Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail

次回この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

Yesterday it snowed!!!!⛄⛄⛄
Being from New England I grew up with snow and it is just not winter without snow!

But what does snow have to do with vintage Japanese bicycles?
Read on.

One of my favorite sayings is "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail".
When I was growing up in New England, I learned the importance of preparing for winter.
Here in Japan, where I live now, to prepare for winter I use my Sekine light-carrier cycle.
Weighing in at 80lbs (36kg) unloaded, it is all heavy-duty.
It has several advantages over today's bicycles including a big heavy-duty rear carrier and a heavy-duty roller-equipped stand.
 



And, it is great for hauling firewood.

My favorite author, Henry David Thoreau, whose hometown was within a bicycle ride away from mine, in his infamous work, Walden, wrote: "(logs) warmed me twice—once while I was splitting them, and again when they were on the fire, so that no fuel could give out more heat".

How true!
Actually they warm me FOUR times!!!!

1. First
When cutting trees into 40cm logs.  No chainsaw, I strive to keep things simple, so I do all my log cutting by hand manually with a Silky Katanaboy (folding saw with 65cm blade, longest on the market) and afterwards, depending on their size and weight either roll them to the street or carry them to the street on by back with a shoiko (a wooden rack with shoulder straps for carrying loads on one's back).

2. Second
When hauling them back home either on my back with a shoiko or with my Sekine light-carrier cycle.



3. Third
When log splitting.

4. Fourth
When in the fireplace.

Thoreau also wrote in Walden: "Every man looks at his wood-pile with a kind of affection."
Hear, hear!