Meanwhile, BC resorts are having a record season. Whistler has gotten over 850cm already this season! And I'm going to be there in a month, woot!

ps. caffeine + cycling article

So, yesterday morning my fixie had a flat when I was leaving for work. I didn't realize until I'd already brought it downstairs, unfortunately. So, I just took the road bike instead. Totally forgot to fix it last night, so I decided I would this morning before I went for a spin on my trainer (my new morning routine).

Well, it's only my second day on my new routine and I've already ****ed it up.. hehehe. Once I realized that I forgot to change my flat tire I decided to do that, and by the time I'd finished I didn't have enough time to ride the trainer/stretch/shower/eat. D'oh! And the worst part is that after finding my tools, taking the wheel off my bike, unmounting the tire, taking out the tube, checking the tire to make sure there wasn't any glass or anything stuck in it (looks like it was an old patch that failed, not a new puncture), putting in a good tube, remounting the tire and pumping it up... *gasp for breath* when I was pulling the pump head off the entire valve ripped off the tube... I guess I should have just taken the trainer for a spin and used the road bike again (since I ended up having to use it anyway because I didn't have any other spare tubes).

*sigh*

Where is the best place to buy stovetop espresso pots in this city? I want to get one of the bialetti 'brikka' pots because they have a special valve that supposedly encourages crema, but they seem pretty rare. I know I can get a low end one at St. Lawrence but I may as well splurge given these things last 50 years.

Also, steel or aluminum?

steel is real...coffee and cookery incl.

He was by the shop yesterday. I think he is being chained up in the sewing room to meet order deadlines. I will call him and tell him to reply to his messages slacker.

Keith, for the full stiffy SS conversion, is there a stack O beer can alum fork that is tall enough for replacement? I just love the looks of those things.

I would buy the Kona Project 2. They make 2...a straight gauge steel and a butted steel. Nicest rigid mtn fork I have ever ridden (except for my old F.T.W. Yeti fork but you aint gonna find one of those). You dont get the "look" of aluminum but you do get a kick ass fork.

Just a few thoughts on the hub debate. Phils are very nice hubs. I personally think they are wayyy over priced. Granted they are bombproof and have great bearings but for what they cost..they should. Formula/Surly/Miche are gonna be less than half the price. They all have sealed cartridge bearings and can be replaced with up-spec when they die. Miche and Formula both have large flanges and look fairly nice in my opinion. Cog and lockring thread is fairly decent. And the most important thing for me is they use standard threaded axles instead of proprietary ones that Phil, Paul et al, use. You bought yer Phils for yer 130 spaced conversion and now want to put em on a 120 spaced track bike? New axle set and prolly bearings as well. I installed a Miche axle and cones in my Level for this very reason. All the others just require a removal/installation of spacers to change the spacing.
If I was rich I would run diamond covered Phils with Tomity gold plated cogs....but as I am not, I think I will stick with the more economical choices. Phils are just not worth the inflated price.
Oh yeah....I sell the rear Formula/IRO hub for $50. 4 for the price of one Phil.

I'd try Nella Cucina at 876 Bathurst which is between Bloor and Dupont on the west side. They have some really nice coffee stuff in there. I'd suggest some of the bodium thermal glasses, especially for espresso as they keep it really nice and warm much longer then others. For coffee at work I use a mini Bodium French press that makes spectacular coffee. This way all I have to do is buy a small bag of coffee at the 5bucks each week instead of trekking down whenever I need caffeine, which is way too often.


Also if anyone has suggestions on spectacular places to get chinese BBQ either downtown or up north I''m all ears. My brother and I have been trying to find the best BBQ we can and have exhausted our knowledge. Also any really good Hunan places would be great, especially if they have hotplate beef with onions. I don't know the pinyin for it but I can find the characters if someone needs them.

I bought mine (not a brikka.. but a bialetti) at this little kitchen supply shop on Yonge (West side), just North of Bloor. They have good prices and the owner is super friendly/helpful. He'll talk your ear off if you give him the chance. I went in looking for a good pepper mill once and got a full demonstration with several different models, etc. It was great! I've been going there for most of my kitchen gadgets ever since (that was about 3 years ago).

Faema at 1117 Davenport Road has a goodly assortment of mocha pots. Teeny-weenie ones were around $20. I got one of mine at a goodwill. You sometimes see them come up there.

Faema also has a showroom at the old Ford building at Dupont and Christie. If you go there make sure to have an espresso from the over-the-top machine they use in the cafe. It pulls one hell of a cup of espresso.

Edit: Pat says my PAC bag is delayed till the end of the month Plus it looks like winter will finally arrive after this weekend, so make sure you enjoy the weekend.

Apple announced that they're releasing a cell phone/pda/ipod in June

pretty sweet.

finally...

looks pretty cool...intel processor!

costs enormous tho...

edit: from ilounge: Price: 4GB model for $499, 8GB model for $599, each with 2-year contract. Shipping in June. Announcing it today because they need FCC approval. Exclusive U.S. partner is Cingular. The iPhone will sell in Apple Stores and Cingular stores

I was wondering how long it would take before this turned into NerdForums.net again, and who it would be who posted about it first. Mitch.. tsk tsk tsk.

Word on the street is the FCC is facing alot of pressure to not approve it from big telecom/phone manufacturers. So I'll believe it when I see it, plus it can't seem to do anything my N80 can't do already.

Did someone say nerd forum? CellyWorship.net?

/me dials ronin.

Wrong favourite, I believe you meant to click on www.howardforum.com

Wow a phone where service providers get to have a huge bidding war to be the only ones in celldom to offer it. the whole market is backasswards.

Have to watch Steve Jobs Keynote every year.

Cingular already won the bidding war. Rogers would the logical choice to carry it in Canada with the whole it being GSM and high end and all.

i think apple is more to blame for this bit of assbackwardness. brand cache anyone?

I picked up one of these over lunch, from the coffee roaster downstairs at St. Lawrence Market:

Should be just the ticket on tour but it can only do about 4 ounces at a time, so I may have to do double portions in the morning if theres someone else who is thirsty. I was considering one of the 4 cup traditional style pots but they were quite a bit bigger and heavier. It would be ideal if I could adapt the top on this one to one of the bigger pots... Maybe I will try later on.

I also picked up two of those vaccuum cups on offhoff's suggestion. They seem nice so far, but aren't quite durable enough to take camping with me. Anyone know where I could get some stainless steel 2-3 ounce cups? preferably ones that fit into eachother?

Not perfect Shiz but MEC has these for 3.50 a pop.

Yeah I saw those ones, but they are kind of bulky. I'm starting to get a little overweighed with coffee stuff what with the 750ml stainless steel thermos, portable espresso pot, hand grinder, plus 2 cups! Maybe one of those travel shot glass kits would be my best bet. such as:


Multi purpose!