Thursday, August 31, 2017
Hiking in the Faroe Islands by Justin LaFrance and Katie Smith
Located in the North Atlantic about halfway between Norway and Iceland, the Faroe Islands are like towering abraded emeralds jutting out of the sea. It may seem unexpected to compare a travel destination to a precious gem, but for the Faroe Islands it is fitting. With precipitous cliffs falling into the ocean, vast treeless expanses, abounding bird colonies, and unparalleled ocean views, my travel companion, Justin, and I had hit the jackpot.
Traveling in the Faroe Islands can be summarized with one statement: expect the unexpected. With 18 islands, unpredictable maritime weather, countless sheep, and numerous winding one lane roads every day holds something new. In our 11 days, we had a cancelled helicopter flight, close encounter with a bus on a steep one lane mountain switch back road (in a manual car!), and much more. However, this unpredictably only added to the trip.
During our stay, we enjoyed countless stunning hikes. However, the clear highlight was joining the guide Pól Sundskarð and his assistant Olaf for two hikes. Pól is infamous for his hiking feats in the Faroe Islands—in 2015 him and his wife became the first couple to summit all 340 peaks in the Faroe Islands. Hiking without a guide is easily possible here, but even with off trail experience, Justin and I agreed that we could not have gone on hikes of the same caliber without Pól.
First Guided Hike: Kalsoy
Getting to the start of this hike was an adventure. Step one take a car ferry. Step two navigate a tiny, unlit one way tunnel and turn off into an obscure even tinier tunnel. Needless to say, I was relieved that our guide was the one doing the driving.
This hike started off as most do in the Faroe Islands—grassy and with a steep incline. The steepness reminded me of trails in the northeast United States, except with soft grass instead of knee jarring rocks. After this brisk and calf burning climb we summited 2 peaks—one just over 1,800 feet and the second just over 2,500 feet. The views from both summits were stunning, but with no trees the views while hiking could only be described in levels of stunning.
And then came the best part—threading across a steep hill directly above a cliff using a sheep trail. I will admit, looking at this section from a distance I approached it with some trepidation. Hiking primarily in the northeastern United States, I do not get this type of exposure frequently. But once we were hiking across it wasn't bad at all.
All the hard hiking done, we finished with a lighthouse and statue of the Seal Woman. I encourage everyone to read the story behind this statue at this address: http://ift.tt/2wnlUos
Total distance hiked: 6.6 miles
Second Guided Hike: Saksun
Justin and I had previously hiked the beginning portion of this route, but short on time we had to turn around at the top of the first ridge. We were excited to get back, sure that Pól would outshine the route we would have followed.
After cresting the ridge Justin and I had previously hiked, we made a beeline for the peaks—5 in total all around 2,000 feet tall. However, getting to these peaks was easier said than done. This was the territory of the skua, a ground nesting bird. As would be expected these birds aggressively protect their nests—dive bombing anyone that gets too close. However, luckily Justin and I had learned a trick from a young Danish traveler earlier in our trip: hold a hiking pole above your head. Since skuas go for the highest part of your body they are easily tricked into going for the pole instead of you.
During this hike Justin came up with a nickname for hiking in the Faroe Islands: grass mountaineering. Where we had thought the inclines were steep on the previous day's hike, they seemed even steeper today. We both wished we had brought hiking shoes with more support—we almost felt like we were hiking on the sides of our feet side hilling on the steep inclines in trail runners.
Total distance hiked: 13.7 miles
How to make a trip to the Faroe Islands happen
- Getting there: Atlantic Airways is the only airline that flies to the Faroe Islands. You can connect in through numerous European cities. I chose to fly in through Iceland and Justin through Scotland. Alternatively, if you have more times ferries are also available.
- Camping: Camping information can be found at http://ift.tt/2wnb29W Isobutane fuel is commonly available. However, as most campsites have kitchens, we got by fine without purchasing it.
- Hiking information: There is lengthy guide to hiking available at http://ift.tt/2iMLIpa Furthermore, I would highly recommend visiting Pól's website at http://ift.tt/2wnfLIT You can also visit his Facebook page at http://ift.tt/2iMC8CR.
- Car rental: Automatic cars are rare and expensive—it is worth having someone along that can drive a manual transmission. Additionally, reserve early as cars book up quickly. We rented from Avis and were happy with the service.
- Bus service: A public bus service is available, but as we only used this briefly once I cannot offer much information.
Getting from island to island: The main islands are connected by tunnel. Some tunnels are one lane (with pull offs for oncoming traffic without the right of way). Most islands without tunnels are either connected by ferry and/ or helicopter.
About Justin LaFrance
Captivated by travel and adventure since childhood, Justin LaFrance has travelled to over 40 countries and all of the continents. Justin, who hails from Canada, is attracted to off-the-beaten-path locations and the resulting authentic travel experience. Favorite outdoor activities include trekking, biking, and mountaineering. You can visit his travel blog at www.eatingsnow.ca.
About Katie Smith
Katie Smith has been hiking since she could walk. While the difficulty of the hikes has increased, the curiosity to discover what is around the next bend continues to drive her. Currently living in the Boston area, Katie most frequently hikes in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
from Section Hikers Backpacking Blog http://ift.tt/2iMC9GV
The most amazing wigs I’ve ever seen
Have you ever seen hairstyles like this before?!
Shaun McGrath is a renowned avant garde hairdresser and wig master. He’s also the Creative Ambassador for Sustainable Salons Australia and I’ve been lucky to see some of his works in progress at Stevie English Hair.
This month, Shaun is a featured artist as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival and you have the chance to see his unique works up close.
Fusion Art Series 2.0 is on display at Broadway Shopping Centre in Sydney from 1-30 September. Inspired by consumerism, these multimedia works are hairstyles featuring beauty, food, fashion and homewares. You’ll find part of the display on the escalators into the centre and then head up to level 2 to see these incredible creations.
A true hair artist, Shaun takes inspiration from nature and architecture for his works and has a particular interest in repurposing materials. Working with hair and all manner of materials, the craft of hairdressing and wig-making is an art with no boundaries for Shaun.
“A good wig like “hair” needs to serve its application. People wear wigs for many reasons and a lot are created just to blend in, to hide – others are made to make a statement or become someone different. I create wigs that provoke a reaction, it’s simply art for arts sake and that’s the application for my work.”
Shaun’s avant garde style takes many forms but the wigs created for this exhibition are full of humour, beauty and fun.
Follow Shaun on Instagram for incredible hair inspiration and if you’re in Sydney, make sure you check out his exhibition at Broadway this month.
The post The most amazing wigs I’ve ever seen appeared first on Hair Romance.
from Hair Romance http://ift.tt/2xC10As
The most amazing wigs I’ve ever seen
Have you ever seen hairstyles like this before?!
Shaun McGrath is a renowned avant garde hairdresser and wig master. He's also the Creative Ambassador for Sustainable Salons Australia and I've been lucky to see some of his works in progress at Stevie English Hair.
This month, Shaun is a featured artist as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival and you have the chance to see his unique works up close.
Fusion Art Series 2.0 is on display at Broadway Shopping Centre in Sydney from 1-30 September. Inspired by consumerism, these multimedia works are hairstyles featuring beauty, food, fashion and homewares. You'll find part of the display on the escalators into the centre and then head up to level 2 to see these incredible creations.
A true hair artist, Shaun takes inspiration from nature and architecture for his works and has a particular interest in repurposing materials. Working with hair and all manner of materials, the craft of hairdressing and wig-making is an art with no boundaries for Shaun.
"A good wig like "hair" needs to serve its application. People wear wigs for many reasons and a lot are created just to blend in, to hide – others are made to make a statement or become someone different. I create wigs that provoke a reaction, it's simply art for arts sake and that's the application for my work."
Shaun's avant garde style takes many forms but the wigs created for this exhibition are full of humour, beauty and fun.
Follow Shaun on Instagram for incredible hair inspiration and if you're in Sydney, make sure you check out his exhibition at Broadway this month.
The post The most amazing wigs I've ever seen appeared first on Hair Romance.
from Hair Romance http://ift.tt/2xC10As
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
I’m off to Beauty School + a new hairstyle tutorial!
Hair Romance x Priceline Collaboration
Try this chic and simple romantic bun for curly hair – it’s easier than you think!
I created this easy hairstyle for Priceline’s Beauty School and I’m thrilled to be a Priceline Beauty School Expert. I can’t believe they’re calling me an expert, and I’m honoured to be in some pretty amazing company. As part of our collaboration, I’ll be appearing at Pacific Fair Shopping Centre and Westfield Carousel to do some live hair demos too!
But back to the hair…
This hairstyle tutorial is perfect for beginners and you can really customise it to suit your hair. I’ve styled my hair curly but you can try this in straight or wavy hair too.
I’ve created a quick video for this romantic bun or check out the step-by-step below.
Quick romantic bun hairstyle tutorial for curly hair
Click here if you can’t see the video above
Here’s the list of products I used for this style and you can find them all at Priceline:
Like to see a step-by-step? Here’s how to get the look.
Quick romantic bun hairstyle for curly hair – picture tutorial
Step-by-step
- Style your natural curls using a curl spray or curl your hair with a curling wand first. Try Models Prefer Curl Spray with Argan Oil to enhance your natural curls and then dry your hair with a diffuser. If you have straight hair, I recommend the Models Prefer Professional Curler to add in some waves and curls before you start this style.
- Create a part at the sides of your hair with a tail comb to leave a section out around your face. We’ll add these sections in later. Gather the rest of your hair into a low side ponytail and secure it with a hair elastic.
- Taking small sections of hair from your ponytail, twist them around your finger to create a loop. Pin the loop in place with bobby pins. Continue pinning sections around your ponytail to cover your elastic and to create the bun.
- Finish the style by twisting back the side sections and wrapping them around the bun. If you need some extra hold, a spritz of hairspray keeps everything in place and shine spray helps to define the style. You can leave some soft curls loose around your face for that romantic look.
Head over to Priceline’s Beauty School to learn all the best beauty tips and tricks and find out more about events near you!
The post I’m off to Beauty School + a new hairstyle tutorial! appeared first on Hair Romance.
from Hair Romance http://ift.tt/2grB7iB
I’m off to Beauty School + a new hairstyle tutorial!
Hair Romance x Priceline Collaboration
Try this chic and simple romantic bun for curly hair – it's easier than you think!
I created this easy hairstyle for Priceline's Beauty School and I'm thrilled to be a Priceline Beauty School Expert. I can't believe they're calling me an expert, and I'm honoured to be in some pretty amazing company. As part of our collaboration, I'll be appearing at Pacific Fair Shopping Centre and Westfield Carousel to do some live hair demos too!
But back to the hair…
This hairstyle tutorial is perfect for beginners and you can really customise it to suit your hair. I've styled my hair curly but you can try this in straight or wavy hair too.
I've created a quick video for this romantic bun or check out the step-by-step below.
Quick romantic bun hairstyle tutorial for curly hair
Click here if you can't see the video above
Here's the list of products I used for this style and you can find them all at Priceline:
Like to see a step-by-step? Here's how to get the look.
Quick romantic bun hairstyle for curly hair – picture tutorial
Step-by-step
- Style your natural curls using a curl spray or curl your hair with a curling wand first. Try Models Prefer Curl Spray with Argan Oil to enhance your natural curls and then dry your hair with a diffuser. If you have straight hair, I recommend the Models Prefer Professional Curler to add in some waves and curls before you start this style.
- Create a part at the sides of your hair with a tail comb to leave a section out around your face. We'll add these sections in later. Gather the rest of your hair into a low side ponytail and secure it with a hair elastic.
- Taking small sections of hair from your ponytail, twist them around your finger to create a loop. Pin the loop in place with bobby pins. Continue pinning sections around your ponytail to cover your elastic and to create the bun.
- Finish the style by twisting back the side sections and wrapping them around the bun. If you need some extra hold, a spritz of hairspray keeps everything in place and shine spray helps to define the style. You can leave some soft curls loose around your face for that romantic look.
Head over to Priceline's Beauty School to learn all the best beauty tips and tricks and find out more about events near you!
The post I'm off to Beauty School + a new hairstyle tutorial! appeared first on Hair Romance.
from Hair Romance http://ift.tt/2grB7iB
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
How to Change a Flat Tire with a Leave No Trace Trowel
Have you ever tried to use the cheap jack that comes with your car to change a flat tire? If it won't raise you car high enough to get your tire off, try digging a hole under it with your LNT trowel.
We were 3 miles from the US/Canada border on a backcountry gravel road in northern New Hampshire and about 10 miles from the nearest paved road when my buddy Ken got a flat. We didn't have any cell phone service and the only way we were going to get out of there was to put Ken's spare tire on. But first we had to get the flat tire off the car.
Ken got out the jack that came with his car and started cranking it up to lift the car, but the jack wouldn't go high enough. Then Ken had the brilliant idea of digging a hole under the tire to get the required amount of clearance. It worked and his orange trowel saved the day.
Ken is a mountaineering guide with Redline Guiding in North Conway, NH and we've had many adventures together over the years. This latest bikepacking trip to Northern New Hampshire reminded us of how uncertain off-the-grid travel can be when the maps you have are out of date and lack important detail, you're off the cell phone grid, and your car breaks down far from help.
from Section Hikers Backpacking Blog http://ift.tt/2vrdIol
Just Do It.
A couple years ago I was sitting around with my friend Jamie. I knew that the time was coming to make a change to Location 180.
The blog was getting stale.
It wasn't responsive, and it wasn't a very good representation of what the site and this business had become.
Jamie is not only a very good friend, but he's one of the most creative guys I know.
We've run an unsuccessful business together, slept on a beach in the French Riviera, but now we mostly hang out and drink beer.
During one of these beer drinking sessions we began a conversation that we've all been through so many times:
What If….
Wouldn't it be cool….
One day I'd love to…
And we came up with some truly amazing ideas.
Jamie had just transitioned from working for one of the biggest ad agencies in the world to opening up his own shop in Bend, Oregon.
Like me, he was all about the lifestyle business and wanted to be able to what he wanted, when he wanted.
While this conversation was going on, I began to realize what a fortunate position I'm in.
I literally can do whatever I want, whenever I want.
But in some ways, it was a bit of a sad realization.
I have the freedom to do ANYTHING, yet it was during a period of time where I wasn't taking advantage of it.
I was going through the motions and the routines of life – and for the previous few weeks really hadn't done anything that I'd characterize as memorable, interesting, or meaningful.
So during this conversation, as we began to talk about ideas for Location Rebel that would be fun, unique and different, we stumbled across one that sounded truly epic.
"What if we filmed you behind a desk talking about Location Rebel is, but without acknowledging it at all – the desk kept moving to different locations all across the world?
Then at the end, we blow up the desk!"
My response?
"Man, that would be awesome."
Notice the tense. Would be. Not will be.
And it was in that moment I realized something needed to change.
Again, I have all the flexibility in the world – and at the time, Jamie did as well.
The more we talked about the idea, but more excited we became.
The more inevitable it became that we were going to do this.
And eventually, the conversation went from "would be" to "screw it, why not?!"
And thus the desk was born.
We recruited my dad who has been in video production his whole life, and we became the renegade trio of film makers, that was stupid enough to carry a desk to over a dozen locations across Oregon.
The final result?
Probably my favorite thing I've ever created. As well as the foundation for everything Location Rebel has evolved into.
So, where's the point in this history of The Desk?
I promise it's in here somewhere.
The point is that language and mindset can be a powerful thing.
The would be's and some days are dangerous.
In fact, most people let them take over their life.
They don't take chances, but even more important than that, they simply don't do anything.
You have a lot more control right now than you think.
Even if you're in a day job, you still have the freedom to say "Yes, this is cool and I'm going to do it. Or "no, I'm going to continue to sit on the couch today."
And that decision that you make on a daily basis, will form the basis for everything you do from here on out.
In the end, there's one very important lesson that I've learned in life. (Actually, here are 32 of them).
What is it?
Quite simply, the person who has the most stories, in the end, wins.
You can't take stuff to the grave, but experiences, memories, and stories can be shared for a life time.
We still talk about the time we somehow carried a desk into the forest, shimmied it up to the top of a waterfall, and almost fell over the edge in the process.
Or the time we tried to blow up a desk, and almost failed miserably.
Had we not said, "Hey wait a minute, there is literally nothing stopping us from doing this" and pressed forward, we would never have had these great stories to tell.
And the Location Rebel brand?
Well, who know's where it'd be.
Walk the Talk
That was two years ago that we did that – and since then, I've done a lot of stuff. But not necessarily as much as I'd have liked.
I'm a firm believer of the idea that the more you talk about or joke about doing something, the more likely it is to actually happen.
Like the time my wife and I kept joking we should fly to Vietnam to get custom suits made for my groomsmen because it'd be cheaper than renting tuxes.
Well, two years of jokes later:
The latest example of this?
My wife just hit ten years at her job at Nike and gets a 6 week paid sabbatical. So we're tacking a few extra weeks onto it and setting out to do a bunch of the things that in the past were just the "wouldn't it be cool ifs…".
- Living like a local in New York City.
- Oktoberfest in Munich.
- Hiking in the Dolomites
- Driving a Porsche on the Autobahn.
- A day at a panda reserve in China (I'll let you guess whose that one is.)
I know I haven't been the most regular of posters this year.
But over the next couple months, expect a little more encouragement to do more regardless of your current situation.
This doesn't mean flying across the world. It could simply be starting that blog you've always said you were going to do. Making an interesting recipe from another culture. Or visiting something in your home town you've never seen more.
So in the words of the brand that has become the impetus for this trip:
Just do it.
The post Just Do It. appeared first on Location Rebel.
from Location Rebel http://ift.tt/2voL4E0
Monday, August 28, 2017
Diamondback Haanjo Trail Gravel Bike Review
The Diamondback Haanjo Trail is a 22-speed aluminum bike designed for riding on unpaved gravel and packed dirt roads. It's a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike with low pressure knobby tires for traction, hydraulic brakes, and drop handlebars. I got the Haanjo Trail for bikepacking in the backcountry areas of Northern New Hampshire which are crisscrossed by unpaved logging company roads, ATV, and snowmobile trails. There aren't many hiking trails in the "North Country" but there is a lot of "wild". What better way to explore it than by bike?
There are a wide range of bikes that can be used for gravel riding and bikepacking, from mountain bikes to modified road bike frames, which is how I'd classify the Haanjo Trail. Each type of bike, make, model, and component configuration is going to have its pluses and minuses, with implications that you won't be able to anticipate before you spend some time riding them on gravel and packing all of your camping gear/food and water for bikepacking off the grid. In the review that follows, I'll explain the pluses and minus of the Haanjo Trail from a gravel biking and bikepacking perspective and the implications for use that the bike's build entails.
Specs at a glance
- Frame: Relaxed Head Tube Angle, Fully Butted 6061-T6 Alloy, Formed Top Tube, Tapered Headtube, Flat Mount Disc , 142x12mm Thru-axle w/ Replaceable Hanger
- Weight 21.8 pounds
- Fork: Full Monocoque Carbon Fork
- Front Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra FD-6800, 31.8 Band Clamp
- Rear Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra RD-6800, 11 Speed
- Shifter: Shimano ST-RS685 Dual Control, 2×11 Speed
- Cogset: Shimano 105 CS-5800, 11 Speed, 11-32T
- Brakes: Shimano BR-RS805 Hydraulic Flat Mount Disc, w/ 160mm Front / 140mm Rear Rotors
- Brake Levers: Shimano ST-RS685
- Tires: Kenda Flintridge Pro, 120TPI, 700x40c
- Rims: HED Tomcat Disc, 24h, 21mm Internal Width, Tubeless Ready
- Pedals: DB Laser Alloy Platform
- Click for complete specs
Frame and Carbon Fork
The Haanjo Trail is a lightweight aluminum bike (21.8 pounds) with a stiff frame, allowing a good transfer of power to forward momentum. But the properties that make aluminum frames stiff also propagate road vibrations to the rider, especially on pitted gravel roads covered with stones ranging from fist-sized chunks of rock to small pebbles and stone dust. While carbon frames are known to dampen road vibration, they're also quite expensive. As a compromise, the Haanjo Trail has a carbon fork which helps reduce the transfer of vibration up into the arms and torso.
The Haanjo Trail also has a taller head tube than a traditional road bike so you can comfortably sit upright when riding on unpaved gravel roads. I mostly ride with my hands on the brake hoods or handlebar tops when riding on gravel and the combination of the carbon fork and the relaxed angle results in very little arm or shoulder fatigue.
In addition to the carbon fork, the Haanjo Trail sports front and rear 12 mm quick-release thru-axles. Thru-axles are better than traditional quick release axles because wheels can't pop out of them and they don't break in rough conditions, something that can occur on mountain bikes. They also improve steering, handling, and disc brake efficiency by pinning the sides of the front carbon fork together. However, thru-axles don't work with bicycle roof racks that require a quick release mechanism to lock the front fork of a bike to the rack. Hopefully the rack manufacturers will address this problem as front thru-axles become more popular.
Drop Bars
Drop bars can be a blessing or a curse depending on your personal preferences. I happen to like them because I find it easier to move my hands into different positions while riding to eliminate hand numbness and prevent chronic rotator cuff overuse issues. They're also nice to have if you decide you want to swap in a different set of wheels to use the Haanjo Trail as a road bike on pavement, one of the benefits of getting this bike.
The drop bars on the Haanjo Trail are best described as neutral and not too deep, keeping with the bike's upright posture bias. They also don't have very little added flair in the handles and are well padded, which helps further reduce road vibration into the arms and shoulders.
However, drops bars can limit the volume of a handlebar bag when bikepacking since the bag has to fit between the drops vs a flat bar, where the handlebar bag can run its entire length. For example, if you want to hang a bikepacking handlebar bag on the Haanjo Trail, your best bet is to try a Salsa EXP Anything Cradle with a short third-party stuff sack and not the Salsa EXP Anything Cradle with Dry Bag because the latter won't fit between the drops.
Shimano Components
The Haanjo Trail comes with a very nice set of race-ready components including hydraulic disc brakes, Ultegra derailleurs, an 11-speed cassette, and dual control shifters.
- Disc brakes are the norm on gravel bikes for their stopping power. While hydraulic disc brakes are newer, they're considered better than mechanical ones because they require less maintenance and less force to engage. This means you can control them easily with just a finger or two, even when your hands are on the brake hoods.
- Shimano's Ultegra 6800 front and rear derailleurs provide silky smooth shifting performance and are longer lasting and slightly lighter weight than the derailleurs in Shimano's Deore product line. They're all excellent products, but the Ultegra components are more expensive and incorporate Shimano's more recent technical advances while the Deore line is usually one generation behind Ultegra's product improvements.
- The Haanjo Trail has dual control shifters that combine the gear shifting and braking functions into a single control unit so you can shift gears up or down without having to remove your hand from the hoods or brake levers. Pulling straight back on the right outer control arm engages the brakes, pushing the inner lever sideways increases the gear, and pushing the outer lever sideways decreases it. Performing the same actions on the left hand changes the chain rings. The dual shift controls are great, but they further limit the width of a bikepacking handlebar bag because you need to accommodate their sideways range of motion, making panniers a potentially better storage option if you have to carry a lot of gear, extra water, and food.
Tires
The Haanjo Trail comes with a pair of lower pressure (30-50 psi) Kenda Flintridge Pro (700x40c) tires. These tires have a hard and fast rolling center tread good for pavement, transitioning to a softer, tackier rubber for grip, and then shoulder knobs for traction on loose rock and mud. When buying a gravel bike, it's important to realize that you'll be riding on pavement at least 50% of the time and these tires do a good job on both gravel and asphalt.
The lower pressure tires noticeable help absorb shock and vibration like a mountain or fat tire bike, but you'll want to fully inflate them to 50 psi when carrying heavier bikepacking gear.
Recommendation
The Diamondback Haanjo Trail is an excellent beginner gravel bike, one that may well be more sophisticated and advanced than you feel you have a right to own, but that's easy to grow into if you're just getting back into biking after a hiatus or want to rapidly leapfrog into the sport. It's also a dual purpose bike, that you can turn into a road bike by putting a different tire on your rims by buying a second rims/wheel set to swap in when you want to ride on pavement. Featuring excellent Shimano components, the Haanjo Trail is tricked out for performance including Ultegra derailleurs, dual control shifters and hydraulic disc brakes with a comfortable frame geometry that won't exhaust you on long gravel rides. I love flying down gravels roads with this bike, which is lightweight and easy to load with different types of bikepacking bags and accessories. Highly recommended!
Likes:
- Lightweight aluminum 6061-T6 alloy is strong and stiff
- Ultralight carbon fork and thru-axle dampen road vibration
- Shimano hydraulic brakes provide excellent braking power
- Shimano Ultegra front and rear derailleurs are smooth shifting, long-lasting, and lightweight
- Shimano dual control shifters let you shift and brake without removing hands from the handlebar or hoods
- Fully front and rear pannier ready
Dislikes:
- Drop bars limit with of handlebar bags and gear storage
- Top tube length feels a bit short; size up if between sizes
- Front thru-axle is not compatible with roof racks that require quick release wheels
Disclosure: Diamondback provided the author with this product for review.
Support SectionHiker.com. If you make a purchase after clicking on the links above, a portion of the sale helps support this site at no additional cost to you. |
from Section Hikers Backpacking Blog http://ift.tt/2vzsjKe