Protobikes

Been a bit grim running up to the ‘holiday season’. At the pub and a bit too drunk a couple of times. At Andy F’s place Christmas Eve. Good party. Taxi back was ‘ferociously  expensive’ (copyright Dave Cormie). Went to get my car today (26th). No trains so near 3 hours on busses. Even I could have cycled faster.

I’ve started scanning some of my old bike pics. I will attempt to put up the first bike I built tonight. God knows who the young bloke is. See the My Bikes page.

Well, this weekend has been the usual. Not much except sleep and reading Last weekend was a bit different

On the Friday I went to The Crown in Egham, which is my local. Ended up talking to Bernie (f) who I’ve known a few months and two guys, Kingsley and Paul, who work in the film industry. Bernie declared open house and we paraded back. She lives very close to the pub. It was a fairly late night. I was first to leave as I was aniticipating a bit of a night on Saturday

And so it was. I met up with Dave Larrington, Tina his ex and Will, her current partner. Tina chose the pub off the Brixton Road and it was fine. Good beer and lively crowd, but it had no sound absorning materials so it was deafeningly loud. Dave and I had arranged to stay with Tina and Will anyway so we adjourned  to Crystal Palace, their home area. A pint in their local then to a Sardinian restaurant. Bought some supplies in case of thirst in an offy then back to the flat. Will plays guitar and owns a couple of Teles and a beautiful Martin Parlour Guitar. We settled down to a sesh in which I played and sung everything I could remember, receiving rather favourable comments from Dave and Tina, who had never heard me perform before. Eventually just Will and me were playing until a neighbour knocked on the door. No, they didn’t want to join in.  Anyone who has known me a long time may remember a neighbour of mine calling “‘Scuse me” at my housewarming.

Maybe I will get round to playing a bit more often.

Had dinner with Andy Forey, Otillia, Jerry, Julia, Gemma and Laura last Weds. I was late because of work and because I forgot. Still, glad I went. Nice to see some people. Laura had just passed her driving test and was bouncing around with joy.

Kit Woolf is living in Aberystwyth with Helen and their son Bryn. He hasn’t had his pilots licence very long. On the 3rd, he flew down to Denham, picked me up and we went to Duxford and back. The Cessna 152 is much too small for me. Getting in took some effort and practice. Sitting so I didn’t obstruct the controls was quite difficult. Apart from that I enjoyed the flight very much. It was a bit bumpy on the way out, but really beautiful weather. Kit let me hold the controls for a bit. I found it hard to tell what I was doing apart from the bumpy air. Duxford was fun. Haven’t been for many years. The trip back was much smoother. I was able to recognise the towns we passed. After landing Kit secured and refuelled the plane. Back to my place and a very good curry. Monsoon at Egham is excellent. Lots of chat and a reasonable night. Kit got up early and cleaned up my kitchen, bless ‘im. It was raining and ‘claggy’, so departure was delayed a bit. We got to Denham, but the cloud base was very low. Denham is on the Chiltern ridge, just over the hill from Chorleywood where I grew up. After a good late breakfast in the cafe, Kit gave up and I gave him a lift to Oxford, to get a train home. Parking fees are only about £7.50 a night, but he will have to come back and collect the plane, which was borrowed. A really good weekend and a great relief from work, which is miserable at present. I think Kit is a good pilot. Very methodical.

Photos here http://s1127.beta.photobucket.com/user/Protobikes/library/#/user/Protobikes/library/First%20Light%20Aero%20flight%20with%20Kit%20Wolf?&_suid=135272931208907129432938822278

I’m still aiming at posting a chronology of the bikes I have built. I’m having trouble getting my printer/scanner talking to my network for scans.

I spectated at the Hillingdon races and AGM. The races were 40 mins plus 1 and seemed to go very well. I am quite pleased with the pictures. In addition to the long lens I used at Battle Mountain, I used my new monopod, which let me get good clarity despite poor light.

http://s1127.photobucket.com/albums/l638/Protobikes/2012%20Hillingdon%202/

I walked out of the AGM after a few mins. Richard Ballantine started on a long waffle about how our races are not record events. It seemed like a repeat of what he wrote in the last newsletter. Journalists, like programmers, are lazy. He’s very behind the times. I have been going to international races since ’89, including 4 in the US. They have all been competitive events rather than record events. There may have been the odd 24 hour or handcycle record.

My aim when I have been involved in running events, from the Leicester events to Bentwaters, has alway been to provide plenty of good and varied racing. I have avoided tours around the town and meeting the mayor. They do not benefit the riders. I also avoided practical vehicle competitions as it is impossible to frame sensible and consistent rules. They lead to bad feeling and prove nothing.

I was appalled to find the cycling press used the same ‘Mad Mad Worlds’ title for Foulmead they did for Brighton 2001. It shows how interested they are in us. I think they are further away than ever. They make money from selling flashy conventional bikes and kit. We are of no economic interest to them.

Talking of Brighton, I am very critical of my own works, but I still see it as a high point. Good entry, good race venues and the highest membership the club has ever had. OK, it was hard work and expensive. I’m still glad we did it. Do we have to rule out grand works?

At venues such as Bentwaters there are a great variety of courses, so it is logical to use the runway for sprints and standing kilos. Mike Burrows may not like them but plenty of others want to answer the question ‘How fast does it go Mr?’. 

I hope the changes in the club committee will bring it back into the present day.

I have moved the Battle Mountain 2012 posts to a page. Legs Larry and I have done a write-up for the BHPC magazine. I am making a page of the bikes I have built.