Replacing the Desktop Compter

Thursday was an expensive day for me.  Was happy to beat the storm, home from coffee.  But, late in the morning, the problems started.  Power outage from ice/snow/wind.

Power was out for just over 2 hours.  When I had restored, I went to restart the main (desktop) computer.  It was dead.  Appeared the power supply was toast.

Took the computer off the desk and moved it to the bench.  Found my computer power supply tester.  It showed that the -5v supply was bad.  Alas, I had a spare power supply in the box.  Installed it one the computer.

Not so fast - the power supply did not have enough SATA drive connectors.  Time to drive into town to Best Buy to pick up adapters for the supply or a new supply with the right number of connectors.  Store does not have the adapters, so bough a new power supply.

Installed the new power supply but that did not correct the problem.  Looking like the Mobo was also toast.  When a new Mobo & processor are required, might as well buy a new computer.  Best Buy in Council Bluffs had a comp ter close to what I needed.  Picked up the new Lenovo IdeaCentre K450 Desktop with 8GB RAM and 1TB Hard Drive.

Thursday night was spent downloading and installing software (including lots of updates).  Thankfully, my satellite internet provider gives me free bandwidth between midnight and 5am local time. 

Friday, I ordered some more hardware for the new computer.  Adding a 3TB data drive and a Blue-Ray burner.  The rest of the weekend has been occupied by installing and configuring software, with a few breaks for sleep, breakfast, and coffee.

Still have some pieces of software to find and install.  Others are on hold as I get activation keys for updated, outdated software. 

To Clip or Not Clip - That is the Question

At age 57 I bought a bicycle. I had not been on a bicycle since I passed my driver's license test. When I Stopped in at Xtreme Wheels in Council Bluffs, IA, I was looking for a way to exercise to continue my rehab after a stroke and open heart surgery.

The bike Bill had me try was a comfort bike - Trek Navigator 200. The last bike I had did not have any gears and I pedaled backwards to brake. As my bicycle knowledge grew, I learned these are now called “fixies” with coaster brakes.

Anyway, I had enough confusion with all of the levers on the handlebars. The last thing on my mind was what kind of pedals the bike had. Since then, I have learned that my bike was equipped with “flat” or “platform” pedals.

Not sure just when the subject of “clipless” pedals entered the discussion at the bike shop. As I started riding more, I had problems with my right foot falling off the pedal. My foot was “walking” off the pedal. My stroke left damage on my right side.

The folks at the bike shop and I started discussing my options. I did not feel comfortable being “tied” to a bicycle with special shoes and pedals with bindings. We decided on some toe clips for my pedals.

This solved the problem of the foot falling off the pedal. Now, I started experiencing a new problem. It was difficult to get my size 12 shoes onto the clips. Add to that, it seems that the pedal is always up-side-down. If I slipped my foot out of the clip when riding, the clip would strike the ground.

Back to the drawing board.

The only way to keep my foot walking off the pedal was to tie the foot to the bike – clipless pedals.

“Clipless” pedals. You “clip” into “clipless” pedals. Huh?

Ok, this is the way it has been explained to me. First there are just plain old pedals. The pedals I grew up with. The next iteration is the pedal with toe clips. You slipped your foot/shoe into the toe clip.

Here's where the problem comes in. What do you call the pedals without toe clips which binds pedals to the shoe? Of course “clipless” pedals. Duh...

The first clipless pedals I tried are Shimano reversible pedals. One side of the pedal is a flat pedal, the other side is SPD clipless pedal. Nirvana! – I could clip in when I want, yet flip the pedal riding a flat pedal if needed.

These pedals are great for those of us newbees. A twist of the foot disengages the clip – much like early ski bindings. On my trail bike, I still use those pedals. When I am riding unfamiliar trails, I like to ride with the flat side so that I don;t have to think about unclipping if the trail gets gnarly and near the upper limits of my skill level.

Alas, the reversible pedals are not quite Nirvana. I still have to find which is the clipless side. Murphy's Law saws the flat side is always up when you want to clip-in. The clipless side is always up when you want to ride a flat pedal. Since my hybrid is only ridden on pavement, I equipped that bike with Shimano SPD pedals.

It didn't take much time before I also converted my hardtail to clipless pedals. The one exception is when I change the hardtail into my snow/ice bike. In the cold temperatures I like to ride wearing warmer hiking boots. Then, the hardtrail gets reversible or flat pedals.

When I bought my road bike, I had the bike shop install SPD pedals. OH! And my shoes – I only have mountain bike shoes. Sorry purists – not ready to spring a second pair of shoes for riding my road bike.