Well, I'm officially 195 miles further in riding the bicycle this year than in 2007 on this date. It's also high time for my life to move on ... and so it will.
Ryan will be here next Friday and we'll head up to Fargo on Monday, May 5. Time to visit my Aunt Elaine as she battles cancer. I'm sure it's been at least 5 years since I've been up there and I was thinking of making it a motorcycle trip until Ryan's visit came up. This would be one of his few opportunities to go there and so we'll just take the Camry (h-mmm, I need to change oil in it this week sometime).
Saw Marc and Lauren at the Red Lion last night. I guess there was some kind of costumed wedding party because a bunch of pirates and wenches showed up there around 10:30. I also stopped out to see Tom & Wilma on the occasion of Tom's 67th birthday. They're thinking of having a big party out there on the 9th so maybe Ryan would be able to go out there with me (but maybe not since he's leaving on the 10th to go back to Raleigh) ... we'll have to see.
While you'd never think this would be true, on the surface, I think the best place to get a smoked turkey sandwich (on whole wheat) is "BBQ This" on Boyson Road here in Cedar Rapids. They also have some decent sides (like homemade Kettle chips and really good potato salad) to go with the sandwich. Oh, yeah, you can also get plenty of things like barbecued ribs there ... hehe.
Well, I'm getting hungry now ... so better get going.
I've decided that it's pretty fun to watch a movie while eating a box of Milk Duds and drinking coffee. Very relaxing ... life really can be very good alone.
Later ...
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
About RAGBRAI 2007
This picture was taken at the start of the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) XXXV on July 21, 2007 at Rock Rapids, IA. Here I'm dipping the bike's rear wheel in the Rock River. This symbolic action is mirrored at the end where the front wheel is dipped in the Mississippi River on the eastern Iowa border (see that picture below).
Thanks are in order to Carol who took the time to give me a ride up to Rock Rapids, very much appreciated. The ride itself was a great experience and a good workout. I carried all my equipment on the bicycle and it amounted to about 55 lbs. (including full water bottles). The only negative part about RAGBRAI (for me, at least) was the waiting in lines. With so many people, you have to be agile (and lucky) about where you go and when you go in order to avoid lines. I think I did pretty good, but it can get to be almost claustrophobic after awhile. Countering that, though, I met many, many nice and generous people along the way and the variety and types of bicycles you see is almost unbelievable.
This next picture is a view of the "dipping area" on the Mississippi at Bellevue, IA on July 28, 2007. At one time or another, as far as I know, all 10,000+ riders arrived at this spot to dip their front wheel in as the symbol of finishing the ride. You can see that it's a pretty busy place.
And here's a photo of me dipping the front wheel of my bicycle into the Mississippi at Bellevue. This is the only picture I have showing at least part of the load on the bike. From here, I took off riding on Highway 61 south and got about 3 miles out of town before my best friend Larry arrived to pick me up for the ride back to Cedar Rapids. I'll never forget that ... anymore than I'll ever forget the significance of today (April 23) in 2004.
So, will I ever ride in RAGBRAI again? Yes, there's little doubt that I will. For one thing, it may be something that my children want to do and I'd really enjoy riding it with them. I've signed up for this year's ride, but I'm not 100% sure I'm going to go. I'll decide about riding by early July, but I wanted to avoid the registration hassles, even if I change my mind about riding. This year's ride starts on my son's 30th birthday (July 19) at Missouri Valley, IA and finishes at LeClaire, IA on July 26, 2008. It will also be a much hillier ride than in 2007. For more information on the 2008 ride, go to www.ragbrai.org ...
During RAGBRAI, what worked best for me was to get going early and ride steadily. I eventually discovered that the odds are pretty good for a lone rider (that arrives fairly early in the day at the next host town) to get a place to sleep and shower at one of the host homes. Believe me, that is sooo much appreciated. And if you get a chance to be a host home for RAGBRAI, take it ... you'll enjoy it and you'll be doing something that the people who stay will you for that night will always appreciate ... and that will give you many smiles. Later ...
Thanks are in order to Carol who took the time to give me a ride up to Rock Rapids, very much appreciated. The ride itself was a great experience and a good workout. I carried all my equipment on the bicycle and it amounted to about 55 lbs. (including full water bottles). The only negative part about RAGBRAI (for me, at least) was the waiting in lines. With so many people, you have to be agile (and lucky) about where you go and when you go in order to avoid lines. I think I did pretty good, but it can get to be almost claustrophobic after awhile. Countering that, though, I met many, many nice and generous people along the way and the variety and types of bicycles you see is almost unbelievable.
This next picture is a view of the "dipping area" on the Mississippi at Bellevue, IA on July 28, 2007. At one time or another, as far as I know, all 10,000+ riders arrived at this spot to dip their front wheel in as the symbol of finishing the ride. You can see that it's a pretty busy place.
And here's a photo of me dipping the front wheel of my bicycle into the Mississippi at Bellevue. This is the only picture I have showing at least part of the load on the bike. From here, I took off riding on Highway 61 south and got about 3 miles out of town before my best friend Larry arrived to pick me up for the ride back to Cedar Rapids. I'll never forget that ... anymore than I'll ever forget the significance of today (April 23) in 2004.
So, will I ever ride in RAGBRAI again? Yes, there's little doubt that I will. For one thing, it may be something that my children want to do and I'd really enjoy riding it with them. I've signed up for this year's ride, but I'm not 100% sure I'm going to go. I'll decide about riding by early July, but I wanted to avoid the registration hassles, even if I change my mind about riding. This year's ride starts on my son's 30th birthday (July 19) at Missouri Valley, IA and finishes at LeClaire, IA on July 26, 2008. It will also be a much hillier ride than in 2007. For more information on the 2008 ride, go to www.ragbrai.org ...
During RAGBRAI, what worked best for me was to get going early and ride steadily. I eventually discovered that the odds are pretty good for a lone rider (that arrives fairly early in the day at the next host town) to get a place to sleep and shower at one of the host homes. Believe me, that is sooo much appreciated. And if you get a chance to be a host home for RAGBRAI, take it ... you'll enjoy it and you'll be doing something that the people who stay will you for that night will always appreciate ... and that will give you many smiles. Later ...
Monday, April 21, 2008
Neuro 4.0 Review
Hello everyone. I originally generated this review for my local bicycle shop, Northtowne Cycling, here in Cedar Rapids and so I thought I'd just put it up here in my blog. One update to the original review (below) is that I now have over 400 miles on the system and it has been working flawlessly. Also, some of the features such as keeping track of total hours and distance riding have been very useful.
Read on, if you like ... Ken
Neuro 4.0 Review – 18 March 2008
Introduction
Having had a number of problems with several cycle computers over the past year, I was excited to get my hands on some of the latest technology from Blackburn, the Neuro 4.0 Cyclometer (list $125). This report presents information on the configuration and setup as well as the results of riding tests.
Configuration
This unit is unique in its incorporation of UHF digital transmission of the speed, cadence and heart rate monitor inputs. Blackburn has three different Neuro Cyclometers (4.0, 5.0 and 6.0) and they are new for 2008. The Neuro 4.0 does not have the optional heart rate monitor, but purchase of the chest transmission belt is all that is necessary to start using it. The Neuro 5.0 comes with the Heart Rate monitor as standard equipment and the Neuro 6.0 adds an altimeter to the mix. All the Neuro Cyclometers are fully wireless as the only wire in the system is between the speed and cadence pickups (integrated as a unit with a single CR2032 lithium battery supporting both transmitters). The test bicycle is my stock 2007 Specialized TriCross Sport (54.5cm frame, see Photo 1). This review is based on installation of the Neuro 4.0 on a single bicycle only but the unit supports Bike 1 and Bike 2 configurations with the addition of a 2nd set of transmitters and a mount for the second bicycle.
Test Goals
Basically, having had troubles with wireless cyclometers in the past, my primary goal was to see if the communication link for the system was consistent and unbroken during the test rides. Secondly, I evaluated the overall package (documentation, ease of setup) and, finally, I wanted to confirm that the system worked well in the presence of my Polar F11 heart rate monitor. I use this because it’s also useful for many other activities besides bicycling and its data can be downloaded to a computer. So it’s nice to have a single and consistent source of heart rate training information. But it’s also important that the two wireless setups not interfere with each other.
Results Summary
After 43 miles of riding, the system has been working flawlessly. The documentation seems to have been rushed to production as it has a few errors but I’m very happy with the way this works. See below for detailed setup and testing. In summary:
Pros: Excellent performance, solid wireless connection, easy to setup (given the complexity of the system).
Cons: Documentation errata should be corrected. Start/Stop (center, small) button is a bit difficult to depress without hitting the outside button(s) when wearing full gloves.
Documentation
The package comes with a printed Installation Guide but the User’s Manual is a .pdf file on the included CD (in 13 languages, no less). So you will need access to a computer to actually use the system (well, unless you’re one of those “I can figure it out … eventually” trial and error folks). I used a PC and Adobe Reader to read and printout the User’s Manual on 8 ½ x 11 paper. Specific print property settings that I found worked well for printing this: Page Scaling set to “Multiple pages per sheet”, Pages per sheet set to “2” and Page Order set to “Horizontal”. Also check the box for “Auto-Rotate Pages”. The result is 4 pages per page for the 76 page document (about 19 full printed 8 ½ x 11 sheets). These can then be trimmed and stapled to make a “mini” manual that is fairly portable and quite useable. Frankly, I must say that I prefer the pre-printed (and small) manuals for “on the bicycle”, but that’s just me and, anyway, you probably won’t need the manual too often once you set things up once or twice and get used to the operations.
System Parts
After reviewing the parts list and illustrations in the installation manual, the only item not described is the stem mount. Neither the part nor the installation steps for it were mentioned. I used the handlebar mount, so this didn’t concern me too much but it is an omission in the documentation. There are plenty of zip ties (and only 6 are needed for the completed installation). Besides the missing part description for the second mount option, the only complaint I can make here is that I’d like to see some kind of rubber spacers in the kit.
Installation
The first step in the installation is to review the installation steps in the supplied printed manual. Once they are digested, power to the computer is supplied by installing the (supplied) CR2032 lithium battery. There is an identical battery already installed in the cadence/speed transmitter/pickup unit. Next you have to “pair up” the speed/cadence transmitters to the computer. For this test all this effort was done for Bike 1 only but a second set of transmitters for Bike 2 would be separately paired if need be.
The pairing process itself is straightforward. Simply depress the Pairing Key button on the back of the computer, press the mode key and pass a magnet by the speed sensor pickup a few times and the display shows DONE. The computer pairing process then advances to pairing of the Heart Rate Monitor. Of course, if you don’t have an HRM (and I don’t) then this pairing process is a waste of time. The manual says that if you do not have a Heart Rate Transmitter to pair, “simply Quick Press the OPTION key to skip the Heart Rate Transmitter pairing process”. However, although I re-started the pairing sequence several times from scratch, pressing the option key never aborted the pairing process. It still ends up working okay, but you must patiently wait for it to FAIL the pairing attempt 3 times before it decides that there really is no Heart Rate Transmitter. Incidentally, according to the manual (but I didn’t test this), the Heart Rate Transmitter that is paired will work on both Bike 1 and Bike 2. It is implied that you don’t have to re-pair the Heart Rate Transmitter for Bike 2 but that is not 100% clear in the manual.
Next in the installation process is to mount the magnets and transmitters on the left side chainstay. This is straightforward but, as I mentioned above, it would be nice to have some rubber spacers. The reason is to allow making adjustments to the gap between the crank magnet and the cadence pickup. On my bike, at least, the smallest gap achievable was about 6-7 mm, against a recommended distance of 1-3 mm. To accommodate this, I cut some pieces out of an old inner tube and applied them as spacers under the cadence pickup and magnet. If you do this right, you should only need a spacer under one or the other, but not both (I’m just not that good at measuring/estimating). See Photo 2 for details. One thing to be aware of here is that the speed sensor magnet did not pick up well at all when I initially mounted it in towards the front edge of the pickup. My first thought was that the sensor was defective but moving the magnet towards the back of the pickup (see Photo 2) gave perfect results. I noted that the speed sensor magnet (mounts on a spoke) is a “hand tighten” connection only. There is no screw to clamp it down snugly on the spoke. It seems to be staying in place but I would prefer the good feeling of tightening up a screw to hold it on.
The computer mounting was easily accomplished as I already had a horizontal mount positioned between the sides of my racing bar (see Photo 3). Be aware that, while there is a stem mount as an alternative, there were no directions in the installation guide for mounting it. It should be easy enough to accomplish, though, with some mechanical insight. In Photo 3 you can also see how I have the Polar F11 mounted. For the standard handlebar mount there are shims in the kit that allow fitting either a 26 or 31.8 mm handlebar.
The only remaining setup step was to ensure that the odometer was set as I wanted it to be (zero in this case, but you can set it to your old odometer reading if desired) and then I entered the wheel size calibration and everything worked! You need to push a button at startup to allow the computer to “Link” with the transmitters and you’re on your way.
Operating the buttons is easy enough but it can be a bit difficult to get the center (Start/Stop) button pressed when wearing full gloves. This is the button you have to hold down to reset the Chronometer/Distance values. The display setup is nice with a Total Time/Ride Time option and a separate upper window where you can optionally show either Blank, Cadence, Heart Rate or Training Level (1-5). I chose to display Cadence (Heart Rate and Training Level require a Heart Rate Monitor). I also like the comparison arrows that point up or down depending on whether you’re currently riding either above or below, respectively, your average speed. There are many more speed and training options, especially with the addition of a Heart Rate Monitor, but those were not the subject of this test.
And this system works … with no extraneous wires … nice.
Other Documentation/Performance Notes
In several areas of the User’s Manual incorrect page numbers were referenced. It’s almost like the page number references were hard coded and then the table of contents was added which skewed them incorrectly. For example, see the incorrect references on pages 9, 31, 38, 39, 40 and 41 (there may be others, but I spotted these so far). In the installation manual, it’s obvious that some parts were copied and pasted as that document has a reference (on page 4) to the “Pairing Sequence” on pages 21-24 of “this manual” but the highest numbered page in the Installation Manual is page 14. Finally, the only other thing I will mention is that the Neuro cyclocomputer may be quite battery hungry, based on all the power used for the wireless connections. It will be (to me, at least) a pain if it’s time to change batteries multiple times per riding season but it is acceptable to me given that all those wires are now a thing of the past. We’ll have to see how the batteries hold up.
Update, August 2, 2008
This unit now has about 146 actual hours logged along with 2201 miles and still no problems. It's actually gone through a washer/dryer cycle (I know, I know ... how embarrassing!) and survived and is still functioning. Pretty impressive, to me at least.
Update, December 10, 2008
It's now December 10 and I (still) haven't heard word one about the 2nd bike kit for Neuro. As for the Neuro 4.0 on my bike, it currently has 3673 miles and 239 hours on it and the batteries are still going strong. So, again, I have to say that this ranks as an excellent performing unit, especially if you're looking to get rid of excess wires on your bike. But the second bike kit issue (i.e. lack of one) is no doubt costing Blackburn quite a few customers. My bike is put away for the winter at this point, so I don't anticipate any new data until Spring. Good spinning to all!
Update, April 23, 2009
On Tuesday, April 21, 2009 I noticed that I was getting an occasional incorrect cadence reading (like, pedaling at 80 RPM and seeing an instantaneous 100 RPM reading for 1 second). Then I noticed a 71 mph speed for 1 second (sometimes I'm good, but never that good, hehe, but one can wish for it). So I made a note in my bicycle maintenance log about the issues, feeling that one or the other of the two Neuro batteries (transmitter, computer) must finally be failing. Sure enough, when I went out to ride yesterday (Wednesday, April 22, 2009), the computer was not registering any data from the transmitter. Anyway, not having a real plan, I changed the transmitter battery as that's less pain because I don't have to "reset" the computer if I don't change the computer battery. Checking the removed transmitter battery, it was sitting at 3.02 volts (still full of power, it's a 3 volt battery). Next I changed the computer battery and put the old transmitter battery in it. The computer's battery had degraded to 2.82 volts, so that must be enough to inhibit proper radio communication with the wheel transmitter. All other functions of the computer seemed normal. After re-pairing the transmitter, all was well and I went on my way. The significant data point here is that there were 259 hours on the system when the computer battery no longer supplied enough power for normal operation. I suspect that the wheel transmitter could easily have lasted through another computer battery cycle, and probably more.
Read on, if you like ... Ken
Neuro 4.0 Review – 18 March 2008
Introduction
Having had a number of problems with several cycle computers over the past year, I was excited to get my hands on some of the latest technology from Blackburn, the Neuro 4.0 Cyclometer (list $125). This report presents information on the configuration and setup as well as the results of riding tests.
Configuration
This unit is unique in its incorporation of UHF digital transmission of the speed, cadence and heart rate monitor inputs. Blackburn has three different Neuro Cyclometers (4.0, 5.0 and 6.0) and they are new for 2008. The Neuro 4.0 does not have the optional heart rate monitor, but purchase of the chest transmission belt is all that is necessary to start using it. The Neuro 5.0 comes with the Heart Rate monitor as standard equipment and the Neuro 6.0 adds an altimeter to the mix. All the Neuro Cyclometers are fully wireless as the only wire in the system is between the speed and cadence pickups (integrated as a unit with a single CR2032 lithium battery supporting both transmitters). The test bicycle is my stock 2007 Specialized TriCross Sport (54.5cm frame, see Photo 1). This review is based on installation of the Neuro 4.0 on a single bicycle only but the unit supports Bike 1 and Bike 2 configurations with the addition of a 2nd set of transmitters and a mount for the second bicycle.
Test Goals
Basically, having had troubles with wireless cyclometers in the past, my primary goal was to see if the communication link for the system was consistent and unbroken during the test rides. Secondly, I evaluated the overall package (documentation, ease of setup) and, finally, I wanted to confirm that the system worked well in the presence of my Polar F11 heart rate monitor. I use this because it’s also useful for many other activities besides bicycling and its data can be downloaded to a computer. So it’s nice to have a single and consistent source of heart rate training information. But it’s also important that the two wireless setups not interfere with each other.
Results Summary
After 43 miles of riding, the system has been working flawlessly. The documentation seems to have been rushed to production as it has a few errors but I’m very happy with the way this works. See below for detailed setup and testing. In summary:
Pros: Excellent performance, solid wireless connection, easy to setup (given the complexity of the system).
Cons: Documentation errata should be corrected. Start/Stop (center, small) button is a bit difficult to depress without hitting the outside button(s) when wearing full gloves.
Documentation
The package comes with a printed Installation Guide but the User’s Manual is a .pdf file on the included CD (in 13 languages, no less). So you will need access to a computer to actually use the system (well, unless you’re one of those “I can figure it out … eventually” trial and error folks). I used a PC and Adobe Reader to read and printout the User’s Manual on 8 ½ x 11 paper. Specific print property settings that I found worked well for printing this: Page Scaling set to “Multiple pages per sheet”, Pages per sheet set to “2” and Page Order set to “Horizontal”. Also check the box for “Auto-Rotate Pages”. The result is 4 pages per page for the 76 page document (about 19 full printed 8 ½ x 11 sheets). These can then be trimmed and stapled to make a “mini” manual that is fairly portable and quite useable. Frankly, I must say that I prefer the pre-printed (and small) manuals for “on the bicycle”, but that’s just me and, anyway, you probably won’t need the manual too often once you set things up once or twice and get used to the operations.
System Parts
After reviewing the parts list and illustrations in the installation manual, the only item not described is the stem mount. Neither the part nor the installation steps for it were mentioned. I used the handlebar mount, so this didn’t concern me too much but it is an omission in the documentation. There are plenty of zip ties (and only 6 are needed for the completed installation). Besides the missing part description for the second mount option, the only complaint I can make here is that I’d like to see some kind of rubber spacers in the kit.
Installation
The first step in the installation is to review the installation steps in the supplied printed manual. Once they are digested, power to the computer is supplied by installing the (supplied) CR2032 lithium battery. There is an identical battery already installed in the cadence/speed transmitter/pickup unit. Next you have to “pair up” the speed/cadence transmitters to the computer. For this test all this effort was done for Bike 1 only but a second set of transmitters for Bike 2 would be separately paired if need be.
The pairing process itself is straightforward. Simply depress the Pairing Key button on the back of the computer, press the mode key and pass a magnet by the speed sensor pickup a few times and the display shows DONE. The computer pairing process then advances to pairing of the Heart Rate Monitor. Of course, if you don’t have an HRM (and I don’t) then this pairing process is a waste of time. The manual says that if you do not have a Heart Rate Transmitter to pair, “simply Quick Press the OPTION key to skip the Heart Rate Transmitter pairing process”. However, although I re-started the pairing sequence several times from scratch, pressing the option key never aborted the pairing process. It still ends up working okay, but you must patiently wait for it to FAIL the pairing attempt 3 times before it decides that there really is no Heart Rate Transmitter. Incidentally, according to the manual (but I didn’t test this), the Heart Rate Transmitter that is paired will work on both Bike 1 and Bike 2. It is implied that you don’t have to re-pair the Heart Rate Transmitter for Bike 2 but that is not 100% clear in the manual.
Next in the installation process is to mount the magnets and transmitters on the left side chainstay. This is straightforward but, as I mentioned above, it would be nice to have some rubber spacers. The reason is to allow making adjustments to the gap between the crank magnet and the cadence pickup. On my bike, at least, the smallest gap achievable was about 6-7 mm, against a recommended distance of 1-3 mm. To accommodate this, I cut some pieces out of an old inner tube and applied them as spacers under the cadence pickup and magnet. If you do this right, you should only need a spacer under one or the other, but not both (I’m just not that good at measuring/estimating). See Photo 2 for details. One thing to be aware of here is that the speed sensor magnet did not pick up well at all when I initially mounted it in towards the front edge of the pickup. My first thought was that the sensor was defective but moving the magnet towards the back of the pickup (see Photo 2) gave perfect results. I noted that the speed sensor magnet (mounts on a spoke) is a “hand tighten” connection only. There is no screw to clamp it down snugly on the spoke. It seems to be staying in place but I would prefer the good feeling of tightening up a screw to hold it on.
The computer mounting was easily accomplished as I already had a horizontal mount positioned between the sides of my racing bar (see Photo 3). Be aware that, while there is a stem mount as an alternative, there were no directions in the installation guide for mounting it. It should be easy enough to accomplish, though, with some mechanical insight. In Photo 3 you can also see how I have the Polar F11 mounted. For the standard handlebar mount there are shims in the kit that allow fitting either a 26 or 31.8 mm handlebar.
The only remaining setup step was to ensure that the odometer was set as I wanted it to be (zero in this case, but you can set it to your old odometer reading if desired) and then I entered the wheel size calibration and everything worked! You need to push a button at startup to allow the computer to “Link” with the transmitters and you’re on your way.
Operating the buttons is easy enough but it can be a bit difficult to get the center (Start/Stop) button pressed when wearing full gloves. This is the button you have to hold down to reset the Chronometer/Distance values. The display setup is nice with a Total Time/Ride Time option and a separate upper window where you can optionally show either Blank, Cadence, Heart Rate or Training Level (1-5). I chose to display Cadence (Heart Rate and Training Level require a Heart Rate Monitor). I also like the comparison arrows that point up or down depending on whether you’re currently riding either above or below, respectively, your average speed. There are many more speed and training options, especially with the addition of a Heart Rate Monitor, but those were not the subject of this test.
And this system works … with no extraneous wires … nice.
Other Documentation/Performance Notes
In several areas of the User’s Manual incorrect page numbers were referenced. It’s almost like the page number references were hard coded and then the table of contents was added which skewed them incorrectly. For example, see the incorrect references on pages 9, 31, 38, 39, 40 and 41 (there may be others, but I spotted these so far). In the installation manual, it’s obvious that some parts were copied and pasted as that document has a reference (on page 4) to the “Pairing Sequence” on pages 21-24 of “this manual” but the highest numbered page in the Installation Manual is page 14. Finally, the only other thing I will mention is that the Neuro cyclocomputer may be quite battery hungry, based on all the power used for the wireless connections. It will be (to me, at least) a pain if it’s time to change batteries multiple times per riding season but it is acceptable to me given that all those wires are now a thing of the past. We’ll have to see how the batteries hold up.
Update, August 2, 2008
This unit now has about 146 actual hours logged along with 2201 miles and still no problems. It's actually gone through a washer/dryer cycle (I know, I know ... how embarrassing!) and survived and is still functioning. Pretty impressive, to me at least.
Update, December 10, 2008
It's now December 10 and I (still) haven't heard word one about the 2nd bike kit for Neuro. As for the Neuro 4.0 on my bike, it currently has 3673 miles and 239 hours on it and the batteries are still going strong. So, again, I have to say that this ranks as an excellent performing unit, especially if you're looking to get rid of excess wires on your bike. But the second bike kit issue (i.e. lack of one) is no doubt costing Blackburn quite a few customers. My bike is put away for the winter at this point, so I don't anticipate any new data until Spring. Good spinning to all!
Update, April 23, 2009
On Tuesday, April 21, 2009 I noticed that I was getting an occasional incorrect cadence reading (like, pedaling at 80 RPM and seeing an instantaneous 100 RPM reading for 1 second). Then I noticed a 71 mph speed for 1 second (sometimes I'm good, but never that good, hehe, but one can wish for it). So I made a note in my bicycle maintenance log about the issues, feeling that one or the other of the two Neuro batteries (transmitter, computer) must finally be failing. Sure enough, when I went out to ride yesterday (Wednesday, April 22, 2009), the computer was not registering any data from the transmitter. Anyway, not having a real plan, I changed the transmitter battery as that's less pain because I don't have to "reset" the computer if I don't change the computer battery. Checking the removed transmitter battery, it was sitting at 3.02 volts (still full of power, it's a 3 volt battery). Next I changed the computer battery and put the old transmitter battery in it. The computer's battery had degraded to 2.82 volts, so that must be enough to inhibit proper radio communication with the wheel transmitter. All other functions of the computer seemed normal. After re-pairing the transmitter, all was well and I went on my way. The significant data point here is that there were 259 hours on the system when the computer battery no longer supplied enough power for normal operation. I suspect that the wheel transmitter could easily have lasted through another computer battery cycle, and probably more.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Riding Between Raindrops ...
Yes, it has been wet around here lately. However, I reserve only one season to whine about per year ... and that was winter here in Iowa. So let it rain. And maybe I'll get some grass seed to come up.
Hit 386 miles on the bicycle today (for 2008) but it hasn't rained here yet (50% chance, so they said). Yesterday it was pretty wet out so I checked the radar and rode in about a 30 minute "clear" window that I could see coming in. It was a good guess as I got some sprinkles the last 15 minutes or so and picked up quite a bit of sand/gravel on the bike but no major shower activity. Cleaned off the sand and then I lubed it up a bit today as it was shifting a bit ratty. Also figured out a new way (new to me, anyway) to adjust the rear dérailleurs) ... I just put the bike up on the stand, put it in high gear and cranked while tweaking the "in/out" adjuster. Just listened for it to sound "out" and then moved it until that noisiness disappeared. Guess we'll see on the next ride how the technique works.
Got the USB wireless unit in the mail today and it's working well in the Vaio laptop that's going to go to Ryan. Also, I bowled a 236 on Wii yesterday (8 strikes, including 6 in a row). That's a very interesting system and the active movements are what make it that way for me.
Picked up a few groceries and now I think I'll go look for a dance and/or a drink along with a song (no women or loaves of bread to go with that wine ... hehe).
Later ...
Hit 386 miles on the bicycle today (for 2008) but it hasn't rained here yet (50% chance, so they said). Yesterday it was pretty wet out so I checked the radar and rode in about a 30 minute "clear" window that I could see coming in. It was a good guess as I got some sprinkles the last 15 minutes or so and picked up quite a bit of sand/gravel on the bike but no major shower activity. Cleaned off the sand and then I lubed it up a bit today as it was shifting a bit ratty. Also figured out a new way (new to me, anyway) to adjust the rear dérailleurs) ... I just put the bike up on the stand, put it in high gear and cranked while tweaking the "in/out" adjuster. Just listened for it to sound "out" and then moved it until that noisiness disappeared. Guess we'll see on the next ride how the technique works.
Got the USB wireless unit in the mail today and it's working well in the Vaio laptop that's going to go to Ryan. Also, I bowled a 236 on Wii yesterday (8 strikes, including 6 in a row). That's a very interesting system and the active movements are what make it that way for me.
Picked up a few groceries and now I think I'll go look for a dance and/or a drink along with a song (no women or loaves of bread to go with that wine ... hehe).
Later ...
Thursday, April 17, 2008
357 Miles ... and Counting
Well, I was thinking that I was behind my riding pace from last year but that's not true. Piecing together some old data, I figured I had only covered about 280 miles by the time I bought the new bike last year and that was on April 26. So here we are at April 17 (9 days less than a full year) and I'm already at 357. That's a good thing. However, I think there have only been 2 or 3 days with temps above 60 so far this spring. Looks like it will be cloudy/rainy for the next few days but maybe by Sunday it will be nice again.
H-mmm, it's 3pm already ... guess I'll watch a bit of Monk and then head out to run a few errands.
Later ...
H-mmm, it's 3pm already ... guess I'll watch a bit of Monk and then head out to run a few errands.
Later ...
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Finally ... the 70's!
Nice day out in Cedar Rapids. It was at least 74 although quite windy (30+ mph). I got my bicycle ride in early this morning to avoid the worst of the wind and so that wasn't too bad. Had lunch with Greg Hudak today (retired in June of 2007) and spent some time working on the PC that Larry and I are passing on to Ryan. I expect its new hard drive and memory to arrive this week and I've also ordered a USB wireless device as it's old enough that it doesn't have built in wireless. I think it will be pretty decent, although I'm only able to find a 5400 RPM drive (it has 4200 RPM now) and I'd like to get a 7200 RPM device. Well, this will be good enough, I think (and it's 120GB instead of the current 60GB).
Took a quick spin on the motorcycle this afternoon. It was so nice out that I just got my coat on and headed ... to Cedar Falls. Just had to have a BLT from Toads (on Main Street). Even forgot to grab my house keys when I left ... fortunately, the garage door opener worked fine (i.e., the electricity wasn't out). I'll have to make sure I have a spare house key on the bike somewhere as I've had it happen before that I've arrived home and the garage door opener wouldn't work. I plan to take the motorcycle up to Fargo in the next 6 weeks to see my Aunt Elaine and so I need to get some "exercise" riding it. She's been diagnosed with cancer and may not have a much longer stay. I called her and told her of my plans and I'll call again the week before I go (not sure when that will be, but Ryan may be home the first half of May, so it probably won't be then).
Not much else is new. Oh, I've tried out Tiger Woods golf on the Wii and it looks like something that will take awhile to learn. Bowling is fun and pretty straightforward. Probably the next game I get for that will be Guitar Hero. Very addicting and very fun. Will keep me busy learning stuff next winter, eh?
Time to head out to sing ... cyal8tr.
Took a quick spin on the motorcycle this afternoon. It was so nice out that I just got my coat on and headed ... to Cedar Falls. Just had to have a BLT from Toads (on Main Street). Even forgot to grab my house keys when I left ... fortunately, the garage door opener worked fine (i.e., the electricity wasn't out). I'll have to make sure I have a spare house key on the bike somewhere as I've had it happen before that I've arrived home and the garage door opener wouldn't work. I plan to take the motorcycle up to Fargo in the next 6 weeks to see my Aunt Elaine and so I need to get some "exercise" riding it. She's been diagnosed with cancer and may not have a much longer stay. I called her and told her of my plans and I'll call again the week before I go (not sure when that will be, but Ryan may be home the first half of May, so it probably won't be then).
Not much else is new. Oh, I've tried out Tiger Woods golf on the Wii and it looks like something that will take awhile to learn. Bowling is fun and pretty straightforward. Probably the next game I get for that will be Guitar Hero. Very addicting and very fun. Will keep me busy learning stuff next winter, eh?
Time to head out to sing ... cyal8tr.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Back to the 60's
Finally! The temps today are a good start as it's 61 right now and predicted to get to 66 (although that seems unlikely since it's getting close to 3pm already). But it was nice to ride the bicycle without worrying about frostbite (although I still want 70's plus as soon as possible). So today I went up to Center Point, covering 24.7 miles. With only 226 miles on the bike this year I'm quite a bit behind last year but, oh well! Cleaned and lubed the chain and all the little widgets on Thursday and, as usual, it shifts and sounds much better.
Well, time to hit the showers as the Final Four games must be starting pretty soon and I'd like to catch them plus practice some songs today. Looks like no good options for dancing tonight unless I trek down to Riverside so will probably opt to sing a few songs here in town. Would also like to catch a movie ... but I need to make it an evening show where, even though I still pay more than a matinée, I can get a senior discount ... my first!
Remember, it's much easier to smile than frown and honey always beats vinegar (unless you're cleaning the coffee pot, of course!).
Later ...
Well, time to hit the showers as the Final Four games must be starting pretty soon and I'd like to catch them plus practice some songs today. Looks like no good options for dancing tonight unless I trek down to Riverside so will probably opt to sing a few songs here in town. Would also like to catch a movie ... but I need to make it an evening show where, even though I still pay more than a matinée, I can get a senior discount ... my first!
Remember, it's much easier to smile than frown and honey always beats vinegar (unless you're cleaning the coffee pot, of course!).
Later ...
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