Urbanus Magnus

UPDATED 07/03/12: Now with pictures! I've had the O8 CX700 for nearly 9 months now, and so have put it through its paces by now. That's about 1000kms of mixed onroad/offorad/singletrack with tweaking, tuning, and general fettling in appropriate proportions. The Good: 1. Big Wonkin' Tires. There are quite a few things this bike has going for it, not least of which includes the capacity for large tires. I've concluded that you can shoehorn a 29x2.3 with fenders in there if you wanted. The 51mm (2.1in nominal) wide CST Critters have been a good fit so far. There is room for maybe 2.3in tires w/fenders, or 2.4 without.   2. A Nice Fork Design. I have had a good experience with the straight bladed fork that came standard with the frame. I know many people dislike them, because of the 'harsher ride' they supposedly give, or for their non-traditional look. Well, I can say that the ride certainly didn't feel "harsh" when riding road with 23...

From early June this year, for two weeks, I'll be in Europe. Mostly Tuscany, to be more specific - since my dad and I are planning to do little father-son bike trip in Italy this summer. Italy isn't quite the most cycling friendly nation out there, I will admit (the Netherlands, Germany or France would be much better choices), but the Mediterranean climate, Roman ruins and picturesque scenes wherever one goes have swayed us.  That, and I kinda want to say "Hi!" to the pope. Pisa's Leaning Tower. I bet you a nickel this is the image that appeared in your brain when you read "Italy." As a veteran map-reader (from my boy-scouting days), I have been assigned the somewhat-daunting task of planning the cycling route, and all of our destinations. With a guidebook or two, and tips from friends, I've got the basic event agenda structured. But, what is really difficult however is the route forming; Italian roads are notoriously narrow (no shoulders!) and...

In the spirit of  comparing how things have changed over the past half year , I thought I'd continue the theme, but this time, with a little trail construction. June 16th: And we've come a pretty long way since then, with the trail going out a good 300m more than before. February 11th: Yes. Quite the change, as the trail is now rounding the promontory made by the bluffs, and we can clearly see the beach of Bluffer's Park, whereas we could only really see the tip before. The story is that the breakwater is to be connected up the the beachfront trail at Bluffer's Park, so that it can form a single multi-use trail. But what if we turn our gaze from westward to northward, and look at the bluffs? Why, we see this! If you don't see it already, there is a small dwelling leaning precariously off the bluff's edge. Here's a closeup: Hello, Mrs. Van! Is Billy home? This Meadowcliffe Drive building has actually been hanging off the bluff's edge on  ...

Don't the size of the tires, on some degree, define what  bicycle you have and who  you are? Bikes such as monstercrossers aren't that different than a regular cyclocross bike - just with wider rubber. And what about the veritable 29er? Not so different than a hard-tail 26in-wheel mountain bike in everything except wheel size!  As it stands right now, there are four well-known sizes for bicycle wheels: 26in, 700c, 29in, and 650b.  Yes, 700c and 29in wheels and tires are technically the same, but for the purposes of everyday cyclists (and morover, the cycling industry), 29in is a buzzword for width. 26in is by far the most common - the VW Beetle of bike wheels if you will. Ubiquitous all around the world (especially the 3rd world, as the Beetle used to be!), and often easy to find cheap replacements, it is loved for its smaller size as this increases its durability. If you ride this size, you are a no-nonsense, function-over-form kinda cyclist.  36er?!? ...

Almost everybody is familiar with the venerable Coleman suitcase stoves and pressurized lanterns - both of which run on what is known in N. America as "white gasoline". White gas, camp fuel and naphta are all different names for the same fuel. It is essentially a more refined version of gasoline (petrol for those of you in the UK!), with fewer smelly, carcinogenic compounds like benzene, toluene and octane-boosters. These additives are good for cars, but can clog stove generators and jets as they form viscous gums, which is why the more refined white gas does without them. Unfortunately, the camp fuels sold at stores aren't cheap by any stretch of the imagination. Here, a 3.78L (1 US Gallon) can of the cheapest camp fuel fetches about $15.50. Well, what about regular gasoline then? It's relatively cheap, and readily available, but can clog stoves and burns with an odour. Following my grade 11 chemistry background, I decided to try making a "gasoline still"...

Other than the lack of green leaves, one wouldn't guess that one of these shots looking west from Highland Creek is taken  6 months  after the other. But that's global warming for you! July 15th: January 30th: *Sigh*..... I REALLY  wish there were more snow this year that the few scattered and weak ones we've had.