Vincita Dutch-style Top Loading Skye Panniers Review

 

I am enamored with the budget-friendly Vincita Skye Panniers! I had wanted to replace worn, smaller panniers with something of equal volume, however what I got was double the size - and I couldn't be happier. 

Four hook and loop fasteners, secure the Dutch-style panniers to the rack with one at the bottom so the bag stays in place. When empty, the bag remains flat. There are additional hook and loop fasteners along the top edge for expanding, yet secure for additional groceries, or leave the top open for maximum storage. The side buckles can also stay open, but the straps are short enough to clear the spokes. There is a zipper pocket to store valuables or, in my case, for a cargo net for additional rack top volume. 

I like the minimalist design, low cost, and color selection. The panniers are backed in black material, so I had no qualms buying a colored version. They also come with a rain cover of which I have not yet tested. The roll top design itself can withstand a light shower. I purchased mine on Amazon.

Look at the volume! Wedge-shaped when extended, cargo tends
 to stay in place without a top closure.

What Bicycles Catch your Eye?

Red bicycles are classic, in whatever style!

We all have our own preferences for bicycles. What I'm curious about is what captures your fancy? When out riding, or driving, what makes you look twice? Is it a particular style, color, or is it a special accessory, or combination of several things? 

I used to be over the moon when spotting a step through bicycle, especially a loop frame. Nowadays, it's harder to spot those gems in a sea of commonplace, easily mounted ebikes.

Folding bikes turn my head. In our region, they are still rare, fortunately, highlighted by riders in upright posture, spinning faster on smaller wheels.

A wire basket on the front makes me smile. If a bike has a basket it generally means someone has an old bike that they've repurposed into a commuter. I enjoy seeing older bikes given a new life.

For color, red trumps all! If the cheery red frame is also one of the above loves, even better. Lookout, I may be the wacky rider stalking your red machine for a closer look!

What type of bicycle(s) turn your head?

Bye Bye Rivendell Clem!

 

My Rivendell Clem is on it's way to Connecticut, where I hope the new owner will love it's smooth ride and easy step through design. I liked the wide low double gearing - something that may grace my next bike! Panaracer Pasela tires are old favorites, plus the new Soma Oxford bars were A-1 comfort, a definite improvement over the stock Boscos.

Trying to make the Clem my forever touring bike, though, had it's drawbacks. It's long. It's heavy. In the end, those two factors were not something I could live with and avoided even riding the Clem, barring a multiday trip, where low gearing was needed. In the future, I will never order a bike online - especially an expensive one - without trying it first.

I do have a replacement in the queue, building from the frame up - first time for everything! I won't be doing the work myself but rather providing input. Light wheels for starters. More on my Beaujolais babe later.

For now, goodbye Miss Clem. May you provide the next rider with lots of smiles.

Reimagining a Randor Terrain Buster Mountain Bike

 

Randor Terrain Buster, a tank in this condition.

Our son recently acquired his grandfather's bicycle, a Randor Terrain Buster. A Randor? Both my son and I Googled the brand, only coming up with several Randor BMX bikes, but there is a distinct lack of information on this particular model. We knew it was most likely some low end department store brand, possibly that didn't catch on in a sea of  better equipped Treks, Bridgestones, Marins, Gary Fishers, etc. What caught my son's eye, I presume, was the slack 80's geometry, square fork crown, and bullmoose handlebar. The clean frame - nary a scratch - made it all the more attractive for the bicycle's age. I'd been eyeballing the bike for years, and enough time has passed since my father left this world, that my brother was finally willing to part with it. 

Initial inspection in the basement, our son loved the head badge, "Randor Par Excellence". He removed the wide sprung saddle, composed of at least 20 small steel springs. It must've weighed 5 lbs.! He discovered the steel wheels, and at first glance liked the pattern stamped on the brakes. He noted the rack had to go. My son had a vision, but he's a man of few words.

I figured it would make a great simplified commuter bike for him - he already had 26" winter studded tires. I didn't doubt he would fix up the bike to his satisfaction; what I couldn't foresee was all the amazing details and effort he would put into his grandfather's bicycle to make it his own.

The gorgeous Terrain Buster! 

The bicycle disappeared for a month, stored at the shop where he's a bike mechanic. Without updates along the way - I think he wanted to surprise me - he'd come home late almost every evening. He stripped the bike to the frame and fork, in the end those were the only original parts - as he built wheels, had eyelets brazed by a coworker, set up a dynamo front wheel, added cantilever brakes, and red bling up the wazoo! His coworkers affectionately called it the "Terrain Buster" - one of those silly names for mountain bikes (like my Trek Antelope) that made you laugh. I never imagined the effort he would put into a seemingly low end frame, yet like his other bikes, he spares no expense.

I have to admit, the end result is sweet!

He is not stopping there, it seems. There are and will be more improvements. He's since swapped the brakes for ones with more efficient braking. He's considering a handle bar extension to lift the bars a bit higher. Technically, the frame is too small for him. He's continually learning and experimenting.

I know my father would've been proud of his grandson.

Riding Cape Cod Trails

Shining Sea Bikeway

In June we went to Cape Cod for a wedding, but why not tack on extra days and call it a vacation? It was a lesson in packing two vehicles with five bikes and five family members, who fortunately were also happy to help drive, as I was still feverish from a shingles vaccine reaction (3 weeks!). We arrived a few days before the wedding, so we explored the area trails and beaches. I was mostly well during the day, distracted by all the Cape's beauty.

Eastern Box Turtle.

I'd never seen an Eastern Box Turtle before. This 6" creature was at least 20 years old, the age when reaching maturity and maximum size, though they can live up to 50 years old. Such a cute, colorful little guy!

At the junction of the Cape Cod rail trail and the Old Colony trail, waiting for my family.

We rode the main Cape Cod Rail Trail in opposite directions from our conveniently located condo in Brewster. Some days we never used the car!

Eldest son visited from Colorado.

His girlfriend and my husband.

Once we drove to Lighthouse Beach in Chatham.

Other days we pedaled to nearby beaches.

One of my favorite trails was located in Provincetown. While dropping off eldest son to hang out with friends in the busy arts district, my husband, youngest son, and I visited nearby Province Lands National Seashore. We didn't plan to hang out on beaches this time, especially because young son had a nasty burn on his torso - what sunscreen? 

Rather, Province Lands holds the distinction of having the oldest cycling trails on Cape Cod. And not just any trail, but a paved trail rolling up and down huge dunes with flowering bushes and through a section of woodland, with one way feeder trails radiating off it to visitor centers, beaches, and historical lifesaving buildings. It was a hoot and only difficult on a couple occasions for me as I was riding my folding bike. A short walk to regain a hilltop was worth it to experience this unique place.

This mini vacation holds a special place in my heart. From experiencing a wedding on the beach, to spending time with our two sons, to renting a comfortable condo, to watching seals play in the surf, and enjoying sand between my toes, to riding shady trails in early season comfortable sunshine, the vacation will resonate with me for a long time.