Author Archives: Silicon Valley Dazed
Shimano 7800 pedals and SH-R215 shoes
I rode 15 miles yesterday with my new Shimano 7800 pedals and SH-R215 shoes, and where this pedal/shoe combination really shines is on the steeper hills where I’m out of my saddle. I feel a lot more power being transmitted to the drivetrain, and I’m in one higher gear than normal on the steep sections. … Continue reading
Intelligent Design
My dear daughter starts her first day of kindergarten next Tuesday. I am so happy we don’t live in an area where people are trying to push intelligent design to be taught beside evolution. In the 80s, there were those that tried to push a similar agenda in the classroom with the teaching of creationism. … Continue reading
Mistakes led to tube shooting (execution more like it)
The stories Mistakes Led to Tube Shooting and Leak disputes Menezes death story are very disturbing considering the first news reports said that Jean Charles De Menezes was running and wearing a heavy overcoat when he was shot seven times in the head and once in the shoulder. It appears now that De Menezes was … Continue reading
Shimano 7800 pedals
I bought some Shimano Dura-Ace 7800 pedals, and the pedals are a lot smaller and lighter than the red Look pedals I purchased 10 years ago. The axle bearings seem to very smooth, and I’m looking forward to receiving my Shimano R-215 shoes to use with the pedals. I keep putting off putting on the … Continue reading
Illusion lost at in Over There pilot
My sense of illusion was lost when a old Huey picked up the soldier who had just lost his leg from an IED at the end of the pilot episode of Over There. The pickup would have been with a Blackhawk, not a Huey, but perhaps the budget isn’t big enough or there are no … Continue reading
Space shuttles and space elevators
The Challenger went down because of cold, stiff o-rings and the Columbia went down because of a flying piece of foam. It’s amazing to me that such relatively “simple” things caused the two shuttle disasters. I’m glad the Discovery came down without any problems earlier this week. Growing up in the 70s, I always thought … Continue reading
Commuting with the Seven Sola
I decided to ride my Seven Sola to work instead of my cross or road bike because I wanted a more cushioned ride due to soreness from a run at the Stanford dish on Monday, but the fat tires were such dogs on the flats and uphills. Still, even with low pressure Fire XC Pro … Continue reading
Intrusive Covad telemarketing
Yesterday, I was checking out SDSL rates on the Covad website. This morning, I get a call from Covad. It turns out they process a log every night of who checks out the rate page for their services and cross-reference the IPs with a company’s contact info and give them a call to ask if … Continue reading
What the Trek Madone is named after
According to this cyclingnews.com article, the Trek Madone was named by Lance Armstrong Lance actually named the bike himself after the Col de la Madone in Menton, France, where Armstrong tested himself in training. “The Col de la Madone is a 12km climb that starts in the French village of Menton. It rises from close … Continue reading
30 mile ride
I rode the 30 mile Portola loop yesterday. Everything was fine except that my left hand went a little numb for awhile. I think I just need to get thicker bar tape since the stock bar tape is pretty thin. Starting out on the ride, I didn’t feel too good, but after 5 miles, I … Continue reading