Only 15 minutes down State Route 160 from my high desert home is Lovell Canyon Road, the doorway to cooler temps during a sweltering Las Vegas August day.
The elevation gain goes from about 4,800 feet to 5,900 feet as the U.S. Forest Service Road slowly cuts a swath between open fields and evergreens.
Yes, this is Vegas, too.
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It was fun to bike with Jared and Heather Fishr, the first couple of bicycling in Las Vegas.
The morning began with a stunning sunrise. Take a look:
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| How the day ended. |
The Red Rock Loop outside Las Vegas is a fabulous attraction.
In fact, the Red Rock National Conservation Area attracts 3.5 million people a year, a stunning number when you consider how few public resources are poured into this natural resource.
I call this my "corner office" at the overlook on the 13-mile Red Rock Scenic Drive. I have met many a person here at elevation 4,763. The curve in the road about 100 yards down the road is at 4,771 feet.
That's bicyclist Susie Lee, who also happens to work in Congress -- as a representative.
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This is sunrise on a 53-mile bike ride from the homestead in the Red Rock high desert to the Strip and downtown Las Vegas and then nack home through Summerlin.
Let me re-introduce the Pug -- the amazing Surly Pugsley.
Last light on the high desert outside Vegas.
Good evening and I have a message.
Bicycle Stories is back.
It's been a while. The last post was about 3 1/2 years ago.
And it's time to publish my Bicycle Stories here and not on Facebook and others like that.
So, here we go.
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Look for new content very soon.
-- Alan.
By Alan Snel of Bicycle Stories and author of Bicycle Man the book
It's the second week of February and depending where you are bicycling you will need a top pair of gloves to keep your fingers warm while also exhibiting a quality of nimbleness to change gears and apply the brakes.
I'm happy to say I have found gloves that I will use for every bike ride when there's a chill in the air, which happens here in the western suburbs of Las Vegas near Red Rock Canyon where morning temperatures are routinely in the high 30s during the winter months.
The company is Handske and the El Paso, Texas-based operation has come out with an outstanding new cold weather glove that retails for $54.99 -- a $5 increase over a previous winter model. But keep in mind the new glove has an updated water resistant top fabric.
I like the gloves a lot. First, the design is attractive and my hands were warm when I used them for an early morning walk. Later in the day when I was cycling, the fingers were nimble as I easily shifted gears on my road bicycle on the famed Red Rock Loop outside Las Vegas.
It's a tight fit, but only at the beginning. Owner Sem Gallegos recommends stretching the cuff and I found as I wore the glove throughout the day it did allow for a more elastic touch to slide the hand in while following up with a nice tight seal.
Here's a Q and A I had with Sem:
Bicycle Stories: What was the philosophy of not using a velcro wrist band?
Sem Gallegos: We are not a fan of velcro, it wear fast and no longer functions correctly, secondly when washing with like items, it gets stuck to other clothing and can damage it. And lastly, but using neoprene cuffs, the is just the right amount of stretch to fit nice and snug over wrist, and this material does not wear to the point that it looses its dexterity. Running it as skin tight as possible traps more heat. Also some velcro closure are either too bulky or wrongly placed, that it causes discomfort in the wrist.
One of the most versatile lighting products I have ever used is the line of BioLite products that can be used indoors, outdoors or on car trips.
I keep two in my home and each one literally has replaced my indoor lights. And the beauty is that they can be re-charged whenever they are running low on juice. These lights are wonderful because you don't need a power outlet do use these lights.
I use my BioLites in my bathroom and bedroom.
The BioLites also have a wonderful aesthetic touch because you can customize the colors and the design layout of the colors in the lantern,
The one in the bathroom, the AlpenGlow of 500 Lumens, requires a push of the top of the BioLite when a nighttime bathroom visit is required.
It's amazingly convenient and aesthetically sweet at the same time.
It should be noted that the BioLite is a great device for outdoors and camping, especially with concerns about wild fires and the subsequent fire bans.
Here's a nice rundown on the product's various specs:
I also wanted to include an instructional video that shows you the product and its various light modes:
