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At least Chris isnt Cycling !!

jack

Chris,
I note that exactly twice as many people have read this item,as have studied my masterly expose on 2CV racing. Am I losing my touch? Are your reading habits of such great interest to the masses? I'm crushed, you are flattered, Jack is confused!

Bob.

Split Seconds
Raymond Mays

Cars at Speed
Robert Daley

I wonder if anybody knows if Chris arrived back from his holiday?
Following all of our efforts to send him on his way with a fine selection of books to read, I would have thought he might have had the decency to at least let us know how he got on.
I have little doubt that Chris is a very nice bloke, so his lack of feed back makes me concerned for his welfare.
Was he kidnapped by partisans, arrested for some breach of French or Spanish law, trapped on a desert island following a wind-surfing trip gone wrong?
Maybe some femme fatale has set her sights on the handsome devil, and he is locked in a sumptuous boudior, entirely at her mercy? Poor chap!!

I do hope that someone out there can put my mind at rest, and assure me that it is merely that he is still stuck in yet another book and just too busy to write.

Anxious of Luton.

No-one knows Bob, least of all you...

I tried cycle flying (courtesy of a French car door), which hurt.

And surfing, which also hurts.



Not me in the photo - it just felt like that.

Reading was less painful. The Art of Racing in the Rain was a pleasant little book, entirely suited to a holiday read and quite enjoyable. Parrot & Olivier in America was slightly odd (typical Peter Carey), but very readable and, if you like scifi, Peter Hamilton's concluding book to the Void series is good.

We motored over the Col d'Aubisque (one of this year's routes of the Tour) and frankly, if anyone ever says that racing drivers' leave their brains behind then it is as NOTHING to what cyclists must do (always assuming they have any in the first place, of course). Completely mad. Stark staring bonkers. The road from the Col du Solour to the Col d'Aubisque was terrifying. Narrow with the edge crumbling away, rock slides across the road, 1700 metre drop, no rails, and semi-wild sheep, goats and cows taking priorité. Great views though...

Sighs of relief all round...........!

Having cycled the Col du Solour to Col d'Aubisque road I can confirm that it deserves its reputation as the "Circle of Death". This is why cyclists become known as "suicyclists" unless you are like me and chicken out at about 45mph downhill unlike the professionals who can get up to about 60 - 70mph. To share the "joy" I thought it would be a good idea to show the family this road in a hire car & managed to sieze the gearbox & nearly miss our flight home!

Chris Acklam wrote:We motored over the Col d'Aubisque (one of this year's routes of the Tour) and frankly, if anyone ever says that racing drivers' leave their brains behind then it is as NOTHING to what cyclists must do (always assuming they have any in the first place, of course). Completely mad. Stark staring bonkers. The road from the Col du Solour to the Col d'Aubisque was terrifying. Narrow with the edge crumbling away, rock slides across the road, 1700 metre drop, no rails, and semi-wild sheep, goats and cows taking priorité. Great views though...

John,
Your prowess as a cyclist has been revealed on this forum in the past, so your report of descending the d'Aubisque, must make poor Chris feel a trifle 'whimpish'?
Mind you, to have him describe you as 'bonkers' is a little harsh I think.

Good to see you here again.

Bob.

Quoid neuf? je ne m'étonne plus de quoi que ce soit:
Messieurs H'Acklam et H'Emberson sont coureurs cycliste de très bon niveau (et aussi coureurs automobiles). Zut alors. Monsieur Taureau, peut-être une equipe de morgan pour l'étape l'année prochaine, n'est-ce pas ? Monsieur Taurau, vous êtes aussi cyliste.
C'est à vous de choisir: Vous où la belle Catherine comme equipe pdg. Incroyable
à bientôt

Bob Bull wrote:Mind you, to have him describe you as 'bonkers' is a little harsh I think.

Anyone who cycles that road is definitely a few spokes short of the full wheel ...

Anyone who spends his holiday reading a book about a racing dog is hardly in a position to call anybody else 'bonkers'.

Merci Pierre l’arbre (sorry tree – wood – rafter) for raising the tone of this chat line

Chris, who took that fasntastic picture of you surfing, were you shooting the curl or pipeline before you wiped out ?