Dahon Boardwalk Bike Overnight 2 - Doing it Right

Dahon Boardwalk, all packed and ready to go.

The Dahon Boardwalk, in it's current setup, is best suited for simple overnights. As soon as a weekend weather window opened up, I made hotel reservations a 30 mile ride away, doable at my current fitness level. The goal was to recharge in a different environment and pedal somewhere new or where I haven't been for a long time. 

I was also trying out a new front bag, attached with a Klickfix bracket to the handlepost. With a little cable management, and moving the water bottle holder to the seatpost, I added a bit more carrying capacity. I planned to head out early afternoon and our son would would meet me at the hotel after his shift, arriving around sunset.

I was so excited for this adventure, all packed and had leaned my bike against the garage door for a photo. But then I remembered to lock the front door, exiting into the garage - because it's easier - only to tap the garage door opener and watch the bike crash to the ground. Oooof! I was just talking to the neighbor also, who saw what happened. A little beside myself, of course, the equipment and bike were fine, I straightened the new bag bracket, and set out. 

After crossing the Lamoille River, the walking began.

I have always enjoyed the Lake Champlain Bikeways route. The byway hugs the lake, but steers a rider on roads less traveled.

I pedaled by older farms where the smell of cow manure was a comforting reminder of Vermont's agricultural past. Chickens and ducks, plus the odd inclusion of Canadian geese honked from nearby farm ponds.  I noticed the abundance of horse farms and/or small dairies. Daffodils and wild violets colored the roadside. 

Saint Albans Bay - a favorite stop.

Riding a 6-gear bicycle, of course, has it's drawbacks. I struggled against a 10mph headwind the entire way, and walked a few steep inclines, and noted the route was hillier than I remembered, but no amount of setback hampered my enthusiasm! I was traveling by bike and had allowed several hours of daylight to arrive at the hotel. As it turned out, it took me 4 hours to pedal 30 miles.

I arrived at the hotel by 5 pm, and stowed my bike in the room, showered, and walked to a brewery I'd been wanting to try, Mill River Brewing. I ordered BBQ takeout, their specialty, and the timing was perfect - I'd barely returned to our room when my son showed up! Hoofing it to get there before dark, it took him less than two hours to ride a nearly identical route. The fitness of youth!

We were both tired and just relaxed all evening. The next morning we took advantage of the buffet breakfast and pedaled south along a different, and equally pleasant rural route, this time, thankfully, with a tailwind. Two thirds of the way home we took a break and gobbled a huge ice cream cone, then rolled the few remaining miles home. 

This is my first experience using a hotel for a bike overnight, and it was a perfect getaway. Highly recommended!

The Great 2021 Terry Clothing Experiment!

What's a girl to do with all these choices?

For a long while I've preferred multifunctional garments over bicycle-specific clothing. But that wasn't always the case. I've tried to like padded shorts, however I wilt in heat and humidity, therefore wearing the least amount of clothing possible has been my preferred choice. I've had saddle discomfort for years, but I didn't know what to do about, short of taking periodic breaks from riding, and trying various saddles. 

I eventually settled on thin t-shirts, rayon button-down tops, or Hawaiian shirts - loose garments that allowed airflow, were quick drying, and virtually odorless when worn multiple times. For bottoms, I preferred stretchy cotton, yoga-style shorts. When the bottoms became threadbare and not easily replaced, I added cute Terry skirts for better coverage. It was a wonderful solution, whether shopping or riding to work - a presentable option for strolling inside until changing into business casual attire.

Enter the pandemic, and unemployment. 

I eventually found a new opportunity - of all places - at Terry Bicycles! Georgena Terry sold the saddle and clothing business 10+ years ago. Since then the office/warehouse has been in Burlington, Vermont. In a home office for the time being, I'm having fun trying various padded shorts, knickers, skorts, and breathable synthetic tops on evening rides. It's equally a personal experiment and professionally the best way to understand products. I suspect that riding in chamois-lined shorts during the summer heat will be the ultimate test. Couple that will testing saddles and I just may be the best dressed commuter rider out there!

I don't know where this journey will take me - I'm a creative soul - but I'm willing to go along for a short ride. 

In the meantime, let's all get on our bikes. :)

DIY Purple Do-it-all Tote Bag

 

Drawstring fabric is leftover satin lining from a coat.

I'm pleased with my current project: a tote bag with added features. When I purchased the tropical-print purple fabric, I anticipated using most of it on the Dahon's custom handlebar bag, but because the purple colors clashed, I used the floral fabric as accent pieces. 

I was inspired by the Eddie Bauer Stowaway Packable Cinch Tote. With a side pocket, handles, and webbing along the upper edge, the style plus construction meant I could incorporate my own design features to accommodate an active bike and travel life. I have numerous tote bags, but I didn't own a bag that doubles as a simple backpack and pannier.

I purposely created a narrow bag to adapt well as makeshift pannier/backpack, suspended by two webbing straps that can be adjusted to various places along the top edge. The straps are also long enough to hook both sides of the bag to the rack, if needed, for extra stability. When not in use the straps can be removed and tucked into main compartment or in the external pocket. 

I like the drawstring style closure to hold odd-shaped items inside. When the string is fully opened, the interior fabric falls inward and becomes virtually hidden, creating an open top tote bag. I like this feature on my Blackburn Central Shopper Pannier.

Tuck it away in an office drawer and use as a way to carry home unexpected items, or as a travel go-to bag. There are so many uses for this wonderful, purple (of course) tote bag!

Miss Clementine's Makeover

Miss Clementine before and after the bar and tire swap.

2020 is the year for Miss Clementine's upgrdes.

The reason for the update was two-fold: swapping handlebars to create a more aggressive posture plus create more comfortable alternative hand positions for longer rides, and a tire swap to improve handling and further lighten the bicycle.

To back up a bit:

First impressions of the stock 2016 Clementine (Clem-L to be exact) - in my opinion - were disappointing. Riding was sluggish, and the bike was heavier and longer than I expected.  But trusting Rivendell's reputation and with my desired low gears, I put my immediate reaction aside, The weak aspect was always the bosco handlebars - I disliked the angular, cruiser-type setup, but without knowing what exactly I would swap them with, I decided to live with them for a while, which, in the end, proved to be a wise decision. 

You gotta start somewhere. 

Once I inflated tires properly, went on a few tours, hauled weight, tested hills - that was when the magic began to happen. Miss Clementine seems to climb all by herself! Well, of course, not really, but the propulsion or planing (I think it's called) is rather extraordinary. Once I gain momentum, Miss Clementine is easier to ride. I liked the upright grip on the boscos and even the supplied Kenda tires worked well on dirt roads. Hmm. Like all my bikes, I needed time to sort out what I would change, for Miss Clementine has always been what I foresee as my new touring bike.

Soma Oxford bar is a near equivalent to Nitto Albatross, but less expensive. This aluminum bar replaced the stock Nitto alloy boscos and is much lighter. I gained 4" of forward reach, a position that's a more comfortable fit, with alternative gripping on the curves.

Weight matters as I grow older.

Miss Clementine is a little heavier than I would like in a touring bike. The step-through bones are good. Gearing is optimal. At the present, it's still the right bike for me with a few changes. As I grow older, it's harder to haul the same 40lbs. of gear when I was 30 years old, so paying attention to bike weight, and getting by with less camping gear is critical. I chose the Soma Oxford bars for better hand positions and swapped the Kenda tires for my preferred Panaracer Pasela's in gumwall version.

Ooooh, comfy gripping on the curves!

A world of difference.

Both changes have made a dramatic difference in comfort. Between finding a bar that works better, along with familiar tires, I've lightened the bike by an estimated 2 lbs. Benefits to the new bar include: lighter weight, aggressive reach, and I have gained back the ability to climb hills while standing on the pedals like a traditional flat bar bike. The new tires are slightly narrower (though both indicate 1.75" width). I still need to work on optimal rack setup, but already I want to ride this bike more.

Hot Pink Reflective Vest Love

Seeking a new, easier to wear reflective vest, I spotted another commuter merging onto the bike path ahead of me one morning last winter. wearing a hot pink vest with various sized reflective polka dots. Hot damn, what a great vest, I thought and picked up the pace to catch up with the person to ask where she got it, but she was speeding up! When I realized the person was riding an e-bike, I slowed down, figuring I would find the style online and have it delivered to my door.

Or so I hoped...

I scribbled down what I could recall, but in the end failed to find anything remotely similar. Hmmm.

Adding drawing back into my life: envision what the vest might look like post-alteration.

What's a girl to do? I couldn't source local fabric or reflective material (pre-lockdown), so armed with a vision, I made do with a pre-made vest, knowing I could alter the style to suit my needs. And, who knew there's a site dedicated to women construction workers? (though not who I ordered from)

Ta da! I shortened vest length by 4", just enough for more freedom of movement without having to move the zipper.

Then I carefully cut out triangles and circles and re-positioned shapes in a pleasing arrangement, taking care to place shapes right-side up (material is reflective on only one side).

Then I resewed shapes and opposing fabric.

I rather liked how the backside turned out - less triangles and more circles!

A fun reflective pattern on the back side.

Like many projects that I thought I would get to after we moved, the fall out from Covid-19 had other plans and I have more free time now. 

In addition, as much as I like Dewalt's low cost, comfortable eye wear, I may have to get hot pink safety glasses to match my new vest. (If you scroll down to second option, there's even an "Annie" version.)

The Brilliant, Simple Evo Pannier

The sleek and effective Evo pannier.

I found a simple, large volume pannier at Sierra Trading Post last fall for 20.00. Since then the Evo grocery pannier has come in handy as a supplemental carrier when I need more capacity, say if on a whim I decided to shop at lunchtime and wanted to carry home my packages, needing extra cargo space. The pannier is normally left at the office. Since it holds a grocery bag's worth of items, I knew it would also come in handy to haul my once a week, farm share pick up home.

Off the bike, fold over fasteners so they don't snag on clothing.

Last week I used it to lug my laptop, keyboard, mouse, and heavy power brick home. What a brilliant, lightweight addition for my commuter bike!

Made of rip-stop nylon with ample sized tote straps, the bag attaches to rack with two extra strong hook and loop pieces placed over the rack then threaded though plastic loops and doubled back onto the webbing. The system is easy enough in theory, except  a full bag is heavy so I am often balancing the weight in one hand while trying to attach the first 'hook". Afterward, the second one goes more smoothly.

The top zipper works well, but if you happen to over stuff the bag, leaving the bag open in transit does not create dangerous sway. Pretty ingenious, considering the bag lacks bottom attachments - all weight is suspended by the two very secure straps. There's also an internal small zippered pocket. A quick wipe down of the material is all that's needed if it becomes dirty from road spray. The bag lies flat against the rack until packed (if empty) or stored collapsed inside my office cubicle, taking up little space.

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For low cost supplemental storage, the simple Evo pannier has nailed it for style and functionality. Unfortunately, it looks like it's currently only available on eBay.

Rad Mini - Overkill or Practical E-Bike?

The Rad Mini is cute! Our neighbors - who we don't know very well - have a Rad Mini. We've watched the young family all summer zipping by our house, sometimes towing their child in a trailer. We admired the fun little folding bike on steroids! I mentioned to my family that Local Motion quite possibly has a Rad Mini in their lending library and we might have the opportunity for test rides, much like my experience with the Yuba Boda Boda that I'd unexpectedly fallen in love with a couple years ago. As it turned out, our eldest son jumped on the idea, discovered a Rad Mini available, signed us up, and a few weeks later rolled the bicycle into our garage.

On the first nice weekend day we biked as a family, first rolling through the dirt roads and trails of the Intervale while my sons and I hopped on and off the Rad Mini. With 7 speeds, 5 electric assist modes, and a powerful throttle, there's no problem moving the 4" wide 20" diameter tires on any terrain. It's very easy to get used to the handling and assist modes.

The little bike is comfortable, quiet, and just plain fun.That is, until you turn off the electric assist. On flat paved bike trail, the bike is heavy and sluggish (it's 60+ lbs. and remember those 4" tires!) and because I'm a regular bike commuter, I wanted to pedal and get exercise! This is not an easy feat, so I kept e-assist minimal (mode 1), cruising at 14 mph - faster pace than I usually ride - necessary, otherwise the beast becomes a knee-hurting, heavy fat bike.

Assist modes on the left, screen to check battery power, mph, and distance. On the right, 7 speeds and with the push of the red button, rotate the throttle for instant boost up hills. Also, the front rack can haul heavy items.

My first impressions were that the bike is too heavy for my personal taste plus the bicycle, in my opinion, has an identity crisis. What type of person is the bike marketed to? It's an off road fat bike, a folding bike, and a boosted cargo bike. My assessment was also shared by our oldest son. His feeling was that the Rad Mini should be 2 of those 3 options, but not all 3 at once, creating an unnecessarily heavy machine. A folding fat bike, a folding cargo bike, or a fat-tired cargo bike - any of those options might reduce the weight. I also wondered if 2" tires would be more appropriate, yet still provide off-road traction, reduce friction on pavement and have the added benefit of lightening the overall load.

Sturdy rear rack, but with fat tubing that does not fit traditional panniers.

Despite our impressions, The Rad Mini is a popular model, especially for a well made, affordable e-bike. At 1700.00, it sports a sturdy frame, long battery life, front and rear racks, front and rear lights, clearance for fenders, all from a reputable company. Just for comparison, Tern's cheapest folding e-bike rings in at twice the price.

Big grin after throttling up Burlington's very steep Depot Street hill.

If I was in the market for an e-bike I wouldn't want to be dependent on electric charge for mobility. In my opinion, e-bikes should be light enough to pedal unassisted, at least on flat terrain. Also, because of it's hefty package, when folded the bike is awkward to lift into a vehicle - ask me how I know!

In the end, test riding the Rad Mini was a fun little experiment. It may not be my cup of tea, but this reputable solid framed e-bike might be an affordable solution for those folks who can't handle a bike without electric assist and/or need extra stability, especially if you have the option to roll the little monster into a garage.

Retrofit a Tech Wallet into a Handlebar Bag

A thin pouch lashed horizontally, clears frame and snugs against the stem.

I'm smitten with Clementine's bosco bars. However, because of their unique proportions, a typical handlebar bag meant either I would need to install a bracket or another alternative was to attach a barrel-shaped front bag with Velcro. With the latter, which I had on hand, the material rubbed on the frame. Both systems would be more cumbersome than what I really wanted, which was a slim-shaped bag, one that was easily detached and could double as a purse, and hold a few necessities while on tour.  This idea would also allow me to grip the handlebars on either side to take advantage of the extra forward hand positions that make the bosco bars special. In other words, my ideal bag was so specialized, I wouldn't find it online or my local shop. I had to create my own solution.

Locating a bag turned out to be the easy part. I walked into a Staples store with a 5.00 coupon, found what I wanted immediately, and walked out with what's called a tech wallet. It was deeply discounted, so much so, that with the coupon, it was free. The "wallet" is padded and decorated on the exterior with a rose pattern, but the interior is grey with pink trim. The beauty of this little beast is the exterior has one zip pocket and the interior has multiple stash areas, including a zip pocket for cash, plus a fuzzy-lined slot for a phone. The zipper completely surrounds the wallet so when unzipped, the pouch lays flat.

A central strap with buckle secures pouch in place while the longer strap attached around the handlebar, loops back through hole in strap, then clips into other end. I tuck the loose end wherever, so it doesn't dangle or flap needlessly.

I have a collection of straps and buckles just for this purpose, either to fix a purse or pannier, or to create or re-purpose an item to suit my needs. In most respects, I enjoy this type of problem. Sure, I'd love to find exactly what I want, plop down money, and have the product delivered, but if I don't find what I'm looking for, I look at the solution as a creative challenge. I can usually come up with something that will work.

Storage that's up front, easy to access. 

I thought about how to secure the wallet to Miss Clementine, then ended up hefting the bicycle into our basement near my sewing corner so I could try out straps and buckles, until an idea began to form. The bag had to be versatile, a purse and handlebar bag all rolled into one system, yet not take over valuable handlebar real estate.

Exterior pocket is handy for lots of things. My passport is a tight fit, but on a recent trip, it worked well to tuck it away, and feel secure that it wasn't going to slip out every time I opened the bag.

While attached to the bicycle, I can unzip the purse half way and extract lip balm, money, or my camera that I tucked inside.

The waist belt was an actual belt that came with pants. The first round I used the provided rubber buckle, but it kept coming apart when wrapped around metal bar. I replaced it with a black plastic Fastex-type clip.

Because the pouch opened completely flat, I placed the bag in my sewing machine and was careful not to sew through corresponding slots on the reverse side. I tacked the waist belt in place first, decided to only sew 4 vertical lines to secure wide "belt", which allowed multiple slots for strap to wind around bar and weave back through. I knew this would allow more versatility with how I might end up attaching bag to bar.

One of my requirements was to hold a camera, which fits "loose" stored, once pouch is zipped, or without it's case, can tuck inside the phone slot if I don't require a handy phone. The mesh slots hold lip balm, credit cards, whatever, while money is secured inside zipped interior pocket and passport zipped tightly in exterior pocket. The wallet is a trim 3" wide, which means plenty of clearance to grasp the handlebars in the stretched out position.

In the end, the bag is a handbag, purse, and converts into a perfect fanny pack. Because the wide strap was once a belt, it's even long enough to loop crosswise around my body for more security. I'm happy with the final product; it's a perfect accompaniment to Miss Clementine's tour-ready status.

A Pencil Case Makes a Stylish Bicycle Tool Bag

Why spend a lot of money on a tool bag? If your tools are stored in a basket or pannier, a pencil case makes an inexpensive and attractive option. I found this beauty in our local Staples' clearance section.

My large office pannier is heavy enough without adding the extra weight of tools! 

With my previous commuter front bag, it was easy to include necessary tools (stored inside a black, barrel shaped, neoprene pencil case) plus pump, easily forgotten because all items were hidden beneath material. Using the new basket set-up required a different mindset, regarding tool storage with easy access. And the more I thought about it, it made sense to use a larger tool bag to also accommodate my pump.

The new bag has a low profile so I can easily stow other items along with my tools, like my weekly farm share produce.

A color coordinated bungee cord holds the case inside the wire basket, and also allows easy removal in case of inclement weather. Tuck the stylish bag under my arm or toss in my office pannier and go!

Queen City Bicycle Club June 2017 Tour

You know that good weather is coming, especially when 30 women show up for the monthly ladies-only, bell-ringing, fun ride around Burlington.

I noticed this sweet house, only after I inspected my photos! It's typical Canadian architecture - a sweeping roof with symmetrical A-line peak. 

We stick to quiet streets, mostly, but who doesn't like to head downtown, rock and roll to loud tunes, and wave to smiling bystanders?

Lately, I've been digging our dizzying loops around the fountain in City Hall Park.

There was a lot more, of course, including a cruise along the waterfront trail. before heading over to Zero Gravity for our complimentary drink. Gotta love that Cone Head! And...of special interest, I have tentative bike overnight plans with one of the ladies for this coming weekend. Weather, are you on my side?

Girls Ride Out, October 2016

Just what the doctor ordered: another fun-filled, hooting, bell-ringing ladies' ride around Burlington. 60 attendees. Way to go fabulous females!

A lap through Battery Park at sunset.

Waiting to cross the street, obeying traffic rules.

Fortunately, a local reporter happened to capture our laps through the parking garage on video. What a hoot!

Ending once again at Zero Gravity Brewery. After drinking Vermont's fabulous cult-status Heady Topper beer the previous night with family, I begged off another party night and high-tailed it home.