Covet

[hozn]

@dasgeh 94768 wrote:

You clearly have not met my daughter. She has been asking for a baby seat for her balance bike basically since she got it. She would fill the panniers with her “diaper bag” and her “doctor’s kit” and throw babies in the front basket in a heart beat.

Of course, we’re dying to get her on a bike with brakes so she can stop wearing holes in her shoes…

Yes, clearly there is a market for this I guess it makes perfect sense that with such awesome practical-cycling modeling from her parents, she would naturally look to use the bike for more than just riding. … My son only wants to ride around as fast as possible and with as little caution as possible. I don’t *think* I model that behavior, but who knows. Son #2 appears to approach life with much more caution, though he *loves* “walking” (with someone holding the bike) around on the balance bike now (at almost 1yr he’s still not walking unassisted, but he desperately wants to be like his big brother).

[dasgeh]

Yeah, in our house #2 has taken to all things physical much more quickly than #1, because he desperately wants to keep up with his sister. It doesn’t always end well (but is usually pretty cute until it ends…)

[dplasters]

@dplasters 94157 wrote:

I will tell you in two/three weeks when it gets here… Free shipping from Hong Kong has its downsides…

Apparently, free shipping from Hong Kong does not really have a downside. I received the backpack cover yesterday. So less than 10 full days. God bless the modern world.

Having said that, the review will have to be conducted by my wife. After calling it an over-sized shower cap she promptly decided she needed it for her walking/running/metro commute more than I did and since the precious should be arriving by Wednesday and there is not a drop of rain in the forecast I could not argue.

A quick test with the hose went very well though.

[Crickey7]

@dplasters 94897 wrote:

A quick test with the hose went very well though.

Was the cover on the backpack on the back for this test? Even if it’s not 100% effective, it does seem like a promising thing. And at that price, I could keep one at each end.

[dplasters]

@Crickey7 94904 wrote:

Was the cover on the backpack on the back for this test? Even if it’s not 100% effective, it does seem like a promising thing. And at that price, I could keep one at each end.

Cover was on the backpack on my back for the test. It wasn’t a very punishing test if I’m honest. I didn’t feel like putting on a jacket to keep myself from getting wet (hot yesterday) so my wife sprayed pretty much dead center and below on the cover with the water. The material is very much waterproof. Durability and its ability to secure well particular around the top of the backpack remain the questions. Fits nicely on packs in the 25-35L range is my guess. Any smaller and it is likely too large. Any large and it may be difficult to get on if the pack is fully loaded up.

[jrenaut]

DAMN YOU BIANCHI offering a chrome Volpe with disc brakes after I’ve already bought mine.

[dkel]

@jrenaut 94937 wrote:

DAMN YOU BIANCHI offering a chrome Volpe with disc brakes after I’ve already bought mine.

Yeah. Wow. That is reeealy nice. First time I’ve had my head turned even a little since I got my Straggler. The 105 groupset with that price makes me happy, along with the brazeons for everything. I wonder what the clearances are for tires and such, and what options would be possible for changing up the drivetrain if one wanted to go crazy with it.

[Bruno Moore]

Given that the frame is essentially the same as the standard Volpe, I’m going to guess that tire clearance issues are going to be about the same—minimal. A quick look around at what other people have done (coupled with my own memory, for whatever it’s worth) seems to indicate that 35’s will work just fine with fenders, though things might get a little tight depending on your tread/manufacturer standards/day of the week. Taking the Volpe frame, switching out fork ends, braze ons, and components, and cooking up a whole new bike has a grand tradition at Bianchi—especially back in the days when Sky Yaeger was working for them in San Jose.

As far as component upgrades go, I’m not aware of any limitations inherent to the bike, but more of what’s being manufactured in the way of road disc brake compatible componentry, especially shifters. What’s available is going to expand in coming years, of course, and the ergonomics of disc brake levers is probably going to continue to improve (I know some people have issues), but it’s still an emerging area.

[hozn]

Well, you can use any road levers with mechanical (or hybrid) disc brakes. My TRP Spyres are awesome brakes.

[dplasters]

@dplasters 94897 wrote:

Apparently, free shipping from Hong Kong does not really have a downside. I received the backpack cover yesterday. So less than 10 full days. God bless the modern world.

Having said that, the review will have to be conducted by my wife. After calling it an over-sized shower cap she promptly decided she needed it for her walking/running/metro commute more than I did and since the precious should be arriving by Wednesday and there is not a drop of rain in the forecast I could not argue.

A quick test with the hose went very well though.

After this mornings constant rain, the wife reports that her backpack was bone dry upon arrival at her office. The oversized $4 shower-cap appears to work well.

My much more expensive Timbuk2 backpack also performed well. One pocket got wet but it could be do to me not paying attention when I zipped it up. The double drop liner kept everything else perfectly dry though. Can’t really argue.

[consularrider]

I’m not sure I “covet” this interesting lock concept, but it is interesting.

[Subby]

Veloloop sounds pretty interesting. Not sure if it has been posted here before.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/natnat/veloloop-trigger-traffic-signals-from-your-bike

[dasgeh]

http://vimeo.com/68037407

[AFHokie]

This Water Bottle Can Generate Water From The Air Looks interesting, but currently doesn’t look like it’ll produce enough water even in the best (humidity) conditions. Is it just me or are products such as this always ‘just over the horizon’ but never make it to mass production?

[mstone]

The real technological hurdle to overcome is the scarcity of droids that understand the binary language of moisture vaporators.

[Author]

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