I’ve not really been active here for a few weeks as I’ve been setting up a folding bike website. Yes I’m truly addicted to foldie life! We’re on a camping trip this weekend.
I suppose my bike matches my phone.
The world is foldable.
Author: Kris
Bassist. Cat servant. Everything is better shiny.
Topeak MTS DXP review
One of my reviews on Folding Bicycle Club.
Topeak are well known for their luggage fixing system which involves a special rack with a tongue and groove quick release system, however, they also do a number of their bags as strap versions so those of us without their racks can use them.
As someone with a factory fixed rack this interested me very much; and as someone who had bought cheap rear pack I was very much interested in not getting burned again so I splashed out and bought one of these from my local cycle shop after seeing it on display.
The Top MTS (the DXP is important – it means the bag has panniers) is a superbly solid top bag. Very stiff and with a good hard base to prevent it slobbing around on your rear rack.
Inside is a divider and a single pocket on the lid. In its smallest configuration it holds about 6…
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A little bit of history repeating itself.
Back in the late 90’s and early 00’s in the days before smartphones were really a thing I used to carry a PDA everywhere with me. Before the days of Palm, I had Psion. A Series 3a, and then a Series 5.
Psion had it nailed. The finest British innovation from Silicon Fen in Cambridgeshire, back before we became a nationalist hell-hole and decided that being an island suited us thankyouverymuch.
The beating heart of the Series 5 was a rather fancy ARM chip. In the 90’s ARM chips were so new that hardly any devices used them. Created by ARM holdings in the 80’s and debuted in the Acorn Archimedes around the time I was in 5th form at Comprehensive School, the ARM was mind-blowing. Destroying the Amiga and ST with 32 bit power in an era of 16 bit 68000 processors.
But I digress…
The form factor of the Series 3 and 5 was something I truly loved. Small, pocketable, and for such a small keyboard the one on the Series 5 is still legendary for being the best keyboard ever fitted on a pocket device.
Spin on to 2021… The third iteration of the Galaxy Z Fold arrives with us. The folding screen device has always intrigued me, but never been on my wish list for two reasons:
1. No IP rating
2. No S-pen
Enter, then, the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The first iteration with both of the above. Ok so the IP rating is IPx8 which means the dust ingress rating still isn’t there, but it has stylus support!
Mine arrived on Friday. Apparently demand for them has been stunningly high! It looks like everyone else has been waiting for the above to be a thing.
So, why did I refer to the Psion above?
Well I’m currently typing this post with mine in “flex” mode, half folded. It feels like I’m using a Series 3 again!
The Folding Bicycle Club
It’s been a while…
I’ve not been clubbing for ages, since the start of lockdown.
Would you go in a packed nightclub at the moment?
New van!
My new van was delivered on Friday. It’s the same as the old van, but those three years have made a small difference. The new one is now connected with 4G, and it has a few extra gadgets and toys.
I’m reviewing now.
I’m now reviewing for a website http://www.foldingbicycle.club – I’ve got to say I’m rather enjoying it. I’ve already had a freebie sent along to review.
In other news, well I had to take some of my earrings out for a few weeks as I caught them on a ceiling structural frame and ended up causing them to get infected. They’re back now and totally fine although not one of mine is the same size any more. I really need to get another pack!
Fitness keeps improving. I had to ride across Sheffield last week on the little DaHon and I did not feel tired at all even though I had to tackle a couple of hills. It’s amazing how far I’ve come in just 6 months from the first ride I did when I nearly passed out!
The last little bit of news is that we’re gigging again! Two weeks away till our first gig. I really can’t wait!
Of new phones and Nexdocks
I’m not sure if you’re aware but I broke my phone. I’m not sure if it was just me or if it was a particular turkey because since I got it the USB port always felt a bit bad and loose.
Anyway, after dealing with Samsung on Wednesday (sorry guys, great phones but your customer service sucks balls) and finding out I’d have to send off my means of business communication for anything up to 2 weeks, and with the risk that they could then send me a bill for an unspecified amount I decided to claim on my insurance.
I had one day without a phone yesterday and it felt like my arms had been cut off. I couldn’t get things like passcodes and manuals for things despite having a tablet (of course a WiFi dongle could allow me to use the tablet out and about). My watch acted as my phone but the text messages didn’t seem to come through as they should and it was just so limited.
So my service provider sorted me a new phone the next day. Same as the last one. Possibly only temporary anyway as I’m really liking the idea of the Fold 3. A lot of money yeah, but I think foldables are finally entering mainstream.
After an evening of setup and clearing the inevitable junk that’s appeared on it; and rationalising the installed apps (I’ve always previously restored from a backup but this time I had time to clean it up in the process of the restore) I’m up and running again.
Like I say the Fold 3 is really attracting me. Yeah it’s a downgrade on the camera as it’s back to what appears to be the Note 10 camera system (unless they surprise us) but the thought of a foldable has really cried out to me since the original Fold first appeared on the market.
Obviously I’d need to consider the s-pen issue (the new one works with the s-pen but unlike the Note there’s no dock in the phone to store this) – would I end up with a case to hold this too? Would I lose it? Will it be Bluetooth as I use the Bluetooth shutter release so much when I’m doing my photography.
So what about the new Nexdock?
Honesty, having used it briefly the USP of it flipping back to front isn’t a selling point. The Nexdock Touch is the better device. Sorry guys, but in your redesign you’ve taken away two features I really use.
1. USB – yes, USB C is a big thing now. But USB A is still commonplace and as someone who uses it a lot to get footage off drives getting rid of the USB A port is a killer. I don’t want dongles. It’s more crap to lose!
2. HDMI – they’ve gone down the route of mini HDMI. Again, more crap to carry. I can buy a HDMI cable in Poundland in an emergency – I often need to monitor CCTV systems and I need to use the customer’s existing architecture to plug in. HDMI is essential to me! I can’t be doing with non standard ports and dongles again. I know they supply you a cable, but again, more crap to carry!
I don’t think I’ll be ordering any more. Yeah for the common or garden user I’d say jump and get one if Samsung DeX is your thing; it’s just the old version is my favourite.
At last. A true “journey”.
After many months of riding from a place, to a point, and then back again (and not dropping a ring in a volcano in-between either), yesterday I finally did a proper journey.
I rode along the 5 weirs from Sheffield to Rotherham (via Hotel Chocolat of course!).
The start of my journey was Sheffield Cathedral. It’s an interesting building with a really beautiful church in there somewhere and then an odd modern extension on one end.
Via Hotel Chocolat I rode down to the start of the five quotes weirs. Again I found what I have found in other towns. The cycle network is very fragmented and often gets you lost (I know my way around Sheffield very well, but had I tried to follow the signs it would have been a very different matter).
The start of the five weirs (part of national cycle route 6) is a really cool bridge running through one of the wicker arches. The coolest thing being the really funky percussive sound your wheels make on the flooring they’ve used.
This bit is very Dutch in how it is laid out. I could imagine something like this in the Netherlands.
I carried on down the Don Valley, only to be disappointed that a section is closed and the diversion takes us along a section of the main road and has no cycle lanes. See what I mean about fragmented? Even though there are signs indicating cycles. Grr!
I carried on, losing the temporary signs at one point and so just carried on the way I know best; eventually making it back into the route near Meadowhall.
The rest of the route to Rotherham is both well maintained and clearly marked. It’s also fairly flat so for the most part I just stuck with seventh gear, occasionally dropping into sixth for the gentle hills. I have to say though that the first bit of the journey was very enjoyable. The middle bit was terrible (due to the closed sections) but once I reached Meadowhall it was a great ride and very picturesque.
Anyway here’s my map on Strava. I honestly can’t believe I’m actually doing these sorts of distances now. As kids we used to ride loads but never this sort of distance – but then we were on BMX bikes.
Another fitness post…
This week I crossed the 100kg boundary in the right direction (down). Now I’m aware how weight works and how a few hours later I could be back up at 101kg, but it was a delight to see the scales lose a digit.
Over the last few weeks I’ve been collecting together both my old and a little new camping gear, and I’ve started riding the cycle with a load on the rear rack to get me used to the feel of the extra weight.
Today I finally went out for the first time fully laden. The top bag on my panniers had two fire alarm batteries in to simulate the weight of my food and clothing. The total load is now just under 22kg:
The main items are listed below.
- Zelter Shelter 1.2kg
- Sleeping bag 1.0kg
- Mat 950g
- Thermal undermat 600g
- Stool 760g
- Kelly Kettle and accessories 900g
- Folding Curobot Stove 650g
- Pocket Tarp 300g
- Pans, cutlery etc. 1kg
- Panniers 600g
The big win is the Zelter Shelter. It really is an absolute Jack of all trades; a Swiss army knife of a tent/tarp/poncho which means that along with a lightweight rain coat you’re covered for pretty much a huge storm as you can use it as a tarp, or a poncho if required and then convert it into a tent and spend the night if you need to.
I’ve not spent the night yet but I did stop in a nice bit of woodland just off the trail and make a cup of coffee. Even though I have the Kelly Kettle on this occasion I chose to break in the new Curobot Stove which unlike the Kelly Kettle which is very much a one trick pony but does it’s one trick phenomenally week, this stove has a decent size burning pan to actually keep a fire with some warmth for a few hours, and because it’s got an ash tray you can stop it choking up on the burnt material.
