Archive for July 2010
The Dauphin: More than just Flipper
If you spend enough time in the French Alps, you’ll see a curious sight: dolphins. Not in the Lac de Bourget or the Lac d’Aiguebelete, but instead on buses, public announcements and the coat of arms. You’ll see them in the local paper and at summer festivals. For some reason there are dolphins all over most of the Savoie region (Southwestern France) despite that this mountainous area is miles and miles from the sea.
To answer this slippery question as to why there are so many marine mammals in the Alps, we need to look back at the Middle Ages. Needless to say it was a time of fluctuating political boarders, as armies of Franks and Arabs fought over control of Provence. In 855, Provence became a kingdom ruled by a man named Boson, who also ruled the areas of Vienne, Lyon and the Alps. Over the next 100 years, this enormous territory was annexed to the Kingdom of Burgundy, and its lands stretched from Basel all the way to the coast of the Mediterranean. In the 12th century, the feudal struggles within this vast area left three permanent political divisions: Provence, Haute-Provence, and the area then known as Southern Viennois which belonged to the Court of of Albon. Within this Court, there lived Count Guigues IV, whose middle name was dauphin.
From the House of Albon (and later branches of the House of Savoy) the title of “dauphin” implied a blood connection to Count Guigues IV and the nickname was thus passed on throughout the
lineage. As a result, the area surrounding Vienne, Lyon and the Savoy became known as the “territory ruled by the dauphin” – or the dauphiné. Although France’s blue-blooded monarchies lost their heads in the 19th century, the politico-geographic delineation of the dauphiné is still felt in the artistic renditions of delphinus all over the public scene. Even major sporting events in the area have the same title. The Dauphiné Liberé, a popular regional newspaper, decided to sponsor a one-week bicycle race just after the end of World War II. This bicycle race, held in June every year since the ’40s, was initiated by the regional newspaper – just like the early beginnings of the bigger bike races. The cyclists would ride from town to town over the course of a week, and as a result, the locals became more familiar with the paper, and more subscriptions were sold. Yet this critérium also became a test race for riders and for the press to test their communication systems before July’s Tour de France. Naturally, many winners of the Tour de France have also competed and won the Dauphiné Liberé, such as Armstrong in 2002 and 2003. I guess for every great rider there is a greater “porpoise.”
Movie Mondays: Piedmont’s Happy Trails
You’d never expect a big city to be so beautiful. One of Turin’s many hidden treasures (besides its bicerin) is its thick, green countryside. The Po – the longest river in Italy – starts in the Cottian Alps, and works its way eastward. It cuts through a number of major towns along the way including Turin, leaving it lush and green on the outside. As soon as you leave the more developed stone and brick architecture of the beautiful historic center, you find wood groves. In fact, most of the ground surrounding Turin is gorgeous forest born from the rich waters of the Po. And within these forests, kilometers of mountain bike paths web their way among the trees. The trails are open to all, and are guided professionally by a company called Happy Trails.
Happy Trails was created by Beppe and Milena: two friends of mine from Torino. Both speak multiple languages, both have participated in the Trans-Rockies challenge (on a tandem, no less), and both have years of experience leading groups on long excursions both on and off-road. Beppe is a certified mountain bike teacher and heads the Happy Trails School, focused on engaging children in the delights of two-wheeled travel. If it weren’t for Happy Trails and their knowledge of the singletrack surrounding the city, I would never have imagined the countryside to be as beautiful as it was. These are the trails that make the urban dweller happy: an afternoon with Beppe and Milena is the perfect solution to a sweltering city weekend.
What I find most impressive about their initiative – apart from their impeccable dedication to customer satisfaction and endearing good humor – is their commitment. They are motivated to convert a car-loving public to an alternative means of transportation – starting with the city’s youth. Turin is – after all – the heart of the Italian automobile industry. The marriage of Italian design and engineering has produced some of the world’s most beautiful machines.However, Beppe and Milena have created a school that appreciates T
orino for its natural beauty, using human-powered vehicles, fueled by gelato. As they continue to offer off-road excursions like the one I traveled, I guarantee they’ll have the public leaving their Fiats for Felts.
Thanks to Beppe and Milena for their assistance in making this video, but especially to Beppe who had to put up with my not-so-off-road legs. The heavy breathing is genuine, as were the hills that produced it. Maybe next time I should shave my legs and I’ll go faster.
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How do you do “Number 1″ when on the Two-Wheeler?
This is an argument that I’ve been considering addressing for sometime : when on the bicycle, how do you take care of business? Recently the Tour de France commentators have been calling rider b-room breaks, “nature breaks,” which – in my humble opinion – is too ridiculous for the race. In all of my riding I’ve never said to my friend, “Hey, I’m going to pull over and take a nature break.” I realize it’s television but there are so many more colorful expressions describing the act of “paying the water bill.” There is “seeing a man about a horse,” of course doing “number 1″ is popular, but my personal favorite will always be “changing the olive water” (loosely translated from the Italian Cambiare l’acqua alle olive). We don’t say this last one in English, but we should.
No matter how you do it, doing it in a bike kit poses great distress for many people. More so for women than men (for obvious reasons). Men have the opportunity to pull up a pant leg or stretch down their shorts to get at what their getting at. I’m a fan of bib-shorts, and I always use the “roll-back-a-leg” technique when I need to “take a pit stop.” Of course, the seams and threading in my bike shorts take a bit of tugging after a while. They begin to fray and split, but that’s all the more reason to buy a new kit after a few years.
The reason behind this post is my concern for the ladies. I have a number of female friends who are just getting into cycling and they don’t know whether to go with bib-shorts or waist shorts. My immediate reaction is to go with waist shorts, because it allows for easier biological access. But recently I’ve seen a number of women who ride in bib-shorts. Maybe I’m naive, but isn’t that uncomfortable?
Whichever short you wrap yourself in, I hope a few of the female readers will be able to shed some light on the arguments surrounding “spending a penny”
in (or rather, “out of”) bike shorts. Since my chromosomes have dictated differently, I am of little help to my fellow female cyclists. Yet apart from all the giggling and raised eyebrows this short post may have, it is crucial to realize just how important “refreshing the body” is. Not taking enough liquids in – or expelling them properly – can lead to a urinary tract infection, which could lead to a kidney infection and a whole bunch of other nasty business. Thus while on the bike, it’s as important to take in liquids as it is to get rid of them. So I hope the lady cyclists who are out there will share their wisdom for those who need a few ideas to help them enjoy a new and exciting sport. And always remember: no matter when nature calls, never take messages.
Bike Guide: Barrel Adjusters – A Barrel of Fun
New Shimano Barrel Adjusters
The mechanics of bicycles aren’t perfect, but they are pretty cool. If you think for a moment about how simple a bicycle is and how far it can carry you with as little as a push of the pedal, then you’ve come to realize the beauty in their engineering. It isn’t complex: a chain, some cogs, a comfortable seat, a handle bar, two wheels and some simple physics dictate the formula for a perfect ride. Yet in some instances, the ride isn’t perfect. In fact, it’s flawed – especially when you hear that click click click click coming from your back wheel. Or worse yet, maybe the bike is somehow shifting on its own. In these cases you may have too little (or too much) tension in the derailleur cable. You can ride for the rest of the day with this annoying sound, or you can get to know your barrel adjusters.
The beauty of this equipment is that you can tune your cable while riding the bike. If that sounds uncomfortable for some of you, then stop reading here. For anyone interested in bike mechanics, you have a barrel adjuster on the back derailleur as well as on the frame, or near the shifters, depending on the make of components you may have. Here, we’re talking about the adjusters found on the front of the bike, within reach as you ride.
SRAM Barrel adjusters on the cables
If while riding you hear that sound, try a few things:
1) Right side of the bike: Unless your bike has been cabled differently, the right side cable will help you tune the rear derailleur. As you ride, turn the cable in one direction but only in quarter turn increments. You don’t need a lot to go a long way.
2) Go back the other way: If you notice no change in the clicks, or the sound has gotten worse after about three or four turns, then turn the barrel adjusters the other way. Maybe instead of loosened, the cables need to be tightened (or vice versa) and this will help quiet the noise.
3) One-handed riders: If you’re not comfortable riding with your left hand while tweaking the barrel adjusters with your right, then don’t do it. Ideally, you would do this on a flat stretch where you can pedal and adjust simultaneously. I wouldn’t suggest doing it on a downhill in a curve – better to have both hands on the handlebars or you’ll have to adjust more than your cables after the crash.
4) Watch the fingers: Some of the barrel adjusters (Campagnolo and the new Shimano especially) are close to the wheel. Make sure not to get your fingers caught in the spokes – you’ll be left with fewer to grab your barrel adjusters the next time the cable gets loose.
Movie Mondays: the Tour de France Beyond your Television Set
It’s Monday. I should be doing some accounting, and (if you’re an accountant) so should you. But since the beginning of the work week is often faced with grunts and groans, I’ve decided to publish a video every Monday. This way you’ll be able to see what I’ve been up to the past week and you can click on it all week long. Maybe by Wednesday you’ll desire to get outside, or eat fresh pasta, or watch the Tour de France. Of course, you wouldn’t want to watch the Tour de France from your television set – it’s quite a rush to be on the course as the Tour comes through town.
That’s what I did last week.
Some friends and I were along the Col de la Madeleine early in the morning, before the riders came through. Then we rode down to La Chambre: a little village where the race passed before finishing in St.-Jean-de-la-Maurienne. If I could describe the atmosphere, ‘electric’ would be weak. Yet, that’s the idea. Watching the Tour de France from the side of the road is like standing out in the field as an electrical storm is approaching. You feel the buzz around you: the thunder of the helicopter blades, the winds of the Caravan and the press cars as they whiz by. The people along the road are all in jubilation: a time for locals to sing and children to play; the town is decorated in green, yellow, white and red polka-dots representing the winning jerseys. Suddenly everyone is fixated on the hillsides as the racers zig-zag down the switch backs – like a bolt of lightning – waiting breathlessly as this tempest approaches.
And then it strikes.
In a flash everyone screams and claps and pictures are snapped. The people along the side of the road squint as if in a downpour of riders to see who is in front, to find their favorite, to see how the battle will play out in the end. Again another flash of cyclists shortly behind the first, this one even bigger; the crowd cheers louder and louder as the racers fly through the middle of town. A few more hits, and then it’s over: a calm comes over the village and everyone returns to their television sets to see how the race will finish 15 kilometers down the road. An exhausting day, watching this technicolor storm pass in front of your eyes.
This video is for my brother (in-law) in Massachusetts, who is a fan of these bike races, and for Fi: who never started watching them until I made her do so. Thanks again to Leather Zoo for the use of their song “Stranger” (that’s the background song, not the accordion music).
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Living on the Edge: Life along the Côte d’Azur
There is something about the beauty of the Côte d’Azur that inspires more than a simple look in an easterly direction. Anyone who has walked along the crimson cliffs overlooking the emerald sea knows there is a magnetism about this ‘little’ part of the world that holds the viewer to deep meditation. It’s unlike visiting the Eiffel Tour: a man-made construction – in it’s own right a marvelous structure – yet far from the immensity that the farthest southern coast of France can offer. The Eiffel tower has a harmony that was planned by humans; the Emerald Coast has a harmony based on contrasting elements.
The red cliffs dive down into the azure sea, yet the trees grow sideways as they try, over the course of 
their lives, to battle against the Mediterranean winds. The land along the coast is flat, accommodating runners on the Esplanade des Anglais in Nice, and strollers and evening lovers on the coast in Cannes. But go inland no more than 5 kilometers and you have steep hills, protecting the villages of Grasse, St-Paul-de-Vence, and Vence. It’s no surprise that towards the end of the 19th century great impressionists like Cézanne, Renoir and Monet found inspiration in the movement of these stationary elements. Later in the mid 1900s, the surrealist sculptor and architect Chagall used these same contrasts to become one of the most influential figurative artists of the 20th century.
Murray and Lynn were equally inspired by the landscape. They spent a few days biking around some of Southern France’s most challenging – yet most beautiful – countryside. One of the most wonderful features of their vacation was the fact that they did as they saw fit, making their own choices. Whether it was a delicious meal in Nice’s historic center, or walking through the open market in Vence, they were able to see the countryside at their own speed.
Thanks goes out again to the subjects in the video: Murray and Lynn, I was warmed by your enthusiasm especially when the weather wasn’t cooperating. Your good spirits and laughter made this an excellent adventure in France. Next time I’m in Toronto, I’ll be sure to let you lead.
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Sicily: A Cool Place in the Heat of Summer
As July warms up, it’s hard to believe how cool temperatures were in Sicily in late May. The beaches, the refreshing breeze and the light seafood platters are all reminders of how lovely the weather was. Not that July is a bad month, but now Sicily is unbearably hot and this video is a quick memory of one pretty cool cyclist I was lucky enough to have in a pretty cool place. Eric is a great cyclist and it goes to show you that no matter what your cycling level, there’s something for everyone over at Pomegranate Journeys. In Eric’s case, it’s his cycling abilities as well as his open-minded approach in accepting the unknown adventure that makes travel so much fun. For Eric, “It will always be a good time.”
Eric is someone I’ve known for a few years now and he has always been a laid-back traveler: relaxed when his luggage does not arrive, at ease taking pictures and flying down the hills, he is even cool under pressure when more serious emergencies occur. He is always looking for engaging conversation and has a great sense of humor. Best of all, he keeps his sights – and taste buds – open to new discoveries. But not only is he cool on the bike, his outfits are cool too. Eric is one of the few cyclists I’ve seen who has a fashion sense that well reflects his personality.
Eric had never ridden the Kuota Kharma before taking a guided tour with Pomegranate Journeys. As you’ll see in the video, he’s very happy with the comfortable ride that these carbon-fiber bikes provide. It’s not as stiff as he expected and that’s a plus. It’s obvious that the bikes are light so you only have to concentrate on getting yourself up the hill – the bike, more or less, takes care of itself. He enjoyed the Shimano Ultegra components and he was able to push the bike to its limits: flying downhill and climbing uphill en dansant: dancing on the pedals.
Oh yeah: and his outfits match the bike colors.
Thanks Eric for being a good sport. I know I can get annoying with the camera, but I do appreciate your candid answers to my questions. It was great having you on the trip and I look forward to seeing you again (although let’s do Southern Italy again; Portland is a bit too rainy for me).
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