Frankfurt -> Nuremberg (Nürnberg) by Bicycle. Late Summer Trek

I was able to take a few days and fly to Frankfurt, a major German city in the region known as Franken (Franconia). My mission was to ride the Mainradweg (Main River Bike Way), for 600km along the Main River in the heart of German wine country. After arriving in Frankfurt the tricky aspect, apart from prying myself away from this alluring city with great restaurants and night life, was getting to the bike shop to rent a trekking bike. My strategy was to ride to a different town along the Main each day, starting with Aschaffenburg and continuing to Wurtzburg and beyond. Accommodation was not planned a priori, and I found Air-BnB to be invaluable here along with my iPhone.

Frankfurt Haupbahnhof - Large Open & Victorian Look which reminded me of Liverpool

Frankfurt Alt Opera Haus Where Strauss was playing in September. Very Charming Exterior

For the first challenge: I found the DB bikes and registered for their system. This proved expensive in the end (30-40 Euro) but was invaluable for getting to the Bike shop, called Fahrradstation North of the center of Frankfurt by a few kilometers. In hind site it would have been better to ride the street car system from the city Hbf to the stop just next to the Fahrradstation.

Expensive but useful, the Call-A-Bike service helped me get to the Bike Shop in Frankfurt from the train station.

As soon as I found a good bike shop, the trip became much easier. I rented the bike with a 50 Euro deposit and 10 Euro a day. It was a sure footed Raleigh touring bike of a type I had never ridden before with integrated light (hub driven generator) and rear brake light. The shop attendant, Suzanna, was very friendly and helpful and got me setup with a rear bike basket, into which I put my 35L Marmot pack. The fit was perfect, and I was glad that I chose to travel light.

I rode directly to the Main river and began making my way towards Aschaffenburg, where the quaint castle Johannisburg awaited. I made it by twilight and in time to stroll along the Main, seeing the Castle as the sun began to set, and finding a warm rock wall covered in lizards. I also found evidence of previous years floods dating back to the 1700s marked upon a riverside wall leading to a road ascending to the castle.

Evidence of prior years' flooding

Schloss Johannisburg - Aschaffenburg

Hobie 20 Tuning

Putting Battens into the Mainsail

Hobie 20 Halyard Hook at the top of the mast.

Jib Car Track

Racing Trapeze Setup (2:1 Installation -- 1 handed adjustment from the wire)

http://www.clamcleat.com/cleats/cleat_details.asp?theid2=72
http://www.clamcleat.com/uploads/cleat_installation_pdfs/CL253_Installation_Drawing.pdf

Spinnaker Pole Attach -- Pin Restraint

Kayak Re-Gelcoat Repair - My Steps and Methods

During a great warm weather spell during this El Nino year, I set out to fix fiberglass "read through" issues on the gel coat of my 2005 Seda Swift kayak hull.  Watching some Youtube videos, including this excellent one by Jeremy Vore, I planned my strategy and materials list.
References for this guide are shown below:

Mrs. Milly Biller of IYC (Thanks Milly!)
Tap Plastics Product bulletin 13 https://www.tapplastics.com/uploads/pdf/Product_Bulletin_13-2012.pdf
Jeremy Vore's YouTube Channel

Materials. Conditions

* 65 -70F Day. Sunny with not too much wind
* Gel Coat and surface cure
* (hazardous - use protective gear) MEKP
* Sheets of overhead projector film - which I believe to be made of PET material
-> This helps protect the material from dust ingress, while establishing a smooth surface.
-> See Tips below on taping this in place while considering gelcoat "run" due to gravity

* One set of very long cuffed Black latex gloves (from the Home Depot Paint Department)
* nitrile or latex disposable gloves. several sets
* blue masking tape
* a good quality dust mask
* small dixi waxed cups
* a few disposable brushes
* Acetone
* Many extra clean rags (I used yellow microfiber towels from CostCo)
* Ziplock bags to contain different sets of materials
* Sandpaper of grades ranging from 60/80/100/120/150/230/320/400/500/600/800/1200/1500
* Polishing compound

Directions.

*Wipe surface clean
* Mask Off with Blue Masking Tape
* Sand #60 or #80 Grit in linear motion (not circular) only
* Clean gouge with acetone
* Allow to dry out, then put color-matched Gel Coat on a piece of cardboard
* Leave in the sun for 15 mins (no Catalyst yet)
* (hazardous - use protective gear) Catalyze using MEKP (Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide) Hardener
* Use a small, solvent resistant brush to apply to gouge
* Once built up proud of the surrounding surface, apply surface cure
* Allow 24 hours to cure at above 65 deg. F.
* remove tape. sand with sanding block only using #320 grit. focus on proud area
* fill in "pin holes" with raw gel coat and spray surface cure on it
* allow to cure for another 12 hours
* wet sand 400, 500, 600

Tips.

* Don't mix your sandpapers. Keep each in a separate plastic bag to avoid cross contamination of grit sizes
* Carefully position the overhead projector film by taping it to the boat and consider what gravity will do to the Gelcoat while it hardens. Use enough hardener to allow it to become tacky before leaving it to cure. In essence, you are "casting plastic" using the film as a mold that can be made to conform to the overall curvature of the hull.

Small Gelcoat spot repair. During cleaning and masking phase.

Rain and Rainbows in Cupertino - Tornados in El Dorado

After 4 years of extremely dry weather, we're starting to see more consistent rain (and snow) in Northern California. We couldn't be happier. I haven't done the calculation to see how many continuous days of rain we require to refill our stressed reservoirs, but I'll bet it is something like 1-2 years of continuous rain. Let it Rain!

Driving up Highway 50 towards Tahoe over the holidays, I saw something that I'd never seen before -- Tornadoes...

Raleigh Sunbeam Winkie Tricycle Project

It is time to revitalize "Betsy" the family trike that generations of my family have grown up riding.

The first task is to learn how to remove the 14 x 1 3/8 tyres from the English Trike, which the Duke of Edinburgh once apparently rode. This trike has a delightful rear trunk which is great for storing all kinds of kids stuff -- it also has a handle which can help parents guide their little tyke if necessary.

Steel Tube Frame with Sheet Metal Fenders.

Bar at bottom is retractable guide to help push children along or maintain control of their riding.

12/12/2016 Update -- All 3 tyres (tires) changed with new inner tubes. Components cleaned and now ready for re-assembly over Christmas!

8/27/2017 Update

See this link for the latest on Betsy. We met our Christmas 2017 deadline when the next generation is slated to ride her for the first time!

Mount Whitney in Late October

The drive was grueling, but the hike was incredible. Driving up from San Jose to San Francisco, and then over through Yosemite, the route to US-395 was not fast. It took over 8 hours to get to Whitney with stops included. We arrived at around 10PM the night before the hike. The next morning we woke at 355AM, left the trailhead by around 445AM. I finished by around 445PM making the day about 12 hours round trip for 22 miles, at an average of 1.8mph for the trip. Elevation gain was around 6,000 feet. The trail is easy, although this time of year is was well snowed in above Consultation Lake. Most were climbing with crampons and "micro-spikes" which are a clever adaptation of car chains to people's shoes.

If we had waited another week, this whole trip would not have required any special passes. As it was, there was $17/person dayhike charges, as well as the cost to pass through Yosemite on the way there. So total outlay was $75 before gas and car mileage.

People were great, and everyone was out to help each other, keep an eye out for those that needed help and generally encourage everyone to make the long 22 mi trek up and back. Smart hikers split the hike into two days, camping up at Outpost camp near consultation lake and settling after the first major leg. We were tight on time which led to the decision to make the summit bid in a single grueling day. We paced out well in the early morning darkness, clearing the first couple of lakes by 8AM. By around 11AM I had reached the summit but didn't linger for long due to the possibility of changing conditions.

My hiking strategy was simple: go light on belongings and equipment and reach the summit rapidly and descend carefully and deliberately. Despite the snow, I found this strategy fast and effective. Most of the snow was hard packed, but there were several sections with 2 foot drifts, mostly blown over tracks and powder over "crunchy" snow. Many remarked on my decision to forgo the bulky crampons and poles on the snow. My rationale was that the snow ledge was a very shallow incline in most places, and that overall the Whitney trail approach was to trade vertical progress for horizontal distance to make the slope easier to manage, and that sneakers were the most efficient and light weight footwear to facilitate a climb. Furthermore, the trail was narrow and I wasn't convinced that the poles helped much on the ascent. Descending however, I found those with Poles and the ability to take the load from their legs to be much faster and nimble that I managed to be.

I ate much less than planned and was able to avoid pit stops and the obligatory pack your poop requirement. I took many "That's It" bars along, a bag of Turkey Jerky and a map that my girlfriend picked up at REI for me.

Summit - 14.5k feet

Trail Crest @ 13k feet

Summit Panorama

After snowy switchbacks above Consultation Lake - Close to the trail crest

Consultation Lake Panorama

                     
Checklist:
-> Permit
-> Headlamp
-> E blanket
-> Sunscreen & Hat
-> Food and some water/purification tablets
-> Map
-> Warm Clothing- Ski Jacket OK in Oct.

Porsche 924S - Driver Door Trim Removal Photos

After Removing Trim

Cable which connects inner handle to locking mechanism