Dr Ferrari's Camper Van (off-topic discussion)

Dipsomaniac

For $1,370 with up to a 15-mile range

Rubbee turns any bike into an electric one in seconds

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57594361-1/rubbee-turns-any-bike-into-an-electric-one-in-seconds/

Ken.

Didn't want to start a new thread on this so I'll ask here if its ok.

Is it possible to enter the Tour de France by yourself?. Can you pay a fee and join in?. Never mind the logistics and all that. Just is it possible?.

Darkglasses

ken wrote: »

Didn't want to start a new thread on this so I'll ask here if its ok.

Is it possible to enter the Tour de France by yourself?. Can you pay a fee and join in?. Never mind the logistics and all that. Just is it possible?.

Absolutely not. Same reason as you can't pay a fee to play in the World Cup finals or be in a Formula 1 race.

wanderer 22

Darkglasses wrote: »

Absolutely not. Same reason as you can't pay a fee to play in the World Cup finals or be in a Formula 1 race.

Well Qatar have bought a place in the 2022 world cup..

Squidgy Black

ken wrote: »

Didn't want to start a new thread on this so I'll ask here if its ok.

Is it possible to enter the Tour de France by yourself?. Can you pay a fee and join in?. Never mind the logistics and all that. Just is it possible?.

No, you have to be part of a team of riders, who either have to be UCI approved, or be invited by the Tour organisers.

When the Tour started originally, it was a case that everyone just payed the fee and raced, but that was eventually replaced by teams.

RobFowl

ken wrote: »

Didn't want to start a new thread on this so I'll ask here if its ok.

Is it possible to enter the Tour de France by yourself?. Can you pay a fee and join in?. Never mind the logistics and all that. Just is it possible?.

Once you set 10 Strava KOM's and hold them for 2 weeks then you are automatically entitled to ride.
If you hold 20 then you can wear rainbow stripes on the arms of the jersey.
Support vehicles have to be arranged by yourself though the overnight accommodation will be paid by the organisers.

Darkglasses

colm18 wrote: »

Well Qatar have bought a place in the 2022 world cup..

Actually I guess Formula 1 was a bad example too, because you can just buy everything...kind of.

He knows what I meant. It's an elite professional sports event where literally thousands of teams would bend over backwards to get into if they could. Teams enter, not individuals. But you need to have a whole tonne of support to create a professional racing team, and then you need to become an absolute top notch racing team to be selected for entry to the Tour, which involves entering and performing very well in loads of other smaller races and tours.

Squidgy Black

Should've just gone all totalitarian dictatorship on this order and just said "Right, here's the colour scheme and here's the supplier, deal with it."

Feck all this democratic votes and opinions. Pfft.

Darkglasses

stetyrrell wrote: »

Should've just gone all totalitarian dictatorship on this order and just said "Right, here's the colour scheme and here's the supplier, deal with it."

Feck all this democratic votes and opinions. Pfft.

Not too late to be fair!

Squidgy Black

Darkglasses wrote: »

Not too late to be fair!

I think by now with the poll and the spreadsheet it's fairly clear which colour will be chosen, and as for the suppliers it's much of a muchness for myself as I don't have a clue which to choose and they all go on a break for the first 2 weeks of August so the order is delayed no matter what.

It's just the amount of posts and questions you have to keep track of and respond too. Brain melting.

daragh_

stetyrrell wrote: »

I think by now with the poll and the spreadsheet it's fairly clear which colour will be chosen, and as for the suppliers it's much of a muchness for myself as I don't have a clue which to choose and they all go on a break for the first 2 weeks of August so the order is delayed no matter what.

It's just the amount of posts and questions you have to keep track of and respond too. Brain melting.

But think of the sense of achievement.
They'll probably make you a Mod after this.

Squidgy Black

daragh_ wrote: »

But think of the sense of achievement.
They'll probably make you a Mod after this.

I'm going to change the design before I send it in and just have my name in pink font going across the back.

Planet X

Funny dude.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsQTURsMPms

Planet X

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWFwjc5wYRI

Diarmuid

Darkglasses wrote: »

Actually I guess Formula 1 was a bad example too, because you can just buy everything...kind of.

I'd suggest that if you went to Euskadel this week, told them that you would fund the team fully for the next year or two on the proviso that you make it onto the 2014 TdF team, they'd take you up on the offer. The downside is you'll probably not make the time cut in one of the first stages.

Darkglasses

Diarmuid wrote: »

I'd suggest that if you went to Euskadel this week, told them that you would fund the team fully for the next year or two on the proviso that you make it onto the 2014 TdF team, they'd take you up on the offer. The downside is you'll probably not make the time cut in one of the first stages.

Haha I think doing that might just put your newly bought team's UCI Pro tour status in a bit of doubt. But I guess it's theoretically possible, if you can get the necessary licences for yourself.

Darkglasses

My LBS is using Tour de France branded musettes as shopping bags today. Great touch!

ednwireland

finish line of our kermesse today :cool:

could have done with a few more riders but its a busy racing weekend up here



i sent the day driving the commissaire round lovely whne its touching 30 degrees

NamelessPhil

Courtesy of the Irish summer I now have terrible cyclist's tan, pale hands, brown arms, brown neck and varying levels of tan on my legs depending on where my shorts stop. I don't do fake tan.

I'll have to go full triathlete to complete the look. :eek:

Velominati rules are not relevant in an Irish summer.

colm_gti

NamelessPhil wrote: »

Courtesy of the Irish summer I now have terrible cyclist's tan, pale hands, brown arms, brown neck and varying levels of tan on my legs depending on where my shorts stop. I don't do fake tan.

Do I have a rival for best cyclists tan in the club?! :eek:

NamelessPhil

colm_gti wrote: »

Do I have a rival for best cyclists tan in the club?! :eek:

Nope! I said I have a terrible tan. More like the kind of one you'd get from working on the bog. It is exacerbated by scratches from gooseberry bushes from Dad's garden. :mad:

Darkglasses

NamelessPhil wrote: »

Nope! I said I have a terrible tan. More like the kind of one you'd get from working on the bog. It is exacerbated by scratches from gooseberry bushes from Dad's garden. :mad:

Are you in Rasmussen territory?



Or the less extreme Morabito?

NamelessPhil

Blurred tan lines is where I'm at, with one side slightly darker than the other 'cos this is Ireland, and I'm a redhead so my freckles are joining forces. This is not pretty.:p

kerry4sam

wiggle wiggle, damn you wiggle!

I went scouring the interweb looking for another dimension for my cycling and wiggle out-priced CRC with my demands - damn you for your good pricing and prompt delivery

Bought my first pair of Shimano shoes; Look Keo pedals and cleats and bib-shorts (a year into cycling ).

Bib-shorts surprisingly comfy, I likey! Brickin' the clipless after reading so much online, but had a little practice clicking in and out tonight before heading out and found them real easy & figured that could not be right, but it was.
I have survived all my peddling to date with a cage attached on my pedal, until now. Found them a bit more labouring at first; might be down to me being tired to begin with and having a little back pain (that began in work, so not putting that down to the cycling tonight).

Looking forward to heading out on a longer; challenging spin this coming week to truly test them. Clicking in and out are very straight-forward though with just a flip of my heel. Surprisingly Easy and Comfy and delira with my new purchases and new step-up in my Cycling! Hopefully I won't look back wondering why I changed over!

Thanks,
kerry4sam

rollingscone

Mrs Rollingscone just let me buy a pair of Craft black w. White uppers bib shorts and a black & white Dare2B long sleeve jersey in TK Maxx... even going so far as to express aesthetic preference for one jersey over another.

I knew I'd married the right woman.

Captain Havoc

GAA spoiler courtesy of a friend

There won't be any diesel laundered in Monaghan tonight.

doozerie

On the topic of cyclist's tan, this good weather has eliminated my usual excuse for not baring my legs to the world (my sensitive knees don't like even a hint of cold). Given the extended spell of sunshine I expected my legs to darken from their usual luminous glare to an even pale white. And in fairness the backs of my legs don't cause snow blindness any longer, but the fronts of my shins could still be seen from space. Apparently, to get an even suntan on my legs, front and back, I need to ride a recumbent every other ride so that the sun might actually fall on my shins.

But also, the back of my left leg is paler than the back of my right. So for an even suntan across both legs I need to cycle backwards on every other ride it seems.

It's all very complicated, I may just resort to tipping a large tin of Ronseal over me instead.

Dermot Illogical

doozerie wrote: »

It's all very complicated, I may just resort to tipping a large tin of Ronseal over me instead.

Bibshorts on a sunbed ftw.

doozerie

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

Bibshorts on a sunbed ftw.

...where ftw = for the weird!

daragh_

My dad has a few mates who (like him) are very fond of the outdoors. Men of a refined vintage who do a lot of walking in all weathers. He calls them 'the mahogany men'. Ronseal won't do, you need a few decades of exposure.

doozerie

daragh_ wrote: »

My dad has a few mates who (like him) are very fond of the outdoors. Men of a refined vintage who do a lot of walking in all weathers. He calls them 'the mahogany men'. Ronseal won't do, you need a few decades of exposure.

If my experiences to date are anything to go by then a few decades of exposure should earn the back of my right leg the title of mahogany man, the back of my left leg the title of beech man, and my shins the title of white deal man.

smacl

doozerie wrote: »

But also, the back of my left leg is paler than the back of my right.

The only appropriate solution here is an extended cycling tour of Europe, the States, or any other large landmass where they cycle on the other side of the road.

Ole Rodrigo

smacl wrote: »

The only appropriate solution here is an extended cycling tour of Europe, the States, or any other large landmass where they cycle on the other side of the road.

Just find a large roundabout and ride around it all day.

doozerie

G'wan the Dublin Fire Brigade who, amongst other things, promote cycling to work as part of their environmental and health initiative: Meet the firemen who are also fighting climate change

Another interesting article on the same site is about the Vienna bike, a narrow (35cm between the back wheels) electrical assist folding trike with independent suspension which they say makes it feel like a conventional two-wheeler. It has a carrying capacity of 150L/40kg. More info here.

ThisRegard

doozerie wrote: »

G'wan the Dublin Fire Brigade who, amongst other things, promote cycling to work as part of their environmental and health initiative: Meet the firemen who are also fighting climate change

WTF, "Joe Duffy, Rescued Person" ? Is the editor a former employee of the Brass Eye crew ? If they didn't rescue him there'd be a lot less hot air around, boom boom.

doozerie

ThisRegard wrote:

WTF, "Joe Duffy, Rescued Person" ? Is the editor a former employee of the Brass Eye crew ? If they didn't rescue him there'd be a lot less hot air around, boom boom.

I like to think the firemen raced to the scene to finish him off but that something went horribly wrong and he was rescued instead.

doozerie

An interesting bit of history, suggesting that the issue of stolen bikes in Dublin has existed for a very long time: A city of vanishing bicycles

In February 1936, it was claimed in The Irish Times that “hundreds of bicycles were disappearing daily in the city.” The paper claimed that they were “being taken morning after morning from outside churches.” The attitude of authorities was that this was a longstanding problem in Dublin, with six months hard labour seeming a standard punishment at the time for the offence.

In September 1952, the Irish Independent sent a reporter to Kevin Street Garda Station, who told the reporter that “three or four rooms” in the station were taken up by recovered stolen bicycles, and that “in the first seven months of this year no fewer than 3,781 bicycles were reported stolen in Dublin.”

Dermot Illogical

doozerie wrote: »

An interesting bit of history, suggesting that the issue of stolen bikes in Dublin has existed for a very long time: A city of vanishing bicycles

Top stuff..
“No man”, said the Right Hon. Recorder, “can leave his bicycle without keeping his hand on it in this city.”

RobFowl

Stuart O Grady retires unexpectedly with immediate effect
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/15068/Stuart-OGrady-retires-from-professional-cycling-one-year-earlier-than-planned.aspx



And in completely unrelated news

The French Senate are releasing the names of the positive tests from the 1998 TDF this wed (b samples only, will not count for anti-doping sanctions)

Zyzz

Finally got under 10 mins on the Sutton side of Howth (9.37), still sh*te but its progress!

bcmf

What an absolute wagon of an evening. Hung around for two and a half hours to pick up a part for the car only to recieve a txt saying 'Sorry.that part is broken'. Really. Well Why the fook didnt you check it when I agreed to meet up and take it off ya on sat.

Got 4 tyres last week.
Got home and tried to take one of the wheels off to have a look at my handbrake.
Two hours later. 1 broken wheel brace. 1 broken socket.1 rounded wheelnut and 1 damaged alloy and that was just trying to take one wheel off.
Tried the other 3 wheels and not a fooking budge out of any of the nuts. and that was with a breaker bar with an extension.
Gonna bring the broken wheelbrace back to the tyre place, wrap it around his head before I inform him that his airgun is set to a too high of torque.
what if i got a flat on the side of the m50 with the wife and kids in the car and not be able to take the wheel off?

Super Freak

The airguns are a scurge......(Having had a Renault Laguna where one stripped THE HUB I know all about it).

I always insist now that wheels are mounted with a wheel brace only. Never had a complaint for any of the fitters

bcmf wrote: »

What an absolute wagon of an evening. Hung around for two and a half hours to pick up a part for the car only to recieve a txt saying 'Sorry.that part is broken'. Really. Well Why the fook didnt you check it when I agreed to meet up and take it off ya on sat.

Got 4 tyres last week.
Got home and tried to take one of the wheels off to have a look at my handbrake.
Two hours later. 1 broken wheel brace. 1 broken socket.1 rounded wheelnut and 1 damaged alloy and that was just trying to take one wheel off.
Tried the other 3 wheels and not a fooking budge out of any of the nuts. and that was with a breaker bar with an extension.
Gonna bring the broken wheelbrace back to the tyre place, wrap it around his head before I inform him that his airgun is set to a too high of torque.
what if i got a flat on the side of the m50 with the wife and kids in the car and not be able to take the wheel off?

Hmmzis

bcmf wrote: »

What an absolute wagon of an evening. Hung around for two and a half hours to pick up a part for the car only to recieve a txt saying 'Sorry.that part is broken'. Really. Well Why the fook didnt you check it when I agreed to meet up and take it off ya on sat.

Got 4 tyres last week.
Got home and tried to take one of the wheels off to have a look at my handbrake.
Two hours later. 1 broken wheel brace. 1 broken socket.1 rounded wheelnut and 1 damaged alloy and that was just trying to take one wheel off.
Tried the other 3 wheels and not a fooking budge out of any of the nuts. and that was with a breaker bar with an extension.
Gonna bring the broken wheelbrace back to the tyre place, wrap it around his head before I inform him that his airgun is set to a too high of torque.
what if i got a flat on the side of the m50 with the wife and kids in the car and not be able to take the wheel off?

You sure the wheelnuts weren't welded on? I've had my share of fun jumping on extension pipes slotted on to socket wrenches when trying to get a wheel off but never I'm managed to round a wheelnut. That's some strength you have.
You do need freakin' good sockets and spanners though when doing your own car maintenance, did learn that the expensive way.

bcmf

Hmmzis wrote: »

You sure the wheelnuts weren't welded on? I've had my share of fun jumping on extension pipes slotted on to socket wrenches when trying to get a wheel off but never I'm managed to round a wheelnut. That's some strength you have.
You do need freakin' good sockets and spanners though when doing your own car maintenance, did learn that the expensive way.

I am a big strong lump of a yoke. When the socket part of the wheelbrace split I reckoned it slipped.

doozerie

bcmf wrote: »

1 broken socket.

That sucks. In case you are not aware, when you get round to replacing that socket, Halfords offer a lifetime replacement policy on some of their socket sets (for non moving parts only, I believe, so ratcheting handles and spanners are not covered). I assume that applies to individual sockets too. I've read of people mangling Halfords sockets and wrecker bars and having them replaced without any questions - some of these people were trying to remove tractor wheels and the like, it all sounded very rural!

I bought myself a Halfords Advanced socket set a years or two back and the quality is okay, for the price. I expect some of the better known brands to be better quality (and significantly more expensive too), but the lifetime guarantee is nice to have and I'm not sure if many other manufacturers offer that.

CramCycle

Just heard Audax Ireland came 3rd in the Mersey 24hour tt. For a non racing club they have a funny way of showing it :P fair play to the team who went over.

On other related Irish news, Ultan Coyle (from Drogheda, though now settled across the pond) broke the 500mile mark, missing the winning spot by a few minutes. (Info stolen from the Audax mailing list).

That's an average speed of over 33kmph for the 24 hours.

lennymc

bcmf wrote: »

What an absolute wagon of an evening. Hung around for two and a half hours to pick up a part for the car only to recieve a txt saying 'Sorry.that part is broken'. Really. Well Why the fook didnt you check it when I agreed to meet up and take it off ya on sat.

Got 4 tyres last week.
Got home and tried to take one of the wheels off to have a look at my handbrake.
Two hours later. 1 broken wheel brace. 1 broken socket.1 rounded wheelnut and 1 damaged alloy and that was just trying to take one wheel off.
Tried the other 3 wheels and not a fooking budge out of any of the nuts. and that was with a breaker bar with an extension.
Gonna bring the broken wheelbrace back to the tyre place, wrap it around his head before I inform him that his airgun is set to a too high of torque.
what if i got a flat on the side of the m50 with the wife and kids in the car and not be able to take the wheel off?

I had the same issue on the same car. For front wheels loosen the nuts with the wheel on the ground, start it up and turn the steering. For the rear, get a bigger hammer (or a big scaffolding bar) and lever it off. Clean the mounting surfaces and apply copper grease before refitting.

Edit - ignore all of that. Just realized your problem is with your nuts

Darkglasses

Just watched a priest cycle the wrong way around a roundabout and then mount the footpad. I'll remind him of it in confession.

laraghrider

Hi all, Lad in work is looking to get a bike on the btw scheme and lives over the north side. Anyone recommend a good bike shop over that side of town or even city center?

Dermot Illogical

laraghrider wrote: »

Hi all, Lad in work is looking to get a bike on the btw scheme and lives over the north side. Anyone recommend a good bike shop over that side of town or even city center?

Richies in Swords.