The wind sock [bicycling, status]
Jun. 12th, 2026 08:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rebeccmeisterLast weekend at the grocery co-op, I spied a rainbow wind sock for sale, quite modestly priced. Into the shopping cart it went!
Last night, while getting ready to go on one of the weekly Social Cycling rides, Pride Ride themed, I lamented to S that I didn't have a flagpole for my bike. "Want to use one of the fiberglass poles I ordered recently?" he asked.
Three zip ties later, I was ready.
The first stop was for some ice cream at a neighborhood gathering spot.
I left the wind sock on this morning for my commute. I think it might work almost as well as the pool noodle trick, when it comes to getting people in cars to give me space.
While biking up Van Rensselaer Boulevard this morning, I went past some parents waiting with their kids for the bus. One of the kids was wearing a rainbow dress. I think I made their morning as I went past.
Since I keep blathering about the weather and indoor temperature regulation: it seems like so far the rainstorms have mostly been missing Albany proper. We got both window a/c units installed last night. I still haven't quite figured out the one in the main bedroom yet. It has some sort of "eco" mode, and the best I can figure is that with "eco" mode it is less precise about monitoring and adjusting the room temperature. When it first started running, it felt like it chilled below the 77°F temperature setting, but once it finished that routine, it definitely felt far warmer than 77°F when I woke up overheated at 2 am, and the unit wasn't running anymore (the Aranet4 says that I was comfortable at 26°C, which is 78.8°F; when the temperature got up to 26.7°C/80°F, I overheated). When I switched it from "eco" to "cold" mode, it started to run again (fan but also chiller) and got the room back to a so-so setpoint.
In contrast, the louder floor unit in the back bedroom tends to chill the room more effectively and consistently, to the point where I usually set it to 80-82°F.
Perhaps the problem is these temperature differentials aren't all that great; it was 74°F outside when I got up this morning, but I left the house closed up because the dehumidifier in the basement has been running nonstop and the decreased indoor humidity is definitely more comfortable than the sticky business happening outside right now.
Last night, while getting ready to go on one of the weekly Social Cycling rides, Pride Ride themed, I lamented to S that I didn't have a flagpole for my bike. "Want to use one of the fiberglass poles I ordered recently?" he asked.
Three zip ties later, I was ready.
The first stop was for some ice cream at a neighborhood gathering spot.
I left the wind sock on this morning for my commute. I think it might work almost as well as the pool noodle trick, when it comes to getting people in cars to give me space.
While biking up Van Rensselaer Boulevard this morning, I went past some parents waiting with their kids for the bus. One of the kids was wearing a rainbow dress. I think I made their morning as I went past.
Since I keep blathering about the weather and indoor temperature regulation: it seems like so far the rainstorms have mostly been missing Albany proper. We got both window a/c units installed last night. I still haven't quite figured out the one in the main bedroom yet. It has some sort of "eco" mode, and the best I can figure is that with "eco" mode it is less precise about monitoring and adjusting the room temperature. When it first started running, it felt like it chilled below the 77°F temperature setting, but once it finished that routine, it definitely felt far warmer than 77°F when I woke up overheated at 2 am, and the unit wasn't running anymore (the Aranet4 says that I was comfortable at 26°C, which is 78.8°F; when the temperature got up to 26.7°C/80°F, I overheated). When I switched it from "eco" to "cold" mode, it started to run again (fan but also chiller) and got the room back to a so-so setpoint.
In contrast, the louder floor unit in the back bedroom tends to chill the room more effectively and consistently, to the point where I usually set it to 80-82°F.
Perhaps the problem is these temperature differentials aren't all that great; it was 74°F outside when I got up this morning, but I left the house closed up because the dehumidifier in the basement has been running nonstop and the decreased indoor humidity is definitely more comfortable than the sticky business happening outside right now.
no subject
Date: 2026-06-12 03:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-06-12 05:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-06-13 05:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-06-12 05:17 pm (UTC)Yeah, that's pretty much what they do. I'm not convinced they actually save any energy though. To expand on the point
Starting an electric motor takes a lot of energy, though only briefly. Leaving them running steadily is much better and will make them last longer.
From a thermodynamic standpoint, cooling small temperature differences is more efficient than cooling big ones. So, ideally, one would have a cooler that exactly removes the amount of heat added to the system (room) continuously. This is slighly challenging from an engineering standpoint, though modern central A/Cs are getting better at it.
I also wonder, because of that, if there are practical differences in the way one should run the A/C during the day, when one is holding off the sun's heat load, and at night, when one isn't.