Log 2014030401

Orange reflector tape was installed on the two largest bars of my Nishki Colorado mountain bike.  It will increase night time visability from the sides and 3, or more way intersections and diminish my chances of being t-boned at night.

A new smartphone mount with a goose neck and suction cup was purchased at Best Buy in Mentor of Lake County today and installed.  It replaced a smaller smartphone holder, that didn't have grips to secure the smartphone in place.  It's design was gravity based.  And it's back plate didn't go high enough for the new Samsung Note 3's height.  The new mount is now sufficient for my in office use.

-A new 1 liter water bottle and cage was installed on said mountain bike.  A second cage is still on order and should arrive soon.

- A new rear basket was purchased from Wal-Mart in Mentor of Lake County and was installed on the back rack of said mountain bike.  This will allow me to haul cargo on the bike such as groceries and supplies.

- Two new USB cables were purchased for the new said smartphone.  They were intended for use in the garage where I'm currently housesitting and in my car.  Well, I opened the box and found out that they were the same as the data cables for my previous cell phone.  One of the boxes is now in the trash, so, I'm hoping that I that I can get my money back for the second one if I can find those other cables.

- A universal notebook charger was purchased today from Best Buy in Mentor of Lake County, but it was the wrong kind and it didn't fit my HP's power port.  I hope to take it back for an exchange.

- My new 10" combat boots made by Bates came today from Dick's Sporting Goods.  They'll be replacing my current boots of the same make and model.  That's because part of the outer sole at the tips of my feet are starting to separate and their tread is very worn down.

- A new Otter box smartphone case was purchased from Best Buy in Mentor of Lake County.  It's a rugged enclosure that protects my new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone.  If the cost to get the phone at Verizon only cost me about $300 out the door and a newly activated 2 year plan, should I damage the unit in such a way that it's beyond my extended warranty, a replacement of said smartphone will cost about $750 out of pocket at its current retail price.

-The new smartphone was mounted to said mountain bike and it seems to work.

-Even a service with a superior coverage area like Verizon Wireless will loose data signal in the kind of places that I go.  In the second installment of the next recreation trip, I'm counting on it.  This is a 31 mile bike ride from Belpre of Washington County to Chesterhill of Morgan County on the American Discovery Trail in Ohio, while it's independent of the Buckeye Trail.  My purpose will be to ride ADT's independent east arm before hiking the Buckeye Trail.  This will take place on township and county roads in remote areas.

I anticipate that the smartphone's GPS won't be up to the job.  Anyways, the field GPS is much more battery efficient than the smartphone.  If I can run them both, using the field GPS for my odometer, navigation and the smartphone for my on-board music, it should extend the smartphone's battery life.

So, I installed a custom field GPS mount to the top bar of said mountain bike's frame with a buckle, mesh strap and four zip ties.  The units belt clip mounts to one of the zip ties and the adjustable mesh strap.  The other three zip ties are secured to the frame for stabilization.