Fingerboarding...

... we hadn't heard of it either, until we had a call from a very nice chap in Colorado USA this week.

Basically, you custom-build the teeniest skateboard imaginable & then use your fingers to do flips, stunts & tricks with it.  Some people seem to take it VERY seriously & indeed our caller bought some very high-spec Japanese miniature bearings for his board, as he wants to take it to the next level & enter competitions with his board.

I suppose at least it keeps the requirement for safety equipment & giant concrete skateparks to a minimum :0)

Happy weekend everyone!!

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Cycling London, in glorious film...

To and From from The Digital Collective on Vimeo.


This was screened as part of the London Bicycle Film Festival 2010 & we thought it was worth another look.  Check out http://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com/london/ for more news

Mountain Bike Madness...

...in the form of the classic thrill-seeking maniac's competition, the Red Bull Rampage...



These guys are nuts, cool but nuts :0).  Check out the Red Bull site for details of this year's upcoming events, music, videos & goss.

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Solar-powered Racer breaks sets speed record...

The Sunswift IV (aka IVy) might look like a mobile dinner table, but it's actually the world's fastest solar-powered vehicle. The table-top on wheels got the official nod from the Guinness Book of World Records last week, for hitting a top speed of 88km/h (about 55 mph) -- nearly 10 km/h faster than the previous record-holder, the GM Sunraycer, which bears a striking resemblance to a disembodied Android monster. IVy, designed by Sunswift, a student-run non-profit at the University of New South Wales, reached its top speed using 1050 watts, about 400 watts less than the Sunraycer, and performed it's record-smashing run without the 25kg battery it's usually packing. Faster runs have been clocked, including by IVy, but Guinness has not been on hand for confirmation. Plenty of room for a roof box & a bike rack on top too!!
Might not run so fast in rain-spattered January British weather though...
 

Happy Friday folks!  :0)

 

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Tweed Run 2011...

http://tweedrun.com/

We are very proud to announce that the Tweed Run, a truly British cycling romp through the streets of our fair capital, is this year being exported to the USA - our cousins across the Atlantic can now share in the joys of dressing up in as much expensive wool as they can muster & cycling across New York - jolly good show chaps!!!

Scalextric - a new game...

Now that's my kind of game!!  Well done to East Durham Slotcar Club for coming up with this genius vid :0)

Icy weather posing difficulties for fishing enthusiasts...

Elton at Angler's Net has featured the following article:

"We seem to have been very fortunate here in East Anglia, as the weather has been fairly mild in comparison to much of the country.


However, I don't think our friends in the frozen north can claim to have experienced anything quite as drastic as this short clip below, which shows a LOT of carp sitting under what is said to be 18” of thick ice. Given that the area is carpeted in carp, and is said to be the size of a football field, we can only guess that there must be thousands of carp waiting under the ice there.



I should point out that you should NEVER attempt to walk on ice in the UK. Every year, people lose their lives as a result.

I'm not entirely sure where this lake is, but judging by the sheer volume of carp and the fact that no food will have fallen from the sky for them for quite some time, I reckon even MY bite alarms might scream into action if I got to fish it after a thaw!"

What an amazing clip - there is also the news of a very warm January on the cards so there should be no excuse but to go out & get fishing this weekend :0)

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Olympic Cycling...

We follow the fabulous site http://crapwalthamforest.blogspot.com/ - full of news, views, rants & comic looks at the mad, bad & dangerous to know world of British cycling.  The article shown below gave us a right old chuckle:

  "The new Olympics cycling park...

This new cycling park close to the Olympic Village is nearing completion, allowing visitors to watch cyclists in their natural environment of mud, broken glass and infrastructure obstructed by vegetation.

CAUTION. Please stay well back from the fence as the cyclists often appear stressed and angry and may be verbally abusive"

Do please check out their site for lots more wry looks at eccentric English traffic laws & road chaos!

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Possibly the Happiest Penguin Ever...

Got to do something to keep those little feet warm

& work off the Christmas excess...!!!

This is shamelessy not related to anything bearing-y, but it is too good to miss :0)

NASA's image of the day...

A rocket-launch captured on film in Norway... AWESOME!!!!! 

The rocket was launched from Andøya Rocket Range near Andenes, Norway, and carried instruments about 200 miles (320 kilometers) into the atmosphere to observe the aurora and the associated flow of heat, particles, and electromagnetic energy.  The rocket eventually landed in the ocean about 900 miles (1450 km) from the launch site.

Welcome to 2011 everyone!

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Ipad Apps for cool cats...

During this festive season, we feel at liberty to share the odd highly entertaining snippet of rubbish with you... enjoy! :0)

Schaeffer Mclean 6 year old skater - video volume 2...

Electric Eel powers Christmas tree...

...do we need to say anything else?!!  Should you happen to have an electric eel to spare (& a death-wish) you could try this in your own home :0)

Crafty Christmas for fishing folk...

Too cold to fancy fishing?  Then stay at home & get crafty!

Crafts are all about creativity, and finding a new use for everyday objects is a big part of the fun. Fishing bobbers are an excellent material for Christmas decorations (& if you recycle enough, you might be lucky enough to have an excuse for some new gadgets for Christmas)!!

Christmas ornaments are a popular craft using fishing bobbers. A Santa or a snowman can easily be made with these red and white fishing trinkets.

For a snowman, use three different sized bobbers, with the smallest for the head, then the medium size below and the largest on the bottom. connect the bobbers together using their hooks and then give your snowman eyes and a hat. Feed thin ribbon or string through the top to hang the ornament with.



For a Santa ornament, just use one large bobber. Glue or paint on some eyes and add a small cotton ball on top (the red half) for a hat and a bit of stretched out cotton to the bottom to make a beard.

Bobber Wreaths

•A Christmas wreath made out of bobbers is a fun decoration for a country Christmas. The wreath is made by wrapping white Christmas lights around a wire wreath form, and then wiring on various sized white and red bobbers to cover the wreath form. For a nice touch, add a large bow of festive ribbon to the top.

Bobber Light Pull

•For homes with a rustic decor, fishing bobbers make excellent light pulls. Simply use the hook on the top to attach them to the existing light pull. If the bright colors don't mesh well, try painting the bobber or shopping antique stores for vintage bobbers made from wood or cork.

Bobber Floating Keychain

Heading out on the boat? Attach a bobber to your key ring using some ribbon, twine, or a number of other materials to keep your keys from sinking if they fall overboard. To personalize the bobber or just make it pretty you can paint it or even add rub-on transfers or rhinestones. Just don't forget to remove any other heavy key rings before leaving land. The bobber won't keep more than a couple of keys from heading to the bottom of the lake

123 RC - an RC site for all model enthusiasts...

RC Forum site with lots of interesting chit-chat, reviews, tips, manuals to download & lots more!  Give it a try at http://www.123rc.net/ . Whether you're into RC boats, planes, helis or cars, this site is likely to be a great resource.



Not relevant to anything...

 ...but it made us laugh!

Thanks to the Telegraph for this little chuckle :0)

Schaeffer Mclean, 6 year old skater - new video

More awesome moves from 6 year old Schaeffer, well done mate! This includes his very first attempt at the dropping an 11 foot vert ramp and ollieing the 3rd step at the famous Lloyds skate spot in Bristol.

Watch out for my favourite bit, someone simultaneously skating & zorbing - a new extreme sport is born... :0)

Cold weather, hot tip!

Whether it be for cycling, fishing, skating or any kind of outdoor adventure, there is one smashing bit of kit that we recommend this winter (especially as our thermometre keeps dipping below zero...). 

Merino wool has been known to outdoor adventurers for a long time, for it's amazing thermal properties & now someone has very thoughtfully made a neck gaiter in merino wool.  You can get them pretty much anywhere (Amazon, Rock & Rescue, Trekmates, Snow & Rock, Action Outdoors to name but a few) from as little as £13 & we would heartily recommend adding one to your Christmas list.  Of course, if you have been too naughty to get one from Santa, then at least you know where to buy yourself one from now :0)


For those of you unsure as to why Merino is so spiffy, read on...!

Merino wool is common in high-end, performance athletic wear. Typically meant for use running, hiking, skiing, mountain climbing, cycling, and in other types of outdoor aerobic exercise, these clothes command a premium over synthetic fabrics.

Merino is excellent at regulating body temperature, especially when worn against the skin. The wool provides some warmth, without overheating the wearer. It draws moisture (sweat) away from the skin, the fabric is slightly moisture repellent allowing the user to avoid the feeling of wetness.  Merino wool retains warmth when wet helping wearers avoid hypothermia after strenuous workouts (climbs) or weather events.

Like most wools, merino contains lanolin which has antibacterial properties.  Merino is one of the softest types of wool available, due to finer fibers and smaller scales.  Merino has an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio compared to other wools, in part because the smaller fibers have microscopic cortices of dead air, trapping body heat similar to the way a sleeping bag warms its occupant.  Amazing stuff eh?!

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Night Flights, an RC heli gimmick?

What do you reckon, pointless gimmick or uber cool extension of your hobby?! 

Nasa's Image of the Day...

These are soooooo cool!!!  Is it a bit spoddy to get excited by these?  Well we don't care!! :0)

We love that Nasa take the time to share these amazing images with Jo Public.  This is the Expedition 25 Landing...

The Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft with Expedition 25 Commander Doug Wheelock and Flight Engineers Shannon Walker and Fyodor Yurchikhin touches down near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan on Friday, Nov. 26, 2010. Russian Cosmonaut Yurchikhin and NASA Astronauts Wheelock and Walker, are returning from six months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 24 and 25 crews. 

 Welcome home peeps & happy Friday to all :0)

Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Murray Walker/racing fans will love this...

Danny Macaskill... crazy biker strikes again

Created by MacAskill in collaboration with Red Bull, "Way Back Home" shows the cyclist riding across Scotland to his hometown of Dunvegan in the Isle of Skye.




Travelling with his friend and filmmaker Dave Sowerby, MacAskill performs stunts at Edinburgh Castle, leaps over rocky terrain and jumps onto and over bridges in the Scottish Highlands.



The journey culminates with a return to the place where MackAskill first learned how to ride, his hometown of Dunvegan, where he skips past local hotels, jumps off railings and even front flips off a building.
Talking about his experience of riding from Edinburgh to Skye, MacAskill said: “My favourite spot in the riding clip is probably the bakery wall ride in my local village.  I found it by walking out of the bakery with a big pasty. And then I saw the grass bank and the wall and thought I could maybe jump up there one day.  One of the hardest tricks in the film was probably the front flip off Edinburgh Castle as it was blowing a force 10 hooly. It was also raining really heavily, if it wasn't for that it would have been easy.”



Danny MacAskill's first video, Inspired Bicycles, received 300,000 views online overnight and has since been played more than 21 million times.  This guy is awesome - I'm not even happy to take one hand off the handlebars for more than a few seconds, never mind the amazing shenanigans he achieves with what looks like effortless grace!!

Local Bike shop in "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows" fame!

We've had some fun ourselves, sending a few bits & bobs to Leavesden Studios to be turned into a bit of wizarding magic, but not in quite such a spectacular way as Watsonion Squire Ltd of Moreton - they have supplied Hagrid's bike & sidecar for the latest installment of wizarding wonder, Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows... 

The company have been making sidecars since 1912 - Watsonian Squire Ltd supplied a number of sidecar outfits to be used in the dramatic chase sequence, filmed on location in and around London.

According to the story, the motorcycle and sidecar originally belonged to Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black. Although it appears to be a normal ‘muggle’ [non-magical] vehicle, it can fly as fast as a broomstick.




Click here to visit the official website for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Since their appearance in the film & subsequently on BBC regional news, Watsonian report an increase in interest for their sidecars - I don't think they can all fly though people, just the very special ones!!

Scalextric - possibly the world's best track...

Now this is dedication, check our James Harlan's pride & joy:

An American Scalextric enthusiast has built what appears to be the most realistic slot car circuit ever constructed in the basement beneath his house.   But James Harlan of White Lake, Michigan, USA, didn't simply buy as much Scalextric clobber as he could get his hands on - he spent $5,950 (around £3,700) and took three years to customise an incredible 145ft racing track.  Mr. Harlan used a mixture of fibreboard, copper tape, electric wires and some paint to create the 1:32 scale circuit, which includes 19 corners.  It also features life-like pit lanes, a 19ft-long bridge and incredibly accurate scenery that includes skyscrapers, safety cars and television cameras.

Mr. Harlan has no shortage of friends queuing up to play. He often holds race nights with around 30 people, which include rigorous qualifying laps prior to a full-length race.
He has also recreated the famous Le Mans 24-Hour race, but shortened the length to 14 minutes. On track lighting was used for the night-time part of the race.
"I suppose I've taken it pretty far beyond what has already been done," said Mr. Harlan.
"Sometimes when I sit back and look at it, I realise I have created something quite extraordinary, but this isn't the end - I've only just begun."

It makes my figure-8 track with Michelin Tyre bridge look just a little bit sad... :0)

High-tech screen cleaner...

I know you don't clean your computer screen very often - I don't either, it's hard to do the inside!

So I was delighted to find this gadget, it's made all the difference...


Just click here and presto, the inside of your screen will be cleaned!  You might have to wait a moment...

Happy Weekend Everyone!!!!

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UK End 2 End - Fundraising for ACTION MEDICAL RESEARCH

UK End 2 End - Fundraising for ACTION MEDICAL RESEARCH

Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention!

Starting On Wednesday 3rd November, BBC1 7.30pm, join Wallace & Gromit in their World of Invention!  Wallace turns his hand to TV presenting and takes an eccentric look at some cracking real-life contraptions – accompanied by his faithful side-kick (turned camera-dog) Gromit.

Play the game
Build your own invention

The shows follow on from their succesful exhibition at London's Science Museum last year, which I was lucky enough to see.  It was like walking through their house & garden & was just AMAZING!!!!  I took many pictures, pressed lots of buttons & generally had a smashing time behaving like a four year old (no change there then!!).

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NASA have an 'image of the day' on Twitter!

And here it is...

"Discovery's Latest Ride" - Nasa 'image of the day' 1st November 2010

How awesome is that?!  I think it is also pretty amazing that you can check out lots of cool stuff at their website http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html - you can even watch NASA TV , but I am simply delighted that one of those busy peeps at NASA has time for a daily photo sesh & subsequent tweet!!!! 



UK Gravity Sport Festival Cadwell Park 13.11.10

Gravity Sports return to Cadwell for the fourth annual Gravity Festival. What ever you ride, you're welcome. Gravity Racer, Soap Box, Street Luge, Classic Luge, Downhill Skateboards ,Gravity Bike and new this year, Gravity SIdecar.

This year will see the first King Of The Hill Competition. The fastest rider in each discipline will fight it out to see who is the master of gravity. Races will be held on two different hills. Hills open to freeride after the racing.

Over the last three years Cadwell has proven it's self as one on the best events on the calendar. This famous and spectacular venue simply must be ridden by everyone.

Check this out for a track's-eye view:



For more info and sign up online go to http://www.appleheadgravitysport.co.uk/ 
 
The Cadwell track featured on Channel Five's Gadget Show recently - to see the track vid click here http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid16457163001?bctid=17683709001

TV Fishing Extravaganza...

...well, two shows anyway!

ITV's "River Monsters" is back on Tuesdays at 11.35pm

Biologist and extreme angler Jeremy Wade is on a mission to get face to face with some of the world’s most terrifying river monsters.
Throughout the series, Jeremy travels to Brazil to find out what lurks under the murky waters of the Amazon and attempts to get to the bottom of stories of piranha attacks on humans. He also investigates a river monster just ten miles away from a 21st century European capital city, Berlin, as well as visiting America’s deep South to come face to face with the alligator gar. If you miss any, you can now watch any missed episodes on the ITV Player.

On Mondays at 9.00pm, Robson Green is back on Channel 5, with "Extreme Fishing" featuring some of the biggest & scariest fish you have EVER seen...

although this picture doesn't illustrate the point very well!!

In his Extreme Fishing World Tour, Robson spends four out of five months on the road and travelling over 60,000 miles. From the Amazon River to the Indian Ocean, and from the jungles of Papua New Guinea to the plains of Africa, the nation's favourite fisherman (?!) will be meeting all manner of crazy characters and risking life and limb to tackle the scariest, most powerful fish on earth - including Bull Shark, Swordfish, Tiger Fish and the deadly Japanese Puffer. And of course he'll be doing it all with his own unique brand of supercharged Geordie fishing enthusiasm. It's Robson's most epic adventure yet - but can he handle it?  Missed any, then go to Demand Five to catch up.

Schaeffer's got a new ramp...

...in his lounge?!!!!

Our sponsored skater Schaeffer showing off some serious skills & a cool new hairdo too!

You too can follow Schaeffer, check him out on Youtube, Myspace & Facebook to name but a few :0)

Happy weekend Everyone!!

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"Team for Ride" gravity sports update...

Fabien at Team for Ride has just sent us this fantastic season update...

"So, here is a report of the season and some pictures of us.

The events

French championship:

Darnetal: close to Rouen an easy but tactical track. Draft is mandatory to win, being first at the begining of the straight line is not the good choice!

Graveyard call: close to Annecy, a narrow track with rough pavement, man holes... difficulty is to find the balance between grip and drift.

Chuyer: a long track (3 km) with many sections for drafting.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
World cup:
Graveyard call: also counting for the IGSA world cup.
Padova grand prix: taking place in Teolo (Italy), this event was really weel organised. A nice track with a very slow but turny section.
Insul: also couting as European championship. This german track is really technical, no mistake allowed in the corners or you easily take additional seconds on your time.
Kosakov: close to Turnov in Czech Republic, this was the fastest event in Europe, a long track with three sections over 100 km/h in streetluge.

Our results

lady first, Marie did a great season on the French and World cup in stand up..


French championship: 1st Podium!!!!
Darnetal: 1st
Graveyard call: 1st
Chuyer: 1st

World cup: 3rd but still some legs that she can't race.
Graveyard call: 2nd
Padova grand prix 1st
Kosakov: 1st


Philippe (stand up)

French championship: 3rd Podium!!!!!

Darnetal: 19th

Graveyard call: 1st

Chuyer: 13th

World cup: 180th
Graveyard call: 8th

Quentin (stand up)



French championship: 24th
Darnetal: 24th
Graveyard call: 21th
Chuyer: 18th

World cup: 205th
Graveyard call: 97th
Padova grand prix: 70th


Thibaut



French championship: classic luge 6th / streetluge 4th
Darnetal: classic luge 8th / streetluge 2nd
Graveyard call: classic luge 7th / streetluge 3rd
Chuyer: classic luge 5th / streetluge 4th

World cup: classic luge 49th / streetluge 46th
Graveyard call: classic luge 9th / streetluge 6th

Fabien



French championship: classic luge 3rd / streetluge 5th
Darnetal: classic luge 3rd / streetluge 3rd
Graveyard call: classic luge 2nd / streetluge 5th



World cup: classic luge 5th / streetluge 9th but still some legs that Ican't race... too bad it's still possible to finish 3rd in classic.
Graveyard call: classic luge 4th / streetluge 12th
Padova grand prix: classic luge 7th / streetluge 12th
Insul: classic luge 5th / streetluge 9th
Kosakov: classic luge 6th / streetluge 8th



Our comments on the season:

Marie: really proud about my results, I wish next will be even better! A big thanks to SMB for the bearing supply!

Philippe: happy to be on the french podium and disapointed to had missed the Euro tour, but starting a job mean no vacation...  Of course thanks to SMB bearing!

Quentin: really disapointed about my results, taking too much pressure on the events, and falling 'cause of it... Next year will be better!

Thibaut: Thanks to SMB to had supplied the bearings! and thaks to all the riders and organisators. I was back to school, so not able to take vacation whenever I was wanting to, and next year won't be easier... I'll be back in Britanny and the events will be even further. Eventhough I'm motivated to ride and perform in competition!

Fabien: Thanks SMB, it was so nice to not have to think about the bearing. I'm quite happy about the season, but still think that I can do better. And really pissed off to not be able to go in Brasil to be able to take over the 3rd place in classic luge and be able to participate in the world speed record attempt... But next year will see. Hope that we'll have more sponsors supporting us to be able to race overseas. I put in copy two picture of my best run this summer and it was with my friend, Thibaut! (and I won! lol)"

Our congratulations to you all, what a fantastic season!  We look forward to catching up with you again next year :0)

F1 in Schools World Championship finals

Well done to our sponsored F1 in Schools team, Team Fusion (seen below competing in this month's World Championship finals).



Although Team Fusion couldn't beat off the stiff competition to claim overall victory, they did fantastically well to reach the World Championships & we are immensely proud of their achievements, in design, technology & all-around business skills. 

A team from the USA were the eventual - Unitus Racing from James Madison Middle School and Southeast High School, were delighted, and surprised, to be crowned with the title at this sixth World Finals event, after beating the 24 student teams competing.  The team were congratulated by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver, Jenson Button, after the awards ceremony.  Button said of the team’s success, “Wow, it was a long journey for these guys, but I suppose it’s like anything you want to achieve, it is a long journey. A lot of people would also say that the journey is the reward as well. I’m sure it has been for these guys, they have had a great experience designing the car and congratulations to them. I hope they’ve enjoyed this experience and enjoyed their trip to Singapore.”

Organiser Andrew Denford said:
“We’ve had a fantastic World Finals this year, with the quality of the teams outstripping last year and all the judges being highly impressed with the professionalism, commitment and innovation that has been put into the development of their F1 cars.   There has been intense competition at this event, with hundreds of hours of work being put into each teams’ entry, as they strive to build the fastest, most innovative car with high precision engineering. The initiative mirrors the real world of Formula One, with the team’s professionalism extending to the pit display, uniforms, merchandise and commercial funding, with judges allocating marks for each of these aspects of the programme. The 25 teams have put in superb performances, but there’s always only one World Champion and Unitus Racing are deserving champions, our congratulations to them.”

F1 in Schools is the only global multi-disciplinary challenge for students aged 9 to 19.  The competition inspires students to use IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacturing, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership, teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, imaginative and exciting way. 

If you feel inspired to take part, find more details at http://www.f1inschools.co.uk/ & maybe you too could be jetting off for the World Championship finals next year...

The Mecha-lobster...

We've had some interesting enquiries this week, but I think Thomas Rooney from the University of West England wins hands down!  He needed some bearings to use for his underwater robotics project:

"The aim is to create an underwater robot capable of utilizing home built thrusters and mechanical spider legs , later on I have plans for using it as a underwater test rig and developing a sensor for measuring and reacting to underwater currents. As the final year project of my degree I will be working with the university's sonar module to enhance the software we created for the SAUC-E event and add compensation for physical movement caused by the underwater enviroment."



We've sent him some of our plastic corrosion resistant bearings & look forward very much to hearing how he gets on with them!

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Schaeffer's Spanish Adventures...

Looking good Schaeffer - oh to be even one-millionth of a percent as cool as you... :0)

You can now keep up to date with Schaeffer's latest exploits on Facebook - visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Schaeffer-McLean/

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