Author: Bob Harrison

It’s been just about two weeks now and I’ve ridden my new Hunqapillar pretty much every day since I put it together. Good stuff.
The bike handles very well, even under a light load. I’ll find out more about that this coming weekend when I go camping with a full load both aft and front.
In order to carry all this gear I put on both a Nitto Big Rack (rear) and a Wald basket up front. The image here is a little overexposed because my camera phone did a less than exemplary job, but hey, you’ll get the idea…

I’ve tried out my rear Ortlieb panniers (Bike Packer Plus from thetouringstore) on the rack and they fit fine. Up front I’ll stuff some stuff in the basket as I don’t have a rack that’ll handle the smaller Sport Packer Plus panniers.
The basket, a Wald, is very convenient for most everything so I don’t know that I’ll bother getting some low rider bits and pieces. Though if I can figure out some bolt on bits for the small rack I already have, perhaps I’ll do that…I’ve got enough braze-on bits to attach most anything.
So…camping soon…yes!

I didn’t manage to go off on a long all day ride Sunday which really would have been sweet. Instead I slept in and then got around to install the Nitto Big Rack on the read of my bike. I also put my Wald basket on up front, it’s just zip tied on so it can come off quickly. Finally I moved my Acorn front bag over from my Quickbeam; needed something to hold tools and other stuff while riding around.
Once my bike was ‘complete’ (in quotes because what bike is really ever complete?), I was finally headed out without much energy. I was bushed. It’d been a long week and I guess it had finally caught up to me. My hip had been about as bad as ever during parts of the week, even with the PT I’ve been doing. And because of some problems with some of the volunteer work I do I’d been putting in lots of extra hours well past bedtime. Nuff said.
My Hunq handled as well as it did the day before and I went first for some coffee. Then, after another tour of the waterfront I decided it was time to give her a try on a few wee hills.
Now no one, including me, is going to say that Diamond Head is a particularly challenging climb (though I have seen folks waking bikes up it – generally tourists who might be walking for enjoyment) it’s still a lovely view and a nice ‘first hill.’
No trouble at all. Mind you I ride this on my single-speed all the time so I hadn’t really expected any trouble. Having gears I can use while riding is nice and I think I did drop down a little bit under what I would normally have on my SS, but not too much. I was even pleased to see that I could pass a rider who was older, heavier, and on an inappropriate bike to boot without too much struggle. In short, my Hunq, even with racks and fenders, a basket, and a guy with a bum hip riding it did fine on the hill. I don’t expect any trouble when I get her laden down with camping gear – the real reason for the gears.
After circling Diamond Head it was getting dark and I headed home. My second ride was finished and I was very pleased.
I love this darn bike (mind you I love all my bikes, but this one is new!).
That evening I fished around in my bike junk and found the correct short bolt for my Pletscher dual leg kickstand. I’d used the longer bolt and clamping stuff that had come with it on Saturday. I’d been too anxious to get going to do a thorough search. The thing is, the Hunq and most (all?) Rivs have a kickstand plate on them and by taking advantage of that you don’t need to worry about pinching or scratching your stays. All good now.
Aloha!

Saturday morning rolled around and darn if I didn’t have a number of errands to get to get done before I could work on my Hunq. Finally, getting home a bit before noon I got started…
In the years since I got my Quickbeam the packing skills at RBW haven’t lessened a bit. The bike was superbly packed….very, very safe and stable.
I should mention that because I had the bike built for me, all I really had to do was hook up the brakes, put in the stem, tighten the handlebars in a reasonable position (amazingly I got it really comfortable on the first try), put on the front fender and rack, add a saddle (Brooks B-17 Select), screw on some pedals (the new Gripsters – great pedals really), and ride off.
Of course life is never quite that simple, but in this case it was darn close to it. I even managed to build the bike without scratching it. The first beausage arrived the next evening…sigh. The trickiest part of the whole process came early when I realized that I really did have to remove all the foam from the carton, some glued on, before I could get the bike out…it’s that well packed. I do save the blocks for using with my Bike Friday NWT when I travel, so it was a worthwhile effort all in all.
Once everything was put together I went for my first tentative ride. Normally I just go around the block than go back upstairs to make adjustments. No need. I rode off thinking I’d go around the block and kept going for a tour of the city and our waterfront (one of my favorite rides).
I hate to say this (at least where she can hear me) but when I first got my Quickbeam I thought it was the best bike I’d ever ridden. Up to that point I was right. The Hunq is even better (or maybe it’s because it’s new, eh?).
The Alba bars were a gamble for me. I’d ridden a Hunq at RBW back in May and hadn’t completely cared for them, but since they were part of the build kit I figured I could swap later. Nope, I love ’em. Yes, this bike is comfortable.
I stopped to make some images here and there…a wee bit of bike porn…and continued around the city. I also stopped for an iced coffee because isn’t that really what a weekend is about? Riding and leisure. You just can’t do better.
I did manage to find a few patches of rougher stuff to ride on, a gravel filled alley, a cut across a park on a crushed coral path, a bit of grass, and the Hunq handled it all very nicely. The Alba bars gave me lots of control and the geometry of it all kept me comfortable. More wow.
I really like the bar end shifters as I mostly forget they are there and don’t shift too much. 🙂
Then it was home as I’ve had to clean up and go out with a friend for dinner and birthday celebration. All in all I think put in about 10 miles on my first ride and a good one it was.
Here’s the complete set of images so far (same as previous post really)…

My Hunqapillar has arrived! Unfortunately it was a bit late in the day so I didn’t unpack it..that’s my treat for tomorrow.

I came across an interesting page today that can give you bicycle commuting stats by state…here’s an image of the results for Hawaii…(written as my Hunq is on a UPS van somewhere on Oahu)…

Click image to open interactive version (via BikeGuard).

Well it’s not quite a done deal, but I did receive this email earlier today…
Hello Robert,

Your order has shipped. (Order#: XXXX placed on 05/08/2012)
If your package shipped UPS, you should receive another email directly from UPS WorldShip with your tracking number. It might take another few hours
PO Boxes and other domestic US Postal Service packages do not receive tracking info. International orders can expect tracking info in a few days.
Thanks again for shopping at rivbike.com!
Visit us anytime at http://www.rivbike.com/

As you’ll note, it was a while ago..but it seems it’s finally on its way. Go Hunq.

Today I checked with Rivendell Bicycle Works on another matter and discovered that my Hunqapillar, ordered back in May, is probably shipping today! I’ve mentioned it before of course, but hey, it may finally be on its way.
It has been a long wait as I was told that it would most likely ship sometime in July. I emphasize the ‘most likely‘ bit because Rivendell is not Giant, not Cannondale, and not any number of large manufacturers. Nor are they a custom shop with a waiting list stretching over years (though you can, in fact, get a custom Riv if you really want one).
What does that mean? Stuff happens and it’s not always someone’s fault.
That’s more or less the case here and I completely get it.
I also get that Rivendell bent over backwards to make me happy when July stretched out into late September. Thanks. I mean that sincerely. I don’t necessarily want to go into the details of final bike but leave us to say I’m getting a fantastic deal and I truly hope it doesn’t eat up their profits. Mind you, my bike is far from free and I’ve paid out a bit over $4100 all in all for this bike. Most of that goes to Riv, but about $200 is for stuff from other folks.
Once it leaves Walnut Creek it’ll take a bit of time to show up here, but I’m hopeful I’ll get it before my planned camping trip coming up around the 20th of the this month…fingers crossed.
So…to everyone at Rivendell, thanks so much. I’m looking forward to having a brand new Hunq…

It had to happen sooner or later…today I got a senior discount without asking, or actually even knowing I’d gotten one till later.
I went to see the movie Looper, which was actually pretty good. I generally go during the day to save a bit of cash, but today I’d decided to see it on the ‘big screen’ at the theatre instead of of the regular screen. That is to say, I decided to see the movie at a more expensive seating where the screen is bigger than my TV.
Well this cost a couple of extra bucks, but hey, it was Sci Fi so I figured…
Anyway, I get my ticket and discover I’ve got a free popcorn coming – not bad. The day is looking up. While I’m in line I take a further look at my ticket and discover, sure enough, I’d gotten the senior discount. As I said, I hadn’t asked so…
And, while I was in line I found out that at Regal Theatres I can get an AARP discount on a soda and popcorn. I’d was already due a free popcorn so no go on the deal, but it seems I really am a senior.
Now I’ve had an AARP membership since my mom bought me on at age 50, but I hadn’t really put together the concept that being an AARP member means I may be approaching seniorhood.
Ah well, nothing I can do about it so I might as well enjoy.
Today was the day.

I’ve recently purchased a Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7″ tablet to replace/upgrade my original Kindle Fire (which was then given to a dear friend).
Overall it’s a huge improvement, at least for the things I like.

• The size is great, much easier to deal with on a bicycle than an iPad.
• The speakers are much, much better than the original – I can now watch movies without needing a headset.
• If I do use a headset, I can use my BT stereo set as the KF HD has a2dp…yes!

There are a couple of problems, but nothing huge. I guess my biggest complaint has more to do with the case I bought and the placement of the USB connection….yep, can’t easily stand the case on its side (to watch a movie) and charge at the same time. Oh well.
A bigger issue has to do with with the non-a2dp BT implementation. I purchased an Amazon Basics Keyboard (Android version) which is sold claiming to work with the Kindle Fire HD. It does. Sort of.
The problem is that when WiFi is enabled, keys repeat randomly something likkkkkkeeeeeeee thisssss . Not a good thing.
With the WiFi turned off, it works fine. Of course that means email and even blogging are problematic. It seems I can write an email and save it for later, though I don’t know about multiple responses yet…and I’m writing this blog entry to find out if the WP Android app will save this text till I connect again….fingers crossed.
And finally, this is me (looking a bit tired at work I’m afraid) taken using the front facing (no rear facing) camera of the KF HD. It’s there for Skype and occasions just like this…

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to update this blog…okay, that’s a lie. I’ve had plenty of chance, just haven’t done it. Let’s see…
My hip is still very problematic. On some days I can tell how much the PT has helped, on other days I’m half crippled when it comes to walking. Still, through it all, I’ve been able to ride my bicycle. I think I really need to up the PT stuff. I’m trying and I’ve been doing far more often than I’ve been submitting updates here…but hey, who couldn’t improve things.
I’ve also been wanting to save a few bucks as my expenses have gone up since last the spring. To that end I took a look at how much I really watched cable TV. It turns out I don’t watch it much. At least not enough to justify the $135 a month I was spending on digital cable and internet access. So…
Yep, I gave ’em a call and canceled everything. Whew. Boy did that feel good. No more digital cable (but then again, I don’t have an HD-TV) to taunt me with all the great…um…good…um…shows that are on. Yes, there are a couple I miss, Dr. Who among them, but I can pay for that if I choose and still save a ton.
Of course this left me without internet at home. I’d already canceled the Mobi hele broadband I was getting for my mom so that was out as a solution…what to do? As it turns out I could get Hawaiian Telcom DSL at my place, without even a visit from the phone guy…super. In addition with the sale they had on I’m getting their slightly upgraded (think up to 10Mbps) speed for under $30 a month (before taxes and fees). Since the cable folks would want about $50 for a similar connection it was no brainer.
The upshot is that I’m saving $100 a month and my connection is as fast, and sometimes slightly faster, than it used to be with the ‘other guys.’ My TV is now connected to my Roku box and all is well. I did add Hulu+ to the mix in addition to the Netflix streaming account I already have, so I can still watch quite a bit of stuff and still save money.
Of course my brain now wants a new TV. That will kill any savings so I’m fighting the urge. 🙂
I did pick up a new Kindle Fire HD 7″ which I love. It fixes a number of things that I didn’t like about the original Kindle Fire (though it isn’t really a full Android pad). Okay, it cut into the money I’m saving a bit, but after all one deserve a treat from time to time.
Their are two big improvements that make it worthwhile for me, both more or less having to do with sound. The speakers are much, much better. Oddly I do have the opportunity to use them while watching movies and such, especially in one location that’s kind of noisy and where I can’t wear a headset. Good stuff.
The second big deal is the addition of A2DP to the bluetooth setup. Now I can use my stereo bluetooth headset at those times I can’t just listen. It’s all even smart enough to let me both my phone and listen to content. Sweet.
Finally, as I mentioned, I can still bike and do. Th Rivendell Hunqapillar I ordered hasn’t arrived yet. It was supposed to be here in July but because of a number of delays which are completely understandable it’s been put off a couple of times. Well the time has finally arrived…
Rivendell Bicycle Works is a great company and they have gone above and beyond is trying to get this bike to me. It seems the problem had to do with the forks coming from Taiwan being held up and then not being quite right for the Waterford made frame. As it seemed likely that I’d have to wait even longer, another couple of months perhaps (and this is late September), I’ve been told I’m now getting a frame they were going to build up as a shop demo model. I don’t want to get into the economics of this, but it seems likely they’ll not a make a profit on this one, though I hope they do. Let’s just say mine will be an upgraded model (likely a different front fork set-up, though I’m not sure). There was nothing wrong with what I ordered and I would have been very happy, but I can’t help but feel I’m going to be even a wee bit happier than that.
In any case I know that my bike was being built yesterday and I suspect it’ll shipped in a day or two , which will get it here (ground) in a week or two.
That’s about it for now…more later as it unfolds…
Aloha!