Short wanders round Red Hook and Battery Park.

Saturday I met Peter and Kath and we went for a short walk round Red Hook, and its waterfront.

Statue of Liberty in the distance

Old warehouses by the water

View of the Verrazano Narrows and Bridge

Sunday I took the subway with Brian and Leonie and a friend, plus the kids to Battery Park Playground, in southern Manhattan, by the Hudson. Within view is the w-i-p of Freedom Tower, which is to replace the WTC twin towers. So much waterfront in this city one way and another, and they are making great use of it.Lunch in a rather typical burger place.



Kath's ceramics show is on at the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative Gallery until July 7

On My Way... to Alaska

By the time you read this I should be in Canada on the long road to Alaska! Normally I don't post my itinerary in advance, but I'm going to take a chance and do so now.

The basic route is as follows (double-click on image for a larger version):

I will be entering Canada on Route 93 and following it north to Banff National Park and on to Jasper. On Route 16 north of Jasper I'll turn off on Highway 40, which cuts across to Grande Prairie (about 900 miles).

From Grande Prairie I'll go west to Dawson Creek, which is “Mile 0” of the Alaska Highway and take it to the official end of the road, which is Delta Junction, Alaska (another 1,390 miles).

I have no idea what internet access there will be along the way. I've been told that many campgrounds have wifi – I can only hope that they do! I'll check-in with at least a short post whenever possible...

Hong Kong Orchid Tree

This specimen isn't in Hong Kong though, but rather the Quail Botanical Gardens in San Diego.

Morning at Monahans Sandhills

Wednesday, April 6th - - It was a beautiful morning! Cool temperatures required a sweatshirt but it was quite comfortable. There was barely even a breeze!













Yesterday, I mentioned that the traffic couldn't be heard on the Interstate here in the campground. Today was a different day. You could clearly hear the hum/buzz/roar of the cars and trucks passing by. From the top of the sandhill that I was on you could even see the highway. Nevertheless, it was still quite pleasant.



I may be “off the grid” for a few days and no posts have been scheduled so things will be quiet here for a while...

Wedding Belles :: Aunt Pat and Uncle Bob

The topic of the upcoming edition of Smile for the Camera is 'Wedding Belles' and since I have no family pictures (none, zilch, nada) of any ancestors in their full wedding regalia, these will have to do.



The photo on the left is one of my all time favorite family photos. They look like movie stars! It was taken in the spring of 1945 and is the engagement picture for my Aunt Pat and Uncle Bob.

The other photo was taken on the occasion of their 50th Wedding Anniversary in June 1995. Time took it's toll, they aren't as "glamorous" as they had been 50 years earlier, but they were still a nice looking couple. And they were both very nice people. Their two older children were about the same age as my brothers and I and we spent a lot of time at their place while growing up. They only lived a couple of miles from us until 1960 when we moved closer to North Webster.

Patricia Eileen Phend, the daughter of Victor and Hazlette (Brubaker) Phend, and Robert Glen Reiff, the son of Ralph and Lillie (Wissler) Reiff, were united in marriage on June 17, 1945 at the Larwill Methodist Church in Larwill, Indiana. Pat was born in Columbia City and Bob in Pierceton. In 1943, Bob enlisted in the U. S. Army. He served 6 months then the government thought he could better serve the country helping his parents on their farm.

Aunt Pat was a busy "stay at home" Mom while her four children were growing up. She, and they, were very active in school, church, and 4-H activities. After all of the kids were out of high school she worked for nearly 20 years as an attendant at the Mid-Lake Laundry in North Webster. Uncle Bob was a farmer, and for 36 years was also a bus driver for North Webster Schools, which in the late 1960s became a part of the Wawasee School Corporation. In addition to being a bus driver, Bob was also the head custodian at the school in North Webster. At that time, one building housed the elementary, middle school, and high school. (It was the same school that I and my siblings attended, as had my father. In fact, we had some of the same teachers!)

Uncle Bob passed away on February 17, .. and Aunt Pat still resides in the old farmhouse where they lived so many years together.

Great weather!

With July moving right along, the mountain is seeing some of the best weather of the season right now and fantastic climbing conditions. Climbers are getting out and making the best of it. There's plenty of fun climbing to still be had all over the mountain.

Lately, a lot of climbers have been having success on the Emmons-Winthrop route (see photo). It's in great form right now and a nice option to consider when planning your trip. Come out and see us on the mountain!

The Shuder Family Mystery

The following records simply confirm information we already knew but they don't answer the questions as to whether Mary Tabitha Elzora Shuder was actually the daughter of Isaac Shuder and Nancy Jane Lavering or whether Noah Evert Long was the son of Mary Tabitha and John H. Long!

Mary Tabitha was born January 1, 1873 but Isaac and Nancy Jane were not married until October 26, 1875. Isaac would have been 29 years old when they married, Nancy was 20.

Noah Evert was born February 4, 1893 but Mary Tabitha "Dora" Shuder and John H. Long were not married until October 25, 1896.

For more information on this family mystery, please see my previous post "A new-found Cousin or Not?" Click on the images below to enlarge them.



The record on the left (above) shows that a marriage license was issued on October 25, 1875 to Isaac Schuder with consent of Daniel Lavering. Isaac Schuder and Nancy Jane Lavering were married on October 26, 1875. Elkhart County, Indiana Marriage Book 4 page 379.

On the right (above) is the marriage record that shows Dora Shuder married John H. Long on the 25th day of October 1896. Kosciusko County, Indiana Marriage Book K page 348.



On the left: Mary Tabitha Elzora Long married Walter L. Davis on November 8, 1926. Elkhart County, Indiana Marriage Book 35 page 618. The record shows that she was born in Kosciusko Co., Ind. on Jany 1, 1873; she resided in Middlebury, Ind.; her father was Isaac Shuder and her mother was Jane Lavering. It also shows that she was married once before and the marriage was dissolved by death on Sept. 16, 1920.

On the right: The marriage record of Noah Evert Long was on the next page (page 619). They were both married by S. S. Whisler a Justice of the Peace. Noah's record shows that he was born at Oswego, Kosciusko Co., Ind. on Feby 4, 1893; he resided in Middlebury, Ind. and was a Farmer; his father was John H. Long and his mother was Mary Tabitha Elzora Shudder.

Up the Mountain

It was a beautiful, winding drive up the mountain to the Ridge that even included a tunnel. (Jan's head in the mirror.) There were wonderful vistas off in the distance each time we went around another bend in the road, that we would stop and look at. There were trees everywhere, sometimes obscuring the views. We even saw a mama deer and her fawn. The fawn is in this shot with a moutain behind it.

Tombstone Tuesday :: Perry and Retha Wiseman

Lakeview Cemetery, Larwill, Whitley County, Indiana

WISEMAN
RETHA J. / 1917-1989
PERRY M. / 1906-1968
PERRY M WISEMAN
INDIANA
CPL CO B 17 TANK BN
WORLD WAR II
AUG 3 1906 JULY 6 1968

Photographs taken July 31, ...
Copyright © .. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman
Perry Martin Comfort Wiseman was the first-born child of Elsie Shuder and Charles Wilson Wiseman. My father, Jack William Wiseman, was the youngest of their eight children, born in January 1924.

Uncle Perry's obituary was published in the Warsaw Times Union on July 9, 1968.

Perry M. Wiseman, 61, of Blue Lake, R1 Churubusco, died of complications at 4:30 a.m. today in the St. Joseph Hospital, Fort Wayne, where he had been admitted on Sunday.

Born August 3, 1906 in Tippecanoe Twp., Kosciusko County, Mr. Wiseman was the son of Charles W. and Elsie (Shuder) Wiseman. He spent his formative years in the Barbee Lakes Community and served in the US Army during WWII. On February 6, 1954 he united in marriage with Retha Juanita Wallace who survives. He had been an employee of the Weatherhead Company in Columbia City for several years.

In addition to his widow, he is survived by 3 brothers; Leslie, R2 South Whitley; Emery, R1 Warsaw; Jack, North Webster; and 2 sisters, Mrs. Walter Tobias and Mrs. Carl Conrad, both of Nappanee.

Final rites will be conducted at 2 pm Thursday at the Smith Funeral Home in Columbia City. Rev. Chester Reed will officiate and interment will be in the Lakeview cemetery at Larwill. Friends may call at the funeral home after 2 pm Wednesday.

Aunt Retha's obituary was published May 1, 1989 in the Warsaw Times Union.

Retha J. Wiseman, 72, formerly of 840 Plantation Drive, Columbia City, died in Meadowhaven Nursing Home in Butler, Indiana on Saturday April 29, 1989. She was born January 25, 1917, in Richland Township, Whitley county, to William and Georgia L. Cummins Rindfusz. She married Perry Wiseman, who died July 8, 1968. She was a 1935 graduate of Larwill High School and moved to Columbia City in 1968. She was retired from Dana Weatherhead Division in Columbia City. She was also a member of the Pioneer Club and the Quarter Century Club.

Survivors include one niece, Nedra Budd, Pleasant Lane; one brother-in-law, Wheeler Rager, Pierceton; two great-nephews; and three great-nieces. Two sisters preceded her in death.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City with the Rev. Joseph Smith officiating. Burial will be in Lakeview cemetery, Larwill.

Poor Van Dora ...

Wednesday, March 7th - - My decision to leave Salt Lake City yesterday morning was made the previous week. I was ready to go after five weeks researching in Genea-Mecca but in hindsight perhaps I should have waited a few more days... I was headed to California but high winds with strong gusts were forecast for all of Nevada (and much of the west) for the next two days. I could take the northern route and get into the snow storm that was predicted and coming towards Salt Lake City. Or I could take the southern route through Las Vegas then west. After checking the weather reports before leaving yesterday morning I decided the safest route would be to go south.



I haven't checked to see what the weather was like along I-80 so I don't know if my chosen route (I-15 south) was the best or safest! But I do know it sure wasn't an easy day of driving! It wasn't too bad until I got about half way to St. George, which is about 300 miles south of Salt Lake City, when the winds really picked up. By the time I got to St. George, it was definitely two-handed white-knuckle driving! Then when I got into Nevada, there were times when visibility was extremely limited due to the blowing sand. There was an amazing amount of tumbleweeds blowing down the highway too, as well as plastic bags and bottles and various other debris.



My “plan” had been to stop at Valley of Fire State Park for the night, which is about 40 miles north of Las Vegas. But there was so much sand and dirt and gravel being blown about that I decided to continue on south. I stopped just north of Las Vegas for gas and had a really rough time trying to stand in one spot to pump the gas.



I made it through Las Vegas before the rush hour and drove the 50 miles or so west to Pahrump where I wimped out and spent the night at a motel. At around five o'clock or so we had a little rain added to the wind and I was glad that I was inside, safe and dry. I learned later on the news that the wind had been steady at about 30 mph most of the day with gusts up to 75 mph – no wonder my right arm and shoulder was sore!





Poor Van Dora. She needs a bath! This is what happens when you drive in blowing sand then a little rain comes along... I didn't really think the van was all that dirty when I got out at the motel. After the rain, all of the other cars in the parking lot were in this same condition, which means that as the rain fell it must have picked up some of the sand and dust in the air. I think it was basically raining mud, at least for a short time.





Van Dora looks worse now than she did traveling on the dirt roads in Alaska!

Wordless Wednesday :: Sebastian Inlet

Sunset from the Bridge. Sebastian Inlet. December 9, .. 5:09 pm

Sunset from the Bridge. Sebastian Inlet. December 9, .. 5:21 pm
(The Zoom was at it's full 7x capability)

Grandma's Story

After spending a great deal of time the past few days trying to decide who to write about for the "International Women's Day Challenge" I've selected my grandmother, Hazlette Aileen Brubaker Phend Dunn Ferguson (1902-1984).

Stages of life: 1902, 1910, about 1948, 1980.

In many ways Grandma was an "ordinary" person, but at the same time, she was really quite extraordinary. There were many sides to her personality. There were times, as a teenager and young adult, that I didn't "like" my grandmother. Some things were done and said that haven't been forgotten, though they have been forgiven. But even though I didn't always like her, I did love her and, I think more importantly, respected her very much.

Grandma's parents, Charles R. and Maud Wise Brubaker, moved from Whitley County, Indiana to Lorain, Ohio shortly after the death of their first child, John Wise Brubaker, on February 24, 1901. He was born prematurely and died 8 days after his birth. Maud's brother Harry and other relatives lived at Lorain. Grandma was born there on January 16, 1902. She was also born premature, weighing only 2 1/2 pounds. When she was 6 months old, the family moved back to Whitley County.

Her parents had a somewhat tumultuous relationship, which I am sure affected her in many ways. Grandma did not graduate from high school as she had a "nervous spell" when about 12 years old and never returned to school. When she was 15 years old, after recuperating from appendicitis and an operation, she began working as a telephone operator. She worked at several telephone companies in the area through World War I then got a job as an office clerk and "girl Friday" and learned bookkeeping.

On October 15, 1921 grandma married Rolland Victor Phend. They had five children between 1922 and 1934. They divorced in 1937 and grandma and the children moved to Elkhart. There she baked pies for her brothers restaurant, cleaned houses, took in a boarder with two little girls, and eked out a living. Then her grandmother, Malissa Joslin Brubaker Bower died and left her an inheritance of $500.00 which was enough to purchase a small house in Larwill.

Grandpa and Grandma remarried in 1939 and purchased a larger home in Larwill. She worked for a trucking company in Fort Wayne for a while, and then went to work for Jewell Tea Company. She drove a truck for them for two years during World War II then went to work for an insurance company. A few years later, they divorced again and Grandma moved to Auburn in DeKalb county. The three youngest children remained in Larwill with Grandpa.

In 1945 Grandma was married to Harold Dunn, but that didn't work out either. She worked for a dry cleaning business, then a milling company. During this time she took a high school course and learned the double entry system of bookkeeping. Changing jobs once again, she went to work for a Chevrolet & Buick dealership in Auburn as head bookkeeper. She belonged to and was an officer in BPW (Business & Professional Women) and worked in the Methodist Church.

About 1958 she moved to Fort Wayne and became manager of Miller's Ice Cream store and restaurant, at Five Points on Goshen Road. A few years later she moved to North Webster and opened her own restaurant which provided jobs for many family members, including myself.

In 1964, Grandma was married to Ray Ferguson. He died in 1967. I graduated from High School in 1966 and 3 years later joined the Navy, so I was pretty much gone from the area until 1979.

In 1972, after a visit from a distant cousin, Grandma began writing her life story and family history. She wrote: "When we were going thru Grandma Brubaker's letters from her parents and her sisters, I began to realize how important they were to Helen and me even though they were very poorly written and not always well done as to spelling and punctuation. So I have decided to write as I feel the urge and as I remember things and have a lot of enjoyment in doing it this way. Working with Helen I became enthused again with the genealogy and have worked all day on the records. I had planned on writing a book so that my children might know more about their ancestry. I am afraid I am too lazy and I know that I have no talent for writing. My typing is almost as bad as my handwriting and my spelling is outrageous."

At that time she only wrote a few pages but picked it up again in 1976 after being diagnosed with cancer. On August 4, 1976 she wrote: "Well, I did get a little writing done. I do hope some one of you kids enjoy it. Maybe one of the grandchildren or great grandchildren will really get some good out of it." Little did she know what she had started! She was right, her spelling was bad and her handwriting was terrible! But it was legible and we (her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren) have all enjoyed it. Her writings "Tales From the Life of Hazlette Brubaker" have been transcribed and posted online at my Kinexxions website. I can only hope that others enjoy her story as much as we have and I am ever so thankful that she took the time to write them down for us!

Grandma passed away at the age of 82, on May 3, 1984 after having suffered the indignities of losing a leg and having a colostomy. I think she hated that colostomy bag even more than losing her leg! But she dealt with it. She was a stubborn lady who just didn't ever give up, a trait that has been passed down to more than one of her children and grandchildren.

Updated January 3, .. Changed link to "Tales From the Life of Hazlette Brubaker" to a blog post. Kinexxions website will be taken offline the first of March and the articles on the website are moving to the blog.

Wordless Wednesday :: Up, Up, and Away!

The Great Forest Park Balloon Race
St. Louis, Missouri September 1994Copyright © 1994/.. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

New Year, New Rope.

So I rang up Danny at K2and said send me a rope. He says what kind of rope do you want?I said a pretty one, beyond that you can decide, you know what I do. So, a purple Rocca 10mm. Perfect. I want it to look good as I repeatly fly off the top of my project.

Mt. Olympus, Blue Glacier

We made the long drive up to the northwest corner of the state to climb Mt. Olympus. It is located deep in the Hoh Rain Forest. The climb involves a round trip hike of 45 miles with an elevation gain of 8,000'.



There were huge, moss covered Douglas Fir, Cedar, Spruce and Hemlock trees everywhere.



Elk Lake at the 15 mile mark.





This cable ladder was put in place to help climbers cross an avalanche chute just before the camp at Glacier Meadows.





The Blue Glacier as seen from the lateral moraine. The true summit is the farthest peak in the middle of the picture. Snow Dome is on the right.





Doug and Dave on the summit in our rain gear. It rained for about an hour when we first started up the glacier. We had traveled and hiked way to far to turn around because of rain! The sun even came out later that morning.



The view from the summit looking down on Snow Dome and the Blue Glacier.






The lower part of the glacier is a square mile of hard ice. It is covered with hundreds of small icy streams. They usually disappear into a hole or crevasse on the glacier.



It would have been easy to spend an entire day there exploring that part of the mountain. We had to walk on the high spots to stay dry.




We made our way back down the moraine to Glacier Meadows where the biting flies convinced us to start the hike out to the car. The next day, we stopped at the beach for a while and then started the long drive home. It was nice to accomplish another climb that had been on our "to do" list for a while.

The Best Gear of /

I am lucky enough to see a lot of new gear. The "new" generally gets started at the Outdoor Retailershow in January where products are shown for Fall delivery of that year, 9 or 10 months later.But that is only half the story as many of the European manufactures don't import everything in their production lines (or show them at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City) into North America or sometimes just not into theUSA. You have to keep up on the Web sites or make a visit to Chamonix to see what is really being used and collecting a buzz..



For the first time and not the last here is my list of the best gear of /. My season is generally broken up by the Fall delivery of new ice gearso I'll try to do update the listevery year justas summer gets started.



But unlike the yearly picks of some of the magazines once you make the list it is going to take a new and most importantly, a better piece of kit."in my opinion" to get knocked off THE list.



My list here is gear I actually choose to use over all the gear I have available to me. Nothing listed here that I don't have multiple choices of and have tried or still use some of those other options. But when pushed what I have listed is the"best of the best" for my own use. Once in a while price point helps make that decision but not often. But it has on this list so it is worth mentioning.What is listed hereis what I would cut my gear room down to if I have to make the hard choices choices or just own one. No surprise if some of this stuff isn't on your own list. That is what makes a horse race and keeps every one in business. Feel free to share your list as well in the comments or tell me why I missed the mark. Some categories are still missing, stoves, tents and sleeping bags for instance. And some times I have just skipped categories as it gets really confusing even to me.If there is not category listed I have yet to make up my mind or haven't used the gear enough to make a knowledgeable comment.. At some point I'll get to those as well but in a blog effort first before adding them to the list.



If you haven't read this blog first for context, you should:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//01/gear-smear.html



"Remember what works for me may not work for you. Always take my comments with a grain of salt and trust your own observations. I can only write what I see or experience. I don't pretend to know much, let alone know everything. Do your own research...learn through your own experience when you can what works for you. Then compare notes with anyone you can find that has similar interests, experiences or goals. Type it into Google. And always consider the original source."



If you have read much of the blog...few of these will come as any surprise.

What I have reviewed on the blog is marked (reviewed). You should be able to find those reviewswith the search function.







CLOTHING (the outstanding pieces)



long under wear bottoms (available again fall '11)

Costco Paradox

http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/09/?pg=51#pg51



base layer top

Mountain Hardware Integral Long Sleeve Crew



http://www.mountainhardwear.com/mens-clothing/mens,default,sc.html



lt hoody (reviewed)

Sherpa Adventure Gear Khushi Merino woolhoody (available fall '11)

http://www.sherpaadventuregear.com/



med hoody (reviewed)

Patagonia R1 Hoody

http://www.patagonia.com/



pants

Arcteryx Gamma Lt

http://www.arcteryx.com/?EN



Bibs

NW Alpine Alpinist bib (reviewed)

http://nwalpine.com/



Sweater (reviewed)

Arcteryx Atom Lt Hoody

http://www.arcteryx.com/?EN



Insulated jacket (reviewed)

Arcteryx Atom SV

http://www.arcteryx.com/?EN



Down sweater (reviewed)

EB hooded sweater

http://www.eddiebauer.com/home.jsp?siteId=2



Down Jacket (reviewed)

Norrona Lyngen

http://www.backcountry.com/mens-down-jackets

http://www.norrona.com/



Shell

Westcomb Epoc in Neoshell (available Fall '10) (reviewed)

http://www.westcomb.com/



glove liners

Black Diamond Med weight Liner

http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/



gloves

Mountain Hardware Hydra (reviewed)



http://www.mountainhardwear.com/mens-clothing/mens,default,sc.html



Head gear (reviewed)

Sauce

http://www.sauceheadwear.com/main.php



Eye Wear

Smith goggles

http://www.smithoptics.com/products/#/Snow+Goggles/



Native glasses

http://www.nativeyewear.com/



Socks

Wigwam

http://www.wigwam.com/







BOOTS

single boots

Scarpa Phantom Ultra (reviewed)



http://it.scarpa.net/prodotti/high-altitude/



double boots

La Sportiva Spantik (reviewed)



http://www.sportiva.com/products







TECHNICAL GEAR



Biner (reviewed)

Trango Super Fly wire gate

http://www.trango.com/carabiners_draws/SuperFly-carabiners



Locking biner (reviewed)

Trango Super Fly

http://www.trango.com/carabiners_draws/SuperFly-carabiners



Belay biner (reviewed)

Black Diamond Gridlock

http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/



Belay device (reviewed)

Petzl Reverso 3

http://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor



Brass Stoppers (hard to find in the USA)

RPs

http://www.climbinganchors.com.au/products/RP%27s-Brass-Nuts-Individual-Nuts.html?utm_source=getprice&utm_medium=cpc



http://rockandice.com/articles/how-to-climb/article/1129-the-guy-whose-nuts-revolutionized-climbing-rp



Stoppers

Wild Country Rocks

http://www.wildcountry.co.uk/



Cams

Wild Country Helium Friends

http://www.wildcountry.co.uk/



dbl ropes

Beal Ice Twins

http://www.beal-planet.com/sport/anglais/index.php



Single rope

Beal Joker

http://www.beal-planet.com/sport/anglais/index.php



Pitons

Black Dianmond Bugaboos

http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/



Ice tools

Petzl Ergo (reviewed)

http://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor



Crampons

Petzl Dartwin (reviewed)

http://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor



Ice Screws

Grivel Helix (reviewed)

http://www.grivel.com/



Umbilical

Blue Ice Boa (reviewed)

http://www.blueice.com/en



Accessory

Cold Thistle Hammer (totally biased opinion)

http://coldthistletools.blogspot.com//08/ice-climbing-gear.html



Helmet

Petzl Meterior III

http://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor



Harness

Petzl HIRUNDOS

http://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor



Gear sling

Metolius (reviewed)

http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/



Dynamic sling

Mammut Shock Absorber Dyneema

http://www.mammut.ch/#



Tech watch

Polar

http://www.polarusa.com/us-en/



Small Pack

Cold Cold World Ozone (reviewed)

http://www.coldcoldworldpacks.com/



MOUNTAINEERING SKI GEAR

Boot

TLT 5 Mountain TX (version not currently available in North America but two other TLT 5s are)

http://www.dynafit.com/products-winter/boots.html



Hard snowski

Dynafit Se7en Summit SL

http://www.dynafit.com/products-winter/skis-skins.html



Soft snow ski

La Sportiva Hi5

http://www.sportiva.com/products(availalble Fall '10)



Bindings

Non DIN

Dynafit Low Tech Race

http://www.dynafit.com/products-winter/bindings.html



DIN (well not DIN but releasable)

La Sportiva RT

http://www.sportiva.com/products



Best piece of retro gear

Dachstien Mitts

http://www.ortovox.com/classic-wool

Moser 2.0 - a Vintage Racing Bike with Modern Components

I have been riding my "new" Francesco Moser for a couple of weeks now and wanted to share my impressions. This is the same frame that I rode last year as a fixed gear conversion, then sold, then bought back and rebuilt as a geared roabike with modern components. Since the summer, I have been vigorously shopping around for a road/racing bike for . The Moser resurrection is an experiment to determine whether it is feasible to refurbish a vintage steel racing frame for this purpose without putting myself at a disadvantage in comparison to cyclists riding modern bikes.

The Italian frame was built in 1978 and raced in Austria throughout the 1980s.Through an interesting coincidence, I happen to know who the framebuilder was, but that is another story.The frame is lugged steel and allegedlyColumbustubing. Whether "tretubi" or something nicer I do not know; there are no decals. The lugs are pointy with elegant cutouts. Chromed fork crown, dropouts and seat stay caps.I have not been able to find this exact model in a Moser catalogue; something is always different. As I understand it, Moser frames were handmade in small batches and the framebuilders would sometimes get creative with individual frames. This could be one of those.

The current incarnation of the bicycle includes an older Campagnolo Vento wheelset. Retired by the previous owner, the wheels have got quite a few miles on them, but are in good shape.

CampagnoloRecord 9-speed drivertrain and shifters, circa 1999.

The crankset is 52/39t with 175mm crankarms. Not ideal in the long run, but at least it will allow me to try the bike. MKSStream pedals and Power Gripsas usual.

From my spare parts, the bike is fitted with an 11cmNittoTechnomic Delux stem and 42cmNittoNoodle handlebars. White Fiziktape. Cateyecomputer with a cadence reader.Just to be silly, I finished the handlebar tape with thin strips of multi-coloured electrical tape, to match the "champion" bands on the frame.

I bought a set ofCampagnoloVeloce brake calipers and used the 700Cx23mm Michelin Krylion tires that I had on another bike earlier.

The saddle is a new generationSelle AnatomicaTitanico (with cro-moly rails), on loan from the manufacturer. I will be comparing my impressions of this model to those of theprevious version.

The bicycle is a 52cm frame with a 53cm top tube (closer to 52.5cm). Right now it is set up with an 11cm stem, handlebars 1cm below the saddle, and the saddle positioned to emulate the seat tube angle with no setback. The positioning feels great, but would probably feel even better with the handlebars a bit lower and the stem a bit shorter (the current stem cannot be lowered, because there is no more space inside the headtube). The weight of the bike as shown here is 21lb.

One reason I decided to get this frame back instead of looking for a different one, is that I remembered it having no toe overlap. Later I began to doubt myself, as several framebuilders told me that it might be impossible to make a road/racing frame this compact with no TCO. However, now the Moseris back and I was right: no toe overlap, as in none/zilch/zero/not-even-close. How did they do it? I will try to bring this bike to a framebuilder with one of those magic machines that can measure frames precisely; hopefully that will provide some answers.

So, riding Moser2.0 so far... I think I got exceptionally lucky with how well this frame suits me. I did not fully understand or appreciate what it was until now. With the long stem, the geared drivetrain, and the lightweight moderncomponents, the bike feels as if it has been unshackled and allowed to soar. The small size feels just right, the forward positioning is exciting, and the lack of toe overlap eliminates my main source of anxiety with small frames. The bicycle feels lighter and easier to propel forward than other steel roadbikes I've tried, including modern ones. Judging by the numbers on the computer, my speed when cycling on my own is more or less identical to what it was when I was riding the Seven Axiom over the summer. I have not had a chance to go on a group ride yet, but will report on that once it happens. Acceleration feels effortless - that same "slingshot" feeling that, once experienced on a fast bike is hard to give up. The ride quality over bumps is better than I could have hoped for.

It is impossible to make a direct comparison between the Moserand theSeven, because the latter was twosizes too big for me. But for someone of my ability, the bikes feel as if they are in the same ballpark, or at least from the same planet.The revamped Moser is the first roadbike I've tried aside from the Seventhat I can see myself riding and being satisfied with.

On a critical note,Moser2.0 is a bit squirrelystarting from a stop and at very slow speeds. My bike handling skills are good enough at this point to not consider that a problem, but I wouldn't have felt comfortable riding it set up this way last year. Also, the bottom bracket is so low that with the 175mm cranks there is pedal strike unless I am very careful to keep the inside pedal raised on turns. Can't decide whether this means that replacing the cranks is a priority (trade, anyone?), or whether it is an opportunity to improve my technique.

Aside from this, there is the question of whether it is a good idea to ride a well used, retired racing frame with well-used, retired 10-year-old components and wheels if I mean to ride strenuously and possibly competitively. While the Moserframe is photogenic from a distance, it is in rough shape: scrapes on the tubes, missing paint, rust on the chrome. There is also a slight bulge at the rear of the headtube that, as I understand it, happened during the manufacturing process (the frame has been checked for integrity and shows no structural problems).If I decide that I like the bike and don't need a new one, it might still be wise to replace the components with less worn ones and have the frame repainted. Or start from scratch and get a framebuilder to replicate the geometry and tubing. It's hard to say, and for now I am just excited by how great Moser2.0feels compared to almost every single new bike I have considered buying so far.

Knowing thatsome readers are interested in the outcome of thisexperiment, I want to note that Idon't think it's as simple as buying any old vintage racing frame and putting modern components on it. But I do think I got lucky and ended up with something pretty cool that I would like to investigate further - with a big ThankYou to all those who pushed me in this direction.