Saturday, January 30, 2010

Royal H. Mixte Logos

Some of you have asked what the decals on my Royal H. mixte will look like, and I now have pictures. But there won't actually be any decals: the logos are being painted (stenciled) by hand, by Circle A in Providence, RI. I chose these designs out of many that were available, because I thought the aesthetic would suit my bicycle very nicely.

So this is what the downtube logo will look like:


And this is what the headtube logo will look like:

The image may seem a little strange in .jpg form, but on an actual head tube it looks ridiculously beautiful - like an expressionist woodblock print. I remember stopping in my tracks the first time I saw this design on another Royal H. bike, and thinking "I want THAT". Eventually I will get a headbadge made and attach it over the logo, but for now it will be painted. (Meanwhile, if you are a headbadge maker, do drop me a line - especially if you are local.)

The logos will be done in a dark gold (more like a bronze or copper) over the sage green frame. Circle A warned me that there won't be a great deal of contrast between the frame colour and the logos, but that is fine with me; I am not going for a contrasty look. The lug cutouts (or "windows", if you will) will be painted the same gold as the logos, and I've also asked Circle A to do the lug outlining. I can do it myself, but their work will no doubt be nicer, plus it will match the other gold detailing exactly. Here is an example of a fancy outlining job they've done on another bike, but mine will be a toned down version.

So there it is. I think the paint and logos are done at this point and they are working on the lug outlining. I haven't seen pictures of the painted frame yet, but I am sure it's gorgeous. The anticipation is killing me!

Motorcycle Pictures of the Week - Frank

Here are my Pictures of the Week as displayed on the Motorcycle Views Website. These are taken from the Moto Pic Gallery. See Frank on his 2007 Honda Gold Wing 1800. We need more pictures of men and women with their motorcycles. Get your picture in. For details, see Motorcycle Pictures of the Week.

If you'd like to see your bike as Picture of the Week, submit a picture of you and your bike along with a description of the bike.

Vectrix Superbike pics

Vectrix Superbike pics
Vectrix Superbike pics
Vectrix Superbike pics
Vectrix Superbike pics
Vectrix Superbike pics
Vectrix Superbike pics
Vectrix Superbike pics
Vectrix Superbike pics
Vectrix Superbike pics
Vectrix Superbike pics

2010 dirty bikes photos

2010 dirty bikes photo
2010 dirty bikes photo
2010 dirty bikes photo
2010 dirty bikes photo
2010 dirty bikes photo
2010 dirty bikes photo
2010 dirty bikes photo
2010 dirty bikes photo
2010 dirty bikes photo
2010 dirty bikes photo
2010 dirty bikes photo
2010 dirty bikes photo
2010 dirty bikes photo
2010 dirty bikes photo

Friday, January 29, 2010

Cycling and Weight: Realistic Outlooks

It may be controversial, but weight is such a commonly discussed topic among women (albeit usually in private), that it feels disingenuous to pretend that I do not think about it myself. Specifically, I want to say a few words about the relationship between weight and cycling. In many cycling blogs, I find the recurring suggestion that "cycling will make you thin" - whether explicit or implicit. Transportation cycling is presented as not only convenient and fun, but as a natural form of exercise that can improve your physique. Replacing 20 minutes per day of sitting in a car with 40 minutes of pedaling does indeed seem like a great way to get in shape. But if your main goal is weight loss, what is realistic to expect?

Cycling is great exercise, and exercise leads to weight loss - if (and this is a crucial if) all else remains constant. In other words, if you used to drive to work and now you cycle, while maintaining the same diet as before and the same amount of physical activity outside your commute, you will lose weight.

The problem is that all else usually does not remain constant. For one thing, cycling makes us ravenous, and more often than not we end up consuming enough (or even more than enough) extra calories to make up for the fact that we cycled to work instead of driving. So while we do build up muscle which will cause parts of our body too look more shapely, our weight is likely to remain the same unless a conscious effort is made to also control our diet. This does not entirely coincide with the "cycling will make you thin" narrative - which presents the life of cyclists as filled with tasty foods, beer, and weight loss. If you cycle a lot, but also eat a lot, your weight will stay the same. If you cycle a bit, but eat even more, your weight will increase. That is the reality.

Even if you are not looking to lose weight, but are in the "cycle a lot, eat a lot" category, there are caveats to consider. Over the Summer and Fall, I cycled so much that my diet changed drastically just to accommodate the constant energy loss and hunger pains. Things that I hadn't freely indulged in for years - pizza, ice cream, obscene amounts of chocolate, random snack foods - became regular dietary staples. As long as I continued to spend large portions of my day on a bike, I could feel like a pre-teen at a slumber party again when it came to eating, with (seemingly) no ill effect.

But what happens when that amount of daily cycling becomes unsustainable - due to either the arrival of a harsher season, travel, or a change in work schedule? Once you get used to consuming large amounts of food, it can be extremely difficult to cut down, even after your level of physical activity decreases. The reasons for this are partly physiological (stomach size; metabolic processes), but to an even greater extent psychological. We use food not just for sustenance, but for comfort and for social bonding. Having grown used to eating pizza and ice cream late at night with friends, it can feel sad to give that up. Once we grow accustomed to a lavish diet during a period of intense cycling, chances are we will be tempted to maintain it even during those times when we do not spend as much time on a bike. And this can lead to an overall weight gain for those who cycle.

I began this post not out of the blue, but because I've had several private discussions now with other cyclists about this topic. Some are disappointed because they hoped to lose weight through cycling, only to have gained weight - and they don't understand what went wrong. Further, they feel ashamed because many cycling blogs do project the image of the "healthy and fit" (meaning slender) cyclist and contrast this image to that of the overweight driver who eats burgers and guzzles cola behind the wheel.

Cycling and weightloss only go hand in hand if you control for the other factors, and that is not always simple. For me it has been quite effortful to prevent out-of-control weight gain this winter, after my time on a bicycle fell to maybe 10% of what it was in earlier seasons. What has been your experience?

Thursday, January 28, 2010

MC invites animal rights activist to "Party"


Johnstown, PA (GlossyNews) – Local and state police scoured the hills outside rural Johnstown, Pennsylvania, after reports of three animal rights activists going missing after attempting to protest the wearing of leather at a large motorcycle gang rally this weekend. Two others, previously reported missing, were discovered by fast food workers “duct taped inside several fast food restaurant dumpsters,” according to police officials.
“Something just went wrong,” said a still visibly shaken organizer of the protest. “Something just went horribly, horribly, wrong.”
The organizer said a group of concerned animal rights activist groups, “growing tired of throwing fake blood and shouting profanities at older women wearing leather or fur coats,” decided to protest the annual motorcycle club event “in a hope to show them our outrage at their wanton use of leather in their clothing and motor bike seats.” “In fact,” said the organizer, “motorcycle gangs are one of the biggest abusers of wearing leather, and we decided it was high time that we let them know that we disagree with them using it…ergo, they should stop.”
According to witnesses, protesters arrived at the event in a vintage 1960’s era Volkswagen van and began to pelt the gang members with balloons filled with red colored water, simulating blood, and shouting “you’re murderers” to passers by. This, evidently, is when the brouhaha began.
“They peed on me!!!” charged one activist. “They grabbed me, said I looked like I was French, started calling me ‘La Trene’, and duct taped me to a tree so they could pee on me all day!”
“I…I was trying to show my outrage at a man with a heavy leather jacket, and he…he didn’t even care. I called him a murderer, and all he said was, ‘You can’t prove that.’ Next thing I know he forced me to ride on the back of his motorcycle all day, and would not let me off, because his girl friend was out of town and I was almost a woman.”

Still others claimed they were forced to eat hamburgers and hot dogs under duress. Those who resisted were allegedly held down while several bikers “farted on their heads.”
Police officials declined comments on any leads or arrests due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, however, organizers for the motorcycle club rally expressed “surprise” at the allegations.
“That’s preposterous,” said one high-ranking member of the biker organizing committee. “We were having a party, and these people showed up and were very rude to us. They threw things at us, called us names, and tried to ruin the entire event. So, what did we do? We invited them to the party! What could be more friendly than that? You know, just because we are all members of motorcycle clubs does not mean we do not care about inclusiveness. Personally, I think it shows a lack of character for them to be saying such nasty things about us after we bent over backwards to make them feel welcome.”
When confronted with the allegations of force-feeding the activists meat, using them as ad hoc latrines, leaving them incapacitated in fast food restaurant dumpsters, and ‘farting on their heads,’ the organizer declined to comment in detail. “That’s just our secret handshake,” assured the organizer.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The Master Builder: Mike Flanigan in His New Workshop

Last week we visited the new A.N.T. Bikes workshop in Holliston, Mass., and the Co-Habitant took a series of black and white photos of the excellent Mike Flanigan. My job was to take the digital test shots, which were mostly to meter light and try out compositions before the "real thing". So here are a few of these test shots, which A.N.T. fans might find enjoyable.

For those who are not familiar with Mike Flanigan, I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that he is a legendary figure in the bicycle industry. Not only does A.N.T. put out a truly unique product, but Mike's background is impressive in itself. He started out in 1989 at Fat City Cycles - one of the early pioneers in mountain bike design, based in Somerville MA. After Fat City was sold in 1994, Mike went on to co-found Independent Fabrication, another Somerville bike manufacturer that has attained international fame. And finally, in 2002, Mike branched out on his own with A.N.T. to pursue his unique vision of "not sport, transport".

Since discovering A.N.T. a year ago, I keep asking myself what exactly makes these bicycles so interesting and unusual? Others make TIG-welded frames. Others offer custom colours. And now that the concept of "city bike" has taken off, others build up bicycles designed for fenders, front and rear loads, and upright sitting. So what does A.N.T. offer that's different?

Ah yes - Personality. And I am not talking about Mike's own great personality. The bicycles themselves have a distinctly ANTian character that transcends the sum of their parts. A.N.T. bikes are the Meryl Streeps of bicycles, if you will. Yes, they are beautiful and their performance is impeccable - but there is something more, isn't there? And that elusive "more" is what we really find captivating.

And then there is the fact that Mike himself is a kind, generous and creative person, who sticks to his principles and follows his philosophy. It is endearing to hear the younger framebuilding generation in the Boston area speak of him. Everyone seems to have a story about Mike having helped them out at some point, or taught them something; he is somewhat of a patron saint around these parts.

So that is the man we had the privilege to photograph last week, and we thank him for the opportunity.

The Co-Habitant is a photographer, and he is now working on a project that documents different aspects of the Boston bicycle industry - from independent manufacturers, to bike shop owners, to bicycle collectors. It is an interesting thing to help him with and I hope he exhibits the photos when the project is finished.

I enjoyed looking at all the tools and machinery in the A.N.T. workshop, and more than anything I loved examining this fork. It is a segmented fork that I believe goes on the Light Roadsters. There is something about the look of these that I find very cool.

Here Mike explains something to the Co-Habitant, as his Antique Scorcher poses in the foreground. To see some of the other bikes A.N.T. has made recently, have a look at their flickr sets. I wrote a test ride report of a Boston Lady's Roadster here, and I think the latest series of mixtes (especially the gold and the white one) are particularly beautiful. And of course I am very curious to see what Mike will be building for the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show 2010. I think he knows what my fantasy A.N.T. bike is, but that is another story entirely!

Dealer Expo Kickstart New Product Finalist!

Dealer Expo (arguably the biggest motorsports dealer trade show) recently announced the 25 products chosen to be finalists for the Kickstart New Product Contest at Dealer Expo 2010.

A judging committee made up of retailers and buyers chose the 25 products they feel will have the biggest impact on the 2010 selling season – and the eCaddy Deluxe GPS and iPod/iPhone Mounting Kits made the list!

The eCaddy Deluxe motorcycle mounting kits include everything a rider needs to mount a GPS, iPod or iPhone on a motorcycle. We'll be showing these kits - along with a little something new we can't share yet - at the Dealer Expo show (booth #5608) in just two weeks!

Kawasaki Recalls 2009 Super Sherpa K250G9F for Engine Oil Passage Blockage

Kawasaki is recalling model year 2009 Super Sherpa KL250G9F motorcycles.

On eligible units, blockage of an oil passage in the engine might restrict oil flow to the cylinder head. This could result in the engine losing power and eventually stopping which could create the risk of a crash.

The number of units has not been announced.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

I hate trikes.

'Cept for this one.


Exile does it right.

Monday, January 25, 2010

The Pashley Princess as Winter Bike

In several posts now I have expressed my frustrations with winter cycling and my disappointment over not riding as much as I did during warmer months. But today I realised that winter is more than halfway through already, and I have been cycling all along. Not as much as in the Summer and Fall, but cycling none the less. So it's not so bad, really. Not because I am becoming more brave or skillful, but simply because it doesn't snow all the time and the temperature isn't always below 30°F. On some days it is even enjoyable again.

Since mid December I have been riding my Pashley Princess exclusively. Initially I considered getting a "beater bike" for the winter, but came to the conclusion that I should just stick with the Pashley. It was definitely the right decision.

I don't need a winter bike, because the Pashley Princess Sovereign is a winter bike. For one thing, everything on it was designed to withstand the elements: The fenders, internal gear hub, fully enclosed chaincase, enclosed hub brakes, dynamo-powered lighting, extremely durable powdercoat and rustproof components make her essentially a zero-maintenance bike in winter weather conditions. I know that some feel the Princess is "too pretty" to ride in the winter, but the prettiness in no way detracts from her toughness and utility. It simply does not make sense to get a sub-par winter bike because you think your bicycle is too attractive to be used the way it was designed to be used.

The other major benefit or riding a Pashley Princess in winter, is its incredible stability and indifference to weather conditions. I had noted this several times when riding in the rain, and it is also true in slushy winter weather. I am trying to put my finger on what feels so good about this bike in bad weather. It is probably the combination of the heavy frame, stable handling, wide tires and enclosed brakes that makes it feel just so wonderfully stable where other bikes don't. I can ride this bike through a flooded road and corner at close to normal speed, and it will behave the same as on a dry road. It's pretty amazing and certainly helps in winter, when there is either slush or lake-like puddles from melted snow everywhere.

Pashley's platform pedals interact well with all of my winter boots and I have not had to worry about slipping.

And my trusty Carradice Barley saddlebag has proven itself to be completely rain and snow proof even in the nastiest weather. All in all, I cannot think of a nicer winter setup: I simply ride the Pashley and don't worry about a thing other than watching out for sudden chunks of hard snow on the road.

Speaking of obstacles on the road, here is a stunner I experienced cycling home at dusk yesterday. On one of the side streets near my house the asphalt cracked so much that it formed a "step" in the middle of the road, with 8+ inches of elevation change. If you are coming from the direction this picture was taken, you can see the rise as you approach. But coming from the opposite direction (as I was last night) you really cannot see the drop that awaits you; it just looks like a regular crack. So I basically launched my Pashley into the air by riding straight over this crater at full speed. I am glad to report that the bike handled it fine. It landed hard, but was very stable, and just kept going as if nothing happened. I did stop to check the tires and rims afterward (as well as take some pictures, in disbelief that such a thing could have formed right in the middle of the road overnight), and everything is perfectly fine. I wonder how other bikes would have fared under the same conditions.

Having ridden the Pashley Princess in both warm months and cold, I can say that she is really at her best in poor weather conditions. I can think of few other bikes that are so well suited for the title of "winter bike". And if she is beautiful to boot? Well, I won't hold that against her!

Harley Davidson Sexy Girl Photos




Harley Davidson Sexy Girl Photos............

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Matters of Identity

Well... I thought that I could quietly change my blogspot username without anybody noticing or caring, but it's caused some confusion. So I announce it formally: Yes, I have changed my user name here from Filigree to Velouria. It is still me, and I did it to consolidate my velo-identities. I am "Velouria" on flickr and several other bike related e-venues, and it was much easier to change the blogspot user name than to change all the others.

Though the change exacerbates my already overwhelming identity crisis, I believe it is for the best. Plus frankly, it didn't feel right when some would refer to me as "Fil". If I were to have a male name, I see myself as more of an Armand, or a Victor, or perhaps even a Thaddeus. Thank you for understanding and enjoy your Sunday.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Nifty 50 Award from Powersports Business!

The eCaddy Deluxe GPS and iPod/iPhone mounting kits won a Nifty 50 Award!

For the 11th consecutive year, Powersports Business selected 50 items that their editors believe are must-see products or services at this year's Dealer Expo trade show. They believe these items "will be the most interesting and possibly the most profitable for the coming selling season."

The eCaddy Deluxe motorcycle mounting kits includes everything you need to mount a GPS, iPod or iPhone:

  • Chrome mounting bracket (round bar, Harley controls, Gold Wing controls or flat surface)
  • eCaddy Deluxe all-chrome plate with multi-faceted lug offers SIX different mounting angles
  • UltraTilt allows you to angle the GPS or iPod/iPhone in ANY direction – for better visibility or to reduce sun glare
  • Cradle is custom-shaped to grip your GPS or iPod/iPhone securely
  • All necessary hardware
  • Complete instructions


All winners were published in the January 18 issue of Powersports Business Magazine. For more information about the eCaddy Deluxe motorcycle mount, visit www.LeaderMotorcycle.com!

Green, Green and... Green? Contemplating a Sage Decision

As you probably know by now, my main bicycle is Eustacia Vye, a Pashley Princess Sovereign. She is green. A dark forest green.

This is Eustacia.

And over the holidays I received a Rivendell Sam Hillborne frame, which will eventually be built up as my "road bike". It is also green. A shimmery olive green.

Now I must make my final decision about the colour of my Royal H. mixte frame. And the colour I am choosing is this one:

Sage green ...which, although different from those other two, is yes, also a green. Is it madness to have three modern bicycles that are all green? A rhetorical question I guess!

The paint will be done by Circle A. Cycles in Providence, RI, who are renown not only for the excellent bicycles they build, but also for their beautiful and durable liquid paint jobs. Initially I thought that I would get this frame powdercoated, but the logistics proved that liquid would work better. Choosing the colour is difficult, especially over the internet. So I am mailing Circle A. a little packet with physical colour samples, and they will choose the colour that matches them best. Hopefully it will look something like the sage green above.

If you could have a bicycle any colour you want, what would it be? Does it depend on the type of bicycle (silver racing bike, black roadster, etc.) or would your choice be universal? And has anybody else besides me ended up with all of their bicycles in the same colour family? I feel a little strange about this preference for green bikes, but apparently not strange enough to choose a different colour!