Other hobbies/Obsessions?

banie01 · 30-09-2021 3:24pm

@Thirdfox I'll be sending you my '22 itinerary and you can work your magic 😉

My input is very much dedicated to selecting the destination and the deal. The planning while we are there is usually left to the Mrs but next year I really do fancy a spread sheet 😉 but no Chichen Itza! Too many yanks 😂

Cyclingtourist · 10-11-2021 1:38pm

This is a photo from around 1900 of Blanche Cole née Vernon & her husband Grenville Cole (professor of Geology at the Royal College of Science for Ireland) seated beside two lady's bicycles. Both Grenville and their female friend on the left appear to be getting ready for an anticipated shower of rain.

I'm currently writing an online article about a book of essays they published in 1902 about cycle-tours they did together from the year of their marriage (1895) to the end of the 19th century.

She was a member of a branch of the Vernon family of Clontarf Castle but she was born and reared in Mount Merrion where her father appears to have been a land agent or superintendent on the Pembroke Estate.

Lorddrakul · 10-11-2021 4:13pm

I may have mentioned before, I'm a bit of a motorsport nut. I love the stories of derring do, technological wizardy and mercurial talent.

But, there are also some mad stories from the early years when some people still weren't sure that things with wheels and engines were actually going to catch on.

This is wonderfully characterised by the origin story of what used to be the national racing colour of British drivers: British Racing Green.

blackbullet · 10-11-2021 4:24pm

3d is my main hobbie using blender 2 years now

heres a few recent projects id one in blender

Lorddrakul · 10-11-2021 5:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118147040#Comment_118147040

My son is starting to get proficient enough to do his own designs for a 3D printer.

He has created base plate to make one of the swords from his favourite animé, Attack on Titan.

Wibbs · 10-11-2021 8:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118146977#Comment_118146977

This is wonderfully characterised by the origin story of what used to be the national racing colour of British drivers: British Racing Green.

It's an interesting story alright. From what I recall the original Britsih racing green was much lighter. Also if I remember correctly Ireland's national colour is actually blue(which was France's racing team colour, QV the various Bugatti's of the 1920's). The green is a later notion. Red was Italy, of course. Then later advertising on race cars first rolled out by Lotus(Chapman was always the boyo for extracting a crust) turning them into high speed billboards killed the national colours, though Mercedes has flirted with their national colour silver on occasion. They were originally white, but changed to silver. Japan took white with red accents to reflect their rising sun flag. Honda's Type R road cars were originally all white with red badges to reflect the first Grand Prix win by them wearing their national colours. These days they're more likely to be red or black as white isn't a fashionable colour of late. Then again these days they're heavier than the base models so...

Cyclingtourist · 07-12-2021 9:57am

I bought this cycling map because it was reasonably priced and in good condition. Normally I'd only buy if it was one of the Irish ones I haven't got.

Watering places refers to seaside resort towns. This one dates from around 1895, the ones that say 'For Motorists & Cyclists' are later and the ones where the illustration shows the woman on a tricycle and the man on a highwheeler are earlier.

There are two ads inside the cover one for a temperance hotel (a common type in Victorian times) and another for a patent medicine that contained cannabis and opium.

Cyclingtourist · 16-12-2021 9:54am

Just a re-print but where you going to get the original? 103 interesting pages of cycling history and advertisements.

banie01 · 27-12-2021 6:53pm

A gift from my MIL that I am very taken with at the moment and that's ahead of the book the Mrs got me in the reading list 😉

"Duel for the Sky" by Christopher Shores, this is one of his more accessible books IMO. If one isn't into military history and aviation in particular this book is very easy reading. His usual style is far more technical and detail orientated.

Some lovely airframe views and beautiful paintings. A gift that is very much appreciated and will join my aviation library 😁

Cyclingtourist · 27-12-2021 7:35pm

When I was in the merchant navy I worked on Shell tankers for a number of years (1970s) and remember people from head office talking about Douglas Bader who apparently worked for Shell after the war, just that the general impression I got from what I heard was that he was a bit of an asshole.

Cyclingtourist · 28-12-2021 10:22am

Effortless Italian style. 1920s/30s postcard.

English publication 'promoting' cycle touring in Ireland 1990s.

fulladapipes · 28-12-2021 12:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118378894#Comment_118378894

Penguin do a series of these books in RAF blue commemorating 100 years of said RAF. I've got them and they're pretty good. I'll see can I find a photo of them to post.

banie01 · 28-12-2021 5:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118381436#Comment_118381436

I have a few of those in other editions. One of the very 1st autobiographies I ever read were Boy and Going Solo, they have a very sure place in my heart, Going Solo in particular tbh.

I'll keep an eye out for that collection tho. I keep meaning to head up to Dublin for a visit to Chapters before they close down, but health-wise I probably won't make it up before Feb. I really want to get a pile of aviation books in their sale and I'd advise anyone oval to get in there for a browse before they finally close.

Cyclingtourist · 29-12-2021 3:50pm

"I really want to get a pile of aviation books in their sale and I'd advise anyone oval to get in there for a browse before they finally close."

Went for a return visit to Chapters and got these four for just under €15.

banie01 · 29-12-2021 3:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118386633#Comment_118386633

Great haul!👍

banie01 · 03-01-2022 12:28pm

Picked up a few ebooks of stuff I planned to get in the "real" form and one of them,

https://g.co/kgs/KhSCfC

75 years of the Skunkworks, by James C Goodall is a veritable treasure trove of wonderful photos of some of Lockheed's finest work.

The joy of ebook is portability, but I look forward to my hardback being delivered. There is allusion to management structures and project management systems that is unfortunately not really filled in upon in this tome. That's not to detract from what is a wonderful and sometimes personal insight into the Skunkworks, it's just that some of those aspects in particular hold a professional interest for me.

Blanchy90 · 03-01-2022 10:53pm

I set up the bike trainer in the house and managed 2km on it yesterday.

Doesn't sound like much but I haven't been able to exercise at all since getting covid at the start of August. I'm hoping to build it up to where I was at before but I'll take it slow as I don't want to overdo it.

Happy to be back on the bike at all

Cyclingtourist · 07-01-2022 11:01am

I'm not particularly interest in aviation but I have a few National Geographics from the late 1930s and early 1940s because they have articles related to cycle touring.

'Looking Down on Europe' is about a journey round Europe by air. Although this article was published in June 1939 from my experience normally articles in NG lag actual events by about 12 months.

This photo supplied by Lufthansa appears showing Tempelhof Airport with one Polish aircraft (SP) of American manufacture surrounded by German civil aircraft. The twin-rotor in the foreground is a Junkers JU86b and the others are JU52 tri-rotors. I'm open to correction as I'm no aviation expert.

Fitz II · 07-01-2022 9:12pm

Like a lot of watch people I am also a big car fanatic. So today I turned my old car, a patek and two Rolex into something special.

You can spot some dickhead in this photo signing his paperwork

893bet · 07-01-2022 10:10pm

And special it will be given what went the other way! Need pics.

I am buying a tonne or so of second hand rubber for my cows to sleep on tomorrow. It’s the little luxurious things….

Wibbs · 07-01-2022 11:17pm

Enough with the foreplay Fitz, get to the ridin' 😁 whatcha get?

njburke · 08-01-2022 12:02am

Electric or Combustion?

Lorddrakul · 08-01-2022 7:58am

@Fitz II oh, a large portion of Stuttgart's finest!

Pictures, many pictures!

Fitz II · 08-01-2022 9:07am

See nothing wrong with quartz

Cyclingtourist · 08-01-2022 9:38am

Except the sort of man who reads it for articles about the 'Bike Boom' in America in the early 1970s when there was a short-lived craze for lightweight road bikes especially among college students.

Wibbs · 08-01-2022 10:13am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118437938#Comment_118437938

It's mad how back then and before the interwebs where an idea in Tokyo can trend within weeks, even days, trends could take so long to transmit and how western cultures could remain quite local. The "racing bike" thing got here as a general thing more by the late 70's and we had the British Raleigh influence on top, where Choppers which had been an earlier trend in the US got here too. Of course with the success of Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche racers were "in". The mountain bikes started to get popular by the mid to late 80's, were they again took their time to spread from their origins in 70's California.

Cyclingtourist · 08-01-2022 10:28am

From a 1970s Raleigh Ireland folding brochure.

njburke · 08-01-2022 10:52am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118437844#Comment_118437844

I'ld say there's very little wrong with view from that seat. C'mon what you get?

I was on an FB EV group yesterday helping a guy decide between an EV and PHEV. Turns out he's trying to decide between a etron sport back and Q7. He tells me this after I ask he to put a quick spreedsheet together with his driving profile and cost of energy. Running costs may not be too of his list. They don't make what I want, an electric rover 75 estate.it had a lovely cream dial clock.

My brother is coming round with his new model 3 for a coffee and a spin, I'll need to choose a watch to wear.

On the subjects if other hobbies, I put my name down for a new AV receiver yesterday, home theatre has soaked some of my time over the last year. It's a two month wait for a receiver.

Update:

Just back from the spin in the Tesla 3. 450 HP to 4 wheels is a different world to the 204 HP to the rear in my wife's id3, not to mention the 115hp to the front of my Skoda. And the software, self driving, takes time to develop some trust by the driver.

My takeaway is my brothers Tesla 3 is twice the car my wifes ID3 is, at exactly twice the price.

Cyclingtourist · 08-01-2022 10:59am

njburke: "I was on an FB EV group yesterday helping a guy decide between an EV and PHEV."

Pedal power is better.

micks_address · 08-01-2022 12:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438196#Comment_118438196

That guy probably doesn't need to worry about fuel costs if he's buying an etron

njburke · 08-01-2022 12:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438240#Comment_118438240

I have a few of those too, steel tourers for cycling to work and the ring of Kerry.

njburke · 08-01-2022 12:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438565#Comment_118438565

That became evident when he reveled what he was considering. I had to do a cost model for replacing a commercial vehicle with electric nv200 van. There was one weekly run where it collected from 6 service depot's in Kildare dropped of the weeks load for specialized cleaning in the city centre then returned with last weeks load through the six depot's. We were pushing an open door , but included the detail for completeness, it's other people's money we were spending.

Cyclingtourist · 08-01-2022 12:47pm

This could be a new car owner.

893bet · 08-01-2022 1:11pm

Come on Fitz. I am getting bored looking at shite from the early last century.

njburke · 08-01-2022 1:20pm

I've a watch or two that would go very well with his outfit.

Cyclingtourist · 08-01-2022 1:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438829#Comment_118438829

Cravats are going to make a comeback.

Wibbs · 08-01-2022 1:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438196#Comment_118438196

Just back from the spin in the Tesla 3. 450 HP to 4 wheels is a different world to the 204 HP to the rear in my wife's id3, not to mention the 115hp to the front of my Skoda. And the software, self driving, takes time to develop some trust by the driver.

A client of mine has one of those 3 performance jobs. Had an extended go in it a few months back. The acceleration is insane. No experience of any ICE car I"ve driven comes close. Different world. Your mind isn't prepared for it, or mine wasn't anyway. 😁The self driving thing is very weird alright, but no doubt like anything you'd become used to it. Granted I'm coming from the 90's and a stripped down racing snake 90's with it, so far more of a culture shock for me than most I'd imagine. I didn't get the sloppily finished stuff you hear about Tesla. I did have an extended go of a Model S ages ago and yeah it felt a little cheaper than the price suggested alright, but I found the Model 3 to be a nicely bolted together car. You could feel the weight of it though. Even there it was very much low down. Pretty much zero "feel" through the controls, though that's a feature of electric steering racks overall so not a Tesla thing by any means.

dakar · 08-01-2022 1:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118437844#Comment_118437844

Taycan with the sport chrono pack?

banie01 · 08-01-2022 2:03pm

@njburke They don't make what I want, an electric rover 75 estate.it had a lovely cream dial clock.

I hear MG are back and the new Rover 75 is the MG5 😉😛

njburke · 08-01-2022 2:50pm

I might take a look. But what I actually want was the lovely place to sit that the 75 was, with its leather, walnut and art deco with an electric drivetrain.

I had two of them, a drunk driver spared me but killed my first 75. Great community around the 75, there was a club for meetups, fondling and spares. There were Tweeks and mods, like fitting a Renault 5 thermostat into the top hose when the factory fitted thermostat was buried with the water pump and had drifted off it's specified setpoint. Fixing and firing up it's webasto fuel burning heater was a high point for me. The M47 and jatco box were great, especially with the remap.

I went with a 2014 superb Laurin and Klement in cream leather and dark brown coat, also quite nice but not the same.

njburke · 08-01-2022 3:14pm

Agree with you there wibbs. The self driving wasn't an issue for me, it was like a 'trust the force Luke, there's science and engineering behind it". We did tweak the feedback through the steering but it just made it lighter to steering input. The interior was nice bit American but nothing oozed quality or expectation for me. The splash of wood on the fascia was a splash of plastic. Unlike the early 75s where real trees had given their lives, we are not doing that anymore it seems.

Fitz II · 08-01-2022 4:03pm

Taycan 4s. Had a Tesla model 3 performance before this after a long line of BMW M cars. This is a technological marvel on another level. Not as fast in a straight line as the tesla but about 4 time quicker round a bend. Charges really really fast too. I was super lucky to get an allocation for one back in september so I was in a rush to get cash...no problem 24 hours later sold some watches and cash in hand. Super pleased with it and the entire experiance of buying it was terrific. Makes the AD experiance in weirs look like a total shambles.

njburke · 08-01-2022 6:08pm

Wow, that's some motor.

Well wear and easy through those corners or Sir Isaac Newton will take over the outcome.

893bet · 08-01-2022 7:29pm

It’s a little bit “holy ****”.

I would love to

a) Be able to afford to buy it

and more importantly

b) Have the pair of Bollox to buy it and not do something more sensible with the money. Life is short!

Well wear! I hope you don’t exit the watch game for too long.

Lorddrakul · 08-01-2022 7:42pm

@Fitz II Well wear, sir!

What a lovely car.

I had a good spin out in a Model S P90D. Even with four adults onboard, Ludicrous Mode was fun. The only thing that out does it is litre sportsbike performance.

I'd imagine the Porsche is a lot better at going round corners, and more fun to boot.

Cyclingtourist · 08-01-2022 9:48pm

Nice looking car but what's the point of going round corners faster?

njburke · 08-01-2022 10:24pm

To get away from the green eyed monster.

Cyclingtourist · 08-01-2022 10:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118441673#Comment_118441673

Thanks, yes if you were being pursued I expect being able to corner faster could be an advantage. It's never happened to me while driving but it did once when I was cycling down in Clare and a dog chased me and bit my leg. It wasn't that he was better at cornering more a case of being quicker going uphill.

scwazrh · 08-01-2022 10:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118441740#Comment_118441740

where you cycling in the middle of the road or side by side with another cyclist at the time as well?

Cyclingtourist · 08-01-2022 11:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118441801#Comment_118441801

It was a country road and I was alone cycling, came down a hill and this dog ran out from a house. Unfortunately the road started going uphill and he managed to get a bite in.

I went back to the where the dog had come from but the woman had 'never seen the dog before'. Reported it to the guards and they asked if I wanted to make a formal complaint but as that could have led to the dog being put down I just settled for the guard calling to warn them.

Other hobbies/Obsessions?

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