Got Skills? Riding a Bicycle without Knowing How

I tend to think of myself as having begun cycling when I got into it as an adult. But technically, that is not so. I learned to ride a bike when I was a child, and rode one all through junior high and most of high school. There was a nice post today on ecovelo, where Alan mentioned having "lived on his bike" as a kid, and in a sense it was similar for me. My friends and I did not race each other through wheatfields or pop wheelies, but we did use our bikes to get around our small town. Even once old enough to drive, most of us somehow still stuck with bicycles: It just seemed easier and even kept us off our parents' radar (for example, they could not look at the odometer to determine whether we had gone out when we were told not to).



But during all those years of riding bikes as a child and teenager, I knew absolutely nothing about "technique." At some point I was given a 2-wheel bike, and I used it as a push-bike for a few laps around the park until suddenly I was able to pedal without the bike falling over. To me, that meant that I was pretty much done learning "technique." In the years that followed, I rode with the saddle low, never learned how to start and stop "properly" or to pedal while standing, and was not aware that turning involved leaning and balancing, rather than using the handlebars. Heck, I never even learned how to shift gears, because the shifters on my low-end bike were jammed!



When I think about how it feels to cycle today - and particularly, how it felt when I first started doing it as an adult - I am confused and frustrated by all those younger years spent riding a bike without knowing how to do it properly. It's odd that I did not naturally pick up any skills what so ever during that time. (How can that be? Surely no one is that unathletic?) Moreover, my friends must have been just as clueless, because no one ever made fun of me or told me I was "doing it wrong." And it's frustrating that those skills were so much easier to learn as a child than as an adult - so by not having learned them early, I am at a disadvantage that may take me some effort to overcome.



I first discovered the concept of leaning on turns by reading about it, and after that it took months before Iphysicallybecame aware of it enough to gain some control over the process. Of course when I did, I was ecstatic - to the amazement of the Co-Habitant who had not realised the extent to which I never learned these things.



As for saddle height, it is an ongoing fiasco: It took over a year of gradually raising it until I was able to have it at more or less the height where it needs to be for good leg extension... But I still cannot mount a bicycle properly and have to do a graceless little lean-and-hoist maneuver to get myself onto that raised saddle. Terrified of falling, I am highly resistant to being taught, and watching videos of others doing it over and over has not helped. At least I am now finally able to pedal while standing: After months of riding fixed gear, I finally got it (at first I could do it only on the fixed gear, then the skill gradually transferred onto freewheel bikes). I have to say, that was not easy for me to "get". In my head I understood what to do, but my body refused to balance.



It seems absurd to me that I can ride a roadbike at 25 mph, handle long climbs and hilly descents, ride a fixed gear racing bike "for fun" - yet still lack some of the most rudimentary cycling skills after almost two years of trying to master them.Will I ever be able to handle a bike like a "real" cyclist?Who knows - maybe I can still learn. Or maybe I should just accept that my early years of "doing it wrong" ruined me for life.Is the way you cycle now different from how you did it as a child? And if you are a parent, at what age did you teach your children to ride a bike and how did they take to it?I wonder how many others there are who feel this way - as if they are riding a bike without knowing how.

Gunks Routes: Yellow Ridge (5.7)

(Photo: coming around to the stance beneath the off-width on the first pitch of Yellow Ridge.)



Often described as the best 5.7 in the Gunks, Yellow Ridge delivers a classic Fritz Weissner old-school sort of experience. An intimidating 5.7 off-width crack looms about 10 to 15 feet off the ground. The first belay traditionally follows directly above, and then the second pitch follows a path-of-least resistance 5.5 traverse up and left to a decent ledge. Then in the final pitch comes the glory: a thin traverse left to an arete and an improbable 5.6 haul through great jugs to the top.



The first decision confronting the climber is how to get to the off-width. Guidebooks have differed as to which approach is the original route; one can climb up to the off-width from the left, from the right, or directly up a nose from below. Dick Williams' latest guidebook suggests the approach from the right. This approach has the advantage of being the only start with good protection. When I led the pitch in March, this is the way I went, and I thought it was a bit strenuous for 5.7, but very secure and fun. The climb begins up a left-facing corner and then traverses under a low roof to the nose beneath the off-width. A good undercling crack provides great pro and hands for the traverse. The feet are quite smeary, however, and this part of the pitch really gets the pulse going, quite close to the ground. Then it's a fun maneuver rocking over the top of the nose to the stance beneath the off-width.



The off-width itself is kind of a letdown. I doubt even Fritz grunted up the thing. There are enough little edges around it that there is no need to use the wide crack to advance. I brought up a couple big cams just to see if they'd be useful, and it turned out they were totally unnecessary. I placed a gray #4 Camalot just above the piton at the base of the off-width. It wouldn't fit any higher. I suppose it had value in backing up the pin, but a #3 would have gone in almost as high. Then about half-way up the crack I placed the purple #5 Camalot, but right there a good horizontal also appears which takes a variety of different cam sizes. So leave the big gear in your bag, there's no point in bringing it for Yellow Ridge.



Traditionally there is a belay at the ledge above the off-width. I wasn't experiencing any drag, even though I placed gear both before and during the traverse beneath the roof at the start of the pitch, so I elected to continue through the easy 5.5 moves up and left to the final belay ledge. Here my partner Adrian took over for the 5.6 money pitch. I had been through this area before, but never from this direction. Instead I had previously done the final portion of Yellow Ridge by approaching it from the other side, through a link-up climb called Basking Ridge, which ascends the excellent 5.7 first pitch of Baskerville Terrace, then moves to the right and goes up a cool rising traverse around a corner to the right to join Yellow Ridge at the arete below the overhangs.



When I climbed Basking Ridge last year and came around the corner to join Yellow Ridge at the arete, I looked to the right and thought the Yellow Ridge traverse looked a little thin and intimidating. This year, Adrian made it look very easy, then moved up, clipping the pins that are the only pro for a while through the arete section. Then he started to move out of sight, but he paused beneath the overhangs. As I've mentioned before, Adrian is a recent transplant to the Gunks. He is used to climbing out in Squamish, where the cracks are vertical and the roofs don't tend to go at easy grades.



"Do you know where I'm supposed to go?" he asked. "There's nothing up there that looks like 5.6 to me."



"Straight up!" I said.



"Really?" I think I see a pin off to the left through this filthy gully..."



"NO! No! Straight up, man. You'll see, it's nothing but jugs and awesomeness."



"I trust you, but it doesn't look that way..."



"I've done it before, really, I'm quite sure about this."



"Okay, okay."



So Adrian headed upward, and after a short period of silence, he let out a great whoop, and yelled:



"5.6 in the Gunks!!"



And that's the magic, really, of a climb like Yellow Ridge, and of so much climbing in the Gunks. It looks like it's going to be absurdly hard, and it is actually quite steep, but the holds are so great it really is fair to call it a 5.6. Powering through these overhangs is a joy, a special kind of thrill you don't get anywhere else from such moderate climbing.



When I followed the final pitch I thought the traverse to the arete was nice but no big deal. A couple of delicate face moves and it was over. Having done the whole climb I had to conclude that Yellow Ridge is not the best 5.7 in the Gunks. Aside from a few nice moves at the bottom, the climb is just okay until the wonderful, outstanding final overhangs. I think that Basking Ridge, on the other hand, is a legitimate contender for the "Best 5.7" crown. Starting with the technical, challenging thin corner of Baskerville Terrace, it then offers an airy, rising traverse to the Yellow Ridge arete that is more exciting than traversing in from the other direction. You also arrive on the arete a little lower than you do when you come in from Yellow Ridge, which adds a bit more exposure as you move up to the pins and then the final overhangs.



And I have another idea for what might be the very best, and most direct, link-up that leads to the last pitch of Yellow Ridge. It would start with the classic first pitch of Fat Stick (5.8), which I've never done, and then climb the second pitch of Fat Stick Direct (5.10(b)), which I've also never done. This would place you just to the right of the belay for the final pitch of Yellow Ridge, which you would then do instead of the R-rated third pitch of Fat Stick Direct. This link-up would produce an awesome moderate climb with a well-protected 5.10 roof crux in the middle. If I get the guts to break into 5.10 this year, I'll definitely give it a try and report back!

On the road to Cayo Coco: Cow traffic and the toilet from hell

So now that Santiago de Cuba is behind us we are an experience richer!



Our next destination in the agenda is Cayo Coco—the islands or the keys. This is where the famous Cuban beaches are located, in the eastern part of Cuba. We will be staying in a 4-star beach resort.



The drive from Santiago de Cuba to Cayo Coco is about 7 hours. We will be making 2 stops.



Cow Traffic: Mooooo!









While on the road, we saw cows joining lazily in the traffic. The biggest hazard in driving in Cuba are animals that think the highways are their domain. I have a horrifying animal encounter on the road story to share later.









And then we saw the usual scenery on the Cuban highways.



The Toilet from Hell



Then we have to make the necessary stop—our FIRST stop nearby Holguin, because nature called us to do THE deed. We’ve probably driven about 2-3 hours already.







This is the roadside café restaurant that we had the stopover. And because nature called us to stop here we proceeded to their toilet.







The toilet from HELL! EWWWW. The picture did not do justice, the toilet was really so bad in person.



When I saw this, I was speechless and my body hairs were literally standing! Goosebumps. I wanted to run away but I realised that I am a girl scout (and Blondine as well) who deals with the situation at hand. So I held my breath, make sure I balance myself well without touching anything (so gross!) and just stared at the ceiling (because I don’t want to see the hell around me) while doing the deed. UGH.



I was so proud of myself after. I did it!!!







Back at the café restaurant we bought some soda. Yep, this is a cafeteria in Cuba.











And we saw some locals stopping by as well for drinks and some socialising.



It is now time to go back driving and be on the road. We still have another 4 hours to reach Cayo Coco. Wish us the best!

The Popular Girl: Test Riding the Rivendell Betty Foy

Afterlast week's review of the Rivendell Sam Hillborne, it seemed appropriate to follow up with a test ride report of the Betty Foy. I have ridden her a couple of times before, but never had my camera with me until now. Harris Cyclery has just built up a new floor model in my size - so I took the opportunity to take some pictures and put my impressions into words.While the pictures reflect how this particular bicycle was built up, keep in mind that itis fully customisable: You can change everything from the saddle and grips, to the handlebars and pedals, to the type of components that are on the bike.



Rivendell released the Betty Foy in Spring , in conjunction with the diamond frame Sam Hillborne model. Inasmuch as a hand-built, niche-market bicycle can "sell like hotcakes" I believe the Betty does. She is charming, comfortable, and tough - and the ladies love her for that. The price of the frame alone is $1,000 and a fully built up bike starts at $2,200 or so, depending on the options. To see how this bicycle compares price-wise to other lady's frames in its class, please visit my new Semi-Custom Options page (now linked in the upper left-hand corner).



In terms of construction, the Rivendell Betty Foy is a version of the mixte frame: What starts out as a sloped single top tube splits into two stays at the seat tube and continues (at a slightly different angle than the slope of the main top tube) all the way back to the rear dropouts. The frame is lugged, with custom-made lugs in the shape of hearts and elaborate filigreed designs.



There are many cute and feminine touches, such as the downtube decal featuring tiny red apples



and the filled-in curly-cues on the fork crown.Some of the lugs are also filled in with red, complementing the robbin's egg-blue of the frame.



The Betty Foy frame is available in several sizes (47cm, 52cm, 58cm and 62cm), with the middle two built for 650B wheels, the largest built for 700C wheels, and the smallest for 26" wheels. There is enough clearance for 40mm tires plus fenders.



The frame is made for derailleur gearing, and is typically built up with three gears in the front and eight in the rear. There are eyelets and braze-ons for fenders and racks.



Rivendell states that the Betty frame was designed to be built up with Nitto Albatross handlebars - which are wide and swept back, similar to (but wider than) the handlebars you would find on a vintage 3-speed. I have also seen her built up with drop bars, but the upright set-up is more typical.This floor model was fitted with black rubber grips and "thumbie" shifters, though some prefer cork grips and bar-end shifters.



One thing to note about the Betty Foy, is the unusual sizing: The frame sizes recommended by Rivendell seem larger than what a person would normally ride. For example, I am 5'7" and normally ride a 52-54cm road bike or mixte, yet it is recommended that I ride a 58cm Betty Foy. Having tried both the 52cm and the 58cm frames, I can confirm that the recommendation is accurate. The 52cm Betty Foy felt much too small for me, whereas the 58cm version felt just right. I could have raised the saddle by another inch from the position in which it is shown above, but did not feel like going back inside the shop once I started riding the bike.



I rode the Betty Foy on the roads near Harris Cyclery (actual test ride not pictured), both this time and the previous times I've tried her. It is difficult to compare her to other bicycles on the market, because in a way she is unique. If you are accustomed to road bikes and vintage mixtes, you will find the Betty to be considerably more upright, stable, and comfortable. Sheis more relaxed than a typical mixte and has a long wheelbase - so that there is no toe overlap with the front tire when turning at slow speeds.I also find the step-over height to be lower than on other mixtes I've tried, which is convenient.



If you are accustomed to Dutch-style city bikes,you will find the Betty Foy a faster and sportier ride, but still within your comfort zone. The posture is slightly leaned forward, but still more or less upright. The derailleur gearing may take some getting used to if you have only dealt with internally geared hubs before, but you will appreciate how easy it makes cycling uphill.



In my view, the Betty Foy's greatest asset is her versatility. If you combine the feeling of a vintage 3-speed with that of a derailleur-geared touring bike, she handles like a union of the two: a fast, comfortable bicycle that feels safe and pleasant to ride. I can imagine riding her around the city for transportation, as well as 20 miles over some hills to the next town over. The ride is soft over bumps and potholes (not as soft as on my Sam Hillborne with 42mm tires, but I would need to ride Betty with equally wide tires to compare). Maneuverability in traffic is good, but the handling is not aggressive. I did not ride her on any serious hills, but with the derailleur gearing, the light frame, and the somewhat leaned-forward posture, I imagine it should hardly be a problem. She is what Rivendell says she is: an "all around" bike. If you plan to have only one bicycle for both urban commuting and long distance cycling, this seems like the closest thing on the market to that ideal.



The question I am inevitably asked at this point, is why I did not get a Betty Foy for myself when I was looking for a mixte, if I think she is so great. My main reason, was that I wanted a specific kind of mixte: one with twin lateral stays and proportions that resembled the original French constructeurs. The Betty Foy is not that kind of bicycle. Additionally, I must admit that I find Betty's femininity overwhelming. All the hearts and the bright colours - it's very American 1950s, whereas I am more of a European 1920s kind of girl. And my final reason is ironic - because it is the reason most people love this bike: I don't like the way some of the lugwork is done. If you look at the seat cluster above (see here for what that is), you will notice that the seat stays are welded directly to the main lug, rather than capped. No other Rivendell bicycle is made that way, and I don't know why this model is the exception. Personally, I would rather have a traditionally lugged seat cluster than hearts and curly-cues.



The same is repeated at the junction of the seat tube and support stays. My preference would be for something likethis to have been done here instead. I recognise how nit-picky and obsessive these quibbles are, but little details like this are important to me and I have my preferences when it comes to the way a frame is put together. It's an excellent frame, just not what I was looking for.



After I posted the above image, it was pointed out to me by a couple of attentive readers that there is a blemish right at the weld junction, next to the big lug. I myself did not notice this until my attention was directed to it - but now that it has, it's only fair that I mention it. Personally, I am not particularly bothered by this blemish (I have seen worse on more expensive frames) and it would not stand in the way of my wanting the bike, if it were not for the other factors. Your views may vary.



These issues aside, the Rivendell Betty Foy is an attractive and well-constructed bicycle. A great deal of thought went into the design, with a special emphasis on versatility - which I feel has been achieved here better than on other bicycles I have owned or tried. And apparently others agree, as the Betty has an excellent record of owner satisfaction. All things considered, I think the Betty Foy's popularity is well deserved.

The Other Reason We Travel

The main reason we wanted to travel full time was to see the world and do it together as a family. The other reason I love to travel is meeting all the new people we do. We've had a fairly transient life from the time we were married. We just never have seemed to want or need to stay put in any one place for too long. But the last place we lived, and it is the longest I stayed put in one house in my life, was South Florida. Southeast Florida to be exact. There is much I loved about the place and the people. And anyone that has lived there can attest to the fact that people being friendly or close to others is not one of the plusses. It is just how it is there.



Not to say I didn't make and keep great friends there, because I did. But they were few and far between. I didn't realize how starved I was for people interaction until we went on the road. I soak it up now that I have it so readily available to me everywhere we go. And I love it. I really miss it when I don't get it now.



Today we are sitting inside and I'm a bit pouty about that because we were invited to Happy Hour over at Ken and Faye's. All the pickle ball players will know who I am talking about because they are Pickle masters or ambassadors or something like that. And they are really great people to boot. (As a side note, I realized yesterday that Faye is one of the most regal women I've ever met. She has the kind of southern accent that makes me feel homesick. Someone once told me I was a southern Belle at heart and I think she meant that I want to be a southern Belle at heart, like Faye and my friend Marcia! Unfortunately, I'm more like Jenny from the block so I'll let them be the Belle's!) I'm really bummed that we are missing the Happy Hour due to rain. And I am just so grateful that I know we live a life that another and another and another will come our way. So it's not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of life.



I'm also pondering that the other day we went to Petsmart so we could waste more money on the pets who could care less about the gadgets and gizmos we buy them. While we were there though, I struck up a conversation with one of the managers and she was just the neatest lady. I'm thinking I'm going to have to drive back over just to talk to her again. She had lots of animals for pets, told us about some of them and told us why she moved to Florida, told us how she lost her mom and MIL both within six months and she is from my hometown. She is the first person I've met from Jackson. Well the first person that would admit it at least.

I was so touched that she'd share her life with me so freely and I hope I extended the compassion that I felt in my heart when she shared about being here without extended family around. While I can feel pouty about this or that in my life, she helped me to remember that most of the people I love the most are still here for me to see and visit with and talk to. And that's a pretty huge thing. She reminded me that while I lived for a season where I felt pretty lonely neighbor wise, I have now had a season where neighbors are abundant because most people in this country are still very neighborly. She reminded me of the other reason I love to travel. The people. They are every bit as incredible as the landscape!





Living the life in rainy Florida!

Honey Cyclocross: Sweetly Different

Aside from their obvious use for cyclocross racing, 'cross bikes can be a good choice for unpaved riding - something I've been apparently doing more and more of in recent weeks. So I wanted to try one and compare the experience to the 650B road-to-trail type bikes I've been riding thus far. Ride Studio Cafe's manager Patria offered her personal steed - a women-specific, true cyclocross racing machine from Honey Bikes. Patria and I are similar in height and we use the same pedal system, which makes it very convenient for me to try her bikes. One day when she wasn't riding it, I took the Honey out for a spin.






A small local manufacturer, Honey Bikes are a sister (or cousin?) company to Seven Cycles, specialising in modestly priced, handmade steel bikes.The Honey brand is not promoted aggressively, and the aesthetics are low key.Models include road, race, cyclocross, mountain, tandem and commuter bikes - each available in sizes configured for men and women, with size-specific tubing. The bikes are sold fully built-up with a selection of component groups and stock colours, priced starting at $2,000. These are not custom bicycles and the comparatively reasonable prices are achieved by sticking to stock configurations. However, the choices for those configurations are extensive - particularly the wide range of sizes. Thecyclocross model is available in 12 sizes, ranging from 49.5cm to 62cm, measured by the top tube.






Patria's bike is a 52.5cm according to the Honey sizing system. The toptube slopes 8°, exposing quite a bit of seatpost despite my rather unaggressive bar to saddle height ratio (Normally the saddle is set up a tad higher than shown here).






There is no toe overlap for me on this bike despite the 700C x 35mm knobby tires and short top tube.






The frame has a nice flow to it and is cleanly finished; the welded joints appear seamless under the paint. For those in the know, the curvy stays and sculptural dropouts are tell-tale signs of the relationship to Seven.






The body-colour stem and all-black components give a sense of unity and flow to the overall look of the bike.






One interesting feature that is typical of cyclocross bikes, is the cable routing.All three cables - the shifter cables and the rear brake cable - are routed along the top of the top tube.






This is done so that cyclocross racers can carry their bikes more comfortably, and so that the shifter cables (normally underneath the downtube) do not get covered in mud.






Also typical of cyclocross bikes are canti-lever brakes. These Tektro cantis worked adequately for me, though I still have not found brakes that work excellently on wide tire bikes.







The carbon fiber fork is made for Honey Bikes specifically, with canti bosses.






Lots of clearance for wide tires here, I believe 40mm being the maximum width.






The tires on the bike when I rode it were Schwalbe Racing Ralph 35mm.






The SRAM Rival drivetrain and levers were new to me, but it did not take long to figure out the double-tap shifting. I can use SRAM brake levers much better than Shimano, though I still prefer the Campagnolo on my own bike.






I rode the Honey on a local dirt trail, then on the road, then finally in circles on a grass lot before returning it to its owner. It was not a long ride - maybe 12 miles total.The ride quality over rough roads was smooth and the bicycle felt pleasantly floaty. At the same time, the wide tires were amazingly stable, and I fondly recalled the reassuring go-anywhere feeling of knobbies from my teenage years. However, that is where the sense of familiarity ended. Having ridden a Surly Cross-Check before, I thought that I knew what to expect from a cyclocross bike, but this was a different animal. As far as the handling, the novelty factor dominated my impression. The weight distribution was not what I was used to, and the bike felt somehow simultaneously more relaxed and more aggressive than the roadbikes I've gotten to know. I found myself standing up more than usual, and in general it was as if the bike wanted me to ride it differently than I normally ride. What I remember thinking was: "I can tell this bike is meant for something specific. But it's not meant for me." Still, the test ride was enjoyable precisely because of the novelty factor and the challenge of understanding the handling. I felt comfortable and reasonably confident on the bicycle, yet aware that it was designed for someone with a different riding style than mine.




Unlike me, the bike's owner actually races cyclocross. She finds the handling spot on, as do other cross racers who've tried it. The Honey is certainly worth considering for those looking for a racing bike just in time for the cyclocross season.






As far as general road-to-trail type riding for the rest of us... Well, in theory the Honey Cyclocross is suitable for that as well. I noticed that the gearing on the stock drivetrains is somewhat high, so you may need to tweak that. But features such as the wide tire clearances with no TCO, the canti/v-brake bosses, the variety of sizing options, and the lightweight components, are very appropriate. As described earlier, I would say the handling is rather particular; you may want to test ride the bike first. But that is exactly what I would say about low-trail 650B bikes, whose handling feels intuitive to me but strange to others.




For a US-made frame with an elegant contemporary aesthetic and mid-tier components, the price point of the Honey is certainly appealing. I am curious about their other models, and in particular find myself wanting to try the mountain bike. Those knobby tires have really put ideas in my head. Many thanks to Patria for lending me her Honey Bike! Full set of pictures here.

Jonas Joslin :: 1850 Ohio Census

The Jonas Joslin family was originally found on microfilm of the 1850 census in Liberty Township, Delaware County, Ohio. Knowing that the surname was misspelled by the census taker as "Gloslin" an alternate name request was submitted to ancestry. As a result, they now show up in the online index when searching for Joslin.

Page 417/208a Dwelling 1511 Family 1514

• Jonas Gloslin, 81, Real Estate valued at $1500, born Mass
• Jonas Gloslin Jr., 42, born Canada
• Lucy Gloslin, 42, born NY
• John Gloslin, 21, born Ohio
• Leucretia Gloslin, 19, born Ohio
• Nancy Gloslin, 16, born Ohio
• Jane Gloslin, 15, born Ohio
• Wm Gloslin, 14, born Ohio
• Mary Gloslin, 9, born Ohio
• Elisabeth Gloslin, 7, born Ohio
• Charles Gloslin, 2, born Ohio

Page 418/208b continuation of Dwelling 1511 Family 1514

• Fanny Gloslin, 40, born Canada

Page 418/208b Dwelling 1512 Family 1515

• Benjamin Bartholomew, 70, born Conn
• J Gloslin, 21, born Ohio
• Lovina Gloslin, 21, born Ohio
• Franklin Gloslin, 1, born Ohio

==+====+====+==

Note that Jonas Sr. is listed with a real estate valuation rather than Jonas Jr., which I find a bit odd since James Joslin sold the original homestead to Jonas Jr. in 1837. The land records need to be checked to see if there are other transactions for them, it could be that Jonas Jr. sold that land.

The J Gloslin enumerated in the household of Benjamin Bartholomew is probably John Joslin, son of Jonas Jr., although John is also listed in the household of Jonas Sr. (John H. Joslin was married on June 13, 1848 to Lovina M. Pain).

The other item of interest revealed in this record is birthplaces: Jonas Sr. was listed as born in Massachusetts; Jonas Jr. and Fanny were both born in Canada.