Although not a long commute of only 13km  it is the perfect route to add extra distance due to the cycle paths that are available near where I live.

Here it is in maps and pictures.

My street

Canning Highway

Bridge over freeway to bike track

The Swan River

The Freeway Bicycle Track

Our fair city of Perth

The Narrows Bridge

The Swan Brewery

Boat House on the Swan

Stirling Highway

I really do feel so lucky to live here in perth these pictures are from a winter commute.  Who would live anywhere else.

My old Shimano shoes were wrecked holes in the front, cleats worn to the point of not being able to remove them as the bolts had even worn down so I couldn’t get a key in to release them.  Not good.

In comes my new purchase, Shimano RD86 road shoes.  Their a bit bright for my liking but also pretty cool at the same time.  Bought from TBE Stirling Highway for $170 including a free tube.

These shoes are a SPD-SL shoe, taking the Shimano Road cleats so a system that I have been using for some time and find good for keeping your foot still during cycling.  The shoes are also well padded and offer god support in all the right places.  The three strap system also keeps your foot snugly and can easily be adjusted on the move.  The first strap is a ratchet type one and then 2 velcro straps complete the system.

What really stands out during the first week of use is the comfort level.  They are just so comfy.  Either these are the best shoes I have ever had for cycling, or my other ones were just total crap.

I have only had these around a week so about 250 km or so completed thus far and if they continue to offer this level of stiffness whilst peddalling and comfort whilst riding I made the right choice.

I will report back with updates as progress happens

Why did I buy from Bikeforce?  Well I can tell you now. FIrstly they had the best price of anyone in Perth a$1900 for the stock bike. I also added Schwalbe Marathon plus tires, Topeak rear rack and full front and rear fenders.  Total price all up $2160.

Taking price aside for a moment as well.  I had the pleasure of dealing with Mick down at the store, a tourer himself.  He really understood what I was looking for, offered advice on possible uprades and changes to the bike that might benefit me not just now but in years to come.  This was all done without the “sales type” pressure I encountered in other places.

He also explained to me the level of service they offer throughout the life of the bicycle as well.  Not just the usual degreasing etc but things specific to the type of cycling and bicycle that you purchase.  So for example how to change a spoke etc.  When fitting racks not using the standard bolts that come included but using top quality after market bolts all included in the setup process.

I walked away feeling very confident that I had made the right purchase decision dealing with Mick and the right choice in getting the Surly LHT.

Pictures and first ride report to come over the next week or so when it arrives in store.

This is the 08 model purchased new from Bike Now in Melbourne last July for $1000. It is completely stock and had travelled only around 200km so a great bargain for someone looking to get into a simple single speed bike.

Here are the specs

email me at craigdurkee at gmail dot com for more details or to make an offer

So I made a quick call to some local dealers here in Perth to find out what the availability was and what it was likely to cost me.  After making some enquiries I found out it was going to cost me a dam sight more than I first thought.  This is largely down to the World Economic Crisis, fair enough.  A would imagine most of the current stock would have been purchased when the $ was very week, hence the inflated price.

Here’s were it gets strange though.  Trying to get a firm RRP on this product is proving very difficult.  I have had a number of prices quoted me as RRP and none of which I’m sorry to say I believe from WA retailers.

Brunswick Street Cycles in Melbourne who are a great supplier of touring bikes and equipment tell me the bike’s RRP is $1999, WA retailers quote anything from $2100 to $2500, what am I to believe.

Another quick call to BSC meant a firm price of $1800 which includes shipping to WA or anywhere else in Asuatralia for that matter.  The next best price so far in WA was $2200 from Churchill Cycles in Booragoon.  The guys there seem really together and knowledgeable, they will fit the bike, service it for a year and generally be there for me with my new purchase, something BSC can’t do as they are not local.

The question that I now face is do I save the $400 and buy from Melbourne or spend the extra and get it locally where I know I will get better support.  Its a real tough one.  As I have been drafting this post I have had a call from Martin at The Bicyle Entrepreneur telling me that they can do it for $2000, another dilemma.

So my question to you guys is do I spend the extra and get it locally or take the risk with purchasing it interstate.  Your comments please :-

Having used a Crumpler messenger bag for the last 2 years I felt it time that I got something a bit more suitable for the things I carry on a daily basis.  The Crumpler (pic here)is an awesome bag, don’t get me wrong.  Its just, well, very basic.  With 1 large compartment and 3 small ones, none of which zip up I was starting to worry about things falling out, getting wet or just breaking from lack of protection.  

Although I don’t carry a laptop with me usually to work I wanted something that would hold and keep safe a few specific things.  digital camera, work notes, iPod and Blackberry.  At the moment they are just swishing about in the Crumpler, not good.

In comes a real bargain that I picked up at a local store for just a$27.50 Caribee Interface laptop backpack.  It is awesome with so many pockets and sections all suitable for the things I need (want) to carry on a daily basis.  Firstly I will start with the build quality, it really is very well put together with strong zippers and very good quality stitching.  

Being a bicycle commuter which rides all weather, even in torrential rain the quality of the fabric is also am important choice.  Luckily or unluckily however you think about it we have had a few bad rainy days here in Perth recently which proved an ideal testing ground for the bag.  The bag kept my gear dry and safe during the storms which was a big relief, also pleasing was the quick drying time the bag offered when it did get wet.

I can know keep my iPod plus sync cable, Digital Camera and Blackberry in individual pockets within the bag, meaning that they do not knock against each other causing scratches and scrapes, another big plus.  My clothes for the day also fit with no issues what so ever, as does my lunch which is usually kept in a standard ice cream container come lunchbox , this really is a big bag.  

As mentioned I do not carry a laptop at the moment relying on a desktop computer at work which is good as to keep the weight down for my commuting, however should that ever change and I need to carry a laptop I could easily fit that in along with everything else that I need for my daily routine.

I highly recommend this bag, especially at the price I paid  

Pro’s

• Lots of room
• Great quality build
• Cost
• Comfort 

Cons

• Heavy

Here are the specs of the backpack:-

• Contoured shoulder straps
• Padded hip belt with lumbar support
• Main compartment padded laptop sleeve fits up to a 17″ screen laptop
• Multiple utility pockets
• Internal sleeve pockets for cords, discs and accessories
• Padded CD pocket and cord port
• Organiser panel
• Key clip
• Lockable zips
• Haul loop
• Sternum strap
• Action Back Extreme Back System

3 years ago almost to the day I was sat in traffic on my way home to Hawthorn in Victoria when it suddenly dawned on me, I was wasting so much time being unhappy in jams.  Trams, buses and other cars were really turning my daily work trip into a nightmare.

One other thing I was :-

FAT

LAZY

UNMOTIVATED

These are 3 things that really are not good for you.  107KG of me was unhappy.  I needed a big change, cyclists zoomed past me and I wondered if that was the way to make a change.

The very next day I purchased a bike.  The very next day I rode it home from work 23k all up.  It felt so painful yet so worthwhile all at the same time.  I had no time to dwell on being unhappy, I was not stuck in traffic.  The next chapter had begun.

Slowly but very consistantly I started loosing weight, I knew, not because I weighed myself but my clothes were getting loose, my belt needed adjusting all things that were helping me get myself back on track.  I was loving it.  Best of all it really didn’t take up any extra time to get myself to the gym, arrange training etc.  I just used the time I would normally be stuck in traffic to my advantage.

3 days a week I was riding, then 4 then within a few weeks it was every day 46km without fail.  Then I also started doing extra in the weekends.  The milestones were falling also 50km in a day 75km, 100km, 150km, 200km, 250km all the way up to a personal best of 337km in a single day.

My body had changed I was no longer Fat, I was toned, slim, so much more energy and zest for life it was awesome.  I see so many people around me that feel exactly the same as I did, if only they knew the secret was so easy and really didnt impose on there normal day.

These days 3 years on I have been the EXACTLY the same weight give or take a kilo or so for just under 2 years 76KG.  I’m fighting fit, never have colds, fevers or bugs anymore, clothes simply fit straight of the shelf, going from a 40″ waist to 32″ from XXL t shirts etc to Small its so so easy shopping these days.

I still eat pretty much what I want, I do try and be healthy although I could do allot better, so I really do encourage anyone who is starting to feel a bit down on themselves to get out there and have a go at something active, something that gets them moving, dont by a Nintendo WII FIT and expect that to really work.  Get outdoors and breath in the fresh air and get fit.

I’m really loving the interface, battery time and many of the features that were missing from my beloved iPhone.

Here they are

Setting a budget was always necessary due to the amount of time we were away and the fact that we wanted to keep things to a budget.  I had thought  about using an application on the iPhone, which as mentioned in an earlier post was an awesome all round digital companion.

However I really wanted something that either of us could edit at a moments notice and something that does not hold the constraints that software sometimes does.  In comes the Notebook.  I took away a very small book keeping notebook, this unfortunately didn’t survive very long, pages were starting to fall out and there was also not much room on it for everything I wanted to record.

Whilst in Nepal I bought a local handmade notebook, it was very cheap around a$2 but also very sturdy and somewhat traditional which seemed to fit in nicely with were we had planned to travel.  I transfered the previous books details to the new one and set about organising it for my needs.   Each page representing 2 days of budget, keeping track of everything from room cost to price of bus/train trips etc.

There was also a page for ATM withdrawals, matched with currency exchange rates for the days I withdrew.  As time went on I really enjoyed keeping track of everything, I used to look forward to filling in my book over lunch or dinner, “keeping the spending on track” was my catch phrase I was loving it.

The back of the notebook also got used with silly things to help me remember my trip, such as books that I have read, plus keeping all the business cards from places I had stayed.

Although this was not a journal as such, or a diary for me to remember my trip the book has served as a real resource since coming home and discussing my trip with friends and family that have also travelled India and Nepal extensively, I can tell you where and how much it cost me to stay in every place I visited along with contact details.  I can tell you how long and how much it cost for a train from Mumbai to Goa, something that without the book would be pure guess work.

Since coming home I have started to use a notebook to keep track of many things in my life, spending, hours worked etc. Something easy to fill in before bed each evening and as well as enjoying doing it, its become real handy for keeping my spending on track.

This got me thinking how much mobiles have come along since my first analogue OKI handset that I had way back in the Early 90′s on Vodafone in the UK.

So I thought I would just write a quick post which lists them, so here goes.

1. OKI handset unsure of model but it looked like this one below, 

2. Motorola MR1

My first digital handset, could even receive txt messages, but not send them.

3. Motorola MR30

This time the ability to send TXT was included, although at this time I didn’t know anyone that had one

4. Nokia 2110

Getting modern now.

2110

5. Nokia 402

6. Nokia 702 (orange)

7 Nokia  Banana Phone

8. Nokia 8210

First real small handset

9. Ericsson T68

First Colour Phone

10. Nokia Slide Phone

Colour was to slow, time for cool

11. Motorola Timeport

12. Orange SPV

First windows mobile phone, cool features shockingly slow

13. Nokia N70

14. Sony Ericsson w800i

15. Motorola v3x

16. Nokia n73

17. HTC TyTNII

18. Apple iPhone 3G 16gb

I am sure there are going to be some that I have missed, but that pretty much sums up most of the phones, changes have been plenty and obviously for the better, saying that the battery power of older nokia’s like the 8210 have yet to be beaten on todays phones.

Maybe now we have all these great features from the likes of Apple etc its time to concentrate on the little things like battery time and ringing volume, something that was never a problem in the past.

What’s your favorite phone