CCM Foot Pump

The CCM foot pump is a rather cheap model. The biggest problem it has is its cheap construction the frame of it isn't sturdy enough to withstand pumping on uneven or slanted ground so when you do pump on the terrain the pump has a habit of bending rather then pumping. This leads to some serious problems of course if you want use this  pump while camping or generally outdoors.
Also we found that the connection between the connector and the hose was so shoddy that it actually started leaking after a few uses at 30-40PSI.
This leak wasn't minor flow of air while pumping but rather it was actually draining the air from items we were trying to inflate. That incident finally concluded that the pump was completely useless and we stopped bothering with it.
We did check the new version in stores and found that the overall design was the same but they seem to have swapped the connector out so that may mean the resolved the leak problem. However the bending and lack of stability should still be there as the pump itself did not change.

The leak occurred under the metal crimp of hose to connector.

Some Albums

Here are some Picasa Albums with pictures taken on and around Vancouver Island.

These are a little dated but we are currently working on a couple new routes and some reviews and wanted to give everyone a few how nice it is here.

I hope you enjoy them.
Mackenzie Bite Dive
2010 Fleet Review
Friendly Cove (Pacific Side)
Prince Rupert
Morning Pictures

Twitter RSS Feed

We have added a Twitter RSS Feed to this blog to allow easy following of the blog.

UV Protection

While we are out and about we have to always remember to maintain sun protection. Now while driving or riding this can mainly takes the form of sun glasses.
And especially while moving quickly the value of good sun glasses is not to be underestimated. Good sunglasses have anti-glare coatings that let you see past the reflection of light on water or other surfaces.
This of course has two benefits while on the road instead of being blinded you are also able to read or see past the surface that would normally blind you.
Also higher end sun glasses are more reliable as to the UV protection rating which can easily be skewed and has often be cast in doubt by consumer protection groups.
Remember sunglasses are not protecting your eyes with shade but with a specific coating that is made to reduce the harmful UV rays that damage our eyes. In eyes the UV rays cause cataracts which can in their most severe form cause blindness. So wearing sunglasses when in high brightness settings such as skiing, sailing, or any outdoor summer activity should prompt you to wear sunglasses.
Now the cheap sunglasses will reduce UV rays as well but they wont do so as reliably as the more expensive ones. As always in those cases you do get what you pay for. So if you are unwilling to buy the better sunglasses you will get less protection but it is still better then no protection at all.
Beware of scratches though, there is very little in terms of wear and tear information on sunglasses however they are made UV shielding by a anti-UV coating so if they get scratched I would suspect that the UV protection has to eventually suffer from that.

We use Ray Bands and Maui Jims both make excellent sunglasses and there are many other good companies out there. But if there is one thing not cheap out on its health. After all you only got one body.

 

Don't forget to wear your SPF 30 or higher when the UV rating is above 6 as well as your sunglasses.

Please follow the UVI advisement which was established by the WHO.

All weather services do report your local UV rating which you should use as guide. 

Pocket Tire Plug, Tubeless Tire Repair Kit

We also carry the Pocket Tire Plug to patch Tubeless tires on the road. These tire plugs come with a few tools and will allow you to limp to the next bike shop for a new tire.

They are easily stowed with a mini-foot pump or other small tire inflation equipment under your bikes seat and wont get in your way that way.

We extremely enjoy this set overall, however it does not come with anything to cut the excess length of the plug off once inserted.
For that you will need to carry a knife or a side cutter that can trim back the plug. If you want to make it especially smooth before taking of again a little piece of sandpaper to even off the stump would come in handy. But don't do that until you have inflated the tire enough to hold the plug in place.

What we like about this is that it gives us the confidence that we can patch a tubeless tire on the road and get to the next shop for a new tire instead of having to call a tow which may take a while depending on where you are on the road.

The Plastic baggy contain the plugs.

Here you see it with the pouch for the tools and plugs.

Canon Rebel T1i

We use two cameras right now the Canon Rebel T1i which is a great DLR. We use this camera primarily for pictures where space is not an issue. So when we travel with bikes only we do not take it with us as it is on the bulky side with spare lens, charger, etc.
We have two lenses with this camera right now and none of them have dissappointed us yet one is of course the one the camera comes with and the other one is a Canon Zoom Lens 70-300mm 1:4-5.6.




However when you want a versatile camera for great pictures and you are taking a car or have no problem with space for what ever reason this camera is perfect.

It does not have the learning curve of most higher end cameras while letting you choose how much control you want to take over each picture. This camera can by doing that consistantly provide great high quality pictures that you will want to show to your friends.
As far as weight is concerned the camera can comfortably be handled with one hand and does not by any means feel heavy. It is also fairly compact which makes it convenient to use. 


We enjoy both this camera quick and easy handling as well as the accurate and good quality shots that it achieves. We use Kingston Memory cards of 16GB and 4GB seizes. The 16GB will hold 2274 Pictures on average. The Pictures do of course vary in seize depending on the amount of data to be captured.
We also use a very useful Carry Bag for it from Black's photography.

French Beach Park

This Park is also along the Port Renfrew trip however here is what makes this park stand out. The parking lot is nicely paved and there are plenty of toilets with paved paths. As well as several benches and a little child playground. As well as being a very nice beach. The parking lot is not only paved and but also very close to the beach making it a very convenient lunch spot since even if you are tired you can simply plop on a bench or drift wood and have a nice lunch with a good view.

Langford to Port Renfrew Trip

Here is the map with the location.

Größere Kartenansicht

Here are the pictures of the park.

 

China Beach Provincial Park

The China Beach Provincial Park is on the coast of Vancouver Island on the way to Port Renfrew. This park has a bit of a hike but is definitely worth it not only because of the forest in the park but also due to the beauty of the beach this park fairly popular and of course has toilets. The parking lots are however gravel which you would like to pay attention to. This park is also attended by the park watchers which have some water bottles and watch the vehicles in the lot to prevent theft. They are not always there though.
This park can also be found along the Langford to Port Renfrew Trip.
Victoria to Port Renfrew

Here is a map of the location of the park and some pictures to follow.

Größere Kartenansicht

I did not take any pictures of the beach itself however these are the pictures of the trail which also gives an overview of the beach.

Cathedral Grove

Cathedral Grove is in MacMillan Provincial Park. This Park is notable because it has some of the oldest growth forest in BC left today. The trees can be hundreds of years old here and are breath taking.
The immensity of these trees can hardly be described with words. Which is why I have some pictures in this article to show how impressive these trees are. Now these pictures were taken during early spring so it is warmer there now then it is in the pictures.
Here is a map as to where the park can be found. It can be reached within half an hour from Qualicum Beach so it can be a quick little trip if you do not wish to go all the way to Tofino but want to something that immensely impressive.

Größere Kartenansicht

The park is also outlined in the article on the for the Trip route from Qualicum Beach to Tofino. Which includes a few pictures from the Beach you could see if you went there.

Qualicum Beach to Tofino

Here are the promised pictures from this park, they give you an idea but don't do justice to these immense and impressive trees.