Nature calls us outside to enjoy cycling, hiking, and paddling, but there’s another kind of call of nature. You know the kind I mean. And those of us who travel under our own power become pretty good at answering nature’s call, in environments ranging from mosquito-infested bottomlands to snow-swept ridges to congested urban centers. Sometimes, though, we need a bit of guidance:

 
The Telegraph has a hilarious collection of toilet signs from around the world in a photo feature called “Sign Language Special: Toilet Humour.” Have a look and see if you don’t agree.

 
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In the weeks leading to the annual Interbike International Bicycle Expo, Surly fanciers speculate on what new colors and possible feature changes are in store for their favorite models. This year, I contributed my own guesses about the Long Haul Trucker’s new color. Sorry to say, I failed to guess the right color, but it was fun joining in with the others who participated in the “Surly LHT Color Betting Pool” at the North Central Cyclery Blog.

For those of you who haven’t heard yet, the LHT’s new color is Hill Street Blue. Here’s a photo, courtesy of Chuck Davis, of OK Velo in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who attended Interbike in Las Vegas:

 
This bright blue color has generated the usual reaction, with some liking it and others not. For my part, I’m partial to my utility blue LHT, which in some lights verges on what I’d call Navy Destroyer Gray, but Hill Street Blue is quite nice. More fundamentally though, this year’s LHT is being offered with a significant new feature—the capability to accommodate 26″ wheels in the larger frame sizes. Here’s a side-on view from Chuck:

 
This display bike is outfitted for touring with the full kit—front and rear racks, fenders, and panniers. I was pleased to see the Continental Town & Country tires, which are often overlooked in favor of more expensive tires. I have a pair of T&Cs on my mountain bike, which I use for utility purposes in wet or snowy weather, and the tires work very well in all conditions except ice or deep sand and gravel.

Surly hasn’t yet published photos of the Hill Street Blue LHT on its website, and it will be some time yet before it’s offered for sale, but at least the suspense about its new color is now over. Thanks to Chuck Davis for permission to reprint his photos.

 
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Today’s Bike Sunday photo is of a consultant who often stops by to see if I’m doing the right thing as I work on my bikes out on the sidewalk. She’s a stickler for detail, very observant, and demands swift payment of her fee of sunflower seeds. Not so bad a price to pay for her company and opinion, though:

 
We love our bikes, right? And we never tire of looking at them. At least I don’t, and if I’m to judge from what others tell me, I’m not alone. So each Sunday I’ll publish a bike picture. Most of the time the picture will be a photo, but I’ll also include drawings, paintings, sculptures, and any other representation of a bike or bikes. If you have one you’d like to contribute to the gallery, just email your picture(s) to me.

 
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