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Politically incorrect? Probably.
Clever and funny? Absolutely!!
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BRAVO!!!! That was quite possibly the funniest post I have read here yet. Very clever. Bob Walter
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Ironman or Coeur de Fer???
Billy Bob, That was CLASSIC! Were you conjuring this up during your workouts the last couple of days laughing the whole time? Bob in San Diego
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Am I the only one that thinks that this is a cruel and senseless piece of garbage? All the "Trial by Usenet" issue aside, Mr. von Berg was handcuffed, arrested and humiliated in front of his children. He was treated like a common criminal, because of a small dispute that could have been settled easily without harm to anyone. Even though I can understand how you can attack the way he decided to "blackmail" WTC, or his conduct during the actual situation, I cannot understand how you can mock a man, a fellow triathlete, that was treated unfairly in a brutal way. Especially when the mocking is made in a chauvinistic tone like in this post. It’s always easy to make jokes with the people that are in some way different. Paulo <Stuff probably written by Jason Mayfield SNIPPED
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Am I the only one that thinks that this is a cruel and senseless piece of garbage? Especially when the mocking is made in a chauvinistic tone like in this
Even though I personally don’t know the author of this original post, I don’t believe it was meant to be a personal attack on anyone. The post was just clever tongue-in-cheek smart-ass parody — nothing more. I’m gonna start a new thread called "Commentary: American Tri-Chauvinist Pigs"
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: Am I the only one that thinks that this is a cruel and senseless piece of : garbage? – Thanks Paulo.
IMO, there are an infinite number of triathlon related topics one could choose to expand upon and exercise their creative writing skills. Lambasting a person in a morbid attempt at humor is bad enough. But doing so out of the clear blue, based on limited knowledge of the whole situation, has me scratch’n my head and asking why? Maybe B-Bob can come back and enlighten us with the motivation that compelled him to put this out to RST. -Rich Davis
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Hey Billy Bob 
As many wise people have said to me—- NOW GO TO YOUR ROOM!!!! D.J. " shame on you" (IRONKID) snicker, snicker 
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I can’t speak for the author but RVB posted his twisted tale once, received numerous responses which he totally ignored, and returned a few weeks later with the same boo-hoo-hoo. It’s not suprising or particularly tragic that he gets flamed – he’s asking for it. I do agree that the whole thread is a frivilous use of bandwidth. Larry – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : Am I the only one that thinks that this is a cruel and senseless piece of : garbage? – Thanks Paulo. -Rich Davis
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Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time. John "Holy Grail" Welch
Heh! "Your mother was a hampster, and your father smelt of elderberries!" 
:) — Tri-Baby _ – o ’ – __o – </_ ` ‘ – < – __/ /o_ – (()) (()) - / "REAL Triathletes don’t draft." http://www.stanford.edu/~brooksie
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Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time. John "Holy Grail" Welch
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ROTFL!! That address is familiar… Mike Tennent "TriBop" ‘98 Ironman Canada, 16:17:03
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December 22, 1998 Dear Mr. Chirac, On July 14, I participated in the storming of the bastille in Paris. My three children aged 11, 8, and 5 arrived from the United States two days before the event for what should have been a joyful and exciting experience. I did not know for sure until the Thursday morning preceding the storming that the two younger ones were coming since one child had been ill and the other had problems with his LeCar to resolve. Thus, I had not purchased Bastille Day tickets for them in advance. On the Thursday before the storming, after the problems that were interfering with my childrens attendance had been resolved and they had arrived in Paris, my wife went to the Bastille to get the two extra tickets. She was told that they were sold out! Late Sunday morning, after the event, wanting to find a solution the proper way, we went to the bastille to explain the problem to Mssr LePen and Mssr Jospin. They were unaccommodating and offered no help other than to say that there was no way our children would be able to go to the Awards Banquet. My wife was tres cheesed off and told, no tickets, no entry, the rule is the rule, even though we assured them our children would not gnaw on croissants and sit on our laps. Mssr Jospin only suggested we go early as sometimes revolutionaries sold extra tickets. Obviously, being the banquet nazi he is, he also shouted "NO BANQUET FOR YOU! NOW GO AWAY!" It had been a mistake to be honest about our problem. We should have sneaked them in at night and we would not have had any problems. But it was impossible to expect such dumb and heartless behavior from those responsible for the revolution direction. Mon Dieu, the Awards Banquet is supposed to be a happy family celebration. By greedily attempting to maximize the revenue of this event in charging children an outrageous 100 francs and having no contingency plan to solve a situation such as described herein, your organization has made a management mistake and has forgotten along the way the real purpose of this evening. Making fun of Americans. On bastille day, I placed 41st overall and won the 40-44 age group, by beheading an incredible 42 burgeoisie under very tough, windy conditions. It capped a fabulous year after victories at the Boston Tea Party and at the World Championship in Zaire. I was extremely proud to win in front of my children and ecstatic of such a good performance at the revolution that holds such a special place in my heart. Still confident that revolution officials would find a solution to my ticket problem, I arrived early at the Awards Banquet entrance with my 8 year old daughter but I could not find any tickets. Once again I explained my predicament to Mssr Jospin, who was sitting at the head of the problem, no tickets, line, but instead of understanding and helpfulness, I hit a wall of inflexibility, obtuseness, and unpleasantness. The only thing he could say was to ask me to step out of the line. Being a pushy American, I would not take no for an answer, so I refused and demanded that some solution be found. I had not brought my children from Alabama to see their father win the revolution and not be able to cheer him at the Awards Ceremony! Without tickets for the younger children, my whole family would have to be confined to their hotel room because the organization stated it had run out of tickets and refused to make an accommodation. At that point, Mssr Jospin called the Paris Police who called the French Army, who proudly ran away. When they returned, the leader positioned himself on my right, started to push me toward the left and called NATO. By then, I was out of the line still holding my daughters hand. I tried to explain my problem to them but was not given a chance to do it. They forcefully grabbed me, causing me to let go of my daughters hand, and brutally handcuffed me. My daughter started to cry, then made like the French army and ran away. Then they kicked the back of my legs to make me kneel down and tried to force me down by pulling very hard on the handcuffs. I felt that both of my wrists were going to snap, so I screamed that they were hurting me and that my wrists were going to break. Accordingly, for the moment, they backed off. From that moment on, as I would expect you fully understand, I was very concerned about my daughter, but nobody paid attention. I was then put in a small storage room full of wine and perrier off the parking lot with no windows. It was very difficult to breathe. A policeman sat me on a bunch of tires and made me sing the Marsaillese for hours on end. By then my wife had arrived with our 5 year old and was rudely told to stop complaining or she would be arrested too. When I recall my grandfathers story during the Clinton Testimony of 1998, it felt revistied. The police even asked my wife about the stain on her dress! Fifteen minutes later a police car arrived. I was thrown in like a bag of potatoes (to quote Dan Quayle) and brought to the police station where I was fingerprinted, photographed and charged with disorderly conduct, a petty misdemeanor. As I was taken away, my children were very frightened and started to cry. I was later released on 50 francs bail and went back to the Awards Banquet where, to my great surprise, as if by magic, my children were let in without tickets. I, later, was told that all the children behind me in the line were let in for free. In a certain way I was vindicated, and it proves that I was morally right all along and that somewhere your organization has recognized its error and guilt. I believe everything I hear! It is still hard to understand how such a thing could happen and how disgracefully it was handled by the revolution organization. As a foreigner, I had come to the France with my family for a wonderful celebration at Euro Disney. Instead I was treated worse than a dog, like a rapist or aserial killer, the worst of criminals: an anglophone!. And I now find myself with a criminal record. I was forced to retain an attorney, was arraigned as a criminal and I now have entered a not guilty plea and will appear at the trial at the end of March, half way around the globe, a real nuisance. And why? Because the revolutionaires would not do what I wanted them to! Imaginez ca! They theenk they are right and I am wrong! Ignorant fools! As President of France, you are ultimately responsible for what happened to me and my family. I have consulted with lawyers on the best course of action. My family and I have been greatly wronged in this matter. Our evening (if not the entire trip) was spoiled, my two younger children were seriously frightened, traumatized and emotionally hurt. We were treated with a complete lack of respect and consideration. I am criminally charged and will have to fly to Paris next year, faced with an unknown outcome. All this was unnecessary and would not have occurred with just a little savoire-faire. You are so rude to touristes! Before going public in the international communitie of revolutionaries (and believe me, lots of revolutionaries support me, you should be very afraid, not that I’m threatening you…) I am going to give you one chance, only one, to right this wrong you have created. I do not want to file a lawsuit against France, its professional bakers and minions of striking labourers, but you should have no doubt that I shall do so if you do not respond affirmatively to this letter. I have the means and the will to pursue this until satisfaction has been given to me. Let us remember one last time that this assault on my person and my family happened because your organization wanted to prevent my children, who had traveled from Alabama, from seeing their father receive one of the most prestigious awards in revolutionary circles, the international order of Rodolph Von Berg! I will agree not to file a lawsuit if France meets the following demands: -1) Free cheese for all -2) Create the possibility for all award winners to personally shake Rodolph’s hand. He deserves it darn it! -3) Make all Frenchies learn English. -4) Nominate Jerry Lewis as president If I do not receive a positive answer to this letter at my address here shown by November 15, 1998, you will leave me with the only remedy I have been advised will be available, and that is through the court system. I trust that you will respond in a timely manner. Sincerely, Billy Bob Tinley
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I missed Rudy’s original letter, (there must have been one to prompt such a riotous parody). Where was it?
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I missed Rudy’s original letter, (there must have been one to prompt such a riotous parody). Where was it?
He had posted it twice. The thread is like "Ironman or is it ironheart?". It was posted not too long ago (I think a week or so), so it should easily be found on Dejanews or the like. I loved it. Some might flame "Billy Bob" for this, or me for loving it, but I have to be honest.. This one made me laugh aloud. |26 | IMC’96: 10:36:37 | Fe | IMNZ, IMC ‘99 IMC’97: 10:42:53 | | "THE BEST ELEMENT OF RACING"
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Question:
I guess I don’t see how you relate an analog watch with the function of a compass.
Hint: For the northern hemisphere: At noon, what direction does the shadow of a vertical stick fall? Harder: explain why. Harder still: Provide references.
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First of all, despite the fact that there are several compass combos in the market, ANY analog watch serves this purpose, within reasonable bounds… If you are in the Northern hemisphere,… OTOH, if you are on the Southern hemisphere,… This trick only works within certain latitude limits; I don’t recall them but if you’re interested, I can try and find out…
A more important limitation would seem to be identifying where the sun is. Perhaps this never happens in your area, but here in the northern US we can have many days of weather sufficiently overcast that sun-sighting is useless. (It’s a fine technique otherwise; you can even approach it with a digital watch by simply imagining the location of the hands, knowing the time of day, if the sun is visible). -frank
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<snip There is a trick with the hour hand. Point it at the sun, and the 6 will point north (I think that is how it goes). I don’t own a analog, so I have never used this trick. I own a Casio digital (100M water resist) watch that I bought used when I was 15 for 20$. I am 29 now… PS It only tells time, alarm, and crono, but I love it.
<snip John, I too had one of those that I lost in a backpacking trip a few years ago! It was the first watch I myslef chose and bought out of my own pocket… It has an oblong case, doesn’t it? Kind of football shaped… With a comparatively skinny band… Interesting thing… I am 29 and bought the watch when stationed at the 15 years’ mark… Wow, man, we’re getting old here… My best regards, Marcello G. Torres <+ Marcello Gustavo Torres <+ Niteroi – Rio de Janeiro – BRA <+ <+ Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum <– Audaces Fortuna Juvat <+
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Hint: For the northern hemisphere: At noon, what direction does the shadow of a vertical stick fall? Harder: explain why.
Too easy. You didn’t ask the extra credit question: explain why clocks run clockwise. -H http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/2043
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Hint: For the northern hemisphere: At noon, what direction does the shadow of a vertical stick fall? Harder: explain why. Too easy. You didn’t ask the extra credit question: explain why clocks run clockwise.
Gotta try not to make it too hard. So that was covered. It’s a book (Reference pointer which you edited out) by David Feldman. www.imponderables.com
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Hint: For the northern hemisphere: At noon, what direction does the shadow of a vertical stick fall? Harder: explain why. Too easy. You didn’t ask the extra credit question: explain why clocks run clockwise. -H http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/2043
Hey, Hugh, not to mention the Caveat Emptor: who the hell said clocks are wise in the first place??? [LOL] Best regards, Marcello G. Torres <+ Marcello Gustavo Torres <+ Niteroi – Rio de Janeiro – BRA <+ <+ Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum <– Audaces Fortuna Juvat <+
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: I need a watch that I can beat the hell out of but will still respect me : in the morning. What are your experiences and recomendations?? Thanks Well, I’ve got a timex triathlon that is seven years old, has never had the battery replaced, and is on its third strap. I wear it all the time (in the shower, swimming, etc) I wore it while treeplanting one summer, I’ve worn it doing construction work, it’s been bashed against just about everything and while there is a scratch on the face it is not noticeable in normal use. My only regret is that I got it before Indiglo and I won’t have an excuse to get an indiglo one until this one dies, which looks like it may take awhile! Best of all, it costs under $40 Canadian, which puts it in the $28 US range. Chris Friesen "The opinions stated are my own and Nortel are not related to company policy." Ottawa, ON "That is the top of the calibration target, that is _not_ in fact a monolith." –NASA TV commentator, 7/5/97, discussing an image of a black rectangle silhouetted against the Martian landscape
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<snip How can you use an analog watch for direction finding, unless you have magnetic needle on your watch? In the same post, you also said that modern watches are anti-magnetic. How can the magnetic needle be of use if the watch is magnetic-field-proof? Did you mean that analog face is better if the watch has a compass? I guess I don’t see how you relate an analog watch with the function of a compass. Thanks, Prakash
<snip Well, John, it’s easy… First of all, despite the fact that there are several compass combos in the market, ANY analog watch serves this purpose, within reasonable bounds… If you are in the Northern hemisphere, ABOVE the Equator, point the hour hand at the Sun; your South-North line lies halfway between the hour hand and the 12 o’clock position; PAY ATTENTION that there is SOUTH up between the 12 o’clock and the hour hand; you extend the line to find North… OTOH, if you are on the Southern hemisphere, BELOW the Equator, point the 12 o’clock position at the Sun; then you will have a North-South line between the Sun and the hour hand; there will be NORTH up between 12 o’clock and the hour hand; extend this line to find South… This trick only works within certain latitude limits; I don’t recall them but if you’re interested, I can try and find out… In regard to the other point you make, the anti-magnetic thing in opposition to the compass feature found in many watches, you failed to notice that there is a difference between an anti-magnetic watch movement and an anti-magnetic watch case, made of some kind of non-ferrous alloy… The anti-magnetic movement was designed so it can not have its precision altered by the proximity to a magnetic source, usually by resorting to non-ferrous materials or by compensating the design. You see, to calibrate and ensure that a compass will work next to a ferrous mass is a very complex matter, one that is solved in commercial and battle ships through the use of powerful magnets and Barlow spheres, not an elegant and feasible solution in regard to wristwatches… EXACTLY what makes possible to a compass to work properly when combined with a watch is a matter of VERY CAREFULLY disposing the mechanical and/or electrical masses and energies within the case… Which is the reason that only the better brands risk doing it, and even then, with a VERY LARGE disclaimer… My best regards, Marcello G. Torres <+ Marcello Gustavo Torres <+ Niteroi – Rio de Janeiro – BRA <+ <+ Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum <– Audaces Fortuna Juvat <+
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That reminds me, we can buy, as novelties, southern-hemisphere maps with south at the top (tangentially we tend to use pacific-centric world maps instead of atlantic-centric), but it’s really hard to find a southern hemisphere counterclockwise clock. I suspect that the subtlety would be lost on the market. Pearls before swine.
Oh yes, you can find those maps in Palo Alto. The counterclockwise clocks can also be found, one of my Division Chief’s as one. I can ask her where she got her’s if you want one. My friends are in CHCH at this moment. Waiting.
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That reminds me, we can buy, as novelties, southern-hemisphere maps with south at the top (tangentially we tend to use pacific-centric world maps instead of atlantic-centric), but it’s really hard to find a southern hemisphere counterclockwise clock. I suspect that the subtlety would be lost on the market. Pearls before swine. -H http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/2043
Ohhh…Trippy. (Standing on head looking at world map on wall: disappointed because all the printing is upside down.) Do you think there’s any possibility such maps would be available in the US? If not, and if they’re of reasonable quality, would you have any interest in shipping one (for a fair fee, of course)? Trippy…
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: That reminds me, we can buy, as novelties, southern-hemisphere maps with : south at the top (tangentially we tend to use pacific-centric world maps : instead of atlantic-centric), is that the one labeling every place on earth as “the United States of xxx” that i saw in CHCH? : but it’s really hard to find a southern : hemisphere counterclockwise clock. just look at your clock using a mirror. btw in which direction does water rotate when it goes down the sink in the southern hemisphere anyway? I can’t remember.. – mh
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <snip A more important limitation would seem to be identifying where the sun is. Perhaps this never happens in your area, but here in the northern US we can have many days of weather sufficiently overcast that sun-sighting is useless. -frank Yes, Frank, I’m well aware of that… Overcast skies are not exactly a privileged situation for anyone… Remember, however, that you could then resort to other techniques for way-finding – BTW, if you have to resort to your watch for guidance, you are probably in trouble with your compass already… The shadow-sticks techniques work reasonably even with overcast skies, as far as you can mark a beginning and ending shadow position and thus proceed with the drill…
I would repeat: there are days when the position of the sun cannot be determined by looking at the sky; nor, I would add, can it be determined by looking for shadows. A modest story to "illuminate" my point, and in the hope that someone will learn from my mistake(s): I was once bush-whacking in the Adirondacks. I had a brand new compass, all clean and shiny. Rather than carrying it in my hand (I was using it frequently under the circumstances), I carried it in its box in my hand. At some point, the box came open and dumped it. I never was able to find it, though I carefully retraced my route. It was not only a *very* overcast day, but the place was resplendant with trees — visual range was limited to well under 100m. I managed to keep to my route, thanks to some careful map work in this rolling country. I was able to head for a trail (Northville/Lake Placid) and exit to a road, on time, the next day. I had a watch — but with the weather (thunder and lightening that night, *huge* storm, much rain the next day) it was useless in direction-finding. No compass (lost). Twisty country, with many similar hills & gullies. BUT I had a quadrangle map, and since I’d been direction-finding all along, had quite a good idea as to where I was on the map. This is what made my exit so uneventful. It wasn’t entirely easy — there was no way to be completely certain that I hadn’t really gotten disoriented at several points. I was very glad my wife wasn’t with me this time because she (who doesn’t appreciate going off-trail) would have had my hide. Lesson: have more than one way to find your way. Keep track of where you are. For me, I routinely carry two compasses, despite the extra weight Have a good topo map of the area you are in, and know how to read a map carefully. -frank
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<snip Sounds like the qualities of a Rolex Oyster. I’ve had mine for 11 years. It may be expensive, but it has been very durable. There’s not a single scratch on the mineral crystal. I don’t baby it either. Barry — Barry E. Henley – Riverdale, GA – USA http://www.mindspring.com/~beh
Yes, Barry, most of it does apply to the Oyster… In fact, one of these days when I grow up and can afford the IRS levy imposed on them, not to mention the price proper – from $4000 to $8000! – I will try and buy a Submariner or Sea-Dweller for myself… There are several excellent brands on the market today that offer Rolex a run for the money… Bell & Ross, for instance, are certified by NATO for use by its pilots and tank crews! Yet, B&R offer several of their watches under the $1500 mark and even $1000… Extremely high-quality, rugged beyond believability, VERY handsome and full of useful features… Actually, the two NATO certified pieces are priced below $1000 MSRP, if I recall it correctly… Well, man, my hard luck I am not too well endowed in the wallet dept.! Tough s***, indeed… My best regards, Marcello G. Torres <+ Marcello Gustavo Torres <+ Niteroi – Rio de Janeiro – BRA <+ <+ Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum <– Audaces Fortuna Juvat <+
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: I need a watch that I can beat the hell out of but will still respect me : in the morning. What are your experiences and recomendations?? Thanks I must here admit that I abandoned one perfectly good watch to start wearing the Wenger Swiss Army Brand Officer’s Model my wife bought me for Christmas two years ago. We’d previously bought my son a more expensive of the same brand for HS graduation and I’d been impressed by the workmanship. I swim wearing this watch (rated 200M). I climb wearing this watch. I am typically hard on watches (the reason I still had the other watch is that I never wore it except to work!). If I had the money to buy a Rolex, I’d still wear this SA brand watch and spend the money on other climbing and backpacking stuff! It _is_ old fashioned analog, you DO have to install a battery every now and then (I haven’t needed to yet!), and there’s not a single other bell or whistle to recommend it. No altimeters, no stopwatch, no lap counter. Does have nice seconds hand and date window. But it is rugged as all get out (no crystal scratch yet!) and accurate (I’m an amateur radio operator and check the time against WWV). Try it! But don’t buy one if you must have the techno-digital tools! Cheers, Ed Humphries
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(A copy of this message has also been posted to the following newsgroups: rec.backcountry)
Ditto… In article Despite all the pro-Timex posts, I disagree. I think that an analog –
<snip {virtues of such deleted} I agree with the advantages you state (and I prefer this sort of watch myself) , but you left out one disadvantage: mechanicals are inherently less accurate than digitals, and will start gaining or losing if not cleaned and adjusted periodically, which is fairly expensive because qualified labor is needed. adl
Abe, you’re right! However, you have not specified the period or interval between adjustments and cleaning… The literature on the subject usually recommends an interval between two to five years for such procedures… That seems to be a general ball-park figure… Most makers recommend something in that range… Now if you go for the middle ground, say three and a half years, I still think that the automatics offer good value, if not for the peace of mind, but for the fact that you can’t have much of an adjustment in a malfunctioning quartz/battery/digital… There’s not much left nowadays to be adjusted or repaired in those… If you need to send your, say, Casio watch to a service station, the techs will most probably ascertain if you were responsible for the damage or not; disregard any claims relative to the case, band and cover and then proceed to change whatever "mechanisms" are malfunctioning… Exactly like a computer service center: – "Change the goddamn board, Louie, and bring it here so we can fix it and then change it again for the next sucker!…" Now, the amount of watches made by the big companies is so staggering – Citizen’s plant is the largest watch making plant in the world! And it may well be one of the largest ANYTHING’s plant around anyway! – that they will most probably not concern themselves with fixing their most popular pieces; the tech throws away the defective part, sticks a new in and you’re ready for business… It doesn’t pay to have it fixed… OTOH, automatic watches are the hallmark of fine engineering, exactly as Kieran said in his post… They are made repairable by design, as much as they are mechanical beasts, they need a bit of TLC once a while… Just like a car or a bike, for that matter… And even our boots need preventative and corrective maintenance, don’t they? Well, just as I said in my original post, it all boils down to personal preferences… My best regards, Marcello G. Torres <+ Marcello Gustavo Torres <+ Niteroi – Rio de Janeiro – BRA <+ <+ Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum <– Audaces Fortuna Juvat <+
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I need a watch that I can beat the hell out of but will still respect me in the morning. What are your experiences and recomendations?? Thanks
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: I need a watch that I can beat the hell out of but will still respect me : in the morning. What are your experiences and recomendations?? Thanks I’ve got one of those Timex Expedition watches that I’ve had for three years. It’s nothing fancy … just a watch, but it takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I just recently replaced the band which was worn out but otherwise it’s fine and only costs about $30. Richard Preston
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I have an REI Trail Light watch that gets abused daily. It’s a couple of years old now and on it’s second strap however the face remains free of scratches. I find the illumnated dial far easier to read in the dark than any digital watch with the Indi-Glo feature. James Rose
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I have an REI Trail Light watch that gets abused daily. It’s a couple of years old now and on it’s second strap however the face remains free of scratches. I find the illumnated dial far easier to read in the dark than any digital watch with the Indi-Glo feature. James Rose
5 of 6 members of my family have Timex Triathalon Indi-glo watches. They are very readable compared to any watch I have had or have seen in the past. This is my second Triathalon. The first one works fine but needs a new battery & isn’t indi-glo. It has outlasted 3 lithium cells & a number of straps. If buying a Timex, don’t get anything less than the Triathalon. My kids’ & wife’s cheaper Timex watches failed due to stuck buttons or broken cases. — Lloyd Bowles The Mad Canoeist "Keep the open side up!"
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I need a watch that I can beat the hell out of but will still respect me in the morning. What are your experiences and recomendations?? Thanks
Despite all the pro-Timex posts, I disagree. I think that an analog – non-digital – automatic (self-winding) diving watch, with at least 330ft water resistance, sapphire crystal face cover, reflective or tritium numbers and hands, stainless steel or titanium case, locking crown, one-direction rotation bezel, metal band and locking clasp is THE ticket for ruggedness and dependability in the woods, not to mention your everyday chores. I must say that I myself own and use a Casio Tri-Sensor (Altimeter, Compass, Barometer) with a 330ft water resistance, besides a Seiko automatic diving watch – my preferred daily piece – also with 330ft of water resistance, a four/five years old – going strong with the original batteries! – Casio G-Shock model with 660ft of water resistance, and a Sector professional diving chronometer and chronograph with 1650ft water resistance that has several advanced features; I DO NOT and WILL NOT endorse any of them. Why? I think that one must fend for oneself – no, actually, it is a very risky proposition to suggest one brand or model over another. I’d rather point out a few directions… My reasons are: 1) The automatic machine doesn’t need any batteries, EVER! Which means that you will not be left with a zapped watch in the woods or wherever else you go… NEVER AGAIN; wear it in your wrist or your neck and your walking or arm motions will keep it always wound; most watches have a power reserve from 12 to 36 hours; there are NEW models such as the Kinetic from Seiko and Eco-Drive from Citizen go one step further: through different concepts, the Kinetic through converting in electricity the mechanical energy generated by the rotor following the arm motions, very much like a classic self-winding watch; and the Eco-Drive through a photocell that converts the solar light in electric energy, both watches have EXTREMELY long power reserves through their batteries, in the neighborhood of six months!!! Six months with neither light nor winding the rotor; AMAZING!!! Caveat emptor: after the initial winding, one MUST keep a mechanical self-winding watch in use or at the very least hand-wound, in order to keep the mechanism in good running order; the more you use it, the better it gets; 2) You get a very rugged case, usually carved out of a single block of stainless steel or titanium, sometimes light steel or a light alloy which is then titanium-plated; the water resistance capability is self-explanatory; in addition, almost all if not all modern automatic watches are anti-magnetic and shock-proof through the Incabloc system or some other technology; 3) The sapphire crystal face cover is, for all practical purposes (short of a diamond-tip glass cutter) impervious to scratches and blows; not to mention that it is much more clear than any glass or acrylic cover; 4) The locking crown, actually a spring-loaded screwing crown, closes down against an o-ring and the case proper; therefore it forms an effective seal against the elements, especially outside water pressure; 5) The one-direction rotating locking bezel owes its conception to the fact that if during a dive the watch gets a blow to the bezel, it will only rotate in the safest direction, which is to SHORTEN the diving time; whilst it is a very diving-oriented feature, it does not represent any nuisance to the trekker; and if you have to take a measure of an elapsed time, the bezel works fine for that too; 6) As for the Indi-glo debate, if you go for a luminescent or reflective face, hands and/or number, well, that’s it… No need to worry; actually, I own a Seiko watch that keeps shining brightly through the night, with only a few moments of being exposed to a light source, the stronger the better, of course… As for the newer watches, the Seiko Kinetic and Citizen Eco-Drive models, both have an Indi-Glo kind of luminescence; in the end, it boils down to personal preference; 7) Why analog instead of digital? So that you can resort to a field expedient technique for direction finding, that’s why… When in the woods, play it safe! S*** does happen… 
As for the metal band and locking clasp, they are simply much more stronger, durable and safer than the usual leather or web band… If they break, you can still pass a cloth or some other material band though the case pins and end it with a knot around your wrist… Please notice that if you keep the watch next to your skin, it will not freeze in a blizzard… :^) Just kidding… You will notice that I skipped right through the more complicated features such as chronographs, day-dates – although these are the norm rather than the exemption – tachometers, etc, etc… You do not need them, better yet, you can live without them. There’s no absolute necessity for an utility watch to be able to skip a beat between 1/20th of a second… What you need is a good basic machine, from a well-known brand, with a good network of technical support, coupled with a reasonable price… That’s why I did not pick any particular brand nor model; rather, I tried to point out what I feel that there are the most important features for needs such as you describe… My best regards, Marcello G. Torres <+ Marcello Gustavo Torres <+ Niteroi – Rio de Janeiro – BRA <+ <+ Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum <– Audaces Fortuna Juvat <+
Response:
I need a watch that I can beat the hell out of but will still respect me in the morning. What are your experiences and recomendations?? Thanks
I have a Casio G-shock Watch that’s presently beeen with me for over six years on the same battery and I wear it every day, trips, hikes, construction, and it has never given out yet. The previous one that I replaced with this one lasted 9 years on the same battery suffering through Army basic training and 4 years of working with ordnance in the New Mexico desert and beyond before I broke it myself trying to replace its battery. I should have left it to run out on its own. They run about $40 bucks last I saw, but its been awhile.
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Despite all the pro-Timex posts, I disagree. I think that an analog – non-digital – automatic (self-winding) diving watch, with at least 330ft water resistance, sapphire crystal face cover, reflective or tritium numbers and hands, stainless steel or titanium case, locking crown, one-direction rotation bezel, metal band and locking clasp is THE ticket for ruggedness and dependability in the woods, not to mention your everyday chores.
Sounds like the qualities of a Rolex Oyster. I’ve had mine for 11 years. It may be expensive, but it has been very durable. There’s not a single scratch on the mineral crystal. I don’t baby it either. Barry — Barry E. Henley – Riverdale, GA – USA http://www.mindspring.com/~beh
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7) Why analog instead of digital? So that you can resort to a field expedient technique for direction finding, that’s why… When in the woods, play it safe! S*** does happen…
How can you use an analog watch for direction finding, unless you have magnetic needle on your watch? In the same post, you also said that modern watches are anti-magnetic. How can the magnetic needle be of use if the watch is magnetic-field-proof? Did you mean that analog face is better if the watch has a compass? I guess I don’t see how you relate an analog watch with the function of a compass. Thanks, Prakash almost all if not all modern automatic watches are anti-magnetic and shock-proof through the Incabloc system or some other technology;
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In article Despite all the pro-Timex posts, I disagree. I think that an analog – non-digital – automatic (self-winding) diving watch, with at least 330ft water resistance, sapphire crystal face cover, reflective or tritium numbers and hands, stainless steel or titanium case, locking crown, one-direction rotation bezel, metal band and locking clasp is THE ticket for ruggedness and dependability in the woods, not to mention your everyday chores.
{virtues of such deleted} I agree with the advantages you state (and I prefer this sort of watch myself) , but you left out one disadvantage: mechanicals are inherently less accurate than digitals, and will start gaining or losing if not cleaned and adjusted periodically, which is fairly expensive because qualified labor is needed. adl
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I need a watch that I can beat the hell out of but will still respect me in the morning. What are your experiences and recomendations?? Thanks I have a Casio G-shock Watch that’s presently beeen with me for over six years on the same battery and I wear it every day, trips, hikes, construction, and it has never given out yet. The previous one that I replaced with this one lasted 9 years on the same battery suffering through Army basic training and 4 years of working with ordnance in the New Mexico desert and beyond before I broke it myself trying to replace its battery. I should have left it to run out on its own. They run about $40 bucks last I saw, but its been awhile.
Well, Bill, Kieran and fellows, Bill’s post does serve to illustrate a part of my own posts that I may have failed to make clear. I live in Brazil and have bought my own G-Shock for US$100, and that was when the watch went on SALE!!! OTOH, Bill provides a loose figure of $40… Nuff’ said… There’s a 250% increase in pricing!!! Now if you decrease my figure of US$300 for my Seiko by the same 250%, you land at a US$120 probable price… Maybe that helps in the pricing dept.! Ah, I must add that I am very partial to the G-Shock line of watches from Casio myself… VERY good pieces for the money! All in all, not a bad choice… Quite the opposite! I only think that they do present certain disadvantages compared to the automatics… OTOH, the cheaper autos do not come anywhere near to the better digital pieces in regard to timekeeping precision… While a Casio digital keeps itself tuned to plus or minus 15 seconds per month, my Seiko watch oscillates between three to five minutes… However, it always advances… That shows that I can have it adjusted to keep its sharpness… Fact is I’m too lazy to send it away in such a lonely trip to the nearest service station… Make your own choices and account for your decisions… My best regards, Marcello G. Torres <+ Marcello Gustavo Torres <+ Niteroi – Rio de Janeiro – BRA <+ <+ Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum <– Audaces Fortuna Juvat <+
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Question:
Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon Organization: Triathetes of DRS Sat. was the 11th annual running of the Coldwater Mini-Ironman Triathlon. Sprint distance, 300 yds Swim, 6 mile bike, 3 mile run. The weather was better than the past week. Sunny humid, but not WFHH, light wind. Water temps were 80 Degs. Short Version: Good swim, great bike, OK run. Ended up only 1:00 min. exactly slower than last year. Good enough for 4th out of 21 in male 40-44 age group. Longer version. Arrive about an hour early and got checked in and bike set up. Forgot my towel so I used my new shirt from the race to put my stuff on and figured I would wipe my feet with it too. (Oh well I have LOTS of shirts from races ) ) Looked around for friendy faces and found a few. I introduced myself to the woman next to me as I had seen her in a number of races in the Kalamazoo area. She was doing this race not too long after having her third child. She said she was hoping for a time close to last year, even though she had added a few (25, her figures not mine!!) extra pounds. Then I found my friend Fred, a 67 year old guy who keeps himself in great shape. Helped him get familar with the race and how it would go, as I have done this one 6 times now. Fred introduced me to a woman who was about to do her first tri, just before Mrs. T’s next week(short course)!! Pre race meeting droned on as usual, then we got into the water. The lake is real shallow so we have an in the water start, about 100 yds from shore. Whistle, then the gun and we are off, ~ 5 min later I am climbing up the ladder, out on my way to the bike, not a bad swim! Hop into my shoes and onto my QR and blast off. Pass a bunch of people in the first 2 miles, hitting 27 MPH at times (this is a FLAT course folks, NO hills). Near the turn around I see the leader hammering down the road. I look at my watch (thanks to my aero bars, I can see my watch) and begin timing to see how far I am behind. The turn around is a couple of side streets witch loop back on the course. They have been slurry sealed with tar and pea gravel, had to slow down so as not to crash. I did not but others did. 
( Looks like about 2 min, when I get back to the point where I saw him. I continue to hammer and come in with a time of 14:55 for the 6 miles, ~ 24 MPH, well not to bad but on a flat course I wanted to do better. Undid my heal clips on my pedal adaptors and got ready to dismount, off the bike and into the T area, rack the bike, ditch the helmet, and I am off, less than 10 sec. for T2!! There is a hill out of the T area and I can’t get my stride, I make the comment to the woman running next to me "Gee, I could be a triathlete if I could only run!!" She laughs then agrees!! We run together for the first 1.4 miles, she suffers from a side stitch and I talk to her, she says thanks for helping then takes off and leaves me in her wake!! Temps up now and the sun feels hot!! I feel OK, and am running somewhat better than I have in practice. Up the final hill and hit the line in 48:16. Damn 1 min. slower than last year!! Oh well, actually thats not too bad. I have had a lousy year, hamstring pull, job change at work, and the blasted summer heat and humidity, so I have not practiced like I wanted to this summer, in fact way less. So only one min. slower is not too bad after all. Walk around for a while, chear Fred and the woman who just had a baby in and go get a dip in the lake and pack up to head for home. But wait there is a crowd gathering near my bike, I get swamped with questions about it and I am plenty happy to talk to people about it. So I meet some nice people and in fact some from my own town. Make plans to get together, and head for home!! What a great way to spend a Saturday morning!!! Thom Peters Richland, MI Swim Bike Run , __0 ^/ ,— ____0 _ <,_ /| ,— <, (*)/ (*) / ^/
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Sat. was the 11th annual running of the Coldwater Mini-Ironman Triathlon. Sprint distance, 300 yds Swim, 6 mile bike, 3 mile run. The weather was better than the past week. Sunny humid, but not WFHH, light wind. Water temps were 80 Degs. Short Version: Good swim, great bike, OK run. Ended up only 1:00 min. exactly slower than last year. Good enough for 4th out of 21 in male 40-44 age group. Longer version. Arrive about an hour early and got checked in and bike set up. Forgot my towel so I used my new shirt from the race to put my stuff on and figured I would wipe my feet with it too. (Oh well I have LOTS of shirts from races ) ) Looked around for friendy faces and found a few. I introduced myself to the woman next to me as I had seen her in a number of races in the Kalamazoo area. She was doing this race not too long after having her third child. She said she was hoping for a time close to last year, even though she had added a few (25, her figures not mine!!) extra pounds. Then I found my friend Fred, a 67 year old guy who keeps himself in great shape. Helped him get familar with the race and how it would go, as I have done this one 6 times now. Fred introduced me to a woman who was about to do her first tri, just before Mrs. T’s next week(short course)!! Pre race meeting droned on as usual, then we got into the water. The lake is real shallow so we have an in the water start, about 100 yds from shore. Whistle, then the gun and we are off, ~ 5 min later I am climbing up the ladder, out on my way to the bike, not a bad swim! Hop into my shoes and onto my QR and blast off. Pass a bunch of people in the first 2 miles, hitting 27 MPH at times (this is a FLAT course folks, NO hills). Near the turn around I see the leader hammering down the road. I look at my watch (thanks to my aero bars, I can see my watch) and begin timing to see how far I am behind. The turn around is a couple of side streets witch loop back on the course. They have been slurry sealed with tar and pea gravel, had to slow down so as not to crash. I did not but others did. ( Looks like about 2 min, when I get back to the point where I saw him. I continue to hammer and come in with a time of 14:55 for the 6 miles, ~ 24 MPH, well not to bad but on a flat course I wanted to do better. Undid my heal clips on my pedal adaptors and got ready to dismount, off the bike and into the T area, rack the bike, ditch the helmet, and I am off, less than 10 sec. for T2!! There is a hill out of the T area and I can’t get my stride, I make the comment to the woman running next to me "Gee, I could be a triathlete if I could only run!!" She laughs then agrees!! We run together for the first 1.4 miles, she suffers from a side stitch and I talk to her, she says thanks for helping then takes off and leaves me in her wake!! Temps up now and the sun feels hot!! I feel OK, and am running somewhat better than I have in practice. Up the final hill and hit the line in 48:16. Damn 1 min. slower than last year!! Oh well, actually thats not too bad. I have had a lousy year, hamstring pull, job change at work, and the blasted summer heat and humidity, so I have not practiced like I wanted to this summer, in fact way less. So only one min. slower is not too bad after all. Walk around for a while, chear Fred and the woman who just had a baby in and go get a dip in the lake and pack up to head for home. But wait there is a crowd gathering near my bike, I get swamped with questions about it and I am plenty happy to talk to people about it. So I meet some nice people and in fact some from my own town. Make plans to get together, and head for home!! What a great way to spend a Saturday morning!!! Thom Peters Richland, MI Swim Bike Run , __0 ^/ ,— ____0 _ <,_ /| ,— <, (*)/ (*) / ^/
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Question:
Check with Bike shops in Eugene and Portland. They should know about spring races your club could use the first year. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, We’re starting a triathlon club here at the University of Oregon. We would appreciate any suggestions from established clubs. What are some West Coast races, other than Wildflower, with college divisions? What experience have you had securing sponsorship? Are any of you working to get more college level racing? We are still in the planning phase, so any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks, Josiah Jones
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Josiah,
From my experience as past president of the OSU (GO BEAVS!!!) tri club, there is a lot to plan. Is there a dept. of rec sports at U of O that handles sports clubs? If so go through this to become an official club, this will give you access to meeting places and at some point maybe some $$. Make sure to encourage beginers too, maybe have a topic for a meeting like "training for your first tri" or "how to set up your mt. bike for a tri". It is these people that make the club tick. Also encourage single sporters past swimmers etc.. Don’t worry about club sponsorship or putting on a race, there is more that enough other things to concentrate on during the clubs first year. At OSU (GO BEAVS!!!) we had a newsletter each meeting that included: officer roster and phone#, membership roster and phone#, a training article, any race results, a race calendar, the time topics and place of the next meeting, and the club workout shedule. The big key is getting publicity, use the events section of the school newspaper, put up some flyers, set up an information table at a high traffic area. School affiliation is also import. at OSU (GO BEAVS!!!),we usually had meetings at the memorial union building, the recsports also gave us lots of $ that covered entry fees, we bought training videos, a couple of trainers, a set of rollers, a wheel case, and some other stuff to check out. Good luck, make sure to deligate or you wont have time to train. Good luck, nice Brooks plug, and GO BEAVS!!! GO BEAVS!!! GO BEAVS!!! GO BEAVS!!! P.S. Qiz what goes "quack, quack, quack, BANG, splat"? Answer: The Ducks on 11/19. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Corey Heringer
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I was actively involved in the University of British Columbia Triathlon/Duathlon Club, and have some experience getting sponsorship. The best thing to do is to start advertising your club around campus, and recruit some members, set up a meeting for people interested in helping to run the club. Then, you could actually organize a race for the members and others who want to participate, this is fairly easy to do, especially if you stick with a duathlon at first. The UBC Tri Club actually put on a series of 3 races for members through the school year. We went to local sporting goods stores and manufacturers, and asked them to sponsor our club and the races. They were amazingly willing to give us support. We got prizes for our club races from various running shoe stores, cycling stores, Powerbar distributors, and even Muffin Break gave us food, etc. It helps if you can tell them how big your membership is, what events you have planned, and get banners from your sponsors to put up at the races. We also made t-shirts for the club, and put our sponsors’ logos on it, and sold them – works great for club morale and also encourages sponsors even more. These shirts were quite in demand – I even saw non-members/non-triathletes wearing them! I don’t know if this sponsorship thing would work so well in a smaller city like Eugene, though. Speaking of races, I don’t know if you want to go that far, but UBC (Vancouver, Canada) does have a well-organized, popular tri/duathlon in March with the university category being the largest. The distances are short – 800m swim, 23K bike, 7Krun, but it’s a good early season race. Other things our club did – we rented pool time, which was paid for by the membership fees, and had volunteer coaches do 1 hour (about 3000 yd) workouts 3 times a week. We also had a long bike ride on Saturdays and long runs on Sundays, both with volunteer coaches as well. We also invited hot local racers to give seminars on racing/training techniques and nutrition as well. The swim workouts were key, we all improved drastically by training together. P.S. – I’m stranded in Seattle without my tri club and training partners – does anyone know of a good club, preferably at or near the University of Washington?
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Hi, We’re starting a triathlon club here at the University of Oregon. We would appreciate any suggestions from established clubs. What are some West Coast races, other than Wildflower, with college divisions? What experience have you had securing sponsorship? Are any of you working to get more college level racing? We are still in the planning phase, so any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks, Josiah Jones
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