Posted on

laptop/tablet recommendations

If I were to buy a laptop in 2012 it would be one of these (in the following order):

Spec wise I guess you're supposed to look for Core i5/i7 processors with 256GB SSD hard drives (I'd want 512GB) and 4 to 8GB of memory and 6-7 hours of battery life. SD card slot, back lit keyboards, high res screens, a couple USB slots pretty much rounds things out. Might want to wait for Ivy Bridge processors, "retina display" for the MacBook as well as Mac OS X Mountain Lion or Windows 8 due out later this year.

For tablets, there's really only the iPad, no point in getting anything else at the moment unless you're a developer or want a tablet to just watch movies. For smart phones, either the iPhone 4S or the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and probably the next generation of both, due out later this year, is the safer bet.

My current setup (and will be through 2012 and a good part of 2013/2014) is a 13" MacBook Pro from a few years ago and a Nexus S that I upgraded with a better battery that can last me a day or two between charges. And no tablets yet.

Posted on

Roy Denim

Roy Denim are the best jeans out there (for men only right now), might not be able to get them though since they're made by one guy in Oakland, CA and they're limited in quantity. I'm lucky to have a few pairs and they're just fantastic. Roy Slaper is Levi Strauss reincarnated.

Plenty of videos and discussion why Roy jeans are great out on the web but it's mostly because it's about a passionate guy doing one thing and doing it really well. And it's hard to beat that.

Posted on

part 3: bikes – carbon fiber

Parlee Z5 stock

My dream bike is a Parlee Z5 — an all carbon fiber bike that can be built as a complete bike at around 13lbs.  My current bike is not heavy at a little over 17lbs and bikes for racing have to weigh at a minimum 15lbs (thankfully I don't race).  Shaving 2 to 4lbs off a bike would be really great though.  I could also just eat less and lose some weight.

Anyway, for the build I'd go with the SRAM Red group with ENVE seat post, stem, and bar, Fizik seat, Look pedals, and TRP brakes.  I'd also go with the Dura Ace 7850 50cm wheels because they're carbon wheels with an alloy braking surface, otherwise would go with Lightweight or ENVE clincher wheels.

If all goes well, maybe in 2012?  I could use the time to think of a nice paint job, though will probably end up with something like the first picture above — a solid blue bike.

I'm in the camp of people believing that carbon fiber is the best material for road bikes.  Carbon fiber just sucks up the bumpiness in roads that it makes for really comfortable riding.  I've ridden maybe 10,000+ miles on my road bike and can't complain — stiff, durable, comfortable, just solid riding.

Above Category bike shop in Mill Valley is teasing me with some of their current bike builds of the Parlee.  Here, here, and here.

Posted on

part 2: bikes – titanium

Picture above is from Above Category.  The bike is a Moots RSL titanium road bike with SRAM Red and Lightweight wheels.  If I had room  and money for several bikes, a Moots titanium road, cross, or mountain bike would be one of those bikes.  Titanium bikes are super light, durable, strong, and they're considered lifetime bikes.  They're just pretty looking bikes.

There are lots of other bike companies that make titanium bikes like Lynskey, Litespeed, Seven, and Serotta.  These companies sometimes mix titanium and carbon fiber parts into the frame, it's a cool but a bit frankenstein-ish for my taste.  In any case, if you're shopping for a titanium road bike, this Moots RSL is what I would get.  I'd actually get a mountain bike from Moots, I prefer carbon fiber for road bikes.

Posted on

MacBook Air

This 13" MacBook Air is now "production" as the primary home computer as of 12/15/2010.  It's pretty cool, loads up fast with the 256SSD.  Everything was transferred from the Mac Mini which was put in production starting in April 2006.  The Mac Mini held up pretty well, there were some issues with the hard drive and then started acting up again.  I still need to load up some software onto the new MacBook and that should do it.

I have a 13" MacBook Pro that I've been using for work since 6/17/2009.  It has a 256SSD and love it as well but the MacBook Air at under 3lbs is pretty sweet.  I don't think I've used the DVD drive on my MacBook for a long time but I do appreciate the solid 3-4 hr battery life.

*Updated*

As far as PC laptops go, I'd probably go with the Samsung 9 Series

Posted on

Daddy-O Ray Bans

I needed a new pair of prescription sunglasses (my prescription changed) for working out and I finally ended up getting the Daddy-O square Ray Bans — very comfortable and great lenses.  It's darker than I'm used to and it's just been a great frame for working out and cycling than what I've had in the past.

I was wearing Oakleys but my prescription got too high and none of their really nice (overpriced) frames would allow my prescription.  The ones I have now lean towards being normal glasses with sun glass lenses versus actual sunglasses.  It's too bad because I really like Oakley.  Thankfully Ray Bans are just as stylish and they're cheaper too.

I did a bunch of research as I usually do and ended up getting the glasses from SportRX Prescription Eyewear.  Rob T. hooked me up and was very patient with me as he made the initial suggestion.  I eventually emailed him my prescription and glasses came in soon after.  It was a very nice experience.

Anyway, it's funny that I'm sporting Ray Bans since it seems like the wayfarers have made a come back.  Maybe us '80s kids are on the attack.

Posted on

part 1: bikes – steel

One bike is good but if I could have three, one would be a steel bike from Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles, their alter ego of Speedvagen, or a Dario Pegoretti bike from Italy.  (The second one would be a titanium bike from Moots and the third one would be a Parlee carbon fiber bike…ok, fine, and a fourth Parlee triathlon bike).

The bikes from these two guys are well built and just pretty — construction, paint job, geometry.  Steel isn't the lightest frame material but can be made pretty light and supposedly the ride is fast, responsive, and fantastic.  Steel is also supposed to be pretty durable and easy to repair.

Oh, well.

Posted on

savon de Marseille

 

I have a few silly product posts coming up, going to start with soap.  I honestly can't tell you why soap to start, but one day just wanted to get the *one* soap, one scent and just stick with that for the rest of my life and not think about it anymore.  Maybe I watched another rerun of Fight Club or too many Old Spice commercials.

I guess I was using Dove and Ivory bar soap and then at some point switched to a Kiehl's body scrub soap for men which was nice.  I started experimenting with Caswell & Massey soap and I liked their Jockey Club, Oatmeal, Verbena, and Number Six soaps.

Now, I'm sticking with a soap that's been around for ages, savon de Marseille.  Basically a soap made in Marseille mostly out of olive oil and they've been doing it for over 500 years.  It lathers really well so I use it instead of shampoo and there's not much of a scent and it doesn't dry my skin either.  It comes in a big block so I have to cut it to size and that's about all there is to it.  One less thing to think about.

If there's a place I'd love to visit again, it would be Marseille.  It sounds silly but Marseille is a little bit like Oakland, a port city, diverse, edgy, hip hop, and great weather.  Our food story is getting better in Oakland too.

(There is an Oakland soap, Cal Ben Pure Soap, but haven't gotten the urge to try it yet, supposed to be good though)

 

Posted on

Garmin Edge 500

Recommendation: Definite Buy

This is the Garmin Edge 500 and I'm super attached to this thing mostly because it works.  I bought this in December last year and it's reasonably priced.  DC Rainmaker has this crazy long review.

I use this computer for cycling and running though it's optimized for cycling.  I have a heart rate monitor for my heart rate and it comes with a cadence monitor to monitor rotations per minute (RPMs) or my legs around the bike crank.  It's a Garmin so there's a GPS so it measures distance and elevation.  It's also an ANT+ product and so it works with other ANT+ products like power meters and such.

The computer also comes with Garmin training center software so I can download all the information from the Edge 500 onto my computer (Mac OS X but works on Windows too).  From there, I upload the data to WorkoutLog.com which records all my workouts.

From a technology standpoint, it's pretty freaking cool — a total home run product.  It works, it's minimalist by default, configurable to your needs, easy to get data in and out.  Even the battery power is pretty good, lasted me a whole Ironman race (well the bike and the run part…and I took a long time).

It's a piece of technology that will actually tell you about yourself, what you did, and could actually make you faster, stronger, better because you have data to measure against.