Thursday, July 31, 2008
Dog Discrimination
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Courteny, BC
Finally and update!
Beth and I are in Courteny/Comox, BC staying with one of our couchsurfing.com hosts (Dugal and Lindsay) and will be leaving for Campbell River and then Quadra Island tomorrow morning.
We stayed with John (warmshowers.org) lastnight and he rode with us to Buckley Bay to meet up with his girlfriend then on to Courteny. I should mention that John and Stella led the way and are both 75 years old.
The total distance today was 69kms which was easy compared to the previous days which I will write about soon.
Beth and I are in Courteny/Comox, BC staying with one of our couchsurfing.com hosts (Dugal and Lindsay) and will be leaving for Campbell River and then Quadra Island tomorrow morning.
We stayed with John (warmshowers.org) lastnight and he rode with us to Buckley Bay to meet up with his girlfriend then on to Courteny. I should mention that John and Stella led the way and are both 75 years old.
The total distance today was 69kms which was easy compared to the previous days which I will write about soon.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
GO!!!
We're off to the ferry! I will update via mobile when I can and the one or two Internet cafes.
CHEERS TO ALL!
tdp
CHEERS TO ALL!
tdp
Friday, July 25, 2008
Get set!
Little more than a dozen hours and we'll be on the ferry headed for Friday Harbour and then Sidney, BC the start of our tour. I'm a little worried though as I got a ferry alert saying that the 2pm ferry is full but they usually reserve some space for Orcas folks and if not then not sure how we'll get someone to pickup the car from the landing before it's towed in the 48hr grace period.
Yes we are driving onto the ferry to Friday Harbour where we'll park at a friends and then ride aboard to Sidney. I just am not keen on riding on Orcas Island roads at 11pm when we get back, and on a Saturday night. The roads are crap and there are way too many drunks on the roads out here... I should know, it's my job to scoop them (or their victims) into a bucket and douce the fire after they crash and I have seen more close calls with cyclists than I should have.
Almost done getting all my and shared gear put out to start packing. Looking forward to getting that done so I can start getting rid of stuff and hopefully have a beer and watch a DVD before turning in for the night.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
EDIT: I forgot to mention that today while running errands I was listening to KUOW (NPR) and they were asking what people if they were "Downsizing Your Summer Vacation Plans?" The theme was about alternatives to spending gobs of money on fuel driving to what would have been typical summer trips. I overheard one person who was on Orcas talking about CouchSurfing.com (eventhough they hadn't tried it) so I had to call in and when I mentioned that I was going to bike they wanted me on the air. I even added the bit about spending my econimic stimulus check in Canada (evil). At this point I'll probably be arrested for something like unpatriotic spending, or aiding the enemy or some new made up (by Bush) law.
Oh and the hate mail commeth!
Yes we are driving onto the ferry to Friday Harbour where we'll park at a friends and then ride aboard to Sidney. I just am not keen on riding on Orcas Island roads at 11pm when we get back, and on a Saturday night. The roads are crap and there are way too many drunks on the roads out here... I should know, it's my job to scoop them (or their victims) into a bucket and douce the fire after they crash and I have seen more close calls with cyclists than I should have.
Almost done getting all my and shared gear put out to start packing. Looking forward to getting that done so I can start getting rid of stuff and hopefully have a beer and watch a DVD before turning in for the night.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
EDIT: I forgot to mention that today while running errands I was listening to KUOW (NPR) and they were asking what people if they were "Downsizing Your Summer Vacation Plans?" The theme was about alternatives to spending gobs of money on fuel driving to what would have been typical summer trips. I overheard one person who was on Orcas talking about CouchSurfing.com (eventhough they hadn't tried it) so I had to call in and when I mentioned that I was going to bike they wanted me on the air. I even added the bit about spending my econimic stimulus check in Canada (evil). At this point I'll probably be arrested for something like unpatriotic spending, or aiding the enemy or some new made up (by Bush) law.
Oh and the hate mail commeth!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
On your mark!
So Saturday is the big day. Wouldn't be such a big day for some and we've been on more intense travels before but this trip represents a new era for us and I am very excited (I hope not too excited) to go on longer tours.
A two week trip wouldn't have been possible last year but thanks to me working three jobs (one paycheck goes to Beth) I've been able to afford a new bike and help to buy Beth's as well, not to mention all the touring gear.
Ironically another bonus is that for the first time I can thank GW for something; we are using our econimic stimulus check ($1500) to afford our travels in Canada... What do you think we were going to spend it on, a bunch of McCain t-shirts? Now that's going to generate a some of hate mail.
A two week trip wouldn't have been possible last year but thanks to me working three jobs (one paycheck goes to Beth) I've been able to afford a new bike and help to buy Beth's as well, not to mention all the touring gear.
Ironically another bonus is that for the first time I can thank GW for something; we are using our econimic stimulus check ($1500) to afford our travels in Canada... What do you think we were going to spend it on, a bunch of McCain t-shirts? Now that's going to generate a some of hate mail.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Lights, camera, ACTION!
FINALLY!!!!
I finally got my dynamo hub all laced up with a 32 hole version of the OEM rim.
I thought I was never going to get the damn thing. A week after my LBS finally got around to ordering the hub (two weeks after I asked them to), they ordered the rim, the whole time thinking they had the right spokes but when those finally came in (almost a month later) they realized that they weren't right and so ordered another set a week after the mistake. Then the spokes were supposed to be in last week but they didn't come in. Then the spokes were suppose to be in yesterday but not to be. Today, almost a week later they finally came in.
TG I won't have to deal with that again until start building up a single speed wheel set for the Sakai. Eventually I will also be ordering a Schmidt hub for the LHT and swap the Shimano to a commuter bike I plan to eventually build up.
Until then I am a very happy camper!
I finally got my dynamo hub all laced up with a 32 hole version of the OEM rim.
I thought I was never going to get the damn thing. A week after my LBS finally got around to ordering the hub (two weeks after I asked them to), they ordered the rim, the whole time thinking they had the right spokes but when those finally came in (almost a month later) they realized that they weren't right and so ordered another set a week after the mistake. Then the spokes were supposed to be in last week but they didn't come in. Then the spokes were suppose to be in yesterday but not to be. Today, almost a week later they finally came in.
TG I won't have to deal with that again until start building up a single speed wheel set for the Sakai. Eventually I will also be ordering a Schmidt hub for the LHT and swap the Shimano to a commuter bike I plan to eventually build up.
Until then I am a very happy camper!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Favourite quote of the day
Long Haul Trucker Shakedown Ride - Bike Forums: ~ J.C. Koto
"So you've drank the LHT kool-aid. Be-very-ware! Next thing you know, you'll be 400 miles from home, and out a job..."
"So you've drank the LHT kool-aid. Be-very-ware! Next thing you know, you'll be 400 miles from home, and out a job..."
Friday, July 11, 2008
Light mounting (in anticipation for my coming dynamo hub)
I received a B & M Lumotec N Plus from Peter White in the mail yesterday and mounted it soon after. Hadn't realized it was already coming with a mount so had ordered a mount I thought would work with my canties. The included one wouldn't have worked anyhow and I even had to modify the added one. The problem was the crown was too short so I got out the Dremel and started cutting.
Light mount modification:
And here's the finished result:
NOW, I can't wait until my LBS finishes the front wheel I ordered weeks and weeks ago. They already have the rim and Shimano dynamo hub but realized after they were delivered that they didn't have the right spokes. So I've got to wait another week!
Light mount modification:
And here's the finished result:
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Her New Bars
Finally took pictures of Beth's new trekking bars that I built up for her. Included are the original Shimano barend shifters attached to Paul Thumbies, rear cable guides for V-brakes, grips with the ends cut off to allow the trekking bars through, and a set of Avid Speed Dial SL linear brake levers (these are awesome).
The V-brake cable guides were a little tricky and I had to modify them a little so as to stick into the Thumbies snugly. Other than that it went pretty smoothly and most importantly she loves the setup!
The V-brake cable guides were a little tricky and I had to modify them a little so as to stick into the Thumbies snugly. Other than that it went pretty smoothly and most importantly she loves the setup!
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