I feel so fortunate to have been able to spend so much time here. Now all I have to do is find (or take) the time to go through all of the stuff that I've gathered.



The majority of my time was spent on the second floor using the microfilms – nearly 500 rolls have been pulled and reviewed. Of course, some of them were used only for a few minutes but others yielded numerous documents. Everything was scanned – microfilm to jpg files and books to pdfs, which resulted in nearly 2,000 new files. Several estate packets yielded 40 to 90+ documents and confirmed relationships previously found in undocumented publications!



Midst all the wonderful documents collected there was some degree of frustration now and then. Microfilm images were not always of the greatest quality. Some were downright awful - faded or extremely dark or handwriting that was totally illegible. And then there were the record groups you wanted to view but were not available at the library. Yes, believe it or not The Library does not have everything! LOL.





This is one of the better quality images – clear and sharp. But the handwriting leaves a little to be desired. The sixth entry from the top is my guy – Christian Schuder/Shuder in the 1842 tax list for Jefferson Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. The only way I knew for sure it was him is the first name is legible as is the description of the land '5 3 25 26' (R5 T3 S25 & S26) that he owned.



But just being here and having the opportunity to access so many records in one location was absolutely marvelous. All in all, I've tremendously enjoyed my stay here in Salt Lake City and have gotten a lot accomplished - almost everything that I had hoped to get and so much more. Of course, there is always more research that could be done but I think I need to spend some time to review and absorb all that was gotten – and get the information entered into my Legacy database!



I'll be leaving Monday morning – heading south, hopefully toward warmer weather in southern Arizona or perhaps southern California. I haven't decided on a specific destination yet but do know that I'll be returning to Salt Lake City in February - for the RootsTech conference! I'm excited about that. I was really disappointed to miss it last year. It couldn't be helped and hopefully nothing will come up that will keep me away this year! I'm looking forward to the conference, attending the sessions, and seeing some of my genea-blogging friends again!



Speaking of genea-blogging friends, I'd like to thank A. C. Ivory for stopping by to say “Hello” whenever he was at the library (did you hear about his sky-diving escapades?). Also, thanks to Ruby Coleman for spending time with me when she was here in October working on her new book. It was great to see you both again!

The Trees We Found This Past Week

Just some of the trees we have come across while hiking.

Two Boston Beauties: Rare Vintage Raleighs

Today I visited the bicycle collector Neal Lerner and photographed some of his beautiful bikes. I am posting pictures of these two in particular - not only because they are rare and stunning, but because the owner is offering them for sale [note: both bicycles are now sold].Here is more about the bicycles, for your viewing pleasure and for longevity:



The loop-frame bicycle is a 1938 Raleigh Lady's Tourist.This model was the predecessor to the DL-1. The frame is 22" with 28" wheels. It is a similar bicycle to the one I wrote about here; only this one is in ridable condition.



The main difference between the earlier Tourist and the later DL-1, is that the older bicycles are not quite as long - meaning that there is less distance between the saddle and handlebars. At the same time, they look "taller" than the DL-1, because the head tube extends quite a bit higher. Another difference, is that the older Tourists have a lugged connector between the downtube and the "loop" top tube which is absent from the later DL-1 model.



The handlebars on these older models are quite short and narrow - which makes sense, because of how closely the rider is seated to the bars.



The bicycle is in ridable condition androlls surprisingly nicely (I've ridden it for a short distance).The shifting needs to be worked on (the gears slip) and the rod brakes need to be adjusted, but it is a stable and buttery-smooth ride. Sadly, there is a piece missing from the rear of the chaincase; it is so difficult to find these chaincases intact. The shifter, saddle and grips are replacements and are not original to the 1938 model.



Being from the WWII period, this bicycle has some "blackout" components - including the headbadge.



The second bicycle in the pictures is one I'd never heard of before: It is a 1948 Raleigh Dawn Tourist. The Dawn Tourist was apparently the predecessor to the Sports.It was lighter and more agile than the original Tourist, and featured a straight step-through frame instead of a loop frame. The frame size of this bike is 21" with 26" wheels.



Unlike the later Sports, the Dawn had rod brakes, just like the Tourist did. However, its handlebars were wider and had considerably more "sweep".



The seat-cluster of the Dawn looks just like that of the later Sports (whereas the seat clusters of the original Tourist and the later DL-1 were bolted together).



The rear fender with original glass reflector are in very clean condition on this bicycle. These reflectors are highly thought after (both of the bicycles pictured have them).



The middle bit is missing from the original full chaincase, but otherwise it is intact.



"The all-steel bicycle" is written on the downtube. The pain on this bicycle is in very nice, even glossy, condition throughout.



It is rare to see even one of these bicycles "in the wild", let alone two - so I felt privileged to take these pictures before these beauties go to new homes. Hope you enjoyed the show and tell.

Cynthia Rowley Bike on Newbury Street

Including bicycles in shop window displays seems to be the new thing, and some fashion designers are even making their own. Cynthia Rowley beach cruisers are now available for sale in her shops, including the one on Newbury Street in Boston.

Cynthia Rowley clothing has a flirty, girly, 1950's-era feel to it, so the beach cruiser seems an appropriate complement. I wonder how many people out there are buying designer bicycles. The Rowley cruiser is certainly a more affordable alternative to the Fendi Abici!

Dusty

I'm still getting used to the new camera. There are a lot of buttons.



And the print in the owner's manual is very small.



Last night when I was trying to take a picture of the peppers Hubby had strung up, the camera refused to operate, and kept flashing an odd symbol at me.

About the time I started suspecting that the symbol meant, "You're an idiot," I realized that it was actually telling me, "You took the memory card out of the camera and forgot to put it back." Which I suppose amounts to the same thing, really.

So, which picture of Dusty looks best on your computer? Or can you tell a difference? Does it matter? The first one is straight out of the camera and the other two are lightened a bit.

Right Up Front

Some readers notice that I always have the front brake lever set up on the right handlebar on my bikes and ask me why, since the opposite arrangement is more typical in the US. The quick answer is that I find the "right front" setup more intuitive and more convenient. I have owned bikes with both "left front" and "right front" setups, and consistently began to notice that I prefer to have the front brake lever on the right handlebar. So at some point we rerouted all of my bikes to have the front brake on the right side, and I've been happy since.



Some reasons why I prefer the "right front" set-up:



. My right hand is slightly dominant to my left, and it makes sense to squeeze the front brake - which is the dominant brake - with my dominant hand.

. On bikes that are coaster brake or fixed gear andhave only the front handbrake, it likewise makes sense to squeeze the sole handbrake with my dominant hand.

. Using the right hand for braking leaves my left hand free to signal turns and traffic maneuvers.

. This one is tricky to describe, but under some conditions I use the front brake as a "stop rolling" device when quickly dismounting my bike, and this maneuver works best when the front brake lever is on the right.

There are different views out there regarding which set-up makes the most sense, and Sheldon Brown has a nice write-up about it here. Ultimately, I think it is up to the individual cyclist to determine which feels more natural to them. And if the setup with which your bike came from the store doesn't feel right, be aware that this is something that can easily be changed by re-routing the brake cables.

Nene Way 3 Sixfields to Billing

8.8 miles. One unintentional detour turned a mile or so of the walk into the A45 Way. Just about ok if you were cycling, but noisy and unpleasant for walking. Dry, fine, no sun today.



Lots of birdlife today - from terns hovering and diving, to several families of swans, moorhens with big-footed chicks, coots, a heron, and a flock of goldfinches taking off from a patch of teasels. Canada geese flying in a mob - how does an individual goose decide whether it'll join those on the wing or stay with the gang on the ground?








We started from Sixfields, crossed the road to Duston Mill Lane and walked down to the disused Mill and the path by the lakes of Storton’s Pits Nature Reserve. We saw terns hovering above the water and diving in – but my photographic skills weren’t up to capturing them, alas. `

Express Lift tower - the 'lighthouse'

The Express Lift Tower, otherwise known as the ‘lighthouse' is visible on the left for a large part of this section of the walk. The area is left to grow pretty wild, and is an important wetland habitat

Chicory?

As we walked we noticed that the ‘lighthouse’ appeared to be on our right – we had walked round the end of one of the flooded gravel pits and missed a left turn where the Grand Union Canal Walk joins the Nene Way. As much by luck as judgment we found the Canal Bridge where the Nene Way doubles back at a right angle then over a bridge with iron rails across the river and then turned right to walk under the railway viaduct.















The path continues at the back of a shopping centre, then under the A5123. At the Carlsberg brewery, with its silos, the path turns to the left and then back on the other side of a short channel. There is a bridge, and the banks have several large willows.

Looking over the Nene from behind the Carlsberg brewery

Shortly after this there is a long high wall which forms part of the flood defences.













These decorative bricks are part of theflood defence wall in Northampton.












According to the plaque 'Local children from Delapre Middle School engraved the bricks using both the local environment and the celebration of the Queen's jubilee year as their themes.'


The plaque shows some of the industrial history of the Nene, and its importance as a commercial waterway, along with the nearby Grand Union Canal.








































The Nene Way then goes into Beckett's Park














We followed the path over a footbridge and through the Barnes Meadow Nature Reserve and site of the Battle of Northampton in 1460







The path brought us to the Bedford Road, and what I imagine is part of the Nene Whitewater Centre.

Bedford Road water control system - is this linked to the White Water centre? No one there when we walked by.

Just after this point we were diverted/distracted and followed signs for Billing via the cycle path. A mile of the Nene Way we hope to come back to - away from the heavy traffic noise and smell of the A45!

A welcome sight after our detour along the cycle path and through the shopping park.

A fine avenue of beech (?) trees in the area behind Riverside retail park.

moorings and huts along the river

Approaching Billing Aquadrome - spectacular gardens for mobile homes








Back to base . . .
















A photo taken last week. Behind the pub at Billing.