K'Nex

In parallel with Lego, I got back into K'Nex and Meccano. My history with K'Nex and especially Meccano was different than my history with Lego. More time consuming building with Meccano and less realism with K'Nex limited how many creations I made with either of those mediums compared to Lego.

K'Nex and Meccano sets contain instructions for many alternate builds (5+) compared to Lego where many sets have none, or just have suggestions for alternate builds on the back. Like Lego, I rarely took apart built models which limited me from discovering the alternate builds. We also had large K'Nex sets like the Big Ball Factory, Screamin' Serpent, and Saturn V which remained assembled having never built the alternate models, but collecting dust. We even had a pinball machine, but that one is gone after it must have broken.

Building the Big Ball Factory on Christmas, losing the race against daylight

Screamin' Serpent

While there is a scan and inventory for pretty much every Lego set, finding information on older K'Nex sets is harder. There are a bunch of instructions saved on a website on archive.org. Basicfun.com also has some instructions. Perhaps someone has uploaded a scan to youtube, manualslib or instructables. But it isn't hard to come across sets where one can find pictures and set numbers but no evidence anywhere of instructions. Fortunately, Meccano has a more complete history, even including scans of magazines.

My reintroduction to K'nex began with the K'Nex Dinosaurs multi-set. The walking motion and the way that the dinosaur heads, spines, and tails were created in 3 dimensions with K'Nex was mindblowing. I quickly worked my way through all of the builds. 

The head on the T-rex really opened my eyes to the 3D potential of K'Nex

The ears and trunk on this Wooley Mammoth as well

Inspired by the dinosaurs, this ultimately led me to conceptualize building a K'Nex version of Grogu from the Mandalorian with Jenny (who was also inspired by the Wooley Mammoth and the master behind the head and ears).

The next K'nex set I rebuilt was a Robot World Set. I received this set when I was a teenager and was disappointed at the time because in my mind, it was not a robotics kit like Lego Mindstorms. I only built one of the 10 models and unfortunately I deconstructed this model to build the others before I realized that the actual model I built was absent from the scanned instructions I found. Oh well, after building all of the others, I had to re-create it based on a couple of pictures. While this set was disappointing when I was younger, I was amazed by the walking motions and the clever use of parts to create ratcheting mechanisms.

Robot World

With K'Nex, there are actually not that many unique parts, so like Lego, I looked for possible sets that I could rebuild. I discovered the massive Hyperspace Training Tower builds as well as smaller builds. 

I set off building the Hyperspace Training Tower. It was a massive set and I did exhaust my supply of some parts and had to borrow from Jenny's childhood K'Nex sets. It was time consuming to create, but the final result was a 6 foot tall tower with 9 different stations to clip a K'Nex figure to spin around on and I was again hooked.

Hyperspace Training Tower

Next up was the Power Tower Crane, which is a ball machine that uses a crane that can lift and rotate to pickup balls and move them into the chute. I found the ball picking up and release mechanism neat and also liked the sturdy crane rotation bearing.

Power Tower Crane

I then started to build a couple of roller coasters, scaling up some of the K'Nex designs so that I would not have to cut the track from my Screamin' Serpent. I enjoyed these builds as they went quicker and created exciting results.

Sorceror's Revenge

Roller coasters led back to ball machines and I built all three models of the Trampoline Tower.

Trampoline Tower Ball Machine

With most of the big builds on my list behind me, I plan on making more vehicles.

Meccano

Compared to the other two construction toys, I spent the least amount of time in my childhood building with Meccano. Meccano is much more time consuming to build as you have to fasten each plate and bracket together rather than just clicking them into place. It can also be frustrating to install hard to access nuts in tight spaces. Over time or with play, the nuts also have a tendency to loosen, requiring using the wrench to reach deep into the model to tighten them up, like a bucket of bolts.

I received 3 different sets around the same time, Evolution 4 (which also contains instructions for Evolutions 1-3 allowing for 40+ different models to be built), Evolution 2 (which is redundant because Evolution 4 already had the parts and instructions), and a knock off MekStruct set. The first issue was that I wasn't sure how the flimsy styrofoam trays and cardboard boxes would contain all of my parts, so I made my dad buy me a proper red metal toolbox to store these sets. The next problem was that genuine Meccano used British threads while the knock off MekStruct used metric threads. I didn't know this at the time and ended up mixing all of the pieces together. Worse than MegaBloks in Lego, there was no way that the two different threads would work together and it was difficult to tell them apart. As an adult, I have to look closely at the threads and nuts, the more uniform looking ones are Meccano while the others are MekStruct but still occasionally I have found some parts that make it pass this test and require a test fit.

In the end, in my memory, I only ever remember building one of the Evolution 4 models, a buggy, and the model sat in the toolbox. Occasionally, I must have picked it up and assembled a couple of plates together but that was it.

The only model I ended up building as a kid, rebuilt as an "adult"

I did receive a much larger crane set for Christmas one year from my grandma. I was probably near the upper end of the "age range", but I spent the time putting it together and was impressed with the results and the functions (the transmission to change between modes on the crane was interesting). But again, I left it constructed and did not build any of the other 24 models. 

The one model of the crane I built as a kid, rebuilt, along with the 24 others as an adult.

Meccano can be used to build sturdy models. In university, I did use Meccano to make a simple prototype in the 2nd year design course. I struggled with the geometry and construction, opting to use the MekStruct motor with the built-in drivetrain so I wouldn't have to build the drivetrain from Meccano. I made a camera cable car as well, where I wasn't sure if Lego or K'Nex could handle the weight of the GoPro.

After I rediscovered K'Nex and Lego as an adult, I finally picked up Meccano. Upon opening that red toolbox, I was unimpressed. The plates were of course all sitting flat on each other and it didn't look like there could possibly be enough to make a full set. It was only after counting them and comparing them to the inventories that I realized that they were mostly all there! 

I started building and I enjoyed the challenge of installing nuts in hard to reach places. I enjoyed watching how the brackets were used to allow for the ability to install plates on different faces similar to Studs Not on Top (SNOT) construction in Lego. I also liked "tuning" the models so that the axles spun more freely, panels were aligned better, and gear trains were more optimized. And the sound of the motors and meshing gears. As soon as I completed one model, I would tune it, run it, and then take it apart to build the next one.

I added extra gear reduction to this truck and it allowed the motor to start the vehicle better

As I had multiple Meccano sets that each had multiple models that could be built I had one set to build in Canmore and a couple to build at home, so wherever I was, I could be building! My brother had received a couple of sets in adulthood and I rebuilt those too!

My brother's 30 model "Motion" set contained my favourite builds

One interesting aspect of Meccano sets is that they claim that the sets can build 20, 25, 45 (+ more from your imagination!) models but they actually only include instructions for 10-15 models. The rest are built from examining pictures, similar to a back of the box Lego build. Upon finishing the models with included instructions, I enjoyed the challenge of building these models based off of the pictures. I found the best technique was to build up all of the aspects of the model that are visible in the picture and then use the remaining pieces to deduce what is going on with the rest of the model.

Some modern Meccano sets use plastic panels, a controversial topic among Meccano enthusiasts. I understand there is the worry of less durability, but the benefit of the plastic panels is that the thin ones bend easily to form more contoured shapes and the larger panels have a square, nut shaped recess on one side so that bolts can be tightened without needing the wrench.

Modern plastic Meccano car

Plastic Meccano Excavator with hydrualics

Building these Meccano sets has inspired me to attempt to build some classic Meccano mechanisms like a Meccanograph as well as a Millennium Falcon, the classic "bucket of bolts".

Re-discovering Lego

 Resurrections: Emerging from the Bin, Technic, Mindstorms:

There is a term for the period in one's life between when one loses interest in Lego as a teen and when one rediscovers it as an adult and becomes an Adult Fan of Lego (AFOL): The Dark Ages. Mine lasted until I was 33, while quarantining at home after being hospitalized with covid while undergoing chemotherapy. I had thought about playing with Lego again while undergoing chemotherapy, but thought that the construction would be too hard on my fragile skin.

The sets were still there, still built in my brother's room. I was a little curious if I could find information on some of the sets. I discovered that there were various websites dedicated to Lego that would help me find information on these sets: number of pieces, original prices, inventories, and instructions. I was re-entering back into the world. There were actually less sets produced each year than I expected and we actually had a good representation of the sets at the time.

As I mostly kept my models fully built, I never build up the alternate models or suggestions on the back of the box. So first I rebuilt the 735 Fire Truck alternates. My next goal was to rescue 8277 from the bin. The build that I never got to do. I started by removing anything technic related from the bin, then moving on to any interesting parts from the bin. Alongside 8277, I found parts for 6835, 6879, 6898, 6889, 6852, and 6341. As mentioned earlier, these sets were early in my Lego life and I didn't even remember them but by cross-referencing that special parts that I found, I was able to deduce that those parts came from these sets. I built those sets and any others that had found their way into the bin as best as I could. I made a spreadsheet listing all of the sets that I suspected were in the bin. I added the sets that were in my brother's room to the spreadsheet. Even a Lego Znap set 3571 Blackmobile is interesting because it contains instructions for many different models!

Helicopter

Giant Model Set Robot

I finished all 6 alternate models of 8277. The large models were impressive. The scale of the 16L bricks combined, and the functions led to a thirst for more. I rebuilt the alternate models for 8445 and 8446, the bricks dusty after sitting on a shelf for so long. Next, I collected all of the remaining technic sets from my brother's room and rebuilt them and their alternate models. Rather than leaving sets built up, I was excited to take them apart so that I could build the next one. At first, the disassembly process was hard on my hands, but now they are tougher. Rebuilding the sets has been another highlight because when I was younger, I would get into a trance while building, but neglect to appreciate the part usage and functions that are hidden from the completed model.

While playing with Meccano, I had another revelation. Meccano has a limited number of unique parts and if one had multiple Meccano sets, it is conceivable that one could build even more official Meccano sets by combining the multiple sets together. Meccano has a similar database of instructions and inventories but what I found was a little disappointing as while they don't release new sets very often, they do update their shapes from generation to generation and larger sets also have larger parts making it hard to build different sets.

In a similar vain, the larger Lego sets did include some specialized pieces that I did not have in my entire collection. But while closely examining some Star Wars sets, I noticed that they included many very old Classic Space elements. From before my time. This led me down an ever expanding rabbit hole. Not only could I build some space sets, there were sets from other themes like Castle (including the classic yellow castle 375, which I did build) and Town that I could build. I could build the skulls from Pirates. I could build classic Technic Sets. My spreadsheet has expanded to include an ever increasing list of sets that I can build although I doubt I will have the time to build all of them. My current interests are the technic sets that are a larger scale and have good functionality and space sets. My experience with Town Jr. has made me less interested in boring town sets. While I had originally cleaned out my brother's room of all technic and space sets, I cleaned out the rest of the Lego to add to the part collection I could use for building other sets.

Classic "yellow" castle

Next to make up for my dark ages, I looked for Lego Mindstorms. Mindstorms had evolved 3 generations since my time and I was able to pick up a set from the 2nd generation NXT for pretty cheap. Alongside the software which included instructions for 4 builds (and more with the education package software), I discovered more websites dedicated to this model released back in 2009 and was able to build and program even more models. Some of these models shared similarities to my other technic builds, cranes, steering vehicles and a switch was turned on in my head: motorizing my sets with the NXT!

Lego NXT Alpha Rex

The first build I attempted with my parts collection was 8450 The Mission. A fairly large technic set, I brazenly begun grabbing parts from sets in my collection, keeping track in a spreadsheet. This familiarized me with the parts in my sets, knowing the limitations. It was a time consuming process, but eventually I got it finished and fortunately never ran out of parts or encountered a roadblock requiring a special part. The finished model was amazing and again I was impressed by the scale and features. The time was eased when I was quickly able to build the alternate models because the parts were already sorted out. I refined my system for later parts bin builds by choosing a more similar Lego bag to base the build out of and taking greater care into making sure that I had the parts to complete the build.

8450 The Mission

8855 Plane

These builds introduced me to many different building techniques and interesting ratchet mechanisms. The time that I had sunk into building these models encouraged me to troubleshoot these models to make them work with the parts I have.

Battle Droid. These Technic Star Wars models aren't very well liked, but I enjoyed the non-machinery application of Lego!

While I hadn't integrated the NXT into my sets yet, I started to integrate it into my parts bin builds, perhaps starting off with the most ambitious: 8094 Control Center. It was here that I found the limitation of the LabVIEW like NXT-G software, mainly with math required to draw circles and a feature from the original set: being able to store and replay chains of commands. I discovered that there were other ways to program NXTs using text-based software that would be much simpler. After hours and hours of learning and programming, I was able to create programs for both of those tasks among the builds of that set.

Control Center

While that was my most ambitious NXT program, my most ambitious build was 8479 with over 1200 parts. After a couple of weeks, I was able to build the main model and then the alternate models came quickly. The programming was fairly easy. The original set was based around the older 9V system with smaller motors. To incorporate my larger NXT motors, I had to remove some of the aesthetics of the models, but the spirit of the model remained. 

Barcode Multi-Set

With 8479 coming close before the release of the original Mindstorms RCX sets, it shares many of the same parts, so I have been able to build many of the builds from those sets without having to sort more parts. 

RCX Grabber Arm

I asked for and received Lego 42128 Heavy Duty Tow Truck for Christmas, which is notable for a couple of reasons. It is over 2x the size of any set that I had when I was younger, and it contains pneumatics and many interesting functions. Parts that will be useful in other parts bin builds.

Heavy Duty Tow Truck

My Lego Journey

When I was young, I was very into Lego, definitely a Lego Maniac. Here I dive into my history with Lego. 

Early Beginnings: Duplo, Small Sets, MegaBloks, Azam:

Of course, I started with Duplo, but I don't remember this phase. My earliest Lego memories start with a tub of bulk Lego pieces (1708, 4162) and some small sets. My parents informed me that they would have to do most of the building of the small sets at this stage but a friend from down the street, Azam, would come over and take them apart and the pieces would end up with the rest of the bulk Lego. I don't even really remember the sets as they were built because they would quickly end up in the bin (6835 Saucer Scout, 6879 Blizzard Baron, 6898 Ice Sat V, 6889 Recon Robot, 6852 Sonor Security, and 6341 Gas 'n Go Flier) but I remember using the parts in the rest of my builds (My Own Creation or "MOC's" as adults call them), the "best" one I built at the time being a car-carrying ferry among numerous spaceships. Sets that I was absolutely drooling over because friends had them were 6195 Neptune Discovery Lab and Lego 6959 Lunar Launch Site.

Recon Robot and Sonar Security

Blizzard Baron

Ice Sat V

I also received some MegaBloks for Christmas. MegaBloks, while touted as being "Lego compatible" and subject to a lawsuit for that reason, was not created to the same standards as Lego pieces and either fit too loose or too tight to each other and to Lego pieces. One set we received was neat Castle with many small, decorative pieces that were to be attached to exposed studs on a castle shaped shell. The many small parts were probably too much for me to handle at the time and I have no memory of the castle in its final built form, but more of the poorly fitting parts making their way into the bin. Another set came in a rocket-shaped container which contained many neat transparent pieces but were not much use for adding to my Lego builds.

Middle: City Building, Leaving Them Built:

As I got older, I was introduced to the Technic Theme. For my 8th birthday, I received a fairly large (for me at least) Technic set, 8277 Giant Model Set. Like larger sets at the time, it came in a box with a flap and the pieces were organized in trays. More commonplace now, the set also featured multiple instruction manuals. The set required the construction of a central core (with one of the instruction manuals) followed by building up to 6 different models around the central core using the other instruction manual. In my excitement, I started building with the big, bright yellow pieces for the 6 different models, skipping the construction of the central core, that manual may have never made it outside of the box. I quickly hit a roadblock once it was time to start building around the central core, which magically appeared already build on the instructions. The thought crossed my mind that the central core was actually part of another set, like a motor, and I lost interest in the set, the parts made their way into the Lego bin. I used the many 16L Technic bricks in my MOC's but I never got to experience the large models of the Giant Model Set.

I received many other sets, this time leaving them build in their original form. Space themes were my favourite and the highlight was 6949 Robo-Guardian. 6544 Shuttle Transcon was also a highlight with both a space shuttle and an airplane with many special airplane parts. I received the Lego Club Magazine and was kept up to date on the themes and also had some Adventurers featuring Johnny Thunder sets . Western sets were also of interest (my brother had 6761 Bandit Secret Hideout, which sadly ended up in the bin although the interesting parts lived on in our MOC's), I even built a MOC of a fur trading fort for a school project, but I was surprisingly not interested in the castle sets at the time.

Robo Guardian

My brother and I had a table with L-shaped baseplates surrounding a 'pit' with a net. Our part collection overwhelmed the net and made its way to a big Lego bin. The table with the baseplates quickly became home to a bustling Lego City with multi-story buildings, replicas of local landmarks (like the Butterdome) and even an attempt at an elevated railway. Windows and panels from deconstructed sets that found their way into the bin were the highlights of the builds.

We also had a fairly extensive (and expensive) HO train set at the time, so never got into Lego Trains, but it would have been great to have been able to build rolling stock, tunnels and stations instead...

Visits to grandma and grandpa often included Lego sets, but breaking open the box, building, and then glimpsing at the mini-catalog inside only fueled the desire for more sets: 6451 River Response leading to 6473 Res-Q Cruiser, 8226 Mud Masher leading to 8252 Beach Buster, and various Tech-Play sets: like 8229 Tread Trekker, 8215 Gyro Copter.

The big thing in this era for Lego was Star Wars, and I had a couple of the early sets, 7141 Naboo Fighter and 7110 Landspeeder were highlights.

My Lego sets peaked around my 10th birthday with my "Big 3": 8445 Indy Storm, 8446 Crane Truck, and 5563 Racing Truck, with the 735 Light and Sound Fire Truck getting an honorable mention. Of note is that aside from the big 3, there were many sets with piece counts between 100-300 that were very memorable which is important to remember when comparing against the many modern modern sets where even 1000 pieces seems small. Lego Mindstorms was in its early days, I definitely wanted it, but the $400 price tag was a lot. I don't really remember lusting after many other large sets at the time.

Crane Truck

Indy Storm

Basic Building Set. The fire truck is less basic than the name suggests

I stored sets from this time built up in a rolling cart and would take them all out and arrange them to play with them. I would never take them apart to build alternate models, and tried to limit them having parts falling off beyond repair and ending up in the bin. A Lego Book, Krazy Action Contraptions included some technic parts and instructions for many builds, but again, I only built one, a cable car that traversed my bedroom for a while.

End: Constraction, Regrets, Town Jr., Soccer, Games

Throwbots. They were cool. I didn't have any Power Rangers action figures when I was young (but I had Batman and Star Wars figures), so there was something about an action figure that was novel for me at the time. The throwing feature was neat, but the worm gear head movement was underwhelming due to the slow nature of worm gear drives. We had lots of these and Robo-Riders as they were priced within reach of an allowance or two. Sadly, while my mom has kept all of our Lego and other GOAT level toys (Brio Trains, K'NEX, Hot Wheels, and lower tier stuff like Playmobil), except for one set 8523 Blaster, the Throwbots and Robo-Riders were the only sets to have been donated or end up at garage sales. Which is a shame because they contained some unique parts that were used in other Technic builds from the time.

Which brings me to the major Lego regrets from my childhood: Chasing after sub-par sets. First up was Lego Soccer. Going to lots of football games at Commonwealth Stadium, I was fascinated with stadiums and when the Lego Soccer line came out, I was inspired to make a stadium, using many of those previously mentioned 16L technic bricks. We eventually got the 3409 Championship Challenge soccer set, but I then wanted the stadium sets: 3402 Grandstand, 3403 Grandstand with Lights, 3408 Super Sports Coverage, a field expansion 3410, and 3 fricken team buses. The sets were as underwhelming as their names with empty builds featuring large panels.

The other regret was Town Jr. I didn't even notice the "Jr." in the name at the time. These were sets with larger bricks and panels and pre-built vehicle chassis with simplified building intended for younger builders. These parts were actually the subject of much criticism of the Lego of this period and the many large, specialized parts are said to have contributed to Lego's near failure years later. My brother received 6554 Blaze Brigade, 6330 Cargo Center, and 6556 Bank (actually the most decent set of the bunch as it is way cheaper, while despite being similar built size). These were multi-story town buildings that seemed large and impressive and I wanted my own for my Lego City. I was probably 9 or 10 at the time but I got 6332 Command Post Central. The 3 story building that was quickly constructed was very underwhelming. I found the open back and lack of stairs to get between floors unrealistic.

Compared to my L-shaped baseplate donut city which was a 100% Lego environment, these Town Jr. and Soccer sets  featured separated buildings with open backs on small 8x16 baseplates that could be slid around on carpet and arranged how one wanted and either played from street level with the buildings acting as a facade or inside the interior with the open backs. I didn't want this, I wanted realism with enclosed buildings in a Lego environment. Similarly sets with many small builds (carts, small landscapes) scattered about to get lost about my Lego city versus putting all of those parts into one solid vehicle or building frustrated me. My approach at the time had more in common with modern Lego cities with modular buildings rather than the sets at the time. The regret comes from what could have been: Insectoids, Aliens, technic or even whatever the castle subtheme was at the time (although castles do feature large panels that remove many of the joys of building). 

Probably due to other interests: video games, skiing, peer pressure, I got out of Lego. After Robo Riders but before Bioncle came the next year which is a shame because the bevel gear action of Bionicle and parts are a large step up from the slow worm gears of Robo Riders and Throwbots. The last bit of life in my Lego was 8353 Slammer Rhino, a decent technic for the price but underwhelming compared to 8445 or 8446, which still stood proudly on my shelf.

Slammer Rhino

Lego video games were also a highlight at this time, Island, Loco, Chess, Racers, and Rock Raiders. 

Finding vertical where it isn't expected

 Those that know me or follow along on Stava probably notice that when I leave Edmonton on the weekends, I don't intend on hanging around on flat trails. We have enough of those in Edmonton. I seek out elevation gain and other than total activity time, elevation gain is the main stat I chase when I am out. 

So, I "gravitate" towards big climbs, which of course lead to equally big descents. Of course, having rested on Friday to travel to the mountains, I am somewhat rested and ready to race up challenging climbs. I don't complain, I don't beg for shuttles and batteries. When I am tired and when I get old and frail, I'll ride the flat trails that I currently bypass.

My main activities are mountain biking in the summer (with running and road cycling becoming more prominent) and ski touring in the winter. Ski touring obviously lends itself well to climbing. Modern mountain biking is trending more towards continuous, one way, downhill trails that require continuous climbs, rather than loops and out and backs. 

Cross country skiing has also increasingly crept into my weekend activities and although most popular trails are flat, following summer fire roads or trails along rivers and creeks. Slogging along the flats isn't interesting to me: in classic skiing, it is heavily reliant on the upper body for double poling and skate skiing is reliant on balance and fast conditions. Fortunately, there are a couple of longer climbs around and it has been fun to race up those as well. 

I am a bit of a fan of World Cup Cross Country ski racing and in the leadup to the Holmenkollen 50km race, I saw it mentioned that the course also contained 1800m of climbing. So not only are those athletes covering 50km in just over 2hours, they are also doing that while climbing 1800m! 

When you put it that way, it makes you realize that climbing is an essential component of competition cross country skiing. It's not just double poling in classic technique or riding the glide while skating! Now you have my interest. In a similar way, cross country mountain bike racing is requiring an increasing amount of downhill skill to put in fast times on the courses and at the competition level is removed from what one would think of when they picture typical cross country mountain bike riding (aka, going across the country on easier trails).

The Canmore Nordic Centre hosted the 1988 Olympics and has since been upgraded with a more modern set of competition trails that feature shorter loops. They all feature roughly 30-40m of climbing per kilometer. Like any good international governing body, FIS has created its own bureaucracy requiring that courses be certified to meet certain climbing statistics before a race can be held. Compare this to cyclocross or mountain bike, where we make changes to the course as we are setting up the night before!

This means that course maps are published, although it can be hard to find maps from the earlier days of the internet. 

At Canmore, the older loops can be up to 15km long (the 50km race had a 10km loop followed by a 15km loop) while the newer, more modern loops top out at 7.5km. While the climbing per kilometer is approximately the same, the newer courses are wider to allow for mass start racing and have shorter climbs (105m climb on an old 15km loop vs 45m on a newer loop). 

So, I was recently able to throw myself at various loops, racing 10km, 15km at a time. I was curious if having a course punctuated by climbs that I could run up and then coast a descent would actually be faster for me than double poling or skating the flats. I didn't have ideal snow conditions, but I think I might have been faster. And it was a blast. The climbing was a major portion of the loops, while the descents were a nice rest (compared to sprinting out of corners in a bike race), although requiring some commitment to go fast. 

Something I'll look forward to doing more of next winter and there are a bunch of possibilities for comparison. Classic vs. Skate. Flat vs. proper course. 

An old course map with stats and elevation profile

Dynafit Speedfit Pro Boot Review

Dynafit's TLT5 boot was revolutionary. It brought decent ski-ability to boots barely over 1kg and simplified walk-ski mode transitions. At the time, only the Scarpa F1 (with the bellows) and Garmont Masterlite (that didn't last long), were similar in weight, but well behind in skiability (for the former) and durability and simplicity (for the latter). They were light enough that I used them as 1 boot quiver for 1 year as they were as light as the F1 Race they replaced and were able to drive bigger skis like a 95mm x 187cm Dynafit Manaslu.

The design was refined slightly with the TLT6, losing the miniscule forefoot flex that didn't do much and better buckles. I skied the  TLT6 from 2014 until 2020. The liners were getting worn, and buckle hardware loose, so I looked for a replacement.

As with the skis, there were lots of options of boots around 1kg in 2020, but again, the unfavourable exchange rate made the boots seem much more expensive than I remember from 2014. And at the time, Dynafit was experimenting with boots without toe welts with the Dynafit TLT7 and TLT8. I don't use crampons very often, but it would be nice to not have to buy new hardware on top of having to buy new boots. 

Fortunately as part of their budget Speedfit line, Dynafit sold a slightly modified TLT6 in 2020 branded as "Speedfit", with both composite (fiberglass instead of carbon on my TLT6) and plastic cuff versions. Like the Ski Trab Stelvio skis, the Speedfit Pro boot brings the performance of carbon...er fiberglass at a lower price. Combined with the Stelvio skis and the Dynafit Speed Turn bindings, they make a great high performance budget setup.

There are a few notable differences between my Speedfit Pros and my TLT6. My TLT6 had the thicker liners and the lighter weight and less cuff restriction of the Speedfit liners is noticeable on the way up. The Speedfits on the other hand, lose the capability of installing a plastic tongue to stiffen up the boots for the way down. I only really used this feature of the TLT6 during infrequent ski resort days or when touring on bigger skis like. But that brings me to another knock on the Speedfits. The cuff feels less stiff, so I definitely miss being able to stiffen them up with the tongues during the rare times I feel like I need to (last lap of the day?). Fortunately, the Speedfits feature an awesome powerstrap. I never bothered with the velcro powerstraps on the TLT5 and 6, leaving them undone. My TLT5 strap didn't like being loose under my pant cuff and actually ripped itself out of the eyelets. The powerstrap on the Speedfits is a cam lock design that can be tightened by pulling on the tail of the strap (once fed through the cam) and loosened for the next climb with a pull loop. I definitely don't use the powerstrap for short laps, but it doesn't slow things down at the transition area that much for bigger laps.

So you have thinner liners, and can't install tongues to stiffen them up, and the cuff isn't as stiff to begin with, but the powerstraps are much better to use so they have that going for them. Aside from the uphill performance, which is a little bit better due to the lighter weight. Again, a decent budget boot that probably skis better than the plastic boots in the same price range.

Ski Trab Stelvio 85 Review

 I am a couple of years late and this ski is now discontinued, but I thought I would share my thoughts on this ski if you can find a pair on clearance somewhere

Before I start this review, we have to travel back in time to 2014. The Canadian dollar was at par. I had just spent a long weekend following Reiner Thoni around the three mountain ranges that surround his hometown of Valemount. I was on a 95mm underfoot, 187cm long ski weighing in at around 1700g per ski. He was on the Dynafit Cho Oyu: an 88mm underfoot carbon ski that weighed under 1200g per ski. I stood a chance when he was breaking trail, but as soon as we hit the broken trail on lap 2, he was gone. I knew I had to get a pair, and I did in the fall.

I had those skis for 6 years. They were great. They were light enough to let me get an extra lap or two in, but easy enough to ski that I could still enjoy that final lap if my legs were shot. The rocker and tip taper were not fooled by breakable crust or windslab. The tight sidecut, while quirky when trying to open it up also allowed for some fun to be had in less than ideal conditions. The 88mm waist and 182cm length offered enough float for the Canadian Rockies. All in all, a great ski. But with a such a light ski, durability was a weakness and after those 6 years, sidewalls were compressed and opening up (from hitting buried avalanche debris). So it was time to look for something new.

In those 6 years, lots of new carbon skis came to the market, but with a poorer exchange rate and 6 years of inflation, they demanded a higher price. And I would rather ski my Cho Oyu's until they explode (I still use them as rock skis) than take the weight penalty of a full wood core ski at this time.

Then I saw the Ski Trab Stelvio 85. A carbon ski for the price of a wood ski. 120g heavier than the carbon variant but cheaper. 85mm underfoot to provide that perfect compromise between weight and float for the locations I ski, similar to my 88mm Cho Oyus. I picked up the 178cm and mounted them with another great price-weight compromise: the Dynafit Speed Turn binding, for another great price-weight compromise the Dynafit Speedfit Pro boot. A brand new budget setup for hundreds of dollars less than the best carbon.

I have now put in a couple of short seasons in on these skis. Another benefit of being similar dimensions to my Cho Oyus, I was able to use the same pair of Pomoca Climb Pro skins that I have been using since 2014, with just a minor trim at the waist that does not affect their ability on the Cho Oyus during rock ski duty. The verdict is that the Trabs are still light on the uphill, but require more aggressive and attentive skiing on the way down. They are simply stiffer and with less sidecut than the Cho Oyus. In predictable snow like hardpack and powder, this is fine, but in the chop, breakable crust, or slabby snow, I'd rather be on the Cho Oyu's. That said, I am still able to get in that extra lap with fresher legs compared to a wider and heavier ski. 

Durability-wise I am not sure if my skiing habits have changed since 7 years ago, but through the 2 seasons I have used the Stelvios, they have held up a lot better than the Cho Oyus through the same period; the sidewalls are still intact. 

All in, a light, budget ski, but it doesn't live up to the skiability of the Cho Oyu. Ski Trab made the Gavia at the same time as the Stelvio which is even softer, and I would be curious to try those if they came in a 178cm.

The road back

I took my time getting back to activity after covid. Fortunately, I didn't really have any symptoms. I did the full quarantine for a bit, then got out for some walks. Then I started to go for easy bike rides and runs. I kept busy sorting through my old Lego bin, pulling out parts and building long lost sets from the mixture. It was time consuming enough that it kept me distracted. But I really wanted to see where I was at fitness wise because I wanted to get back to riding up mountains.

I've never really taken a long break from training that was enough to notice a drop in fitness. I've also tried to avoid pushing myself really hard while sick, hard enough that I would see how much the sickness has taken out of me. I have never found myself saying "that sickness/work trip/family trip took 10 Watts off my FTP!".

I was starting at my bottom. This wasn't a matter of some breathing obstruction disappearing. I had few red blood cells. But you have to start somewhere, so I did a ramp test. The result was about 80% of my pre-chemotherapy number. Not too bad, probably similar to the average recreational rider out on the trails. But the mountain was daunting. It was late April and if I wanted to get back to my pre-cancer levels to crush some big rides and runs by the end of August, I would need an improvement of 5W per week, 20W per month. Breaking it down like this made it seem unrealistic and impossible.

In Edmonton, the maximum height difference in the river valley is about 40m. It's not a lot to work with and serious racers only get their fix of high intensity by sprinting up them in under 1 minute. If I wanted to ride easier, I had previously been able to sit and spin up them, even if it took 2-3 minutes, it wasn't long enough to make me hurt. Now, that 2-3 minutes was pushing me over my threshold. It was eerily nostalgic of my earlier days cycling and something that a lot of recreational riders feel. It made me appreciate all of the training that I have done that has allowed me to not have to suffer up every climb. It seems weird that recreational riders are afraid of a little voluntary intensity, otherwise known as "training", and just accept that every hill they encounter will make their legs hurt!

I was at the level of the average recreational rider, but I was lacking endurance. Before, I would be able to ride at an easy for me pace for over 1 hour with little more than water and a couple of cookies. Now, I was bonking after an hour and those cookies weren't going to save me. Going for a ride now meant bringing more snacks! It was nice to encounter friends who had heard of my battle and encouraged me. Thanks for all of the messages!

I used to be able to go into a weekend, guns a blazing. Now, I had to stick to the plan, just making sure that I was putting in the right amount of hard work. Now was not the time to focus on the summits, because they wouldn't be anything spectacular at this point, but the process. All I cared about was getting back to my previous levels.

In May and June, I was actually able to manage to improve at about 5W per week. Week by week, I didn't seem to be making that kind of progress, but with regular periods of rest, my body was able to recover and produce those extra watts the next week. In early June, I was starting to feel strong again. I was the only one to complete 2 laps of the upper deck of Commonwealth Stadium (The Gristle) with the November Project, and I had a wonderful day where I ran up Opal Ridge in the morning, then cycled up to Highwood Pass in the afternoon. By Canada day weekend, I found myself back to being able to put in some solid days in the mountains. I finally felt like I was back in my element.

Then my progress stalled. I was still at least 5% short of where I was. But I was able to complete a goal that had been on my plate for a while: I ran the 55km Rockwall Trail. After a couple of years without races over the pandemic, this was the first day in a while to really take a lot out of me. It would take weeks to fully recover from, but it was so worth it.

In the fall, I experienced another setback: Reynauds syndome. My fingers and toes would go numb and white when experiencing slightly cold weather. It puts things into perspective because it is worse than not being as fast. I had to buy heated socks and mitts. I have to be careful going outside in the cold. It has taken away some enjoyment of winter.

It has been difficult to progress above the plateau. I was comparing myself to my previous all time cycling numbers, but these were from the pandemic, when I had little comparison to previous running and skiing performances at the same time. I was always a little hesitant to compare to my previous mountain running or skiing performances because I can't do such a test during an evening after work in Edmonton. I have to use one of my weekend days to test in the mountains. While I have been able to get within 5% on the bike, I seem to be a little further out on the run, especially with shorter efforts.

Typically, the Christmas break is a time when I can string together a bunch of really good skiing days to prepare for the rest of the skimo season. Unfortunately, this year the ski conditions were not very inspiring over Christmas and I felt I wasn't able to ski confidently or frequently enough. Conditions improved by the time I took my winter vacation later in February and I was able to put in some back to back days more characteristic of myself pre-chemotherapy. These days gave me the confidence that I lacked going into the later part of the race season.

Aside from some midweek bike and running races, my return to competition would be with ski mountaineering. It was 3 years since I last raced. The level of competition has increased since I last raced and I find myself in some deeper battles. I qualified for World Championships, but after lengthy contemplation, I declined because I wasn't feeling it. I wasn't feeling like I was downhill skiing very good yet. I wasn't feeling confident that I would have the ability to survive the back to back days of competition. Lastly, I wasn't feeling like I had the ability to launch myself into uncharted territory: to improve on my previous world championships results to race in the groups that are normally ahead. Instead, I would be in familiar territory and I didn't see the point. 

The last races of the season went well at Steep Dreams and Marmot's Revenge. I capped off the season with a win in the vertical and a hard fought 2nd in the individual at Marmot's Revenge. 

After successful treatment by chemotherapy, a 5 year monitoring process begins. In the first year, there are CT scans or chest x-rays along with blood tests for the tumour markers every 2 months. As the years go on, the frequency decreases. A failed test could mean additional chemotherapy is required, likely a different, more unpleasant treatment because the cancer was able to beat the first treatment. At the beginning, I was struggling to envision myself committing to any trips or long term goals, instead focusing on making the most out of more local adventures. Now I feel a little more willing to plan ahead, though I would prefer to ideally squeeze everything into the growing gaps between tests.

Before starting treatment, I had a phone call with another cancer survivor and he said "your body won't be the same, but that's ok". I ignored and still continue to ignore this while believing I will return to my best. 

I guess in a lot of cases, people who go through a health crisis see it as a wakeup call that they need to make major changes to their life. Because factors in their life directly led to the health crisis. Perhaps I am living in denial, but nothing about the lifestyle I have led has proven to increase the risk of cancer. Instead, I feel like some of the choices in my life have been confirmed and I wish to spend more time of what could be reduced life expectancy (because of the toxic chemicals that were put in my body) doing those things I love to do and not wasting time and money doing the things I don't want to do. People have asked me how I was so motivated to come back. I guess it's because I was doing stuff I wanted to do.

Rock bottom

 I have no symptoms other than a bit of a sore throat and a fever, but I take a rapid covid test. It shows a faint line. If you are on chemotherapy and have a fever, you are instructed to go to the emergency room because your immune system is weakened and can't fight infection. I "only" had to wait for just over an hour (compared to 12hr+ waiting times. I am admitted to my own room and a blood sample and covid swab (for a PCR test) are taken. Then I am started on anti-biotics to eliminate a bacterial infection, if there was one. 

The emergency room is a contrast from the CCI. At the CCI, there are fewer patients per nurse. When the infusion pumps beep, they are quick to be attended to, whether there is air in the line or if the fluid is finished. In the emergency room, the staff have to manage many more patients. Pumps are constantly beeping and I can hear screaming down the hall, but the nurses are already busy attending to other patients! 

I spend the entire day in a room in the emergency department and it becomes clear that this might be a multi-day thing. I call to let work know that I won't be in tomorrow either. I call the CCI to let them know that I'll be missing my final chemotherapy treatment, bleomycin. I get my dad to drop off some clothes, snacks, and a book. I meet with an infectious disease doctor who is actually very interested in something that showed up on one of my heart valves during a CT scan in January. Eventually around midnight, the results of the PCR test have come in and confirmed that I am positive with Covid.

At the time I was vaccinated 3 times (and have since been vaccinated 2 more times). It was my first time having Covid, I did not know how my body would react with a depleted immune system. Blood tests prior to beginning my final cycle of chemotherapy had shown that my white blood cells were below the normal range. 

I was wheeled (along with my pump, still pumping antibiotics) to the ward for Covid positive patients. It was dark, it was late at night. Over the door read a sign that said "Intensive Care Unit". I was wheeled past rooms enclosed in glass to my curtained partition room at the very end of the hall. The head of the bed looked a little more complex with switches, control panels and places to connect cables and hoses. Nothing was plugged into any of these sockets but I was freaked out. Why was I here?

As I lied awake, I felt my chest tighten, as if something was clamping down on my entire rib cage. I was sure that I was not going to die in the hospital with help not far away, but I was wondering if this was Covid's way of taking over my body. I thought of losing all endurance abilities, never being able to even manage skinning up for one lap. 

It was here that I thought about all of the wonderful moments in mountains I have experienced in my life and how the recollections of all the views, skiing powder, and topping out climbs dominated my memories.

A lot of stuff you do in life is maintenance stuff so that you can spend time doing what you love.  A life consisting purely of those activities that you love would be considered "hedonistic", so society has a way of pressuring people to conform to some standard that only breeds mediocracy and stress. Cancer doesn't care if I make my bed everyday, pick up clothes off the floor, or clean the baseboards in my house. It doesn't care if I live my life modelled off of a 90's sitcom and go out to restaurants 5 days a week. It doesn't care if  I follow the unwritten rules. All I wanted to do was to ski again. I wanted to strip the maintenance stuff down to the bare bones. I clean the previous day's dishes so that I can bake and make food for the next day so that I can be fueled for my bike or ski.

Fortunately the tightening disappeared, but the first night was sleepless. And it turns out, it was a former ICU that was being repurposed as a covid ward.

They didn't want us sharing bathrooms because we were covid positive, but being pumped full of liquids, the jug with the desiccant bag that I was provided was soon insufficient so I staked my claim for the washroom. The women in the partition next to me had a habit of walking around naked, so I made sure to keep my curtain closed.

Although I was in better spirits after eating and napping, I still felt vulnerable. I didn't leave the house for almost a week and yet I still got sick. How long will it take my immune system to recover from chemotherapy? When I am finally discharged, will I end up back here? Binge watching Tallboyz on CBC kept me going. I did a deep dive on Instagram and found some pictures of someone (I can't remember) having fun ski touring and that reminded me of how good the days can be. My hospital stay reminded me just how vulnerable I am, and how important it was to make the most out of those moments where you do feel strong.

I was to be there for 5 days until the run of antibiotics finished. 5 days of dragging around a beeping pump and no fresh air. 5 days in the hospital because people didn't want to wear a mask in the grocery store. I had to ask to get the covid anti-viral treatments which were approved for immunocompromised people. And finally, I received an injection which magically started to increase my white blood cells back to normal levels. My parents visited me each day, they had to wear disposable robes, masks and face shields, just like the nurses in the covid ward.

In addition to my last chemotherapy treatment, it looked like I was going to miss a CT scan scheduled in a week at CCI while isolating and I was able to reschedule that to happen during my hospital stay.

Finally, after 5 days, it was time to get released from the hospital. I was to isolate in my parent's master bedroom. Fresh air was brief but fantastic. It only consisted of a short walk to the car and sticking my head out of the window on the ride. For those that have been following along on Instagram, it is here that I opened up my childhood Lego bin and began building.

Into it

I go up to the 4th floor and into a room full of lazy-boys on wheels. There are windows on 3 sides and it is well lit and not too crowded. I take my seat. A nurse comes over to put in an IV, fortunately it goes in on the first try. The first 1L bag of fluid to be administered is connected to the pump. It is just saline, intended to hydrate me to avoid hazardous side effects from the first chemotherapy drug, cisplatin. It will be pumped into me over 1 hour. There are 3 chemotherapy drugs today. How long will I be here?

Cisplatin is in a 750mL bag administered over 1hr. Etoposide is in a 750mL bag administered over 1hr. Finally Bleomycin is in a small bag that is administered over 15 minutes. Bleomycin is described as being toxic to the lungs. Lance Armstrong opted for alternative treatments to limit the effect on his career as a professional cyclist. Before starting treatment, I have done a lung function test to define my baseline numbers if anything were to happen. 

Chemotherapy drugs kill cancer by limiting cell division in the body. This prevents cancer cells from dividing rapidly, but there is collateral damage inside the body. Division of white and red blood cells and skin cells in the body is also affected by chemotherapy drugs. This is the reason for side effects such as fatigue (from lack of red blood cells to transfer oxygen through the body), being immunocompromised (from lack of white blood cells) susceptible to infections (like COVID), and cuts that heal slowly outside and inside of the body. 

4 hours later, I get back to my bike to ride home. My body feels swollen from having taken on 3L of fluid, so much that my knees hurt when I crouch down to unlock my bike. The first day, I go for a fatbike ride in the evening on the flatter Oleskiw trails. Mostly I feel bloated from the fluids. So far, side effects are excessive hiccups that keep me up at night (fortunately I can watch the Olympics on TV), the odd headache and that the couch starts to feel like it has a gravitational pull.

The first weekend, my taste buds are shot. A carrot becomes inedible. After that, just try to eat pizza and pasta, foods I enjoy. I eat waffles every morning as they are softer on the gums. I call it "living my best life" so that I don't lose weight because of a poor appetite. Fortunately, my taste comes back after a day.

One cycle for me was 3 days in a row of cisplatin and etoposide with bleomycin on the first day of those 3. Then bleomycin on 1 day of each of the next two weeks. Some blood tests to make sure that the kidneys are still functioning and blood cells are at reasonable levels then the next cycle begins. I did 3 cycles total over 9 weeks.

 In each cycle, the 3 days in a row hit hardest, but the effect is delayed until the weekend and early the next week. For instance, the Tuesday following always brought a headache and nausea, relegating me to the couch for the day. In the following weeks with just the bleomycin infusions, I start to feel better, but then the next cycle begins. 

The message throughout the treatments is to try to continue my normal levels of activity. Well, I know better than that and definitely dial it back, limiting things to 1.5 hours if I am having a particularly good day. The weekend before the beginning of the 2nd cycle, I do a 3 day stage race on Zwift. I am curious how much fitness I have lost. The first day, I start at about 95% of my pre-chemotherapy numbers, but blow up and finish at an average of about 85%. It doesn't seem like much, but it is striking how much just 1 cycle has taken out of me. The next day, I smarten up and try to pace at 85%. I'm at the back of the pack, and I see someone using the sticky-watts (exploiting the game by surging for 2-5 seconds, then easing off) cheat pass me. How pathetic. I finish the 3 days, but decide that it's not worth pushing myself for such meagre numbers.

I start to lose my hair just before the start of the 2nd cycle. The hair on the side of my head is starting to fall out, there is hair all over my pillow and my toques, so I shave the rest of my hair off. Other parts of my body and my finger nails are becoming extra sensitive.

I arrive the morning of the next cycle and there has been a bit of a mix up. After my initial weigh in, someone along the way interpreted my weight as being 90-something kg instead of 70-something kg. That means that during the first cycle I was given a much higher dosage of chemotherapy than proposed. There is a bit of a delay as they have to mix new bags at the lower dosage but I am glad that error has been caught!

After the first treatments of the 2nd cycle, I discover that the gravitational pull of the couch isn't because it has suddenly gained a large amount of mass. It is the nausea. It's not like the nausea you get when you've had a few too many beers. It feels different, but it has the same effect: it makes you want to lie down. I have been provided with prescription anti-nausea medications, but they only work so well.

I start to notice the effects of having less red blood cells. I get head rushes if I get up too quickly. My heart rate races even if I go up a flight of stairs. The stairs on my bike ride to the CCI is starting to require more from me. One day it snowed and it was a really difficult ride to get to the CCI. On the way back, the final hill out of McKinnon ravine up to 142 street always required some strategy to be able to make it up: resting on the flat section.

I didn't mind sitting on my indoor bike and grinding it out at 35-45%. Besides the Tour of Watopia group rides were going on. But I found that if I exerted myself too hard or for too long, I would get a bit of a sore throat. Nothing that couldn't be soothed with some tea, but I was always worried that that would be the precursor to something more serious.

In February and March 2022, we are still in the midst of a pandemic. Being immunocompromised from the chemotherapy makes me exceptionally vulnerable to Covid. So I've had my partner do all of the grocery shopping and I didn't go to any indoor public spaces aside from the CCI, where I've been wearing an N95 mask. 

Think about the political background at the time. February was marked by anti-mask and anti-vax, and anti-whatever (progress) occupation of Ottawa and blockades of border crossings. Basically selfish people who were fed up with having to do the bare minimum required to participate in a civilized society. I felt like I didn't have a choice about whether to put toxic chemicals inside my body and get several needles a week and these people were scared of a little vaccine. The government caved and mask mandates lifted. There goes another level of protection.

Near the end of the 3rd cycle, with one last treatment to go, I didn't have to leave the house all weekend. My parents dropped off some food, I was happy to spin for 1.5hours at a time on Zwift. My partner had gone away for the weekend to go skiing, only stopping for gas and a short grocery shop. The Tuesday after she got back, I woke up with a bit of a sore throat...and a fever.