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2023-10-15

Hafney FR-06 Mirrors

Last May I lost my right-side Sprintech Drop Bar Mirror in the baggage car of the Amtrak Coast Starlight. The right-side mirror is less useful than the left-side, so I didn’t bother about a replacement until after pedaling the 1,200 miles back home.

Upon returning, I decided to explore what other mirror options there may be rather than immediately purchasing another Sprintech mirror. I rode with a Take A Look Helmet Mirror for a few weeks, but found it to be less convenient than a mirror mounted to the bike. I messed with the D+D Oberlauda UltraLite Bike Mirror for a couple days. It’s a nice mirror, but I couldn’t find a mounting position that I was happy with on my drop bars. (While messing with this mirror I ended up moving my bell from the left to the right side.) Finally I purchased an FR06 from Hafny Components. I was immediately smitten with this, and bought a second FR06 for the other side a few days later.

The Hafny FR06 uses actual glass for the mirror. It is slightly convex – though less so than the Sprintech – and has a blue tint that does a great job of cutting back on glare. The optical clarity of the mirror is really excellent. This is entirely unnecessary for the application, but once I used it I didn’t want to go back to Sprintech’s chrome-coated ABS plastic.

The FR06 fits snugly into my Rene Herse Rando Handlebars, even with the tail of my leather tape tucked in. After inserting, a bolt is tightened to expand the assembly, locking it into place. The mirror itself is attached to the mounting assembly via a ball and socket joint. A separate bolt allows this joint to be locked in place. Since the mounting assembly can be rotated in addition to the pan-and-tilt of the mirror joint, positioning everything takes a little trial and error. Once the correct position is found, everything can be tightened down enough such that a smart smack will not cause anything to budge. Or it can be left loose enough to allow for in-flight adjustments. I’ve switched between both approaches, and in neither case have I had any issue with visual clarity or the mirror moving of its own accord, even on rough gravel roads.

I mount the FR06 with the logo-side of the assembly facing down. I think this is considered to be upside down, but it allows me to tilt the mirror up a few degrees higher than I otherwise could, providing a better picture of what’s behind me above the actual road surface. With the logo on the assembly facing up I found that the mirror ran into the top of the assembly just 1 or 2 degrees shy of where I wanted it.

The shape of the FR06 mirror is different than the old Sprintech. I don’t find the shape of one to be superior to the other. Both provide me with the image I want to see at a quick glance. But the higher quality look and feel of the Hafney offering makes me happy, and I think contributes to the overall sex appeal of my ride. This is something I prioritize.

2023-07-17

water, review, gear

Hydro Flask Lightweight Trail Series Bottles

I’ve been using the Hydro Flask Lightweight Trail Series bottles for about a year and a half. They are the first double-wall insulated stainless steel bottles I’ve found that are light enough for me to want to carry regularly.

I first purchased the 21 oz when I happened to come across it on sale. I liked it enough to purchase the 24 oz a month later when I had an REI coupon. A couple months after that I purchased the 32 oz at full price.

I primarily use the bottles to keep cold water cold. I also sometimes use the 24 oz bottle to keep hot tea hot. I’ve not timed how long they hold the desired temperature, but they do so for at least as long as it takes me to drink whatever is in them, thus resetting the clock. They do not insulate as well as my Zojirushi SM-SA48-BA, but the Hydro Flasks are better as daily, general purpose bottles.

When buying a bottle, one of the things I look for is standard threading and neck diameters. I strongly dislike being locked in to proprietary lids. Hydro Flask meets this criteria, allowing me to replace their stock lids – which are adequate – with better options. The 21 oz has a standard narrow mouth. Mine wears a Topoko Straw Lid B. The 24 oz and 32 oz have standard wide mouth openings. Mine both wear the humangear capCAP+.

If not using the humangear capCAP+ on the wide mouth bottles, a splash guard is wanted. The old Guyot Designs SplashGuard will not work, nor will the newer HydraPak WaterGate. I have found the BottlePro SplashPro to work well.

I have used the 21 oz and 24 oz bottles most. I first EDCed the 21 oz for about 8 months, before deciding that I really wanted those extra 3 oz of volume. The 24 oz has been my EDC for the past 8 months. Both carry well on the bike in a King Cage Iris Cage.

Without any lids, the three bottles register on my calibrated scale as:

7.80 oz, or 221.1 grams, for the 24 oz bottle
8.59 oz, or 243.4 grams, for the 24 oz bottle
10.80 oz, or 306.2 grams, for the 32 oz bottle

The bottles are not available in a raw finish. All three of mine are in the obsidian color, which is a nice chocolate brown. The paint does chip, particularly along the bottom, but this doesn’t bother me. One could probably avoid this by using one of those silicone boots, but these are not compatible with bike cages. I have dropped the bottles, and they do dent, but again, this does not bother me. If you’re looking for a pristine beauty queen, these bottles may not be your cup of tea. If you’re looking for functional, lightweight tools for a warming planet, these are great options.

2023-05-02

gear

On Wild Rags

The wild rag or neckerchief is an eminently functional tool. Worn around the neck, it protects from ultraviolet radiation. When wetted, it provides evaporative cooling. When dry, it can be used as a towel. It offers warmth when the mercury drops, and protection from the wind. It can be used as a furoshiki to bundle items together, or be tied into an impromptu bag. It may be fashioned into a sling, or used to tie a splint. The devolution of the wild rag into something as dumb as the modern necktie is the greatest crime perpetuated by Fashion since the invention of the high heel.

I bought my first wild rag at a used clothing store in 2004, though it wasn’t till seeing a suspiciously similar looking one as part of Viggo Mortensen’s costume in Appaloosa a few years later that I started to think of it as practical field equipment. By 2009 it was a standard part of my backpacking accouterment. Some time later the wild rag graduated to being just normal clothing, particularly when it is unusually hot or cold out. (The original rag that I bought used 19 years ago remains in the rotation.)

The standard size for a wild rag is 36” x 36”. This is larger than a pocket snot rag, which is typically 22” x 22”. It is large enough to be wrapped twice around the neck, with the tails still long enough to be easily knotted in the front. The wild rag will also usually be offered in a larger 44” x 44” size, but I find this too large to be worn.

The most common way to secure the wild rag around the neck is via a square knot. Being a gentleman of taste and culture, I sometimes tie mine in a half windsor. The so-called buckaroo square knot is another option, but I think it is pretty goofy looking. The only buckaroo I want in my life is Banzai.

A slide can be used in place of a knot. I have a couple of slides which are simply elongated ovals of leather with a snap in them. They work, and look nice, but are not as secure as a good knot when flying down a mountain on the bike. One could also use a woggle, but this is associated with people who march around in brown shirts, which I am allergic to.

The proper material for a wild rag is silk. People will try to sell you polyester rags, or blends of silk and cotton. Both are less functional than real, natural silk. The range of weather conditions in which silk remains comfortable is unusually wide. Avoid all imitations.

Silk rags are primarily offered in either Crepe de Chine or Charmeuse. Charmeuse looks and feels incredibly luxurious. It is very soft. One side is shiny and the other matte. But it is also warmer and slightly heavier than Crepe de Chine. Crepe de Chine has a rougher, pebble-like texture to it. It is lighter weight (by about 10 grams for the finished scarf) and better for warm weather, but still useful in the cold. Jacquard, where a pattern is sewn in with a lighter colored thread, is usually applied to Crepe de Chine fabric. Start out with one Crepe de Chine rag, then get one in Charmeuse. Next buy a few more of both, because this is an addiction.

Hems should be serged. Many sellers of silk wild rags offer the same patterns. They’re probably all buying the same bolts of fabric from the same suppliers. When you choose a seller, what you are really buying is the hem. A silk wild rag is not just a piece of fashion, but a durable, long-lasting tool. Serged hems will provide a longer service life than a hem which is simply rolled and stitched. You may save a little on the price with a lesser hem, but you will be disappointed in the long run. I wasted money before learning this lesson.

The best places that I have found to purchase a wild rag are Cowboy Images and Wild West Rag Co. Both apply serged hems to real silk. I’ve bought from both in the past and will buy from both again in the future.

Alternatives like shemaghs and neck tubes have their place, but my preference sits strongly with the silk wild rag.

2023-04-30

gear, footwear

Softstar Chukka Resole

The Softstar Shoes Hawthorne Chukka is one of my favorite shoes for everyday wear. I bought a pair in “Hickory” (brown) in 2016, and liked them enough that I went back and bought a second pair in “Onyx” (black) one month later. The chukkas feature a stitched leather midsole with a glued outsole, which means they are resolable. The outsole they ship with is an 8mm Vibram Super Newflex (Vibram catalog number 8868), which Softstar calls their “Geo” sole.

This past February I decided it was time to resole the brown pair. They had begun to feel a little slippery on wet concrete, and when I flipped them over to look at the bottom I could see that I had worn the rubber away completely in some spots.

When I visited my neighborhood cobbler, he did not have any sheets of Vibram Super Newflex. He did have a sheet of Vibram Newflex (Vibram catalog number 8870). I went with that.

Newflex is denser and a bit stiffer than Super Newflex, with a classic herringbone tread pattern that feels like it ought to be better for dirt. Newflex is what Softstar uses on their Dash and Primal running shoes (they call this one “Omniflex”) and is what Luna uses to build their classic Leadville Sandal, so the material has strong trail running credentials.

The resoled chukkas are probably a few grams heavier than they would be with Super Newflex rubber, and perhaps ever-so-slightly stiffer, but when wearing them I do not notice a difference in either department. With a fresh coat of Obenauf’s oil I think the refreshed shoe looks great.

I liked the Newflex sole enough that I went back to the cobbler 6 weeks later and had him resole my black chukkas. These weren’t as worn down as my brown pair, but were still worn smooth on the balls of the foot (there is a pattern here).

Resoled leather footwear is better than new. You get fresh tread, but keep your well-worn leather that has already molded to your foot. I’m looking forward to wearing both these soles down and revisiting the cobbler in another 7 years.

2023-03-21

gear, review, edc

Evaluating the 16340 Battery

16340 batteries are rechargeable batteries in the same form factor as CR123As. Last year I purchased 4 different 16340s to try out:

Two of these have integrated Micro USB ports for charging. That’s a nice feature, but the current iteration of my electronic support package contains a (now discontinued) Olight UC Universal Magnetic USB Charger (the Foursevens USB Flex Charger appears identical in every way but the logo), so I can just as easily charge the other two batteries when out and about.

Over the past few months I cycled through all of these 16340s in the Elzetta Alpha. The Alpha, carried on a Pocket Shield, is still my EDC light. Each battery performed in a manner than seemed identical to me, despite their slightly different specs. They worked great. Until they didn’t.

As a CR123A is consumed, the light output diminishes. This provides ample visual warning that it is time to change the battery. All of the 16340s caused the Elzetta to put out a steady amount of light right until the battery died. There is no visual warning that it is time to charge the battery. You just go to switch the light on and nothing happens. Or it switches on and you get great light for 10 seconds, and then it dies.

The life cycle of the 16340 only works if they are put on a fixed charging schedule that is built around maximum likely use. I don’t want to mess with that for my EDC light, so I’ve moved the Elzetta Alpha back to disposable CR123A batteries.

I’d be happy to save money by using the rechargeable 16340 batteries in an application that was less mission critical. But for all the devices I currently have that take a battery in that form factor, the CR123A is still superior. (Eneloops are still great, however.)

This article was modified 2024-02-23.

2023-03-19

gear, review, bicycle

The Carradice Super C Handlebar Bag and its Modifications

I bought my Carradice Super C Handlebar Bag sometime in 2010 or 2011. I think I learned about it while reading one of the blogs of Emily Chappell as she was preparing to leave her London courier job to ride around the world.

There’s no shortage of bicycle handlebar bags out there. Most of them have more intriguing designs than the Super C. The Super C is a simple box. The sides and bottom are rigid (with corrugated plastic). Inside, it has two open top pockets on either side and a zippered pocket near the back. On the outside, either side has mesh pockets. These do not expand much. I move my shoulder mounted OC to one of these when I am not wearing a backpack, but otherwise these external side pockets are mostly useless.

The Super C has two killer features that I think make it superior to the vast majority of its competition.

First, it mounts with a Rixen & Kaul KLICKFix bracket. This piece of Teutonic wizardry allows the bag to be attached or detached from the bike in about two seconds. Most other bags utilize straps of some sort, which are fine if you’re out in the back of beyond, but fiddly for frequent donning and doffing. In an urban environment, I want to be able to quickly pop the bag off my bike and throw the strap over my shoulder whenever I park. When disembarking a ferry or train, I want to pop the bag back on the bike immediately so that I’m not causing people to stack up behind me and wait while I’m routing straps. When I’m walking around with the bag over my shoulder, I don’t want to worry that I may discover a loose strap fell out when I get back to the bike. The KLICKFix addresses all of these concerns. When the bag is on the bike, it is held securely. I’ve had the Super C on plenty of miles on bumpy gravel with my skinny 32mm tires, and never had an issue. I’m sure there is some maximum recommended weight limit for the bracket, but I’ve never thought about it. As long as you aren’t loading the Super C with lead, it’ll probably be fine.

Second, the Super C has a detachable light bracket on the bottom. Either because of their height or how much real estate they take up on the bars, most handlebar bags (including the Super C) are not compatible with lights mounted on the handlebar. Most bags do not provide any alternative solutions for a headlight, instead expecting the user to workaround the problem with some sort of fork mount solution or an accessory cockpit bar mounted above the handlebars. Those alternatives work, but I find them annoying. The Super C provides a simple bracket that pops into the bottom of the bag. Anything that can mount to a handlebar can mount to the bracket. If you don’t need the bracket, you can twist it off and leave it at home.

The rest of the Super C is pretty basic. I’ve made a few modifications that make it more useful to me.

A D-ring on either side of the bag allows a shoulder strap to be mounted. I keep Peak Design Anchor attachments on mine, to which I usually keep attached the original model of the Peak Design Leash. When I’m out on a weekend ride, I’ll often have a camera or binoculars in the bag. Both of those have Peak Design Anchors on them. Keeping Anchors on the bag as well allow me to have a single strap I can move around to whatever thing needs it.

The lid of the Super C sports a removable map case. It attaches via two snaps near the handlebar-side of the bag, routes under a piece of webbing on the opposite side of the lid, and then folds back over itself. This was a key feature in the pre-pocket-computer-age when I bought the bag, but these days I rarely attach the map case. Instead, I used my awl to add what I will optimistically call bartacks on either side of the webbing, just a few millimeters from the edge. This provides a channel which allows me to slip in a Duraflex Siamese Slik Clip on either side. That, in turn, allows me to attach a simple zippered pouch on the top. I appreciate having something like this for small items I may want while underway.

On the underside of the lid, I added a similar length of webbing with clips on either side. This allows me to run another pouch inside, which won’t get buried in the main compartment. I frequently clip my first aid kit in here.

The lid of the Super C closes with two side release buckles. These are very inconvenient to open or close when underway. You can do it if you’re motivated, but it takes concentration of effort. This shortcoming is where the Super C differs from most randonneuring bags on the market, which usually close with a piece of shock cord that gets pulled back and looped around the stem. Fortunately this is easy to add. I routed shock cord through the webbing that the buckles attach to, and ran an ITW GTSP Cordlock through either end. This works great to secure the lid, and makes it easy to get into the bag midflight.

I left the shock cord much longer than it needs to be to wrap around my stem. The front of my bag has a JK/47 Cyberpunk pin, secured via locking pin backs. If I close the lid with the buckles rather than the cord, I can use the cordlock to extend the length of the loop enough to run underneath this pin. That gives me a “V” of shock cord on the top of the bag which I can use for extra carrying capacity. I use this to carry lightweight but bulky things, such as a puffy jacket in an UltraLiteSacks Zippered Cube Ditty Bag.

The front of my Super C also features a panel of loop velcro. Since the bag has a hard liner, I glued it on instead of sewing it. I think I used Fabri-Tac. Originally I thought I’d use this to mount my Orfos Pro light, but later I decided that using shock cord to attach the light to the Super C’s light bracket was a better option. Now the loop panel is just used for fun morale patches – mine usually sports the emblem from Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.

Carradice products are handmade. They include a tag where the maker writes their name. My Super C was made by Kelly.

2022-11-29

micro, gear

I insulate the handles of my titanium kitchenware with silicon aquarium airline tubing.

I use the tubing recommended in a thread on the Backpacking Light Forum. It isn’t necessary, and adds a couple grams, but it is a nice luxury that allows the mug or pot to be plucked from the stove without additional precaution.

Make sure to use silicon tubing, not vinyl. Application takes some finger strength. Spraying a little soapy water into the tubing first makes it slide a bit easier. The stuff I use has an outer diameter of about 5.8mm and an inner diameter of about 4.2mm. It has been the appropriate size for the handles on mugs from Snow Peak and Boundless Voyage.

2022-11-20

gear, review, tea

Titanium Gaiwan

Last year I started getting into gongfu – or, at least, brewing tea in a gaiwan. I first bought a normal porcelain gaiwan. After gaining some experience with it and figuring out what properties were important, I went looking for a titanium version, as is my wont. I wanted something I could throw in a bag for brewing tea out in the world, and porcelain – even in a padded container – wasn’t going to cut it.

I’m sure that an expert would criticize the use of a titanium brewing vessel, especially double-walled. I don’t think the metal itself imparts a flavor to the tea, but it has heat retention qualities that differ from more common materials like porcelain, celadon, or glass. Fortunately, I am not an expert, and do not care. The tea I brew in titanium tastes the same to me as the tea I brew in porcelain. And I can abuse my matériel.

I found two options from the friendly capitalists in the People’s Republic of China, and purchased both.

First up, the Tiartisan 130mL Titanium Gaiwan. It weights 71 grams. The stated volume of 130mL is a bit less than a typical gaiwan. My porcelain gaiwan weighs 40 grams and holds 180mL. Both those volume measurements are with water filled all the way up to the rim. In practice, some of that volume is taken up the tea leaf, and you probably stop pouring when the water level is a bit shy of the rim. With the Tiartisan gaiwan, I end up brewing about 100mL of tea liquor. With my porcelain gaiwan, it is closer to 160mL. That’s a significant difference. It means that my porcelain gaiwan is sufficient ordnance for a party of four, where the Tiartisan gaiwan is really only appropriate for one or two people.

The most significant disadvantage of the Tiartisan gaiwan is the diameter of the lid in comparison to the diameter of the bowl at the top of the rim. The lid ought to be ever so slightly larger. Compared to the porcelain set, the titanium lid sits a little deeper in the bowl. This cuts down on the usable volume, since you’re only brewing tea in the bowl up to where the lid sits.

But for the size, it is a nice lid. It rolls within the bowl as it should, allowing you to control the size of the outlet when pouring. All in, the Tiartisan is a great low-volume option. If you’re just brewing tea for one or two people, the volume is adequate.

Next up, the Boundless Voyage Titanium Tea Set. This is a more complete package, consisting of a brewing vessel, a fairness pitcher, a lid that fits on both, and two 40mL cups.

The hypothetical gongfu expert will probably take issue with this set. It isn’t an actual gaiwan. It has a spout to pour from. The lid has a little strainer built in. Still, it brews a great cup (or three) of tea.

The brewing vessel can hold about 185mL of water before it starts to come out the spout. But that is impractically full. The usable volume is closer to 145mL. Some of that is taken by the tea leaf, so in practice you’re brewing about 125mL of tea liquor. That puts it between the Tiartisan gaiwan and my porcelain set. When brewing for one or two people, this difference doesn’t matter. If you want to brew for four people, this Boundless Voyage set still struggles.

Where this set really fails miserably is in the relative size of the brewing vessel and the fairness pitcher. The fairness pitcher only holds about 85mL, and that when it is filled up to the rim, where you’re going to be struggling not to spill anything. But the set allows you to brew about 125mL of tea. So you cannot actually decant directly into the fairness pitcher. You could brew your 125 mL of tea, fill both the included 40mL cups, and then pour the last serving into the fairness pitcher for your two drinkers to fight over. But that sort of defeats the purpose of the fairness pitcher.

So in practice, the fairness pitcher component is garbage. The rest of the set is great, but unfortunately you have to pay for the fairness pitcher to get your hands on the good bits.

The brewing vessel and lid weigh 95 grams. The fairness pitcher is another 50 grams. Each cup is another 20 grams (only two can fit inside the brewing vessel for transport.)

The strainer on the lid is nice for finer, processed teas. I have a genmaicha with matcha that I like, which I cannot brew in a gaiwan (or, at least, I can’t really serve from a gaiwan), but works fine in the Boundless Voyage set. But for most whole leaf teas, neither the spout nor the strainer lid offer much advantage over the traditional gaiwan shape. A real gaiwan takes a little practice, but once you figure it out, it is easy to pour from.

I like both of these options. The Tiartisan gaiwan I keep at work, with a Snow Peak H200 to decant into and drink out of. The Boundless Voyage set I keep at home, usually decanting from the brewing vessel straight into a Boundless Voyage 200mL Titanium Cup. I use both regularly. Since the Boundless Voyage set lives at home, it tends to get thrown in the bag more than the Tiartisan gaiwan for portable tea adventures.

Having both, I’m not sure that I have a strong preference between the two. I paid $32 for the Tiartisan gaiwan, which I think is a fair price for a nice piece of double-wall titanium kitchenware. I paid $80 for the Boundless Voyage set, which is a reasonable price for all the included components, but it is more difficult to justify when I only use the brewing vessel and the lid – not the fairness pitcher, and not the cups (the cups are really nice – and I’ve actually purchased more to have at home – but most of the time I’m just brewing for myself, so I want to decant all the liquor into a single vessel I can sip from). The Tiartisan gaiwan, being an actual gaiwan, is more aesthetically pleasing. And aesthetics are an important part of gongfu.