Yikebikes

What do you reckon to this then?! It looks pretty alien, but then I guess the modern bicycle did when it first put in an appearance...



Unlike a bike though, without battery power the Yikebike is about as useful as a chocolate teapot on a very sunny day... It needs recharging every 5 miles or you are left with just your own two feet for company! It will be certainly be interesting to see whether this product develops & gets over it's initial flaws.

Happy weekend everyone!

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Photo of the week...

...not relevant to anything but we just LOVE it!!

Do you ever think some people just have too much time on their hands?! ;0)

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Catching up with Tony Hawk

Birdhouse East Coast Tour - watch more skate, snow, surf, and moto videos

RC Model boats - a beginners size guide...

We found a rather spiffy website, called http://www.rcsailboatguide.com/ & thought that our RC hobby-nuts might be interested in this article:

"Almost without exception the uninitiated spectator who has been watching a model out sailing and then sees it being brought ashore will express great surprise at how big it is. That little model you see out on the pond can be eight feet long and weigh up to eighty pounds. Unless you sail in a swimming pool, the rule of thumb is: the larger the model, the easier to sail. And one of the most important considerations in selecting a model is its size, all other things being equal. If you cannot see the boat well enough to distinguish wind changes on the sails and reaction to the controls, you will be unable to operate it among a fleet of models sailing offshore.

The distance to which we can sail our model yacht is limited not by range of the radio transmitter and receiver in the control system but by the capability of the human eye. Beyond a certain point we cannot see the boat well enough to set the sails properly. Visibility is crucial for setting sail trim and course – and also for avoiding collisions.

From a practical standpoint, the minimum overall length is 36 inches if you plan to sail with other larger models. The large “J” boats and “A” Class boats measuring eight feet in length represent the upper limit. Thirty nine to sixty inches constitute the most common hull lengths.

In selecting your model size consider: where you will store the model when not in use; how you will transport it to the water’s edge; what is involved in your launching it (depth of water required, weight of model, bulk of model, etc.). At the time of purchase you will need to consider the cost of having the model kit delivered to you. Generally, models up to 50 or 60 inches can be packed to ship by mail or United Parcel. Models which cannot be packed within UPS size and weight limitations must either be picked up personally at the shop or be shipped by truck. The same considerations must be given to the spars for your model. A tall one-piece mast may be very expensive to have shipped. If you overlook the shipping costs, you may find the shipping more costly than the model itself, unfortunate but sometimes true.
Sailing model weights range from five pounds to over 80 pounds. Fifty inch models will range from ten to 30 pounds, which is within the launching ability of most adults. The larger boats require a cart or two persons for launching.

While a child’s toy boat can be launched from the edge of the pond, the size of the R/C models requires a launching area with water deep enough to allow for the depth of the model keel. The typical 50/800 Marblehead draws 15 to 18 inches. You may need to wade out into the water to launch and recover your model. At facilities for full-size boats, there is usually big-boat activity which wipes out model activity – model boats sail best undisturbed by powerboat wakes and water skiers! The Parks and Recreation Department in your town may be willing to follow the lead of the Town of Needham, Massachusetts, in providing model-boat facilities, particularly at ponds where other public access is restricted. Consider too the possible need to launch a small boat to recover a disabled R/C model.

The sails on the modern model racing yacht are left attached to the spars rather than furled or stowed as they would be on a big boat. In the normal home it may be hard to find space to stow away a ten-foot mast with sails attached."

Well, it just goes to show - size is everything, in the world of RC boating anyway ;0)

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We can offer a range of KS440 stainless steel bearings for RC sailboats - they offer good corrosion resistance to damp environments & whilst not totally resistant to corrosion in a marine setting, they offer the advantage of being a harder material & taking higher loads & speeds than most marine-grade bearings.

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F1 in Schools Update

This season we are sponsoring 'Mach 1' F1 in Schools team, based at Lutterworth College, who have just sent us this exciting new update & we're really pleased to share it with you:


"Here are some photos of the final car on ProDesktop with all of our sponsors names on. If you look at the wheels you can see where your bearings are situated. Your logo is in a prime position for all of the photos and videos taken of the car because the cars go so fast the only place you can take a photo is when it is at the start and the crowd will be in front of the car so the main focus point is the front aerofoils (where your logo is situated).

I also have a big smb thing planned for the stand which is hard to explain but i will send you photos when i make it.
Thanks
Ps. The car is being cut out as we speak"

Thanks guys - how cool is that?! We can't wait to see the finished article & look forward very much to finding out what the intriguing "big thing" for the stand is... ;0)

For those of you who haven't heard about the F1 in Schools competition before, here's what it's all about:

Spanning age ranges of 9 to 19, F1 in Schools teams must raise sponsorship and manage budgets to fund research, travel and accommodation. The challenge inspires students to use IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacture, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership/teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, imaginative, competitive and exciting way. The race is then on, literally! Completed cars race side-by-side along 20-metre straights. Teams are judged on car speed, as well as supporting evidence of their design, verbal presentation and marketing display stand in ‘‘the pits”. Teams compete regionally, nationally and internationally for the Bernie Ecclestone F1 in Schools World Championship trophy.

For more details on the school & team, you can visit their website at http://www.lc.leics.sch.uk/

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Skating, surfing, snowboarding - Playmobil style...

A slightly long, but excellent homage to those most excellent Playmobil dudes.




I just used to lose their heads/limbs/torsos under the sofa & then get them stuck in the vacuum cleaner during botched rescue missions myself...


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London Cycle Show

For all fans of shiny new gadgets, this weekend's London Cyle show was an absolute must.

Exhibitors included:
Endura
Greyville
Spoke Shirts
Sealskinz
Polaris Apparel
Nemesis
surf sales
U.S.E
Ana Nichoola
2 Pure
Cyclodelic
2XU
ibikelondon
& many more, so if you've missed it this year make sure to pencil it into your diary for October 2010!

Fab bloggers http://londoncyclechic.blogspot.com were there & have posted a great review of the show & the available retail delights for all to see, so don't miss it.

Cycle Chic fans may also have seen the work of this very clever lady recently, Kara Ginther Leather: http://www.karaginther.com/ - if you have a few pennies to spare on your two-wheeled pride & joy, these may well be for you - aren't they gorgeous?!