Al's Blog-o-Sphere

While outfitting my new bike, I had to choose a taillight for nighttime use, or in case I get caught out at dusk. I’ve always used a blinking LED taillight in the past and they are pretty good at getting you seen in the dark. The flashing LEDs really stand out. But this time I wanted a little more because the recumbent is so low to the ground and might not be recognized as a moving object in the dark.

I had seen some lights that were really bright, so much so that they are actually of use in the daytime. I went in search of one online. It’s really hard to get real information about how bright these really are. You can see photos or watch YouTube videos, but because cameras adjust to the light available, they all look blindingly bright individually. Only side-by-side comparisons are useful. They’re hard to find, though.

Typical generic LED tailight You’re probably familiar with lights that look like this. I’ve had dozens of them in the past and recently threw away a bunch that had quit working and couldn’t be revived by new batteries. Some are good quality, others are cheap knock-offs, but they’re all about as bright as the other. I bought four of them a while ago for $1.25 each at a flea market. Continue Reading…

Well, the summer concert season has officially begun with the first Thursday at the Square concert in Buffalo. They kicked it off with Alejandro Escovedo last Thursday.

This week provides more choices in free outdoor concerts in the Erie-Niagara area. Artpark opens it’s Tuesday series with War with Then and Now billed as openers.

Thursday at the Square continues it’s run with Ingrid Michaelson. A. A. Bondy opens.

With only two concerts this week, the choice is pretty clear. If you want familiar, comfort-food music, you’re going to go see War at Artpark. If you’re the type that goes and sees America there every summer, (June 29 this year) and thinks The Boys of Summer is a great local band, then you know who you are.

But if you want to hear something new and embrace something that isn’t being spoon-fed to you by 97 Rock, (or worse, WJYE) then Thursday at the Square is the clear winner. I hadn’t heard of Ingrid Michaelson or A. A. Bondi, but a quick listen online (I’ve put MySpace links in above) has tweaked my curiosity. They’re both worth a trip to see.

Kudos to Buffalo Place for getting “It” and bringing in some new and upcoming talent, rather than just the latest in the milk-it-for-all-it’s-worth touring greatest-hits has-beens.

Incidentally, MySpace may be getting kicked around by Facebook when it comes to popularity in social media, but it’s still the best place to find and hear new music. Every band has a page there. It must be required by law or something. Even when they have other outlets for their online presence, a MySpace page is an integral part of any musicians self-promotion kit.

I’m still walking regularly along the canal in Lowertown. Not always every day, but I’ve been using the walks as fill ins between other activities, like cycling, now.

I took a few photos on my walk last Thursday. This boat was docked at the Exchange Street docks in Packet Park. That’s all I know about it. It looked cool, though, but I have no clue what it was doing here or where it was going. Continue Reading…

One of the things about a new bike is it’s not really yours, until you customize it. That’s a process that might never end, but a lot of it gets done while it’s pretty new. Later, the urge to change or add things tapers off.

I suppose it’s the same with a new car, but it’s much easier to do, and less expensive, with a bike.

I started at the shop when I asked for the rack. There was another TerraTrike that had a really nice rear rack on it, so I asked for one like it. It was the only one they had, so they simply took it off the other bike and put it on mine. It’s very sturdy and just the right size for it. Since I’d like to be able to carry things with me, it was a necessity.

After I got home, I continued my customization. I got a couple LED blinky lights and put one on each side of the back of the seat. I liked them, and they look pretty bright in the dark, but after riding with some other people, I found out they now make much brighter warning lights, bright enough to be useful in the daytime. I’ll have to look into them. Continue Reading…