Txzen

I'm a retro grouch, and still don't think that someone your weight should have 24 spokes in the rear (been there, done that), but other than that the Ardennes are hard to pass up. But I would spend a little time building some options with a 28h or 32h rear hub on Excel Sports custom builder. They look cool, but all they did is shift the weight to the rim to beef up the build - sure, less spokes but the rotational weight is pretty equal to a solid unsexy 28-32h set. The Mavics may lack some sex appeal, but while they have proprietary spokes everyone I know who has them say they're bulletproof.

How much do you weigh, and what sort of riding do you do? Another vote for HED rims, though I have a custom wheelset with the HED Belgiums, there are other options out there : https://www.coloradocyclist.com/dt-swiss-350-classic-custom-handbuilt-wheelset-with-hed-belgium-plus-rims-700c?gclid=CjwKCAjw1_PqBRBIEiwA71rmtaPJeVeFYDRpa9qeaOkkR60uNKGfGApxLWXCwDBtVEBrF7V9wc9WOxoCti0QAvD_BwE ...and : https://www.coloradocyclist.com/shimano-ultegra-6800-custom-handbuilt-wheelset-with-hed-belgium-c2-rims-700c But I decided long ago not to go with flyweight wheelsets with too few spokes (and proprietary ones at that), after snapping a few rear spokes on a nice Campy Protons. I'm ~195lb, so...

Meh. Wake me when we try to buy Finland - it's the country for me.

Would love to hang in Como for a few weeks for a mixed cycling/food/whatever vacation. The area looks spectacular. Appreciate the Pyrenean offer - alas, I'm more in cyclotouriste mode these days. Old and slow, man. But happy to offer advice! Have stayed here a few times, though the original owner sold recently to another couple. From what I've seen, they've only improved it and I can't wait to go back. Hard to think of a better base of operations : Pyrenees Cycling Lodge

Love the Pyrenees - more so than the Alps, frankly. I've taken a few trips there : Hautacam, Solour-Aubisque, Luz Ardiden, Tourmalet, Spandelles, Cirque de Troumouse, Hourquette d'Ancizan/Aspin, Pla d'Adet, Plateau de Beille...when I list them out, I'm even impressed. Just note that none of them were done with any particular panache. Some are definitely more inspiring than others. Frankly it's the lesser known routes - like the Cirque Troumouse - which are really incredible.

At some point I should write something about this France trip I just completed, but a few weeks ago I bagged this big boy and a few others. Out and back it was 42 miles, 7400' of climbing with so, so much of it an unrelenting 8-9% at altitude. /applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

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No.

Cycling News - TDF 1999 : The farce of renewal Fuck Lance.

This...has not been the prettiest basketball.

Kawhi tried that James Harden school of drawing the foul.

Seriously, fuck Drake. And Draymond is more of a liability recently than anything else.

Big man is playing angry.

Yeah, there can’t be any doubt about the ‘calf’ at this point.

Stay classy, Toronto.

Sure. My experience is from Winter. The Chalet and Clubhouse at the Fairmont Golf Course is nice fine dining. We did fondue, but I'm not sure if that's on the summer menu. Actually I think they only are there through March. Sorry. 21 Steps is really good, as is Harajuku Izakaya I'd recommend reservations for both. The Portabello restaurant in the Fairmont is quite good. Need to get there early as it fills up quickly. Good meats, casual. The BrewHouse (or 'High Mountain Brewing') isn't bad. Oddly enough, the beer selection is a little limited sometimes, but the food is decent. Pizzeria Antico is a bit hit or miss - probably overpriced for the hype. No reservations IIRC, so often a wait. Frankly, I like Pasta Lupino across the way better - it's 'of a style' of Italian which seems really great during a white-out. The BC Liquor Store on Lorimer is really good, frankly. Nice selection of BC wines too.

Quiet morning. Wife comes in to boil water for tea and honey for my son, who is a little under the weather. Puts the kettle on the burner, then promptly walks out. A few minutes later, kettle boiling and whistling, I get up and turn off the gas. Less then a minute later, wife walks back in, annoyed the pot is off. I explain that it was whistling and that I just turned it off. Apparently, the slight cooling in that 45 seconds makes the water unusable. Did you expect me to sit in the kitchen with a screaming pot? Tone. Makes a big production of turning the gas back on - the pot whistles in less than 2 seconds. While it continues to scream, continues to work in the kitchen, getting the mug, the tea the honey. Pours the water in, with the gas still going full afterburner. 15 minutes later, son still can’t drink the tea because it’s too hot.

Yeah. That's an insane schedule for one day, not realistic even if there is no traffic. At the very least, no one gets to drive and park at Muir Woods on a whim anymore - it's reservation only, and I'd highly recommend doing the shuttle instead (if you must go). Muir Woods reservations

It's one of the few cities in Poland not systematically reduced to rubble. It's a gem, with one of the largest medieval squares in all of Europe. Great churches, wonderful castle, great cafes. Gorgeous. An hour a way is Auchwitz-Birkenau, which I think every person should see in their lifetime. I'm not sure what the appropriate age is for kids, I'd want mine to be well into middle school, I think. Warsaw is kind of the best and worst of Poland in some ways. I think the Old Town is also charming, and the palace there is a great tribute to the absolute stubbornness of the Polish people. It was dynamited to a pile of rocks by the Nazis. Afterward, people came out and collected little bits of marble, molding, etc., knowing at some time later they would rebuild it. Going into a room and seeing a few old weathered pieces of trim which were used to re-create the entire place is pretty incredible, frankly. Much of the rest of Warsaw was build under Soviet rule, and follows the predictable and bland architecture found behind the Iron Curtain. In a way, this can be interesting in and of itself, but outside of the Old Town, it ain't Prague.

Lots of good recommendations already, including sage advice on beaches and beach towns. Traffic and parking are horrific, and so you really need to scale down your days - don't think you'll start for a walk on the beach in Venice, and then have an afternoon in Pasadena. Pick an area of town for the day to soak in and explore. You'll loose more time than you can imagine in transit. Also agree on the Getty - the museum is free, and even if you just pop in for the impressionist section, walk through the pretty spectacular gardens, check out the view and have lunch, it's time well spent. On a weekend, the line to get in and park there is epic. Start early, plan ahead. Personally, I like the Santa Monica pier at night. First, it's lit up really nice. Second, with the ages of your kids, you're probably not going to make a day of it there as the rides are for the most part a bit dinky. Have dinner in the area, and enjoy after. And remember that even in summer, the evenings can be brisk by the water.

Half-filled condiment bottles, like tackling, is a bad problem in America.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1825-San-Pascual-St-Santa-Barbara-CA-93101/15894517_zpid/ Westside 2/1. We can discuss my finder's fee later.

...and where you don't have much of a yard (quite possible), you may spend that time at the park or beach down the road. I recall a first visitor when we were in SF asking, as we walked by a neighborhood park, 'what, do you all just go to the park on a nice day or something?'. Well, yeah. My apartment is in a building from 1903, where would you rather hang out?

I wish you'd stop talking about Los Olivos. It's terrible, and there's no reason to go there. So just don't, and don't even mention it to anyone. SB is not the most expensive place to live in the US or even California (that would most likely still be on the SF peninsula / Palo Alto area), but it's a different demographic as well, with very many extremely wealthy retired people. I think that whole Central Coast area is what most people really want when they think of a California dream. The weather and beaches are amazing, yet it's still remarkably easy and quick to get remote and rural quickly. You feel kind of isolated, but if you're really jonesing a big-city experience, LA begins not too far away. I agree the wine region is probably tops - at the very least it's a totally different vibe to visit compared to Napa - but they also make some darn fine grape juice as well. There's a lot to love between SB and Paso Robles. That region is really underrepresented in any shops or restaurants in the Bay Area, unfortunately. It was only recently I figured out how much good stuff there is (beyond just Hitching Post, which is relatively easy to find). The hardest thing moving here from Texas (and 'here' can be SD, LA or SF) is re-calibrating not only what you will pay in a mortgage, but also what home looks like. If a single/not-single guy with no kids feels he needs a 4BR house, then it's going to be a shock to the system. You quickly recalibrate what you really, really need. We underwent a serious bloodletting when we moved to the Bay Area - gutting our possessions, throwing out half of our clothes (no closets big enough for them anyway), and downsizing the amount and size of our furniture. Simplify, and decide what you really need. Those that figure it out tend to never leave, though I've known many people from Texas who came out this way and never adjusted, and didn't stay long. Remember that your home doesn't need to be a palace, because you're going to be outdoors most of the time anyway.