I’d pretty much convinced myself that the best time to crash on a bike is in the winter time…

Reason #1 — you don’t get road rash.
Reason #2 — there’s usually lots of nice soft snow to land in.
Reason #3 — there’s rarely anyone else around to observe the crash.

However, my convictions weakened slightly today, when I performed a spectacular “dance of the glare ice” crash.

Result #1 — I did get road rash, right through two layers of bike tights.
Result #2 — there was no snow, just the bare (and rough) pathway right after the ice.
Result #3 — there were several people around to witness my crash.

How many months till spring?  :)

One of the first things I do when I get up in the morning is check the temperature. This gives me a good idea whether I’m going to bike to work, or wimp out and take transit.

The temperature on January 12 was around -40 C.  Definitely a day to take the train to work…

I have to admit, it’s rare that I come across a product that I’m completely satisfied with.

Usually, there are at least a couple of things I’d have done differently or that I think could be improved upon.

So, imagine my delight when I came across a backpack that seemed to have been designed specifically for cyclists. I also have a feeling it was designed, not by the marketing department, but by people who actually USE a backpack when cycling. Gadzooks!

Continue reading »

I like to be visible when I ride at night, so I’ve tried a number of different lights / reflectors / blinkies.

Recently, I picked up one of Nite-Hawk’s new Emitter bike lights (the digital one) and thought I’d review it here. There are some things about it I really like, and some things I really don’t like…

Continue reading »

Think some of your rides are bumpy? Well, check out how you can ride on square (and other shaped wheels) in relative comfort…

Wouldn’t it be nice to ride in a city with no cars? Kewl concept — until the reality of this city sinks in… There about 20 pages of pictures and captions…

I’m not sure how someone comes up with this, but if you’ve got some free time and some paper…

I’m starting to wonder how many stores simply dump returned items back on the shelves for resale, without ever checking them. Perhaps it’s laziness, perhaps it’s deliberate. (i.e. "Maybe whoever buys this damaged item just won’t bother re-returning it…")

I’ve run into three cases now, where I’ve bought something from a store, only to find the item was very obviously used.

Continue reading »

In a survey, technology experts and scholars evaluate where the network is headed in the next ten years.

Pew Internet report on The Future of the Internet

It’s an interesting read…

Woodworkers probably have more tools (toys?) to choose from than any other hobby or craft. The range of jigs and tools designed for a specific need are mindboggling. They’re not cheap, either.

So, needless to say, I hummed and hawed about buying a pocket hole jig for close to a year. When I finally bought one, I wished I hadn’t waited so long.

I looked at several different pocket hole jigs, and decided on Kreg Tool’s K2000 model.

This model comes complete with everything you need to very easily and very quickly do pocket hole joinery.

This was the first time I’d ever attempted pocket hole joints, so to have the jig set up, and a cabinet face frame assembled in less than half an hour was very impressive.

Granted, pocket hole joinery is never going to replace the aesthetics of perfect dovetails or even finger / box joints, but for a solid, “behind the scenes” joint, it’s tough to beat.

And, while you don’t necessarily NEED a jig to create pocket holes, the Kreg K2000 lets you create the holes and joints extremely quickly and accurately. (And I need all the help I can get with the accuracy…)

© 2010 elliottzone Suffusion WordPress theme by Sayontan Sinha