During a recent ride I noticed my Bottom Bracket was cooked. A good ol' Shimano UN-73. This is the first time a bottom bracket dies on me like that. At least It took me to Ukiah, CA (another ~50 miles away) and then the next morning another ~50 miles of very gentle riding to Healdsburg where I was picked by the wife.

I replaced my broken Bottom Bracket with an IRD QB-75. I liked the fact that it is a "cartridge" design but has sealed bearings you can access and potentially lubricate by carefully lifting the seals with a needle and replacing them back after injecting grease. That is what I did when I was using my old Mantis Flying V and Klein Attitude frames, both used pressed-in bottom brackets and never had an issue with...

Last year, 2012, I was made aware by an email sent to the San Francisco Randonnuers (SFR) mailing list of a Kickstarter project involving a new bicycle light concept. Using eddy-current a guy in Germany had figured out how to harvest energy from the moving wheels of a bicycle and deliver enough light for riding at normal speeds, not just light to be seen but light to ride with. Cool! I love new ideas and if I can help an individual more points!. Many randonneurs took a skeptical stand. To some degree, randonneurs are usually divided in two camps, the retro/grouches that don't want/consider change and stick to tradition and the ones who are very much into gadgets, doodah and such. I think I fall somewhere in between. I am pragmatic, If I like the function, aesthetic and after doing my research I come to the conclusion it would work for me and I can afford it, I'll adopt it. I went and read and watch videos and made up my mind. I would order the Magnic Light, a set of two front lights, $250.

As the project evolved the developer figured a way to make the light smaller and more efficient keeping the same cost. At the end he offered to deliver double on his original concept. Instead of two front lights, I would get two front and two rear lights, double cool.

The developer keep sending updates and finally about 7 months after they were promised I received my two front lights and two rear lights. The SFR 600 km brevet from San Francisco to Fort Bragg and back was in 5 days the perfect opportunity for...

So far I am very happy with my new GS-580P bike computer. I have never used a Garmin Edge 500 but a couple of riders I ride with have them and they are happy with them. From the research I did before jumping into the GS-580P, most of the comments comparing this device with the Garmin were done by people who have not used or even seen the GS-580P in person. If I was considering getting a similar toy I would definitely buy the GS-580P from dx.com; can't go wrong with the GS-580P for the price, features and a company that listen its users. Me likes. BTW, to my untrained eye this device is, judging by the online photos and even the screenshots provided in both user manuals, the same as the Timex Cycle Trainer but it seems they have slightly different firmware. My biased first impressions of my GS-580P ...