My New Toy and Fun Getaway Item.

[oldsparkey]

Picked up some ideas and suggestions for both bike camping and backpacking or just plain old fashion camping.

One article I really liked was the guy talking about cooking.
He did the freezer bag style and then decided to upgrade it.
He took a thermos and did some modifications to it to make it lighter but so it still does it's job with the liquids. He puts his dried food in the thermos and then adds the boiling water , seals the thermos and waits the proper amount of time before opening it and eating the food.
This way he does not need all the zip lock bags and can do the cooking in only one thing , the Thermos.
Here is a short cut to the article....... https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o= ... =2350&v=4f

Yep .... It is a good place to do some snooping around on.

The web site Ron and I am talking about and Ron posted.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/

 

[oldsparkey]

Picked up a new toy for the Bike , actually for me . :lol:
It's the Sigma 12 12 STS bike speedometer and several other functions included , 12 different functions.
The nice thing is that it is wireless, The sending unit is on the front fork and the receiving unit is on the handlebar.

Here is there link and what Sigma has to say about them.
http://www.sigmasport.com/us/produkte/b ... t=features

I found a dealer that had them reduced over 50% , it was just to good to pass up. This time a deal that was to good to be true was true and to good to not go with.
Now there will be no more guessing on how far I have ridden or the time I was out riding and enjoying the scenery.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Does it have directions on how to calibrate it for various sized wheels?

 

[oldsparkey]

Does it have directions on how to calibrate it for various sized wheels?

They give you the settings for all the different size wheels and the formula for figuring out the setting if you want to do your own.
I wasn't sure about there setting after checking several bicycle web sites , the guys on them said that most of the time the factory's setting are off a bit. So using there formula I figured mine out and will go with it.
http://www.sigmasport.com/de_media/serv ... fang-2.jpg

It is one inch equals 25.4 MM , one complete turn of my wheel is 88 inches. That comes out to 2235.2 MM which is the setting. I will set it at 2235. MM , They suggested 2250.
My tires are the 700 - 45 ones ( 29 inches [ rim and tire ] x 1,75 )

Here is there video on how to set all the settings on the unit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbTET1WStTQ

 

[Kayak Jack]

You can double check it by pedaling a known distance, and compare it to the distance reading on your odometer. Most speedometers are off from the factory; but all of them can be adjusted.

Another way, is to use ome of your hand-carried GPS units. They are accurate. Then, adjust the speedometer until the two instruments agree.

Tire pressure can affect accuracy too.

 

[oldsparkey]

You can double check it by pedaling a known distance, and compare it to the distance reading on your odometer.

I checked the little Sigma 12 12 STS bike speedometer on a marked off distance ( one mile ) and it is right on the spot. Since the distance is correct then all the rest of the information must be allowing me to check out all the trip information after a ride.
I use to feel pretty good after a ride but now when I look at all that information it makes me want to go inside , flop down on the couch with a Cold Beer and a Dagwood Sandwich but I settle for the upright recliner and a glass of Ice Tea instead. :lol: .

 

[Kayak Jack]

Upright recliners are good exercize machines. :wink:

 

[rpecot]

Hey guys! Long time, no see...

I was looking at some paddling videos online and the thought occurred to me "I haven't poked around the Old Sparky Forum in a while, let me go see what's up." Glad I did! I've only had my boat in the water a handful of times since we moved to Texas, but I have been cycling my a$$ off, literally. I started riding my road bike in January of last year. I was fed up with my continuous weight gain. I was having minor health issues - high blood pressure, indigestion (chest pain?!?!), sluggish, etc. I went to a cardiologist due to family history. He got me on some new meds. And I started riding my bike. Last year, I rode about 1700 miles. I did the Houston-Austin MS150, Galveston Bike around the Bay, a bunch of local organized rides. In all, I lost 15 pounds last year.

This year I've taken it even further. You could say (my wife certainly would) that I've become obsessed with it. I've lost an additional 25 pounds this year (40 total). My last check up with the cardiologist, almost 6 months ago, he did something he said he rarely gets to do. He wrote "normal" on my EKG. I go back in a couple weeks for a 6 month check up. I'm going to ask about cutting back on my bp medication.

So far this year, I've ridden almost 2700 miles. I'm aiming for 3000 before year end. Each of the last 5 months, I've ridden at least 300 miles. No way I'm going to make it this month I've been trying to bike commute to work once a week, about 20 miles each way, but I can't always do it because of weather or my work schedule.

I use a Garmin 510 to track all my rides. It connects via bluetooth to my smart phone, so it uploads all the data automatically to the Garmin website where I track it. Also, I can send my wife a link to track me when I ride solo. I did this during the MS150 this year and sent the link to all the folks who made donations for me. They followed along "virtually" while I did all the work.

Chuck, I'm glad to see you are enjoying your bike. Mine has given me a new life.

Here is a recent pic of Becky and I. My obsession has worn off on her. She now has a bike too.

 

[oldsparkey]

Exercise is more fun when you don't realize you are actually exercising. :lol: I enjoy watching the scenery slip by as you go along , it beats peddling a stationary bike at home in the living room.

rpecot ....
You sure look like you have lost some weight and are feeling better , You guys keep up the good recreation and be safe out there.

Chuck.

 

[texastom]

Awesome mileage and congrats on the weight loss. The blue band on your wrist is a great idea too. Not only for biking and running, but maybe for a solo paddler as well.

FYI for the folks who don't recognize the blue band it is a Road ID. I am not affiliated with them, but my wife and I have about 4 each for various activities. We both run and ride, and I'll wear mine when solo camping or with a group that might not know how to get in touch with my wife. I can't post a pic due to board attachment quota, but here is a link. If you are interested there are usually online coupon codes you can google and look for a current one.

https://www.roadid.com/Common/Catalog.a ... aQodFEMAsw

 

[texastom]

Forgive me for commenting on my own comment, but I was poking around the Road ID website and saw all the ID's are $15.00. That's half off the "fancy" one and a decent reduction on the others. We just moved into a new house and ordered new ones about a month ago. Wish I'd have waited...

 

[rpecot]

Thanks texastom.

+1 for Road ID. You can personalize the tag with emergency contacts, medical conditions, allergies, etc. They have a service (I don't subscribe) where you can provide your medical history and in the event of an accident or whatever, EMS can call and get your history etc right there and then. Good if you've got a lot of info you would like conveyed to medical services, quickly.

Another good resource for cycling info is http://www.bikeforums.net I usually "hang out" in the Commuting, Road, and Advocacy & Safety sub-forums. I've been poking around the Cyclocross sub-forum lately.

I biked to work this morning. I layered up, but my toes got pretty frigid. Turns out it got down to 30°on the ride in.
http://www.strava.com/activities/220896271

 

[oldsparkey]

texastom ................

Thanks for the link to the Road ID folks , that is a good idea for any bicyclist and person enjoying the outdoors for personal contact or emergency medical contact.

https://www.roadid.com/Common/Catalog.aspx

rpecot.......

Thanks for the link to the Strava.com folks. http://www.strava.com/activities/220896271 The information they give you would be great for analyzing your ride at the end of the day. It sure would take all of the questions out of it.

 

[oldsparkey]

For a Christmas Present the wife got me one of the Bontrager Race Wind shell Vest's , in the Visibility Yellow. As she said , the vehicles will be able to see you on your bike.
Don't let the name fool you , I do not " RACE " unless it is neighbor hood dog wanting to join me ... :lol:

http://www.bontrager.com/model/11710

 

[oldsparkey]

Got myself a new toy for the bike.

They are a set of Vaude Discovery Pro Panniers and at a combined 52 liters or about 3173 cubic inches they almost match my backpack in cubic inches. They are just a shade bigger so packing them will not be a problem.
The up side is they were on sale and I saved almost $50.00 by getting them , they are well made but what else would you expect for a product from Germany.

My backpacking is on hold for a spell since i got the new defibrillator /pacer on the 20th of January. The incision is still tender and the area a little swollen from all the work they did there.

This way I can Bike -Pack instead of backpacking and actually take a little more along like a folding camp chair with a backrest. Just put it on the bike rack between the two bags.

As I told the wife ..I am turning the bicycle into a Pack Mule but what the heck the canoe or pirogue use to take my dry bags on camping trips so the bicycle can take these on dry land outings.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Chuck, does your HIGH VIZ vest have a target painted on the back? Better check. :wink:

I also have saddle bags. Can put a gallon of milk plus assorted groceries in each side. Can also carry lunch and a thermos of hot or cold tea. On a ride, while I'm sipping a tall frosty one and nibbling on a hamburger, I have no guilt as I look at the saddle bag with healthy stuff neatly tucked away in it. Julie may want to eat it later on.

 

[oldsparkey]

Chuck, does your HIGH VIZ vest have a target painted on the back? Better check. :wink:

Nope , No targets just a fake set of tire tracks so they know where the tires are suppose to go. :roll:

 

[Kayak Jack]

OUCH!

 

[oldsparkey]

I take out in the morning and all I see is the sun in the East shining right into my face and vision. If I go West then I return with the same problem , North or South then there is the sun light shinning in the side getting one or the other eye. That is when I wear the bicycle helmet and those visors they have with the helmets are a joke. If I wear a ball cap then I have a visor that will actually keep the sun from shinning in my eyes.
My eye doctor tells me that I have cataracts and will have to have some surgery but at a later date because I have only the one good eye and they do not want to mess with it till they have to so I tend to baby it and especially from direct sunlight. Plus my glasses have the maximum UV protection.

Ball caps are nice but they do not do a whole lot of protecting the Brain Bucket if a person would take a Spill , Crash , Kiss the Pavement or anything else detrimental to there personal safety while riding a bicycle.
That is one reason I like to have a bicycle helmet on since it does offer protection when ridding in case anything should happen.

I love problems since there is always a cure for them and the one I found for this problem is called Da Brim , the Rezzo Helmet Visor System.

http://www.dabrim.com/
I wanted a good visor and the largest one they have is 4 inches which is the one I got. The choices are 3 , 3 1/2 or 4 inches.
They ship quickly Ordered it on Wednesday and got it Friday.

If Summer get's real bad I might have to upgrade to one of these for total protection , they remind me of the Tilley Hat I wear for my walks and just about every where else to block the sun.
If a person wants full coverage , the face , ears and neck they have a couple like this for that.

Both attach with a strap that goes around your helmet. Attach the strap and then attach the visor to it using the Velcro that in sewn into the strap and the corners of the visor.

 

[Wannabe]

Dang Chuck,
We must have the same eye Dr. That is what he tells me about my eyes. I have never saw bike helmets like that. Kinda reminds me of the Samurai helmets from the movies.
Bob