Random Ride

The War Tapes

2007-09-21T15:23:00.000+02:00

It's been a little while since I caught up with TED but I had a little time over lunch today and came across a talk by Deborah Scranton, a film maker that has made a film about the lives of soldiers in Iraq (The War Tapes). What is unique about the film is that it was shot be a group of soldiers within the New Hampshire National Guard with the permission of their officers. By embedding the filming within the unit they seem to have captured an entirely different perspective on the war in Iraq. The film maker describes it best when she describes the difference between telling a story from the inside/out rather than the outside/in. Almost all the media that we are exposed to is produced from the outside/in. The consequence of this difference is a authenticity and emotional engagement that is difficult to experience unless you have been there. I have never been there, and can't see a way in which I would ever be able to experience what they are experiencing, but it feels like this is the next best thing.
Given the clips that are shown, I would love to see the full film. Hopefully the Little Theatre will show it...maybe I should send them an email with the video.

The last week has been fairly hectic at work with lots of trips up to London. Unfortunately there are no updates on the running front as I seem to have pulled a muscle in my lower back whilst cycling with Rob on Saturday morning. I'll wait until it feels strong again before trying to crack on with the training. It's very frustrating and I am itching to get back out but I don't want one week out to turn into two or three.

More interesting news on the traveling front though. A concerted effort on the planning front lead us sorting out an itinerary for the first month or so. Normally I wouldn't like to constrain ourselves that much but in this case there are some things that needed to be booked in advance and therefore linking logistics became more important. I can't see the period after the Inca Trail being anything like as heavily planned. More news on the plans soon...

Racking up the miles...

2007-09-14T17:33:00.000+02:00

After a painful couple of weeks getting back into the swing of regular running and riding I seem to be back in the groove. Yesterday evening Rob and I put in a loop of our standard road ride up to Badminton and back. We went early evening to make the most of the light evenings whilst they last. Without any wind to speak of and several rides in my legs I could certainly feel the difference. We averaged around 25km/h for the loop. The short climbs were all taken out of the saddle and the sustained climbs were managed at a decent pace. It looks like we may try and up the mileage now to around a couple of hours...starting tomorrow.

The same is true of the running. Today I increased the distance to 7km and it wasn't unduly difficult. I normally find that 10% per week is the maximum increase in distance I can manage without getting tendinitis.

The Giles household are looking forward to the first big England game of the World Cup (although on England's form every game is a big ask). I'm thinking that a narrow loss is in order...I hope the surprise everyone. Whilst on the rugby theme, it is the first Bath match of the season tomorrow. Worcester have recruited heavily over the summer but most of the big names don't arrive until after the World Cup. Now is the right time to win...although Bath's opening game record is appalling if my memory serves me correctly.

One final bit of news before I check out...went to see about vaccinations this morning for the trip. Looks like Sarah and I will be pin cushions over the next month or so. Hep B, Rabies and Yellowfever are all needed. The first two are programs of three jabs over three weeks...still...worth the initial pain to avoid Hep B! Only 12 weeks to go till we fly to Ecuador...heck, better start planning...and saving come to think of it!

AC Grayling Talk

2007-09-13T12:52:00.000+02:00

Last night, Sarah and I went to a fantastic event organised by Mr. B's Book Emporium (probably the best independent bookshop in Bath). AC Grayling the renowned Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College came to discuss his new book (Towards the Light: The story and struggles for Liberty & Rights that made the modern West). Having not heard or seen him before I was expecting a rather dry and academic treatise. As it happened he was hugely engaging and incredibly impressive. He interspersed the context and content of the book with amazing anecdotes from discussions that he has had with the great and the good at the World Economic Forum and invectives of the struggle for protection of individual liberties in the face of an increasingly draconian state security apparatus.

The one area that struck home for me was the discussion of the tension between Western Liberal Democracy and increasingly orthodox hegemony in the Islamic world. He discussed how the increasing orthodoxy and violence of the Spanish inquisition in the late 15th century led to the backlash of the Renaissance and the Reformation. It led me to wonder where this increasing cycle of violent, militant orthodoxy in the Islamic world will lead and at what point the more liberal majority in the Islamic world will react to it and defuse it with another Islamic Renaissance. It strikes me that Western Liberal Democracy and Islam are not mutually exclusive. However, a shift in the balance of power within the Muslim world would need to take place to enable a political liberal democracy to co-exist with Islamic cultural norms and behaviours. However, the recent evangelical nature of the Bush Doctrine and Christian neo-conservatism are reinforcing the shift towards militant and orthodox Islam as a protective measure. As it stands, the is little public recognition of fact the militant orthodox Islam is a minority within the Muslim world. The combination of globalised mass media and facilitated access to arms enables the minority to amplify their message and dominate the public consciousness of Islam. A greater emphasis on all the good that is done elsewhere in the Muslim majority could help to balance out the picture and provide an impetus to the more liberal majority whilst marginalising the dangerous minority.

A productive weekend

2007-09-10T23:59:00.000+02:00

It would seem from the lack of updates on the training front that the weekend was written off from an exercise perspective. Actually, the opposite is true. The anomaly is caused by my inability to measure and reference my rides efficiently. In the end I spent an hour on the road bike on Friday night (at a surprisingly decent clip given the previous outing was dire).
Then on Saturday I headed out with Rob on the mountain bikes around the Bridleways near home. The MTB ride was surprisingly more testing than the road ride (probably not helped by the hard ride the day before). I also became the victim of an overgrown Bridleway as I hit a hidden boulder on the side of a path and took a face first dive into a bank of stinging nettles. Other than the painful stings on my face and arms (I had taken adequate precautions on my legs) I received a couple of painful bruises on my inner thigh from the saddle.
In addition to the rides on Friday and Saturday I spent the weekend double digging the front garden and hauling Cotswold stone to the tip (I think we could have built another small building with what I extracted from the bed). The garden is now re-planted as a rose garden...it will take a season to bed in but it should look great when it reaches maturity. Now I only have the other side at the front and the back garden to do...yippeee.
Friday night we saw the last pre-season game at Bath. They took on an understrength Leinster team and came out with a win. All-in-all it was a pretty unconvincing display. They still don't look like they are going to unlock the Premiership defences and the back row is starting to look a bit ponderous with Zak and Beattie trundling around the park. Hopefully the post-World Cup team will be boosted by the presence of Olly B and Butch James. One silver lining is that Alex Crockett is looking sharp and Claasens (the new scrum half) looks like he is the real deal...Banahan is a monster on the wing as well...could do with another yard or two of pace though.
The running is certainly paying dividends...trying to up the distance by 10% a week...and the pace is coming on too.

Back on the running machine

2007-09-06T23:52:00.000+02:00

Last night I got to the Lowry Hotel in Manchester quite late after spending the day in Warwick. As a consequence I didn't get to go running until 9pm. Not knowing Manchester that well I decided to jump on the treadmill in the gym rather than getting lost. This gave me the chance to calibrate the Nike +. In retrospect, it looks like I have been underestimating the distance I have been running by around 15%. The newly machine calibrated system should allow me to set a new 5k benchmark when I am feeling fresher.

The aftermath....

2007-09-06T21:04:00.000+02:00

I returned from a trip up to Warrington to the latest scene of devestation. Sarah and I have been hard at work over the last week or so laying waste to the front garden. The overgrown Hazel was out of control, the creeping ivy was enveloping the dry stone wall and the Ceonothus in front of the lounge was casting a nuclear winter over the front of the house. Cue the apocolypse...

Think Francis For Coppola and double it and you will be somewhere near...

We are now beyond the devestation and into reconstruction...more work to be done over the weekend but we are through the toughest section. Pictures to follow.

In the meantime...the running progresses...

Run downloads from Nike +

2007-09-02T19:21:00.000+02:00

I've only just found out that you can download run data from Nike +...given that I'm just starting to get back into the swing of things it seems like a good way to track progress. After a slow start I am now starting to get back into the swing of things and the times and distances are becoming more respectable. I'll try and keep up to date...

Off to the US tomrrow...

2007-08-01T01:48:00.000+02:00

OK so this is just plain ridiculous...how?

Off to the US tomorrow for Barry and Claire's wedding followed by a week in Vermont. I so need a break. Too much work and not enough play makes Simon want to rebalance...

What a finale!

2007-07-03T17:14:00.000+02:00

This afternoon I sat down with a cup of tea and watched this TED film through. At the weekend I went to see Black Gold with Rob. I have to say that I was flabbergasted by the situation in Ethiopia and it got me thinking about developmental economics. On Sunday we were visited by a friend who has just got back from doing some voluntary work in Africa and has been inspired to do a Masters in Public Health. Judging by some of the contents of this presentation and the scenes shown in Black Gold, I think he has made the right decision.

Be warned; it starts slowly and works up to a glorious crescendo!

That terrible moment of imbalance...

2007-07-03T12:18:00.000+02:00

I saw this video and it reminded me of that terrible feeling that I invariably get when on the mountain bike. You slow down a bit to gat the right line but fall below the critical speed at which point your front wheel sticks and twists. The twisting is just enough to shift your centre of gravity beyond a point at which you can't recover it to the safe side. There is a point at which time seems to stand still and all you can think is...can I clip out of my pedal...then your next thought is...just roll..

One for Patagonian touring?

2007-06-27T12:22:00.000+02:00

I came across this design on ecogeek via bike design. The design looks interesting although i'd be interested to see what the weight of the 24v battery is and the ampage. I am assuming that the idea is to use it to charge and use electrical equipment in the downtime. It would be a cool one for Patagonian touring if you could translate the wind energy into power assistance...might give you a fighting chance of making normal mileage...

Backwards...one legged..no hands wheelie...no!

2007-06-26T09:41:00.000+02:00

The Ultimate Bike Rail

2007-06-20T20:03:00.000+02:00

I came across this post on a blog that I have been reading recently called ecogeek. The rail was designed by Studio HiMom. All bike rails should be like this...

This is just plain wrong...

2007-06-20T12:58:00.000+02:00

Freeform filing

2007-06-06T09:43:00.000+02:00

Given the state of the desk in our study at the moment I suspect that this may be the desktop interface I need to be most efficient...

Photosynth...

2007-06-06T09:29:00.000+02:00

I came across this software demo today...and I thought that Microsoft was all washed up on the innovation front. This is like Google Earth on steroids...

When will we get these?

2007-06-05T20:38:00.000+02:00

I saw this video of a new cycle friendly crossing in Portland...why can't we innovate like this?

Weng Weng madness...

2007-06-04T21:44:00.000+02:00

Check out this 70s madness...

Ooh my...he's at it again...

2007-06-04T21:33:00.000+02:00

Way too much time...

2007-06-04T21:28:00.000+02:00

The last few weeks have been manic at work...which got me thinking...how much time must these guys have on their hands...

Battered by the Dyfi Enduro

2007-05-07T19:46:00.000+02:00

This weekend we took a road trip with Cass and Cara to the Dyfi Enduro. I had heard great things from Cass and others about the Dyfi and it was a great excuse to see Annie (from our trip to India) who works in the Holey Trail bike shop in Mach. We arrived in Mach on on Saturday afternoon after a lengthy journey, via Bristol, to pick up Cass and Cara (who aborted their ride to Mach after a serious mechanical outside Abergavenny). Cass and Cara headed off to Climachx after visiting the Holey Trail, whilst we retired for a coffee in our favourite cafe. Saturday evening we had dinner with Annie, Simon (from one of C&C's trips last year) and John (also from the Holey Trail) in an Indian. In retrospect, five pints and a chicken Malaya were probably not the best preparation for the enduro!
Sunday morning broke cloudy and windy. Given that the forecast was for impending rain, we were hopeful that it would blow any showers through. As it happened, it remained dry until after the race...and then chucked it down all night. The race started at 11am with a mass start from the campsite. After a leisurely ride along the road for 5-6km the road turned into a fire road and started climbing steeply. It was at that point that I (predictably) lost touch with the others. The Mather was great for the fire road climbs (if a little heavy) and I tried to pace myself so that I didn't blow up. At the top of the climb was a live band and some cheerleaders...not the usual fare at the Meridas. At the top of the climb the road dropped away onto some steep singletrack down into a valley and along another fire road. This pretty much summed up the day...fireroad...sketchy singletrack descent...fireroad...sketchy singletrack descent...etc.
After 20km or so I passed a cheering Sarah (with a bizarre set of hippy cheerleaders...one of which was a guy with a ginger beard) and Annie. It was at the top of the next climb that my cramps started and the back ache. The hardtail was battering me on the descents and my thighs were cramping on the climbs. At one stage, my quad and hamstring were cramping simultaneously. How do you deal with that catch 22? The rest of the course followed the same recipe of climbing and descending. It has to be said that the climbs were all fairly tame but the singletrack descents were great...if only I had opted for the full susser!
It was after 45km or so that the excitement went up a notch or two. Having just come off a steep descent, I turned the corner onto a fireroad and the tire on my front wheel was blown out. Both sidewalls blew off the rim as the inner tube exploded. The rim then fell into the tyre and catapulted me over my handlebars. After dusting myself down I picked up my bike and tyre and grabbed the remains of my inner tube that had completely shredded. After rebuilding my wheel, I jumped back on the bike and rode on to the finish...a little more gingerly. I finished in a shade over 5 hours which, given my current shape, was as good an outcome as I could have hoped for. Mental note to self...more training and less eating out makes riding easier and more fun!
Sunday night we had a great pizza in the Wynnnstay with the OTB group. This morning after a decent breakfast in a greasy spoon we broke camp and stuffed the Landie full of kit for the drive back. We dropped off C&C in Bristol (after a tour of the shed to see the many and various steads) and headed home to dry out the tent.
All in all we had a great weekend. Good company...good ride (although I am still suffering a little)...and a great location. Roll on Dyfi 2008...if we are back in the country...

Quiet weekend

2007-04-23T18:45:00.000+02:00

Due to a bad back...a legacy of last weekend I think...it was quiet weekend chez Giles. With another weekend of superb weather it was painful to have to forgo a walk or a ride. Still, I am keen not to aggravate the injury and forestall a decent recovery; so rest and recovery were the watchwords.
Spring cleaning is running amok in Orchard Court. Last week it reached a crescendo as we lost a dining table to create more room for a bookcase downstairs. It looks like guests are going to have to make do with the kitchen until a better solution is found. The loss of the table has made way for a great little reading area at the back of the lounge though. We also ended up sifting through baskets of toiletries and medicines that have been collected over the years. One tip for anyone who wishes to listen, don't store Lockets at the bottom of the box of toiletries...the cumulative weight causes leakage and leakage causes stickiness...ick!
The weekend was capped off by a great Sunday...Bath win in the semis of the European Challenge Cup and then a trip to the Little Theatre to watch The Curse of the Golden Flower. What a movie...who says the days of the epic are gone...

The first enduro of the season

2007-04-20T12:17:00.000+02:00

Last weekend was the first enduro of the season. It certainly feels like summer is just around the corner when the Big Night Out comes around. This year we had a bigger group of people heading up to Builth although I was the sole participant in the ELBNO. The rest of the team were busy completing the Sunday daytime enduros.

This year, just to make it even more challenging, Richard decided to go via Afan on Saturday afternoon to ride the Whyte Trail. I was a little unsure about it it, given that I was due to ride in the evening but went along with it. We met Henri at the Drop Off and got our kit ready. Given last year's gearing issues I decided to take the Mather for the night ride. It certainly isn't as well suited to the trails at Afan as the Rocky but it is good for the enduros.

The weather on Saturday was stunning, bright sunshine and mid-twenties. It really did feel like July or August straining up the singletrack climb. As usual the Mather ate up the climb, however, this time I was outgunned on the descent with everyone else on their full bouncers. I was amazed by how quickly Henri climbed on his Kona Stinky (it weighs a ton). What was more impressive was how fast he descended...his weeks in the Alps have certainly paid dividends.

The ELBNO was a struggle to be honest. The first climb was an absolute beast with the majority of the field walking the final section. And then the punctures started. In total I flatted three times (with only one spare inner). Having repaired the inner twice with separate thorns (not easy in the dark) I was offered a spare inner by what seemed to be the only other person on a 29er. I was pretty happy to get back within 2.45 given the number of flats.

This week has been a bit of a struggle. I seem to have pulled a muscle in my lower back which makes walking painful, nevermind cycling. I hope to be back on the bike next week or the though. I guess I will need to be with the Dyfi enduro on the 6th and Penrith Merida the weekend after.

Late evening ride

2007-04-02T20:51:00.000+02:00

What a day! The weather has been fantastic in the land of Wraxall. Unfortunately I had a fair amount of work on today, and several conference calls, but Sarah has been doing her best dervish impression. It's Easter holidays for Mrs. G and she has been in full on Spring Cleaning mode. At times it has been like a cartoon...you can almost see the rotating blur of the Tasmanian Devil.

Given that the sun has been shining, Mrs. G has been busy trimming...no...felling the garden. A cut of the grass and several snips of the pruning shears has reduced the garden to around six inches at most. Aside for a short sojourn in the garden at lunch time I have been confined to the study. After my 5pm conference call I could take it no more...I slipped on my cycling kit and grabbed the Mather for a 40 minute evening blast. You've got to love the simplicity of the Rohloff 29er.

The trails have dried out enormously in the last week or two. My last trip out two weeks ago was an absolute mudfest. When I walked the Truckle hill trail on Saturday night it was crispy dry for the most part. With the sun gently warming my back and dry trails under the wheels it felt great to get out...

One little puncture aside, the ride was a joy. Now that the evenings are getting longer it will be great to venture away from the turbo trainer.

Brecon Beacons Horseshoe

2007-04-02T12:55:00.000+02:00

Following on from last week's walk in the Black Mountains, Sarah and I decided to take advantage of another fantastic weather window and head over to Brecon Beacons for the day.

Sarah was having problems with the first set of boots that we bought her (heel slippage) and has decided to try out another pair (the ladies equivalent of mine). Taking into account the fantastic weather and the need to give her new boots and good breaking in, we decided to try and complete the Brecon Beacons Horseshoe. The guide book suggested a six hour round trip over 15.3k. Given that we only arrived at 1pm we has to get our skates on. As it happened, the whole circuit only took 4 hours and 45 minutes.

The horseshoe circuit felt very different to last week's walk in the Black Mountains. It felt much more like a walk in the Lakes or Snowdonia. The hills were significantly drier underfoot and the ridgeline walks more exposed. I can safely say that I wasn't expecting the level of exposure you feel on the climb up Cribyn (795m). The route we approached from felt extremely exposed and in the strong winds towards the summit we both felt a little on edge (as can be seen in the scuff marks on the toe box of Sarah's boots).

Once up Cribyn, the paths were much more established. The steep descent into the cwm between Cribyn and Pen y Fan is well constructed, as is the climb up to the summit. I was surprised at how few people there were on Pen y Fan (886m). I was expecting it to be a real scrum given that it is the start of the Easter holidays (and a wonderful day) but the summit only had a few people scattered about.

The short drop down and up to Corn Du (873m) only took 10 minutes or so. The views down to Llyn Cwm Llwch lake were stunning and the wind was picking up; so we decided to descend into the valley, our route back to the car. The ridgeline walk to the memorial to Tommy Jones was exceptionally windy (ass can be seen in the photo). However, when we dropped past the lake the winds died down and the final walk in to the road was fantastic. The walk had a sting in the tail with a 2k road walk uphill to the car. We were both craving the second half of our sandwiches so 2k seemed to take forever.

Another 3 2500' peaks down now...only the Black Mountain to go now. Looks like we are going to have to plan a trip to Snowdonia soon.

Magnolia Blossoms

2007-03-28T19:57:00.000+02:00

Over the last week or so the magnolia (stellata I think) in our back garden has been on full show. The transitory blooms are such a treat in early spring. However, at the first sign of frost or rain they shrivel up and turn brown.

In anticipation of the rain tomorrow I popped out with my camera to try and capture the moment. The resulting shot is no masterpiece but it will see me through until this time next year...although hopefully we'll be out of the country...

Two 2500' peaks in the Black Mountains

2007-03-26T00:24:00.000+02:00

On Saturday, Sarah and I decided to head off on a trip to the Black mountains. We picked out a circular walk from a magazine and jumped in the Disco. All this is down to the need to sort out suitable footwear longer treks....putting the boots through their paces.

After a brief stop in Abergaveny for coffee and supplies, we headed up to Llanvihangel and then down the valley to the car park at the head of the valley. It was only at Llanvihangel that it clocked that we were going to exactly the same place tha I had come mountain biking with Cass & Cara back in October/November.

Unlike the trip in October, the weather was fantastic. The only downside was a haze that meant that the fantastic views out North from the pass at the head of the valley were lazy striking. The walk sent us up exactly the same cattle track, past the reservoir to the pass. At the head of the valley we bore left to head up the ridgeline to the series of peaks that we were heading for. Aside from the decidedly boggy sections between the peaks the walk was stunning. With the wind to our backs on the ridge walk, the going was relatively swift.

After 4 hours and around 20km we headed steeply back down into the valley and eventually to the car park. The leather boots are now starting to break in nicely...not so sure about Sarah's boots though. May need a rethink on that front after the blisters...

Sitting next to Big Magnus...

2007-03-06T22:15:00.000+01:00

I was on the plane out to Belgium on Monday morning and found myself sitting next to Magnus Backstedt. After doing a little work I got chatting to him about his plans for the season and how he was recovering from the crash that he had on the track in the Autumn. He had recently had the plate out of his shoulder and said that his fitness levels were right up there with previous seasons. He seemed quite bullish that he would get the miles in during the Tour of Flanders and will be back for Paris Roubaix. I asked him if he fancied his chances for the Tour prologue. He said that it certainly suited him as a power rider...I suspect that he is quietly licking his lips in anticipation.

Hats off to Maggy for being so approachable and having a long chat...I'll definitely be cheering him on in the Spring Classics and London (along with Messrs Wiggins and Millar)

The Sapperton Circular Walk

2007-03-04T01:37:00.000+01:00

Sarah and I went out for the second of our walks taken from the Footloose pocket guides that we bought at the Christmas market in Bath a few years back. This time we ventured a little closer to home. Sapperton is a beautiful little Cotswold village just West of Cirencester. The walk took us North of Sapperton past Pinsbury Manor (now that is a gaff) to Hoar Stone Longbarrow (not much to look at to be fair). We then headed down the hill and up into Edgeworth.

Apart from being a beautiful village and having a wonderful Tudor manor, the church (St. Mary’s) had some fantastic stained glass windows. I am not normally seduced into churches, having had an overdose in my youth from my overzealous Grandfather, but this was intriguing. A mixture of Saxon, Norman and Gothic styles it seemed worth a look. Although it was a little dark inside, the stained glass windows were absolutely stunning. I was amazed to be able to get some sharp photos whilst handheld (hooray for the Nikkor VR lense). After 5 minutes wandering around the church we pottered on into the woods of the Bathhurst Estate and down to the remnants of the remnants of the Daneway Portal (the entrance/exit to the now defunct Daneway tunnel on the Severn & thames canal). After a short, but steep, climb back up to Sapperton we returned to the car feeling self-riteous and a little jaded in the legs.

The new walking boots saw action again (and plenty of mud). They seem very comfortable and are now wearing in. Here’s to more long walks...who knows, there may even be a few more church visits...that would be a turn up for the books...Grandad will be proud!

The lazy environmentalist and whitepods

2007-02-07T21:07:00.000+01:00

I came across a couple of cool blogs today and was reminded of somethign I read on Ben Sunders blog. I don't remember how I came across Ben's blog but he is a fascinating guy. On his blog I saw a post about a trip that he made to Switzerland to visit the Whitepods. These pods are an eco-village set in the Swiss Alps that provide room and board in what seems like fantastic luxary. All the reports that I have read have been glowing...a trip out there must be on the list!

The reason I was reminded of the whitepods is that I saw a similar reference from a new blog that I stumbled across. The blog in question is the wonderfully named Lazy Environmentalist. The blog is a fantastic read and will certainly become one of my RSS feeds. The blog covers a fairly broad spectrum of environmental issues and recent posts are a good introduction to Carbon footprinting. the author is currently guest editing on the Ecologist blog as well. As one of those strange coincidences, the author seems to have been at the whitepods at the same time as Ben Saunders...very strange...

I downloaded a new report ‘Energy [R]evolution: A Sustainable World Energy Outlook' from the internet that sounds like it is worth a read...food for the trip back home...

Walk in the Quantocks

2007-02-05T00:40:00.000+01:00

We had a great day out today in the Quantocks. Sarah and I are both breaking in new walking boots so we decided to head out for a longish walk. Given the beautiful weather we headed down to the Quantocks for the day. Using a little walking guide that we picked up in the Bath Christmas market a couple of years ago we decided to head to the Western end of the hills.

Last year I headed to the Quantocks with Cass for a day mountain biking but we started and finished in the Eastern end. This time we started from a beautiful little village called Bicknoller. We headed up one of the Coombes, traversed the the ridgeline for a few kilometres and then dropped back down Bicknoller Coombe. It was so nice to be out walking again. I love being out on the bike but it is nice to head out for a long walk every now and then. We have resolved to do it more often. Next time the Brecons?

Mather in 29er mode

2007-02-02T19:39:00.000+01:00

With significant help from Rob (Thanks Rob!) I finally got around to metamorphosing the Mather tourer into its 29er alter ego. I have been out to Wales on it twice now and I must say it has been an absolute revelation. I had forgotten what it is like to ride a hardtail MTB and had no idea what it was going to be like riding a 29er. I am totally converted...

The combination of being a hardtail, and Rohloff means that there is more grip in the back end ue to the weight of the hub and the lack of bob. That directness of power transfer that you get and smooth gear transitions at low speed have given me a lot more confidence climbing on technical singletrack. The second thing you notice is how the bigger wheels create a shallower angle of attack going into small rocks and roots. It is so nice to just point the bike in the direction you want it and not worry that you are going to get stopped by the front wheel. The upshot of the change is that I was able to clean both of the singletrack climbs at Cwm Carn and the White Trail at Afan.

It is a bit more of a handful on the descents though...no floaty speed descents like the Rocky. Still...I'd settle for that trade any day. I think that the Mather is going to be a great long ride bike as well...looking forward to my first all dayer already.

Broken brake lever...

2007-01-21T20:09:00.000+01:00

This weekend was the weekend I finally managed to transition the Mather tourer into its alter ego the 29er...after a much needed helping hand from Rob (thanks Rob) I managed to get the new forks on and the brakes switched. I was gearing up for a test ride when it came to Rob's attention that the front brake lever had sheared off and was only held on by a bolt. I thought that it felt a little strange the last time I rode it...that'll explain a lot.

I will be sending it back to Avid to see if they will replace it.

Now that I am back in the land of the living I'll try and make the updates regular again ...resolutions...resolutions

Faith restored....

2006-12-07T20:01:00.000+01:00

After the post about Howies the other day I have been doing some thinking about the big business ethic and how it might change the idealism that gives Howies its charm. I was a little worried about them...but after reading the piece below on their blog my faith has been restored. David definitely has his head screwed on...

for the last 5 years at least, i have had this idea and as yet have not made it happen.

and ideas only work if you make them happen. (and even then, some don't work)

the idea is that everyone at howies has ideas. and the guy packing our parcels downstairs might have an idea for a product that will become the product that will come to define us and what we do.

so as a company, we need to allow those ideas to come to the surface.

we have to make more mistakes. we have to understand failure is going to happen.

we can learn from failure. but 'not doing' will teach us nothing and give us nothing in return.

in the spring, we will turn a room that currently stores boxes and our junk into a creative room.

and then 1 day a month each person will have an ideas day. that person will team up with someone else from the company and think. drink tea. stare out of the window (if we had one) and doodle. go to shops, go to museums, read books, see films. and apply some of what they learn to what we do here at howies. We want to change things. And it is crazy, mad, dumb, odd, wonky thinking that will give us Ideas that will change things.

it is an experiment. it might not work. but that is the thing with ideas, you just gotta try stuff.

there will be people here who will say ' I don't have ideas' and in my experience the best ideas usually come from them.

i have no idea if it will work or how it will work.

but if you jump off the cliff, you just have to make your wings on the way down

Narrowing down the options...

2006-12-05T07:43:00.000+01:00

Over the weekend I had some time to do some more research into the Digital SLR question. After much trawling on the internet and multiple visits to camera shops (some more useful than others) I seem to have narrowed down the options to two.

If money was no object I would definitely add a third to the list, the Leica M8 Rangefinder. It is a stunning bit of kit, but extremely expensive. However, when the Canon S70 is up for replacement I will think very hard about the Leica DLux 3. It is an awesome little camera...

So, as usual the debate quickly centred around Canon vs. Nikon. This perennial debate feels a bit like the PC vs. Mac debate...people become very brand loyal and never switch. Given that I will need to replace the lenses that I have with my 35mm SLR to account for the difference in focal length all the options were back on the table. However, the debate rapidly narrowed down. Much of the research on the net pointed towards Nikon as the leader in the battle.

Effectively one can compare the Nikon D80 and the Canon 400D and they are much of a muchness. However, for me the canon felt all wrong in the hand, the ergonomics seem better suited to a small hand and would become irritating to the index finger. And as such, one of the contenders became the D80.

At the next stage up, the comparison is a bit more difficult. In the Nikon range the next step up is the D200. However, if one compares it to the Canon 30D the Nikon wins hands down. One really need to compare it to the 5D. However, although the 5D is a great camera it comes in at almost twice the price (and the Nikon isn't exactly cheap). So, we have the second contender.

So the final pair are the D80 and the D200. There is a fair gulf between the two in style and substance but unfortunately in price as well. The D80 is more user friendly and around two thirds of the price...including a basic lense. However it is made from a poly carbonate body rather than a magnesium body (not so great when travelling) and the holy trinity of manual controls are harder to manage (White Balance, Quality and ISO). I think that the D200 will be the one but need to reflect on the pros and cons a little more before parting with the cash...

And then there is the lense question...

Howies are growing

2006-12-04T22:27:00.000+01:00

I was interested to see on the Howies blog that the owners have finally decided to partner with Timberland to help manage the next phase of their growth. The blog entry talks a lot about their selection criteria for a partner and how strong their ethical credentials are.

I guess this was inevitable at some stage, but it does feel a little sad that they are having to team up with a large multinational, given all the things that they have said so publicly about large corporations. I wish them the best of luck going forwar but I suspect that they may get run through the corporate mill. I'll certainly be digging into Timberland in a bit more detail now...

Shame they couldn't have teamed up with Patagonia...I guess they may have been a better fit in the long term.

29er envy...

2006-12-02T10:31:00.000+01:00

I am definitely starting to feel bit of 29er envy. Two things have spiked my envy recently. The first and most recent was seeing Cass's On-one Inbred in action. Cass had switched out his new carbon On-one fork and put the Reba back in, however, it was eating up the trail at Cwm Carn.
The second was a post on the Singletrack website that showed a picture of the Jeff Jones titanium 29er. As they say in the article, this bike will polarise opinion (the marmite of the cycling world). If you ask me he is the kind of maverick that framebuilding needs...what I'd do to get a titanium 29er from the crazy man of woods!
Photos courtesy of Singletrack and Cass Gilbert

The Lynskeys are back in business...

2006-11-22T19:04:00.000+01:00

I saw a post on the Singletrack website saying that the Lynskey family (the founding family behind Litespeed) are back in action as a frame building unit under their own name. The frames are definitely in the high end of the market (as you'd expect given their heritage) and they are sticking to titanium (although it is suggested that they will be exploring other materials - 953?). Their pricing structure is interesting but what makes them stick out from the rest (other than their incredible pedigree at Litespeed) are the paint jobs. They seem to have some sort of deal with the high end motor cycle spray shops (think Orange County Choppers) and are producing a phenomenal catelogue of designs.

One for the future maybe...I'm sure I can find a little space somewhere...

Camera armor (I know...it's an American product)

2006-11-22T13:14:00.000+01:00

Now this may seem a little premature as I don't have a digital SLR, but, I came across what looks like a very cool product for cycle touring, mountain biking or general adventurous travel photography. Bikemagic had a short intro to this product that protects Digital SLRs from general mishaps. Given how much is invested in this type of kit (I now know because I have been thinking about making the investment) it seems like a relatively small investment to help keep your equipment working.

The product currently only covers a couple of Nikon and Canon products but it looks like they are going to expand the range. All I need to do now is make a decision...

Visit to the Little Theatre

2006-11-19T21:52:00.000+01:00

Sarah and I were hoping to go and see Casino Royale this afternoon but couldn't get tickets. Nothing else really took our fancy at the Odeon so we decided to look around and remembered that we hadn't been to the Little Theatre for a while. in fact the last movie were saw there was Touching the Void.

As it happened they were showing Little Children with Kate Winslet. Now, on the face of it, that sounds like a very dull kids movie (something like Ann of Green Gables); but it couldn't be more different. The movie isn't the easiest watching (no Casino Royale), you need to engage the brain a bit. But the way the narrative develops is great and I certainly feel better for watching it. The movies message is overwhelmingly positive but , when watching it and afterwards I felt very uneasy. I guess the goal of good art is to make you emote...if that is the case then I guess this must be a good movie.

Casino Royale will have to wait until Friday...

Where haven't I been yet?

2006-11-18T11:25:00.000+01:00

I saw this tool on Alastair Humphrey's website...very cool site and very cool tool. It just goes to show how much of the world there is still to see...

Where next?

create your own visited country map

Couteaux Ceccaldi...

2006-11-10T09:13:00.000+01:00

I was tidying away some things on the side in the spare room this morning and came across some things that we picked up whilst cycle touring in Corsica in the summer. Every time we go on tour we try and pick up a few things that have been created by local artisans to help remind us of our travels.

Given Corsica's traditions of hunting and epicerie one of the obvious momentos would be a small berger's knife. These knives can be picked up in just about any tourist knick-knack emporium, but those that are available are mass produced in Asia. However, there are a still a few artisan coutelliers that make a living by hand forging and carving these knives.

One of the best is the Ceccaldi clan. The knives they make are true works of art and can run into thousands of euros. The Genoan knifemaking legacy still runs through the lifeblood of the Ceccaldi family and they are keeping the art alive and make beatiful works art.I remember reading once that the art of the samurai swordmakers was in the folding of the steel and carbon in the blade. This folding process results in a patina on the blade that is reminiscent of a violent seascape...this is exactly what I see in the work of the Ceccaldi's. I am sure that this is not the last Ceccaldi I will own...

New winter catalogue from Howies

2006-11-10T00:58:00.000+01:00

I saw an email in account this afternoon from Howies announcing their Winter collection...attached to the email was this beautiful picture...thanks Howies!

Are we any different?

2006-11-09T20:54:00.000+01:00

Having missed my flight back home this afternoon I ended up having longer than I had imagined to catch up on my reading in the BA lounge. As usual they had copies of the New Statesman at hand. The one article that stood out was an editorial piece by Kira Cochrane. The piece compares comments made by Sheikh Taj el-Din al-Hilali about rape to attitudes in the UK. A couple of terrible statistics and comments stood out:

Firstly, it stated the comments of the Sheik: "If I came across a rape crime - kidnap and violation of honour - I would discipline the man and order that the women be arrested and jailed for life". He continued with an even more provocative statement that: "If you take uncovered meat and put it on the street...and the cat eats it, is it the fault of the cat of the uncovered meat? The uncovered meat is the problem".

The second thing to stick in the mind were the statistics about rape in the UK. It is estimated that there were 50,000 rapes a year in the UK in 2003, against 11,867 reported cases, resulting in just 629 convictions. Worst of all, when these cases were contested, the womans' testimony was only believed 3-4% of the time. Shameful.

Ms. Cochrane finished her article: "The way a culture deals with rape is one of the best possible indications of how highly it treats its women. As long as British attitudes remain so viciously pre-historic, we need to fight them all the way".

Food for thought...

it quoted a set of statistics about rape cases in the UK

Universalists or Specialists?

2006-11-09T10:06:00.000+01:00

I was reflecting on a comment made in the discussion on the Poincaré Conjecture in the In Our Time podcast. To paraphrase, the panel member said that Poincaré was the last in a long line of Universalist mathematicians before the trend towards specialisation. Poincaré's problem solving method relied on his having a multi-disciplinary aproach to mathematics as it allowed him to apply seemingly disconnected methods to problems, thereby finding the key to unlock the problem. I believe that the same was true in the application of topological theory to Fermat's Last Theorum.

The trend to specialisation has continued on it's inexorable course ever since, as scientific endeavour demands ever increasing focus. It seems that this sets science on an evolutionary course of incremental improvements when much of the evidence suggests that the great steps forward or 'paradigm shifts' in Kuhnian terms ocur when there is a discontinuity in the evolutionary process caused by some form of externality.

I guess the point of this 'random ride' is: "Should we be actively encouraging a more multi-disciplinary approach to scientific method, by encouraging researchers and graduates to explore other disciplines, thereby harvesting a fresh crop of ideas to be stored in the sub-conscious".

Intellectual cross-training if you will?

The new iMac

2006-11-08T23:57:00.000+01:00

I mentioned in the earlier post that the Giles family have recently purchased an iMac. We are not completely new to the world, hqving owned an iBook in the past. I remember really liking the OSX interface on the iBook but it was a fairly new innovation at the time.

As usual the iMac purchase was somewhat random. Having ventured into the new Mac reseller in Walcot Street to buy a new iPod Nano we were very taken by the 20 and 24 inch iMacs just inside the door. Through idle curiosity we were given a demo by one of the staff and were reminded of how much more user friendly the interface is. Given the we use the home desktop mostly for Sarah's lesson planning, sorting out photos and posting blogs we were much taken by the prospect of using iPhoto and iWeb to start blogging. We managed to exit the shop with just a Nano...

However, after a trip to Cass and Cara's new house we saw there iMac in action and the decision was made. The next weekend we made the purchase. We have only been using the iMac for a week or two but first impressions are great. I am toying with the idea of switching over to an mac based blog rather than using blogger but I suspect I will keep them both going dealing with different topics. I'm sure that over the next few weeks I'll have more to say on how the Apple experience develops...but first im pressions are great

Back in the land of the living...

2006-11-08T14:12:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the hiatus in posts but a combination of work and health (or rather - lack off health) have conspired to keep me quiet. After a little encouragement from Cass I will endeavour to get back on the horse.

One of the problems with being busy at work is that you have very little time to do extra-curricular activities. Aside from a fantastic ride with Cass and Cara and a great weekend with Fin and Vanessa things have been focused on work and recovery. My usual spring of cultural stimuli has begun to dry up and I am only now in the process of drilling a well to find a more sustainable source. The purchase of a new iMac has spurred me on to search high and low for interesting catalysts for my musings and I have recently stumbled upon Podcasts. Now, I know that I am late to the game but it has definitely opened up a new front in the battle for stimuli. I will post later on the iMac and how it is changing life in the Giles household, but in the meantime I have some podcasts to catch.

The current crop of podcasts that I have dowloaded (and listen to whilst on the commute to Brussels include: In our time (explorations of a diverse set of topics from The Diet of Worms - which has nothing to do with worms but was an eclesiastical seminar of sorts with Martin Luther, to the mathematics of Poincaré); From our Correspondant (mini-documentary pieces from foreign correspondants); Start the Week - a discussion of books, exhibitions and TV/film with Andrew Marr; Mark Kermode's Radio 5 film review; and, Front Row (a weekly review of books, films, TV and exhibitions).

I am hoping that this will provide a little diversity to my mix of stimuli and trigger some interesting ramblings. On the basis of the Poincaré programme this should be the case. Aside from all the discussions on multi-dimensional topology (most of which washe dover me like a silent creeping mist) there was an interesting insight into his problem solving approach. His view centred around the need to shift the mode of problem solving from the conscious to the sub-conscious. His approach was to exhaust the supply of available inputs and then, when stumped, abandon the problem and move on. He felt that by doing so he could engage his sub-conscious on the problem and solve it by waiting for an unconnected issue to come along that although, on the face of it may not be connected, actually turns out to be the catalyst or key to the issue.

With Poincaré's posthumus advice...I will abandon my thoughts on the issue and listen to the next episode...here's to a renaissance of the random ride...

JG Ballard & Ziauddn Sardar articles...

2006-09-08T11:05:00.000+02:00

Two articles in this weeks new Statesman really piqued my interest. The first is the diary article written by JG Ballard. The article delivers two fantastic observations: The first, that suicide bombing is in itself an admission of defeat (no reports of Hizbollah resorting to suicide bombing because they knew they were winning); the second, that Gordon Brown is 'high in intelligence and self-control, but scores zero for acting skills and emotional martyrdom' and therefore will be deemed to fail as PM.

The second article by Ziauddin Sardar looks at the evolution of the Tablighi Jamaat movement from being a peaceful religious pressure group (think Jehovah's witnesses) to being a Jihadist organisation that is said to be a recruiting ground for terror organisations. The author recounts an interesting story of evolution, however, it begs the question: what drove the transition and is there a possibility to reverse that evolution with engagement rather than reinforcing it with persecution?

Both articles worth a read though...

Halfway home...

2006-08-24T19:43:00.000+02:00

After a longish day in the car we are now waiting for a Gourmet meal reservation in Dijon. This is a totally impromptu affair as as it happens due the existance of a Michelin starred restaurant next to the hotel. We are really looking forward to it...that is if we are let in. I only have a pair of linen trousers, a Howies T-Shirt and a pair of lime green Crocs to wear. I look like a total disaster...just make out that I am meant to be there and they'll be none the wiser.

We had a great random journey today. After a fantastic night's stay in a great little hotel in Grignan (more on that in a later post) and a little light souvenier shopping we took the slow road to Dijon. We had a brief look at the map and saw a national park that we had never heard of...Vercurs (or something like that). The road through the park was fantastic...an amazing climb to the top of a col at 1500m and then a road through an impossibly small gorge. We ended up coming through a sub-alpine landscape to Grenoble. It will definitely be worth a return trip sometime in the future.

In a later post I will provide some more info on the hotel in Grignan (Le Claire de la Plume)...I will also post on the trip to Mont Ventoux. Again, a serendipitous affair, but quite awe inspiring. I was not expecting to see the Tom Simpson memorial on this trip...but what an amazing place!

Tomorrow to Calais...via the hypermarket for Booze (Simon), Food (Simon and Sarah) and Stationary (Sarah)... Back home on Saturday...

Cycling over...

2006-08-22T18:22:00.000+02:00

Once again, a lot to catch up on and not much time to do so...

The cycling part of the journey is now officially over and we are lording it up in the Best Western in Bastia. This morning we took the train over the central mountains from Ajaccio to Bastia via Corte. It was very strange to retrace the route up the valley to the Col de Vizzavona on the train having cycled it a couple of days before. Today the weather has been stunning and the view from the tiny train was stunning. We arrived in Bastia around noon and headed into town to pick up a few bits and pieces. I have tried to hold out on any souvenier buying until the riding is out of the way...bar the pottery that I had to have in the paniers for the monster climb to Vizzavona!

We will have a final Corsican meal in the port later before heading back to Nice on the ferry in the morning. The trip through France will be significantly more leisurely than the trip down with a stop in Grignan, Dijon and Calais.

Back in Blighty for the weekend...

Arrived in Corte...

2006-08-17T14:40:00.000+02:00

It's been a while since the last post due to access issues...but we have finally arrived in Corte. I have been making entries by hqnd in my journal and will update the posts when I get a little more time.

In the meantime it is good to have arrived in Corte. Last night was spent in a ski lodge at one of Corsica's few ski resorts...if you can call it that. The three or four drag lifts were probably here in the 1930s when Grandad toured the island. The lodge had been built in the 1960s and the owner (now in his 80s I'd guess) sat in the bar chatting to the local forrestry workers and drinking eau de vie.

Yesterday was a very tough day climbing to the highest motorable pass on the island from sea level. The climb was a total of 36km and the col was at 1477m. We were both pretty much beat by the time we reached the summit and decided to call it a day rather than make the 34km descent to Calacuccia. In retrospect, it was exactly the right decision...

We had a very restful afternoon in the bar of the ski lodge and a great dinner in the restaurant. It was the Chef's choice and was a purely Corsican affair...Corsican noodle soup...Brocciu and mint ravioli in a wild boar sauce...and a pear dessert. We also had the benefit of fantastic sunshine for the descent this morning through the forest...even if it was a little chilly. After Calacuccia we went down through the Scala de Santa Maria gorge. The view reminded me of India last year. At the bottom of the gorge we had a final 7.5km climb to the pass into Corte. It was incredibly hot and humid but thankfully fairly short.

We are now installed in the HR Hotel (more of a hostel really) but nice and clean. We are going to take the day off tomorrow so I may have a chance to make some updates...

and I thought yesterday was tough!

2006-08-12T19:46:00.000+02:00

Well...we were a bit shell shocked by yesterday's ride and thought we should have an easy day of it today. Just a short ride across the Desert des Agriates to Ile Rousse...only 47k...

It was about 20k into the ride when things started to go pear shaped. Around 5k from the Col at the top of the climb the wind picked up. By the time we got to within a couple of km of the Col the headwind was so strong we had to walk the bikes to avoid being blown down the precipitous drop. At the top we stayed for the best part of a minute before deciding to descend...hoping that the further down we got the lesser the wind. By the time we reached the coast...after a truly frightening descent...the wind was so strong that we had to push again.

In the last 10k we managed to cycle most of the route, but to give you some idea of how strong the headwind was we had to cycle downhill in fourth gear to make 10 km/h. We are now installed in a campsite in Ile Rousse and are trying to find out the forecast. Today the wind averaged 45 km/h gusting 75. I so hope we wake to a better day...

Galeria tomorrow...weather permitting...

More than we could chew?

2006-08-11T18:38:00.000+02:00

I am writing this messsage from a public access terminal in a camp site in Saint-Florent. After a relatively painless day yesterday we thought that the short trip down the west side of the Cap Corse would be relatively painless. It looked like about 50k to Saint-Florent but that was where the trouble started. Without an accurate topographic map we miscalculated both the distance and elevation. In the end it turned out to be a bit of an epic...78k and around 1500m of climbing. The road was absolutely stunning...crossing the mountains first and then following the coast through fantastic villages perched high on the mountain sides.

Apart from two small incidents...a sugar low on my side and shoe troubless in the last few kilometres for Sarah the journey went well. On to Ile Rousse or there abouts tomorrow...will write up more when it's easier...

An engineered solution to global warming?

2006-07-31T23:16:00.000+02:00

I read an interesting article today about some research by a German Nobel prize winning climatologist. His thesis was that it would be possible to reverse the effect of global warming by increasing the volume of sulpher in the stratosphere. The sulpher would reflect solar energy in much the same way that large pyroclastic eruptions cause sulpher to become trapped in the troposphere to similar effect. In fact they say that the eruption of Mount Pinatubo led to a 0.5 degree reduction in average global temperatures in the following year. Professor Crutzen estimate the annual cost of an engineered solution to be $12.5bn and $25bn per annum.

This thesis in itself is interesting. However, what seems more interesting to me is the moral dilemma: Are we now reaching a point where global consensus towards CO2 emissions reduction is beyond redemption and therefore a reactive solution should be encouraged? Or, by so doing, are we appeasing the industrial realpolitikers and therby ringing the death knell of multilateral emissions reduction? Can geo-engineering research co-exist with a global emissions control agenda?

Cutting it fine...as usual

2006-07-27T15:28:00.000+02:00

Spoke today to Robin (Mather) about progress on the bike build. The logistics of the build are getting tight for our trip to Corsica. It looks like the bike will go to Argos in Bristol for spraying on Monday or Tuesday and should be ready for collection on Saturday next week. We have been busy ordering all the parts for the build and hopefully we won't be caught short next weekend. All being well, we'll be leaving for Corsica on Monday...hope there won't be too many mechanicals!

Hot weather must be creating Fawlty Towers service

2006-07-26T23:32:00.000+02:00

Ended up having dinner on the Veranda at the Chateau de Limelette this evening...so hot still at 10pm. I think this must be driving the waiting staff to new Fawlyt Towers style service...come to think of it one of the waiters did look a little like Manuel.

Kicking-off the blog

2006-07-25T23:28:00.000+02:00

Having reviewed a fantastic blog this evening I've decided to take the first steps of the journey. The next few days will be busy at work and planning the summer tour but I'll do my best to keep up-to-date...