Daddy

Hello all! I wanted to share something a little personal today. The wonderful readers that you are deserve to know, so here goes. A summary of the last year.

Last summer, we decided to pack it all up and move to Ireland. It was a difficult time, selling a house, getting all the odds and ends ready for travelling internationally, finding a school from afar, but then, the unexpected happened. My father fell ill.

Neva and Dad sharing a mango lassi at an Indian buffet at Christmas time.

My father, J.R. Dick Fitch, is my biggest fan. He is the one who started me writing and editing at a young age. You see, he was the president, editor, and publisher of a local newspaper in Imperial Valley, CA, and had been in the newspaper business from aged 19-78. When I was 10 years old, he called me into his room to proofread one of his Sunday columns which he wrote weekly.

A proud Papa showing off his granddaughter at his job (one of 3 jobs, that is) at the Kerrville Daily Times. Dad wasn't very good at staying retired!

We both lived in Texas, only 5 hours away from each other, so we were able to see each other on a semi-regular basis. We would exchange holidays with each other, and we would go to him for his classic car club rides, one of his favorite retirement hobbies. The other was writing children's books, which he ended up writing 4 of, his first featuring Neva in the "about the author" section.

Top : Christmas, Bottom Left : photoshoot for "Opposites" about the author page, Bottom Right : Dad about to take Neva for a ride in the classic car.

When I found out he was sick, I went down to see him right away. Things escalated and when we thought he was to be released from the hospital, he went into emergency surgery instead. I had the pleasure and the honor of nursing him back to health from a painful surgery. Flossing his teeth, combing his hair, giving him company when he was awake, all the things he did for me when I was little. After days of getting better, it seemed we were in the clear; but then there was a setback. Dad's 78 year old body was saying go, even though his heart and mind said stay. June 26, 2016, Dick Fitch, Daddy, Papa, said goodbye.

Left : Dad's small family memorial service with a picture of him when he was 19, and some other special mementos of his. Right : One of the last times I saw dad feeling "well". Here he is laughing at the birthday card Neva got him, with donkeys on the front!

All the things that you won't do flood your mind. Dad had wanted to be our SAG wagon at RAGBRAI that year, just the following month. It was Neva's first year to cycle on her own, and he was so proud and excited to drive a car for us, pulling behind him one of his classic camper pods. But then you appreciate all the times you had, and it helps the pain. And I mean ALL the times, even the not so pleasant ones are a treasure when you lose someone you truly love. Remember to gives all the hugs!

It was hard for me to write on this blog, as he commented on every post I wrote, and I knew once I wrote a post, I would expect to see his comment that wouldn't come "great pictures kiddo", "what an adventure!", "tell Neva Papa is proud." None of these will come again. But I decided I'm ready. To share more adventures, tips and tricks. From cycling, to TSA rules, to international moves and laws, I'm ready to share again.

Our "backyard". The start of this trail is a 3 minute walk from our house. This is what it looks like at the top.

Stay tuned as this month will be all about Ireland. The process of moving internationally, Irish customs, hidden treasures in Ireland, cycle commuting and bike culture here, as well as our personal stories. We will see you soon! Or, as my dad would say, "See you in the funny papers!"

Dad giving us a warm farewell as we venture toward the Great Divide from his house in Kerrville, TX.

6 Reasons to Run if You're a Bicyclist

As I'm nearing the end of my Master's program, I've become less active.  Where my mind and scientific writing has gotten quite the workout, my body has gotten much less exercise. To help with the metaphor of crossing the thesis finish line, I started running again as my exercise of choice when not bike commuting.  You may wonder why a bike addict would chose to go the way of the sneaker for exercise, so I compiled both biological and personal preferences as to why a cyclist should also incorporate running into their exercise regimen.

1. Impact Exercise to Prevent Brittle Bones

There is evidence to suggest that bikers may suffer from lower Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in the femur, neck, and lumbar spine compared to weight bearing exercises.  You can read the full 2011 study here. More research needs to be done, but there is substantial preliminary research that points to low impact sports like swimming and biking decreasing BMD. For anyone that rides in traffic and has potential to get hit by a car, or for off-road bikers who can take a spill from aggressive terrain, strong bones are a good thing.  Cross training biking and running is a good way to prevent unwanted premature bone deterioration.

2. Quick Boost to the Cardiovascular System

Now, this is just from my personal experience, but I find that biking in Texas does not prepare me for climbing mountains in Colorado, lung-wise. As a long-time long distance cyclist, any time I get on a bike, my body automatically adjusts to a moderate pace, which is good for enduring long distances, but it doesn't help when I really need to be building my lung power, and working on my breathing for future mountain bike climbing endeavors. Even if it's only for 20-30 minutes a day, my heart rate stays up the whole time when running.  There's no break during a downhill, when you stop moving your feet, you stop running.  This really helps me to improve my cardiovascular system quickly. This study discusses some of the physiological differences between cycling and running.

3. Building Strength in Complimentary Climbing Muscles

As you may (or may not) be able to see from the pictures above, there is much overlap of muscles used for both running and cycling. When mountain biking up steep grades in the Colorado Rockies, I was primarily standing up on my pedals to navigate large boulders and pull 100 pounds up the side of a mountain; and when going downhill off-road, you tend to stand up so your legs act as a shock and to maintain a strong sense of balance over your bike and load. When first starting out in the Rockies, this all too familiar position of standing up made me wish that I had incorporated running into my regimen beforehand to prevent muscle fatigue on long climbing days (which are most days in Colorado!). Also, keep in mind, the air is thinner at the high elevations, which is why a strong cardiovascular system that can get your oxygen to your muscles efficiently is important too (reference #2 above).

4. More Efficient Exercise when on a Short Schedule

My biking need has dwindled from about 150 miles per week to maybe 30 miles per week as I finish my thesis (yay!). Between schooling and family, I have less time for extracurriculars. If I really want to get a good workout on a bike (here in mostly flat north Texas), I have to be gone for about an hour or more. With running, I feel it right away and really notice a difference from something as small as 3-5 kilometers/day, which takes only 15-30 minutes. I can run while Neva is brushing her teeth in the morning, and be home before she is dressed. I feel somewhat accomplished, and don't beat myself up too hard if I drive that day due to time constraints (the guilt is real as a biker anytime you drive over biking!)

5. The Distance is Shorter, yet Effective

Not only does it take a while to get a good workout on the bike, you have to go quite a long distance to get in your hour-long workout. Typically you're looking at around 15 miles, and when you're in the heart of suburbia, you've very much left the neighborhood and have ventured into the next town over. That's not to say that you can't get in your weekend long-rides of 50+ miles; that's necessary for long-distance bike training. But for maintaining a daily routine, it should be something that's tangible on a daily basis, or something you can feel comfortable keeping up with.  Biking to work daily also fits the bill, but currently, I work from home, so that one is out for me right now!

6.  You Eliminate the Morning Stress of Dealing with Cars

When you don't have to leave your neighborhood, the urgency of morning traffic does not exist. Our neighborhood is a 2 kilometer course that I can run 2-3 times, and not worry about the stress of dealing with cars trying to get to work. Once you leave the neighborhood on your bike at 7am, you're right in the heart of traffic here in Texas, breathing exhaust fumes, and dealing with impatient drivers. When running, I notice that cars actually see you much better because the pace is so different from them, which takes down the stress level. Lastly, stretching is a mandatory part of post-running procedure, so a post-run 5 minute yoga and meditation session is a great way to destress your morning and start the day.

Relax like the Nevatar!

So, to recap, I am still a bike addict, and with many friends that are marathoners, I definitely cannot call myself a runner. However, I wanted to share the value I find in cross-training to strengthen my cycling performance. Neva also alternates between running and biking for her afternoon exercises, and we make a great team when I'm running and she bikes next to me. Since I cannot end a post without showing an adorable Neva shot, here's my biking running partner in action (with an iguana in tow)!

 

Quick Post : Neva's Ascent

Can you all feel it?  Spring is almost here, and the biking here in Texas has been great!  Neva's been putting her Beinn 20 to good use over the past month, practicing her hand braking, shifting, and overall technique on her 'big girl' bike. Here she is about to hit the trail.  (Note : sandals were not advised by mother)

Fun Fact : If you don't have a bike trail close by, the Beinn 20 fits nicely inside the car, only needing the front wheel removed. 

The easiest riding to get to from our house is a construction site a mile down the road.  On the weekends, there are no workers, and it's a tiny mountain bikers' dream! She started out walking her bike up a steep grade.  I reminded her that realistically, when you start, there may be some walking involved.

She did well going over the bumps and large vehicle "rumples" left behind, but is still working on standing up so her legs can absorb the shock of a bumpy landscape.  At the end of the trail was a large hill that looked over a small lake below.  She made it up part way, but needed to walk the rest of the way. Downshifting uphill is also another work-in-progress.

At the top, it was the first time that she had biked to an overlook under her own power.  She walked to the edge to take in the scenery. Smiling as a flock of geese crested over the horizon, honking loudly, as they usually do around dusk. 

She sat down, proud of her accomplishment.

Then it was time for the moment of truth. Now that she had gone up, could she go down?  

Down...

dooooownnnn.....

Neva left us in a cloud of trail dust, rapid-fire shifting, and speeding the whole way home! Luckily, she's got her hand brakes for speed adjustments, but this girl is not one to shy away from speed. Stay tuned for next time, there may be a GoPro Neva-cam video in the near future!

Neva Is-la Biker - First Impressions on the Beinn 20 Small

It came today!  The Islabike that Neva is going to test!  After the 5 year mark last year, Neva really progressed quickly in her biking.  She went from trailer, to Wee-hoo, to tandem, and she is now ready for a fully functional bike! This now-6-year-old would tell me, "Mom, do we have to take the tandem, it's soooo slow!", unbeknownst to her that the Islabike Beinn 20 Small was on its way.

First of all, first impressions couldn't be better.

Right out of the box...seriously!

As someone who used to work for an online bike company, this packaging was suburb.  First of all, it came almost fully assembled!  All I had to do was put on the front wheel and pedals. The nice folks at Isla installed the rack and bottle cage, cut to size and installed the kickstand, and installed the upgraded tires onto the wheels. Nothing was out of place or damaged, it was perfect.  It took longer to put on my shoes and gather my biking things than for me to get this bike ready to ride. 

You've gotta love the small details Isla adds for their customers.  Their 'ready to go' set-up is convenient for bike nerds, but a sigh of relief for the bike novice that didn't want to pay a shop to put a bike together. In the picture above, you can see they added little stickers which say which pedal goes on, and which way to rotate the pedal properly for installation. A manual is included as well if necessary, with a variety of allen wrenches for adjustments.

I was also very impressed that Islabikes offers the option of tire upgrades since these bikes use 20" tires. Schwalbe Marathon tires are my go-to touring tire, and I was glad I didn't have to go directly to Schwalbe to get these tires.  Also, they installed them, which is super cool of them. 

The reason we were looking at this bike is because it really stood out from any other bikes that are in Neva's age/size range.  It has front and rear V-brakes with small hand levers, it has a 7-speed shifter on the right hand (not shown here), and a cool bell on the left hand side. You can also see that there is a real headset and stem that you can adjust if necessary.

As if good brakes and shifters weren't enough, the Beinn 20 has tons of eyelets in useful places! I found some here on the front fork, giving a possible option for running a front rack. There are eyelets for a rear rack as well at the dropouts and seat stays, and a bottle cage inside the triangle. This photo also shows the high-quality, sealed bearing hubs that come on the wheels. She'll be able to ride as many miles as she wants on these wheels.

The Beinn 20 utilizes a mountain derailleur and a wide range ratio cassette, which gives Neva plenty of shifting options on different terrain.  

Here is the kickstand installed very securely on the bottom bracket.  It's a greenfield kickstand that Isla cut down to size to fit this small frame. 

The seat is a real seat with collar!  It looks sleek and comfy.  Even after all of my research on child bike seats, I had trouble finding one for Neva, and she did have some complaints of her 'gluteus maximus' hurting every now and again on long tandem rides, making bike shorts with shammy a necessity for her. This seat is adjustable front to back, and can be angled up or down, just like an adult bike seat. 

And voila! The bike all put together!  Not only is the Beinn 20 Small the best kids' bike I've seen, it's a great bike in general with all of the options that have gone into it.  It's obvious that IslaBikes has an innovative production team that really considers the wants and needs of a young person who knows how to ride and is ready for a good bike. The color is also beautiful.  It's a purpley-pink, almost shiny magenta, that really catches the eye. You can even get decals with your child's name made and put on the bike for $14.99, how cool is that! The above pictures don't quite give it justice with the inside lighting, but the outside shots below are more true to color.

I decided I wanted to surprise Neva at school today with the bike, so I packed up the Burley Nomad trailer, tied down the Beinn 20 with 3 bungee cords (front tire removed, and inside the trailer), stuffed her windbreaker and helmet in, and was ready to roll.

We made it!  (The Beinn 20 and I, that is!)

I got the bike all set up, and hid it in the corner...

She was contemplating how she would mount my bike when I called her over, camera ready, asking if she knew what this was...

She put her finger up to her mouth, in a pondering position, and asked, "Is this my bike?"

The second I said yes, she was ready to ride it!

It fits perfectly at all the smallest settings, and she has room to grow. She rode the entire 3 miles home. Walking across crosswalks, practicing her hand brakes, ringing her bell. Her first impressions were a big thumbs up!

Right before we got home, she gave me a big smile.  She felt very accomplished after her first ride on her new bike that fits her! She's already talking of the panniers she'll add on, and more, so I'll keep you all updated!  Have some questions for Neva? We will start some Neva Q&A segments, so if you want it, we will give it to you straight from the 6-year-old's mouth! 

Mini Gear Guide : Five Faves For all Seasons

Since I am currently in graduate school, we are down to taking one or two bike tours a year.  When we return from our travels,  we must face the concrete jungle that is Denton, Texas. This year, I'm lucky enough to bike Neva to school, and enjoy 25 miles of biking throughout the day. In going back and forth between touring and commuting, I've noticed a few pieces of gear that work great for both purposes,and in all seasons.  There are things like bike lights, a helmet, a pump and patch kit, etc. that are a given every time you ride, but this list is of the not-so-obvious must-haves for the chronic cyclist.

Two girls attacking the concrete jungle for Neva's first day of Kindergarten. A child one day asked her, "Neva, why do you always bike to school?!" and Neva replied, "Why don't you always bike to school?"

1. The Buff
- The Buff is ingenious in its simplicity. At first glance, it looks like just a stretch tube of fabric; not very exciting, but after using this product over many miles, the usefulness shines through.

For both on tour and commuting, the Buff can act as a balaclava to protect your face from the cold.  On hot days, if you're touring in the desert, your mouth is protected from sand from the prevalent dirt devils of a vast and arid climate.  When commuting in Texas, every morning on the bike path and around sidewalks, leaf/sand/pine needle cleanup uses blowers and weed wackers to keep the sidewalks looking nice (I guess?). Covering up with a Buff is just the thing to keep unexpected gnats, cold, dust, etc. out of your mouth.  There are many other ways to wear the Buff to keep your hair out of your face as well, but for me, having quick access to an instant mouth barrier provides the most useful service.

Neva used the Buff as a head scarf when commuting by subway in NYC.

2. Da Brim
- Simplicity will be a common theme with the products I use most regularly.  Da Brim is a circle of fabric that velcro tightens around your helmet, giving shade that is equivalent to wearing a 10-gallon hat.

Neva and I are sporting da Brim look.  Neva's is handmade by me, and mine is the $50 version available only online.

Da Brim is not much more glamorous than an umbrella hat, but I got tons of compliments from people on RAGBRAI, and biking on the bike path during the Texas summer, because it looks smart. The level of protection goes all the way around, protecting your face and the back of your neck.  For anyone that wears glasses, this hat addition is also helpful when it rains. The only downfall of this piece of gear is when it's really windy.  Sometimes, if the wind catches da Brim just right, the whole helmet will come up.  This is sometimes the case if you have a small head (like me) and your helmet just barely fits, or if you just shaved your head and now your helmet fits a little bit larger. Usually adjusting your helmet to fit properly will address this issue.

Neva's brim is still a work in progress, but with about $2 invested in the above recycled materials, we've had fun experimenting.

3. A Bell
- Ding ding. The universal cyclist communication mechanism.

A bell might not seem that important, but if you're ever on a shared bike path, you will notice that EVERYONE, runners, bikers, walkers, etc., wear earbuds and are listening to music. You can scream, "on your left" all day, and on the off-chance they hear you, they will just wonder why you're screaming at them. It's better to just have a bell to try and warn them of your presence.  If no reaction, just try to go around them as safely as possible.

Off-road or on tour the bell can come in handy for a few reasons.  If you're in the wilderness, sometimes it's good to have a bell just to alert the animals of your presence, if your clunky load isn't already scaring off everything in a 2 mile radius. If you're on the open road, it's a good way to say "hello!" to the elusive other-cycle tourist. Maybe they'll even stop to chat and you have made a new best friend. Good communication is key in any relationship.  Since we share the roads with everyone, the bell is the least threatening way to say, "hey, I'm here".

4. Super Collapsible Backpack
- An extra bag that is so lightweight and collapsible, that you don't even remember it's there until you need it, and then you're glad it's there.

Collapsed version

When on tour, the stashing of a tiny backpack that's smaller than my fist is best used for grabbing some groceries when you are in town.  You don't want to go fully loaded to the grocery, and most of your bags are filled with gear anyway, so you need an extra bag.  Since you won't be getting more than a grocery bag full anyway, usually just 1 or 2 meals worth of food and some snack bars, one bag works well. I prefer the backpack form so that I don't have to do the ol' 'hold it on your handlebars' thing, though a plastic bag or reusable shopping bag would work too, as they are just as light an collapsible as the backpack.

Open bag, with tiny attached mini bag sewed to the inside.

When I'm commuting, I typically use the backpack when I am going to grab lunch. Again, so I don't need to bring my school supplies with me. Sometimes I may even use only the backpack instead of panniers if I just need my wallet and phone, with the possibility of an unforeseen purchase. The great thing about it is you don't have to lug around a pannier which goes on your shoulder once you arrive, you've got your necessities comfortably on your back. The bag is so light,  I typically forget I am wearing it, and it doesn't cause the unfortunate sweaty back syndrome.

Very simple : one top main zipper, one small side zipper (made to fit keys and things), adjustable straps, and a loop on the mini inside bag so you can carabiner it to a belt loop or large bag when it's in collapsed mode.

In use for holding snacks and necessities when on a bus in Costa Rica. All the other gear is stuffed under the bus. Oh look, the Buff made a second appearance!

5. Pockets...Anywhere
-I'm not picky, pockets on your back, on your shorts, on your shoulder, wherever, I just want some pockets.

Mostly, this comes in really handy so that you can put your phone within hearing range when you're biking around a city, trying to find a place you've never been.  The most handy that I've found is the velcro breast pocket found on adventure style shirts.

Some ladies might find it uncomfortable to put anything in the breast pocket, and that's when cycling pockets come in handy, or a sleeve pocket/phone holder. Short/pants pockets can work, but you can't quite hear directions as well if you're in a high traffic situation. You of course can put anything in your pockets that you wish (Neva likes rocks, leaves, etc.) but I have found phone directions are the most useful. 

Give yourself a high five, just for being awesome, and let us know any necessities you like to always have handy when biking. My next post I'll discuss an in depth list of my first aid kit, and when some of my odd choices can come in handy.