Cleaver's Up

Reminder: the March edition of the 4th Ward Cleaver's up.

Browsing the Acme Catalogue Again.

Hmmm, interesting.  Probably worthwhile.
Now that really seems to help.
Why, yes.  Sounds cool, at least that first model.

Parts are in as of this evening.  I'll let y'all know how how it works once I get a chance to bolt it all on and wring it out.
Assuming I survive.

Other Big Dog robot videos.

After last week's video of a Big Dog robot chucking cinder blocks, you should take a look at this, in case you somehow missed it earlier: Big Dog in action.

Performs as expected, performs as hoped.

30 miles, no back pain.  The suspension system on this bike just plain works.  The air/air system and "Brain" rear suspension kept bobbing to a minimum while smoothing out the trail into a magic carpet.  The 29" wheels roll over things more easily, and handled just fine in tight trails like The Briar Patch.  As far as I'm concerned, the old 26" wheel standard is as dead as disco.  Unexpectedly but pleasantly, the 29's float over loose sand much more easily than 26's.  The 27.8 lbs weight didn't feel noticeably more heavy than its predecessor's 25-ish lbs (-ish = depending on tires).  The 2x10 SRAM drivetrain shifted nicely, and the hop between the two rings was usually in the ballpark for a quick uphill/downhill shift.  On flat land, set it and forget it on the big ring, then fine-tune with the cogs.  Jury's still out on durability.

The world has turned and the mountain bike has changed.  Oddly, it's not radically or even much noticeably different than anything available a decade ago.  (The preceding decade had much more evident change, though not all of it good.)  It's just that it's all integrated and smoothly working together.

Got to change out those stock hardpack tires for something a little more apropos of the sand and mud on the local trails.  That's a shame, because those stock S-Works Fast Traks are darned nice tires, and they are pricey.  I wish Specialized would just slap some cheap test skins on, and assume that riders will pick the right tire for their conditions.  Just like they do with pedals.  So now I've got to buy something more like this, and either save those fancy stock tires for some hypothetical future trip out west, or try to unload'em on ebay.  Whichever the case, they unexpectedly dumped my ass in a clay mud crossing, and they must go ASAP.
ps- An informative review of both of these tires.

But that's a small, easily fixed quibble.  The rest of the day, the rest of the bike performed brilliantly.  I'm a happy camper, ready to go do some camping.

BBC World Service: Joe Strummer Edition

I've long known that Joe Strummer DJ'd a show – aptly named London Calling – on the BBC World Service, and regretted that I'd jumped into shortwave too late to listen in.  Then this morning over coffee I thought "somebody's got to have archived that somewhere on the web."  Yep, and here it is courtesy of the Radio Clash site.  A little over 9 hours' worth (the episodes were only a half-hour), still broadcast to the world free for the listening.

It's not Clash music, or even punk rock.  It's a jumble of music Strummer though was significant, or at least interesting.  Here's some commentary on the series over at the BBC.

Why the hell am I blogging this right now when it's a beautiful sunny day and I've got a new mountain bike to go ride?  (First time out on the trails with it too, after being cooped up by rain last weekend.)  Well, it bottomed out at 31 degrees last night, so I'm giving it a few extra minutes to warm up this morning.  No point in rushing these things some days.  Trail report and pictures later today!

Back to London Calling, the quality is perfectly good.  A little hiss in the first few episodes, but what the hell.  Bet it sounded better yet straight off the BBC's Ascension Island West Africa transmitter.  Ah, the bitter regret of the good things I've discovered after the fact, but better late than never.  Ain't the web grand?

I don't care where you stand on the sequester...

...this is funny:

Hmm, maybe they don't have any minds to meld.  That would explain quite a bit.

Obligatory link to Nimoy.

Well that's vaguely disquieting.

Big Dog robot now has powerful arm, chucks cinder blocks.

Interesting to watch the thing move.  Don't try this at home, kids!