Now that the weather's cooler, I feel my riding windbreaker is not only stylish in its own right, but it hopefully helps keep me from getting run over.
What do you wear, if anything, to help ensure the terrible drivers in your town don't run your ass down?
@lemur - I use a similar setup from Carvepower for my old Plus, I keep in all in a small black camera bag. And yeah, the first time I pulled it out in public for a charge I suddenly realized that to the average person this probably looks a LOT like a bomb. I wouldn't try to take this out at a movie theater or anything.
My friend apples made this. Anyone want to put it on a shirt?
@lemur No worries. And yes, I ride regular, so it's a big help checking my blind spot (over my left shoulder) where traffic might actually be (but still do a quick look behind you before you move lanes).
Riding goofy is a big advantage in US street traffic.
@lemur It's on my elbow guard because there was no easy way that I could figure out to attach it to my wrist guard semi-permanently. But it turns out I kind of like it on the elbow anyway, it's a small mirror and that keeps it closer to my eye.
But, it's meant to be worn like a watch, on your wrist or forearm - you could do that (don't need the extra elastic straps then) - it's just that I didn't want one more piece of gear to have to put on before I ride.
Regular foot here. I got one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TAFVEGU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And replaced the velcro wrist strap with an elastic one (also reflective for night visibility):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N11BFL9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Then I attached that to my left elbow guard, where it lives (don't ever need to take it off). Now I never mix up my elbow guards when putting them on anymore, AND I have a mirror to use to see behind me.
It is kind of small, and you may have to experiment with its open angle and your arm position to see what you want (and, OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE ALWAYS CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR), but this is pretty handy for street riding.
@a_onekatie I have long felt the same way ("No Kim, no deal!"), but Paz Lechantin seems to have made the remarkably ego-free decision to basically just do things like Kim would - her vocal harmonies and bass-playing here are very reminiscent. Like she thought, "what works best in the context of this band, and 'Pixies' songs?" and did that.
And yet, she's got writing or co-writing credits on several songs. So maybe she's also energizing Black Francis. Whatever it is, something's clicking here that hasn't clicked in a long time.
This is the first post-reunion record that that I haven't played two or three times, thought "meh", and then immediately forgotten about - this one's been stuck in my car, and my head, for days. It reminds you how great and important and influential they were, without necessarily trying to replicate exactly that. It does its own weird little dark thing (a lot of references to death and being "marked").
No one is more surprised than me to report this, but: the new Pixies, Beneath the Eyrie, is surprisingly good. It's not Surfer Rosa or Doolittle, but it feels of a piece with Bossanova or Trompe le Monde.
Nothing on it is worse than "decent", and well over half of it is good-to-great, with two songs ("Catfish Kate" and "Daniel Boone") that I'd put among their best ever. Interesting production, interesting arrangements, Santiago's on fire and Lovering's drums are forward, and most importantly, catchy, slightly-weird Pixies songs.
@HanahsDax I ride at 21 psi on the XR on the Vega. That's actually a little bit on the high side given my weight (even with all my gear on, I don't think I ever broke 200# at my absolute heaviest, and I'm less than that now).
I got in the habit on my Plus, due to range anxiety (keeping psi on the high side maxed out how far I could go) and now I guess I'm just used to it even though range anxiety isn't a thing with the XR.
I have around 1100 miles on this Vega, and I suspect it will go at least 500 more, if not further.
@Kielanders - I've gotten both those, as well as a lot of "Can I/Let me try/ride it".
Those are the ones I'd like a response for, since anything I'd like to say like "nope!" or "then buy one!" comes across as dickish...but true. I've only ever let a couple strangers get on my OW, and both were other OWers or e-skaters.
I've stopped and talked to solo adults about the board if it seemed safe to do so, but I'm definitely not going to let someone with no experience or board of their own get on there and get hurt, or let some rando group of kids on there, or frankly even stop to talk to them, since I don't need to get robbed.