DanBailey.net

This will be my final “update” post before the actual building of the commuter bike, as the final part has been ordered: the wheels. Rather than giving Tom, our service manager, $50 and a case of beer to build them, I’m using QBP’s Wheel Builder service. Don’t get me wrong, Tom’s wheel building is nothing short of stellar, it’s just that I’m trying to keep costs down on the bike. (Nevermind my choice of hubs and derailleur.)

So the wheels? Shimano XT hubs, DT Swiss Competition spokes, and Salsa Delgado Cross rims.

As soon as they’re here, I’ll have everything I need to build the commuter rig. That will probably be the subject for my first videoblog post here.

ZenHabits has a great piece on how to keep yourself focused while at work.

Obviously, blogging about the article is a way to lose focus.

Every so often, a mash-up comes along that just bends your brain a little bit. This is one of those:

So I’m almost to the completion-point on the commuter bike. Yesterday while at the shop, I ordered the rear shifter and the front brake cable hanger. This leaves me with one thing left to order: the wheels! That happens this Wednesday.

I’ve been getting prepped for the videoblog entries for this site. I now have, in my grubby little paws, a Flip Video Ultra, and I’m going to start video blogging. I’m going to try for a twice-a-month schedule, and hopefully get to a point where I do that, along with a special feature once or twice a month.

What do these two have to do with each other? When it comes time to assemble the bike, I’ll be setting up the camera, filming it, and then doing a high-speed feature so you’ll see the whole bike come together in a five-minute span, rather than the ~1 hour it’ll take.

This coming Saturday, I’m going to take it for a shakedown cruise and ride from home to the office and back, just to check out the route and make sure that everything will go smoothly for future rides.

My planned route: Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by Tomoyoshi. Licensed under the Creative Commons

I’ve got a thing for good product design. What can I say? It’s what keeps me attracted to Apple’s line of products, it influences my choices on the bike (we can have the Shimano Dura-Ace vs. SRAM Red debate another time), and so on.

There’s just something about the Nissan GT-R (the “Skyline”) that just does it for me.

Every sports car has a look that says, “Get out of my way.” A large majority of them are like the totally hot chick in high school that you had a huge crush on, even though she was a total air-head. She’d giggle and ask you to move, and you’d comply. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and so on fall into this category.

Some sports cars are more the refined European aristrocrat. Imagine an Oxford accent, with them holding a little cup of tea, pinky extended. “I say, good chap, would you mind clearing the way? That’s a good man.” This is your Mercedes or Jaguar.

American muscle cars are the jock in high school that used to stuff you into your locker.

The GT-R is in a class all it’s own. This is a car that says, very quietly, “Get out of my way or I’m going to stab you in the face. Repeatedly.”

Honestly, I think this might be Japan’s first true muscle car, and damn if it isn’t the hottest thing on the planet.

Hey Nissan, any interest in giving an advocate a 2009 GT-R Premium with the all-weather tires and Super Silver paint?

Yeah, I didn’t think so. We’ll talk after I win the lottery on Saturday night.

The commuter inches closer to completion. I’ve taken the brake calipers — Avid Shorty 6s — off my ‘cross bike and installed them on the commuter. They’ll be fine on a commuter rig, but I wasn’t very happy with them in competition last year. The ‘cross bike will be receiving a set of the Paul Components calipers later this summer.

This will leave me with just the STI brake/shift lever and the wheelset to order, and the commuter bike will be functionally-complete.

So the cyclocross bike plans? Some minor upgrades before the start of ‘cross season: Paul Components Touring Canti brakes with the Moon Unit bridges. Also, replacing my crappy Cane Creek cross-top levers with Paul’s re-issue of their levers. Some blue Nokon cable housing for the brakes, and a longer cable hanger for the front end. A new seat — the SLR is a comfy seat, but I kept bruising the hell out of my ass and thighs during the dismount. Maybe — and that’s a big maybe — a carbon seatpost and stem to increase the ride comfort.