Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - A Relection of Audubon

Yesterday's 15 mile ride was a repeat of last week, with many of the same plus and minus. Once again I rode on the Schuylkill River Trail and part of the Perkiomen Trail, from Port Providence to Betzwood and back. Once again I incorporated a trip to the gym into my ride. And again I managed to maintain 13MPH as a cruising speed for the ride. At least when I wasn't taking photos.

I've mentioned before that the trails pass near Mill Grove, the first home in America of John James Audubon. The 18th century house sits high above the Perkiomen Creek. Yesterday the "Perkioming", to use Audubon's spelling, was a liquid mirror.

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Audubon two centuries ago might have considered swans a common species, but I don't see them often.

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Near the end of the ride I stopped at the Schuylkill Canal on Longford Road. A child and her parents were throwing bread to the waterfowl - Canada geese, mallards, and the like. I took some good shots of the feeding frenzy. Both I and the family beat a speedy retreat. Incidentally, the father and his Boy Scout troop rode the C & O Canal the week before I and Neil F. did it last year.

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To bring some on-topic, AKA bike, material to this thread, I continue to find the saddle uncomfortable after about four miles or so. I have a Brooks, but I haven't installed it yet.

Oh, and I found someone had taken my parking spot at the gym:

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It's a sign of my growing bike awareness, and snobbery, that I checked out the bike. "Carbon fork and Speedplay, nice, but Tiagra front and rear?"

Nice pics Neil, thanks for sharing with us!

Whats wrong with Tiagra?

Nice pics Neil, thanks for sharing with us!

Whats wrong with Tiagra?

The guy couldn't have used Ultegra? :)

Neil, might I make a suggestion?

You really, really need to put together a nice Coffeetable Book, I kid you not. Something around cycling and the scenery. Your descriptives capture the mood quite well, too.

The guy couldn't have used Ultegra? :)

Tiagra goes with what looks like chrome-moly speedplays nicely. Now if they were running titanium or those nanos(?) then yeah ultegra all the way ;)

Just don't get me started on all those spacers :rolleyes:

Neil, might I make a suggestion?

You really, really need to put together a nice Coffeetable Book, I kid you not. Something around cycling and the scenery. Your descriptives capture the mood quite well, too.

Too many better photographers out there, Tom. Even my argueably best photo was dismissed as a snapshot on the Touring Forum. Those folks weigh less than me and ride better bikes, so they know photography. Who am I to argue with them?

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Too many better photographers out there, Tom. Even my argueably best photo was dismissed as a snapshot on the Touring Forum. Those folks weigh less than me and ride better bikes, so they know photography. Who am I to argue with them?

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You realize there will always be detractors. have you ever seen any of Ansel Adam's prints, printed raw, with no burns or dodges done to change the print dynamics? They were terrible! His artistry was in the darkroom, and all his "horrible" negatives are intentionally horrid. They are a base image only for him to paint with shadow.

By the way, there is no better revenge than success......:p A successful book could also finance your tour from C2C, as well, which would give you more material to work with for a follow on.

Too many better photographers out there, Tom. Even my argueably best photo was dismissed as a snapshot on the Touring Forum. Those folks weigh less than me and ride better bikes, so they know photography. Who am I to argue with them?

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Being skinny on a high end bike does not make one a better photographer, for a few reasons.

First is that the important thing in a photograph is the photographers vision. Photography is a bi-modal art form, just like music is. When you snap the shutter, that creates a negative, or these days a digital transparency, the negative is like a musical score. If you listen to a performance of a symphony, it's considerably flavoured by what the orchestra and artistic director does as what the composer and arranger did. The print, is the performance, and what you do create the performance, can have just as much bearing or more on the end result. The image you posted would look good in B&W, probably with a red filter applied to punch those clouds up a little, then add a warm tone, maybe a little more contrast. I archive the negative, transparency, digital file, I work on copies, and once I have the image I want for a particular use, I print or post it, and then throw it away, the next time I do something with that image, I may be in a very different mood, and the result with reflect that.

I spend at least an hour on each image I post on my blog for the picture of the week, some of those images are fairly new, others are nearly 30 years old. PM me and I'll send you my email address, send me a copy of the original there and I'll play with it, and send you back what I mean....

It's not just your picture that captures the moment, but also what you write.

It's a sign of my growing bike awareness, and snobbery, that I checked out the bike. "Carbon fork and Speedplay, nice, but Tiagra front and rear?"

I was thinking as I read your post how cool it would be to ride with you, because it isnt just the exercise you take in.

Then I see your last sentence and I am saddened. You would surely laugh at the components on my Fuji :(

I really enjoy these posts, makes me feel like I'm right there with you. Thanks for taking the time to post.

I was thinking as I read your post how cool it would be to ride with you, because it isnt just the exercise you take in.

Then I see your last sentence and I am saddened. You would surely laugh at the components on my Fuji :(

As a well-known cartoon figure might say, "That was a joke, son."

As a well-known cartoon figure might say, "That was a joke, son."

By the way, Neil, you have some inkling yet as to why I might have made the suggestion I did from the reactions here? It's as much, or more, your style of writing that pulls it all together. In another thread, your "Bridge to the Future" metaphor was great, for example. :D

As a well-known cartoon figure might say, "That was a joke, son."


LOL. Every time anyone makes that reference I hear old Foghorn in my head.

I can't even remember whats on my Fuji, but I remember thinking it was a great deal for the price but that some day Id be replacing components.

LOL. Every time anyone makes that reference I hear old Foghorn in my head.

I can't even remember whats on my Fuji, but I remember thinking it was a great deal for the price but that some day Id be replacing components.

Your bike is great, TKGN. Repeat after me, "I love my bike. I love my bike. I love......"

Too many better photographers out there, Tom. Even my argueably best photo was dismissed as a snapshot on the Touring Forum. Those folks weigh less than me and ride better bikes, so they know photography. Who am I to argue with them?


I believe your snapshot of a covered bridge was labeled a snapshot. This image was considered quite interesting, as was your shot of the bridge support structures. Weigh less, probably, ride a better bike, who cares, know photography, well 30 years as a professional and instructor at least confers presumption. God this place is small sometimes.

I enjoy your ride pics also. Most of my scenery involves pavement,cars,and buildings. Your pictures remind me there is is life outside of work.

Speedplays on a K2.......Thats a crime.:D

I was thinking as I read your post how cool it would be to ride with you, because it isnt just the exercise you take in.

Then I see your last sentence and I am saddened. You would surely laugh at the components on my Fuji :(

How do you think I feel?? I ride a Kent! In my case, he would probably invoke the "3 bikes back" rule :roflmao2:

How do you think I feel?? I ride a Kent! In my case, he would probably invoke the "3 bikes back" rule :roflmao2:

There is no such thing as a bad bike, now the ebikes that are really scooters that have pedals attached so they fall into the bicycle rather then motorcycle category do come close, some of these things are over 40kg and the chances of someone actually pedalling one, except in an extreme emergency are less then slim.