I am writing this in Quincy, IL, 114 miles into my bike tour from St. Peters, MO to Minneapolis, MN. So far, the trip has been almost all smiles. The roads have been smooth (except where they weren’t) and level (except for the hills). The drivers have been amazingly courteous, compared to the folks back […]
Revised Route – Skipping Madison
I have revised my bike tour route, following the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) all the way to Rosemont, MN and skipping Madison, WI. I had been planning to swing northeast from Galena, IL and visit my cousin in Madison. From there, I wanted to visit Devil’s Lake State Park and then follow some gorgeous bike […]
Replacing Parts
I gave my bike a pre-tour exam and found that the chain was near the end of its life at 0.7% worn out. In English, that means that the chain is 0.7% longer than it was when it was new. This “stretch” happens because the rivets and rollers wear so each connection gets a little […]
Last Bits of Preparation for My Bike Tour
I am into the last few bits of preparation for my bike tour from St. Peters, MO to Minneapolis, MN. I took a long WINDY ride today, with breaks similar to what I plan while on tour. First was a 21 mile ride to Clayton for lunch with friends. Then an 11 mile ride to […]
Hidden Problems with Phone Cameras
We read a lot about how great the cameras in phones have gotten. When we take pictures with our phones and look at them on our phones, they do, indeed, look fantastic. Here is one that I shot yesterday. The only postprocessing that I did was to crop it and boost the vibrancy. I encourage […]
Safety on My Bike Tour
“You’re meshuga!” Stan proclaimed the other morning as I was describing my upcoming bike tour to Minneapolis. I had just explained to him that I, a 64 year old retiree who only started biking seriously two years ago, am truly planning to ride my bicycle from Saint Peters, MO to Minneapolis… solo… unsupported… camping much […]
Planning a Bike Tour from St. Peters to Minneapolis
Just over a year ago, I bought my Masi Giramondo touring bicycle. I have clocked over 2200 miles on it, mostly doing errands around town and using it for local transportation when I am going somewhere alone. I did manage a couple of short trips last year including an overnight to Robertsville State Park (temperatures […]
I Sold My BD-4C
Those of you who have followed my blog for the last decade or so may be shocked to read that I just sold my Bede BD-4C airplane. I am 90% delighted and only 10% sad. Yes, I will miss flying it. The BD-4C is an amazing airplane and it was everything that I wanted it […]
Thank You, Blaine Luetkemeyer
I sent a message to Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer. (I even wrote it myself, without the help of ChatGPT. ?) I received this letter back. I have rarely felt that my opinion was so heard and that I was so valued as a constituent. Thank you, Rep. Luetkemeyer and your staff, for modeling thoughtful communication.
Cycling Power with the Velocomp PowerPod
I am cycling through data nerd heaven. Winter weather “forced” me to buy a Zwift Hub indoor bike trainer so that I could ride in icy, wet weather that normally keep me out of the saddle. The trainer tells me how much power I am pumping through the pedals, info that I have never had […]
So Much Software in Digital Cameras!
I recently compared my Nikon camera to the camera in my Pixel phone. (See Comparing Nikon and Pixel Cameras.) In trying to respond to a comment on that post, I realized that there is so much software in any modern digital camera that I needed to write a whole blog post about it, not just […]
Comparing Nikon and Pixel Cameras
It is a cloudy morning and Scarlett is sitting next to a window. I decided to take advantage of the diffuse natural light to compare two of my cameras, a Nikon Z 5 and a Google Pixel 7 Pro. Let’s start with a side-by-side of the two with the Nikon Z 5 on the left […]
June 19, 2022: Father’s Day or Juneteenth?
Happy Father’s Day, to all of the dads reading this. I am also beaming my gratitude to all of you spouses, SOs, children, and friends who are honoring fathers today. Happy Juneteenth, to everyone celebrating freedom today. One way that we are free is by choosing which parts of history to spend time remembering and […]
I Don’t Care How Long it Takes to Charge My Car
People ask me how long it takes to charge my car. They are particularly concerned with how long it takes to charge the car when I am away from home, on a road trip. Honestly, I don’t really care how long it takes to charge my car. Oh, sure. I could figure it out. When […]
Bikecamping to Robertsville State Park
I got away for my first overnight bike trip of the year. I biked from my home in Saint Charles south to Robertsville State Park, camped, and came back the next day. I rode 91 miles and climbed 5935 feet in total. David joined me at the Pacific Brew Haus for dinner and rode the […]
Clean Bicycle Chain
Do you remember the good ol’ days of childhood biking when the chain was something you didn’t want to touch cuz it was a greasy mess? Me too. Life was simpler back then. I have 350 miles on my “new” Masi Giramondo bike. I’m a smart guy and I’ve been washing my bike and cleaning […]
What a Great Picture!
I am lucky to hear praise like, “What a great picture!” pretty often when I show people my photos. Less frequently, I get asked, “How do you do it?” I think many folks think that they cannot do what I do. Anybody can make great photos. Here is my two-step guide to doing it. There […]
Focus Stacking
I have been into macro photography lately, taking fun photos of things I have around the house, like salt and snapdragons, and occasionally venturing farther afield to find some flowers. Here are two of my latest. Pro Tip: Click on the pictures in this blog post and view them large, on a computer screen. They […]
My Bicycle Evolution
I have had four bicycles over the last year. It is kind of surprising because, a year ago, I would definitely not have considered myself a serious cyclist nor would I have anticipated buying multiple bikes. This is my journey. Bike #1: Trek Verve+ 2 A year ago today, I bought my first bicycle in […]
When Your Grandson Falls at the Playground
Would you try a little thought experiment with me? It will take you about five minutes, that’s all. Following this paragraph is the text of a one-page speech. Can you read it from a place of empathy? Don’t get caught up in your own feelings, just try to imagine the feelings of the speaker and his audience.
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