Messages

601

GPS & Digital Data Discussion / GPS info for Macintosh Users

« on: August 01, 2007, 01:00:34 am »

Current issue of Macworld magazine, September, 2007, (yes, there's
yet another photo of the iPhone on the cover) has a short but helpful
article on Mac-centric GPS resources.

Among the suggestions is to just bite it and run Winderz apps under
Parallels but other helpful information is presented, too.

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

602

GPS & Digital Data Discussion / What can GPS do for you?

« on: August 13, 2004, 06:55:53 pm »

Compared to other consumer technologies, GPS is remarkably
aggresive, offensively unforgiving, and difficult to use. The receivers
have all been designed for engineers, not bicyclists. I find them
exasperating and classic examples of the Way Stupid Interface.

Some people can figure them out but the data is rather heartless. And,
frankly, I have never met anyone who knows how to use more than
about 25% of their unit's capabilities; stuff that could make their trips
more interesting and might make them feel much better about their
investments.

Before you invest in what could turn out to be a $150-$800 clock, buy
-- or check out from your library -- the three or four "for the rest of
us" books on GPS.

bogiesan

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

603

General Discussion / Touring Wired, Wireless, Etc.

« on: December 06, 2008, 09:49:57 am »

> would like to download mileage, speed, heart-rate data from my
bike computer every couple of days, and am thinking of picking up a
new/used mini-laptop (2 lbs) for this purpose. Obviously, it would be
nice to have e-mail and internet access at same time.<

Wee see these questions often, "How much electronics do I need to
carry to have fun?" Those of us over 50 wonder; we have used
postcards,
mail drops, and pay phones or just rolled along for weeks without
checking in with anyone.

Here's something else we know about carrying expensive stuff: it gets
stolen, lost, broken, soaked, worried about, or sat upon.

Once you figure it out, I suggest you test your rig on a few extended
weekenders and see if the data you are collecting really means enough
to hassle with the hardware.

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

This message was edited by bogiesan on 12-6-08 @ 6:56 AM

604

General Discussion / RANS stem recall

« on: November 23, 2008, 05:36:36 pm »

If you have a RANS recumbent, please visit the RANS site for an important
safety announcement. Visit bentrideronline.com and search the forums
for the thread called "Broken Stem, Holy Crap!" authored by "bogiesan" for
additional details and discussions from RANS custoemrs. .

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

605

General Discussion / recumbant touring

« on: November 23, 2008, 05:33:35 pm »

visit bentrideronline.com to research all of your recumbent questions.

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

606

General Discussion / PTS? Post Tour Syndrome?

« on: November 08, 2008, 09:47:29 am »

Maybe you'll get used to it after many more events?
I was that way after my first regional tours (small group 500 miles, and
then Cycle Oregon which is rather luxurious) but I got over it. Now I just
anticipate the next tour.

bogiesan

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

607

General Discussion / What Touring bike would you suggest?

« on: November 08, 2008, 09:45:33 am »

REI still makes a decent touring machine in their Novara line. Ooops,
just checked, it seems to have been dropped. That doesn't mean you
can't find one in the back of the REI in your host city.

Being a recumbent fanatic, I suggest a Tour Easy from Easy Racers.
You can figure out the fitting at home (must be one someplace you can
ride) and have it ordered and assembled by a shop in the target city.
You can sel it easily at the other end, very high resale value on ER
products. Shipping a 'bent back across the Atlantic won't be cheap.

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

608

General Discussion / Camping on bike routes

« on: October 10, 2008, 10:06:53 pm »

> . Instead of trying to micromanage before touring, just get out there
on the road on a transcontinental bicycle tour and deal with it then and
there. <

Yar, while I have not been on a self-contained trip (not my style at all),
I love reading about them. What I read is always the same: Get out
there and cope and be prepared to be surprised. Magic usually
happens.

> There are plenty of books on the subject of bicycle touring.<

Your local library will have several books on the topic. Look in the AC
shop for titles that interest you and then go to your library.

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

609

General Discussion / Cycle Oregon vs ( MT or WA or ?)

« on: September 16, 2008, 11:45:15 am »

This was my sixth or seventh CO.
Cycle Oregon is a grand and luxurious event, a big, noisy, rolling party
mounted by a monstrous, finely tuned machine. Most CO participants
are there for reasons other than what I think most of us here would call
"touring by bicycle." Cycle Oregon isn't really about "touring." Its
mission is to bring urbanites out into rural Oregon to spend money.

While that may sound dismissive, the participants dump huge cash
inflows into small towns and the Cycle Oregon Foundation (having
raised more than a million dollars) contributes large amounts to social,
cultural, and bike-related projects. You can read all about it:
http://www.cycleoregon.com/fund.htm

Cycle Oregon is a gold standard against which many similar events can
be compared. You get a royal treatment for your money. You must like
or be able to adapt quickly to riding in and sleeping with big crowds.

Disclosure: I am associated with Ride Idaho. I have not been on an AC
event or tour. I have participated in small multi-day tours and small
cycling events.  

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

610

General Discussion / OT: Bicyclist hits bear in Missoula, MT.

« on: September 14, 2008, 07:55:37 pm »

On this year's Cycle Oregon event we had a guy run into a cow.
Wrenched his leg badly but no seriously. Quickly earned the nickname
T-bone. The cow is okay.

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

611

General Discussion / Favorite book

« on: August 27, 2008, 12:42:45 am »

Anything by John McPhee. The collections are pleasantly
eclectic.

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

612

General Discussion / First tour, No Experience

« on: July 29, 2008, 01:57:26 pm »

We are planning this trip to raise money for the International Justice
Mission (IJM.org) and we don't have a lot of money to spend on the
bikes+gear.
What would be a decent used bike to look for that would be as cheap
as possible.

Go to your nearest library and check out all of their bike touring books.  
Visit the AC store and buy one or two. Buy the map set for the route
you are considering.
Your budget must include everything you cannot borrow and the things
you can borrow are not going to appropriate for bicycle touring.  

What should we consider to be the most important when picking a
bike.

It's a list of items; a long list. Comfort, durability, reliability, ease of
field repair, weight, fit, rigging for racks, rigging for bottles, comfort,
comfort, comfort.

Lastly, What kind of training schedule should we start once we have
the bikes? This trip is going to be 1200 miles in less than 3 weeks so I
know I need short-term goals in order to accomplish the long-term
goal of completing the trip.


Let's see... how to put this? That schedule is ridiculous. That is not a
social issue awareness raising bike touring event. That is a death
march undertaken by tyros. Is sadomasochism necessary to make it a
valid trip?  

Plan on making this trip three years from now. Spend the next two
years learning how to do it without risk of failure.

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

613

General Discussion / boxing bikes and a bent on amtrak

« on: June 10, 2008, 12:37:06 am »

search crazyguyonabike for AMTRAK and see what comes up.?

Aside from that, you need to talk to Amtrak directly.
Now.
If you start early enough, you can find your way to someone who can
offer legitimate information and issue waivers. But, as bureaucracies
go, I can imagine Amtrak is one of the more obtuse. You want stuff in
writing from someone in authority when you obtain ticketing and
boarding and luggage clearances. You want it greased and you want it
long in advance.

david boise ID



go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

614

General Discussion / Platform pedals for touring bikes

« on: June 03, 2008, 08:49:17 am »

Pedals are the interface between your legs and the road. The numerous
designs of this interface are designed to achieve specific purpose.
Aside from the arguable safety issue of staying with the bike in a crash,
platforms cannot facilitate an upstroke like clipless systems and are
therefore less efficient. But you may not want or need an upstroke.

People travel on their bikes for different reasons. Comfort, economy,
perceived need to employ every calorie of effort in order to get to the
destination are personal choices. Run the leg-road interface you enjoy.

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

615

General Discussion / A and D Ointment

« on: May 25, 2008, 10:56:39 pm »

I carry A&D or Butt Paste, same stuff, different mfrs. I also carry witch
hazel and a package of those pre-moistened towelettes. I have learned  
long hours in the saddle have different results under different weather
conditions. And my recumbent seat presents an entirely different set of
issues than wedgies experience.

For many people, petroleum jelly, by its very nature, is more of an
irritant than a salve.  Use it carefully on your butt on long rides till you
know how your system tolerates the chemistry under the peculiar
stress that is long distance riding.

I love Wikipedia for stuff like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_jelly
Chesebrough originally promoted Vaseline primarily as an ointment for
scrapes, burns, and cuts, but physicians have shown that Vaseline has
no medicinal effect or any effect on the blistering process, nor is it
absorbed by the skin. Vaselines effectiveness in accelerating wound
healing stems from its sealing effect on cuts and burns, which inhibits
germs from getting into the wound and keeps the injured area supple
by preventing the skin's moisture from evaporating.
Dangerous uses to avoid
As the substance became more common in households, it began to be
used for a number of medical purposes, some of which medical science
has shown to be dangerous or damaging.
Burns
It should not be used on fresh burns of any kind, including sunburn.
Petrolatum traps heat inside, worsening burns. After heat has
dissipated, however, it can serve as a dressing for minor burns to
soothe later pain.[1]
Nasal congestion or dryness
If particles of petrolatum are inhaled from the nose, they may deposit
in the lungs and lead to a condition called lipoid pneumonia, although
this is usually caused by excessive use, rather than daily use.[2]
Sex with latex condoms
Since petroleum jelly is oil-based, it interferes with the structure of
latex. Using petroleum jelly with latex condoms weakens the material
increasing the chance of rupture, and thereby the chance of conceiving
or spreading sexually transmitted infections.
.

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."