buffal0b1ll's post-posterous: August 2012

Friday, August 31, 2012

All Backed Up, Yo!

Installed Clockwork Mod Touch

Backed up ROM

Threw it in the super-awesome folder for backups in the Google Nexus 7 Toolkit

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Patch air mattress from inside

Tyvek tape, beeotch !

See the full gallery on Posterous

Google Nexus 7

Just got a new Google Nexus 7 at work. $200 for a super thin 16GB 7" tablet running newest Google Android OS, Jelly Bean.

Sorry for not detailing the entire unboxing, blog fans;-(

It took about 15 minutes to unlock, root, and clockwork mod using the super-awesome Google 7 Nexus Toolkit available here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1809195

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-mgCi3lvQto4/UCGSK86JbUI/AAAAAAAAArk/uU95eZ...

$25 credit with Google Play store email notification popped in my Gmail Inbox seconds after I signed into the Nexus! Nice!!!!

Second thing I did after rooting was enable landscape in HomeScreens. Being forced to use portrait really got on my nerves. This article helped with that http://www.slashgear.com/nexus-7-tablet-ui-hack-opens-up-landscape-use-04237157/

Gotta root your Nexus 7 before these steps will work

1.Get a file explorer such as root explorer or es file manager(go to settings allow mount rewritable and root access)

2.Then go to system(es file manager just go to the star button on the top left hand side and click on the phone button and you will see the system folder)
3.You will find a build.prop file make sure to make a copy of it and save it somewhere just in case for a backup.
4.Then click on the build.prop and open it with a text editor. (ES file manager has its own)
5. Now scroll down to “ro.sf.lcd_density”, or something with lcd density(sorry im at work so i dont have my n7 with me)
6. Now the original lcd density is 213 so the best result for tablet mode is going 170 and below.
7. Save the file by press the menu button.
8. Reboot your N7 and then you got Tablet UI.

Ahhhh! That's better

So far here's some impressions, workarounds, and things that I did to make my Nexus mine.

Jelly Bean (JB) isn't much different than Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) -- It's just faster and "buttery smooth"
Video is fast and sharp and amazing -- streamed video fast and crisp from a share on my Ubuntu lappy over Wifi G home network and didn't even get that upset when I'd advance to the middle and then switch back to the beginning of a timeline
Google "Voice Search" has come a long way (If you are in a quiet room it rarely misses on guessing exactly what you said -- even spelled my last name correctly so it obviously ties into the contacts database)
Not much bloat to speak of
- A bunch of advertisement widgets on stock homescreens that launch Google's appz
- "Google +" & "+ Messenger" (I'm not a fan of circles)
- "Maps" "Navigation" and "Local" (I like all of those)
- "Latitude" (I don't use it)
- "Play Books" (I've used it but I can live without)
- "Play Magazines" (this is new to me)
- "Play Movies & TV" (Integrates your local video files with a Play Store interface to show for movies and TV shows--comes with Transformers: Dark Side of the Moonmovie -- nice touch)
- "Google Currents" (I like this one)
- "Google Earth" (WOW! The video chip is strong enough to run that!!!)
- "Google Wallet" (haven't opened this yet but I've used it online
"Chrome" is the default browser! Yay! It behaves just like it did in ICS and syncs all my desktop bookmarks magically.
What didn't come installed it surprisingly?
- "Google Drive"
- "Google Sky Maps" (I love this app!)
- "Camera" (WTF? There's screen facing lens pointing right at me for video Gtalk or Skype or whatever. But there's no Camera app for taking pictures and videos???)
  - CNET to the rescue with a slick Camera app that does still, video, and panoramic stills http://download.cnet.com/Camera-Launcher-for-Nexus-7/3000-2094_4-75747864.html
Other peeves
- GTalk doesn't show up in the Share menu when you try to share a hyperlink in Chrome;-(
- No improvements to ICS launcher in JB that I could make out
  - 5 homescreens can't be reduced -- I only need 2 or 3
  - I installed "GO Laucher EX" because it does all the things I like that stock launcher won't
    - Create multiple desktop shortcuts at a time right from the App Drawer
    - Run however many home screens you want
    - Resize widgets
    - Includes an app drawer that show on every homescreen (like a phone)
- Stock "Video Player" doesn't seem to want to play MKV files
  - No biggie, one of my first Play Store installs was "MX Player" anyway
- Stock keyboard is dumb
  - Need to switch between letters, symbols, and numbers screen
  - No swype
  - No controls like up, down, right, left, end, home, select, copy, paste, etc
  - Installed "Touch Pal" which solves these issues but runs a little wonky in JB and crashes everytime you try to use voice input
- "Enhanced Email" app that I use for work email uninstalls your account settings everytime you reboot
  - Solution is here http://quantumsolutions.us/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3111&start=10#p17059
  - I used the Backup and Restore using "Titanium Backup" and it now works right
- Lots of apps that I want to install aren't available yet for JB, e.g. "Garmin Connect", "Weather Channel"
  - I'll be sideloading these with posted apk backups from my phone or other tablet ("Garmin Fit" seems to have sideloaded succcessfully;-)
- Many other apps that I'd like to fork over some of my $25 Play Store credit towards aren't yet available to upgrade from the FREE (which does run on JB) to the PRO which isn't fully tested and stamped for approval yet, e.g. "tTorrent"

There you have it. A recap of my first 24 hours with the Nexus 7 from Google.

Google Nexus 7

Just got a new Google Nexus 7 at work. $200 for a super thin 16GB 7" tablet running newest Google Android OS, Jelly Bean.

Sorry for not detailing the entire unboxing, blog fans;-(

It took about 15 minutes to unlock, root, and clockwork mod using the super-awesome Google 7 Nexus Toolkit available here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1809195

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-mgCi3lvQto4/UCGSK86JbUI/AAAAAAAAArk/uU95eZ...

$25 credit with Google Play store email notification popped in my Gmail Inbox seconds after I signed into the Nexus! Nice!!!!

Gotta root your Nexus 7 before these steps will work

1.Get a file explorer such as root explorer or es file manager(go to settings allow mount rewritable and root access)

Ahhhh! That's better

[[posterous-content:oscfrbwDqbffvjvtgrzx]]

So far here's some impressions, workarounds, and things that I did to make my Nexus mine.

Jelly Bean (JB) isn't much different than Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) -- It's just faster and "buttery smooth"
Video is fast and sharp and amazing -- streamed video fast and crisp from a share on my Ubuntu lappy over Wifi G home network and didn't even get that upset when I'd advance to the middle and then switch back to the beginning of a timeline
Google "Voice Search" has come a long way (If you are in a quiet room it rarely misses on guessing exactly what you said -- even spelled my last name correctly so it obviously ties into the contacts database)
Not much bloat to speak of
- A bunch of advertisement widgets on stock homescreens that launch Google's appz
- "Google +" & "+ Messenger" (I'm not a fan of circles)
- "Maps" "Navigation" and "Local" (I like all of those)
- "Latitude" (I don't use it)
- "Play Books" (I've used it but I can live without)
- "Play Magazines" (this is new to me)
- "Play Movies & TV" (Integrates your local video files with a Play Store interface to show for movies and TV shows--comes with Transformers: Dark Side of the Moonmovie -- nice touch)
- "Google Currents" (I like this one)
- "Google Earth" (WOW! The video chip is strong enough to run that!!!)
- "Google Wallet" (haven't opened this yet but I've used it online
"Chrome" is the default browser! Yay! It behaves just like it did in ICS and syncs all my desktop bookmarks magically.
What didn't come installed it surprisingly?
- "Google Drive"
- "Google Sky Maps" (I love this app!)
- "Camera" (WTF? There's screen facing lens pointing right at me for video Gtalk or Skype or whatever. But there's no Camera app for taking pictures and videos???)
  - CNET to the rescue with a slick Camera app that does still, video, and panoramic stills http://download.cnet.com/Camera-Launcher-for-Nexus-7/3000-2094_4-75747864.html
Other peeves
- GTalk doesn't show up in the Share menu when you try to share a hyperlink in Chrome;-(
- No improvements to ICS launcher in JB that I could make out
  - 5 homescreens can't be reduced -- I only need 2 or 3
  - I installed "GO Laucher EX" because it does all the things I like that stock launcher won't
    - Create multiple desktop shortcuts at a time right from the App Drawer
    - Run however many home screens you want
    - Resize widgets
    - Includes an app drawer that show on every homescreen (like a phone)
- Stock "Video Player" doesn't seem to want to play MKV files
  - No biggie, one of my first Play Store installs was "MX Player" anyway
- Stock keyboard is dumb
  - Need to switch between letters, symbols, and numbers screen
  - No swype
  - No controls like up, down, right, left, end, home, select, copy, paste, etc
  - Installed "Touch Pal" which solves these issues but runs a little wonky in JB and crashes everytime you try to use voice input
- "Enhanced Email" app that I use for work email uninstalls your account settings everytime you reboot
  - Solution is here http://quantumsolutions.us/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3111&start=10#p17059
  - I used the Backup and Restore using "Titanium Backup" and it now works right
- Lots of apps that I want to install aren't available yet for JB, e.g. "Garmin Connect", "Weather Channel"
  - I'll be sideloading these with posted apk backups from my phone or other tablet ("Garmin Fit" seems to have sideloaded succcessfully;-)
- Many other apps that I'd like to fork over some of my $25 Play Store credit towards aren't yet available to upgrade from the FREE (which does run on JB) to the PRO which isn't fully tested and stamped for approval yet, e.g. "tTorrent"

There you have it. A recap of my first 24 hours with the Nexus 7 from Google.

RR: Turtle Commuting

Today will make a hat trick for cycle commuting for me, the longest streak this year.

No close calls. No thrown items. No screamers. Relatively few honkers.

One rescued box turtle on 108. He was an inch from getting flattened by a school bus yesterday. Looking back I should have crossed the road with him instead of walking him into the tall grass on my side. If he was like the chicken --just trying to get to the other side-- he mighta been right back in the road in 10 minutes trying to cross again. But I didn't notice any reptile roadkill on the way home so that's good.

The turtle I think is a metaphor for how slow I am on The Green Giant (geared road bike I've been favoring lately).

Sunday, August 26, 2012

NINER TUBE

Put ninth patch on this 29er tube today.

Lack of Wear

I rode this surly stainless for 2 years now. Maybe more. Still no shark fins. Wow !

How to Bulk Download from Garmin Connect Using Ruby Script disconnect.rb

My morning ride just got rained out:-( I had a fresh installed Unbuntu 12.04 lappy here, so I thought I'd show you how to scape all your rides from Garmin Connect .

Maybe you want to upload them to Strava using their new bulk uploader. I used to send the gpx and/or tcx files as attachments in <25MB batches to upload@strava.com before they added the new bulk loader.

[[posterous-content:pid___0]]

So let's get started.

First you need a computer running Ubuntu (You can make this work wtih Ruby for Windows too, but it's much harder and it takes much longer to setup)
- If you don't have an Ubuntu computer you can get one right now without screwing up you current system. Just run Ubuntu from a Live CD or install Ubuntu along side of your Windows OS by simply installing Wubi on your PC

Next you need the diconnect.rb script. Get it here

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109

#!/usr/bin/env ruby

## disconnect

# ./disconnect.rb -u yourusername [-o /your/path] [-p yourhttpproxyserver]
#
# This is a command-line utility for the bulk-downloading of run data from
# the connect.garmin.com web application, which has lackluster export
# capabilities.
#
# Using this code is a matter of your own relationship with Garmin Connect
# and their TOS. I can't imagine this being very destructive to their service,
# and it's just filling in a hole in their existing service.
#
# It's built against Garmin Connect as of September 22, 2011. It's a scraper:
# thus if Garmin changes, this **will break**.
#
# This script requires all of the utilities on the line below: install them
# with rubygems
%w{rubygems json fileutils mechanize choice highline/import}.map{|x| require x}

LOGIN_PAGE = "https://connect.garmin.com/signin"
ACTIVITIES_SEARCH = "http://connect.garmin.com/proxy/activity-search-service-1.0/json/activities?_dc=1220170621856&start=%d"
GPX_EXPORT = "http://connect.garmin.com/proxy/activity-service-1.1/gpx/activity/%d?full=true"
KML_EXPORT = "http://connect.garmin.com/proxy/activity-service-1.0/kml/activity/%d?full=true"
TCX_EXPORT = "http://connect.garmin.com/proxy/activity-service-1.0/tcx/activity/%d?full=true"

Choice.options do
    header ''
    header 'Specific options:'

    option :user, :required => true do
        short '-u'
        long '--user=USER'
        desc 'connect.garmin.com username. Required'
    end

    option :dir do
        short '-o'
        long '--output-dir=OUTPUT'
        desc 'the directory to save .tcx files'
        default 'tcx'
    end

	option :proxy do
		short '-p'
		long '--http-proxy'
		desc 'Use HTTP proxy for remote operations'
	end
end

password = ask("Enter your password: " ) { |q| q.echo = "*" }

def login(agent, user, password)
    agent.get(LOGIN_PAGE) do |page|
	    puts "Loaded login page."
        login_form = page.form('login')
        login_form['login:loginUsernameField'] = user
        login_form['login:password'] = password

		puts "Sent login information."
        page = agent.submit(login_form, login_form.buttons.first)
        raise "Login incorrect!" if page.title().match('Sign In')
		puts "Login successful!"
        return page
	end
end

def download_run(agent, id)
    print "."
    # This downloads TCX files: you can swap out the constant, or add
    # more lines that download the different kinds of exports. I prefer TCX,
    # because despite being a 'private standard,' it includes all data,
    # including heart rate data.
    agent.get(TCX_EXPORT % (id).to_i).save_as(File.join(Choice[:dir], "%d.tcx" % id))
end

def activities(agent)
	start = 0
	while true
		j = agent.get(ACTIVITIES_SEARCH % start)
		search = JSON.parse(j.content)
		# Got some JSON content, let's see if there are any activities left to process
		if search['results']['activities']==nil then break end
		runs = search['results']['activities'].map {|r|
			# Get each activity id to insert into the download URL
			r['activity']['activityId']
		}.map {|id|			    
			# Download a run.
			download_run(agent, id) 
			start=start+1
		}
		puts "|"
	end
end

agent = Mechanize.new

if Choice[:proxy] != nil then agent.set_proxy(Choice[:proxy], 80, nil, nil) end

# One needs to log in to get access to private runs. Mechanize will store
# the session data for the API call that cames next.
home_page = login(agent, Choice[:user], password)

FileUtils.mkdir_p(Choice[:dir]) if not File.directory?(Choice[:dir])

puts "Downloading runs..."

activities(agent)

, and extract the tar.gz to your HOME directory (or just download the copy I uploaded here http://ubuntuone.com/3smJsPEVdoOyhoKhuyXl0r)

Open a Terminal Window - CTRL + ALT + T
- Copy each of these commands into terminal, press enter, and choose "y" whenever prompted
  - sudo apt-get install ruby
  - sudo apt-get install rubygems
  - sudo gem install --remote json
  - sudo gem install --remote fileutils
    - ignore it if this one fails - it usually fails for me too but doesn't seem to affect things in the end
  - sudo gem install --remote choice
  - sudo gem install --remote highline
  - sudo gem install --remote import
    - this one takes a long time to finish running -- be patient
Open Ubuntu Software Center and install Mechanize Ruby Gem library
- One way to find Software Center is to press the Windows key and type "software" in the search box
- Once software center is open type "mechanize ruby" into the search
- Install this one libwww-mechanize-ruby[[posterous-content:pid___1]]
Go back to the Terminal WIndow and follow these directions
- Type "ls" in prompt and enter to see a list of files in your home directory
  - You should see disconnect.rb listed (If you don't then make make sure to copy the file you downloaded into the HOME directory)
- Type this command an hit enter
  - ruby disconnect.rb -u <YOUR GARMIN USER NAME> o- tcx_files
    - type your user name without the <>
    - this is going to create a Home/tcx_files directory and download all of your ride gpx files there
  - Type your password when prompted and press enter
  - Your runs are downloading. YAY!
Navigate to Home>tcx_files and watch the gpx files magically appear

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Hunger Games - Dupont State "Doubletrack Flow Trail" Forest

via google.com

Watching Hunger Games and I can't help but think about machine-ruined-flowy-doubletrack. Gahhhh!

I'm sure that the trail plow has ruined more good trails since I last visited in April 2012. It's a Hunger Game for the trail wreckers. Hungry for every root, rock, and technical line that hungers for sanitation by grooming.

Have they paved and painted double yellow lines on the slickrock yet?

Cobweb

Goldilocks DP

Schools back in session kids.

Baler, XX, Krash, and me hit the trails with lights blazing and
perfecto conditions.

Goldilocks pace...not too fast, not too slow, just right

We took turns doing cobweb duty and rolled the standard CW loop with a
bonus wrong-way VV Alt thrown in the mix.

Actually, there's no wrong-way on VV Alt anymore thx to trail
maintenance that has short cutted around one of the funnest steeps in
the park...grrrrr, they're sure to close that chute soon! VV Alt is
riddled with about 6 big logs in a 30 yard stretch. Would be ridable
but for the fact that it's a lot of umph to trhow down after you just
climbed ridge and there's one double trunker tree that is spaced to
close to clean unless someone builds in the middle.

A stop at the ridge bar was in order. Props to Baler for the trail
treats;-) Baler's Monkey with dirt drop bars and a 1X9 with OldSkool
Suntour friction barcon shifter impresses guyyz like me too;-)

Oh yeah! I almost forgot the best part. NO TALK OF PHARMSTRONG WHATSOEVER!

2012 Mid-Atlantic (Super 8, Sportif Cup, MAC, VACX) Cyclocross Calendar

A formatted one page pdf for you to hang on your fridge. Adapted from: from: http://www.cxhairs.com/2012/07/10/mid-atlantic-region-2012-cyclocross-calendar/

Download Link:

http://ubuntuone.com/2VJMUrIzR9xawj2tqApx5J

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Lance Armstrong will be stripped of seven Tour de France titles, given lifetime ban from Olympics as he drops appeal of doping charges - NY Daily News

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong will receive a lifetime ban from Olympic sports early Friday and be stripped of his record seven Tour de France titles after deciding to abandon his long fight against charges he led a sophisticated doping conspiracy throughout his career.
Armstrong announced Thursday night that he would disregard a midnight deadline the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency had given him to challenge the results of USADA’s two-year investigation of his legendary cycling teams, a probe that determined Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs and blood transfusions.
“There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, ‘Enough is enough.’ For me, that time is now,” Armstrong said in a statement claiming he was the victim of a witch hunt. “The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today - finished with this nonsense.”

Surrendering to USADA saves Armstrong from watching his former teammates testify against him in arbitration, but it leaves the iconic cancer survivor vulnerable to a tidal wave of legal claims from sponsors, promotion insurers and even the U.S. government, who are positioned to demand the return of tens of millions in sponsorship dollars.
READ: LAWYER'S LETTER ACCEPTS SANCTIONS
Unless Armstrong changes his mind before 2:01 ET, he will be disqualified from every competition he entered since Aug. 1, 1998, including the Tour de France races where he built his legend and the 2000 Summer Olympics, where he won a bronze medal.
“It is a sad day for all of us who love sport and our athletic heroes,” said USADA chief executive officer Travis Tygart. “This is a heartbreaking example of how the win-at-all-costs culture of sport, if left unchecked, will overtake fair, safe and honest competition, but for clean athletes, it is a reassuring reminder that there is hope for future generations to compete on a level playing field without the use of performance-enhancing drugs.”
A lifetime period of ineligibility means Armstrong, 40, will be prohibited from participating, either as an athlete or team owner, at any event whose organizers are signatories to the World Anti-Doping Code – a list that includes elite cycling races as well as the triathlon events that Armstrong has entered since retiring from cycling in 2011.
A part owner of the RadioShack cycling team, Armstrong will be barred from receiving team-owner credentials at the Tour de France, an event that he dominated between 1999 and 2005, dominating his rivals in an era that was rife with corruption.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Lance Armstrong has been defiant... until now.

Three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond now becomes the only American man to have won cycling’s hardest race. LeMond declined to comment, but his wife, Kathy LeMond, issued a one-word statement on her Twitter account: “Finally.”
Central to Armstrong’s downfall was Floyd Landis, a former teammate who was stripped of his title from the 2006 edition of the Tour after testing positive for testosterone and losing an arbitration battle with USADA. Landis later served a two-year ban, confessed to doping and accused Armstrong, sparking a federal grand jury fraud investigation that ended earlier this year without charges.
Landis himself became the focus of a grand jury investigation following his 2010 confession, as federal prosecutors in San Diego explored whether Landis committed fraud in 2006 and 2007 while raising hundreds of thousands for a legal defense fund. Those prosecutors recently offered Landis a deferred prosecution agreement – a deal in which charges against him will be dropped if he pays back investors in the Floyd Fairness Fund.
USADA, which leveled its charges in June, has already banned one of Armstrong’s doctors, Luis Garcia del Moral, and a team trainer, Jose Marti. The World Anti-Doping Agency notified all member federations that the men are ineligible to participate in sports in any capacity.

FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

Three other men USADA charged in the conspiracy – doctors Michele Ferrari and Pedro Celaya, and team director Johan Bruyneel – have told USADA they will contest the charges in arbitration. According to USADA, more than 12 eyewitnesses are prepared to testify, including 10 cyclists who rode with Armstrong on the U.S. Postal Service, Discovery Channel and RadioShack teams.
The U.S. Postal Service gave tens of millions in sponsorship dollars to Armstrong’s teams, and the government may yet try to claw that taxpayer money back. Armstrong is one of the defendants in a whistleblower lawsuit that Landis filed in 2010 under the False Claims Act, a law that allows the Justice Department’s civil division to join plaintiffs in lawsuits that allege a defendant defrauded the U.S. government.
Armstrong may also face litigation from SCA Promotions, a Texas company that paid Armstrong a $7.5 million performance bonus in 2006 after a bitter arbitration fight. The company’s attorney notified Armstrong earlier this summer that the company would seek to claw that money back if Armstrong was stripped of his titles.

via nydailynews.com

I guess he'll have to write a book to recoup cash that he'll have to give back to sponsors. He can call it "LIVE WRONG"

Isaac

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Uninstalled Symantec Endpoint Protection

via symantec.com

Riding bareback with Microsoft's Free Security Essentials for Windows 7 64bit.

PC is so much faster now it's unbelievable.

Crippled Crank;-(

Me and KC met at 5:55 for some early fall-ish conditions. Temp was 64 when I woke so I threw the long sleeve jersey on. Felt a bit hot on the trail.

Lots of pollen in the headlamp beam today. Carl took cobweb duty but I wish that he'd stood while he rode so he could've gotten all the tall guy webs too;-)

Rolling along mellow conversational, and when I get to the waterfall rock dip on Ridge my pedal feels wonky...like cleat is slipping. On closer inspection I see that the pedal threads have stripped on the drive side and the pedal is crooked. Doh! No wonder my cranks were making so much racket!

VID_20120822_071334.3gp Watch on Posterous

So here's the Strava Android vs Garmin Fit Android pepsi challenge for a one footed ride down the park road to a Lawyer's Hill climb with a wiggly right pedal that couldn't bear weight.

Slowing Down Your PC Since 199?

via sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net

Monday, August 20, 2012

Snakes on a Plane - The TV Edit - The famous line - YouTube

via youtube.com

I've had it with these monkey fried snakes

ridiculous edited for tv movie lines - YouTube

via youtube.com

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the aAlps

How to fix any computer - The Oatmeal

via theoatmeal.com

Never an Apple fan.
Hated Windows today at work.
Loving on Precise Pangolin at home these daze.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Anniversary Gift Idea?

via ladyliberty.com

Blandford Beer Cross Online Registration

via bikereg.com

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Flatz at Dawn

Twas a shortened ride even though KC, newMark, and me started at 5:45.

I rear flatted on ??? an went flat a third of the way into Old Track loop. Look what I did in the park in the dark

The dawn was breaking as I flipped the bike and went thru the motions. KC and newMark decided to ride around the Old Track and give me time alone to stroke the pump. They returned a few minutes later, Carl with a burp flat up front that required a second change for the day.

Rest of ride was mellow but continuous.

Lollipopped MC>Grovemont>L&C>Old Track the other way>Morning Choice all the way to 4 way>RBB v^v>Boardwalk>FarmField

Saw an 8 point buck in the farm field, and then again on the way out. We stood still looking at each other for a good while. Almost got his picture but as soon as the stupid phone camera was ready to shoot, he sensed it, gave me the finger, and jumped away.

New Bulk Uploader : Strava Customer Support

Dear Strava Users,

We've finally upgraded our web uploading interface to accomodate bulk uploading. You can now select multiple files at one time for uploading via the Strava website. To be exact, you can select 25 files at one time, and the data will upload to Strava in one click.

For help, follow these steps:

1. Save the files you wish to upload to a local folder on your computer
2. Log into Strava.com and click the orange button "Upload Activity".
Choose the second option on the upload page, "Upload a file from your
computer".
3. Browse to the local folder where your files are saved, and select
the file you wish to upload (can select up to 25 files at a time).

Enjoy!

Strava Support Team

via strava.zendesk.com

Wow!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Midnight snack

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Sea Monster

via youtube.com

Back to Basics

Met up with KC at 5:30. He was having MagicShine battery issues so i shared one of my batteries and we were rolling by 5:40, each with one headlamp and a rigid SS.

Decided to make a bee-line for BaltCo. Nacho>RBB>Ridge>VV was the direction we took.

Cobweb duty was worse than ever. Twice I rolled thru Charlotte's Webs as big as 4X8 sheets of plywood with spiders dangling off the side or crawling around on my helmet.

Swimming Prohibited>Vineyard (dead snake in trail near top)>Nuns Triple Log

I stumbled and fell over a boulder at the Nun's tunnel entrance. Got a shiner on my left shin, but somehow managed to escape the twig-snap-over-a-knee that coulda happened to my leg on that rock...phew!

Cascade (the low way)>Morning Choice>Old Track (whole loop CCW)>Log

Back to Landing by 7:15 for a Baler commuter sighting;-)

Twas such a nice day I decided to road to work too;-) 1st commute in a while. Green Giant feels really great with newish drivetrain;-)

Sunday, August 12, 2012

New Crank and Post get the old Road Bike standing at attention again

A nice rub and tug for the old road bike.

Actually, this bike doesn't suck. Now she's got period specific 105 FD, RD, and hubs (on wheels taken from a Schwinn Paramount of same era).

The recent makeover brought the rear derailleur, FSA Crank and ISIS BB, and Syncros 250mm post. Lost 3/4 lb and took her down to a svelte 22.03 lb.

A brick, IKR?

Next dream parts to get this old girl to sub-twenty pound range:

105 period specific brakes
105 period specific shifters
carboniferous forkus

Ride-us Recent-us

I've been holding back on a few rides lately, as if anyone even reads this blog anyway.

Me, XX, AT, and Fabs. We met up with Baler from Fargo.

This one was a solid after work family ride. Real MTB'ing, beeocth. Ben's first ride on the new-ish K2 26er.

Me and Harry Homeowner hit it for the first time in a long while

Interruptus

No rain overnight so I was on Monty heading to meet KC for DP at 5:30 with lights blazing. Then a car with a bike rack U-turns and rolls up beside me...KC reporting that he can't ride cuz he'd forgotten his work clothes. Offered him my best suit, but he decided to head home;-) I figured I head home and wrench on my road bike instead of riding. By the time I got past Baler's old condo the rain had started and by 6 it was storming hard. I'll scope of the conditions at landing on my way home from work tonight and post, but I suspect prolly too sloppy for a Sat DP;-(

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Super clean aquarium

Angel fish loving the 66% water change and cleaning.

First real-cash game on Facebook

Can't wait to gamble with my fake Face Book user. This is exciting. Kids who liked Angry Birds yesterday will be maxing out their parents stolen credit cards. I love how kid friendly the ads look. Cooler than Joe Camel.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19162971

Saturday, August 4, 2012

It's Done - Ben's New 26er

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

Ben digs it and it looks like a 29er when he's riding it.

Highlights:

Love that slammed stem!
1994 LX Crank with Bashbar Nashbar big ring is schweet
c.1997 XTR Rear Derailleur is hot!
1998 Bomber Z4 Air fork will never die
Bontrager RaceLite Tubeless Wheels (with tubes and WTB 2.3 Stout Tires) are nicer than my wheels on any of my bikes?!?!?!
Mismatched levers and shifters and brakes are wily

Xt right lever and Avid 1.0 rear brake
Avid 1.0 left lever and LX parallelogram front V brake
XT Mega9 era front shifter and LX Front Derailleur from the Mega9 era
SRAM X5 rear shifter

ODI Ruffain Lock-on grips in better shape than any of my bikes

FLAT PEDALS, YO!

Lowlights:

Cheesiest part is the seatpost, but I've got a 250mm Zero setback road post in mind
WTB saddle off of my CX bike that I bent the rails back to straight-enough-for-Buff

See the full gallery on Posterous

Ben'a 26HT shaping up

Patch em up

That time of year again. Salvaged 8 tubes this time.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Longest Wheel Build Ever...

....breathes new life into the these-parts-should-have-been-sent-to-the-scrap heap wheel.

Got this Coda/Zac19 wheel from some dude on Freecycle. The freehub pawls were seizing up.

I had a Shimano STX 8sp hub laying around that had been shop bin junk at an LBS at one time. I'd used it to harvest axle spacers for fixie projects. I spent a good while tonight scavenging the right axle spacers combo to get the axle to 135mm on the money. I liked this old Shimano Parallax hub because is was about the same dimensions as the Coda, so I figured I'd recycle the Shimano hub, spokes, nipples, and Zac19 rim.

But we had a problem Houston. The Zac's spokes were corroded to the nipples and wouldn't budge at all. I hit the inside and outside of each nipple with a drop of Triflow and went out to the shed to explore other rim and spoke options. Ended up coming back to the Zac and clipping the old spokes off with the lineman's pliers.

Then I ran the Zac and the Parallax thru the old Spocalc http://wheelbuilder.freebiketools.org/

Select Hub
Select Rim
Spokes
Pattern
Nipple Length

Left	265.6	Right	263.9	Link to this build	Print this build

But the closest I could come up with was used spokes:

LEFT - 13@268mm and 3@266mm

RIGHT - 14@265mm and 2@266mm

What fun re-using used nipples, spokes, and rim. Don't forget that the spokes are too long too. It took forever to get tension. It took a while to chase the hop to a minimum too.

But at the end of the day, $0 were spent and I have a half decent wheel for Ben's 26er project that I'm Frankensteining together;-)

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