- hobbies -

My primary interests include:
 - cycling (mountain/road)
 - juggling
 - general fitness
 - systems admin and networking
 - embedded devices
 - yuusyaas

Here, I'll outline thoughts related to each, as they come.

# TMAC pedals

Mountain biking is a new discipline for me. I'm not new to bikes or wrenching
on bikes, so I built up my mountain version from a bare frame. One component
for which I didn't want to spend too much money at the outset is pedals. I've
now spent some time with a couple pairs of flat pedals after a long time riding
clipless on a more road-oriented bike. I decided that I'd like to stick to flat
pedals for awhile, as they work the lower leg a bit differently, and I've been
enjoying the additional, requisite mindfulness.

They say the best flat pedal on the market is unequicovally the Deity Tmac.
Despite price tags, when it comes to "the best", curiosity gets the best of me.
I ordered and received them recently, but I'm yet to go for a ride. My initial
impressions are:
 - well machined
 - nice pin density, especially on the outter edge
 - big platform

They are a clear upgrade from my other two pairs of flats, but we'll see how
they ride...

# Trexler Preserve, Allentown, PA

I recently stopped at Trexler Preserve with intent to mountain bike. It's an
1100 acre area with buffalo, elk, a zoo, and a trail network. The number of
bike trails is limited, but boy are they fun. I'd not expected such well-built
and flowy trails with big features. My local area, while having a lot of
trails, is a much different experience. Most are more cross-country style, and
because of the terrain, hand-built. Trexler is much less dense in terms of
trees and foliage, enabling trail builders to use machines. The berms on some
of the trails are gigantic! I'd highly recommending stopping in should you ever
find yourself in Allentown.

# Embedded Devices

I'm currently enamored with various rockchip SOCs. Both rk3568 and rk3588 are
flexible platforms with a plethora of use cases. More importantly, there's a
concerted effort toward mainline linux kernel support. As of 6.8, base
functionality is mostly merged, though individual boards may need device tree
descriptions. Sadly, there is still functionality locked behind proprietary IP,
but the situation is slowly improving. Gaps tend to revolve around neural and
video processing units. Video codec support is often limited to h264; h265 et
al rely upon vendor kernels and userspace programs, for now.