I’ve been jealously eyeing my fellow cyclists’ Garmin cycling computers for quite some time. Last week I scored a great deal on a Garmin Edge 305 on craigslist.
 
If you’re serious about becoming a better cyclist, or are just really anal about tracking your rides, you can’t go wrong with a Garmin.
 

At the time I bought my iPhone 3G the iPhone 3GS had just come out but I didn’t feel like I really needed the video capture or digital compass features, so I opted for the older phone. I got a great deal on a refurbished model ($49!). 
 

About this time each year, I start thinking about getting into shape for the upcoming cycling season. For me, it’s impossible to eat well and exercise during the holidays. But once February rolls around, I start to get serious about losing that winter weight.
 
Naturally, I look to the Web to help. I ran across dailyburn.com, which I can use to track my calorie intake, exercises and weight. One of the reasons I chose site is that it also has a free iPhone app that syncs with the site.
 

I received a gift certificate to Beer at Home for Christmas from my mother-in-law. Thanks, Linda! So this weekend, I’m going to brew a batch of American style IPA.

I’ve been experimenting with homebrew software and really like Beer Alchemy from Kent Place Software. I had a license a few years ago, but through multiple email and computer changes, I lost it. Not wanting to spend $30 on another license at the moment, I remembered that I had downloaded the Brew Pal iPhone app a few months ago.

Before my Beer Alchemy trial had expired, I formulated a big Imperial IPA recipe. Turns out it was too big for my setup. To do five gallons, I’d need a 10-gallon Mash/Lauter Tun, and I’ve only got a 5-gallon one. So I decided to dumb down the recipe and make a standard IPA (it was only later that I came to the obvious conclusion that I could brew a 3-gallon batch and it would fit).