Creative Encounters: Bicycle "Self-help" Workshop

Located in the WUK center for workshops and culture in Vienna, the Fahrrad Selbsthilfe Werkstatt (Bicycle Self-Help Workshop), functions on a similar premise as co-ops like Bikes Not Bombs in the US: You pay a small fee for the afternoon, and one of the mechanics on staff helps you fix your bicycle or assemble an entirely new one using the parts available at the shop.

But the unique thing about the Fahrrad Selbsthilfe Werkstatt, is that here you are likely to see bicycles like this:

or like this:

or like this!

The workshop specialises in tall bikes and various other remarkable constructions, the likes of which you are not likely to see every day.

Though the floorspace is small, they make excellent use of the extremely high ceilings. Rows upon rows of frames, wheels, and partially assembled bicycles of different vintages, hang suspended above the visitors' heads. The resultant arrangements are quite beautiful.

Wheels and a station with tools...

forks...

cranks and pedals...

small parts...

Of course the majority of those who come in, are looking for help with "normal" bikes and are not assembling the sort of eccentric constructions shown above.

The mechanics are very helpful, and the atmosphere is mellow and friendly. A wonderful place to be, even just to watch. If you are a cycling enthusiast visiting Vienna, you will enjoy a visit to the Fahrrad Selbsthilfe Werkstatt.

Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens~The Gardens

One of the things that made this zoo awesome, was that it is a zoo and botanical gardens. We visited half of the zoo and then hiked over to the Gardens. Even the walk over there was interesting:

The river was so pretty.

The hike was just beautiful! We were so pleasantly surprised at what a great trail they had to hike on.

Then we made it to the Botanical Gardens. This was one of the nicest Botanical Gardens that we have visited so far.



It is so interesting to watch the boys with each other now. They get along so much better than they used to. There are moments where I think they actually enjoy each other! It's pretty great to see after years of them pounding on each other. I guess the older we get, the more we can appreciate our siblings.

Living the life in South Carolina.

These Are Our People

In editing more pictures of Willie Nelson tonight, I realized something. When you attend an event like this, you are truly sharing the experience with a bunch of strangers for the most part. Yet, by the end of your time together you have a special bond just from sharing that experience together. It's a neat way to share something with other people who are like you in some way. After all, you wouldn't be there if you didn't share a common interest.



We are music people. I came from a music loving family and married a music loving guy. Each and every one of our children loves music. It's just one of our things. I couldn't imagine not loving music. I couldn't imagine a world without music. It's almost as essential to me as air to have music in my world. Ok, that might be an exaggeration but I do know I get cranky when I don't get enough music in my daily life.

(Hey Hey Good Looking...Whatcha Got Cooking.....)Not all of our friends love music. Some of them don't even begin to understand our love for music. It's not something we share with just anyone and everyone. And we're ok with that. But there is something nice about arriving at a concert and knowing: these are our people. We just feel at home with these people.



(Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys)We are people who are moved by music. We know some music just demands that you react to it in physical ways. Music is a part of our love language for example.

(You Were Always On My Mind)Music moves us to dance. Like a crazy fool even. Because you just have to. It's just not optional!

(If You've Got the Money Honey...I've Got the Time...) Music brings us joy like nothing else on this earth can. And this applies to the young and the old.

(I'll Fly Away)

It moves us to do other things too!

(Why Don't We Get Drunk and....Wait...Wrong Concert!)I'm assuming most of the people at the concert are pretty similar to us in this way, or they wouldn't be here. So that would explain why we are all consumed with what is going on while we are here.

Or most of us are consumed with what is going on while we are here.Some of us think it's so great, it needs to be recorded and shared with others that were not so fortunate!You gotta love technology!

So grateful to be able to soak up the music goodness with other music loving nuts. For the rest of you, we'll just have to wait until you join the club! We'll make room for you when you do get here!

(Cute, cute, and more cute!)Living the life in Florida!

Temperature Regulation and Underlayers

From a reader's email, quoted with permission:

...not sure how to put this delicately, but when I ride my bike in the cold I inevitably end up with a sweaty bra. Even if I am not exerting myself, the bra is soaking wet by the time I get to work and The Girls are not happy spending an entire morning waiting for it to dry. I've taken to stuffing paper towels in there, but was hoping you could share a better solution. How do you deal with this? Don't tell me you only wear wool bras?

Now approaching my third winter of cycling, one of the most valuable lessons I've learned is how to dress for the cold weather. Merely piling on layers can lead to overheating, then freezing underneath the sweat-soaked clothing when stopped at red lights. This is where choice of fabric becomes important. Wool and silk not only keep me warm, but regulate my body temperature - meaning that I sweat lessunderneath all those layers of warmth than I do wearing cotton or synthetic fabrics. And compared to technical synthetics, wool and silk do not retain body odor.




When choosing temperature-regulating fabrics, the key to the whole system working for me is to start from the inside out. If I am wearing a wool sweater with a cotton long-sleeve tee underneath, that cotton is going to be drenched in sweat; it's better to wear a wool baselayer and a non-wool garment on top of that. Similarly, underwear matters a great deal, since it is the first thing to contact the skin. Cotton or polyester underwear will end up soaked in sweat, causing discomfort even if every single other article of clothing I am wearing is wool.




So yes: In response to the reader's question, I only wear bras made out of fabric that regulates my body temperature effectively, which for me means wool or silk. Wool is the more durable and somewhat more effective option. But wool bras tend to be plain and sporty looking, and not everyone likes that. Also, women with larger chests often report that these bras do not offer sufficient support. If you prefer a look and feel that is more lingiree than sportsbra, real silk bras are available with everything from decorative lace to underwire support and nylon stretch. After having tried a number of manufacturers, I have settled on Ibexfor wool underwear,and onWinter Silksfor some fairly inexpensive silk bras. I also like to wear Icebreakerleggings instead of stockings once it gets cold, and always Smartwoolsocks. There are other excellent options out there. But as long as it's wool or silk, there should be no need to stuff your bra with paper towels before cycling to work.

Bardon Hill and Beacon Hill

Led by me, with Barry and Gordon. Hilly, mostly good underfoot - some mud in woodland areas. Great views from Beacon Hill of course. Fine, warm, sunny afternoon. 1,161 ft of climbing. Around 13 miles including add-ons. Moving pace much better than over all pace - we did stop quite a lot, but - no way do I ever walk at 31 mph!




We - well, I, - suggested that we should try Shiela Dixon's Leicestershire’s three peaks challenge. In the event we managed two. According to our magic machines it was a twelve and a half mile walk, involving over 1 000 feet of
climbing – not huge by Yorkshire, Lake District or even Derbyshire standards,
but enough of a challenge for today.











The fact that it’s a good hour’s drive from home doesn’t help, and then I have to walk back to the car to park it in a much safer
looking layby - the one Shiela recommends in her blog - at SK458120 on the A511 between Bardon and the M1.So it was 10.20 before
we started.












Walking alongside the A 511 isn’t a bundle
of laughs, but there is at least a footway of sorts. Back towards Bardon for 200 yds or so, our footpath leaves to the right, almost opposite Forest House. With all the leaf growth this year it is not
exactly obvious. Once we find it, it’s
overgrown in places, but clearly marked – those lovely Leicestershire yellow
posts.

moat and bridge reflections

On as far as Brook farm, where we walk past
the regimentedly reverse parked cars, and then the moated Old Hall and turn left to walk close behind the house.

Love Leicestershire footpaths.

Our
path goes north east, and we turn left along the Ivanhoe Way when we meet it in
less than half a mile. We’ve been
climbing gently from the farm, and continue to do so towards Bardon Hill
Wood.

Chicken of the woods, I'm told, but
I'm not brave enough to try it

We cross a quarry road and now
climb more steeply through rocky scrub, up to the radio mast near the
summit. But where is the top?

View - avoiding the large industrial estate to our right.

We don’t find the trig point, in spite of
using a magic machine to show our altitude – we must be almost at the summit –
I don’t realize until later that there is a trig point and rocks. I’ll have to go back another time. Will Barry and Gordon accompany me??

Barry checks out the accommodation

The way down is simple – follow the road
behind the mast until we meet the quarry road,
then turn just after Kelhams Farm – there’s a diverted path clearly
marked which more or less follows the power lines. The OS map has a path marked going further to
the left, but this has been discontinued. No matter, we arrive at the road at Upper
Greenhill Farm by a slightly roundabout route.




We cross over and take the bridle way past
Charley Mill farm. Just before entering
Burrow Wood is a nature reserve with a bench – do we want to have a break? You betcha.

Well-earned break

We walk through Burrow Wood, and then take the right hand path when it forks off. This joins a small road to go past Woodleys, Charley Hall and Rock Farm. At the T-junction we turn right and go under the M1. We follow the road for almost a mile
alongside woodland, and over the crossroads at Bawdon Lodge – this was
surprisingly busy!



A little further along and at a house marked on the map as
Bawdon Cottage Farm, and on the house as Charley Chapel, a footpath goes off to the left. This leads down a little way then we begin our long gentle climb to Beacon Hill. We meet the road from Shepshed - and turn right. What a delight!

Lovely quiet road!

The road is closed to traffic for resurfacing - this is much better for us!





After a couple of hundred yards we turn left along an avenue of trees planted in memory of one of the early members of the Leicestershire Footpath Association.





The path climbs very gently - and about halfway along is a platform with a view.






We admire it briefly, then continue to the end of the avenue where we turn right. The approach to Beacon Hill from this side is impressively craggy.













None of the climbing is too severe and we are soon close to the summit.

The Old Man of the Beacon.

There's an info board about the formation of these hills - volcanic activity from around 600 million years ago and folding about 400 million years ago, then erosion.

Bardon Hill on the skyline

You got something good to eat??

After bagging the summit, we have another snack break. Is it all downhill from here?

We go down past the toilet block in the car park, then follow the path past the charcoal burner to the cross roads.



Easy walking again - no traffic today. Is this what royalty feel like? The road straight on is clear and quiet, and we turn off along the drive towards Black Hill Farm. A quick wave at the security camera, as we take the proper footpath along the drive a bit, then to the right towards Ulverscroft Lodge Farm.

We have a little difficulty finding the correct footpath here, as the signs disagree with the map. When we eventually find it we discover that it has been diverted - a sign at the start of the diversion would have been mighty helpful.

We carry on over the footbridge then up through woodland and alongside Poultney Wood, climbing steadily up to Copt Oak. It's only later that I discover this is the highest point of the M1, and a famously excellent spot for Radio Leicester's transmission mast. Almost as high as Beacon Hill. Perhaps we can count this as our third peak?







The church is an attractive building, and there are a few gravestones made of the local stone.

After this we walk through part of the village, past the former Youth Hostel, and the Copt Oak pub, then turn left and walk along a busier road over the motorway. After a short distance our path is to the right - almost hidden by vegetation again, but clearly signposted afterwards. We meet the tarmac road to some houses, and take this rather than the overgrown path, but have to negotiate a barrier to return to this when the roadway finishes. After a couple of fields a path goes off to our right and we follow it to Brook Farm and Old Hall Farm - with the moat.



Now it's just a case of retracing this morning's route for three quarters of a mile, and we're back at the car.