The Bristol Proms held a competition to write a fanfare that represents the spirit of Bristol. The requirements for the score were that it should be for three trumpets and 2-4 minutes long (which is quite long for a fanfare). The submission also had to include a 200 word statement on why it reflected the […]

Supermarkets across Europe are bracing themselves for a run on popcorn stocks, after the Greek referendum delivered a decisive “No” vote. Despite no-one actually understanding what the referendum is about, least of all the Greeks themselves, the consensus now is that the only thing to do is to sit back and enjoy the show. “Basically, […]

[See all Project Knees – Bike Electrification Project posts] The electronics are all assembled and working. The front panel has a push switch, an LED (lit up, to prove it’s working), and on the right the connector to join up with the throttle and motor. Behind it are the three batteries and the board with […]

[See all Project Knees – Bike Electrification Project posts] I haven’t posted in a small while, mostly because I’ve been waiting for the batteries to be delivered: a series of mistakes by a UKMail delivery driver meant they took over three weeks to arrive. However, they finally got here, so I could measure up and […]

A couple of nights ago I tried fitting the handlebar console (thumb throttle, battery level indicator and on/off switch) to my handlebars. Unfortunately, my flicky gear levers sit under the handlebars, so there’s absolutely no way to put the console anywhere near them (and the other side of the gears/brakes, nearer the steering post, is […]

For the benefit of my single reader Rick, I thought I’d post a couple of teaser photos of the work I’m doing on the battery box. The electronics in this are probably rather boring, but I’ve spent so long researching the perfect components that to me it’s going to be a thing of beauty. The […]

[See all project knee posts] So I’ve decided to fit my existing bicycle with an electric motor. The problem is that most kits come with all the parts you need, including an insanely expensive Lithium Ion battery. Although small and lightweight for the power they produce, they do wear out in a couple of years […]

I have a bicycle which suits me fine – a fairly normal Ridgeback Supernova hybrid bike. I also have a brilliant double-trailer in which I take the children to and from nursery (a Croozer Kid for 2). This is all great, and the kids love the 3 mile journey to/from nursery (they often fall asleep […]

Background at: http://www.premier.org.uk/atheistprayerexperiment When I was a child, about 7 or 8, I bounded in from school one day with a “tee-hee naughty” look on my face, and proudly announced to my father “I don’t believe in God”. To which he raised an eyebrow and replied, “And what precisely is this God in which you don’t […]

Nick Clegg today attacked the UK’s second chamber of parliament, branding it “an unwelcome and pustulous stain on the democracy of this country.” “The voters haven’t asked for it to be in charge, and they don’t want it. All the upper house does is sit there looking a bit podgy and actively aiding the Tories […]