Monday, September 24, 2007

School starts again...

...on Thursday. I have to get motivated to teach a class again, after a big 9 month break! I am teaching a senior mechanical design class, and of course I am dreaming about more ways to bring cycling and microtechnology, two things I am quite passionate about, into the class. So...after nearly a month of not blogging...I bring you blog-readers a challenge. I usually assign a small design project to my class, to enhance what they are learning. They are already doing large year-long capstone design projects, so this small project is usually something concept-only, and most of the groups do not build anything. Can anyone think of a cycling-related project? I have a few in mind already....but I thought I'd throw the question out there just to see what people might come up with! Last year they did pedal-powered water distillation systems. The top 2 teams actually built their designs and competed in a regional ASME competition.

Come to think of it, maybe some of my students-to-be will find this blog, as they have been known to do so in the past. There are at least a couple of the mechanical engineering undergrads who show up on Group Rides in SB, as it's just not a huge community, us spandex-wearing cyclists. Hmmmmmm.

Anyway...thats about all from DrKim's blogland! Back to the grind...

Ciao!

ps. Oh...I tried cyclocross last week!! I must say it was entertaining. In an hour I learned how to mount/dismount while moving, and ride my not-supposed-to-be-but-had-a-broken-shifter single-speed loaner 'cross bike. I also attempted to do run-ups, but my shoulder did not cooperate. The bike frame was hitting it in a rather tender spot (it has been nearly a year since I broke it/separated it) and it just did NOT feel good at all, and still didn't the next couple days either! So I'm not sure..it is looking like my 'cross career might be over and I'll stick to the activities where you stay ON the bike. :-)

3 comments:

Gary said...

Kim-
Welcome back to blog land.

Regarding 'cross, I had a decent cross season last year and almost never put my bike on my shoulder:). I am a bit unconventional in more ways than one though....

dblrider said...

Hey Doc! I have a similar problem with my shoulder with a bruised a-c joint. If you can reach all the way through the frame to where your hand grabs the handlebars, it puts more of the bike's weight on your arm. Otherwise, you can reach over the top tube to grab the bottom tube and carry it that way. It's not pretty, but it works. My final solution - grit the teeth, be thankful that the adrenaline blocks most of the pain during the race, and just smile... The competition will never know what hit them!

Good luck!

Ken G

Allison Krasnow said...

i think you lost me.
my only project-brainstorming involves algebra...trains traveling towards each other, hoping not to crash!