Unlike the insides of a PC where all the raw sheetmetal edges are like razor blades, the metal strap that holds the scissors jack into the rear quarter panel of a Chevrolet 3500 van is actually smooth and rounded with a rolled bead on the edge. The plastic wingnut that holds the strap in place however, has a molding flash that easily and quickly shaves the skin off your finger like a wood plane – curled-up ribbon of skin and all! People really freak out when blood is dripping from your hand.
Author Archive for risu
Page 80 of 95
Really - I don’t know what happened. I came back from deliveries at 10:00 or so and it was OK. At noon when we went to get lunch, the window was fully cracked. My only guess is built-up stress (it is nearly 18-years old). If it was caused by someone or by an object, the glass would have come apart and be all over the carpet inside the cabin in little pieces.
I called Clyde at Toyota Parts, and a new one is on the way – probably next Wednesday… In the meantime, there are 4-plies of packing tape holding the tiny crystals together and keeping rain out.
It was overcast on Wednesday, but not threatening rain like on Monday, so I went out for a spin. The eye-candy level was higher than average.  The two weeks off the bike when the weather was bad made last Saturday’s ride punishing, so I wanted to turn in some distance during the week to bring the conditioning back up. I would have kept on riding if I had clear lenses. The Rampage tires climbed slip-free up the Chicken Trail backwards. No problems on the loose leaves or rolly branches. Some kids have put up some pallets in the moonscape area as an airsoft battlefield. I hope I can ride again on Friday…
D = 17.48 km (10.86-miles), Vavr = 18.3 km/h (11.3 mph), Vmax = 42.6 km/h (26.5 mph), T = 57-minutes
Yup – it’s a headset. It steered smoothly on the swoopy level sections at Ditch trail, and survived all the impacts and sideloads in the rock garden without going out of adjustment and without creaking or popping. Other than the initial binding issues stemming from handling issues, it has been solid and trouble-free. It feels more drag-free than the King it replaces, probably due to the lower preload required by the properly-designed colletted top cap.
Stay tuned for future updates.
Saturday’s Ditch ride was a good test for the new Panaracer Rampage tires on the Moment. On the last training ride I took on the bike, the greatest difference I noticed was in the lower rolling resistance. On the hardpack doubletrack and singletrack, the lower rolling resistance benefits could be felt also. The cornering was as good if not better than the Mountain A/T’s. This was probably due to the higher side and edge knob density, and the lower, stiffer knobs. There was a noticeable deficit on standing climbs and clawing performance up rooty sections or over rolly branch pieces on the trail. Moisture aggravated this. Exploring an apparent side trail, I tried riding up an angled one-foot step-up with a rooty surface. The ground was damp and the back tire went into immediate spin-out. Continue reading ‘Rampage Trail Test’
The unstable weather was teetering on the balance between sunny blue and rain on Saturday afternoon, so we met for a afternoon ride out at Ditch. Ckucke was nappy boy, but Root, Jeff, JT, and Chris managed to break away for some trail time. There was some new hardware to trail-test. JT was sporting his new Foes, so was itching to take it on the dirt and see how it performed. Root had switched out the heinous Marzocchi Bomber on the ToddBike to the Psylo off the Straight 6. I had those new Panaracer Rampage tires to try on the dirt. Continue reading ‘Allergy Ride’
As I was leaving work Thursday Afternoon, I heard the familiar pathetic little whistles of the little invader dove. He was perched alone on the power lines outside the warehouse door looking rather forlorn. He’s still alive…
Today I tried the regular version of the Burger King Steakhouse Burger for lunch. Like the “Stacked” version I tried last week, it’s the patty from the Angus burger. This one had 2-slices of American cheese, A-1 Steak sauce, crispy fried onions, lettuce bits and tomato. It was assembled on the same cornmeal-dusted “premium bakery-style bun”.  The crispy fried onions were under-represented on the specimen I was given. The large size value meal is around $7.50 USD, and comes in at 1390 kcal (burger = 950, large o-rings = 440, large unsweetened iced tea = 0) – that’s 20 kcal less than the “Stacked” version. This one was much better than the “Stacked” one. Gone were the impressions of saltiness and dryness. The food value was good for the price.
4 out of 4 grinning monkeys
3.5Â out of 4 cardiac arrests
Recommended (you just might live a couple minutes longer if you choose this over the Stacked one)
Great. This is going on the second week of no riding. There is a cold front North of Kauai that supposedly will bring thundershowers to Kauai today. I hope the Kona winds that brought the tan haze back to Oahu yesterday will keep the front away, but knowing the way things tend to go, I am guessing that there will be bad weather again this weekend and therefore no trail action. Curses!
Describing the kind of person who repeatedly parks his private vehicle in a hospital loading zone is unnecessary – his actions speak loudly enough to define his personality and moral fiber. Even then, his choice of vehicle brand and the hey, look at me religion-as-fashion/advertising die-cuts underscore this point even more.Â