Rolf Devinci

....to get back on the Giant road bike for the first time since the Fall of 2014. I still love this bike....made even better by Steve's WMD wheels. Still rock solid and yet to be trued. This season should test them further as the hard winter has wreaked havoc on the roadways and I'm currently heavier at 225 lbs. Until the maintenance crews can work their magic most rides will contain a little bit of the Roubaix. Got to admit I was a little worried about my fitness but after my backside adjusted to the saddle and I got re-familiar with the twitcher handling of the race bike it felt pretty good. Playing goal in winter ball hockey sure increased my lower body flexibility but I am lacking leg strength. Once the fields dry out I will start sprinting and box jumps to build some lower body power to compliment my cycling.

 I have always been an advocate for lemon(and/or lime) water as part of a hydration regimen but recently decided to start a early morning routine using warm lemon/lime water in lieu of coffee first thing upon waking. The benefits of consuming warm lemon/lime water first thing in the morning..... http://rootandsprouts.com/benefits-of-lemon-water-according-to-science/ There are several health benefit claims but for me its all about hydration. Most of my activities occur in the evenings and I suspect I probably go to bed in a dehydrated state, made worse by the normal dehydration that occurs during sleep. A large warm glass of lemon water first thing in the AM provides an easily absorbed shot of water to help rehydrate, detoxify(cleanse) and kick start the metabolism. "The juice you produce when you mix lemons with hot water becomes a natural medicine....this solution is able to combat multiple health issues including digestive issues, nausea, heartbur...

Despite the surprising amount of snow cover remaining its looks like Spring has sprung. I finally got back on my Norco mtb/commuter for a Sunday morning pedal. Legs felt surprisingly good considering my winter of "no cycling" discontent. Despite an off season weight gain I think I retained some semblance of fitness. The break from commuting may have been a good thing as I have a renewed desire to get back on the bike. Since I work on the farm most Saturdays it means Sundays will be my prime road cycling day and I have stopped playing ball hockey (on Sundays ) to facilitate more riding. I will also end my membership with BPCC- with club rides on Saturday it makes no sense to renew. I will,however, continue to ride with Finbars who hosts a Thursday night club ride and other mid week "beer" rides this season. Hope to start bike commuting soon but will need to pick and choose the days based upon weather conditions. I am required to take my wor...

...of my blogging death have been greatly exaggerated!  I am not languishing in the cyber bone yard but mired in an East coast winter that will not quit. Into April and we still are blanketed with snow....whoever pissed off Mother Nature needs to apologize RIGHT now. A bouquet of Spring flowers might be a pleasant hint of what we require...... Temperatures going up to double digits this weekend so the great melt of 2015 should get well underway shortly. Anxious to get the bikes out on the roadways and trails....c'mon Spring!

With the arrival of winter snows I finally got the opportunity to try out the snowshoes I picked up last Fall. New to the sport I chose a soccer field to get used to the shoes and the gait.   It ended up being surprisingly easy once I got the bindings ratcheted to the proper fit. I actually didn't even need to adjust my stride at all. The benefit of modern shoe design.   Opted to head into the adjacent woods to try out the shoes on undulating wooded terrain. That was fun and the shoes were quite stable traversing through the brush and deeper snow drifts. Climbing was the hardest part and would have been easier had I used the poles.     Had a blast and I am definitely digging the mobility of snowshoes in snow covered woodlands. I love the woods in winter and having snowshoes will definitely make winter hiking far more enjoyable.        

Having completed the basics of the build with the addition of the arm straps and cushioning it meant the project was nearing a conclusion. It was decision time. Do I simply stay with unpainted fabric on the shield or do I add paint? I also needed to consider what heraldry design to add. Heraldry in the 12th century was at its simplistic early stages with basic geometric designs on the field. My surcoat is black and red so that will play a part in my decision. To test the painting option I covered the grey belly of the shield with a black semi gloss.It looks better than the picture attests to but I should have left it a lighter color. With the belly completed I added a date appropriate ordinary- a simple red chevron trimmed with gold. The color choice was primarily based upon my surcoat but the chevron was choice. In heraldry the chevron was associated with a roof, of building something for protection or faithful service. Gold represents generosity , red th...

Looking for a winter project to occupy the evenings I decided to make a heater shield as part of a 12th century knight/man at arms kit I am assembling. The heater shield evolved in the late 12th century from the Norman kite shield.It was smaller but more manageable for cavalry and armored infantry whose limbs were now covered in chain mail and early medieval plate armor. Having researched the dimensions of historical shields I opted for a 3-1 ratio; 21 inches across the top, 7 inches straight down the sides at which point I used a 21 inch ruler to pivot out the sweeping curve to the bottom point. First step was to create a paper version to use as a template to outline the shield on a sheet of 1/2 inch plywood. Update.... Finished cutting out the shield and sanded round the edges Measured and plotted the projected arm cushioning on the back of the shield in preparation to add the arm and hand strapping. After priming the back of the shield I sewed a padded gamb...