Friday, January 02, 2009
Name Dropper
Dubai Roadsters ride this morning. I see one rider and think - "nice bike" (Cannondale tri bike with spaceship-style bars), and "he should be wearing a helmet".
10 minutes later I see him again in more light, noted a German accent, bandana and "Erdinger" on his shorts.
Indeed it turns out to be none other than a member of triathlons Royal Family - Mr Faris Al-Sultan!
10 minutes later I see him again in more light, noted a German accent, bandana and "Erdinger" on his shorts.
Indeed it turns out to be none other than a member of triathlons Royal Family - Mr Faris Al-Sultan!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Audio Ambitions
I'm also rather inclined to splash out some of my bike cash (if it sells) on some audio kit. Since selling my decks in 1996 I've always wanted to get back into domestic DJ'ing. But times have changed now and I have to think about CD's and MP3's, not just vinyl.
In Malaysia DJ'ing kit didn't appear to be readily available but here in Dubai I've found a place that sells decks, CD players, software and vinyl to MP3 converters.
I can then indulge in one of my great passions - E.L.E.C.T.R.O!
In Malaysia DJ'ing kit didn't appear to be readily available but here in Dubai I've found a place that sells decks, CD players, software and vinyl to MP3 converters.
I can then indulge in one of my great passions - E.L.E.C.T.R.O!
Changes
I got a comment on my last post and am surprised that anyone actually still looks at my blog as I hardly ever write anything these days. Thats because I'm extremely busy at work - giving less time for training (my most common blogging subject), and the blogging itself.
Now I'm at the end of 4 days off for Xmas so have a few secs to blog.
Nowadays my training/exercise is limited to a 70km bike ride every Friday. Partly due to the sun setting at 5.45pm, I am not inclined to do anything in the evenings - and a 7am start in the office knocks out the mornings too.
But I really enjoy the weekend rides. It's a 6am start and these days the temperature can be as low as 15 Celsius! At that temperature I can just about survive with arm-warmers and a vest under my jersey. Any colder and I'll need a windproof layer and tights! I tell you though it is a very refreshing experience!
There are usually 100-150 riders and its a controlled ride. 2 by 2 all 90% of the time, with the front 5-10 pairs doing turns at the front. The first 35km averages 32kph. Then there's a sprint where the adrenalin starts to flow and I usually end up tucked behind someone doing almost 50kph for the last few '00 metres.
On the way back we average 34kph, with some sections sustained at 37-40kph depending on the wind. I do some good turns on the front myself. The group usually splits and I enjoy trying to stay in the front pack, which I usually manage to do. However I've heard that the 100 & 120km groups ride faster!
I'm inclined to concentrate on cycling these days so have decided to sell my rapidly depreciating Planet X, which spends most of its life on the wall with the wheels in a bag. If I do a triathlon I still have a road bike.
At the same time I'm re-setting my ambitions away from triathlons. I have an idea to do the Tour of Flanders cyclo-sportif in Belgium in April, and perhaps a few mountains in the Alps in July or August.
We'll see what happens. I'll do the odd blog post too.
Now I'm at the end of 4 days off for Xmas so have a few secs to blog.
Nowadays my training/exercise is limited to a 70km bike ride every Friday. Partly due to the sun setting at 5.45pm, I am not inclined to do anything in the evenings - and a 7am start in the office knocks out the mornings too.
But I really enjoy the weekend rides. It's a 6am start and these days the temperature can be as low as 15 Celsius! At that temperature I can just about survive with arm-warmers and a vest under my jersey. Any colder and I'll need a windproof layer and tights! I tell you though it is a very refreshing experience!
There are usually 100-150 riders and its a controlled ride. 2 by 2 all 90% of the time, with the front 5-10 pairs doing turns at the front. The first 35km averages 32kph. Then there's a sprint where the adrenalin starts to flow and I usually end up tucked behind someone doing almost 50kph for the last few '00 metres.
On the way back we average 34kph, with some sections sustained at 37-40kph depending on the wind. I do some good turns on the front myself. The group usually splits and I enjoy trying to stay in the front pack, which I usually manage to do. However I've heard that the 100 & 120km groups ride faster!
I'm inclined to concentrate on cycling these days so have decided to sell my rapidly depreciating Planet X, which spends most of its life on the wall with the wheels in a bag. If I do a triathlon I still have a road bike.
At the same time I'm re-setting my ambitions away from triathlons. I have an idea to do the Tour of Flanders cyclo-sportif in Belgium in April, and perhaps a few mountains in the Alps in July or August.
We'll see what happens. I'll do the odd blog post too.
Friday, December 26, 2008
PlanetX
Due to a change in circumstances my beloved Planet X tri bike is for sale...




- Planet X Stealth Pro Carbon frame & forks (Size XL - 58cm crank centre to top of seat stay)
- 10-spd Dura-Ace 7800 group incl BB & bar-end levers
- Planet X Pro Carbon 50mm aero wheels with American Classic hubs. Tubular tyres. Perfectly true wheels.
- HED Vantage 8 aerobars.
- Deda Newton 80mm stem.
- Look KEO carbon pedals.
- ISM Adamo Road saddle (strange but wonderful!)
- Shimano Ultegra chain.
- Shimano Dura-Ace 12-25 cassette.
- Cane Creek integrated headset.
- Hydrotail + 2 x carbon bottle cages
- Oval Concepts brake levers
- + Planet X padded wheel bag
- bracket and sensor for Polar HRM.
- crank is 175mm & front mech fitting is braze-on. Chainset is 52-39.
Bought in July 2007. Done less than 900km. Never crashed. Beautiful smooth ride.
Fork steerer tube has not been cut.
This bike helped me take 20mins off my Half-Ironman bike leg time.
Cost more than AED17,000, selling for AED13,000 or nearest offer. Call Adrian 0504817906 if interested. Located in The Lakes, Emirates Hills.
- Planet X Stealth Pro Carbon frame & forks (Size XL - 58cm crank centre to top of seat stay)
- 10-spd Dura-Ace 7800 group incl BB & bar-end levers
- Planet X Pro Carbon 50mm aero wheels with American Classic hubs. Tubular tyres. Perfectly true wheels.
- HED Vantage 8 aerobars.
- Deda Newton 80mm stem.
- Look KEO carbon pedals.
- ISM Adamo Road saddle (strange but wonderful!)
- Shimano Ultegra chain.
- Shimano Dura-Ace 12-25 cassette.
- Cane Creek integrated headset.
- Hydrotail + 2 x carbon bottle cages
- Oval Concepts brake levers
- + Planet X padded wheel bag
- bracket and sensor for Polar HRM.
- crank is 175mm & front mech fitting is braze-on. Chainset is 52-39.
Bought in July 2007. Done less than 900km. Never crashed. Beautiful smooth ride.
Fork steerer tube has not been cut.
This bike helped me take 20mins off my Half-Ironman bike leg time.
Cost more than AED17,000, selling for AED13,000 or nearest offer. Call Adrian 0504817906 if interested. Located in The Lakes, Emirates Hills.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Pacesetter Spotted In Dubai
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Cooke Again
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Settling In
I'm nearing the end of my monthly "normal" 2-day weekend and feel like I have a few minutes to blog.
We're quite well settled in now. Lucas has been at school for a couple of weeks. The final piece of the jigsaw is to get Jackie a driving licence. According to the rules here, a newly licenced 17-year old from the UK can get a UAE licence in minutes, but Jackie (who's been driving for over 20 years) has to go through a minimum of 20 lessons because here licence is not from a "recognised" country. Even more crazy is the fact that the strict yet nonsensicle driving licencing rules here don't seem to do any good. I drive along the same 3km stretch of Al Khail Road every day and I have seen at least 2 accidents every day since Ramadan began - some serious ones. The shocking thing is that the reason for the accidents is blindingly obvious - tailgating.
I've managed to get out for a few rides and runs recently. Starting a few weeks ago I joined the Dubai Roadsters 70km Friday a.m. ride. My first ride included a puncture after 43km and a solo ride home after that.
My second ride was better. My colleague Jim (ex British road-race champ) joined us after a few km and we chatted all the way to the 35km point where there was a sprint. I then bumped into Karen Hales and for a moment was not sure what continent I was in. It turns out that her disapperance from KL was becasue she moved to Dubai! No punctures this time and I made it back in 2:08 at an average of 33kph - my fastest ever road ride of that distance.
Last Friday I did the same ride but was more ambitious than last time. I did a few km stint at the front and went for broke in the last km to see if I could catch the sprint. Jim attacked first and was followed. A few secs later I managed to latch on to the back of a train I surprisingly managed to stay with it @ 50kph+ until we caught Jim with a few '00m to go. But my HR had reached 99% so I stepped of the gas and watched the real sprinters fly by.
The return leg was faster as usual and I had fun time-trialling across gaps to try to stay with the leaders. That ride ended in 2:11 @ 32kph.
The evening before I joined the Dubai Road Runners 5km Iftar (breaking-fast time) run.
This Saturday I've got a 800m/5km Aquathlon and a 10km run and a 168km bike race in my calendar.
That's all folks.
We're quite well settled in now. Lucas has been at school for a couple of weeks. The final piece of the jigsaw is to get Jackie a driving licence. According to the rules here, a newly licenced 17-year old from the UK can get a UAE licence in minutes, but Jackie (who's been driving for over 20 years) has to go through a minimum of 20 lessons because here licence is not from a "recognised" country. Even more crazy is the fact that the strict yet nonsensicle driving licencing rules here don't seem to do any good. I drive along the same 3km stretch of Al Khail Road every day and I have seen at least 2 accidents every day since Ramadan began - some serious ones. The shocking thing is that the reason for the accidents is blindingly obvious - tailgating.
I've managed to get out for a few rides and runs recently. Starting a few weeks ago I joined the Dubai Roadsters 70km Friday a.m. ride. My first ride included a puncture after 43km and a solo ride home after that.
My second ride was better. My colleague Jim (ex British road-race champ) joined us after a few km and we chatted all the way to the 35km point where there was a sprint. I then bumped into Karen Hales and for a moment was not sure what continent I was in. It turns out that her disapperance from KL was becasue she moved to Dubai! No punctures this time and I made it back in 2:08 at an average of 33kph - my fastest ever road ride of that distance.
Last Friday I did the same ride but was more ambitious than last time. I did a few km stint at the front and went for broke in the last km to see if I could catch the sprint. Jim attacked first and was followed. A few secs later I managed to latch on to the back of a train I surprisingly managed to stay with it @ 50kph+ until we caught Jim with a few '00m to go. But my HR had reached 99% so I stepped of the gas and watched the real sprinters fly by.
The return leg was faster as usual and I had fun time-trialling across gaps to try to stay with the leaders. That ride ended in 2:11 @ 32kph.
The evening before I joined the Dubai Road Runners 5km Iftar (breaking-fast time) run.
This Saturday I've got a 800m/5km Aquathlon and a 10km run and a 168km bike race in my calendar.
That's all folks.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Climbbybike
My parting gift to Malaysia is here. I hope some fellow cyclists can add to the listing, and perhaps do one themselves for the Camerons, Genting Peres etc...
My Day
A new life - a new routine...
Wake-up shortly before 5am. It is light already. Woken at 5.10am by alarm. Snooze until 5.20am.
Up, switch centralised a/c off and have a shower.
Say bye and open the front door. Walk into the already warm and humid air and jump into my 3.5l Nissan Pathfinder. Immediately put the a/c on and off we go.
Listen to nothing, or BBC World in Arabic on the radio. Reach Al Khail road in 5mins and hope that the HGV crawl hasn't started yet.
Start work at 6am. On some days I go direct to the site and look around while it's still relatively cool. Otherwise dtraight to the office.
Work is usually madness -
but i get paid well, have a nice house, a car and lucas in a good school - i am not grumbling. my job is rewarding - no doubt.
a 2-day weekend starts now. I've put the seat up to the MAX on my slightly-too-small Trek and plan to do a 5.30am 70km ride in the morning.
Wake-up shortly before 5am. It is light already. Woken at 5.10am by alarm. Snooze until 5.20am.
Up, switch centralised a/c off and have a shower.
Say bye and open the front door. Walk into the already warm and humid air and jump into my 3.5l Nissan Pathfinder. Immediately put the a/c on and off we go.
Listen to nothing, or BBC World in Arabic on the radio. Reach Al Khail road in 5mins and hope that the HGV crawl hasn't started yet.
Start work at 6am. On some days I go direct to the site and look around while it's still relatively cool. Otherwise dtraight to the office.
Work is usually madness -
- sub-con invoices,
- leave requests, warninbg letters
- manpower forecasts
- check procurement status
- write letter to client
- check authority permits status
- are the pipes made yet?
- is the tunnel alignment ok?
- we need 30 new carpenters
- meet the loss adjuster
- consortium meeting
- must survey that site
- shaft design
- oh no - an new urgent urgent job has come up
- petty cash
- steering committee meeting
- car service
- how many pumps do we have?
- hello sir - do you need a long reach excavator?
but i get paid well, have a nice house, a car and lucas in a good school - i am not grumbling. my job is rewarding - no doubt.
a 2-day weekend starts now. I've put the seat up to the MAX on my slightly-too-small Trek and plan to do a 5.30am 70km ride in the morning.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Trekkie
I have done something I thought I would never do - bought a Trek/Shimano/Bontrager bike. It's 2 years old and in pretty good condition. 58cm with Ultegra all round and Bontrager wheels.
So I've been promoted from '94 8-speed Campy to '06 10-speed Shimano.
I hope to go for a long ride on Friday morning.
...and i've finally browsed local club sites and come up with a list of weekly training sessions, and an event calendar.
I've missed a lot of great races in Malaysia, and have done little or no training in the last 3 months, but the season here is about to kick-off - hooray for that!
So I've been promoted from '94 8-speed Campy to '06 10-speed Shimano.
I hope to go for a long ride on Friday morning.
...and i've finally browsed local club sites and come up with a list of weekly training sessions, and an event calendar.
I've missed a lot of great races in Malaysia, and have done little or no training in the last 3 months, but the season here is about to kick-off - hooray for that!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Hubble Space Telescope
Awaited almost as eagerly as the first photos from Hubble......
...here's a few pics of our humble new abode in Dubai.
...here's a few pics of our humble new abode in Dubai.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Max
Just been reading about the Max Moseley court case. It would appear that the a***holes at the News Of The World are yet again confusing "mildly interesting" with "in the public interest". The only way they will learn that they are not the same is when the punishment for breaching an individuals privacy is big enough to hurt their profits.
I hope he gets his punitive damages - and gives them to charity.
My blog posts are taking a number of days to appear here - I wonder if they are being "reviewed" by someone first?!?
I hope he gets his punitive damages - and gives them to charity.
My blog posts are taking a number of days to appear here - I wonder if they are being "reviewed" by someone first?!?
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Show Off!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Comedy Politics
Is it silly season in Zimbabwe and Malaysia?
Mugabe has clearly gone completey mad - I really want to know what he does to the people who appear on TV to be supporting him rather deliriously.
...and I am quite amazed that Anwar has been accused of sodomy again!! This has to be a joke surely! Will he be accused of sodomy in 2018 also? Lets hope that his accusors have the decency to specify an apartment unit that had actually been built when asked to confirm where the dastardly deed took place.
I really do despair!
Mugabe has clearly gone completey mad - I really want to know what he does to the people who appear on TV to be supporting him rather deliriously.
...and I am quite amazed that Anwar has been accused of sodomy again!! This has to be a joke surely! Will he be accused of sodomy in 2018 also? Lets hope that his accusors have the decency to specify an apartment unit that had actually been built when asked to confirm where the dastardly deed took place.
I really do despair!
Mugabe - What a Star!
i'm still in a hotel! but i've moved to a new 3 star place very close to work. and they've got free wireless internet so i'm more inclined to blog even though i dislike the laptop keyboard. here's some on-liners...
i'm super busy at work. the days fly by. most days i have no time to do anything i intended to until things go quiet at 5pm.
i start at 7am, and will be working 6am-4pm in july and august in an effort to fit in better with adjusted working hours on site to suit the 12.30-3pm ban on outside work due to heat.
i am really enjoying my job - i have complete responsibility for everything, with a reasonably small amount of direction/guidance from the project director.
the weather is heating up - its noticeably hotter and more humid these days.
i'm managing one run per week at the moment and i think i've put on a wee bit of weight, but not much.
our house is just abut ready. jackie and lucas arrive in 7 hours or so - so from tomorrow we'll be choosing furnitureand getting it delivered. i'm quite looking forward to buying a tv and joining the lcd tv generation.
there's loads of european influence here compared to malaysia, such as products in the shops, and vehicles. i even saw an eddie stobart truck the other day!
i had a snowboarding lesson last week. i fell over once but apart from that had a successful session, and will definitely have more lessons. i am gobsmacked that they plan to build another ski "dome" that wil make the current one look small!
i had a frustrating visit to a petrol station on friday. i waited for ages (there are very few petrol stations) and then they refused to fill me up as my fuel cap was on the "wrong" side even though the hose would reach. i then decided to reverse in but that was also "prohibited". i was puzzled about that! another strange thing - you can't use credit cards to pay for petrol.
more soon!
i'm super busy at work. the days fly by. most days i have no time to do anything i intended to until things go quiet at 5pm.
i start at 7am, and will be working 6am-4pm in july and august in an effort to fit in better with adjusted working hours on site to suit the 12.30-3pm ban on outside work due to heat.
i am really enjoying my job - i have complete responsibility for everything, with a reasonably small amount of direction/guidance from the project director.
the weather is heating up - its noticeably hotter and more humid these days.
i'm managing one run per week at the moment and i think i've put on a wee bit of weight, but not much.
our house is just abut ready. jackie and lucas arrive in 7 hours or so - so from tomorrow we'll be choosing furnitureand getting it delivered. i'm quite looking forward to buying a tv and joining the lcd tv generation.
there's loads of european influence here compared to malaysia, such as products in the shops, and vehicles. i even saw an eddie stobart truck the other day!
i had a snowboarding lesson last week. i fell over once but apart from that had a successful session, and will definitely have more lessons. i am gobsmacked that they plan to build another ski "dome" that wil make the current one look small!
i had a frustrating visit to a petrol station on friday. i waited for ages (there are very few petrol stations) and then they refused to fill me up as my fuel cap was on the "wrong" side even though the hose would reach. i then decided to reverse in but that was also "prohibited". i was puzzled about that! another strange thing - you can't use credit cards to pay for petrol.
more soon!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Dubai Diary
hi folks!
just a quickie again - i'll have www access in my office from sunday so will hopefully do some more posts.
been at work a week now and will be very busy i think. i am the project manager for 15km of new sewers and irrigation for Jumeirah Golf Estates - loads of outrageously expensive villas around a Greg Norman golf course. another amazing dubai project - google it and see what its all about. Aishwarya Rai just bought a house there.
in 1 hour or so i'll be off for my first run (or exercise of any kind) for nearly three weeks. gym or a nearby park - i dont know yet.
we have been super lucky so far - my company only had one house available for us and it is better than i expected - in The Lakes - a gated community with pools, play areas etc... its a 3 bed house with a garden. will be able to have bbq's when its cooler (next 2-3 months wil be high-40's celcius!!).
also mega-lucky was that we managed to get Lucas into Dubai British School - 2km from the house.
some interesting things about dubai -
driving on the right (1st time ever for me)
free parking in malls, with a system to indicate where spaces are
its dusty - visibility sometimes 2-3km only
cars and petrol is very cheap
loadsa expats
british DJ's on the radio - they even play The Smiths!
i've never seen so many Hummers, Range Rover's, 4WD's
our housing area feels like a factory for caucasian mums with toddlers and 4WD's
sun rises at 5-5.30am, sets at 7.30pm
traffic is very bad
my day off is friday
many stunning arab women - many very glamorous, some very skimpily-dressed!
men dress very well
internet is censored
only 20% locals live here!
i work with indians, belgians, dutch, scottish, iraqi, egyptians, aussies, french....
blogspot page here is in arabic text - difficult to login!
ttfn
more on sunday.
just a quickie again - i'll have www access in my office from sunday so will hopefully do some more posts.
been at work a week now and will be very busy i think. i am the project manager for 15km of new sewers and irrigation for Jumeirah Golf Estates - loads of outrageously expensive villas around a Greg Norman golf course. another amazing dubai project - google it and see what its all about. Aishwarya Rai just bought a house there.
in 1 hour or so i'll be off for my first run (or exercise of any kind) for nearly three weeks. gym or a nearby park - i dont know yet.
we have been super lucky so far - my company only had one house available for us and it is better than i expected - in The Lakes - a gated community with pools, play areas etc... its a 3 bed house with a garden. will be able to have bbq's when its cooler (next 2-3 months wil be high-40's celcius!!).
also mega-lucky was that we managed to get Lucas into Dubai British School - 2km from the house.
some interesting things about dubai -
driving on the right (1st time ever for me)
free parking in malls, with a system to indicate where spaces are
its dusty - visibility sometimes 2-3km only
cars and petrol is very cheap
loadsa expats
british DJ's on the radio - they even play The Smiths!
i've never seen so many Hummers, Range Rover's, 4WD's
our housing area feels like a factory for caucasian mums with toddlers and 4WD's
sun rises at 5-5.30am, sets at 7.30pm
traffic is very bad
my day off is friday
many stunning arab women - many very glamorous, some very skimpily-dressed!
men dress very well
internet is censored
only 20% locals live here!
i work with indians, belgians, dutch, scottish, iraqi, egyptians, aussies, french....
blogspot page here is in arabic text - difficult to login!
ttfn
more on sunday.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Greetings from Dubai
Hi folks. As I'm living in a hotel that charges AED18 (about RM16) for 20mins internet access, blogging has taken a back seat to more critical www activities. But somehow the www is working for free at the moment so i've time for a post!
Spent a fortune on taxis the first few days getting around - looking at schools etc... but got a car on Wednesday so I've got some cheaper transport here. Driving on the right was a new experience for me - so far so good. Still keep reaching the wrong way for the seat-belt, handbrake and gears though!
The sun is up at 5.30am every day, and its 40 degrees-ish (30 minimum). It's already Malaysia-hot by 8am!
Haven't ventured out for a run yet, but have checked out the cost of bikes!
I'm starting work in earnest tomorrow - wish me luck. More sewers for me for another 18months!
Looks like we'll live in a nice 3 bedroom villa (house = villa here) in a development called The Lakes, quite close to the 7-star Burj Al-Arab hotel and the Palm Jumeirah. Also close to Ski Dubai and the 2 schools for Lucas that we'll be applying to on Sunday.
Spent a fortune on taxis the first few days getting around - looking at schools etc... but got a car on Wednesday so I've got some cheaper transport here. Driving on the right was a new experience for me - so far so good. Still keep reaching the wrong way for the seat-belt, handbrake and gears though!
The sun is up at 5.30am every day, and its 40 degrees-ish (30 minimum). It's already Malaysia-hot by 8am!
Haven't ventured out for a run yet, but have checked out the cost of bikes!
I'm starting work in earnest tomorrow - wish me luck. More sewers for me for another 18months!
Looks like we'll live in a nice 3 bedroom villa (house = villa here) in a development called The Lakes, quite close to the 7-star Burj Al-Arab hotel and the Palm Jumeirah. Also close to Ski Dubai and the 2 schools for Lucas that we'll be applying to on Sunday.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
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