I ride for two main reasons; fitness and fun. Until now, my ride has been a Specialised HardRock XC, which is a great all round bike for road and off-road, but increasingly, I’ve found something missing from the experience.

Specialized HardRock XC

I began to realise that I missed the simplicity of the BMX I had during my early years. Geared bikes are great for going up exceptionally steep hills, and for getting maximum efficiency from your pedalling, but you don’t realise how much effort is wasted through constantly changing gears, and how much additional weight is carried by the deraileurs and extra chain rings, not to mention the additional complexity of maintenance and repairs.

I know this, because I recently bought a single speed Trek Soho S in an effort to recreate the simplicity of the single speed BMX, combined with the refinement of a road bike.

Trek Soho S
(notice how uncomplicated the rear wheel is, in comparison)

I can safely say, I have not enjoyed riding a bike so much in years. I rode further and faster than I have managed previously, and was less tired at the end. The narrower tires help, as does the lighter weight and decreased drag, but mostly it’s the inability to change gears which totally changes the way you ride (for the better).

Update:

For anyone who’s interested, here is the bike that started it all for me, one christmas back in the early 80’s.

Norco Spitfire – circa 1984

God I miss that bike, although I think my BMX days are long past.

Years later in my mid-teens, I bought a Trek 830 Antelope. A mountain bike of some substantial weight, but which I loved dearly and plan on resurrecting from the garage at some point to restore to its former glory (perhaps with the addition of a front suspension fork and some stupidly fat tyres, for the sake of variety.

]]> http://everythinghurts.com/single-speed-bike-vs-geared-bike/feed/ 0 http://everythinghurts.com/single-speed-bike-vs-geared-bike/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/everythinghurts/~3/yjSc22-viFk/ http://everythinghurts.com/my-desktop-tour/#comments Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:37:34 +0000 oxide http://everythinghurts.com/?p=270 I figured as I’ve been interviewing everyone else about their desktops (some of the interviews haven’t been published yet), I thought I’d do one of my own as well, but instead of write a lengthy post about it, I decided to do a video instead.

Update: Yes, I say “pimped up” instead of “pimped out”. That’s just how I roll, mofo.

1. Why is it so complicated to add a new ringtone. Why can’t I simply choose a song from my iTunes library?

2. Why am I unable to add new text message sounds at all? The default ones are awful.

3. Why can’t I hide icons I don’t use from the launcher? (stocks/weather/itunes)

4. Why can’t I forward a text message? (fixed in OS 3.0)

5. Copy and paste? How hard can it be? (fixed in OS 3.0)

6. In most situations, the camera is pretty dreadful. (fixed in iPhone 3GS)

7. Speaking of which.. why is there no movie mode? (fixed in iPhone 3GS)

8. The built in notepad looks like crap. Marker font + yellow paper is cute for about 3 seconds.

We encounter smells and aromas many times a day. Some are nice, others not so nice, but do you ever take the time to think about how much you would miss your sense of smell if you didn’t have it.

For me, smell is one of the most powerful senses, certainly in terms of the emotions it is capable of conjuring up. With the right smell, I can close my eyes and recall vivid details of people, places and events which I had given up as long forgotten.

Here are some of my favourites.

Frying Onions

This always means something really tasty is being prepared. Onions are the key ingredient in most of my favourite meals, and the smell as they saute in a little oil makes me literally salivate.

Bacon

A smell which can convert vegetarians, bacon is one of those smells that seems to activate your hunger muscles. It’s criminal really that bacon tastes so good. I could never be a full vegetarian.

Baking Bread

There’s nothing in this world quite like a freshly baked loaf, still warm out of the oven. I used to work in a bakery but even now, years later, that smell never gets old.

Popcorn

I swear my local cinema pumps out the smell of popcorn into the nearby car park to subliminally entice people in. Movies just wouldn’t be the same without it.

Fresh Strawberries

The quintessential summer smell, particularly English strawberries at the height of the season. On a warm summer’s day, nothing tastes (or smells) better.

Chips with Salt & Vinegar

On a cold winter evening, the smell of cod and chips with lashings of salt and vinegar is enough to make anyone give up on their diet for the day.

Brewing Coffee

A strange one because I love the smell, but detest the taste. Supposed to help to sell houses, but I think I love the smell because it’s one I associate with lots of good memories with friends.

Curry

When I was young, I hated spicy food, particularly curry. But now, it’s one of my favourite foods in the world. The best curry smell is when you walk into a good Indian restaurant.

Marmite

One of those things that I yearn for while abroad. Marmite has a unique taste which is very hard to describe, but nothing makes me more homesick than the smell of it spread on hot buttered toast.

Whisky

I associate the smell of whisky with two people. My dad (Jack Daniels) and my grandad (Bells). I never developed a huge taste for it myself, but I still love the smell and who it reminds me of.

Beer

I have so many good memories associated with the smell of beer. I think most people do because of the social aspect, even if, like me, they’re not big drinkers. When I do drink, Brahma is my brew of choice.

Cigar Smoke

Strangely, I don’t actually smoke cigars, but love the smell. It takes me back immediately to my younger days when my Dad used to smoke cigars and my biggest worry in the world was how fast I could go on my BMX.

New Books

Any book lover can relate to this. That slightly chemically smell of the paper which you subliminally associate with your forthcoming reading pleasure.

2nd Hand Books

Equally, just as good, is the smell of old 2nd hand books. The aged paper, the worn out spine and well thumbed corners. My dream job would be to open a 2nd hand bookshop.

New Electronics

You know how it is. You’ve just been out and bought a new computer or TV, and the anticipation as you open the box is heightened by the smell of polystyrene, polyurethane and electronic components. Apple products smell the best, by the way.

New Game Smell

A combination of new book smell and new electronics. The smell of a new game cannot really be explained. Like most good smells, it’s one of association with good times past.

New Car Smell

So good, they even make air fresheners designed to recreate this smell. Truthfully though, your car only really ever has this smell once in it’s lifetime, and you can only really enjoy it if the car belongs to you.

Bleach

The smell of cleanliness. I realise I may be in a minority who likes this one, but it appeals to my slightly obsessive compulsive desire for things to be clean.

Chlorine

I love swimming. I don’t go often enough, but I have so many great memories of swimming with friends and family. The smell of chlorine takes me back to those great days.

Photographic Film

Almost any photographer will tell you what memories this smell evokes in them. Although I’m mostly digital and have only ever really dabbled with film, I’ve come to associate this smell with my passion for photography.

Pears Soap

Especially the liquid soap. The very definition of ‘clean smell’. I always make sure I have at least 2 spare ones in our bathroom cabinet.

White Musk

A crisp, clean smell. I like The Body Shop version, particularly in shower gel and eau de toilette form.

Chanel Pour Monsieur

Chanel make the best perfumes. This one is my fragrance of choice, my signature smell if you will. Unfortunately, it’s expensive enough that I usually save it for best.

Chanel Number 5

Another Chanel fragrance, this time for women. Popular for many years the world over, and for good reason. Smells heavily of jasmine, with hints of vanilla and sandalwood.

Fresh Linen

There’s nothing like slipping into a freshly made bed with just-washed sheets, or the smell of a fresh towel after stepping out the shower. Potent relaxation therapy.

New Shoes

A mix of rubber, leather, new car smell & new book smell. You don’t have to be a woman to enjoy the experience of buying new shoes. In fact, us men probably enjoy it more because we do it less often.

Bonfire

Pure nostalgic assocation. When I was just a boy, my family would regularly have bonfires in the autumn out in our back garden. Especially on fireworks night with sausages on forks and baked potatoes. One of my most treasured memories.

Barbeque

Any self-respecting man should be able to cook on a barbeque. Because we don’t have a garden these days, I miss them even more. Each year, you know summer has really arrived when you catch the wonderful smell of food over burning coals.

Coal Fire

On a winters evening, the smell of coal fires reminds me of Scotland, and childhood Christmas memories while visiting my grandparents.

Playdoh

Smells a bit like almonds and vanilla. Or marzipan. One sniff, and I’m 4 years old again without a care in the world.

Summer Storms

The smell usually arrives before the storm does. The change in air ionisation is a sign that a storm is coming, and I love storms, particularly in the summer.

Incense

I really love incense. There’s a particular brand I buy at a shop in Greenwich market. Better than any air freshener, and a really great way to create your own “signature-smell-associations” with other people.

Rubber

A wonderful smell. I’ll say no more.

Leather

Equally good.

Women

While one could argue that a woman only smells of what fragrances she wears and soaps she uses, most women I’ve ever been close to have had their own unique smell, and when you’re in love, whatever it is, it’s the best smell in the world. Bar none.

Manic Miner – ZX Spectrum

Super Mario Bros. – NES

Police Quest – PC

Space Quest III – PC

Sonic The Hedgehog – Sega Megadrive

Mario Kart – SNES

The Secret of Monkey Island 2 – PC

Sega Rally – Sega Saturn

Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Time – Nintendo 64

Wipeout 3 – Playstation

Quake 3 Arena – PC

Hexic – XBox 360

Oblivion – PC

World of Warcraft – PC

2. The startup chime. Sometimes you want to use your computer discreetly, or without disturbing others, why does the startup chime not have a control panel where you can turn it off?

3. Window resizing. Why can’t you resize a window from any corner? It seems like a very basic thing to be able to do. For a company that prides itself on usability, it’s downright criminal that you STILL can’t do this.

4. One button mouse? C’mon Apple. This is the 21st century. Get with the program.

5. File extensions and associations. I’ve been using a Mac for 8 years now and I still don’t fully understand how this works. For all it’s faults, even Windows gets this right. For example, I want all txt files to open with Textmate, no matter which program created them.

6. Inconsistent UI. While this is better in Leopard than it has been in the past, there are still tons of apps that just don’t look like they’re sharing the same OS. Take Safari & Preview for example, the toolbar buttons don’t even match.

7. The finder. While I’ve gotten used to the finder now, I still don’t find it as straightforward as it could be. Give me Windows Explorer any day (hell, give me File Manager from Windows 3.1).

8. The keyboard. Ok, fine the @ and ” keys are swapped (for a UK user) but some of the other keys on that thing are just plain weird. Perhaps I’m showing my ignorance here, but why do I need a key labelled ‘§’ more than I need one labelled ‘#’. Sorry, I just don’t get it.

There’s a lot of things that Mac does better than Windows (read: most things) but the list above consists of really basic stuff that simply needs fixing to make the Mac experience complete (IMHO, FWIW).

Update: Foods I discovered I like in 2008

Olives
Mushrooms
Chilies

Microsoft insists that I need to buy an “Xbox Live Certified Router”.

I love my little Netgear DG834. I’m sure that’s just Microsoft speak for “we don’t want to tell you the technical way, we’d rather just sell certification logos to hardware companies”.

2 minutes of Google research confirmed that you simply have to forward a couple of ports to the Xbox internal IP: 3074 (UDP+TCP) & 88 (UDP).

Hey presto! The connection test is now showing as open, and I’ve saved myself from having to buy a new router.

Not (0208) or (0207), just (020).

I know it’s tough moving from 0181 and 0171, but those two codes were merged back into one area code (020) in April 2000. You simply prefix a 7 or 8 to the rest of your number depending on which code you were in before.

(0181) ### #### becomes (020) 8### ####
(0171) ### #### becomes (020) 7### ####

You may not think this is important, but it is. If you think about how area codes actually work, you’ll realise why.

It’s been 7 years now. It’s time you figured it out.

More information available at Wikipedia.

Alfa Romeo Brera

 
Ford Transit

 
Ford GT

 
Range Rover

 
Bugatti Veyron

 
Aston Martin DB9

 
Renault Scenic

 
Jaguar XJR

 
Honda Civic Type R

 
Lotus Exige