Road bicycle 4

In the end, I chose the CAAD 10. Many people who should know commented on what a great bike it is. The Supersix was definitely better, but at my level, I won't notice the difference, and when I get that good, I may want something better than the SS anyway. Besides, the $600 will pay for pedals, shoes, and a helmet, maybe more.

Road bicycles 3

Test rode the Cannondale CAAD 10, Specialized Allez Comp, Bianci Nirone, and the Trek 2.1. The Cannndale was clearly superior.....but....

I just got off the phone with my ex-now good friend who told me to check out the Cannondale Supersix 105. I touched the carbon bikes in the shop, and so now I have to test ride it...

Still, my goal here was to give a beginner's impression of entry level road bikes, and, maybe I've been riding for a few years, I can just begin to distinguish between the subtle differences of the rides. Two things struck me most:

First, the Shimano 105 gear set was much easier to use than then SRAM Apex. Second, the Cannondale felt stiffer and I felt more confident on it. Despite wearing my clip-less shoes on cheapo regular pedals, I did not feel shy standing in the saddle -- whereas on the other bikes I felt wobbly.

I can tell that riding a road bike's gonna be exciting and scary, but that i'm going to FLY! Can't wait to ride the Supersix! Update: googled a comparison between the CAAD 10 and the Supersix and found this forum discussion. Food for thought.

Location:Kroy Way,Sacramento,United States

Road bicycles 2

In my quest to get a new road bike I visited my local Mike's Bikes to check out the Cannondale CAAD 10 and the Specialized Allez Comp Compact M2 Apex (with SRAM Apex components, as opposed to the  Specialized Allez Elite Comp with Shimano 105 components like the CAAD 10). Unfortunately, it was close to closing, so I only got to ride the Cannondale.

This was my first time on a road bike. Strange as it sounds, I was excited, even nervous. So of course the tire exploded with a pop like a cap. ...

After returning to the shop for a replacement wheel, and again 'cause I had no idea how to shift, I got to ride around the block before closing.

The ride position was so unusual for me, that I really had no way to evaluate the bike. One thing I could tell, though was that it's gonna kick ass when I get it on the road. Already have my plans for an 80 mile ride!!

Road bicycles

So, in my former life as a 20-something I was an avid mountain biker. I enjoyed the crash and chaos and the mud. However, I was never very coordinated, and prone to gnarly tumbles down rocky hills. In my youth, that was not much of a problem; the scrapes and bruises were badges of honor! Now, though, that I'm 44 and wear a shirt and tie every day for work, I'm not interested in looking death in the eye.

During law school, there was a long and unfortunate hiatus from biking. I can't really tell you how it left me, but I'm thrilled that now its back full force, but in a different way: road biking.

This started about two years ago when I pulled my dusty old mountain bike out of the closet and started do to the 1/2 hour commute to work every day (in lieu of treadmilling my fat away). After a year of slogging down T Street on that leaden beast, I decided to upgrade to something designed for the task:

Me and my GT Tachyon

This bike was nearly perfect for me when I got it about six months ago. (The shop where I got it bills it as a flat bar road bike, but that is a marketing thing to sucker (I say sucker, though it is a really good commute bike) people like me into buying it.) It was much lighter than my old Trek mountain bike, the skinny tires makes the road fly by, and the geometry was great for the 7 mile ride. But then I discovered the American River Bike Trail.

This trail is possibly the best thing that Sacramento has to offer. Its long, relatively well maintained, and follows a very beautiful river from its confluence with the Sacramento River past two man-made lakes, and is strewn with wild life to look at (I've seen wild turkeys, quail, snakes, rabbits, egrets, and squirrels).

As I ride my trusty commute bike, I'm finding I can keep up with many (far from all) of the wanna-be pro riders on their made-for-the-purpose road bikes. And I'm finding I'm enjoying the speed! So the logical conclusion is: buy a road bike ASAP. To that end, I've been reading as much as I can stand about the dizzying array of road bike types and styles, and have learned a tad bit.

First, I learned that they come from no fewer than 10 manufacturers (I'm sure I've not cracked the surface, and I'm discounting anything custom made as far out of my price range.) Second, I've learned they come in a wide price range, where the price difference have mostly to do with frame material, the type of parts, and the coolness factor. Third, I've realized I don't want a crappy bike, but one that will make the other bikers not feel so bad about being behind me.

With all being said and done, it seems the bike I'll select will have an aluminum frame, a composite fork, and a Shimano 105 components (see review here). Mostly because the manufacturers I've been looking at offer such configurations in the price range.

Here's a list of the bikes I've considered so far:

1. Cannondale CAAD 10 5 105.
2. Scott, Speedster S20.
3. Trek 2.1.
4. Specialized Allez Elite Compact Double.
5. Felt F85.
6. Fuji Roubiax 1.0.
7. Giant Defy 1.

I'm reeling from the numbers...component types and price mostly...and from the marketing speak. The only thing to do is go try them all. Finding dealers with my size might be a challenge, and that is the next step. But first a ride.

Transformation

I'm going to transform this blog from one about legal issues to a generalized blog about things that interest me. As such, the post numbers should increase dramatically. Right now, the things that are obsessing me are:

1. Whether I should sign up for a charity bike event in October, and which one.
2. Why I cannot seem to find gay bicyclists to train with in Sacramento.
3. Which road bike I should get.
4. What next steps I'm going to take in my career as a lawyer.

Taking them in random order, I'm going to list the bikes I'm interested in. PLEASE provide feedback, if you read this and know anything about road bikes.

What you see is not what you think you see...

Recently a cop was accused of obstructing justice and perjury after asserting that he did not see his colleagues unlawfully beating up another, undercover cop (they though he was the suspect in a crime the force was investigating). Turns out the first cop was chasing a suspect in the same crime, and ran right by the cops doing their nefarious duty. However, his story that he just didn't see the violence was so incredible to the court, that his conviction stood.

This story prompted Union College researchers to conduct a study (of undergraduates), where the subjects were asked to follow someone and make mental notes about him. Seems that about two thirds of the time, the subjects did not see a fight which had been staged for the purpose.

This research shows that we have a better opinion of our ability to absorb visual cues around us than we do. Such an insight is important when dealing with coworkers who present vastly differing versions of events. Maybe they just literally saw things differently. For this reason, it is important to always get both sides of a story when making employment decisions based on employee reports.

100 Years of High Tech: IBM

IBM: Celebrating 100 years in business.

Online Reputation Monitoring

Google launched an on-line reputation monitoring tool: Me on the Web. Click link for more information.

Discrimination in the Face of Worker's Compensation Claims

The California Workers’ Compensation Act provides for no-fault remedies to injured workers, on the theory that eliminating the proof requirements attendant on ordinary injury claims will save the parties time, money, and headaches. However, the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (“WCAB”) has jurisdiction over two other types of cases which do not fit the “no-fault” mold on which the workers’ compensation system was established: liability for discrimination associated with workers’ comp claims, and serious and willful violation of the workers’ comp laws. This article outlines what employers may expect as respondents in a Labor Code § 132a discrimination cases.

A. Procedure Before the WCAB

Because of the reduced proof requirements in workers’ compensation benefits matters, procedure before the WCAB is designed to be “simple, informal, and expeditious.” (See http://tinyurl.com/CalWCAB, for published rules.) The WCAB “need not adhere to rules of pleading and practice binding ordinary courts. … This liberal way of proceeding, free of formalism, applies also to the manner in which parties are brought under the jurisdiction of the commission … although the constitutional requirements of due process must be observed.” (DeMartini v. Industrial Acc. Com. (1949) 90 Cal.App.2d 139.) As a result, for instance, employers’ dispositive motions, such as demurrers and motions for summary judgment, are rarely heard by WCAB judges.

Summary of Logical Fallacies

Why do we study logical fallacies? The reason is simple: to avoid making them, and to avoid being duped by them! I've been writing about those fallacies that have come up in my work, but here is a taxonomic chart of "all" the logical fallacies categorized by type.

Enjoy it, and see if you can find and correct a logical fallacy in your work today.