Single Shifter Di2 - Het Fairwheel Podium | Het Fairwheel Podium

I've heard mixed reviews of the Di2, but you have to admit this is one sweet ride. Not sure I would run tubulars but maving the electronics mounted in the stem is genius.

Single Shifter Di2 - Het Fairwheel Podium | Het Fairwheel Podium:

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Local Ride: Luther Forest Trails, Malta, NY

I was able to once again take advantage of the warmer temps and get out for a ride this past Sunday. On the weekends I try and ride somewhere I don't normally go. Usually I have a bit more time so driving for 30 to 45 minutes there and back isn't a big deal. I've been thinking of heading back up to Luther with the Rocky since there are some trail features I wanted to try. The singlespeed is fun, but just not always the right tool for the job. I wasn't really sure f the trail conditions so I posted on the facebook page for the Luther Forest Mountain Bikers, a group of local riders who help maintain the trail network. I should have known that this "Trails are great! Frozen and wet, really tests your skills..." really means "Make sure you ride with studs!" But, I didn't really have the time to put on the studs so I took a chance.

More slippery than it looks, the steepest sections had to be walked.

When I got there I knew I was in trouble. The parking lot was a sheet of ice. And with the warmer temps, some of it was melting. Now ice is slippery, but wet ice is down right dangerous. Luckily, it seemed much of the ice was pitted and crumbling so there was some traction to be had. I started off and right away I was thinking this probably isn't a good idea. I was able to ride, and get traction but I was unsure of where and when the tires would break loose. The tires I have on the bike now are Bontrager Big Earl and are 26 x 2.5 but are the dry conditions version. Still I have had good luck with these in the past so I rode on. Soon after starting, the trail winds along a gully and much of the trail is a slight off camber. As I was approaching a downhill off camber section, I could just picture myself just touching the brakes, losing control and heading down the gully ass end first. Here it is, the pucker factor. This is about the time my sphincter tightens up and my life starts to flash before my eyes. And I stopped. I seriously thought about turning right around and going home. But after a second or two I came to my senses and said "fuck no...I am going to ride God dammit!". I let some air out of the tires. I think I started with somewhere around 36psi and took them down to about 28psi. Now these tires aren't tubeless so I knew I was taking a gamble but I would much rather change a flat tire than climb out of a gully with 36lbs of bike in tow.

Most of the newer trails looked like this.

I am so glad I continued because from that moment on, the trails were very manageable and I never lost control or had the ground come up to meet me. And not all of the trails were covered in ice, most of the newer trails had very little or no snow at all. In fact it was wet and muddy in some sections. I kept the pace slow to play it safe and only picked sped up where there was little or no snow. It was a real challenge to ride back here with no studs, especially the log crossings. It seemed to me none of them were perpendicular to the trail and there was always ice before and after each one. I felt certain the rear tire was going to slide out when I was at the highest point on the log and I was going down. Keeping off the brakes just before and right after the features as well as shifting my weight away from each tire as it crossed the log was what saved me.

Much of what I rode looked like this.

I rode for about 2 hours, I really needed it too. Another successful winter ride. But next time I come here I will definitely have studs...I can totally do without the pucker factor.

Masterworks Wood & Design Salvages Condemned City Trees to Make Beautiful Wooden Bicycles |

Proof that sporting a woodie in public can be okay...

Masterworks Wood & Design Salvages Condemned City Trees to Make Beautiful Wooden Bicycles |:

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Zodiac Engineering, Stripped, polished and counterbored @Animal_Bikes...

Now this is a nice stem! This company makes some trick parts for bmx bikes.

Zodiac Engineering, Stripped, polished and counterbored @Animal_Bikes...

Nepali Trails with Sandman Titanium. First Details - 970biking - Mountain Biking Videos - Vital MTB

Fat bikes are not just for winter...

Nepali Trails with Sandman Titanium. First Details - 970biking - Mountain Biking Videos - Vital MTB

Take an epic journey through the highest mountains in the world in Nepal, on big wheels! After a 15 day trek around the base of Everest to acclimatize, Martín Campoy takes his Sandman Titanium on the rest of this amazing journey.

Biden on Internet Freedom = Anti-SOPA on Vimeo

Biden on Internet Freedom = Anti-SOPA on Vimeo

americancensorship.org

Joe Biden filled in for Hillary Clinton at the London Conference on Cyberspace (LCC) on November 1st, giving a speech on the importance of freedom in cyberspace and talking up the importance of freedom on the internet and not regulating the internet. Meanwhile, the Obama Administration stands with congress in full support of H.R 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act, which would give copyright holders the ability to censor websites on the net. We need to stand up now and let Congress know that they shouldn't mess with the Internet!

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet on Vimeo

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet on Vimeo


Tell Congress not to censor the internet NOW! - fightforthefuture.org/pipa

PROTECT-IP is a bill that has been introduced in the Senate and the House and is moving quickly through Congress. It gives the government and corporations the ability to censor the net, in the name of protecting "creativity". The law would let the government or corporations censor entire sites-- they just have to convince a judge that the site is "dedicated to copyright infringement."

The government has already wrongly shut down sites without any recourse to the site owner. Under this bill, sharing a video with anything copyrighted in it, or what sites like Youtube and Twitter do, would be considered illegal behavior according to this bill.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill would cost us $47 million tax dollars a year — that's for a fix that won't work, disrupts the internet, stifles innovation, shuts out diverse voices, and censors the internet. This bill is bad for creativity and does not protect your rights.

Coffee’s Amazing Health Benefits :: CoffeeNate is a video coffee blog that teaches about coffee 5 minutes at a time!

Coffee...LOVE IT!

Coffee’s Amazing Health Benefits :: CoffeeNate is a video coffee blog that teaches about coffee 5 minutes at a time!:

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2012 NAHBS | North American Handmade Bicycle Show | Groovy 650b Rohloff Dinosaur Skin | #NAHBS | Test

I like everything about this except for the grip shift. Sick build and color scheme...love it!

2012 NAHBS | North American Handmade Bicycle Show | Groovy 650b Rohloff Dinosaur Skin | #NAHBS | Test:

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Why my Laptop is Running Hot

Dust Bunnies. Apparently they were getting in through the vents and multiplying. This is what I had guessed. Not sure why I haven't pulled it apart and cleaned it before. Anyway did it tonight and it's running cooler and no longer overheating. Now I just need a new battery and I'll be all set.

Before

After

Before

After

Local Ride: Central Park, Schenectady, NY

Yet another great day to ride on Wednesday. The sun was shining and I think temps were almost in the 40's. Trails were hard and fast again. I am glad I got out too because I knew the weather was going to change...and it did. I woke up on Thursday morning to everything covered in wet, heavy snow and now freezing rain was coming down. Shitballs. Had it been colder or the snow less wet, I would have attempted to ride. But with the wet snow and the weather channel calling for more rain, I am going to have to stay off the trails till they freeze again.

Local Ride: Central Park, Schenectady, NY

Trails are hard and fast, just watch for the leaves in the corners

I've been taking full advantage of the mild weather we've been having. Rode last Friday and today on my lunch break at SCP, and in Luther Forest this past Sunday. Still not feeling 100% but I'll be damned if I am not going to get out and ride while I still can. Gonna try and get out tomorrow too. Might head over and ride at Colonie Town Park, depends on how much time I have. No excuses for the rest of you. Get out and ride Fuckers!!!