An Epic Day

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Shimano to Release Electronic Components

Cycling Enters Electronic Age If there is one thing I like, it's techy gear.  If you can couple it with cycling, all the better.  I dream about carbon fiber, marvel at uniquely laced wheels, and love hearing the words lateral stiffness and vibration dampening. Although I'm still going back and forth on the movement to electronic gear, I'm going to draw a line in the sand and stand firmly on one side. I do not believe this should be the future of cycling.  The central ideology of cycling is human propulsion.  At its core, throwing your leg over the top tube of a bike is a way to escape the dependence of fuel.  It's a way to use your legs to get from one place to the next - and pretty fast. Although the mere shifting of the gears in no way adds to the forward movement of the bike, it still takes away from the purity of the endeavor.  Cycling has always been a "romantic" sport whose roots are firmly planted on the hillsides of Italy and France.  When I think back to cycling of the early 1900's, I picture rickety but strong Italian made bikes being pushed to their limit.  And when the riders got to their destination - a hearty glass of wine was their reward. A light touch of a button, triggering a chain reaction of electronic charges resulting in the correct selection of gear takes away from my picture of the beginnings of cycling as we know it today. I also fear about what may come next.  More specifically, what happens when the electronic gearing system is becomes so sophisticated that it actually makes the proper shifts for you?  Yikes... So although I appreciate Shimano for continuing to push the envelope of technological innovation, I think that the the world of cycling would be better off with a mis-shift every now and then. Let me know what you think.  I'd love to hear what side of the argument you stand on.


Dura Ace Di2

Filed under  //   cycling   Technology  
Posted February 23, 2009
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Photo of the Day - Tortola Balcony


Post and Rope
This past winter I was fortunate enough to travel down to the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.  Here is a shot from the balcony of the house where we stayed. Tortola is unlike more commercial islands in the BVI/USVI.  It's been able to resist becoming a McIsland.  Hopefully it stays that way...

Filed under  //   Photography  
Posted February 23, 2009
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The Power of Dreams

Can you accurately quantify the power of a dream? At the age of, let's say 5 years old, what

Posted February 23, 2009
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Interested in getting into Photography?

The Digital Photography School DPS is one of the greatest resources if you're looking to join the ranks of amateur photographers and start taking your snapshots to the next level.  As someone looking to hone his skills, I frequent this site all the time. One of the better posts I've encountered is "21 Settings, Techniques and Rules..." by Darren Rowse.  Its a fantastic post that uncovers some of the basics of photography.  I took some classes back in college (although I was at a business-centric school), and reading each of the links in this post either jogged my memory or taught me a new technique. If you have any in learning more about your camera and how to turn typically bland shots into ones fit for a frame - here is a great start. Happy shooting!

Posted February 22, 2009
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Lance Armstrong Strong Arms His Critics


Don't get to close - Lance might bite
In another classic "eff you!" to those looking to discredit Lance Armstrong's accomplishments, the man himself decides he's had enough of this guy.  I might as well come and say it now: I, Ted Barbeau, am a HUGE Lance Armstrong fan.  I've run 2 marathons for his foundation, watched countless hours of the Tour de France over the years, and channel his take-no-prisoner attitude every time I click into my road bike.  Needless to say, I'm an ardent supporter. Might he had taken EPO during his first year or two on his road back from cancer?  Sure.  Is he a "strong" (read: ego-centric) personality that often times rubs people the wrong way?  Absolutely. I'm not here to change opinions about Lance.  He's clearly has amassed as many detractors as he has supporters.  I'm only here to point out that he, more than most, has learned to live his life at 150 miles per hour, pushing the limits in everything he does.  From his tenacious workout ethic to his relentless push to eradicate the world of cancer - its clear he doesn't understand the word moderation. This is a classic example of his Lance playing by his own rules.  Its one thing to blog about him and his alleged drug use.  Its another thing to mess with his cycling. Clearly, Lance found this guy worthy of a Walter Payton-caliber stiff arm. [check out the video] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3rjb4G8ZMI]

Filed under  //   cycling  
Posted February 22, 2009
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Why public transportation is great

This is why riding the Commuter Rail in Boston is almost always special. Earlier today I was riding across from an eclectic young man who was feverishly scribbling in his notebook. What was he writing you ask? I have no idea. But what I do know is that he was also creating index cards with political jargon and other random nonsense. The best part was that he was leaving them behind for people to "discover". When in doubt...go fishing.

Posted February 20, 2009
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Hello World.


Perfect Light on Beacon Hill
Good Afternoon, World. I promised that one of my goals for 2009 was to officially launch a blog to spread the word of Epic Days.  I failed at my last blog attempt and don't plan on suffering the same fate! The goal of this blog is simple: to start documenting my life.  It is also intended to make me accountable for all of the things I'm setting out to do.  I want to be able to look back and have a journal of what I was thinking throughout my mid-twenties and beyond. I thought it would be fitting to start this off with a picture of Jamie.  Amateur photography is a hobby and love of mine but it's something I spend very little time pursuing.  I'm constantly at odds with this; when do I bring my camera, do people think I'm being intrusive, are people going to like these photos?  My personality and creativity are always at odds.  Fortunately I read photoblogs...alot.  If there's one thing I've read, it's that the first rule of photography is to bring your camera everywhere.  So that is slowly developing into my rule for 2009.  Bring that damn thing anywhere legal. I don't know how to use Photoshop [yet] and I just started to dabble in the trial version of Aperture 2 - so you're not going to get very many fancy, post-processed images from me.  With the exception of a few things, pretty much what you see is exactly what I took - until of course I find time to master the digital darkroom [yet another goal for 2009]. My first post is already inspiring me to live a little more EPIC.  If you want to do something, don't wait for a reason not to.  Figure out a plan and follow through.  My plan for photography is to start taking 100 shots each week, uploading at least 50 on to my Flickr account.  It's a modest number, embarrassing by many standards.  But it's going to get me off my arse and behind the lens. What's your plan?  How are you going to achieve it?

Filed under  //   Jamie   Photography  
Posted February 20, 2009
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