Team BKool CycleChat

[Whorty]

I did a whorty double.
Rode cg1 and then cg2 straight after but had this nice ghost to follow and then went for it near the end.
Hope it doesn't upset you using you for drafting but I think you might be cool with it

Ha ha .... you mean you used Bkool the way it is designed to be used to race people and beat them?!? How very dare you Fine riding sir

 

[<Tommy>]

It was quite windy, but to be honest I found them fine - not really much different to what I am used to. Bit of a swooshy noise to make me feel like I was going fast!

The ride was super-smooth compared to my aluminium bike. But the biggest revelation was the disc brakes - so glad I went for them!

I was also a bit worried about whether the fit would be ok for me having bought online and the geometry being different - plus the integrated handlebar /stem meaning there's no option to change stem length, but it felt perfect for me and really comfortable - phew!

Ah cool

The bars look so sweet. I've looked at intergrated bars before but I think the canyon ones look the best of the bunch. Like you say, it must feel like a little bit of a chance buying online / unseen so glad it worked out well. Isle of white here we come!

 

[Randyberlin]

I went outside in the wind and rain tonight - got soaked! Worth it though as I've been waiting over three weeks to get out on the new bike! (Loved it!)

Great to hear. The new Orbea is sitting in the post office waiting to be picked up. The same upgrade and apprehension as you. Moving from custom fit steel to off the shelf first carbon with disc brakes. Can't wait.

 

[JLaw]

I don't believe you guys are covering the world in plastic that gives nothing back to the atmosphere.
It will be plastic trees next and the eco system will break down totally
Shame on you all


PS my front lawn is a real begger, how much does it cost?

It's hundreds of dollars a month. You need to realize I live in a desert. Typical summer temps are 100+. Bright, sunny, dry, hot and often windy. My in-laws who live a few hours from here are regularly subjected to 110-115 through the summer and get a ^&$#-load of wind. Keeping moisture in the ground (or anywhere) is tough. That's why you can cool with a "swamp cooler".

So while fake grass doesn't give anything back. It saves a *&$^-ton of water out here. And it cuts down on the pollution from the small combustion engines everyone uses for yard maintenance. Pollution from those sources is a big deal out here.

And before you ask, yes we've got trees and have a goodly amount of space covered with shrubs & mulch so that we can use in-ground drippers. THe grass requires a quarter to a half inch of water almost daily to keep it from going crispy. We use a smart controller which tracks temps, solar exposure, wind, rain forecast, amount of water applied, etc to reduce the amount of water we use -- and it certainly helps in the spring/fall. But in the summer, you just have to water, water, water...

 

[AAAC 76C]

It's hundreds of dollars a month.

Odd, I would have thought that the attraction of AstroTurf would have been it was almost s one off payment.
Do you rent it?

 

[Bored Man]

It's hundreds of dollars a month. You need to realize I live in a desert. Typical summer temps are 100+. Bright, sunny, dry, hot and often windy. My in-laws who live a few hours from here are regularly subjected to 110-115 through the summer and get a ^&$#-load of wind. Keeping moisture in the ground (or anywhere) is tough. That's why you can cool with a "swamp cooler".

So while fake grass doesn't give anything back. It saves a *&$^-ton of water out here. And it cuts down on the pollution from the small combustion engines everyone uses for yard maintenance. Pollution from those sources is a big deal out here.

And before you ask, yes we've got trees and have a goodly amount of space covered with shrubs & mulch so that we can use in-ground drippers. THe grass requires a quarter to a half inch of water almost daily to keep it from going crispy. We use a smart controller which tracks temps, solar exposure, wind, rain forecast, amount of water applied, etc to reduce the amount of water we use -- and it certainly helps in the spring/fall. But in the summer, you just have to water, water, water...

I'd definitely go synthetic if I were you - No brainer as they say.

 

[AAAC 76C]

Berty has really shook up the race. Made it really exciting. Hope he makes it to the podium, he deserves something for his effort.

I thought you meant Berty Bassett for a moment there and not El Pistolero.

I have always enjoyed watching him race, with or loose, steak or no steak, so much so I was going to adapt his nickname for my BKool account and be:

El Pistbutaero

 

[AAAC 76C]

I'd definitely go synthetic if I were you - No brainer as they say.

Although I joshed a bit about being 'green' I do think that if it got too popular there would be an ecological effect.
Granted the lawnmower statement but mine is electric, just like my BKool bike.

I was even thinking of connecting a generator to my turbo so it charged all of my cordless batteries including the lawnmower that way all the energy my electric bike used would go back into charging my batteries and I would become almost self sustaining.

I think I'm onto something there.
The applications are endless.

 

[Bored Man]

Although I joshed a bit about being 'green' I do think that if it got too popular there would be an ecological effect.
Granted the lawnmower statement but mine is electric, just like my BKool bike.

I was even thinking of connecting a generator to my turbo so it charged all of my cordless batteries including the lawnmower that way all the energy my electric bike used would go back into charging my batteries and I would become almost self sustaining.

I think I'm onto something there.
The applications are endless.

You could stick a flywheel magneto on your trainer, power the tv and the rest of the house. It would cause a little extra drag but I reckon you would still be the Boss.

 

[<Tommy>]

Although I joshed a bit about being 'green' I do think that if it got too popular there would be an ecological effect.
Granted the lawnmower statement but mine is electric, just like my BKool bike.

I was even thinking of connecting a generator to my turbo so it charged all of my cordless batteries including the lawnmower that way all the energy my electric bike used would go back into charging my batteries and I would become almost self sustaining.

I think I'm onto something there.
The applications are endless.

Funnily the missus suggested using the turbo trainer to power the lights in our house to save electricity. I suggested if she stopped watching so much crappy tv we could save enough for me to retire. Needless to say I'm still heading out to work next week and I ain't connecting a dynamo to the turbo anytime soon...

 

[Brendan Parker]

Got an email of shame off @Marino.g today for CG2 Well done my friend, very impressive. May have to give that ride another go on Sunday and see if I can send the email back

First time I've been on trainer for a while and I woke to a few of them emails

 

[bobinski]

It's hundreds of dollars a month. You need to realize I live in a desert. Typical summer temps are 100+. Bright, sunny, dry, hot and often windy. My in-laws who live a few hours from here are regularly subjected to 110-115 through the summer and get a ^&$#-load of wind. Keeping moisture in the ground (or anywhere) is tough. That's why you can cool with a "swamp cooler".

So while fake grass doesn't give anything back. It saves a *&$^-ton of water out here. And it cuts down on the pollution from the small combustion engines everyone uses for yard maintenance. Pollution from those sources is a big deal out here.

And before you ask, yes we've got trees and have a goodly amount of space covered with shrubs & mulch so that we can use in-ground drippers. THe grass requires a quarter to a half inch of water almost daily to keep it from going crispy. We use a smart controller which tracks temps, solar exposure, wind, rain forecast, amount of water applied, etc to reduce the amount of water we use -- and it certainly helps in the spring/fall. But in the summer, you just have to water, water, water...

We did similar with 2 bird houses and feeders, 3 trees and a 25ft bay tree, 30ft high bamboo etc- and plants to atttract bees and butterflies. It's worked with 2 birds nests this year hedgehogs and frogs in garden, dragon flies and butterflies. Not too shabby for a london garden

 

[AAAC 76C]

We did similar with 2 bird houses and feeders, 3 trees and a 25ft bay tree, 30ft high bamboo etc- and plants to atttract bees and butterflies. It's worked with 2 birds nests this year hedgehogs and frogs in garden, dragon flies and butterflies. Not too shabby for a london garden

We need to save our bees and butterflies and encourage birds and animals back into our urban areas.
I can't believe how few birds I see in the mornings now.
When I was young everything would be in full song in the morning with the starlings imitating the other birds and house martins neatly diving to and fro taking flies.
I loved hearing them all whilst I was doing my paper round in the early hours of the day before most were out of their pits.
Newts and frogs were in every pond but I've got to admit I can't remember seeing many badges or foxes.
Bit of the opposite now and I'm in tough competition with one badger who puts big divets in my lawn so I can tread them back in again and roll the lawn ready for the next foray.
We have a little damp area where I throw the occasional bough and stripped bark to keep an area in the bushes covered and a small stagnant pond fed by a water butt so the frogs can thrive.
In another corner is a large buddleia for the butterflies.
The slugs seem to thrive what ever I do and I have a border of wild flowers to encourage the bees
Unfortunately my front lawn is a haven for grasshoppers which is a bit odd considering its location.
I'm looking at building a belfry to make a home for some bats but HID is not too keen.
Almost forgot the comfy cushion on the old green bin on the shed porch that makes a quite haven for next doors cat so he can get away from all of their dogs and have some peace and quiet.

 

[CXRAndy]

Presently we have a lovely wildlife environment in our garden. Spring/Summer lots of birds in the dawn chorus. My wife planted lots of buddleia plants to encourage bees and butterflies. We have a 20 metre pond which is home to ducks and moorhens. We have had probably 50 ducklings in the last few years. Newts and frogs come and go depending on whether the moorhens eat them. I do like the barn owls and recently the red kites circling around. It was so lovely to see 6 or more in Wales on the DD. This time of year our jack Russell sniffs out hedgehogs on our nightly walk around our garden. When we move in a few years we will have a 4 acre paddock which where are planning to turn into a wildlife garden with wild flowers and larger pond/lake. Fish eagles are frequent visitors to the near by reservoir- can't wait

 

[AAAC 76C]

Presently we have a lovely wildlife environment in our garden. Spring/Summer lots of birds in the dawn chorus. My wife planted lots of buddleia plants to encourage bees and butterflies. We have a 20 metre pond which is home to ducks and moorhens. We have had probably 50 ducklings in the last few years. Newts and frogs come and go depending on whether the moorhens eat them. I do like the barn owls and recently the red kites circling around. It was so lovely to see 6 or more in Wales on the DD. This time of year our jack Russell sniffs out hedgehogs on our nightly walk around our garden. When we move in a few years we will have a 4 acre paddock which where are planning to turn into a wildlife garden with wild flowers and larger pond/lake. Fish eagles are frequent visitors to the near by reservoir- can't wait

20 metre flipping pond.
I'm cycling out of my class with you lot.
Even Whorty, who could be mistaken for a retired Hells Angel (sorry friend, no offence intended) is living it up in an estate beyond my dreams.
Saying that I could build a barn in my garden for the said owl's but I would have no feking garden left for the rest of Dr Dolittles crowd.

I do miss my dog walks though, it would be a bit odd walking around without one, but I had to go to the local park (Aldon Park Estate if you know it) on account of my garden being to small to throw a Frisbee in without the dog crashing into a fence or two.