Moving Office…Downgrade
Well it seems that the boffins that be misjudged the amount of room we would need if we won a number of contracts. Not sure if they didn’t look at projected jobs or we actually landed more than we expected. Either way it mean that most of the company based in Perth had to move over the weekend. One week’s notice to relocate over 300 staff! Wicked!
Well, the Office Services team and the Service Desk guys pulled the ol’ rabbit out of the hat and managed to pull off an almost seamless move again. I must wonder if being so good at relocating staff is actually a good thing? They’ve become so good the boffins seem to think we can keep doing this. Maybe they should mess up a little bit? Might make people think twice before deciding to move staff whole sale?
I shouldn’t complain too much. My desk and PC were largely setup when I got in this morning. Also, I don’t have to share with others. I have lost my river-view window seat and can’t imagine getting that back, but I have a desk; with a blank wall…
So after 18 months in a nice new building, I’m back where I started. At least I still have my bike rack and shower access; small joys in life.
Share the Road: Cyclists rights and wrongs
It seems that not a day goes by on one of my commutes or group rides where a motorist takes umbrage for me riding my bike on the road. It seems that these drivers believe the road was built solely for their use and that anyone else who dares use the same piece of tarmac they chose to drive on are the devil’s spawn! To be honest I don’t think they only pick on cyclists; this class of driver hates ANYONE who dares to hinder their ability to cause havoc.
Based on my experience and talking with other non-cycling motorist, I think there is a general lack of understanding as to what cyclists rights are. In fact I’d say that most cyclists aren’t aware of the rules they are expected and/or required to follow. Both sides are guilty of not following the rules and executing some truly bone-headed moves.
So why is it so hard for motorists and cyclists to just get along and play nice?
CycloSportif: York
The York CycloSportif Event is always a good one. The course is a little challenging, but not impossible. It is certainly one of the favourite locations for these events due to the good roads, lack of traffic and general hospitality of the York locals. This year, the only thing that marred the event was the weather: usually the weather is freezing cold (<4C), this year is was warm, but the wind and rain made it “interesting”.
Andy leading the pack
Wheels for Sale
It’s been brought to my attention that I have more wheels than I really need. Especially since I just purchased a new set of race wheels. All I really need is a good set of training wheels and my race wheels. So this means I’m letting go of the wheels I don’t really need any more.
The wheel sets I’m look to part with to enable them to find a more productive home are:
- Campagnolo EURUS Clinchers (2009). Asking price: AU$350.
- Reynolds Assault Carbon Clinchers (2010). Asking Price: AU$560.
If you are interested, then please drop me an email (shadow42
iinet
netau?Subject=Wheel Sets for Sale) . I’m based in Perth, WA so if you’re interstate (or overseas) you’ll have to cover any postage costs.
UCI World Cycling Tour
WOW, what an experience the last few days have been! I’m totally shattered and nearly every muscle in my body is aching, yet I’ve never felt so alive. From my perspective I’d have to say the inaugural UCI World Cycling Tour has been a fabulous success. Perth really turned it on. Not only was the weather fantastic, but the atmosphere on the day was electric. The crowds at the top of Malcolm St were something else. Seeing so many people cheering everyone on was one of the best experiences. They were cheering everyone on; even the likes of me who got dropped on the 3rd lap and had a struggle-face-from-hell for the next 5 trips up Malcolm St. It was a tough day on the bike, but one I’d gladly repeat. Bring on next year!
So did I win or place well? Nope, I finished #105 of 150. Or 19th in my category of 27. So not an exceptional result, but considering where I was a little over 3 years ago, I personally think this was incredible. For those not keeping up, a little over 3 years ago riding just 5km was a challenge. I was also considerably heavier than I am today. So, in that light I’m very proud of my result. Next year though I’m hoping to be much more competitive. I just need to do more work on my hill climbing. That’s where I lost it yesterday; everywhere else I was comfortably able to keep the pace. It was just when the course climbed that I struggled. Oh well, something to aim for…
STRAVA: The Social Cycling Stats System
The wonderful thing about technology is that it’s always evolving. Things that were not possible or required massive, bulky gear a few years ago, can now be crammed into a tiny device weighing a few grams and not costing mega $$$! Most of this tech, especially in cycling, is developed for the professionals, but then trickles down to the enthusiasts like myself.
Not only are the materials (Carbon Fibre, Titanium, Composites, etc…) used to build bikes and components is evolving, but the technology used to drive and monitor the performance of rider and bike is also changing. Of these it’s the monitoring technologies that are becoming ever more affordable and sort after by the cycling geeks. GPS, heart rate monitoring, power meters; these are all within reach of your “weekend warrior”. Well OK, power meters are still quite pricey, but that may be changing soon…MetriGear?
Channel TEN: First Look…Seriously!?
I’m one of those people that doesn’t watch much TV. I can’t see the point of Foxtel, FetchTV or payTV in general. I don’t care if I miss a show, so TiVo or a PVR is pointless. I’m quite happy to watch a few hours of regular commercial TV each evening. At the moment, I have found the programing on channel TEN to be more suitable to my tastes: 7PM Project, 6PM with George Negus, Biggest Looser (yeah I know Reality TV), Law and Order, Hawaii 50, and NCIS just to name a few.
So, for me, watching TV, even with ads, is a relaxing past-time. But, my pet *HATE* right at the moment is the “First Looks” campaign TEN is running to promote some of their shows. I general, this is a cool idea and generally does give a little insight into the show. This concept works well to whet the appetite for new show that are about to be released and/or just started to get a loyal fan base. It’s all about the ratings really. TEN just want to maximise the value proposition for perspective advertisers. Great, fully support that as the more money they can get from advertisers, the better the programming.
However, there’s a point at which a “First Look” becomes anything but a “First Look” or “Sneak Peak”. Last week I lost count of the number of times I watched the 2-5minute “First Look” for an upcoming episode of Glee. I’ll accept that TEN are trying to promote a show that has very little in the way of solid story line, but is popular for the singing. That’s all that makes Glee anything but trash; the singing. I just wish they’d stop friggin’ lip-synching though…
Anyway, back to my point.
Channel TEN, please for the love of GOD, stop calling these 2-5min segments a “First Look”. The first few (ie, 3-4) times you run it, I’ll accept it as being a first look. But, by the 100th run I think you’re flogging a dead horse! Keep the “First Look” concept, but mix it up with different shows. Hell, even different segments of the same damn show would be nice! The way thinks are anyone would think Glee is the ONLY show worth watching on TEN or is it tanking that bad??
Channel TEN drop the “First Look” concept or mix it up!
TEN. Seriously.
The Frantic Parent
What is one thing guaranteed to cause any parent to become frantic and panicky?
Losing or being separated from one of your kids!
This is what happened to one parent this morning on my commute to work. As one of the bystanders I suddenly became involved in the welfare of a strangers young son. Interesting start to the day to say the least…
UCI World Cycling Tour Details – Perth
Finally, more details about the UCI World Cycling Tour have been released. This includes the course map. Only issue for us locals, is we can’t actually ride this course to practice beforehand as the course will require closed roads due to the course going UP one-way streets. We can ride most of the challenging bits to get some practice in, but won’t be able to get a feel for the entire course.
More details can be found at the office UCI World Cycling Tour website.
I’ve also taken the time to map out the course route using Bikely to get a bit more of a detailed idea of the course.
Map Removed. Sorry about that.
Oh and the best part is that UCI will be awarding the coveted Rainbow Jersey to winners in each age category. Obviously this isn’t the same as the Pro’s Rainbow Jersey, but it’s as close as us amateurs can get! 
UPDATE: REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!
A Broken Cog
Last night I had one of the strangest thing happen: I broke a cog on the cassette on my bike.
Now I’m sure your thinking that’s unusual, but certainly not strange as cogs do wear and often a tooth will break. But, in this instance the cog didn’t just break a tooth it literally disintegrated! Where once I had a complete 11s cassette, not I have a 10s one; the 14T cog is simply missing!
WTF?
Yep, that’s exactly what I thought. WTF? How the hell does that happen?
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