Firstly well done to Carlos Checa in todays World Superbike Championship where he took a double win on the Ducati,i had a feeling the double was on the cards today as i mentioned in an earlier blog,in testing he was on the pace and the Ducati seems to suit Phillip Island,whether the bike/rider combination can be consistantly at the front for the season we shall have to see but good luck anyway.
Onto more serious matters though with the horrific events that seem to be happening in Libya.I am certainly no expert on these matters,i can only go off what i read on the web,in newspapers,listen on the radio and watch on the rolling news channels like BBC and Sky news but some of the reports are frightening.For example Gadaffi's got snipers on rooftops to shoot protesters in Tripoli and even bombing his own people.Is this for real,how on this earth can anyone do this to there own people...people who just want to protest and express there views.I find these events shocking and my thoughts are with the people of Libya who must be going through hell at this momemt in time.
I read this morning on twitter from a hugely respected journalist Frank Gardner that Libya will give all its familys $400 dollars which sounds like a sweetner eg to restore some order in the country and stop the protests.Seems like a desperate measure from Gadaffi to try and remain in power,whether it works or not i suppose only time will tell.With events in Tunisia,Bahrain and Egypt it makes me wonder where next?
Me
- Jeff
- North East, United Kingdom
- I Love cycling,video games,cars,movies,books,F1,Motogp,WSBK,BSB,current affairs and even politics! I also review a wide range of products from the latest tech to food,drink,videogames,cycles and more aswell as doing market research.
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Friday, 25 February 2011
Motorcycling
This weekend sees the start of the 2011 World Superbike Championship in Australia and if first practice is anything to go by then Carlos Checa looks odds on for a potential double win the way hes riding it.Max Biaggi on the amazing Aprillia must start the season as favourite but on a personal level i would love to see a few others give him a hard time this season including Leon Haslam on the BMW,Tom Sykes on the new Kawasaki ZX10 and Jonathan Rea on the beautifull Castrol Honda Fireblade.Good luck also to Eugene Laverty in his first season in WSBK on the Yamaha R1,in testing hes looked really good but whether he can deliver in a full race distance is yet to be seen....not long to go now though.
I got MCN on wednesday as usual [have done for the last 20 years] and read a great review of the new BMW 6 cylinder touring bike,ive never been a fan of tourers and have usually got my kicks on Yamaha R6's and Suzuki Bandits but this thing looks pretty good......but its the engine note that blows me away....just listen to it and watch the video courtesy of MCN here.You have to agree its pretty special.
I got MCN on wednesday as usual [have done for the last 20 years] and read a great review of the new BMW 6 cylinder touring bike,ive never been a fan of tourers and have usually got my kicks on Yamaha R6's and Suzuki Bandits but this thing looks pretty good......but its the engine note that blows me away....just listen to it and watch the video courtesy of MCN here.You have to agree its pretty special.
Thursday, 24 February 2011
MotoGp 10/11 Videogame impressions
So its been just over a week now since the demo for MotoGp 10/11 arrived on PSN and having played it extensively i thought i would blog some impressions of the game.Firstly i didnt get on at all with last years version,the physics just didnt feel right at all,couple that with average graphics and horrible engine sounds and the superior but not perfect SBK X and MotoGP eneded up getting traded in after a few months.I wished for a return to the heady days of MotoGP 2 on the Xbox,wow what a gem of a game that was!
So to 10/11 then and after the suberb intro movie first impressions werent good,i changed the gearbox to manual as i prefer all my racers that way and Hmmm ok the graphics had improved and so had the audio but.......the brakes didnt work!!! then the bike just understeered through the corners....and the camera angle felt odd indeed as if i wasnt in control of the bike at all.I came close to deleting the demo and thinking once again another year and another poor MotoGP game....thankfully i didnt.
Camera angle changed to style A,a few tweeks to the suspension and wheelbase and lastly all the assists off....lets try it again and after a steady few laps pounding round Mugello slowly but surely the game started to feel better,the bike was doing what i wanted and felt more like a GP bike should.It still catches me out from time to time,a missed braking point here and a highside there but im now liking it alot.Mix that with great engine noises [especially the Ducati] and competative AI riders then the game has got alot of positives.Whether the more casual gamer will put the time and effort into the game to get the best out of it i dont know but if you persist i think the game will pleasantly surprise you.Persistance is the key word though.
Finally will i be buying it when its released in mid March, yes i think i will and aslong as i put the time into it i think at this stage i will be rewarded with a good,solid and competative MotoGP game.
So to 10/11 then and after the suberb intro movie first impressions werent good,i changed the gearbox to manual as i prefer all my racers that way and Hmmm ok the graphics had improved and so had the audio but.......the brakes didnt work!!! then the bike just understeered through the corners....and the camera angle felt odd indeed as if i wasnt in control of the bike at all.I came close to deleting the demo and thinking once again another year and another poor MotoGP game....thankfully i didnt.
Camera angle changed to style A,a few tweeks to the suspension and wheelbase and lastly all the assists off....lets try it again and after a steady few laps pounding round Mugello slowly but surely the game started to feel better,the bike was doing what i wanted and felt more like a GP bike should.It still catches me out from time to time,a missed braking point here and a highside there but im now liking it alot.Mix that with great engine noises [especially the Ducati] and competative AI riders then the game has got alot of positives.Whether the more casual gamer will put the time and effort into the game to get the best out of it i dont know but if you persist i think the game will pleasantly surprise you.Persistance is the key word though.
Finally will i be buying it when its released in mid March, yes i think i will and aslong as i put the time into it i think at this stage i will be rewarded with a good,solid and competative MotoGP game.
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Videogames
Back in 1992 i bought my first games console,a Sega Megadrive.When i played it i instantly became addicted with many stand out games including Fifa International Soccer,Road Rash [why doesnt a game developer recreate a modern day Road Rash??] and many more.It was my first foray into gaming and to this day and beyond a real passion of mine.
On September 29 1995 the UK lauch day had arrived for the Playstation and at 0900 a.m i walked into my local Future Zone shop,debit card at the ready and bought a Playstaion,Ridge Racer,Toshinden,Wipeout,a memory card and extra controller.Wow what a day that was,the next level of videogames had arrived and we slowly started to see videogames not as a nerdy hobbie but slowly but surely become mainstream.
Ive been luck enough to own all the major consoles over the years from Dreamcast to Xbox,Wii to DSi,360 to PS3 and enjoyed everyone on there respective launch days.Theres a real buzz from getting a new console on day one,its hard to explain but im sure im not the only one who thinks this.
Ive always had an interest in the industry itself,from how games are made and designed to there marketing campaigns,although ive sadly never been involved.Ive seen how the trade has changed aswell,with Game expanding massivley and now shutting some stores and Grainger Games seemingly growing bigger and bigger.
I want to talk about Game though,i would regulary pop into my local store whether just to browse,chat with the nice and friendly staff or purchase a new release.It puzzled me though 3 or 4 years ago why they would charge full price for a new release where as the competitors would undercut them.It came as no surprise when my local store aswell as others shut and i did wonder if Game would end up closing all together.I havent bought much from Game over the last year,GT5 Signature edition is about it,i prefer Grainger,Shopto or even the supermarkets for a cheaper price but its interesting to see what direction the company are now taking with there play now trade later offer not just with the 3DS but also with software too.Its an interesting and exiting venture for Game and for the gamers too,i await with interest how this works out.
Im currently playing the demo of MotoGp 10/11 as i have alot of experiance of theses games dating back to the original game on Xbox all those years ago [and fondly remeber playing it on xbox live] and will blog some impressions of that at a later date and today sees the release of the Yakuza 4 demo which i am eagerly awaiting too.
On September 29 1995 the UK lauch day had arrived for the Playstation and at 0900 a.m i walked into my local Future Zone shop,debit card at the ready and bought a Playstaion,Ridge Racer,Toshinden,Wipeout,a memory card and extra controller.Wow what a day that was,the next level of videogames had arrived and we slowly started to see videogames not as a nerdy hobbie but slowly but surely become mainstream.
Ive been luck enough to own all the major consoles over the years from Dreamcast to Xbox,Wii to DSi,360 to PS3 and enjoyed everyone on there respective launch days.Theres a real buzz from getting a new console on day one,its hard to explain but im sure im not the only one who thinks this.
Ive always had an interest in the industry itself,from how games are made and designed to there marketing campaigns,although ive sadly never been involved.Ive seen how the trade has changed aswell,with Game expanding massivley and now shutting some stores and Grainger Games seemingly growing bigger and bigger.
I want to talk about Game though,i would regulary pop into my local store whether just to browse,chat with the nice and friendly staff or purchase a new release.It puzzled me though 3 or 4 years ago why they would charge full price for a new release where as the competitors would undercut them.It came as no surprise when my local store aswell as others shut and i did wonder if Game would end up closing all together.I havent bought much from Game over the last year,GT5 Signature edition is about it,i prefer Grainger,Shopto or even the supermarkets for a cheaper price but its interesting to see what direction the company are now taking with there play now trade later offer not just with the 3DS but also with software too.Its an interesting and exiting venture for Game and for the gamers too,i await with interest how this works out.
Im currently playing the demo of MotoGp 10/11 as i have alot of experiance of theses games dating back to the original game on Xbox all those years ago [and fondly remeber playing it on xbox live] and will blog some impressions of that at a later date and today sees the release of the Yakuza 4 demo which i am eagerly awaiting too.
My Training bike.
A lot of people give admiring glances of the bike and theres little doubt the colour scheme does suit the bike well,the only thing i would change if i had the money would be some lightweight carbon wheels like these from ffwdwheels.I hear a lot of positive comments about these and would one day love the oppertunity to try them.
So these are my road bikes and i cant recommend them highly enough,any questions or comments please feel free to ask.
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
My cycling history blog continued
So its fair to say since i took up cycling i caught the bug,but i fancied a new bike,something special.In 2008 my search began and thanks to a good friend he recommended a cycle shop in a beautifull part of North East England called Great Ayton http://www.biketraks.com/
Having never been to that part of the world before i set my sat nav and 40 minutes later found the shop easily.Its a small shop but packs alot of quality kit in from the latest ranges of road and mountain bikes.My budget was £4k and i wanted something custom built.I looked at pinerellos,bianchi,giant and others but the one make that stood out was Colnago,specifically the C50 HP.In black carbon with white logos this looked awesome.....and was incredibily light too.The staff there where knowledgable and very friendly and helped me sooo much picking out top quality components from Sella Italia,spinergy and Shimano dura ace.A week later the bike was ready for collection and here it is
OMG i couldnt wait to try this out.
The first ride out i had i couldnt believe the difference to my old Carrera Vanquish.I thought that was a good bike to ride but this was in another league [as it should be for the price!].Responsive,stiff yet compliant,smooth,quick steering i could go on....it blew me away.The Shimano dura ace gears where so smooth and precise,the entire transmission was just so quiet and hassle free,amazing.
From someone who just wanted a bike to lose some weight and get a bit fitter i had now really up the ante lol.My mileage moved up to around 30 to 70 mile 4 times a week with the odd 100 miler depending on the weather but the Colnago made at all so effortless.This truly is the best bike i think i will ever own.
Let me start off with the carbon wheels from Spinergy.They have a aluminium rim so conventional brake blocks can be used and the wheels have been superb.Ive had no issues with that whatsoever,light yet stiff they are perfect and suit the bike well.The tyres where Schwalbe stelvio which although where fine i changed them after a year to Schwalbe Ultremo's.......wow not only have they amazing grip but ive never had a puncture in 2 years of use with them!! I cant recommend the tyres enough and as they have now worn down im getting a new pair of Ultremo R1's in the coming weeks[i will blog my impressions of these in a future post].I havent felt the need to change much with the bike apart from new bar tape from fizik,a new carbon bottle cage from Zipp and an updated wireless cateye computer.All have been perfect,no problems at all.
A new bottom bracket was required late in 2010 which was a surprise but this has been the only blot on the colnago,everything else has been exceptional.
So there it is,my Colnago C50 HP.I doesnt get used in the winter months as i dont see the point in riding in our salt covered roads on a 4K superbike so its currently in the spare room waiting for spring to arrive..early i hope.I do use another bike during the winter months as atraining bike,just to keep my legs spininning and my fitness levels up...thats a Ridley Orion and that will be on my next cycling specific blog coming up shortly.
Many thanks for reading...and safe cycling!
Having never been to that part of the world before i set my sat nav and 40 minutes later found the shop easily.Its a small shop but packs alot of quality kit in from the latest ranges of road and mountain bikes.My budget was £4k and i wanted something custom built.I looked at pinerellos,bianchi,giant and others but the one make that stood out was Colnago,specifically the C50 HP.In black carbon with white logos this looked awesome.....and was incredibily light too.The staff there where knowledgable and very friendly and helped me sooo much picking out top quality components from Sella Italia,spinergy and Shimano dura ace.A week later the bike was ready for collection and here it is
The first ride out i had i couldnt believe the difference to my old Carrera Vanquish.I thought that was a good bike to ride but this was in another league [as it should be for the price!].Responsive,stiff yet compliant,smooth,quick steering i could go on....it blew me away.The Shimano dura ace gears where so smooth and precise,the entire transmission was just so quiet and hassle free,amazing.
From someone who just wanted a bike to lose some weight and get a bit fitter i had now really up the ante lol.My mileage moved up to around 30 to 70 mile 4 times a week with the odd 100 miler depending on the weather but the Colnago made at all so effortless.This truly is the best bike i think i will ever own.
Let me start off with the carbon wheels from Spinergy.They have a aluminium rim so conventional brake blocks can be used and the wheels have been superb.Ive had no issues with that whatsoever,light yet stiff they are perfect and suit the bike well.The tyres where Schwalbe stelvio which although where fine i changed them after a year to Schwalbe Ultremo's.......wow not only have they amazing grip but ive never had a puncture in 2 years of use with them!! I cant recommend the tyres enough and as they have now worn down im getting a new pair of Ultremo R1's in the coming weeks[i will blog my impressions of these in a future post].I havent felt the need to change much with the bike apart from new bar tape from fizik,a new carbon bottle cage from Zipp and an updated wireless cateye computer.All have been perfect,no problems at all.
A new bottom bracket was required late in 2010 which was a surprise but this has been the only blot on the colnago,everything else has been exceptional.
Many thanks for reading...and safe cycling!
My Daily blog
So another day dawns and i thought i would share some of my thoughts on my interests.
Cycling is a key interest for me,the health benefits are very clear to see but it also can make you feel better about yourself and after a long ride in the saddle as it gives you a real sense of achievement.I would like to start by telling you how and why i started cycling in the first place.As a 30 something i suddenly realized that i was not getting the exercise i should and that the weight was slowly starting to appear...especially around the waistline!
Cycling is a key interest for me,the health benefits are very clear to see but it also can make you feel better about yourself and after a long ride in the saddle as it gives you a real sense of achievement.I would like to start by telling you how and why i started cycling in the first place.As a 30 something i suddenly realized that i was not getting the exercise i should and that the weight was slowly starting to appear...especially around the waistline!
Running has never really appealed to me and neither have gyms and the last time i rode a bike was nearly 20 years ago.My first thoughts where "its about time i looked into getting a bike,start loosing some weight" so around 6 years ago in 2005 i visited my local Halfords store.Most of the bikes where mountain or off road bikes but i wanted a racing bike,i had one in my youth and loved the ease at which i could ride for miles,the thin wheels and drop handlebars made the miles disapear with ease where as a mountain bike on the road with its big chunky tyres and sit up riding position didnt hold much appeal.
After much research on the internet and several trips to my local bike shop aswell as halfords i went for this...a carrera vanquish,£400 from halfords.I remember collecting it on a friday morning,putting it in the back of my car and driving off to the sea front in Seaton Carew,a warm fleece and thick gloves put on and away i went,first time on a bike in 20 years and......................i didnt fall off lol.Phew!
That first ride was surprising because it felt so natural and easy,admittadly i just took my time getting used to the brakes and gears and the way the carrera handled but it felt great to ride..and really easy too.Anyway after 20 minutes or so i was content and as i only wanted to slowly build my self up i called it a day.
For the following month because the weather was dry i got out on the bike 4 or 5 times a week,happy to ride at 30 to 60 minute intervals and building up a sweat,i could tell i was getting a reasonable work out as my legs would ache after a day or two....but that was to be expected.
A couple of worthwhile additions to any road bike are a wireless cycle computer and some "clip in" pedals.The computer was invaluble as it calculated my distance,time,speed etc which i found very usefull.The pedals though where recomeneded by a friend,they are odd because as the description goes you "clip into"them.At first i thought what if i cant release my foot at a junction or traffic lights........bang!! i fall over lol but after practising in my shed just clipping in and out it came quite easy thankfully.They really are great though as when you power through the pedal strokes all that energy is being used to the full effect.The shoes and pedals are from Shimano,a well known and respected brand even when i was a child i knew about and i have to say they served me well.From lycra leggings and bike specific jackets and jerseys theses are all items that i would eventually wear because not only do they feel so comfortable to wear but they wick away sweat from the body and keep me feeling refreshed,i will talk about theses items aswell as my favourite cycle helmets and glasses in another blog post.
So for three years the Carrera Vanquish served me well,i would regulary ride between 10 and 25 miles 3 or 4 times a week,my weight seemed to just drop off me which was amazing,i changed my diet eating more salads and fresh fruit and veg too and it really was a change for the better.But in 2008 i fancied a change,a new bike was on the cards.The Carrera had been great,it served me well but i fancied something lighter and a bit more special.Time to look about and see whats on offer.
Believe me things get even better as i discovered the wonders of Italian carbonfibre cycle manufacturers,i will show more in my next blog.Many thanks for reading.
So for three years the Carrera Vanquish served me well,i would regulary ride between 10 and 25 miles 3 or 4 times a week,my weight seemed to just drop off me which was amazing,i changed my diet eating more salads and fresh fruit and veg too and it really was a change for the better.But in 2008 i fancied a change,a new bike was on the cards.The Carrera had been great,it served me well but i fancied something lighter and a bit more special.Time to look about and see whats on offer.
Believe me things get even better as i discovered the wonders of Italian carbonfibre cycle manufacturers,i will show more in my next blog.Many thanks for reading.
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