Another Balloon

Durability of Unusual Finishes: Chrome Plating and Clear Powdercoat

This winter I've been riding some bikes with unusual finishes. My main ride is a clear powdercoated Brompton. There are also two chrome-plated bikes in my possession at the moment: a vintage Raleigh Tourist and a modern Bella Ciao. The idea of riding these bikes on salted winter roads has been met with some concern, and I've been asked to comment on how they are holding up.




To start with, I just want to say that chrome plating and clear powder coat are entirely different finishes, and I am by no means placing them in the same category. But the one thing they have in common is that they are unusual, which invites curiosity about their durability compared to paint.Unfortunately, I cannot address that question meaningfully. I didn't have the heart to experiment with the beautiful finishes, so I've been cleaning the bikes after every salty ride this winter. But in truth I am not sure how much this extra care is warranted.




When it comes to the chrome plated bikes, I am actually surprised by the concern for their durability. Chrome plating might be pretty, but its real purpose - as I understand it - is to make the frame more resistant to corrosion. Therefore, a chrome plated frame should require less, not more maintenance than a painted or powdercoated frame. Issues of cost aside, chrome plating should make for an excellent and entirely appropriate winter bike finish. For what it's worth, my chrome Raleigh Tourist is a 33-year-old bike that was well-ridden by its previous owner. The chromed frame shows less wear than a typical painted frame from that era, though a similar degree of component wear.




Clear powdercoat is a different story. Generally speaking, powdercoat is considered to be a more durable finish than liquid paint, which makes it a preferred choice for winter bikes. But clear powdercoat is tricky and may not be reliably rust-proof. Owners of clear-coated bikes have reported problems with corrosion. Rivendell used to offer clear-coated frames, but no longer does. Brompton at some point reformulated their raw lacquer finish to address corrosion issues. Today there are owners of clear-coated Bromptons who ride them in winter, and dealers seem to feel this is perfectly fine to do. I do not see any signs of rust on mine so far, although again - I've been cleaning it.I would notintentionally choose a clear powdercoat finish for a winter bike.




All things considered, I feel that (pigmented) powdercoat and liquid paint are more practical choices for a bike finish. Chrome plating is expensive and difficult to do properly. Clear powdercoat is reputed to be less durable.




Then again, there are bikes that do perfectly well with no finish at all. As an experiment, Henry Cutler of WorkCycles left his personal Fr8frame unpainted. For three years the bike was stored outdoors in Amsterdam's rainy saltwater climate. Over time the frame has developed a patina of surface rust, but it remains structurally fine. Go figure!

A Day Out

We took a day to go for a drive to some of our favorite places and try out the new camera. A couple of shots of a hiking and fishing area along the Jemez Creek.



Two photos of a little water fall called Soda Damn as it is a natural fall and damn with and because of the way the water causes a rush of bubbles as it falls some thought it looked like the bubbles in soda's or soft drinks like colas.








A walk along a forest trail.



Looking out across the creek that runs under the bridge in the above photo.



Tuffee went with us and enjoyed our walk.



A big rock called Battleship Rock.



On the drive home we are headed for the Sandia Mountains and Albuquerque.



We turned off before getting to Albuquerqe to go to Rio Rancho and stopped to get a couple of photos of the Sandia Mountains with desert. Albuquerque would be hid by the juniper tree on the right.







And Tuffee decided to stick out her tounge just as I snapped this one.

Finally, Maine!

Saturday - September 8th - - It was shortly after noon when I left Lancaster. Today and tomorrow, the Interstates would be my friend. I hoped. In the afternoon and evening I ran into some nasty weather in Pennsylvania and New York with lots of rain and strong winds but it eventually tapered off as I drove into the night.



Sunday - September 9th - - It was a long day of driving starting at 6:30 am and lasting until 4:30 pm when I finally arrived at Camden Hills State Park, about 15 miles south of Belfast, Maine. It was one of those rare state parks that has wifi available and, even rarer, it happened to be very good wifi at that! Van Dora had been making some rather odd sounds after leaving Pennsylvania and the ABS light had come on too, but there was little that could be done since it was Sunday. I just kept on traveling, hoping that it wasn't anything serious. There was a Dodge dealer in Belfast so that would be my first stop Monday morning...



Monday - September 10th - - The day dawned bright and clear. A good omen, perhaps? Before heading into Belfast, I drove to a viewpoint in the park that overlooks the bay.








Penobscot Bay and the town of Camden.








A zoomed-in view of the town of Camden.


Upon arriving at the Dodge dealer in Belfast, I explained what was happening with Van Dora. They said it might be an hour or two before they could look at it, which was to be expected since I arrived unannounced on a Monday morning. They had a nice waiting room with wifi so before handing the keys over to them, I grabbed the laptop to catch up on email and to write a few blog posts (which did not get completed at that time). I also contacted my friend Joann to let her know what was going on.



About 90 minutes later, I had the bad news. Van Dora needed new tie rods and a wheel bearing! Apparently, heat from the bearing had damaged the ABS Sensor, so that had to be replaced too. Some other major repairs had been done before leaving Indiana (shocks, struts, tires, etc.) so I was disappointed that this problem had not been discovered at that time. According to the maintenance manager at the Dodge dealer it was something the other repair shop should have noticed. No point dwelling on that though. The parts wouldn't be in until the next morning and the repairs might not be completed until late the next afternoon.



I called my friend Joann (on the dealer's phone since my cell had no coverage!) and she was about half way to Acadia. She turned around and came back for me. We decided to continue on to Acadia (about 90 minutes away) since fees would have to be paid for the campground reservations there anyway and it sounded like there was a good chance that the van wouldn't be ready until Wednesday anyway.



It was late afternoon when we arrived at Seawall campground in Acadia National Park. We got settled in at our campsite and enjoyed a pleasant evening together. Joann has a little Casita trailer with enough room for two to sleep, more or less comfortably. I'm used to sleeping in a narrow space in the van but my bed that night was several inches narrower and the six foot length was a little tight. However, I was very thankful that I had a place to spend the night - Thank you, Joann!



the url for this post is http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/../09/finally-maine.html

Happy 15th Birthday Austin!

One of the things we had to adjust to when first going out "on the road" was the fact that we could not count on people we knew being around. It is a huge transition to never knowing exactly who will be around. For the most part, you just learn to adjust and it's not a big deal in time. Still, things like birthdays can feel kind of lonely.



This year, Austin's birthday turned out to be anything but lonely. Because we are still camping with so many other Families on the Road people, we had lots of people around. Early in the day, they decorated our RV:



How cool is that? On top of all of the friends here, our travel buddies arrived yesterday so he had family here too. We had a big surprise party for him. The Evans kept him contained inside until we were ready for him. All the kids hid with silly string in hand:





Surprise, Austin!





He had a great time!











Happy Birthday, dude! Rock on! You have made the last 15 years so interesting, so here's to many more fun years to you!



Living the life surrounded by love in Florida!

Component Porn... Film Noir Style

When we talk about "bike porn," all too often the attention is on the obvious stuff: the frames, the lugs, the cranksets, the handlebars. But what about the more subtle components? I know what you're thinking: I must be into some fancy, handmade, outlandish stuff. But I am really a girl of simple tastes at heart. Take, for instance, the little brass bell. Round, shiny and boisterous, I cannot get enough of these perfect little creations. All the world reflects in their polished surface, and they have seen everything your bicycle has seen. Sometimes I will be rolling along, and I catch a glimpse of the sky and trees reflected in my bicycle bell. How delightful to see my surroundings in miniature form, right on my handlebars.

And then there is my excessive affection for the classic Sturmey Archer 3-speed trigger shifter. God, I mean look at it! Something about the shape, the font, and the overall design just says "stare at me, touch me, use me!" That little notch on the trigger so eager forme to shift gears. No other shifter has inspired such emotion within me. Am I being weird?



Although if you want weird, I will admit that I also have a thing for indicator chains. That's right: those little bits of chain stretching from the hub. Oh how I yearn for glimpses of their jewel-like elegance - unobstructed by the horrendous plastic enclosures in which they are often housed today. Please, manufacturers: Free the indicator chains!



And I must not forget my longing for classic brake levers. I have tried to cope with standard modern ones, but how can I forsake the curves of theseVO classics? The gentle tapering and the ball at the tip... A cold sleek modern lever cannot hope to offer the same tactile experience.



With all of these things now installed on the same bicycle, the overall effect is overwhelming. And it makes me realise that I am more taken with the looks of simple 3-speed components than with anything more complicated. Having a visible indicator chain on a hub is more important to me than the kind of derailleur I use, and my preference for the trigger shifter is by far more passionate than my admiration of bar-ends on roadbikes. Give me a classically outfitted 3-speed, and I will swoon with delight. What is your component porn of choice?

I Love Being Mimi

The hardest thing about being gone for seven months was not seeing the kids and grandkids. The really great thing about being Grandma or Mimi is that they miss you almost as much as you miss them. Or at least they tell you they do!



We were able to see our gorgeous grandchildren today, after seven long months. That is like a lifetime in Grandparent time. One of the first thing Liv does is show me that she has drawn a picture for me. Liv is an artist so I always love her art work. Here is one of her masterpieces that has "everyone" in it, according to her.



From left to right: Mimi, Auburn, Austin, Papa, Olivia and Gabe and the second row has Dad and Mom.





Nathan is highly offended by this picture and I just don't see why? Just because I am much bigger than him, first in line and colorful does not mean a thing. Ah, Liv always knows how to make my day. She even made our hair the same, complete with matching flowers.



Not to be outdone, Gabe asked to use my camera and took some pictures with it. He has shown real skills in this before, and I see that he's still as good as ever which just tickles me pink. Here is some of his work of Coco and their dog Jaeger and their gorgeous Mom, Renie:







They are just the coolest kids ever. I think Papa kind of likes them too:



Truth be told, he adores them as much as me. And it always so endearing to me to watch him interact with them. We are hoping to have lots more fun with them over the next few months.



Living the life in Florida!

Folklore Galore

Friday, August 12th - - It was raining when I woke up this morning as it had most of the night. Later in the day it seemed to be clearing and I decided to drive into Bemidji, about 30 miles north of Lake Itasca. About halfway there the sun would occasionally came out between the layers of clouds.



Bemidji, Minnesota is the first city on the Mississippi. They have a sign posted in the center of town that says so!





However, their real claim to fame though is that they are the home of one of several statues of Paul Bunyan and his famous blue ox, Babe! Here, they reside in a lakefront park on the shores of Lake Bemidji.





The rather crude “folk art” figures were built in 1937 and funded through donations made by local residents. It was rather fun watching the people interact with Paul and Babe!









Later that afternoon, driving south back toward Lake Itasca, the sun disappeared. By the time I got to the campground, it was raining again. And it rained for most of the next day. But that gave me an opportunity to get a bunch of blog posts written and scheduled!

Sherpa Peak

Sherpa Peak is a large bump on the east shoulder of Mt. Stuart. It does not get climbed near as often as Stuart. It was nice to climb something new in the range. Mark and Doug did it as a day hike.



Climbers near the false summit of Mt. Stuart. There was still a lot of snow at the end of June.




Mark leading the way up the West Ridge.






Doug working his way up.






Sherpa Balanced Rock is a feature visible from all over the Stuart Range. It doesn't get climbed very often. It looks like the wind could blow it over, but it is actually pretty well built. We couldn't leave without climbing it. Mark led the way up and Doug followed. It was nice to finally stand on top of that rock we have looked at so many times.
Sherpa Peak is the shaded peak on the right shoulder of Mt. Stuart as seen in this photo from Longs Pass. It was another memorable day spent above treeline!

Slush Cup

Well, it seems that "Slush Cup" went big time this year. While we climbers were trudging up the Emmons variation of the DC, the folks from TAY were skimming across a pond on skis and snowboards, courting NPR radio reporter Tom Banse. Was it perhaps the slick video that attracted the attention of the rangers and media? Somehow, they turned a damp gray day below Pinnacle Peak into radio propaganda for those who pursue "turns all year." That is, turns all year, year after year after year after year...

Which begs the questions, what constitutes "turns"? It seems that strapping on your boards for "sand dune" turns in eastern Washington could actually qualify you for the honor; however carving Mt. Hood's salty slush in August may not. There are rules and qualifiers for everything. Go figure! Photo provided by Ron Jarvis, who frequently haunts Rainier's slopes in pursuit of skiable snow (what a surprise.)

And regarding mountain climbing... there is little "new" news to share. Climbers are successfully ascending the primary routes, so things must be holding together. There are ranger patrols on the Kautz and Emmons glaciers. Look for those reports later this week.

Beaver Creek Resort in Gaylord, Michigan

We really like this park, so I grabbed a few pictures to help us remember it in case we are back this way again sometime. The staff is top notch and the facilities are great. The internet in the lodge is the best we've encountered so far.

Gunks Routes: Te Dum (5.7)

(Photo: the opening moves on Te Dum)



It was still winter, technically, when I got my first Gunks opportunity of . But spring seemed to be in the air.The temperature had suddenly spiked up into the sixties. The internet hummed with reports of great early-season climbing.



I couldn't wait to get out there.



I was feeling pretty good. I was perhaps in better physical shape than ever before, and I'd been climbing well in the gym.



But it got colder as the the weekend began, and by the time my climbing day, Sunday,dawned, it felt like winter all over again. As I drove up to New Paltz with A and M, I watched as thethermometer on my dashboardreported the dropping temperature outside: 32, 31, 30...



It bottomed out at 28 degrees just before we hit Exit 18.



Whatever, I wasn't worried. The high was projected to be around 48 and I figured with the sun shining on the cliffs it would feel warm enough once we got into it. I suggested to my friends that we head to the Nears, where the classics are piled deep, one after another, at the northern end of the cliff, closest to the road. I was thinking of a couple good warm-ups for us. One was Alphonse, a 5.8 climb that'sreally a 5.6 for all but one move. Another was Te Dum, a 5.7 that I remembered as having only one 5.7 move on it:an exposed but easycrux step around a corner about two-thirds of the way to the top. I was eager to get started and I volunteered for the lead.



As we walked to the start of Te Dum we passed Broken Sling, a notorious 5.8 with a bouldery start and a poorly-protected thin traverse above. Like Pavlov's dog I started salivating at the thought of getting on that one. Then beneath our chosen climb I stared straight up at the crux downward-facing off-width that finishes the first pitch of Inverted Layback (5.9). Boy, I'd like to do that one soon, I thought. But first I have to knock off this easy 5.7.



We racked up and I headed skyward.



The climb starts just left of the back of an open book, at a wide vertical crack system that passes two ledges on the way to a third. At the third ledge, where the vertical crack system widens,you traverse to the right wall of the open book and head up past a few flakes to the crux move around a second corner. Once you make the thin move around the crux corner a few jugs usher you up to a small ledge where a tree used to have slings around it, forming an optional belay station. This tree has lost its largest branch and these days hardly seems suitable for belay duties; in any event the rest of the climb is 5.4 and short. A rising traverse takes you out from under the roof over your head and then it's a couple moves to the top. Best to do the whole thing in one pitch.



As I started the climb, worming up to the first little ledge, I realized Iwas actually feeling very rusty after our long, snowy winter. I wasn't used to real rock anymore, and neither my fingers nor my toes felt secure on the stone. Even though the sun was shining directly on the rock, it still felt cold to the touch, and it may have been irrational but I didn't feel confident that my grip on the holds was solid.



At the second little ledge, I found myself standing to the left of the vertical crack and couldn't figure out how tostep up. I had two pieces right there-- in fact, I'd placed four pieces of pro in about 10 feet-- but I confess I was starting to panic. I couldn't commit to the move. My fingers were feeling numb. I told myself this was just season-opening jitters and to go ahead and step up, but when (after what seemed an eternity)I finally did so I immediately slipped off the foothold and down to the ledge on the right side of the vertical crack, where I should have been standing in the first place. Now that I was standing two feet to the right of where I'd been standing amoment before, the move was obvious-- I'd fallen into the proper position. The rest of the climb went smoothly. The rock even started to warm up and by the time I got to the cruxI cruised through it, as I'd expected I would.



My verdict on Te Dum two years later: despite my jittery beginning, it's still, to my mind, an easy 5.7. The opening bit, up to where you move right, is a simple matter for anyone who isn't climbing (like me) with blinders on. Then a very easy and well-protected traverse (use the crack at the back of the open book for pro) leads to a couple nice moves up to the crux. One deep breath and a committing step will take you around the second corner to jugs and the optional belay. Then it's an exposed, 5.4 romp to the trees. A nice pitch, with more climbing on it than I remembered.



So much for starting the year feeling strong. I'd secretly hoped the Gunks 5.8s would feel ridiculously easy as the year began, but that's just not how it works, is it? You have to pay your dues year after year, make a few mistakes, get yourself a little scared, ask yourself why you're even contemplating this stupid sport. And then it all becomes fun again.



The rest of my day went much better. After myshaky performance on Te Dum I handed the lead over to A for Disneyland (5.6) and Alphonse (5.8), and these climbs did a lot to shake the slipperyfeeling off my fingers and toes. Then I took the lead for the first pitch of Yellow Ridge (5.7), which I'd never been on before, and felt absolutely fine about it. And then we hit Farewell to Arms (5.8), which A led and which I thought packed a ton of climbing intothe shortfirst pitch. This was not an easy 5.8, but I'll write more about that and our other climbs of the day in another post.



We ended our day with a rope up on To Be Or Not To Be (5.12), which none of the three of us could even begin to conquer. As we flailed away at it I couldn't take my eyes off of Birdland, just to the right, another 5.8 that has somehow eluded me these past couple years. I prefer roof climbs to face climbs, and Birdland is definitely in the face climb category, at least for its first pitch. But for some reason it just calls to me, and I'm going to jump on that sucker soon. Something about it just looks so appealing, and knocking it off my list early this year just seems like something I have to do. Assuming my jitters really are shaken off.