What a week the holiday week turned out to be!
Family times were good and wonderful, but we all managed to get hammered by one of the worst cases of influenza that I have seen in ages.
Let's just say that the ewww factor was high and leave it at that, shall we? We are all better now and are raring to go again.
Here is a brief run update from Christmas Eve:
Run: 12.5km
Run km total: 87.05km
The mileage is a bit of a guess (I recorded it) because my phone decided to brick itself and had to be completely reset. Naturally, this happened before I had a chance to record all the details. I am, however, within 200m of being dead on so close enough. I remember it being a slow one though.
I miss my bikes.
Speaking of which, within the next week I should have my shiny new Kona Dew City hanging on a hook in the basement ready to go. I am a bit loath to use it in the snow this winter since I have no place to store it and keep it cold. Nothing is quite so bad for a bike (short of running it over in a truck...) as riding it in the salty Southern Ontario snow and then bringing it into a nice warm heated house. You could, if you felt like it, sit and watch it rust for an evening's entertainment. I am crazy, but lets be serious here:) By next winter, there ought to be a shed or something secure outside where I can lock it and let it stay frozen. I might do what a friend does - he has a shed dug into the ground, and inside the shed is a post set in five feet of concrete. This post has a ring welded to it. His commuter bike gets put in the shed, locked to the post, and then the shed is locked from the outside. No one steals it...
On another note, I am picking up an old friend today. Yes, it is a bike. My friend has been holding my most prized possession from my teen years for me for a number of seasons now. It is my old Marinoni road racing bike from about 1984 or so. I forget precisely when the frame was built. It might be from 1981. I put many many thousands of km on that beastie and wore the frame out to the point where the rear triangle is fatigued and hard accelerations cause the gears to change. Ahhh bliss. I am looking forward to polishing it up and making it look like new again. It will then hang on a hook in the basement and get ridden on "special" occasions (like when I feel like it or something...)
And lastly, I have started a new photography project. It is one of those tacky flickresque 365 projects where you take one picture a day for one year with one central theme. Mine is pictures of or from my bikes. Expect more of than from during the winter months... However, there shall be much that is from them when the season starts. I already have plans to carefully haul the rig out to the off road trails and take pictures of my friend (and he of me) whaling it down some trails. Expect too some of the family or bits of it on outings, and at least some of my daily commute. It should be fun once it gets rolling.
Here is the link: http://www.pbase.com/christopheru/365_bikes
Cheers for now,
myself.
Friday 31 December 2010
Thursday 23 December 2010
epic clean up
You had to see the end of the basement where my workshop lives to understand that the title of this post is not a typical Internet overstatement.
Wow, what a mess.
It now looks so much better.
The room is not very big and sadly has to double as a gardening supply overstock storage room. I also store my bikes in there. Currently, I have my mountain bike and my cyclocross bike hanging from hooks along the long wall. I have another hook with my daughter's old too small bike suspended from it. That hook will belong to the Kona Dew that I am picking up in about five weeks. I have room, unbelievably, for four or five more bikes if I suspend one bike per joist along the length of the room. It would not take up any space that isn't currently waste space.
Somehow, I doubt I could convince my wife to agree to such a thing.
Realistically, what would I get? Keep in mind that I have to get any bike which parks down there through the front door, around a tight turn into a staircase, around a curved flight of steps and then pull a 180 degree turn through a landing, down two more steps, and around into the workshop.
That leaves out anything big (unless I want to fall down the steps with them - the curve in the steps is to the left going down and I am right handed - this means that I pick up the bike on my right when carrying it which puts my feet on the oh so narrow portion of the curved staircase - this is why my bikes park in the living room all summer long...)
Beyond a commuter bike, a cyclocross bike, and a solid hard tail mountain bike, what else do I need?
I suppose a winter beater would be a good idea. It could live in the shed though. You know, that shed we are getting this spring ;p
I could always use a road bike, but lets be serious for a minute. It would make much more sense financially to hot rod my cyclocross bike (sealed cartridge bearing everything) and buy another wheel set with some 700x23c slicks on it and just use the cross bike as a road bike. I did that for several seasons and never once had a problem with it as a road machine. I could keep up with most people I rode with, and only sometimes ran out of gears on huge descents.
I could pull that off for under $1000 while a road bike would cost me well over $2000 to get one I would like to ride.
So, I guess I don't need to really fill up the basement with hooks and hang more bikes, do I? Maybe fill them up with extra wheels instead...
Incidentally, I found 20 inner tubes of varying sizes and at least 10 bike tires which are still usable when I shoveled out the corner. Yikes.
Wow, what a mess.
It now looks so much better.
The room is not very big and sadly has to double as a gardening supply overstock storage room. I also store my bikes in there. Currently, I have my mountain bike and my cyclocross bike hanging from hooks along the long wall. I have another hook with my daughter's old too small bike suspended from it. That hook will belong to the Kona Dew that I am picking up in about five weeks. I have room, unbelievably, for four or five more bikes if I suspend one bike per joist along the length of the room. It would not take up any space that isn't currently waste space.
Somehow, I doubt I could convince my wife to agree to such a thing.
Realistically, what would I get? Keep in mind that I have to get any bike which parks down there through the front door, around a tight turn into a staircase, around a curved flight of steps and then pull a 180 degree turn through a landing, down two more steps, and around into the workshop.
That leaves out anything big (unless I want to fall down the steps with them - the curve in the steps is to the left going down and I am right handed - this means that I pick up the bike on my right when carrying it which puts my feet on the oh so narrow portion of the curved staircase - this is why my bikes park in the living room all summer long...)
Beyond a commuter bike, a cyclocross bike, and a solid hard tail mountain bike, what else do I need?
I suppose a winter beater would be a good idea. It could live in the shed though. You know, that shed we are getting this spring ;p
I could always use a road bike, but lets be serious for a minute. It would make much more sense financially to hot rod my cyclocross bike (sealed cartridge bearing everything) and buy another wheel set with some 700x23c slicks on it and just use the cross bike as a road bike. I did that for several seasons and never once had a problem with it as a road machine. I could keep up with most people I rode with, and only sometimes ran out of gears on huge descents.
I could pull that off for under $1000 while a road bike would cost me well over $2000 to get one I would like to ride.
So, I guess I don't need to really fill up the basement with hooks and hang more bikes, do I? Maybe fill them up with extra wheels instead...
Incidentally, I found 20 inner tubes of varying sizes and at least 10 bike tires which are still usable when I shoveled out the corner. Yikes.
Monday 20 December 2010
on finding another route
My usual running route has narrowed up too much to be much fun at this time of year. The one section has a very narrow sidewalk on it, and try as I might, I am having difficulty passing people who refuse to share the sidewalk. So, rather than risk a collision, I have switched up my route a bit.
Thankfully, there are a lot of MUPs in the immediate area of my house which can be linked together to provide a nice run. I can either do a longer loop (like I did last night) or an out and back along the Laurel Trail and Iron Horse Trail. The only problem is that it is downhill out, and uphill back for the most part. Ouch. The loop I did last night (looping around through the high tech park, University of Waterloo, Laurel Trail, Iron Horse Trail, up Glasgow, down Fischer Hallman, etc) is at least slightly less uphill on the way back since it slices off the side of a biggish hill rather nicely.
Here is the mileage report:
Run: 15.5 km @ 9.19km taking 1:41:10 (I keep getting slower! I cannot shake this cold!)
Run km total: 74.58 km
Thankfully, there are a lot of MUPs in the immediate area of my house which can be linked together to provide a nice run. I can either do a longer loop (like I did last night) or an out and back along the Laurel Trail and Iron Horse Trail. The only problem is that it is downhill out, and uphill back for the most part. Ouch. The loop I did last night (looping around through the high tech park, University of Waterloo, Laurel Trail, Iron Horse Trail, up Glasgow, down Fischer Hallman, etc) is at least slightly less uphill on the way back since it slices off the side of a biggish hill rather nicely.
Here is the mileage report:
Run: 15.5 km @ 9.19km taking 1:41:10 (I keep getting slower! I cannot shake this cold!)
Run km total: 74.58 km
Friday 17 December 2010
Quick mileage report
Last night's run was both painful and awesome. Running on a salted hard pack snow base with new turning to slush powder on top is horrible.
Dear City of Waterloo and its citizens,
STOP WITH THE SALTING ALREADY ON THE SIDEWALKS WHEN ALL THERE IS IS SNOW ON THEM!!!! All it is doing is making a heavy sticky unstable slush base which clings to the shoes and sucks the energy out of anyone using the sidewalk. It does not make the sidewalk safer. A good argument can be made that it makes it worse. Feel free to salt ice if you must, but for crying out loud leave off with salting the snow.
Sincerely,
My aching legs.
Anyhow, here are the running totals:
Run: 12.15 km @ 9.64km taking 1:15:40
Run km total: 59.18 km
Dear City of Waterloo and its citizens,
STOP WITH THE SALTING ALREADY ON THE SIDEWALKS WHEN ALL THERE IS IS SNOW ON THEM!!!! All it is doing is making a heavy sticky unstable slush base which clings to the shoes and sucks the energy out of anyone using the sidewalk. It does not make the sidewalk safer. A good argument can be made that it makes it worse. Feel free to salt ice if you must, but for crying out loud leave off with salting the snow.
Sincerely,
My aching legs.
Anyhow, here are the running totals:
Run: 12.15 km @ 9.64km taking 1:15:40
Run km total: 59.18 km
Tuesday 14 December 2010
the thing about running in snow is...
... that it is almost exactly like running in wet sand.
This means that any given distance tends to take a lot more energy than is the norm.
I call this a good thing. After all, if the purpose of the running is to maintain fitness and be ready for dropping the hammer on the bike (so to speak) come spring time then a little extra effort is worth it.
Tonight's run was a blast. It was snowing lightly, and most of the route I usually run was plowed or shoveled nicely. The temperature was about -9 Celsius. Due to blowing snow, and how fundamentally useless a plow is at making a sidewalk bare, I found myself in about 5 cm or so of snow give or take a cm or two the whole way. There were a (very) few bare patches and a (very) few unshoveled bits.
Big Kudos to the citizens of Waterloo and the city itself for doing such a great job of keeping the sidewalks and roadside MUPS cleaned off even during a week of fairly heavy snow. That takes a lot of effort and is appreciated. In particular I appreciate the MUP being done which runs beside the newish Westmount Road extension. I don't know who cleans it but it is either the city or the University of Waterloo. There are only about two driveways on it (one into Columbia Lake and one into the grad residences for the University of Waterloo) and the distance is almost exactly two km long. At this time of year, I imagine that the primary users of this MUP would be a few walkers, people like me, and a rare bike. A good effort for what amounts to a few users. Like I said, it is appreciated.
The only two unshoveled bits belonged to a condo corp and a school. The condo corp had made no effort to clean up at all (sigh) while the school had it plowed but it had drifted over during the day. To be fair, there has been a lot of wind, and the school does have this big old field, so the snow was not a surprise. With luck, they will get to it tomorrow again. It is interesting to run in snow that is over a foot deep with a trough up the middle. Each footfall is a little dance with a sprained ankle - the trick I think is to be relaxed, not go too fast, and don't fight the slide when your foot slips. Wiping out in the powder would not hurt, so it is not worth dramatics which might involve twisting something.
Anyhow, here is the report on mileage:
Run: 12.54km @ 10.06 kmph taking 1:14:49
Run km total: 47.03 km
Overall, I am very happy with that all things considered. It is within the ball park of what I would normally cover that distance in with no snow and temperatures well above freezing.
This means that any given distance tends to take a lot more energy than is the norm.
I call this a good thing. After all, if the purpose of the running is to maintain fitness and be ready for dropping the hammer on the bike (so to speak) come spring time then a little extra effort is worth it.
Tonight's run was a blast. It was snowing lightly, and most of the route I usually run was plowed or shoveled nicely. The temperature was about -9 Celsius. Due to blowing snow, and how fundamentally useless a plow is at making a sidewalk bare, I found myself in about 5 cm or so of snow give or take a cm or two the whole way. There were a (very) few bare patches and a (very) few unshoveled bits.
Big Kudos to the citizens of Waterloo and the city itself for doing such a great job of keeping the sidewalks and roadside MUPS cleaned off even during a week of fairly heavy snow. That takes a lot of effort and is appreciated. In particular I appreciate the MUP being done which runs beside the newish Westmount Road extension. I don't know who cleans it but it is either the city or the University of Waterloo. There are only about two driveways on it (one into Columbia Lake and one into the grad residences for the University of Waterloo) and the distance is almost exactly two km long. At this time of year, I imagine that the primary users of this MUP would be a few walkers, people like me, and a rare bike. A good effort for what amounts to a few users. Like I said, it is appreciated.
The only two unshoveled bits belonged to a condo corp and a school. The condo corp had made no effort to clean up at all (sigh) while the school had it plowed but it had drifted over during the day. To be fair, there has been a lot of wind, and the school does have this big old field, so the snow was not a surprise. With luck, they will get to it tomorrow again. It is interesting to run in snow that is over a foot deep with a trough up the middle. Each footfall is a little dance with a sprained ankle - the trick I think is to be relaxed, not go too fast, and don't fight the slide when your foot slips. Wiping out in the powder would not hurt, so it is not worth dramatics which might involve twisting something.
Anyhow, here is the report on mileage:
Run: 12.54km @ 10.06 kmph taking 1:14:49
Run km total: 47.03 km
Overall, I am very happy with that all things considered. It is within the ball park of what I would normally cover that distance in with no snow and temperatures well above freezing.
Sunday 12 December 2010
on snow, early morning runs, Lady GaGa, and Christmas Pagents
Well, here is another mileage report for you:
Run: 9.19km @ 9.63 kmph taking 57:13
Run km total: 34.49
All in all, I am happy with that run this morning. It has been almost nine days since I have been able to do anything at all physical because of my cold kicking my behind so thoroughly. A nice short one like that at a slow speed was just what the doctor ordered; it helped me feel energized, and it helped clear my lungs and sinuses (for the delicate of stomach, I will just leave it at that, ok? ok? nuff said...)
I left at around eight in the morning. Snow was falling. In theory, we are getting a "snow storm" today but what I have seen so far is not much of anything. The snow is falling fairly heavily, but it is so wet that accumulations do not seem to be amounting to much. What it is doing though is beautifully muffling all sounds of the city and keeping most people inside instead of out driving.
Wonderful bliss.
I saw very few cars while out on the run this morning, and almost no pedestrians at all. There was some evidence of other runners (footy prints in the snow) but that was about it. I felt totally alone.
This is something that I enjoy when I run - solitude. Usually, due to time constraints and the time of year I do my running, I end up running in the dark. Those conditions are fantastic for creating a little bubble that blocks out the rest of the world and running becomes very solitary, and thought provoking (let's face it, running is boring, so I get to do a lot of thinking whilst stumping around the city in my running shoes.) I rarely end up running in daylight. Come the start of the cycling season, running will happen once every seven or eight days for the sole purpose of reminding my legs how to do it so that next winter's running season is not so painful to start. I will be too busy riding my bike to think about running at that point.
Anyhow, the run just plain worked once my legs woke up.
Which brings me to Lady GaGa. I run to her music. There is only one problem with it for running and that is the way the beat changes up mid song throughout most of her music. I just nicely settle into a rhythm matching each stride to a musical thump, and she introduces a little hitch in the song which throws my pace off. I therefore just listen to it and totally ignore the beat. This makes me thing I should source some different music which has a more constant beat if my goal is to use the music to lift the running to a more effortless level.
I used to do spin classes a lot - upwards of five times a week - and the instructors were very careful to pick music with a steady beat which matched the rate that they wished us to pedal to during whatever interval drill we were doing. It was possible to completely zone out and float away with a thrumming beat and a long enough drill. I need some of that stuff again for running.
Here is a picture from this morning:
Yep, Angel child in uniform :)
I will leave you with that.
Cheers.
Run: 9.19km @ 9.63 kmph taking 57:13
Run km total: 34.49
All in all, I am happy with that run this morning. It has been almost nine days since I have been able to do anything at all physical because of my cold kicking my behind so thoroughly. A nice short one like that at a slow speed was just what the doctor ordered; it helped me feel energized, and it helped clear my lungs and sinuses (for the delicate of stomach, I will just leave it at that, ok? ok? nuff said...)
I left at around eight in the morning. Snow was falling. In theory, we are getting a "snow storm" today but what I have seen so far is not much of anything. The snow is falling fairly heavily, but it is so wet that accumulations do not seem to be amounting to much. What it is doing though is beautifully muffling all sounds of the city and keeping most people inside instead of out driving.
Wonderful bliss.
I saw very few cars while out on the run this morning, and almost no pedestrians at all. There was some evidence of other runners (footy prints in the snow) but that was about it. I felt totally alone.
This is something that I enjoy when I run - solitude. Usually, due to time constraints and the time of year I do my running, I end up running in the dark. Those conditions are fantastic for creating a little bubble that blocks out the rest of the world and running becomes very solitary, and thought provoking (let's face it, running is boring, so I get to do a lot of thinking whilst stumping around the city in my running shoes.) I rarely end up running in daylight. Come the start of the cycling season, running will happen once every seven or eight days for the sole purpose of reminding my legs how to do it so that next winter's running season is not so painful to start. I will be too busy riding my bike to think about running at that point.
Anyhow, the run just plain worked once my legs woke up.
Which brings me to Lady GaGa. I run to her music. There is only one problem with it for running and that is the way the beat changes up mid song throughout most of her music. I just nicely settle into a rhythm matching each stride to a musical thump, and she introduces a little hitch in the song which throws my pace off. I therefore just listen to it and totally ignore the beat. This makes me thing I should source some different music which has a more constant beat if my goal is to use the music to lift the running to a more effortless level.
I used to do spin classes a lot - upwards of five times a week - and the instructors were very careful to pick music with a steady beat which matched the rate that they wished us to pedal to during whatever interval drill we were doing. It was possible to completely zone out and float away with a thrumming beat and a long enough drill. I need some of that stuff again for running.
Here is a picture from this morning:
Yep, Angel child in uniform :)
I will leave you with that.
Cheers.
Saturday 11 December 2010
on overcoming a fear
Another double header post day. Again, normally I don't post two a day (or even two a week) but something happened that is worth sharing I think.
I was out with a friend of mine taking pictures in Cambridge (Ontario) today. We were both itching to get out and do something with the cameras and I wanted to take some pictures in a city instead of going out and taking yet another picture (while freezing) at the edge of a swamp someplace.
Due to time constraints, we went down the road to Cambridge and wandered around the older parts of Galt.
It is important to understand that I am a chicken.
I really admire street photography, and some of the best works that I have seen that were done recently were done by people who are not chicken. They were done by people who are brave enough to ask someone if they would mind having their picture taken and by people who are brave enough to talk to people and get to know them at least a little bit before taking a few pictures, thanking them, and moving on.
Well, today, I got brave.
Took me long enough.
I did not catch the name of the dog, but I did have a nice chat with its owner and companion. We saw this massive dog walking down the sidewalk with an older gentleman with him. I said to myself stuff this, nothing ventured, nothing gained and asked politely if he (the owner) would mind if we took a picture of him and his dog.
He said it was ok if we took a picture of his dog but not him, and took it off the lead and got him to sit for us. We chatted a bit, and learned a bit about the man and what he is up to and some about the dog. I don't have permission to divulge the conversation, so I won't, but the point is this: I got brave, had a nice chat and got a good picture because of it.
Later. We met Santa.
Again, being brave paid off. Seeing us and our cameras chatting with Santa prompted this lady (who it turns out knew the Santa) to leap up into his arms and pose for us while we took some pictures.
The moral of the story? Be brave. Be polite. It might just result in something neat happening that was not expected.
I was out with a friend of mine taking pictures in Cambridge (Ontario) today. We were both itching to get out and do something with the cameras and I wanted to take some pictures in a city instead of going out and taking yet another picture (while freezing) at the edge of a swamp someplace.
Due to time constraints, we went down the road to Cambridge and wandered around the older parts of Galt.
It is important to understand that I am a chicken.
I really admire street photography, and some of the best works that I have seen that were done recently were done by people who are not chicken. They were done by people who are brave enough to ask someone if they would mind having their picture taken and by people who are brave enough to talk to people and get to know them at least a little bit before taking a few pictures, thanking them, and moving on.
Well, today, I got brave.
Took me long enough.
I did not catch the name of the dog, but I did have a nice chat with its owner and companion. We saw this massive dog walking down the sidewalk with an older gentleman with him. I said to myself stuff this, nothing ventured, nothing gained and asked politely if he (the owner) would mind if we took a picture of him and his dog.
He said it was ok if we took a picture of his dog but not him, and took it off the lead and got him to sit for us. We chatted a bit, and learned a bit about the man and what he is up to and some about the dog. I don't have permission to divulge the conversation, so I won't, but the point is this: I got brave, had a nice chat and got a good picture because of it.
Later. We met Santa.
Again, being brave paid off. Seeing us and our cameras chatting with Santa prompted this lady (who it turns out knew the Santa) to leap up into his arms and pose for us while we took some pictures.
The moral of the story? Be brave. Be polite. It might just result in something neat happening that was not expected.
some bike pictures
Any of you reading this (all one of you!) who are interested in bikes might find this gallery I have on pbase interesting: http://www.pbase.com/christopheru/gallery/urban_bicycle
It is full of pictures of bikes seen in urban environs with bits and pieces of blathering about the bike and about bikes in general under each photo.
It is full of pictures of bikes seen in urban environs with bits and pieces of blathering about the bike and about bikes in general under each photo.
Friday 10 December 2010
worth a watch
There is nothing quite like this guy: http://www.dannymacaskill.co.uk/videos/
I need to practice more (ok ok, not going to happen, but one can dream, right? Seriously, I would be happy to get my dirt skills back to where they were a decade ago - If I could do that next spring, I would be very very happy. I think I shall have to hit the trails at least once or twice a week and see what happens. Hopefully, I will get back my ability to crash and tumble all over the landscape without getting hurt...Thankfully, one of my best friends is interested in hitting the dirt again next year so I will have some company for some of it.)
In other news, my cold is finally almost better and I think that tomorrow I will head out and get a run in after a week off. Hopefully, I won't cough up any furry aliens from my lungs whilst out there in the cold. I should limit it to about 5km or so just to be on the safe(r) side.
Will let you know what happens!
Oh, and it would appear that my daughter is all pumped for spring - being eight years old, she is a true fan of snow (the more the better) but come spring, she is getting a Haro BMX bike from yours truly here. She has struggled with riding (like I did when I was her age) but really wants to get it right this year and hit the trails with her dad. What an honour:) It is something I am looking forward to immensely.
Cheers for now.
I need to practice more (ok ok, not going to happen, but one can dream, right? Seriously, I would be happy to get my dirt skills back to where they were a decade ago - If I could do that next spring, I would be very very happy. I think I shall have to hit the trails at least once or twice a week and see what happens. Hopefully, I will get back my ability to crash and tumble all over the landscape without getting hurt...Thankfully, one of my best friends is interested in hitting the dirt again next year so I will have some company for some of it.)
In other news, my cold is finally almost better and I think that tomorrow I will head out and get a run in after a week off. Hopefully, I won't cough up any furry aliens from my lungs whilst out there in the cold. I should limit it to about 5km or so just to be on the safe(r) side.
Will let you know what happens!
Oh, and it would appear that my daughter is all pumped for spring - being eight years old, she is a true fan of snow (the more the better) but come spring, she is getting a Haro BMX bike from yours truly here. She has struggled with riding (like I did when I was her age) but really wants to get it right this year and hit the trails with her dad. What an honour:) It is something I am looking forward to immensely.
Cheers for now.
Sunday 5 December 2010
Up goes the Christmas Tree
It is that time of year at our house. Here are some pics of it for you to enjoy.
Wishing you the best this holiday season.
Wishing you the best this holiday season.
Saturday 4 December 2010
Come now, either winter up or get on with spring
This time of year makes me crazy.
Some years, like a couple of years ago, we get a terrific snow storm sometime mid November and it just snows like a mad thing all winter long. There is just so much to do when there is that much snow that I can often forget about the fact that really, I don't like winter much!
And then there is this year. It is simply refusing to winter up out there. Where is the snow? We had just enough for the city (bless their socks) to salt the roads up, and no where near enough for winter to feel like it has arrived. The sad part of that is, we have these nice clear roads which are perfect (if a bit chilly) for cycling on that are covered in salt! I simply refuse to put either my mountain bike or my cyclocross bike in the salt. The cross bike could probably put up with the abuse, and if I was a road rider, I would go for it, but considering the kind of distance riding I do, ruining my cross bike in the salt just does not make any sense. It is my defacto road bike, and I want to keep it running smoothly.
Some years, like a couple of years ago, we get a terrific snow storm sometime mid November and it just snows like a mad thing all winter long. There is just so much to do when there is that much snow that I can often forget about the fact that really, I don't like winter much!
And then there is this year. It is simply refusing to winter up out there. Where is the snow? We had just enough for the city (bless their socks) to salt the roads up, and no where near enough for winter to feel like it has arrived. The sad part of that is, we have these nice clear roads which are perfect (if a bit chilly) for cycling on that are covered in salt! I simply refuse to put either my mountain bike or my cyclocross bike in the salt. The cross bike could probably put up with the abuse, and if I was a road rider, I would go for it, but considering the kind of distance riding I do, ruining my cross bike in the salt just does not make any sense. It is my defacto road bike, and I want to keep it running smoothly.
Wednesday 1 December 2010
don't run with a belly ache
It was not my plan for the night, believe me, but I ended up cutting an "over run" short due to developing a belly ache part way around my loop. I had to walk a significant amount tonight.
Well nuts.
Here is the mileage report anyways:
Run: 13.34km @9.29kmph taking 1:26:13
Run km total: 25.3
Bike km total: 0
Well nuts.
Here is the mileage report anyways:
Run: 13.34km @9.29kmph taking 1:26:13
Run km total: 25.3
Bike km total: 0
Sunday 28 November 2010
time to lay out some new goals
I am not a fan of new year's resolutions, and think them largely a sham designed to make people feel bad as they are encouraged to make promises they know they cannot keep, only to be made to feel a failure when the predictable happens and they fail. The whole concept is kind of like deliberately tripping someone, and then mocking them for a clutz.
So, it is in that frame of mind that I make the following fitness goals, today, on November 28th. There will be no pressure this way.
It is my goal this next calender year to run about 1500 km, and to bicycle about 5000km. This is not as outrageous as it sounds, and should be doable without really exerting myself too terribly much since I like to do those things. Where this will be challenging is that I want to drop back down to between 170-175 pounds (I am six feet tall.) That might be a bit tougher although really, it goes with the territory of the sports I participate in.
I figure I might as well report my progress here.
So, with all that in mind, here is my first mileage report:
Run: 12.02 km @ 10.72kmph taking 1:07:17 hours.
Bike: 0 km
Run km total: 12.02
Bike km total: 0
Cycling won't start again until the salt is off the roads again in the spring.
Cheers.
So, it is in that frame of mind that I make the following fitness goals, today, on November 28th. There will be no pressure this way.
It is my goal this next calender year to run about 1500 km, and to bicycle about 5000km. This is not as outrageous as it sounds, and should be doable without really exerting myself too terribly much since I like to do those things. Where this will be challenging is that I want to drop back down to between 170-175 pounds (I am six feet tall.) That might be a bit tougher although really, it goes with the territory of the sports I participate in.
I figure I might as well report my progress here.
So, with all that in mind, here is my first mileage report:
Run: 12.02 km @ 10.72kmph taking 1:07:17 hours.
Bike: 0 km
Run km total: 12.02
Bike km total: 0
Cycling won't start again until the salt is off the roads again in the spring.
Cheers.
Sunday 21 November 2010
back out on the mountain bike
Due to my cycling season being all messed up, I did not get to the mountain bike until just the other day. It is good to be back out in the woods again, even though it would appear that the snow will be arriving by next Friday (give or take a day or two, forecasts being what they are in Southern Ontario and all that.)
I arrived at a decision yesterday about 30 seconds before the reason for my decision became apparent. I am going to buy some dedicated aggressive mud tires for the off road machine next year. The bike currently has some Maxxis tires (Larson TT tires - they roll fast, and are great on hard pack, but...) on it which, quite frankly, suck for the clay soil that most of the local trail networks are make of. The top soil in the forest is OK with these tires, but introduce just a hint of moisture, and they pack up, become slicks, and skitter all over the place. Even moist air is enough to make the trails slightly slick and with these tires? It can get a bit sketchy.
I arrived at a decision yesterday about 30 seconds before the reason for my decision became apparent. I am going to buy some dedicated aggressive mud tires for the off road machine next year. The bike currently has some Maxxis tires (Larson TT tires - they roll fast, and are great on hard pack, but...) on it which, quite frankly, suck for the clay soil that most of the local trail networks are make of. The top soil in the forest is OK with these tires, but introduce just a hint of moisture, and they pack up, become slicks, and skitter all over the place. Even moist air is enough to make the trails slightly slick and with these tires? It can get a bit sketchy.
Monday 15 November 2010
two dabs and an idiot
Last night, I got to thinking that since today is my once-every-six-workday-leave-early-day that I would do something different than normal. Usually, what I do is take my cyclocross bike with me to work and link up with my friend and take off for about three or four hours of riding with a nice coffee mid ride. However, due to my friend's work schedule, that cannot happen on Mondays and Wednesdays.
I decided therefore to renew my relationship with the other woman.
I have the best wife ever. She does not mind my constant flirtations with the other woman, although lately I have been neglecting the other and spending my time with the mistress. Ahhh marital bliss!
I decided therefore to renew my relationship with the other woman.
I have the best wife ever. She does not mind my constant flirtations with the other woman, although lately I have been neglecting the other and spending my time with the mistress. Ahhh marital bliss!
Saturday 13 November 2010
Another day watching the Roller Girls
Spent another afternoon with the family at the Roller Derby. Shots follow:
The light in the arena was much better than last time we went - it was mid afternoon, and light from outside was streaming in through a few small windows and happened to fall on the track where a lot of my shots took place. Just that little bit of extra light made all the difference.
On a side note, I managed to get in about 67km of riding today with a friend. It was terrific, and may be the last ride that is that good until spring. Winter is going to start any day now - the forecast is for cooler weather next week and some rain. As long as the snow holds off until next Friday when I get my snow tires on the car, I will be happy.
All for now.
The light in the arena was much better than last time we went - it was mid afternoon, and light from outside was streaming in through a few small windows and happened to fall on the track where a lot of my shots took place. Just that little bit of extra light made all the difference.
On a side note, I managed to get in about 67km of riding today with a friend. It was terrific, and may be the last ride that is that good until spring. Winter is going to start any day now - the forecast is for cooler weather next week and some rain. As long as the snow holds off until next Friday when I get my snow tires on the car, I will be happy.
All for now.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
fancy struck
There is something deliciously funny about this sign. It is in a local bakery which specializes in gluten free cooking as well as food for vegetarians and vegans.
Based on the sign, I have to assume that at least some of the dishes they prepare contain vegans. This strikes me as a bit harsh. Vegans are not so bad that they have to be eaten, are they?
I will leave you with that bit of strangeness for now.
Cheers and have a good evening :)
Wednesday 3 November 2010
How do we get more people to use alternate transport?
I have been thinking about this, and there is no easy answer to that question.
I suspect that it will take a fairly large change in our culture's approach to transport in general to get people out of their cars and using alternate forms of transportation. Really, bikes are just a part of the solution and for many, are impractical during the winter. Winter riding is doable, but is admittedly not for everyone
Currently, in Canada, we have cheap gas. We like to complain about it, but compared to most of the world, we have cheap gas. We also have vast distances to cover for many things - people living in rural communities (and by this I mean really rural - not small towns outside large urban centers) often have to drive vast distances just to get groceries and they have no choice if they are going to live there. One group in our society which is stuck in this regard is our farmers. Our farmers, besides having to often make long runs for basics, don't have much choice about using petroleum powered machines if they are going to run a viable business and as a group produce enough food to feed our cities. People living in semi-rural areas often have the flexibility to move into more densely populated areas should they have a need to (we did, for instance, when we got sick and tired of feeling married to our cars.) The thing is, cheap gas makes it easy to justify daily grinding back and forth between cities and small towns that are often used primarily as bedroom communities or extended suburbs for large cities by people who do not take the time - or even have the time after their commute - to invest themselves in the local community.
I suspect that it will take a fairly large change in our culture's approach to transport in general to get people out of their cars and using alternate forms of transportation. Really, bikes are just a part of the solution and for many, are impractical during the winter. Winter riding is doable, but is admittedly not for everyone
Currently, in Canada, we have cheap gas. We like to complain about it, but compared to most of the world, we have cheap gas. We also have vast distances to cover for many things - people living in rural communities (and by this I mean really rural - not small towns outside large urban centers) often have to drive vast distances just to get groceries and they have no choice if they are going to live there. One group in our society which is stuck in this regard is our farmers. Our farmers, besides having to often make long runs for basics, don't have much choice about using petroleum powered machines if they are going to run a viable business and as a group produce enough food to feed our cities. People living in semi-rural areas often have the flexibility to move into more densely populated areas should they have a need to (we did, for instance, when we got sick and tired of feeling married to our cars.) The thing is, cheap gas makes it easy to justify daily grinding back and forth between cities and small towns that are often used primarily as bedroom communities or extended suburbs for large cities by people who do not take the time - or even have the time after their commute - to invest themselves in the local community.
Sunday 31 October 2010
Jacket Test: Nine 1 One NGT.BC.006 ANSI CLASS II DUTY JACKET
I got this jacket in a round about way via a friend who ordered one for himself intending to use it as a cycling jacket. It was too small for him, but fit me perfectly and rather than send it back, he sold it to me.
Keep in mind that I am not a professional reviewer and am merely expressing my opinion based on what I have observed. As a rule, I try to be balanced and fair when discussing a product and will only report what I have noticed about it for the use that I put it to. In this case, I will refrain from comment on the jacket's effectiveness as an EMS jacket since I have no clue what the requirements of such a garment would be for that use.
So, here goes.
This is one heck of a jacket. I use it as a general wear jacket when being seen is important and when I want to be out of the wind. The fit is very good for cycling and is cut in such a way that it won't ride up even when down in the dropouts on a cross or road bike. There is enough flex in the jacket that moving about is very easy to do (on that note, keep in mind that the sizing is very precise and that if you a burly individual, you will want bigger than a large - I am size 34 around the waste (and shrinking) and a large does me well). I find that I am warm walking about in bitter fall winds and that there is very little to no wind leaking through the sealed zippers.
Keep in mind that I am not a professional reviewer and am merely expressing my opinion based on what I have observed. As a rule, I try to be balanced and fair when discussing a product and will only report what I have noticed about it for the use that I put it to. In this case, I will refrain from comment on the jacket's effectiveness as an EMS jacket since I have no clue what the requirements of such a garment would be for that use.
So, here goes.
This is one heck of a jacket. I use it as a general wear jacket when being seen is important and when I want to be out of the wind. The fit is very good for cycling and is cut in such a way that it won't ride up even when down in the dropouts on a cross or road bike. There is enough flex in the jacket that moving about is very easy to do (on that note, keep in mind that the sizing is very precise and that if you a burly individual, you will want bigger than a large - I am size 34 around the waste (and shrinking) and a large does me well). I find that I am warm walking about in bitter fall winds and that there is very little to no wind leaking through the sealed zippers.
Saturday 30 October 2010
Tire Test: Schwalbe CX Pro cyclocross tires
First off, I am not a tire tester. I just ride bikes.
Most of my riding is done on my Kona Jake the Snake cyclocross bike and most of that riding is done on rail trails. This is what forms my "test bed" for trying out various bike kit.
The rail trail I ride on is comprised of gravel, stone, lime dust chip, and slimy clay. During the fall season, a layer of wet decomposing leaves covers the trail and can make traction interesting as any minor inconsistencies in the trail are covered up and when wet they can be slippery. There are no hills to speak of - just gradual inclines which often take several km to cross. The trail is ideally suited for knobby cyclocross tires although regular hybrid tires (700x30-38c tire size) suitable for commuting also work well.
During the summer months, I was using a set of inexpensive commuter tires which quickly disintegrated on the gravel. They offered OK low rolling resistance, but were a little sketchy when the ground was wet. Due to a dumb move on my part involving a drill and my bike rack (don't ask...) I had to replace the rear tire. I opted to put the original tires the bike came with back on the bike until I got around to getting some better rubber. Once they wore down, I opted for the Schwalbes.
Most of my riding is done on my Kona Jake the Snake cyclocross bike and most of that riding is done on rail trails. This is what forms my "test bed" for trying out various bike kit.
The rail trail I ride on is comprised of gravel, stone, lime dust chip, and slimy clay. During the fall season, a layer of wet decomposing leaves covers the trail and can make traction interesting as any minor inconsistencies in the trail are covered up and when wet they can be slippery. There are no hills to speak of - just gradual inclines which often take several km to cross. The trail is ideally suited for knobby cyclocross tires although regular hybrid tires (700x30-38c tire size) suitable for commuting also work well.
During the summer months, I was using a set of inexpensive commuter tires which quickly disintegrated on the gravel. They offered OK low rolling resistance, but were a little sketchy when the ground was wet. Due to a dumb move on my part involving a drill and my bike rack (don't ask...) I had to replace the rear tire. I opted to put the original tires the bike came with back on the bike until I got around to getting some better rubber. Once they wore down, I opted for the Schwalbes.
Saturday 23 October 2010
further thoughts on the benefits of small
I have stated publicly that for most of the photography that I like to do, smaller cameras do not equate intrinsically to better. On many Internet fora - particularly ones which cater to the 4/3 community (encompassing Olympus and Panasonic 4/3 cameras and the surging m4/3 class of camera from many makers) - there is significant debate about and, dare I say it, hate directed towards the larger cameras out there. This seems particularly true if the large camera is made by Olympus.
Olympus has long stated that one of the key advantages of the 4/3 system is a smaller size when compared to the offerings of other dslr manufacturers. They claim that their cameras and lenses are smaller. To a large extent, they have delivered on this promise when you consider the size of the lenses they make and compare them to lenses which offer an equivalent field of view when put on a full frame camera. However, to many, the sheer bulk of a camera like mine - the E-3 - and the HG or SHG class of lenses makes the promise of small to be a bit of a joke.
What "equivalent" means when comparing things like field of view, depth of field and admission of light to the sensor across different systems is a subject of debate. To me, these debates are largely irrelevant. Each sensor standard - be it 4/3, aps-c, aps-h, or 135 - has its own strengths and weaknesses. Throw in the variation each camera manufacturer brings to the table regardless of which sensor standard they choose regarding picture output and the debate becomes even more confused. The trick is to decide which output from which system you like and to go with the one which gives you the look you desire and meets the needs of the kind of photography you do. Trying to use one tool to do the job of another tool and then complaining when it doesn't work out seems a bit silly.
Which brings me to the subject of small as being intrinsically better. It isn't. It is merely different.
I would personally not like to hang a heavy zoom lens (like my 50-200, which while heavy and fairly bulky, is not heavy when compared to the SHG line of lenses from Olympus) on a small camera body no matter what the quality of the camera is. The ergonomics simply don't work for me. Ergonomics are so personal and so important that they have become one of a few deal breakers for me when I purchase anything. I prefer a larger bulkier camera for doing things like wildlife photography or event shooting.
Until Olympus released the E-5 and proved beyond a doubt to my eyes that they can compete IQ wise with the smaller 4/3 sensors, I was seriously considering moving to Canon. Almost everyone I know uses Canon. Canon makes superb gear, but their camera bodies (at least the ones I could reasonably afford) do not fit my hands and are not comfortable to hold. I would not like using them even though the results people are getting with them are terrific. I was actually not happy at the prospect of moving away from the E-3 form factor to one that to my hands is "inferior" ("inferior" to me - I know many users of other cameras who say "ewwww" when they hold my E-3 - it has to do with the shape of my hands).
Having said that, the E-3 is not a great tool for shooting in other circumstances. I am finding it too "in your face" for many family events that I want to photograph. My non-photographer family members feel the dslr is too intrusive. I get that. It is also fairly big and obnoxious when used in some urban environments.
This brings me to the finally fulfilled promise of the 4/3 system: the m4/3 cameras.
I am starting to really like the idea of a camera which can match the results of my E-3 and fits in the pocket of a jacket. I am liking it so much that the odds of me getting an E-5 any time soon are dropping as I debate saving for an EPL-1 and a panasonic 20mm lens for using with family events and for street shooting. I am also really missing the camera when on my bike and a m4/3 camera would fit that role very nicely.
Here are a few samples of this combo from one of my contacts on pbase for you to look at: http://www.pbase.com/surfnmoto2/lake_tahoe
Not all of those are EPL-1 photos, but some are - check the exif.
Cheers and have a good day.
Olympus has long stated that one of the key advantages of the 4/3 system is a smaller size when compared to the offerings of other dslr manufacturers. They claim that their cameras and lenses are smaller. To a large extent, they have delivered on this promise when you consider the size of the lenses they make and compare them to lenses which offer an equivalent field of view when put on a full frame camera. However, to many, the sheer bulk of a camera like mine - the E-3 - and the HG or SHG class of lenses makes the promise of small to be a bit of a joke.
What "equivalent" means when comparing things like field of view, depth of field and admission of light to the sensor across different systems is a subject of debate. To me, these debates are largely irrelevant. Each sensor standard - be it 4/3, aps-c, aps-h, or 135 - has its own strengths and weaknesses. Throw in the variation each camera manufacturer brings to the table regardless of which sensor standard they choose regarding picture output and the debate becomes even more confused. The trick is to decide which output from which system you like and to go with the one which gives you the look you desire and meets the needs of the kind of photography you do. Trying to use one tool to do the job of another tool and then complaining when it doesn't work out seems a bit silly.
Which brings me to the subject of small as being intrinsically better. It isn't. It is merely different.
I would personally not like to hang a heavy zoom lens (like my 50-200, which while heavy and fairly bulky, is not heavy when compared to the SHG line of lenses from Olympus) on a small camera body no matter what the quality of the camera is. The ergonomics simply don't work for me. Ergonomics are so personal and so important that they have become one of a few deal breakers for me when I purchase anything. I prefer a larger bulkier camera for doing things like wildlife photography or event shooting.
Until Olympus released the E-5 and proved beyond a doubt to my eyes that they can compete IQ wise with the smaller 4/3 sensors, I was seriously considering moving to Canon. Almost everyone I know uses Canon. Canon makes superb gear, but their camera bodies (at least the ones I could reasonably afford) do not fit my hands and are not comfortable to hold. I would not like using them even though the results people are getting with them are terrific. I was actually not happy at the prospect of moving away from the E-3 form factor to one that to my hands is "inferior" ("inferior" to me - I know many users of other cameras who say "ewwww" when they hold my E-3 - it has to do with the shape of my hands).
Having said that, the E-3 is not a great tool for shooting in other circumstances. I am finding it too "in your face" for many family events that I want to photograph. My non-photographer family members feel the dslr is too intrusive. I get that. It is also fairly big and obnoxious when used in some urban environments.
This brings me to the finally fulfilled promise of the 4/3 system: the m4/3 cameras.
I am starting to really like the idea of a camera which can match the results of my E-3 and fits in the pocket of a jacket. I am liking it so much that the odds of me getting an E-5 any time soon are dropping as I debate saving for an EPL-1 and a panasonic 20mm lens for using with family events and for street shooting. I am also really missing the camera when on my bike and a m4/3 camera would fit that role very nicely.
Here are a few samples of this combo from one of my contacts on pbase for you to look at: http://www.pbase.com/surfnmoto2/lake_tahoe
Not all of those are EPL-1 photos, but some are - check the exif.
Cheers and have a good day.
Tuesday 19 October 2010
a bit of this and that
There is a wonderful feeling when a major project at work is complete. I do love it.
It has been a strange few days around here. Firstly, I managed a 70km ride last Saturday between Cambridge and Brantford. The ride out was fantastic - three of us went - and fast. However, for some reason, I was not into it mentally and "ran out of gas" about 15km from the end. I had to be towed back (ironically, the person who towed me is someone that I got into cycling a number of years ago who, in return, got me back into it this year.) Sucking wheels because you are too weak to keep up sometimes sucks. ha ha. My reason for not being mentally all there had to do with that then unfinished work project.
Sunday, I had a wonderful run. I managed about 12.25km or so at over 11km per hour. I am not fast, but am consistent with my speed. What made the run great was the fact that for most of it, I felt like I was floating. It was as effortless as the ride the day before hurt. Guess who had the work project almost done?
Monday was good too. I commuted in on my bike (30km round trip) and had a terrific day at work. All went wonderfully, and the work project ended complete by the end of the evening.
Which brings us to today's festivities - another 42 km of rail trails. We flew. It was nice and fast and mentally, I was right on and able to totally ignore minor leg burn and just keep the hammer down. Wonderful.
I don't think I should really push it when the work pressure mounts. Good thing it doesn't mount like that often - only three times a year usually.
It has been a strange few days around here. Firstly, I managed a 70km ride last Saturday between Cambridge and Brantford. The ride out was fantastic - three of us went - and fast. However, for some reason, I was not into it mentally and "ran out of gas" about 15km from the end. I had to be towed back (ironically, the person who towed me is someone that I got into cycling a number of years ago who, in return, got me back into it this year.) Sucking wheels because you are too weak to keep up sometimes sucks. ha ha. My reason for not being mentally all there had to do with that then unfinished work project.
Sunday, I had a wonderful run. I managed about 12.25km or so at over 11km per hour. I am not fast, but am consistent with my speed. What made the run great was the fact that for most of it, I felt like I was floating. It was as effortless as the ride the day before hurt. Guess who had the work project almost done?
Monday was good too. I commuted in on my bike (30km round trip) and had a terrific day at work. All went wonderfully, and the work project ended complete by the end of the evening.
Which brings us to today's festivities - another 42 km of rail trails. We flew. It was nice and fast and mentally, I was right on and able to totally ignore minor leg burn and just keep the hammer down. Wonderful.
I don't think I should really push it when the work pressure mounts. Good thing it doesn't mount like that often - only three times a year usually.
***
In other news, last Saturday, my daughter flew into the house all frantic and asked (begged?) to go to the place where her friends were going - namely a roller derby in New Hamburg.
We looked at each other.
We thought about it.
We said, ok.
It was not what I was expecting. Let's be honest, I was not sure what to expect, but I was not expecting to have as much fun as I had. All three of us - plus my daughter's friend and her family - had a total hoot.
Here is the result:
The lighting was a challenge. You see, arenas with black painted ceilings to not make for perfect photo venues. I found myself at iso3200 (not an Olympus E-3's strong suit unless you get the exposure perfect) and my lens wide open and struggling to maintain 1/200 a second shutter speed. It was enough to make me pine, ever so slightly, for the 1d mkIII I saw someone using. I shall have to practice a bit more and see what happens next time. I should think with better panning technique, I could sustain a lower shutter speed and drop the iso to 1600 which is a much better option for my current gear. Also, it would give a nice bit of motion blur should I get it right.
Going back is going to happen :)
Tuesday 12 October 2010
over the falls in a barrel of laughs
This weekend past, Carrie and I went to Niagara Falls, on the Ontario side.
There is something vaguely amusing to me about that place.
I think it has something to do with the architecture...
We set out from home at about 7:30 in the morning and got there around 9:20 or so. We did not rush.
On the way in, I noted that the light was absolutely perfect for a day of wandering around and taking pictures. I managed to spend the entire time shooting at iso 100 with decent shutter speeds - not something I am used to. Lately, I have not had a lot of time to get out with the camera, and when I do get out, the light is usually not so great.
One of the joys of urban shooting in a place like Niagara Falls is that it is such a tourist trap. Wandering about taking pictures of everything with a huge dslr is not something that even gets noticed. I like street shooting, but am not very good at it since I feel a photographer should blend in with the scenery, and that is hard to do with a large camera. Odds are because I feel I stick out, I do. I suspect it is one of those self fulfilling prophesies. However, it is not hard to understand why the greats of street photography's history used small fast cameras - it is much easier to be a part of the scene when that is the case I think.
On my list of things to get (my someday list - my want to get in the reasonably near future list is quite different) is a camera more suited for urban photography than my Olympus dslr gear. I am debating between saving for a micro 4/3 camera or some other similar kind.
If I go that route, I will likely get one of the digital Pens. I would prefer one with a built in EVF but would not balk at getting an ep-2 with the electronic hot shoe mounted view finder. It is supposed to be quite something. For what I am interested in doing, I don't think I want any of the current m4/3 lenses except for maybe the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 lens. That one is supposed to be terrific and would end up image stabilized on an Olympus body which can be handy. Some of the better lens makers have joined up with the m4/3 consortium and are releasing some truly special glass (manual focus only) like this one: Voightlander 25mm f.95 with a native m4/3 mount. Yep, f.95. That would be one special piece of glass and worth getting a Pen for all by itself and would be an ideal focal length for street shooting.
I have given some thought to cameras such as the Canon G11 type, and have decided that as nice as they are, I don't want one. They hit all the right buttons except for low light shooting, and that is something any street specific camera I buy needs to be able to do.
I like wandering about after dark with the camera and already run into some fun with the E-3 in urban street light at night, so the performance of the G11 is not something that would work for me in those conditions.
However, should Panasonic release the camera they are rumoured to have on the go, I would be very interested. It is a Leica lensed camera with a low f-stop, non interchangeable, which hits the "walk around" zoom range well, and has a 4/3 sensor behind the glass and is not significantly bigger than the LX-3. Now that would be fine. Mighty fine.
There is something vaguely amusing to me about that place.
I think it has something to do with the architecture...
We set out from home at about 7:30 in the morning and got there around 9:20 or so. We did not rush.
On the way in, I noted that the light was absolutely perfect for a day of wandering around and taking pictures. I managed to spend the entire time shooting at iso 100 with decent shutter speeds - not something I am used to. Lately, I have not had a lot of time to get out with the camera, and when I do get out, the light is usually not so great.
One of the joys of urban shooting in a place like Niagara Falls is that it is such a tourist trap. Wandering about taking pictures of everything with a huge dslr is not something that even gets noticed. I like street shooting, but am not very good at it since I feel a photographer should blend in with the scenery, and that is hard to do with a large camera. Odds are because I feel I stick out, I do. I suspect it is one of those self fulfilling prophesies. However, it is not hard to understand why the greats of street photography's history used small fast cameras - it is much easier to be a part of the scene when that is the case I think.
On my list of things to get (my someday list - my want to get in the reasonably near future list is quite different) is a camera more suited for urban photography than my Olympus dslr gear. I am debating between saving for a micro 4/3 camera or some other similar kind.
If I go that route, I will likely get one of the digital Pens. I would prefer one with a built in EVF but would not balk at getting an ep-2 with the electronic hot shoe mounted view finder. It is supposed to be quite something. For what I am interested in doing, I don't think I want any of the current m4/3 lenses except for maybe the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 lens. That one is supposed to be terrific and would end up image stabilized on an Olympus body which can be handy. Some of the better lens makers have joined up with the m4/3 consortium and are releasing some truly special glass (manual focus only) like this one: Voightlander 25mm f.95 with a native m4/3 mount. Yep, f.95. That would be one special piece of glass and worth getting a Pen for all by itself and would be an ideal focal length for street shooting.
I have given some thought to cameras such as the Canon G11 type, and have decided that as nice as they are, I don't want one. They hit all the right buttons except for low light shooting, and that is something any street specific camera I buy needs to be able to do.
I like wandering about after dark with the camera and already run into some fun with the E-3 in urban street light at night, so the performance of the G11 is not something that would work for me in those conditions.
However, should Panasonic release the camera they are rumoured to have on the go, I would be very interested. It is a Leica lensed camera with a low f-stop, non interchangeable, which hits the "walk around" zoom range well, and has a 4/3 sensor behind the glass and is not significantly bigger than the LX-3. Now that would be fine. Mighty fine.
***
The rest of the weekend passed fairly calmly - two 43 km rail trail rides, one 12.5 km run, a bit of work, and since it was Turkey Day here in Canada, some Turkey and family.
It was good.
Thursday 7 October 2010
out with the camera for a spell
I finally managed to get out with the camera for a spell.
Work has been so busy, that getting out to just do some shooting is not happening much.
Last night, while my wife was at the dojo, my daughter and I spent some time together downtown. We have this tradition of going out for coffee together while Mel is at the dojo. Often, I take the camera, and often, she is the subject.
I was told that for each shot I got of her, I was getting one done of me :)
Tonight, I managed to get out and get some shots of the birds. The light was simply marvelous, but only one photo is worthy of sharing from this evening's take, and even it is kind of off.
Sunday should be a good day. I am off to Niagara Falls very early for the morning light and photos of Clifton Hill.
Work has been so busy, that getting out to just do some shooting is not happening much.
Last night, while my wife was at the dojo, my daughter and I spent some time together downtown. We have this tradition of going out for coffee together while Mel is at the dojo. Often, I take the camera, and often, she is the subject.
I was told that for each shot I got of her, I was getting one done of me :)
Tonight, I managed to get out and get some shots of the birds. The light was simply marvelous, but only one photo is worthy of sharing from this evening's take, and even it is kind of off.
Sunday should be a good day. I am off to Niagara Falls very early for the morning light and photos of Clifton Hill.
Sunday 3 October 2010
I think I ought to take up smokin'
I had this interesting conversation with a person I know the other day. We were standing out in front of a coffee shop. It was the kind of coffee shop which has a laptop on every table with at least two or three people huddled around basking in the electronic glow.
"Geeks," he muttered.
I made some comment about it not being too bad, and he responded with something to the effect that he meant no insult (he didn't). I quipped that geeking at a coffee shop with a laptop is not that expensive a hobby, and that everyone needs a hobby. He gasped, and said, "Not expensive?!?" and took a drag on his cigarette.
That is why I think I should take up smokin'.
You see, it must be cheap if a laptop looks expensive.
Supposing I decided to destroy my lungs, heart, and all that at a rate of 1 pack of ciagrettes a day, I would be spending approximately $10 CDN daily without obtaining any real benefit to myself. A tenner a day. Pocket change!
Until you consider this: 10 dollars a day times 365 days a year equals 3650 dollars a year. Hrmmmmmm. Nice pockets. That would nicely cover something I would very much like to get to support my "expensive" hobby, with rather a lot to spare.
There is this wonderful lens that I have had my eye on for quite a little while. It is the Zuiko Digital 150mm f2 SHG lens from Olympus. It would make doing this:
and this:
and this:
much more enjoyable.
I just checked and I can get it for 1900 USD from a reputable retailer, leaving me with enough for a lovely Olympus E-5 to go along with it.
So I definately need to start smokin' (some money, that is, into a bank account at the rate of 10 a day for one year) so I can get a lens that is smokin' hot and a smokin' new camera to go with it.
Wonder what I would do with the next year's worth of smoke money?
"Geeks," he muttered.
I made some comment about it not being too bad, and he responded with something to the effect that he meant no insult (he didn't). I quipped that geeking at a coffee shop with a laptop is not that expensive a hobby, and that everyone needs a hobby. He gasped, and said, "Not expensive?!?" and took a drag on his cigarette.
That is why I think I should take up smokin'.
You see, it must be cheap if a laptop looks expensive.
Supposing I decided to destroy my lungs, heart, and all that at a rate of 1 pack of ciagrettes a day, I would be spending approximately $10 CDN daily without obtaining any real benefit to myself. A tenner a day. Pocket change!
Until you consider this: 10 dollars a day times 365 days a year equals 3650 dollars a year. Hrmmmmmm. Nice pockets. That would nicely cover something I would very much like to get to support my "expensive" hobby, with rather a lot to spare.
There is this wonderful lens that I have had my eye on for quite a little while. It is the Zuiko Digital 150mm f2 SHG lens from Olympus. It would make doing this:
I just checked and I can get it for 1900 USD from a reputable retailer, leaving me with enough for a lovely Olympus E-5 to go along with it.
So I definately need to start smokin' (some money, that is, into a bank account at the rate of 10 a day for one year) so I can get a lens that is smokin' hot and a smokin' new camera to go with it.
Wonder what I would do with the next year's worth of smoke money?
Saturday 2 October 2010
energy sucking rain
There is nothing like it for sucking energy out of yourself. Rain.
Today, Rob and I cycled from Cambridge to Brantford via Paris on the rail trail. For most of the ride, it sprinkled rain, or poured. The temperature hovered around 8 degrees Celcius.
This does two things to you when riding: one, the trail becomes very soft relative to what it is like when dry which adds considerable drag, and two, the temperature, combined with the wet, sucks the energy out of you making a 68km ride feel more like 100.
Nevertheless, it was a terrific ride. We set out at a brisk pace and warmed up in about 2 km. The trail was virtually empty of people, and we were able to maintain a good clip without undue effort. This prompted us to bypass Paris and head on into Brantford - I cannot get out on the bike tomorrow, so extra km today were a good idea.
It did not really start to rain hard until we started back.
We got soaked.
Today, Rob and I cycled from Cambridge to Brantford via Paris on the rail trail. For most of the ride, it sprinkled rain, or poured. The temperature hovered around 8 degrees Celcius.
This does two things to you when riding: one, the trail becomes very soft relative to what it is like when dry which adds considerable drag, and two, the temperature, combined with the wet, sucks the energy out of you making a 68km ride feel more like 100.
Nevertheless, it was a terrific ride. We set out at a brisk pace and warmed up in about 2 km. The trail was virtually empty of people, and we were able to maintain a good clip without undue effort. This prompted us to bypass Paris and head on into Brantford - I cannot get out on the bike tomorrow, so extra km today were a good idea.
It did not really start to rain hard until we started back.
We got soaked.
***
Have you ever noticed how strange people behave when they are in a group of like minded people?
I have encountered groups of cyclists on the road or on the trails that are wonderful people - chatty, friendly, interested in making new friends - who, when they encounter another trail user, become strangely psychotic and aggressive, yelling and screaming at people who are slower than them or who "get in their way" somehow.
I have seen this same mentality with groups of runners.
It is truly odd since I am willing to bet that most people who act like that from the protection of the group would not consider acting like that when alone. The pack mentality is a strange thing.
Take today. We encountered a very pleasant group of people around our age and younger (I will let you guess what that means) who had done some canoeing on the Grand River. They, like us, were soaking wet and they, like us, were just going about their business and walking onto and down the rail trail. There must have been about 40 of them. They filled the trail from grass edge to grass edge and left no room to go around.
Virtually every single person or group of people we have met on the trails has been considerate. There exists this mutual understanding that all of us are trying to get where we are going and trying to enjoy the trail equally. People say hi, slow down, move over, give each other space. Dog owners pull in their loose dogs. People smile. Not too shabby.
This group did not do that. They would not move. In their defence, they probably were not expecting a couple of soaked cyclists to appear, but ringing the bell, saying excuse me politely, asking for a bit of room, and even pointing out in reasonable tones that we cannot go around and and have to get through produced almost no effect. It took almost five minutes of very slow manouvering to get through. It was truly bizzare. Every one was super friendly, but they would not share the trail willingly.
The pack took over.
It makes me wonder what they thought of us trying to get through.
***
Back to the ride. I ran out of "gas" about 10 km from the end. The cold and wheel sucking trail had done its work and I needed fuel. I felt great, but had no energy.
The sad part is, I want to go out again even as I write this.
Tuesday 28 September 2010
I have found my runner's legs!
Normally, I won't do a double post in one day, but I am all pleased with things at the moment and felt like talking about it.
I have found my runner's legs again.
You need to understand something for this announcement to make any sense at all: I don't like running. As I mentioned previously, I really like cycling and grew up on the bike. I used to not be able to run more than 100m without my knees really hurting - to the point where I could hardly walk without pain. (Turns out that was the result of a weird muscle imbalance which I was able to fix fairly quickly once I was shown how by a friendly person I once knew.)
Years ago, I used to run a lot. I got to the point where I could run about 25km if I felt like it at a nice steady pace. The thing is, I never really enjoyed it. I did it because it was good for me fitness wise, but I never fell in love with it.
I have, though, a desire to deeply imbed endurance sports into my routines to the point where not participating in them would feel just wrong. Like most people, I am not getting any younger. Unlike some I know, I admit it. It does not bother me much, but I want to maintain a good high level of fitness as I get older so I can reduce potential health problems. Besides, which, endorphins are fun!
So, the discovery of my runner's legs is important.
There is also another factor to consider.
You see, I have this plan. Over the next six months I intend to run during the week, and cycle during the weekends. I will take a day or two off each week for recovery. Once the snow flies, it will be all running - either indoors at a local track, or in the snow and ice. I want to hit the rail trails on my bike next spring with my core fitness and endurance all the way up.
So, refinding my runner's legs is good.
It is no longer torture to run. I just finished about 10km of running and nothing really hurts. I did some walking, but when I was running, my competative "hulk smash" mentality surfaced and I really hoofed it.
Ahhhh bliss.
I have found my runner's legs again.
You need to understand something for this announcement to make any sense at all: I don't like running. As I mentioned previously, I really like cycling and grew up on the bike. I used to not be able to run more than 100m without my knees really hurting - to the point where I could hardly walk without pain. (Turns out that was the result of a weird muscle imbalance which I was able to fix fairly quickly once I was shown how by a friendly person I once knew.)
Years ago, I used to run a lot. I got to the point where I could run about 25km if I felt like it at a nice steady pace. The thing is, I never really enjoyed it. I did it because it was good for me fitness wise, but I never fell in love with it.
I have, though, a desire to deeply imbed endurance sports into my routines to the point where not participating in them would feel just wrong. Like most people, I am not getting any younger. Unlike some I know, I admit it. It does not bother me much, but I want to maintain a good high level of fitness as I get older so I can reduce potential health problems. Besides, which, endorphins are fun!
So, the discovery of my runner's legs is important.
There is also another factor to consider.
You see, I have this plan. Over the next six months I intend to run during the week, and cycle during the weekends. I will take a day or two off each week for recovery. Once the snow flies, it will be all running - either indoors at a local track, or in the snow and ice. I want to hit the rail trails on my bike next spring with my core fitness and endurance all the way up.
So, refinding my runner's legs is good.
It is no longer torture to run. I just finished about 10km of running and nothing really hurts. I did some walking, but when I was running, my competative "hulk smash" mentality surfaced and I really hoofed it.
Ahhhh bliss.
the Olympus E-5
I think I might end up getting myself one of these once the dust settles on the price of the beast. I currently shoot with an E-3 and a trio of HG lenses (50mm f2, 14-54mm f2.8-3.5, and a 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 swd). I very much enjoy these lenses and desire to keep system weather sealing intact. Switching to another brand and matching the quality of what I have while maintaining the rugged build would cost more than I am willing to spend. Sadly, until recently, it looked like that might be the only option open to me.
I don't think that way any more.
I have been watching with some interest the speculation about what Olympus is up to and whether or not the company was listening to the voice of its customers at this end of their camera line up.
It appears that they did listen. The new camera, from all reports, fixes a great deal of what people did not like about the old one while preserving that which worked well. Initial photos appear to show an improvement in picture quality (which is really what it is all about.) I look forward to reading some full reviews.
Should what I am seeing be right, it will be good enough for me. I don't need any more than what I have now that the E-5 does not fix, at least on paper.
As well, enough has been said by people at the top at Olympus to convince me that while the form of their top camera might change, it will still exist and be fully compatible with their current stable of lenses. I suspect that they know more about what is going on than vocal speculators on various Internet fora do.
So, now to wait.
I don't think that way any more.
I have been watching with some interest the speculation about what Olympus is up to and whether or not the company was listening to the voice of its customers at this end of their camera line up.
It appears that they did listen. The new camera, from all reports, fixes a great deal of what people did not like about the old one while preserving that which worked well. Initial photos appear to show an improvement in picture quality (which is really what it is all about.) I look forward to reading some full reviews.
Should what I am seeing be right, it will be good enough for me. I don't need any more than what I have now that the E-5 does not fix, at least on paper.
As well, enough has been said by people at the top at Olympus to convince me that while the form of their top camera might change, it will still exist and be fully compatible with their current stable of lenses. I suspect that they know more about what is going on than vocal speculators on various Internet fora do.
So, now to wait.
Sunday 26 September 2010
Cambridge to Brantford - big burn
I hooked up with one of my friends today who teaches at Wilfrid Laurier University. We have known each other literally from the very first day of frosh week 22 years ago. This is amazing when you stop and think about it.I try not to as it makes me feel old :)
We met at the trail head in Cambridge and set out for Paris. This morning was cold. It was the kind of cold that seeps right through you when you are on the bike. I usually dress in a series of layers - cycling jersey on the bottom, a wind blocking vest next, and a long sleeve insulating synthetic shirt over that and mountain bike shorts with Sugoi leg warmer - and manage to be quite warm. Today, it was not working. There was fog on the river, and the sheltered, shaded trail made for a very chilly start to the day. My phone was indicating it was about six degrees out, and I would guess that on the trail it was nearer three. Our intention was to head out slowly and finish waking up as our legs were pretty much dead. The chill meant that lasted all of about 30 seconds. It took about four or five km of cycling to chase away the effects of the chill and damp.
Anyhow, the ride was good. We ended up bypassing Paris and rode all the way into downtown Brantford where we sat in the sun and enjoyed (very much) a nice piping hot coffee and some snacks at the Coffee Culture there.
The Coffee Culture in Downtown Brantford is situated at the edge of a large public square with shops on one side and some pretty nifty looking condos on the other. A street fronts it. There are fountains, and lots of benches and things for people to sit on. Over all, it is quite lovely.
(Photo taken using my HTC Legend Smartphone and a nifty retro camera app - in this case it is simulating an old toy camera. Clicking the picture will make it bigger. One of these days I will get a proper small camera. I would like the rumoured Lumix with a 4/3 sensor and a bright Leica lens stuffed into a body the size of an LX3. What a gem that would be.)
Today, there were a large number of people doing stretching exercises to the loud amplified encouragement of someone standing a touch too close to the amps (feedback ouch) and a rousing remix of Lady GaGa's "Just Dance". It was loud. No sleeping for you if you live in those condos!
It took me a minute to figure out what was going on - a charity walk.
The truly strange part of it (to me, I am sure there was good reason for it but whatever the reason was escaped me) was the bagpiper and drummer who lead them out playing "Scotland the Brave".
Anyhow, after that, the ride continued as normal.
For those interested in such things, here are some speedo stats:
Time: 2:55:27
Distance: 68.39km
Average Speed: 23.3 kmph
Maximum Speed: 51.3 kmph
Pretty slow, no? Considering I only got my season going about seven or so weeks ago (dumb dumb dumb), I am reasonably happy with that. The gravel of the trails coupled with the knobbies on my cross bike serve to make it feel some days like I am riding through glue or oatmeal. This is especially true between Paris and Brantford for some reason (I keep checking there to see if I am running 20 or 30 psi down on my rear tire, but nope, it is just the trail.)
Either way, the ride worked and my legs are dead.
We met at the trail head in Cambridge and set out for Paris. This morning was cold. It was the kind of cold that seeps right through you when you are on the bike. I usually dress in a series of layers - cycling jersey on the bottom, a wind blocking vest next, and a long sleeve insulating synthetic shirt over that and mountain bike shorts with Sugoi leg warmer - and manage to be quite warm. Today, it was not working. There was fog on the river, and the sheltered, shaded trail made for a very chilly start to the day. My phone was indicating it was about six degrees out, and I would guess that on the trail it was nearer three. Our intention was to head out slowly and finish waking up as our legs were pretty much dead. The chill meant that lasted all of about 30 seconds. It took about four or five km of cycling to chase away the effects of the chill and damp.
Anyhow, the ride was good. We ended up bypassing Paris and rode all the way into downtown Brantford where we sat in the sun and enjoyed (very much) a nice piping hot coffee and some snacks at the Coffee Culture there.
The Coffee Culture in Downtown Brantford is situated at the edge of a large public square with shops on one side and some pretty nifty looking condos on the other. A street fronts it. There are fountains, and lots of benches and things for people to sit on. Over all, it is quite lovely.
(Photo taken using my HTC Legend Smartphone and a nifty retro camera app - in this case it is simulating an old toy camera. Clicking the picture will make it bigger. One of these days I will get a proper small camera. I would like the rumoured Lumix with a 4/3 sensor and a bright Leica lens stuffed into a body the size of an LX3. What a gem that would be.)
Today, there were a large number of people doing stretching exercises to the loud amplified encouragement of someone standing a touch too close to the amps (feedback ouch) and a rousing remix of Lady GaGa's "Just Dance". It was loud. No sleeping for you if you live in those condos!
It took me a minute to figure out what was going on - a charity walk.
The truly strange part of it (to me, I am sure there was good reason for it but whatever the reason was escaped me) was the bagpiper and drummer who lead them out playing "Scotland the Brave".
Anyhow, after that, the ride continued as normal.
For those interested in such things, here are some speedo stats:
Time: 2:55:27
Distance: 68.39km
Average Speed: 23.3 kmph
Maximum Speed: 51.3 kmph
Pretty slow, no? Considering I only got my season going about seven or so weeks ago (dumb dumb dumb), I am reasonably happy with that. The gravel of the trails coupled with the knobbies on my cross bike serve to make it feel some days like I am riding through glue or oatmeal. This is especially true between Paris and Brantford for some reason (I keep checking there to see if I am running 20 or 30 psi down on my rear tire, but nope, it is just the trail.)
Either way, the ride worked and my legs are dead.
Saturday 25 September 2010
Bikes, Rail Trails, and Guns
Nope, this is not going to be a rant. I don't do those :)
When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time with my father riding bicycles. I think I was about ten when I got my first road bike and starting doing what was for me long rides through the countryside. Through high school, I rode many many thousands of km with him each year.
After attending university and graduating a couple of times, I got seriously into off road riding and spent hours each week riding in the dirt and on the road. I had a job which allowed me to set the hours, and required evening work, so I built a schedule around mountain biking. I managed to get in 24 to 25 hours a week of saddle time. My bike was referred to by my wife as "the other woman." A serious, painful, over the handlebars crash onto ashphalt caused by a dog, low psi tires, water, and road paint put my love of cycling into a tailspin and for a time I took up running.
These days, I spend a fair bit of time riding the rail trails and doing some running. I am not as comfortable doing a lot of high speed off road riding as I used to - I don't heal quite as fast as and crashes are a fact of life when you off road as much as I would like.
My bike of choice is not a moutain bike, but rather a cyclo cross bike. I use a Kona Jake-the-Snake.
I am very fortunate in that I have two very good friends who also happen to love road and rail trail riding. For us, the advantages of intercity rail trails are plain and obvious. It is possible to get a serious turn of speed on them as there are no real intersections (or rather, few of them) and often, there are no other trail users other than long distance hikers, and the occasional bike. It is not like riding on a converted trail in the city which is so full of people that getting a good spin going is inconsiderate at best, and dangerous at worst. The rail trails are also appealing because largely, we are tired of sharing the road with motorists, many of whom are inconsiderate or dangerous in their interactions with cyclists (how cyclists make things worse for themselves is a topic for another day.) Using the rail trail is a fantastic way of avoiding this concern entirely.
The rail trail we frequent (one which runs from South Cambridge to Paris and beyond in Southern Ontario) is one of the most civilized places to get a workout on a bike that it has been my pleasure to experience. The people we meet there are friendly, and open to friendly greetings. Not once have we had a negative interaction between us and other trail users (except for a few cyclists we met one day who were rammy and inconsiderate of other trail users that were going slowly. I don't like that much.) Between Cambridge and Paris, there is one intersection over a distance of about 21km, so getting up to speed and staying up to speed is easy to do.
Today's run was great. The weather was cool and crisp and there was some off again on again misty rain falling. Staying warm involved triple layering the torso, and using some leg warmers along with the usual cycling shorts (these days, I tend to use linered mountain bike shorts because pockets to hold phones, keys, and money are useful!). Again, we met some wonderful people along the way - it is encouraging to see so many people out riding.
The only off putting part of the ride were three loud bangs near the trail. I just hope that the hunters were shooting away from the trail and people's homes. It sounded like they were almost on top of us...
When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time with my father riding bicycles. I think I was about ten when I got my first road bike and starting doing what was for me long rides through the countryside. Through high school, I rode many many thousands of km with him each year.
After attending university and graduating a couple of times, I got seriously into off road riding and spent hours each week riding in the dirt and on the road. I had a job which allowed me to set the hours, and required evening work, so I built a schedule around mountain biking. I managed to get in 24 to 25 hours a week of saddle time. My bike was referred to by my wife as "the other woman." A serious, painful, over the handlebars crash onto ashphalt caused by a dog, low psi tires, water, and road paint put my love of cycling into a tailspin and for a time I took up running.
These days, I spend a fair bit of time riding the rail trails and doing some running. I am not as comfortable doing a lot of high speed off road riding as I used to - I don't heal quite as fast as and crashes are a fact of life when you off road as much as I would like.
My bike of choice is not a moutain bike, but rather a cyclo cross bike. I use a Kona Jake-the-Snake.
I am very fortunate in that I have two very good friends who also happen to love road and rail trail riding. For us, the advantages of intercity rail trails are plain and obvious. It is possible to get a serious turn of speed on them as there are no real intersections (or rather, few of them) and often, there are no other trail users other than long distance hikers, and the occasional bike. It is not like riding on a converted trail in the city which is so full of people that getting a good spin going is inconsiderate at best, and dangerous at worst. The rail trails are also appealing because largely, we are tired of sharing the road with motorists, many of whom are inconsiderate or dangerous in their interactions with cyclists (how cyclists make things worse for themselves is a topic for another day.) Using the rail trail is a fantastic way of avoiding this concern entirely.
The rail trail we frequent (one which runs from South Cambridge to Paris and beyond in Southern Ontario) is one of the most civilized places to get a workout on a bike that it has been my pleasure to experience. The people we meet there are friendly, and open to friendly greetings. Not once have we had a negative interaction between us and other trail users (except for a few cyclists we met one day who were rammy and inconsiderate of other trail users that were going slowly. I don't like that much.) Between Cambridge and Paris, there is one intersection over a distance of about 21km, so getting up to speed and staying up to speed is easy to do.
Today's run was great. The weather was cool and crisp and there was some off again on again misty rain falling. Staying warm involved triple layering the torso, and using some leg warmers along with the usual cycling shorts (these days, I tend to use linered mountain bike shorts because pockets to hold phones, keys, and money are useful!). Again, we met some wonderful people along the way - it is encouraging to see so many people out riding.
The only off putting part of the ride were three loud bangs near the trail. I just hope that the hunters were shooting away from the trail and people's homes. It sounded like they were almost on top of us...
Friday 24 September 2010
why the blog
I have always been fascinated with the idea of writing things down and sharing them, and have done so in other venues off and on for quite a while via photo sharing sites such as flickr, smugmug, and pbase. It will take me some time to format this blog so that it matches what I am looking for visually. I plan to link to my pbase site when I get the chance (and to link to here from there.) Bear with me as I construct this little space on the internet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)