Patrick,

@David
Get Clifford to give you his 20% off REI certificate and get the Garmin 500. Future proof.

Patrick, I splurged on Sidis this year and used the anti-slip sticker.  Probably tailored for schlubs like me that don't have a torque wrench handy and may not tighten the bolts enough.  BTW I use the blue loctite threadlock on my cleats just for fun.

Re: Computers
Thanks for the input guys.  500 w/hrm just shot up on the list to shop for.

I don't think any Garmin qualifies for the 20% off.  My card says "any item with GPS technology..." are excluded.

Patrick I always thought it was as a place holder for future cleats, not for friction - just a marker.  I just watched Pruitt put cleats on my nice sidis and he didn't use stickers (FWIW)

For your edification!  Cracked axle...craxle?  File this under: "Always use a torque wrench" and "Never begin turning your hex key unless you're sure it's in all the way."  

thank you for your insight @neilx

Brendan...can you make those wheels go away...It's not that I hate them...it's just that I feel better when they are not around....thanks...yack

Here's a video of cool hyper-magnified view inside the structure of carbon fiber. I re-post this every year just to annoy Yacks.  All kidding aside, I think I was talking to some of you at the Ronde De Millbrook about this  so I'm re-posting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjyjdj-5S5E

The closer it gets...the more it looks like Mars....ergo Martian technology...Martian's are the devil ergo carbon is the devil.  Simple sequence of deductions... yacks

Not to be outdone. Attached is an electron micrograph of carbon graphite that you get by simply using a knife to remove flakes from the end of a pencil. The lines correspond to views down the lattice, with rows of carbon atoms separated by 0.35 nm. This is a routine test sample for our microscopes, though we usually use gold lattice because it is a smaller spacing and therefore a more rigorous test. (0.2 nm).

With regards to cinematography, this video harkens to the 1970's film by Charles and Ray Eames called 'The Power of Ten'. One of the interesting observations as you literally zoom through inner and outer space is that there are magnification zones with great changes in visible features and other zones where nothing is really happening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0

woah.....gnarly...

Hey, JP

Didn't you pick up a new HR monitor sensor/strap to pair with your Garmin?  My fourth one, with just a month old battery change, is not working.  Again.  Curious if you liked it more.

Look at that loop of cable for his rear derailleur.  Looks like a VanDessel!

Note to my knows-better, dumbass self: always keep an extra chain at home. They are literally half price online. $65 for an Ultegra at Ride and elsewhere?! I haven't paid for a chain at a store in like 7 years. Now I know why....

@twoyacks-Once you use that latin "ergo" stuff the logic becomes unassailable.

@dstokes-I've seen that Eames power of 10 thing before it's pretty cool. 

Jeff Owens said:

woah.....gnarly...

Hey, JP

Didn't you pick up a new HR monitor sensor/strap to pair with your Garmin?  My fourth one, with just a month old battery change, is not working.  Again.  Curious if you liked it more.

I did get the Polar soft strap.  Two months in or so, it's working fine.  Much cheaper than the Garmin, too.

Inspired by Dr. Stokes description above, I used a rasp file to gently take some shavings off the top tube of my carbon frame.  Strangely this is what it looked like under a microscope.

Where's the ultra zoom? This is only like 1000x.

Here's one of them at 10,000X

mugwump said:

Jeff Owens said:

woah.....gnarly...

Hey, JP

Didn't you pick up a new HR monitor sensor/strap to pair with your Garmin?  My fourth one, with just a month old battery change, is not working.  Again.  Curious if you liked it more.

I did get the Polar soft strap.  Two months in or so, it's working fine.  Much cheaper than the Garmin, too.

Which one you get?

Owens, I got this one:  http://www.polarusa.com/us-en/products/accessories/Soft_strap

Oh, I was thinking the sensors on the Garmins suck more than the strap... but I guess none of the Polar sensors would work, eh?

Correct.  I found the main problem with the HR strap is the strap, not the transmitter.  I've had the same transmitter for years, it worked well, then poorly, replaced the strap, then worked well, then poorly, replaced the strap.  

so who is going to get the new red 22? http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/04/bikes-and-tech/sram-unveils-true-22-11-speed-drivetrains-hydraulic-brakes_282149?utm_medium=whats-hot

Not I, said the cat.

Donkey balls. I've got a stripped stem bolt (steer tube, not clamp).

Anyone own / have experience using a bolt extractor for this sort of thing? Or any other advice?

I need to get the stem off ASAP to deal with this horrible sound that has been coming from my headset area post-Battenkill, likely from the pelting of bad weather it took on the way up. But right now, I can't do jack because of the stripped bolt.

(FYI for anyone thinking of getting the new Ritchey WCS C260 - be careful with the tiny, soft bolts that come with it. My experience was they stripped before I even reached torque, and apparently I'm not the only one http://forums.roadbikereview.com/ritchey/wcs-c-260-stem-review-265010.html)

@ryan once upon a time I had a broken off head of the bolt that went on a downtube shifter. I used a screw extractor to attempt to remove what was left in the braze-on. Unfortunately, the screw extractor wound up snapping and I had to have the braze-on removed and a new one put on. I suspect you'll have an easier time with the stem bolt because you don't have to worry about drilling too deep and penetrating the frame tube. (I didn't damage the beautiful columbus tubing, though the paint suffered from the brazing) I quickly found this video which demonstrates using one on a much larger scale http://youtu.be/SMrDYJvY0Ts