Bikes and games.

A few things have been happening since my last blog so i thought i would share some brief thoughts.Firstly i got a new pair of tyres for the Colnago C50hp which i mentioned in a previous blog.The bike is kept off the roads during the winter months as i dont see the point in riding a £4k road bike in the salt and crud fested roads so i use my Ridley Orion instead.
The last few weeks ive stripped the bike down and been cleaning and greasing it in prep for the next few weeks when hopefully weather permitting i can get out on the roads with it.

My Colnago C50hp on Flicker

If you kindly click on my flickr page the new tyres are on and ive also put some Fizik microtex bar tape on aswell,not much else needed doing so its ready to go........as soon as the salt dissapears off the roads!

As for other things,well ive been playing a lot of Top Spin 4 and Moto GP 10/11 on the ps3 and i have to say im really enjoying them,Top Spin especially is one of those games that just feels right to play,the animations are superb and it plays fantastically well.Moto GP is a tough game but as mentioned before its a game that if you persist with it it rewards you well.I must admit though having seen some early footage of SBK 11 due out in May that game looks potentially to be something special.

I recently contributed to the Japanese earhquake/tsunami appeal via the playstation network,i felt it was the right thing to do and although it wasnt a huge amount of money i hope other psn users join in too,its a very worthy cause.

Take care!

 

Japan

As i sit typing this blog its a dull and wet Sunday lunchtime and playing in the background is the bbc news channel showing the latest images from the horrific earthquake and then tsunami in Japan.The pictures i see from many thousands of miles away shock me everytime i see then,the destructive force mother nature has wreaked on a country i have so much admiration for is truly beyond belief.

Ive been engrossed by the coverage on tv,internet and radio over the last 72 hours or so and have wondered what it must be like to experience something so awful and so devastating,i live near the coast and simply cannot imagine what it must be like and what the people of Japan are going through at this moment.It seems that the country survived the earthquake reasonably well,or as well as can be expected with the buildings and infrastructure  designed and built with eathquakes in mind, but it was the tsunami thats caused the devastation.
My heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to everyone effected.

Seeing whole towns and villages getting swepped away by the sheer force of the water is a truly horrific sight but can anyone survive such devastating destruction?Latest estimates say possibly around ten thousend people may have lost there lives,but in my own opinion i wouldnt be surprised if it turns out to be ten times more than that,i sincerely hope im wrong but i cant help feeling as the hours,days and weeks pass by the true impact of this disaster will become only too apparant.

The attention now seems to be focusing on the nuclear power plants,especially in Fukushima which could have even more serious consequences for the area and beyond.Im no expert in theses matters but seeing the explosion on tv yesterday and now hearing that the authorites in Japan fear that another reactor is having cooling problems i really do start to think that we could have another disaster immeniantly.From an ever increasing exclusion zone to more people getting effected by radiation im very suspicious about what we are'nt being told.Are the Japanese authorities being transparent....or is it simply a case of its too early to say whats happening and what the effects are?.Im sure over the next few days all will become clearer.

The news coverage on the BBC and Sky whether on tv or online has been very informative and ive found it very usefull but last night i listened to the Stephen Nolan show on Radio 5 Live and was fully engrossed in the discussion,it was great to listen to the various experts on the show who made a lot of sense about the reactor situation in Fukushima and the possibilitys of what if/could happen.

Finally im going to help in anyway i can whether that be a donation or volunteering my services in anyway i can,i hope others do to.Its the least we can do to get this magnificent country back on its feet.

bloggin..

Lets kick off this blog with some thoughts then,firstly the ipad 2 reveal last week.Theres no doubt the redesign looks better,lighter,slimmer and faster....and at the same pricepoint as the original.Whats not to like,thanks Apple! Interesting to see the price coming down now on the original,i see at Comet its a reasonable £329,i wonder when we will see the first sub £300 price.Hmmmm

Next week sees a crazy release week for videogames,with 4 of my eagerly awaited releases all arriving on the same day!Yakuza 4,Top Spin 4,Motorstorm Apocolipse and Moto Gp 10/11.Why do publishers do this,its been going on for years and yet they still complain when a game doesnt sell to its expected level.Very odd...anyway having played demos of all the games i will probably buy them....but more of a staggered purchase instead of getting all 4 on day 1 and probably not giving some of them the time they deserve.
Good to hear the  new DLC for Pes 2011 gets released next week,Konami have really got there act together with this series and all bodes well for future games.

Really cant wait for the motorsport season to get fully underway,last weeks WSBK at Phillip Island was fantastic to watch,Repsol Honda and Casey Stoner in particular look super quick in Moto GP testing,the F1 seasons only a few weeks away and that promises to be interesting to say the least what with all the rule changes [especially the tyres,oh and Mclaren sadly looking in trouble with there car design] and the British Touring car championship and British Superbikes getting underway in early April.I really cant wait to see those.

Bell Volt cycling helmet review

This is my review of the Bell Volt cycling helmet which i have used extensively over the last 6 months.
My previous cycle helmet was a Giro Ionos which i had for just over a year and while the helmet was ok i decieded i wanted to try something different for a change and after looking around and researching various manufactures i went for the Volt from Bell.


Bell Volt/Pro Cycling magazine

  First impressions are fantastic,it has a real premuim feel and look about it.The colour is a mix of black and carbon with a hint of gunmetal along the vents which really stand out and give the helmet a bold look.If feels light to hold and although there are lighter helmets available i found that when your out cycling i hardly know its there.Fully adjustable to cater for all shapes and sized heads its easy to get a fit that feels "just right" and with plenty of pads inside its a comfy helmt to wear.

When out riding you can instantly feel the vents working and on hot days they are a godsent,the same goes for the internal pads which do a good job of soaking up the sweat especially on my brow although i still have to wipe my brow from time to time its no problem.

Massive vents on the rear!

This does everything that a good cycle helmet should do,protects your head in a crash [thankfully i havent tested that part yet!!],the vents work really well keeping my head cool on hot days,it looks fantastic,its lightweight and fits me perfect.Everyones heads are different shapes/sizes so i would definatly try before you buy [the same advice goes for any helmet].

The helmet was on offer for £115 instead of the usual £135 to £140 which in the end sealed the deal for me.
The Bell Volt.........highly recomended