23 December, 2022

 The electrification continues. Our new EV arrived (well, not so much 'arrived' as collected from the vehicle transport depot) on Thursday. Seems getting it from the depot to our driveway- which was the arrangement- would have to wait until next week. 

It's going to take a while to become familiar with all of the tech associated with it, but it was very easy to just jump in and drive away. Very comfy, very quiet, and very quick (and the voice assistant lets me know anytime we venture on the +side of the posted speed limit!)





10 December, 2022

That's not a Bike!

 Yeah- I know- long time no write (type). Still here in North Queensland living the tropical life. Time spent on two wheels has diminished considerably but the new year isn't far off and we all need a resolution or ten to peg to the new calendar.

We decided a few months back- actually over a year ago- to reduce (further) our domestic fossil fuel consumption. We have had solar hot water and a rooftop PV system since 2009 and 2013 respectively and have not had an electricity bill since early 2013.

Our kitchen cooktop has been a four burner gas setup since 2002. After reading articles on the particulates released via gas cooking, we decided to give induction cooking a try. A single element induction unit has been our Go To element for well over a year now. Having survived (indeed excelled) its somewhat extended trial period, we installed a four burner/hob induction cooktop just over a week ago.

The portable/temporary induction unit has made its way off the kitchen bench and into a storage cabinet but will remain an integral household item. It will act as our cooktop during power outages. And well might you ask how an electric kitchen gadget might work during a power outage? Well we'll just plug it into our car.

Our 2007 diesel VW van is being replaced with an EV which has V2L capability. V2L (vehicle to load) enables us to plug in a number of household appliances and provide AC supply from the vehicle's battery and inbuilt inverter. We can use our PV rootop system to provide charging to the car's battery and draw down supply during outages if required. This is not a full vehicle to grid transfer in that power from the car will not be fed back into the electricity distribution network. More like a portable generator without the fumes, noise and fuel requirements.

Now we just need to get the car transported the 1200km from Brisbane to Townsville- hopefully this week.


Cheers- ride safe!

18 January, 2015

New Year and Some New Rules

Road Rules
Everybody in Queensland knows the road rules- particularly as they relate to cyclists- just ask some of them; they’ll certainly let you know what cyclists can and can’t do (some will be correct but the majority will not even be in the same post code). I’m not going to cover every single road rule and exception, just the most contentious and often talked about ones.
So where do we start- how about with the littlies? Learning to ride a bike as a kid is a pretty memorable occasion- it gives kids a sense of freedom. Many kids learn to ride on the footpath which is completely legal. The thing here is that Queensland differs from some of the other states in that there is no age restriction for riding on the footpath. So unless there’s a sign indicating that cycling is not allowed on a section of footpath, it’s completely legal for one and all. Oh and cyclists must give way to pedestrians on footpaths, shared paths and pedestrian crossings.
As of 1 January 2015, cyclists are permitted to ride across marked pedestrian crossings where previously they were required to dismount and walk their bike across.
And cyclists should sound their bell, or at least call out to pedestrians or slower riders when overtaking if they’re going to ride on the footpath.
Helmets- they are required to be worn regardless of the cyclist’s age. There are some exceptions to the wearing of a helmet on the grounds of religious headgear.  But much like drivers and seatbelts, some choose to ride without one. I wear one every time I ride- every time.
Where and how can cyclists ride?
So- on a road that is not multi-lane, cyclists should keep as far left as practicable. In the eyes of motorists that often means as far to the left of the fog line as possible, but there are often hazards at the road edge. Broken bitumen, glass, rubbish, drains, roadkill, branches, wet leaves, parked cars which may present an open door as the operator exits- these are just some of the things which present as hazards and may not be noticeable to vehicle operators.
On multi-lane roads, the cyclists are permitted to take any part of the lane.
There is a common misunderstanding that cyclists must ride in single file. Cyclists are permitted to ride two abreast- no more than 1.5 metres apart. There is an exception where a group of cyclists riding two abreast is permitted to overtake another group riding two abreast. The riders will in fact be four abreast but the faster group must be overtaking and not riding as part of the group being overtaken.
A group of 20 cyclists riding two abreast presents a much shorter overtaking distance than 20 cyclists in a single file.
Cyclists are to ride in the same direction as traffic- that means no ‘salmoning’ (i.e. swimming upstream against the flow).
It is not mandatory for cyclists to ride in a bike lane where one is present, as per the Department of Transport rules, the choice is there for the cyclist to make. In many instances, the presence of parked cars puts the cycle lane in the ‘door-zone’ exposing cyclists to serious injury as drivers exit their vehicles.
Red lights- yes, cyclists are supposed to stop at red lights and stop signs just like motorists. But as we all know, there are always going to be people who run red lights and blow through stop signs.
This inevitably leads to calls for bikes to be registered. It isn’t going to happen any time soon. Even if I want to register my bike, I can’t. It will cost more to administer the program than it will provide in revenue. Cost is based on wear and tear on the road so really a bike rego would be about $0.70. I would gladly pay a rego if it meant I would get full use of the road and complete respect from fellow road users. And just because a vehicle is registered doesn’t stop red light runners- I see several dozen a week.
Safe overtaking rules- Queensland is currently trialling safe overtaking distances as a response to the inquiry into cycling safety.
Where the speed limit is 60 km/hr or less, drivers must maintain a safe overtaking distance of no less than 1 (one) metre. Where the speed limit is more than 60 km/hr, drivers must maintain a safe overtaking distance of not less than 1.5 metres. The distance is measured from the rightmost point of the cyclist (this could be the right handlebar or the shoulder/elbow of the cyclist- whichever protrudes furthest to the right) and the leftmost point of the vehicle (this could be a mirror or part of a load in a trailer). It is understood the vehicle and cyclist are travelling in the same direction.
The minimum distance applies even if the cyclist is riding around an obstacle.
From Transport and Main Roads:
To pass a cyclist—as long as it is safe to do so—you are allowed to:
·         drive over centre lines (including double unbroken centre lines) on a 2-way road
·         straddle or cross a lane line (including a continuous lane line) on a multi-lane road
·         drive on a painted island.
If it is not safe to pass a cyclist, you must wait until it is safe to pass.
Cyclists are permitted to ride in special purpose lanes such as:
Bike lane
Bus lane
Tram lane (The Gold Coast trams operate on a tramway, not a tram line. Cyclists are not permitted on the tramway.)
Transit lane
Signals- cyclists are actually only required to signal when turning right.
Roundabouts- Vehicle operators wishing to turn right on a multi-lane roundabout must enter the roundabout from the right hand lane (unless signage or road signs indicate otherwise). Cyclists wishing to turn right at the same roundabout may enter the roundabout from either lane; however, a cyclist entering from the left lane must give way to any vehicle wishing to exit the roundabout.

These two links provide more information on rulesfor cyclists and the rules associated with the safeovertaking distances.

Okay- now ride (or drive) safe- 
someone's son/daughter/mother/father/aunt/uncle/grandmother/grandfather/etc.. you get the picture, could be on that bike.

Cheers
BoaB

12 July, 2013

Stay Calm (and Write a Blog)

Yes I'm still breathing, eating and apparently able to string a series of words together in a somewhat comprehensible manner. Since my last post in 1822 March, I have:
Ridden my bike some (but not as much as I would have liked)
Run some (but probably not as much as I should)
Argued with some very stubborn people (and from their point of view, I'm probably a very stubborn person)
Lamented the loss of some friends
And of course all of the other things which happen by chance or design and make up the fabric of our lives. Not all of these will be visited in this single post- hopefully it will draw me back to reflect and write.

The riding was going swimmingly- getting in lots of good long rides and training sessions and a few races. A couple of crits, a time trial and a couple of road races with no spectacular results but no major disappointments either. My last race was a crit in early June- it was also one of the last times I was on the bike for several weeks. I had changed my wheels the day before to a set I bought a few years back but have not used all that much. On the usual Saturday ride, I heard a metallic creak when pedalling and put it down to noise from the spokes as the wheels had sat unused for so long.

I checked the spokes, there did seem to be a bit of play in a couple of them (none broken) and so tightened them a bit, of course to no avail. Raced on them the next day for the crit, Even had one of the racers who works at one of the local bike shops to have a look. Nah- nothing there. That afternoon I took small pieces of duct tape (gaffer tape here in Aus) and placed it between the lacing cross points of the spokes. Went for a ride and lo and behold- the noise was still there.

Jump ahead a couple days and I have the bike on the workstand for a thorough cleaning- stripped it down, chain off to be replaced, etc. Giving it a wash and notice some tar on the left seat stay- don't remember riding near any fresh roadworks or new paving- I'll just get the worst of it off with my thumbnail and then some methylated spirits and finish washing the bike.


The tar turned out to be something completely different- the seat stay was cracked almost all the way though and the strange sound I had been blaming on the spokes was the crack flexing under each pedal stroke. The bike has never been involved in any impacts on the road, during transport or at home so I was at a loss as to the cause.

The frame has a lifetime warranty for the original owner (that would be me) so I took some photos and headed to the local dealer with the frame to discuss the next steps. The LBS took more photos and sent them to the Specialized warranty office in Melbourne for evaluation. Several days later, after hearing nothing, I stopped by the shop to be advised that they had been unable to make a determination based on the photos and they would now like the frame sent as well.

So another week+ and still no word despite my dropping around and calls being made by the shop to Specialized. Finally I received a call to say they could not find any evidence of impact (I guess they need to do their own investigation and not just take the word of some numpty who might want a new frame) and would be supplying me with a new frame and that it was being shipped that afternoon.

Fast forward another week and I get a call that the new frame has been built up with the groupset from the old bike to the same measurements and is ready to go. It looked really nice when it was wheeled out but Dee immediately said that it didn't look right. And she was correct, they had put the headset spacers above the stem instead of below so it was back into the workshop for a quick adjustment (theoretically). Once the spacers had been correctly placed, all of the cabling was now too short and had to be replaced- this also meant the bar tape had to be unwrapped, etc. And the end result:


So I'm back on the road with the new beast but the joy is severely tempered by the loss of a member of the local cycling community and severe injuries to three others as the result of being struck by a truck carrying an oversize load. The riders were on their regular Saturday circuit and were riding single file and outside the traffic lane- there is no dedicated bike lane on that section and they had taken every measure to be out of traffic. The driver, for whatever reason, thought he could make it past but struck all four riders. Other members of their group who were some meters behind but witnessed the whole incident immediately performed first aid, including CPR, until emergency responders and police arrived on the scene.

Sadly, one of the riders was pronounced dead that afternoon and the other three were hospitalised for their injuries. A memorial ride is being held on Sunday for Sue- there will be many very heavy hearts.

10 March, 2013

An Experiment in Lent(il) Behaviour

The road racing season is back for 2013 here in the north and today, Sunday, marked the second in a series of crits for the local club. Numbers have been great across all grades with more than 100 riders registering across 4 grades in addition to the junior riders.

The left hand turning circuit is a 600 metre semi-rhomboid/elliptoid, flat road in a semi-industrial area as per the image below from Endomondo. What wind there was today was a greeting for all riders on the section heading into the last turn before the finishing straight on Dalrymple Road. The cross wind on the back segment was pretty much blocked out by the buildings lining the road.



I wandered from my usual Saturday evening pre-race meal routine (pasta in one form or another) and had lentil burgers and salad. They were delicious and filling but when I woke this morning, I was absolutely starving. A couple of Weet-Bix and my usual morning breakfast drink (no- not that kind of drink!!!) called Up-n-Go and I was out the door and on the way. During the ride to the circuit and the warm up I didn't feel all that energetic so I also had an energy gel a few minutes prior to the start.

Last week's average speed was just on 37km/hr for the 12 starters. This week it was 38.5 with 23 riders fronting. Like last week there were a few new starters which is always good to see- unlike last week when a young bloke who was giving it his first go and happened to grab a handful of front brake at an inopportune moment, there were no spills- even better to see.

So even though the pace was on a bit more than last week, I felt I had less in the tank on the last couple of laps. So it looks like it will be back to pasta for next week's crit; however, if there's no improvement, I'll know I will have to look at the engine the fuel is going into, not at the fuel. (Or maybe crit circuits just aren't my forte)

Cheers- ride safe
BoaB


06 March, 2013

Rolling and Reflecting......

I have been thinking about this particular subject for almost three weeks now- it's an annual occurrence, the reflecting part that is, and has been since 1982. On 15 February of that year, 84 lives were lost when The Ocean Ranger went down in a storm off Newfoundland.

I was working on a rig at the time- The Rowan Juneau- off Sable Island and we had had a bit of a brush with the same weather system some hours before. I remember our radio operator's look of despair when no further chatter could be picked up from the Ranger and the supply ships reported that one of the "unsinkable" rigs had capsized.

And while it is, as I said earlier, an annual period of reflection, this year that reflection has lingered- triggered I suppose by items in the news from both here and from back in Nova Scotia:

A fishing boat swamped in the waters off the coast in the southern part of Queensland- the skipper made it but his deckhand is lost, presumed drowned.

A friend posted a photo the other day of a coiled heaving line from The Bounty- one of the few items remaining from the replica built for the movie- the loss coming after the skipper set sail into hurricane conditions.

The sinking of The Miss Ally and the loss of all five aboard after sailing from Cape Sable Island on a halibut fishing trip.

And the announcement by Clive Palmer that he is building a replica of The Titanic- that most famous of unsinkable maritime vessels- and will be tracing the voyage of the original (hopefully with a much better outcome).

The local club road racing season has just started- a series of crits last weekend and the following two Sundays to kick things off. It was really good to see a number of new faces across most grades fronting up to race- it will be interesting to see if interest remains high when we get into the longer road races.

Cheers- ride safe
BoaB

29 November, 2012

Welcome Back....

So it was a good ride this morning- no rain, unlike yesterday morning when the skies opened up on the way home. As I was finishing my mid-ride coffee, I could see a bit of a squally shower moving across the bay- what were the chances that I could beat the rain?? I know why I'm not a betting person- traffic and poorly timed lights conspired to make sure that I received a good drenching all the way home- right to the driveway. Felt a bit like Joe Bftslpk from the Al Capp comic strip "L'il Abner"- he was the poor bloke who always had a rain cloud over his head.

But even with rain, any ride from which one returns safely, is a good ride- and there have been many good rides since last I posted (but not much rain).

And there has been much else happening:

I have successfully pollinated a few of these:




These are vanilla beans- we have had the plant for probably at least 10 years and this is the first time I have managed to get the pollination right- it has to be done manually as there are no bees or wasps in Australia capable of pollinating the flowers. The top photo shows a spent bloom in the upper right which I failed to see  on the morning it opened and so another missed opportunity.

I'll let you know in 6 months or so how things are progressing. And now I know why real vanilla is so expensive- the pollination is the easy part- the processing and curing is a long slow process.

And then there were the dove orchids- blooming several times per year, the branches are festooned with short-lived, delicate white flowers with an interesting dusty-citrus fragrance.


Dove orchids
 And in keeping with nature's phenomena- a couple of shots of our solar eclipse on 14 November- we got 96% totality.
14 November solar eclipse

14 November solar eclipse
 Viewed with the latest in solar eclipse eyewear fashion.
Fashion eyewear (of a sort)
 The neighbour's umbrella tree (or at least a substantial portion of it) came crashing to earth on a Saturday afternoon. These things are pot plants back in the old country (no, not that kind of pot)
Well now that's something you don't see everyday
 And in the front garden, amongst the mulch, an ornate burrowing frog.
"I am not a toad!!"

 And last but not least- a zodiac moth.



Okay- I promise the next blogs will be more cycling-focused.

Cheers- ride safe
BoaB