adventure

A Window with a View

One of the simple pleasures of living in Shanghai is taking a shower in the pre-dawn hours and gazing through the wide open bathroom window from our 22nd-floor apartment to the city streets below. Standing under the stream of hot water with the cool breeze blowing in from a tall narrow window, it’s almost like showering outdoors in the warm rain under an urban banyan tree situated deep in the vast expanse of an enormous concrete jungle.

Awake before in the fading darkness while the megalopolis still sleeps, I am able to peer through my little portal to the world and catch a clear view of deserted city streets trailing off into the myriad of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers that is Shanghai. A gentle wind whispers through the window. The misty scent of fresh rain touches my nose.

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Coffee Outside: If You Brew It, They Will Come

by Johnny Isaak ·

I’ve spent a lifetime traveling the world and perhaps more than taking in the beautiful exotic landscapes, I love to meet the people. Experiences and interaction with genuine locals are one of the greatest rewards travel has to offer and I relish the most.

Want to meet people? Just start brewing a cup of handcrafted espresso or Turkish coffee on a park bench or along the edge of a flower bed in a village square, and soon a steady stream of people will gravitate to you for about as long as you care to hang around and talk to them. Most locals are naturally curious of foreigners and have an intrinsic desire to see what you are up to, especially in China. And what better way to break the ice with your new acquaintances than over a cup of Joe?

Tweaking the Divide: Rocking the Pletscher Twin-Legger Kickstand

by Johnny Isaak ·

No respect, often slighted. To most, the lowly, rarely respected kickstand is the Homer Simpson of cycling components and a sure mark an inferior bike that adorns virtually all lower-priced bicycles, while most higher end bikes tend to come without.

Rolling up on a group of roadies enjoying a post ride espresso at the local chichi coffee shop and popping out the kickstand on a modest cruiser will almost certainly ignite a flurry of eye-rolling intermixed with a cackle of muttering and under the breath derisions and holier than thou stotting about in regard to that “bicycle” you just rolled up on.

Anti-kickstand sentiment is not completely unfounded. Performance bikes that don’t normally carry any gear and are built for speed and agility with a premium on achieving the lowest weight possible most likely won’t benefit from the capabilities the humble kickstand has to offer.

Frames constructed of exotic carbon and epoxy or those with chainstays fashioned of wafer thin tubing may even be damaged by clamping on a kickstand or permanently tweaked from the torsional forces placed on the frame when leaning a heavily loaded bike to the side.

Negative biases against kickstands are rare things that both roadies and mountain bikers agree on but is mostly unfounded.

San Francisco Microadventure: Over the Hills and to the Sea

by Johnny Isaak ·

microadventure, adventure cycling, bicycle touring — Yours truly at the Golden Gate park.

Enriching life altering journeys don’t always have to be to some far away land or exotic destination. Adventure is where you find it, and more often than not, it’s more about one’s mindset than the places traveled to or the length of time on the road. Quite often, excitement and adventure can be found in your own backyard or near your home.

Microadventures are excellent journeys in themselves in lieu of or in between bigger farther, longer lasting voyages, and provide not only enriching experiences for relatively little time and capital, but can be ideal proving grounds for testing out new gear or refining one’s touring techniques prior to embarking on bigger forays farther afield.

Like a Rolling Stone: Co-Motion Divide Rohloff Follow-Up Review

by Johnny Isaak ·

Check out my updated long-term review of the Co-Motion Divide at https://johnnyisaak.com/co-motion-divide-rohloff-a-long-term-review/

I’ve been rolling on my Rohloff/Gate CDX equipped Co-Motion Divide for about two months now, logging in over 2,500+ kilometers, using the bike as my primary form of transportation and daily commuter to and from work. I’ve had the bike on several short and longer distance multi-day micro-adventures ranging from 200-500 kilometers. With the saddle, handlebars and other adjustments pretty much set, I’m now settling into the bike and getting to know the subtle nuances of life on the road with an internally geared hub and carbon belt drive.

Freedom from Worry: Thoughts on Building an Effective Tool Kit

by Johnny Isaak ·

Ever fret over what tools and spare parts to bring on a long cycling journey? What to put in, what to leave out? Me too. There’s a myriad of options, with the lists being virtually endless, always striving to balance utility against weight. It boggles the mind. Regardless of what you settle on for your tool kit, it really boils down to “what works for you,” which should be the result of a little thought and analysis. Here’s my take along with a little of my decision-making methodology on the never-ending, ever-evolving, and sometimes hotly contested theme of building the “perfect” tool kit, if such a thing exists.

Think of Your Tool Kit as Part of a Larger Support System

The process gets a little easier and your kit a little more effective if it’s designed to support your trip’s goals, your personal riding style, the equipment you will be using, and the environment you’ll be traveling through. It helps to look at your tools and spare parts kit as integral components of a broader travel support system developed to provide specific capabilities to suit a particular set of goals, needs and operational conditions. Developing a clear understanding of how you are going to ride, what you are going to do with what gear, and where you are going to do it is key to assembling not only the right tool kit and spare parts list, but an effective, efficient support system that will give you the confidence and ability to go virtually anywhere you desire.

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