New camera

I've been somewhat reluctant to upgrade my DSLR, since I don't use it very much. For most of my excursions a DSLR is too cumbersome and heavy, since I prefer to move with lighter gear. The compact camera Canon S90, which I bought this summer, is one of the absolute best compact cameras when it comes to image quality and it is truly pocketable. I've been very satisfied with it. However, a DSLR gives better image quality, especially when it comes to dynamic range and high ISO images. The sharpness is also better, though this depends heavily on the quality of the lens. I've been photographing with Canon EOS cameras since 1990, and have some nice lenses. I bought the 6 MP EOS 300D, the first consumer priced DSLR, when it came in 2003. While its image quality still is better than the best compact cameras of today, it is somewhat slow. To replace it I bought a second hand EOS 40D. With its 10 MP it has a lot less pixels than the newest ones, but the pixels should be very good. It also has a lot more direct controls than the 300D and a very nice viewfinder. If I had more money to use, the natural choice would of course have been a 60D, but for most practical purposes, the difference in image quality is marginal, though the 60D has some ergonimical advantages, most notably the tiltable back display.

I also contemplated the Sony NEX series as an alternative. The concept is great, but the lens selection very limited and to replace my current lenses would be very expensive and they are not even available yet for the Sony NEX. The mirrorless design does seem nice, but in practice the cameras are still not small enough to be truly pocketable.

It remains to be seen how much I will use the camera when riding my bike. I would probably need a minimal backpack for it. The Lowepro Slingshot 100 AW seems nice: small enough and quick access to the camera.

Below are a few test shots. The first one would really need a HDR technique for optimal result, but this photo still shows the difference against the S90: There are lots of details in the highlights (sky), while the foreground is still not too dark and noisy. This would not be possible with a compact camera (except for HDR imaging).









The Pugsley got a front rack, and hence should be ready for the beer ride next weekend.

Snow!

We got the first glimpse of snow last night, around 15 cm (5-6 inches). During the night the snowfall turned to rain and by the morning the snow was very wet . The evening snow was very refreshing. In combination with the wind, the icy felt like needles in the face. I had to do a ride with the pugsley in the morning before work as well and took a few pictures.







The snow will probably be completely gone in less than a week, but it still was refreshing.

A short Pugsley overnighter

This is the worst time of the year. This year the fall has been quite dry, but the lack of daylight imposes some restrictions. Currently sunrise is at 8:08 and sunset at 16:21. When we get snow this changes and the darkness no longer bothers.

I went on a short overnighter with Toni Lund to Piikkiö. The goal was not to cover a lot o miles, but rather to enjoy a night at a lean-to. "En skikkelig kosetur", to quote the Norwegian writer/adventurer Lars Monsen. There is not much point in doing longer rides in the darkness, besides training, since you don't see anything else than the few meters in front of you illuminated by the bike lights.

I left at 19.00 and had two hours to get to Piikkiö to meet Toni Lund. The direct route would probably take around 45 minutes, but I found a fairly nice route using mostly forest roads and singletrack, starting in my home forest.



This is what you see when riding in the darkness. Good bike lights make it possible, but you still don't see much, unless the ground is covered in snow.


Lake Littoinen, with some lights from the the village Littoinen in the background.




Toni Lund. After we met in Piikkiö we rode for a short while to the lean-to.


We arrived at the lean-to maybe around 22.00. I rode about 22 km this evening.

After some initial troubles getting the fire started (wet wood and just a multitool knife for the firewood), we grilled sandwiches and sausages. Nice.




View from the lean-to. The light pollution comes from a nearby greenhouse. We went to sleep around midnight.


We got up at 7:00 in the morning. At some point during the night it rained a little, but in the morning the weather cleared up. Toni looks forward to his coffee.


Shortly after we woke, Matti K came by on the way home from his morning ride. I had mentioned the lean-to location on Facebook, and actually guessed that he might come by.


Matti K...


... and his new cyclocross bike. He had some troubles on the roots and rocks with it.


The lean-to and Toni's bike.


Parked and ready. We got started around 8:10.


The last part of the climb up to Linnavuori is not doable on a bike.


A nice view from the top of Linnavuori.






On the move again.




Around 9:20 we went in separate directions. I had about 1,5 hours of riding left to get home.


Some easy singletrack was included.


Lake Littoinen again. Almost home.


This morning saw around 22 km of riding.

I don't consider this a real shakedown ride for the Pugsley. For that I need real winter conditions, though it works well also outside the winter. It provides an alternative to the full suspension bike for trips on singletrack. The big tires provides the same comfort as suspension in sustainable touring speeds and the large frame bag and racks enables riding without a backpack, which is really nice.

A few more picture are here.

Check out Toni's write-up as well.

Late fall

Last week had a few nice cold days. On Wednesday the temperature stayed below freezing the entire day and it was nice and sunny. Still, the winter is probably at least one month away and the temperature has risen again, with accompanying rain and cloudy weather. The ten day forecast promises nothing better.

I went for a short ride with the Pugsley. There are some advantages to the fat tires in these conditions: The grip on wet rocks and roots is good and the tires are kinder to the trails. The grip of the Larry in the front feels notably better than that of the Endomorph in the back, which is the way it should be. I should probably also order another of Rido R2 saddle, since it is now clear that the one on the Pugsley is a lot more comfortable than my other saddles.

Lago Littoinen


Pyydysmäki


Water that does drain away will not dry until the next summer. There is no significant evaporation in these temperatures.

Paimio's Revenge V

Toni Lund and Jani@pyöristi arranged a larger group ride in Paimio this year as well. The night temperature was below freezing, creating occasional patches of ice here and there. Just in time for the ride it started to rain. The temperature was now a little above freezing, which meant fairly cold riding conditions. We rode for almost five hours and at the end everybody was thoroughly soaked and cold. I did not have time to eat or choose appropriate gear, since I found out that I was able to participate just in time to get there and not be much too late. The last 30 minutes were pure misery, since I ran of of energy in the middle of the ride and had nothing to eat. Preparation is the key to everything...

A few pictures follow. I used my old camera, which leaves a lot to be desired in image quality. It seems to cope with rain quite well, though.

Late fall.




greenman


A hopeless try.


The two Pugsleys in Turku.




A few more pictures.

Frame bag

I made a frame bag for the Pugsley, in order to make it ready for some overnighters. A frame bag allows putting heavy gear in the middle of the bike and with a low center of gravity, which means it does not affect the handling of the bike very much. My experiences from the Fargo are very good in this matter. It really is nice not to have a heavy rucksack (or even a lighter one) when riding.

The frame bag took me about seven hours to make, and while the craftsmanship probably is far from that on the commercial alternatives, the result seems quite good. I used 1000D Cordura, which is pretty strong. Spectra would probably be both stronger and lighter, but the finished bag still weighed only 300g, so I think the Cordura is a good alternative. As I understand Spectra is both hard to find and more difficult to use.

The design is basically the same as on the one I made for the Fargo. which has worked great. The bag is divided into two compartments by a velcro divider, which make it possible to adjust the width also in the middle of the bag. Two zippers give access to the compartments. The frame bag was loaded with some camera equipment, bike gear and a down jacket (no compression bag) to really fill it up for the test ride.


I added a map pocket to the left side panel. Might come in handy.


The Pugsley frame bag is a lot wider. On the Fargo I made the panels that go against the tubes 6 cm wide and on the Pugsley 9 cm wide. The Pugsley has a wider BB than the Fargo and the frame triangle is lower, which should allow for more width. A three hour test ride revealed no problem, but I would not go much wider. The velcro fastening system does make it possible to tighten it more, thus making it more narrow if necessary. It worked great as it was, though.


I also added bottle cages to the fork, just like the Fargo has. Thanks, Coastkid, for showing how to easily do this. Now I need to find some thermos bottles that fit into the bottle cages.


Some final things still remain to do before the Pugsley is fully ready for multiday trips. I will probably add a bottle cage to the downtube and order a rack for the front as well. The cables prevent strapping a drybag to the handlebar like on the Fargo, hence the need for a front rack.

Test ride

The first real test ride of the Pugsley took place today. Despite it being designed for soft terrain, like snow and sand beaches, it is a fun bike to ride on ordinary forest trails. The big tires give a lot of cush and the grip is phenomenal. It does not roll as well as an XC race bike and the heavy wheels take some effort to get up to speed, but it still is easier than the tank like appearance would suggest and it does not at all feel clumsy to ride. The big and soft tires are also a lot more kind to the terrain than ordinary tires, something which does have some importance to me in wet conditions.

On one occasion the rear wheel slipped in the dropout on the brake side, but hopefully that won't happen again. I tightened it a lot more this time.