Great news. Dekerf Cycle Innovations was due to close its doors at the end of this month, but a mass outpouring of support from owners, fans and the itinerent internet lynch mob has persuaded Chris DeKerf to keep plugging away.
A new web site will be launched shortly.
29.1.07
28.1.07
22.1.07
Bike test
I've been shopping around for a replacement for my Sub 5, and one of the makers that has really caught my eye is Commencal.
So far I've tried the Meta 4 and the Meta 5.5. The 4 is snappy as all get out once you get the shock setup right (ahem), and I really enjoyed riding it. The Meta 5.5 cruises really well, and felt smashing on the steep stuff, but was more of a handful to climb.
Oh, and I've now established that Maxxis High Rollers are lovely on hardpack but horrible in the mud. The Meta 4 was running some very nice Intense tyres that Crankslave really rates. They rolled well for 2.25" tyres, but the tiny little pimple tread did not do well on leaf mulch or in mud, sliding for quite a while until they gripped.
21.1.07
20.1.07
17.1.07
24 hrs Finale 2006
Nice dry trails to swoon over during the current downpour. More pics on Crankslave's Flickr stream...
12.1.07
Hey! Churchill!
or:
head wobbles like the nodding dog in the Churchill insurance adverts. Looks a bit special in the opening frames. Sounds a bit special elsewhere. Not as awful as I thought it was. But still pretty awful.
10.1.07
Roger Melly...
I have a face for radio, so this morning's interview on CNBC about the new Apple iPhone could best be described as daunting. I've no idea how I did, but started wibbling a little towards the end about smartphone manufacturers. Hopefully it wasn't too embarassing.
Stuff I didn't get time to say:
The iPhone has no 3g capability at the moment - outside Cingular's US EDGE network, data is going to move at the speed of frozen treacle onto this device.
It's not a Smartphone, and it's not necessarily going to compete with Smartphones. It's a combined video player, iPod and phone with some good data chops - I like the push IMAP Yahoo mail idea, which brings it into conflict with RIM's consumer devices, and the Exchange compatibility, which will annoy everyone else. There's another reason it's not a smartphone -s ee below.
It's a closed platform. You can't go out and download third party widgets to it - it has to be stuff Apple has written or approved. This is probably pretty sensible in terms of keeping the phone stable and bug-free, but isn't so great if you want to put the squichy blue ball widget on your phone. I was a bit skeptical about this until I realised I've installed an IM client, a new version of Opera and a GMail app on my phone in the last couple of months and use all of them. I love Firefox, but won't be able to use it on the iPhone. Grr.
The battery can't be changed by the man on the street - you'll most likely have to send it back to Apple.
Various people, inlcuding David Pogue, have said the new keyboard input method is a sod to use on account of the lack of feedback. That said, he's very positive about the device overall.
Anyway, we'll not be seeing too many of them over here for a while - we have to wait until October before they ship. Apple only expects to ship 1m in the first year of production, and 10m by 2008 - not huge numbers in a 1bn - a - year handset market. Tough numbers for Apple, puny ones in relation to the rest.
Possible other problems: relations with network operators - different markets behave differently. The need to keep pricing low - I don't expect to pay for a Symbian phone at all when I renew my contract. Finally, the competition from companies like HTC, Nokia, Motorola and Samsung. Two years is one hell of a long time in the mobile phone industry.
9.1.07
P S Hyde
The last minute New Years' trip to the River Medina on the Isle of Wight was a bit of a mad scramble (S and I made the ferry at Southampton with minutes to go) but very good fun.
In the boat yard near our house on the Medina was the P S Hyde, an old paddle steamer. She had been beached there in the 60s, and the marshes had silted up around her. More pics on Flickr.
Mud (ow) mud...
This year's Salisbury Plain Challenge was muddy but not too sticky. 45k feels like a long old ride while you're doing it, but not too bad once you've finished and polished off an entire bag of fizzy cola bottles in five minutes.
This was my first go at it, and I made a couple of mistakes. Firstly, I just took water - not electrolytes or fancy energy drinks. I felt a bit knackered at the 35k point, and got quite painful cramps shortly after in my quads, which had me off the bike making 'ow! ow!' noises for a couple of minutes. Next time I'll be packing something to stop the cramps.
Secondly, I took too much stuff - I'd have been quicker without the hydration pack and probably not had that nasty back pain at about the 10km stage. I took a chunking great waterproof with me which came off after five minutes of sprinting at the start, about halfway up the first, horrible, road climb. I also finished with about half a bag of water - a couple of water bottles, one with energy drink and one with water, would have been more suitable.
Finally, Nutri-Grain cake bars are the foodstuff of THE DEVIL and not good ride food. I thought they'd be easier to digest and chew as they were moister than Alpen bars, but they just formed a sticky clag and soaked up all the moisture in my mouth.
That said, I scoffed a strawberry Alpen bar about 2kim from the finish and promptly sped past eight riders. Alpen bars it is. The strawberry ones are ace.
James was chuffed to finish ahead of Jenn, who was on a cyclocross bike and moving at her normal, rapid pace. James said he could see her about 200 yards ahead for the first bit of the race, and spent a lot of energy catching her up. Jenn said pretty much the same thing about seeing him riding 200 yards ahead of her for the last half of the race. James may be the first singlespeed finisher.
Emma was a bit down the results. I expected her to hand my hat to me, as we're about the same speed usually, but I'd not ridden since late December. A square wheel day, I think.
Raluca had fun in the 30km race, and got to ride around with Emma on some of the shared bits. She's braver than me for riding it on her Soma.
