aletown

mmm...gadgety

I’m contemplating buying myself a pair of Bluetooth headphones. As with most gadgety purchases I have to ask myself, “Will this make my life better?” I think it will.

For me this is a not a simple yes or no question, though, it borders on the existential. I’m caught between loving technology and despising its stranglehold on our lives. Every time the nerd in me gets giddy over something, say…terabyte broadband internet for instance, the Luddite in me tells me to “get my ass outside and live a little, dammit!” However, that luddite nature has never had to work in a coal mine or plow a field with a team of oxen or ride a horse more than once. Plainly my Luddite nature is an all-talk pussy.

All joking aside, the question is a serious one to me. Will this moderately priced, attractive and useful device make my life better or just more complicated? Just for reference, here’s some examples of some things already in (or out of) my life compared to this standard…

• My Phone. The G1 has the FREAKING INTERNET ON IT HOW SWEET IS THAT!? OMG! SRSLY! Honestly, my phone is awesome. There are some design flaws that I’ll touch on later in this very post and the battery life is pretty weak, but having the internet at my thumbtips is lifechangingly awesome.
  Does it make my life better? I’ll say yes.
  More complicated? An extra monthly cost and a pretty high timewaste rating aside, the G1 actually ends up making my life less complicated. It’s an mp3 player, research library and organizational tool in one moderately clunky package that I’d be hauling around anyways because it’s my phone.
• My Bike. The bicycle is not nascent technology, but my aluminum soldier has all sorts of cutting edge gadgetry from reflective tape and a speedometer that I’ve put on after market to the pure-love that is Shimano 105 components with index shifting. Also, there’s a lot of gear to keep me from getting soaking wet and/or freezing to death while commuting.
  Does it make my life better? Cycling makes me happy. It’s good for my body, my attitude and my tree-hugging-heart.
  More complicated? Yes, but in a way that Luddites everywhere can appreciate. I might have to plan my trips and buy specialty clothing, but at the end of the day I’m not riding around in a dinosaur-burning metal and glass box.
• My computer. At this point, having a PC with internet service is a borderline necessity for most of us. It is beyond ubiquity now. I consider a working computer a home appliance, perhaps not as important as the stove or the fridge, but given the choice between owning a computer and owning a dishwasher I wouldn’t even think a minute. And I hate doing dishes.
  Does it make my life better? Mostly. School would be hard and the internet is really useful.
  More complicated? The internet is the cause and solution to all of life’s little problems. Computers at the best of times are cranky, inconsistent machines prone to intermittent problems and time-consuming workarounds. Add that I don’t use anything from Microsoft or Apple and you have a recipe for a time vacuum.
• My old Palm T|X. Man I thought that thing was sweet. It was going to make me organized! It was going to make my life easier! It’ll replace my mp3 player! Wifi in my pocket! None of this was true. I never had it with me. It was bulky and awkward, the headphone jack shorted-out halfway and I never got it fixed. I was able to check baseball scores from my bedside on the “mobile web” and the sudoku app was killer.
  Does it make my life better? If paying $250 for glorified pocket sudoku is wrong, I don’t want to be wrong.
  More complicated? Yes, nothing has been more complicated than trying to convince my wife that any gadget purpose is worthwhile when she can just pull out “but didn’t you think that about your palm-thingy?” It’s like a local version of Godwin’s Law: If Heather and I talk about a prospective purchase long enough, eventually she’ll bring up my Palm Pilot.

So, we were talking about headphones at some point weren’t we? Anyways, my rationale for these is pretty simple, here goes.

What makes me think “Bluetooth Headphones” will make my life better?

1. Wires suck. Whether biking or bussing, my messenger bag weighs a pretty penny. Whenever I put the bag on or take it off over wired headphones I pull them out or they tug against my ears. I know it sounds like I’m being a little bitch, but do this 5 times over the course of a public transit commute and you get a little bitter about it. Also, I have no idea how it happens, but headphones must run around a maypole while I’m not looking or something because I’m constantly not just untangling my headphones, but undoing countless unintended knots as well.
   Sounds like a problem easily solved by a bluetooth headset. Bonus: Not having to wire myself under my jacket to hide my hideous earbuds with the phone mic on them.
2. The G1’s glaring design flaw. Okay, go find my friend Danny and ask him about the headphone jack or lack thereof on the G1. Go make a pot of coffee. Go to Papa Murphy’s and buy a pizza, go home and bake it. After you eat it go back to Danny and listen to the last 1/2 hour of his rant about the G1’s single mini-usb port. It’s pretty bad, I’ll admit. You can’t charge it and use headphones at the same time. It requires an adapter to use your own headphones, and apparently the adapters are prone to breakage. I have the actual headphones that plug in from the old model and they’re large and ungainly.
   Imagine not only charging my phone and using headphones at the same time on my phone, but imagine me walking around unfettered within a short distance of my phone. Not unforeseeable that the next time Danny gears up for his rant I can reply calmly that they must have had a headset like mine in mind when they made their terrible design mistake. (I don’t understand why more commercials don’t use this setup, it’s effective.)
3. Hello, Oregon’s hands-free law, meet my sweet bluetooth headset.
4. Hello computer, glad to know you have bluetooth operability, I’ll be sure to not carry my other set of headphones with me all the time.

Well, I’m convinced. What do you guys think?

Just to give an update (and to brag a bit) I did end up riding to work last Monday. I also ended up doing a few other activities by my bike during the really cold spell we had.

- PIR’s Winter Wonderland Bike Night. Some friends and I got together and rode up to Portland International Raceway and got to tour the track’s light display on our bikes. Way cooler than in a car, I’d reckon. Also: Free hot chocolate after.

- Biking to bars. I went to Hop and Vine (~1.5 miles) and Kennedy School (4 miles) to see some friends on different nights. Hooray for Zombieland.

- Disc Golf. Luckily PJ lives near Pier Park, because going from being on a bike for 30 minutes to being outside walking for a while wouldn’t have been fun.

So I can’t let the cold stop me from cycling to work and the activities I love. Let’s see if I can live with the rain in the same way.

For some unknown reason , I’m actually considering cyclecommuting tomorrow. The forecast calls for a low of 20°F with a little biting wind for good measure, and I’m conceivably going to strap myself to a bicycle for 5+ miles at 5:30 in the morning. At this point I’m thinking that if the roads are clear I’ll give it a shot, but my road bike with the skinny racing slicks isn’t coming anywhere near icy or frosty roads. I’m dedicated but I’m not nuts.

Bikeportland.org has a great article up on getting gear for winter riding, but I thought I’d share my setup since I’ve taken some time putting it together. If it seems like I’m a fanboy for Columbia Sportswear (and sub-brands Montrail and Mountain Hardwear), you’re partially right (especially on Montrail and Mtn Hardwear, their stuff is entirely awesome) but I do have the ability to get their stuff direct from the employee store so it doesn’t often make sense to go elsewhere if I can get what I need there.

The Setup

I ride a Specialized Allez Sport. I’ve put ~870 miles on “Alice” so far, 100+ of that coming from a century ride in September. Other than the rear wheel problems covered briefly below (which are being resolved), I couldn’t be happier with my aluminum horse. She has Shimano 105 components throughout and upgrades (if any) will likely be minor for the life of the bike. For long rides I use my clipless pedals, but for commuting I have Decksters so I don’t need to carry an extra pair of shoes for work.

The Gear

Anyone who commutes by bike needs all or most of the following if they plan on pedaling to work after the onset of fall.

Fenders – After the first rainfall there’s no excuse for riding without them. Keeping wetness and road-grime where it belongs (mainly anywhere not on your body or bag) is huge when it gets wet outside, leaving your other gear to deal with the current conditions and not the most recent rainstorm. Without them expect a black/brown trail of awesome on your back and the occasional road soup in your face. Mmm.

Rain Jacket/Pants – Particularly in Portland you need to be able to keep yourself dry. I have a Columbia rain jacket and some Mtn Hardwear pants that pack into my bag so I’m ready when the skies open up.

Cold Jacket/Pants – I’m not going snowboarding on the way to work and I’m not riding to work in the snow, so my needs are usually either braving the cold or braving the wet. For the cold I have a Columbia soft shell that I’ve had for a few years that does a pretty decent job of blocking out the wind and the cold without the bulk of a full jacket. As for pants, if what I’m wearing is insufficient I have a pair of snowboarding pants that should do the trick.

Shoes – I’ve also had some unfun experiences with deep puddles (all day clammy socks are not awesome) and cold winds on my feet. Boots are no fun to ride in so the best thing is a comfortable and waterproof (or at least resistant) shoe that you can wear to work. I  just bought a pair of Montrail Mountain Masochist shoes with a GORE-TEX liner to keep my toes toasty and dry. I may also eventually purchase a pair of gaiters to bridge the gap between pants and shoes, but I’ve already spent far too much money* on this stuff for now.

Gloves – I actually just bought a pair of these puppies, which should more than do for my purposes. I didn’t even know Mountain Hardwear made gloves for competition ice climbing, but they should do the trick for me in any conditions this winter throws at me. However, I’m sure most winter riding gloves that are designed for biking would do the trick just as well.

Check your head – I’ve been wearing this beanie by Endura which fits snugly over my huge head and under my helmet**. I team it up with a great old wool scarf, since I can’t bring myself to wear a ski mask.

Bag – Another Mountain Hardwear plug, my Sentinel messenger bag could be my single favorite possession on the planet. It might not have the hipster hotness of a Chrome buckle bag, but it works just as well for what I need. It fits comfortably on my back with plenty of room for my lock, my lunch and anything else I might need. I try not to love “things” too much in my life, but I’ll make an exception for my bike and my bag. It’s also completely waterproof and has some reflecty goodness which brings me to….

Lights – It’s dark out there, please light up. Being warm and dry is great, but not being hit by cars is even better.

After writing all this, I’m actually kinda pumped up about riding tomorrow. Wish me luck.

* Especially when you only consider the cost of fuel when comparing the economy of cycling and driving. I factor in the environment, exercise and exhilaration into the equation. However, I’d like it to save real money as well, since that’s a huge factor when cyclevangelizing.

** I’m not going to rail anyone anymore about not wearing a helmet. I’m just going to go with a paraphrase of what my good friend Danny says on the subject: Anyone who rides a bike without a helmet has made the decision that they have nothing that’s worth protecting with one.

I got my bike back on tuesday, after a few weeks sitting in the bike shop. The situation with my rear wheel has been frustrating (hub issues, broken spokes), and Specialized was supposed to send a new hub part to the shop. They sent the wrong one and the shop patched my bike together, but when they went to find the right part…they don’t make it anymore. So I get a new wheel, super strong 36-spoke job with an Ultegra hub. I’m happy.

I’m also just happy to have the thing back. Rode to work on Wednesday and didn’t mind the cold at all (however, I have purchased an under-helmet beanie and some sturdier gloves since), in fact I hope to keep riding to work except in icy/snowy conditions.

Yesterday (Friday), I got the most riding-in-a-day since my century at the end of September. I escorted Seth on his first commute to work and basically ran all around town. I only totaled 20 miles or so, but it still felt great. It’s easy to forget just how much I love riding, but I’m back in business.

Also, Monday night is PIR’s car-free winter wonderland. Anyone up for it?

That’s right, after a year’s sabbatical, aletown has returned.

As always, the greatest roadblock to this blog’s success/survival will be my ability to continue generating content. Those who know me know that I’m fantastic out of the blocks but have a nearly fatal lack of follow through. In order to increase the chances of said success/survival I’m going to widen the scope from what aletown was going to be originally. Instead of being a blog about baseball in Portland, I will blog about a variety of things: Portland, baseball, other sports, beer, cycling, politics, religion, and whatever happens to be on my mind. Maybe it works, maybe it won’t, I just hope that it succeeds or fails based on the the quality of what I’m doing – not because I fail to keep doing it.

Thanks to my friends for reading my stuff. Your support is much appreciated, and hopefully I can show that appreciation by not making you look at the same article at the top of my page for months on end.

Cheers,

Will