The Surfboard, AKA The Floating Couch

Early Morning Sunrise at Daytona Beach

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Patagonia Watermaster Waders

For my second review of Patagonia gear this week, I took out my Watermaster Waders to the water today.  A few months ago I bought a the pair; this was the second time I took them into the water and decidedly less successful than the first.  After finding most of the water in Eldorado Canyon State Park mostly iced over, minimal flows on South Boulder Creek east of the park, and then a New Zealand Mud Snail closure on Boulder Creek, I finally found some fishable water near the Backpacker office where I was rewarding with losing one small rainbow.

The Waders:

The Watermaster stockingfoot waders are extremely lightweight and fit well around my body; they allowed excellent movement without feeling too balky.  Along with the breathable material, the unique suspension system makes these great for warm summer days as you can easily roll down and secure the waders at your hips.  Patagonia makes a big deal about the material being puncture resistant; unintentionally to test this I slide about 10 feet down a hill after stepping on some ice.  My fishing spot was next to a bike path and my blunder did not go unnoticed.  While my dignity may have faltered, the waders did not and I stayed dry.  Including again after I broke through some bank ice.

Boulder Creek

My one complaint with the waders was the integrated gravel guards.  At first glance I was ecstatic to no longer worry about forgetting or losing my gravel guards.  Now, particularly when the water is running cold, I found them annoying.  It is extremely difficult to keep long underwear pants in place while putting on the waders.  Even when on it was difficult, though not impossible, to force the long underwear (or whatever pants you are wearing) back under the tight elastic strap.

Overall I am extremely pleased with the Patagonia Watermaster Waders and would recommend them to anyone looking for a lightweight and durable wader.

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Bloodied Patagonia Boaris Limited Edition Shoes

A few weeks back Katie asked me if I would review a pair of Patagonia Boaris Limited Edition shoes when I went hunting in Wisconsin over Thanksgiving. And then she gave me a plastic bag containing the previously tested shoes…

I did take them home, and I wanted to hunt in them, I really did. But I also wanted to avoid losing my toes to frostbite; I could only use them sparingly. They fit my heel snuggly and had a surprising amount of traction; however I must question Patagonia’s color selection.

Read the full review on Backpacker here.

Patagonia will be getting some more love this weekend when I review fly-fishing waders this weekend – be sure to check back!

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2007 Jamis Supernova Cyclocross Bike

After a few months of annoying Katie with my continuing banter on cyclocross bikes, I pulled the trigger and bought a 52 cm Jamis Supernova.  Interestingly the bike is a “used” 2007 model.

Avid Shorty 4 Brakes

In Boulder there are tons of people connected in the bike industry who get free bikes every year; if the bike does not fit properly it may sit in the garage unused as was the case with this baby.  The woman who owned it had taken it out for two rides and then decided she did not like the bike.  Two years later she wanted a mere $1000 cash and I wanted a bike – excellent deal for both of us.  Katie is now far less annoyed as I no long talk nonstop about buying a CX bike.

The bike itself is pretty sweet; The only thing I had to do was add some pedals and put on some new electrical tape around the bar tape (apparently the previous owner left it in the car on a hot day – bad for adhesives).  On Monday I took the bike out to the Boulder Reservoir with one of my coworkers, John Twa.  John can blow me away on a bike; thankfully he took it easy on me as it was my first real ride witht he Supernova.  We cruised around the gravel trails as I attempted to make friends with my new bike.  I think I did a decent job.

FSA Compact Crankset

The ride is surprisingly supple as the carbon fork and seatstays ate a lot of the vibration.  The kinesium (basically aluminum with a bit of titanium thrown in for kicks) is extremely stiff – you can really feel the bike jump when you punch down with the FSA Gossamer Cross 46/36 compact crank.  The frame does not have any mounts for racks, so if you are looking for a commuter this bike is not for you.  It does have a flat section on the top tube to help with shoulder carries, but the section seems a bit far back.  I have not actually had to run with the bike on my shoulder so perhaps I am wrong.

Components wise the Supernova is loaded with Shimano Ultegra shifters and rear derailleur with a 105 in front.  My Lemond Buenos Aires runs Shimano 105 and I have been extremely happy but the crisp shifting of the Ultegra 10 speed was phenomenal.  Additionally the shifting is much more natural than the SRAM Rival DoubleTap as was on the Trek XO 2, Redline Conquest Pro, and GT GTR Type CX models I previously tried.  The Vittoria Cross XG tires handled well on the dirt (they are not fun to turn at speed with on the road) but I suspect if things get muddy I am going to need new tires.

Saddle

The Ritchey Logic Pro handlebars are significantly narrower than what I am used to riding – I suspect this will not be a problem but if it is then it is an easy fix.  The handling was not quite as fast as the Trek XO 2.  The Selle San Marco Ponza saddle is awfully hard -  I would have no problem with it on my road bike but is not very forgiving with the cyclocross mount.  All together I am extremely pleased with my purchase.

Stats:

Total weight without pedals is a mere 17.7 lbs according to my questioningly reliable cheap digital bathroom scare.  With the Time Atac pedals stolen from my Trek Fuel EX 8, I was just over 18.5 lbs.

Frame: Kinesium triple-butted-aluminum main frame w/carbon seatstays
Fork: Easton EC90X carbon
Hubs/Rims/Wheels:  Easton Vista
Tires: Vittoria Cross XG, 700 x 32c
Crankset: FSA Gossamer Cross Compact Chainwheel 46/36
Front Derailleur: Shimano 105
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra
Rear Cassette: Shimano 105, 10-speed: 12-27
Shifters/Brake Levers: Shimano Ultegra STI
Handlebars: Ritchey Logic Pro Road
Tape/Grips: Jamis Gel
Stem: Ritchey Pro Road
Brakes: Avid Shorty 4, cantilever
Saddle: Selle San Marco Ponza
Seat Post: Ritchey Pro Road

2007 Jamis Supernova Cyclocross Bike

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View at Hosking Farm

It has been almost half a year since Katie and I returned from our New Zealand honeymoon and in remembrance celebration I am posting the last piece of our four part adventure. After the painfully long flight into Auckland we met an old friend for a tour of the city. The next morning, still confounded from the flight over, we headed to Ahipara for a week of surfing.  Returning to Auckland, we took our time to casual tour the city and the harbour. While we certainly enjoyed exploring a new city and learning a new sport, our excitement for the trip was highest heading into Rotorua to try our hand at mountain biking.

Killer Black Swan

Katie had asked if we could stay on a farm while we were in New Zealand; uncertain with the low quality of websites advertising a farmstay I opted for the one with pictures of massive brown trout, the bed and breakfast at Hoskings Farm just outside of Ngongotaha.  I cannot say that all B&B’s near Rotorua are run by one of the uniquely pleasant and heppy ladies I have ever met, have a beautiful house surrounded by meticulously kept gardens, and fields of curious cattle and sheep; the 120 acres at Hoskings Farm certainly did. Oh, and I forgot to mention the really big trout.  Really big.

Our host, Trish Hoskings, was a vibrant lady who dotted over her gardens and her guests.  Always full of suggestions and eager to offer food from her garden, Trish made our stay truly delightful.  Trish introduced us to her massive country garden, and assortment of chickens, lambs, and cattle; her pride in the land was evident.  On our first tour of the grounds we met the amusing young cattle as they would follow us to the gates between fields, hoping to get a free trip to the fresh grasses.  We amassed some impressive views, though the pool of massive trout under the bridge was edged out by the epic sunsets.

Rotorua Mountain Biking

As difficult as it was, we left the farm and ventured into Rotorua to hire (that means rent in “American”) mountain bikes for three days.  At Bike Vegas ran into a shop guy from Eugene, OR and scored a pair of modified Haro Mary XC 29ers; the front derailleur was removed, leaving us with the middle ring.  The shop guy assured us we would not need any more gears for redwood forest where we would be riding; he proved correct.  We loaded the bikes and headed over to the Whakarewarewa Forest trails with a quick visit to the New Zealand of Walmart to buy some cheap shoes. And no, I have no idea how you pronounce Whakarewarewa…

The locals claimed the Whakarewarewa Forest has some of the best riding in New Zealand; having nothing to compare and with our epic experience, I cannot doubt the claim.  The forest contains more than 70 km of trails interconnected by fire roads (that means even more available riding distance beyond the 43.5 miles of trails).  The trails were primarily flowy single track through densely treed woods; better yet they were all one way so you never had to hold back in fear of a crash.   Maps were scattered through the area, the trails were well marked off the fire road, and a smattering of water stations were available.  The was not major amounts of climbing (at least compared to our Colorado trails), but if you wish to get in more riding with less fire road climbing you can take a shuttle.

View from Riding Down Split Enz

While we did ride during the week, we very rarely met into other riders on the trails.  Those we did meet, primarily Australians whom were quite pleased that nothing in the forest was going to kill them, all exposed the same excitement as was on our faces.  The trails were phenomenal and I hope to have a chance to return and properly chronicle all of them; our last ride took us down Split Enz, continuing on the Pondy trails, and finishing on Old Chevy.  The fire road climb was long and we passed a few groups of Australians before finally reaching the trailhead for Split Enz.  The trail is tightly built with fast flowy curves swooping through huge trees.  As difficult as it was to stop, it was well worth it to see the gorgeous views.  Upon being dumped out to the Pondy system we had some slower, gentler grades of curves with moments of downhill speed.  We came out on Old Chevy, an up and down trail with more fast curves.   All combined, these trails were the single favorite ride of my life.

Fly Fishing a Spring Creek Near Rotorua

On a ski trip in the Colorado mountains shortly before we left for New Zealand I fell ill and spent a day perusing the fly shops in Summit county.  At the time, the only travel fly rod I possessed was a Fenwick 5 piece 5-weight that my father had built in the 1970s; I needed a better rod.  I picked up a fast action Sage FLi in an 8’6″ 4 piece 5-weight with a Sage 1850 reel for $200 on clearance.  Like most fast action rods the FLi can really punch out a lot of line, however I was more interested in the backbone to handle large New Zealand browns.

The country is fiercely proud of their fisheries and go to great lengths to protect them by restricting what gear you can bring into the country – I took the rod, reel, hemostats, leaders, and tippet material figuring I could buy everything else in-country.  I picked up about two dozen flies, some floatant, and some split shot before heading into the water. From the top of the steep banks I spied a plethora of browns and rainbows, ranging in sizes from around 12 inches to the largest trout I have ever seen in my life.  Along with the impressive size, I have never encountered such a concentration of large fish – it felt like walking along a fish hatchery. The New Zealand trout however were a lot smarter than their counterparts raised in American hatcheries.  My first challenge was hot to approach the fish; with the high banks I could not easily drop in behind them and spooked quite a few trout in my attempts to do so.  Eventually I made my way in and started working upstream.  Notice I have mentioned nothing about waders; I had none.  The spring creek was cold.  Very.  Cold.  Of course after a few minutes my feet and legs had gone completely numb so it no longer mattered.

The first day I spotted a few feeding fish but was unable to get them to take.  The next day, after a brief consultation with the fly shop, I purchased some 7x tippet and headed back into the water.  With the smaller tippet I was able to coax a mid-sized rainbow into taking a midge on the surface.  Unfortunately I discovered another flaw in my system – I had no net and the steep banks offered nothing to work the fish onto shore.  After a solid fight, the rainbow broke off as I unsuccessfully attempted to land him. I continued the trend with a few other small fish, breaking them all off before I can land them. Then it happened; I hooked a massive brown easily approaching 30 inches. The fish pulled me up and down the stream for well near 10 minutes before beginning to slow. The first time I got her close enough to touch the fish took off for another minute of sheer running; the second time I started to get my hand under her when she sprinted again and broke the line. I will definitely need to return for a rematch.

New Zealand Café

So what about the town and food? On our way into town we stopped for a bite of lunch – we ended up at a quaint, garden covered café.  The food matched the gardens in quality – fantastic!  In Rotorua each day we would eat a late lunch and pick up some bread and brie (with Trish’s garden vegetables) for evening snacking.  Given my love for lamb chops, I was amazed that it was the end of the trip before I finally had a rack of lamb.  With the outdoor activities, food was an afterthought though everyone we spoke to in town raved about the culinary options.  The town itself was very attractive – it was definitely a touristy/outdoorsy town but with the friendly New Zealand atmosphere.  Hot springs were on the edge of town and afforded a pleasantly casual stroll.  The lake bordering Rotorua was gorgeous but apparently the black swans are killers…  We heard that there were tons of outdoorsy activities to do but limited by our time and endurance,  we stuck with mountain biking and fly fishing.

Unfortunately our trip had to end and after two weeks in country we began our journey home.  On our way back to Auckland we stopped in the minuscule town of Tirua; they have the quintessential tourist trap in form of a massive corrugated metal sheep. We initially pulled over for the i-SITE visitors center but wondered into the Big Sheep Wool Gallery. One of my goals for the trip had been to acquire a new fly fishing hat, while I had successfully found a suit and a cycling jersey it appeared no hat was to be had. But then I was saved by the metal sheep! I found a great and airy Selke hat, just what I was looking for; Katie acquired a warm lumberjacks hat.  With our heads covered, we boarded another Air New Zealand flight for home (and failed attempts by three different flight attendants to get my entertainment system to work).

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Masi Speciale CX

As I am still pining for a cyclocross bike I rode to University Bikes after work  and took a Masi Speciale CX out for a test ride.  I had not really considered Masi, or for that matter even heard of them, but the bike caught my eye.  This bike is a beauty – root beer colored frame, cork grips, and a leather saddle.  The sales guy quickly saw a bit of drool starting to form and easily convinced me to take it out for a ride.

I loved the fit – I did not feel too stretched as I had with the GT Type CX during my previous cyclocross adventure.  Unfortunately I did not love the grips; the cork had no padding and was painfully narrow on the bars.  While this is a fairly simple upgrade I am still disappointed that something so obvious and simple to fix was missed.  Another major difference from the previous cross bikes I tested was the TruVativ Touro 2.1 Compact 50/34 crankset.  I greatly preferred the smaller gearing of the SRAM Rival OCT CX 46/38, and subsequently easier shifting between rings, but that is just a personal preference.  Unsurprisingly the Shimano Tiagra shifters were not as smooth as the SRAM Rival but I did not have to deal with the minor mental change to the Doubletap shifting.

Finally, the frame.  I forgot how much I love steel.  My Lemond Buenos Aires road bike has a steel frame and, as evident from my recent rental of an aluminum frame, provides a blissfully compliant ride.  The Speciale CX’s chromoly steel frame was equally awesome, offering me a very smooth and comfortable ride.   The only other frame that came close was the Trek XO 2 and I suspect that was primarily due to the Bontrager Satellite Plus carbon fork.  Unfortunately with steel comes weight and the Masi was no exception weighing in at slightly north of 24 pounds.  Overall I really enjoyed the bike and, if I do not by the Speciale CX itself, will likely be picking up a CX bike with a steel frame.  If only there was a Gary Fisher Presidio within 100 miles I could try…

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Katie on Santa Barbara Beach

This past weekend Katie and I met up with my parents in California for my cousin’s wedding.  I had not seen Ian in over a decade and never met his wife – I had no idea what to expect.  Katie however, long holding a dream of being a California girl, was not concerned; she adores any thought of beaches and oceans.  We rented a moderately sized townhouse four blocks from State Street and approximately a mile from the ocean.  Being two couples, the townhouse was a spectacular deal when compared to renting a pair of hotel rooms.  Further, having a full kitchen and living room is really comfortable as opposed to being cramped in a small room.  The weather forecast had predicted temperatures with highs in the 70s for our entire trip; this grew to be a running joke.

On Friday morning we drove to the wine country with the intention of cycling; unfortunately we arrived in Santa Ynez at 11 am when the temperature had already reached 98 degrees F.  We aborted the cycling plans for the day and enjoyed lunch before venturing out to a lavender farm and the Alma Rosa Winery.  The organic Pinot Noir wines were stellar, though my palette is far from sophisticated.  On our way back to Santa Barbara we stopped at a small roadside stand and purchased the juiciest strawberries ever!  Concluding our overheated day we ate Southwestern for dinner at Left at Albuquergue where we unintentionally ran into the rehearsal dinner for the wedding party.

Dana and Dan in Wine Country

Katie and Dan at Alma Rosa

The next morning we woke early and headed back to Santa Ynez for a second attempt to rent road bikes.  Pulling into Santa Barbara Wine County Cycling Tours at 9 am the temperature was 70 degrees F and we were roaring to go.  My father rented a carbon Specialized Roubaix Compact while Katie and I took aluminum Specialized Allez Sport Triples.  The store had a decent selection of pedals so we were all able to use our regular road biking shoes.  Unfortunately the store did not seem to have a good maintenance program for the bikes.  Both of the rear derailleurs on the Allez bikes were horribly out of alignment; while mine was easily fixed with the barrel adjuster I could not get Katie’s to stop jumping.  After watching her ride I could easily see that a link in the chain was not bending as it went through the derailleur – I can only imagine how miserable the later parts of the ride were for her.  Compared to my steel Lemond bike, the aluminum frames conveyed every little bump in the road.  My other complaint was the route recommendation.  We asked for a 30-35 mile loop suggestion; I turned us around at 20 miles with the turn for the loop obviously still miles off.  We returned to the shop at 11:45 am as the temperatures rapidly approached triple digits.

That afternoon the wedding was held in a beautiful setting at the outdoor atrium of the Fess Parker.  My family learned something important at the wedding when we saw people enjoying the 98 degree F ceremony in shorts – events that you would normally wear formal clothes can be drastically dressed down in California.  The wedding and reception were completely first class and it was wonderful to catch up with family infrequently seen.

Santa Barbara Sea Lions

Katie Kayaking in Santa Barbara

On Sunday morning Katie and I wanted to go surfing; unfortunately my complete inability to read surf forecasts led us to believe the surf would be awful.  How wrong I was.  We rented sit-on-top kayaks from Paddle Sports of Santa Barbara and paddled out of the harbor.  We initially headed out to a buoy that was known to carry a number of lazy sea lions; it did not disappoint.  The sea lions reminded us of Sherbert as they contorted their bodies to rest their heads.    Up the coast we ran into small waves that were ideal for surfers of our caliper.  We returned to port before driving back into the hills to a biker bar for lunch with the extended family.  Continuing the trend of heat, it was 101 degrees F with no air conditioning.  We all went back to the townhouse to crash in the air conditioning before closing out the trip with wonderful seafood at the FisHouse.  The next morning we flew home out of LAX and saw the ever growing fires billowing smoke into the sky.

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Trek XO 2

This afternoon around 2 I set out to purchase a Char-Broil Patio Caddie grill at the Boulder Ace Hardware; I arrived to discover that the hardware store had closed.  Thankfully the Boulder Trek Store was in the same complex so it was obviously had to not go in.  I was really hoping to test a Gary Fisher Presidio but the store did not have one.  They did have a sexy red 2009 Trek XO 2 – I was easily talked into taking the bike out for a test ride.  In fact, the shop guys told me just to bring it back before they closed at 6pm.  Not dressed nor in shape for a four hour I did manage to take the bike for almost an hour.  I cruised around the grassy field on CU‘s campus and then some dirt trails over by US 36.  In the only open field on campus (it is the first weekend – all the students are back and acting frisky  outside in the sun) I tried some accelerations and fast turns – the XO 2 handled great.  The carbon fork and aluminum frame did an excellent job of absorbing the terrain, though I still want to try out Mr. Fisher’s steel frame.  Unfortunately I was spotted by a campus cop and told to slow down before I hit someone.  After looking around and not seeing anyone within 50 yards of me I told the officer I would keep it under control.  I abandoned CU and headed out to some dirt trails by US-36.  I was impressed with the handling in an open area but the tight trails really cemented it for me; I could easily make quick turns without the front end feeling too twitchy.  The bike handled drops off the curb with ease and effortlessly bunny hopped small downed branches.  The braking proved superb when I had a pair of stoned college students step out of the brush in front of me.  I took the bike back to the shop where I was greeted with “Whoa, you got mud on it!”; I can only assume I hit some recently water grass on CU’s campus as it has not rained in Boulder for quite a while.  I appologized profusely and offered to wipe the bike down – the shop guy said it was awesome that I actually took the bike off the pavement and not to worry about it.  And then he told me I had mud on my face.  My only real complaint with the bike was the white bar tape – I obviously wasn’t the first person to test ride the bike as you could already see the tape getting soiled.  Obviously not the biggest complaint in the world.

Redline Conquest Pro

With any memory of the grill now erased from my mind I took off for University Bikes in hopes that they would have the Fisher Presidio; again my hopes were dashed.  And again I was talked into trying another bike, this time a 2009 Redline Conquest Pro.  I  lacked the dirt trails but was able to take the bike on some grass at Eben G Fine park; the bike was smooth and the handling in the drops was great.  Tight turns took a bit more effort than the XO 2, but I did not really get to compare at speed.  I was a huge fan of the handlebars – the shallow drops were extremely comfortable (or comforting seeing as I have never really been in the drops riding off road).  The bike was a bit heavier (according to my highly calibrated arm scale) and the paint job markedly less sexy than the XO 2; unsurprising given the price differential.

GT Type CX

On my way home I stopped at Performance and took a quick spin on a 2009 GT Type CX.  Like the other two, the Type CX sported a SRAM Rival shifters and derailleurs.  The smallest size the store had was a medium – definitely a bit too tall for me.  I don’t know if the stem and handlebars change sizes on the small but the stock gear on the medium were too long and wide respectively, for me at least.  I felt ridiculously stretched out, though I suspect I would have felt rather upright on a small.  I took the bike out for a ride anyways, this time with the Boulder Creek Path as my destination.  The bike was not quite as responsive as either the XO 2 or the Conquest Pro in terms of acceleration or handling.  It did perform well on the dirt trails on the CU side of the creek, even garnering some cheers as I bunny hopped a branch near more student stoners.  The bike was easily the heaviest of the three – whither that is sue solely to frame size I cannot say.  The chrome frame was very pretty thought…

I never did buy the grill or find the Presidio; I went home after picking up some toothpaste for the bulldog.

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Road Bike: 2001 Lemond Buenos Aires Triple

2001 Lemond Buenos Aires Road Bike

Ah, steel.  I used to get a lot of fun looks when I told people that I had a steel bike; these days more and more are saying they wish they had one.  The ride, especially when coupled with the carbon fork, is extremely compliant.  The bike was definitely designed for a more casual rider who wanted an excellent mix of performance and comfort.  My number one complaint is that when I do a hard acceleration I frequently pull the rear wheel free of the horizontal dropouts.  Unsurprisingly the handling is a bit slow and the bike cannot climb as well as present day replacements (though I am sure most of that is me, the bikes I have demoed show that the bike is playing a part).  All of which is fine – I don’t race.  Overall the bike has been really good to me (I put a complete new Shimano 105 groupset on the bike last year – the cable adjuster on the front tube is helpful given the touchy new 10 speed rear derailleur ) and a wonderful introduction to cycling.  The more relaxed position and smooth ride surely played a major part in my present obsession with cycling.  While I cannot promise to buy another steel bike, I will certainly give a custom steel frame strong consideration.

—————

My first “real” bike in years; my father was on a huge bike kick at the time and was more excited about his new bike and the prospect of me getting a road bike. Lance was winning the tour, Trek was getting awesome coverage in Wisconsin, and I was not overly sold on bicycles. My dad bought me the bike anyways. It was one of the best things to ever happen to me.

Now an avid rider, I cannot thank my father enough for giving me the push into cycling. I have taken the bike everywhere I have lived and have many memories from each state. While some are better than others, I have really enjoyed my bike.  I have ridden all over the Madison area – the western hills are particularly enjoyable. The bike traveled with me to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania where I enjoyed countless scenic rides in farm county. When I did an internship in Colorado Springs I learned that Pennsylvania does not really have mountains and that I am not a very good climber. My first job out of school took me to Salem, OR with its challenging rolling hills, coastal range mountains, and occasional vineyards. While I rode in college, it was not until I graduated and moved to Salem that I started riding consistently. Occasionally I would even venture up to Portland and see lots of other cyclists.

I was transferred for work to Memphis, TN where I discovered that whereas some parts of the country do not have many cyclists this part was downright hostile to them; guys in pickups threw half empty beer cans at me on almost every ride. Continuing the trend of fear, I had two individuals, on separate occasions, follow me for a distance until a large open area appeared (I thought an unpleasant altercation was about to occur) but said they were inspired to see someone riding (again, no one rides in Memphis). My favorite quote from my time in the south was when I asked the HR manager if there was shower so I could ride my 17 mile commute into work. His response: “There’s a hose out back”.

I was again transferred, this time to Albert Lea, MN headed into winter. Similar to Memphis, I never saw another rider. Unlike the heat of Memphis, I froze my butt off on almost every ride. My rides always concluded with a cup of tea at the Starbucks where the high school aged baristas all thought I was on crack; perhaps if they took up cycling it would decrease the horrendously high teenage pregnancy rates in the town. Or not.

Finally I quit that job and moved to Boulder, a town that truly loves cyclists. The only time I have not seen anyone else on the road was the day I accidentally commuted in with the temperature at negative 15 F (I missed the negative sign on the temperature when I checked in the morning; I know, I am an idiot). I still am not much of a climber, but I put in plenty of rides in a place where my Buenos Aires and I are fully accepted.

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Southern Wisconsin Brown Trout

Somehow Katie wrangled me into reviewing a couple of fly rods for the Backpacker Magazine Blogs; I really cannot complain as I enjoy really fly fishing, and, as I rarely upgrade my gear, it was fun to test some new equipment.

The initial review was for four rods; I have a few more that will be reviewed in an upcoming post. All the rods were extremely packable – in fact I took two of them with me on a business trip to Wisconsin where I spent an afternoon on a small stream catching brookies and browns. Most of the rods, unsurprisingly given how many pieces they came in, were extremely fast action with one exception. I really enjoyed the March Brown Baden Powell Special Edition; it was awfully close to a true medium action rod. I am hoping March Brown come out with a 2 or 3 weight with the same medium action. The MIT engineers at March Brown have taken some aerospace technology and translated it into fly rods. Apparently their rods have been getting a lot of work in war zones; hopefully we can hear some more stories about this. Plus the have some great excuses to skip work so you can fish on their website. While I am not likely to determinately trade in any of my two piece rods, I will happily add a March Brown to my collection for the hard-to-get-to locations.

There were a number of comments about 5 weight rods being too heavy for most backpacking. While I cannot argue that for many of the high alpine lakes and streams it will be overkill, I wanted to recommend a rod that you could also use with cutthroat on the Missouri, smallmouth in the Boundary Waters, or potentially even salmon in the Cascades. If I only had one rod, it certainly would have to be a 5 weight.

Rods Reviewed:
Cabela’s Stowaway 7
L.L. Bean Travel Series
March Brown Brownsea Island
March Brown Baden Powell Special Edition * This rod rocks!

Read the full review on Backpacker.com.

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