Product Review: Away Carry-on Luggage

With lots of travel scheduled for this year, I thought it was time to finally invest in a properly sized carry-on bag to avoid the challenges of dealing with checked baggage when flying. The size of the allowed carry-on continues to shrink every few years and the cost of a decent piece of luggage is far more than I honestly care to spend every few years replacing a bag so I dug around the web in search of something that I felt would serve as more than just a bag to carry clothes so that the expenditure would be worth the cost. There are lots of very expensive options with all manners of different features and functionality. Some came with GPS tracking and apps that performed all manners of nearly useless functions while others lacked anything unique at all, making it difficult to justify their high price. It took a lot of searching, but I finally stumbled upon Away, a small company that produces a Goldilocks carry-on bag that was just right for my needs.

Overseas Adventures: Peña de Bernal

The last few months have been crazy. Work and home life have made finding time to write nearly impossible and with all the other commitments, the insanity of constant go-go-go has left my wife and I a bit exhausted. So we have been looking forward to this trip to Mexico to attend a friend's wedding for some time. Our initial research seemed to turn up little about the destination beyond the fact that it was just short of three hours drive north of Mexico City at the foot of one of the largest monoliths in the world. With few preconceptions in mind, we boarded our flight to Benito Juarez Airport.

Editorial: Expanding too quickly will damage Uber's brand

Oh where do I begin...

Lately, I have had a number of work trips and getting to the airport at the crack of dawn usually means I need to call an Uber since taxis are far less convenient in the LA area. Up until my most recent trip, I have always had pleasant experiences with my Ubers. The cars have been generally pretty clean, the drivers have always been courteous, and they are usually relatively safe drivers. However, this most recent experience shows what uncontrolled rapid growth can do for quality as it highlighted for me what I had heard about as complaints from others, but never experienced myself.

Upon arrival, the driver struggled to open the trunk of the vehicle they were driving because they could not reach the release lever. Then, they had to be prompted to slide the passenger seat up so that I would actually have enough room to get into the car. The back seat had visible crumbs and the entire vehicle reeked of body odor.

We get on the road and the driver spent the entire drive constantly looking down at his phone, which was kept on the passenger seat instead of mounted up on the dashboard within view. To make things worse, he kept having to pick it up in order to read the screen. Despite this, he still somehow managed to miss the directions guiding him to the appropriate freeway and as a result, took an unnecessary detour that drove up my final cost.

Overseas Adventures: Car Culture in Other Countries - Singapore

As a bit of a car nerd, I have always been interested in car culture in other countries. Unfortunately, my day job prevents me from having much opportunity to travel. The large majority of my exposure to the car culture in other countries has been exclusively through media: whether it is movies, television, or online videos. Singapore is one of those countries that I have always been interested in learning more about, especially when it comes to cars. The things I hear about the types of cars you see on the streets, and about the owners has always had me somewhat curious about what makes car culture in this Pacific Rim city-state so different from the rest of the world. Luckily for me, my best friend's 30th birthday ended up bringing me to Singapore, and I would be able to get a first hand look at the types of cars, the traffic, and the people behind the wheel.

Product Review: Thule Raceway 9003 Platform Bike Rack

As a cyclist, one of my biggest conundrums has always been figuring out the right way to carry my bikes when I want to travel with them. Last year, when we traveled to Vermont and Cape Cod, there were so many amazing places that my wife and I could have gone riding, but we did not because we did not have a suitable rack and renting bikes when we got there would have been challenging since we were always staying in somewhat out of the way places. When it came time to make our cross-country trip, I resolved to make sure that we could bring along our two blue vintage bikes so that we could use them as a means of exploring the cities along our route. Given the distance to be traveled, I wanted to pick something that was going to be able to hold two bikes we great stability while still being portable enough to remove quickly if needed so that the trunk could be accessed. A means of locking was also important because both bikes carry a great deal of sentimental value.

After extensive research, I decided to go with the Thule Raceway 9003 Platform. This trunk mounted rack had the added benefit of platforms for the bikes' wheels to rest on and the general consensus seemed to indicate that platforms were desirable if one was going to be traveling long distances. The Thule seemed to meet all of the requirements I had set and, aside from being a bit hefty, would likely work well during our long journey.

Editorial: Exploring a new city by bike is just awesome

I really did not realize it until this weekend, but many of my best childhood memories of family trips ultimately involved cycling and bodies of water. Whether it was riding along the perimeter of Lake Tahoe as a family on rented bikes or along the sandy beaches of Santa Barbara in a pedal-powered Double Surrey, some form of human power along the wet stuff manages to ingrain itself deeply into my memory. Most recently, I spent a weekend with my wife and some friends, exploring the Canadian city of Montreal by Bixi, their local bike share system.

A city like Montreal, which is extremely cycling friendly (with over 300 miles of bike paths, including numerous dedicated cycle tracks and designated bike lanes, as well as about 5,000 bike share bikes available), is the perfect place to explore on two-wheels. Due to the proliferation of bike lanes, it was possible to crisscross the city fairly quickly and see a huge variety of sites in the limited amount of time we had. When we got to a place we wanted to explore in greater depth, there were bike share stations for us to park the bikes in and continue by foot. Even on the heavy Bixi bikes, the relatively limited elevation changes were manageable and the mild weather helped make the experience an extraordinarily pleasant one. And at CAD $15 for 72-hours and the ability to get anywhere in the city without worrying about parking, it was an inexpensive (if not quite totally hassle-free) option.

From the weekend in Montreal, I feel like there were two important takeaways for me:

1. Cities that want to improve tourism should invest increasingly more in cycling infrastructure and a bike share program.

2. Cycling is an excellent alternative to other public transit options, such as taxis or even light rail because if offers greater flexibility.

As a tourist, having the option and flexibility to get around a new town on two-wheels encourages me to explore a city more and allows me to spend more time checking out local merchants and restaurants. Plus, given how inexpensive it is as an option, it allows me to have a little more money to spend while I am in town. And the ability to come and go as I please and not be constrained by schedules or bumper-to-bumper traffic is a highly liberating sensation. With a big cross-country, multi-city trip coming up soon, I am looking forward to seeing many Mid-west cities by bike, albeit on my own bike this time.

Road Trip: Snow Mountain Vermont

To say it was hot on this Friday was an understatement. I suspect the surface of the sun might have been a more pleasant place to be. Less humid. Sweat poured down my neck as I loaded the last of our luggage in the car for our weekend away from the city, and hopefully from the heat. Pulling the TSX out of the driveway, A/C running at full tilt, the outside air temperature read at a touch over 100 degrees, though the humidity drove the heat index to well over 110. Still, my wife and I pressed on, spurred by the promise of cool mountain breezes and a relaxing weekend in a state I had yet to visit in my travels.

Massachusetts flashed by quickly, every mile away from Boston bringing with it cooler temperatures and milder conditions. The greenery was extremely lush thanks to the endless rains we had experienced all summer and the shade along the road was a welcome reprieve. As we passed through Western Mass and swung up towards the Snow Mountain area in Vermont, the roads became increasingly windy and shaded. As we entered Vermont for the first time, we passed through a number of sleepy little towns, populated with quaint covered bridges and artist colonies. In fact, many of the artists were participating in an open house over the weekend as we saw many signs indicating as much.

Consumer Advice: Which car sharing service is right for you?

Can you believe this MB is available through car sharing?

As we discussed in our latest editorial about shifting American attitudes towards driving, car sharing service are becoming increasingly popular among those who live in urban areas, especially those in the younger generations who either do not want the hassle of owning a car in the city or have made the conscious decision to utilize alternative methods of transportation for most of their day-to-day needs. The result has been a renaissance of late with car sharing services popping up all over the country, and even the world, taking on a variety of different implementations of the same concept. Some rely on a fleet of company owned vehicles while others rely on the members to be willing to share their personal vehicles. Some provide a great deal of variety and allow members to find a vehicle to fit their needs while others have no variety whatsoever and give you only a single option to pick from. All have mobile apps to allow you to locate cars in your area and make or change reservations on the go.

With all of these potential choices, let's take a moment to dive in and take a look at the various car sharing options and what the perfect match member would look like to each of these services.

Road Trip: Ski Trip to Sugarloaf

The morning broke with the sun shining brightly in the sky, its rays gleaming off the slicks of ice that were all that remained from the snow earlier in the week. We had already packed our gear and I just needed to deal with a few work related things before we could head out. Weather was looking like it would be cooperative for the drive, but ski report conditions were not looking promising, despite the hefty bit of snow earlier in the week. Just before noon, we picked up a few supplies and stopped to pick up a friend who would be joining us for this annual tradition. The trunk of the TSX packed to the brim with our gear, food, and booze, we headed out on the road.

Traffic heading away from the Boston area was light and we made excellent time all through New Hampshire, stopping only briefly so that the TSX could quench its thirst for premium. The further north we went, the more intense the wind chill. Despite the air temperature maintaining in the mid-30s, it felt more like the low teens. Along the way, the size of the snow piles along the side of the road got bigger and by the time I pulled the TSX off of the highway to begin our trek up into the mountains, some piles were as high as the car's windows.

Road Trip: 200 miles in Southern California with a GSX-R 750

The Gixxers extremely functional dash

On New Year's Eve and New Years Day, I had the pleasure of riding all over LA county on a 2008 Suzuki GSX-R 750. Being in Southern California meant that the weather was pleasant, if a tad on the cool side, and sunny. The bike, came courtesy of Dan at Racy Rentals, one of the last remaining places in the LA area where a visiting rider can rent a sporting motorcycle to enjoy the fantastic mountain and coastal passes that are scattered all throughout Southern California. Located on the north side of LA, close to Hollywood, Racy Rentals has a great selection of sport bikes available for rent, including a beautiful white Ducati 848.

I opted for the mid-size GSX-R because I had read that is struck a good balance between the willing chassis dynamics of a 600cc and the power of a full-on liter bike. And since I would have limited time, I wanted to ride a bike that I could get comfortable with quickly, still enjoy the power and handling of, but maintain a somewhat more relaxed pace, allowing me to enjoy the ride through some of the areas best roads for motorcyclists.

GSX-R 750 with my brother's S2000 in the background

After picking up the sleek jet-black Gixxer, my brother, driving his S2000, and I hopped on the freeway to blast out to Glendora Mountain Road. GMR, located in the mountains just north of the city of Glendora, was an old haunt of mine, having been one of my favorite driving roads when I still lived close enough to visit it regularly. A twisting, winding, mountain path that provides tons of switchbacks, sweeping corners, on and off camber corners, and nearly 35 miles of unadulterated fun, it is easily one of the most challenging but most entertaining roads to hit on a good handling bike. Plus, it's somewhat isolated location makes it one of the lesser known and thus lesser traveled roads, leaving the asphalt to stay silky smooth allowing one to comfortably explore the limits of the vehicle that they have brought.

The view from GMR

The Gixxer, feeling nimble and capable, tackled the corners with aplomb despite the regular appearance of hazardous gravel, rocks, and dust on many of the corners. As we climbed up into the mountains, the temperature dropped about 10 degrees and the chill started to counteract the warm California sun. Taking a break at the point where GMR meets Glendora Ridge Road, which leads to Mt. Baldy village, I came across another rider who had stopped to meditate over the amazing scenery. It was quite the pristine moment standing at the top of the ridge looking over the side, breathing in the chilly mountain air.

Hopping back on the bike, I proceeded down the back side of the mountain and took San Gabriel Canyon road, putting on a fair amount more speed, and cruising back down to Glendora where I stopped to defrost before riding into the setting sun to head home for the night before it got too cold for my mesh jacket.

View down the road on the PV Peninsula

The next day, I woke up early and headed out to the Palos Verdes Peninsula where I took the beautifully scenic Palos Verdes Drive East, passing several fellow riders on the way up. Stopping just past Marymount College to enjoy the view, I proceeded down a series of switchbacks to Palos Verdes Drive South and picked up the pace a bit after passing the slightly dangerous Portuguese Bend area with its unpredictable dips.

Relishing my last moments with the bike, I cruised back up to LA to meet Dan and return the bike, having enjoyed a fantastic 24 hours of riding. The Gixxer was surprisingly easy to ride over 100 miles in a single day and I reckon that I could have easily done another 100 or more. Sure it was not the most comfortable for long rides and I applaud those riders who regularly sport-tour on these supersport bikes, but to enjoy it for a day, it was the most fun I have had since I drove the Corvette through Santa Barbara wine country.

Thanks again to Dan at Racy Rentals. Looking forward to doing that again the next time I am in LA.