Free as in upgrade

Just as everytime I finally decide to buy some new bit of electronics the purchase is soon followed by the announcement of a new and improved version so too was the Cateye OS 1.0 cyclocomputer. Cateye recently announced the new OS 1.1 cyclocomputer but they have offered to replace current OS 1.0 units with a new OS 1.1 for free. So, if you own one of these, read the following instructions on how to take them up on this generous offer.

OS 1.0 Upgrade - North America

Cat Eye is offering a free upgrade from the original OS 1.0 to the brand new OS 1.1. The new OS computer offers several improved features and even a new function.

Improved functions include:

• Sharper screen display
• Better date functions
• Improved weekly, monthly and yearly distance recording
• More stable Max Speed functioning
• Improved Microprocessor stability

Additional function:

• Countdown Distance or Countdown Time

The only thing you need to do to take advantage of this offer is to send the current OS 1.0 computer head to the Cat Eye Service Center in Boulder Colorado. ONLY the COMPUTER HEAD should be sent in. This is the only component that is being replaced. The bracket sensor and magnet should not be sent in. They are compatible for the new OS 1.1. Please note that a brand new computer head will be returned. It will have to be reformatted and there will be no data transferred to the new computer.

Shipping Instructions:

The computer head should be packaged in a bubble wrap envelope (or similar padded packaging) and shipped by UPS, FedEx or some other method that is insured and can be traced. Include your return address in the envelope and a daytime phone number and e-mail if available. Send the bubble wrap envelope to:

Cat Eye OS Upgrade
1705 14th Street #115
Boulder, Colorado 80302 USA

This upgrade should be processed within three working days and a new OS 1.1 computer head will be returned to you.

If you receive this message and are not in North America, please contact your local bike shop or d_griffith@cateye.co.jp for more details.

permalink Ω 1 September 2002, Helsinki

Cycling never looked so sexy

In my web surfing ennui at work the other day I found Bicycle Wire, a daily bike news blog which seems to have a nice selection of items for bike commuters and advocates. Bicycle Retailer also carries news about recalls and other bike industry news that is sometimes interesting and useful.

permalink Ω 26 August 2002, Helsinki

Le Tour sponsored by Bengay

The Tour de France is coming in a few weeks though I doubt I'll make the team considering my new found adoration of Bengay for my sore lower back and achy everything else :). I have, however, always wanted to do a bicycle tour of Wales and France. Lonely Planet Guides have started publishing cycling guides, such as Lonely Planet Cycling France, that are really terrific. I wish they had these 10+ years ago when I did a lot of touring with gazetters and topo maps :). For the Bengay set there is also French Revolutions: Cycling the Tour de France which is an amusing travelogue of riding the course...in a much more entertaining and slower fashion :)

permalink Ω 11 June 2002, Helsinki

Now even my bike has a computer

Since I probably won't be getting a new bike anytime soon I resorted to buying some new kit for my old bike; a dynamo light, tire liners to keep all the glass and nails at bay, a waterproof pannier for my laptop and, I'm ashamed to admit, a computer. I used to do a lot of touring on this bike and bike computers seemed to be overly complex odometers that were hard to install, use and maintain.

Well...an online place had a big sale on bike computers and I noticed one that actually looked interesting, the Cateye OS, since it keeps track of how far you have ridden over the last week, month, and year ..and it graphs it too :) Well, I was suckered into buying the shiny computer and got it installed without a hitch. The design of the components is the most thoughtful I've ever seen as the handlebar mount is large enough to accomodate my large touring bars and the magnet and sensor don't require tools or futzing with rings and shims to get it to fit the fork. The amount of wire is perfect for the job as well so that you don't have to wind it around the brake cable or bundle it up in a large unsightly blob. The computer itself is easy to set up since it asks a few questions and you're all set to go.

I now know my round trip to work every day is around 20 miles though some days it feels like 100. I'd rather have R2-D2 as a onboard computer but I don't think he'd fit on the handlebars :)

permalink Ω 3 June 2002, Helsinki

Bike to work week

It's Bike to Work Week and Thursday is Bike to Work Day. I often look to the skies and remember with great fondness how the days following September 11 were so quiet and wish that somehow people might trade in their SUVs for bicycles and masstransit more often than not. The population would be slimmer, would sleep better and the environment would benefit from less gridlock. It's a nice dream that will probably only receive any notice after Antarctica has melted or all the crude oil has been depleted.

permalink Ω 14 May 2002, Helsinki

My Lust for Atlantis

I got rid of the Volvo last month as there was little reason for us to have 2 cars and I didn't want to leave it until the last minute to sell it before leaving for Finland. Cars in Finland are prohibitively priced for mere mortals which may be why they have such lush countryside and bike paths everywhere in the cities. I have a 13 year-old Specialized Sequoia I bought on sale when I was too broke to buy anything nicer or that actually fit me. It has served me well but I've been thinking that if I'm going to ride a bike instead of a car I may as well have one that fits me and has the stuff I want on it for a change.

So I'm lusting for The Atlantis with some durable fittings that will be able to survive the wet and cold of Finland Winters along with fenders, rear rack and dynamo powered lights. The thing is that shopping for a bike as a non-gearhead is like being an AOL user showing up at a hacker con since I always feel like I'm being sized up and cast off 5 feet in the door, immediately recognised as not being 'one of them'. It's true, I don't sleep next to my bike or have chain grease permanently fixed under my nails but I used to do some pretty serious touring a while back so maybe that counts for something :)

permalink Ω 8 May 2002, Helsinki

Squeaka bin Mousen

geoff's diatribe against squirrels reminded me of one of the funniest things I have ever seen on the net, Harvey the Mouse Must Die!. Safe for work but not advisable for those who love rodents. :)

And, after some searching, I found the bicycle I want since I can't really commute on my old Specialized Sequoia which is like the Luxobarge of touring bicycles. Unfortunately, I can't get it in the US and have to order it from a shop I used to frequent in Covent Garden. It's weird that the US makes the bike only for the EU market and none of their US models have things like fenders or chain guards.

permalink Ω 22 January 2002, Helsinki