I am NOT a carrott!

I spent a lot of time riding with Carmen over the summer. Carmen's done a lot of touring, and visited a lot of cool places. The first time she mentioned this, I said that bike touring sounded like the perfect holiday.
I've always preferred staying at home to going places. I've never liked travelling. I've never seen the point. But maybe that was just before I started riding my bike. I've never seen the point of sitting in a car for four hours, driving around to find somewhere to park, to eat, to sleep. Then getting out and walking around shops (I hate shopping), getting bumped into by hurried, busy, angry people. This is how the holidays I've been on always seemed to go. What's the point of travelling all that way to do that. Honestly, I'd much rather be at work, in a familiar place, with my friends, hunting out coffin shaped shipping boxes to jump out of and scare my manager to bits.
I think the bike is the perfect method of transport. I don't like cars. (Not as transport anyway, but as recreation/sport I can see the appeal, in the same way as competitive cycling). Not because of "the environment" or anything like that, just because car journeys are boring, and nothing ever seems to be gained from them. In a car, you sit in a suspended, air conditioned, climate controlled box with the surroundings whooshing by at 100 km/h, in anatomically shaped and cushioned seats, with no passenger input (let alone effort) required. You might as well be teleported to your destination. Except teleportation is instant. Often more time is spent in the car travelling to and from the destination than is spent at the destination itself.
I also don't like cities. I don't like how people are in cities. People in cities don't see other people as individuals, just as a crowd, or as cashiers, bus drivers, or whatever, and this seems allow people to be rude and dismissive to others. I always seem to come back from the city angry.
The problem with bikes (and the major advantage of cars) is distance. For a day trip, I'm limited to about a 60 km radius. I could ride more than 120 km in a day, but any more would leave no time at the destination. Camping had never occurred to me. So I planned to ride to a hostel and stay overnight, then ride back. Or for longer "tours", to ride between hostels. I figured I could probably get everything I needed into a bag that I could strap under the saddle of my road bike. So I started research possible places and routes for a holiday, and it soon became apparent that there would be a lot I was missing out on if I had to find a hostel every night, especially in Canada, and hostels are usually in populated areas. I've never been camping before, unless you count sleeping Nigel's caravan awning on couch cushions, but the more thinking and reading I did, the more my plans moved towards full-on touring. So I needed a bike that could carry stuff, so I bought a Surly Cross Check frameset and put a mountain bike drivetrain on it and the wheels from the Lemond. I bought a tent and sleeping mat, and a Trangia stove, but the sleeping bag was going to be an issue.
When I was little my sleeping bag was rectangular, the same thickness as the quilt I had at home, and packed to the size of a straw bale. When I looked around (online, of course) to see what sort of sleeping bag I should get, I found that sleeping bags are now all carrot-shaped, bag of duck hair, and pack to the size of "large cantaloupes". This was a little perplexing to begin with, and not just because I still get cantaloupes confused with antelopes, but because I'm not shaped like a carrot. I certainly don't sleep in the shape of a carrot. I sleep like an egg, but they don't seem to make egg shaped sleeping bags, so what should I do? Does no one else sleep like an egg? How do you fit an egg inside a carrot? Although I could find no information on egg-shaped sleepers, I was able to find recommendations from starfish-shaped sleepers, and I now own a "MontBell Super Stretch Spiral Burrow Bag". Because of the elastic in it, it makes me look more like a fetal termite than an egg, it's make of synthetic duck hair, and although smaller than a bale (and an antelope), it's much bigger than a cantaloupe.
So, with termite-shaped bag in hand (well, on rack), I headed out for my first trip last weekend.
I rode to Croften, took the ferry to Saltspring, and rode down to Ruckle Park to camp for the night. After running errands in town, figuring how to get all the stuff strapped to the bike, and fixing a flat (air was leaking out from around the valve stem, but the tube must be several years old, as I've had that tire on that wheel for nearly two years and never had a flat (Michelin Krylions are great!), but the tube had six patches on), having to come back because I'd forgotten water bottles, missing the hourly ferry by 5 minutes, and stopping at the bakery for a muffin, I got to Ruckle Park at about 3:30 pm.
Saturday was a really warm day. It was as warm and sunny as summer, but the air was damp and it is definitely autumn. It rained all night, but had stopped by 5 am when I woke up (I start work at 7 am now, so get up early by habit). There was thick fog, that cleared up soon after it got light. I made a cup of tea and some breakfast, packed up, and headed back along a different road that was very twisty and up-and-downy, but nice and quiet.
Where to go next?

sex with melons

Well, it's July now. And nothing's different. Same old, same old, same old.
Work, sleep, work, sleep, ride, work, sleep, work...
Except all the tiny things that pop up and make you think, "Crap, is it time for that already?"
Jeff was looking through the pile for my pay cheque yesterday, and I told him I'd already got it. But when he found it, I realized that that was two weeks ago, and it was time for the next.

The weather's been nice, except for rainy and windy Sundays and Mondays, and Canada Day of course. I went down to Victoria to watch the fireworks with Caitrin and Ian. There weren't as many people down there as I'd expected, and not as much red and white either.
Summer solstice is gone. I've been meaning to do a long ride on that day for the last three years now, but keep missing it.
The tour started today. I'm sure I won't follow along. Cameron thinks Lance'll win. I've got $5 saying he won't. I'm not a Lance fan. I'd love Team Sky to do well, but I can't see Bradley Wiggins getting himself sorted out, which is a shame. My fav is Thor Hushovd.
The new season of Top Gear has started.
Photos of 2011 bikes are popping up online already. Rocky Mountain, Cannondale, Specialized, Trek. The same old bike as last year, but with tapered head tubes. I told Ted that the future was tapered - he didn't believe me.
I've quit my job as Tech Consultant (but not quit from Staples). But I'll carry on no doubt, as I have done before. It's my fault, because they know if they ignore me, or ask me to stay on until they get someone else, I will, and they won't get anyone else.
I went on a mountain biking skills camp thingy with Katie and Rita (in May?) on the North Shore which was a lot of fun. I managed to brek my bike on the first morning, but luckily the Trek deo trailer was there, so I was able to borrow. I had a great time riding great trails with lots of great people. I don't think I really learnt much though. Most of the stuff I want to ride I know I CAN ride, I just don't. I'm not sure why. I'm not overly bothered about falling off or anything. I haven't ridden anything since the camp that I wouldn't have before.
It did convince me that I should make the effort to plan some mountain biking trips though. Maybe pack my bike up and take the bus to Cumberland, or the Sunshine Coast, Pemberton, Whistler.
But I won't.
Maybe I could do a bike tour across BC, or down the west coast, or across Belgium, or from Land's End to John O'Groats.
But I won't.
Caitrin and I are quitting Staples and buying backpacks and leaving for Southern Africa next month, then we'll head on to Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Croatia, and maybe the Isle of Mann.


But we're not.


But I have done something - I've started a band at work. We're calling ourselves "Sex with Melons". Anyone is welcome to audition, but we prefer instruments of the imaginary type.
I bet you didn't know that I was a world-class air-flautist. Sharon's on (the rather unimaginative) air-guitar, Tyler's going to learn the air-xylophone (if you know of anyone that gives lessons, please let me know and I'll pass on the info), Jessica on air-tenor sax, Dean plays a mean air-harp, Kayla's going to be an air-pole dancer, Cam will be playing air-bagpipes, Dorelle's lead lip-sinker, Meghan on air-keyboards, we're going to get James an air-triangle, and because we're planning on some Bob Dylan covers, Caitrin's dug out her old air-harmonica.
I know what you're thinking here - Bob Dylan covers?! Well, I'm not a Bob Dylan fan either, but it won't matter, because you're not going to be able to hear it anyways.

2 turn into 7

So, it's Thurday (well, nearly Friday), and I'm getting around to writing about the ride on Sunday - must be a record!
I got an email from Ted. He was in town and wanted to go riding. Thunderstorms were for casted, and Friday had been nothing but hard rain, but surprisingly the trails weren't bad at all, and it barely rained all day.
I climbed up the Providence Farm trail and met Ted in the parking lot.
We were a little way along Middle T when Willi came up behind us. We followed him up Skywalker and to the beginning of Field of Dreams, where Ted convinced Willi to ride with us to the top, a decision that I think he soon started to regret.
Willi does a massive chunk of the trail maintenance and trail building up on the mountain. He rides a 45 lb downhill bike faster than most trail riders go on their 25 lb XC bikes, carries a saw, and wheelie-drops off everything. And he's at least 60.
Willi puts everyone to shame.
While we were stopped at the top, four people that Willi knew came along, and we all ended up riding down together.
I got on a bit better with the bike today though. I was able to keep up with Willi on most of Field of Dreams, and I "felt" faster on all the singletrack. The shorter (40mm) stem and short, flat bars helped. I went to flick the ProPedal lever on when I got back on the road, and realized it had been on for the whole ride. Either it needs a lot more air in (though it's only sagged to 20%, and Trek recommends 25%), or I need a hardtail.

What I realized on this ride was how much fun it is to chase someone. Trying to keep up with Willi really pushed me to go faster, and I just rode a lot of stuff without thinking about it. I don't seem to be able to push myself when I ride alone.
Is this why people love racing?

Anyway, thanks for getting me to come out riding Ted. I would have probably sat at home all day waiting for it to rain. It was a really good ride.

A couple of weeks ago was the first XC race of the Island Cup. Since it was in Victoria, I decide to ride down. I rode to Mill Bay and too the ferry to Brentwood Bay, which is less than 10 km from The Dump. The problem with rides brken up by ferries is standing on the deck and freezing your toes off.
I arrived toward the end of the beginner race, and hung around all day. I took my camera and a flash, and set up by a little stream. Despite taking photos of every rider that passed, I only got a handfull of half-decent photos.
It started to rain as I rode down Mt. Work, and continued to do so until I got home. The ferry ride was colder, and the ride home was terrible.

Last weekend was the second race, this time in Port Alberni. I was going to get a ride up with Kurt and Kevin, but felt horrible the night before, sneezing and clogged sinuses, so didn't.
In the morning though, I felt quite a bit better, and thought it would help to go outside, so rode up Touzhalem along the trail from Providence farm. I come down this trail every time, but only twice have I ridden up it before , and that was over a year ago. I ride up that way to get out of the sun on a very hot day, but that was before I'd realized there was a bus that goes up through The Properties.
Mount Tzouhalem is my favourite place to ride, but I don't go regularly because I hate getting there. It's either a slow (on a mountain bike) 40 minute climb on the roads, or a 30 minute bus ride, preceded by 10 mins spent waiting for the bus (that only goes up there twice a day).
But realizing that I can comfortably climb the Providence Farm trail (I walked 2 bits, which I could probably ride when dry, or when more determined) makes Tzouhalem much more appealing. It takes me 10 mins on the road to get to the white church, and 45 from there to get the fireroad that goes from the main road to the cross. It takes me 15 to get down, and ten to get home from there. This means that mountain biking before work is possible! I could probably squeeze in Chicken Runs 2 & 3 and Three Musketeers while I'm up there.
It's rained almost every day since though.

Last Monday (my weekend is now Sunday and Monday), was reasonably clear but windy, with puffy clouds, so I thought I'd get going with my time-lapse project. The plan was to ride up Prevost to the very top, and shoot a time-lapse sequence of the valley with the clouds going by, but I got distracted by some hang gliders floating down from the top (and it started to rain, and my backpack isn't waterproof).
I followed them to their landing field and watched one land. I've often watched the paragliders, but never seen the hang gliders up close. The hang gliders are definitely faster in the air and much more maneuverable and "sporty", but they only seem to stay in the air for 20 mins at a time. The paragliders are often up there for 2 hours or more on good days. Also, the paragliders just fold up their wing and shove it in a bag, and thow it on the backseat of their car, whereas the hang gliders spend quite some time disassembling them, and then need a truck with special racks on the top to transport them.
I asked them if they were planning on doing another run, in hopes that I could get a timlapse of them winding their way down, but they said the wind was too rough.
I rode down the highway a bit and ended up setting up in a ditch at the side of the gold course. I took a few test shots, and when exposed for the sky, the bottom of the frame looked way over exposed, so I cut out the golf course and re-composed for just the sky, which was un-interesting. I should have trusted the histogram though, because the ground, while a little dark, was still usable.
I set up for one frame every five seconds, and sat and waited for about half an hour, and this is what I got (played back at 30 fps, at 15 was too slow):



Why is it all flickery? When I compare the frames, some are darker than others. Why? Everything on the camera was set to manual; aperature, shutter speed, iso, white balance, focus, etc.
What happened?

Evil Toddler Bike

I'm sat here at the computer, and can see the two little boys playing outside my window. They are probably about 5 and 2. The younger one's on a trike-of-sorts, with four wheels. A bit like this,
but the front wheels are further apart, and the back wheels very close together (and his is made of metal and painted red). Who designed this? I can't thing of one advantage to having the front wheels spread apart. As soon as he gets up any speed he falls off sideways. Forget cornering. It's clearly made for a child his size, but the bars are so wide that his arms are stretched right out to reach them, meaning any slight movement of his body or either arm causes a crash.
I saw one of them three-wheeled motorbikes in town the other day. I don't understand why having the two wheels at the front is better than having the two wheels at the back. Just to be different?
Do they even have a differential? Are they front wheel drive for that matter?

NEW BIKE

...in a temporary flat-bar configuration (waiting on brifters).
Will also switch the tires, saddle and pedals.
The red bottle cage will have to come off too, but the bike shop only have these horrible red ones or the cheap plastic ones that brake when you're 50 km from home and have nowhere to put your bottle but in the garbage.
I'm not keen on the Campy, mainly because of (lack of) compatibility.
The wheels look really cool, but it'll be interesting to see how long it takes me to brake them.
Kurt gave me an awesome deal on a great bike though! Thanks Kurt.
I'm very excited. I wish it would stop raining. I want to go riding.
It needs a name...

Some Photos (sort of)

I keep meaning to write a post. Whenever I go riding I ride along writing it in my head, but I never get around to it, or when I do I've forgotten what I was going to write.
(Do all my posts start like this?)

I haven't taken any photos in ages. I went out to take photos along the Trans Canada Trail a couple of weeks ago to take photos. I was out for about five hours, but only got around to processing these two:




I was still itching to try the time-lapse thing, but after breaking the first and having the second one stolen, I decided not to go with the cheap Canon point-and-shoot, asnd instead get an intervalometer for my D90. It arrived two days ago (this was written over a week before it got finished and posted, we've had nothing but flat cloud cover and rain since), and I've been messing around with it at home, and once I've got it down I'll go and find some more interesting scenes (top of Prevost, Tzouhalem, Mill Bay, etc. Any more ideas?).





There are so many thing to get right though. With stills, I take a picture, look at it on the LCD, and fix whatever's wrong. With a time lapse sequence though, everything has to be planned for several hours (or, if I can figure out an external power source, days). Predicting what exposure settings you'll need in two hours means predicting the weather. In the crocus one, the clouds shifted and the resulting video is over exposed. Although I remembered to set the white balance to manual, it isn't quite right. With a still, this would take two seconds to fix in Adobe Camera Raw, but quite a bit longer with thousands of stills to process, even with batch processing (does anyone have any recommendations for batch processing software? Lightroom?).
And then there's the problem of how often to take a shot, which is just guess work really.

I think I'm going to have to make a checklist.
exposure
white balance
manual focus
jpeg (not RAW)
jpeg size and quality
turn LCD off
lens flare?
will lens steam up?
shadows (tripod/camera in shot?)
rain?

Hasn't been that long

... has it?
It can't have.
I'm certain that I wrote a post in January sometime, but it's not there.

It's been all much the same over the last few months though. Occasionally riding before work, sometimes riding on the weekend. Working.
Plenty of time, and plenty of things to be doing, but I don't ever seem to do anything.
I blame it on the internet. An in-exhaustible source of information, reading material and photos. And I blame Google, because information is useless without being able to find it.
Google is incredible. How does it work. Google store all there data on parallel 80 GB standard hard drives with ten times redundancy.
If I type "bike" into the Google search bar, I get:
Results 1 - 10 of about 125,000,000 for bike [definition]. (0.35 seconds)
How do they do that?
I don't understand.
We've got a good idea about how ranking is calculated (or at least what factors contribute, as the algorithm is secret, like Flickr's interesting algorithm), but how do they search so much information, and rank it and send us the results in such a short period of time? And with so many people searching at the same time?
I'm sure I saw a book once (or maybe I dreamt it) called something like "How Google Works", but even if the book was real I'm sure it wouldn't be about what I'm thinking of.
It's crazy how big Google (as a company) have gotten though.
Can you imagine how much money they must be pulling in to make Street View, Google Video and Gmail profitable?
Everything they come up with seems to take off.
Why?
A lot of people worried that when Google went IPO the company would change and loose the anti-corporate and network neutrality culture, but they didn't. Well at least they haven't yet, or it's not become apparent.
Will it happen? It's inevitable, isn't it? I think so.
A lot of people think that industrialization ruined the world, but I think it was agriculture, which caused settlement. Industrialization was an inevitable advancement. But I'm getting off topic - ha - this post was going to be about photography!

Which brings be back to the point (completely accidentally though, I admit).
This is why I don't blog as often as I would like - because it takes forever. Literally - because I'm never finished. I can't just write something about something. I have to open more browser tabs to check facts, add stats, research. I always wrote excellent essays in high school, often getting perfect marks. And one thought always leads to another, which also needs to be fully explored and researched, and I never get on to what I was going to write about, and if I do I change chunks every time I go back and re-read it, until it's perfect, which it never is.
So I end up getting bored, and not finishing a post, and if the writing doesn't have a point and isn't finished it I won't post it. I know it's bad, because it's not finished. It doesn't have and introduction, a hook, an argument, or a conclusion. It's missing evidence, and it's not to the point. It's just a string of thoughts, not a piece of writing, an article, an essay.
Why isn't this coming out like an essay? Maybe I'll have to start writing down a planning sheet - which was the only useful thing Mrs Taylor ever taught me, and it seemed that I was the only one that thought that, (that the planning was useful, not that Mrs Taylor taught us very little - everyone knew that).
But this is just a string of thoughts again. It's bad. Shall I post it anyway? Or should I scrap it and write an essay about why I haven't posted in so long?
Nah, I'm bored of writing now.

Valentine's

I don't like Valentine's day.
Insert "Created by Hallmark", and all that "bar, humbug" stuff here.
But I've finally finished the present* for Mum's birthday (which was in November), and after taking pictures and messing around with my home-made extension tube, the thumbnail of this one popped out at me in Bridge.
I would never make anything in pink or purple, or anything with hearts on. These are just purple with multi-coloured "blips", honest. I didn't mean them to look girly.
I can't put up any other pics until Mum gets them.

* I've noticed that here (North America) everyone uses the word "gift", whereas I've always called it a "present". It seems strange, when it doesn't have anything to do with the time between the past and future. But don't you love the internet:
–noun pres⋅ent

16.	a thing presented as a gift; gift: Christmas presents.

That makes more sense.