New Wheeling Suit and New Adventures

Looking at Velo-Vogue's spring selection of "bike wardrobe remixes," I realised just how drab and unspring-like I looked compared to the others.

My "spring wardrobe" when I rode Marianne on April 1st. Sure, gray on gray is my signature look, but spring is all about rejuvenation. So over the weekend I put together a new Wheeling Suit.

Floral shirt, slate-blue leggings, sky-blue cardigan, and navy shorts with white buttons. No black or gray in sight. Even the saddle shoes are cream and brown, with red soles and brown laces.

These shoes are actually a God-send and I recommend them if you are looking for a stiff-soled, comfortable cycling shoe with a vintage look. They are Bass, very reasonably priced, and come in several different colours - including the more classic black-and-white saddle shoe scheme.

The soles are textured, springy and stiff- a rare and wonderful combination. The leather is thick and structured, but didn't rub or pinch even the first time I wore the shoes. And the brown matches the darker shades of my Flyer.

Lest you be alarmed that my ensemble consists of shorts and such practical shoes, I will explain that the Wheeling Suit is specifically for sporty rides and light touring - something I hope to do a lot of this year.

A couple of days ago I raised the saddle on Marianne as far as it could possibly be raised so that I could still just barely touch the ground with one toe "en pointe" and the other foot on the pedal. Last year, this would have been impossible for me and I needed to at least touch the ground with a full toe in order to stop safely on the bike. But my balance is much better now, and I felt ready to go further. I still find it impossible to mount and dismount the bike "properly", but the "one toe en pointe" method is good enough, as even on the steep-tubed Motobecane my legs are almost 100% extended on the pedals now.

Amazingly, raising the saddle in this manner amounted to almost 2 extra inches of seatpost. And this little adjustment completely changed my relationship with the bicycle. The combination of my improved skills and this more aggressive riding position, has made me appreciate Marianne's steep geometry and extreme responsiveness. Rather than trying to reduce and "tame" these characteristics, for the past week I have been enjoying them - for the first time since owning this bicycle.

In addition, I have had a major "skill breakthrough": I have finally learned how to balance properly - including "steering with my hips" and riding hands-free (yes, even on this bike!). I'd read about how to do this countless times, but that didn't help me learn it viscerally. I think what finally helped me learn, was watching the velodrome cyclists doing laps hands-free when they were taking a rest. Something in the "imitation" areas of my brain must have clicked at that moment, and my body finally got it. And I didn't even realise that I had gotten this, until I noticed myself turning at an intersection by tilting my hips rather than using the handlebars - my body did it on its own, and the "Aha!" moment followed. I will stop myself from being too self-congratulatory about something most normal cyclists have been probably doing since age 10, but I am nonetheless excited. Clearly, there are many new things to learn ahead. Hope springs eternal!

Peacock Flowers

There flowers are called Acidanthera or peacock orchids, or peacock iris so I just call them peacock flowers because they are as beautiful as a white peacock in full feather. They do come from bulbs that bloom in mid summer. I grew mine on my sunroom and they have done great. They are an inexpensive bulb that can be found on sale in the early spring. They do have long, strappy type leaves that are almost like a thick leafed grass and needed to be staked so they wouldn't fall over. The center of the flower has a arrow shaped deep shade of purple or burgundy red shape on each petal. The flowersdon't seem to last very long and I don't think they would make good cut flowers but have made a bright splash of color in my indoor garden. I took some photos of the flowers at night with a flash against a dark window and I am very pleased with the outcome. Need to try some other flowers this way.

Lockport, New York to Holley, New York

The Ringling Museum of Art

I have not been keeping up on our blog at all this summer. I still take lots and lots of pictures but when it comes to moving them from my laptop to the blog, I admit my motivation just has not been there. For the most part, I am so deeply immersed in our lives here, I just don't even think of the blog at all. Then we will go and do something like visit an art museum that we have been to before and I remember the blog and remember how nice it is to have the blog there as a record of the places we have visited.



Last weekend, we were grateful to have Aric come and visit us. He and I went to The Ringling Museum together. He came back to visit again this weekend and we took another trip over there, this time bringing Nathan and Lee with us.



I was able to do the Ca'D 'Zan tour this time. I have been on the bottom floor for a self-guided tour but have never been on the top floor. It is such an interesting place with an interesting history.



My favorite part of this beautiful place is the Art Museum. Each time we visit, I end up thinking I wish we had more time there and this time was no exception. I truly love this museum.



We bought a membership so I'm guessing we'll be back a few more times over the next year. Hopefully I will remember to take pictures and maybe even blog about it!



Living the life in S Florida!

The Service-Oriented Bike Shop

As I continue to gain familiarity with the bicycle industry, I am always curious to observe different models of bike shops in action. There is so much variety in inventory, atmosphere and business practices. Some bike shops cater to athletes, others to everyday riders. Some carry high-end products, others are budget-minded. Some are diversified in their offerings, others are quite specific. One model that I find particularly interesting is that of the service-oriented bike shop - a model where the focus is on service and repairs rather than on sales.






In the Boston area we have a few shops that lean in that direction, and one that truly exemplifies it.Hub Bicyclein Cambrige is described by its owner Emily as a "pro bicycle repair" shop.






Although an authorised dealer of a variety of brands with products available to order, on any given day Hub Bicycle carries little inventory. What they do carry consists mostly of accessories: lights, fenders, racks, baskets, bells.







There is no online store. Everything is about the in-person experience, the here and now.






And the customer who drops by for a tune-up, repair, or overhaul gets exactly that, instead of being encouraged to buy new parts or upgrade.








There is lots of flat fixing -Every time I've been to the shop, at least two customers had come in with flats within relatively short time periods. While elsewhere I have seen mechanics roll their eyes at this, at Hub it is treated as entirely normal. No job is too small.






The service-oriented shop is a great place to spot interesting vintage bikes, since bicycles of all ages and conditions are welcomed. Examining this saddle, I learned that Belt was a "Fujita Leatherworks" brand - supplied on early Fuji bikes.






Obscure French 10-speed from the '70s? Department store mountain bike from the '90s? Something with a no-name coaster brake hub of uncertain vintage? Other shops might tremble or cringe, but here such machines are welcome with open tool chest.






At the service-oriented shop, you are also likely to see quirky patch-up jobs and DIY repairs.






Funky decorations.





There are frames brought in for custom builds, which the shop is also happy to do - following the customer's suggesting their own.







There are bikes in for 650B conversions, single speed conversions, road to city conversions.






There are clinics and instructional courses for those who want to learn how to perform their own repairs and maintenance.








But for the most part, basic tune-ups and quick fixes for walk-in customers are what's happening.







The success of a service and repairs shop depends on the local culture. Hub Bicycle is situated in a busy, urban part of Cambridge MA, where it is very feasible to get walk-ins. Local cyclists will drop by on their lunch break or after work when they need something done. And when a shop like this is around, word quickly spreads. Lots of people in Boston own vintage 3-speeds, 10-speeds and old mountain bikes, as well as quirky modern city bikes that the mainstream shops don't quite know what to do with. A centrally located bike shop that is willing - and able - to work on such machines with a quick turn around time becomes a go-to resource.






Service-oriented bike shops are popular in countries where cycling for transportation is commonplace and doing one's own repairs is not. In Vienna I knew of several bike shops that opened at 7am, so that cyclists could stop in on their way to work. Passing by in the morning, there would sometimes be a queue out the door. Broken chains, worn brake pads, snapped cables, flat tires - absolutely normal to roll your bike to the shop and get it fixed while chatting with other customers and staff- much likeEllie Blue has recently discussed doing.




In North America, bike shops focusing on service and repairs are comparatively rare. As more people start riding for transport, perhaps that could change.

De Bazaar Beverwijk

Beverwijk in North Holland province is widely known for its bazaar, the biggest free or open market in the Netherlands. The Dutch national traffic signage on the highway even has Bazaar on it to guide visitors. That’s how popular this market is. And on its website, it says that the fete attracts about 60,000 visitors every weekend.

Website: De Bazaar Beverwijk


Dutchman took a souvenir shot of me, of course. That black plastic weave shopping bag on my arm, I bought it for only €3,50.

It was Dutchman’s idea to visit the Bazaar (2 weeks ago). We’ve been to the Utrechtse Bazaar in Vleuten twice before, which for me was so and so. He swears though that the one in Beverwijk is nothing comparable; it is big, HUGE. He is trying to convince me to go. Ok, alright, we are going!

Entrance fee to the Bazaar is €2 per person and car parking is a flat €3 for the whole day. The parking area reminds me of the shopping mall parking areas in the Philippines. This is a very rare thing in Holland, but this Bazaar massive parking lot is of course an exception.

The weather was a bit cold. It also showered and I was glad I had my hat with me otherwise my hair will be all over the place.





Tempting smell of stroopwafels were wafting outside in the air... I am not a big fan of stroopwafels though (or any sweet stuff for that matter) but I do eat this sometimes. Next foto seems to be a stall selling alternative - herb medicine, like methol candies for colds and cough or something like that.


Indonesian fares were on sale... I did some sampling of their rice cakes... I go crazy with dried sausages so Dutchman and I did some sampling too. We did not buy as we just bought some Italian Salami that morning at the supermarket... products from the east called wierook - aromatic incense.




Poffertjes, Dutch mini pancakes. Next is the main food market hall with an interesting hodgepodge wall collection of anything.

So what are my impressions? Well, I was not really awed with the bazaar. There were a lot of rubbish being sold, stall after stall, shop after shop, hall after hall. The clothes on display took me back to time when I strolled along the shopping stands of Patpong Night Market in Bangkok, Mongkok in Hongkong, and Greenhills Shopping Center near where I live in Manila. Low-cost shoddy clothing on sale here. There was really nothing exciting that caught my eye.

Here are some of the items that we bought that were value for money and are good to OK quality: CD’s, DVD’s, socks, maillots, bristles for our electric toothbrushes, cotton bodysuit underwear, and the black plastic shopping weave bag of course.

As for ease of paying, there were a couple of ATM’s in the Bazaar but the queue was amazingly long! We didn’t have much choice as we didn’t have cash with us and in bazaar’s like this (read: free market), you need cash. Some stores have pin, usually the bigger ones, but the small stalls don’t.


Fish vendor and next is a typical fish fast food vendor selling haring, kibbeling, makreel, yummy... by the way, I had fresh raw herring with chopped onions and pickled gherkins last week Friday for lunch.


China Town Hall, mostly food stalls in here. Mid foto - public toilets are NEVER EVER free in the Netherlands. Hey, a fortune teller cabin! Come on right in, lol. You know, anyone can pretend to read palms and minds. I can ;-).


On a Sunday, it was relatively busy at the Bazaar, and as you can see in the foto, they already decorate the halls with colorful party lights, or are they actually Christmas lights? Next foto inside the China hall.

We finished the day with a quick dinner in China Town Hall. We were serviced by a middle-aged soft spoken Chinese woman who repeatedly asked us, “Wat wil je dlinken?” and she looked at me and asked again for the nth time, “Dlinken?” her eyes very inquisitive and I think a bit annoyed, “Dlinken?”

For a moment there Dutchman and I were baffled. We looked at each other our foreheads wrinkling – what did she just say? And then after some careful thought we realized what she said, haha. How could we not possibly know? So stupid of us, she actually meant DRINKEN (drinks, in her words, dlinken) , LOL.
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Arches National Park :: A Few More Views

These pictures were taken on the morning of May 17th on my final drive-through of Arches National Park. It was another beautiful day!