[clinton/website/site/unknownlamer.org.git] / My Bicycle.html

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    <h1>Clinton's Bicycle</h1>
   <div class="contents">
<dl>
<dt>
<a href="#sec1">The Death of the Internal Combustion Engine</a>
</dt>
<dt>
<a href="#sec2">The Birth of the Organic Oxidization Engine</a>
</dt>
<dt>
<a href="#sec3">A Kind Emacsing Friend</a>
</dt>
<dt>
<a href="#sec4">Metamorphosis</a>
</dt>
<dt>
<a href="#sec5">The Night Is Friendly</a>
</dt>
<dd>
<dl>
<dt>
<a href="#sec6">Portable Sun</a>
</dt>
<dt>
<a href="#sec7">I Am the Moon</a>
</dt>
<dd>
<dl>
<dt>
<a href="#sec8">North's Son</a>
</dt>
</dl>
</dd>
</dl>
</dd>
<dt>
<a href="#sec9">In the Name of the Steel</a>
</dt>
<dt>
<a href="#sec10">The Death of a Friend</a>
</dt>
<dt>
<a href="#sec11">A New Star Rises</a>
</dt>
</dl>
</div>


<!-- Page published by Emacs Muse begins here -->
<table class="image" width="100%">
  <tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/2006-10-25/front.jpg" alt="Greetings Friend" /></td></tr>
  <tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">Greetings Friend</td></tr>
</table>

<h2><a name="sec1" id="sec1"></a>
The Death of the Internal Combustion Engine</h2>

<p class="first">In May 2006 and Camaro decided it was time to die and cost more than
it was worth to repair (although in reality it cost more to repair
than it was worth the first time it broke, but hindsight...). I
travelled by foot for the remainder of the summer.</p>


<h2><a name="sec2" id="sec2"></a>
The Birth of the Organic Oxidization Engine</h2>

<p class="first">In August I decided that I should get a bicycle as my <a href="http://umbc.edu">university</a> took
about an hour to walk to on roads which did not have a terribly good
sidewalk. What was initially meant merely to get me to school in a
reasonable amount of time has now become a new love.</p>

<table class="image" width="100%">
  <tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/2006-10-25/left.jpg" alt="It is good to be a bicycle" /></td></tr>
  <tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">It is good to be a bicycle</td></tr>
</table>


<h2><a name="sec3" id="sec3"></a>
A Kind Emacsing Friend</h2>

<p><a href="http://emacsen.net">Emacsen</a> gave me his Spring 2003 Giant Iguana which was hardly ridden
and merely needed a tiny bit of tuning to get riding again. Soon after
getting it I added a rear rack with panniers, a tail light, and a
cheap headlight (which, alas, was smashed to bits in a small crash).</p>

<p>I rode the bike with its knobby and wide mountain bike tires for a
month as I built strength. There are many hills in Catonsville, and so
for the first few weeks lazy nerd me was defeated by the terrain. A
mere two months after starting to ride, however, I achieved a level of
strength I never thought I would. I could ride thirty miles in a day
and <em>not feel it the next day</em>! A few months after that, even with a
long interlude of no riding due to a broken bone, I found myself able
ride seventy miles with a few thousand feet of elevation change.</p>


<h2><a name="sec4" id="sec4"></a>
Metamorphosis</h2>

<p class="first">In late September I replaced the mountain bike tires with 26x1.75
<a href="http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/themes/tires/city/travelcontact/travelcontact_en.html">road tires</a> which nearly doubled my range, and improved the handling of
the bike on pavement considerably. I chose 1.75 over 1.50 tires
because I tend to ride with a fairly heavy load (textbooks and other
type things), and enjoy the freedom of being able to go off road and
not sink into the ground or get trapped in the grass.</p>

<p>I <a href="http://unknown-lamer.livejournal.com/160217.html">fell</a> in October and bent my straight handlebar. I needed a new
handlebar so I found a trekking style handlebar on the internet that
gave me additional spots to put my handle, allowed for a slightly
lowered position while riding, and was the same diameter as the
straight bar so I could keep the shifter/brake combo (it being a bit
expensive to replace). It now has cork tape covered in cloth tape (I'm
hoping the cloth tape will take the brunt of the wear and I can extend
the life of the expensive cork tape). I plan to try using heat shrink
tubing to cover the ends of the tape in place soon (if it works it
should look neater than duct tape).</p>

<table class="image" width="100%">
  <tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/2006-10-25/handlebar.jpg" alt="It would seem that the amount of destructiveness to be found in individuals is proportionate to the amount to which expansiveness of life is curtailed. By this we do not refer to individual frustrations of this or that instinctive desire but to the thwarting of the whole of life, the blockage of spontaneity of the growth and expression of man's sensuous, emotional, and intellectual capacities" /></td></tr>
  <tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">It would seem that the amount of destructiveness to be found in individuals is proportionate to the amount to which expansiveness of life is curtailed. By this we do not refer to individual frustrations of this or that instinctive desire but to the thwarting of the whole of life, the blockage of spontaneity of the growth and expression of man's sensuous, emotional, and intellectual capacities</td></tr>
</table>


<h2><a name="sec5" id="sec5"></a>
The Night Is Friendly</h2>

<h3><a name="sec6" id="sec6"></a>
Portable Sun</h3>

<p class="first">As the end of October 2006 arrived the days became shorter, but my
desire to explore the world increased. This presented a bit of a
problem, and so I spent time scouring the Wise Internet for
information on headlights. After much futile poking around I settled
on a <a href="http://www.cygolite.com/2-Products/1-DualCross300.htm">Cygolite DualCross 300</a> and was given one as a birthday gift. It
is as bright as a single car headlight on the top setting and the
batteries do actually last as long as the website says. I've ridden
with it in the rain many times, and it even survived a nasty spill
that broke my collarbone and bent my front rim.</p>

<p>As of March 2008 the light still lasts a good three hours on full
bright. This is with me using it at least once a week, and very often
two or three times a week for extended rides (generally draining the
battery entirely once a week) since late 2006 (excepting that winter
because of my broken collarbone). I feared for a while that the
battery strap was going to wear out and break, but it has yet to show
signs of wear. All in all an <strong>excellent</strong> investment! This thing can
handle heavy use and rain and all sorts of nasty stuff.</p>

<table class="image" width="100%">
  <tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/headlight.jpg" alt="A beacon in the night" /></td></tr>
  <tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">A beacon in the night</td></tr>
</table>

<p>The nicest part of the light is that it does seem to get its rated
life of about four hours on the brightest setting. I'm not sure if it
really gets nine hours on the dim setting as I've never ridden at the
lowest setting for an extended period of time (I use it as dusk is
setting in to make myself visible, and then increase to full
brightness when night falls). It is about as bright as a single car
headlight; an entire standard width car lane is illuminated with the
light set to hit the ground about eight feet from the bike. I find
this adequate to cycle around full speed at night.</p>


<h3><a name="sec7" id="sec7"></a>
I Am the Moon</h3>

<p class="first">One day in late April 2007 I decided to cover my bicycle in reflective
tape. It is very bright now.</p>

<table class="image" width="100%">
  <tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/before_tape_upside_down.jpg" alt="The last time the bike will be naked" /></td></tr>
  <tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">The last time the bike will be naked</td></tr>
</table>

<table class="image" width="100%">
  <tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/bicycle_post_tape.jpg" alt="Not quite strong enough to cause tides" /></td></tr>
  <tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">Not quite strong enough to cause tides</td></tr>
</table>

<table class="image" width="100%">
  <tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/post_tape_nighttime_1.jpg" alt="Or perhaps it is a shining star" /></td></tr>
  <tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">Or perhaps it is a shining star</td></tr>
</table>

<h4><a name="sec8" id="sec8"></a>
North's Son</h4>

<p class="first">In Early 2008 I decided to add a few stripes of reflective fabric to
the rear of my panniers. I am not very good at sewing so I used
Fabritac, and they have held on reasonably well since then. I wouldn't
say that the bond was <em>permanent</em> though<sup><a class="footref" name="fnr.1" href="#fn.1">1</a></sup>, but so far they have only
peeled a tiny but on the edges (fixable with a quick dab of the
glue).</p>

<p>I am quite a bit more reflective in the rear now thanks to this. I
also have a rear fender now (more to follow on this once I stop being
lazy and install the front one too) which has a nice strip of orange
reflective tape.</p>

<table class="image" width="100%">
  <tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/rear-tape-white.jpg" alt="~200ft with my DualCross" /></td></tr>
  <tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">~200ft with my DualCross</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="image" width="100%">
  <tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/rear-tape-red.jpg" alt="~200ft with one of my tail lights" /></td></tr>
  <tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">~200ft with one of my tail lights</td></tr>
</table>


<h2><a name="sec9" id="sec9"></a>
In the Name of the Steel</h2>

<p class="first">I got a few patches from friends who were travelling about, and in
July 2008 finally glued and sewed them to the bike. Now I am more
metal, clearly.</p>

<table class="image" width="100%">
  <tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/2008/bayern-patch.jpg" alt="Freistaadt aus Bäyern" /></td></tr>
  <tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">Freistaadt aus Bäyern</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="image" width="100%">
  <tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/2008/blind-guardian-patch.jpg" alt="Blind Guardian is cool" /></td></tr>
  <tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">Blind Guardian is cool</td></tr>
</table>


<h2><a name="sec10" id="sec10"></a>
The Death of a Friend</h2>

<p class="first">On the eve of February 9th, 2011 I went on a ride. Arriving at my
destination I chained my bike and noticed one of the chainstays looked
a bit odd; fate would have it that the chainstay had fractured. And so
my first Aluminum Steed was laid to rest. Rest in Peace dear friend.</p>


<h2><a name="sec11" id="sec11"></a>
A New Star Rises</h2>

<p class="first">After months of being a bit broke (bikes are ... expensive) and then
trying to scrounge up a used bike on Craigslist for a few months, I
caved and got a <a href="Bicycle%202012.html">new bike</a>.</p>

<hr />
<p class="footnote"><a class="footnum" name="fn.1" href="#fnr.1">1.</a> It turns out that I was underestimating the bond; as of late
September 2010 the reflective tape has only minorly peeled around
the edges (fixable with a quick touch up). This being with
regular riding and occasional exposure to rain.</p>


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<p class="cke-footer">And did those feet in ancient time
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<p class="cke-timestamp">Last Modified:
    January 21, 2013</p>
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	5	<head>
	6	<title>Clinton's Bicycle</title>
	7	<meta name="generator" content="muse.el" />
	8	<meta http-equiv="Content-Type"
	9	content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
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2aff8b5c	16	</head>
	17	<body>
	18	<h1>Clinton's Bicycle</h1>
	19	<div class="contents">
	20	<dl>
	21	<dt>
	22	<a href="#sec1">The Death of the Internal Combustion Engine</a>
	23	</dt>
	24	<dt>
	25	<a href="#sec2">The Birth of the Organic Oxidization Engine</a>
	26	</dt>
	27	<dt>
	28	<a href="#sec3">A Kind Emacsing Friend</a>
	29	</dt>
	30	<dt>
	31	<a href="#sec4">Metamorphosis</a>
	32	</dt>
	33	<dt>
	34	<a href="#sec5">The Night Is Friendly</a>
	35	</dt>
	36	<dd>
	37	<dl>
	38	<dt>
	39	<a href="#sec6">Portable Sun</a>
	40	</dt>
	41	<dt>
	42	<a href="#sec7">I Am the Moon</a>
	43	</dt>
	44	<dd>
	45	<dl>
	46	<dt>
	47	<a href="#sec8">North's Son</a>
	48	</dt>
	49	</dl>
	50	</dd>
	51	</dl>
	52	</dd>
	53	<dt>
	54	<a href="#sec9">In the Name of the Steel</a>
	55	</dt>
c91a896f	56	<dt>
	57	<a href="#sec10">The Death of a Friend</a>
	58	</dt>
9be210c0	59	<dt>
	60	<a href="#sec11">A New Star Rises</a>
	61	</dt>
2aff8b5c	62	</dl>
	63	</div>
	64
	65
11f9bd69 CE	66	<!-- Page published by Emacs Muse begins here -->
11f9bd69 CE	67	<table class="image" width="100%">
2aff8b5c	68	<tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/2006-10-25/front.jpg" alt="Greetings Friend" /></td></tr>
	69	<tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">Greetings Friend</td></tr>
	70	</table>
	71
	72	<h2><a name="sec1" id="sec1"></a>
	73	The Death of the Internal Combustion Engine</h2>
	74
	75	<p class="first">In May 2006 and Camaro decided it was time to die and cost more than
	76	it was worth to repair (although in reality it cost more to repair
	77	than it was worth the first time it broke, but hindsight...). I
	78	travelled by foot for the remainder of the summer.</p>
	79
	80
	81	<h2><a name="sec2" id="sec2"></a>
	82	The Birth of the Organic Oxidization Engine</h2>
	83
	84	<p class="first">In August I decided that I should get a bicycle as my <a href="http://umbc.edu">university</a> took
	85	about an hour to walk to on roads which did not have a terribly good
	86	sidewalk. What was initially meant merely to get me to school in a
	87	reasonable amount of time has now become a new love.</p>
	88
	89	<table class="image" width="100%">
	90	<tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/2006-10-25/left.jpg" alt="It is good to be a bicycle" /></td></tr>
	91	<tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">It is good to be a bicycle</td></tr>
	92	</table>
	93
	94
	95	<h2><a name="sec3" id="sec3"></a>
	96	A Kind Emacsing Friend</h2>
	97
	98	<p><a href="http://emacsen.net">Emacsen</a> gave me his Spring 2003 Giant Iguana which was hardly ridden
	99	and merely needed a tiny bit of tuning to get riding again. Soon after
	100	getting it I added a rear rack with panniers, a tail light, and a
	101	cheap headlight (which, alas, was smashed to bits in a small crash).</p>
	102
	103	<p>I rode the bike with its knobby and wide mountain bike tires for a
	104	month as I built strength. There are many hills in Catonsville, and so
	105	for the first few weeks lazy nerd me was defeated by the terrain. A
	106	mere two months after starting to ride, however, I achieved a level of
	107	strength I never thought I would. I could ride thirty miles in a day
	108	and <em>not feel it the next day</em>! A few months after that, even with a
	109	long interlude of no riding due to a broken bone, I found myself able
	110	ride seventy miles with a few thousand feet of elevation change.</p>
	111
	112
	113	<h2><a name="sec4" id="sec4"></a>
	114	Metamorphosis</h2>
	115
	116	<p class="first">In late September I replaced the mountain bike tires with 26x1.75
	117	<a href="http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/themes/tires/city/travelcontact/travelcontact_en.html">road tires</a> which nearly doubled my range, and improved the handling of
	118	the bike on pavement considerably. I chose 1.75 over 1.50 tires
	119	because I tend to ride with a fairly heavy load (textbooks and other
	120	type things), and enjoy the freedom of being able to go off road and
	121	not sink into the ground or get trapped in the grass.</p>
	122
	123	<p>I <a href="http://unknown-lamer.livejournal.com/160217.html">fell</a> in October and bent my straight handlebar. I needed a new
	124	handlebar so I found a trekking style handlebar on the internet that
	125	gave me additional spots to put my handle, allowed for a slightly
	126	lowered position while riding, and was the same diameter as the
	127	straight bar so I could keep the shifter/brake combo (it being a bit
	128	expensive to replace). It now has cork tape covered in cloth tape (I'm
	129	hoping the cloth tape will take the brunt of the wear and I can extend
	130	the life of the expensive cork tape). I plan to try using heat shrink
	131	tubing to cover the ends of the tape in place soon (if it works it
132	should look neater than duct tape).</p>
133
134	<table class="image" width="100%">
135	<tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/2006-10-25/handlebar.jpg" alt="It would seem that the amount of destructiveness to be found in individuals is proportionate to the amount to which expansiveness of life is curtailed. By this we do not refer to individual frustrations of this or that instinctive desire but to the thwarting of the whole of life, the blockage of spontaneity of the growth and expression of man's sensuous, emotional, and intellectual capacities" /></td></tr>
136	<tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">It would seem that the amount of destructiveness to be found in individuals is proportionate to the amount to which expansiveness of life is curtailed. By this we do not refer to individual frustrations of this or that instinctive desire but to the thwarting of the whole of life, the blockage of spontaneity of the growth and expression of man's sensuous, emotional, and intellectual capacities</td></tr>
137	</table>
138
139
140	<h2><a name="sec5" id="sec5"></a>
141	The Night Is Friendly</h2>
142
143	<h3><a name="sec6" id="sec6"></a>
144	Portable Sun</h3>
145
146	<p class="first">As the end of October 2006 arrived the days became shorter, but my
147	desire to explore the world increased. This presented a bit of a
148	problem, and so I spent time scouring the Wise Internet for
149	information on headlights. After much futile poking around I settled
150	on a <a href="http://www.cygolite.com/2-Products/1-DualCross300.htm">Cygolite DualCross 300</a> and was given one as a birthday gift. It
151	is as bright as a single car headlight on the top setting and the
152	batteries do actually last as long as the website says. I've ridden
153	with it in the rain many times, and it even survived a nasty spill
154	that broke my collarbone and bent my front rim.</p>
155
156	<p>As of March 2008 the light still lasts a good three hours on full
157	bright. This is with me using it at least once a week, and very often
158	two or three times a week for extended rides (generally draining the
159	battery entirely once a week) since late 2006 (excepting that winter
160	because of my broken collarbone). I feared for a while that the
161	battery strap was going to wear out and break, but it has yet to show
162	signs of wear. All in all an <strong>excellent</strong> investment! This thing can
163	handle heavy use and rain and all sorts of nasty stuff.</p>
164
165	<table class="image" width="100%">
166	<tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/headlight.jpg" alt="A beacon in the night" /></td></tr>
167	<tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">A beacon in the night</td></tr>
168	</table>
169
170	<p>The nicest part of the light is that it does seem to get its rated
171	life of about four hours on the brightest setting. I'm not sure if it
172	really gets nine hours on the dim setting as I've never ridden at the
173	lowest setting for an extended period of time (I use it as dusk is
174	setting in to make myself visible, and then increase to full
175	brightness when night falls). It is about as bright as a single car
176	headlight; an entire standard width car lane is illuminated with the
177	light set to hit the ground about eight feet from the bike. I find
178	this adequate to cycle around full speed at night.</p>
179
180
181
182	<h3><a name="sec7" id="sec7"></a>
183	I Am the Moon</h3>
184
185	<p class="first">One day in late April 2007 I decided to cover my bicycle in reflective
186	tape. It is very bright now.</p>
187
188	<table class="image" width="100%">
189	<tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/before_tape_upside_down.jpg" alt="The last time the bike will be naked" /></td></tr>
190	<tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">The last time the bike will be naked</td></tr>
191	</table>
192
193	<table class="image" width="100%">
194	<tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/bicycle_post_tape.jpg" alt="Not quite strong enough to cause tides" /></td></tr>
195	<tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">Not quite strong enough to cause tides</td></tr>
196	</table>
197
198	<table class="image" width="100%">
199	<tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/post_tape_nighttime_1.jpg" alt="Or perhaps it is a shining star" /></td></tr>
200	<tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">Or perhaps it is a shining star</td></tr>
201	</table>
202
203	<h4><a name="sec8" id="sec8"></a>
204	North's Son</h4>
205
206	<p class="first">In Early 2008 I decided to add a few stripes of reflective fabric to
207	the rear of my panniers. I am not very good at sewing so I used
208	Fabritac, and they have held on reasonably well since then. I wouldn't
011c040f	209	say that the bond was <em>permanent</em> though<sup><a class="footref" name="fnr.1" href="#fn.1">1</a></sup>, but so far they have only
2aff8b5c	210	peeled a tiny but on the edges (fixable with a quick dab of the
	211	glue).</p>
	212
	213	<p>I am quite a bit more reflective in the rear now thanks to this. I
	214	also have a rear fender now (more to follow on this once I stop being
	215	lazy and install the front one too) which has a nice strip of orange
	216	reflective tape.</p>
	217
	218	<table class="image" width="100%">
	219	<tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/rear-tape-white.jpg" alt="~200ft with my DualCross" /></td></tr>
	220	<tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">~200ft with my DualCross</td></tr>
	221	</table>
	222	<table class="image" width="100%">
	223	<tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/rear-tape-red.jpg" alt="~200ft with one of my tail lights" /></td></tr>
	224	<tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">~200ft with one of my tail lights</td></tr>
	225	</table>
	226
	227
	228
	229
	230	<h2><a name="sec9" id="sec9"></a>
	231	In the Name of the Steel</h2>
	232
	233	<p class="first">I got a few patches from friends who were travelling about, and in
	234	July 2008 finally glued and sewed them to the bike. Now I am more
	235	metal, clearly.</p>
	236
	237	<table class="image" width="100%">
	238	<tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/2008/bayern-patch.jpg" alt="Freistaadt aus Bäyern" /></td></tr>
	239	<tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">Freistaadt aus Bäyern</td></tr>
	240	</table>
	241	<table class="image" width="100%">
	242	<tr><td align="center"><img src="img/photos/bicycle/2008/blind-guardian-patch.jpg" alt="Blind Guardian is cool" /></td></tr>
	243	<tr><td align="center" class="image-caption">Blind Guardian is cool</td></tr>
	244	</table>
	245
c91a896f	246
	247	<h2><a name="sec10" id="sec10"></a>
	248	The Death of a Friend</h2>
	249
	250	<p class="first">On the eve of February 9th, 2011 I went on a ride. Arriving at my
	251	destination I chained my bike and noticed one of the chainstays looked
	252	a bit odd; fate would have it that the chainstay had fractured. And so
	253	my first Aluminum Steed was laid to rest. Rest in Peace dear friend.</p>
	254
9be210c0	255
	256	<h2><a name="sec11" id="sec11"></a>
	257	A New Star Rises</h2>
	258
	259	<p class="first">After months of being a bit broke (bikes are ... expensive) and then
	260	trying to scrounge up a used bike on Craigslist for a few months, I
	261	caved and got a <a href="Bicycle%202012.html">new bike</a>.</p>
	262
011c040f	263	<hr />
	264	<p class="footnote"><a class="footnum" name="fn.1" href="#fnr.1">1.</a> It turns out that I was underestimating the bond; as of late
	265	September 2010 the reflective tape has only minorly peeled around
	266	the edges (fixable with a quick touch up). This being with
	267	regular riding and occasional exposure to rain.</p>
	268
2aff8b5c	269
	270	<!-- Page published by Emacs Muse ends here -->
	271
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	280	]" /></a>
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	295
11f9bd69 CE	296	<p class="cke-footer">And did those feet in ancient time
	297	Walk upon England's mountains green?
	298	And was the holy Lamb of God
	299	On England's pleasant pastures seen?
2aff8b5c	300	</p>
2aff8b5c	301	<p class="cke-timestamp">Last Modified:
f6d19803	302	January 21, 2013</p>
2aff8b5c	303	</body>
2aff8b5c	304	</html>