The craziest stunt on a Tikit ever!

Pic courtesy of Bike Friday

There are a lot of crazy people in this world but as far as the folding world is concern, those folks at Bike Friday really deserve to take the cake.

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Imagine going up on a hot air balloon 31km into space and jumping off - with a Bike Friday Tikit. Rob English, who had a hand in designing the Tikit, did just that and more. At 35,000 ft, he unfolded the Tikit and landed upon planet earth on two 16" wheels!

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Read more about it here:

http://community.bikefriday.com/fred/2010/04/fridayfreefall

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Strangely, I feel very proud and excited about what those fun loving, innovative folks at Green Gear did. You know what? Crazy can sometimes be good!

Seeking Wisdom

Its always great to have good friends visit. My young friend Henry and his mom came through to Perth recently and he wanted to check out UWA. I took the opportunity to stroll down memory lane with my Brompton and recalled the times I enjoyed as a Grad Student 12 years ago.

Its arguably one of the most beautiful campus in Australia and its easy to see why. Lots of green lawns, sandstone historical buildings, spacious grounds and situated just by the pristine Swan River.

I also spotted 2 foldies at the bike rack. One Giant Halfway and another brand unknown to me, Ezy Ride. It was exciting to see those foldies!

UWA's motto "Seek Wisdom" is very noble. King Solomon, from the Old Testament, could ask for anything when he acceeded the throne from his father King David and guess what he asked for?

Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people. If you don't, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours. God said: "Solomon, I'm pleased that you asked for this. You could have asked to live a long time or to be rich. Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom to make right decisions. So I'll make you wiser than anyone who has ever lived or ever will live." 1Kings 3 v 9-12

Perhaps it is prudent for all of us to take a leaf from King Solomon and continue our journey in seeking wisdom wherever we are. I wish you "wisdom" from above Henry, as you begin a new phase of your life.

A winter's day

A winter's day are the first words of Simon and Garfunkel's song, "I am a rock". The lyrics border on loneliness, depression and being hurt, so much so that its best to seek solitude by building walls and withdrawing from people.

One verse particularly is very sad...

I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain.

It's laughter and it's loving I disdain.

My first ride this second day of winter was very much the direct opposite of Garfunkel's song. Instead of a deep dark December, it was a bright sunny winter's day in June with a crisp 5.5c morning.

The burst of first light, casting long shadows made for a photographer's dream. Though it was cold, it warmed up quickly partly due to working out on a bicycle. I was trying to catch up with my buddies Rod and Ken as I thought I was late. Turned out they were later so I had some time to take advantage of the morning light with my trusty Canon as I awaited them at Canning Bridge. There was so much to capture and I was thrilled when a Pelican came gliding past me ever so graciously.

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I have been lazy and not joined them for a while. Hence, I have forgotten their warm smiles, hearty laughter and friendly faces so it was really great to be with my mates again. We did our normal 32km ride to Point Walter and somehow, the ride seemed too short with good friends. As usual, surprises came our way.

I bet this pose inspired Batman, don't you think?

I saw a really antique Brompton ridden by a British lady on her morning ride. The red curve of the frame is instantly recognisable. She had brought it all the way from the UK and it was really nice to enjoy a short chat with another foldie rider.

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It was also encouraging to meet a 3 wheeler bike on the path. The elderly gentleman seemed to be having fun and it inspired me that the joy of cycling can still be discovered in our later years.

What a perfect morning it was! If only Simon and Garfunkel took up cycling, he may have written the song, "A Winter's Day" a little bit different.

Wise words from Ecclesiastes 4 v 9-10

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It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth, (share the journey for us bikers). And if one falls down, the other helps, but if there's no one to help, tough!

The 16" debate continues

Pics courtesy of Soyokaze-sakky, Japan

There is no question in my mind that the best 16" folders are the Bike Friday Tikit and the Brompton. Which one is better has been a source of endless debates (warning - click only if you lots of time to spare).

The better one really depends on what your priorities are. If having the absolutely most compact package is critical, eg you drive a Smart car and the boot can only fit the Brompton, then choose the Brompton. But if this is not that important and you much prefer a better ride and performance, and perhaps even light touring, choose the Tikit.

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Anatoly did a pretty objective comparision review and is worth a read. He chose a Brompton because of his requirements. I choose both!

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ps: Sean Luke's excellent review is also a must read.

So much for the Theory of Probability...

Mathematicians have since the 16th century tried to calculate randomness and predict statistically when events occur favourably or unfavourably. I wonder if they have come out for a formula for bike punctures.

My son has been riding the XO5 faithfully for 16 months with no incident and in a span of a week, had 2 flat tires, both front. Actually, these are the first occurences of flats on the XO5's 17 year life span.

The first flat was unexplained and mysterious but the second one, Jem carelessly ran over some thorny bush on his way back from school. Guilty as charged! He had to push his bike all the way home, twice. This resulted in me using a tweezer to pull out 8 small but nasty spikes. I also learned that a 700c tube here in Australia costs US$8 compared to Singapore at US$4.5!

So whatever probability theory can tell you about your chances of having a flat, one way of making 100% sure that you don't get stranded is to carry at least one spare tube, tire levers and a pump.

ps 1: My friend Mike Khor of Wheelsopher went on a long ride recently on his Surly in Malaysia and had 3 punctures in one day! No need for applied probability theory here as it was due to a very explanable "technical failure".

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ps2: 1 June - Front tire punctured again!!! Arrgh. Closer inspection revealed a pinched flat, careless of me during installation. Please remember to pump the tube a little when fitting into tire/rim. Hope this 3rd tube will last for some time. Silly me!

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ps3: 17 June - This time the rear tire had a thorn go through it. Another new tube needed in such a short span of time. When it rains, it pours! I now have 3 tubes to patch. Sigh...

Foldies - fashionable for now

Seems to be fashionable to be riding bikes again, judging from this article of The Times. In the world of fashion, the author does not see bikes strictly for functionality but it is in a sense, an expression of style. I particularly like his choice of word "empowering" and "glide" where he writes about the Brompton...

And what of William with his folding Brompton? If you are what you ride, what does this piece of kit say about him? Well, to my mind these portable cycles are the preserve of the unhurried, sharp man about town. Like the big, majestic Pashleys that look like something on which Sebastian Flyte might have wobbled around Oxford with Aloysius sitting on the handlebars, Bromptons are not about speed but about empowering you to glide from A to B in a stylish, unflustered way.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/men/article7123281.ece

Never knew riding our foldies can be viewed as stylish. Superfluosly eccentric is what comes to my mind and I much prefer that image. Anyway, you know what they say about fashion - they come and they go!

Scientist vs Bohemian

I have met many riders in my rides. Most like to have the obligatory cyclo computer, a few must ride with their GPS while the bohemians prefer to focus solely on the pleasure and freedom of cycling unencumbered.

Those familiar with Carl Jung and the Meyer Briggs Personality Profiling will quickly recognised that the ones who love to measure and monitor while riding will fall into the S (sensing) dominant type. S types love to absorb data in a linear and objective way as compared to N (intuition) where data is at best viewed as indicators of possibilities.

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Furthermore, how a person makes decision can also affect the importance of the cyclometer to him. Those who are T (thinking) compared to F (feeling) make their decision based on logic and reasons and thus, have a high dependence on their cyclometer . The Fs on the other hand, decide subjectively based on a case to case basis, in the context of their values and empathy. They have little need for any measurement.

While this theory is very helpful, I am an NF personality with the occasional need to know how fast, how far and how much time I have ridden. I use a Cateye Wireless on my Speed Pro and a Cateye Mitty on the Surly LHT Tourer. The rest of my foldies are "Bohemian" style. Which explains why only 2 out of my 8 bikes have cyclometers...

Do the test here and see which one you are. Yes, even the cartoon characters of Simpsons have done this test! It will be interesting to see if you are a Scientist or Bohemian type of cyclist.