Zimbale vs Carradice

I bought a Zimbale 7L saddlebag a few weeks ago from Harris Cyclery, and have been receiving questions about how it compares to my Carradice Barley.



The bags are indeed very similar, with the Korean Zimbale (left) being intentionally modeled upon the English Carradice (right), in response to the increasingly limited availability of Carradice bags. Because of the similarity of the two designs, it makes more sense to describe how the Zimbale bag differs from Carradice, rather than review it from scratch. A thorough review of the Carradice Barley is available here.



The Zimbale 7L bag is as handsome as the Carradice Barley and seems to be made with the same degree of quality. The stitching is excellent and the leather has a nice feel to it. The colours are slightly more saturated than on the Carradice: the fabric is a deeper and brighter green, and the leather is a darker and redder brown.



Structurally, the Zimbale 7L bag differs from the Carradice Barley in several ways - the first being its folded long flap. The folded flap design allows the bag to expand when over-stuffed. Carradice offers this flap on some of its larger models, but not on the 8L Barley. Another difference is the Zimbale's two "D-rings" (those black plastic clips on the sides), that allow the attachment of a strap, so that the bag can be removed from the bike and worn over the shoulder.



Finally, unlike Carradice, Zimbale has a closure system where the metal buckles are supplemented by an eyelet-and-rivet system (is there an official name for this?) that makes opening and closing the bag faster and easier.



I must admit that the eyelet system is easier to use than the buckles. My only concern is that the leather in that area might fray over time - will see how it holds up in the long run.



The inside of the bag is identical to Carradice, with the exception of the plaid lining of the top flap. The 7L Zimbale is just a tad smaller than the 8L Barley and this is more apparent when loading the bag than when looking at it. The next size up Zimbale offers is 11L, and that is the size I would get for proper touring. For shorter trips though, the 7L is sufficient.



One nice option offered by Zimbale in both the 7L and the 11L size is the camera insert. I often carry one or more of my film cameras on the bicycle, and this usually involves complex swaddling of the cameras in hats and sweaters. I have now ordered the camera insert and am looking forward to trying it. Hopefully, it might also be compatible with our Carradice bags. [edited to add: I have now been told that the camera insert is not available in North America. Very sad, I was looking forward to it!]



One final thing to note about the Zimbale, is that the loop we like to use for tail light attachment is positioned higher than on the Carradice, reducing its suitability for this function. When the longflap is folded under, the tail light placement is okay. But when the flap needs to be expanded, the light points up and can no longer be mounted in that position. This has reminded me that we really need lights that mount on fenders - saddlebags just aren't ideal mounting points.



Overall, I like the Zimbale 7L bag as much as the Carradice Barley. I am at once uneasy about Zimbale's copying Carradice and grateful that more of such bags are being offered. Origin8 is also copying the Carradice design (in black only) with its "Classic Sport Saddle Bag" - so clearly there is a great deal of demand for such bags. For additional reviews of the Zimbale bags, see EcoVelo and Suburban Bike Mama.

What one learns and Second Chances...

In the past few weeks I have learned a good bit about myself.



With some after thought I guess I have learned more about myself, people in generaland our relationships when I have been injured.



In early September I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Tonsillar Cancer which is HPV P16 driven. If you are going to get Tonsillar cancer, pray it is HPV P16 driven. (more on second chances in a minute)



http://www.komonews.com/news/health/132764463.html?tab=video



Up first was a "radical neck dissection" to remove the tumors. I was pulling 5.10 a week after surgery so how "radical"can it be? Now Radiation and Chemo follow. I'll be fine in the end. A little worse for the wear and tear may be but pounds lighter and seconds faster. It won't hurt my climbing in the long run is my guess at this point.I will come out of this even healthier and more fit than I have been in a long time. But not a fitness and weight loss program I would recommend either.



So I get a second chance. A cancer they can cure. And a new lease on life witha rebuilt body after loosing 25% of my body mass from chemo and rad.



We all make promises. Some you intend to keep and others you know you will unlikely be able to keep. Most of us do what we can and with some effort more than we might have thought possible until pushed.



I had first intendedto keep my health issues quiet. But as I realised there wasn't an easily accessed body of knowledge on how to get through this I started asking for beta from any of myfriends (and their friends) that might have some insight into a this particular cancer and treatment that would eventually strip me of 25% of my body mass. It all seemed pretty damn scary at the beginning. A little less so now even after dropping 20# in the first six days of treatment. And my friends pulled through for me. Thank you, THANK YOU!



To pay back that debt I will eventually start a new blog documenting this entire experience in detail so it will hopefully bea little less scary for the next guy.



Ten days ago I was unsure if I would ever be able to walk again let alone climb. The initial chemo shattered me physically and mentally in a short 6 days. Not something I easily admit to, but there it is.

Water boarding? Shit, try Cysplatinum.



I, like many who ride a bike, often wonder if Lance did drugs to win those Tours. I don'tneed to wonderany more. Lance did weeksof Csyplantium. I'm only required to do a fewdays. Lance has been requiredto suffer more than most can ask to endure. I suspect that is how he won Tours. Chemo drugs may have taughthim the secrets of sufferingbut no one in their right mind wants the education.







My friends, familyand and our extended climbing family have been the BEST. People have reached out to help and support me, someI hardly know. But I "know" them now. It means a lot to me and I am more than grateful. When you can't move and someone offers a helping hand they are a more than human...more than a kind soul. How anyone does this by themselves hopefully I'll never have to know, thankfully.



Like climbing we seldom do anything alone. And there is a time when we are all alone and a required to dig deep and run it out. That comes as well. But we never get their by ourselves. Some one helped us get to that.



I rushed to get the shell review done before all this started. I was happy with the end result. It was one more off the tick list of "to dos". I have a huge assortment of gear review projects currently in the works. But they are going to have to wait tillI can write (without chemo brain) and get outside again. Those sorts of thingswill be on hold for a bit as I get through this. Future plans?Cham and maybe the Kahiltna again this spring.I am antzy to this over and get to THAT future. But for now I am living cancer. It will bemy way of life for a short time. The experience willenhance me, not define me.



I learned (again) to never take a day for granted. Never forget you have friends. Take care of them, even when you don't have the time. And be thankful every day above ground. Use those dayswisely! 2nd chances are a wonderful thing :)

Hardwick-Sywell-Mears Ashby-Hardwick

Led by Barry. With me, Gordon and Maureen. Cold weather, strong wind. sunny at times. almost 9 miles in all.






One of those shall we /shan't we days. Snow flurrying about, car windscreen and doors iced up, but the promise of sunshine too. No more than a few minutes behind schedule we set off to Hardwick and parked near the church.

Into the teeth of the icy blast - after five minutes, I decided I needed my waterproof-windproof layer on top of the three I already had.

We headed north along the road out of the village, and when the road bends to the right, we took a footpath to the left. It leads to the opposite corner of the first field, and then across the next field. We ended up slightly too far over and had to walk back a few yards to the gap in the hedge, and footbridge over the stream.

The route across the next field was clearer, and at the next hedge we turned left following the field boundary west, past one hedge, then across another field. We met a bridleway, and turned to the left, going south.

As we reached the minor road near Hardwick Lodge, we were greeted by barking dogs - in an enclosed area. The easier path here turns more or less west down the lane and skirts the grounds of this house and others.

We turned southwest to meet the corner of Hardwick Short Wood, and followed the edge of this wood, and then Sywell Wood. After passing Wood Lodge Farm we met the Sywell Road, going past Sywell Airport and Aviation Museum.

Exhibit 'A'

Exhibit 'B'

Exhibit 'C'

Barry had half promised us there'd be a coffee shop, but apart from the Aviator Hotel, we saw none.




Just before the main village we took a path to the left, walked for a short distance along the road and then turned left again, and slightly uphill. At the top of this field there was a seat, but we preferred to choose a more sheltered spot on the other side of the trees - not quite the comfort of a café but not bad in the sunshine.




Onward and down to the stream, then up again and across to Mears Ashby.

How about this for a guard dog? No need for walkies, either.

Along the road east as far as Highfield Road, we turned left and then along a footpath heading north. This continued over farmland, then across the Wellingborough to Sywell Road, then more farmland. Some of the fields were pretty sticky, even though there was still ice on top of the puddles.

Almost done!

We crossed another path, but carried on north before the path turned slightly northeast and back into Hardwick, past a farm, and a few houses. We turned right and were back at the car. Cold, muddy in places, but satisfying.







of walk - part 1

Part 2




The map is in two parts - technical "issues".

The Coming Storm

Here's another cool cloud image... this one was taken late yesterday afternoon as the first of several fast-moving thunderstorms came over the tip of Minnesota's Arrowhead region. Not more than two minutes after I made this shot, the rain was coming down so hard that visibility was minimal at best. The wipers on my truck could hardly keep up with it!

Creepin'

Creepin', originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Saturday night I was hiking up Poly Mountain and a large, slow-moving creature next to the trail caught my eye. Upon looking closer I saw that it was a tarantula.

This is the time of the year when the tarantulas are out and about in the hills. Some places, like Mt. Diablo in the Bay Area, are famous for the large numbers of the arachnids that creep through the dry grasses in search of mates...and prey.

Morning Glory With Dew

A Grandpa Ott covered in dew.

Have Delta Cruisers Met Their Match?

How is this for proof that my aesthetic preferences do not trump all else: I think the old, nondescript tires on my vintage Gazelle may have been ever so slightly more comfortable than the gorgeous, creamy newDelta Cruisers I replaced them with. I replaced the old tires not for the looks, but because they were 15 years old and worn out. I rode with the original tires for the first 5 months of owning the bike, but winter was coming and it seemed like the right time to get new ones. And as long as I was replacing them, the 28" Schwalbe Delta Cruisers were the natural choice: beautiful, gloriously shock absorbent, and puncture resistant. I love them on my Raleigh DL-1, I loved them on the Steyr Waffenrad I rode in Vienna, I love them in the 700C size on my Royal H. mixte, and I loved them in the 26" size on my formerly owned Pashley Princess and Raleigh Sports.



What I like about Delta Cruisers in terms of functionality, is that they are both fasterandcushier (i.e. better at dampening road shock) than other tires I've tried in equivalent sizes and widths. Whenever I replace other tires with Delta Cruisers, the change has always resulted in an "Ahhh, much better!" feeling... until now. It's a tiny difference, but I think the old tires on the Gazelle may have felt softer. I am not ready to state this with certainty, because the roads are in such worse condition now than they were before winter's start and part of me hopes there may just be more potholes now than before. But on the other hand, I remember the feeling of going over thepotholes themselves as having been a bit better with the old tires. Darn! Just when I thought I was done with this bike, there is something new to obsess about.



It took me a while to determine the brand of the old tires, as they were quite worn out. But finally I was able to make out "Kenda NL 40-635." Ah, so they are Kendas, made for the Dutch market. The checkered tread pattern looks just like this, but I don't see any 28" tires on Kenda's website. I've been able to find some on ebay that look like they might be the same model - or at least the current version of the same model, as the tires on my bike were made 15 years ago. But will they feel as good as my old ones? I've read so-so reviews of Kenda tires and it's hard for me to believe that they could be more comfortable than Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. Still, I am open minded and will readily admit it if indeed this is so. I don't want to replace the lovely Delta Cruisers, but for me ride quality is an area where comfort wins over aesthetics. Does anyone have 28" Kenda tires on their bike?

Salewa's new Pro Series Alpine climbing boots.....

This one looks pretty slick at first glance but so does the La Sportiva Batura, Zamberland's 4000 Eiger, the Kayland 6001 orthe Scarpa Phanom Ultra and Phantom Guide.



But this boot does something no other boot to day will......look closer.













For those that read the blog on a regular basis it is obvious I am into the fit and the design concepts of mountain boots. I had thought that I had either seen or dreamt about every boot technology currently possible. Boy was I ever naive! I have been pushing for and thinking about a concept boot with the ability to climb like say a Batura on mixed, a Spantik on ice and ski as well as a TLT5 Perf.and be as warm asa new Scarpa 6000 dbl boot. All while be lighter than any of them and have a lower foot profile It is a tall order that I don't expect to see any time soon. But you never know when you mightbe surprised by this industry!

One of the things I have long thought about and recently discussed with my podiatrist is the damage a soft cuffed and rigid soled mtn. boot does to your feet. Having already climbed in that style boot for several decades I didn't see any options available and to be honest figured having a rigid sole was mandatory and if my feet suffered long term, so be it. Just part of the price we pay.

Then earlierthis weekI gota few pictures and a teaseabout thebasic idea behindthe newest Salewa Pro Series of boots.

There are no samples available yetto play with but my take this far is. "very cool!"Here is why. A sole that you are suppose to be able to change the flex on? Say what? A boot you can use and walk with in comfort. Virtually "flip a lever"and have a rigid boot sole for technical climbing, skiing orcrampons and ice?

It sounds like science fiction to be honest and I can't read the printed pictured clearly so I am guessing on most of this pastwhat I have been told.. But the technology is simply amazing if it proves workable. Imagine a boot you can easily do a long walking approach and then flip a lever and have a dead rigid boot sole for either a ice climb or a ski boot if that wasrequired?

I'll reserve judgement until I get to use a pair. But this is definitely technology I have never even dreamed about. May be you have. Obviously some one has!I am really looking forward to getting out to climb and walk in apair.



Make sure to dbl click on all the photos for full effect.







,



The Pro GaiterThis is a single boot with a built in gaiter like a Phantom Guide, Kayland 6001or the Batura.

Salewa claims this oneas the "new bench mark for high level mountaineering and ice climbing". Bold statement indeed. I am looking forward to adding to thattheory as a end user. Unknown water proof breathable material in the gaiter, Thinsulate for insulation and a T-Zip. It is a good start.



The Pro Guide

The Pro Guide should be verysimilarto the Nepal Evo or Mt Blanc.

If you are at OR, better stop by and look at this one today. I'm impressed but let me know your thoughts on this one.

Fishtail Palm Frond

Looking up from beneath a fishtail palm in Oakland, CA.

H Street Revisited

Now that H Street is coming back into its own, I wanted to pick my father’s brain about what it was like back in his day, in the 1920s. I decided we ought to take a tour, and see what was left, so we climbed into my pollen laden car and went back in time.

Our first hurdle was driving down H Street from Northwest to Northeast Everywhere we went the streets are being ripped up or there is new construction. Plus Dad couldn’t see through all the green funk on the windshield so that was a handicap, but we finally found the block where my grandfather, Peter Cokinos, had his candy shop at 1103 H Street. There’s a convenience store and an empty space there now, but back then he used to make candy and ice-cream in the basement. He made a very good living at it, too, and retired in about 1926.

I asked Dad if there were any other Greeks around back then, and it sounds like you couldn’t swing a cat without hitting a half dozen families - including branches of our own clan. Jim Cokinos, a first cousin, to Papou, had a deli at 10th and K, and the Kendros family lived nearby. There was the Kavakos Grill at 8th and H which became a nightclub during World War II, plus The Rendezvous which the Kalevas family ran. The Chaconas Bar and Grill was at 10th and H, and the Bacchus Grill was at H and 15th ( owned by the Bachhus family not the god)
He also remembers the Paramount Grill was run by two Greek brothers. It was "a blue collar sort of breakfast place". (Imagine that.)

Besides all the Greeks ,there was also Whall's Department Store which was 2 stories high and carried everything. There were three movie theaters- the Apollo, the Empire and the Princess - all of them gone now. (The Atlas which is now a performing arts center
didn’t open until the late thirties.) There were lots of beauty shops and barbershops- altogether a thriving business community.

Our next stop was 919 11th Street, the house Dad and his older sister, Catherine were born in. Peter Cokinos bought this house brand new probably in 1914. The block is a little worn down now, the fluted columns on the houses have been replaced, but it's still standing. Our family moved from here to Macomb Street around 1927.



We nabbed a mail person and continued down memory lane.
A few blocks away, at the corner of Montello and Neal, we found
Samuel Wheatley Elementary. Dad didn't recognize it at first as it had gained two large additions since he went there, but the whole school is empty now. This is where Dad and Aunt Catherine walked to school,
and where they learned to speak English for the first time.

Next it was over to the DC Farmer's Market. ( not to be confused with Eastern Market) A lot of the stalls are boarded up now. Of course, Dad remembers when it was all going full force, though it took us a while to find Litteri's Italian market. The paint has faded, but little else has. changed, and Mom thought she even recognized one of the countermen. After waiting a couple of years for a couple of sandwiches which were actually worth the wait, we picnicked with the carpenter bees at my son Kit’s school, Hardy which is being housed in a building that was the Hamilton School. The school is located on Brentwood Parkway just off Florida Avenue, within walking distance of his grandfather's childhood.

Rando Bikes in Use: Boston Edition

When I post pictures of bicycles belonging to cyclists I know, I often receive surprised comments from readers in other parts of the country: How representative are these bikes of what the locals are really riding? The lugs, the refurbished vintage frames, the custom builders, the handlebar bags, the leather saddles... My posts imply that these are typical, yet they are far from the norm today. One sentiment in particular has been repeated and it stuck on my mind: "At real randonneuring events, everyone is riding carbon fiber." That may very well be true, I thought - having never been to a sanctioned randonneuring event.






However that has now changed, as I've just returned from working support at aNew England Randonneurs 600K brevet. More on that after I get some sleep, but for now I present to you a tally of the bikes that were ridden in the event. Among the 11 machines at the start, there were: two Rivendells, a Rawland, a refurbished vintage Mercier, a Bianchi Volpe, a titanium Seven, a titanium Lynskey, a luggged carbon fiber Colonago, a carbon fiber Trek, and 2 carbon fiber Specialized.






All of the bicycles present sported dynamo lighting, usually supplemented with additional battery lights.






About half of the bicycles were equipped with some sort of handlebar bag, including several of the classic randonneuring varitety, supported by front racks.






Full coverage fenders, classic saddlebags and leather saddles were also well represented.






The aesthetic highlight for me was the elegant black bike with a "Jean-Pierre Danguillaume" decal - made in the 1970s by Mercier (a French manufacturer not to be confused with the English Mercian).






As I understand it, the bike belonged to the rider's father and sat dormant for decades until he - the son - refurbished it to use as a brevet bike.





It is now fitted with modern components, lightweight racks, dynamo lighting and a handlebar bag. The owner also managed to wrangle in wide fenders and tires - an admirable accomplishment, if you have a look at the clearances.






The double top tube Rivendell Homer Hilsen was probably the most unexpected bike there for me. While Rivendell did not invent the "2TT" concept (heavy-duty Dutch bikes and Roadsters are often built with double top tubes), it is surprising to see this construction on a roadbike.






The second Rivendell present was an older Rambouillet model that happened to be exactly my size.






The more I examined this bike, the more I liked it: Great proportions, roadish geometry, 26" wheels. No toe overlap, even with wide tires and fenders, and fairly lightweight. I wish they hadn't discontinued this model.





I had not seen a Lynskey bicycle in person before, so that was interesting.






Though titanium, it looks distinctly different from the Sevens I am used to seeing around here. This bike sported a minimalist randonneur setup: small handlebar bag, saddle wedge, dynamo lights, no fenders.





The carbon fiber bikes employed a similar strategy.







Other bicycles were decidedly less minimalist. The Rawland was the only one of the bunch I had seen before, and the owner typically has it equipped ready for anything.




Overall, what I saw on the 600K brevet reflected the types of bicycles I generally encounter when out riding around Greater Boston. While minimalist carbon fiber is common, equally common around these parts are classic steel bicycles set up with traditional racks and bags. If I had to say what the randonneuring bikes had in common, it's that - regardless of their weight, accessories, and style of construction - they were all modified in some unusual way by their owners; they were all just a tad more eccentric than your typical roadbike. When I mentioned this to one of the randonneurs over the weekend, he nodded approvingly - expertly stuffing a turkey and Nutella sandwich into the pocket of his handlebar bag: "Riding with these crazies will do that to you!"



So, what is it like where you live? I am sure there are regional differences in what kind of bicycles dominate these types of events. You might also be interested in this 2007 survey of the bicycles ridden in Paris-Brest-Paris.

Rock in Road

I'm not sure why there were barrels around this rock that was almost in the road. Could have been just to causion drivers. But it looked as if the rock had slipped more toward the road or maybe the road crew was afraid that it might slip some more. We have seen lots of rocks in the road on this trip and others but never any this big.

On The Road Again...

Saturday March 12, .. – Five days ago, on the morning of March 7th, I left Columbia City, Indiana heading south for, hopefully, sunshine and warmer temperatures. As I passed into central Kentucky I noticed the grass was a little green and then through Tennessee things warmed up a bit; some of the trees were sprouting little leaves and bushes (don't know what kind) were blooming too.



I stopped in Huntsville, Alabama and spent two nights with a friend (and distant Joslin cousin - 3rd cousin once removed). Tuesday night they had high winds and got over three inches of rain, which altered my traveling plans somewhat. Instead of meandering through on state highways I stuck to the Interstates. Just didn't want to deal with any flooding issues. And from the Interstate you could see that the streams and rivers had risen over their banks and the waters were flooding nearby land.



It rained much of the day Wednesday but at Montgomery I decided to strike out to the southeast taking US 82, which goes all the way to Brunswick, Georgia. It was a pleasant drive and much less stressful than the Interstates though it rained all afternoon. That night I stopped at a nice campground at Lakepoint Resort State Park north of Eufaula, Alabama and just a few miles from the Georgia state line.





The next morning (Thursday, March 10th) I was most pleased to see the sun coming up through the trees. There was some fog but it burned off quickly. The above photo was taken through the rear window. The dark lines across the picture are from the window defroster.



By 2:30 pm I had checked into the campground at Laura S. Walker State Park just east of Waycross, Georgia. That evening and the next day I visited my niece and her daughters and delivered some things that my Mom wanted them to have. Today (March 12) was spent in just relaxing and taking it easy. I went for several walks, easing back into activity as it has been more than three months since I've done any walking let alone hiking!



I did get my wish - temperatures were in the 70s and there was lots of sunshine!The scenes below are of the lake at Laura S. Walker State Park. Photos were taken on March 12, ...





Morning fog rising off the lake.



Lilly pads.



And, of course, a Sunset...

I can stretch my wings just like Mom and Dad!

This evening I made it back up to visit the Loons for the first time since the morning of July 19th. The chicks have grown quite a bit in that time! Their diving times have gone from lasting only 2 or 3 seconds to about 20 seconds. They also seem to be stretching their wings a bit more than a week ago. This is hands-down my favorite image of the evening!




Above: “They sure do grow fast!" - This Loon chick, just one day shy of being two weeks old, is already twice the size it was a week ago.


Above: "Sparkling Loon" - A Loon chick swims across the lake while the water sparkles all around it in the morning light.