Category: Words

Deadline day at work. Many stressed people.

Spoke to Biker tonight, he’s been enjoying the tail end of the season out in Switzerland. Well maybe a bit too much as he managed to get ko’d after doing a cliff drop. Landing turned out to be a bit harder than expected and he ended up with brain shake apparently. He’s bounced back to good health though and seemed okay today.

This summers plan to ride in lots of new places now includes a trip out to Zermatt. I can feel a road trip coming up… mmm biking in the shadow of the Matterhorn.

Goodtimes.

Damn it’s been one helluva week. Work. Beer. Hangover. Curry. More Curry. Work. More work. Today I actually managed to get out on a bike. The weather, which has degenerated back into a state not too dissimilar to last year, actually improved slightly this afternoon.

Of course I was up at some ungodly hour to go riding this morning so I was lucky enough to experience the soaked through/drying out experience repeatedly. Which was nice. Was kind of expecting it, but… So with my new aim of riding in lots of new places this year, I have procured Mike Pearce’s guide to the Peak District and Derbycestershire.

Today I tackled a ride based loosely on route 5, and took the singlespeed out to Carsington Water near Ashbourne. I say based on because 19 miles ain’t very much riding for almost two hours of driving to get there, so I extended it a bit (and managed to get lost a couple of times) It turned out to be quite well suited to the singlespeed (now running 36:17) and I really enjoyed it.

I think the most exciting thing about the whole ride were a couple of greasy muddy descents, with both tyres clogged up with mud and a fully rigid set up it reminded me of all the winter racing in Guernsey. It was a good laugh. Found this today from the mind of RHS – another page to add to the links.

Talking of which the Drop-In video link ain’t working anymore. If you want a copy e-mail me.

This is in from Big Dave:

From: Big Dave
Subject: fastest ways to get home

It’s interesting to see how many people are going home now. Most are going home becuase their orders have dictated such. Some units just arrived, and they got turned back around to go home. Now that would have been sweet.
Lots of people get sent home on “emergency leave.” Some people are fortunate enough to not have to buy airplane tickets home for this reason. Their units are cool and tell them to stay home and they will meet back up with them in the states. Other units are asses and make their soldiers pay for the tickets. The only reasons for emergency leave are a death in the immediate family.
Other soldiers get sent home after being severely wounded. And of course, POW’s get sent home as well (too bad the are being detained again once they get home). They are supposed to be sent on leave and they can be discharged if they want out. The guys at Ft. Bliss are basically being sequestered.
The last method of getting sent home is….pregnancy. Last week a plane with 52 pregnant females took off for the states. I wonder how many of them will be headed home to their husbands! Hi honey, I’m home!!! Whoops.
Lot’s of people are still arriving, eager to go to Bagdad. Most return with a bewildered look on their face – disappointed with what they had to deal with up there. There are still more troops coming in than going home. We’ll see how long this lasts.
Big Dave

Well after being stuck in the postal system for all of Easter my Vanilla shock finally arrived back from Tim Flooks all clean and tuned up, ready to rock. Tim’s custom valved it to give better characteristics with the greater travel the FSR is now kicking out. Well I’ve fitted it, I just need some time to get out and ride it now.

The back injury I sustained in the RTA that killed the De Rosa has been playing up something chronic for the last few days. This morning’s planned ride was cancelled because of it. I’m off to the doctors tomorrow and hopefully I’ll get to the bottom of it with an MRI scan. I shouldn’t complain too much, I can still get about, I’m just walking like an apeman at the moment until my back loosens up enough to let me stand up straight. It could be worse I could have smashed my heels like Darren Butler did as shown in episode 8 of the infamous drop in series – was it really August last year that happened?

I came across this the other day and mentioned it to some people, along with some research on the effects of fatigue on soldiers carried out by the US Army, here’s the feedback:

From: Big Jonny
Subject: RE: Fatigue does strange things to soldiers

Northwave,

I’m reading the article and I can’t quite figure out why everyone is making such a big deal about body armor. Whether he was wearing it or not, or whether it was correctly issued to him makes no difference in the end. The man is dead.

I don’t know, perhaps I’m being to dark. It’s just to much some times.

This whole things just fucking sucks. And now we’re squaring away on Syria. Oh for fucks sake. I need another beer.

Thanks for holding it down on your side of the pond.

big jonny out

Happy Easter

from rothar.com. click here…

Finally managed to get some photos of the E5. About time I’d say.

I am knackered after this week with not much to report riding-wise. My desk at home is covered in ash from the fires up on the moors in the Peak District. Looks like rain is imminent, which should help, but they’re going to need a lot of it to quench it out properly, because otherwise the peat will just burn underground. If we get it up here, all that rain is going to mean some muddy trails.

Not that that will matter much to me because the Royal Mail have still not managed to return my shock yet which was off at Tim Flooks for some fettling and the FSR isn’t much use without it.

Word is that Conradski has been frequenting the hospitals of France again. Something about a 15 metre cliff drop and two and a bit weeks being kept in with internal bleeding. He’s not been skiing long enough to be trying crazy stuff like that. I reckon he should have stuck to biking – his potential was really apparent there.

This is the latest on Iraq from someone out there in the thick of it:

From: Big Dave
Subject: occupation forces

This place here is more crowded than ever. Tons of people coming in from the camps to get stuff before they head to the land of change. We have sent hundreds of contractors north to take care of our troops with the stuff that is too high tech for troops to figure out. They are living by the water bottle up there. Lots of people keep coming back with Sadaam bucks. Stacks of it. I don’t understand how anybody figures out what they are worth. Some people are straight up selling the Iraqi bills for american cash. Total chaos.

The former baath members and anybody who had any type of influence in the past regime are now your local pawn dealers and corner marketeers. They are all selling the stuff they looted. If they don’t have what you need, they’ll have it for you the next day. Where the hell they get it all from is a mystery. It doesn’t even phase the military as they are paying cash money to the iraqis for stuff they need. Now that they are working side by side with former baath policemen, there’s not much they need up there.

My intel friends are appalled. They can’t believe we allowed their police force to go back out on the streets with firearms. They say it’s like the US hiring the SS to police the streets of Germany after WWII. Scary stuff.

Now they are all protesting our “occupation.” They really do not like that Jay Garner guy. He’s a big hero in my unit. He defended the patriot missile after the first round. Got a bunch of press for it and ended up lining the pockets of many defense contractors with hefty contracts related to missile defense. The stuff works for sure. Almost too well. Even lost a couple of friendly planes to it this time around. Whoops…collateral damage.

It will be suprising if the Iraqis allow the american contractors to come in and fix up the country. I would not be suprised if they chose to live in squallor before they allowed an american company to come in and to “charity” work for them. I see these people as being fiercly independent, yet stupid and stuborn enough to drive out a helping hand. We’ll see what happens in a few short weeks.

Hope all is well in the yellow zone back there in the good ole USA. Can’t wait to get back there to participate in the real fight….that damn Patriot Act. ACLU membership is way up. Too bad I can’t get to their web page here….BLOCKED!!!

Big Dave

Last night was a good case of liver punishment thanks to some of Belgian’s finest beer. Today I feel unfit and rather in need of more sleep than I’m going to get. At the time it seemed like a good idea. As did the kebab on the way home. The cold light of morning always sheds a different light on such things.

Laura’s been racing out in Colorado and managed a good 10th spot in a recent Traithlon. She’s too modest to admit it, but she’s a bit of legend when it comes to running, biking, snowboarding – probably pretty much anything she turns her hand to. Jealous yet?

Finally finished my write up on the Enduro test ride. Read it here.

I’ve been playing with the E5 today. All this summer weather finally has me in the road bike mood. Now just watch it tip it down before I get a chance to do some mileage. Photos coming soon I hope. I’ve been having a right faff with the integrated headset. It now seems to be working okay since I removed the rubber seal from above the upper bearing. Need to get some miles in before I can tell if the original problem of the steering tightening up is going to come back to haunt me.

I’ve also been looking at a successor. One of these looks very nice. But WTF is going on with the build up on that. The forks might grow on me, but those wheels? That seatpost and white bar tape? Pearson would not be impressed with that, maybe if he gets a Litespeed it’ll look a whole lot better.

This came in from Big Dave. Life in the Gulf just sounds dull for this rider right now

From: Big Dave
Subject: Get paid to rally!!!!

Here’s a good one for everybody.

The local Kuwaiti paper had a small (and I emphasize small) article involving the following:

Remember all the Pro-American rallies that were being held in Kuwait City and other places around the world? Well this article tells about a wealthy Gulf resident who was at work watching tv. (no one really works in the gulf) He’s watching this rally and he sees his maid carrying a sign in the rally. He goes home and she shows up. He asked her what she was doing at the rally. She said she went to the rally because she got paid $10 american dollars and a free lunch.

What’s up with that? Sounds like Operation Ajax in Iran.

Dave

Sent my trusty Vanilla R off to Mr Flooks this morning, I think it’s due a good fettling and the fact that the bushings had gone was spoiling my otherwise lovely FSR – Talking of which Specialized currently have this good little animated set of sequences that allow the FSR four bar linkage to be compared to most of the other types. I still reckon the FSR design is the benchmark for good suspension design.

Bled disc brakes for the first time last night. The hose on my M4 was about six inches too long and had to be shortened before I snagged it on something. Despite three sets of instructions, I still managed to pop one of the pistons out of the caliper, whilst getting all the fluid out. I have now found a use for some of those old toothbrushes I’ve been hoarding under the sink. They’re the perfect size and shape to wedge the pistons in place whilst bleeding. Anyway managed not to get DOT fluid everywhere and they seem to be working as well as before now they’re back together.

Inspected the bike from Sunday’s ride and have put quite a few scuffs, gouges and chips on the Crossmax XLs, they’re still running true and seem okay and it was to be expected, but …

Came home from work last night to find that Wiggle’s goodies had been delivered, a rather lovely Windvest from Pearl Izumi and a little bottle opener thrown in for good measure. Freebies, freebies.

An old topic surfaced again today. I’ve mentioned the disk brake and standard quick release drop out issue before. It isn’t going away. Read the latest debate here.

There was also this good link posted on the STW forum today about SUVs. I didn’t realise that they were becoming so popular in the UK. I’ve only seen one Ford Explorer being driven around. What a crap concept. About as practical as doing the school run in a Hummer. Fine in Baghdad, pointless in Chelsea.

Well I feel more human today which is a definite improvement. I forgot to mention the highlight of Sunday’s ride. Met two tall blonde leggy and very fit young females fell running up on Kinder. Good times. Just off the phone to Wiggle, there’s kit on the the way…

Good news from a cyclists legal point-of-view, but bad news for bad drivers:

Source: cyclingnews.com
Subject: Cyclists vote for 14 year penalty for road death

Moves to jail drivers whose actions cause road deaths have been welcomed by National Cyclists’ Organisation in the UK and Ireland, CTC, and have voted for the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous driving to be raised to 14 years’ imprisonment.
While condoning Lord Chief Justice Woolf’s move in recommending that jail terms of up to ten years be faced by motorists who kill inadvertently, CTC Campaigns and Policy Manager Roger Geffen, said:
“Cyclists have died at the hands of incompetent or careless drivers, yet their lives have been valued at no more than paltry fines or points on their driving licences because they use mobile phones or fall asleep. Killing another road user by dangerous driving is no less a crime than killing by any other means.”
Lord Falconer, Minister of State for the Home Office, agrees with Geffen, and CTC’s push to increase the offence of causing death by dangerous driving from 10 to 14 years’ imprisonment. The Minister intends to legislate this move as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Good to see some progress there, but they still need to work on upping the punishment on drivers who severely injury cyclists in accidents, especially those that are pre-meditated. And this came in from Big Dave yesterday:

From: Big Dave
Subject: Rumours and Images

Now that I’m “no longer in the loop” of the war action, I rely on rumors and regular media…..just like you guys. Good stuff. I get to see exactly what the military wants you to see. You the voters.

I heard a good rumor yesterday about the burning oil wells. The rumor is that a canadian company (same company that capped a bunch of wells in the first war) offered to cap the 6 or so wells burning right now for free. They offered to do it to help the people of Iraq maintain some of there non-renewable resources. Apparently, the Bush crew said no thanks. Bush apparently is using your tax dollars to pay one of his buddies to cap the wells. Good stuff.

Can you go without oil? Can you reduce your need for it enough to not buy the oil that Bush and his cronies are going to pump out of Iraq? I think all of America can. Lewis and Clarke made it all the way to Oregon without oil. Thousands of Mormon pioneers made it to Utah without oil. No oil at all. If they can do that, I’m sure we can go without having to ship it in from all over the world while wielding our sword in order to buy it at the price we want it.

Anybody got the contact info for Bikes-Not-Bombs? I’d like to start helping them in their cause. I’m sure there will be plenty of Iraqis here that will never be able to afford a car. Maybe I can come back and show these guys how to build a wheel.

I got some coffee from a Lucy in Denver. Thanks. Since I’m no longer working in the office, I gave it to some troopies that were headed to the new frontier. They were pretty stoked.

There are now permanent structures being put to use by our forces in Iraq. We have taken over several warehouses and installed chow halls and other places to make life a little easier for the new police force of the oilnationstate.

I no longer have to wear all my battle gear! Good thing….it’s starting to get hot and my rear wheel was making some crazy noises. I tried truing it up, but 30 out of 32 is just not enough for my 200 lb. ass.

Rumor has it I might ship home on the 15th of May. Just in time for my B-day, too late for Big Bear.

Peace and love from the Kuwait,

Big Dave

Well I went out and well and truly buried myself in the hills today. I am toasted now and suffering the effects of heat stroke. I slept for two hours when I traipsed into the flat and somehow, stopped myself from throwing up. Good times.

Anyway the ride was a good one. Train out to Marple, loads of off-road round the back of there and New Mills, dropped down round the back of Chunal, up over Kinder. The long climb up from the reservoir dam was as evil as ever up to the final section of the Hayfield side of Jacob’s Ladder and then the legendary descent down to Edale.

Lunch in the station cafe and then a loop up to Hope Cross, down to Aston through Hope and Castleton and then the climb of the disused A57, up to the pass round the back of Mam Tor and along Rushup Edge to Hollins Cross , and a rapid descent down to the station for the return train. The sun shone, the trails were dusty, but it was really gusting something rotten up on the moors. Why is it you always seem to get a headwind which ever way you go?

First off the latest from some one in the Gulf.

From: Big Dave
Subject: lowly soldier
Message

Well, I was “coerced” into turning my packet in here…Kuwait. Great. They yanked my security clearance and put me to work as the head count at the chow hall. 3,000 something for lunch today. My hours are shorter, so I have more time for exercise and stuff like that. I don’t have as much computer time, but I have enough to converse with you guys a little.

My mom sent a bunch of stuff today. I gathered up all the excess goodies I’ve slowly collected (and since my greedy coworkers don’t need any of it), I gave it to some Marines who where staying in BFE. They were stoked.

I have no clue what is going on in the war now. Kind of glad. I’m reading some books and the psychiatrist recommended I get counselling to deal with the “tragedies” I’ve been seeing and hearing at work. Whatever. I just need to get out of this army. It’s a giant machine that can only be stopped by the government that is running it.

People in my unit won’t look at me or they give me the evil eye. I don’t think any of them took it seriously until I turned the packet in. I’m being rushed through so far, but we’ll see what happens later. Pentagon has to approve last.

Big Dave

I think this campaign in Iraq is wrong and things like the Americans saying it’s not their responsibility to stop the looting only confirms my opinions. Sadaam Hussein may have been a bad leader in some ways but at least he managed to maintain law and order, something that the American’s don’t have a fantastic record of in their own country let alone in a foreign one. They’ve removed the stabilising element from the country so in my opinion they should be responsible for ensuring a safe city until a new government can be established. Now call me a cynic but the fact that it will probably be American multi-national firms that get the contracts to re-fit all the pillaged hospitals and generally help ‘rebuild’ Iraq, thus boosting a slowing US economy, may play a rather large factor in the whole thing.

Another week in the bike shop has ended and I’m planning a ride for tomorrow. North Wales seems to be off as Ben has chickened out something about being really tired and having to work a seven-day week next week. So it’s off to the Peaks for me…