Product endorsement

I have had a little secret that I have been keeping for going on two years.

When I built up the Look I had a set of high rent Vittoria race tires that I had scored on eBay for virtually nothing. I don't race and so I didn't really know when I would have the opportunity to actually use these very high zoot race tires. My solution was to mount them on the new bike.

Well, in a word, disaster. At about 600 miles I had a flat tire. Then at about 1,000 I had another. And then a third at 1,232. I ordered new tires and installed them as soon as I got them, at 1,681.

I rode the new tires, Michelin ProRace2, for almost 1,700 miles and then swapped to a new set to finish the year. I got 2,394 more miles that year, 2005, with no more flat tires. This is pretty good mileage and I felt the need to brag a bit on my tires. But the tire mileage felt like it might be just a good run of luck and I didn't want to jinx it. So even though I occasionally engaged in general discussions of tire mileage, I said nothing about my dark blue Michelins.

I started 2006 on the old tires, changed to a new set after 1,000 2006 miles, discarding the more heavily worn rear and saving the front as a possible spare. I rode another 1,600 miles on that set and then switched again, this time putting the front from the previous set on the rear without changing the front. With this set up I got through the end of the year, a total of 3,304 miles, still no flats. Again I felt the urge to brag up the tires a bit, but now it definitely felt like it was no time to jinx the streak.

I installed new tires front and back for this year and got off to a good start. But Friday I rode through some glass. I made it home without difficulty and thought I may have dodged the bullet yet again. This morning, however, flat tire.

The streak totals: On the Look, over 7,000 miles without a flat tire. Considering all bicycles, about 8,000 miles since the last flat tire. Considering just miles ridden on the Michelins, 6,600 miles without a flat, very nearly two full years. In fact, I was checking the log to verify some of these numbers and I noticed that I have fallen off my bike three times since the last time I had a flat. So it appears I am much more likely to fall off than I am to have to climb off to change a flat tire.This is the tire I very strongly endorse, as pictured on my rear wheel today at the end of the ride. They have been a phenomenally good product for me, Michelin ProRace2.

I got the scanning thing worked out this morning. I got the software installed without huge difficulty but then spent most of the morning figuring out the steps to scan. I finally got it down, at least for "Basic Scan".

I have pictures on my desk at work. Over the years I have taken photos that I like to work and put them into the frames I already have on my desk. When I did this I never took the old photos out, I just left them in the frame with the new one on top. So I brought the frames home. I emptied out the one with Roseville VFW on the top and got those pictures all scanned. If you check Roseville VFW below and have a good eye for detail you may notice that the photo does not now exhibit the flash spot on Knutson's jersey that was there when the image was originally posted. That is because the image now is the scanned image, not the picture of picture image.

This is a picture that was in that frame. The fisherman's assistant just does not look thrilled with the experience. Note that she holds the stringer chain very, very gingerly in her hand. Also note that she is not actually holding the fisherman's hand. I am grasping her by the wrist, possibly to enhance the photo, possibly to keep her from running away. In the spirit of the other quizzes, a fish dinner to the first person who can name when and where this picture was taken and the name of the fish. By the way, we are not looking for fish species here, we are looking for the fish's given name.