March 3, 2020 03:25:00 am

The process has been signaled with signal "6"

So decided to upgrade brew and finally fix the issue with my Mysql installation not working with the root account. Managed to fix the database issue however messed up everything with my Valet installation. Tried to re-install as that usually works and voila

The process has been signaled with signal "6"

Tried to google-fu the error and really couldn't find a solution that works for my situation.


This is the clue I needed!

alt text

That led me to the solution, fixing the issue with OpenSSL fixed everything.


brew update && brew upgrade
brew uninstall openssl; brew uninstall openssl; brew install https://github.com/tebelorg/Tump/releases/download/v1.0.0/openssl.rb


July 8, 2019 08:39:00 pm

Bike Tip: Clean Your Cassettes!


Do you guys bother to clean your cassette? If so how often? I usually clean mine when I notice it getting gunky when I'm lubricating my chain. Next to the chain I think the cassette is one of the least expensive things that gets worn out easily on a bike, and being a frugal cyclist I try to make mine last as long as possible.

One time my kids were doing a craft project and they were using this wires with fur on them and I got this idea that they might work for flossing the cassette and to my surprise they actually worked! They are called chenille or straw cleaners. I used to just use old rags.

From then on I just buy a pack of them whenever we're at the dollar store. 

Now my chain is cleanly waxed and my cassette is shiny all ready for tomorrow's ride to Elmira!









April 13, 2019 03:02:00 am

Inner Tubes: Does Size Matter?

Scored a bunch of tubes from a local pro who was selling a lot of bike stuff. Installed the Continental GP4000S II the other day but used tubes from my 700x35 Kenda tyres. I was a bit worried since the tube seemed to big and was folded into itself when I tried to make them fit into the tyres. 




He said this would be a lot better and that he used this for racing. While replacing the tubes I also decided to remove the plastic disk on my rear wheel. Also found out that the tyres had a rotation marker and I had installed the rear tyre incorrectly, fixed that as well.

Finally removed the dork disc on my bike


Wish I had those deep rims

Fuji Feather CX+


April 11, 2019 06:46:00 pm

Buying a Pair of Continental Grand Prix 4000S II from Chain Reaction Cycles

This is my first time ordering from Chain Reaction Cycles, I have to say I'm impressed at how fast they were able to ship my tires all the way from the UK to Canada. Placed the order on Sunday and it was here by Tuesday, unfortunately we missed the delivery guy. 



I really wanted to replace the knobby tires on my Fuji Feather with something with a lot less rolling resistance, I'm mainly going to be using it for commuting and I've heard a lot of good reviews about the GP4000s.

They cost me $100CAD for the pair, which I thought was a good price to pay for something that I would need to use all summer long. At the time they cost $75 on amazon.ca and $90 at my local LBS and that is for one tyre! They had a free shipping option but they said there's a risk that if postal inspects it then I'd get charged with brokerage fees, so I paid $13 for shipping. Last time I ordered some tyres from the US I got hit with a $20 import fee.



Though I'm a bit concerned that they don't seem to be as thick as the schwalbe marathons I've used in the past they do feel lighter. I'm excited to try them out this Sunday when we try to ride all the way to Bamberg!



Have you guys used this tyres before?



February 11, 2019 07:13:00 pm

Garmin or Wahoo? Quest to find the perfect GPS cycling computer.

So after parting ways with two of my road bike I have now saved enough to purchase a GPS cycling computer, which will hopefully provide better functionality than my Apple Watch 3. I wanted to get the bundle with the speed, cadence and HR sensor, hoping I could improve during the summer months when I ride a lot more.


My budget was around $500CAD and I had a choice of getting the Garmin 520 Plus bundle or the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt bundle. After several weeks of reading reviews and watching youtube videos by DCRainmaker, I had decided on really getting the Bolt.

I also wanted to see both devices in person instead of just ordering online, so after a group ride with CycleWR my friend Arcy and I decided to drop by Ziggy's Cycle in downtown Kitchener.


They both felt great, the build on both devices was really impressive, well this is my first serious bike computer so I guess I may not be judging them properly. The screen size is the same, the Garmin had nice colours and really reminded me of my old car GPS. However what stood out in all the reviews about the Wahoo is that the ease in which it can be configured using your phone. I've owned a Garmin Fenix 3 HR and it was a pain having to push all those buttons every time I need to change something. The Garmin connect software was really meh and didn't even miss it after I was done with the Fenix.


Anyways, long story short, Ziggy's was selling them both tax free and I decided I'd pick the Wahoo, loving it so far! Used it on my trainer and had my first commute in the snow this morning, battery was at 80% after I had used it probably an hour.





December 10, 2018 08:51:00 pm

NBD: Fuji Feather CX+

This year I had to say goodbye to two of my buddies, Raven and Ace, my weekend and commuter ride. Basically I came to a realization that I didn't need that many bikes, which my wife Ann agreed to with no hesitation, sold them off with a heavy heart.

But then there's also the excitement of trying to find the new ride, something that would definitely be my size this time! Initially had my eyes set on getting a Kona Rove, however I have actually enjoyed riding the Fuji Ace so much that when I checked the mileage on both bikes I didn't even know that the Fuji had close to 6,000 kms while the Marin had only about 2000 kms.

So I searched Google for Fuji bike dealers near my area, there wasn't much, I was about to lose hope until I saw the website for Bikes On Wheels. It was in Toronto, it would be a hard sell to Ann that we drive all the way up there just to pickup a bike. However we had planned to take the kids to the zoo one weekend and that happens to be the same time they're having a sale on bikes! All the stars were lining up perfectly, purchased it online the weekend before our trip, and I was so restless waiting for the weekend to come.

Oh and the trip to the zoo got cancelled, however we still had fun when we took the kids to Fantasy Fair at the Woodvine Mall. But before that we dropped by Toronto and picked up my new bike, I was like a kid at a candy store. Also snagged a pair of full fenders for the rainy days, I didn't realize you had to pay for parking and my wife was telling me to get back ASAP, the lady at Bikes On Wheels as if to say "yeah this is Toronto you pay parking everywhere dummy!"

So, I hauled it back to our van, got our of there as quickly as possible and enjoyed the rest of our day at Fantasy Fair. Can't wait for winter to be over so I can go on adventures with this amazing steed!


March 19, 2018 07:31:00 pm

NBD - Evo Big Ridge 7.0


Awhile back I wrote a web scraping app to monitor Kijiji for stuff that I'm interested in and I have in the past been lucky and found some really good stuff, my Fuji bike was one of those free bikes and even my winter commuter. So when I wanted to get a fat bike I added that keyword to the list of things for it to find and luckily it found one for a reasonable price, I've actually thought about buying this bike brand new online however I'll settle for something used for the price point I got it for.


I really don't know if fat biking is going to be something for me, the only real reason I wanted one is so that I no longer have to ride the bus when we get tons of snow. One of my friend rented a 2017 Cannondale Fat CAAD3 bike and it was a joy to ride, the EVO Big Ridge 7.0 however cost $850 brand new and weighs double the Cannondale. With the cheap components on this bike I'm not so sure if it will make it through 1-2 winter here in Canada as I plan to use it for commuting during heavy snow days, but only time will tell.


On my first ride with it, I found that the disc brakes could have been better, upgrading it to hydraulics will definitely improve the ride experience. However with the 8 speed setup you really won't be going very fast on this bike, climbing up hills might also be a challenge during winter. I did test it on a climb (-3.6% grade) and had to switch all the way to the biggest cog to make it up, but this probably says more about my climbing ability than the bike. I also contacted the manufacturer to see if its possible to switch to a tubeless setup and no it is not. You'd need to get a new set of wheels, I believe it has clearance enough for a 4.8 inch tire.


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