Monthly Archives: October 2004

Review: S-Sun Lights

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— quote —

“HughMann” on aus.bicycle:

The X-Lite Aqua white is tiny, throws out an amazing light that in total dark shines on street signs 600m away and the batteries are claimed lasts 90 hours on slow blink. Cost $20 at LBS. Batteries are 3 volt coin style.

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I used to use one of these but I stopped because they just don’t throw enough light. LEDs are very directional too, so if the driver isn’t looking right at the single LED on this unit, they will not have anywhere near the same amount of light in their face. Yeah, I’m over X-Lites..

I now use one of these S-Sun lights:

http://www.s-sun.com.tw/p1.htm

Advantages over the X-Lite:

– uses standard AAA batts (x3) where X-Lite uses expensive watch batteries.

– 3 LEDS with a lens to spread their love around

– Doesn’t use the elastic strap mount

– I’m _sure_ they are brighter

Disadvantages:

– larger

– heavier

– can’t be mounted ‘almost anywhere’ like the X-Lite

Kona Dirt Crits – Lost again @&$%!!

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So I got lost again trying to make it to the dirt crits!

Riding down South Bank, turn left after crown and I’m supposed to turn right on Museum Rd. Riding.. riding.. riding.. road ends. No frickin Museum Rd! Don’t these city people know what street signs are?! So, I’m riding around these streets, some signed, some not getting angrier and angrier and I find something that sounds familiar, so I take it. Riding.. riding.. dead end.. FARK! Riding.. U-turn.. riding.. Holy Crap! Two street signs on one intersection.. and both of them are on my “map”!!

Right if that goes there and that goes there.. then I’m here and I need to go… over that bridge! Riding.. riding.. FGP sign, I’m close! Carpark, track markings.. where’s the start? Find Snozza walking the track..

“You missed the start by 5mins”

“Ah fark!”

“Jump on the back of C grade and check it out”

“Cool, thanks!”

So I did a lap of the course. Apparently it was slightly modified due to some singletrack being under water 🙂

I learned a few things: Either I can’t follow directions, I can’t see properly or using a 1982 street directory isn’t a good idea in 2004. I learned I can’t ride mtb for nuts! I learned that dabbing SPDs into mud sucks arse and I met Phil who is one of the riders on our Kona 24hr team.

Speaking of the Kona 24hr. I just entered our team of 6 – the “Miscellaneous Miscreants”. Damn I need to ride off-road some more before then!

Posted in MTB

Any other women wanting to show me their breasts…

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Any other women wanting to show me their breasts… please form an orderly line. No squabbling!

By “other” I mean to say that tonight a young woman thought I might need to see her chest. I couldn’t agree more!

Riding along Glenferrie Rd on the GT SS, a small bus goes past full of (older) school girls. One spots me and, while I’m looking at the bus, rips up her top to give me an eye full!

I cracked up, waved, cracked up some more and then did what any other red blooded male would do… I chased the bus! Catching it under the SE freeway, I rolled by, thanked the girls and spun around for a rather lonely session on the ‘drome.

I guess all the normal ‘drome users are fairweather riders, probably all sitting in front of their open fires, sipping lattes… I mean, come on! Instead of 10 people, there was a singlespeeder and a female roadie. Where did all the heroes go? A few commuters went past but there wasn’t a single over-geared, bobbing, Cannondale riding, triathlete! Just because it was a little cold and wet (okay, quite cold and damn wet!).

Oh, I need to point out that this was the first time in a long time that I’ve ridden the singlespeed. Obviously the ‘God of One’ decided I should be rewarded for my return to the realm of ss and presented the ‘prize of the flesh’ as encouragement! I hate to think what I’ve missed with all the roadie kays I’ve been doing!

First ride with SPD-SL road pedals

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Well.. to be honest.. they suck!

Road pedals are even more unco to walk in than I thought (as I discovered when picking up photos on the ride home tonight). They are a prick to clip into, especially under pressure. Unclipped, they seem to float near vertical, and I tend to kick the whole pedal around and stomp my foot onto the bottom of the pedal, so that it just flies off and makes me look stupid (not hard). If I wasn’t adjusting to these for racing I’d piss them off and head straight back to SPD territory. Of course, I’m also babying them in a vain attempt to keep the sexy, shiny carbon fibre sole looking schmick. Summary: Great when pedaling, shit when stopping/stopped/starting. I’m sure I will get used to them..

On another note, the float doesn’t seem near as severe as I mentioned initially. When under load, my feet don’t seem to rotate at all, unlike the SPDs. More testing soon..

Herald Sun: Cheats faking a whiz

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Herald Sun: Cheats faking a whiz [26oct04]

“It consists of a plug that is inserted in the rectum, a small reservoir for “clean” urine, and a tube that is attached to the underside of the penis.”

“Hungarian hammer thrower Adrian Annus** and discus thrower Robert Fazekas were stripped of their Olympic titles from Athens over doping offences.”

“Some of the other devices are rather more lurid, including the Whizzinator, which is available on the Internet for $200.

It consists of a fake penis mounted on an athletic support. At the press of a concealed trigger, it will deliver a stream of “clean” urine pre-stored in a small reservoir.”

** Oh PLEASE!