Perplexed Orange Independent Biker

UPDATE, 28 Oct: This isn’t working right now and is very frustrating. I can sync a new database from either device but can’t get the iPhone to take the latest from the MacBook.

Tonight I upgraded from OmniFocus 1.0 to 1.5 sneakypeek, purchased OmniFocus for iPhone, and set up free WebDAV sync using sharemation.

Downloading and installing the OmniFocus upgrade was easy, as was purchasing OmniFocus for iPhone from the app store. The first time I ran the upgrade it converted my database which took a minute.

Creating a free account at sharemation was easy. I did not create any folders there. To connect to the highest level folder using WebDAV from Finder, connect to “https://sharemation.com/username”.

Next I set up sync for OmniFocus on the Mac. Knowing the URL, username & password that worked in Finder was all I needed. The first sync took a couple minutes.

The next thing I did was send my settings over. This did not go so well. I kept getting trapped in a loop of selecting between the local & server databases, or re-entering my sync username & password. I finally got out of this by syncing the local database from the iPhone to make a successful sync from there. Then on the next sync from my Mac I had to tell it to use its local database, not the blank one I’d just synced from the phone. On the next sync from the phone I got the right database down, I think because I didn’t have to enter credentials again.

So there was a bit of hassle, but with some perseverance it seems to be working. And free. If I was doing it again I would back up my database, then sync blank or starting databases to get sync going, then restore the backup & sync it to the phone.

Dew cockpit
Originally uploaded by dansteeves68.

I feel pretty responsible for Craig’s relationship with this Kona Dew Deluxe, as I helped him select & purchase it a couple years ago. The result was good for both of us, as he likes the bike and we ride together.

Last year I helped his wife select the Titec H-Bar as a birthday present. This week I finally got around to properly setting up the brake/shifter pods for the new bar. Craig has a smaller Dew, which came with a 70mm stem. When he simply put the h-bar on a year ago, he had to leave the brake/shifter pods way out on the tips of the bar ends because the cables were too short.

Well, I finally got this bike into my garage for a few days. I found a longer 110mm stem in a local shop used bin, and bought some cable stuff. I had a hard time deciding between this setup and the pods on the extension side of the bars which was better for braking. But the shifting was just too awkward out there, so here it is. I like the “jaunty” Rivendell look of the long-ish cables. I maybe could have taken an inch or two off them but there you go.

XtraCycle: Dan pulls Paulo & Quinton
Originally uploaded by dsmithsteeves.

My xtracycle is now a functional single-speed bicycle, fun to ride, and my new preferred way to transport children. It also makes a great conversation starter with not-bike people. This new rig is built up with bits from every bicycle I’ve had in the last 8 years. Makes a good advert for not aggressively purging the parts bin.

Lance went & got a fixed gear just like mine!

I think Lance must have gotten word that Darcie is a big fan. I see that he went out & got Trek to build him a fixed gear that looks just about exactly like mine, down to the sweet mustache bars.

I saw this pic in an article on the Mash SF crew.

Me & the BoSS went to Theo Wirth yesterday. Same old story, except

• Hadn’t been there since last July or August,
• New platform pedals no clip/cage, and
• I’m out of shape for off-road singlespeed heart rate intervals.

But wow, riding that bike off-road is so fun! I’ve been miserably jetlagged and stressed out about work for 3 days. And after the ride I felt just plain happy.

The platform pedals worked out ok. I need a move for curb/log obstacles. With clipless I wheelie over then hop the rear wheel up/over by pulling up with my legs. On the platforms I was terrified of pinch-flatting the rear every time.

The BoSS was “rode hard & put away wet” when I visited in Feb. The chain is damn near rusted, whole bike is dirty as hell & signs of the road salt I didn’t wash off. The brake setup is almost dangerous… She’ll spend time at One-On-One when I go back to London next week.

Eiffel tower
Originally uploaded by dansteeves68.

Elliot and I took a whirlwind one-day tour of Paris yesterday. Here are the highlights.

• 7:15am Eurostar train to Paris.
• Glimpse of Sacre Coeur from the train.
• Taxi to Eiffel tower held up by a parade of children dressed up as flowers.
• Elliot’s smile as he posed below the tower.
• Delight when we found the grumpy old men in Musee d’Orsay, after touring half the museum looking for them and calling Mom for help.
• Elliot devouring quiche for lunch and flirting with our table-neighbors. Quiche’ll probably never happen again and was only due to incredible hunger after eating nothing all morning but some cereal at home and a large pink milk on the train.
• Elliot took a great picture of me on Pont Neuf overlooking the Seine.
• The toy department, dome ceiling, and chilling out in the bar at Galleries Lafayette. (Elliot was fascinated that a store would have a bar in it.)
• Dinner. No, dinner! Chartier made me so happy, and Elliot is such a restaurant champ. No kids menu but he happily ate grown-up salad, trout muniere almandine, and dame blanche. The restaurant was oozing traditional Parisian style, the food was cheap, yummy and French. And we had a great time.
• Elliot falling asleep on the Eurostar home, despite every intention not to.
• Talking with Mom about the day for 30 minutes before going to bed even though it was 11pm.
• Sleeping until 9am, which Elliot and I never do, and waking up to find Mom and Quinton already awake, which never happens.

It was difficult a couple times. Exhausting as the day went on and we realized we’d walked too much. But wonderful.

Sometimes I put things here just to increase their Google page rank in the hopes that lots of others will start to take notice.

A simple cure is to draw all districts with the shortest splitline algorithm involving approximately-bisecting a state’s population with the shortest eligible splitting line, and then continuing recursively on the resulting hemi-states.

Link

Read about it at Jon Taplin

Elite race leaders
Originally uploaded by dansteeves68.

I saw some good bike racing tonight, and enjoyed the London cycling scene. Not supposed to “poormouth” but sure do wish I could afford more Rapha gear.

Elounda, Crete (stolen)

See you next Wednesday. Off to Crete with my lovely wife of 8 years and our boys, both of whom are anticipating the trip more than Christmas.