Thursday was the third and final ‘Dirt Crit’ in the 2009/2010 Summer Series.  I raced in the first Dirt Crit, but missed the second (oops).  Anyway, I finished last in the B grade in the first race, and decided to try out the C grade this time.

The B grade in this race was quite large with 15 riders.  I began the race out in front, not because I planned on winning from the start, but rather because I didn’t want to inhale the dust from 28 other wheels.  So, I ended up holding the lead for 6 of 15 laps, and ultimately finished in 4th.  From what I remember of grade school, I think this would get one of those purple ribbons, or perhaps they were green…

Back to the race.  During the time I was leading the race, I considered the group of riders not too far behind me, and assumed they were waiting for me to either make a mistake or wear myself out.  Neither really happened, but they eventually made up the ground and passed me near the end of the race.  I suppose I could have used some strategy and not lead the first half of the race, but I didn’t.  Maybe next time.  Overall, I’m very happy with the results, and I think that I’ve found the right race grade.  On to the results:

My official results; minutes:seconds:

For comparison, grade average lap times; minutes:seconds (number of laps completed):

The first Dirt Crit was held on the same course, so the results are comparable.  And, in comparison to the first race my average time dropped from 2:20 to 2:12 per lap.

Behind-the-scenes blog update: Until recently, I was using this Automator script to process my digital photos for posting on the blog. This script uses the image manipulation tools built into OS 10.5 / Core Image.  These included tools are nice, and easy to use, but the result is an image file that is larger than it needs to be.

In an effort to reduce file sizes, I started using the free/donation-ware Photoshop CS3 Automator Action Pack from Complete Digital Photography.  These scripts use Photoshop for image processing, and as a result, the image files can be made smaller than those created using Core Image.  These scripts also allow the use of many of the tools in Photoshop, like adding watermarks and applying filters.

The obvious drawback of using these new scripts is that you need to have Adobe Photoshop CS3, which isn’t free or donation-ware.  While scripts for other versions of Photoshop are also available, CS4 isn’t one of them.  This isn’t a big deal for me, as paying to upgrade from CS to CS3 was traumatic enough that I haven’t even considered CS4.  Aside from that, the only other drawback I’ve noticed is that the processing time for each image is considerably longer than with the original script.  That said, the processing time for the above image was only about 20 seconds on a Mac Mini 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo and Nvidia GeForce 9400 (256MB).  Processing multiple images isn’t as bad as it appears, as the time per image in a batch process is much less than the time required to process a single image.

I have reprocessed all of the images from 2010 on with this new script, and the results are better than those made with the old script.  I may make some changes to the watermark, but overall, I’m happy with the results.

We recently added a Burley Encore to our armament of baby goods.  What is it?  Well, the Encore is a two-child bicycle trailer that falls somewhere in the middle of Burley’s range of child trailers.  In case you’re wondering, they also have a line of bicycle trailers to tow your dog or cat, or take them skiing (I’m not kidding).

First impressions are that the trailer appears to be quite well made.  The fabric and stitching looks very durable, the aluminum frame folds easily and locks securely in the ‘open’ position.  The seat and belts look comfortable, although I wasn’t able to personally test them.  Additionally, the tinted side windows and large front and rear mesh for ventilation are a nice feature for warm and sunny South Australian summer days.  The Encore also includes a zip-down rain cover for the less warm and considerably wetter South Australian winters.

The Encore’s hitch is very well designed.  Like other Burley trailers, the hitch mounts to the bike through the rear axle/skewer, and the trailer is attached to the bike with an easy to use pin.  The design allows the bike to lean while keeping the trailer level, and stays well clear of the rear wheel.  That last point is an important one for me.  The first trailer I towed with the Gunnar was borrowed from a friend, and had a hitch that attached to the left chainstay.  In addition to marring the paint, the hitch rotated into the rear wheel and bent eight spokes.  The touch-up paint on the rear dropout is from the borrowed trailer.

The Encore pulls and tracks well. The wheels and bearings roll well, and the tires offer what appears to be a decent ride for ~10kg inflated to 25-30psi.  The trailer width has not been an issue while riding in bike lanes, or on bike paths.

Even though the first few rides have gone well, I have had to make some changes.  First, the seat was already sagging under a light load.  Even without a load, it is clear that the seat is going to need some work.  As you can probably see, the seat back and base are only supported at the outer edges.  The result is that the middle of the seat back collapses into the ‘helmet pocket’.

To fix the sagging seat, I added a wooden bow spanning the frame rails under the front edge of the seat base.  I also added a bow to the top of the seat back, clamping around the nylon seat back and tied to a small piece of MDF cut to match the seat back contour.  The seat base no longer sags. The seat back is now fully supported by the panel and outer straps, as a result, the ‘helmet pocket’ in the back of the seat actually works.  I’ve also added a ~1/4″ thick stiff foam rubber mat between the seat base and cushion, although I may remove it as it is probably not necessary.  Both wooden bows are under the foam seat cushion, and our passenger seem to like my changes. The seat back panel has the added advantage of keeping the cargo from poking passengers in the back.

None of the changes modified any existing part of the trailer, so I can revise my additions if necessary.  Also, none of the modifications interfere with folding the trailer, so they do not have to be removed for storage.

Here are some detail photos of the seat modifications:

The front bow test fit

The seat back panel and bow (the bow is behind the nylon seat and top edge of the panel, not visible)

In addition to the seat modifications, I added a cargo mat.  The rear cargo area of the trailer has a relatively thin nylon floor.  I added this re-purposed car seat mat, which happen to fit perfectly.  As you can see, it easily accommodates a spare tube.

The final addition isn’t functional, but it is important.  Don’t bother looking-up the plate, this is photoshopped (yet another new verb…), but still quite nifty in its original unaltered form.

To make your own plate bracket, start with a plate, a plastic ice cream container lid, and some zip ties.

Cut a bracket from the lid, and attach the plate to the bracket with the zip ties.

I left some of the excess zip tie on the back to keep the metal plate from contacting the back of the trailer.