New Footwear!

For the Super Wagon*.  The winner in the "best tire for my purposes" showdown was the Bridgestone RE960 A/S Pole Position.  Sadly, they are not cheap.  But according to widespread tests and word-of-mouth, they offer the best dry/wet grip with an acceptable amount of cold/snow performance.  I'm too lazy to swap between summer tires and winter tires, so "Ultra High Performance All Season" it is:

The stock Bridgestone RE92's still have abundant tread, but at five years of age, there's very little grip left.  No grip in the wet, or cold, or snow.  And to be fair there was very little grip even when spanking new.  They are not very good tires, unless endless tread life is your goal.  Not so much with the stopping and the cornering.  Needless to say, I'm excited to see what the Super Wagon can do with quality tires.

While getting new footwear, the Super Wagon will also be getting an alignment.  It's never been aligned.  Five years without an alignment.  That's pretty good!  The Super Wagon has a very sturdy suspension.  It's shared with the Outback which was designed for light off-road use, so it has ample beefiness for asphalt.  But of late the car's been wandering a bit, pulling a bit more than usual on off-camber sections, and bump-steer has gotten noticeably worse.  I figure it's time.

Possibly on tap for the Spring are some suspension upgrades.  Anti-roll bars, spring, and dampers.  Maybe a bushing or two.  Front tower brace, perhaps.  If the Super Wagon has a fundamental flaw, it's the overly-soft suspension.  More "wagon" than "sport".  Got squat?  I do.

*Super Wagon = 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited Wagon.  One of very few sold with a manual transmission.  The manual, in fact, was only offered for this one year in the wagon, so they are few and far between.

Sodastream!

It was a dream that I thought unattainable.  Make my own soda (a.k.a. "pop", "coke", "sodapop" etc. depending on your geographical situation) at home.

I drink a lot of soda.  Orange soda, Diet Coke, Root Beer, Grape, you name it, I drink it.  I'm a thirsty guy.  Lugging all those cans around, gathering them up to resell the empties, what a pain in my backside.

This Christmas, I received the ultimate soda-drinker's dream:  the Sodastream.  You get a kitchen gadget, a CO2 canister, and soda syrup.   Bang.  Make your own soda.  When the CO2 canister runs out, exchange it for a new one for a nominal fee.  My dad ran the numbers; it's cheaper than buying your soda pre-made.

Sure, the flavors are slightly different.  Sodastream uses sucralose (Splenda) rather than aspartame for the diet sweeteners.  And I'm sure they can't blatantly copy Coke/Pepsi recipes...but you know what?  It's pretty close.  Good enough for this soda-chugging fiend.  They've even got Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, and Red Bull knock-offs.  If it's a flavor people drink, Sodastream probably sells a knockoff.

Check it out.  It's good stuff.

Gunnar hits the road

I took the Gunnar out for a leisurely shake-down cruise yesterday.  It did not disappoint!  These new steel alloys are literally decades ahead of the old '80's steel I grew up on.  Heh heh, get it?  I made a joke.  It was so smooth and quiet, I thought my tires were low on air.  But no, I had pumped them up to 120psi just before the ride, to accommodate the colder temperatures.  The 10 pounds of Framesaver I put in there probably helped damp vibrations as well.

Here it is hanging out by the shelter along the Monarch Levee Trail.  To make a better comparison to the Trek, I put a backup set of wheels on the Gunnar.  The Open Pro wheels it normally sports are pretty cushy in and of themselves, so today it was wearing CXP33 with some radial lacing.  Conti GP4000s tires, naturally.   I really should have put the Easton wheels from the Trek on it, but couldn't be bothered.

So, yes.  Smooth and quiet.  Just like the frames of yesteryear.  Not at all like the smooth but rattly and noisy Trek carbon fiber.  But, in a huge improvement over the frames of The Day, it doesn't waggle the back end under heavy pedal mashing.  Not that I was doing much of that; we'll have to see how it fares around the hills of Babler.

And in another first, I used the Droid to track the ride.  It had some issues.  Worked great, technically.  But, I stopped in at the LBS to show off the bike (thanks for the assembly help Jim!) and the Droid decided I was still moving at 1-2mph that whole time.  Kind of dragged down the average speed, haha.  The Cardiotrainer folks admit they have some work to do around the GPS tracking.  However, as a bike computer I wouldn't recommend the Droid.  You can't really use it while riding, so no real-time feedback.  And it's not meant to be out in the weather like that.

Also my first attempts at Droid "screenshots".  I apologize, they're not that good.  The Droid is so bright it washed out a bit.  But it's better than nothing, right?

This is the map screen, showing my path.

And this is the home screen.  I love the "Droid Eye", haha.  Is there a resemblance to any infamous computer of the past?  There are two other main screens you can get to by swiping side to side.  Plenty of screen real estate, but I like to keep the main screen clear so the Droid can keep an eye on things.  The four buttons along the bottom are actual (sort of) buttons.  "Actual" in that they are physically there.  "Sort of" because all you have to do is touch them, you don't press them; there's no mechanical action.  Back, menu, home, and search.  The Droid is awesome.

So there you go.  Everything I own rocks.  The Gunnar rocks, the Droid rocks.  The Trek may find itself relegated to rain duty, we'll see.  When you're as fat as I am, the extra couple pounds of the Gunnar don't really make a difference...and it sure is quiet.

Note:  If any of the mysterious viewers of my blog would like more Droid photos, let me know.  I'll try and optimize the picture settings.  If no one cares, I won't bother.

Second note:  Due to a now-infamous thread on StL Biking, I feel compelled to let everyone know how rich I am not.  The Gunnar frame was second-hand.  Kind of.  The Droid was new at $200, but with 2 years of indentured service to Verizon.  And if you read the fine print, early termination will cost you a kidney*.  I have never hit, nor been hit by, a cyclist.  And I drive a relatively cheap station wagon.  It is, make no mistake, the Super Wagon, but cost-wise it doesn't compare to say a Z06 Corvette.  Just off the top of my head.

* Even the FCC has questioned Verizon's exorbitant early-termination fee.  Verizon said, politely, "Eat it.  We'll do what we want."

Wheel dreams

For many years, I've wanted to learn how to build bicycle wheels.  I've decided now is the time.  And I've devised a diabolical plan, as well.  You see, I've also been interested in the H.E.D. extra-wide rims.  Rounding off the tire profile makes sense to me.  It's what GP motorcycles do, and look at them go around corners!  So my initial plan, if I can find the rim, is to build some wheels out of these:

The Velocity Chukker.  Made for the hipster bike polo crowd, but I like the 24mm rim width, as opposed to the normal 19mm width.  Throw some 25mm tires on there and bam.  The only potential downsides are A)  have to widen the brake calipers; 2) non-machined sidewalls -- hipsters don't use brakes; d) they seem hard to find.  It might be a tight fit on some of my bikes, have to wait and see.

Figure I'll snag "The Bicycle Wheel" by that Jobst Brandt fellow, and go from there.

The Axe has Fallen

Yep.  I "will not be part of the organization, going forward."  Intelligence reports indicate I'll remain employed until sometime between April and October.  After that, I'll probably try my hand at independent consulting.  Anyone need a Tecan programmed?  I can even write the software to help tie it into your LIMS system.  And originally I was a molecular biologist, so I can understand your assay and automate it.  It's what I do.

And yes, if you read the previous post, you'll see that (very) recently an email stated that we wouldn't know until first quarter of next year.  That's my employer for you.  Very keen on abrupt changes.

The Axe Draws Nigh

Well ok maybe not.  Actually I've received an email from management stating that decisions about peon's jobs (i.e. my job) will be communicated in first quarter of 2010.  So I've got that going for me; complete ignorance of my job's status until sometime between January and March of next year.  Reminds me of cable company appointments.  The email was as informative and concise as the normal management communication.  It took about 3 screens of corporate gibberish to inform me that I wouldn't know if I had a job for 1-4 months.  But I was abundantly, repeatedly, and emphatically reassured that they respect me, care for me, feel my pain, and that I should keep working my fingers to the bone for the good of the company until told to stop.

Sadly, I got a call from a friend of mine - he was given the boot today.  Seemed pretty upbeat about it.  It's always a slap in the face to be told your company doesn't want you around anymore.  But how sad is it when a majority of people are happy to get laid off, and actually want to get out as soon as possible?

In other news, the Droid continues to delight.  I had to go to Catholic Supply the other day for a gift for my sister-in-law.  First, the Droid told me where it was and guided me there.  Upon arriving, I had forgotten the particulars of what I was after.  Droid to the rescue!  Pull up the email gift suggestions, review, and bam I'm on my way with a bag full of Christmas joy.  The daily utility of such a powerful device is hard to describe.  Truly a lifestyle changing technology.  And Verizon didn't even pay me to say that.

Droid Navigation

I tinkered with the Droid's navigation function today.  It uses the GPS in combination with Google Maps and the 3G network to deliver spoken turn-by-turn directions, with the usual mapping functions, searches, and whatnot you'd expect from a dedicated car GPS.  It has a few added features courtesy of Google, such as voice search and street view.  The street view is nice, but not really all that useful while driving - too distracting.

Photo courtesy of here

All in all, it works great.  It's not as sophisticated as my Garmin Nuvi.  Not as fast to update and reroute, the screen isn't as big.  The Droid made some odd navigation choices, but would have gotten me to my destination.  It also lacks a night mode, failing to emulate the Garmin's switch from white to black background after the sun has set.  Did I mention Google Navigation is free, and part of a device that can do very nearly everything except tie your shoes.  It could, however, display instructions on *how* to tie your shoes if you so desire.

The one big, big drawback to relying on the Droid solely for navigation is the fact that you must be in a 3G coverage area for it to work.  No internal storage of maps.  It would be nice to be able to put a few gigabytes of maps on the phone.  If you find yourself lost on the steppes of Siberia, I would imagine it wouldn't be much help.  Or maybe it would, I'm not really up on 3G coverage in Siberia.

Another quick mention of the voice search feature.  It continues to astonish me.  Astonishingly good, that is.  I don't know how it does what it does, but it works every time.  And I don't feel my enunciation is all that great, either.  "Navigate to Target" and bam, it's navigating you to the nearest Target store.  "Map of St. Louis" and pow a map of St. Louis is on the screen.  "Call Jimmy Joe Bob" and the phone pops up, requiring only the press of a button to call Jimmy Joe Bob.  And the most useful search: "STLbiking.com" and STLbiking.com shows up in the browser for your reading pleasure.  That's right.  Hit the voice search button, and say "Ess-Tee-Ell biking dot com" and you're there.  It's just that easy.

Win.

Cardiotrainer Part the Second

Well I took the Droid out for a walk today.  Two walks, actually.  I wanted to give "Cardiotrainer" a real-world try.  After a vigorous stroll to the Post Office, I discovered to my dismay that I'd had the program in "indoor" mode, so all it did was monitor my steps and time and infer a distance.  Naturally, after correcting my mistake, I headed out again to the Post Office.  Round trip, 0.85 miles.  14:45.7 minutes:seconds.  69 yards (?  I guess yards are cool for walkers?) of elevation gain.  Average speed 3.5mph.  I know all this, courtesy of the Droid.  It shows a map and all the various statistics.  I tried to go online and check out the website to which my tracks are allegedly uploaded...but it's down.  C'est la vie for a free program, I suppose.

You may be asking yourself...aren't you a cyclist?  Or at least like to pretend?  Why are you walking, like a common caveman?  Well I'll tell you.  I like to walk.  You see more, you can jam out to music, and - let's face it - it is impossible to be so far away from home that you can't just...um...walk back if you encounter trouble.  The worst "mechanical" is an untied shoelace; easily remedied without carrying tools and performing roadside repairs in the freezing cold.

I have to admit, I'm being a weenie this year for unknown reasons.  Typically I have no trouble gearing up and going riding in the cold.  Historically I ride through the winter, at least whenever its above 20 degrees.  For whatever reason I'm just not getting up the gumption this year.  Maybe it's the fancy new indoor trainer.  Why go outside in the cold when I can pedal to nowhere while watching TV?  It will, inevitably, end.  I can already feel the stir-craziness...stirring.

Guilty!

As I mentioned previously, the front brake nut on my Ouzo fork was cracked.  I didn't notice it upon installation, and you'd think I would have.  I don't think I torqued it down very much at all.  Just enough to snug down the brake caliper and a bit extra to hold it against vibration.  But: cracked.  A clean, complete longitudinal crack the length of the nut.

The replacement nut showed up today.  No cracks.  Installed, no cracks.  The best I can figure is I didn't insert the allen key deep enough into the deeeeeeep recess, and applied too much of a point load to one of the corners.  That's where the crack is, though it's impossible to see in this photo.  Suspicious.  Or maybe it was just one of those things, a flaw in manufacturing.

I don't like it when fasteners fail.  Especially something as vital as the front brake!  Would it have worked?  Probably.  The worst side-effect of this particular crack would probably have been a self-loosening nut.  But, you know, the front brake is pretty important.  And with the nut now able to expand, maybe it would have damaged the carbon fork that surrounds it.  Too risky for me.  So now there's a new, non-cracked nut in place.  Rest assured I will be keeping a close eye on it. 

Now I'm just waiting on some miscellaneous small parts from the LBS, and the Gunnar will be road-worthy.

Cardiotrainer

The Droid phone continues to astound me. All that technology and capability in such a tiny little device! One of the apps I just downloaded - and will try tomorrow - is "Cardiotrainer". It uses the GPS and accelerometers to track your location and, if running or jogging, your steps. It then does various analysis, can upload to a website, or even post to Facebook.

It will even provide you with voice-prompts.  Time intervals, speed intervals, and a "race-against-yourself" feature which will compare your current track to a previous track, and tell you how far ahead or behind you are.

The only downside I've noticed so far is the snooty British man voice.  I miss the sultry Garmin GPS babe voice:  "Please drive the indicated route....recalculating.  Please drive the indicated route...recalculating.  You are such a man, you never listen to me.  Recalculating, you ignorant SOB.  Drive where I tell you!"

So far, it looks like it's only available for Android phones.  But if you're cool, you have one so this is not a problem.  I'm sure the iPhone has plenty of similar apps, if you're into that whole iPhone thing.

Have too much money?

There's a company willing to take it from you. Especially if ceramic bearings on your bike don't quench your non-metallic bike lust.

How about ceramic cable housings? You heard me. And the price? A paltry $250. Yeah. Sadly, I don't have too much money, so I will not be buying them.

Now, aside from the tires, tubes, and cables...you could theoretically build an entire bike from non-metallic material! Get to it! You will go faster, I promise. I'm surprised no one has made a ceramic chain now that I think about it...

In other news, the Gunnar is now attached to my indoor trainer. It's smooth, and definitely stiffer than the ancient Trek 560 which used to do trainer duty. I'm trying that new "ergo-compact" or whatever handlebar bend...can't say I'm overly impressed, but I'll wait to pass judgment until I get some road miles with it. I'm starting to think I prefer deep-drop traditional bend bars. Does that make me a retro-grouch? Deep drop because of my giant paws. Traditional because sometimes I feel like having my hands behind the levers, and sometimes I want them parallel to the ground.