Fr8: 59-mile review

So, I think I've been about 59 miles on my Fr8 since starting to commute with it Tuesday of last week. Therefore, an updated review is in order.

(Rather than put more photos of the Fr8 up here, you can find some real beauties online.)

The Fr8 is made by WorkCycles in Holland. It is made to be a workhorse, primarily, but with comfort in mind -- much like our minivan, I suppose. I wrote about my first impressions in an earlier post; now I will address some of the issues I brought up then and give my further insights.

Weight: I mentioned the (probably) 70 pounds of weight before. I suppose I only notice the weight translating to a generally slow, un-nimble ride. And yet it doesn't *feel* slow; I can certainly accelerate, and the ride seems fast enough, especially on the downhills when acceleration comes easy. But with the weight and the riding position, I feel more of a sense of slowing down to enjoy life a bit more, something I desperately need many mornings on my way to work. I can scarcely bring myself to care that some other cyclist is hitting the green lights and I'm not.

The rattle from the chaincase was due to a loose chain. In increasing the chain tension, I dealt with the chaincase, and it does, indeed, seem to be quite industrial. I don't think it'll break any time soon, that's for sure. So I've stopped worrying about it. Now it is fairly silent.

The massive rack is actually a breeze to use! Since the bicycle stand is essentially the rack stand, a push forward is all that is needed to get going. A slight tilt to the left or right nudges the rack stand into the full "go" position, so it is very easy to use. When the rack stand is up, it lies horizontal towards the feet, with plenty of clearance to let the toes go 'round.

So far I'm loving the tires. 25 psi seems to be the way to go! Smooth rolling and comfy. We'll see what goathead season brings in the next two months...

The handlebars are great! I love the position for the hands and my body. It just took a bit of getting used to. And with that -- I've addressed the "cons" I listed in my first post about the bicycle. Now to other matters...

I had thought I might want to go with a 3-speed before getting this bike, but I'm so glad I ended up with 8 speeds! I only really use 1 through 6, but I really do use all of them. I use 7 on one descent and have not yet used 8, so I have no idea what it's meant for. (My terrain is only moderately hilly, by the way...)

The front rack has proved its usefulness. While my backpack looks silly on the thing, I strapped a large storage box to it for a trip to the store and came back with three gallons of milk, two dozen eggs, six juice cartons, and a box of diapers, and, other than the launch, I didn't notice the extra weight. Once I get a box that takes up the whole front rack, and maybe something to go on the back rack, I'll be able to shop for the whole family in one go on this thing!

The Brooks saddle -- wow. I've read about break-in periods, but I guess I didn't need one. It's just comfortable! It's simply a piece of leather, that's it. Some metal to help it keep its shape and connect to the bike. Two thumbs up on that one.

The look. I guess, as a recovered unicyclist, I'm used to being the center of attention whenever I get somewhere. Well, that's still the case. Especially among young teenage boys. They must be worrying that they might someday lose so much of their masculinity.

Finally, I'll just say that this ride is smooth like I've never experienced. Stable, in control, smooth. It turns like a charm. Not nimble, of course, but a great city bike, and one I hope to live with for a long, long time. Thanks, Henry Cutler, for a fantastic bicycle!

The 5 Stooges

Here they all are! Quite the happy lot...

Brigham has quite the furrowed brow even when he is relaxed, so when he's upset, he really looks it.

Enoch and Kimball's DI finds, for under a dollar each. I think Enoch's Darth Vader is probably worth something serious to somebody, but... it's his.

Parley doesn't really love haircuts...

But he does love "doing" the dishes!

Rhubarb Pancake Syrup

For my next unsweetened, sugar-free rhubarb recipe: pancake syrup! All the kids liked this, though it is a bit sour.

Rhubarb
Orange juice concentrate
Blueberries, if you've got them

Boil it all for several minutes until the rhubarb breaks down. I didn't write amount down, but yesterday's sweeter version and today's sour-er version were both very good!

What's built like a tank and rides like a bike?

A WorkCycles Fr8, that's what!

I just got my Fr8 yesterday, and, owing to the dearth of online user reviews about this machine, I figured I'd keep the world updated on my experience.

First, a picture:

So, the picture is not exactly glamorous, but it gets the idea across. OK, actually it doesn't. I had seen many photos of this bicycle online, but it didn't prepare for seeing it in person.

When time came for me to double the number of wheels in my commute, I thought, "I've been riding this useless (but fun!) unicycle for a while -- how about something really different now?" So I spent months deliberating and finally ordered this bike from CleverCycles in Portland, OR. While I have only dealt with the CleverCycles folks once, long distance, everything about my experience with them was positive -- good customer service, prompt shipping, etc. Highly recommended.

When I pulled in the garage yesterday and saw this thing wrapped up on a pallet, I thought, Gracious, that thing is huge! And it is! But I didn't necessarily want a huge bike, just function, especially:

Something to last forever
Suitable car semi-replacement
Cargo capacity
Fuss-free
Good commuter

You get the idea. We'll see how it does long-term. But here are my first impressions. I've only been on one ride, to take the bicycle's cardboard packaging to the recycle bin. Also, as seen in the photo, it came equipped with the Massive Front Rack and Heavy Duty Rear Rack. So, here goes:

General:

AWESOME so far!

Cons first (hurts the worst):

This thing really is heavy! I knew it would be, but -- 70 pounds? Wow. I think that's what it is, anyway; I couldn't lift it entirely off the ground for a precise measurement, but it shot past 60. I don't think this is really a con, but it deserves mention. All I can think is I won't be throwing this in my bike rack on top of the car any time soon!

I'm a tad worried about the plastic chaincase. While it appears rather durable, I can't help but think the rest of the bicycle will outlast it. It rattles a fair bit going over modest bumps at moderate speeds, which is also disconcerting, although I don't know if it should be worrisome.

Massive rack: I'll post more about this rack later. But when kicking off the rack into the "go" position, I have to help the rack stand snap all the way up. It seems like the two beefy springs should accomplish that job for me. Maybe some lubrication would help?

Tires: as far as I can tell, 60 mm tires are necessary, and smooth road tires preferable, which really limits the selection! Maybe not really a con, but not really convenient either.

Handlebars: I like the swept-back handlebars, but the angle it requires of my hands is a bit awkward. I let the handle go through the palm of my hand at a diagonal, which is fine, but perhaps not perfect for my taste.

The LOOK! Totally nerdy! Not for the faint of heart! I did get some stares on my maiden voyage!

Pros:

Built like a tank! Rides like a Cadillac! Totally smooth ride. I think if I deflate the tires a tad, that will help smooth it out even more.

Handling is very good. The two roller brakes work well. Steering is effortless.

Maybe a Shimano thing, but the Nexus 8-speed offers a perfect range of gearing and good shifting.

Geometry: I need to adjust the saddle a bit, but the upright posture is quite comfortable. While I feel like the bike was made for my 5'7" height, my 5'2" wife could probably say the same -- she fit quite well.

The LOOK! Totally nerdy! Not for the faint of heart! I love it!

I'll post more as I get used to this bike. I'm sure I'll find more to love about it. But this is my first gut reaction.

Things Dead and Not So Dead

So while our back yard has been dying, ...

our front yard has been dying, ...

and Kimball has also been dying...

the same goes for our side-front-ish yard – but at least it has been dying in style!

Instead of mowing and watering, I've been mulching and rocking.

The landscape spiral is a neat way to make it look arranged, and still deal with all the rock we get from our... uh... soil... or something like that. It certainly ain't permanent, but then again, neither is a mowed lawn. I'd rather draw than mow! In any case, progress has been slow, but it's nice to have at least some parts of the yard that are getting tended.

Baby Brigham

Just a few photos of Brigham... we'll get better photos up as we snap them.

Sugar-free Rhubarb Muffins

With my recent diagnosis of osteopenia, I decided that it's time to get sugar out of my diet, for the most part. Which would naturally mean getting rhubarb out of my diet.

But not so fast!

I searched this morning for sugar-free rhubarb muffin recipes and came up with very little. So I improvised and herewith provide the results. NOTE that this is not a "sweet" muffin. And the rhubarb is still a bit sour. But the entire family (wife and three of the kids) quite liked them (the four-year-old didn't so much).

Here it is:

Mix together:

3/4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c white flour
1/2 c oats
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, etc.

Then mix together:

3/4 c fruit juice
1/4 c melted butter
2 T oil
1 t vanilla
1 egg

Gently mix dry and wet, add 1 cup rhubarb (chopped in bitty pieces), cook for 15 minutes (or so) at 350, and then see if you like it.

If so, leave me smileys at the bottom.

If not, I expect frownies!

Edit: So, we've discovered that if you cook the rhubarb in the microwave for one or two minutes before adding it to the muffin batter, it mellows the flavor out a bit.

Also, we've been adding equal parts blueberries and rhubarb, and that seems about the perfect combination!

Torn ACL, mazes, teeter-totter, and apples!

So at the end of April I tore my ACL. I was fairly immobile for several days. That evening, when I got home from the emergency room, Enoch ran to the table and drew this note for me. The translation reads "I hope Dad feels better soon."

In my boredom I resumed my childhood love of drawing mazes, but this time for my own children. Megan wanted one that was "kind of" hard. This is what she got.

And Enoch just wanted a dragon. This is what I drew for him. Although this maze is not just "kind of" hard but really quite hard (unless done backwards, so don't cheat!).

I have been feeling better lately. Well enough that we finally got something in the yard intended for the children - miracle of miracles! Ty inspired me to build a teeter totter. Hopefully we'll still have all of these children once summer is over!

I've also been spending (too much) time in the yard, but I love it. I never knew I had such a green thumb (I suppose I have Grandma to thank for that). Our apple "stick" - no (real) branches yet - has over forty of these little... apples? Wow, who knew it would do this 9 months after planting. Who knows if they'll be edible.

We've been all about spring around here. That's why it's spring. Or maybe I got that backwards. Well, anyway, spring means green. And our yard is no exception -- crabgrass and dandelions galore. Maybe some Kentucky bluegrass here and there. But... we're letting it die! It's my statement against high-water-use, good-for-nothing-except-? lawns in a desert mountain. So I've been planting lots of other things to try to replace our grass entirely, around most of the house -- a process that will doubtless take a few years. Nonetheless, here's some of what spring has sprung for us in 2010:

New junipers -- very blue ones. The best-looking junipers
I have come across, so I had to get a few. After 5 years I
understand they will gain a foot, so, patience...

But, of course, nothing compared to the patience
required of raising children! Or bristlecone pines,
for that matter. Google them, they're awesome.
This one is probably ten years old or so.
(Mugo row in back...)

This is our "compost"... uh... "bin"... We *are* getting
some good-looking black compost at the bottom of
the heap, but not a lot, and it's taking a long time.
We really just ignore it.

Here are the children, nicely lined up (courtesy
of Megan the older sibling!) next to the pretty
pink peach tree. Pear tree to the left, apple tree
quite a ways behind that! (squint)

Parley is showing off everything he knows about gardening.
Actually, he knows how to dig up brand new pea plants too.

This raised planting box was my first-ever
solo (real -- aka useful) wood-working project.
We've got Lincoln peas in the south half and
will put out some Brandywine tomatoes in the
other half in a couple weeks! (I *love-love-love*
this photo, by the way...)

Random Assortment

We've had a lot going on! We always do, it's why this blog barely exists.



Parley has figured out the chair-dragging system of getting anywhere he shouldn't be able to. We're ready for heavy-duty benches instead of kitchen chairs. Also, the shoes! Wearing shoes any size too large is Parley's favorite pastime...

Tammy whipping cream for my peanut butter pie. We can afford to splurge like this once a year. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop us from splurging more often.

And the companion pie. A half-inch slice later and I was about to collapse under the table.

Megan has become cart-wheel queen! We've also been having hand-stand contests this week. We're equally bad, but still -- my shoulders hurt.

Kimball. What more can I say?

Enoch is showing off the hack job I did on his dresser drawer a couple weeks ago. All those little bits of wood turned it from a typical rail slider system -- always child-destructible -- to the current wood block slider.

The Wisdom of Being Kimball's Self

Mom: Enoch, let's get a haircut!
Enoch: I want it like Boston's!
Mom: OK. Kimball, how do you want your hair cut?
Kimball: Like Kimball's.

Scene 2
Mom: Uh-oh, the bookmark fell out of my book.
Kimball: Do you know where you are, Mommy?
Mom: Yes, I can find the place.
Kimball: And I know where myself is!

Home Improvement

Well... our house looks pretty much the same as it did when we first moved into it... except that you will notice some furniture scattered around here and there, pencil and crayon on our otherwise drab white walls, and some cupboard doors broken off. Needless to say, we've not done much to it in 19 months! The good thing is, it takes little to keep us happy. The other good thing is, the smallest improvements keep us happy with our home.

So I felt like I did something big to actually hang photos of our children on our wall. This is a wall which has had nothing on it previously -- just a large white space. And now something pretty to look at over there!

We have other large white spaces and an endless amount of small (and large) improvements we could make. So, at this rate, this home should keep us happy a long, long, long, long time.

And now Megan is informing me that I "really" need to change Parley's diaper... so, here I go for round 1,376,149!