What with me being such a charitable person and someone who finds it hard to say no, I spent my weekend as part of a five-strong support crew helping seven cyclists pedal their way across the country, from west coast to east coast. Bloomin' nutters!

This biking challenge, known as the Coast to Coast or C2C (or even the C2K as Gary liked to call it - he kept thinking about Calvin Klein!) is a pretty famous route and it was my job to help the brave bikers make their way from Whitehaven to Sunderland in three days. Alive!

Now, this challenge is no mean feat for the crazy cyclists who agreed to do it. But that's not to say that us support folk had it any easier. Although not brave enough to actually do the cycling part - 150 miles in three days - being a member of the support crew was tough too. Our job was to navigate our way to various check points along the route (I pride myself on being a woman who can read maps!) and ply our bikers with food, drink, change of clothes and general motivational speak. We also had to pitch tents and a gazebo, take them all down in the morning and do it all over again the next night. We made hot drinks, boiled soup, sliced and buttered maltloaf (the cyclists' favoured food), loaded and unloaded the van, gee-d the bikers up and generally ran ourselves ragged.

Our first night was supposed to be the cushiest of the three. Although the B&B was cheap and a stone's throw from the shores of Whitehaven, I had the worst night's sleep ever in a rusty old bed, adorned with plastic, yes plastic sheets and duvets so floral I thought I'd woken up in a flower shop. The place wreaked of piss and biscuits. It was like the doors and windows hadn't been opened for a good 20 years and the place had been starved of fresh air. Musty was a serious understatement.

We awoke on the Friday morning to a breakfast fit for a heart attack, served by two old biddies who looked and smelled like they hadn't seen the inside of a bathroom in a good long while. Their only tone of voice was shouting and, although I like I good fry up, this pair turned greasy food into an art form. There was no bacon on my bacon, just rinds of fat, and the sausage was made of no meat I'd ever eaten before. My tea made me gag too, but I'm not sure if it was the taste of the water or the smell of the mug; both were equally rank.

The next two nights, although spent in a tent under the stars, were much more comfortable, save for the torrential rain and galeforce winds on the third night. I wasn't entirely unconvinced that our tent would end up in the next town over, or even the Land of Oz, having been blown clean off our pitch while we slept. Oh what fun!

So, here are the most memorable parts of the trip:

• Grown man Gordon pushing his bottom lip out and wimpering "I want to go home" at regular intervals
• Coming up with funny and "motivational" sayings for the whiteboard which we lunged out of the van window for all our bikers to see
• Me and Lisa (AKA the Chuckle Sisters) teaching van driver and head of support crew Gary to burp like a man (doing it properly hurts him apparently)
• Tim putting on Timberland boots with his cycling gear and exclaiming "this isn't a good look is it?"
• Men in cycling shorts - hilarious
• Men (and one woman) in padded cycling shorts - even more hilarious. That's why bikers have big bums!
• Jen had her helmet on so tightly it left an imprint on her forehead, which looked like she'd just had two horns removed
• Keith's navigational skills - if there was a wrong way or a long way to go, Keith would find it
• Andy exclaiming "I'm going to show this pussy hill" and then getting off his bike and walking about 20 seconds later
• Running up a hill alongside Jen to take her mind off the evil steepness and the fact it was five miles long. Wasn't wearing the right bra for an uphill jog!
• Pete, Gordon and Mark sharing a tent pod and trying their hardest not to touch each other all night, despite the distinct lack of space
• Biker Pete exclaiming "Ah, malted goodness!" on being handed a slice of maltloaf, instantly forgetting he was soaked to the bone and had just cycled up a very steep hill in bleak countryside in galeforce conditions
• Gary's excellent van driving skills - managing to re-squish roadkill, crunch gears and encourage minor whiplash injuries along the way
• Gordon dodging a rabbit's liver as the support van drove over it
• Me and Lisa providing navigational instructions in the voice of Yoda. "Right you must keep".
• Watching Tim cycle hands free, remove his camera from his backpack, take a few photos and return it to his backpack without falling off. Amazing!
• Listening to Kat confess she'd made friends with and had enjoyed chats with a spider and was distraught when boyf Rob kicked it out the window. Random!
• Mark apologising for mooning fellow cyclists as his shorts were a bit on the loose side.
• Andy completely losing his sense of humour on more than one occasion
• Gary shouting "mint sauce" and "gravy" at the sheep as we drove past them
• On arriving at the Sunderland coast, Rob and Mark pulling of their cycling kit and diving into the freezing cold sea. Mark dived too soon and emerged from the water bleeding!

There are many more hilarious tales, too mumerous to mention, and although the bikers had a tough time on their "scenic bike ride" in August weather conditions (shite!) they pedalled their way from one side of the country to the other with all limbs in tact - and plenty of mud on their faces and up their backsides. And it's all for Cancer Research so well worth it!

Pictured above are members of the support crew at the C2C sign in Whitehaven. From left to right are Keith, me, Gary, Kat and Lisa.

1) Bicicleta — o tipo de invento de que todo mundo gosta, ou pelo menos tem simpatia por, e já usou alguma vez na vida. Por que não comprar logo uma boa, agora que você não precisa mais escrever um bilhetinho “não se esqueça da minha Caloi”? Acredite, é animador.

2) Companhia — não sei se a Internet funciona direito para promover casamentos ou namoros, mas, para encontrar quem queira encontrar você na Garganta do Registro e pedalar morro acima, serve muito bem. Se preferir, pode nos chamar que iremos juntos. Depois você ainda ganha um texto de brinde.

3) Prazerosas leituras — um livro é algo muito bonito, quase sagrado, uma das invenções mais incríveis; mas seus filhos não teriam nascido se você tivesse apenas lido a respeito, certo?

4) Tempo — em geral, quando alguém diz que não tem, é porque tem, e não sabe; os que menos têm são os que menos dizem: inventam.

5) Vontade — estou fazendo a minha parte. Um grande abraço. Ainda pedalaremos juntos por aí!

Texto roubado do: Crônicas de Bicicleta 

THE ROAD OF LIFE

By Tim Hansel

At first, I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there, sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I really didn’t know Him.

But later when I met Christ, it seemed as though life were rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike and Christ was in the back helping me pedal.

I don’t know just when it was that He suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since.

When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable...it was the shortest distance between two points.

But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts up mountains and through rocky places, and at breakneck speeds, it was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness, He said, “Pedal!”

I worried and was anxious and asked, “Where are you taking me?” He laughed and didn’t answer and I started to learn to trust.

I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I’d say, “I’m scared”, He’d lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey, our journey, my Lord’s and mine.

And we were off again. He said, “Give the gifts away; they’re extra baggage, too much weight.” So I did, to the people we met and I found that in giving, I received and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him at first, in control of my life. I thought He’d wreck it, but He knows bike secrets – how to make it bend to take sharp corners, jump to clear high rocks and fly to shorten scary passages.

And I’m learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places. I’m beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breezes on my face with my delightful constant companion, Christ.

And when I’m sure I just can’t do any more, He just smiles and says, “PEDAL!”.

Foto: daigoasx

Ab 2009 sollen Neuwagen von Nissan mit einem Gaspedal ausgestattet werden, das korrigierend eingreift, wenn der Fahrer mehr Gas gibt, als nötig ist. Wenn das passiert, erzeugt das Pedal einen Gegendruck gegen den Fuß. Auf diese Weise merkt man am Steuer, dass man auch ökonomischer unterwegs sein könnte. Das kann man dann auch auf der Instrumentenanzeige in Echtzeit überprüfen, wo der aktuelle Verbrauch abzulesen ist...

Offensichtlich geben Autofahrer im Normalfall zuviel Gas, denn bei internen Testversuchen konnte zwischen 5 und 10% Treibstoff mit der Technologie eingespart werden. Auch nicht ganz unwichtig: Per Knopfdruck wird sich das Öko-Pedal deaktivieren lassen. Auf diese Weise kann man dieser erzieherischen Maßnahme auch einmal kurzzeitig entkommen, wenn man einfach viel Gas geben will (oder vielleicht nur Überholen?).

Grundsätzlich passt diese Nachricht finde ich gut ins Umwelt-Konzept von Nissan. Spritsparende Maßnahmen des Konzerns betreffen nicht nur die Fahrzeug-Technik; das Fahrverhalten der Lenker wird genauso ins Blickfeld genommen - so wie bei der Anti-Drunk-Driving-Technology, die Müdigkeit des Fahrers feststellt und seinen Alkoholpegel anhand von Hautausdünstungen misst, um im Zweifelsfall die Inbetriebnahme des Autos nicht zuzulassen.

After snapping my sixth(!) Rock Band bass pedal, I went on a seek and destroy mission to find an indestructible replacement.

Along the way, I ran across other Third Party solutions for my drum kit, some of them good, some of them bad.

Here are the results.

*NOTE: All links to products are not intended to endorse particular retailers, but rather to illustrate where the author purchased the item being described. You may find a better deal elsewhere. Do a search, compare prices, maybe save some cash.

FIRST ACT - VIDEO GAMING DRUM SEAT -$29.99

I have to admit, I love this drum throne. It's solid, easily adjustable, and comfortable. It does exactly what it's supposed to do: support your butt while you're thrashing away at the drums. While it's not the Dom Perignon of drum seats, for the price, it's more than servicable, and it folds up for easy storage.

Interestingly enough, First Act has been making low-end musical instruments and accessories for years. Stroll into any Target or Wal-Mart and you fill find their products on the shelf. Which brings me to one hilarious point about this particular product: it's the same drum seat they have been selling for over a decade.

The only difference between their 'real' drum throne and the 'video gaming' drum throne is a minor packaging change... and a funny one at that:

"Compatible with Rock Band Controllers"

And the ever helpful:

"Works with video gaming drum set controllers"

Really? I'm glad I didn't accidentally purchase a seat that DOESN'T work with Rock Band!

A word of warning, like any tripod-style drum seat, make sure you have one support leg DIRECTLY behind you, or you'll easily fall backwards 'Spinal Tap' style. You're asking for a concussion in that situation.

BLOCK HEAD - HIT KIT - $19.99

The 'Hit Kit' is a bundle of useful Rock Band drum accessories (bass pedal, drumsticks, sound dampeners) at an affordable price, but much of the package is unusable.

Bass Pedal

The Block Head pedal is shorter than the stock RB pedal, and is slightly thicker. This gives it a little more structural integrity, but reports around the internet suggest it is still prone to snapping. The switching mechanism is very precise, and the pedal offers adjustable height (two settings) for those who want more or less 'throw' in the action. The attached cable is VERY curly, and just a little too short. This causes the pedal to lift off the floor on occasion, and sometimes it gets in the way.

My biggest problem with the pedal was the budget-rate slave labor they used to solder the electronics together. After only 5 hours of use it stopped working. I opened the unit up and found one of the TWO solder points had worked free. After another 15 minutes of use I was forced to repeat the process with the OTHER solder point.

I don't really want to play electrician on a product the same day I purchased it.

Drumsticks

When I was younger (a very long time ago) I played drums in several bands. I was notorious for using the largest sticks I could find, veritable baseball bats. The sticks in the Hit Kit remind me of those sticks... only much thicker... and heavier... and made of flexible plastic.

Because of the material used, and their flexibility, I couldn't play with them for more than 15 minutes. The vibrations traveling up the sticks into my wrists made my hands numb and my wrists sore. Epic fail.

Sound Dampeners

Essentially, the sound dampeners are circles of foam rubber that reduce the 'clacking' sound of your sticks hitting the drum pads. The dampeners included in the Hit Kit are held in place by rubber rings that slide around the RB pads (not shown in the photo above).

THAT is the best part: the rubber rings.

The dampeners themselves do a good enough job of muffling sound, but they do not stay in place, even with properly installed 'retainer rings'.

So why do I like the rings? Because I tend to hit the side of the pads a lot. You know, the hard plastic part? It takes chunks out of my wooden sticks, dents the plastic, and the sound frightens my cats. With or without sound dampeners on the pads themselves, I like the rubber rings for my errant rim shots.

Even though I like the 'anti-rim damage' rings, it's hard to justify purchasing the entire kit for that one accessory.

UNIVERSAL ROCK BAND DRUM SILENCERS - $19.99

Much like the previously mentioned 'sound dampeners', these are essentially foam disks that attach to your existing pads, dramatically reducing sound and increasing stick rebound.

I haven't notice any drop-off in drum sensitivity, and the added rebound gives better tactile feedback.

I like this particular set because they are self-adhesive, and never move. Although I'm a little concerned that if I ever TRIED to remove them, it could get messy.

Currently, I'm using a combination of these silencers with the rubber rings from the Hit Kit. It makes all four pads completely black except for the RB logo, but if you're trying to figure out what color a pad is supposed to be, you probably don't need to be upgrading your drums just yet.

ROADIE BASS DRUM PEDAL - $39.99

This entire feature started with my search for a suitable bass pedal replacement, and I found one. One hundred percent metal, a nice long cable, insanely accurate switching, a good 'throw' and feel... it simply doesn't get any better than this.

I've had problems with my drum kit sliding, or the pedal moving on me. Not anymore. The Roadie has two velcro strips on the bottom face that stick to your carpet, as well as two adjustable claws that can be completely retracted if you're on a hard surface; this pedal will NOT move on you. I've come to realize my drums were moving because I was moving the kick. With the Roadie as an anchor, I don't budge an inch.

The most amazing thing I've found is that it still works after nearly two weeks of use, without any sign of wear and tear. It just might be indestructible.

On a whim, I tested it with my 'real' midi kit (used for composing music for our podcasts) and it works flawlessly. I'll be ordering another pedal soon for use as a hi-hat trigger.

CONCLUSION

When you sell as many copies of a peripheral set/game as Electronic Arts has with Rock Band, it's inevitable that everyone will try to ride your success to the bank. We've seen a lot of Third Party equipment, and we'll see a lot more before it's over.

Be careful what you're buying; some of it just plain sucks.

Matt Bastard is a founding member of Bag Of Mad Bastards and an avid Rock Band Drummer, Singer, and Guitarist. Want to compare your scores on the Rock Band PS3 Leaderboards? His PSN ID is SolarShockMatt, and he's currently accepting friends.

"Reactions to a piano are a personal matter; they are not always sharply defined and are subject to continual change. The pianist has to take into account whether he is going to accompany songs or brave the orchestra in the First Bartók Concerto; whether he is to perform before an audience of fifty or five thousand; whether he is to play Schubert or Stravinsky, Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata or Beethoven's Op. 110. Can one, nevertheless, lay down some general guidelines for the evaluation of an instrument, which could be of assistance to most pianists in most situations? Let me do so by submitting the following propositions:

1. The piano should be dynamically even in all its registers and at all levels of volume. This evenness can only be achieved by careful regulation of the action, together with the technique of voicing, which I shall come back to later.
2. The tone of the piano should be bright and radiant, but have no cutting edge. The rounder, duller, blunter the tone, the less chance one has to colour it, to mix timbres, to detach one layer of sound from another. Faced with the choice between a concert grand with an inherently beautiful but invariable tone, and a less noble but more colourful instrument, the pianist will usually prefer the more colourful one.
3. The volume of the piano should range from a whisper to a roar. This again depends on a carefully regulated action, which does not require the player to possess superhuman strength, and yet is responsive to his control of the most tender sotto voce. Furthermore, resounding splendour must be attainable even in passages and trills within the upper middle range without unduly tiring the hand.
4. The sustaining pedal must dampen precisely. Even when lowered quite slowly onto the strings, all dampers must remain completely noiseless. The much feared grinding and soughing of the dampers at the point of contact, a chronic complaint in recent years, will, as likely as not, be blamed on the pianist as a technical shortcoming. Without properly shaped and regulated dampers made of good felt, refined, atmospheric pedalling is simply impossible. The lever of the pedal should not have too great a degree of play.
5. The tone of the soft pedal, i.e. the depressed left pedal, should not be thin and acid, but should retain sufficient lyrical roundness and plasticity of sound variation.
6. The pitch of the piano should be able to survive a concert without major dislocation. (If a concert grand goes out of tune, the fault often lies not with the instrument, but with the inadequate skill of the tuner.) Where I expect some disagreement is over the question of the soft pedal. There are pianists who prefer a shallow, nasal con sordino tone, decidedly removed from the normal gamut of sound. This 'grotesque' tone can, by virtue of its sharper definition, be of advantage in over-resonant halls. However, it may be so intolerant of nuances that the result is a single, unvaried tone colour. I find this too much of a restriction. Distinct whispering, important as it may be, is after all only a very small part of the musical function of the soft pedal."

Muitos ciclistas ainda duvidam da eficácia da musculação no treinamento. Por muito tempo se acreditou que a musculação traria mais prejuízos que benefícios para nós, ciclistas. Entretanto, com o avanço das pesquisas na área de fisiologia do esporte, hoje o treinamento com pesos é visto com outros olhos.

Atletas da elite do ciclismo mundial fazem uso da musculação como uma forma de preparação e reforço dos músculos no início da temporada. Em especial aqueles ciclistas que vivem no hemisfério norte, onde o inverno é rigoroso e o treino de estrada é impraticável.

É preciso deixar bem claro que o objetivo de um ciclista não é o mesmo que de um fisiculturista que quer ganhar grande volume de massa muscular. Para o ciclista - e também o triatleta e o mountain biker - o importante é construir fibras musculares com boa qualidade para agüentar os treinamentos e as provas durante o ano todo.

Um ciclista muito musculoso é um ciclista pesado e vai ter mais trabalho nas subidas. É importante observar que um ciclista não deve ter uma área frontal - tórax e braços - muito desenvolvida, para ser mais aerodinâmico. Quanto mais longilíneo, melhor.

Luciano Pagliarini no Tour da França

MELHORES FIBRAS

Ainda não há estudos que digam com precisão o quanto um ciclista pode melhorar com a musculação, mas uma coisa é certa: quando bem dosada a musculação somente trará benefícios ao atleta do ciclismo. Alguns autores norte-americanos afirmam que um ciclista, quando bem orientado no treino de musculação, pode ter uma melhora de até 10% em sua performance. Nada mal!

Wilson Germano, ciclista, professor de Educação Física, fisioterapeuta e introdutor do Ciclismo Indoor no Brasil, aconselha: "Ciclistas já têm um trabalho contínuo em cima da bike. O estímulo para os membros inferiores é diário". Germano afirma que um bom trabalho de musculação voltado para cicistas deve procurar melhorar a qualidade das fibras musculares e ao mesmo tempo aumentar a resistência muscular localizada para suportar um grande volume de treinos e as provas mais duras.

"É impossível separar o corpo", afirma. O programa de musculação não deve negligenciar os membros superiores, afinal braços, abdômen, lombar e ombros, são responsáveis pela sutentação do biker sobre a bicicleta.

Se no hemisfério norte os ciclistas se preparam na academia durante o inverno, no Brasil a situação é semelhante. Do final de novembro, até meados de fevereiro e início de março, as competições são bem escassas e um ciclista esperto pode aproveitar estes meses para se dedicar à musculação. "Um atleta de ponta pode fazer uma pré-temporada de musculação e, mais tarde, no meio da temporada, se estiver ocorrendo uma fadiga na musculatura, ele pode fazer novamente o trabalho de musculação. Vai do calendário de cada atleta".

Atletas iniciantes podem fazer musculação o ano todo, sempre com muito critério e tendo em mente que exercícios com peso na academia servem para melhorar a qualidade das fibras musculares. Seu objetivo é ser um ciclista melhor e não hipertrofiar músculos para a satisfação de seu professor. O ciclista deve ter manter sempre o foco no ciclismo como objetivo principal.

ALONGAMENTOS

Um fato que muitos ciclistas que treinam musculação reclamam é a sensação de "enrijecimento" da musculatura. Normalmente esta sensação é sintoma da falta de alongamentos adequados. Procure seguir as dicas do seu professor e faça sistematicamente os exercícios de alongamentos recomendados. "Não adianta simplesmente fortalecer e dar resistência à musculatura. A musculatura, quanto mais alongada, mais aporte sanguíneo vai proporcionar ao músculos. E, quanto mais encurtada, mais suscetível a lesões.", ensina Germano.

A MUSCULAÇÃO
A indicação do treino de musculação começa com uma conversa onde o futuro aluno vai expor suas necessidades ao professor. Um treino de musculação para um ciclista escalador da elite é diferente de um treino destinado a um piloto de BMX. Só para exemplificar: um piloto de BMX precisa de um treino específico para uma competição que dura em média 1min40s e que é de grande explosão. Já um ciclista escalador vai competir em provas que chegam a durar seis horas e atravessam altas montanhas.

O segundo passo é indispensável: uma boa avaliação física que vai coletar os seguintes dados: VO2 Max do aluno, contração muscular, qualidade da fibra muscular, percentual de gordura, índice de alongamento etc. Germano aconselha que se faça uma outra avaliação física após três meses de trabalho de musculação para uma reavaliação do aluno.

Com os dados da avaliação na mão é hora de ir para a sala de musculação e determinar a quantidade de exercícios. Para isso, o aluno é submetido a um teste de carga máxima que vai determinar a carga (os pesos) e o número de repetições dos vários exercícios.

Como o objetivo é melhorar a qualidade das fibras musculares e aumentar a resitência muscular Wilson Germano recomenda um número maior de repetições e uma carga de trabalho por volta de 60-65 % da carga máxima suportada pelo aluno. "Eu recomendaria de 4 a 5 séries com 15 a 20 repetições para cada exercício".

GRUPOS MUSCULARES

Obviamente, ciclistas usam principalmente os músculos dos membros inferiores para fonte de tração. Desses, os quadríceps, são os mais exigidos em uma pedalada. Os quadríceps (quadri = quatro e ceps = cabeça) são formados por quatro músculos: vasto medial, vasto lateral, vasto intermédio e reto femural.

Os quadríceps fazem a extensão do joelho e são responsáveis pela fase de aceleração da pedalada [quando empurramos o pedal para baixo]. Isso representa cerca de 39% do trabalho total do ciclo do pedal. Os extensores do quadril, que também ajudam na fase de aceleração, representam 27,7% do trabalho total do ciclo do pedal. Os músculos flexores do tornozelo e do joelho representam 20 e 10%, respectivamente, do trabalho da pedalada.

São estes músculos que terão maior atenção no trabalho de musculação, sem esquecermos do tronco e dos membros superiores: lombar, abdômen, braços e ombros.

UK supermarket chain, Waitrose, has this week begun trialling a bicycle delivery service for customers who order their groceries online in the beautiful city of Cambridge.

Waitrose staff will be riding hybrid pedal/electric bikes towing a custom trailer attached capable of holding six trays of groceries. Waitrose has gone down this route in an effort to increase the amount of delivery slots on offer while reducing the number of its vans on the road.

I pity the poor staff on the cycles though, as the delivery service will be available to customers living within a maximum of thirty miles from the store. That's a round trip of 60 miles on a single trip.

Existem três tipos de Mountain Bike disponíveis hoje em dia no mercado: Rígida sem qualquer suspensão, Hard Tail que possui apenas suspensão dianteira e a Full suspension, que possui suspensão dianteira e traseira.

Uma bicicleta rígida pode receber um suspensão dianteira e assim se tornar uma Hard Tail, entretanto uma Hard tail nunca poderá ser um full suspension, pois uma full exigem um projeto especifico do quadro para receber um sistema de amortecimento traseiro.

A sua escolha entre um destes três tipos de bike deve ficar, na minha opinião, com a Full suspension, pois esta traz mais conforto e segurança, mas esteja preparado para gastar pelo menos uns três mil reais. Já nos modelos Hard Tail você pode comprar uma bike de qaulidade razoavel por volta dos mil reais.

O custo de uma bike é influenciado principalmente pelos componentes com os quais esta vem equipada, você pode por exemplo comprar um quadro que custa a partir de 200 reais e equipá-lo com uma variada gama de componentes e dependendo da sua escolha o preço final desta bike pode ficar entre 800 e 2.000 reais.

Nas opções existentes começamos por uma bike Hard Tail, com suspensão dianteira, quadro de Alumínio equipada com Shimano Altus de 21 velocidades, que custa por volta de R$ 1.200,00, este modelo é o mais básico possível para um inicio razoavel, mas uma escolha mais adequada fica por conta de um modelo com 24 velocidades, equipada com cambio Acera, que fica em torno dos R$ 1.500,00

O ideal mesmo em uma Hard Tail é ter 27 velocidades, equipada com pelo menos Shimano Deore e uma suspensão dianteira ar/oleo, que vai ficar acima dos R$ 2.500,00.

Conclusão: se o seu bolso permitir escolha uma bike entre R$ 1.500,00 (Hard tail) e R$ 4.000,00 (Full suspension) e não se esqueça de exigir do lojista que este lhe indique o tamanho adequado de bike para sua estatura.

Conheça uma bike por peças:

Guidão

Câmbio

Pedal

Pneu

Selim

Quadro

Freios

Suspensão

K7

Corrente

Passador

Aro

Blocagem

Cubo

Acessórios

Click the image for a high-resolution version.

I stumbled upon a review from Premier Guitar about the TC Electronic G-Natural. It seems pretty solid.

"In short, any hardcore acoustic act would love this pedal. It gives you control of your sound, tuning and muting capabilities, plus fun FX and volume for solos... The G-Natural would be a great buy just to take the headache out of gigging with a variety of instruments that have different mix needs."

I don't want to gleam too much, so check out the article for more depth.

Oh, here's a video, too:

Link:http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Mar/Review_TC_Electronic_G_Natural_Multi_effects_Processor.aspx
Link:http://www.worldmusicsupply.com/guitars/accessories/guitar-effects/TC-Electronic/G-NATURAL.asp

Perhaps my favorite feature of the boss tu 2 chromatic tuner is that it automatically mutes the sounds when you stomp on it to tune. This allows you to not simply mute your instrument, tune, and unmute it without messing with volume levels. This helps a lot when you're performing a live show. You can do the sound check ahead of time, set the volume levels, and mute without having to readjust after you start.

The Boss tuner is one that I'm very glad I've purchased and would highly recommend.

Tomber is the French word for "to fall." It is pronounced, of course, tohm-BAY. We Americans corrupt it into TOM-bay.

Anyhow, I was having a great Fourth of July ride. Pat and I started off together, but after one loop of the Veloway, she decided to head for home. I kept going, and figured I'd do about 25 miles or so.

I had just turned onto a street that leads through a residential area. It's a hilly street, and although it's a thorofare, it is lightly traveled. At the top of a challenging hill is a cross street with a stop sign. There were cars at the intersection, and I slowed to stop.

For some reason, I lost all my concentration. I usually disengage the pedal well before a stop, but this time I stayed clipped in while I downshifted one more time. I was slowed to a creep. The bike drifted toward the curb. I turned the front wheel slightly to the right, to maintain my balance. It hit the curb, and slid along it for a few feet while I felt the familiar, sinking feeling of going down and not being able to do anything about it.

No damage done, except to my pride and self-esteem. The driver of the car that had pulled up next to me at the stop sign looked at me like I was some kind of alien from another planet. The bar tape on the end of the right handlebar was scuffed, and the bar end button had come off. I picked it up to replace it, but dropped it, and it bounced around in the gutter before rolling into the middle of the street. Now, the remaining two cars in the intersection could watch me as I nearly fell over the bike in the other direction while grabbing at the plastic button. I finally got it, and pretended to be an expert bike mechanic while I replaced it in front of my small audience.

I got right back up on the horse, and bent it to my will as I finished my ride. Even did an extra mile and a half, just to show it who is its Lord and Master. I suppose there will be more of these, but I prefer them when they happen in my driveway, out of the glare of the public eye.

Prepare to Start

1. Rather than sitting in the saddle, stand right in front of the saddle.
2. Hold your brake levers so that your bike will not roll.
3. Put your right foot on the pedal (if you are "left-footed" use your left foot instead) and move the pedal crank backward until it is in the 2 o'clock position - forward and high.

Starting

1. Let go of the brakes and push down on the pedal.  This first pedal stroke should start the bicycle and lift you into the seat.
2. As you first foot goes down, lift your other foot and position it for the second pedal stroke.

If you have any other tip or tricks for a fast start, please write them in the comments.

Just in case you want to super-quickly close a window (you know, like when you're visiting those site you get that special thrill out of visiting at work), you just tap your foot and it's gone. Voila!

What I want to know is, what happens when it fails? Or when it doesn't work so well? Do you jump up and down on the pedal? Do you have to actually use your hand (which is presumably already on the mouse) to minimize a window!?

Now I'm back off to looking at those sites I get excited about visiting at school (yes, school, since I don't have the luxury of a job or an income).

http://tinyurl.com/67s847

Escape da intro pentelha clicando no "GO" no lado direito. Uma espécie de "explicação interativa" ou algo do tipo sobre Everything Is In The Right Place do Radiohead. Quem fez isso é um pequeno psicopata. Ainda no assunto, o Mini conta mais detalhes sobre o show do Radiohead em Londres.

Here's one of their best, a demo of the Boss DS-1 distortion pedal:

Their archive is one of the first places I search through when considering buying a new effects pedal or guitar.

Link: http://youtube.com/worldmusicsupply

Hoje ( 21/06/2008 ) realizei um passeio pela Ilha de Florianópolis de aproximadamente 70km e que indico a todos os amantes de uma boa pedalada. Ao total foram 3h30 pedalando, mais 2 horas para curtir paisagens e uma boa prosa. Segue o relato do roteiro:

Saí as 8h da Trindade rumo a Praia dos Ingleses, no norte da ilha. Eu, minha bicicleta de 16 anos de idade (caloi aspen way 1), muita água, alguns trocados e, claro, meu capacete. Optei por ir por um caminho que é um pouco mais extenso e muito mais cansativo, mas que passa por alguns dos lugares mais bonitos da ilha. Da Trindade rapidamente cheguei no "morro da Lagoa" que é uma das subidas mais difíceis de encarar na ilha! A inclinação é muito grande e a extensão maior ainda... Mas nada que muito suor e um coração preparado para a aventura não aguente! No alto do morro da Lagoa fiz a primeira parada para contemplar o lindo visual da Lagoa da Conceição e Praia da Joaquina. A descida do morro da lagoa é muito gostosa, mas também perigosa! O ciclista precisa cuidar para não se empolgar com a velocidade e esquecer que as curvas são extremamente fechadas e que há intenso movimento de carros! Todo cuidado é pouco!

Do centrinho da Lagoa, fui rapidamente até a Praia Mole. Estava com um pouco de receio de encarar o morro que separa a Avenida das Rendeiras da Praia Mole, mas felizmente a subida é muito tranquila, quando comparada com a do morro da Lagoa. Não parei na Praia Mole e toquei direto para a Barra da Lagoa. Agora sim cheguei no segundo grande desafio dessa aventura. A subida que vai da Praia Mole para a Barra é extensa e ingrime, e exige muito suor para ser vencida. Não chega a ter a intensidade da subida do Morro da Lagoa, mas é, sem dúvida, uma subida que merece respeito!

Da Barra da Lagoa até o Rio Vermelho, foi o trecho mais gostoso. A estrada é tranquila, com pouco movimento, asfalto ótimo e, o que é melhor ainda, com um lindo visual e sombra ao longo de grande parte do trecho. Já no Rio Vermelho é preciso muito cuidado para não atropelar pedestres que insistem em andar pelo asfalto, bem como outras bicicletas em velocidade mais baixa. Vale a pena realizar algumas paradas nos bares para conhecer algumas pessoas e um pouco da cultura local. Do Rio Vermelho para a Praia dos Ingleses o tempo passa voando. Quando menos se espera, lá está o mar - lindo e formoso. Em Ingleses fiz uma parada de 2 horas na Adrenailha, agência de Ecoturismo que apoia o Projeto Sasico, onde fui recebido com a sempre simpática atenção das pessoas que lá trabalham. A extensão do trajeto é de aproximadamente 37km, que foram realizados em 1h57. Segue mapa do roteiro do trecho Trindade - Ingleses, via Barra da Lagoa:

Após a parada para prosear na Adrenailha, retomei minha viagem. A volta foi por outro caminho, pela SC-401. Esse percurso tem intenso movimento de veículos e, em algumas poucas partes, não tem acostamento, o que exige estrema atenção do ciclista. De Ingleses até a Vargem Grande o percurso é tranquilo, com apenas uma subida logo na saída de Ingleses e com acostamento ao longo de todo o percurso. Vale a pena parar alguns minutinhos para assistir do alto do morro as corridas no kartódromo.

Um momento complicado desse percurso é no viaduto que sai da estrada que vem de ingleses, para acessar a SC-401. Não há acostamento e nem espaço para passar bicicleta e um um ônibus. Eu segui por cima do viaduto, com a bicicleta por cima da grama que beira a pista. Exige um pouco de conhecimento técnico de pedal para isso. Recomendo a quem for lá, que carregue a bicicleta até atravessar o viaduto. Já na SC-401, entre a Vargem Grande e Jurere, todo o trecho tem acostamento e, por vezes, quase que uma "pista adicional" em que é possivel pedalar com muita tranquilidade.

De Jurere até João Paulo quase sempre há acostamento para trafegar (excessão em 2 curvas) e as subidas são razoavelmente tranquilas. A única subida que judia um pouco é a última antes de chegar em João Paulo, que é muito extensa. Mas nada que um pouco de coragem não encare!!!

De João Paulo à Trindade o trecho é tranquilo, exigindo atenção apenas na curva antes do elevado do Itacorubi, em que a falta de acostamento coloca em risco a segurança do ciclista, especialmente pela alta velocidade em que os carros passam naquele trecho. Esse percurso (Ingleses - Trindade via SC-401) tem extensão aproximada de 30km, e o realizei em 1h30. Segue o mapa do roteiro realizado:

O passeio realizado pode ser feito em meio dia (pela manhã ou a tarde), mas recomendo que seja utilizado em passeios que durem um dia inteiro, para permitir aproveitar os encantos dos diferentes lugares em que passará. Outra dica importante é cuidar muito com a alimentação e hidratação durante o passeio e também não esquecer de realizar alongamento antes e depois da atividade para evitar de ficar com dores depois!

E isso aí pessoal... vamos pedalar!!!! Projeto Sasico em ação! :-)

abraços

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