Flying with a Bicycle on AdventureAuthority.com provides links to pages on the web sites of a few American and European airlines that specifically deal with the rules and charges one needs to be aware of if considering flying to Europe with a bike checked in as baggage.
Of the six trans-Atlantic air carriers listed there, Lufthansa appears to be the most bicycle-friendly. They seem to accept fully assembled unpacked bicycles. How safe it is for the bike is an entirely different question, of course.
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Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Dniester Radweg
The other day, I was reading about the Danube Cycle Trail (to German speakers better known as Donauradweg), and I got this crazy urge to develop a similar bicycle route along the Dniester River (also spelled Dniestr, Dnister, Dnestr, Dnjestr, or Nistru) from the Carpathian Mountains through western and south-western Ukraine and Moldova all the way to the Black Sea.
Even though I admit that it's just a crazy idea that popped up in my head, there is some rationale behind the Dniester Bike Route:
- Both the north-western trailhead (the Dniester River source) and the south-eastern trailhead (the Dniester River estuary) are easily accessible;
- the route starts (assuming that it will be ridden mostly following the river flow although it does not have to be that way) close to the eastern border of the European Union (primarily Poland, but Slovakia is not that far away either; see this page for more info on crossing the Poland-Ukraine and Slovakia-Ukraine borders in the area);
- the route runs not far from where EuroVelo route #4 crosses the Poland-Ukraine border (at the Medyka-Shehyni check point that is only 52 km/32 mi from the town of Sambir located on the proposed route);
- the northwestern section of the route is easily accessible from the city of Lviv (Lvov, Lwów, Lemberg), a major tourist center with an international airport (see a list of international direct flights to/from Lviv) and train station (check out the site of Deutsche Bahn to figure out ways to get there from pretty much anywhere in Europe by train; in the query form, type in "Lemberg(UA)" instead of "Lviv");
- in addition to the fact that the route ends (again, assuming that it will be ridden following the river flow) at the Black Sea, which is a worthy destination in itself, it ends not far from the city of Odesa (Odessa), also a major tourist center that has large international airport, sea port and train station;
- crossing into Romania may be an option, e.g. at the southernmost Romania-Moldova checkpoint Galati-Giurgiulesti on the Danube River;
- there used to be scheduled ferries between Odesa and Constanţa, Romania (connection to EuroVelo route #6), Varna, Bulgaria (possible connection to EuroVelo route #13), and Istanbul, Tukey, but I am not sure they still operate on a regular basis; UPDATE: there is a ferry once a week (Tuesday) from Odessa to Varna operated by UkrFerry; there is also a ferry twice a week (Monday and Friday) from Odessa to Istanbul operated by Sea Lines;
- yet another option may be to get on a ship from nearby Izmail up the Danube River (to the best of my knowledge, they go as far north-west as Passau, Germany).
- There is a ton of really cool places en route. Here are, in no particular order, a few of the tourist attractions:
- Akkerman Fortress (13-15th c.c., was in active military use until the 1830-ies) in the town of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskiy:
- Khotyn Fortress (13-18th c.c.) in the town of Khotyn (Chocim, Hotim):
- The fortress (14-18 c.c.) and the Old Town of Kamyanets-Podilskiy do look like a Disney movie set, yet it's all real and authentic; the town is about 17 km/10 mi north of the Dniester River, but it is definitely worth the side trip:
- In the Podillya region the Dniester River twists and turns around these massive hills called "tovtry"; this part of the river (roughly about 200 km/125 mi long) provides the most dramatic nature scenery:
- The so-called Dniester River Canyon is also quite scenic; and it is huge - about 250 km/155 mi long:
- Charming little towns are tucked away in river bends; this photo is of Zalishchyky (Zalischyky, Zaleszczyki):
- A waterfall here and there; this photo is of Dzhuryn Waterfall, aka Chervonohorod Waterfall, about 10 km/6 mi north of the Dniester River, on the Dzhuryn River, one of the Dniester's left tributaries:
photo from Wikimedia Commons, see file info & license
photo from Wikimedia Commons, see file info & license
photo from Wikimedia Commons, see file info & license
photo from Wikimedia Commons, see file info & license
-2.JPG)
photo from Wikimedia Commons, see file info & license
photo from Wikimedia Commons, see file info & license
photo from Wikipedia, see file info & license
photo from Wikimedia Commons, see file info & license
photo from Wikimedia Commons, see file info & license
photo from Wikimedia Commons, see file info & license
Just an idea at this point. If I find time and resources, I might actually act upon it...
P.S.
The name of the river this bike route runs along (albeit, at this point, only in my imagination) is transliterated from Ukrainian as Dnister. In Moldova, its name is Nistru. Calling the same route "Dnister Bicycle Route" in Ukraine and "Nistru Bicycle Route" in Moldova, although may be politically correct, does not seem very practical. So, in order to keep the name consistent (and politically neutral) across both countries, the conventional English spelling Dniester - used, among others, by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names and Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary - seems like the best choice to me.
P.S.
The name of the river this bike route runs along (albeit, at this point, only in my imagination) is transliterated from Ukrainian as Dnister. In Moldova, its name is Nistru. Calling the same route "Dnister Bicycle Route" in Ukraine and "Nistru Bicycle Route" in Moldova, although may be politically correct, does not seem very practical. So, in order to keep the name consistent (and politically neutral) across both countries, the conventional English spelling Dniester - used, among others, by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names and Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary - seems like the best choice to me.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Hurricane Irene messed up all the plans
My today's flight to Warsaw has been canceled. Now, the earliest I can get there is September 7.
Provided that
This is the second time I am forced to reschedule the ride (the first was from early August to early September because of a work-related schedule conflict). I am very disappointed, to say the least.
Provided that
- my employer will let me change my vacation dates "on the fly", and
- the air carrier will agree to change my return flight at no or reasonable cost,
This is the second time I am forced to reschedule the ride (the first was from early August to early September because of a work-related schedule conflict). I am very disappointed, to say the least.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Marketing disguised as engineering
I am not a gear expert to write negative reviews (or any reviews, for that matter), but this one I just couldn't resist.
Here is the picture of the backpack called AIRBAK TRANSIT:
As one would expect these days, the backpack comes with fancy coffee-table-book-quality tags screaming all kinds of buzz words: "technology", "patented", "solution", "therapeutic", "comfort", "lifetime warranty", etc. The manufacturer even lets you feel the comfort by placing two transparent oval-shaped gel-filled bubbles onto one of the tags for you to "press" and "feel the difference".
The two gel bubbles are meant to show what is inside the oval shaped protrusions in the areas that come in contact with your lower and upper back visible in the picture above. Apparently, they are supposed to provide some comfort and airflow, which they probably do to some extent, although the bigger ones in the lumbar area do not seem to be prominent enough to actually let the air flow between them, but that is not the point. Not the main selling point that is.
The main selling point is this:
The area that comes in contact with the lower back is actually a zippered pocket that goes all the way down and underneath the stiff bottom of the backpack.
The pocket contains an inflatable vinyl pouch
that, according to the manufacturer's web site, "automatically adjusts to your body’s shape and alleviates weight load, providing maximum comfort". The pouch comes pre-inflated, but, again, according to the web site, one "can adjust lumbar support with a simple air pump". The company claims that the vinyl "bladder holds air for 2-5 years without refill".
The idea sounded kind of interesting, and for 1/3 of the price (regular - $69.99) I bought it. I did not buy it with any specific purpose in mind, so it sat in my closet for about six months and, yes, it did hold air during those six months. However, when I put about 10-11 lb into the backpack and took it for a short bike ride, the pouch/bladder was flat after less than three hours. Again, that is not the point - maybe, I just got a defective one.
The point is that the cover that hides the valve of the air bladder is:
Unless you are wearing this backpack over a heavy winter coat, the rubber valve cover will partially remove a few square inches of skin off your back in about two hours or less. Guaranteed!
P.S. I was not really testing the backpack. I was simply trying to figure out if I should carry anything on my back during the bicycle tour of the Ukrainian Carpathians. I could have used any other backpack, and it just happened to be this one. I was so impressed (read "disgusted") by the marketing shamelessly disguised as "advanced technology" (by the way, even the name of the company, AIRBAK TECHNOLOGIES, also includes the word "technology") that I just had to write about it.
P.P.S. According to their catalog, AIRBAK TRANSIT is "for the student athlete on the go" which, translated from the marketing-speak, means that it's basically a school bag. However, if you look at the backpacks in their "outdoor" line, you will easily notice that they are built on exactly the same platform. So, all of the above is not model-specific at all.
Here is the picture of the backpack called AIRBAK TRANSIT:
As one would expect these days, the backpack comes with fancy coffee-table-book-quality tags screaming all kinds of buzz words: "technology", "patented", "solution", "therapeutic", "comfort", "lifetime warranty", etc. The manufacturer even lets you feel the comfort by placing two transparent oval-shaped gel-filled bubbles onto one of the tags for you to "press" and "feel the difference".
The two gel bubbles are meant to show what is inside the oval shaped protrusions in the areas that come in contact with your lower and upper back visible in the picture above. Apparently, they are supposed to provide some comfort and airflow, which they probably do to some extent, although the bigger ones in the lumbar area do not seem to be prominent enough to actually let the air flow between them, but that is not the point. Not the main selling point that is.
The main selling point is this:
The area that comes in contact with the lower back is actually a zippered pocket that goes all the way down and underneath the stiff bottom of the backpack.
The pocket contains an inflatable vinyl pouch
The idea sounded kind of interesting, and for 1/3 of the price (regular - $69.99) I bought it. I did not buy it with any specific purpose in mind, so it sat in my closet for about six months and, yes, it did hold air during those six months. However, when I put about 10-11 lb into the backpack and took it for a short bike ride, the pouch/bladder was flat after less than three hours. Again, that is not the point - maybe, I just got a defective one.
The point is that the cover that hides the valve of the air bladder is:
- more prominent than the surrounding oval-shaped gel bubbles,
- located right in the middle of your lower back (I have no idea why they couldn't place the valve somewhere where it wouldn't come in contact with the body),
- made of rubber (not the stickiest kind of rubber, but still stickier than the surrounding material),
- not smooth since it has this X-shaped cut in the center to allow access to the valve.
P.S. I was not really testing the backpack. I was simply trying to figure out if I should carry anything on my back during the bicycle tour of the Ukrainian Carpathians. I could have used any other backpack, and it just happened to be this one. I was so impressed (read "disgusted") by the marketing shamelessly disguised as "advanced technology" (by the way, even the name of the company, AIRBAK TECHNOLOGIES, also includes the word "technology") that I just had to write about it.
P.P.S. According to their catalog, AIRBAK TRANSIT is "for the student athlete on the go" which, translated from the marketing-speak, means that it's basically a school bag. However, if you look at the backpacks in their "outdoor" line, you will easily notice that they are built on exactly the same platform. So, all of the above is not model-specific at all.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
EU-Ukraine border crossing by bike or on foot
To my own surprise, the page on border crossing between the European Union and Western Ukraine at the 2011 Expedition Greenthorn web site has become a big hit. Looks like I am not the only one planning a bike ride of the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains.
I completely re-wrote the page (even though I have absolutely no time right now). Now it includes all the information on the topic I have been able to find. Check it out and let me know if you have recently crossed the border by bike (or on foot with a bicycle, or hitched a ride across the border with a bicycle) at any of the check points in question.
I completely re-wrote the page (even though I have absolutely no time right now). Now it includes all the information on the topic I have been able to find. Check it out and let me know if you have recently crossed the border by bike (or on foot with a bicycle, or hitched a ride across the border with a bicycle) at any of the check points in question.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Motivation... kind of...
In this scene (in Russian - see the English translation below) Baroness Jacobine von Münchhausen with her lawyer and lover, Heinrich Ramkopf, are trying to make the case that her husband, Baron von Münchhausen, is insane:
Ramkopf (reads): To-do list of Baron Karl Friedrich Hieronymus von Münchhausen for May 30, 1779.
Duke: Intriguing.
Baroness: Very.
Ramkopf (reads): From 8 am to 10 - exploit.
Duke: What does that mean?
Baroness: It means that from 8 to 10 am he has an exploit scheduled. Well?
The scene is from Mark Zakharov's 1979 Soviet television movie The Very Same Münchhausen. The film tells the story of Baron von Münchhausen after the adventures described in the famous book, particularly his struggle to prove himself sane. In the movie, Baron von Münchhausen is portrayed as a non-conformist living in a dull and conformist society.
From 8 am to 10 - exploit ;-)
Ramkopf (reads): To-do list of Baron Karl Friedrich Hieronymus von Münchhausen for May 30, 1779.
Duke: Intriguing.
Baroness: Very.
Ramkopf (reads): From 8 am to 10 - exploit.
Duke: What does that mean?
Baroness: It means that from 8 to 10 am he has an exploit scheduled. Well?
The scene is from Mark Zakharov's 1979 Soviet television movie The Very Same Münchhausen. The film tells the story of Baron von Münchhausen after the adventures described in the famous book, particularly his struggle to prove himself sane. In the movie, Baron von Münchhausen is portrayed as a non-conformist living in a dull and conformist society.
From 8 am to 10 - exploit ;-)
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Got the bike
At last, a steel 29er hardtail mountain bike is sitting in my basement. It is a Jamis, not a megabrand, but still a fairly known one whose line of steel hardtails seems to have small, but somewhat cult-like, following. You can check the factory specs here: 2011 Jamis Dragon 29 Sport.
Right away, I had the stock Avid Juicy 3 hydraulic disk brakes replaced with Avid BB7 mechanical disk brakes and the stock SRAM PG-950 11-34t cassette - with a Shimano SLX CS-HG-61 12-36t cassette (the largest 9-speed cassette there is).
These are my first, mostly visual, impressions:
So, why did I buy a 29er?
Primarily, out of curiosity - had never ridden one and really wanted to try. Also, since I was not going to ride a full-suspension mountain bike (something I had considered at one point), I assumed that bigger wheels, combined with wider tires and a steel frame, might make my ride more comfortable compared to the aluminum hardtails with 26-inch wheels and relatively thin tires I had ridden before. Whether my assumption was correct or not, I will find out in less than three months.
Update:
I finally took my new bike for a few short rides. Here are the pictures...
It does look kind of dorky, but rides pretty nicely, although I wouldn't call it a life-changing experience (which I sort of expected having read all the hype about 29ers).
The stock saddle is exactly what it is - a stock saddle, bearable, but definitely not great. So, it was replaced by Selle SMP TRK. Bike saddle is a very individual thing, but, for my anatomy, this one seems to be the best (I have had it on my other bike for a few years now).
The handlebar feels way too wide. I will probably refrain from cutting it since I will need room for a lot of stuff mounted on it, but I need to come up with some way to alternate hand positions. I will, most probably, install bar ends, which will also make the handlebar feel narrower.
The thumb-only SRAM X7 shifters feel weird after Shimano (I kept trying to shift with my thumbs and index fingers), but not too bad not to get used to. Getting a 12-36t cassette was definitely a wise move, although, with extra 20-25 pounds of gear, that might still feel like not enough (I must focus on hill work in the remaining months).
I am not sure about the pedals yet. The initial plan was to install my PD-M647, but that means I will have to do all the walking (and I suspect that there will be a lot of walking) in my Shimano MTB shoes that are more like instruments of torture when it comes to walking.
Yet another update:
Having ridden the bike farther and longer, I have noticed some more things worth mentioning:
If your leg length / inseam is around 30 inches, the stock 350 mm Ritchey seat post might be too short. If it is 31 or 32 inches, you will most definitely need at least a 400 mm seat post. There are two reasons for that. The first is the very shape of the frame: although the bike overall is quite tall, due to the very slanted top tube, the seat tube is pretty short. The second reason is that, as I have noticed, the less of the seat post length is inserted into the seat tube, the more the seat post tends to slip down no matter how much you tighten the collar. The slippage is not immediately noticeable, but, after about 5-6 hours of riding with the seat post pulled out to its maximum limit, it slips down by almost an inch. After that, it doesn't seem to be slipping any more. So, my assumption is that a 400 mm seat post should not slip at all, provided you don't need to pull it all the way up.
Although pretty tall, the 15" bike is quite short. The stock 90 mm Ritchey stem also feels kind of short to me. Again, this is very individual and will depend on how long your torso is and your specific position on the bike, but bear in mind that you might need to get a longer stem as well.
Right away, I had the stock Avid Juicy 3 hydraulic disk brakes replaced with Avid BB7 mechanical disk brakes and the stock SRAM PG-950 11-34t cassette - with a Shimano SLX CS-HG-61 12-36t cassette (the largest 9-speed cassette there is).
These are my first, mostly visual, impressions:
- Next to my standard MTB (26-inch wheels, frame size 18"), it looks like a monster truck next to a Mini. Those 29-inch wheels are huge.
- If you are under 5'8", a 29er is most probably not your thing. I am 5'8.5", and the smallest (15") frame size with very slanted top tube barely gives me enough stand-over clearance not to feel that my private parts are endangered.
- Another potential problem is that I might not have enough clearance for a large seat bag. At least 8" clearance from the saddle rails to the top of the rear tire is required, and I am not sure I am going to have that much (might have to get a "skinnier" seat bag).
So, why did I buy a 29er?
Primarily, out of curiosity - had never ridden one and really wanted to try. Also, since I was not going to ride a full-suspension mountain bike (something I had considered at one point), I assumed that bigger wheels, combined with wider tires and a steel frame, might make my ride more comfortable compared to the aluminum hardtails with 26-inch wheels and relatively thin tires I had ridden before. Whether my assumption was correct or not, I will find out in less than three months.
Update:
I finally took my new bike for a few short rides. Here are the pictures...
...the drivetrain side (with the stock saddle)...
...the non-drivetrain side (with my preferred saddle).
It does look kind of dorky, but rides pretty nicely, although I wouldn't call it a life-changing experience (which I sort of expected having read all the hype about 29ers).
The stock saddle is exactly what it is - a stock saddle, bearable, but definitely not great. So, it was replaced by Selle SMP TRK. Bike saddle is a very individual thing, but, for my anatomy, this one seems to be the best (I have had it on my other bike for a few years now).
The handlebar feels way too wide. I will probably refrain from cutting it since I will need room for a lot of stuff mounted on it, but I need to come up with some way to alternate hand positions. I will, most probably, install bar ends, which will also make the handlebar feel narrower.
The thumb-only SRAM X7 shifters feel weird after Shimano (I kept trying to shift with my thumbs and index fingers), but not too bad not to get used to. Getting a 12-36t cassette was definitely a wise move, although, with extra 20-25 pounds of gear, that might still feel like not enough (I must focus on hill work in the remaining months).
I am not sure about the pedals yet. The initial plan was to install my PD-M647, but that means I will have to do all the walking (and I suspect that there will be a lot of walking) in my Shimano MTB shoes that are more like instruments of torture when it comes to walking.
Yet another update:
Having ridden the bike farther and longer, I have noticed some more things worth mentioning:
If your leg length / inseam is around 30 inches, the stock 350 mm Ritchey seat post might be too short. If it is 31 or 32 inches, you will most definitely need at least a 400 mm seat post. There are two reasons for that. The first is the very shape of the frame: although the bike overall is quite tall, due to the very slanted top tube, the seat tube is pretty short. The second reason is that, as I have noticed, the less of the seat post length is inserted into the seat tube, the more the seat post tends to slip down no matter how much you tighten the collar. The slippage is not immediately noticeable, but, after about 5-6 hours of riding with the seat post pulled out to its maximum limit, it slips down by almost an inch. After that, it doesn't seem to be slipping any more. So, my assumption is that a 400 mm seat post should not slip at all, provided you don't need to pull it all the way up.
Although pretty tall, the 15" bike is quite short. The stock 90 mm Ritchey stem also feels kind of short to me. Again, this is very individual and will depend on how long your torso is and your specific position on the bike, but bear in mind that you might need to get a longer stem as well.
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