video re-encoding for youtube

Now that I have a helmet cam, I am trying to figure out the best and easiest way to transcode video to get it to be below 2 Gb, and 10 minutes long (The youtube limits). I also have been looking for a way to flip the video upside down, since the GoPro firmware to do this in-camera is not yet available. Here is what I have come up with to flip and speed up video:

mencoder -vf filmdint=io=2:1 -speed 2 -oac pcm -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=wmv2:mbd=2:cmp=3:subcmp=3:precmp=0:vqcomp=0.6:turbo:trell -vf mirror,flip -o GOPR0016.WMV2 GOPR0016.MP4

And here is what I have been using to just speed up video

mencoder -vf filmdint=io=2:1 -speed 2 -oac pcm -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=wmv2:mbd=2:cmp=3:subcmp=3:precmp=0:vqcomp=0.6:turbo:trell -o GOPR0020_sped.MP4 GOPR0020.MP4


interesting things: using just "flip" will put you into the mirror image universe, which is very confusing, but somewhat amusing. You need the mirror command to get you back on the right side of the road and correct chirality.

also, youtube cannot process h263p encoded video.

update: I just edit in iMovie now

Orpierre, day 4, Franck's

I got up early for another burn on "Comme un Oiseau sans Ailes" with new route details (including the fact that it has gotten 1 grade harder because of a broken hold at the crux), but unfortunately was still too weak to send: I ran out of gas right at the crux. Ian snapped a few pictures of us warming up from the rooftop patio of the gite:

Don't worry, I was unharmed by MegaPigeon!:

After failing, I went back to the gite to help out with kids while chloe and Ian went to chateau for a little more climbing.

It had been drizzling rain for most of the last three days, but around lunchtime it began really pouring. We packed everything up, and crammed it Tetris-style into the Espace and then drove back in the rain to Grenoble. I was surprised to see a lot of motorcyclists out; it looked pretty miserable for them. Even driving in that kind of rain was not very fun. After dropping Ian and the Espace off at the train station, we settled down for a little rest and unpacking.

We had a lovely dinner at Franck's. He introduced us to an excellent sparkling wine with a startling color from Cerdon, and an incredible Bordeaux with dinner. Dessert was a fabulous strawberry cake, with special mini version with raspberries for Zoé and Arthur. At one point I stole a strawberry from her, which earned me a very stern look and a "you MECHANT" (naughty). Alex subsequently began melting down in earnest, and we had to leave.

orpierre, day 3

As usual, Alex did not sleep well. Unfortunately, I had the night shift. He only got up once, however, so I was in luck. Since it was 5:30 AM, and there is not much point in trying to get a half hour of sleep, I took a few pictures of the village



After breakfast, we went to the Puy crag, which is beautiful. I had configured my new Cilogear pack, which I will review at some later date, but suffice it to say that I am very impressed thus far. I was expecting the kind of blocky limestone you find at other southern Vercors climbing areas, but the bottom of le puy tuned out to be surprisingly crimpy and technical. Here is Ian on "Le Meilleur du Pire"

and here I am, helmet camming it up


I worked the moves on the first route, but found it to be pretty difficult.

Meanwhile, the parents had taken the children to the cafe

and my mom taught Zoe how to take pictures with her camera. Here is Zoe's second ever photo:

We bought some ground beef at the local market (I politely declined the meat that had been sitting in the grinder since the morning!) and grilled up roquefort burgers for lunch. Yes, the gite even has a gas grill and patio! Next, we decided to visit Sisteron. Chloe and I must have passed it a few dozen times on our way to various crags, but never found time to stop. The Renault Espace's Nav system brought us right to the citadel, and then we all walked up to the top. We were all impressed by the fact that Kenji made it to the top, and quite quickly!









Here is the tower where the King of Poland was imprisoned


Next came a visit to an overpriced salon de thé (are they all?). We stopped at the impressive looking blades of rock across the river from the fort to check out some of the routes and then headed back to Orpierre for another excellent dinner : salad, lasagna with a bechamel sauce and more homemade cookies. Oh yes, and much more wine.

Orpierre, part 2

After picking up Ian at Aspres-sur-Buesch and picking up more goat milk for Alex (He is allergic to cow milk) at the excellent Bio Epicerie in Serres, we hit the rock. I rallied the Espace up the dirt road to Quiquillon and we were soon at the foot of the cliff.

I took the opportunity to try out the helmet cam on my new helmet

on Cauchemars de Roudoudou, before receiving a beating on a few of the new climbs on the orange rock, but c'est la vie.

Here is Chloe, enjoying her belay

After taking over baby care while the parents walked around, I showed my mom around to some of the interesting parts of the town, like this ancient fountain (with a giant iron stopper!)

Dinner was excellent again: one of the best onion tartes I have ever had, followed by chichken in a cream sauce and rice. Apple crumble for dessert.

Orpierre

We picked up the rental car last night (Our family is now too large for the civic!) -- A Renault Espace with seven seats. This afternoon, after taking care of some work things, we loaded up the "BIG CAR" (as Zoe calls it) with mostly baby things, and a few of our own. Next came the drive south to Orpierre, and the location of the Gite, which is *fantastic*. It is in a building in the center of the medieval town, next to vaulted stone arches and century old fountains. There are quite a few rooms, a big well lit dining room, and about twelve beds. The owner is very friendly, and after we had shuttled in all of our gear, we used the Jedi mind trick on Kenji and Gail to take care of kids while we ran up the hill to the Chateau crag to get in a few routes. We warmed up on C Sake Bon and then moved on to Les Ailes du Desir. There were a lot of wet holds on this one, and I actually had water dripping off of my hands several times, but I got the on sight. Yay for non-negative progress, I guess. It was a real fight, though.

Dinner was delicious: everything was organic, and included a delicious salad, a frittata and a salmon tarte.

There were also home made cookies and fromage blanc for dessert. Also: giant loaves of bread:



We had loaded up on wine from HEIDSIECK ET RASCLE in Place aux Herbes, and finished a bottle, but I can't seem to remember which one! We had an excellent Pelardon as well.

A trip to Vienne

We drove (in a maddening and round about way on Departmental roads thanks to the stupid GPS) to Vienne today. We had an excellent lunch at Les Cloitres, and then walked around for a while, checking out the church and Temple of Augustus-Livia (and a few stores too)

he he

115k euros might buy you cutting edge technology, but perhaps not reliability!

Mont St. Martin climb

time compressed into 8 mins

Zoe's new thing

is to collect snails, and then yell "MARCHEZ!" at them (WALK!)

Lunch at ciao a te

Excellent

Helmet cam, mont st Martin

I bought a helmet cam and tested it out on the ride up to Mont St. Martin. I'm still working on compressing the ascent, but here is the descent video:



I'm capturing in the 60fps mode, which is amazingly smooth and high quality. I tried mounting the camera on the handlebars, but the results were not good. The helmet works fine, but it makes you look like a tool.

The ride itself was ok. It felt a little better than normal, and the power output was decent.

Parents in Town!!

Ombleze

We drove down to Ombleze yesterday to stay at La Moulin de la Pipe, and enjoy their excellent restaurant. We met Ian and his mom there around 6 PM or so, and had a chance to walk around with the kids, scoping climbs as the clouds rolled in. Today we started off in the on s'pete la Ruche sector, warming up on Apericub. Midway up, I was savagely attacked by a mutant half sparrow-half eagle hybrid, but I stayed on and finished the climb. We also did El pachalane to the right. Both climbs are excellent. Next, it was off to the Evasion sector, which is my new favorite at Ombleze: interesting moves on absolutely fantastic orange blocky limestone. Perfection. I did l'unique and Prince a vue. Next, it was lunch time and finally on to Aqualand, which is a sandbagged, and nasty sector without much interest except for the short approach (which unfortunately involved walking through an icy cold river). I lurched up Barboton first try, but it was ugly. Shortly after we decided to stop climbing, it began raining really, really hard, and kept raining all the way back to Grenoble. On the descent from the col de Limouches, we saw some pour touring biker getting absolutely drenched.

expe

We stopped in pont-en-royans to check out expé: very nice! They seem to have everything. Even this:

Gas powered hammer drill!

Lans

Cycled up to Lans after work. It felt pretty easy after all the hell rides we have been on recently, and for once I wasn't in my biggest rear cog. As is typical of cycling in France, we passed some guy at nearly twice his speed after Engins, and the next thing we knew he was putting the hammer down to catch us and draft off of us. I'm definitely getting sick of that kind of behavior and will just have to pass with more authority next time. I don't understand what is going through their minds! I guess it's just the embarrassment of getting passed that quickly, but jeez!

Eight hundred something meters, with a very fun descent.

Note chain droppage at 75 mins. ergh.

col de porte

Cycled col de porte... felt pretty good but was almost in Bonk City by the end. We went via Clemenciere and the col de Vence, rather than Sarcenas, and then back down through Quaix. At the col, we scarfed down cola flavored gummies and compotes de pommes to recharge, and refilled our bottles with the delicious cold Chartreuse water (hopefully not trucked up from the Isére).
All told, more than 1000m of climbing, and it didn't take too long, so I'm starting to get my legs back.

les Écouges

climbing at les Ecouges with Ian. We set up the tent under the big overhang, hoping now hardmen would show up to do the 7c+ there, while we took turns with baby duty. Récup Active is fantastic, if a little runout, and Mouli Net is the best route I have climbed recently, on varied terrain, huge tufas and cracks. Oh yeah.

oh yeah

new cycling shoes!! full carbon soles! ... are awesome!

climbing at St Egreve at lunch. Gotta love living in Grenoble

Riding

cycled up to St. Nizier, through lans-en-vercors and back down the D532. An exceptional ride, but at more than 3000 vertical feet, a bit painful. All in all it was 36 miles. Yes, it's cycling heaven here!