Recent content by Kayakguy

Some stuff, like an electric light bulb, doesn't care whether hot and ground are reversed. But many plugs nowadays have a wide contact blade and a narrow one. The wide one is the neutral side (unless I've got that backwards). So you don't need a separate ground, as the neutral also serves as...

Shimano also makes the Nexus IGH in several gear combinations. Mine is the Nexus 7, which has worked very well for me. In fact, I would be reluctant to go back to a derailleur, even though the last one of those I had was a good one (on an acoustic Trek hybrid).

Wow, that's how Superman wears his shorts.

Washington state now allows bicyclists to roll through stop signs--but that does not mean we have the right of way.

Re: eye contact: motorcyclists also emphasize the importance of making eye contact with motorists, typically at intersections. I don't have a lot of faith in this tactic; it's because some drivers seem to interpret your eye contact as permission for them to proceed. I prefer to take my right of...

I ask myself, "Would I want to crash at this speed?"

This is why some people just drag their feet.

Except that it generally keeps me in touch with the Earth, I generally have issues with gravity. On days when the gravity is light, I am about 5'6" tall (having shrunk from my earlier stature, which was never great). But when the gravity is heavy, I am shorter. I do not regard gravity as my...

Well, I just turned 87 a few weeks ago, so I'm not really that old.

You jogged my memory; I do believe that motorcycle mag article did reference Virginia Tech.

Seems like shoppers from OR, and BC as well, can avoid sales tax, or apply for a refund. At least this used to be true. I suspect a lot of people from souther WA do their shopping in OR.

I see pavement like that on some of the bike paths I ride. Mine are clearly caused by tree roots. It's amazing how plant life can overpower a hard, heavy material like asphalt. Roots can even split rocks.

You've just demonstrated my reason for having no interest in bikes that can go 28 mph (or faster). At my age (87) I don't need to be banged around any more. It's also why I no longer am interested in kayaking over waterfalls.

One of the women in a co-ed "Silver Sneakers" group that I walk with fell and broke her wrist while ballroom dancing. Which just goes to show how dangerous that sport can be. Any of you guys who want to use this story as a way to persuade your wife that you shouldn't go dancing are free to cite it.

A few years ago there was an article in one of the motorcycling magazines about helmet effectiveness. Their conclusion, after serious testing, was that DOT tested helmets were at least as safe as the more expensive SNELL certified ones (do I have that name right?--it's been a long time). The...