Dave's Good Stuff

Wherein a little history, and new Blackburn Flea 2.0 USB lights are reviewed.

First, some history…

When I first built out my 2003 Kona Fire Mountain as a commuter way back in ’07, I mounted two Cat Eye TL-LD600′s on the front fork, one on each side pointing to the side, and two pointing towards the rear off the rear fender, and my Triple Shot rounding out as the bright headlight.

This was a good setup, but I got tired of replacing batteries in the TL-LD600′s. They were also quite the protuberance on the fork up front. Eventually, and perhaps inevitably, the fork lights came off; one snapped off, and the other looked lopsided. Additionally, the Triple Shot, bright as it is, is heavy, and the separate battery is bulky, takes up valuable frame real-estate, and is not as convenient to recharge as I would have liked. I wasn’t really complaining though, and rode with just the headlight and taillight for a while. Then I didn’t ride for a while. Then I rode again, and nearly got plowed into twice in two days by people who clearly were not using their lookenpeepers.

That brings me to today. I’m back to my original setup, but this time with different lights. I still have an old TL-LD600 on the seat post. But on the fork I now have two Blackburn Flea 2.0 USB rear lights, each pointing out and to the side. For headlights I’ve replaced the heavy and bulky Triple Shot with two Blackburn Flea 2.0 USB front lights. I’ve gone the extra best-practice mile and mounted another on my helmet.

When they’re all set to blinkin, I am quite a sight to behold, and after all, that’s the point, isn’t it?

On to the review…

Construction

The lights are very small and light, which is a nice change of pace from my old Triple Shot. As far as construction goes, they feel moderately sturdy, but not quite as solid as I’d like. That goes double for the helmet mount. The base that sits against the helmet is metal, but the bracket that slides into the slot on the light itself is plastic, and I’m worried that it’ll snap off. I’m playing pretty careful with it to push that day out as long as I can. I’m a little disappointed with that piece, and would have expected only metal for the price of $15. Still, it’s possible they went plastic to save wear on the light chassis, which is itself plastic. I’ll entertain the possibility, though I’m pretty sure it was a cost thing.


Lighting Modes

The four LED headlights have three modes: a rather bright standard, a much brighter overdrive and the standard blinking. I rode this morning in the dark with the headlights set to overdrive and the helmet light set to blinking. This afternoon I set them all to blinking. Run times are quoted as 3 hours on steady, and 5 hours for flash. It’s not stated whether steady is for standard or overdrive modes. I suspect overdrive to be less than 3 hours. I probably won’t time them to see, but that should provide a solid week of riding to and from work without recharges. If it’s less than that, I keep closer track, but otherwise I’m not worried about it.

The four LED rear lights (which I have on my fork) have three modes as well: all-on steady, flash (all lights blinking in unison), and chase (alternating blinking between two pairs). Run times are quoted at 6 hours steady, and 12 hours flash. I suspect 12 hours is for chase mode, and flash to be somewhere in between, but again, I’ll only keep close track if they’re obviously falling short of those times.

Brightness

Both front and rear lights are, as one would expect from LEDs, very bright. Rated at 40 lumens, the front lights aren’t anywhere near as bright as my 130 lumen Triple Shot, but two running in tandem illuminate the urban landscape aplenty for my purposes, and they’re nowhere near as bulky. I wouldn’t take them on singletracks at night, but for daily street use, they’re plenty sufficient.

Charging

They charge via a little USB dongle. The light sticks attach to the dongle via two magnets, which also serve as the charging contact points. I found the holding power of the magnets more than sufficient, and was able to charge three of them at once in my D-Link USB hub. The first charge took about half an hour per light before each was fully charged and the charge indicator went from blinking red to blinking green.

I bought one set that came with a solar charger, but I’ve not tried it yet.

The button that serves as the USB charge indicator, and that you use to turn on and off the lights and switch modes, also serves as a running charge indicator. After you shut the light off, it’ll glow green to indicate a charge of 75% or more, orange to indicate a charge between 25% and 75%, and red to indicate a charge of 25% or less. That’s useful insofar as knowing about how much charge you have left, but not really useful in knowing how much time you have left. Still, it’s probably enough… red simply means charge as soon as you can.

Price

At ~$25 per light, they’re cheaper than a lot of options out there, but if you want more than one, the $$’s add up. Still, the charging method definitely offsets the initial price.

Mounting

They mount to the frame via custom made Velcro straps, with protective strips on the non-sticky side to help protect the frame. The straps need to be completely removed in order to properly charge them, which means they have to be remounted after every charge. That’s not a big deal to me because they’re very easy to mount, though it might be to some. The ability to quickly move them around the frame, or share them with friends in need outweighs, at least for now, the inconvenience of having no permanent mounting bracket. That said, it shouldn’t be too tough to rig up a permanent mount (perhaps using the, albeit plastic, helmet mount) if one were so inclined.

The rear lights have what look like belt straps on them that the Velcro frame mounts slide through. They also allow them to be strapped directly into loops, belts, or wherever else you can find that fits. They’re allegedly compatible with certain helmets. Unfortunately, mine isn’t one of them.

Conclusion

So, what’s my final take on them? Traffic was pretty light today, but those cars I did encounter showed every sign that they saw me. There were no close calls at all, and I certainly felt better having the directional light on my helmet. All the blinking made for a very cool and eerie strobe effect that lit up reflectors everywhere! In the dark of the morning, they were bright enough for me that I wasn’t worried about potholes, stray cats or zombie arms reaching out from sewer drains.

I have to take some points off for the construction, though. Though I’m sure they’ll last as long as I want them to, the lights don’t feel quite as solid as I’d like,. The helmet mount feels like it could break at any time. I’m pretty sure I’ll be taking them up on their (limited) lifetime warranty for that piece. Until then, I’ll be handling them with kid gloves to put that day off as long as possible.

All in all, I’m going with 4 out of 5 der blinkinlichten after my first day with the lights. Points revoked for construction, but more points given for size, price, performance, convenience, ease of use and charging method.

That’s how many times I was nearly hit by a driver not paying attention. I don’t know that there’s any way to compare that to the average ride for the average rider, but for me, it’s twice the number of near misses I’ve had for the last three four years. My own memory is very likely faulty, but I only remember one other instance.

Yesterday morning, I was heading south on Lowell and turning left onto 91st when a woman heading east on 91st Terrace went straight through the intersection towards 91st St after I was already well into my turn. She, in effect, wanted to share precious intersection space with me. I saw it happening, easily adjusted my course and we pulled into the eastbound lane side by side with me in the middle and her next to the curb. She sped ahead with a look of shock (reproach? distaste?) on her face and I moved to the right behind her. I tried to catch her at Foster – you know, for a friendly reminder about paying attention – but the light turned before I got there and she was gone. Oh well.

This morning, I was much closer to home at an intersection within an apartment complex. I was heading east on Kings Cove Dr, and the driver heading north on Brittany St and turning west into me. When I say “into me” that’s exactly what I mean. In spite of my rather crazy bright light (ok, only 140 lumens) and bright fluorescent windbreaker, the driver clearly didn’t see me and just pulled out. I saw it coming though, and easily engaged pulled into the oncoming lane with a rather loud, throaty and heart-felt “WATCH WHERE YOU’RE GOING!!” I’m sure they only heard “WAt wer yr gn…” I looked back and they were stopped (in the middle of the road). I can only hope they had to stop b/c their own inattentiveness lanced adrenalized terror through their chest. That might be too naïve though.

Rather than continue the focus on the well covered topic of driver inattention, I want to turn the focus away from what others are doing, and point out two things:

1. I made it safely through both scenarios because I was paying attention, was planning ahead and was riding defensively. I can’t help whether drivers are paying attention, or if they’re reading, writing, putting on makeup, eating, using their mobile phone to text or talk, or any of the 10,000 other things people do instead of drive, but I can help whether I’m paying attention, and at the end of the day, that’s what’s going to keep me rubber side down.
2. These back-to-back near incidents inspired me to do something I’ve needed to do for some time. In the first case, it’s entirely possible that, because of my bike’s position relative to the woman driving and the position of the lighting on my bike (front and rear only), she just didn’t see me. Additionally, it was that low visibility dusk/dawn period. I’ll give her that. So, I’ve ordered a helmet light I can flash in people’s eyes, and two rear lights I’ll attach to my fork pointing to the sides. I used to have that setup, but I let it slide through exchanging this bike for that, that light for this, etc., you know how it goes. I’m also looking into some highly-reflective tape for my pannier and frame (nod to CommuterDude for the tips on electrical tape and placement).
   

So, there you have it. I’ve had two near-encounters with inattentive drivers in as many days, after zero encounters in years. I’m sure it’s a statistical anomaly, rather than an indication of things to come, but just to be sure, I’m ramping up my visibility.

Just do me a favor will you, don’t tell my wife about this. She worries enough as it is. :)

This is an outline of how I make my trips to work by bike successful and fun. This list is written assuming that you, like me, already possess a bike and attire of your choosing. If you don’t, you might need to look to that first.

The Night Before

• Verify bike ABC Quick Check
  • ‘A’ is for ‘Air’. Check your tires to make sure they aren’t flat. They don’t roll right if they are.
  • ‘B’ is for ‘Brakes’. Make sure they’re working. You won’t stop well if you’re rolling if they don’t work. Stopping is just as important as going, after all.
  • ‘C’ is for ‘Chain’. Is it broken or bent? If the answer is yes, then it’s probably not a good idea to ride on it.
    • ‘C’ is also for ‘Drive train’, though they start with different letters (just go with me on this). Make sure your shifting is working and that there aren’t any squirrels hiding away in your derailleur.
• Pack work clothes. Do this the night before so you don’t forget anything when you’re all groggy from having to get up freakishly early to ride.
• Prepare bike clothing, depending on weather. Again, so you don’t forget your bike shorts or socks because you’re all groggy from having to get up freakishly early to ride. I’ve never forgotten my socks, but I have forgotten my helmet. I hate helmet laws myself, but I won’t ride without one.
• Charge lights. It really wouldn’t do for your lights to go dim on you 10 minutes into your ride when it’s dark out, would it? That could be problematic (see below re: potholes)
• Charge bike computer. If you don’t have one, then don’t charge it, but if you’re like me and you thrive on numbers and stats and tracking whatnot, then you’ll be happy you have a fully charged bike computer.

The Morning of the Ride

• Double check bike ABC Quick Check. Do it again to catch slow leaks, stiffened cables, or other late blooming problems. Sometimes cats have kittens, and sometimes, those kittens like to climb things. Make sure they’re not climbing around on your cassette or chewing through your brake cables.
• Verify lighting. Just because you charged it doesn’t mean the charge took. Make sure.
• Verify computer. Same here. Make sure.
• Eat good breakfast. Every engine needs fuel, and you’ve ditched the internal combustion engine in favor of you and your legs. Fuel up. Bonking ain’t fun.
• Kiss spouse, significant other or friend-with-benefits. This is just a nice thing to do. Plus it might lead to an excuse to be late. If you don’t have one, then my apologies for being so incredibly insensitive.

On the Way

• Don’t hit children or animals. They squawk unpleasantly when you do, and you might break a spoke. There’s no ‘S’ in the ABC’s, so if that happens, you’re on your own.
• Be a positive advocate of human powered transportation.
  • Know local traffic laws, regulations and requirements. Obey them. Give those drivers out there every reason to think positively of you, and the rest of us. You can’t control their behavior (they break the rules all the time), but you can control your own (so please don’t).
  • Don’t be all road ragey. It makes people uncomfortable, and we’re all in this together after all. Plus, it’s dumb.
  • Have fun, because there’s no better way to be an advocate than by simply having fun. After all, you’re on a bike! Enjoy it, and show everyone else how enjoyable it is! It’s infectious.
• Watch for flying fruit. Sometimes people throw things, or apples and coconuts fall from trees. Also, potholes have a nasty habit of springing into spontaneous being right in front of you. Be safe out there and practice your avoidance maneuvering techniques.
• Ride safely and defensively. This is the single most important thing you can do. Being a bloody pulp isn’t any fun, and it doesn’t serve as a positive example.

Upon Arrival at Work

• Wipe bike down if wet. If you work in a nice place, then it’s just considerate to wipe down the bike so you don’t drip greasy muddy street water all over the carpets. If you work in a warehouse, a barn, or a meth lab, then it’s probably not a big deal.
• Wash and clean up as necessary. A stinky advocate is an ineffectual advocate.
  • As an aside, I keep certain toiletries, such as deodorant, face soap and washcloths at work so I don’t have to carry them back and forth all the time.
  • Sometimes I keep shoes there too.
• Cool down before changing. Believe me, you’ll want to wait until you stop sweating before you change into your clean clothes. This may not be a problem if you work in the aforementioned warehouse, barn, or meth lab.
• Find a private place to change. Have I mentioned being a positive advocate yet?
• Find a place to stash your bike clothes. Show off the bike, not your sweaty clothes.
• Park bike in out of the way, yet highly visible location to promote friendly advocacy. You want people to know how cool you are, right? How will they know if you don’t let them see your bike? Just don’t put it in their way, or they’ll get a little testy. But if you store it considerately, it’s a great conversation starter, and lots of people will be amazed that you ride to work, especially when it’s 16°F out!

That’s all there is to it! Honestly, there’s absolutely nothing else. Now get out there and ride!

I wear contacts. That means it’s important that my eyeballss are protected from the dust and wind that’s all but unavoidable on long rides. If they aren’t protected, then by the time the ride is over, my vision is either so clouded and hazy I can’t see at all, or my contacts so dust-ridden that it feels like I’m sporting twin Rocks of Gibraltar in my eyeballs… or more likely, both.

There are several things I’ve been unable to completely conquer in my years of riding: Cold hands in weather below 10°F, cold feet in weather below 0&deg:F, and crusty contacts after long rides.

This is about the last item on that thankfully short list.

I’ve tried various protective eye gear, from basic sunglasses, to over-sized reading glasses, to cycling sunglasses and now, I’m trying a pair of 7Eye Capes with “AirShield” and “PhotoChromic NXT” technologies. They’re a little different than other things I’ve tried in that they’re actually motorcycle glasses, and being so, are just shy of being actual goggles.

The Glasses

The glasses come with a hard case, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and a neck strap (called a leash) that slides on the arms like a sock. I originally took a look at the Diablo line, but on trying several pair on at a local eyeglasses store, found the Cape to be more to my liking. I’m glad I opted to check them out IRL, rather than buying them outright online. Certain things should always be bought in person…

The glasses are plastic, and lightly constructed, but in spite of that they don’t feel cheap. Rather, they feel sturdy, if not as solid as a metal frame would. The fit is adjustable to a point. You can adjust the fit around the ear with two screws on each arm, but they don’t have any bridge adjustments, so your mileage may vary. They fit my face and ears right off the rack, so I count myself lucky on that point.

AirShield

The AirShield is a little snap-on addition made of plastic and foam that hugs your face when the glasses are properly fitted. The plastic fits next to the frame, and has vents to let some air flow through so your eyes don’t suffocate. The foam fits next to your face and helps form a “seal” against too much air flow which would dry out, freeze or cook your eyes, and let dust and rocks and sticks in.

I’ve seen some shielding inserts that attach to the frame via strong little magnets, rather than snaps. I think those are just freakishly cool, but the snaps used in the Cape model seem sufficient. They’re neither too hard to get out, nor too easy. The models I checked out with the magnets didn’t seem to have sufficient shielding for me, so I sadly put them away, and went with the 7Eye frames that weren’t necessarily as freakishly cool, but did the job better. That’s more important to me, after all.

So much for how they attach, how do they work? I’ve not had a chance to try them out on a multi-hour ride across country, but I have tried them out in 18°F temperatures with a decent headwind. Every other pair of cycling glasses I’ve ever tried at those temperatures resulted in my eyeballs streaming tears as they fight off the chill. These glasses solved that problem entirely. There’s enough ventilation that my eyeballs aren’t suffocating, but not enough so that they’re suffering from the wind. I’m looking forward to pushing them into the below 10°F range and taking them on longer rides (not at the same time), and I’m confident they’ll work.

Another concern with this type of eye gear is that they fog up. I can tell you I’ve tried to fog them up. I’ve taken them momentarily off and breathed on them. I’ve directed my breath up towards them while riding. I’ve done everything I know how to get them all opaque and blind, and though they fog up for a bit, they clear up almost immediately. So, I’m going to have to say they win on the issue of fog.

PhotoChromic NXT

I opted for the PhotoChromic NXT lenses so that I didn’t have to worry about switching out lenses when my rides cross that sunrise/sunset boundary (which they invariably do). For me, switching lenses while out on a ride is troublesome. There’s grease and dust and oil and grit and it always gets on the lenses, and it’s never easy to clean off. So I solved that problem with lenses that make that switch for me.

My verdict… Though they are effective in helping with glare and bright light, I don’t think they ever get as dark as a dedicated pair of sunglasses, or as clear as a dedicated set of clears. Then again, do these types of non-prescription lenses ever work as well as their prescription-based brothers and sisters? They do adjust, however, and if the fact that I’ve not been bothered by sunlight or the lack of it is any indication, I have to conclude that these lenses are doing their job sufficiently for my needs.

The Look

Well… with the AirShield, they look kinda silly, if my wife is any judge. She rolled her eyes and said I look like a big bug. Then again, they are effectively goggles. What do you expect? Look is so subjective though, so all I can say is that you’d have to make up your own mind. You may think they’re the most coolest and awesomest looking eye gear on the planet, or you may find yourself throwing up in your mouth a little bit. I suspect your opinion will fall somewhere in the middle, but it’s really up to you.

The Price

At $129.00, this is the most expensive pair of non-prescription glasses I’ve ever bought, so it was a bit of a stretch for me in the justification department. I went ahead with it, in the interest of protecting my eyes and keeping my contacts pristine. There’s nothing like gritty contacts, and dusty eyes to ruin an otherwise fantastic ride. It’s been enough of a bother for me that I thought the price was worth it. That price isn’t outlandish or unheard of in purpose built eye gear… you *can* spend a lot more for cycling glasses if you really want to.

The Conclusion

I’m definitely a fan so far.

Last autumn, I picked up a Lazer Helium helmet to replace my aging Giro Atmos. I’d had the Atmos for about 4 years, and many thousands of miles, and it was starting to show signs of age. Also, it’s recommended that bike helmets be replaced every few years anyway, so I decided to try something new.

I got a good deal on the Helium, too. After pricing it out and trying it on at my LBS, I found the same helmet online for about $100 less than retail. Yes. I contributed to globalization to the detriment of my LBS by buying online. Feel free to stop reading now if that’s a sensitive subject for you.

If you’re still here, then here it is: a fancy helmet for fancy people, the Lazer Helium.

Fit

I opted for the Medium/Large helmet, because I wanted a helmet with room for head coverings during the colder winter months, but with sufficiently effective internal tightening apparatus such that it would still fit snug during the warmer summer months. Because it’s a larger helmet, it has a bit bigger headprint than my Atmos. That is so say, it probably looks a little goofy on my head. That’s fine, because I’m pleased to say, having ridden with this helmet in both 90+° weather, and 20-° weather, it works well on either a bare head and one decorated with a thick wool cap.

The Lazer Rollsys® feature works very well towards making that fit happen. In fact, it works a little too well. While tightening it down so that the helmet fits snugly does, in fact, make the helmet fit snugly, it also results in a mild headache after about 30 minutes in the saddle. On my longer rides, I ended up having to loosen the helmet to get some relief and keep pedaling. It took some trial-and-error, but I eventually found a sweet spot that was tight enough that the helmet didn’t wobble about, but loose enough that I avoided throbbing pain. This issue could be unique to my noggin, but it’s something to consider. It might be argued that this helmet does not, in fact, fit, as evidenced by the headache. However, since I was able to overcome the issue, I’m not going to worry about it.

I should note that I never experienced anything like that with my Atmos, no matter how tightly I set it. I suspect it has to do with the specific placement of the head straps and blood flow.

The chin straps are, in my experience, pretty standard. They’re long enough to be adjustable to the longest faces, and the latches latch as one would expect.

Padding

The “Antimicrobial and temperature regulating padding system” is pretty solid. That is to say, I don’t notice any pointy bits on the inside, and the helmet, once the proper tightness using the Rollsys® feature is achieved, feels very comfortable. Once it’s on right, I don’t notice it at all, and just enjoy the ride.

Like any padding system, it’s going to show some wear after a while. The pads in my Atmos had to be replaced about once every few thousand miles. Time will tell how well these hold up.

Airflow
I can speak from experience that the airflow offered by this model is top notch. On a 40° day, I rode without head or ear covering, and I knew it. I wasn’t freezing, but I could tell that the air was flowing. Last autumn during the Octoginta, things got pretty hot, but not once did I worry about sweat in my eyes. It just wasn’t there. I credit the ventilation for that.

I’d say the airflow on the Helium is a definite step up from my previous helmet.

Options

Due to the fantastic ventilation, if you’re going to use this helmet in colder weather, it might pay off to use a head shield of some type beneath it. Lazer offers winter padding to help keep the helmet warm in colder weather, but I’ve not tried it. My wool cap was more than up to the task the last couple of days.

They also offer an insect net to keep the bugs out, and an “Aeroshell” to keep the rain and snow out, but I’ve not tried either.

In theory, all three options look nice, but they aren’t available through their web site, and I’ve not been able to find them online (I’ve tried Amazon, Nashbar, Performance Bike, Pricepoint and ProBikeKit), so it looks like they’d have to be ordered through an LBS. I’ve a few other winter items to pick up, so I might see about that winter padding while I’m at it.

QPR

At over $200, this helmet isn’t cheap, and I probably wouldn’t have gone for it had I not found a fantastic deal online for a new one. Aside from the high price, I can say it’s probably more than most people need out of a helmet. After all, a helmet is supposed to stay on your head, and protect that head from bumps. Truth be told, that’s it, and most helmets these days will do exactly that. Anything else, from fancy magnetic latches (not included on this model) to fancy bug screens and winter pads is just that… fancy designed to appeal to those with a little extra scratch to throw around on fancy.

Conclusion

All in all, I’m pleased with the helmet, though I’m a little disappointed in the headache issue. Once I found that sweet spot, however, I can honestly say that I can wear this helmet and not feel like I’m wearing this helmet. I put it on, tighten it just enough, and forget about it. That, to me, is a sign of a great helmet.

Still, I can’t say with a clear conscience that it has a high QPR. It just costs too much for that, given that you can get the same protection and most of the same benefits for much less out of cheaper helmets. If a prefab bug screen or winter padding is important to you, then maybe this is the way to go. On the other hand, maybe you can find your own solutions out of stuff you already have around the house. That’s your call. As for me, I had a little extra scratch at the time (well… no, I really didn’t), and went for it.

For now, I’m going to reserve final judgment for the performance of the winter padding. It could be that it pushes the QPR over the hump.

Four helmets out of five, a point taken off for the price and for having to overcome the headache issue.

Oh, and no, I didn’t receive this as a gift or anything like that. I bought it my own self.

I’ve decided that I’m going to return to my 2008 habit of getting to work on my own power, sans internal combustion engine, as much as possible. There will be days when I have to resort to the relative warmth of a car cabin, due to meetings in another building, but I think I’ll be able to make it happen again with the same commitment I had back then, barring compelling spousal objection or injury, of course.

It looks like I picked a decent week to start:

• Monday – Mostly sunny. High: ~41°F
• Tuesday – Mostly sunny. High: ~38°F
• Wednesday – Mostly sunny. High: ~44°F
• Thursday – Partly cloudy. High: ~42°F
• Friday – Partly cloudy. High: ~43°F

So I’ll have some things cycling related things to write about again. Tomorrow, I’m going to talk about my new helmet, a Lazer Helium. Wednesday, I’m going to talk about my new cycling glasses, the 7eye Cape with Airshield.

Today, I’m going to go over my rig and gear.

The Rig

I’m riding a nearly stock ’09 Kona Dew Drop. The details are given below on the off-chance you’re interested, and b/c I’m not sure how long they’ll be available on the Kona site. It’s a fine bike with good parts. The only thing I’d change is the frame for which I’d go steel instead of aluminum. I’ve not ridden it enough (~600 miles), in spite of how long I’ve owned it, to really get a comfortable sense of how it handles. Thus far, I’ve treated it with kid gloves. I can say the handling isn’t as tight as my Torelli, but it’s been saddled with heavy panniers for most rides. Those tend to alter the handling characteristics a bit, ‘nom’sayin? Besides, it’s like comparing a sedan to a Ferrari. It’s just not a fair comparison.

My Gear

My additions to the bike, simple though they be, are a front fender, handlebar mounts for my Garmin 705 and Cateye Triple Shot, a top tube bag for the light battery, a couple Shimano A530 SPD pedals, an old tube lovingly and protectively wrapped around the chain stay, an Axiom Journey disc brake compatible rear rack, one Cat Eye TL-LD600 facing the rear, and a couple cheap bottle holders.

Note that I don’t have a rear fender. That rack, plus the disc brakes and mounts made for a problematic rear fender install… I eventually determined that, for me, it wasn’t necessary. The rack takes most of the water when it’s wet out anyway.

I’m carrying my clothes back and forth in a Nashbar Commuter Garment Pannier. It’s been pretty solid for me over the last couple of years. I really should write up a full review of it, though. For now, I’ll say that I’ve had no problems, but have changed out the stock rack hooks with a couple of small stainless steel carabiners. While the stock hooks worked on my old rack mounted to my Kona Fire Mountain, the new rack on the Dew Drop (necessary due to the disc brakes) has different hook points, and the stock hooks weren’t stable. The carabiners are definitely more stable, but they’re also a lot more difficult in the tight spaces under the pannier. I’m thinking larger hooks would be easier to handle, and wouldn’t slide through the eye holes in the rack (yeah, I really need to write a full review).

I’m looking for some additional lights to mount on my front forks pointing either to the front, or to the side. Ideally, I’ll find some wraparound lights that light up the whole fork in the round. I dare a driver not to see that! Wait… nevermind, they won’t see me no matter what I did. Maybe a helmet mounted front/rear lighting set up would help.

Rig Details

Saved for last b/c I know most people just won’t care. This is here primarily for my own future reference.

Frame Size C56cm
Frame tubing Kona 7005 Aluminum Butted
Fork Kona P2 700c Disc
Headset Ritchey LB-Plus
Crankarms FSA Vero
Chainrings 52/42/30
B/B RPM 7420
Pedals See Above
Chain KMC Z-72
Freewheel Shimano C Series (11-34, 8spd)
F/D Shimano 2203
R/D Shimano Deore
Shifters Shimano 2203
Handlebar Kona Sweeper
Stem Kona RD
Grips Velo Wrap w/Gel
Brakes Avid BB-7 Road Disc
Brake Levers Shimano 2203
Front hub Formula Disc
Rear hub Shimano M475 Disc
Spokes Sandvik Stainless 15g fr/14g rr
Tires Continental CountryRide 700x37C
Rims Rigida ZAC19SL
Saddle Kona Comfort
Seatpost Kona RD
Seat clamp Kona QR
Color Metallic Red
Extras Kona Bell

I finished the Octoginta 2010 this past Sunday. I hadn’t ridden more than ~40 miles at one time, and only four rides over 30 miles since the ’09 Triple Bypass – over a year ago. Look for yourself. What I’m trying to say is I’ve been a right slacker when it comes to cycling. So it was with some trepidation that I attempted the 80+ mile Octoginta.

I needn’t have worried. My flat-inducing friend (who didn’t induce a flat) and I did just fine.

Here are my thoughts on the ride, in order of least favorite to most. I find it’s always a good idea to start with the bad news and end on a good note, so here ’tis.

The Ugly

Some of the worst group ride cyclist behavior in traffic I can remember witnessing. I hate to foster stereotypes, but the vast majority of cycling miscreancy was committed by our friends in full racing kit. Last week, Eric over at KCBike.info, himself via Ride Lawrence, let us in on the fact that a new Lawrence Bike Rideability Map [PDF] was released. I wish the scofflaws on the ride Sunday would have taken to heart the advice on the 2nd page of that flyer… primarily the “ride predictably” and “don’t pass cars on the right” bits. I don’t blame the folk what put together the Octoginta for this, though. It’s not their fault. However, I would have liked to hear something about playing nice with each other and cars at the starting line. Not that it would have mattered, but still…

The Bad

Gravel/chip roads. Can’t say I love them. There was only one, and it only stretched a couple of miles, but with a perfectly serviceable paved road with very wide shoulders as an alternate route, I’m having a hard time fathoming the choice. Maybe it was the 21% grade hill on that little jaunt that brought out the gleeful sadist in the route planners. Or maybe it was the steep downhill right afterwards that couldn’t be enjoyed because it culminated in a sharp gravel turn, forcing us to ride our brakes the whole time. Either way, I’m pretty sure The Devil had something to do with it.

No end of ride dinner. The last time I rode an Octoginta in 2007 (wow… was it really that long ago?!), there was a fantastic minestrone soup at the end. They seem to have ditched that in favor of soup at lunch. I’m not complaining, mind you. The sammiches and soup really hit the spot at 52 miles in, but the utter lack of a finish line was rather anti-climatic.

The Good

Group Riding. It wouldn’t be fair to mention the horrible behavior of some cyclists without mentioning the very friendly and communal behavior of others. For the first 30 miles or so of the ride, and before it spread out too thin, my friend and I found ourselves (mostly through his efforts) part of one decent sized two column peleton or another. It’s amazing how much difference that makes in terms of effort and energy expenditure. It’s significantly reduced. Riding 30 solo miles takes a lot more energy than riding 30 group miles, when that group knows what it’s doing. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy being part of something like that.

Energy level. Though I wouldn’t rate my fitness, and resultant post-ride energy at the same level as the ’07 Octoginta, I was better than I expected. Especially having run a 5K Saturday morning. My legs were really feeling that run, but once I hit the pedals on Sunday, I forgot about the pain, and enjoyed the ride. Around mile 30, I was starting to feel the effort, but the well-placed SAG stops and our judicious use of them allowed for a strong second wind at mile 52 after lunch, and continuing through the rest of the ride. The group riding definitely helped with that.

Well placed SAG stops. As with the ’07 ride, the SAGs were well placed. More space between them along stretches requiring less effort, and less space along stretches with leg busting hills or nasty surfaces. No evidence of sadism here.

Breakfast. The breakfast of eggs, french toast, and plenty of fluids may not have been quite as noteworthy as ’07 (if there was coffee and OJ, I missed it), but it was still pretty fantastic. I wasn’t hungry, having stuffed my face with pasta that morning, which may have colored my perception, but it was still pretty nice.

Lunch. The lunch stop with ham or turkey sammiches, bananas, their signature soup, and water was spot on target at 52 miles in, at the Vinland Airport.

Route choice included some familiar roads, as well as some new ones. This year, they took us northwest initially, then back around south of Lawrence to Clinton Lake Dam, and then up north before pulling us back into downtown. I know many of the roads we were on, but there were a few that I hadn’t tried yet. When next I pull my Shawnee to Lawrence and Back rides, I’ll have more choices, and I’ll use them.

Surprise visit by my wife! Though there was no dinner after the ride, and though there was no official finish line with screaming friends and family welcoming you in after a long day of riding (the Triple Bypass certainly spoiled me there), my gorgeous wife surprised me by being there in the parking lot waiting for me. I wasn’t expecting her at all, and she was a beautiful site to behold after pushing myself hard those last 10 miles.

All the photos and more, with captions, are available here.

I’m giving the Octoginta another go on Sunday. It’ll be an 80 mile challenge.

Here’s why:

I’ve not ridden more than 40 miles in a single ride since the Triple Bypass last July. Pssst. Here’s a little secret about that ride… Even though that ride is 120 miles, it’s really only 60, because for the other 60, all you do is hold on for dear life while you, screaming like a school girl, pass cars at 45-50mph going downhill.

I’m about 15lbs fatter than I was then. Not merely heavier. No. It’s all fat. No muscle here. I have, for better or worse, reclaimed a liking for chicken patties and frozen pizza. Also, I’m married now, which apparently necessarily means I’m fat and happy. It’s amazing how suddenly the former arrived after the latter.

As I wasn’t very strong then, I can’t be very strong now. That means I’m pretty weak. Please see my previous post, 100 Whatnots, for details. As of this writing, I’m halfway through Week One.

I’ll take my camera with me on Sunday to document my suffering. Did I mention early registration starts at 7, and that it’s 45 minutes away?

Feel free to laugh at me in the comments. You will be judged on your originality, cleverness and sophistication.

All in all, not a bad weekend. I’d fixed our printing issues with Samba/Cups/HPLIP before 11, and I’d slept in until 9:30 (yes, I clearly needed sleep). It was, I think, a permissions issue, but it was a confusing issue.

Brokey:

lrw-rw---- 1 root cups 9 Sep 24 17:04 ugen0.2 -> usb/0.2.0
crw-rw-rw- 1 root cups 0, 128 Sep 24 17:01 0.2.0

Workey:

lrw-rw---- 1 root cups 9 Sep 24 17:04 ugen0.2 -> usb/0.2.0
crw-rw-rw- 1 root cups 0, 128 Sep 24 17:01 0.2.0

Yeah. I don’t see a difference either. Still, I was getting the following errors:

prnt/backend/hp.c 745: ERROR: open device failed stat=12: hp:/usb/photosmart_7350?serial=XXXXXXXXXXXXX

and

printer-state=5(stopped)
printer-state-message="/usr/local/libexec/cups/backend/hp failed"
printer-state-reasons=paused

whenever I tried to print (not the real serial number).

Then I chown root:lp both ugen0.2 and usb/0.2.0, and printing was magically working again. And yet, they still show as being root:cups. Go figure. Please. Go figure, because aside from some weird corruption in some place I don’t yet know exists, I can’t figure it out myself.

So, that done, I moved myself downtown to the KC Public Library for the first of two League of American Cyclists Smart Cycling KC: Traffic Skills 101 classes. Though there wasn’t anything in there that I didn’t already know, it was still a good time, and worth the time spent. Some really good discussion ensued around traffic law and cyclists place in it, and how to best defend ourselves out there. I’d be interested in the more advanced classes, so I’m going to keep my eyes open for those.

Now, I’m about to settle in for the evening with my beautiful wife, who’s been shopping nearly all day, with a bottle of wine and a weeks worth of DVR’d television stories.

I meant to publish this earlier, but got pretty busy, and didn’t get around to it. Better late than never, I sometimes say.

On Saturday, my flat-inducing buddy and I rode out from his driveway on a 40 miler from Liberty, to Excelsior Springs, back through Kearney, and then on back to Liberty. It was a fantastic, scenic, mildly hilly, and altogether peaceful ride.

Some highlights include the fact that no one yelled at us (nope, not once), neither of us had any mechanical difficulties (perhaps Jon’s Flat Tire Curse has abated?), and the scenery was gorgeous.

In Excelsior Springs, we stopped at a Subway for a refueling at the 20 mile mark. Neither of us were really tired, but we were both getting a bit peckish. The real, if all to brief highlight was there. While we were eating, we noted a rather stout teenager sporting a purple close cropped pointed mohawk come in with his Mom. As we were gathering our gear to leave, he asked us how far we’d gone. A short conversation ensued through which he was very clearly and boldly impressed by what we’d done so far.

Encouraged by his lack of derision and open admiration, we chatted with him for a while, and assured him that 20 miles isn’t that hard if you build up to it. Start with a mile. Then 2. Then 5. Then 10. Slowly, but quicker than you realize, you’re pulling 20 miles, then 40, then metric centuries, and finally centuries. With any luck at all, his admiration will turn into inspiration and he’ll find his way onto a saddle with a water bottle in hand and a granola bar, rather than on the lounge chair with a XBox controller in hand and a bag of Doritos.

Not that those are bad things, mind you; I do love me some gaming and salty preservative chiplets, but there’s gotta be a balance.

We left him, and wished him luck and good fortune, and were back out on the road for another 20 miles.

All in all, a fantastic ride.

Bikes at the Garage Door. The weather was a fantastic 72°F and we were ready to go. Well… I was, you can see all his gear next to the garage door anxiously awaiting him.

My Bike Computer. HR is a little high for just standing around. Though the driveway was a little steep, so I had to work to keep my balance.

Jon’s Bike Computer. The two bike computer pictures were taken seconds apart. There must be some sort of End World-esque time distortion going on to have them show such disperate times. I’m sure that’s it… it’s the simplest explanation.

Jon in front of a Great View. This photo really doesn’t do it justice. It really was beautiful.

Just around the corner from the aforementioned Great View. This one is a better representation, but still doesn’t do it justice. Though you can’t see it, waaaaay off in the distance is Kearney.

Off the Route. We took a detour past Excelsior Springs to enjoy a fantastic twisty turny windey downhill run through a tunnel of trees. It really was awesome. It resulted in having to recalculate our route, and then immediately making a several hundred foot climb over the course of several hundred yards. It was definitely worth it, though.

Jon in the Distance. You can’t see him, but he’s back there.

A Little History.

A Nice Home Nestled in the Trees.

End of the ride stats.