so I got the site analytics privilige today

tis not very interesting

@Batman that seems to be the case with the higher "privileges". 15k I can protect questions.. yay?

@Mσᶎ glad to hear it! I do like the Urban 350 quite a bit :)

I'm working on a big update right now. Taking me longer to get it out than I'd hoped. Busy with work and all, of course.

@nhinkle everything takes longer :)

Actually had a good chat with the boss the other day where we did cover the whole "the point of software is that it's always changing, it's never stable, and that's a good thing".

In response to the junior guy asking why we couldn't keep the stable version of the server code up until we had a new stable version. But also in contrast to the hardware guys who don't dare ship stuff that isn't finished... my code is never "finished", it's just "don't crash so often it's unusable" Specifically right now there's a memory leak that means I have to restart it every 5-7 days when it hits ~2GB

I think there's almost two competing metastable states for server code: stable code that is missing crucial new features; and code with the latest features. Mostly because development consists to a large degree of adding a new feature and putting it live to see what happens. I'd say less than 50% of the time new features "just work", more often than not they either reveal bugs inj the rest of the system or have new bugs of their own.

@Mσᶎ Watch out for bitchy bus drivers :-P They might be offended by the flashing light!

@Criggie I will mention that to her :) Also, the beam patterns on all the lights are garbage, it's as though the manufacturer has never seen a non-circular pattern or considered that their product might be used other than as a hand-held torch.

But since that's the "standard" for bike lights, it's almost impossible to find properly designed ones. But somewhere (hopefully) in the house is a nice german light with a proper beam pattern, it's the battery version of my dyno headlight. But the girly had it and now we can't find it.

Hence buying new lights. Because "I don't know where it is" just means another opportunity for shopping.

Currently writing a submission on a draft bike plan, again. Different plan, different council, similar problems. They mostly cater for lightweight daimond frames travelling slowly. Yay.

I figure the faster I go, the less time I'm in their sights.

@Mσᶎ L&M's beam patterns are better than most, although you're right about the annoying lack of non-circular beams.

I'll be publishing a review of the B&M Ixon Core Flash soon. I think it's much like what you're looking for.

@nhinkle "better than most" is one of those condemning with faint praise things :)

@Mσᶎ if you want a circular beam, it's great. If you don't want a circular beam, you don't have many options :/

I talked with their engineers when I went down there last year, and apparently they have designs for lights with cut off beams, but seem to think the extra expense in the manufacturing process would make them sell poorly in the US market where nobody cares about beam shape. Some of their high-end lights actually do have very nicely designed optics that rival some German dynamo stuff, but nothing in their single-piece commuter category.

@nhinkle I agree with the Germans on this one, circular beams shouldn't be legal headlights. They are impossible to use without dazzling oncoming traffic, and that's unsafe. But it is good to see another B&M light coming out. I'm really hanging out for a 150+ lumen version that I can use on the badly lit paths I ride on - the paths are often dark with bright backlights, so my eyes can't adjust to the bike path.

@Mσᶎ unfortunately their latest offering isn't as bright as I'd like. Haven't had a chance to get it on an integrating sphere, but I doubt it's much more than 150 lm, if that.

I think they have one with an external battery that's much brighter but it wasn't available yet when they sent me samples.

The one I have/had was reasonbly bright, with the battery plus dyno versions both going it worked reasonably well. I just felt that doubling the output again would be about right.

Of course, you tell me this after I spend $200 on new lights :) I should have asked before buying

@Mσᶎ you can ping me anytime for a personal consultation :P

Thanks. I just have to remember to actually do that. But if you feel like posting me that B&M light for an extended road test once you've finished with it I'd be more than willing to send you reports.

Also, $AUS200, which is about $US8 :)

@Criggie - that youtube movie link :D some of that kiwi sense of humour stuff never gets old. And Fred Dagg as a car salesman is genius

on one ride this winter my water bottles froze solid

and then I cycled across the sea to some islands

hugo: are you in Alaska with Sus?

bonkers biking on ice by choice.

bikes don't float so good, plus they put all their weight on two small contact patches.

in Finland

@Rilakkuma, no idea sorry, there's a facebook group called natural cambodia, they would probably be able to identify it for you if you post a picture

cycling on the sea ice flickr.com/photos/hugovk/24973208842/in/album-72157660284065772 flickr.com/photos/hugovk/24477359654/in/album-72157660284065772 flickr.com/photos/hugovk/24989861332/in/album-72157660284065772 flickr.com/photos/hugovk/24478046094/in/album-72157660284065772

@Hugo You make my bum pucker. Madness!

So sad to wake up to the news about Ali.

evening

great boxer, even better showman

had a great cycle with junior this evening

he really enjoyed the weeride

went out with my own father on his bike and junior on mine

speed bumps were his favourite part :D

evening @ynnekkram

Unfortunately we had the opposite - tears down the phone

:|

ah, it's a long story that I won't bore you with

there's lots of history there and I think she's her own worst enemy. Unfortunately she never learned how to deal with people.

I keep a distance because otherwise, you get sucked into it

i finished watching danger 5. australian tv is weird.