Not everyday you combine work with fun.
Month: May 2015
self sustaining bike kite cabin in the remote
Ecocapsule is a portable house offering an unmatched dwelling experience. With its immense off-grid life span, worldwide portability and flexibility it is suitable for a wide range of applications: from an independent research station or a tourist lodge to an emergency housing or a humanitarian-action unit.
Small, sleek, and shaped like an egg – the Ecocapsule is the latest in tiny home living from Bratislava-based architectural studio, Nice Architects.
Powered by a retractable wind turbine and solar panels, the Ecocapsule allows for two people to enjoy complete off-the-grid living for up to a year.
Image Credit: Nice Architects
It’s no bijou living – the Ecocapsule can comfortably house two people in its 8 square meters (86 square feet) of well-designed space.
Image Credit: Nice Architects
“The biggest challenge was to integrate all the different technologies into the small body of the pod and still have some space left for people,” said Nice Architects, speaking to Bored Panda.
With the facility to collect rainwater, the Ecocapsule has all the modern conveniences of a normal house. There’s a built-in kitchenette with running water, flushing toilet and a hot shower included. “The water reservoir has overflow valve, so if the tanks are full, they won’t accept any more water. But that is a rare case,” said Nice Architects.
Set to begin shipping in 2016, Nice Architects envision the use of the Ecocapsule as modern camping suites, research stations or even as emergency residences. Currently, it’s not clear how much this pod will set you back, but prices are due to be released later this year.
Friday bike poster: giro
as the Giro ends – I salute this great race.
“Look at the tyres on that thing!”
Fat bikes get their fame by doing things right
Everyday we are questioned over our bike choice, bellow is a collection of the most common questions we encounter and our response to them…
“What kinda bike is that?”*
“A FAT bike”
“A what bike?”
“A FAT bike”
To the layman’s credit FAT bikes are a relatively new concept, and in Australia they are a long way from their breeding ground, the Alaskan snow. However this does not make them redundant in such an arid environment, quite the contrary really, it allows them to thrive.
Essentially a road bike is only capable of riding on the road, or fairly sketchily down a groomed dirt road if you dare risk it. Conversely a mountain bike renders itself capable of transversing both road, dirt, gravel, and mud, making it much more versatile. But ultimately FAT bikes far surpass all other bikes in their ability to ride on road, dirt, gravel, and loose rocks, and through mud, swamp…
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Sometimes you don’t blog you just do …..
needless to say the last 2 weeks have been like that – kitesurfing 4 times riding 4 times – a bit of 5 a side and a great walk in the hills with my 10 year old …..
Monday bike style: Oki Tatsuya cargo
anytime goods are carried in ways that aren’t carbon spewing you have to be happy…
Cycle polo
what a great sport
Friday bike poster: 80s bmx style
I remember as a yoof learning to balance on the front wheel of my pals bmx – my dad bought me a grifter instead ……..
Unloved
too many sights like this
No wheels vs kicked wheel
Monday Bike Style: Monday morning Sachs
From Richard Sachs website
The weak link is always the work force. And all the new materials, tube shapes, or joining processes available to the industry cannot mask the compromises that are endemic to mass-produced or even low-volume framebuilding. Little, if anything at all, can cover up the shortcuts taken by other manufacturers whose main goal is to produce the most units at the lowest cost. The bike industry makes money. I make bikes.
At Richard Sachs Cycles, I am the work force.
Another sweet kitesurf specific wave board
Traditional directional kiteboards are based on a surfboard design, not ideally suited to kite specific needs. 4 years in the making, the Mako Duke is a fresh take on a directional kiteboard and borrows heavily from our long history of successful board design.
The Duke’s deep Mako concave ensures this board rides smoothly over the chop, reducing nose chatter often associated with other directional boards. The concave also helps the Duke rip up wind and leads to a much more stable board with a massive sweet spot, good for transitional footwork and landing tricks.
The Duke’s concave also allowed us to move the fins further back, giving the board a loose, free feel when turning off the tail at slower speeds and allowing for hard carving turns at higher speed off the rail.
Up top, the full EVA deck and flatter tail rocker gives the rider a sense of entitlement to explore their options and practically begs you to jam and ride the board backward for a laugh.
The Duke: The world’s first, fully rethought, kiteboarding specific directional.
Friday Bike Poster:thrashed by a lady
ouch
Richie Porte interview from the Rapha blog
playing virtual giro on velogames and he is my main hope – this article is quite cool.
Team Sky go into battle in Italy this month with Richie Porte a contender for the pink jersey. Chris Froome’s most trusted lieutenant has turned general this year, leading Team Sky from the front to take several stage race wins since the start of the season. Rapha sat down with the Australian to talk leadership, the sweet taste of victory and war stories from the road.
Hi Richie. You’ve had a brilliant start to the season, how does it feel?
It’s been more than I’d hoped for, especially after last season – the disaster that that was. To be honest, it’s quite surreal how well this season has gone so far. It’s always nice to win races like Paris-Nice, Catalunya and the Willunga stage of the Tour Down Under, but to be honest that all counts for nothing. The Giro is my big goal and that’s where I want to be at my best.
You have been in superb form since January. Is there ever a worry that you may have peaked early?
It’s not really difficult for me and that’s because we’ve got guys like Tim Kerrison and the [Team Sky] Performance Team behind us. I think Tim’s been fantastic with Brad [Wiggins] and Chris [Froome] over the years regarding when they’ve peaked and so I take confidence from that. I’m much more motivated this season than I have been in the past, and the Giro is my big opportunity to lead a team. I’m going to take that opportunity with both hands.
Why are you more motivated this year?
After you have a bad season, you look back on that and then think about how good it feels to win a race. It’s just an unbelievable feeling – for me that’s my motivation. To win any race is hard, but to have eight or nine victories like I have so far… it’s contagious.
After winning the Volta a Catalunya in March, you spoke about it giving you greater belief in yourself. Has confidence ever been a problem for you?
Confidence is a massive part of professional cycling. I’m confident in my ability, but to go to a race like Catalunya, which on paper wasn’t that great for me, up against someone in form like [Alejandro] Valverde, isn’t easy. And to win there, where I’ve only really got bad memories, it is a massive bonus for the morale.
How do you find being the team leader at races?
I wouldn’t say it is something that comes naturally to me but I’d say that over the years I’ve worked with some fantastic leaders, from Alberto [Contador] and the Schleck brothers when I was with Saxo, to Bradley in 2012 and Chris in 2013. I’m more used to riding for somebody, but with the steps I’ve taken this year I’ve embraced having those seven or eight guys commit to me.
How would you describe yourself as a leader?
Probably a little bit more stressed than Chris! Obviously he is very laid back, and so was Brad. I’m not sure what the other guys would say but I don’t think I’m that hard to work for! I like to hit the front and race from there. At the end of the day, in any team it’s easier to work for a guy who is finishing it off and winning. My big goal going into the Giro is obviously to go for as high a GC as I can get.
The 2010 edition of the race, when you wore the pink jersey for three days, must hold fond memories for you?
To grow up watching the Giro and then to be in that massive break where for 200km I realised that I was going to be in the pink jersey as long as I kept it upright and not get dropped – it still gives me goose bumps to think about it. Other than the yellow jersey I think the pink jersey is probably the most beautiful one to wear in professional cycling.
Do you enjoy riding in Italy?
Italy is where I did my amateur days – I moved there from Australia in 2007. I like the way the Italians do it. When we stay in Italy for races, at the hotels they take such pride in their food and their coffee and that mixes so well with cycling. Even though I live in Monaco I find I often ride into Italy for the coffee, the piadini and the focaccias. I just love it – it’s so simple, but it works.
Are there any Italian riders, past or present, that you particularly enjoy watching?
You’d probably look back to Basso in the CSC days, with the class he used to ride with. Either that or Paolo Savoldelli – I used to love watching him, the way he used to go down the descents like a lead balloon. Someone who I also loved watching, although he’s not Italian, is Michael Wilson. He was the first Aussie winner of a stage of the Giro – a real trailblazer – and he had a massive influence on me. I saw Rapha did a film about him in my hometown of Launceston and it was almost emotional to watch because from where I’m from, almost nobody knows who Michael is and what he’s done. He’s such a humble champ.
Who do you think will be your main rivals this year?
I think it’s Contador’s race to lose. He’s the guy that has won the race before and I think he’s motivated. There are other guys like [Fabio] Aru or Rigoberto [Uran], my old team mate. He’s been second two years in a row so he knows what he’s doing. He’s such a cool champion too – I respect him and look forward to racing against him.
How will you unwind post-stage to take your mind off the racing?
I love it on the bus afterwards. That’s your mental break: you get on the bus, have your shower, eat and talk to your teammates. Somebody has always got a story, a near miss, or an argument they had with another rider – I love it. Then obviously at the dinner table it’s good to hear some of the war stories. I love listening to Bernie (Eisel), Brad (Wiggins) and Mick Rogers when he was on our team, talking about the days of suffering they’ve had at the grand tours.
If you win, how much celebrating will you do before thoughts turn to July?
I’ve got a good mate and his wife coming to stay with me and my fiancée for a few days so I’m sure there would be some pretty big celebrations. After the Giro I’m off to Manchester for ten days because that’s where my fiancée is from and I’m really looking forward to using that as my recovery period. Then it’s all eyes on the Tour!
theatre thursday – evolution
from visual artwork …
300 years compressed to a 1 min animation telling the interesting history of the bicycle, all the way from the wooden horse to the modern racer.
The video was made in combination with an application to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, 2013.
Animation : Thallis Vestergaard
Music : Flying Home by The Benny Goodman SextetNote: Video updated September 2014
“A bicycle is a two wheeled, human-powered vehicle, with one wheel behind the other.“
The first track of the bicycle goes back to 1493 where Leonardo da Vinci made a sketch of a very advanced bicycle. This is not proven to be true though. So is there many uncertainties on when and who invented the
bicycles improvements along it’s history.00:05 – 00:12
1790, A Frenchman named Comte Mede de Sivrac says to be the first to attach two wheels in each end of a piece of wood. This creation is referred as “Velocifere” or “Celerifere”1817, The German Karl Drais von Sauerbronn built the first steerable bicycle, the “Draisine”. He’s particular model is not shown in this animation though.
00:23 – 00:25
1818, In England, Denis Johnson improved the draisine. He’s model, “Dandy Horse” had bigger wheels and was lighter.00:30 – 00:32
1839, Scottish, Kirkpatrick MacMillan is believed to be the inventor of the first pedal-driven bicycle, inspired by the locomotive.00:34 – 00:36
1866, Pierre Lallement’s velocipede “The Boneshaker” is one of the first bicycles with pedals attach to the front wheel. He’s fellow landsman Pierre Michau invented a similar model around the same time and it is unclear who really was the first to put pedals on a wheel, although it is quite curtain it’s from France.00:38–00:39
1869, The Frenchman Eugene Meyer has the credit for inventing the first high-wheeled bicycle, the famous “Penny-Farthing”. English, James Starley did a lot of further improvements on the high-wheelers and in 1870 he invited the “Ariel”.00:43 – 00:44
1880-85, G. W. Pressey invented the “American Star” bicycle followed with the “Pony Star Bicycle” by William S. Kelley00:46 – 00:47
1879, Harry J. Lawson’s bicyclette was one of the first chain driven bicycles.00:49 – 00:50
1891, W. Scantlebury00:51 – 00:52
1885, J.K. Starley “Rover Safety Bicycle”
1890 C. D. Rice
Brooks Cambium – My Take
Love my brooks leather but was looking at this for the mtb – as easier to clean
It was time to replace the much loved but irretrievably sagging Brooks 17S. I had it transferred to my to my Soma when it was built last year. It was only 4 years old when it developed a very uncomfortable sag. It was fixed once and held up well for about a year. There are many who say Brooks leather saddles aren’t what they once were. Two summers in a row that included week long tours in the rain may have hastened it’s demise. I used a saddle cover of course but after enough days and nights of rain maybe some damage was done. I’d been curious about the Cambium for a while. Given John’s positive experience with it (see previous post) I was ready to give the C17S a try.
I’ve now ridden over 300 miles on it and overall, I like it. I agree with John…
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on board footage is the future of road racing on TV
Watch the screen above at hi res ….. this is definitely good to getting the heart rate up. The film is shot from bikes ridden by members of the Lotto-Soudal, Giant-Alpecin, LottoNL-Jumbo and Trek Factory Racing teams during Sunday’s second stage into the Ligurian capital, Genoa, where the sprint was won by Team Sky’s Elia Viviani.
Giro d’Italia organisers RCS Sport and Velon, the joint venture set up by a number of WorldTour teams last year, have reached an agreement for on-bike cameras to be used during the 98th edition of the race, which starts on the Ligurian coast this Saturday.
Footage will be recorded during eight stages of the Italian Grand Tour – the opening team time trial to San Remo, Stage 2, which is expected to finish in a sprint in Genoa, Stages 4, 9, 12 and 15, all classified as medium mountain stages, and Stages 16, featuring the Mortirolo, and 20, when the riders tackle the Colle delle Finestre.
As well as being used during TV coverage of the race, footage will also appear on the Giro’s own website as well as those of teams and media outlets – so look out for some videos from the thick of the action here on road.cc.
Race director Mauro Vegni said: “It has always been important for us to bring fans close to the action and new technologies are making it possible to bring them into the peloton and show the Giro d’Italia, the hardest race in the world’s most beautiful place, in a whole new perspective to fans all around the world.”
Velon was officially launched in November last year by 11 WorldTour teams but had already been involved in the UCI’s trial of on-bike cameras during the 2014 season.
One of its aims was to create stable, non-sponsorship revenue streams for teams, and it is understood they will benefit financially from the RCS deal.
Its members are: BMC Racing, Etixx-Quick-Step, Lampre-Merida, Lotto Soudal, Orica GreenEdge, Cannondale-Garmin, Giant-Alpecin, Lotto NL-Jumbo, Team Sky, Tinkoff-Saxo and Trek Factory Racing.
Velon’s CEO, Graham Bartlett, said: “RCS Sport have really got behind this project and we’re delighted to work with them on such an important race. The eight stages chosen will give a great insight into what it takes to win both stages and jerseys in a Grand Tour and we can’t wait to see the results.”
Monday Bike Style: Post ride Dirt
After my tape yesterday I could feel the grit in my eyes for hours ….
Drove home and headed to the Pool for a turkish steam. Lady snapped this picture – you can see the tiredness and the dirt (face and caking the hair)…. but the happiness at another race dusted.
the eTape Caledonia 2015
What a day – the forecast was grim but the weather was grimmer. Registered the day before Saturday and it was pretty nice
Went to friends 40min away to stay the night, had a nice meal a glass or two of red and then bed by 10:30am. Alarm at 4:40am shower quick bite then drive back to Pitlochry and the start. 
a train of cars arriving with bikes to park and this was at 5:45am – the last starts were at 8am. On the bike £2 in my hand to buy a quick coffee. Bumped into 2 friends as my wave was called – they were also starting but are so quick I knew i wouldn’t see them again – and I didn’t until after the finish. Boom off went – the weather was grim and I think that after 10 miles my hands and feet were frozen – and least I wouldn’t feel their complaints of ache although it made trying to drink water or eat quite difficult. 
I worked in with a large group and it all went well – the KOM climb split the group and I found myself at the top of the mountain cycling into a 20knot head wind and rain by myself unable to catch the faster group in front.
Eventually 6 of us got together and worked until we caught back up at the bottom of the climb. (the sticky out bit bottom left on map) then the turn home. 2 abreast down single track roads and everyone cautious in the wet and rain. I had to stow the glasses as I couldn’t see through them which meant that my face was showered by rain spray and grit from the road. Road widen and group relaxes and Bammm the crunch of carbon as 5 or 6 riders fall. I get hemmed in behind – everyone alright apart form bruised egos … but the group is gone and again there are 8 of us playing catch up although the others are bust so just 3 of us taking turns to drag. Get to the last wee hill and kick and look at my time 3h45min – I could break 4 hours I reckon. So pedal harder and realise my right shifter has actually worked loose but my hands have been so cold I hadn’t realised it … this last section has a lot of wee rises so working the gears more with loose shifter …. last corner and finish line in sight. Over the line celebrate ease forward and realise my gps still running 4H01 but did I take it. Get back to car and official eTap text arrives congrats 
Hooray only 1min 40sec slower than last year and that was in good weather. 
the Bike as ever was flawless
Race last …. Last Saturday and tomorrow
last Saturday was the Selkirk mtb marathon – a 80km mtb race in the Scottish Borders. Started well – and I was cycling well – the lynskey 29er rohloff is a beast when it comes to rolling. All was well to the 55km mark when coming through the Innerleithen trails I hint some Flint so hard it punched through the rear tyre (set up tubeless). Stopped and jiggled the wheel trying to get lube to block hole. Big cut about 5mm and it wasn’t sealing but slowed after 5min so pumped up more and carried on…… 400m later it was obvious it wasn’t going to hold so I stopped and changed tyre – got the tube I carry out and fitted it. Pump up and on the bike slowly – took 10 minutes and carry on. Into a drop and Pfffffffff! A puncture.
Now here I was delayed and must have seen 150people pass as I took tube out and tried to wipe the latex off so I could patch it. Bloody hell what a mess – was wiping the tube on the grass on my clothes trying to get it dry.
So I lost 50min at least – carried on feeling how strange the bike handles with tubes in it. If you have never tried tubeless you really should it is so much quicker. I was also riding slower as I didn’t want another puncture, then the gps died.
Still a good race might try find another mtb later in the year.
A good race but not by the look of my face
And the amount of crap – sorry energy supps I consumed …..
And here is the Strava summary (well part)
Kite*Surf*Bike*Rambling 