Pat's Bicycle Life

I love this image that my friend Jonas put this image together for me (thanks, Jonas!). Now that I've got a bike stand (borrowed from my friend, Mike), I feel more fully engaged in the bicycle life than ever.

Reframing our personal map

Without a car, we've started to realize that our personal landscape has shifted in scale and scope. For obvious reasons, we no longer go to grocery stores 7 miles away (yes, I do miss weekly visits to Russo's). It makes a lot more sense to hit the local Trader Joe's and Stop & Shop with the bike and trailer.

I've also noticed that having a car allowed us to be complacent about the professional services we receive. When we first moved to Boston in 2000, it took a while to find a pediatric dentist. My son has some special needs that made finding the right dentist pretty important. Even though we lived in Roxbury, we ended up going to a dentist in Cambridge. Even after we moved to Brookline, we kept going to Cambridge. But we had a car, so it could work. Even though we could have looked for someone closer, we never took the trouble. It's a hassle to change your dentist, doctor, vet, hairdresser. It's much easier to stay in the same routine. But going to professionals outside your neighborhood comes at a cost--there is an environmental impact of the travel, it eats up extra time from your life, and your money supports an office and workers in a town that's not your own.

A couple weeks ago, I had to take the kids to the dentist for checkups. But the appointment was too close to the end of school to effectively get there by bus, so I ended up renting a zipcar. With traffic, it took us almost an hour to get there (it's about 4 miles from home). Going to the dentist ended up consuming three hours and cost $30 in car rental fees. When I had our own car, I wouldn't have noticed the cost (though it was still costing me), and I would have ignored the time spent.

I've since found a new dentist for the kids, one that we can walk or bike to. And all it took was a couple e-mails to other parents at my son's school, and a phone call to the dental offices. I should have made the change years ago, but the convenience of the car allowed the situation to continue (even though it actually was less convenient).

(It turns out that our old dentist is retiring anyway, so we wouldn't have gotten to see him much anymore anyway.)

More and more, we're rethinking how we're accessing life around us and bringing it back closer to home.

Saroukh el-Jamahiriya (Libyan Rocket) 2009

Here is the 2009 version of Muammar Gaddafis "Saroukh el-Jamahiriya (Libyan Rocket)" a car which made its debut in 1999, exactly 10 years ago.

The “Libyan Rocket”, as the prototype is called, is described as an “elegant sedan” 17 feet long, more than six feet wide, with a 3-liter, V-6 gasoline engine.

According to the BBC and Fox News, it also has airbags, an unspecified ‘electronic defense system’, and a collapsible bumper.

The car can go hundreds of miles on a flat tire, a feature that could come in handy while driving in the vast Libyan desert. Other safety features include a device to cut off the fuel supply to avoid a fire in case of accident.

Domenico Morali, CEO of Tesco TS SpA, an automotive design company based in Turin, Italy, said Qaddafi joined in discussions about the car’s styling and asked for an original car using Libyan materials including marble, leather and fabric.

The car was unveiled in Tripoli at the end of an African Union summit.

According to the BBC, construction of a factory to produce the car was to have began in October 2009 in Tripoli. (ANI)

Patience with cats and rain

Patience is the name of the bike trailer that we're using, and she continues to be remarkably useful and sturdy.

On Friday, I had to take our cat, Tycho, to the vets for tests and shots. Turns out the cat carrier fits perfectly into the trailer. I was worried that the ride would be too bumpy, so I lined the bottom with plenty of towels. But with the pneumatic tires, it's really not that bad. I also worried whether the cat would freak out at being in the trailer. Whenever we go for a ride in the car, he yowls and meows and lets me know that riding in a car is a weird, unpleasant experience.

Oddly, he didn't seem to mind riding in the trailer at all. He made one small meow at me, and that was about it. My theory for this is that riding in a car is an intensely strange experience for a cat--the air is still, so it seems like we must be inside a house, but yet there's a sensation of movement. In the trailer, it was clear that we were outside. He could feel the air moving, and he could see me right in front of him. He could hear the sounds of the world. He didn't seem to mind it at all. (And, for the record, it's a pretty short ride.)


Yesterday, I put Patience to the test in the rain. It was pouring out all day long, and I'd agreed to a handyman job out in Newton, 6.2 miles from our house (each way). I wanted to keep the job, and I thought I'd give the trailer and my rain gear a good workout.

It certainly got it. I loaded the trailer with my toolbox and other tools, probably 20-30 pounds of tools, and hit the streets. Remnants of hurricane Ida cascaded from the clouds. Autumn leaves blocked many of the storm drains along the route, making huge puddles and swiftly flowing streams covering the roads. Luckily, traffic was light. Still, I made sure I had all my lights and flashers going so I could be easily spotted.

I didn't mind riding in the rain. My jacket and rain pants kept me pretty dry, and my baseball cap under my helmet kept most of the rain off my glasses, so I could still see. Pulling the cart through the water and up the hills was a pretty serious workout, but within my abilities (funny how you tend to gloss over the hills when you drive a car, but I can tell you that between Cleveland Circle and Newton Center, Beacon Street goes up and down a big-ass hill).

I got to the job with my feet soaking wet, but otherwise dry underneath my gear. And the trailer kept my tools completely dry. Unfortunately, I got a little lost just as I was approaching my destination. I'd printed out a google map of the area, and it lasted just long enough to get me unlost before the rain dissolved it into a soggy clump. Getting lost in the pouring rain on your bike is not a happy feeling.

The rain came down even harder on the way home, and the front seam of the jacket leaked a bit onto my shirt, but the pants were great. I need to find some better waterproof shoes for riding at some point.

It was a good adventure, though I confess that I was awfully tired and wiped out when I got home and had to take a little nap in the afternoon.

The temperature was in the mid 50s, so the ride was surprisingly fine. I expected to be cold and miserable, but I didn't mind riding in the rain at all. (Tracy might just say that shows that I'm a little nuts.) The trailer handled beautifully in the rain--I'm really getting used to hauling it around. We'll see how it goes in the wintertime when it gets old out.

One more quote from No Impact Man

In No Impact Man, Colin Beavan wrestles with the question of whether individual action has any significance in our current ecological struggles. His answer is both yes and no. He writes:

I'm not sure that reducing individual resource use is the entire way forward. At the root, religious philosophies say to do less harm, yes, but they also say do more good. There is a limit to how much less harm I can do. But my potential for good is unlimited. All of our potentials for good are unlimited.

The question becomes not whether we use resources but what we use them for. Do we use them to improve lives? Or do we waste them? My life itself is a resource. How shall I use it?

I agree with Colin that it will take both individual and collective action to effect that need to occur. Us giving up our car is certainly a tiny drop in the bucket, but it does have an impact, and it also increases the awareness of the people around us (and ourselves), and that can ripple outward in a powerful way.

a few thoughts from No Impact Man

I'm currently reading and very much enjoying Colin Beavan's book, No Impact Man. Tracy and I were fans of his blog, even before the book and the movie came out

In his section on reducing carbon footprint and on stopping using fossil-fuel based transportation, Beavan offers these interesting statistics about cars and America:

• American adults average 72 minutes per day behind the wheel of a car (twice as much as the average American father spends with his kids).
• 17 percent of the average American's income goes toward the costs of owning and running a car.
• Americans spend the equivalent of 105 million weeks of time sitting in traffic jams.
• People who ride bikes or walk to work are 24 percent more likely to be happy with their commute than those who drive cars.

I think we'd qualify for being pretty happy with our commutes right now. And we're on our way to cutting expenses, though we've been doing a bit of investment in our bike infrastructure lately.

It's a very thoughtful book, much more than just an attention-grabbing stunt.

Bike Trailer

At our 200 Foot Garden work day last weekend, I happened to mention to our neighbor, Alexis, that I'd been thinking about getting a trailer to use with our bikes. It would make getting groceries and supplies (including garden supplies) a lot easier. "Oh," she said, "We have one you could use. We haven't had it out for a while."

After a tiny bit more conversation, we worked it out and they dropped it off on our doorstep yesterday, just in time for our weekly grocery run. This particular trailer is from Bike Friday, and is a BicycleR Evolutions "Shopper" Trailer and is basically a large 24 gallon Rubbermaid container bolted to a frame with wheels.

The hitch hooked up to my bike with no problem, and once it was on, it was smooth riding. Supposedly it can hold up to 100 pounds, which would make it very helpful for getting pet and garden supplies. I gave it a ride to Stop & Shop and came home with 68 pounds of groceries (including a 20 lb can of kitty litter). When empty, it drove with no problem whatsoever--I hardly even knew it was behind me. The universal joint on the hitch rotates in all directions, so it doesn't exert any unusual force on the back wheel.

On the way home, fully loaded, it still pulled smoothly, though with almost 7o pounds in the trunk (plus 17 lbs for the trailer), I definitely knew it was there. I'm used to riding with a lot of weight in my basket and backpack, but this was a different experience. With the basket and backpack, the weight is a lot more uneven and the balance is thrown off a bit on the bike. With the trailer, the balance stays the same, but I just had to get used to this pull from behind me--uphill was a bit more work, and downhill required a little vigilance to modify the extra momentum. Keeping up a steady pace makes the ride a lot more pleasant, so you just have to shift your gears a lot more actively and consciously.

Overall, pulling the trailer is a little more work for the legs, but clearly much easier on the body overall, and definitely a lot simpler to handle loads with volume, extra weight, or large objects. I couldn't have carried this whole load home with just my side basket and backpack.

One of the coolest parts of this particular trailer is how easily it can be stored. We can just stick it on its end in our bike room, and you hardly know it's there (it's very lightweight), which is a big plus because the small bike room in our condo building sometimes has as many as 11 bikes in it.

It was also just fun to pull the trailer--it make me feel like a serious biker. I'm looking forward to many more trips with it behind me.

Cats Saved from Starvation

Well, no, they weren't really in danger of starving. But our old cat (18 years old) has been on a special prescription diet for years that seems to keep him pretty healthy and we were almost out of food. The problem is that the store where we used to buy cat food is more than 7 miles away, which is a pretty far bike ride to carry a 20 lb bag of (very expensive) cat food. One option was to get a Zipcar, but that just meant that the price would climb even higher. The problem was we couldn't find our original prescription, and the local vet within walking distance required a checkup (minimum $70) before they'd let us buy the food from them.

The good news was that we'd paid a visit to Angell Memorial Animal Hospital with this cat years ago, but we were still in the system, so we could buy the food from them. And they're only about a mile away. It turns out that my bike basket and back rack (with the help of a few bungee cords) are capable of carrying a 20 lb bag of cat food. (Though I very much want a bike trailer. It looks like we might be able to borrow one from a friend)

And guess what, Angell even charged $1 less than our old place--we should have checked and changed a long time ago. But when you have a car, it's easy to just keep old habits in place, because the costs to your wallet and the environment are not so readily apparent. With the car gone, we have to reevaluate all our old pathways and habits.

Realities of car sharing and car rental

(by Tracy)

Not having a car has been going very, very well for us. It seems normal to walk, ride the bikes, or take the T to where we need to go. Every once in a while, about 2 - 3 times/month we've needed a car and we fill that need with either Zipcar or a regular rental.

There are some annoying things about rentals though, that take some getting used to. For Zipcar, the annoying thing is that your rental is limited to 180 miles total for your rental period. If you rent a car for a day, it is really, really easy to go past 180 miles. If you go over you have to pay by the mile - like $.45 per.

For the regular car rental you are subject to the laws of supply and demand. If you want to rent a car on a holiday weekend (say.... Thanksgiving), you are subject to much higher rates. The best rate we could find for the upcoming holiday for a 4-day rental was $343. Normally that would cost us about $160.

Oh well. Now that we know, we can start planning a little better.

Boston Bike Film Fest this weekend

Turns out there's a Boston Bike Film Festival going on this weekend, tonight and tomorrow night at the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, from 7-11pm, both nights. I don't think we can go, but it sounds like fun--they're screening lots of short films about cycling and cycling life/culture. If you end up attending, let me know how it turns out.

Boston Halloween Bike Ride

If you're looking to do something fun on Halloween that combines costumes and bikes, check out the Halloween Bike Ride, which meets up at 8pm on October 31st at the Green Street T Station (Orange line) in JP. It's free and should be lots of fun for riders of all ages.

The ride was started in 2000. The slow-paced ride covers about 18 miles as it meanders from the Green Street T Station in Jamaica Plain to Kenmore Square, Coolidge Corner, Harvard Square, Central Square, Inman Square, Copley Plaza, and back to Jamaica Plain. The route changes slightly from year to year, and may change on the night of the ride based on road conditions, and sometimes the whim of the Ride Leader. The ride is friendly, open to all, and a great way to spend Halloween Night!

http://www.halloweenbikeride.net/

Article in NY Times about people making car choices

Our friend Ryan pointed out a great article in the NY Times about people reconsidering owning cars: http://tinyurl.com/ygdbnae

Carbon Footprint of Our Old Car

I've been meaning to figure this out for a while: Just how much CO2 did we add to the atmosphere by driving our old minivan? In the time we owned it, from 2003 to 2009, we drove 76,000 miles. At an average of about 18 mpg, that means we used about 4,220 gallons of gas in the six years we owned our car. (Which is 564 cubic feet, in case you're interested, or a cube of gasoline about 8 feet on a side, or something a little bigger than a minivan, but not much).

On average, a gallon of gas burned in a car generates about 19.56 pounds of CO2. So in our time owning the car, we generated about 82,540 pounds of CO2, or 41 tons, just to get ourselves from place to place (about 7 tons per year). 41 tons! That definitely seems like something worth changing.

And that's only looking at CO2, not the other emissions in terms of chemicals and particulates that come from driving cars.

Now that we've gotten rid of our car, let's just say our environmental impact has declined drastically. We still put a little extra CO2 out from our Zipcar jaunts, but otherwise, our transportation methods are doing very little in terms of dumping CO2 into the air (outside of huffing and puffing while pedaling our bikes up hills).

I'm not saying that everyone in the U.S. can suddenly give up their cars. But if more of those who have the ability to make the choice actually do it, there's an impact to be made.

(P.S. In case you're interested, Slate ran an article a while back about how one gallon of gas produces so much CO2.

Trying Not to be a Wimp

I have a new motto for my bike riding: Don't Be a Wimp.

Earlier this week, I needed to buy some parts to repair our kitchen faucet. I walked to all the local places, but none of them carry American Standard repair kits, but all recommended Watertown Supply as the best place for plumbing parts. But google maps said it was 4.4 miles each way, which felt like a long way to go for a couple washers. So I called around and called around, and finally found a place in Allston maybe 2 miles away, that said they carried American Standard parts. I rode there and it turned out that they didn't have the parts I needed, but instead referred me to Watertown Supply.

I was already about halfway there, so I just kept on riding, got a little lost (which adds up the miles), and went to Watertown Supply--which is a totally kick-ass plumbing supply place. But if I hadn't been such a wimp about that 4.4 mile ride, I could have accomplished the same result with less hassle. I learned that 5 miles is very much in my do-able range for an errand (though closer to home is still nice). The entire round trip, including multiple stops, getting lost, stopping at a Danish Pastry shop, was about 90 minutes.

In keeping with the trying to be less wimpy theme, I made a point of biking in the rain today for grocery shopping and riding to the Green Brookline Expo. For groceries, it was chilly and very wet outside. For the Expo, I rode home in the pouring rain mixing with snow. The thing is, I bought rain paints and a breathable rain jacket earlier this year, and guess what--they work great! A baseball cap under my helmet helped keep the rain and snow off my glasses. The main thing I still need is some thin waterproof gloves, to protect against the wind and the wet.

Still, more and more, I keep learning that it's easier to get around by bike than I expect.

The Illness Challenge

Our daughter wasn't feeling well earlier this week and we ended up needing to go to urgent care (what they call the ER at the MIT medical facility). This has been one of the big questions around not having a car--what about in case of medical emergency.

In case of a severe medical emergency, we're definitely covered. I could walk across the Riverway to the Beth Israel ER before an ambulance could drive to our house.

But what about minor emergencies, where you need to be seen today but you can't get into your regular doctor? I had two options in this case--I could have rented a Zipcar, but the problem is that it's too hard to tell when the visit is likely to end. Luckily, it's not too tough to call a cab in our neighborhood. The cab ride isn't cheap (about $16 each way, including tip), but it is very flexible and pretty quick. Of course, what happens if you don' have cab fare? In this case, a little planning solved our problem. We'd set up an envelope with cab fare in it when we first sold our car. That way there's no hesitation about calling because it's the end of the month and payday hasn't arrived yet.

Our planning paid off well and the cab got us where we needed to go quickly. It still was cheaper than renting a Zipcar for 3+ hours, or for going to an out of plan hospital ER (which requires a $50 co-pay).

Everyone is on the mend now. I'm glad we had a chance to test out our system and that it worked without any hitches. One less thing to worry about.

Bike Repair Class

Had week #2 of the bike repair class, and it's been great fun so far. To date, we've learned how to fix flat tires (I already knew how to do this, but picked up some handy tips) and how to adjust the font hub (both easier and harder than I expected). At every class, I also keep finding more things wrong with my bike, somewhat big things. I had to take it in today for some problems on the bottom bracket and it needs a new headset. Bummer.

What I really need is a spare bike (or a new one, and this old one can become my spare), so that when one bike is in the shop, I can still get around.

I definitely plan to continue the bike classes to the next level and beyond. It's empowering to know how to maintain and repair one's basic mode of transportation. Plus I love working with my hands.

Brussels goes No Car for a day

Avuncular American writes on his blog that the city of Brussels went No Car for the entire day today. Can you imagine a city of 1 million people in the U.S. doing the same?

I sure wish we could try it in Boston. At least on Bike Boston day, in a few weeks, they'll shut down Storrow Drive. That's a start. But the whole city... A bicyclist's and pedestrian's paradise.

Pack Mules

These past few days we've been definitely testing the limits a bit more on our bikes (but just a little bit). On Saturday, the weather was rainy and gross, but Tracy put on her rain suit and bought a whole bunch of groceries. I did the same, though the rain was mostly gone by the time I went out. I discovered that I can carry about 50 pounds of groceries total, in my side basket, back rack, and backpack.

In a non-bike venture, I also learned that our little granny cart can carry 60 pounds of kitty litter (plus an oversized brand new fancy litter box) without breaking. I ended up buying said litter box from a local store within walking distance, even though it cost $8 more than at Petco, because to get to Petco, I would have needed to rent a Zipcar for 1-2 hours.

Yesterday, I got a gig working as a handyman for a friend. He lives in West Roxbury, about 4 miles from our house. It wouldn't have been economical to rent a car, so I decided to ride my bike. I was pretty nervous as to how I'd manage to haul my tools. I ended up putting my steel craftsman toolbox (partially loaded) onto the back rack of my bike, strapped on with three bungie cords. The rest of the tools and hardware, I carried in my backpack. The toolbox stayed on no problem. I will say when I finally got home at the end of the day, my legs were pretty tired from moving the extra load, but I'd definitely try it again (both the handyman part and the riding part). I told a friend about it, and he said he knew a guy a while back who made his living as a handyman and had no car. Apparently he had a bike trailer that he could use to carry lumber or pipe, when he needed it.

As much as I appreciate Zipcar, I'd rather get around by bike any day. Getting better at hauling stuff is making that more possible.

Considering Other Modes

We took the T into town yesterday and then took the ferry out to the Boston Harbor Islands for a truly gorgeous day of picnicking, kite flying, beach walking, and gazing at Boston skyline and harbor.

We found out that there's also a ferry that goes from Rowe's Wharf to Salem, and we're thinking about making a day out of that trip in October. Sure, it'd be cheaper to rent a Zipcar for the day, but it'd be a lot more fun to take the boat. (The boat costs $24 round trip for adults ($20 off season). So if just one person was going, it'd be cheaper to take the boat for the day, but for the four of us, a car would be cheaper. Bummer.)

In getting rid of our car, we end up with a little bit of extra cash that can allow us more freedom to explore other modes of transportation within our region. So we can investigate more travel by water, as well as consider some train trips. Different modes of travel offer a new variety of sights, sounds, and a different rhythm to the journeys we make. Most car travel, maybe because it's such a part of normal everyday life, is very much about getting from Point A to Point B. Travel by boat, train, bicycle, or even by foot changes our relationship to time and the landscape around us. It also shifts us from the standard points of arrival and departure, so that places that we've seen many times before, are suddenly perceived from new vantages points.

Giving up the car does give up a little convenience (though not as much as you might expect), but it does offer up a lot of other experiences.

Bike activism

(by Tracy)

This week I had the opportunity to attend the monthly Brookline Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting. I never knew the group existed until we were contacted by one of the members who found us through the blog. That was great outreach!

The group is an official committee within the Town of Brookline government and is appointed by the Brookline Transportation Board and serves in an advisory capacity. There are six members, but the public is always welcome to attend and help with activities and discussion.

I learned many things that evening - about a bike rack donation program, efforts to implement a cyclovia (a temporary redesignation of a road to non-car uses - like on Memorial Drive in Cambridge on Sundays), an opportunity to have input at an upcoming Transportation Board meeting about making Carlton Street more bicycle friendly, and the chance to participate in a bike count event. It's a good group with lots of ideas, but is realistic about what its members can take on.

For now I won't pursue and appointment but I'll keep attending, get to know people, and participate in the bike count event. Before we got rid of the car I don't think I would have ever thought to get involved in something like this.

Working on the bikes

Thanks to helpful videos on the internet I was able to replace the broken chain on my son Noah's bike without any trouble at all. It works great now. It actually went a lot faster than I expected.

I tried to sign up for a basic bike repair class a Broadway Bicycle School in Cambridge, but both classes they offer on site are already full. I tried Bikes Not Bombs in Jamaica Plain, too, but their class isn't scheduled yet. I'll keep looking. (Broadway offers another class though Cambridge Center for Adult Ed that I need to check out.) I guess a lot of other people are interested in fixing their own bikes, too, which is a good thing.

Aston Martin 1.5-Liter (1923)

This car has spent his whole life in Australia. There, he started the race in Melbourne was on the events, and the first in the Australian grand prix in 1928 competed. The Goodall family had owned until 1977. John of Perth by the victim right engine, and when it was new GP style Strasbourg with a basic chassis with the body is returned. Your car in recent years in the York Motor Museum and the Fremantle Motor Museum is spent ..

Batman car

In 1995 Joel Schumacher gave the Batmobile a campy makeov

1995 Batmobile a change in Joel Schumacher’s campy well with the style of the film was campy. Fans of the franchise, and both the car and refused to film the super cut inactive for a decade.

new corolla

famalies the new corolla
Tarago’s first start with the V6, you now to business class upgrade for the whole family can do! All-new 3.5-liter dual VVT-i, 6 – speed ** V6 202kW of power – the most powerful vehicle in its class saves. Comprehensive design facility equipped with smart you are searching for all models will Tarago

Longer ride

Mostly, I've been biking around Boston and Brookline, but tonight I went to a meeting in Belmont. According to Google Maps, it was 7.3 miles each way. I'd figured it might take me an hour, given traffic, to get there, but it only took 45 minutes. On the way home, with no traffic and a big downhill on Belmont Road, it only took me 35 minutes. Both were much faster than it would have taken me by T.

I'm very glad that I bought a new high-powered front light yesterday ($45), because the way was pretty dark, and Belmont Road and Mt. Auburn have some pretty gnarly potholes. It also helped a lot on the Charles River bike path, which is pretty dark and narrow. (I sure do wish they'd sink some money into upgrading it. It could/should be a brilliant bike/pedestrian path, but it's got a long way to go.)

This was a good chance to check out my range, and ( think 7 or 8 miles one-way is very do-able for events. The weather was great, which made for an especially pleasant ride.

Bike Book Suggestions? Bike repain classes in Boston?

The chain broke on Noah's bicycle this week, so yesterday we headed to REI to pick up a new chain, chain lube, a chain tool, and a new light for my bike (we sunk about $100, but the light wasn't cheap). I normally prefer to use a smaller bike shop, or even a local chain (Landry's), but they all require a lot more riding in traffic, while the REI is a straight shot down the Riverway/Muddy River bike path, which is a lot easier with a nine-year-old along (plus it's near ice cream, which helps motivate my young rider. And me).

One of the things I like about shifting away from using a car and to using bicycles is that they are (theoretically) machines that I can much more easily repair and maintain myself. I'm even thinking about buying a bike repair stand, to make it easier to manage.

I find a lot of bike repair info on the web, which is great. Especially videos. But I'm a book guy at heart. I'd be interested in suggestions for a basic book on bike maintenance and repair. Please let me know your favorites. I'm starting from almost zero knowledge, but I want to learn.

Also, I'm considering taking a class on basic bike maintenance. Have any of you done this? If so, which ones did you try? Please let me know of ones you've tried.

Aston Martin 15-98 Short Chassis (1934)

Company, 24 hours of Le Mans in 1935 in an excellent third place finish earned a strong competition was recorded. Just Aston Martin, although the construction of sports and race cars did not. The manufacturer’s road cars was very well appointed, and until some singularly like the Mark II saloon games, cars and more than one player remained comfortable in the large package offered to sign Aston Martin style.

Aston Martin DB2 Prototype (1949)

One of the most famous Aston Martins still in existence today, the first Aston straight six engine, LeMans in 1949 when it ran into the now legendary 2.6-liter that was to be equipped with. Aston Martin in the race, but a total of three cars entered in the other two cars DB1 2 – liter engine was. LeMans car in Spa in the third but retired the same year, and it later Montlhery in overall speed record set in place is gone. A small but DB1 chassis, with bodywork built by Frank Feeley, this is the end of the car, DB6 and DBS soon to continue through the beginning of the right of the fastback design.

Aston Martin (1924)

Aston Martin Coal Scuttle (1915)

In 1913, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford to sell Singer cars to modify and decided. Aston Hill in the famous competition to climb a hill to create a special select, his new nickname for the company with the course of Martin’s name added.

His first car, and philosophy in 1915 was called to the coal scuttle.

Aston Martin DB2

Aston Martin DB2

Aston Martin DB2 WOBentley new engine under the guidance of the great was.

The Aston Martin DB2 Drophead coupe in both coupe and was available. Engine twin overhead camshafts, hemispherical combustion chamber, a stroke of 90 mm and 78 mm bore to give a capacity of 2580 cc.

As standard, power output was 105bhp. Later a 125bhp version of the drop was offered. The Aston Martin DB2 his excellent chassis, great for the show, and the character of a vast amount is known.

Aston Martin DB2 (1952)

The Aston Martin DB2 is introduced in 1952 with a 107.00 BHP Normaly 4gears system the maximum speed of DB2 is 117 mph

Got to Drive a Truck (still loving Zipcar)

Yesterday, we rented a pickup truck from Zipcar to transport three bales of salt marsh hay over to our community garden plot. I LOVE that Zipcar has pickup trucks available. I was able to reserve this one with just one hour's notice. In two hours, Noah and I got bought the hay, laid it out in the garden, and returned the truck. (I think the cost was about $25 for the truck.) It was a Toyota Tacoma--it fit the bales perfectly, and it reminded me how much fun it is to drive a pickup. (Not that I want to own one.) It'd also be the perfect tool for an IKEA trip (hmm)--in fact there was even an IKEA shopping list left behind from a previous driver.

Having Zipcar around is really making the whole car free thing a LOT easier.

Aston Martin DB3 (1953)

This car is one of 10 DB3s produced, and a standard of eight right-hand drive ‘Bertone by equipped with open coachwork. This car for the first time “true space frame ’sports-racers David Brown under the ownership of the company were. Successfully in a number of hill race car this season and the 1953 and 1954, Isle of Man, the Ulster Trophy Formula Libre race, British Grand prix at the British sports car race held during the British Empire Trophy Race, including climbing Silverstone racing events in 1953 , and in first class in 1953 was obliged to rest and keep Hill Climb. New car, and in 1992 was restored to its original specification since has had five owners. Since then, the Japanese LaFest found by Sir Stirling Moss in Miglia in 2005 has been conducted, and it got Miglia Storica in 2001 competed.

Aston Martin DB3 / 6 of a ten DB3s Aston Martin has made between 1951 and 1953. 1953 Tourist Trophy race in the UK and other sports events recorded in the car, various race events and private campaign was launched on the hill the British driver climbs from Desmond Titterington. In 1954, the gullwing design with a remarkable, but in 1975 was rebodied specifications for the right was created. DB3 Aston after the first fight for a sports car race was created. The straight six engine developed from the WO Bentley-Lagonda’s 2.6-liter engine is made.
So he and a new car design engineers tasked Watson as DB3 Aston Martin had the intention was not as successful. The result is that DB3S, based on its predecessor, but features a short wheelbase and a lighter chassis design was one. The DB3S 1953 through one of the ten being counted in the first two series, and was created in 1956 through the Working Group is primarily made for. The second series of 1956 through 1954 was presented. The coupe, which more and more bodies are in top speed, unfortunately, result in a lower drag coefficient, there was a very unstable ride vehicles speed to be very beneficial born. Design and mechanics of this year to compensate for the change and performance limitations were aerodynamic.
During its production run, from 1957 through 1953, 31 was an example of sustainable production. Eleven of his racing efforts were used by the factory.

DB3s Aston Martin by the many international racing events, where it met with mixed results on the campaign was launched, some win and some disappointments. Arguably the most prestigious and challenging race, the grueling 24 Hours of LeMans, a true test of a vehicle’s capabilities. In this DB3S 1953 where it had accumulated throughout the season failed to achieve success was registered by.

In 1954, DB3S two versions Silversone compete in 225 horsepower coupe was created for. More power, especially at LeMans was necessary to be competitive. Implemented by a supercharger, the car developed 240 horsepower. LeMans entered it but it was a Ferrari that had captured the overall victory. And design of high speed instability due to the DB3S coupes crashed.

Coupes in 1955 as the open cars were rebodied. The captured DB3S Silverstone win and a second place finish at LeMans. In 1956, DB3S, with a second place finish at LeMans his first year’s performance repeated.

Design, development, test, and through the DB3S than DB3 success was able to. Capturing an overall victory at LeMans though never, he won several prestigious successes and were able to capture.

The Revo (off road champion)

The South African built Revo is a perfect example of true innovation at it's finest.
It was built by, Achim Bergmann of Thompson Racing, for the Motorite Racing team.

The car is of a space frame construction with a fiberglass body. Tubing is 4130 cro-moly and uses a LS2 6l V8 engine coupled to a Sadev SC90 six speed sequential.

Shocks are American Radflo with secondary pistons in the coil-overs and an external bypass shock per corner. Wheel travel 300mm all round. A Works Bell Paddle Shifter NEO Universal is used to trigger up and down shifts controlled by a Motec M800.

A custom made dust seal was used to seal the paddle shifter from the extreme dust and moisture conditions encountered in off road racing. Up shift cuts ignition and pneumatically selects gear, down shift activates a pneumatic clutch, blips throttle and selects gear.. works very well.

This is Africa's first serious attempt at four-wheel drive Class A Special Vehicle. Power comes from an American built 500hp 6-litre engine and is delivered to all four BF Goodrich tyres via a 6-speed gearbox. Despite a serious air restrictor fitted to keep it in line with the other Class A entries it pulls strongly.

With so much torque on hand, ratios can be kept short but top speed is slightly limited when compared to some of the past competitors. A top speed of just over 180km/h is calculated, which might appear slow but trust me when you doing that off road and approaching a metre deep rut it is insanely fast.

Nigerian Armoured Vehicle

Nigerian Armoured Vehicle

A Nigerian made armoured car was on Thursday launched by President in this month of August 2009 at the eagle square in Abuja.

It is the first home made armoured car, with most of the materials used in its production sourced locally, while others were imported.

It was built by two Nigerian brothers who recently relocated from the United States of America. The brothers; Victor and Johnson Obasa, came back home to use their talent to boost security and also create employment in the country.

The brothers are based in Ekiti State and the duo own a company named Mobile Truck Technology where they nurtured and built the first Nigerian armoured car.

According to Johnson Obasa, the local production of the armoured car would help in upgrading the nation's security status. "It will promote up to 50 percent security in the country, it is something to protect the armoured personnel in their line of duty and it can work anywhere. It is designed to help the nation's security; we also did it to create employment," he said.

Also, Victor Obasa in a conversation with the press stated that they were in a better position to create this kind of cars since they are in Nigeria and understand the Nigerian terrain.

He added that they were willing to do it for the government at almost half the price of importing it. "We would do it for Nigerians for almost half the price they get it outside," he said.

The truck which was tested with different kinds of ammunition, from a far range had little or no mark left on it, but from a close range left peripheral marks.

On how they created such a truck with products from Nigeria, Johnson said: "It's been a little bit of up and down's. When we encountered some challenges, the Senate president encouraged us and at the end of the day we were able to put this together."

The other brother Victor pledged that they would produce a vehicle carrier that would meet international standard at a reasonable price.

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Adamu Aliero who represented the president at the launch said it was commendable that Nigerians with talents will come home and contribute to the nation's development.

He disclosed that the President had directed the Inspector General of Police to meet the fabricators on what they required to produce the vehicle to specification.

He also called on Nigerians within and outside the country with such talents to come out and contribute to the development of their country.

"This is also to call on other Nigerians with similar talents to also come back home and join us to contribute their own quota to the country and for other Nigerians with this kind of talent to put it to use," Mr. Aliero said.

Present at the event to inspect the vehicle were top police officers and the Minister for science amd Technology, Al-Hassan Zaku who said the ministry would send a team of engineers to the base where the truck was fabricated to further examine the product.

"We will examine it thoroughly and work with the police to ensure that it is properly produced to the standard they want," he said.

courtesy of Elizabeth Archibong

Cairo car.

Here is the work of the Technical and Vocational Institute at the Arab Academy (for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport) in Alexandria Egypt.

This is Egypt's first electric car project, entitled the Cairo car.

Serious research to develop and create localized technology towards producing a fine example of Egyptian ingenuity. This research is based on reverse engineering as well as self innovation to help achieve a national goal of a purely made in Egypt quality product. Its a 4 seater, and the platform has being successfully been tested. No details on the possibility of the Cairo car reaching production.

The Harper sports car

The Harper sports car. (South Africa)

The companies vision for building this car is as follows.

To produce a stylish, safe, fast, comfortable, fun, low maintenance sports car to be enjoyed on public roads and on the race track.

A one-make series will encourage owners to test their driver skills as cars will be placed against like for like engines. The key is: "Drive it to the track, Race it, Drive it home".

The specifications are as follows.

Power Plant

Engine: Mid mounted 4AGE 20 Valve 1600cc Toyota
Gearbox: Toyota 5/6 speed
Brakes: Toyota (disc all round with adjustable limiting valve for rear brakes)
Total Weight: 650kg

Power Output 120kw (160hp)
Engine Management: Gotech MFI
Performance Exhaust: TNT High performance branch and silencer
Construction: Mild steel space frame with composite non-stressed fibre glass bodywork

Although owners can choose from a range of transverse engines/gearbox, (eg; Honda VTEC, Nissan SR20DET, VW/Audi 20 Valve turbo etc), we recommend the Toyota 4AGE 20 valve engine for it's performance, reliability, low cost and availability.

The MENARA

The MENARA is MOROCCO'S answer to the executive sports car. Entirely made and built in Morocco to very high standards.

The MENARA is a harmonious mix of technology and classic automotive design.

Aston Martin DB3

The DB3 1951 Aston Martin DB2 at the convenience of a 133 horsepower (99 kW) 2.6 L Lagonda straight -6 with the engine was introduced. Car, a bigger 2.9 L engine, 163 horsepower (122 kW), production for 1952 was introduced had failed. 2 car, 3. Place and 4. Silverstone in that year behind a Jaguar C – type. The cars were forced out of Le Mans, but was 9-Goodwood-hour race in the claims.

DB3S the Aston Martin car, launched in 1953 was a lighter version. It was more successful, and was produced until 1956. Well the two versions was created.

BMW CS Wallpaper

BMW CS Wallpaper

BMW CS Wallpaper image

BMW CS is a great car

BMW B3 Alpina Wallpaper

BMW B3 Alpina Wallpaper

BMW B3 Alpina Wallpaper image

BMW B3 Alpina is a great car