Doper defeted

A pleasing outcome to the Brompton World Championship.

Websploitation

This whole web thing is getting out of control what with loadsa blogs, facebook and now Rocket FM to contend with.

Blogger shock

There is a general election going on here in Canada, no, don't yawn, and the bloggers are having a rather good run.

Classic cars in the Charente

Received a postcard from Jack Kellett who has been to Angoulême, accompanied by Richard Banks, for the Circuit des Remparts. They drove from the UK in Jack's white Porsche 911 Targa drop-top. For pics go here.
See PunchBuggy Passim.

Urban trend spreads across Atlantic

Montreal plays bike-share catch-up.
See PunchBuggy Passim.

Standby for killer Olympics

A cycling story from the Evening Standard:

"More than half of those killed are involved in accidents with lorries and experts fear the death toll could rise as construction lorries pack onto London's roads in the build up to the 2012 Olympics."

Hogtown City Limits VI

To Toronto Islands on the Brompton bicycle. A four-engine Lancaster bomber from WW2 flies overhead as we cycle along the lakeshore. Best sight since the Spitfire at the air show. We have much to thank those aircraft for. A quick pitstop at Second Cup on Queen's Quay - coffee and oatmeal cookie in the sunshine.The ferry is heaving as we depart for Centre Island, $6.50 return, $4 seniors. We ride on to Ward's Island and the eastern channel. After watching the sailing boats from the point, we encounter Toronto at its most revolting - see pic - the beach is disgusting, strewn with the detritus of thoughtless humans. Endless smug self-congratulation by the borough-mongers of Toronto can't cover this up.



Back via Hanlan's Point. Bike ride fifteen miles approx.

Singapore shot in the dark

Matthew Marsh is racing at the Singapore Grand Prix next weekend.

Work in progress

I visited Le Havre in the summer - nothing about the place would make me want to return - but apparently it is now "cool."

Small wheel superiority

Brompton here and here.

The incomparable Alex Moulton here.

Pound note returns

Lewes new currency news here.

About time

We've always known that roundabouts are safer than intersections but now here is the proof that they save gas too: "a 65% average drop in vehicular delays, according to a recent Kansas State University study." "Roundabouts cut hydrocarbon emissions at intersections by as much as 42%." Time magazine has the story.

Roundabouts equal: less deaths, less injuries, fewer wrecked vehicles, less insurance claims and costs, fewer delays, better mpg, less pollution and smog, no maintenance of traffic lights. A win-win-win! What is Canada waiting for?
Back story.

Equitable Life, Northern Rock, Bluebell Railway?

Now "Bottler" Brown's Financial Services Authority protects unsuspecting train buffs in Sussex. The folk that failed to spot your pension and mortgage going south are anxious that you might get caught up in a possible steam train swindle. UK taxpayers are sponsoring these ornamental bureaucrats - haven't the sinecurists at the FSA got anything better to do?

Lewes launches own currency

The Lewes pound will keep purchases close to home. They can't make a bigger mess than Gordon Brown who has presided over a massive devaluation and flogged off our gold reserves on the cheap. I recommend that the Lewes pound floats, surely it will soar ever upward!

When You're Hot, You're Hot

Nashville: Jerry Reed is gone.
I remember having a compilation tape of the guitar master in my car back in the day. "She got the goldmine, I got the shaft" later became my theme tune!

Pardon me boys

Volkswagen get a huge bung, erm, incentive to locate a plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Just like in the railroad days the rush to land the big fish is over.
Wonder what the folks in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania make of it where the VW Rabbit was made in 1978-1988. Let's hope this time round that VW can make it stick.
The splendidly named Tennessean has the story.
Back story here and here.