recumbentMain Entry: re·cum·bent
Meet an acquaintance of mine from Glasgow, Scotland- Hugh Spicer and visit his blog at hugh's scottish cycling trips . Check out his cycling adventure through pictures especially those spectacular sceneries of the beautiful Ecosse... a heaven for on & off-road cycling!
This is an interesting trail- The Munda Biddi Trail. There is a possibility of mixing both ON and OFF roads during the tour.
The humble bicycle has won a UK national survey of people's favourite inventions. Listeners to BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme were invited to vote in an online poll looking at the most significant innovations since 1800.
It was an easy victory for the bicycle which won more than half of the vote.
The transistor came second with 8% of the vote, and the electro-magnetic induction ring - the means to harness electricity - came third.
Interplanetary travel
Despite their ubiquity, computers gained just 6% of the vote and the internet trailed behind with only 4% of all votes cast. There were more than 4,500 votes cast in total.
People chose the bicycle for its simplicity of design, universal use, and because it is an ecologically sound means of transport.
Half voted water treatment and supply systems as the technology to bring most benefit to society.
Another 23% thought that vaccinations deserved the honour.
Each of the technologies were nominated by a different expert, including writer Arthur C Clarke, cloning expert Professor Ian Wilmut, and Professor Heinz Wolf.
Prof Wolff's praise of the bicycle held the most sway with voters which will come as a disappointment to Lord Alec Broers, this year's Reith lecturer.
His series of lectures - Triumph of Technology - prompted the vote.
In the first of his talks, he expressed surprise at the results of a similar survey.
It too ranked the bicycle above scientific breakthroughs such as electricity generation, the jet engine, the discovery of DNA and the invention of vaccinations.
Source: BBC News/ Technology May 05, 2005
A bicycle which was ridden by Princess Diana when she was a child has been sold for £1,200 at auction. The Tracker bike was used by the Princess of Wales when she lived in Althorp, Northants, in the 1970s.
The bike was sold at Keys auctioneers in Aylsham, Norfolk, to Alan Goldsmith, of The House On The Hill Toy Museum in Stansted, Essex.
"We decided it should be saved for the nation and also kept in East Anglia," said Mr Goldsmith.
"I would have been prepared to go up to £10,000 because I believe Diana was the biggest celebrity icon of the last century."
Keys said the bike had originally been bought for £20 by Maudie Pendry, a housekeeper employed by Diana's family.
When the housekeeper died her family decided to sell the bike, it said.
The lot, which sold for a total of £1,350 including the buyer's premium, also included a letter written in 1982 and a Christmas card from 1994, both signed by Diana, who died 10 years ago.
Source: BBC- UK News May 18, 2007
If other men are cars
You are my bicycle.
Eccentric individualist
tweed jacket and tie.
Some women might mock
yesterday's Englishman
I am enchanted.
Cars aren't always fast:
traffic snarled, fume choked
while bicycles slip past
in nonchalant freedom.
Your independent mind
leaves lesser man baffled.
I am impressed.
But like a bicycle
our relationship's hard work.
As I still struggle up hills
I wonder if before long
I'll leave you rusting
while I look for a car.
I am exhausted.
Source: BBC- h2g2 / The Underguide / Poetry
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. There are no subscription fees or setup charges to use GPS.
How it works
GPS satellites circle the earth twice a day in a very precise orbit and transmit signal information to earth. GPS receivers take this information and use triangulation to calculate the user's exact location. Essentially, the GPS receiver compares the time a signal was transmitted by a satellite with the time it was received. The time difference tells the GPS receiver how far away the satellite is. Now, with distance measurements from a few more satellites, the receiver can determine the user's position and display it on the unit's electronic map.
A GPS receiver must be locked on to the signal of at least three satellites to calculate a 2D position (latitude and longitude) and track movement. With four or more satellites in view, the receiver can determine the user's 3D position (latitude, longitude and altitude). Once the user's position has been determined, the GPS unit can calculate other information, such as speed, bearing, track, trip distance, distance to destination, sunrise and sunset time and more.
Source: Garmin website.
Tour of Southwestern Australia
ONE of the top cyclists of the past 15 years, Erik Zabel of Germany, admitted that he had taken the banned blood-boosting drug EPO while competing for German team Telekom in 1996."I took EPO in 1996 but I stopped taking it after a week because of secondary effects," a visibly emotional Zabel told a press conference.
Another top cyclist admitted taking performance-enhancing drugs...Hmmmm. After Patani, Virenque, Hamilton, Ullrich, Basso, Landis, Riis....God knows who else has been cheating to win a bicycle race!!
What do you expect when the going gets tough...the race has become longer. ..faster...tougher. It seems that everyone is trying to outperform each other even they are team mates. It's their bread & butter. For some of us, we take Powergels in order to have that 'extra' energy to push us going....but for the pros, it just not enough. They need that extra O2 in their blood...!!!
So, quit racing and let's do ..BIKE TOURING! You don't have to cheat by taking EPO..steroids or some kind of hormones...not even Powerbars. Just have your favourite breakfast...fill up your water bottles...& you are good to go! ...But bring some cash for the refill when you do your pit stop along the way.
ENJOY CYCLING!!!
I saw this sign on the glass panel near the entrance to the KLIA Express..... what a bummer! I know the aisle is narrow and the storage space is small but why don't they just provide an 'empty' standing carriage or simply for bulk/ oversize item storage? After all, the train is NEVER full, right?!!Speak Up If no one seems in charge, you should speak up and ask, because sometimes there is no formal leader and the assumption is made that everyone knows what's going on simply because they've come out for the ride. This is sure to cause problems. If you don't know, ask, and keep asking until you find someone who can tell you what's going on. There are always a few people who know and are willing to help and it can make a big difference in how much you enjoy the ride and how safe it is.
Pay Attention
Once the ride is underway, you can learn a lot about a group by watching the other riders. Try to find and avoid those who wobble and speed up and slow down. These are signs of poor handling skills and possible fatigue that can cause a wreck. Instead, try to ride with the people who hold a steady pace and a straight line because they're less likely to do unpredictable things that can cause mishaps.
Don't Overlap Wheels
When cycling in a group, always pay attention to where your front wheel is in relation to the person in front's rear wheel. Keep your front wheel behind his rear wheel, not overlapping it. Why? Because, if he suddenly veers to avoid a hole or rock, his rear wheel will knock your front, which will send you flying.
Use Care When Looking Back
Another extremely dangerous maneuver is turning around to look back like you might do if a friend was on the ride and you were trying to figure out where she was. There's only one safe way to look back and it requires a willing helper. To do it, ask the person next to you if you can rest your hand on their shoulder while you look back. They'll say yes and you can then hold on and look back. Having your hand on a shoulder prevents you from swerving as you look back and it keeps your bike going at the same speed as the other bikes preventing slowing that could cause problems. Practice this tactic with a single riding partner before trying it in a group.
Proper Etiquette
Finally, there's the challenge of expectorating in the peloton (a bike racing term for what the group is called). Everyone has to do it, so don't hold off. But, do it carefully so you don't soak your ride partners and get banned from the next ride. Always spit with the wind and away from riders. If this means steering to one side of the road first, go for it (but only when you're sure it's safe to move over).
Source: Bicycle Planet: Cycling Tips- Safety Biking
How much tire pressure should you run? Start by trying the manufacturer's recommended pressure, which you'll find printed on the tire sidewall (it's often on a small label but it might be molded into the casing, too, so look closely). This suggested inflation range is a good starting point. If it's a wide range, for example 40 to 60 psi, experiment to find which pressure works and feels best.
Pump Road Rubber More, Knobbies Less
The most common mistakes are riding with too little pressure in road tires and too much pressure in off-road rubber. The former happens because road treads don't have a lot of air volume. Sure, road tires are pumped up to high pressures. But, because they're skinny tires, there's hardly any air inside. Consequently, even if only a little leaks out (most bicycle tubes are made of butyl rubber, which is porous and naturally seeps air), the pressure and volume are greatly reduced. To prevent this, check tire pressure on a road bike before every ride. If you don't, you'll be riding on soft tires, which is asking for trouble. More about this in a minute.
Off-road rubber is inflated to lower pressures and because the tires are much wider than road models, there's considerably more air inside. These differences mean that fat tires don't seep air very quickly so they don't require frequent inflation the way skinny tires do. Unfortunately, the tendency is to over inflate off-road tires. By all means, if you're riding your fat tires exclusively on pavement and smooth surfaces, inflate them as hard as you like (don't exceed the manufacturer's maximum recommendation).
Go Low
If you're riding off road, however, seriously consider lower pressures -- in the 35- to 45-psi range, depending on the terrain and your weight. This will greatly increase your control and comfort over trails while improving traction and handling. Indeed, if you've been riding off-road on 50 to 60 psi, you'll be amazed at the difference.
How Low Is Too Low
Just, don't go too low. That'll increase the risk of a flat two ways (this holds true for road and off-road rubber): First, softer tires pick up more debris, which may work into the tires popping the tubes. Second, when you hit holes, ruts, rocks, etc, soft tires can deform to the point that the rim hits the ground or rock so hard that it pinches the tube (between the rim and obstacle) and cuts it in two places, which is what's known as a pinch flat or snakebite puncture (because the holes in the tube resemble a snakebite). Besides damaging the tube, this impact can bend the rim, leading to an expensive repair. Under-inflated tires also lack the sidewall rigidity needed for hard cornering. And, too-soft tires wear quicker.
Road Rating
But this doesn't mean you should always inflate road tires to the maximum pressure. Roads in the real world aren't billiard-table smooth. The jarring effect of bumpy pavement on over-inflated tires robs energy and makes for a bone-rattling ride. Properly inflated tires will roll over bumpy roads smoother and faster and get you home without shaking loose your dental work. On ultra-smooth roads, however, when rolling resistance is critical, such as in a time-trial or triathlon, go as high as 140 psi if your tires are rated to take it. Stay at the lower end of the pressure zone for comfort and rough roads.
Check Our Chart
Which pressure you use depends a lot on your weight. So we've put together this handy chart to help: (road listing is for 23c tire, off-road is for 2.0-inch-width tire).
