tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post7036610888479325048..comments2024-02-06T10:31:24.491-07:00Comments on Watching the World Wake Up: The Real Problem with Rim-Brakes, and the True Nature of The ForceWatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-79458047142503261792013-11-13T22:14:30.682-07:002013-11-13T22:14:30.682-07:00I find it very strange that I go looking for impro...I find it very strange that I go looking for improving the performance of rim brakes and I find a reference to Larry St. Clair who I've worked with.<br /><br />Oh, and those of us who bike in the winter or more generally during all seasons - it may be about the adventure and the challenge.3hornsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-22276499598657831222012-01-18T13:49:32.127-07:002012-01-18T13:49:32.127-07:00I just found this post while Googling trying to fi...I just found this post while Googling trying to find some more learning material on mushrooms for my young child interested in nature. This is a truly excellent summary and I encourage you to take these thoughts on mushrooms and make a children's science book out of them! Thank you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-85090163695247454092009-10-25T09:00:40.767-06:002009-10-25T09:00:40.767-06:00Riding with the sound of leaves stuck in your brak...Riding with the sound of leaves stuck in your brakes is like riding in the rain - it is actually quite fun once you get used to it, plus it alerts hikers that you are coming (much more effective than that annoying little bell or whoop).Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15519877134339845534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-74364111637993744812009-10-24T17:06:46.936-06:002009-10-24T17:06:46.936-06:00All the wimps in the world say that about snow bik...All the wimps in the world say that about snow biking... Have you ever even tried it? Ahhh, I guessed your answer.<br /><br />And V-brakes? Oh my goodness, I won't even start on how much more braking power you get with disc brakes. My hands have thanked me many times over.<br /><br />I love the story about fungal reproduction. Very cool.KBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-4522933661272728092009-10-22T09:59:50.521-06:002009-10-22T09:59:50.521-06:00PsychoRider- #1 or #2 is not the case. It would be...PsychoRider- #1 or #2 is not the case. It would be great to outsource the graphics (and the research, and well, the writing) but I have already blown the quarterly Watcher-budget on stickers. #3 is probably the case more than I care to admit, but really making the graphics is the funnest part of this gig. (At least it’s the part where I end up giggling the most. Awesome Wife can tell from the next room when I’m working on one.)<br /><br />KKris- Sure, someday I’ll do a how-to post. Honestly it’s pretty easy (I do them all in PowerPoint), and I’m always surprised that so few other blogs include graphics.<br /><br />BTW- I don’t have a post today (though I have a cool one brewing for tomorrow on Tarantulas) but Christopher over at <a href="http://catalogue-of-organisms.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"><b>Catalogue of Organisms</b></a> has a <a href="http://catalogue-of-organisms.blogspot.com/2009/10/fungus-and-individual.html" rel="nofollow"><b>great post</b></a> up that follows up on the Fungus & Individual theme I brought up in this post, but with more great details and broader scope. If you haven’t visited <a href="http://catalogue-of-organisms.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">CoO</a> before, I recommend it. Keep in mind it’s a <i>real</i> science blog, so while there aren’t any tangents or much in the way of graphics, the bright side is that the guy- unlike me- is a smart cookie who actually knows what he’s talking about.Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-82630960181442289592009-10-22T08:55:38.124-06:002009-10-22T08:55:38.124-06:00Hey Watcher, always said you were a real Fun GuyHey Watcher, always said you were a real Fun GuyUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18311987239250712221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-59604255201847866572009-10-21T22:25:41.284-06:002009-10-21T22:25:41.284-06:00Yes, I want a behind-the-scenes, making-of post so...Yes, I want a behind-the-scenes, making-of post some day, specifically the graphics. Or have you already done this and I've spaced it?KanyonKrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954169751206336705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-28194287387156192622009-10-21T21:11:24.529-06:002009-10-21T21:11:24.529-06:00I have to second KanyonKris on the Awesome Graphic...I have to second KanyonKris on the Awesome Graphics. The last couple of posts have contained some exceptional graphics work. There are at least a few possible explanations:<br /><br />1. You started outsourcing the awesome graphics (not likely considering their high quality and attention to detail)<br /><br />2. You stopped outsourcing and started doing them yourself, and the quality went from Awesome to Exceptional<br /><br />3. You spend lots of time on the awesome graphics<br /><br />4. You're just that good.<br /><br />Your graphics are always good. These past few you have taken it to a new level... What's your secret?Paul Wissenbachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15103813102014065246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-49882711250022467532009-10-21T16:28:48.561-06:002009-10-21T16:28:48.561-06:00Maggie- I'm trying to determine if your pic is...Maggie- I'm trying to determine if your pic is real or staged. (And which would be grosser!)<br /><br />Kris, mtb w- glad you guys liked the graphics. That wheel was a little tedious, but I figure I'll reuse it in some future biking tangent(s). Oh, and mtb w- sorry about the song-in-head. I hate it when people do that to me.<br /><br />Everybody- oh I know I'll eventually go disk (probably with the next bike.) It's like a cell phone- fun to make fun of for a few years, then you shut up and get one. BTW, know who still doesn't have a cell phone? Hint: he was in the graphics for the last post, and Kris & SBJ have both ridden with him.Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-64515491074757536382009-10-21T15:49:30.043-06:002009-10-21T15:49:30.043-06:00Now I can't get the song "Jungle Love&quo...Now I can't get the song "Jungle Love" out of mind. I think somebody planted it there! BTW, love the graphics - particularly "Fungal Love".<br /><br />ElZo - I have limited experience with hydraulic but with my beginner level skills, I don't like to mess with hydraulics and when I do, it's not pretty. Mechanicals, on the other hand, I can do on my own fairly easily and not be worried about messing them up. So, for one good with tools, hydraulics may work better but for someone like me, I feel better about mechanicals. <br /><br />mtb wAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-19915006248752843302009-10-21T15:23:08.831-06:002009-10-21T15:23:08.831-06:00FUNGI!!!
They eat anything.FUNGI!!!<br /><br />They eat anything.Enelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00967981896718833776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-53673430555892285542009-10-21T15:16:11.998-06:002009-10-21T15:16:11.998-06:00Sadly I have to admit you're probably right ab...Sadly I have to admit you're probably right about snow biking.<br /><br />A couple of years ago I set a bike set up for snow and ice duty. Each of the last two winters I've taken it out 3 or 4 times, and then given up and resorted to the indoor trainer to try to keep fit.<br /><br />Unless you're willing to invest in a truly dedicated snow bike like a Pugsley, any riding in snow is a slog, unless you limit yourself to the handful of trails that get enough foot/snowshoer traffic to pack the snow down pretty well. And packed or not, you just can't corner as aggressively on snow as you can on dirt or rock, which takes away a big chunk of what makes mountain biking fun for me.<br /><br />Oh, and I was sold on hydraulic discs the first time I tried them, mainly for the modulation. I'm not convinced that mechanicals are lower maintenance, overall -- in my experience mechanicals need more frequent but less difficult maintenance than decent hydros. (i.e. bleeding maybe once a year versus more frequent pad / cable adjustments)ElZohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16207148171071531956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-53155444664207997362009-10-21T12:54:06.085-06:002009-10-21T12:54:06.085-06:00I must say, excellent graphics for this post. Some...I must say, excellent graphics for this post. Some of your best work. I think you're entering your green period.KanyonKrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954169751206336705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-50857075206305517072009-10-21T11:29:39.839-06:002009-10-21T11:29:39.839-06:00Funny and informative! Wow - what a way to take a...Funny and informative! Wow - what a way to take a post about rim brakes, take it to fungi and then to the Force. If you want to justify disc brakes, they are simplier to maintain (mechanical, not hydraulic) and easier to take wheels on and off. The braking (other than wet weather) is not much different but the other issues are what pulled me in. My rim brakes always needed adjusting so I am glad to be rid of them. Also, in 3 years of disc brakes, I've never had a leaf fall into that small space, although my trails don't have that much leaves on them (but do get lots of dried scrub brush stuck in spokes/brakes). <br /><br />BTW, I think I just lost my appetite for mushrooms.<br /><br />mtb wAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-3326780041290954432009-10-21T10:49:26.745-06:002009-10-21T10:49:26.745-06:00But if you were using this as a way to justify a n...But if you were using this as a way to justify a new bike to awesome wife, the problem is a lot less with disc brakes. Enough less to keep you from going nuts to the point the bike would pay for itself with copays saved at the psychiatrist.Ski Bike Junkiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12295969126174565599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-52763283851397227562009-10-21T10:48:23.890-06:002009-10-21T10:48:23.890-06:00Hate to break it to you, but the leaf in rim brake...Hate to break it to you, but the leaf in rim brake thing still happens with disc brakes. Leaf just gets caught in the seat stays instead.Ski Bike Junkiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12295969126174565599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-79362521579984230992009-10-21T09:16:01.692-06:002009-10-21T09:16:01.692-06:00Moving to disc brakes was a big deal to me. The pr...Moving to disc brakes was a big deal to me. The precision and repeatability was so much better. But as Maggie noted, rub can be annoying - although most times I can fix it it pretty easily.<br /><br />Did you come up with the Force analogy after eating some magic mushrooms? A bit stretched, but I see your point and it makes for fun reading.<br /><br />I agree, fungi are quite strange, and a little creepy. The idea of getting a fungus in my lungs creeps me out.KanyonKrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954169751206336705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-35693496309468591512009-10-21T07:24:23.953-06:002009-10-21T07:24:23.953-06:00Only you could connect fungi with the Force.
By ...Only you could connect fungi with the Force. <br />By the way, if the sound of a leaf caught in a rim brake bothers you, just wait until you have your first rubbing disc brake. Nails on chalkboard, 90 times per minute. And you can still get stuff caught in them http://www.flickr.com/photos/bike/29172942/<br /><br />:)maggiehttp://giroofasaurus-vexed.comnoreply@blogger.com