The Gift of What You Notice More

Dar Williams writes about "the gift of what you notice more" in her song The Blessings. I've been thinking of blessings, the gifts we notice more, in relation to time and the pace at which we live our lives. It's a theme I've often revisited on this blog, from Bogart's observation that the world is three drinks behind to my own appreciation of life at twelve miles per hour. As time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the past (Steve Miller writes a catchy song, but he's wrong about time) I'm learning to slow even more. Sometimes twelve miles per hour is too hasty.

For estimating purposes, while biking in the city, I use the figure of ten miles per hour and then add my fifteen minute flat tire buffer. In a vast majority of the cases, I wind up going faster than ten miles per hour and I don't have a puncture enroute and thus I give myself the greatest luxury, the thing money can't buy. Time.

The benefits of slack time manifest in myriad ways. Traffic is thicker than usual? No worries, I've got time. At the coffee shop a half hour before I told my buddy I'd be here? Great, that's why I have a novel and notebook in my pack. Wonder where this side road leads? I'll check it out, I've got time.

My favorite thing about the time I gain by going slow (think about that one for a bit) is the gift of what I'm free to notice. What prompted me to write this was the Leatherman Mini Tool I found on yesterday's ride to Seattle. Like Thoreau with his arrowheads, I often find things. My wife has often expressed the opinion that "you are the findingest fellow I know." She also sarcastically observed as I showed here the little Leatherman "yeah, 'cause you don't have enough tools!" It's true, over the years I've found what I need and much, much more.

While sometimes these gifts are things I hold in my hand, as solid and strong as a real steel tool made in Portland, OR or Duluth, MN (my favorite found 6-inch wrench was forged at the Diamond Tool and Horseshoe plant that I used to bike commute past back in Duluth), often the blessing is a stranger I have the time to meet, a view I have the time to notice, or a tiny creature scurrying across the trail. It's a beautiful world and the time we spend here is a blessing. It's a lesson I keep relearning, very slowly.

Mark Ronson: The Bike Song

This song and video are very well done and the refrain "I'm going to ride my bike until I get home" has completely embedded itself in my skull.

Keep 'em rolling,

Kent

DIY: Inner Tube Rack Strap

I enjoy Roy Doty's Wordless Workshop cartoons. Roy is a master of explaining a problem and a solution without using words. I'm way more wordy than Roy and anyone who doubts that can look at this post as proof. I can't even post a super simple Do-It-Yourself project without having some kind of wordy intro!

I patch my own tubes but I still wind up with a surplus of used tubes. A lot of bike shops have the same problem and although many tubes in the Seattle area wind up getting recycled into cool Alchemy Goods products, you can probably get used tubes just for asking. And, unfortunately, I manage to find discarded bike tubes along the roadside and bike paths around here.

So here's a quick, easy and cheap way to re-purpose a bike tube. One 700c tube plus a couple of buckles from REI or a craft store and a couple of zip ties (total cost, less than two bucks) will yield a pair of strong and stretchy rack straps or a belt or what have you. The pictures tell the story.







Keep 'em rolling,

Kent "The Mountain Turtle" Peterson

Issaquah WA USA

PlayBike - On The Rocks

Baietii lucreaza din greu, traseul arata incredibil, lumea se aduna, praful se ridica ... cel mai incendiar eveniment de la Brasov ! Mai e doar o saptamana...




PlayBike - On The Rocks is the most anticipated gravity event in Romania in the last 10 years and it managed to bring together the most knowledgeable people in the scene. The crew is made up of riders who know how to build what they will be shredding. Success is logical consequence of the work of good men! Copyright 2010 Monkey Movie Production. www.facebook.com/playbike.ontherocks

Geiger Mountainbike Challenge

Ce se mai poate spune despre maratonul Geiger Mountainbike Challenge 2010? ... aproape nimic nu mai e de adaugat, doar celor care au lipsit le pot spune ca au ratat cel mai grozav concurs de anul acesta. Sunt pentru prima oara la acest concurs si vorbele din popor spun ca ar fi cel mai greu concurs de la noi din tara, asa ca m-am asteptat la ceva crunt, dureros si lung, asa cum nu am mai trait vreodata. Ploaia de sambata noapte care a continuat si in ziua concursului si cele 11 grade de la start mi-au marit ingrijorarea, dar defapt am gasit Geiger-ul cu totul altfel...
Toate elementele pozitive pe care le-am observat la concursurile la care am mai participat le-am regasit aranjate frumos la Sibiu, organizarea a fost fara reprosuri, parca toate au fost facute pentru ca fiecare participant sa se simta special si cred ca acesta este defapt secretul sibienilor.
Am auzit de multe ori replici de genul „Ce’s nebun sa particip acum, nu vezi ca ploua si e noroi!?”. Da, asa e! Ploua si e frig si o sa fie noroi si apa multa, dar a meritat fiecare firicel de nisip pe care l-am inghitit, fiecare plonjare in noroi, fiecare julitura de pe fata sau de pe picioare, frigul, durerea, tot. Pana la urma... vorba unui amic: „La cate concursuri pe ploaie am avut anul aceasta ar trebui sa fim obisnuiti cu ideea!”.
A fost prima cursa pe care am alergat-o impreuna cu Liviu, asa ne-am vorbit de acasa, sa ne asteptam, sa ne incurajam, sa terminam impreuna. Mersul in echipa aduce cateva beneficii interesante: eu evident am tras mai tare ca sa ma tin de el, el a mers mai relaxat si cu grija la traseu si adversari, cu siguranta nu exista abandonuri – e mult mai usor sa renunti cand esti singur, incurajarile sunt binevenite pe toata durata cursei si cel mai important e ca ne antrenam unul pe celalalt sa tragem mai tare, ca in timpul liber dealtfel.
Cursa a trecut cam repede, a fost altfel decat cele la care am participat pana acum, desi am terminat in 4 ore as fi zis ca au fost doar 2. Locul pe care ne aflam nu ne-a interesat nici o secunda, noi am mers in ritmul nostru si zau ca parca am participat singuri. Oboseala a existat, spatele m-a durut ingrozitor, dar cine dracu’ a mai contorizat asta cand alergam pe un traseul atat de special. Urcarea de la CP1 pana la Magura Cisnadioarei cred ca este cea mai frumoasa urcare pe care am facut-o vreodata, absolut perfecta pentru MTB. Coborarea la fel, desi era simpla a fost spectaculoasa si periculoasa in acealasi timp din cauza noroiului. O serie lunga de contrapante pe care nu trebuia sa fac mai nimic, frau liber bicicletei pentru ca ea alegea singura trasa ideala. La start si la final, in padurea Dumbrava, au fost cativa km de noroi de „buna calitate”, adica nelipicios, care a facut acea portiune foarte „picanta”: drifturi ce necesitau multa atentie. Aici am cazut de 4 ori, 3 placinte pe noroi si o imbratisare tandra cu un copac, dar nimic grav...
Sus in golul alpin am intrat in ceata, la propriu, nici pe Liviu nu-l mai vedeam desi era la 5 metri in fata mea. Vantul, frigul si necunoscutul de dincolo de raza vizuala au creat o atmosfera traznet, doar lapovita mai lipsea de acolo.
Checkpoint-urile au fost excelente, n-am zabovit mult pe la ele: un isotonic, reumplerea bidonului, o prajitura deliciosa (vreau reteta daca o stie careva) si un pepene galben. Toate astea mi-au fost varate in gura de fetele de acolo pentru ca eram mult prea plin de noroi pe maini.
Mi-am dat seama ca au meritat eforturile cand ne apropiam de final. Si eu si Liviu ne doream sa mai continue, se termina prea repede si parca ne venea sa incetinim sa mai prelungim concursul putin. La finish ne asteapta o groaza de aplauze, o mare de oameni toti chititi pe finisheri... si s-a terminat! Ma felicit cu Liviu, primim cate o medalie, o clatita cu dulceata de gutui si un ceai cald... si de aici incep povestile...
Am terminat pe locurile 24 si 25 la categoria noastra de varsta si cu asta Geiger Mountainbike Challenge 2010 devine de domeniul trecutului, dar cu siguranta nu o sa-l uit prea curand .M-am simtit extraordinar, alaturi de multi prieteni am terminat cel mai frumos concurs de pana acum, nu si cel mai greu in schimb, pt mine Thassos Mtb Cup inca detine suprematia ca si dificultate. Oricum ar fi daca maine s-ar repeta m-ati gasi la start cu siguranta.

P.S. Mersi Liviu !

Pozele noastre le gasiti aici: PicasaWebAlbums si mai multe sigur gasiti pe ciclims.ro


Inca curati.


Diabolic...

Liviu conducea ostilitatile prin noroi si balarii



Bravo Dragos !



Finish !



Felicitari...

Victor

Varza dar mandri !

Em

Cata

Cristi, Cristina si clatita

Adevarata invingatoare...

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Portland Design Works Fenderbot: A Review

Back in May I reviewed the Portland Design Works RADBOT 1000. I'm happy to report the RADBOT is still going strong and it's still my favorite tail light. At the time of that review an astute reader posted a comment noting that the shape of that light and wondered if it could be modified to mount onto a fender. It turns out the fellows at Portland Design Works were already thinking along those lines and they now make a light specifically designed to mount on a fender. It's called the Fenderbot.

As you can see by the pictures, the Fenderbot looks very similar to the RADBOT. Like the RADBOT, it has a built-in reflector and it is powered by 2 AAA batteries. Close inspection reveals that the Fenderbot isn't just a repackaged RADBOT, however. Instead of the RADBOT's myriad quick-release mounting options, the Fenderbot mounts permanently to your fender. You drill two holes in your fender and bolt the light in place. The holes in the package serve as a handy drill guide.

It took me a grand total of two minutes to mount the Fenderbot on Christine's bike. I didn't even need to dig out my drill, the reamer on my Swiss Army Knife did a fine job drilling the two necessary holes. An 8mm nut and lock washer hold the Fenderbot in place.

Like the RADBOT, the changing batteries in the Fenderbot involves loosening a single screw. This screw is right above the reflector, just below the power switch and you can change the batteries without having to unbolt the light from the fender.

The Fenderbot is bright, but not as bright as the dazzling RADBOT 1000. Still plenty visible even in daylight, but drawing less power. Based on the ratings on their respective packages (200 hours vs 50 hours) the Fenderbot draws 1/4 the power that the RADBOT requires. The Fenderbot can be set to either flash or steady but lacks the the RADBOT's fancy flash-flash-POW pattern.

The Fenderbot seems light enough that it shouldn't weigh down a fender too much. If your fenders run super close to your tires I suppose clearance for the mounting bolt could be tight but it clears fine on Christine's bike. Being bolted in place, the light looks nicely integrated with the bike and (at least in theory) a bolted down light is less likely to be stolen by some light-fingered scumbag.

You may have to hunt a bit to find a Fenderbot. It's a fairly new product and Dan at PDW tells me that at least one big bike shop supplier thought the Fenderbot was "too much of niche product" and decided not to stock it. By the way, it's disclaimer time. PDW sent me this light for review and I don't have to give it back, so make of that what you will. I've known Dan through the internet since the days back when he was at Planet Bike and I was with the Bike Alliance of Washington and he helped me get a great deal on lights for our Get Lit project. Dan and the crew at PDW are folks who ride bikes and care about the stuff they make. In my last email conversation with Dan, he was really excited about the "PDW company car" which is an Aherne Cycle Truck.

So that's the lowdown on the light. Good light, secure mounting, made by good people.

Keep 'em rolling,

Kent