Test Rides - Linus Roadster Sport and Pashley Brittania

After a very unfortunate and traumatizing accident learning how to ride bicycles when they were children, my cousins never learned how to ride. However, they have recently been bitten by the bug (I like to think my passion for riding is what inspired them, but I think it's just the appeal of the bike) and are now in the market for new bikes! This weekend we went to BikeBike to check out their offerings.

V checked out the Linus Roadster Sport. It was an interesting test ride. He basically learned how to ride by trying out my old MTB - probably not the greatest way for a 5'10" individual to learn by riding some short person's 13" bike but it was all we had at the time. Obviously it was very different riding a bike that actually fit him but I think he looked like a natural!

Here we are, discussing how to properly mount a bicycle:

Seeing as how V has only ridden a bicycle less than a handful of times, the focus was mainly on getting a feel for riding a properly fit frame and trying to figure out what feels good and what doesn't. The first thing he noticed was how different the North Road handlebars felt compared to my MTB's riser bars. He wasn't able to say whether this was good or bad, just different. We'll take many more test rides so he can discover what he likes. I'm guessing he'll eventually decide the North Roads are more comfortable but maybe that's just my personal bias. I always get tingly fingers on straight bars, and hugely prefer the more neutral position that swept back bars allow for. Also, for the type of riding he plans to do (recreational riding on pathways), I can't see how straight bars would be more beneficial other styles. Maybe North Roads won't be what he eventually prefers, but I'm confident it won't be straights.

The hub gearing was also new for V. When he was learning to ride, we never got into changing gears with the derailleur as we were focusing on the very basics of riding a bicycle. He had no problem picking up how and when to change gears on the Linus' 3 speed hub. For recreational city riding, I think an internal hub would suit him just fine (maybe the 8 speed hub though, since the larger range would be nice in our hilly area). Plus it's so much easier to change gears with an internal hub vs derailleur. The lower maintenance associated with a hub also makes it an appealing choice. However, I think it would be beneficial for him to learn how to use a derailleur geared bike before he makes a decision but we'll get there in time.

Our next stops will be to other bike shops to check out some other options. It can get overwhelming so we'll go slow and only try out two or three bikes at a time. I'm secretly hoping he goes for the Linus. It's a fantastic value for the money. Its features would make it a great city bike - chromoly frame, Nexus 8 speed hub, Schwalbe tires, fenders, rear rack, comfortable geometry.

In case you hadn't noticed, I'm on a Pashley Britannia. I didn't intend to test ride it but V needed company!

The Britannia is basically the same as the Princess Sovereign, just with slightly different features. See here for my PS test ride. The Britannia does not have the full chaincase, skirtguard, and rear rack of the PS. On one hand, I like the idea of a full chaincase for all-weather durability. On the other hand, I find a partial chaincase to be easier for chain and rear wheel maintenance. The skirtguard isn't a dealbreaker and a rear rack is easy enough to add on afterwards. I love the vibrant colours and nicer grips of the Britannia. The PS has tough Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires whereas the Britannia has cream Schwalbe tires (Delta Cruisers, I think - I didn't actually check since I was distracted by all the fun). I don't know if it was the tires or the crappy conditions in which I test rode the PS, but I found the Britannia to be slightly quicker to accelerate. In any case, I'm glad I checked out the Britannia as I would seriously consider getting it if and when the time comes.

Sawako Furuno Helmet

I've been admiring Sawako Furuno bicycle helmets for some time but there are no local retailers who sell them. There are plenty of online retailers but I hesitated to purchase one sight unseen and without trying it on. They come in one size to fit a head circumference between 54 and 58 cm. My head circumference measured at about 55 cm so I figured it should be ok.

icargobike had the best price and the "Ran" model I liked (although I also contemplated getting the Sakura from Cyclechic) so I placed my order. Here it is:

Rear view with size-adjusting dial, which I apparently need to straighten out:

Inside view with foam inserts:

It also came with a dustbag:

I love the concept of this helmet - stylish, functional, and unique. But the problem is it looks effing huge on me! Sure, it fits, but I feel kind of ridiculous wearing it. Before I purchased, I saw all sorts of pictures of other petite Asian cyclists wearing them and they looked fine so I thought I'd fit right in. Maybe I'm being too self-conscious and it's not as bad as I think but I'm still debating whether I'll keep it. Regardless, I should probably just suck it up and know that my noggin is protected.

Comfort Slippers for Japan

A fellow Raveler, Reiko Arato, is selling a lovely pattern, with all proceeds going to the Japanese Red Cross for earthquake/tsunami relief efforts. According to her blog, so far she has raised over ¥80,000 (approx $900 CDN) - how fantastic! Every little bit counts.


I have purchased the pattern and look forward to casting on! Here is a photo from Reiko's pattern page:

More Office Goodies

My chartreuse Panton chair has finally arrived...

I love this chair. (Perhaps not) surprisingly comfortable and is the perfect timeless classic piece I was looking for.

I also found these great prints from Etsy:

Just need to frame them and find the right place for them.

Interestingly, I just came across this post at Apartment Therapy - and lookee - same chair and prints. Kind of crazy, I think!

Pashley Test Ride

I'll preface this post by saying that I'm not getting the Princess Sovereign after all... not because I don't want her (quite the contrary - I absolutely love this bicycle and will have one someday) - but because unforeseen circumstances have left me unable to get one at this time.

It's interesting (serendipitous, really) that these circumstances happened when they did - exactly the day I found out the Pashley shipment had arrived, and not after I spent my now-needed  $$ on the bicycle. I had not put a deposit down nor was the bike ordered specifically for me; my Princess Sovereign would have been purchased out of the LBS' regular order - so I don't feel badly about not purchasing it at this time. I'm disappointed things didn't work out the way I thought they would, but I firmly believe everything happens for a reason!

I still went to check out the shipment, though. There were some lovely Britannias, a Poppy, and a Roadster Sovereign built... but I was absent-minded and forgot to snap some pics! I did manage to hastily take some crappy iPhone pics of the Princess Sovereign after taking her out in the snow:

Pictures (especially these ones) do NOT do this bicycle justice! She's absolutely gorgeous in person!! I can't even begin to describe how pretty she is when she's all shiny and sitting amongst a bunch of fellow Pashleys. And she rides like a dream... my test ride was awesome.

I'm a huge fan of the upright position while riding this bike. I felt tall (well, as tall as someone 4'11" can feel), which allowed me to better see and be seen. The upright position also allows you to better take in your surroundings. I love riding a bicycle simply for the experience of it - the sounds and sights of the road, the feel of the wind against your face, etc. and this bike almost forces you to simply enjoy the ride. My position also felt natural, not cramped or stretched out or anything like that. The swept back handlebars allowed me to keep my arms and wrists in a nice, relaxed position.

Despite the snowy and icy roads on my test ride, the bike handled very smoothly and felt sturdy. The steel frame and sprung Brooks saddle also made for a smooth ride. She would be a great winter bike for these reasons and because of the internal gears, hub brakes, fenders, skirt/coatguard and full chaincase. No messy clothes or fiddling with frozen brakes and derailleurs!

I felt that the gearing was on the higher side but that can easily be improved with a new cog. I guess that opinion might be different with dry road conditions so I wouldn't make any changes before riding this bike a significant amount of time first.

The other details also make for a wonderful bike - sturdy Pletscher rack, roomy front basket, rear wheel lock, dynamo front light, battery rear light (I'm ok with that), and smile-inducing ding-dong bell. There is really no need to further accessorize this bike, save for maybe a double-leg kickstand and a more secure lock. I would not use the rear wheel lock as primary bike security.

So where does this leave me? I'm not sure. I hope I'll soon be able to get my dream bike, but it won't be both the Princess Sovereign and the Betty Foy at the same time. Ultimately what I want is a bike that's comfortable, able to take me on long-ish rides on varied terrain (namely hills), and built for practicality (carrying my stuff!). Seems to me that Betty Foy fits the bill... I'll see what the next little while brings!

Mixte Lust

With my Pashley Princess Sovereign arriving (hopefully) this week, I've been very excited! But I'm also fearing that she will not be the best choice for longer, hillier rides, such as my commute to work. The ride to work is nearly 20 km, which is not bad in itself, but the ride home would be mostly uphill. Doable, I'm sure (Katie Doncaster comes to mind), but I'm nonetheless looking for something lighter, zippier, and with a larger gear range for hills.

Enter Betty Foy...

Not only is she gorgeous, she's perfect for filling in the gap the Pashley would leave. For now, I'll spare the technical and aesthetic details (if and when I end up getting her I'll post a detailed review), but suffice it to say that she's an incredibly well built machine.

I could very well forget about the Pashley and just get Betty, but I love Pashley for her all-weather durability (hub gears, hub brakes, fully enclosed chaincase, etc.). I like that I won't have to worry about my pants getting caught in the chain or getting my leg scraped. I don't want to worry about derailleurs while riding in the snow. She'll be perfect for shopping excursions and just riding about the city (minus the big hills). Plus, the Pashley is also an incredibly beautiful bike. As you can probably tell, I'm a sucker for feminine details.

I'd like to see how things go with the Pashley first, then make a decision on whether to get Betty (although I think my mind is already made up... I can't imagine her not in my life!). Keven at Rivendell Bicycle Works has been extremely helpful in giving me ideas on how to customize Betty and I think I have the specs almost narrowed down. Basically, she'll be much like the above pictured bike (Brooks B17S saddle, cork grips, bar end shifters, Albatross bars) but with fenders and a rear rack. Stay tuned!

Portenzo iPad Case

It's been a while since I received my Portenzo iPad case so I thought I would post a few pics and thoughts. Here it is:

As I mentioned previously, it is a Moleskine-style case, which I loved due to its simplicity. I wanted something that doesn't advertise that I'm carrying an iPad, but is still functional and offers some degree of protection (i.e. from dust and dirt). I can't say how much protection this case can provide in terms of shock absorption, but I try to be as careful as possible not to drop my stuff. I suppose it would at least protect against nicks and scratches in that type of situation.

Back view with Portenzo logo and double-glued elastic band:

Inside view (Deep Purple interior):

There are no extra compartments, which I prefer. I initially looked at wallet-type cases, but those are too bulky and I don't want to carry the contents of my wallet with me around the house. When I really thought about it, all I wanted was something stylish to protect my iPad. The case does add a little bit of bulk to the iPad but I don't mind (the case is about 2.5cm thick).

The iPad is held inside with "Sure-Grip invisible corners". You basically push the corners of the iPad into the case, and the corner grips hold it in place. Other manufacturers' cases have similar mechanisms of securing the iPad, but I had seen videos and read reviews of iPads easily falling out. Some easily fell out and others took a wee bit of shaking and then easily fell out.

With this case, however, the iPad is held firmly in place - it is definitely not going anywhere. I've tried shaking the crap out of it and it does NOT budge once it's in. I often read on my iPad in bed, lying on my back and holding the iPad over me - no surprise attacks as of yet, and I don't expect any. Despite this, it's not difficult to take the iPad out of the case, although I've only done that once. I have no reason to remove it from its case so I can't speak to the durability of the corner grips with repeated removal/replacement of the iPad.

Bamboo frame with cutouts for the ports/controls:

The frame is smooth, beautiful, and durable. I have not experienced any warping of the frame.

"Audio-flow sound ports" that amplify the sound coming from the speakers:

The sound ports really do make a difference in the volume and richness of the sound. Not that you get fantastic audio from an iPad anyway, but the sound ports are a cool touch.

The cover can be folded backwards to create a slight incline for typing. As you can see below, the incline is not as much as that of the Apple iPad case but it works for me. In general, I'm not a huge fan of typing on the iPad (I prefer my laptop if I have a lot of typing to do) so this case is perfectly fine for that purpose.

The case can also be propped up for watching movies, slideshows, etc. There is nothing to secure the case in this position, so it can get a little precarious. 

To put it simply: I love this case! It's simple, stylish, and functional. I initially thought it was a little spendy but I think it's entirely worth it, especially considering the other, more expensive cases out there of inferior quality. If you're in the market for a similarly-styled iPad case, I highly recommend Portenzo!