Why base the title of today's entry upon Philip K Dick's epic Sci-Fi novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep"? Well as we recall, this was turned into the legendary Sci-Fi cult movie "Blade Runner". The common denominator here is Science Fiction itself.
Dickhead supremo Gordon Brown has unveiled plans to encourage motorists to buy electric or hybrid cars. Yes, the man who puts the "Down" into Downing Street has a "Green Strategy" that will encourage motorists to invest in electrically powered motor vehicles with subsidies of up to £5000 being offered to motorists if they decide to go the hybrid or electrically powered car route. The Brown government have also committed £20,000,000 to invest in charging points for electric cars.
Labour Party business wordmonger Lord Mandelson said: "When people see the electric car - the speed, the lack of noise - they are going to fall in love with it." So, we're being encouraged to look at electric or hybrid powered cars. Well as ambitious as this government's plan is we need to look at the bigger picture first.
There are two main players in the UK hybrid car market. Toyota (who own Lexus) and Honda. Their offerings are petrol powered cars that automatically click over to electric mode when running in a suburban area. Clever stuff indeed, but these are still predominantly petrol (not eco friendlier diesel) powered vehicles that contain a shed load of batteries to power the oh-so-green electric motors at lower speeds. The incredibly ugly Toyota Prius is punted as being the most technologically advanced hybrid on the planet.
The current (3rd generation) Prius is packed with 168 Panasonic Prismatic batteries which weigh just over a kilogram each, or close on 170Kgs of batteries. So what happens when these cars reach the end of their life, whether it be due to an accident or ideally it outlived its use? Now we have 170Kgs of not so eco friendly batteries to dispose of. Even worse, what happens if one of these hybrids should get stolen and burnt by yobs, or perhaps catch on fire in a residential area? Rest assured the acrid and toxic fumes of 168Kgs worth of burning cells aren't going to do the population or environment any good. The car will be doused with water in order to bring the flames under control and all those lovely toxins will be absorbed into the ground to piss mother nature off just a little bit more. Pure electric cars may contain more cells due to the lack of a hybrid design, just making disposal or fire a little more interesting.
Another area of the puzzle is the charging time. Hybrids are predominantly fossil fuel powered cars that basically take care of their own cell charging and switch back to fuel should the batteries run low or when they reach faster speeds. The 100% electrically powered cars do have some impressive claimed range per charge. Let's look at the Mini E , which I am quoting as it's the closest all electric offering to a real family car. it is claimed by BMW the manufacturer that the Mini E can do in excess off 150 miles per charge. I have to ask if these claimed figures include the kids and luggage in the back of the car too? I doubt it to be honest. The Mini E has an 8 hour charge time. If the "Eco Family" of four want to go on holiday with the Mini E, they need to undertake an 8 hour stopover en route if the journey exceeds 150 odd miles. Realistically a family of four in a Mini E estate would probably also use a roof box to house the luggage as the Mini E may be the biggest 100% electrically operated car on offer, but it's still a small car by any standard. Would the claimed range of 150 miles per charge be achieved? I doubt it.
So, in Brown's green utopia with electric cars and a whopping £20M worth of charging points scattered across the isle of Britain, I also need to ask if the electricity provided to recharge the "Eco Family's" Mini E is free? Would I be skeptical saying I foresee lines of electric cars awaiting charging at the motorway Services as I do believe that recharging batteries takes more than a little longer than it does to fill a 45-60 litre fuel tank via the nozzle.
Another thing that worries me is the "quiet" credential that hybrid and electric vehicle advocates seem to be pushing. I've almost been hit by a Prius in the B&Q car park because I didn't hear the fucking thing. Rest assured if it was petrol/diesel powered I would have, but these things have what I can only term as "Audio Stealth"
This may appease the owner/driver but I foresee more pets, pedestrians and kids especially, being put at risk by this "quiet technology". Remember most vehicle/pedestrian incidents take place in residential areas where electric and hybrid cars will be running silently. Perhaps they should play an engine sound (in MP3 format) to warn pedestrians?
It seems that New Labour are going to use this new green approach to woe voters over the their leftist box on the Ballot Paper. Sadly the envirocrats and tree huggers will be dazed by this message of hope and greeness and vote for these idiots in the blind belief that we'll make the world a better place. Well Mr Brown you could find a cure for cancer, be the architect behind nuclear disarmament and even turn out to be Christ Himself, I wouldn't vote for you anyway.
As androids dream of electric sheep, it seems that New Labour dream of electric cars, not to save the environment or make commuters less reliant on fossil fuels, but solely to save New Labour's asses by wooing the conscientious voters through the green haze of deception. Those same voters who believe that the appliance white wind farms that ruin our scenic countryside are the answer and also believe that anyone who owns or drives a 4x4 is public enemy no. 1
Conclusion
It's been calculated that the United Kingdom contributes about 2% of the world's carbon emissions, however we are the most highly taxed nation on the planet when it comes to environmental matters. All air tickets are taxed on their "carbon footprint", 4x4 owners are targeted with unreasonable road tax costs and we are forced to recycle and if we do not, the New Labour controlled Councils send spies to look in our dustbins to make sure we're recycling and face a fine if we're not allowing ourselves to be forced into doing this.
Sadly China commissions a coal fueled power station every week, in fact the Chinese government intend on switching on approximately 56 of these power stations in 2009. This is the real issue, the developing nations like China and India are poisoning the planet. Our elected governments say and do nothing about this as we depend on the low cost manufactured goods that these counties produce for the Western World.
The United States and Russia are no angels either, but they're seeing the bigger picture and make serious concessions and efforts in reducing industrial carbon outputs.
Ironically the UK's New Labour government will overlook their trade allies' shoddy records when it comes to pollution and pick on the hard pressed UK taxpayer, while at the exact same time blinding us with the promise of greener cities with the promotion of super quiet and eco friendly battery powered and hybrid cars.
Gordon Brown doesn't think we're all stupid, he knows the majority of us are and he'll take advantage of that.
/rant = over
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Friday, 10 April 2009
Confessions of a pedaler
Someone recently asked me why I cycle so much.
This brings those of you who read my Blog to the conclusion that I own a bicycle. Yes I do, in fact without being too boastful, I own three mountain bikes.
So, why does one cycle? Well it's most certainly not because I am on the lower end of the national average of earnings and need it to commute. In fact, the value of my bikes equals to the same value as decent compact family car.
The reason I originally bought a bike actually differs to the reason I currently ride one. To be bluntly honest I've always liked mountain bikes. They just look cool with almost every component being branded with manufacturers' names screened upon them: Shimano on the derailers, Sunrims on the rims, Panaracer on the tires, Truative on the cranks, WTB on the seatpost and handlebars and the awesome frame geometry painted all bright with 7005 Butted Alloy screened on the tubes. Lastly, the suspension, hydraulic disc brakes and Allen capped bolts all add to the mean, lean riding machine aura that these pedal powered steeds have
I bought my first bike in early 2007. It was pre-owned, but brand spanking new.
Someone I knew pointed me towards it as a friend of his had bought it and just didn't get on with cycling. I recall seeing the ad for the bike placed on an RC Forum, with a link to the manufacturer's site. I read through the specifications and was duly impressed. It had all the right stuff; Shiny, lightweight, branded and expensive when purchased new, with a £1000 price tag, which was not too shabby for a decent spec hardtail mountain bike.
I went and inspected it and yes it was as good as brand new. The soon to be previous owner even threw in a under saddle tool bag, multitool and spare tubes. I bought it for £450. A 55% depreciation in value over a few months.. fuck me, that's got to hurt, a lot.
When spring arrived I made a point of riding the bike and found myself a little road route of +-6 odd miles, or just on 10 kilometers. I rode this route every day after work and was still discovering the secrets of cycling in the mechanical sense. I was up and down the gears all the time, lower gears up the hills and higher gears when going down. This was a discovery of note for me and a humongous improvement on the old 10 speed racing bike I got around with as a kid. The hydraulic disc brakes were impressive too, but the off road tires whined in abundance on the tarmac.
I was offered a Garmin eTrex Legend GPS from a work colleague at a bargain price. I bought it and then got a handlebar mount. All of a sudden I could log my rides.
My riding routes had also varied with me finding about 2KM of dirt in the Three Brookes Nature Reserve. I was also keeping track of my times on a spreadsheet.
Sadly most of my rides were urban and this meant I had to compete with traffic and also inhale the obnoxious fumes that cars emit.
The riding times were improving and I yearned for something better than an urban ride with touch of dirt riding. I then discovered the Bristol to Bath Cycleway along what used to be the old Chiltern railway line.
Now this is 11-13 miles of tarred walkway (22-26 with the return trip) that cyclists play 2nd fiddle to pedestrians on. It's a great ride, lots of tree canopies, fresh air, sunshine, pretty girls, miserable old farts and long hills. I did this ride a few times solo and loved it. There are artworks and sculptures placed along this route as well as a steam train station, pubs and a cafe. Let me not forget to mention the graffiti! The ride starts in Bristol city and ends in Bath along the canal. It took me about an hour plus to weave through the walkers, pass slower riders and feral human offspring running wild along this cycleway
I was always faster on my way down to Bath, but the route back is all uphill. In fact I pushed my bike up the hills the first few times as I was so exhausted.
Later I hooked up with my mate Ray who lives close to the Cycleway. We did the ride a few times together and he often left me standing as he was a regular gym attendee and in good physical shape. But my fitness and times were improving and those hills that used to force me to dismount and push were now beaten fair and square. Ray didn't always ride with me as he's quite unreliable when it comes to meeting commitments in regards to arranged rides.
In early 2008 I rode the path solo from my house and picked up a few punctures which I tried to repair. I ended up riding from Bath to my house with a slow puncture as my bowl of rice piece of shit Chinese manufactured repair kit failed epically. I had to reinflate the rear tire every two miles and it was raining. What should have taken me just on an hour ended up being a 3 hour ride! That was the worst ride to date. An absolute fucking nightmare.
I was also looking for new places to ride as when on a bike, you see so much more. The bug was starting to bite me. I didn't realise this at the time, but looking back those trying and somewhat tiring rides had sewn the seeds. Another thing I had invested in was a Polar heart rate monitor as I wanted to measure my progress even further.
Ray and I had signed up for the Bristol Bike Fest in June, this was a 23 mile event. Not a race, just a good day out on the bikes with thousands of other cyclists.
In April 2008 whilst on a ride with another friend, I flipped my bike and landed awkwardly on my right leg.
I broke the leg in 6 places and was rewarded with 11 screws and a plate in my lower leg. As to whether I would ride again or not was the tale of two Doctors. I was being treated at Frenchay Hospital's Fracture Clinic and there were two consulting Doctors who alternated.
One Doctor said not an issue at all and I'll be up and riding sooner than I think. The other Doctor was a pessimist and told me that at my age I need to seriously reconsider what sporting activities I partake in as my leg would never be the same. I preferred the positive Doc's approach. As for the other Doctor, well he can go fuck himself I thought. I was going to get better. The lightweight, bright pink cast came off after two months and was replaced with a ROM Brace that made me look like Robocop under construction for about a month.
Life is all about meeting people, sometimes losing contact with them then bumping into them unexpectedly, Pete G an old friend who I worked with in S.A. had resettled in England with his wife and daughter. We made contact via Facebook and had spoken via mail and telephone.
On the 27th July 2008, 91 days after breaking my leg, Pete called me and said he needed a good bike ride.
I told Pete I was well up for a scoot down the Bristol-Bath Cycleway. Pete drove up to mine with his "Iron Giant" strapped to the boot of his car. I had just taken my Kona Kula around my block for its first ride in 3 months. In fact the first ride since breaking (and healing) my leg.
We rode the Cycleway together and it turns out Pete G had things on his mind and we discussed these and life in general as we cranked our way along the cycleway. It was a good day for us both, Pete getting issues of his chest, me testing the leg and most importantly, two good friends reunited after a decade with a little more in common now due to the cycling.
We got to Bath and back and my leg held up fine for the 23 odd miles, although as expected, the ankle area did swell quite a bit.
Pete and I rode a lot in the later part of 2008. He's adventurous and loves finding new places to ride. He's led me to some amazing places where mountain bikes just belong. Every ride is a photo opportunity too as there's so much to see in England.
In mid September 2008 I bought myself a limited production full suspension Felt Compulsion 2 SE "Mint Sauce" edition XC bike as a reward for healing up so quick and keeping a positive attitude, plus I knew it wouldn't be wasted. I decided to retain the Kona hardtail bike I had too as it is a great ride and I am also very, very fond of it.
I also "invested" in a Land Rover Discovery Series II 4.0 V8 and a pair of Thule 591 roof bike carriers solely to lug bikes and the relevant biking kit around. It's a top of the range specification too, so it also offers a lot of comfort and luxury which is a godsend after a hard day's riding.
The first ride on the XC bike was with Pete at Reading Copse and it was a nightmare for me. The bike was tall, heavier than the Kona and I was convinced it was trying to fucking kill me too.
It was also fast down the hills, offered grip second to none and brakes so powerful that I had to treat them with a new found respect, however I just didn't have the confidence to ride it properly. I was justifiably paranoid about my leg too with visions of me destroying all the Doctors' hard work in one swift fall. Pete rode his Kona Caldera and left me standing in an area ill suited to his bike and much more suited to mine. My confidence just wasn't there.
The second ride on it was at Swinley Forest in Bracknell, Berkshire where Pete once again left me standing on his Caldera. I recall how I fell off a collapsed wooden bridge. The fall was about two foot and Pete looked quite concerned asking my how my leg was. The leg was fine, the ego was dire need of repair though.
Later in the year, Pete also bought himself a full suspension trial bike, a lovely Giant Trance. This made me keeping up with him even harder work. I also bought another mountain bike, my 3rd. It was a bargain from the local on-line classifieds. This was purchased with the intention of turning it into a commuter and I am pleased to say I have done this successfully.
Pete and I also did some riding at the New Forest which was great stamina training due to the long sweeping hills within the forest. We rode from Lyndhurst to Brockenhurst via the forest. The great thing about the New Forest is the serenity of the area. Also the wild ponies are something we are just not used to, as in Africa without doubt, these ponies would most certainly be eaten by the starving locals. I did some of the New Forest rides on the Felt Compulsion 2 SE XC bike which isn't best suited to this environment as it's hardtail country but the hard work helps make one fitter.
Winter kicked in and riding sadly ground to an abrupt halt due to the poor weather. I joined the local gym to keep myself in trim but as my 6 week holiday in the sun inched ever closer, my motivation to attend gym waned and my weight gained..
2009 arrived and I came back from vacation weighing 108Kgs (230LBS for those Imperialists) and decided to shed weight as a matter of priority. I returned to the local gym and set my plans in motion. I would make myself fit to ride and for no other reason. I was working on the cross trainer to burn fat and undertaking circuit training to rebuild my upper body strength. I recall watching the RedBull Rampage DVD set and one of the Downhill riders stated the best armour is muscle.
The waistline was declining but the weight wasn't coming down as anticipated. I had also changed my diet and was (and still am) calorie counting. So, what was I doing wrong? I had no idea until I put on a casual shirt and noticed how it was tighter on my biceps. Fuck me, I realised I am rebuilding muscle which weighs more than the fat I burn.
Pete and I rode in Swinley Forest in early March 2009. I was riding better than I ever had before. We went for a rip down an area appropriately named "The Labyrinth" by the locals. This is a fast downhill rutted track with switchbacks and berms galore. This is adrenaline riding at it's best and what the Felt XC bike was made for, however one mistake and you will be hurt as the trail is lined with trees galore with only inches to spare on either side.
In 2008 The Labyrinth scared the living fuck out of me and I tackled the descent under constant braking and was 3 minutes slower than Pete on this route.
In March 2009 we did it a few times, each time I improved and was only 30 odd seconds behind Pete who was riding his Giant Trance Trial bike. I also clambered up hills and flew down hills with a new found confidence brought on by the combination of healing, weight loss, muscle gain and diet.
I've now decided to go exploring by myself and have recently discovered the Forest of Dean which is between 30 minutes and an hour from my house, 3o minutes if you want to line the French's pockets with £5.4o for using the old Severn toll bridge, or an hour to go around the long way. I've done both and decided the £5.40 is a lot more economical than the fuel my V8 powered Land Rover consumes going the long way round. Yes, paying the French any amount of money leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but I digress.
The first outing at the Forest of Dean was with my buddy Ray, who had loaned my Kona while I decided to do this on the Felt XC bike.
We did 9.4 miles or 15KMS. This entailed a 6 odd mile climb that had me waiting for Ray quite a few times. The reward was just under 4 miles of downhill with me reaching speeds in excess of 30MPH or 49KMH! Fuck me I am a dumb ass, I logged those speeds on my Garmin GPS, so they're fairly accurate but I wasn't wearing any pads or a helmet.
The tables have certainly turned as far as fitness levels go, I have improved, sadly Ray's been a little slack and slowed down substantially.
I last went alone and covered 22.7 miles or 36KMS and loved it. In fact I cycled over 45.5 miles or 73 odd Kilometers that weekend
At the time of writing this Blog entry, I weigh 97 Kilograms, have a rested heart rate of 65-68BPM and feel on top of the world physically and mentally. Healthy body certainly does equal a healthy mind.
I ride my commuter mountain bike to gym, to the shops or wherever and whenever I can and am committed to cycling opposed to driving. The fun is not just in owning a bike, but actually using it.
So, why do I ride? Is the great camaraderie between mountain bikers? Perhaps it's the lure of the great outdoors and fresh air? Maybe it's just the machinery itself, great bikes bristling with the technology of lightweight, space program type alloys and carbon fibre, plus let's not forget the kit, helmets, gloves, shoes and the brightly coloured attire.
To be honest I don't know why I ride so much, one thing I can say is that when I ride it's like Novocaine for the soul. I think it could be that the mind needs to take a break and let the body do the harder work in order to meet the balance one often seeks subconsciously
Conclusion:
My name is Raymond and I love riding bikes, but strangely I still don't really know why....
This brings those of you who read my Blog to the conclusion that I own a bicycle. Yes I do, in fact without being too boastful, I own three mountain bikes.
So, why does one cycle? Well it's most certainly not because I am on the lower end of the national average of earnings and need it to commute. In fact, the value of my bikes equals to the same value as decent compact family car.
The reason I originally bought a bike actually differs to the reason I currently ride one. To be bluntly honest I've always liked mountain bikes. They just look cool with almost every component being branded with manufacturers' names screened upon them: Shimano on the derailers, Sunrims on the rims, Panaracer on the tires, Truative on the cranks, WTB on the seatpost and handlebars and the awesome frame geometry painted all bright with 7005 Butted Alloy screened on the tubes. Lastly, the suspension, hydraulic disc brakes and Allen capped bolts all add to the mean, lean riding machine aura that these pedal powered steeds have
I bought my first bike in early 2007. It was pre-owned, but brand spanking new.
Someone I knew pointed me towards it as a friend of his had bought it and just didn't get on with cycling. I recall seeing the ad for the bike placed on an RC Forum, with a link to the manufacturer's site. I read through the specifications and was duly impressed. It had all the right stuff; Shiny, lightweight, branded and expensive when purchased new, with a £1000 price tag, which was not too shabby for a decent spec hardtail mountain bike.
I went and inspected it and yes it was as good as brand new. The soon to be previous owner even threw in a under saddle tool bag, multitool and spare tubes. I bought it for £450. A 55% depreciation in value over a few months.. fuck me, that's got to hurt, a lot.
When spring arrived I made a point of riding the bike and found myself a little road route of +-6 odd miles, or just on 10 kilometers. I rode this route every day after work and was still discovering the secrets of cycling in the mechanical sense. I was up and down the gears all the time, lower gears up the hills and higher gears when going down. This was a discovery of note for me and a humongous improvement on the old 10 speed racing bike I got around with as a kid. The hydraulic disc brakes were impressive too, but the off road tires whined in abundance on the tarmac.
I was offered a Garmin eTrex Legend GPS from a work colleague at a bargain price. I bought it and then got a handlebar mount. All of a sudden I could log my rides.
My riding routes had also varied with me finding about 2KM of dirt in the Three Brookes Nature Reserve. I was also keeping track of my times on a spreadsheet.
Sadly most of my rides were urban and this meant I had to compete with traffic and also inhale the obnoxious fumes that cars emit.
The riding times were improving and I yearned for something better than an urban ride with touch of dirt riding. I then discovered the Bristol to Bath Cycleway along what used to be the old Chiltern railway line.
Now this is 11-13 miles of tarred walkway (22-26 with the return trip) that cyclists play 2nd fiddle to pedestrians on. It's a great ride, lots of tree canopies, fresh air, sunshine, pretty girls, miserable old farts and long hills. I did this ride a few times solo and loved it. There are artworks and sculptures placed along this route as well as a steam train station, pubs and a cafe. Let me not forget to mention the graffiti! The ride starts in Bristol city and ends in Bath along the canal. It took me about an hour plus to weave through the walkers, pass slower riders and feral human offspring running wild along this cycleway
I was always faster on my way down to Bath, but the route back is all uphill. In fact I pushed my bike up the hills the first few times as I was so exhausted.
Later I hooked up with my mate Ray who lives close to the Cycleway. We did the ride a few times together and he often left me standing as he was a regular gym attendee and in good physical shape. But my fitness and times were improving and those hills that used to force me to dismount and push were now beaten fair and square. Ray didn't always ride with me as he's quite unreliable when it comes to meeting commitments in regards to arranged rides.
In early 2008 I rode the path solo from my house and picked up a few punctures which I tried to repair. I ended up riding from Bath to my house with a slow puncture as my bowl of rice piece of shit Chinese manufactured repair kit failed epically. I had to reinflate the rear tire every two miles and it was raining. What should have taken me just on an hour ended up being a 3 hour ride! That was the worst ride to date. An absolute fucking nightmare.
I was also looking for new places to ride as when on a bike, you see so much more. The bug was starting to bite me. I didn't realise this at the time, but looking back those trying and somewhat tiring rides had sewn the seeds. Another thing I had invested in was a Polar heart rate monitor as I wanted to measure my progress even further.
Ray and I had signed up for the Bristol Bike Fest in June, this was a 23 mile event. Not a race, just a good day out on the bikes with thousands of other cyclists.
In April 2008 whilst on a ride with another friend, I flipped my bike and landed awkwardly on my right leg.
I broke the leg in 6 places and was rewarded with 11 screws and a plate in my lower leg. As to whether I would ride again or not was the tale of two Doctors. I was being treated at Frenchay Hospital's Fracture Clinic and there were two consulting Doctors who alternated.
One Doctor said not an issue at all and I'll be up and riding sooner than I think. The other Doctor was a pessimist and told me that at my age I need to seriously reconsider what sporting activities I partake in as my leg would never be the same. I preferred the positive Doc's approach. As for the other Doctor, well he can go fuck himself I thought. I was going to get better. The lightweight, bright pink cast came off after two months and was replaced with a ROM Brace that made me look like Robocop under construction for about a month.
Life is all about meeting people, sometimes losing contact with them then bumping into them unexpectedly, Pete G an old friend who I worked with in S.A. had resettled in England with his wife and daughter. We made contact via Facebook and had spoken via mail and telephone.
On the 27th July 2008, 91 days after breaking my leg, Pete called me and said he needed a good bike ride.
I told Pete I was well up for a scoot down the Bristol-Bath Cycleway. Pete drove up to mine with his "Iron Giant" strapped to the boot of his car. I had just taken my Kona Kula around my block for its first ride in 3 months. In fact the first ride since breaking (and healing) my leg.
We rode the Cycleway together and it turns out Pete G had things on his mind and we discussed these and life in general as we cranked our way along the cycleway. It was a good day for us both, Pete getting issues of his chest, me testing the leg and most importantly, two good friends reunited after a decade with a little more in common now due to the cycling.
We got to Bath and back and my leg held up fine for the 23 odd miles, although as expected, the ankle area did swell quite a bit.
Pete and I rode a lot in the later part of 2008. He's adventurous and loves finding new places to ride. He's led me to some amazing places where mountain bikes just belong. Every ride is a photo opportunity too as there's so much to see in England.
In mid September 2008 I bought myself a limited production full suspension Felt Compulsion 2 SE "Mint Sauce" edition XC bike as a reward for healing up so quick and keeping a positive attitude, plus I knew it wouldn't be wasted. I decided to retain the Kona hardtail bike I had too as it is a great ride and I am also very, very fond of it.
I also "invested" in a Land Rover Discovery Series II 4.0 V8 and a pair of Thule 591 roof bike carriers solely to lug bikes and the relevant biking kit around. It's a top of the range specification too, so it also offers a lot of comfort and luxury which is a godsend after a hard day's riding.
The first ride on the XC bike was with Pete at Reading Copse and it was a nightmare for me. The bike was tall, heavier than the Kona and I was convinced it was trying to fucking kill me too.
It was also fast down the hills, offered grip second to none and brakes so powerful that I had to treat them with a new found respect, however I just didn't have the confidence to ride it properly. I was justifiably paranoid about my leg too with visions of me destroying all the Doctors' hard work in one swift fall. Pete rode his Kona Caldera and left me standing in an area ill suited to his bike and much more suited to mine. My confidence just wasn't there.
The second ride on it was at Swinley Forest in Bracknell, Berkshire where Pete once again left me standing on his Caldera. I recall how I fell off a collapsed wooden bridge. The fall was about two foot and Pete looked quite concerned asking my how my leg was. The leg was fine, the ego was dire need of repair though.
Later in the year, Pete also bought himself a full suspension trial bike, a lovely Giant Trance. This made me keeping up with him even harder work. I also bought another mountain bike, my 3rd. It was a bargain from the local on-line classifieds. This was purchased with the intention of turning it into a commuter and I am pleased to say I have done this successfully.
Pete and I also did some riding at the New Forest which was great stamina training due to the long sweeping hills within the forest. We rode from Lyndhurst to Brockenhurst via the forest. The great thing about the New Forest is the serenity of the area. Also the wild ponies are something we are just not used to, as in Africa without doubt, these ponies would most certainly be eaten by the starving locals. I did some of the New Forest rides on the Felt Compulsion 2 SE XC bike which isn't best suited to this environment as it's hardtail country but the hard work helps make one fitter.
Winter kicked in and riding sadly ground to an abrupt halt due to the poor weather. I joined the local gym to keep myself in trim but as my 6 week holiday in the sun inched ever closer, my motivation to attend gym waned and my weight gained..
2009 arrived and I came back from vacation weighing 108Kgs (230LBS for those Imperialists) and decided to shed weight as a matter of priority. I returned to the local gym and set my plans in motion. I would make myself fit to ride and for no other reason. I was working on the cross trainer to burn fat and undertaking circuit training to rebuild my upper body strength. I recall watching the RedBull Rampage DVD set and one of the Downhill riders stated the best armour is muscle.
The waistline was declining but the weight wasn't coming down as anticipated. I had also changed my diet and was (and still am) calorie counting. So, what was I doing wrong? I had no idea until I put on a casual shirt and noticed how it was tighter on my biceps. Fuck me, I realised I am rebuilding muscle which weighs more than the fat I burn.
Pete and I rode in Swinley Forest in early March 2009. I was riding better than I ever had before. We went for a rip down an area appropriately named "The Labyrinth" by the locals. This is a fast downhill rutted track with switchbacks and berms galore. This is adrenaline riding at it's best and what the Felt XC bike was made for, however one mistake and you will be hurt as the trail is lined with trees galore with only inches to spare on either side.
In 2008 The Labyrinth scared the living fuck out of me and I tackled the descent under constant braking and was 3 minutes slower than Pete on this route.
In March 2009 we did it a few times, each time I improved and was only 30 odd seconds behind Pete who was riding his Giant Trance Trial bike. I also clambered up hills and flew down hills with a new found confidence brought on by the combination of healing, weight loss, muscle gain and diet.
I've now decided to go exploring by myself and have recently discovered the Forest of Dean which is between 30 minutes and an hour from my house, 3o minutes if you want to line the French's pockets with £5.4o for using the old Severn toll bridge, or an hour to go around the long way. I've done both and decided the £5.40 is a lot more economical than the fuel my V8 powered Land Rover consumes going the long way round. Yes, paying the French any amount of money leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but I digress.
The first outing at the Forest of Dean was with my buddy Ray, who had loaned my Kona while I decided to do this on the Felt XC bike.
We did 9.4 miles or 15KMS. This entailed a 6 odd mile climb that had me waiting for Ray quite a few times. The reward was just under 4 miles of downhill with me reaching speeds in excess of 30MPH or 49KMH! Fuck me I am a dumb ass, I logged those speeds on my Garmin GPS, so they're fairly accurate but I wasn't wearing any pads or a helmet.
The tables have certainly turned as far as fitness levels go, I have improved, sadly Ray's been a little slack and slowed down substantially.
I last went alone and covered 22.7 miles or 36KMS and loved it. In fact I cycled over 45.5 miles or 73 odd Kilometers that weekend
At the time of writing this Blog entry, I weigh 97 Kilograms, have a rested heart rate of 65-68BPM and feel on top of the world physically and mentally. Healthy body certainly does equal a healthy mind.
I ride my commuter mountain bike to gym, to the shops or wherever and whenever I can and am committed to cycling opposed to driving. The fun is not just in owning a bike, but actually using it.
So, why do I ride? Is the great camaraderie between mountain bikers? Perhaps it's the lure of the great outdoors and fresh air? Maybe it's just the machinery itself, great bikes bristling with the technology of lightweight, space program type alloys and carbon fibre, plus let's not forget the kit, helmets, gloves, shoes and the brightly coloured attire.
To be honest I don't know why I ride so much, one thing I can say is that when I ride it's like Novocaine for the soul. I think it could be that the mind needs to take a break and let the body do the harder work in order to meet the balance one often seeks subconsciously
Conclusion:
My name is Raymond and I love riding bikes, but strangely I still don't really know why....
Thursday, 9 April 2009
The great power debate
So, things cost a little more nowadays, right?
Sure they do, in this fragile economic climate everyone has the right to make a living and therefore charge just a fraction more for goods and services. These increases are supposed to be proportionate to the country's inflation rate. Now to be honest, I have no issue with this, every year things cost a little more, I work harder, earn a little more and make ends meet accordingly.
Well, much to my surprise, upon my return from vacation, EDF, my French owned electricity supplier decided to increase my monthly payment (which I may add is paid for by Direct Debit) from £65/month in 2008 to £100/month in January 2009. So it's £35! Perhaps it's a billing mistake or they'll not take that much off in February. Well, I guess I got that wrong when February this year I was once again billed £100. The same happened again for the month of March 2009, so I took the onus of calling customer support
Armed with my account number I listened to the pre-recorded messages telling me to press thee # key to start and rattle through the 90 seconds of recorded waffle outlining the endless choices I have by pressing 1, 2 or 9. (What would have happened had I have pressed 3,4,5,6,7 or 8?)
I press 9 for customer service only to me told by another recorded message telling me for "training purposes" all conversations are recorded, I am in their queuing system and will be attended to accordingly
Whilst waiting EDF's recorded propaganda tells me that EDF have UK based call centres. great now the French are attempting to patronise me with a recording of Nationalistic value. In my opinion it doesn't matter where the call centres are, BT for example have excellent call centres based in Mumbai.
So i get through to this Northern woman who told me her name was Phylis could I please tell her my account number. Done! Then comes a barrage of security centric questions like postal code, favourite sexual position, great grandmother's middle from last name etc. I am then asked the nature of my inquiry. At last! I inform her that I am recording this conversation for legal reasons.
I query as to why my billing has gone up from £65/month to £100/month. She tells me the magic scripted formula that it's calculated on estimated monthly consumption, so I profess that I cannot possibly be using £100/month worth of power as I am not trying to get the DeLorean up to 88MPH without Mr Fusion* in my dining room or anything like that.
She then informs me that I am in fact "in credit" by £131! I asked for the money to be credited into my account. Phylis then tells me that this is not possible as my consumption may go up and the credit will be used to offset any extra electricity use.
Now in the words of Bender Rodriguez**, this "does not compute" and I demand my £131 overpayment back. No can do she says.
Somewhat dazed at how efficiently she has answered my questions (or read the scripted replies flawlessly) I ask if I can cancel the Direct Debit monthly payment. yes I can, but then I lose my Direct Debit Discount. w00t! 3D's in concurrence. I tell her I am not happy with her French masters overcharging me on a monthly basis and keeping my money in their coffers and earning interest on it. She diligently tells me that this is not the case and proceeds to repeat the billing process.
Anyway I come to the conclusion that I am being defeated telephonicaly by a woman who probably earns a lot less than me, puts up with smart asses like me all day, values her job and really looks forward to going to work.
I suggest that I will probably cancel my Direct Debit and pay monthly, even if I do lose my (big cahuna) discount. She diligently tells me she will cancel it immediately. I remind her that I have not given her the go ahead to do this and that I am recording the call and will rewind it if she wants me to. Needless to say I am not recording the call and hoping she doesn't call my bluff on this one.
So, the good news is I got my meter reading from Phylis and on a positive note she informed me that I may actually pay less for April's bill as I was in credit. I checked the meter when I got home and I feel assured that the EDF man is doing his job and reading my meter.
One of my work colleagues overheard my conversation and made a suggestion that I move suppliers and use the service he has. This entails providing the supplier with monthly meter readings online and then paying electronically. He told me it saved him 15%. Bargain and I most certainly will take his advice.
Conclusion:
Most of Britain's Utilities companies are owned by French and German corporations. As the British consumer is little protected against exploitation, companies like EDF raise the prices way beyond the national inflation rate to hike profits and also provide lower tariff increases in their home countries, where the consumer is protected against exploitation
In addition to this, EDF overcharges British consumers and makes money from the interest gained on the overcharge amounts. This unfair practice was raised on BBC Radio 2's Drive Time Show when Rebeca "the fox" Pike interviewed some or other consumer rights watchdog organisation who's name eludes me now and probably forever
/rant = over
*Back to the Future when 1.21 gigawatts of electricity is need to get the DeLorean from 1955 back to 1985
**Bender Rodriguez the kleptomaniac robot from Futurama
Sure they do, in this fragile economic climate everyone has the right to make a living and therefore charge just a fraction more for goods and services. These increases are supposed to be proportionate to the country's inflation rate. Now to be honest, I have no issue with this, every year things cost a little more, I work harder, earn a little more and make ends meet accordingly.
Well, much to my surprise, upon my return from vacation, EDF, my French owned electricity supplier decided to increase my monthly payment (which I may add is paid for by Direct Debit) from £65/month in 2008 to £100/month in January 2009. So it's £35! Perhaps it's a billing mistake or they'll not take that much off in February. Well, I guess I got that wrong when February this year I was once again billed £100. The same happened again for the month of March 2009, so I took the onus of calling customer support
Armed with my account number I listened to the pre-recorded messages telling me to press thee # key to start and rattle through the 90 seconds of recorded waffle outlining the endless choices I have by pressing 1, 2 or 9. (What would have happened had I have pressed 3,4,5,6,7 or 8?)
I press 9 for customer service only to me told by another recorded message telling me for "training purposes" all conversations are recorded, I am in their queuing system and will be attended to accordingly
Whilst waiting EDF's recorded propaganda tells me that EDF have UK based call centres. great now the French are attempting to patronise me with a recording of Nationalistic value. In my opinion it doesn't matter where the call centres are, BT for example have excellent call centres based in Mumbai.
So i get through to this Northern woman who told me her name was Phylis could I please tell her my account number. Done! Then comes a barrage of security centric questions like postal code, favourite sexual position, great grandmother's middle from last name etc. I am then asked the nature of my inquiry. At last! I inform her that I am recording this conversation for legal reasons.
I query as to why my billing has gone up from £65/month to £100/month. She tells me the magic scripted formula that it's calculated on estimated monthly consumption, so I profess that I cannot possibly be using £100/month worth of power as I am not trying to get the DeLorean up to 88MPH without Mr Fusion* in my dining room or anything like that.
She then informs me that I am in fact "in credit" by £131! I asked for the money to be credited into my account. Phylis then tells me that this is not possible as my consumption may go up and the credit will be used to offset any extra electricity use.
Now in the words of Bender Rodriguez**, this "does not compute" and I demand my £131 overpayment back. No can do she says.
Somewhat dazed at how efficiently she has answered my questions (or read the scripted replies flawlessly) I ask if I can cancel the Direct Debit monthly payment. yes I can, but then I lose my Direct Debit Discount. w00t! 3D's in concurrence. I tell her I am not happy with her French masters overcharging me on a monthly basis and keeping my money in their coffers and earning interest on it. She diligently tells me that this is not the case and proceeds to repeat the billing process.
Anyway I come to the conclusion that I am being defeated telephonicaly by a woman who probably earns a lot less than me, puts up with smart asses like me all day, values her job and really looks forward to going to work.
I suggest that I will probably cancel my Direct Debit and pay monthly, even if I do lose my (big cahuna) discount. She diligently tells me she will cancel it immediately. I remind her that I have not given her the go ahead to do this and that I am recording the call and will rewind it if she wants me to. Needless to say I am not recording the call and hoping she doesn't call my bluff on this one.
So, the good news is I got my meter reading from Phylis and on a positive note she informed me that I may actually pay less for April's bill as I was in credit. I checked the meter when I got home and I feel assured that the EDF man is doing his job and reading my meter.
One of my work colleagues overheard my conversation and made a suggestion that I move suppliers and use the service he has. This entails providing the supplier with monthly meter readings online and then paying electronically. He told me it saved him 15%. Bargain and I most certainly will take his advice.
Conclusion:
Most of Britain's Utilities companies are owned by French and German corporations. As the British consumer is little protected against exploitation, companies like EDF raise the prices way beyond the national inflation rate to hike profits and also provide lower tariff increases in their home countries, where the consumer is protected against exploitation
In addition to this, EDF overcharges British consumers and makes money from the interest gained on the overcharge amounts. This unfair practice was raised on BBC Radio 2's Drive Time Show when Rebeca "the fox" Pike interviewed some or other consumer rights watchdog organisation who's name eludes me now and probably forever
/rant = over
*Back to the Future when 1.21 gigawatts of electricity is need to get the DeLorean from 1955 back to 1985
**Bender Rodriguez the kleptomaniac robot from Futurama
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