Cherry-picking Pearls in San Francisco

SpokeGrenade (bike light) review. I may have avoided a Presidio crash...

Last Tuesday at 6am I was speeding through San Francisco Presidio park a little ahead of the ~15 other cyclists part of the Mission Cycling Headlands Raid that morning. The public lights were out, the fog was thick and I had only my minuscule blinking LED with me. I believe I was thinking: "When do I get my new front light again?" when my front wheel hit the curb and I hit the pavement with my left side. At the same time I heard someone behind: "Ohhhhhhh" and another: "Shit". Yeah.. You said it.

To answer my own question, I received the new front light yesterday, and I got to try it on my commute. So far it's been an absolutely insanely great light. It's the first time I have a powerful LED (1000 lumens) on my bike, so I may be a bit  too enthousiastic about it, but the experience was just "wow" (read below). I'm poundering getting a second one with an helmet mount.

• Price is $90, which seems to be a good lumens/$ ratio out there.
• The only con - so far (it's a early review) - is that the battery doesn't charge with USB

Your own disco with you.

This is what it feels like. Except you are not alone on the dance floor, you automatically bring several blocks of the street in front of you. The blinking mode makes the entire street flash in rythm. It's very difficult for anyone to ignore your presense. Although, a car on Brannan and Townsend turned on red just in front of me: proof that this is not the antidote  for stupidity.

I've seen pedestrians cover their eyes from a beam that I think is similarly powerful as an average car headlamp. I learned my lessons and I politely decrease the power of the lamp in a busy, correctly lighted street. The light is equiped with the following settings: 100%, 50%, 25% and 100%-blinking.

I can't wait to try it outside the city and take my revenge over the evil Presidio curb that now bears my name.

I'll update this post If I change my opinion or have anything else to share. But I'd give this 5 stars so far:

SpokeGrenade SG-1000e Bicycle Headlight Set

Bring Your Kids To Work Day

SAY Media has this tradition (I later learned that this was actually a national event of some sort) of welcoming employee's kids to work for a day, so of course I brought Maelys in, so that she understand a little bit better what daddy does when he is "going to work". Prior to that it was fuzzy in her head, for sure. Each time she wanted me to leave her alone she'd say: "Daddy, go to work. go now".

We had lot of fun activities (drawing on tshirts, touring the office) and then I rode her back to her daycare. She was Sooo proud when I dropped her in the park:

• in a BICYLE ("the blue one with the red one")

• in front of all her friends from the daycare

• after touring daddy's office

She was like a princess arriving late to a ball because she had so much fun at this other event first.

I'm glad to work for a company where we can have such events, thank you SAY Media, especially Moira, Nicki and everyone who helped to make it a great event for Maelys.  Here are a few pictures of the event:

I don't know what she was negotiating with Ben, hopefully something on my behalf. She wouldn't leave Ben's office, that was funny considering that she was so shy initially.

I see 4 babies on that picture. how many can you spot? Moira was nice enough to give us a private tour away from the crowd of other kids. We are in the studio, fixing their art.

Bean bags!

This was my shared-office for 3 months. It was a bit like that, only different (less colors, more laptops).

This morning MC AM riders report

It started very well since I woke up at 5:33 i.e. 2 minutes before my alarm. Also, it wasn't raining, (yet) despite the forecasts.

I assumed I had the time because of these two minutes, but I was too confident and I missed the 6:10 by a few. On the bright side I escorted Leander who was late too, but had no idea where to go. We Caught up with Tony and Eric who had a flat, and then a second one.

Oh it would have been nice to ride Hawk Hill with the group because it was windy... Even better this technique garantees nice PR on strava: http://yfrog.com/5klg6iqj

Anyway, the group at the top was big, I've never seen that many people on a morning ride. I think It was because of the Donuts and Coffee courtesy of Alex and Mission Cycling. This was the highlight of the ride: Thanks guys. I only took coffee because if I ever want to break the 8mn on this ride, I need to trim fat :-)

From there it only went downhill, literally: Rain, one flat tire in the mission, late nanny and one weird email. Looking forward to the next ride.

One of the best secret of San Francisco

You need a bike and enough will to wake up early. Reeeeallly early. But if you don't have a bike or you don't wake up early, it just doesn't work. Oh sure, you could come close, but you'd never reach the nirvana of climbing Conzelman Road (at your pace, no rush!) with a truly unique and stunning scenery.

I stole this picture from @alex_lod

via twitpic.com

And here is another one from Robert, taken this morning: 

 

The light and scenery changes very very fast - At least, when and it's not foggy :) So you don't get an idea of how it's like until you do it.

Totally. worth. it.

(wake up at 5:30, meeting point at ~6:30 on the top of Arguello)

Just testing my new iPhone

...and the TypePad App, Of course!

I'm a certified lactation consultant in san francisco!

This is not a fake. It's a scan of a real certificate, not doctored:

 

Ok, the truth is that Caroline is, I'm not. I bet there are only very few men certified to help with breastfeeding. They messed up the names and used mine from the the credit card instead of Caroline's that really attended the classes. 

Earlier this year, Caroline started her own activity as a postpartum doula and lactation counselor in san francisco.

Oh, I know quite a bit on the subject now (the partner needs to be supportive in the process of breastfeeding a baby, otherwise it doesn't work as well), but nothing in comparison to her :-)

She's passionate about the subject (and postpartum as a whole) and our home is filled with books and other resources.

(See also on vox)
 

Guerilla gardeners

I live not far from the 280 highway on Potrero Hill. The closest park is 3 blocks away, and the nice streets with trees, flowers and commerces are one block away.

But all we get in my street is the highway, and a small neglected space where people walk their dogs without pickup behind. Well, until now. Some neighbors apparently decided to reclaim this space from poop machines and cars. I found a note in my building asking for help in the adventure. There is even a blog.

I'm not a garden-type of guy, so maybe I missed it, but I've never seen such a thing in France, and I find it awesome. I really like the fact that people here are owning their neighborhood, helping cleaning and planting it among other things.

In France, as far as I remember you have your garden and you take care of it (or you pay some company to do it for large properties), or it's a public space and you don't touch it, the city manages that using your taxes.

That way I learned about Guerilla Gardening apparently going as far as taking action during the night. Well, no such thing in the preseng case, the dedicated neighbor that took the lead of this "subversive" operation contacted cityhall about the issue and got some kind of "permission".

There is a global website for sharing information and forums, interestingly you would notice that the section dedicated to France is not very active. UK appears to be the most active.

ZipCar, please lower your prices, now

I'm a longtime zipster and I like the service, I've blogged a bit about it on vox. *Twice* this year, you made price adjustments to reflect the weight of expensive gas on your business model. But now gas prices are down, Look!

compare that to the picture I've taken some time ago (exact same spot), and posted here and on vox:

Here is what you personally wrote to me about the issue:

Over the last year we have felt the same pressure from rising fuel costs nationwide as you have seen in your personal lives, in business expenses, and in other forms of business travel. In response, we need to make some adjustments to maintain the level of service that you have come to expect from Zipcar—and remain the best car-sharing service for business drivers.

As of Monday, September 8, our Zipcar for Business rates will be as follows in your city:

• Weekday hourly reservations increase to $8.75.
  
• Business day reservations (7am to 7pm) increase to $56 per day.
  
• 24-hour reservations will be $66 per day.
  
• The incremental mileage charge (i.e. fee for miles over 180 during your reservation) increases by $0.10 per mile.

Well since you have non-ambiguously designated the gas has being the reason for your pain, you should now revert your changes. I feel reaped that you don't and that you don't even communicate on the issue.

The fellow zipster I've talked too, feel the same, some even emailed you about it, but you ignored them.

Thanks