FreeMind 2012

Eccoci quà, anche quest'anno è arrivato Maggio, e come tutti i maggi che si rispettano ci ha portato il Giro d'Italia. Ma non solo: siamo anche arrivati alla quarta edizione del FreeMind di Genova! Sabato 26 Maggio, dalle 14 a mezzanotte, Genova si riempirà di Ciclisti, Traceurs ed Arrampicatori. Il programma bici prevede, per la prima volta a Genova, una Alleycat!! Quindi tanta testa, tanta abilità e, perchè no, tante gambe (ma meno fondamentali che l'anno scorso). Tutte le bici saranno ammesse, come ben evidenziato dal video promozionale. L'importante è liberare la mente!! Per chi volesse ci sarà l'opportunità per avvicinarsi anche ad altri sport urbani, il Parkour e lo Street Boulder. Dopodichè festa con DJ set e musica dal vivo, cibo e bevande (http://www.badattitude.ch/ Se volete restare a dormire c'è disponibile una zona campeggio, bagni e parcheggio custodito per le biciclette, basta prenotare sul sito. Portate il casco, il lock, uno zaino e 10+5 euro per l'iscrizione. La mappa verrà fornita nel pacco gara, quindi non preoccupatevi di comprarla, ma ricordatevi che Genova è tutta un sali-scendi, quindi se siete in fissa il freno è consigliato! Ringraziamo i nostri sponsor: olmo kriptonite iride bad attitude Domenica 27 invece ci sarà una leggera pedalata in riviera, bagnetto e stage di fotografia Accorrete numerosi!

Mud fun in New Forest

Visualizzazione ingrandita della mappa
Sunday afternoon I went for a ride in the New forest with Sarah. After a late wake up and a satisfying bruch with panckakes, beacon, chocholate milk and cereals we headed for Southampton Train Station where we took the train to the center of new forest: Brockenhurs.
It was a bit cold, and the sun was mostly covered by clouds, nevertheless we started cycling with the idea to get to the sea through bike and foot paths. Even if we started a competition to see how many wild animals we could see, we soon lost track of the score: too many ponys. Some of them where nice and friendly, others slowly walked away when we tried to aproach them.
Next time I go there I want to buy a proper map, because the one we used was not really detailed and soon we got lost in in the numerous paths that cross the forest...that actualy in not a forest at all!! The route that I recreated through google maps is not exactly the one we followed: I can't recall all the detorus we took. We took it easy, cycling slowly and enjoying the landscape that is mostly grassland and bog. The "New" Forest was established as a deer-hunting ground in 1079 by William the Conqueror. It was a comon land, this means that the Commoners were allowed to graze thei animals, dig clay and gather wood in the area, and most of these rights are still valid now!
On saturday afternoon it rained a lot, so most of the paths were really muddy. It was fun to face those conditions with a bike that obviously is not meant for it: the wheel kept sliding and sinking in the ground, but the small weight of the bike and the absence of frictions allowed to travel smoothly on grass and hard ground. Someone would say "lovely"...!
Anyways, after finding some deers we finally got to the sea. The sun was setting, we finally saw the Needles which we couldn't see in October, and we decided to cycle along the coast to Lymington, and then take the train back home. But we didn't consider the fact that there isn't a proper path! Just a narrow track, often blocked by fences that finally ends in a bright and wet green field. When we managed to get out and find a proper road our feet were soaked, our shoes covered with mud and the bikes were dirty as well. In the cold night we struggled with our last strokes on the peddals and finally we found the station.
Best way to recover from this small but tiring trip? A nice, hot, homemade Pizza!

Gelatina ritrovata

I haven't even had time to write a post telling you that my bike was stolen...and I am already writing that I got it back!
A stupid joke from stupid friends?
An amazing bliz of the police?
No, just the advantage ov knowing a lot of people. But let's procede with order.
On Friday night, after the Italian Society social night at Stags some of us decided to head to a house party, but in the end is just me that gets to Milton road. It was really cold so I locked the bike as fast as I could and walked in the party. It was a nice party and everything was ok, untill I looked out of the window and saw that my bike was missing.
The day after I uploaded this picture on facebook and tagged as many friends as I could. Then I sent it to the National Oceanography Centre mailing list, to some cash converters, bicycle shops etc. At first it appeard like somebody was using it since a similar bike was seen close to the university. Yesterday morining I went to check all the bike racks of the campus, talked to the security people and waited for one hour on the road where the bike had been seen on monday.
I was demoralized and I was already thinking of how to replace my beloved track bike. Many options where available, but none would have been perfect: I won Gelatina at an allycat in Parma, and the wheels at an allycat in Florence...it was an itinerant trophy!
Finally today a friends of mine calls me: apparently the housemates of a friend of his stole a bike on friday night, so he was going to their house to check...and then he calls me again to ask for the pin of my lock...Gelatina was safe! In fact, because of the cold, apparenly I didn't lock it to the street lamp, but just the wheel and frame together. The thieves walked away with the bike without any trouble. Shame on me!
Now, it is really hard to decide what to do. I am infinitely grateful to the friend who rescued my bike and I have a present for him. I want the thieves to understand how wrong they behaved but nevertheless I don't want to create problems to my friend, so I will probably just talk to them to have my spedometer back...and they are better give it to me.
One really funny thing happened: just after I got Gelatina back on thursday, while I was riding home, I have been stopped by this guy that I had never seen before, but who thought that I was the thief! And it happened again this afternoon! This means that my strategy was effective, and therefore I am a little less worried about the faith of the human society.
The only thing I can say is that I have been really lucky. Thanks to those who helped me. I hope we can all go riding our bikes together when the weather gets better!

Restyling

you ight remembre Butch, my firs fixie. Slowly, during last winter, it has sufferd some injuries and evolutions, until it was finally put on the balcony, also because of the new frame I won inParma.
Anyways, since I had a lot of spare pieces, and a sister willing to ride it, I was asked to put Butch back on the road. This is the resoult:

frame: unknown french steel polished
ant rim: unknown
ant hub: unknown
ant tire: michelin dynamic 700x23
post rim: ambrosio evolution
post hub: novatec flip flop
post tire: aero jet 700x23
fixed cog: miche 17T
freeweel: unknown 19 T
cranks: miche elite
chain ring: miche 47T
chain: unknown
pedals: animal
straps: unknown taiwan
headset: unknown
bottom bracket: unknown
seat post: unknown
seat: fake san marco concor
pipa: pivo (???)
riser: brn
knobs: animal
brake lever: unknown
brake: baccen (???)

When Martina's, owner of the bike, cruciate ligament will be fixed she will tell us how is the bike. I rode it twice and I had fun, the only problem was that I am not use to use a riser and thin tires. But I like the bike and, above all, the fact that it is mostly done with spare pieces that otherwise would be in a dusty corner.

London BFF

First time racing in UK...it has been awesome! Racers were like us italians, but maybe a little more drunk and friendly. Or maybe it was just the fact that we were no more than 20, so I remember most of the faces.
As usual, bikes laying on the concrete on one side of the road, racers on the other. I put my bike close to Dazzler's, the currier I decided to follow, so I am right behind him when we start pounding on the pedals.
The traffic is not bad, but anyway the worst I have ever found during an alleycat, so it is useful to be close to someone that knows what he is doing. With us is also Ryan, but unlike in Italy, we stay relatively far from each other, everyone finding his own way between the cars. Sometimes I feel like I am disturbing them while they move but slowly I catch the rhythm. The only thing I can do to help is to offer protection from the wind in the long straight avenues, when we fly at 40km/h.
We are 3rd, 4th and 5th at the first check, but to me it looks like we are slowing down, so when we catch up with another currier at the second check I stick with him...and I will keep doing this till the end of the race. But it the end this appears to be a bad choice because Dazzler finishes in second position while I arrive 5th, following Vojtech.
It has been a grate race, I would have never been able to finish without following them, but I feel really proud of being able not to lose their wheels!


Visualizzazione ingrandita della mappa

I just fell sorry because I didn't go to the prize giving...maybe next time! For now I will enjoy my brand new spoke card.
Thanks to Dazzler, Vojtech, Ryan and the other polish guy for showing me the Way, to John for organizing, and to Katja (and friend), Sarah, Fezzi, Lozze and Jorge for supporting me! Next time you have to partecipate!

Here the official finishing order.

PS: one puncture, probably from glass on the road: you will need big tires if you want to cycle in London!

Sai cos'è l'isola di Wight?

Secondo week-end britannico. E' venuta Sarah a trovarmi da Plymuth e abbiamo deciso di sfruttare l'estate indiana per portare le bici (Elvina e Gelatina) a fare un giretto sull'Isola di Wight.
L'isola si trova appena fuori dal fiordo di Southampton e delimita il tratto di mare chiamato Solent. Con il traghetto passeggeri ci si mettono una ventina di minuti ma, avendo le bici, abbiamo dovuto prendere il traghetto veicoli che ci mette un'ora. Sapevamo di voler andare veso i Needles, degli scogli bianchi che spuntano dal mare all'estremità occidentale dell'isola; però avevamo a disposizione solo cartine turistiche scadenti che non segnavano le piste ciclabili.
Un po' chiedendo ai locals ed un po' seguendo l'arco del sole ci siamo addentrati nell'isola. La strada più veloce era evidente ma troppo trafficata per i nostri gusti, abbiamo quindi optato per una via secondaria. Indirizzati da un gruppo di ciclisti e da una vecchia giardiniera abbiamo imboccato una stradina immersa nei campi. Caldo primaverile, cielo terso, fagiani a bordo strada...la pedalata era veramente piacevole ma ci stava portando troppo a sud, quindi, dopo una serie di strappi intensi ci siamo infilati in uno sterrato sulla destra.
Il panorama era stupendo e mi sono anche consolato per aver perso l'eroica: il sentiero era peggio di una strada bianca chiantigiana ed è stata dura farlo in fissa! Finito il sentiero, visto che i Needles erano ancora lontani e la fame era tanta, ci siamo fermati a mangiare un gelato alla banana in una fattoria. Secondo me la fattoressa era una hippy rimasta sul luogo dopo il famoso festival, ma non ne ho le prove. Comunque la dobbiamo ringraziare perchè ci ha indicato la strada più veloce per il mare.
Spiaggia di sabbia marroncina, la marea che scende, famigliole di inglesi bianchicci che prendono il sole, geologi che fanno rilievi...il mare era piatto e il sole caldo, quindi non ci siamo potuti proprio risparmiare un tuffo nudista! Purtroppo però fra una cosa e l'altra abbiamo perso il bus per tornare al traghetto, quindi ci siamo sorbiti un'altra oretta di bici per arrivare ad un paese più frequentato dai mezzi pubblici.
Alla fine, dopo una pizza margherita da 14" siamo riusciti a prendere il traghetto delle 20:30 su cui siamo letteralmente crollati dal sonno. Insomma, una bellissima faticosa giornata che, purtroppo, non si ripeterà presto visto che sta per iniziare a piovere...

Tempo di pedalata 3 ore
Distanza percorsa 49 km
Media 16 km/h
altre foto

Southampton

Eccomi qua sul diveno della mia nuova casetta. Sono quì da una settimana ma la wireless è arrivata solo ora, e prima, quando ero in italia non avevo ispirazione. Ora di cose da scrivere e avrei ma sono stanchino, però volevo farvi sapere che sono vivo, e che andare in bici tenendo la sinistra non è eccessivamente difficile.
Ieri ho iniziato le lezioni introduttive del master, principalmente sicurezza in mare e funzionamento generale della "facility" (che accoglie sia la school of ocean and earth science, sia il national oceanography centre, quindi è enorme). Ancora devo scegliere i corsi che seguirò: 3 nel primo semestre e uno nel secondo...il resto tutto research project. Quando la scelta sarà fatta vi farò sapere.
A casa siamo in 4: Ale, Andre, io e Frà, che settimana prossima andrà in un'altra casa per lasciare il posto a Seba. La casa è carina, semi detached a due piani e giardino sul retro. Stiamo in una zona abbastanza residenziale ma vicina al centro e a soli 8 minuti di bici dall'uni. Per ora il tempo è stato bello: ha piovuto solo una volta e per il resto sole e nubi sparse. Però non c'è stato modo di approfittarne perchè siamo stati in ballo con spese, arredamenti, contratti wireless e chi più ne ha più ne metta. Siamo però riusciti a fare un giretto in barca domenica
Questo we ancora progetti confusi: forse plymuth da sarah, forse quì che ci sono un po' di feste in programma. Ancira tutto da vedere.
Domani mattina lezione di Safety Equipments, pomeriggio prova in piscina con zattera di salvataggio etc: cose già fatte al corso istruttori di vela, ma che è divertente rifera per creare un po' di gruppo. Nel mio corso, MRes in Ocean Science, siamo in 12, ma ancora non ho individuato tutti i miei compagni perchè queste lezioni introduttive sono frequentate anche da tutti gli altri studenti dei masters quindi affollatissime (un centinaio di persone).
Il morale è alto e lo stomaco pieno!
In attesa di nuove notizie più approfondite fate i bravi