The Road to Blue Lake

With storm clouds gathering and rain predicted for tomorrow, I headed out to Blue Lake with my new Canon S95 on board (review soon).

Fall colors in the far west...

but ten miles inland from Arcata I was riding through a warm, summery place.

Just outside of Blue Lake, I crossed the Mad River.

I parked the 'bent on the bridge and looked around. Back in the Gold Rush days a party of trappers made their way up to Humboldt County, hoping to strike it rich. Alas, of all the gold prospectors who came to California, only 4% found any gold at all. These guys were not in that 4%. They had spent many weeks hacking their way through fallen trees, brush and rubble and when the reached the river they were cold, wet, irritable, hungry and broke. The scene that followed gave the river its name.

Today the Mad is a peaceful place, where children swim in the summer and fishermen cast for steelhead. One caught a 5lb salmon just before I arrived.

I stopped in Blue Lake for some refreshments. The owner of Stardough's entertained me with stories of his years in Taiwan and China. Fact of the day--number of skyscrapers over 30 stories in Shanghai: 40,000!

Recumbent Rob turned out outside the cafe. He's lost over 100 pounds by riding a bike every day. He climbs all the hills around here on this Rans Stratus.

On the way home I passed the old Arcata-Blue Lake railroad. 100 years ago we had rail service to Humboldt County and local lines to connect outlying towns. Now we have a Freeway and rail seems like a utopian dream.

Have another cheeseburger, Rob.

The California Wine Country with Sonoma Jack

Arcata has the normal number of seasons: two. The dry one runs roughly from April to October. To the north in Oregon, the rains come sooner, so last week I headed south in the hopes of catching a few days of good cycling weather in Sonoma County, California's original wine country. I stayed with Sonoma Jack and his wife Jude, old friends, who have just relocated to a small farm near Sebastopol.

Mostly, the weather gave us a break and we were off for a ride first thing in the morning. Traffic near town was constant--and fast—-but a few miles out of town we had the road to ourselves.

We rode past one winery after another, many with tasting rooms. Wine + cycling + traffic + fog = organ donation. We passed on the wine and rode on through morning mist.

We stopped for lunch in Healdsburg, a wine boom towm. Jack knew a breakfast place near the plaza but when we got there, the line was out the door. One of the joys of living in Northern California: never again will I stand on a cold sidewalk clutching a plastic wine cup for thirty minutes in order to eat breakfast. Riding on through packs of German automobiles, we searched for a friendly breakfast. Other restaurants around the plaza dozens of different coffee drinks on the menu, seemed pricey. Happily, a few blocks away we pulled in to a basic-but-good diner that had one kind of coffee, a hearty breakfast and no line. Jack's wife Jude, who had been shopping for wine barrel planters, joined us for brunch.

I wandered out to the basic-but-good diner's parking lot to inspect Jude's planters.

Ah, wine!

NIGHT RIDERS

Late last night night I drove (at 25 mph) to downtown Arcata. Along the way I saw a few ghostly shapes along the side of Old Arcata Road and on 7th St. Night riders. Some had awesome high-tech helmet-mounted headlights that create a pool of daylight in front the bike. Others simply rode in the dark. Nobody had a working tail light.

I was practically on top of each rider before I saw him, her or it. If a bike had, say, swerved to the left somebody's fun would have been seriously crimped.

If you must ride at night you might want to part with $23 for a decent flasher. With the white and red strobes alternating, you will be visible from the rear for a good half mile. I know it's a five minute ride and YOU can see just fine. You have more important things to do than futz around with yet another bullshit bike accessory. You're careful, you're thinking ahead, you have big plans. Alas, as Charles De Gaulle pointed out, "The cemetery is filled with indispensable people."

Recommended by Charles de Gaulle, President of France

72 pounds in trailer!

This is near the limit of what a BOB can do, but definitely manageable. The steering was somewhat vague; I took it slow and had no problems. A couple of passerbys in cars seemed amazed.

Although Arcata is a bike-friendly community and you do see a constant stream of cyclists, most are recreational. It's still somewhat unusual to see a cyclist who is hauling freight.

When it comes to walkers, you see a diverse collection of determined looking exercisers, many in full "exercise costume" However, very few people are simply walking to get somewhere until you get close to the business district.

The Work Bike

Almost every day, I haul books to the post office. But since the books weigh a pound of more each, a rack or pannier is out of the question. And balancing even a small box of books on a bike rack is a bad idea. But since the PO is less than a half a mile from my office, unless its raining, it seems nuts to drive.

In the garage my original "adult" bike, an RIH purchased in Holland back in the early 80's, languished. It took me across northern Europe and parts of Finland back then. Later it served me well as a city bike in San Francisco, where I swapped out the original 3 speed cassette for a 5 speed. Space those gears right and you can climb any hill in SF with five speeds. Everything else on the bike is original.

My Rivendell Romulus replaced it ten years ago as a sport/recreation/touring bike. But I couldn't bring myself to part with the RIH.

A few weeks ago a neighbor sold me his BOB trailer and the RIH came back to life--as a bike/pickup truck! That was my cue to clean up and polish the RIH. Now the bike, if not me, turns heads as an antique.

Here it is at the post office, loaded with a 54 lb box of books.

The one wheeled trailer tracks the bike with precision through any turn. You never have to worry about snagging the rear wheel. And you don't really feel like you're hauling 54 pounds, although the steering is noticeably lighter.

I bought the RIH saddle in England where it was a popular mount for "Bobbies". Last week I added a set a Schwalbe 32 mm marathons. Now the RIH should be good to go for a few more decades. Steel frame, steel forks. Wrights Seat.

The Ideal Cycling Camera (August 2010)

I'm a Canon G refugee, having owned--and toured--with both the G9 and the G10 over the past few years. As most cycling photographers know, each iteration of the G series has been hailed as the current "photographer's camera." Canon G's return control to the photographer, allowing for easy manipulations of aperture, speed and ISO, often with dedicated dials--just like film cameras. Yes, you can do most of this stuff on brand X cameras via menus, but let's be perfectly honest: when was the last time you dove into a menu to compensate for a backlit cloud bank?

The G's also enjoy the best of Canon's almost supernatural color profiling, producing satisfying results in almost any situation and on almost any day of the year.

Copyright Gordon Inkeles 2010--All Rights Reserved

Indeed, it's hard to take a bad photo with a Canon G9, 10 or 11.

But all that power added weight to a camera. Not only would the G10 fail to fit comfortably in my pocket, but at around a pound when loaded with a battery and strap, it felt like a bit of a brick in my hand. Sure, it was worth it to carry one on a ride, but we say that about so many cool tools don't we? And at some point, weight does start to matter.

So with some regret I retired my Canon G10 after last summer's English tour and waited for the next great camera.

That turned out to be the Canon S90, which incorporates virtually all of the important G11 features--including its oversize (for a compact) sensor--into a body that's half the size and weight of a G11. Furthermore, the S90 adds two essential features that the G11 lacks: a faster lens which makes evening photos without flash a reality and a clicking lens ring that can be assigned to a range of vital functions, from ISO to F stops. That kind of control permits this tiny camera to emulate the revered manual focus Nikons and Leicas of the 1980's and earlier, when creative decisions were left to the photographer, not the cameras electronics.

Furthermore, during a bike ride the S90 will disappear into a rear jersey pocket——if you're brave enough to chance it. Just one problem: the S90 emerges from the box with a perfectly smooth body that has soft edges. It not only looks like a bar of soap, it feels like one. Generally, one trip to the asphalt is taps for a digital camera. The moment you pick up a new S90, you feel like you could drop it.

With all its bulk, the G11 is definitely easier to hold. I had started rationalizing yet another G series Canon when I discovered the Richard Franiec custom S90 grip, which instantly provided my wandering fingertips with a secure place to hold the camera. Here is the S90 as it comes out of the box.

Sixty seconds later, after a simple, tool-free installation, here it is with the Franiec grip:

Franiec has come up with a beautifully ergonomic solution for frustrated S90 owners: he's transformed an accident waiting to happen into an elegant, secure and supremely capable tool. He does include instructions for removing the grip without leaving a mark on the body, but I have trouble imagining any S90 owner taking him up on it. Indeed, you won't want to own an S90 without this grip.

Consider the first rule of ergonomics: the machine must adjust to you, never the other way around. It's not your responsibility to "adjust" to a shoe, car seat, couch, bed or camera. Somehow, the S90 team at Canon never figured this out, but happily, Richard Franiec did it for them. And thanks to him I'll be packing my S90 on bike rides this summer in California (below).

Copyright Gordon Inkeles 2010--All Rights Reserved

Addendum: I posted a link to this review on the dpreview.com and a long discussion and/or battle has ensued. I had no idea people could get so emotional about a camera which some stalwart defenders don't actually own.

Addendum: See my Canon S95 update to this review.

"Bike agenda spins cities toward U.N. control, Maes warns"

"Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes is warning voters that Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's policies, particularly his efforts to boost bike riding, are "converting Denver into a United Nations community."

This is all very well-disguised, but it will be exposed," Maes told about 50 supporters who showed up at a campaign rally last week in Centennial."

Attention Colorado voters: pour yourself something calming and read on.

4th of July ride

I rode out the Mad River boat launch in the morning.

The river was smooth as glass, perfect for a kayak or canoe.

This beautiful canoe had been around for decades. The guy in the photo restored her. I helped carry her back to a nearby truck.

On national holidays the most famous places are always crowded. This place is far from the highest peak, lowest valley or biggest waterfall. But a river runs through it.

A few hundred yards to the west, the destination for the Mad River——and all rivers.

Clean Bottle

For years I have been seeking a way to prevent mold and other nasties from growing inside my water bottles. I've tried the usual cleaning procedures--including a dishwasher--all to no avail. Eventually, this is what I get:

Note the greenish black ring at the bottom of this plastic bottle. It has outlived multiple dishwasher cycles and vigorous bottle brushings.

But according to the bike discussion groups I hadn't gone nearly far enough:

I take a cap full or so of bleach and dilute it in about 8 ozs of water and throw it into the water bottle and fill it up with water. The mix is about right if it has a nice distinct chlorine smell still without being overpowering. Then fill with normal tap water, let sit for a few hours and repeat a few times. The bleach will kill virtually all the microbial stuff. It is a reasonably good disinfectant. Put the bottle in your freezer overnight to kill any residual mold.

I use well water, so no chlorine in the water here either. Whatever you use to clean, make sure you scrub too. Otherwise, the killed stuff sticks to the bottle and provides a medium for new growth. As for what to use, bleach water is still the first choice, but not full strength! Fill with water, add a few tsp of bleach and let it sit overnight, then wash with dish water afterward. Other sanitizers you could use would be rubbing alcohol or Windex-type surface cleaner. (Make sure you wash thoroughly afterward.) Or you can use denture cleaning tablets or mouthwash if you want something with a less toxic aftertaste.

Then there is the sand and gravel approach:



1 Fill the bottle with sand, gravel and water.


2 Shake for ten minutes


3 Empty, clean with brush and soap.


4 Repeat steps 1--3 several times, adding different grades of fine gravel.





I desperately needed to devote less of my life to cleaning plastic water bottles. So I kept searching for an alternative that would actually work.

A few weeks ago I was delighted to discover the CLEAN BOTTLE which incorporates a revolutionary concept: a "leak-proof" removable bottom cap. It makes cleaning a water bottle easy.

After several rides and subsequent bottle cleaning cycles I haven't seen a speck of mold or discoloration inside the Clean Bottle. Post ride cleaing takes less than a minute with soap, warm water and an ordinary bottle brush. No sand, no bleach (!), no gravel, no denture solutions or mouthwash, no overnight freezer treatments.

On rides my water stays in the bottle and tastes fine. What more can you ask from a bottle? The electric blue cap will soon be augmented with a line of colors to match just about any bike frame. Clean Bottle has come up with a simple solution for a needlessly complex problem.

For a short history of the bicycle water bottle——and a further endorsement of the Clean Bottle,——see this Road Bike Review article.

The High Line, Manhattan

Now you can ride a bike along the Hudson River almost the length of Manhattan through what used to be an industrial wasteland.

Right next to the bike path you can take a break on the river itself.

Downtown get off at 14th street and head west for a few blocks. When you see this weird building around 10th Ave and 13th st...

...park your bike and look for steps up to what had been an abandoned elevated railroad track. Now it's an elevated art/park that stretches for a half mile (so far) called The High Line. Here you can look at the art, look at the city and learn to think like a New Yorker about parking.

Who knew that you could turn a rusted old hulk, a familiar eyesore for decades, into a garden spot?

Meanwhile, back in the automotive world...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!--The music of the sun

Eureka Bay

Abandoned pulp mill, abandoned port. What is arguably he best port in California is now close to ruin. For decades Eureka embraced short-sighted development of "rust belt" industries: pulp (closed), logging (played out) nuclear power (closed--due to no less than three earthquake faults under the reactor). But the sheer beauty of Eureka Bay hasn't departed; it's here for bike riders and walkers to discover. So the meek have inherited the bay and they could hold the key to its rebirth as a high tech "clean" business center and tourist attraction.

Why music doesn't work on a bicycle

The bicycle lives in the world quite apart from architecture. It requires more of your attention than a car or airplane, so multi-tasking (with, say, an iPod) can easily become a costly mistake.

I enjoyed David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries, a windy treatise on city cycling. It takes Byrne a bike ride or two to focus his busy mind, but when he does he sometimes comes up with truly refreshing perspectives. Like so many of us he works on a problem, goes for a bike ride...and comes up with a solution. Proving? That cycling does indeed clear the mind.

A tip of the helmet to David Hodge for the video link.

$200 EACH WAY to fly a bike on Delta--and have it smashed. Delta offers $0

More here.

And don't miss the lively comments that follow. For example:

Take them to small claims court. They typically don't show up. You get a default judgment. delta then sends a check when you send the sheriff to confiscate a 777.

I went through a similar scenario with United when I shipped my bike--in a bike case--from Holland a few years ago. When I unpacked the bike at home and found a deep dent in the frame I called United. United actually suggested I was faking the claim because I hadn't made the claim at Kennedy airport in NYC. The moral: next time you land at Kennedy be sure to unpack all your bags in front of an airlines counter. Check each item for damages before repacking. Ignore angry outbursts from passengers, staff and security.

Thank you for flying United.

Window artist "Adventures Edge," Arcata

Arcata has 15,000 people and 4 bike shops. Every year the bicycle infrastructure improves; you can't run for office here unless you're pro bike. We're also known for our thriving local art scene. This shop sells all kinds of outdoor equipment along with bikes.




My trusty Rivendell has taken me on many adventures. More to come.

Kinetic Sculpture Race, Arcata 2010

What to do after a 50th HS reunion

After a mind-bending HS reunion in NY, my wife and I visited my old HS buddy Mike Lav in Washington D.C. Mike took us on a beautiful ride along the Potomac River.



We rode for a few hours on an uncrowded trail. Perfect weather, no hills, wooden bridges, good company.

Mike and I first rode bikes together in 1950.** After all these years we still have a lot in common: we both enjoy biking and we both have wives named Iris (mine is shown riding away from the camera toward Mt. Vernon, George Washington's home and gift shop). And after all these years it still felt great to ride a bike on a warm spring afternoon. I won't say I felt like I was eight years old again. Is there anyone out there who would expect that?

Rivers like this cry out for more bike paths, don't you agree? Write your congressman!




**not a typo

FERDINAND GT3 RS - The World`s slowest Porsche