Urbanus Magnus

Mechanical watches aren't yet relegated to the sidelines completely; there are still numerous companies manufacturing thrifty automatic watches in the $80-150 range. Possibly the best example of such a watch is my current timepiece, one from venerable the Seiko '5' line of watches. Unlike their quartz cousins, though mechanicals won't need batteries (and often don't need maintenance for over a decade), they do need adjustment to keep accurate time. My Seiko, which came from the factory about 5 s/day fast, has settled into a consistent 30s/day slow. Not wanting to pay a watchmaker $30 to do something I am capable of, I set about to adjust the mechanism.  Seiko 5 Auto-winding watch - pretty bulletproof, and looks decent to boot Here's what you'll need: A mechanical watch A computer with Audacity or equivalent sound-recording program A microphone A quiet room A set of micro screw drivers/bits A magnifying glass (optional) A watch case opener ...

Don't the size of the tires, on some degree, define what  bicycle you have and who  you are? Bikes such as monstercrossers aren't that different than a regular cyclocross bike - just with wider rubber. And what about the veritable 29er? Not so different than a hard-tail 26in-wheel mountain bike in everything except wheel size!  As it stands right now, there are four well-known sizes for bicycle wheels: 26in, 700c, 29in, and 650b.  Yes, 700c and 29in wheels and tires are technically the same, but for the purposes of everyday cyclists (and morover, the cycling industry), 29in is a buzzword for width. 26in is by far the most common - the VW Beetle of bike wheels if you will. Ubiquitous all around the world (especially the 3rd world, as the Beetle used to be!), and often easy to find cheap replacements, it is loved for its smaller size as this increases its durability. If you ride this size, you are a no-nonsense, function-over-form kinda cyclist.  36er?!? ...