4th of July Tale of Woe

With Independence Day falling on a Wednesday I found myself with a rare day off during the work week.  Of course the decision for a bike ride was a no-brainer.  I racked my Motobecane road bike and headed off to the trail head of the Richland County B & O Trail.  While I was unloading my bike I noticed the blank screen on my cycle-computer indicating the battery had given up the ghost.  This was slightly irritating but I like to think I'm not a slave to little electronic devices so I popped the unit off it's mount and left it in the car.  Besides maybe it would be fun for a change not to be constantly reminded of how slow I am.  My familiarity with the trail and posted mile markers really makes a computer far from a necessity. 

I struck off southward and enjoyed an almost vacant rail trail.  Evidently the oppressive heat, now edging into the 90's keeps most people home in air-conditioned comfort.  I like the heat and I have no trouble being out in it.  I seemed to make good time based on the high gears I was spinning and reached the bottom end of the trail where I hit up a convenience store for something cold to drink.  At this point I had 16 miles down and the return trip north would yield  a total of 32 miles. 

After a short break I sent a quick text to my wife and got back on the trail.  I settled back into a steady rhythm and was cruising along nicely until mile 22.  Suddenly and violently the back end of my bike bucked up and I heard the dreadful sound of 100 psi of air removing it's self from my tire.  The area through which I had been traveling was hemmed in by trees on both sides and the right-of-way was long ago cut long ago cut through a small series of hills exposing walls of crumbling shale on each side of the path.  These features create a dark, moist and deep forest like environment and along with the recent storms the trail surface was littered with debris.  Retracing my path I soon found the walnut-sized rock right in the middle of the lane among countless twigs and leaves.  Now that I had come to a halt and lost what little cooling effect biking through 95 degree air has the sweat began to pour.  In short order biting black flies had honed in my position and kept up with their own special kind of torment.

At this point I started to feel a bit uneasy.  I rarely flat on the bike.  The last time I got a flat tire was on the Lemond road bike about five years ago.  Luckily I was only a block away from home so I just walked it home and switched bikes.  I can't remember the time it happened before that.  Surely it was ten years ago or longer and I think it might have involved some nasty thorns picked up on a mountain bike trail. 

I returned to my bike to appraise the situation with the rear wheel.  I removed the inner tube and found two 1/8" long parallel slits one on each side of tube clearly indicative of a direct hit against the rock compressing the tire up and pinch flatting against the two rim walls.  The nature of the puncture had me worried to say the least.  In my seat bag I carry a patch kit and an inflator with a single CO2 cartridge which I know is the bare minimum but as I mentioned being a sprightly 155 pound rider I hardly ever flat.  A couple years ago I started to get into the habit of carrying a spare 700c tube along with the patch kit while on the road bike.  The problem is that my seat bag is only so big and just not enough room is left for the spare.  (I know, that's why jersey's have pockets.) Eventually I quit carrying the spare but I know right where it's sitting on my work bench.  I sent a text message to my wife and asked her to stand by her phone in case I needed more help.  To add insult to injury I noticed that my cell phone battery was critically low.  I sent another text indicating I was shutting the phone down to conserve what little power was left and would turn it back on later to let her know what was going on.

Working in the stifling humid air was no fun but I managed to get a rectangular patch wrapped two-thirds of the way around the narrow tube hopefully covering the two slits.  I gave the glue extra time to set up but it didn't seem like it was drying very well.  I reassembled the wheel and gave it quick shot of CO.  The tire expanded and held for a second and then with a psssst! the patch let go.  I still had some air in the cartridge but I had used all the glue in the tiny tube from the patch kit.  I stowed my gear and thought maybe I could try again with the remainder of the compressed air in the cart later after giving the glue some time to reset. 

I knew I was a mile or two from a point where the rail trail passes under a major interstate highway and by a nearby exit was a line of gas stations, restaurants and a hotel or two.  I tried my phone again but by this time the battery was shot and the phone had automatically shut off it's transmitter.  So cut off from the outside world I resolved to hike-a-bike it to the freeway exit where I could at least find a cool drink and a telephone.  Eventually I made it to a Speedway where a clerk was kind enough to let me borrow her cell phone.  I dialed my wife's number and waited, ring... ring... ring... she didn't pick up.  Annoyingly the voice mail system kicked in and I left a message describing where I was and that I needed her to come get me.  I waited around for a half hour unsure even if she had got my message.  Rather than walk back to the bike trail I decided to strike northward along the state route that shares the valley with the B & O Trail and would lead me to the next town a few miles away.  The state route is the way she would be coming so I figured she would see me along the way.  

I walked and walked and walked.  At some point the deflated tube and tire developed a squeak each time the reinforced bulge near the valve hit the lowest point in it's rotation.  Squeak... Squeak... Squeak it mocked me relentlessly as the miles slowly ticked by.  I hate walking.  By early evening I reached the Village of Lexington and past the local bike shop which of course was closed with it being a Federal Holiday.   By this point I had covered about five miles on foot and was about five miles from my car.  I had not spotted my wife's car in the last hour and had resigned to helping myself alone out of this jam so I got back on the bike trail and walked some more.

Dusk fell around me but the temperature did not. I plodded along into the twilight knowing I was closer to the car with each step.  The last few miles I started to notice white-tailed deer along a section of the trail where I know they are thickly populated.  The deer were a welcome diversion from the flies and the dull ache that had slowly crept into my legs.  One in particular instead of slipping into the underbrush along the trail as the deer usually do kept walking forward turning about every so often to peer back at though the gloom.  

Eventually no worse for wear I made it back to my car and returned home only three or four later than I had planned.  Although it may seem so I did not write this lengthy missive for the entertainment of you my readers but as a reminder to myself of how easily the whole misadventure could have been avoided.  Ironically in the large seat bag of my recumbent I have two spare tubes; one 20 inch for the small front wheel and a larger 26" for the back along with a mini-pump and a patch kit.  Never had a use for any of it in 2300 miles and of course I wasn't riding that bike.        

  

Old Mill at Butler, Ohio

So to make a long story short:  Pack the spare tube!



4th of July Pyrotechnics

I captured some great images with my Canon PowerShot at the city's 4th of July fireworks display.  Next time I'll try to remember a tripod.  The excessively long shutter speed catches the unsteadiness in my hand.  Still they are great pictures.  For best viewing click on any photo and look at them against the black background of the picture viewer.

Happy Independence Day!



More Storm Damage

Today Wyatt and I took off on bikes and traveled to a park just a couple miles South of town to get some photographs of wind damage that I spotted from the car.  Seeing the desructive power of nature up close sure puts things into perspective.



Storm Damage

Late Friday afternoon a severe storm blew through North-Central Ohio.  High winds brought down trees which in turn knocked out power service.  Our electricity was out for six hours and aside from a few smaller branches down in the backyard we made it through ok.  This morning after breakfast I took a tour of the city on my recumbent bike and documented some of the damage.

Damage was not just limited to trees.  Here the metal top cap was torn loose and masonry damaged on this industrial building.  Windspeed reports during the storm vary from 50- 70 mph.



Ergon Grips

Besides the invention of the recumbent bicycle over 100 years ago numerous products have been brought to market claiming to enhance the riding experience or make a bike more comfortable.  Most of these claims are dubious at best.  (For example the saddle with the funny slot in the center.)  When it comes to the traditional diamond frame bike the design is perfect from a bio-mechanical standpoint but for anything other than short trips comfort is the first factor that begins to chip away at the fun that is riding a bike. 

Of course it's easiest to forgo all the inherent problems of an upright and just ride a recumbent enjoying the comfortable seat, aerodynamic advantage and great view.  However there are times when I prefer to ride a standard bike over the recumbent and commuting is at the top of that list.  My commute is a short twenty minute ride one-way comprised of quiet residential streets and busier urban areas.  When negotiating busy city streets filled with traffic I like the upright riding position that a diamond frame provides.  Starting up from a stop is easier, visibility is good and for any ride under an hour or less I find the wedgie seat to be more or less comfortable.

I'm always open to any ideas that might make my time aboard my standard bicycles more enjoyable.  Last Monday I picked up a pair of Ergon grips at the local bike shop.  Ergon's have been around a while but I never gave them much thought until I noticed that bike blogger bikesnobnyc uses them on one of his bikes. Bikesnob is very critical when it comes to cycling products and bikes and while he doesn't ride a recumbent he knows enough about bikes in general that he's written a couple of books about them.  I figure if the Ergon's pass the bikesnob litmus test they are probably worth the money.

    

ODI lock-ons I've been grabbing since I built the Ti general purpose bike.

Ergon Grips installed - Recumbents for your palms!

I have been testing out the new ergonomic rubber handlegrips this week and I am truly amazed at the drastic improvement the Egon's are over my old traditional round grips.  After a short period of trial and error rotating the grip on the bar the sweet spot can be found and the collars can be locked down.  Before I was always looking for the opportunity to sit up and ride no-handed or constantly shifting my palms around on the old grips in a vain attempt to find a comfortable position.  Now I leave my hands on the bars and sit up much less.

It's hard to find words to describe the feel of the Ergons.  The grip's shape provides much more surface area to support the palm and I think that is the key.  The palm pad that extends rearward is rubber and slightly flexible adding a bit of shock absorbtion.  The "sweet spot" I mentioned above locks the wrists into a natural position without uncomfortable bends or kinks.  While standing the sticky rubber feels more like a regular grip.  The Ergons are not overly spongy so feedback through the bars remains crisp and precise.  It's been a while since I've bolted something on a bike that really makes me want to ride it as these new grips have.  In closing if you want the ultimate in comfort ride a recumbent but if you have a standard bike with a straight bar and want to improve the ride for little money and effort try a set of Ergons!

As a side note I'm pleased to report five days in a row of bicycle commuting.

Ride safe and Happy upcoming 4th of July to my American readers out there!  



Field Day 2012

Time sure flies! I can't believe another Field Day has come and gone.  This past weekend I participated in my third event with my club W8BAE (Crawford County Amateur Radio Club).  My son Wyatt is not a radio nut like me but he loves camping so he helped with the set up of our tent and antenna.  He secured permission from the landowner to go fishing and shooting with his pellet gun so he had fun while I was busy making contacts.



My 40 meter CW/Digital station



So what is Field Day?  FD is an annual event put on the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) with clubs and individual hams all over America and Canada participating.  Field day encompasses many aspects of amateur radio.  Experience is gained from setting up and operating a station in primitive conditions and sometimes harsh environments.  FD is a unique opportunity to showcase our hobby to the general public as well as a great way to learn about antennas and other technical aspects of radio.  Perhaps most importantly is the fellowship shared between club members both on the air and off as obstacles are overcome while good times and great food are enjoyed in the outdoors.  The other side of Field Day is the competitive side.  The operating event is like a contest with the goal being to work as many different stations as possible during designated time period.  Some clubs will put forth serious efforts to gain the top spots while others just enjoy the great outdoors, casual operation and camaraderie.

Here is a few of the antennas that were in operation this year at the W8BAE Field Day site:

20 meter inverted -V for operation at 14 MHz

80 meter horizontal loop (3.5 - 4 MHz)

My 40 meter top loaded vertical (7 MHz)

My homebrew vertical antenna worked great for FD netting me 60 contacts in 23 U.S. states and the District of Columbia using CW (Morse Code radio telegraphy) and PSK-31 digital mode.  Of course I had fun showing off my handiwork and received many compliments on my antenna.

My only complaint is the high speeds of Morse Code used during the event.  Stations running at or below 20 words-per-minute are few and far between.  My copy skills at 30 wpm are far from adequate so I usually need to listen to a station work through a few exchanges to make sure I have copied all the info correctly before throwing in my callsign and making contact.

By Saturday evening my brain was fried from hours of high speed code so I switched over to digital operations.  This was my first time using PSK-31 during FD and I found I really enjoyed the keyboard digital mode.  The digital modes are slowly growing in popularity and more and more clubs are putting digital stations on the air for Field Day making this a viable option for operators looking for something different besides CW and Phone (side band voice).  I will still be on the air next year with Morse code but I also plan to dedicate some time and effort into PSK.

   

The above photograph I took Saturday night shows a small slice of spectrum around 7.070 MHz alive with PSK-31 signals.  The small window at the bottom of the screen is called the "waterfall" as the signals flow in real time from the top to the bottom.  The two small "prongs" appear at the beginning of a transmission and a single prong or tail shows when the transmission terminates.  Besides showing the exact frequency of a signal the graphic representation provided by the waterfall also shows signal strength with the strongest signals showing up bright yellow and the weaker ones ghosting to various degrees in the background.

While the planning and logistics for a Field Day operation can be a bit stressful once everything is up and running the event is loads of fun.  I might even venture to say that FD is my very favorite ham radio related activity.

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Norah Jones

Earlier this year I picked up Norah Jones' new CD "Little Broken Hearts".  This record produced by Danger Mouse along with a new band has a bit different sound than her previous work.  The songs are dark and edgy.  Norah definitely pulled up a bucket full of inspiration from the well of break-ups and betrayal and does a great job conveying these raw emotions through her singing and songwriting.

We scored some tickets to the first show of the tour and yesterday made a 300 mile road trip to the great Midwestern city of Indianapolis, Indiana.  My wife and her friend had balcony seats together but they bribed me into being their driver with a single third row center ticket.

Upon arrival in Indy we parked the car and took off on foot.  We enjoyed the bustle of the city as we made our way to a seafood restaurant where we had previously made our reservations.  Obviously Indianapolis is a thousand miles away from the nearest salt water but the food at The Oceanaire Seafood Room was so fresh it seemed like the docks were just down the street.  Highly recommended.
 

The venue was about a mile walk away and not objectionable in the least after a four hour car ride.

I took 45 pictures from my seat but these four were the only unblurry shots.  There is only so much that can be done with a point and shoot in a darkened theatre.  Still they are neat pictures that capture the visual part of the show and add to the memories of a fun evening.

Here's my favorite shot from after the show:

Recumbent Ride -- B & O Trail

Last Friday I picked up an inexpensive rear-view mirror for Wyatt's bike.  I liked it so much I went back and spent another $4.99 and got one for the recumbent.  I normally rely on my helmet mirror but there are instances when I choose not to wear a helmet and because it is nearly impossible to twist my neck around while reclined on the bike a mirror of some sort is essential.  The mirror, made by the helmet company Bell has a flexible stem and tool-less mounting clamp make set up a breeze.  I leave the clamp snug yet still loose enough to spin around the handlebar for when I lean the bike up on the left side or in the event of a spill.  The mirror is a convex type and provides a wide angle view however the saying: "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear" does apply.  The mirror works especially well at night detecting car headlights approaching from the rear.  The lens is most likely made from a metalized plastic and does not possess the greatest clarity but for five dollars it serves it's purpose.

On Saturday after completing my chores I packed up and drove to the B & O Trail in Richland County and enjoyed a pleasant late afternoon cruise.  I've noticed during the past month on my rides an abundance of wildlife.  Rabbits, chipmunks and woodchuck populations are booming. My wife and I even saw a mink from the motorcycle a couple weeks ago.  Could it be the mild winter we had?  As I made my way down the bike trail I spotted this turtle crossing the path.  He was taking his good sweet time and I left him to his own devices not fearing for his general safety on the bike trail.  When I encounter turtles on the road I usually stop and help them across before they become a speed bump for passing autos.

   

Nothing else really noteworthy to report just a peaceful and relaxing couple of hours aboard the recumbent.  Excellent medicine for body and soul. 

B & O Trail

Bike:  HP Velotechnik Street Machine

Ride Time:  2:18

Distance:  30.07 miles

Average Speed:  12.9 mph

Max Speed:  20.0 mph

Odometer:  2332.7 miles