Great turn around story http://ping.fm/Wi00X

Logitech IO2 Digital Pen and Windows 7 can work together

Windows 7 allows running old XP devices in a XP virtual machine.   You can download MS' virtual pc with XP mode here.  The magic in getting this to work is to have your Logitech IO2 digital pen in the cradle and have the cradle plugged in to your Windows 7 usb port at the time you install the virtual machine and install XP from a XP CD.  After you do all the usual updating of XP w/in the virtual machine, you can download logitech's last (RIP) driver for the IO2 digital pen here.  Press the 'External Mirror 1' link to download.   Also, be sure to click the 'USB' down arrow in the upper left hand area.  You'll see 'Digital Pen' as one of the USB devices.  Click the gray area to the left of that entry to activate that USB device so that virtual XP can see it.   That one cost me much head banging.

Here's a screen shot of my I)2 pen uploading 5 pages to the virtual XP machine running on Win 7.

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Sachs Duomatic schematic.  Thanks to Marco the Sachs Duomatic Master for this diagram and an explanation for a common hub misassembly issue - below:  I assembled the hub without pushing the spring, part 19 through the hole, part 14.  And I didn't insert the wires from 13 into the slots in part 11.  The hub worked for a few yards or a few miles, then it just locked up.  Marco came to the rescue with the explanation below.

".....

25 - 13. It´s important that the part Nr.19 reaches with the wire into a hole on part 14. Also the wires of part 13 (14) must be reach into the little spaces of part 11."

Living Better and Longer - a 'howto' by a fellow cyclist

See Dan Buettner's interesting learning from his international cycling tours.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Buettner

Also, see his site: http://www.bluezones.com/

Sachs Duomatic - 2 speed kickback hub

Finally got one.  It came from a wonderful hub geek in Germany and it's in NOS condition no less.  I've overhauled it and laced it into a nice DT Swiss 700c rim.  Then I put it on my single speed and took off.  It was a perfectly smooth 2 speed bicycle ride for 2 miles.  Then the hub trouble started.  It just stopped turning as though I had applied the coaster brake. 

I'm looking around for solutions and will post on a few forums.  It's a rookie hub mounting mistake I suspect.  I'll bet my hub geed friend in Germany will have the answer!

Stay tuned

Cool Old Bikes (that need riders!)

If you're looking for a 70's or 80's steel roadbike to tool around in, check out http://sites.google.com/site/coololdbikesthatneedriders/

When in Minneapolis

In Uptown Minneapolis, on Hennipin, check out Re-Cycle. You'll see a wall of 60's and 70's Schwinns, the occassional Raleigh, Fuji and even a disguised Zeus. All are rideable, some are already converted to fixed but most are still the 3, 5 or 10 speed they were first built to be.
And they show the patina of several previous owners in a worn-in jeans kind of way. As it should be, the repair stand is the first thing you see as you enter and it will make you smile. I saw a WWII era fat tire as I entered. It's the first thing I noticed walking by. The owner is as happy to talk bikes as he must be to sell you one but there is no buy pressure. It's a living bike archive. Check out his site. http://re-cycle.com/city.aspx?city=Minneapolis

The pizza around the corner is great too so this is the perfect $5 night - pizza and a vintage bike shop.