Disqus - Latest Comments for rorowe

Re: Stranger Things have happened... – Kala Brand Music Co.

rorowe — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 18:48:38 -0000

I've been fascinated by the Kala u-bass since before I started playing uke. Unfortunately, I haven't found a local shop that carries them to try one in person before buying. I'd love to see you highlight some of the best local music shops that carry Kala instruments.

Re: A Winter Bicycling Day in Denver

rorowe — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 00:21:21 -0000

You left right before the snow and freezing rain. Still fun to bicycle in though.

Re: #bikeschool: Tag Lines

rorowe — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:03:26 -0000

I'm going with the consensus (so far), voting for #4.
I love #1, too, though...

Re: Domtar Starts Massive Advertising Campaign to Let Us Know Why We Love Paper and Need To Print That Email : TreeHugger

rorowe — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:10:29 -0000

I work in a locally-owned digital print shop (using a lot of Domtar's products). I think the ads are a waste, but judging by business, paper's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Re: #bikeschool: Ryders Caliber Photochromic Review and Giveaway

rorowe — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 02:04:43 -0000

Unfortunately, I gave up wearing contacts well before I started commuting by bicycle again. Now, after riding my commutes for almost 3 years, I'm hating being stuck with my prescription glasses. Glass lenses in an accident could be disastrous, they fog up and stay that way during winter, especially while wearing my balaclava, and I'm always worried about them breaking on a ride, leaving me stranded with less-than-perfect vision. I checked out Ryder's after listening to your podcast, as a way to get back into wearing contacts, knowing they won't dry out or bother me while riding.

Re: #bikeschool: Win a Pearl Izumi Elite Barrier Jacket

rorowe — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:44:41 -0000

Last year, during the few work days between Christmas and New Year's, the temps were in the single digits, with negative degree wind-chills. Before moving to Boulder, anytime we had serious cold in Philadelphia, there was usually snow/ice along with it, so (obviously, lol) I wouldn't bicycle. But, after deciding my car was for emergencies only, and I didn't consider extreme cold and emergency, I braved it. Of course, it was only a little more than 2 miles to work, but it was still COLD!
I don't know if I could do negative degree rides like people do in the northern states and Canada...

Re: I’m okay, you’re not okay

rorowe — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:59:49 -0000

I'm a delivery driver in the tourist trap of Boulder, CO. I've driven cross-country 3 times. I'm only on my 2nd (and possibly my last) car.
I'm still average at best.
I've experienced near-misses while on the job, and yeah, lots of times I'm blaming someone else (pedestrian not paying attention, motorist texting, cyclist without lights, etc). I just take a breath and remember, I'm the one in the giant metal cage that's capable of killing someone effortlessly, and it helps bring me back to reality. It's also the reason I like cycling more to combat the "scariness" of driving.

Re: Frame X Frame Now Available in the App Store – the free, stop motion enabled, social sharing, all-in-one camera iPhone app

rorowe — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 20:13:06 -0000

Tried downloading it, and it's only compatible with iPhone 4? Will the Gorillacam app still be updated? (Gorillacam is still my favorite, even with Camera+ and Vimeo's installed)

Re: Tiny Endangered Kittens Born From Frozen Embryos

rorowe — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 01:26:11 -0000

I feel the same way here, as I do about Aye-aye's (http://www.philadelphiazoo....
These animals are threatened/endangered (depending on which listing you're referencing) because of human interaction. Therefore, I believe we are 100% responsible for making sure their extinction doesn't happen.

Re: Wild Bald Eagle Falls For Zoo-Kept Female, Visits Her Twice a Day

rorowe — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 03:26:33 -0000

That's what I'm wondering, actually. It would be quite dangerous to try and capture the male, and cage it with the female, but would supervised release of the female (in a controlled area or something?) be possible? I think the opportunity for a successful, mated pair of bald eagles is too priceless to just shrug off as "no possible in this scenario".

Re: http://bikeschool.tumblr.com/post/3047259891

rorowe — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 01:34:56 -0000

Great reasons, many of which I claim as my own as well.
(Reminds me; I have my poor Mongoose mountain bike sitting in Philly waiting for me to come visit, fix 'er up, and go for a spin.)

Re: Bike lane closed use other side

rorowe — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:03:12 -0000

Ouch. Boulder's been doing road work on a heavily traveled (both car, bus, and bike traffic) road. For the time being, there are semi-permanent signs posted that say: 1. "Bike Lane Closed Ahead" and 2. "Bikes Merge with Traffic" (I think, I'm not totally sure on the verbiage for the 2nd sign, but basically, it's saying "take the lane".)

Re: One Tonne Life: A Swedish Family's Green Lifestyle Experiment Begins

rorowe — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 22:46:30 -0000

I agree. Could this work as a retrofit (mostly the appliances and metering equipment) to an existing flat in the city, leaving out the car in favor of walking or cycling? It should definitely be an interesting experiment, but it will be hard to get people to act on it when it's their money being put out for the changes.

Re: The Longest Lasting Tube Ever

rorowe — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 09:18:31 -0000

That's impressive. My Trek hybrid's been going on about a year and a half, with only 1 flat (rear tire, of course). I remember this being a bigger problem when I was younger, but I also didn't have QR wheels on my Huffy bikes.

Re: http://bikeschool.tumblr.com/post/2697189976

rorowe — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:48:11 -0000

Great interview! #bikeschool has definitely pushed me to try new things, (and want more bikes, haha)
Keep these coming!

Re: Google Experiments With Robot Cars that Drive Themselves

rorowe — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 23:08:55 -0000

Sebastian Thrun, the director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, was on Stanford's team for the DARPA challenges (both the offroad, and urban challenges). He clearly has experience doing this, and Google getting him onboard was a great move.

Re: White House Will Install Solar Panels After All, Huzzah!

rorowe — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 20:10:50 -0000

I think this is an awesome gesture. Really, price seems to be the only obstacle in getting solar power on more peoples' roofs. (Definitely correct me if I'm wrong!)
Of course, it's an investment, but the minute it's installed it will begin to save money off your electric bill (assuming you can't afford to completely power your house by solar photovoltaic panels).

Re: Save a Cyclist...Stop Distracted Driving

rorowe — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 14:42:15 -0000

There's a possibility that Natasha Pettigrew had "taken the lane" which is well within her legal rights as a cyclist.
All motor vehicles are equipped with headlights, and if there's any question about the bicycle having blinkers, then the SUV's headlights should have been on. (That should have helped the driver see any animals, cyclists, or other obstacles, even if it was too late to avoid hitting them.)
Not stopping after hitting something is pure negligence, and frankly, if you're not concerned that you may have done damage to your Cadillac, let alone another human being, there's something wrong with you.
I truly hope the driver goes to court, if nothing else, to find out what really happened.

Re: Is Riding a Bike On The Sidewalk OK?

rorowe — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 13:56:32 -0000

Just recently moved from Philadelphia to Boulder, and I'm suddenly confused on exactly this topic!
In Philadelphia, you use bike lanes when you can, and ride in the traffic when bike lanes aren't available (or blocked by a police car or UPS truck...) Riding on the sidewalks is against the law, and frowned upon when people do it anyway.
In Boulder, on the other hand, there are bike lanes and multi-use paths everywhere, many of which look like regular sidewalks aside from some basic signage. Cyclists also use the raised crosswalks and pedestrian crossing signals instead of making "boxed turns" or using the turning lanes that a car would use.
So, I'm confused. Am I still allowed to use the traffic lanes if I wish? Are all sidewalks rideable, or do I have to check to see if it's a labeled MUP or not?

Re: Now You Can Follow Twitter Users Without an Account

rorowe — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 01:20:56 -0000

sending [follow username] to 40404 used to be one of the normal text message commands to follow someone. Then, if you didn't already have a Twitter account, you could create one, merging those text follows by visiting Twitter.com.
Is this really new?

Re: FAIL! 5 Ways Google's "Bike There" Is Not All There Yet

rorowe — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:14:52 -0000

I use Google's bike directions weekly in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Sure, I run into weird situations, but I've learned a few tricks to make it a little better.
1) Cross reference the Bike There directions with the regular car and/or walking directions (if car directions take you onto a turnpike or expressway where bikes are prohibited, adjust accordingly)
2) Grab the route and drag it to other roads (This is great if you're already kinda familiar with an area; if you're not, just be aware of roads running parallel so you can make a decision mid-ride.)
3) Take advantage of satellite and street view options when available (they would warn you of giant staircases).
Finally, as far as I know, Bike There doesn't account for bike type, so carrying a fixie or cyclocross bike up a set of stairs may not be a problem, whereas a heavier mountainbike or e-bike may be impossible. Aside from some of the situations above, be flexible! You're on a bike!

Re: Poll: Render aid?

rorowe — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:29:08 -0000

I'm glad I read the comments. I'll slow to ask if someone (car/bike/whatever) needs help, but I don't consider myself mechanically-inclined to be able to offer much assistance. I always, at the very least, have my cellphone with me to call for help if necessary.
Thankfully, most of my rides and commutes are only ever 1-2 miles from a bike shop (or sports store) so I haven't gotten into the (good) habit of carrying tools and spares.

Re: Bike Snob & San Jose Bike Party photos

rorowe — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:34:47 -0000

The photos definitely capture the experience, blur or not! I'm glad you went into your camera rig in the post, too, as I've wanted to do point and shoot photography from my bike.

Re: 300 Riders Cover 31,000 Miles in the Name of Affordable Housing

rorowe — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 23:33:18 -0000

Just a rough (i.e. Google Maps, Bicycling directions) estimate for Boston to Santa Barbara said 3330 miles, and would take a little over 11 days by bike.
Obviously, that doesn't factor in rest stops, sleeping, food, and their presentations and house building.
I'm assuming the 31k miles is a total of all 300 cyclists. Possible, but wow!

Re: Yes, It's True: California is Banning Plastic Bags

rorowe — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:31:27 -0000

Good news, California! I wish PA (and all other states) would follow suit.
I work in retail and don't even offer a bag for purchases under 3 items (unless they ask...)
I do question where that 5 cents/bag is going though.