Apparently, Flo wanted to send me a picture about some biscuits or something....
Thanks Baboo!
PS. Yes I did cycle to work this morning. Yes it was 8 miles. Yes it was mostly upwards. Yes I did it in about 1 hour. Yes I am fucking mental.
Nope. Not some new kind of kink I'm into...
...or maybe it is...
The Steed* by virtue of the fact that it has no stupid dérailleur to go whirr-clickety-clackity-whirr-dzzz-clack and that it has skinny, slick tyres making minimal contact with the tarmac (not also, inflated to 105 psi!) is virtually silent. Seriously, the only sound is a faint buzz from the tyres...and me panting for breath.
This has led to me developing a new "game". Hooning it down the cyclepath surprising the day-glo commuters on their 'mountain bikes' from behind and hoping to hear a "tsk tsk"...I started out ringing my bell (honestly!), but the fucker broke on me. Then I tried shouting "On yer left!", but that just resulted in them looking round and wobbling into my path...
Surprising them is much more fun!
Hoping for no rain tomorrow morning as I'm planning to do the entire route to work, which is about 7 or 8 miles. Approximately 2/3 of which is uphill...
...then we'll see who's laughing**.
The ride home should be awesome (again, assuming no rain...it'd be like trying to ride a single ice skate)...and a cold, cold beer awaits at the end of it.
*Look Skeddy, you're just going to have to live with it...it's a steel horse I ride! ;-)
** Clue: It wont be me.
I recommend you read that poem (I think it's Longfellow...though I might be confusing it with someone else), anyway it was a bit heavy going to transcribe here I thought...and, well...I just wanted to mention one of the (many, many, many) things I am thankful to Luc for:
Being able to swear properly in French. And I mean stun your mother to death profanity!* I blush when I explain some of these phrases to my English colleagues.
You're still a crazy french connard!
RIP.
* Seriously not joking, the 1st time I used Luc's favourite phrase on a parisien taxi driver, he literally turned into the friendliest, most helpful cabbie I have ever had in Paris. And that says something!!
Needs a different name.
I rode up to (OK, I rode halfway up and then did 1 stop on the train) "The Posh Bit" and back today after work and somehow I am not dead! Not due to traffic (that, I am managing) but because I have assumed that a fixie is all work, and no fun....how wrong I was. Hills are a bitch, there's no denying, but they end eventually and when they do...you can go back down them....as fast as fuck!
I am planning on cycling to work tomorrow. Unless there's major rainage, I will assume my normal routine, but instead of walking to the bus...I will ride:
THE STEED!
Finally. With a bit of luck and a fair wind, I'll be booking a business trip to Beriut for November...RAAAAAaaaaarRR!!1!one!
I got home from work and decided it would be nice to cycle to the nearby station, grab a train up "The Posh Bit" and have a couple of pints with a few mates...On the way to aforementioned station I bumped into an ex-girlfriend. Turns out, she's now married to a Nigerian and trying to import him....from what I remember, that is THE biggest "fuck you" she could ever giver her mum.
Anyway. So a train pulls into the station and I duly board it with "Da Sikness", I'm too engrossed in Ian McDonald to look out the window, but as we are about to pull into the station I realise I am not in Kansas any more...oh no. I have got a train that pretty much takes me back to work.
Shit.
Well, at least I went with the bike option. I duly decide to follow people on cycle paths....It turns out to be a relatively decent ride! I overtook several fatties on mountain bikes, though I'll freely admit that the relatively small rise before the insane drop down into The 'Hood was a royal pain in the arse.
I would not like to try it on Mrs Apron.
I should have started CardioTrainer on the G2, but going by the call log (17:20 - The Berber : "Oh shit I got the wrong train") and looking for my keys once home (17:37 on the phone), I think that is fucking impressive.
Not the fact I did the journey in 17 minutes, but that there is a journey whereby I could get home from work in about 40 minutes!
On the other hand, the journey to work in the morning would be almost all uphill, though generally shallow, I fear it like a bitch.
That said, someone brought a bike on the work bus this morning. And if they can do that with a 21 speed MTB then I feel more than justified doing the same with a fixie (though not with Mrs Apron, that shit's too pimped!)
Tuesday is looming. I could (if needed) have 12 free computers!!
All I did was ask!
Yesterday I picked up a parcel from Easton at 8, some gaffa tape from the hardware shop on the way back and then some cladding from "Geo. Jones" round the corner...fixed up some bits on Dr Roboto and then cleaned until heading out on the bike with Flo for an afternoon " sightseeing". She fell asleep at 4:30 and stayed that way until 6am Sunday morning.
Today? Today we went to the zoo....
I am so tired you get these in reverse (curse you blogspot uploader!!)
What is this woodlouse doing dad? He's squishy!
Long grass in my garden
Jelly at the zoo! "Take a picture of my jelly dad it's sooo delicious!"
Music comes on over tannoy: "I will run and dance for these people!"
"Why is the train not coming?"Just been asked to do a local radio interview next week about building PCs for free/cheap and FOSS...yay me! But more importantly, yay for justfortheloveofit.org, freeskilling, FOSS and the fucking awesome community I live in!
Will be recorded early next week. I'll let you know when it's broadcast (internet stream/cast will be available) so you can listen to my dulcet tones ranting...
I has a one.
So. I was on ebay today buying a humane spider catcher for Rosie (7 quid delivered BTW!)...as you do.
"I wonder what fixie's are on here?", I thought to myself. Tappity-tappity-tap....
"£1100 for a bike?....WTF?...wait, what's this?"
Short story short. I've bought another fixie.
I will not turn this one into a retro, child-carrying, basket-adorned, fairground*. It's a bit more "proper", with a rear-brake (and so road-legal) and everything and weighs 1/2 as much as Mrs Apron when fully laden...Here, have a look!
Correct picture now shown...
I shall, however, start using this one (it's already shipped!!) as the "daily" bike and reserve Mrs Apron for Flo...and special occasions.
In other news, I'm working on "Doctor Roboto", my costume for next months microrave. So far it features:
POV! Here's some hand to the wheel action...
