1700 KM

Hit the 1700 KM mark last night. Not much else to say.

- Peace

1600 KM and 18 Years and other stuff.

Kim suggested we spend a night at Kananaskis Village for our Anniversary. She even said I could take my bike, thank you my Love. Having had a large brunch I decided not to do another 20 KM on the above path, instead Kim drove me to the top of the Highwood pass so I could ride down. On the way to the pass we were stopped by an accident involving two motor bikes. First bike had stopped because of sheep on the highway, second bike did not stop fast enough. Called 911 as I was the first one with a cell phone. One guy was taken out by ambulance, EMS called off the STARS Helicopter as the patient was status green. One of the cars that stopped was an off duty EMS member, she knew the other EMS personnel when they showed up. So the guy was well looked after. Two other riders walked away with minor injuries.

There was snow at the top of the pass even a guy throwing snowballs :) Hit the 81 KM/H mark coming down the pass, pure bliss :)

Felt good to hit 1600 KM as I didn't make it to 1600 KM last year. Ankle injury that I didn't give enough time to heal when it happened.

Hit 1600 KM on June 27, 2009. Need to pick up the pace to hit 4500 KM this year. Did 4200 KM in 2009.

- Peace

Play List Sync for Android (Alpha)

I have written a small Android app that can download and m3u file from a web server and grab all the songs. It then rewrites the file form HTTP urls to local URLs for the phone's built in player to use. Still have some refinements, like a progress bar. But it's working :) I also have a small web app that takes a m3u playlist from itunes and translates it into an m3u list with HTTP URLs. So I export a playlist from itunes, to my play list server folder, point the phone app to the play list server and it copies songs to the phone.

Yeah I know there are apps that will do that, but they didn't work the way I wanted and I needed a project to play with Android.

- Peace

1500 KM

Got caught in a thunderstorm on the way home tonight. Waited out the worst of it under deerfoot trail talking with another cyclist.

- Peace

Our New Copmany Song

We'll be singing this each morning.

- Peace

1400 KM and a new Camera

Hit the 1400 KM mark this morning. This is the first 100 KM mark that I've used my new Lumix TS2. I had to retire my Olympus Stylus 790SW after Goat Creek. It had been slightly damaged when it got knocked off a table. It had worked fine, but one of the doors was slightly off allowing water in. I went with the TS2 as the latest in the Stylus line has a boot time of several seconds. The TS2 is ready in just over a second, that matters when you're shooting and riding.

- Peace

Thanks to the Chinook Triathalon Volunteers

No I'm not a triathlete. I did ride 50 KM on 22x today, and 22x was part of the Chinook Triathlon today. The Volunteers cheered and gave me an electrolyte drink. Even after I explained I wasn't in the race.

- Peace

Goat Creek Map

View Goat creek in a larger map
Used my phone to map out Goat Creek Trail. Click on the red icon at the end to see the altitude data and timing Data. I've also uploaded the Banff to Canmore map.

- Peace

On a new path @ 1300 KM

Hit the 1300 KM mark next to the Trans Canada Highway yesterday after the June Goat Creek ride.  Took the Trans Canada back to Canmore and big chunks of the new path connecting Canmore to Baff are done.  Nothing like new pavement for a smooth ride.  Path won't officially open till 2011.

- Peace

Biking Calgary and Vancouver

Calgary City council is voting on Monday, June 7 to work up a comprehensive biking strategy for our city over the next year, one that:

“identifies actions The City will take in the short, medium and long term in order to make Calgary a bicycle-friendly city for all – a city where cycling is a great option for transportation and recreation purposes.”

D'Arcy Norman has great post that outlines the need for a plan in Calgary.  Having spent a week in May biking in Vancouver I can say there is hope.  The bike routes in Vancouver work,  the routes are well marked, with bike symbols on the main street signs.  I was able to follow the routes with ease.  Bike lanes on main roads are well marked, and are well separated from parking spaces for cars.  Most of the routes are on side streets, but unlike Calgary there aren't stop signs every block or two.  Cross streets have stop signs but the bike route has the flow.  They also use small traffic calming roundabouts.     When a bike route crosses a major route there are buttons for the lights are placed at the curb where a cyclist can reach them without getting off their bike.    One is not expected to go kilometers out of the we to get to a bike route.  It was wonderful to ride in a city that had planned for people to ride in it.

I rode in Vancouver back in 95 or 96 and I don't remember it being so welcoming to cyclists, so progress is possible over 15 years.   I hope our city council gets started soon.

- Peace

1200 KM, Four Days Late

Hit the 1200 KM mark tonight.  That puts me four days behind my original goal of hiting 1200 KM by the end of May.  We'll see if I can make up four days in the remaining twenty six days.

- Peace

1100 KM and a Revised Plan

Hit the 1100 KM mark on the way home tonight.  Thing is I should have been there sometime last week, but we had rain and snow last week.  I was short 140 KM for May, so I'm upping my goal for June from 700 to 840.  I've done more than 800 KM in a month before, but I don't recall cracking 900 KM in month, so 840 will be a stretch goal for sure.

- Peace

JC and Jesus Manifesto

Jordon Cooper has posted about a new book from by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola: Jesus Manifesto. Amazon.com and Amazon.ca has it on sale today for the launch.

I've been told I have a review copy in the mail. I haven't read Viola or Sweet before, though I've heard a fair bit about them. Will let you know how it goes.

- Peace
Dave