Thursday, July 31, 2008
Rolling
Traveler is the only one of our horses that insists in rolling in the manure pile. I don't know why.
Cream Tires Directory
It is no secret that I like cream bicycle tires.If you are a fan as well, you will find this recent thread on bikeforums a real treat - loads of pictures of classic and vintage cream tired bicycles. And, since I am asked about this all the time, I have compiled below a directory of cream and white tires in various sizesthat are available on the market. My criteria for these selections were reasonable availability and all-over colour (as opposed to white sidewall on a black tire). Unless noted otherwise, all tires listed are puncture-resistant.
Cream Tires for City Bicycles28"
Schwalbe Delta Cruiser (28 x 1 1/2")
Vredestein Classic(28 x 1 1/2")*
*available in EU only or from Dutch bike dealers
700CSchwalbe Delta Cruisers (700C x 35mm)
Kenda Kwest (700C x 35mm)
Specialized Nimbus(700C x 35mm)*
Electra Amsterdam City Tire (700C x 40mm)*
* may not be puncture resistant
26"Schwalbe Delta Cruiser(26 x 1 3/8")
Schwalbe Fat Frank (26 x 2.35")
Geax Tattoo(26 x 2.3")
Kenda Cruiser (26 x 2.125)*
Electra Retrorunner (26 x 2.125")*
Electra Vintage Diamond (26 x 2.35")*
Electra Blossom Trail (26 x 2.125")*
* may not be puncture resistant
Cream Tires for Road Bicycles650B
Grand Bois Hetre (650B x 42mm)
700CPanaracer Pasela (700C x 28mm, 700C x 23mm)
Vittoria Randonneur(700C x 28mm, 700C x 23mm)
Vittoria Zafiro Pro (700C x 23mm)
Origin 8 Elimin-8er (700C x 23mm, 700C x 25mm)
Schwalbe Durano (700C x 23mm, 700C x 25mm, 700C x 28mm)
27"
Cheng ShinCST C-740 (27" x 32mm)
The selection is not huge, but there is something to be had in almost every wheel size. If you know of other cream or white tires I have omitted, please let me know and I will add them.
More snippets of Berlin
We have finally come to an end of my Berlin travel posts. Hopefully in the near future when I come back to this city, I will be able to visit the amazing glass cupola of the Reichstag. Because of the new security guidelines, visits will have to go through a preliminary screening and visitors will have to register 3-days in advance online at the Reichstag website. Unfortunately we did not have the luxury of time.
Another thing that I’d like to do in Berlin next time around is to visit the food or farmer’s market. I have simple wishes, I do not ask a lot =)
Below are more pictures that I took during our 4-day Berlin long weekend trip in March of this year. They are daily street scenes, some of our dinners (they did not merit their own post), more historical monuments and places and things of interest.
One of our dinners at Restaurante Malatesta, an Italian restaurant in Gendarmenmarkt. We shared a spinach salad doused in balsamico vinegar and showered with roasted pine nuts. Dutchman had homemade ravioli with buffalo milk and ricotta cheese filling while I had seafood risotto which was quite salty. For dessert, see next picture. Overall: 3.5 stars out of 5.
We shared our dessert: Creme caramel at Restaurante Malatesta. 3 stars out of 5... Bonne Maman's creme caramel at Albert Heijn is much better. I must add that the older Italian waiter who attended to us was a such a sweet gentleman. He thinks the Dutchman is American because he ordered Coke, haha!
Mini cars are so easy to park in the city.
I was speechless to see the massive Nespresso shop in Berlin! Wow, look at the variety and the inventory, and how do they stock all of them so high up? This one is located on Friedrichstrasse.
Nespresso capsules.
Beer bikes even go late into the night in Berlin. If I am not mistaken this concept started in the Netherlands, I blogged about this 5-7 years ago, but this has since been banned here. I can understand why because Amsterdam and Utrecht for example where these beer bikes started are full of canals. When the boys get rowdy and intoxicated with alcohol they might find themselves drowning in the canals! Scary.
The Berlin MINI.
Some random architectural interest, building bridge and sculptures. In Budapest, they have similar statues guarding doorways.
Berlin has a Galeries Lafayette but it does not come close to its Parisian sister. It embodies the same style though, the atrium and the dome.
Das Sachsenhaus, proud of its 'Made in Germany' stuff.
We also had dinner at the Spanish restaurant chain called Maredo. We had high hopes of this restaurant but our experience was summed up into a 3 stars out of 5 rating. My salmon was OK and the scampis as well but it lacked the ooomph. I even forgot what Dutchman had. The dinner was saved by the dessert: Appelstrudel with ice cream and whipped cream. This is 4.25 stars out of 5.
I cannot help it but I am attracted to the green colour.
At Alexanderplatz, some (cheap) Don Lucas Brut (cava sparkling wine).
A small protest rally on Alexanderplatz.
The 17th of June Avenue (Strasse de 17 juni).
Grosse Stern (Great Star), is the central square of the Grosser Tiergarten on the 17th of June Avenue.
As we drove out of Berlin, we followed the Polizei =)
From Berlin, Dutchman and I went to nearby Potsdam for a half a day visit. Potsdam is hands down very pretty. More about it next...
Another thing that I’d like to do in Berlin next time around is to visit the food or farmer’s market. I have simple wishes, I do not ask a lot =)
Below are more pictures that I took during our 4-day Berlin long weekend trip in March of this year. They are daily street scenes, some of our dinners (they did not merit their own post), more historical monuments and places and things of interest.
One of our dinners at Restaurante Malatesta, an Italian restaurant in Gendarmenmarkt. We shared a spinach salad doused in balsamico vinegar and showered with roasted pine nuts. Dutchman had homemade ravioli with buffalo milk and ricotta cheese filling while I had seafood risotto which was quite salty. For dessert, see next picture. Overall: 3.5 stars out of 5.We shared our dessert: Creme caramel at Restaurante Malatesta. 3 stars out of 5... Bonne Maman's creme caramel at Albert Heijn is much better. I must add that the older Italian waiter who attended to us was a such a sweet gentleman. He thinks the Dutchman is American because he ordered Coke, haha!Mini cars are so easy to park in the city.I was speechless to see the massive Nespresso shop in Berlin! Wow, look at the variety and the inventory, and how do they stock all of them so high up? This one is located on Friedrichstrasse.Nespresso capsules.Beer bikes even go late into the night in Berlin. If I am not mistaken this concept started in the Netherlands, I blogged about this 5-7 years ago, but this has since been banned here. I can understand why because Amsterdam and Utrecht for example where these beer bikes started are full of canals. When the boys get rowdy and intoxicated with alcohol they might find themselves drowning in the canals! Scary.The Berlin MINI.Some random architectural interest, building bridge and sculptures. In Budapest, they have similar statues guarding doorways.Berlin has a Galeries Lafayette but it does not come close to its Parisian sister. It embodies the same style though, the atrium and the dome.Das Sachsenhaus, proud of its 'Made in Germany' stuff.We also had dinner at the Spanish restaurant chain called Maredo. We had high hopes of this restaurant but our experience was summed up into a 3 stars out of 5 rating. My salmon was OK and the scampis as well but it lacked the ooomph. I even forgot what Dutchman had. The dinner was saved by the dessert: Appelstrudel with ice cream and whipped cream. This is 4.25 stars out of 5.I cannot help it but I am attracted to the green colour.At Alexanderplatz, some (cheap) Don Lucas Brut (cava sparkling wine). A small protest rally on Alexanderplatz.The 17th of June Avenue (Strasse de 17 juni).Grosse Stern (Great Star), is the central square of the Grosser Tiergarten on the 17th of June Avenue.As we drove out of Berlin, we followed the Polizei =)From Berlin, Dutchman and I went to nearby Potsdam for a half a day visit. Potsdam is hands down very pretty. More about it next...
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Mt. Olympus, Blue Glacier
We made the long drive up to the northwest corner of the state to climb Mt. Olympus. It is located deep in the Hoh Rain Forest. The climb involves a round trip hike of 45 miles with an elevation gain of 8,000'.
There were huge, moss covered Douglas Fir, Cedar, Spruce and Hemlock trees everywhere.
Elk Lake at the 15 mile mark.
This cable ladder was put in place to help climbers cross an avalanche chute just before the camp at Glacier Meadows.
The Blue Glacier as seen from the lateral moraine. The true summit is the farthest peak in the middle of the picture. Snow Dome is on the right.
Doug and Dave on the summit in our rain gear. It rained for about an hour when we first started up the glacier. We had traveled and hiked way to far to turn around because of rain! The sun even came out later that morning.
The view from the summit looking down on Snow Dome and the Blue Glacier.
The lower part of the glacier is a square mile of hard ice. It is covered with hundreds of small icy streams. They usually disappear into a hole or crevasse on the glacier.
It would have been easy to spend an entire day there exploring that part of the mountain. We had to walk on the high spots to stay dry.
We made our way back down the moraine to Glacier Meadows where the biting flies convinced us to start the hike out to the car. The next day, we stopped at the beach for a while and then started the long drive home. It was nice to accomplish another climb that had been on our "to do" list for a while.
There were huge, moss covered Douglas Fir, Cedar, Spruce and Hemlock trees everywhere.
Elk Lake at the 15 mile mark.
This cable ladder was put in place to help climbers cross an avalanche chute just before the camp at Glacier Meadows.
The Blue Glacier as seen from the lateral moraine. The true summit is the farthest peak in the middle of the picture. Snow Dome is on the right.
Doug and Dave on the summit in our rain gear. It rained for about an hour when we first started up the glacier. We had traveled and hiked way to far to turn around because of rain! The sun even came out later that morning.
The view from the summit looking down on Snow Dome and the Blue Glacier.
The lower part of the glacier is a square mile of hard ice. It is covered with hundreds of small icy streams. They usually disappear into a hole or crevasse on the glacier.
It would have been easy to spend an entire day there exploring that part of the mountain. We had to walk on the high spots to stay dry.
We made our way back down the moraine to Glacier Meadows where the biting flies convinced us to start the hike out to the car. The next day, we stopped at the beach for a while and then started the long drive home. It was nice to accomplish another climb that had been on our "to do" list for a while.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Time Traveling
I took this photo yesterday at the end of the Minuteman Trail in Bedford, Mass. Looking at it later, it occurred to me that everything here is from another era. This might as well have been taken several decades ago. The Autumn scenery is probably a big contributor to the nostalgic feel.
This train car of the defunct Boston and Maine Railroad is now a merely decorative presence at the end of the Rail Trail. The heyday and downfall of Boston and Maine followed a similar timeline as the heyday and downfall of the Raleigh Roadsters. Will the charming regional train lines ever make a comeback? I would like that. And I hope they allow bicycles on board.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Horsethief Lake, Columbia Hills State Park, Wishram, WashingtonSeptember 20, ..
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Mt. Baker, ColemanDeming
Our season opener was a ski/snowshoe climb of Mt. Baker. Snow blocked the road about 2 miles from the trailhead. Doug, Dan, Pete, Jim and Mark about to hit the trail.
The weather was warm and the snow was soft. Jim, Pete and Dan snowshoeing and skinning up to camp.
Mark skinning up the ski approach.
Our camp at 6,100'. Mt. Baker in the background.
Jim above Colfax Peak and Pumice Ridge.
Mark climbing the final 1,000'
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| Jim on the summit. |
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| Doug on the summit |
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| Mark about to ski from the summit to the road |
Huge blocks of ice calving off of Colfax Peak
Jim almost back to the trailhead.
Now it's time to plan our next climb!
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