It’s a New Year and whilst I am looking forward to what is ahead at the moment things are far from rosy in the rothar.com headquarters. Here’s a cool fly through of a large part of the Valais region in Switzerland from You Tube. Talking of which I am not sure Bono and the boys would above of the George W Bush take on the classic Sunday Bloody Sunday. Speaking of which, this was posted by Nick at the other place. Nice.
I have decided that Cateye Stadiums are evil. This decision is based on the ability of the ballast to really scratch the hell out of expensive paintwork. Fortunately rothar.com stickers are the right shade of black and size to cover up light user ineptitude. It’s also partly based on the fact that they’re so bright. Any Scotchlite fabric ahead of you lights up like a Christams tree. I guess that means they can see you coming?
All considered however commuting is ace. I must admit I have become a bit of a centre line rider. Having danced with death on too many occassions riding in the gutter I now feel it’s better to ride the centre line to over take traffic and avoid being killed by people travelling in the same direction as you or turning left across you (trying to squeeze you out). the only thing to watch out for is on coming traffic. The stadium (not aimed at them) seems to let them know I’m inbound. The only problem with this technique are the loons trying to do u turns without signalling.
here. There are more pictures here too.
From: Tyrrell
Subject: These are great !!!!!!!MIKE Hallett on Sky Sports discussing snooker during a match where Steve Davis kept missing easy pots “Stephen Hendry jumps on Steve Davis’s misses every chance he gets.”
MICHAEL Buerk watching Phillipa Forrester cuddle up to a male astronomer for warmth during BBC1’s UKeclipse coverage remarked: “They seem cold out there, they’re rubbing each other and he’s only come in his shorts.”
STEVE Ryder covering the USMasters: “Ballesteros felt much better today after a 69.”
Ken Brown commentating on golfer Nick Faldo and his caddie Fanny Sunneson lining-up shots at the Scottish Open: “Some weeks Nick likes to use Fanny, other weeks he prefers to do it by himself.”
JACK Burnicle was talking about Colin Edward’s tyre choice on World Superbike racing: “Colin had a hard on in practice earlier, and I bet he wished he had a hard on now.”
WINNING Post’s Stewart Machin commentating on jockey Tony McCoy’s formidable lead: “Tony has a quick look between his legs and likes what he sees.”
ROSS King discussing relays with champion runner Phil Redmond: “Well Phil, tell us about your amazing third leg.”
DURING the 1989 British Masters golf tournament, the commentator observed:”Notices are appearing at courses telling golfers not to lick their balls on the green.”
CLAIR Frisby talking about a jumbo hot dog on Look North said: “There’s nothing like a big hot sausage inside you on a cold night like this.”
JAMES Allen interviewing Ralf Schumacher at a Grand Prix, asked: “What does it feel like being rammed up the backside by Barrichello?”
THE new stand at Doncasterrace course took Brough Scott’s breath away…”My word,” he said. “Look at that magnificent erection.”
WILLIE Carson was telling Claire Balding how jockeys prepare for a big race when he said: “They usually have four or five dreams a night about coming from different positions.”
USPGA Commentator – “One of the reasons Arnie (Arnold Palmer) is playing so well is that, before each tee shot, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them…. Oh my god! What have I just said?”
David Coleman at the Montreal Olympics – “And there goes Juantorena down the back straight, opening his legs and showing his class.”
Metro Radio – “Julian Dicks is everywhere. It’s like they’ve got eleven Dicks on the field.”
Harry Carpenter at the Oxford-Cambridge boat race 1977 – “Ah, isn’t that nice. The wife of the Cambridge President is kissing the Cox of the Oxfordcrew.”
Ted Walsh- Horse Racing Commentator – “This is really a lovely horse. I once rode her mother.”
New ZealandRugbyCommentator – “Andrew Mehrtens loves it when Daryl Gibson comes inside of him.”
Pat Glenn- Weightlifting commentator – “And this is Gregoriava from Bulgaria. I saw her snatch this morning and it was amazing!”
(non sports) Chris Tarrant discussing the first Who wants to be a Millionaire winner Judith Keppel on This Morning: “She was practising fastest finger first by herself in bed last night.”
I think because it’s Christmas and the Ski Season is here I have been thinking about some one I met once who was a real character. One of those people you only meet once, but always remember. John Wilhelmsson (aka Swedish John) was a close friend of my mate Chris Thorne. He was tragically killed in late February 2006. He was an extremely talented skier and photographer. Check out his memorial website to remember some of his great work. Chris Patient sums him up:
I first met John in Zermatt in the early 90s. I was impressed by his fast and fearless skiing. He could throw progressive manoeuvres with very little air and he would seek out the sickest cliff drops. As a skier, he was ahead of his time. Furthermore, his skiing buddy was a snowboarder, which for me – a confirmed ‘old schooler’ – seemed to open my mind a little.
John Wilhelmsson soon became my top ski model. He was my first front cover, and he was always full of ideas and new energy. Together, we had many memorable powder days (exploring Zermatt’s off-piste and shooting photos) in the early days before fat skis came in.        One day, John told me he was going to jump a huge ice cliff whether or not I photographed it. I was worried about the jump especially when I saw how flat the landing was. But John was undeterred. I shall never forget seeing him hurtling through over 18 metres of space and landing on his back. I never did get the photo published, and John sustained internal injury as a result. I think he calmed down after that.
Today, John continues to show a skier’s enthusiasm and a sense for the unusual now that he has joined the ranks as a lense man. For me, he is not only a briliant photographer, but a friend and confidante and a continued source of inspiration.
It be Crimbo. Time to kick back and relax with a nice cold one or two. Lots of interesting stuff on the t’internet to look at too, including the fact that some crazy Americans will really try and blend anything…
From: Mike
Subject: IT and Management
A man in a hot air balloon realised he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below.
He descended a bit more and shouted, “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.?
The woman below replied, “You’re in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You’re between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude.”
“You must be in IT,” said the balloonist.
“I am,” replied the woman, “How did you know?”
“Well,” answered the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically correct, but I’ve no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I’m still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much help at all. If anything, you’ve delayed my trip.”
The woman below responded, “You must be in Management.”
“I am”, replied the balloonist, “but how did you know?”
“Well,” said the woman, “you don’t know where you are or where you’re going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air.
You made a promise, which you’ve no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems.
The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it’s my f******g fault.”
The Epic is drawing nearer and Cris and I are looking to put some decent bike time into the legs. We have been debating the best way for me to tackle the UK winter as my ‘stumpy’ was taken a beating. We looked at some options and after much deliberation decided to build up a single speed. Hence the spunky looking red speed demon on the main page. Thanks to the boyz at sideways cycles the frame and forks were organized and my man Cris put in some good time and spares getting her together. So how does she ride, dam she is smooth and rolling resistance is really good. I was also surprised by the weight, I know there are fewer working parts etc but she really finished up good.
Hit the road for the ride home on Thursday night and dam I felt like my old SA days fitted with my spandex doing spinning classes. It takes a bit of getting used to but after a while settled into a good cadence and hit the traffic home. Taken on Manchester traffic on a single takes on a new meaning. Best part was my first curb hop. Now please to those thinking of going rigid, take my word for it and take head, try a few easy rides first before taken on the traffic. There I was doing my usual beat the oncoming traffic to the opposite side of the road to hop a curb when the first action of pushing down nearly took my teeth out then putting all my energy into pulling up which resulted in me nearly ripping my arms out of their sockets not to mention my feet coming out the cleats. Now picture it, me trying to show I’m the man taken on the traffic with my new stead while smiling at some hotties that happen to be on the street corner with the bike on some funny angle, my legs practically around my ears and the fence on the opposite side careering towards me. Trust me, highly over rated. Anyway somehow managed to survive that one, dignity in tow and headed home. Once I hit the dirt it was all good, Alty came up quick with few scars to show.
Come Sunday I decided to give the new single a good spin on the dirt roads. I chose to go down the Trans Penine trail out towards Lymm and onwards. Dropped in at ‘Bike Shak’ and got me a pair of mud flaps. Now yes I know the manic primal instinct of the mountain Biker with a motto of ‘Dirtier the better’ means this goes against the grain, but riding to work and looking like The swamp thing made me see the errors of my ways. To be honest I used my Beanie more for concealment rather than warmth. I did not have the tools to fit it there and then so packed them into the bag and hit the trail. Night before was an absolute cloud burst so the trail was as muddy and wet as Iv ever seen it. After 50m on the trail me; my newly cleaned and sparkling bike; my father in-laws carry bag were one with the mud & yes Horse riders use the trail so there be some nasty stuff in da mud combination. So I thought what the heck, let’s at least put the mud flap under the front wheel to test as it uses a bungee cord. Boy was I surprised just how well it worked. I rode the rest of the ride with not one more speck of mud on my glasses & I’m talking serious muddy conditions. My ass looked like shit but the mud flap worked.
Thanks to Cris im styling with my new single commuting to work and back. She is a really good ride. I now no longer can take on the Oxford buses and roadies with ease, but with the single it is now a challenge. Thx Guys..
New bike time, but this one isn’t mine. Tyrrell’s been persuaded that a singlespeed is not only the ideal winter bike, but also the ideal commuter and is now the proud owner of a rather shiny and very red Voodoo Wanga thanks to the help of Tim at Sideways Cycles.
It’s been built up with various bits out of the bits box and is set so it can move over to discs in the long term and have some bouncy forks fitted if necessary. Yes it does have an exceptionally long stem, but that was all that was kicking around when we built it up. It’d probably look a lot more in proportion with a nice little 100mm effort.
The Cape Epic is now only 99 days away. I’m getting quite excited about it now. You can follow our progress in the racing section of the site and I’ve also setup a blog on the official site now. Hopefully it’s good promotional material and will help us get some more sponsorship for the CF Trust. We’re now over 10% of the way to our target, but I hope we can get a lot closer.
I surfed across a rather impressive website recently. Steve has a really impressive set of photos that really make me want to get out and ride more and to get over to the US to do some riding. Maybe I’ll manage that with the Owners’ Club in 2008. This weekend I’m off over to Calderdale for a bit of a ride and also to catch up with some good friends.
Important Rule Changes for 2007
There are several very important changes in the rules that will be applied at the 2007 event. The Absa Cape Epic is the only 2-person team stage race on the UCI mountain bike calendar and has a unique set of race rules. The latest release of the rules incorporates feedback from the UCI and South African Commissaires at the 2006 race and measures to address some critical safety concerns of the organisers.
New Classification for Masters Category (announced in June 2006)
The youngest rider must be 40 years or older on the day of the start of the race to be classified as a Masters team (i.e. both riders must be 40 years or older).
Towing is Illegal
The use of towropes or bungee cords to tow your team partner will not be allowed and will result in disqualification. Every year numerous accidents have been reported that are related to riders towing each other and in order to prevent these accidents and a potential more serious incident, this practice is now banned. Holding on to your team partner’s jersey pocket or hydration pack is legal and should be the preferred method to receive assistance from your team partner. The banning of towing will also mean that the results in the Mixed category are more a measure of the performance of the weaker partner in the team rather than the stronger.
Neutral Technical Support Zones en Route
Technical support is allowed at designated technical support zones at each of the 3 water points on each stage – i.e. outside technical help is allowed within these designated technical zones. This service mirrors the Shimano Tech Zones first introduced at the UCI World Cup Cross Country (XCO) races in 2005. At every water point Shimano will provide neutral technical support to all riders should they require it. Where water points are accessible to the public, private technical support is allowed within the demarcated technical support zones. Not all the water points are accessible to the public and hence at these water points, where private technical supporters cannot access, riders can only make use of the Shimano neutral tech support should they require outside service. Every day at least 1 water point is accessible to the public and hence every day there is at least 1 technical support zone accessible for private technical support. No support other than from a fellow rider is allowed outside these technical zones!
The Blue Bike Number Board for Non-Finishers still in the Race
Any rider that does not finish a stage or does not reach the finish line by the cut-off time (stages 1 – 7: 17h00 and stage 8: 15h30) will have their bike number board replaced with a blue bike number board. These riders may continue riding the race, but will not be classified as official finishers even if they continue to ride the entire race. On the last stage, these riders will not pass the main finish line at Lourensford reserved for official Absa Cape Epic finishers and will be diverted to a separate finish line that is shared with the Vigne à Vigne riders at Lourensford. If a blue-board rider does not finish a second stage, then he or she will have their bike number board removed and may not continue riding the race.
Some existing rules will be more strictly applied than in previous years. These rules are highlighted below.
Cut-off Times will be Strictly Adhered
It is the organisers hope that all riders are fit enough to complete each and every stage within the cut-off time. In the past, when severe weather conditions or other mitigating factors were experienced, the cut-off time was on occasion extended. This caused confusion amongst riders and an unfair treatment of riders in mid-field that successfully reached the finish line within original cut-off time at great effort. The cut-off time for stages 1 – 7 will be strictly 17h00 and for stage 8 it will be 15h30.
If a rider does not finish a stage within the cut-off time, he or she may continue to ride but will not be classified as an official finisher. A second stage DNF (did not finish) will result in disqualification and the rider may not continue riding.
Riding bouncy and burly motorbikes across muddy fields and jumps always looks so tempting and easy on Tv and Video. Clearly all is not what it seems. This gives new meaning to the term skidmarks. Thanks to Katie for the link.
In other news Andrea has a new job and is moving to Calgary. Living right next to the Rockies can’t be bad at all…
I must admit that at the end of last week I wasn’t very well. A combination of being worn out and a nasty bug in circulation took me out for two days and most of a third was spent slowly recovering. At least the weather was fairly stunning and there was no rain on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, although all Saturday night and Sunday there was a storm and torrential downpours. Guess which day I went riding.
On Saturday night my beautiful girlfriend suggested that we go skating. It is with authority that I can say that ice skating rocks. The centre of Manchester, the infamous Piccadilly Gardens, has been transformed into a winter sports arena (okay they’ve built a temporary artificial ice rink). Whilst queuing it was interesting to see a substantial list of prohibited things. No skating under the infleunce of drink or drugs. No skating in chains of more then two people. Clearly as there was no mention of using mobiles whilst skating, there were people txting and buggering about with camera phones whilst trying not to fall over and take people out with flailing limbs. Not that some people needed much of an excuse to do a Cristiano Ronaldo. In the space of 60 minutes on ice four people were stretchered, wheeled or carried off the ice…
Then on Sunday it was up at 6am. Shortly afterwards I drove to pick Tyrrell up only to get there and upon loading his bike into the car to realise that I’d forgotten my lid. After which we had to drive home to pick it up before getting beck on route and heading up to Ambleside in the Lake District. It was my first proper ride in the Lakes and it was with some of my friends from the Alps over the summer, including the infamous Shoebomber. It was Epic, with riding pretty much from dawn to dusk and it was fantastic to check out the trails with some people who really know the area. It became clear that riding with the hood of a snowboarding jacket up was a definite advantage for avoiding the curse of drips of cold water down the back of the neck. It was more important to keep warm and to be honest I didn’t care if I looked like a tit.
Finishing off with the descent down Loughrigg Terrace was a great end to the day. Even wading through Rydal Water turned out to be a distinctly warmer experience (despite the waste deep water) than we’d been expecting. The trip home saw us all stop off at the Hawkshead Brewery, which has recently relocated to Staverly, for a fine beer. It’s a handy place to go because it’s on the way home and the beer is great!
