Pedals & Saddles

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 153

Simple cheap toe clips

PowerGrips

PowerGrips give most of the benefits of toeclips or clipless/cleat systems on bicycle pedals, without most of the downsides. The concept is simple: an asymmetrical strap of cloth that attaches securely to most bicycle platform pedals. The strap is attached in such a way that it loosens when you rotate your heel away from the bike, and tightens when you “heel-in”. This gives you similar benefits of a clipless/cleat system; greater efficiency in pedalling, because you can pull on the pedals’ upstrokes, rather than just being able to push down. They are just as easy (if not easier) to disengage from. The PowerGrips also have a couple of other benefits which fit well with all but the higher-end performance cyclists:

* Can be used with regular shoes or sandals. Almost no lock-in to a particular type of clip/cleat system.
* (Relatively) cheap, at only $20-$25.
* You can get off the bike and walk around without looking like you’re doing some sort of odd balancing act, or scratching up whatever floor you’re walking on.

Because the PowerGrip strap is directly above the pedal, gravity does tend to flip it upside-down when not in use. Just as with toe-clips I can pedal on the upside-down pedal to get started, then flip it over with my foot when I’m moving and insert my foot into the strap. Since my riding is commuting to/from work, I have a fair amount of stop-go traffic at intersections, and feel less likely to get a foot stuck and fall over sideways when I have to stop. The PowerGrip strap is totally loose enough for me to quickly get my foot out at a stop, and it has the unusual benefit of being as tight as I want it to be (without using my hands), depending on how I adjust the strap, and how far I heel-in to the pedal. So the “float” can be adjusted on the fly, according to my current riding conditions. This takes a little getting used to, but in my opinion, involves a lower learning curve than clipless pedals. — Brian

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Ergonomic bike pedals

Ergon PC2 Bike Pedals

I’ve been using these larger-than-usual ergonomic bike pedals this bike riding season. I’ve always had foot problems from cycling. Almost all bike shoes are too narrow for me and clip-in pedals are small and create pressure points. The Ergon pedals are slightly concave which allows the foot to easily find a position of comfort.

These pedals are extremely comfortable all day long, and I have found that they increase pedaling power. Sure they look geeky, but they are one pragmatic tool. — Curtis Wenzel

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Supremely elegant and efficient bike pedals

Egg Beater Pedals

Bike pedals have been around forever, and one would assume they would have reached their climax state in sophistication and function. Wrong — Egg Beaters beat every other cleated bike pedal out there. They lock your feet in securely, but also afford effortless release. My road bike friends like them too, but they excel on mountain bikes, as the design self-clears mud and dirt, and the mechanical advantage of the design guarantees that a stray bit of dust isn’t going to lock your feet into the pedal.

And they just keep getting better. I bought my first pair — the classic egg beaters– just over two years ago. Then when I purchased my new mountain bike earlier this year, I bought the new Egg Beater Candys — just like the classic, but with tiny platforms wrapped around the egg beater mechanism. This makes it much easier to ride unclipped for short periods than was possible with the old pedals. I haven’t tried the Egg beater Mallets (street shoe ready) yet.

In short, Egg beaters transformed my ride, and I can’t imagine riding a bike that didn’t have them. — Paul Saffo

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Ergonomic handle bar grips

Ergon Cycling Grips

I ride single-track trails on a mountain bike in the heart of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains and during 20 years of riding I was unable to find a handlebar grip that alleviated numbness and pain in my palms — until I tried the Ergon GP1 grip. Ergon grips differ from normal grips in that they have a contoured, rubber-coated platform under the outside portion of your palm. This platform provides support in such a way that pressure on the ulnar nerve is reduced or eliminated entirely. (I learned my hand numbness arose from pressure on the ulnar nerve in my palm while holding the handlebars.)

Installation is simple, requiring the use of a 4mm allen wrench. Fine-tuning the fit involves riding your bike for a few miles and then evaluating any pain or numbness. If necessary, loosen the bolts, slightly rotate the grips up or down, and retighten the bolts — repeat until your pain or numbness disappears. In my case, rotating the rearmost portion of the grip down from horizontal did the trick. I understand people with carpal-tunnel issues typically rotate the grips upwards from horizontal to reduce the flex angle of their wrists.

Ergon grips are mounted on straight handlebars, such as those found on mountain bikes and some touring bikes, but NOT drop bars. They are available in models with or without bar ends and special short models that work with twist shifters, plus slightly smaller and lighter competition models.

Compared with standard rubber slide-on or “lock-on” grips the Ergon grips are more expensive and heavier. However, the price and weight difference for mine (70-100 grams more) pale next to the increased comfort and pleasure while riding. Since installing the grips, I’ve ridden 244 miles of expert mountain trails with a total 26,500′ vertical gain, and experienced no pain and a huge reduction in my chronic numbness — absolutely no numbness in my right hand and only very minor, infrequent numbness in my left. Everyone I have recommended these to has been pleased, including my chiropractor wife. — Graham Ullrich

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Comfy classic bike seats

Brooks Saddles

We have three points of contact while riding a bicycle: pedals, handlebar grips, saddle. As anyone who’s been uncomfortable on a ride knows well, the latter’s by far the most significant in terms of comfort. Saddle choice is as personal as musical preferences; the only way to know if a saddle works for you is to plant your butt on it and take a spin. One general design, however, made by an English company since the late nineteenth century, has proven itself a tried and true favorite.

Brooks leather saddles come in configurations for nearly every type of rider and every mode of riding. Among the choices for leisurely upright cafe bikes is the B67 model, which I use on my utility/errand bike. It’s the most comfortable saddle I’ve ever owned. I’m obsessive about bike fit (bike fit is more important than bike quality), and there isn’t a component I’ve used that makes my bike fit me better than my Brooks saddle. Brooks’ B15 model has been around since 1937, and is best suited to a racer hunched over in the drops. Other options include women’s models, and wider models with bigger springs.

Like baseball gloves, Brooks saddles require a break-in period, though under you instead of your mattress. After a couple of months mine became noticeably more contoured to my contours. It’s felt custom-made ever since. Also like baseball gloves, bike saddles should be chosen for your size and position (on the bike). A wider platform is better suited to an upright riding position/wider body; narrower is better for racing-oriented cyclists/narrower bodies.

Leather saddles don’t tolerate wet weather as well as modern synthetic models. They’re also heavier and more expensive, too expensive for me to have a Brooks on all of my bikes, though I would. — Elon Schoenholz

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Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.

09/1/25

Retro Recomendo: History

Recomendo - issue #477

Our subscriber base has grown so much since we first started nine years ago, that most of you have missed all our earliest recommendations. The best of these are still valid and useful, so we’re trying out something new — Retro Recomendo. Once every 6 weeks, we’ll send out a throwback issue of evergreen recommendations focused on one theme from the past 9 years.

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Chart of world history

For 50 years this chart has been hanging on my wall. The Histomap of History is a 5-foot long diagram that visually displays the relative power of ancient nations over the last 4,000 years in 50-year increments. At one glance, this colorful chart gives you the gist of world history. Since it was made in 1950, some of the historical details may be considered old-fashioned now, but this is the chart I use to get a rough idea of our past. Visitors to my studio will usually remark on its ingenious design. Long out of print, you can get a reproduction of a vintage copy for $48. — KK

Musical history of rock

This fantastic podcast, A History of Rock in 500 Songs, does what it says: it traces the history of rock music in 500 songs. Start with the first episode, which looks at 1939’s “Flying Home” by the Benny Goodman Sextet. The most recent episode, numbered 152, is about 1967’s “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield. New episodes come out about once every two weeks. — MF

A timeline of food

I became fascinated with the history of food after experiencing the Last Supper in Pompeii exhibit, where I saw ancient cookware, wine vessels, and preserved foods up close. This food timeline is equally fascinating. Created by a Food History Librarian in 1999, it begins with water and ice and includes transcriptions of ancient recipes. She continues to update it today. — CD

Oblique history

Youtube history is my latest obsession. There’s now a ton of very good history YT channels that tackle history in oblique and idiosyncratic ways. One of my favorite streams is ToldInStone. They tackle the kind of questions I’ve always had, but couldn’t find in books or other programs. Like: how fast was Rome mail? How did the ancients prove their identity? What were their kitchens and bathrooms like? Much further in the past, North02 tackles prehistory. What were humans like 1 million years ago, what kind of life in the Sahara when it was tropically green? And so many more! — KK

World history map

TimeMap.org presents a world mapwith a slider bar that starts at 4000 BC and ends at the present day. As you slide through time, you watch empires rise and fall. Any interesting civilization or event you spot can be instantly researched — just click on it and the relevant Wikipedia article appears in a side panel. — MF

Explore the Tree of Life

OneZoom is an interactive tree of life that lets you zoom in and out to explore connections among 2.2 million living species. It’s a lot to take in, but also fun to explore. I felt small—and grateful—realizing what a tiny branch of life we humans occupy. — CD

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08/31/25

Book Freak #191: Strength to Strength

Finding success, happiness, and deep purpose in the second half of life

Get From Strength to Strength

Drawing from neuroscience, philosophy, and his own journey as a high achiever, Arthur Brooks challenges conventional wisdom about aging and achievement, offering a framework for turning changing ways of thinking into opportunities for deeper fulfillment and impact.

Core Principles

Two Types of Intelligence

People possess fluid intelligence (raw smarts/innovation) which peaks early and declines from mid-30s to 50s, and crystallized intelligence (wisdom/knowledge) which increases through middle age. Success requires transitioning from relying on the former to leveraging the latter.

From Attachment to Freedom

High achievers must release their addiction to traditional success metrics (money, power, prestige) and embrace new measures of worth based on relationships, teaching, and spiritual growth. This “chipping away” process enables the transition to new strengths.

Relationships as Foundation

Deep human connections — both personal and professional — are essential for happiness and meaning in life’s second half. Success-oriented strivers must actively cultivate these bonds rather than remaining isolated in pursuit of achievement.

Try It Now

1. Assess which intelligence type currently drives your work and success
2. Begin developing teaching/mentoring relationships to share your knowledge
3. Schedule regular time for relationship building
4. Start “chipping away” attachments that no longer serve your growth

Quote

“The secret to bearing my decline — no, enjoying it — is to be more conscious of the roots linking me to others. If I am connected to others in love, my decrease will be more than offset by increases to others — which is to say, increases to other facets of my true self.”

08/29/25

Leaving America/Osprey Carry-on/Residency for Paying Rent

Nomadico issue #168

Leaving America Podcast

Like a limited series on TV, sometimes it’s nice to listen to a podcast where you know there’s an ending. The Leaving America Podcast is a 12-episode one from the person behind Deep Dive with Shawn Fettig and you can find it on whatever player you use or directly here. I make a few appearances in some of them, including the Latin America episode, but he covers some not-cheap places too like France and New Zealand.

Osprey Sojourn Shuttle Carry-on Suitcase

“Wow, I really like this suitcase,” my wife said when she used it for the first time on our most recent trip together. “I’m using this one from now on.” That’s saying something considering I used to run a travel gear blog and she’s probably packed at least 15 different suitcases that I got as review samples. This one was the Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 22 with two Rollerblade-style wheels that can take on uneven surfaces, plus hidden padded backpack straps if you need to scale stairs or a gravel path. Compression straps help you keep the width in check for the overhead bin. As with all Osprey products, certainly not the cheapest, but guaranteed for life. Get it on Amazon or direct from the company.

Prepay Your Rent, Get a Visa

I’ve run across a lot of strange visa options out there, but this is a new one on me: pre-pay a year’s worth of rent in Croatia and you can get a residency visa! This came from International Living so I’ll just quote them. “The ‘Croatian Apartment Visa,’ as it’s known, requires that you find residential property in the country and prepay rent for one year. If you can prove sufficient funds to support yourself, have health insurance covering your time in Croatia, and pass a criminal background check, you can stay in Croatia indefinitely, as long as you keep prepaying your annual rent. You can work remotely as long as your income is foreign-sourced.”

New Amtrak Route

It’s rare that you hear about a new train route in the USA, but one just opened that has been closed for 20 years: Amtrak between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. This connects the two longest-running Mardi Gras cities and stops at some other Gulf of Mexico towns along the way. That link goes to Afar magazine where you can also check out this article on the USA’s most scenic train routes. I was recently on one of them through upstate New York and it was terrific.

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A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

08/28/25

Encyclopedia of Hell / Twisted History

Issue No. 81

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HELL – “WRITTEN BY AND FOR DEMONS, INSTRUCTING THEM ON HOW TO DESTROY MANKIND”

Encyclopedia of Hell: An Invasion Manual for Demons Concerning the Planet Earth and the Human Race Which Infests It
by Martin Olson (author), Tony Millionaire (illustrator) and Mahendra Singh (illustrator)
Feral House
2011, 240 pages, 7 x 10 x 0.8 inches (softcover)

Buy on Amazon

In 1911 journalist Ambrose Bierce published a scathingly satirical book called The Devil’s Dictionary, which contained truer-than-true definitions of everyday words. (Example — Bore: A person who talks when you wish him to listen.) Exactly 100 years later came Martin Olson’s Encyclopaedia of Hell, “a book that was ‘written by and for demons, instructing them on how to destroy mankind.’” This encyclopedia is a blisteringly subversive book filled with illustrated definitions in the vein of Ambrose Bierce. Written as if Satan himself was the author, the definitions reveal a dim view of humanity. (Justice: Superstition of humans oppressed by the billionaires who own them. Robot: From the corporate viewpoint, the ideal human being. Soldier: A target made of flesh.) The book is lushly designed by Sean Tejaratchi, publisher of the late, great Crap Hound zine. – Mark Frauenfelder

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TWISTED HISTORY – A GRISLY PAGE TURNER ABOUT HISTORY’S WORST DESPOTS, TRAITORS AND MURDERERS

Twisted History: 32 True Stories of Torture, Traitors, Sadists and Psychos…Plus the Most Celebrated Saints in History
by Howard Watson
Firefly Books
2015, 176 pages, 7.5 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches (softcover)

Buy on Amazon

The careers of history’s worst despots, murderers, assassins, and traitors are examined in this lurid and grisly page turner. The usual suspects are all featured: Hitler, Stalin, Jack The Ripper, Vlad The Impaler, and other unsavory characters. Some lesser known fiends, such as Gilles De Rais, the French nobleman who murdered 140 children in the 15th century, Lavrentia Beria, Stalin’s henchman who was responsible for the execution of 22,000 Poles in the Katyn Massacre, Tomas de Torquemada, who executed 2,000 Jews during the Spanish Inquisition, and Thug Berham, the Indian serial killer who strangled almost 1,000 people, are also given a moment in the spotlight.

Comprised of a brief overview of the villains’ crimes against humanity, with Fact Files showing their history, legacy, and circumstance of death, descriptions of their downfall and punishment, often including torture, and photos of their jail cells or gravesites, Twisted History keeps things short and sweet, compelling the reader to continue turning pages to see what unspeakable horror could possibly follow the last. The mood is lightened briefly by recounting the lives of honorable figures who’ve made the world a better place, such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Then it’s right back to the scoundrels, the outlaws, the killers, and thieves.

Featuring bloodstained pages illustrated with vivid paintings, ancient wood cuts, and historic photos, Twisted History sums up the infamous lives and tragic death tolls of the worst people in history in about a half a dozen pages per monster, hopping from time period to time period and various parts of the globe. The book concentrates on the major bullet points, and those searching for a more in-depth analysis of the depths of depravity should probably hunt elsewhere. History buffs might be a bit disappointed that new ground isn’t explored, but it’s a good starting point for those interested in a brief visit to some of history’s darkest hours. – S. Deathrage

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Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.

08/26/25

African Trips

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 152

The bible of Sahara

Sahara Overland

The Sahara is a desert as large as the United States filled with emptiness, ancient cultures, and natural wonders. America has its own recreational deserts in the west, but for Africa and Europe, the Sahara is where you go to test yourself. This book, now in its second edition, has emerged as THE source for getting into the deep Sahara and back, alive and in good spirits. It is uncommonly thorough and immensely practical. It covers the kinds of vehicles and supplies you need, runs along possible itineraries and dangers, and anticipates most of the questions you might have. No stone is left unanswered. The book is a brick — a great big fat bible stuffed with precious overland Sahara lore, hard won by hundreds of trips and mistakes of others. There are not many travel books (or destinations) quite like this one.

• Another problem with guides arises when you want to take them away from their prescribed routes. Nervousness about the condition of their own vehicles can play a part, but guides also feel secure following their time-worn ‘tram lines.’ They can get distinctly edgy when asked to go into areas they don’t know or which will push their vehicles hard. The fact that you have a guidebook full of proven GPS points may not necessarily make them feel any better. I’ve seen one driver (admittedly not the guide) literally freak out at the thought of heading into the dunes, grabbing a wheel brace and all the cars’ keys, yelling ‘we’re all going to die!’
• Tyre pressures
  The first-time desert driver quickly learns the huge difference very low tyre pressures make to driving in soft sand. As Ralph Bagnold discovered nearly eighty years ago while drivng a truck into the Great Sand Sea: “Prendergast let more air out of his lorry wheels so that the pressure was only 15 psi instead of 90. The result was marvellous. The lorry sailed along”
• It’s possible to arc weld off two (or better still three) 12-volt batteries attached in series making 24/36 volts and plenty enough amps (home arc-welding machines produce about 30-40 volts). A jump lead attached to a pair of Mole grips can hold a welding rod and bits of thick cable or wire can join the batteries if necessary. Take the batteries right out of the car and if unsealed protect them from sparks (batteries produce explosive gas) and prepare the welding area well. It’s not going to do your batteries much good in the long term so is best for emergencies only, but I’ve seen a broken chassis repaired with battery welding.
• At this point, you may want to try asking someone… A lot depends on how you ask. Don’t pre-suggest by pointing and asking ‘Is this the way to Madame Tussaud’s?’. Instead ask ‘Which way to Madame Tussaud’s?’ but don’t point. It won’t guarantee a correct answer but will avoid the tendency to nod affirmatively to please or to get rid of someone. Although you may be steaming from the ears by this stage, remember to be polite and, as with all exchanges in Africa, start with greetings and handshakes. Avoid showing maps – depending on where you are, only tourists use and understand these – but drawing a mud map in the dirt or in the dust on your bonnet can be useful.

• A final word about guides: you need them, but do not rely on them. They will tell you that lots of things are impossible. That generally means that they cannot be bothered to do them. They tend to be highly conservative people, who resent being diverted from their usual routes and routines. Do not trust their navigation. If you leave your compass and GPS at home because you are in the hands of a local, you are being very foolish. Try to use guides who have been recommended to you by previous expeditions. And (of course) on no account pay them everything up front.
• An old adage advises that you should never camp in a oued because flash floods from distant rains could rip through your camp causing havoc. Some sources have even claimed that ‘more people have drowned in the Sahara than died of thirst’ – about as likely as more people dying of thirst than drowning at sea, or freezing to death in the Antarctic. In Morocco, where run-off from the Atlas can be frequent, steep and fast, this warning is valid in certain seasons but in the deep Sahara, oueds often offer some welcome tree shade or vegetated wind breaks, as well as soft sand rather than gravel. Obviously if there are dark clouds in the sky keep to the high ground wherever you are, but dangerous flash floods are only a real danger in mountain areas, and by the time they get to the plain they’re all but spent.
• People get nervous about carrying a wad of money abroad but good old-fashioned cash is a readily changeable and local currency is what talks loudest in the Sahara. Unless you expect to be visiting large cities or capitals, travellers’ cheques are of little use. Despite what you’re told, the promise of speedy replacement of stolen cheques requires a phone call – itself a rather tall order in most of the Sahara. Don’t rely on cashing travellers’ cheques in the Sahara.

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Essential road maps

African Adventure Atlas

The vastness of Africa is vastly rural. Driving a car or van is the best way to get around. But African road maps are as scarce and inadequate as the mostly unpaved roads themselves. This heavy, oversized, and humungous 336-page atlas (definitely not backpackable) contains the best — and sometimes only — road maps for the entire continent.

Crafted by the cartographic gnomes at National Geographic, this set of maps is meant to be more of an adventure guide. It succeeds as both. These maps indicate the exact information you need while on the road: known ferry crossings, known border posts, known park entrances, local airfields, ruins, mileage markers, as well as the major African towns and national parks interiors. I can’t think of any other maps anywhere else in the developing world that provide this kind of vital information ahead of time. And to top it off, this full-color atlas concludes with 80 good itineraries (with maps!) for creative explorations on the continent. It’s a remarkable achievement; I wish there was one for Asia and South America as well. — KK

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Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.

08/25/25

What’s in my NOW? — Marston Quinn