Saturday, February 23, 2008

Howling at the Moon



Let this thing slip for awhile (Wow almost a month) and the crickets started chirping there for a few weeks.



It looks like the weather here in the Shenandoah Valley may start getting a little nicer in the next few weeks. DST changes March 9th and MR. Russell, Joe, and myself will be hitting the trails in Camp Hilbert the same day. I am looking forward to see what five hours on the bike will feel like after a winter of short rides and general slothfulness.



Did anyone else out there feel like howling at the moon last Wednesday night during the lunar eclipse? I did a spooky night ride over in C'ville at Walnut Creek and felt like getting the howl on every time I looked up and saw that Cheddar cheese colored moon.

Friday, February 01, 2008



Product review here at James Likes Bikes

That's right everyone. I think I might get in the mix and change up the format here every once in a while so I can thow out some useful information and probably ocasionally some useless information. I come across alot of bike related products that seem quite brilliant and a lot of them that are quite dumb if I say so myself. So occaisionally I might start doing a couple of impromtu product reviews.

I can assure everyone out there in the blogospere that no companies are paying for their productss to get a favorable review. You know what I mean, all those positive reviews in magazines for every imaginable product in every imaginable segment. You would think occiasionally those reviewers would come across something they don't like, but if your on trinkit gizmo's payroll you better give trinkit gizmo a good review......right?....er... well here we go.
Wipperman Chain Wear Indicator.
I have to start by saying this little guy just dropped out of the sky and into my lap here at James Likes Bikes a couple of days ago(well not the one above, but a cheap plastic version) . Really. Wipperman decided to manufacture a consumer version of their chain wear indicator that is made of plastic instead of steel like the one pictured. I guess they thought they would get in good graces with this product reviewer on James Likes Bikes by giving me a free one so I got a free one in the mail with the launch of the consumer version. Really their marketing department probably thinks they will sell more chains if more people know their chains are worn out.
This little tool does just that it tells you when your chain has worn enough to cause measurable stretch. I honestly think this is a tool that everyone should own and use often enough to notice chain wear before cassettes and chainrings are worn.
I have been using park tool's chain wear indicator for awhile but now find I have more than one choice when reaching towards the tool box, so this reviewer names this product the best of the best when it comes to prodocts that capture your attention by dropping into your lap free. Get yours for $9.99 plastic - $19.99 steel - connexchain.com