HAM

Alexio writes:

Hey Rob, who are all the other Trike dudes? They look pretty serious

5/10/2006 19:24:29

Alex writes:

Hey Rob,

Looking at that photo of lovely Moslem food is making my tummy rumble into overdrive here in this Greenpeace ship, as the food we are fed here is pretty awful, if truth be known. However, food aside, it's been a really positive experience, just being out here in the middle of nowhere in the Pacific, but I must admit I am rather looking forward to the next leg of the trip which is the Marine Reserves of Mexico - blue whales, spinner dolphins etc. Gonna be awesome. First up Hawaii...

Hey life is good for us both right now, so savour and enjoy!

And finally, in the words of a previous poster on your magnificent website, 'Wish you in the delectation of Peking!'

Alex
x

5/10/2006 20:46:44

Ｍㄒ∨ writes:

HI ROB
Radio station's wail aloud is such:The BG4 JUU(this is me)
Other of BG1JZD AND BG1IPM......
The name that you describe the good elephant is a spy
Everyone is smile

5/10/2006 22:41:22

mark j writes:

Hot meals on the road mate - the Hobbo's dinner. Wrap your meat and veg in tin foil and throw in the fire. By far the best way to cook on the road.

6/10/2006 4:43:38

mark j writes:

this was the stable of our diets while in alaska. No pots or pans and the food taste so good

6/10/2006 4:49:52

bruv writes:

bruv,
winter boots are finally en-route (well i think so? to HK or the address in china will remain to be seen). boots will take your tootsies down to a safe minus 67c.. Although your knees might snap and ya nose go black. Have no fear coz ya pinkies?........... they'll be roastie toastie!!

hope they arrive before the 8th. can u send me the contact for the friendly courier.

chuck it on the slate for now and keep on pedaling fella.... proud of ya

Beijing.... gunnna get a pic of the 3 of u (ditch, wheelie and yaself) on the wall for true winter chinese christmas card?
Hope boots match ditches winter booties - Gotta look the muts nuts (pardon the pun)

Chat soon - and email me a phone number to call u at for a catch up. its been ages.

Restaurant is 3 weeks off now so pace is picking up - hope yours is too.

all the best -Ya bruver

7/10/2006 0:54:42

Gary writes:

Rob,
Good to see your having a good time in Beijing. A word of caution mind, always think twice before throwing your meat and two veg on a fire!!
Can always rely on your bruv to do the homework and get you something for extreme conditions, kinda like his tent that got to the farthest reaches of Lantau Peak, well and our living room mind you that could be a pretty extreme envirnoment some evenings.

Take care fella, watch yourself on this next step, like you said, now it gets hardcore!!

Gary

7/10/2006 11:47:50

Rob writes:

Alexio -
Most cyclists seem to be more serious than me. I mean that I potter along, but just for a long time. No racing gear or helmet. Just a dog, some pants drying on my flag post and a single sock over the front light. Most cyclists are super keen and total enthausiasts. I just happen to be a bloke on a tricycle.... I could be riding a Poggo stick and I would still look like a non professional.

Alex-
On a voyage like yours, what you need is a good old fashion Cornish Pasty. Nothing like a eating a pasty whilst at sea. Bit of sea shanty, bit of a sea gull squark, glimpse of a dolphin or whale.... all set to the music of the Cornish Pasty.

MTV -
Xinjiang Elephant spies.


Mark J -
If I have no tin foil, can I roast the food in my shoes?

Brother -
-63 boots...... that should do the trick. May over heat though.. are they convertable, rag top down so my toes can blow kind of thing?
Didn't you order the pink fluffy knee warmers like I asked you to ?..........Love you.

Gary -
My Brother should be a specialist researcher for anyone wanting to find out all the infomation or options within the shortest possible space of time. When it comes to latest, newest, techiest, fastest, ultimate... then my brother knows.... and if he doesn't he'll be a highly read expert by the end of the day.

Back up plans and reserve parachutes. Self regulating what you ma callits and ultralight spatula's. Thats why he needs 4 tents. For storage.

7/10/2006 12:20:48

bruv writes:

somewhere in that lot theres appreciation.... have stopped researching through the lines looking.

Just like to add that it was a light weight camping titanium plate and that its 3 tents and one hammock. You never know when your tree falls where u can sleep the next night...... options... ...... mmmmm. yessss.... options....

Anyone wanna see my grab bag collection? quite impressive even if i say so myself - i know dad would marvel - right dad?

Gary wanna share your toolbox fetish with everyone? something else quite impressive.... although he's not got a decent drill yet..... borrowed mine coz i did the reasearch........

People weird collecting fetishes please confess here................come on u know you have em........


oooooo i feeel relieved its out in the open..... i'm off for more followup therapy..... who's next....

7/10/2006 17:14:16

Rob writes:

I'm next.

I too have a bag fetish. Pockets in the right places, right materials, easy to open, easy to close. Right clips and fasteners, right feel, right weight.

Tools.... is another....,Nothing like a good qulaity drill. 16.4v Dewalt is my favourite. Nicely weighted, feels right in the hand, heavy but has the right power when you need it. You know... emergency shelving situations.

I appreciate your research Dave. No mistaking. It is a marvel of the modern world.

Gary.. Tell us of your tool box's. Double tiered shelving, metal or plastic. Do you prefer a compartment on the top for screws and phillips attachments, or do you find that they tend to pop open, spilling the contents on the floor. Me personally I like to keep things in tuperware (dad, please add your tuperware comments)... that way each item is there when you need it. Neat and tidy. Keeping a tool box in good order is an art. I'd like to hear from a master,as I fail so often in this department.

Actually its not just bags. I like things that organise things, just because I am disorganised.

Wooooo.. its true. I feel lighter now its off my chest. Brother. I'll see you at the therapy session on Tuesday. Dad.. you going to be there too ?

7/10/2006 22:43:12

Gary writes:

Strange how habits/fetishes are passed down from our parents isn't it. At least thats what I like to blame them on.... I remember the year Dad got a Black & Decker Workmate bench thing.........hours of fun!!

As for my CURRENT toolbox. (I say current coz you never know the next time I try and walk past a tool shop and get sucked in by the tractor beam, always to find one with extra's on it.) The current one is plastic and has those handy tray boxes on the top, but sounds like I have encountered the same design flaw as you Rob, kept falling out and spilling the lot on the floor....of course this is actually good news as it means I have to keep an extra eye out for a new one with a more thought over design.

As for your Dad, last time I checked he had gone up market from the Tupperware and now uses Samsonite briefcases, which also have a neat stacking feature. Always brings back the Only Fools & Horses epsiode to mind, when they get the cheap briefcases with the combinations locked inside!!

Think I'll leave it at that eh....

Laters

Gary

7/10/2006 23:50:30

mark j writes:

Ditch's Caravan may be the "healthier" option. By now your shoes mixed with fire would probably alert the IAE.

8/10/2006 0:13:54

bruv writes:

come on !!!!

there's more of us out there.... you are not alone trust us.... let it go.... feel the burden lifted like the heavy sack /bag it truely is.... you wont regret it trust me.... i can literally skip now !!!! skip skip skip so i do nowadays !!!

let your true self come through this together with us.... if its diffficult then we understand but i'm sure gary has the right tool for the job, even if he cant quite find it or its spilled out on the floor......

.......talking of which do take the time to ask gary about his spill on his all terrian singin n dancing mountain bike (a trye marvel of engineering) in the middle of discovery bay plaza at 3mph 2 weeks ago.

Of course it was my fault for stopping infront of him a liitle tooo quick at such high speeds but it certainly didnt stop me from falling over laughing..... another ready and avid bike tourer (complete with deadly diskbrakes) in the making you watch!!! meanwhile looking a right narna whilst grazing his knee infront of kids with stabilizers.

It seems everyone wants to follow in mighty wheelies footsteps in someways and so we try even on lantau if its on 2 wheels, i've come off twice in mui wo but that was due to someone putting a curb infront of me when i was moderately (?) intoxicated on my birthday ....still i managed to clear the handlebars quite convincingly missing 2 caribou in the same split second...

Oh rob you inspiration u..... see what you've done

and yes dad......u definately have to attend this forum and explain your flare canisters and samsonite suitcases to the masses.........

skipty skip, skip skip i go til the next person tells us about there weird collecting habits..............

8/10/2006 3:37:56

bruv writes:

skipty skip , skipty skip

8/10/2006 3:43:19

Pat writes:

Rob,
My kids (remember the "Keep Rolling Ditch" poster?) have saved up $20 from their weekly allowances for doing helpful tasks around the house, and they've asked that it be sent to ChinaWheelie. In terms of the Big Bucket it's not much, but to them it's taken weeks and seems a fortune. I'm sending it (plus) as soon as I figure out Pay Pal.

Now, everybody, if two 7 year olds can muster up funds, how about the rest of us?

Hope you're taking a breather in Beijing and also hope you and Ditch have warm mittens and socks for the northland. (I sound like a real Mom, don't I?)

Take care,
Pat & Company in Kansas

9/10/2006 9:14:13

Rob writes:

Thanks guys....

Mittens are on the way !

9/10/2006 13:21:36

Mark (in London) writes:

Dave this tent they are talking about that made it to lantau was that the one you were using in Cornwall the hammock thing??
Incidently Rob, my girlfriend wants to know if you have had to use your tent yet on this road trip? As far as I can see you have managed to find a hostel/hotel so far but further up north/more remote regions??

9/10/2006 17:34:29

Rob writes:

Its true.... I haven't used my tent once since the start of the trip. After Chongqing I posted it back to Hong Kong as I thought there was little point in carrying it 4,000km with no where to pitch it. Everywhere is farmland and farmers. As it turned out there was quite a few opportunities during that section.....

There will be months of camping coming up so nevermind. The North East is more remote, but the west of China is very wild so will spend a lot of time out doors.

9/10/2006 17:51:50

Mark (in London) writes:

Yes we thought that, she has apparently spent some months treking in Nepal and those more remote regions. Not really my sort of thing. I prefer hot water and leisurly breakfasts...However as we are on a 'tool' theme I have always been interested in technical clothing. Even if I dont put it to extreme use I like the warmth/watreproofness available for general wear. Never quite got into that tupperware idea though and as for other tools if I cant fix it with a hammer then its broken full stop.

9/10/2006 18:04:30

Gary writes:

Hi Mark,

Well I love tools.......but strangely enough the only one I ever seem to use is a hammer!!!!! Something to do with stress relief I think. Normally I need to call a handyman round to fix things in the general vicinity to that item of which I was trying to fix!!
This was very evident one summer when Mike asked Dave and I if we wanted to earn a few quid knocking down the old building behind the Haven. Cries of Conan the Barbarian were heard throughout Ottery. Easy work, until he also told us we had to shovel the whole lot up which took us 2 days! Lucky we had a load of Cadbury's Choc Milk from Exeter Air Day otherwise we'd have never made it through. Funny though Dave's digestion has never been right since!!

10/10/2006 1:02:32

Cecilie writes:

May I remind you of the electric saw? The hand held variety that bites into the wood with such a lovely sound - wiiiieeeee wiiieeeee, and leaves a tiny dusty road behind it as it gnaws its way to the other side. Then comes the satisfying ker-plonk as the unwanted item hits the floor.

13/10/2006 9:04:59

ALi writes:

I like My Little Ponies.

Rob, you may think you are into organisation, but I sit next to the Rob shelf of Misery in the office , and i know its not true...

18/10/2006 17:50:51