Two wheels good, four wheels bad

[Mr. Rick]

Bikes versus cars....

In danger of raking over old ground, had a burn up last night on my bike at the lights in Bourne town centre.

Me on my Trek 4300 and a Porker next to me, with a Mini behind.

At the amber (always been a gambler), I clipped my other cleat in the pedal and sped off thru the gears leaving the Porker in my dust.

The fact that he was waiting for me to go so he could turn left is neither here nor there to me .. did him up a kipper!

Never pedalled so fast in my life!  

[Andy Zarse]

Two wheels good, four wheels bad. One wheel best. Rick, have you ever tried a unicycle? You'd look great!

PS Are there any remnants of the once magnificant BRM empire left in Bourne? I have a small and very tenuous connection with the Owen Organisation.

[Mr. Rick]

Sadly the old BRM works are now the local bus company. Bourne's motor racing empire these days is Pilbeam Racing (and funnily enough I was out cycling with Mike Pilbeam last night!). There was a cracking heritage day here back in 1999 where all sorts of wonderful machinery were let loose on the roads with lots of "names" attending too!

Sorry to hear about the no show in Oz, was only telling my rugger/drinking partner at the weekend what a lucky so and so you were!

[BigH]

Shame about the BRM works, but that's our heritage for you. Down in Thames Ditton someone has gone to the huge expense of attaching a small tin plaque commemerating AC to a gable end of one of the blocks of the housing estate now occupying the site.

I live in hope that a local, and hitherto undiscovered tectonic joint decides to shrug and roll over.

H

[wishy]

Looks like Pilbeam are no longer dominating the hills though...with the relative new boys on the block "Force"

Have you seen the twin Hibusa car they are currently developing....Ian of the" Burgundy Beast" fame was sayiing that the new car will have something in the region of 950hp pet ton ......awesome.

At Gurston Down in July it took FTD on one engine.

Wishy

[Mr. Rick]

Cripes! That is some power/weight ratio!

The first new MP88-KV6 left the factory a week or so ago. Things are hotting up for 2004!!

[Mr. Rick]

And the new 4 litre Judd KV4 powered MP88 is due out for the start of next season too.

More details at http://www.pilbeamracing.co.uk (another of my little website designs!!!)

[Fax]

Meister,
Glad to hear there are some other peddlers out there on CA.  A couple of the Harper brood and myself have been pounding the pavement for ages.  I've got a 2000 FDJ Gitane frame with Campy bits & Mavic wheels.  Dave H rides a Cannondale.  Forgot to give out the congrats on David Millar taking the World Championship.  Sounds like he rode a brilliant race and is a very worthy World Champ.
Fax

[Ruptured Duck Motorsport]

'miester - Never had you down as a "Lycra Nazi" as Clarkson so eloquantly put it  .

MP88 looks like another winner from Pilbean (good site too BTW)

[Nordic]

Bit of a Lycra weekend warrior myself, ride a scott with some nice upgrades on the forks, brakes etc. Never burnt of a porker mind, did beat a motor bike across a juction the other week, the fool was messing with his visor  and missed the green light.

[Mr. Rick]

the fool was messing with his visor  and missed the green light.

Yeah, you gotta catch 'em napping!!

Been a Lycra Nazi (like it .. my mate's mum plays tennis with Clarkson's mum and we stopped him at Le Mans in 1996 and told him that too!!) for many years, although I consider myself "born again" after 20 years faffing around with this driving lark, and pubs, curries, R McDs etc taken their toll.

Started the old velo again seriously in 2002, with runs to one of the pubs near Peterborough every Tuesday night (but with some serious miles there and back to justify the half-time refreshments!), and then competed for the first time ever this year in 10 mile time trials at the local club every Wednesday evening in the summer months. They operate a handicap system thankfully and yours truly only went and won the championship over 16 races!!

Bikes are a Graham Weigh 7005 Protal road bike with Campag/Miche components (gradually "de-Micheing" the bike to full Campag tho') and a Trek 4300 off-road beauty.

In the off season, started regular Sunday runs which is seriously helping with the fitness and weight loss - I'll be (almost) unrecognisable on MB next year!

Glad to hear there are so many CA'ers coming out of the bike closet!! Come on the rest of you, hands up and "my name is _____, I am a cyclist".

 

[Mr. Rick]

And thanks for the kind words DR about the Pilbeam site, cheers!

Good to hear the "across the pond" contingent are active pedallers too Fax! The Francais de Jeux set up sounds very nice indeed, got some Mavic wheels too, & plan to upgrade to CXP33s for the start of next season as part of the de-Micheing programme when I change the hubs etc.

Cannondale are rather splendid bikes too, one of the fastest TTers in the local club runs a Cannondale.

Millar's ride was truly impressive, especially given that he "lifted off" a little on the second lap! Maybe he'll calm down his Mansellesque whingeing a little next season and let his cycling do the talking instead!

[Andy Zarse]

Hey mate, I have a Raleigh Grifter  with Sturmey Archer 3 speed. Can I join your gang?

[gibberish]

I've got a Raleigh Lizard mountain bike, but I'm too fu**ed up to use it.  Sitting in shed with flat tyre

[Mr. Rick]

Hey mate, I have a Raleigh Grifter  with Sturmey Archer 3 speed. Can I join your gang?

Nope, only Choppers allowed from that era!! (Never had one myself, all my mates did though - my parents bought me a girls bike and did I suffer or what???) - Have you seen the prices Choppers go for on ebay now? Minters are about 600 notes!! There is a big market in restoring these beauties but even the recon ones fetch 400 plus. There's one born every minute apparently.