Still, look on the bright side.

Now he can have TWO ornamental propellers in his living room;)

I hope he has protected his No-Claim bonus!

I have to concede that just recently there has been an pleasing increase in programmes that are actually interesting to those of us looking beyond ‘Strictly X-factor Dancing’.

TV in recent times has become so hopeless, I stopped reading the listings about 2 years ago.

Mixed feelings about the show. Entertaining certainly, but exactly what the point of it all was, I don’t know. Clearly, the kids (apart from one) didn’t give a stuff about Airfix kits (no surprise there). They also don’t give a stuff about Spitfires. James May clearly does though, so why did we have to go through the nonsense of pretending that he was somehow crusading to drag kids away from their computers and on to kits? What nonsense!

Likewise, I was disappointed that he just had to include a typically Top Gear-esque sneering remark about the pilot figure being like his “gay lover” – nice line to reinforce prejudice amongst the kids that he was supposedly preaching to. I’m also still not sure how he managed to twist a programme about Airfix kits so that he ends-up joyriding in a Spitfire!

Oh well – Airfix/Hornby will have got some great promotion out of the show. I wonder who paid for what? Did the Beeb (ie the license payer) cough-up for the Spitfire or did Hornby pay for that I wonder? Bet the budget would make fascinating reading! Basically, there were too many conflicting ideas, themes and aims all mixed together so that the end result was a little like a Chinese takeaway – superficially filling but leaving you with a slightly empty sensation shortly afterwards!

It must be very debilitating to view the world with such weary disappointment, finding fault in almost all that you see. Perhaps in time, a little fun will come into your life. I hope so.

I thought the programme was wholly uplifting and engaging, and was very worthwhile, and I am not remotely interested who paid for what.

James May is a true enthusiast, not ‘cool’ or cutting edge, just a regular bloke who is happy to share his enjoyment, and even bring along his mum and dad ! He worked as a teacher, and clearly still enjoys interacting with young people, and more important, he is good at it.

Well done, to all involved !

Nice shots, especially the line-up from ground level.

Thank heavens that the world gave us Photoshop at about the same time that it was infected with foul Dayglo jackets 🙂

For the benefit of the unenlightened…….;) (Pod3TV)

”How to ride a bike – Bonking on a bicycle
Submitted by neil on Sat, 07/26/2008 – 13:28.
The Bonk.

It’s a horrible, horrible experience.

Usually happens in hot weather – dehydration being a contributing factor.

It’s the total and sudden debilitating loss of energy and onset of fatigue and weakness, the result of the stores of glycogen in the liver and muscles becoming depleted.

When this happens in hot weather, it feels like your entire body is going to melt into the sun-softened black tarmac, every slight incline becomes a major climb, the slightest breeze becomes a full on gale, and your mind sinks into total and utter blackness of despair.

As you become more experienced in cycling, and if you cycle enough you’re almost certain to experience the Bonk – even (especially) racers; even pro riders such as Lance Armstrong have suffered with this, you’ll get to know your body and pick up the early warning signs. Cycling in hot weather, such as today, is a high risk day if you don’t drink enough fluid. On hot mornings, it’s easy to skip breakfast – but that boost of carbohydrates is essential, as is eating a good mix of carbs, proteins and fats the evening before.

A couple of weeks ago I did my 55 mile route. Usually this is easy enough to do, elapsed time being circa 4 hours, riding time 3.5, with 2 x 15 min stops for refreshments. On this occasion it was warm – not baking like today – and windy. I got to my second stop, in Amersham, and realised I hadn’t taken enough cash for drinks AND flapjack at Costa Coffee, so I went for the drinks. I’d already felt a twinge of hunger in Bourne End, some miles before Amersham, and thought I was going to suffer on the way back.

I did consider shortening the route, but thought WTF, let’s just do it… and I was OK actually until within 500 pedal strokes of home, I tried “sprinting” up a slope.. and the legs just refused to go – no zip or zing… I sat up and ground my way to the top of this pimple – pace for pace being matched by a young lad still on stabilisers, his legs whizzing around in a blur! haha!! Bless him… quite comical really, me being all togged out in racing gear…

Not quite the bonk, but my immediate stores of energy were depleted – and even if it was the dread Bonk, I was within falling over distance of my house… but had this happened with 20 miles to go I’d have really struggled to get back. Today I did the same route, back by midday to avoid the heat of the afternoon, and it was a breeze… just by way of additional info I weighed myself before and after the ride. 10st 10lbs before, 10st 7lbs after, even though I’d consumed over a litre of fluid on the way around!

To prevent this form of bonking, stock up on carbs the day before and ensure your breakfast has a good carb base – porridge for example. Eat carbs on the way around, sports drinks are formulated to give a dose of carbs as well as proteins and caffeine is included too as current theory is that caffeine, though a diuretic, speeds up the processing of carbs into energy.

Post ride you should eat something – low GI carbs are apparently favoured – but I really struggle to eat anything for up to a couple of hours after a ride. I can just about manage yoghurt with fruit and mixed nuts. For four hours after riding, the body will convert food into energy at a much faster rate than usual, for recovery purposes. If you are going to ride the next day as well, this post ride eat is therefore really important.

I have nothing to say about any other form of bonking on a bicycle, other than take extreme care

Cheers!

Neil

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Cycling from Chesham to White Waltham and back (50 miles total) has made me tired! I wanted to save the £5 petrol, but got so hungry and thirsty I ended up spending £6 on essential supplies.

The bike is a good Trek road-bike, and it is a very do-able trip, but I ‘bonked’
on the way back and had to walk up some very shallow hills:mad:

More care needed in nutrition I think, perhaps some slow-release carbs.

That registration is incorrect.