The Dialed Life: Wool Sweaters
It's been snowing in Santa Fe for the past 72 hours, give or take, off and on. I'm guessing we're close to ten inches in town, and it's still going strong outside my window. It's a lot of white stuff to contend with. You want it to accumulate on top of the moutain, of course, but we've also got to deal with it down below, shoveling driveways and sidewalks two or three times a day to stay on top of (underneath?) it all.
Which brings me to my point: Wool is one of the greatest materials on earth. Whether working up a sweat on the mountain or behind a shovel, I can't do it in comfort and style without wool. Merino wool, specifically. As you've probably heard folks preaching forever, it breathes, it stays warm when wet, and it takes a hell of a lot to make it stink.
And I think a fine sweater, midlayer, or base layer of the stuff is about as perfect a Christmas gift as you could want--or I could, at least. Still got gifts to buy? Here are four outstanding merino pieces to choose from. (All, it should be noted, are pre-shrunk and machine-washable.)
1. Ibex Ultimate Guide Sweater ($190)
A thin underlayer, the UGS, and a shell and I'm fine on the mountain all day in all conditions; I never overheat or get cold, no matter what the weather does. Stash cash and cards in the Napoleon pocket and you're good to go. Soft, brushed interior and relaxed fit for layering, lounging, and/or the look. (Also see: the supersoft, next-to-skin-but-zero-itch, three-season wool Fausto cycling jersey. Unmatched.)
*
2. Woolistic Faema Winter Wool Trainer ($225)
Woolistic has a beautiful line of fine merino reproductions of vintage cycling trainers, like this one, which the legendary Cannibal, Eddy Merckx, wore when he raced for Italian espresso-machine giant Faema, in the late sixties. This piece stops people in their tracks, whether they know what it is or not. A fantastic design, obviously sporty but a bit mysterious, it's constructed with a two-ply knit and classic chain-stitch embroidery. It also breathes like a dream and is great for winter riding with a base layer. But it's so cool you'll wear it just about anywhere.
*
3. SmartWool Zirkel Full Zip ($160)
The dense knit of this piece makes it especially nice. It has a great solid feel to it and is surprisingly warm for how thin it is. And besides the sporty European mountain-town vibe (a good thing), you've got a full zip and even zippered hand pockets. The heft, look, and zips all come together to make it wear more like a jacket than a sweater. Be careful: You might just live in this thing. Of course, nothing wrong with having a legacy piece from SmartWool in the cedar chest.
*
4. Icebreaker Sport / 320 Ltd Upstate ($160)
So soft, so thin, so warm, this is the midlayer you'll wear out--and out on the town. You'll also, fortunately, look like a dashing Bond villain, or Steve McQueen in Bullitt, thanks to the athletic fit. It's designed to be a prime insulation layer, with thumb hooks to eliminate sleeve bunching, but it's all style with that ribbing at the collar and side seams... Now where's my ill-conceived "martini"?
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours.
--Jeremy Spencer
 |
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
November 26, 2008
The Dialed Life: Cargo / Utility Bikes
One of the great beauties of the bicycle is its eminent adaptability. If you're like me, you've been riding for joy since you were three or four, and in the years since you've been on all sorts of bikes: road, mountain, cruiser, BMX, CX, XC, trail, track, downhill, race, touring, tri... But what about cargo bikes (or "bakfiets," as the Dutch call them)? I'm all about leaving the car parked and riding not just for joy but to get to work, et cetera, but it's only recently that I've used, on a weekly basis, a bike designed to haul, say, sundry goods or farmers'-market booty or home-improvement hardware. Which sucks; 34 years old and I've been missing out on this most of my life.
I first took spins on two- and three-wheeled haulers in places like Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Munich for the novelty, not the utility, and upon every return to the States never really considered using one here. I can blame it partly on our automobile-centric transportation infrastructure, but I should also blame myself a bit. There are opportunities galore for using a bike to take care of business, and exploiting them pays off in many surprising ways, not the least of which is slowing ... down ... and enjoying a more natural pace. See for yourself.
But what about getting one of these bikes, and what the hell do they look like? Lately, luckily, there's been a great resurgence of cargo/utility bikes. Your French porteurs and big-city hot-dog vendors and practical-minded small-business owners have always used bikes for hauling, but maybe we'll start seeing ourselves and our neighbors kicking the gas can just that little bit more and pedaling when it comes time to gather and/or deliver goods.
Some great options:
1.
Kona's Ute:
This is my favorite, and I've ridden more than a few cargo bikes over the last six years or so. It's only 900 bucks, it's made of lightweight aluminum to mitigate the size, it's a longtail with cruiser qualities, it rides great and climbs with aplomb fully loaded, and it looks slick. Disc brake and fender up front. Arc-like bar with cork grips. Nice plush saddle, fat tires. Handsome wooden deck in back, plus waterproof, high-visibility and -capacity orange panniers come standard. Also, the amount of weight you can haul is limited by what will fit on the deck and in the panniers, so the chances of you overloading and cursing your harebrained scheme on a monster hill are fairly low, which is a good thing. It's the total package ready to roll, just take it easy when you're first getting used to the way it rides loaded. You can carve nicely; I just wouldn't huck anything too big.
Now, if you live in a relatively flat city or your friends call you Quadzilla, you may want to go for something with which you could haul upwards of 350 pounds (including goods, kids, yourself), like...
2. The Metrofiets:
$2,700 to start, which includes custom frame, fork, and removable box made in bike capital Portland, Oregon, from U.S.-sourced materials. Wow, and I'm not reacting to the not-surprising-for-custom price. This is one good looker, the soul of which harks back to classic Dutch front-loader work bikes. Features: disc brakes, rear internal geared hub, lots of cool design details, super-secure motorcycle-style kickstand, headlight, very nice and comfortable Brooks leather saddle and grips, primo reflective-sidewall Schwalbe tires, and just too pretty. And this baby's built to last a lifetime. Bonus: magical steering!
But if you think two wheels spells squirrelly navigation, maybe a trike is your bag, like...
3. The Haley Model 1:
This one will run you $930 and up. It's
just too cool (but, honestly, aren't they all?): low-maintenance single-speed (with the option for three
speeds), coaster brake in back and rim brakes up front, plus a parking
brake, and it comes with a bell! You could haul Bela Lugosi, Boris
Karloff, and Vincent Price in this thing and still not be scared--as
long as things were relatively flat.
There are many more options, of course.
Dig the Kona but want to see what else is out there? Surly's Big Dummy, built for the Xtracycle system, is très cool. And there's the Yuba Mundo... And the Madsen. Into the custom Metrofiets? Bilenky makes mean custom cargo rides too. Like the classic work-bike look? British maker Pashley's Delibike and other work models are swell and continue decades of tradition. Luckily, you can find a great Dutch selection, not to mention beautiful utilitarian rides from Danish maker Velorbis, over at the Dutch Bicycle Company, which is an importer in Massachusetts.
All those are based in or have dealers in the states. But there are even more you may
or may not find on this side of the pond. If you haven't found what you want/need, it may be worth
your while to see if you can't buy from abroad and have something
shipped over. Taxi your beloved progeny around in the Dutch Kangaroo Bike, which brings a weatherproof double trailer around to the front. (Somebody import these!) There's also a huge classic Danish lineup over at Christiania.
Besides the greener conscience, it all looks pretty fun, don't it?
--Jeremy Spencer
|
Comments (9) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
October 31, 2008
The Dialed Life: MTV on Demand
Oh, hell, yeah. As we all know, a truly dialed life features a killer soundtrack, so I'm happy to report that your options for both audiophilic ecstasy and nonwork Interwebs diversion have just multiplied like a bunch of rabbits on Viagra. Behold, MTV Music. News of this has evidently been virally clocking e-mail inboxes all day (week?), if the "Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: OMIGOD!!!" subject line of mine is to be believed. That's right, it's MTV like it used to be, back in the day. Not everything is on there yet (who do I need to talk to about why Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" is MIA?), but so much goodness is.
Which brings a favorite pop-cult question to mind: What's the greatest music video of all time? Is it something like this? Or maybe it's this one? But then there's this. And this. And, I mean, c'mon, this one. Oh, and this... What do you think?
You're welcome.
--Jeremy Spencer
|
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
October 29, 2008
The Dialed Life: Fireplace Grillin'
I've actually done this with a crappy, greasefied campfire grill in the past; the results were mixed. But, natch, those pesky, practical, elegance-oriented Europeans have come up with a great way to keep on grilling (cozily) long past those mistily remembered, halcyon evenings of summer, which all good red-bloods will have spent canoodling, imbibing, and painstakingly grill-marking outside, on the old citronella-scented patio. Well, move it inside, folks. Plow & Hearth's Fireplace Grill ($200) replaces that whole upside-down, gas-or-electric, fire-hazardous oven-setting-masquerading-as-a-grill known as "broil." (Thanks for the tip, Uncrate.) As always, though, you'll want to watch the wood you're using if you want to actually enjoy eating whatever's for dinner.
Anybody else got a good idea on how to bring the summertime party inside? Do tell.
--Jeremy Spencer
|
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
October 21, 2008
The Dialed Life: Bushnell Backtrack GPS
Saw this over at acquiremag.com: With its Backtrack GPS ($75), Bushnell caters to those of us who love the idea of GPS as a practical, utilitarian tool but have neither the time nor inclination to really dig in and learn to use a complicated multifunction GPS device. How? By keeping it as simple as a trail of gorp. Simply push a button to store up to three locations and easily find your way back via the Backtrack's digital compass and SiRF Star III GPS receiver. Tag-worthy spots: you and your honey's favorite wilderness waterfall/skinny-dipping pool? That killer backstreet bar with Mirror Pond Pale on ice, PBR tallboys for two bucks, and a 90-plus-strong battery of vintage pinball machines and video games? The office of that guy you last saw with all your money?
What spots would you suggest? We want to know.
--Jeremy Spencer
|
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
September 25, 2008
The Dialed Life: Lumberjack Apparel & Gear
Fall's nigh, and the real cold's just around the corner, so it's time to be thinking about upgrading that wood-choppin' wear and the tools with which to bust up said timber. I take this stuff seriously, since I spend a lot of hours producing fuel to mitigate ridiculous utility bills come winter. Every once in a while, a couple of colleagues and I will hit the deadfall harvest in the nearby Pecos National Forest, stock up enough to last a season or two, then haul it all home for "organization." Here's what I'll be sporting and wielding as the chips fly.
1. Danner 8-Inch Super Rain Forest 200g Plain-Toe Work Boots ($295) - As bombproof a boot as you can get without the steel toe of a construction clodhopper, which I don't want or need. I've dropped two-foot-plus-diameter logs onto my toes while ax-dragging timber to my sawbucks and barely noticed. Plus these are extremely comfortable out of the box and are lined with both Gore-Tex and 200-gram Thinsulate.
2. Arborwear Bib Overalls ($70) - The smartest overalls out there, these are preshrunk, feel broken in right away, and (genius? or just common sense?) have a zipper, so you don't have to disrobe to pee. None of the stiffness of some work pants, but all of the durability, plus they're cut to maximize freedom of movement. Why overalls? So you don't tear your nice new chamois shirt manhandling logs.
3. Arborwear Timber Chamois ($50) - The apotheosis of the cold-weather work shirt. Chamois is warm enough to work in minus a jacket but won't cook you under another layer, plus it's incredibly soft and wears great through the years. This one also feels broken in right away. Great price, too.
4. Teko EcoMerino Wool Heavyweight Hike/Trek Sock ($21) - The longest-lasting supercushy sock I've ever worn, with the benefit of being extremely "green," i.e., both the color and Teko's earth-friendly production methods, from sheep to shop. Also: no itch, no shrinkage in the dryer.
5. Fiskars 28-inch Pro Chopping Axe ($45) - Dead vikings drool over this thing. It's so well-made and -balanced and so sharp, and the handle so light (and virtually indestructible), you can literally dismantle a tree in a matter of minutes. I grew up in the overgrown South, and when I needed cash to support my books, music, comics, and BMX habits, I limbed and felled trees. I've swung dozens of axes for hours upon end. None compares.
6. Fiskars 28-inch Super Splitting Axe ($53) - The big, bad bro of the lightweight beast above, this is the best maul I've ever used. One-stroke splits if you've got the technique down. The head weighs four pounds, and the handle is the same featherweight, hollow, indestructible number Fiskars uses on all their tree tackle.
7. Fiskars 30-Inch Bow Saw ($8) - Man, I wish they'd make this in a four-footer, for greater efficiency. If you're like me, an analog fan, and you'd rather eschew the fume spewing health hazard/mortal danger of a gas chain saw while getting a bit of a workout and "doin' it like Great-Grandpa did," this is the tool for getting logs in choppable form. Two words: like butter.
8. Marshmallows ($1?), whittled stick ($0)
|
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
September 16, 2008
The Dialed Life: A Revolutionary DSLR Camera / Hi-Def Video Camera
A quick sneak peek at one of the very cool new cameras we'll be testing and reviewing at length in an upcoming issue and/or Buyer's Guide:
The highly anticipated Nikon D90 is the first-ever digital SLR with the ability to shoot hi-def video (1280x720 at 24 frames per second), a natural spinoff of Nikon's Live View shooting mode. That's huge in itself, given the engineering hurdles, but the real point is that everything you can do to manipulate a still photo with your DSLR you can now do to video.
Get the picture? Expect the first D90-filmed snow porn any minute now. The D90 body will run you just $1,000. From there you can, of course, pick and choose whatever lenses (prime, zoom, macro, fisheye, etc.) you want for your new 12.3-megapixel 
DSLR/video camera. Before now, a system with these capabilities was out of reach for the avocational shooter, due to the prohibitive-for-most price tag: roughly $15,000 to start.
Nikon, my people will be talking to your people.
--Jeremy Spencer
|
Comments (2) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
September 10, 2008
The Dialed Life: A Beer Snifter? Yes, Please!
I love beer. (Actually, in person I usually say it more like this: I. Looovvve. Beeer.) No matter how much I ride my bike or run trails or ski or swim or do pullups, pushups, and situps until my hair hurts, beer, delicious beer, will always hold a place very close to my gut.
So it was with great excitement that I learned of a new invention from the brain of Sam Adams founder and sixth-generation braumeister Jim Koch: the beer snifter, or pint glass nonpareil. Craft-beer fiends like me have much to thank Koch (pronounced "cook") for, since he had a helluva lot to do with (1) the resurgence of real beer in America and (2) the saving-from-near-extinction of some of Bavaria's (i.e., the world's) finest noble hops, Hallertal Mittelfrüh, the genetically unaltered beauty that puts her Frankensteinian distant cousins (beloved by the InBev's of this world for unnaturally high bitterness yields) to shame where it counts: the smell, the taste.
When I asked the extremely affable and down-to-earth Koch about his new Samuel Adams Boston Lager Pint Glass ($8 or 4 for $30), we'd both had quite a few said lagers in said pint glasses, so I don't remember too much beyond his enthusiasm, the obvious pride and pleasure as he examined his beer in his glass, and him saying, "A lot of work went into it. I wanted to make the perfect pint glass. It just brings it all forward and really showcases the malt and the hops." It's true. By focusing the smells, and thus the flavors, like wine and spirits stemware, the glass really and truly heightens the experience; you don't lose all that wonderful aroma. To wit:
Working with the "sensory experts" at TIAX, Koch laid out the aims of the ideal pint glass: deliver sweetness from the malt; maximize the hops aroma and flavor; maintain the ideal temperature; support a rich and creamy head; and sustain the right amount of carbonation. A number of prototypes later, eureka: a (scientifically!) shaped glass with a thicker, angled, ramplike lip, to deliver beer, delicious beer, to the palate just so. The neck and lip help preserve the head, which in turn helps keep that aroma rising. The narrower base reduces the effects of heat from your dirty mitts, keeping the beer cooler longer--and feels great in hand, by the way. There are even more (scientifical!) details about this glass, but I won't go into them further; it'll suffice to say a lot of thought went into this thing.
When I'm at home now, I never leave a brew in the bottle; it goes in this hyar glass. Something else that's happened as a result is that I've come back to the Sam Adams line after a hiatus of some years. In college, Koch's Boston Lager and Cream Stout opened my eyes to what beer is supposed to be, and I've never turned back. I have, however, tried roughly 487,000 other beers in the interim--some great, some good, some sorta meh, some ill-advised, some absolutely Dickensian in their tragic circumstances--and long, long since fell facefirst into total, unabashed beer snobbery, based on lots and lots of "research." What's so heartening is that after all this, I recently picked up Koch's Samuel Adams Brewmaster's Collection 12-pack and am happy to report that, as I first surmised some 16 years ago, that man makes some damn. Goood. Beeer.
--Jeremy Spencer
|
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
September 02, 2008
The Dialed Life: Snorkel / Scuba Gear
Hurricane season may be mucking up some dive destinations these days, but elsewhere in the Caribbean and Gulf you'll find only cooler temperatures as we get closer to the holidays. Down under, the Great Barrier Reef enjoys perfect 80-degree water this time of year. Plus plenty of prime amateur-diving territory in the Pacific and Caribbean will be seeing lower tourist numbers.
So I'm dreaming of white sand and cerulean seas as we start feeling the first hint of fall; the nights are increasingly chillier here in the tailbone of the Rocky Mountains. Here's the gear I'm taking on my next tropical escape, which will consist of lots of beach lazing and swimming with my family, some easy-access snorkeling, and quite a few tasty beverages.
Full disclosure: I love to snorkel but have never scuba'd, though I want to someday. When I snorkel, I'm exercising and playing as much as, if not more than, I'm looking around and checking out fish and whatnot; it's the way I've done it since I was six or seven years old. Snorkeling's also very grab-and-go, with little prep time and a simple bag of gear, unlike scuba. So it's perfect for getting the blood pumping during an otherwise somnambulistic respite...
Backstory on what you'll find below: 1. The fins I just got and recently took to the community pool to try out for a little over an hour. Loved 'em. They feel "funny" in the best way. Can't wait to get in open water and see how much faster and more agile I'll be. They're powerful and extremely innovative. 2. The mask I'm upgrading to for the reasons described below. It appears to be exactly what I need and want. 3. Ditto the snorkel, which I'm getting because I evidently lost mine in a move, and this one is way nicer. 4. The camera I've been playing with all summer, in the water and abroad. Consistently good performance. Now, my suggestions:
1. Aqua Lung Slingshot fins ($219)
My main issues with fins are ankle fatigue/soreness and flimsiness. The Slingshot promises to do away with all that. Unlike more traditional fins, it's designed specifically to use all its surface for efficient power. It also features a hinged fin and silicone bands that can be set in three positions: short for easier, slower kicking; medium for a little faster; and long (increasing the tension) for even faster, more athletic swimming. The bands are, of course, trying to come back to their normal, unstretched position, so they're helping propel you. You get three stiffness levels in one fin, and they're easy to "shift gears" in; simply pop the band out of its slot and slide it into the next one. And with the midfoot pivot on the fin, the stress is taken off the ankle and moved down. Cool.
2. Aqua Lung Micromask ($100)
Because it's designed to fit a much wider range of faces and features, has cool multidirectional strap hinges, offers huge peripheral vision, and is styled more like a pair of sunglasses in the way it curves close to the eyes, I must have this mask. It seems masks usually have one but not all of these killer features--or none, having apparently been modeled on Kathy Ireland's petite little face and designed only for close-up coral gawking.
3. Aqua Lung Impulse 3 snorkel ($47)
Just a snorkel? Nah. Big difference between a tube and this thing. A dual-valve system keeps water from entering your pie hole. And if some does come sluicing through, it takes only your average quick exhale, not a giant hork, to send it out of a lower one-way valve. And the mouthpiece is designed for all-day comfort, plus it swivels into the optimum position.
4. Pentax Optio W60 ($330)
I can't believe this thing. She's waterproof down to 13 feet, shoots at ten megapixels, sports a 5x wide-angle zoom and (yes!) glare-proof screen, and al
so has HD movie capture. Shots taken underwater look great, not all warped and fish-tanky. Bonus: also operates in sub-zero temps, if you're in the mood for frozen water.
Note: I've been using Aqua Lung products for years (under a couple of different brand names), so I went to them first. They had exactly what I was looking for this season, but I'd love to hear any reader testimonials on outstanding scuba and snorkel gear from other companies.
And in case you're wondering where I'm going: Modelo and Herradurra, ho! (Maybe some lime juice and sangrita, too.)
--Jeremy Spencer
|
Comments (0) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
August 20, 2008
The Dialed Life: Dual-Purpose Earbuds / Headphones
Until I encounter a set of wireless stereo earbuds with absolutely pristine, uninterrupted sound, I'll stick to the wired kind. I own (not counting proprietary, device-specific earbuds) seven pairs of aftermarket stereo cans, from custom in-ear numbers to vintage headphones that make you look like one of those 
command-center slicks on the cover of a midcentury sci-fi pulp. I've tested dozens over the years, and they're the ones I use "at home and abroad," as they say. After a recent six-month bout of testing, a single pair stands out as a reason to replace one of the aforementioned seven: the Etymotic HF2 ($180).
It's a hi-fi set made for those who like to keep music on their iPhone or Blackjack or whatever and actually enjoy it and actually answer calls hands-free, with approximately zero fuss. The control node/mic on the cord has a single do-it-all button that automatically pauses your current track when a call comes in; it also, of course, is your pause/play/skip toggle. Now, the really big deal, the sound quality: The biggest sell here for me is that, for under two hundred clams, you're literally getting reference-quality audio for this category, i.e., this is standard-setting sound, folks. Clear, crisp, high-fidelity audio in a noise-isolating package like this is what you want, and it's especially essential for regular air travelers. Sorry, but you're a sucker if you sit through countless hours of engine drone every year when you could be appreciating the mad skillz of Max Roach, Mozart, or Mastodon. Simplicity and ease of use, light weight (1.3 oz), outstanding comfort, and solid security--these are hugely influential factors for the discerning consumer, and especially for a jaded gear appraiser like me. Which means: Trust me. If you have a fancy phone and actually use it to listen to music, you want these things. Etymotic offers a simple yet elegant solution, and those are always nice.
--Jeremy Spencer
|
Comments (1) | | | Email this post | | | TrackBack (0) | | | Permalink |
