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Learned something interesting yesterday…

Since I started riding (given, this is only a few years) I’ve used the ‘jog from side to side’ method in “scrubbing in” new tires. And again anytime I’m trying to warm the up for some twisties ahead.

Just found out that this is actually NOT the way to do it.

In this month’s “Sport Rider” magazine, head over to page 86.

The article is titled “How to properly warm up your tires”.

Here’s an excerpt:

“First off, Knoche quickly dispatched the old wives’ tale that the surface of the tire needs to be scuffed or roughed up to offer grip. “Maybe it’s coming from the old days when people were spraying mold release on the thread when the molds were maybe not that precise,” Knoche speculates, “and the machinery not that precise. But nowadays molds are typically coated with Teflon or other surface treatments…

…The next myth we see perpetuated nearly every time we watch the warm-up lap to a race. Riders begin weaving back and forth in apparent attempt to scuff the tread surface (which we’ve already discounted) and generate heat. The reality is that, according to every tire engineer that I’ve asked, there are for more effective ways of generating heat in a tire that are also much safer. Rather than weaving back and forth – which does little in the way of generating heat but does put you at risk asking for cornering grip from tires before they’re up to temperature, you’re far better off using strong acceleration and braking forces, and using them while upright, not leaned over!…”

Oops!  Well, I guess finding out later is better than not finding out at all.  Ride safe out there!

Those of you who know me know that I live in Central Florida.  And you can’t live in Central Florida without getting on I-4 at least once in a while.  I drive it every day.

Recently, the brilliant politicians of the great state of Florida decided that to aleviate our traffic problem on I-4, they would instal these snazzy new digital speed limit signs.  Now I don’t know what these things cost us, but I’m at the point to start asking for my money back.

On the way home this evening, I thought I’d try a little experiment.  As I approached the Lee Road exit, the shiney new sign told me that the speed limit was 45.  That’s right, 45.  On a major three-lane state highway.  Strange thing though, everyone around me was going 70, and no one was slowing down.  That’s when I saw hypocrisy personified.

Let me paint you the picture:  There I am, trying to slow down to 50 (my experiment) and a highway worth of cars is riding my ass.  Two cars back is a white SUV that looks an aweful lot like a cop.  Long story short, it was.  So now we have three lanes of traffic moving smoothly along at 68-70 mph in a 45 zone.  No slowing down, no cop-lights flashing, no one cares.  The cop passes me at about 75 with a disgusted look on his face.  Don’t believe me?  I was hoping you’d say that.  Here’s a photo:

Well, no one really gives a shit until we crest the next overpass and there are three state troopers with cars pulled over, no doubt writing a nice collection of speeding tickets.  That will slow everyone down, right?  I mean there’s three of these fuckers and they’re obviously out for another round of “fund raising via extortion”.

Nope.  We pass by, no brake lights, no lane changes, no bother at all.  Every one keeps on cruising at right around 70 mph, in a 45 zone.

So, what we’ve learned today is the law of the land.

1. Everyone speeds, and that’s OK… Sometimes.
2. The law randomly selects from everyone (the guilty) who will be prosecuted.
3. Cops don’t have to obey, or even enforce the law if they don’t feel like it.

What I want to know is why is no one talking about this?  Why isn’t the news reporting on it?  Why aren’t people screaming out “This is ridiculous!”?

Are we so numb of being stepped on by our government that we are completely willing to look the other way when this kind of tyranny is RIGHT IN FRONT OF US?

Everyone look away, nothing to see here.  Drive safely people…  Whatever the hell that means.

Not to add another blog in the long line of blog posts about Google’s new Chrome browser, but…

I downloaded the browser and set it up on all of my machines this past week and have been playing with the settings.  So far, I’m (of course) really impressed with the product.  The user interface makes PERFECT sense for a seasoned web user.  Chrome’s memory management is truly ideal for a web browser, tabbing is easy, fast, and makes logical sense.  I think I can safely say that the browser is solid, fast, reliable, and easy to use.

All of that being said, let me follow up with… FINALLY.  People have been posting articles all week that Google is some kind of innovator, and visionary.  But, in reality, this kind of product really isn’t all that “new”.  True desktop software developement has been around for a LONG time, and Google was just brave (read: rich) enough to apply it to web browsers.

Mozilla Firefox, really just replicated what Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator did wrong, but did it better.

Not that I’m bagging Firefox… It’s truly a developer’s best friend, and I will continue to use the Fox when developing sites.  The “Add-on” capability is simply second to none.  For the life of me, I can’t remember what we did before Firebug!

Of course, none of this changes the way I feel about Chrome.  It’s a fantastic product.  In fact, I’m posting this in my Chrome browser right now.

So, good job Google; you identified an obvious problem, and offered a non cookie cutter solution.