Mother Flipp’n Bike Stealers!

In one episode of The Flight of the Conchords HBO show our two stars are biking through town when some thugs try and steal their bikes.  Little do the bad guys know the can of rap whoop ass about to be unleashed upon them. I just figured this could be useful for some folks out there who might need some ideas on how to bluff their way out of a difficult situation.  Note the reflective safety vest being worn throughout.

Bike Friday NWT 1 Year Review

My Bike Friday NWT

I rec’d my Bike Friday New World Tourist folding travel bike in early Jan 2009.  So It’s not really a year old, but I’ll be gone to Baja over it’s birthday so I thought it would be appropriate to share my thoughts so far about this bike:

• This bike has lived up to the hype on the net about Bike Friday’s travel bike line up.  It’s a time proven design that is stiff and fun to ride with the obvious benefit that it folds when you need to store or transport it.
• Does it ride like a full size bike?  Mostly.  I was impressed how stiff the frame is.  When I’m cranking out of the saddle from a stop sign or up a hill I don’t think for a second about the fact I’m riding a folder.  I just hammer and the bike goes forward.  The smaller wheels and short wheel base [for a touring bike] make it very maneuverable without any hint of instability.
• My Tikit is a folding bike that’s awesome – my NWT is an awesome bike that folds.
• The NWT fold is very useful for storage and travel, but unlike the Tikit I wouldn’t want to have to fold the bike multiple times a day.  The NWT’s fold is not effortless, but as a result you get a stiff frame which seems like a fair trade.
• I haven’t toured on this bike yet.  2009 wasn’t much of a touring year for me.  Hopefully I’ll get out on this bike in 2010 for some loaded touring action. I have ridden the NWT around town on utility rides with loaded panniers and it handles very well with some weight on the frame.  My friend Amy bought a Bike Friday Pocket Sport [similar to the NWT] and went on her first ever bike tour [Lake Louise to Vancouver] a couple weeks later.  She cannot stop raving about how great her Bike Friday is.
• The 8 speed Nexus 8 IGH drivetrain has been flawless.  I have it geared really low for touring and I should probably swap in a bigger chainring for about town use.  OTOH I can do 30kph+ on it at the moment and that’s pretty good for a city bike.
• I should make special note of the JTek Shimano IGH bar end shifter.  This works very well and has been a great addition to my NWT.  I started with a gripshift attached on the end of a HubBub drop bar adapter.  It worked, but nowhere near as ergonomically as the JTek unit.
• I’ve got the front derailleur and shifter on the bike even though I only have 1 chainring.  I’ll be dropping this extra gear, but I just haven’t been motivated to strip it off the bike and wrap the bars again.
• Dynohub and LED headlight are a great addition.  I always have light without thinking and even run the light during the day as a daytime running light.
• The Greenspeed Scorchers TR tires I love on my Tikit have proven to be a good choice on the NWT as well – fast, comfy and no flats so far.

So what’s not to like?:

• a custom NWT isn’t cheap OTOH neither is a custom frame from any other US builder.
• the Bike Friday front rack uses some plastic spacers to achieve the correct offset when mounting the rack.  This puts the mounting hardware into a bending moment situation vs. shear where they would be stronger.  This rack has been used lots by other people without issue so perhaps I’m just being picky.  I haven’t had any issues carrying groceries and such.  Time will tell.
• small 406 wheels are strong, but you feel rough pavement more than you do on larger 700c wheels.  The Greenspeed Scorchers TRs go a long way to evening out the score on this issue.
• the folded bike does not stay together very well unlike the Tikit.  Bike Friday does include a velcro strap that you can wind around the folded frame which does help a lot.  This isn’t an issue as long as you bought the NWT as a travel bike.  If you want to fold the NWT 5 times a day+ you’ll get frustrated.

I have quite a few nice bikes and it’s always interesting to see what sort of riding I end up doing on which bikes.  Since I didn’t get up to much bike touring the NWT mainly saw action as my about town bike when I wasn’t doing lots of errand stops.  It’s a fun nimble bike to ride and with fenders, racks and a dynamo light it’s always ready for whatever the day may throw at me.  If I was going to stop lots I’d take my Tikit instead for the hyper fast fold.

My Bike Friday New World Tourist photos.

How to size a SUP Paddle?

 

When you get your first stand up paddle [SUP] board you’ll need a couple things to get out on the water.  The most important of which is your paddle.  SUP paddles come in a wide range of sizes so it can be confusing when deciding which length to get.  Here are a few ideas I’ve picked up online for sizing your first paddle:

• for surf get a paddle 6″ – 8″ taller than you are
• for flat water get a paddle 8″ – 10″ taller than you are
• turn the paddle blade up and where the blade meets the shaft should be about eye height
• raise your arm straight in the air.  Measure from the ground to your wrist.  That’s the length of paddle you need.
• keep your paddle shaft long and secure the handle with electrical tape or shoe goo so it’s removable.  Use it and cut it down an inch or so at a time until you find the ideal length then epoxy it in.
• buy an adjustable paddle like the C4 Stendy shown in the video above.  Use it  until you settle on a length  you like.

I think the best idea above is to get an adjustable paddle first.  This lets you figure out your preferred paddle length before you invest in a fixed length paddle.  Since you may want a longer of shorter second paddle depending what you mainly do – surf or flat water – the adjustable  can fill that role and be a backup paddle in case you break your main paddle.  You’ll also be able to lend your SUP to a friend and size them with the adjustable paddle so they can have a comfortable experience. The downside with this approach is that a decent adjustable paddle costs as much as a high quality fixed length paddle so you’ll have to spend twice the $$ the first time unless you know a friend or a SUP dealer who might lend or rent you an adjustable paddle.

Back from the Dead

Sierra Designs Halfmoon Tent

I bought this Sierra Designs Halfmoon tent around 1991.  It was my first kick ass lightweight backpacking tent.  I loved it a lot and we had many adventures together.  Then two unfortunate things happened:  1) I dumped a whole pot of turkey stew in it on one dismal evening when I decided I’d eat in my tent  2) a few years later I broke a few pole sections during a storm at a paragliding site in Utah.  Living in Western Canada having a tent that smells of turkey is not ideal.  Bears are a real problem and they like turkey stew!  The broken poles just pushed me over the edge and I gave the tent away to some friends who needed a small tent with the understanding they’d fix it and use it.

I was just pet sitting at my friends’ place and noticed they still had the tent and it wasn’t repaired.  Since they hadn’t used it in nearly 10 years I figured I’d ask for it back.  They didn’t mind and don’t plan on doing much camping in the future regardless.  I dropped by MEC and they very helpfully got me some replacement poles I could cut down to size.  Not only did the lady at the customer service counter go out of her way to find me the poles she felt bad they weren’t the exact length I needed and was willing to spend a whole bunch more time rooting around in their spares area looking for a better match.  So not only did they give me the poles for free this wasn’t even a tent MEC ever sold!  Great store!…=-)

Once I got home it was just a matter 15 mins of cutting and reassembling the poles until I had a tent again.  I’m not sure if a bear could still smell the turkey stew after a decade plus, but I do lots of camping in the SW US and Baja deserts were there are no large omnivores that are trying to eat me.  So this tent will get used there.  I may even leave it with some friends in LA so I have a tent when I fly in to town.

I must say that I am a tent snob and own 3 super sweet tents from Marmot and Big Agnes.  I was really surprised how well this nearly 20 year old tent has stood the test of time.  It’s light, strong and has lots of usable living space inside.  It’s showing a bit of wear and tear from some hard use, but nothing tragic.  I imagine that I could get another decade of moderate use out of this tent if I don’t do something silly again like pitch it on an unprotected ridge during a crazy windstorm.

It’s first mission will be to come with me to Baja.  My main tent down there will be a 4 person Big Agnes Big House 4. The Big House lives up to it’s name and provides an excellent stand up shelter for a long term camp like I’ll have in Baja for 8 weeks.  What it doesn’t do is setup easily or quickly so when I stop my truck at midnight and just want to roll into a tent with minimal hassle the Halfmoon will get the call as it sets up in a flash.  The Halfmoon will also give me a backup shelter in case the Big House gets damaged.  The last tent I broke was on my 2008 4 week trip to Baja so I’d like to prepared for that possibility.

Big Dummy Frame Clearance

Surly Big Dummy

Mike let me know that Tree Fort Bikes is clearing out Surly Big Dummy frames for just over $600USD. Their online store is showing all sizes in stock – although that could be incorrect.  Anyways if you are looking to build up a Big Dummy this is a sweet deal.

MEC Bikes

MEC 1971 Bike

MEC has started selling bikes.  As Canada’s largest outdoor retail operation [similar, but much smaller than REI] MEC has a lot of muscle power getting products to Canadians.  At first glance the bikes they are offering seem like decent machines at reasonable prices. At the same time nothing much has jumped out at me as being particularly amazing.  Having said that I’m happy to see that more folks will be exposed to some decent bikes.  It can’t hurt.

Interestingly I spoke to the manager of a small high end bike shop a few blocks from MEC and they were optimistic that bike shoppers would be drawn to the area by MEC, but may end up buying nicer rides from shops like theirs.

I’m busy getting ready to head to Baja so I won’t have time to check these bikes out in more detail until early 2010.

Surfboards for Kiting

Kiteboarding the surf....

If you are looking for a surfboard to use with your kites you’ll find this article handy.  With the speed and power kites can generate you’ll want something built to take a lot of abuse.  With strap inserts and sized for your weight.  If you are going to ride powered up all the time you can go for a shorter board, but if you want to ride unpowered you’ll need something bigger.

Naish has some great options for kite specific surfboards.

A shortboard with straps designed for kiting....

Josh’s Big Dummy For Sale

Josh's sweet Big Dummy

Josh is selling his gorgeous Surly Big Dummy cargo bike.  Details are below – pls contact Josh directly about this sale as I am not involved in this transaction beyond helping a friend out with some coverage of his sale.

Surly Big Dummy 18″

• Shimano XT drivetrain
• Avid BB7 brakes
• Chris King headset
• Brooks B17 saddle
• powder-coated Xtracycle components
• custom painted Snapdeck
• includes custom built Bikes at Work style trailer and hitch
• $2500USD firm.

Please contact Josh at joshmaus “at” gmail “dot” com if you are interested.  He is located in the Boise Idaho area.

Custom pianted Xtracycle parts look awesome.

New Tikit Seatmast

The new Tikit Seatmast & Rolling Handle

My Tikit is back at home from its vacation at Bike Friday HQ.  My bike received a new seatmast as part of a warranty repair.  I was happy that the repair itself took about a week with another week for shipping back and forth.  I was expecting it to take something like 4 weeks.  As I noted earlier the absence of my beloved Tikit was really the only downside to the cracked seatmast my bike suffered. I appreciate Bike Friday working quickly to get the bike back to me.

The new setamast has been redesigned to avoid cracking under use.  Part of the solution was to change the rolling handle design from the one below to the one shown above.  You’ll notice that the bottom of the seatmast is a handle that joins both ends of the seatmast assembly together.  This acts as a brace reducing stress on any one joint of the seatmast assembly.

I’ve only used the new rolling handle a few times so far.  My initial impression is that it’s quite comfortable and I feel like it gives me more rotational control over the folded Tikit when rolling.  I’ll try out a back to back test with the Season Tikit’s old style handle and see what I think.  The only complaint I have of the new handle is that it’s bare metal which isn’t particularly comfortable to hold and is quite cold on the hands.  I’ll be adding some black cloth hockey tape to the handle shortly to make it nicer to hold.

Old style unbraced seatmast.

I haven’t gotten around to reattaching my Tikit’s racks and fenders.  That’s on the menu for this week.  I might as well take the opportunity to swap out the slick Greenspeed Scorcher tires for the stock Schwalbe Marathons.  Having a bit of tread is a good thing in the winter.

Welcome home Tikit…=-)

Schwalbe Marathon Extreme Tires For Sale

Schwalbe Marathon Extreme

Update: tires are sold.  When I get back from Baja I’ll invest in some new rubber for my Thorn Nomad.  At the moment I’m thinking of some Marathon Supreme 26 x 2.0″.

I’ve been using a set of Marathon Extreme tires [26 x 2.0" folding bead] on my Thorn Nomad this summer.  I’ve got less than 500kms on them most of which is unloaded about town mileage.  I’m keen on trying some 26 x 2.0″ Marathon Supremes to see how they compare.  I’m trying to avoid stocking a huge number of expensive tires so I’d like to sell these and buy some Supremes with the cash.

The MSRP for a new Extreme is $77.75USD + shipping.  I’ll sell these for $50.00USD each with free shipping anywhere in North America. That’s a savings of 30% when you factor in shipping costs.

These tires are in perfect shape with no wear visible and no flats or other damage.

This is Schwalbe’s flagship expedition touring tire and would be my choice for a dirt/gravel road tour.

26 x 2.0" Extreme on my Thorn

If you happen to have some Marathon Supremes [26 x 2.0" folding bead] in decent condition [say less than 1000kms mileage] I’d be happy to do a no cost trade.

Olympus Stylus 850SW Update

Olympus Stylus 850SW Waterproof Camera

I just received my Stylus 850SW back from Olympus Canada. The LCD screen has been replaced for sure.  I’m not sure what other work may have been done as there was no paperwork sent back with the camera explaining what action was taken.  I have to give them credit.  They did the repair and had the camera back in the mail to me 3 days after receiving it.  That’s darn fast.  I’m glad to have this camera back and to be headed to Baja with two waterproof digital cameras.  I’m all about redundancy and back ups.

Thanks for the fast warranty service Olympus!

 

The depths of my laziness…

Photo: Robert Thompson @ Flickr

…knows no bounds!  I’ve been sleeping on limp thermarests for at least the past 3 years.  I go to sleep on a full mattress and wake up on a deflated pad.  I cannot explain why it has taken me so long to actually do something about it.  I finally put both my thermarests in my GF’s bathtub and located the leaks.  To be precise each mattress had one leak.  Each leak took about 3 mins to locate and 3 mins to fix. Absolutely pathetic!

On the upside I’ll be sleeping more comfortably for a while…until the next leak…hopefully it won’t take another 3 years next time to fix.

Thanks – The Easy Rider!

Starboard Blend 11'2" x 30"

I picked up two used Starboard Stand Up Paddle [SUP] boards from The Easy Rider in Edmonton.  They are lightly used 2008 models that together cost less than a single 2009 demo SUP I was looking at.  I have to give Warren at The Easy Rider some major props.  He has been super nice to deal with.  It’s hard to complain when a shop is knowledgeable, friendly, provides great service and is willing to offer some killer deals at the end of the season.  At every turn Warren has gone that extra step to make an interaction really positive.  If I lived in Edmonton The Easy Rider would be my new favourite board shop.

I’m going to have between 4 and 5 friends down in Baja with me over the Christmas holidays so I’m happy I’ll have some SUPs for them to use as well as a couple sea kayaks.  I’ve only got one Pugsley and kiteboarding gear is too hard to use, too delicate, too dangerous and too expensive to unleash on a novice!  Anyone can paddle a SUP on flat water with a 5 minute introduction.  Now I should be able to keep everyone occupied and happy…=-)

Starboard Extremist 9'8" x 30"

The 11′2″ SUP is good for surfing and okay on flat water.  The 9′8″ is more surf oriented, but should be fine for a newbie to mess around on flat water.  It just won’t track exceptionally straight so it won’t inspire anyone to go on a long distance paddle.  One cool thing is that the 9′8″ SUP has a mast track and foot strap inserts which means I’m only a cheap mast/boom/sail away from owning a light conditions windsurfer – cool!

With 3 weeks and counting until I hit the road South for Baja I’m trying to get everything major done at work so I can do the distance work thing as well as get all my Baja gear together. Not to mention spend some quality time with my GF so she doesn’t feel like a Baja Widow! I’m starting to feel the pressure of too much to do in too little time, but it’s all for a good cause so I don’t mind.

I know that I said earlier no significant capital purchases until the truck is paid off, but I decided that getting to spend 2 months on a beach in Baja was in itself priceless and having the opportunity to SUP literally everyday made this a smart choice.  If I can come back to Canada with some serious SUP skills that will make it all worthwhile.

La Ventana – Baja

La Ventana Baja Mexico

This will be my home for two months this winter.  With the advent of broadband internet you can work from just about anywhere in the world if your job doesn’t require a lot of face to face contact.  Cleverly I’ve invited my boss down for a few weeks of beach action over the holidays.  I’ll provide a fully guided beach experience with all the sports gear she could want to use at her disposal.  Hopefully she gets hooked and wants me to go to Baja every year…=-)~

SUP Paddle Technique

Waterproof Camera Review

Canon D10

Damian was kind enough to post a link to a test of the current generation of waterproof point and shoot digital cameras – thanks!.  Check it out here.

Calgary SUP Club

Photo: Paddlesurf.ca

Red Nik Surf Co. is starting up a Calgary Stand Up Paddle Board [SUP] Club.  That’s a great idea!  I would guess they’ll be bringing out demo SUPs for people to try. So if you are in the Calgary area and are interested in SUP give Red Nik a call at (403) 685-4600 and see what’s shaking with the club.

Unfortunately unless they are uber hardcore I don’t suppose anyone will be heading out onto the water before next spring, but I could be wrong.  Canadians are pretty tough when it comes to the cold….=-)

Canon D10

Canon D10 Waterproof Camera

I am super excited that Canon has stepped into the waterproof point and shoot digital camera ring with their new D10.  I have been very pleased with all my previous Canon products and their customer service has been outstanding.  I bought one of their waterproof housings for an older Canon digital camera and it was very rugged and absolutely waterproof, but it was also really bulky and awkward to use.  As a result I ended up with the waterproof cameras from Olympus and Pentax that I’ve posted about recently.

I haven’t read much about the D10 yet so I don’t know what to expect.  Given the performance of the other waterproof cameras I’ve been using the bar has been set pretty low so far.  Hopefully this Canon will impress me.  I’m going to hold off buying a new waterproof camera until either my Olympus Stylus 850SW or my Pentax Optio W20 give up the ghost completely.  That may give Canon enough time to develop a 2nd generation waterproof camera and fix any bugs that inevitably turn up in a 1st generation product.

Pentax Optio W20

Pentaz Optio W20

I posted yesterday about my Olympus Stylus 850SW that wasn’t waterproof.  I thought I’d post briefly about my other waterproof point and shoot – my Pentax Optio W20.  You can read this detailed review to learn about its specs and features.  I’ve owned this camera for a number of years based on the recommendation of a kayak guide I met in Baja.  As you would expect the camera a water-sports professional likes was and is actually waterproof!  I have abused this camera far more than it deserves and it continues to work for me without complaint.  On the plus side the construction seems pretty bombproof and the camera is dead easy to use.  Ever since I got my Olypmus Stylus last Dec I’ve been loaning this camera to all my friends.  They haven’t been gentle with it and they haven’t had any issues with it – except one I’ll mention below.  Picture quality is not bad, but not great.  It’s worse than my Stylus 850SW, but not by a lot.  Where it does suffer is in comparison to my Canon S870IS.  Again as with my Stlus as long as it provides worry free waterproof performance and remains robust I can live with average picture quality.  After all I wouldn’t dare pull out my Canon point and shoot on a surfboard or in the pouring rain.

This camera has some issues though:

• Since there is no lens cover water drops or dirt can get onto the lens and unless you pay attention you can take a whole bunch of ruined photos without noticing the problem on the LCD screen.  This happened on a kayak trip in Baja where dried salt on the lens made 20-30 photos my friend took pretty much useless – she was seriously bummed.  Since I’m aware of the problem I regularly clean the lens and I haven’t had a problem myself.
• The camera body is very rounded which makes holding it one handed tough – especially when wet.  I like to grab my camera from my bike’s bar bag and shoot one handed while riding – this is virtually impossible with this camera.  I bought a silicone sleeve for it [$25cdn] that made it much easier to hold, but the sleeve made using the controls tough and eventually it ripped apart.
• The camera uses a non-standard USB cable so you have to bring a special cable with you when traveling which is a pain.  Canon uses a standard mini-USB which I can share amongst several USB devices on a trip – thanks Canon!
• The battery charger is much bulkier than my Canon chargers which is a pain when traveling. I can’t see any reason for this than poor design.

Pentax Optio W80

As a note the W20 is out of production, but Pentax has a new waterproof model the Optio W80, which appears to be a direct response to Olympus’ Stylus line of cameras.  The W80 looks to be more squared at the corners so I’m hoping it will be easier to hold.

Olympus Stylus 850SW

Olympus Stylus 850SW

I’ve been using an Olympus Stylus 850SW for much of my sports photography since I got it last Dec for my Baja trip.  For the most part it’s been a good camera for me.  It doesn’t take the best photos, but the fact it’s waterproof and shockproof make that a fair trade for not having worry about it when I’m out and about.

I took it to the SUP demo this weekend and had it in my pocket while in the water.  It took a dozen photos for me and then the LCD stopped working.  The camera still powered on, but there was no life on the screen.  I put the camera away and when I opened it the next day there was water in the battery/memory card compartment.  I took out both items and left the camera sit open on my desk.  I eventually got around to trying it again and the LCD was working again.

Doing some research it seems that I’m not the first person to have issues with the camera’s waterproofing.  I checked the seals and they were clean and secure so I think I’ve got a leak somewhere else.  Since the camera is still under warranty I’m going to send it off and hope I get service from Olympus that is as good as the service I’ve received from Canon. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

It would also be nice to get the camera back before I leave for Baja in November, but that seems unlikely.  I’ll settle for having a waterproof camera when I get back in Jan 2010.

As a note Olympus has replaced this model with a newer version that may perform better underwater.

Calgary Sun SUP

photo: www.paddlesurf.ca

I was suprised to find an article from the Calgary Sun newspaper about SUP posted on the Paddle Surf.ca website.  I didn’t realize stand up paddle boarding was on the radar in Calgary at all.  I guess I was wrong.

Easy Riders Edmonton SUP

Winter SUP

I’m up in Edmonton Alberta Canada for a day to visit my friends Jeff and Jo-Ann.  Since I had some time to kill before I met up with them I decided to check out Easy Rider.  Easy Rider is a board sports store that sells stand up paddle boards and related gear as well as the more common snowboard gear.  I had a hard time finding them on Google so I figured I’d post about them to make them an easier target for others searching for stand up paddle boards and gear in the Edmonton area.

Easy Rider stocks Naish and Starboard SUPs as well as paddles and accessories from Dakine, C4, Naish, etc…

The staff was super friendly and they are clearly stoked about SUP which is great.  They have regular paddle sessions so I’ll definitely have to come up to Edmonton next summer a couple times to paddle with their crew.  They have a sister site documenting their SUP exploits at Canada SUP.  It’s cool to see that cold water and our cooler climate aren’t getting in the way of having some fun outdoors on SUPs.

How to SUP on flatwater…

I wanted to be prepared to make the most of the Red Nik SUP demo this past weekend so I researched a bunch of videos and websites that taught basic flatwater SUP skills.  This video above was by far the best at explaining everything you need to know as far as beginner flatwater skills go.  Just thought I’d post it and save the next person googling this some time…=-)

Airtime Boardsports

Kite Porn

This past spring when I decided to jump into the sport of kiteboarding I didn’t know a whole lot about it other than it looked like a ton of fun.  I called up Philippe @ Airtime Boardsports in Vancouver and asked him what gear I should get.  He spent a lot of time with me working out a package that meet all my needs. Since I didn’t have the experience to second guess him I just ordered everything on faith.

After ordering the gear I spoke with some other folks who were suggesting different gear choices and I had a crisis of faith.  I was worried I’d just blown a bunch of money on the wrong stuff.  So I called Philippe up again [actually several times] to discuss what the other folks had told me.  He very patiently went over each issue explaining why the gear I had bought was the right choice to start with and why it would see me through my first couple years in the sport.

Looking back on things now that I have spent a good chunk of my free time in 2009 learning to kiteboard he was 100% right.  Everything he told me was bang on and the gear he sold me was well matched to my needs.

Sharon is keen on learning how to kiteboard this winter in Baja so I called Philippe up to order her a harness.  He recommended a different one than I was initially going to buy.  Naturally I went with what he suggested…=-)

Red Nik SUP Demo

What SUP Kurt?

A bunch of us made it out to the Red Nik SUP demo Saturday evening in the Mount Royal Pool.  It was a lot of fun and quite easy. Everyone got the hang of it in the first 10-20mins and then started doing tricks and advanced maneuvers.

Tracey & Sharon SUPing it up!

Sharon had a blast and as I expected it seems like the perfect compliment to kiteboarding as it’s much easier to do for a beginner and it’s a good activity on the water when there is no wind.

Sean getting his SUP on.

Of course a pool is not particularly challenging so I’m interested to see what it’s like with some small waves and eventually I want to try surfing one of these bad boys.

Once again I just want to say thanks for the Red Nik crew for taking the time and trouble to set this up for us….=-)

2010 Tikit

The new seatmast in folded position.

Bike Friday has posted some info on the 2010 Tikit on their website here.  Nothing shocking really – as expected the new seatmast design will be standard as well as a new paint scheme for 2 tone Tikits.

The photo above shows the new rolling handle.  I’ll be interested to see how it compares to the previous version with and without the brace installed.

RIP XRs…=-(

Schwalbe Marathon Dureme

Well I’m sad to report that Schwalbe seems poised to terminate the Marathon XR which has been a favourite tire of mine for a few years now.  I’ve got ‘em on my Surly LHT and my Surly Big Dummy.  I think I have a spare XR in 26″ and one in 700c so I’ll be good for a while longer given how hard wearing these tires are, but sooner or later I’ll wear out my last XR and it will be the end of an era.

On the positive side Schwalbe has three new touring tires in the Marathon line up which seem like they will be able to fill the shoes of the XR capably:

• Marathon Supreme: is a semi-slick touring tire for those paved road only rides where you want durability and puncture protection in a faster tire.
• Marathon Extreme: is a knobbier and lighter cousin of the XR that can handle dirt and gravel roads.
• Marathon Dureme: seems to be somewhere in the middle with more tread than the Supreme and less tread than the Extreme.  It’s supposed to be very long wearing.

We may be looking back in a couple years and not missing the XRs at all.  The new Schwalbe touring tires may be better and we’ll be happy they made the switch.  Of course it’s possibly we’ll be looking back wistfully at the XR wishing they still made it….only time will tell.  The thing the XR had going for it was a long history of working well for the hardcore bike tourist.  That’s a reputation Schwalbe’s new rubber will have to earn.

If you are a Schwalbe XR fan there is still stock of this tire at many vendors so grab some while you can.

Girls ‘n Kites

Susi Mai

Tandem Kiteboarding

Airline Luggage Maddness

Naish Golf Bag

I recently had a funny airline luggage experience that reminded me how crazy the whole airline luggage business is. I flew to Vancouver with my kiteboarding gear packed in the bag shown above.  This bag is labeled “golf” and weighs 45lbs fully loaded.  Because the airlines think it’s full of golf clubs they let me fly for free with it.  If I rolled up with the same bag and it was labeled “Kiteboarding” I would be charged $75 because it’s over sized.  Ironically on my flight back from Vancouver I also had with me a used 5′10″ surfboard I bought from a fellow kiteboarder. This board weighs about 12lbs in its bag.  Because it’s a surfboard they charged $75 for it.

Another time with the same airline I flew to LA with my touring bike in a box.  They charged me $75 for the bike even though I had called ahead and was told that as long as it was one of my two allowed bags it would fly for free. On the return flight I couldn’t find a large bike box and  had to pack my bike into two smaller boxes.  I was expecting to get charged $75 for the first box for being over sized and then $75 + $50 for the second box since it was over sized and I now had 3 bags.  When I checked in they didn’t charge me a penny for my luggage.

What did I learn from all this:

1. Lie about the contents of your luggage.  If 45lbs of golf clubs fly for free and the exact same bag with kiteboarding stuff costs $75 I feel no shame or remorse for not telling the truth.
2. Be early for your flight and be super friendly to the check in staff.  The folks at the check in counter can pretty much do whatever they like when it comes to over sized luggage.  If you are there early the plane will be empty and all they need is a reason to waive the fees so smile and chat them up.
3. Be ready for anything to happen.  If the airline has an official policy that works in your favour print the details off their website or get the name and tel# of someone you spoke with as proof.
4. If it all goes pear shaped and you are getting charged a bunch of $$$ accept it with grace.  Freaking out will likely not do anything to change the situation and you are just starting off your trip on a sour note.

Red Nik SUP Demo

Stand Up Paddle board fun

Red Nik Surf Company in Calgary Alberta is running a Stand Up Paddle [SUP] board demo this weekend.  I’m going to attend and I’m looking forward to trying out a few Starboard SUPs.  I know setting up and running events like this is a lot of work so I wanted to give Warren @ Red Nik a shout out.

Red Nik sells SUPs, longboard skateboards, surfboards and all the clothing and accessories to go with these sports.  If you are in Calgary check ‘em out.