Monday, April 30, 2012

Kelley Blue Book Releases List of Top 10 Green Cars For 2010

Kelley Blue Book (KBB) has announced its list and choices for the top 10 green cars for the year of 2010. Despite the Toyota recall, its 50-mpg Toyota Prius tops the list of the top 10 cars. Kelley Blue Book puts Toyota Prius as the best car for its amazing fuel efficiency, solar powered ventilation system, high tech navigation and many other features.

Kelly Blue Book said, "To be considered for the green Top 10, each vehicle was required to offer fuel economy and CO2 emissions superior to the bulk of vehicles in its class and at the same time provide all the safety, creature comforts and driving enjoyment that would make it pleasant to own."

Auto maker, Ford is the only one that has appeared twice in the list, with Fusion Hybrid placed third and Escape Hybrid in the 6th place. GM has its Chevrolet Tahoe placed last, whereas Chrysler's car failed to make any appearance in the top 10 cars list.

Mentioned here is the full list of top 10 green cars in order from most fuel efficient to least fuel efficient.

1. Toyota Prius 50 mpg combined 2. Honda Insight Hybrid 41 mpg combined 3. Ford Fusion Hybrid 39 mpg combined 4. Volkswagen Golf TDI 34 mpg combined 5. MINI Cooper 32 mpg combined 6. Ford Escape Hybrid 32 mpg combined 7. Honda Fit 31 mpg combined 8. BMW 335d 27 mpg combined 9. Toyota Highlander Hybrid 22 mpg combined 10. Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid 22 mpg combined

For more information related to Car Industry News and Automobile Industry.





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Saturday, April 28, 2012

Tips for Shopping for a Car Online.

Shopping for a car online can save a lot of miles from being piled up on your friend's and family's cars. Shopping for a car on the Internet can also save your old beater from dying on the side of the highway, on your way to see a car that really wasn't even as good as the beater you are now driving. Using common sense, as in asking the right questions when dealing with a private seller, or just asking for a copy of the CARFAX report from used-car dealers. We all have our dream cars, a 1954 1/2 Corvette Stingray, a 1966 Mustang GT Fastback, or a 2009 Austin Mini Cooper, and finding that dream car can be just a few clicks away.

On the Internet, there are a lot of car dealing, trading and auctioning websites that cater to people who are looking for something that they can get their hands a little dirty on, fixing them up to code. When a car comes without a certified safety certificate, then there is no telling what problems may persist, but one thing to remember is that in many places, the car does not really even need a working engine to pass a safety. Anything that a safety covers is either mechanical or can be run off of the car's battery. Insisting upon a test drive, without prior permission is always a great idea when buying a car that was found online, and not through a reputable source, like Autotrader.com.

The reasoning behind being sneeky and asking for a test drive when you first go and see the car is that people can do quick fixes to make a car seem like it is nearly new. But after 40 or 50 miles, it starts falling apart, or spewing black smoke from the exhaust, and green and red fluids dripping from the engine and transmission areas. When you do take a car for a test drive, give it a real test. Drive the car a bit on the hard side, and see if she backfires when accelerated quickly to 55 mph, or if there is a pull or rattle on the steering wheel. Brake slowly and quickly, and see if there are any noises or jerking of the brake pedal. If any of these signs show up, walk away from the deal.

Finding a car by using the Internet can be very rewarding, as a lot of seniors are now getting hooked up online, to talk to their grandchildren, great grandchildren and their kids and other family and old friends. Finding a barely used 1972 Nova, or even a Cadillac with suicide doors is no longer just the luck of driving by an old farmhouse at the right time. But when you do see a really good deal show up online, it is best to just jump right at it, call the owner and go see if it fits your needs and wants.

Whether using a car selling site, a trading site like "usedCITY.com", where CITY is the name of the city you are looking for a car in, Craigslist, EBay, Kijiji or any of the other popular sites. You can even put the word out on your Facebook and Twitter accounts that you are in the hunt for a specific car, and if anyone sees one in good shape to give you a text or call. No longer is it one person looking in the classified ads and on the side of the roads, but a social network of my two friends, and their two friends, and their two friends, and their two friends, and so on.

When shopping for a car online, it is also best to ask for a CARFAX report, or if one is not made, then have a mechanic of your choice check the car over. Sometimes the lemon law and other laws put in place to help consumers is just a little too little, too late for most of the lower wage earners out there, looking for a cheap car to get to work during the week, and to where they have fun on theweekends.

Drive safe. Drive informed.





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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Top 10 Heist Movies

10. Ronin

Ronin is a 1998 action-thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer and written by J.D. Zeik and David Mamet. It stars Robert De Niro and Jean Reno as two of several former special forces and intelligence agents who team up to steal a mysterious, heavily guarded suitcase while navigating a maze of shifting loyalties and alliances. The film is noted for its sensational car chases. -Wikipedia.org

9. Quick Change

Quick Change is a 1990 comedy film starring Bill Murray, who also co-directed with the film's screenwriter Howard Franklin. Geena Davis, Randy Quaid, and Jason Robards co-star. Other cast members include Tony Shalhoub, Stanley Tucci, Phil Hartman, Victor Argo, Kurtwood Smith, Bob Elliott, and Philip Bosco.

It is based on a book of the same name by Jay Cronley. The film is set in New York City, particularly in Manhattan and Queens, with scenes taking place on the New York City Subway and within John F. Kennedy International Airport. Times Square, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty are also briefly seen. -Wikipedia.org

8. Panic Room

Panic Room is a 2002 American thriller film directed by David Fincher and written by David Koepp. The film stars Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam, Jared Leto, Kristen Stewart, and Patrick Bauchau. The story of it concerns a mother and a daughter hiding in a panic room during an invasion by three armed robbers aimed at millions of dollars stored in the house. -Wikipedia.org

7. The Italian Job

The Italian Job is a 2003 heist film directed by F. Gary Gray. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def, and Donald Sutherland. It is an American remake of the 1969 British film of the same name, and is about a team of thieves who plan to steal gold bullion from a former associate who double crossed them. Despite the shared title, the plot and characters of this film differ from those of its source material; Gray described the film as "an homage to the original."

Most of the film was shot on location in Venice and Los Angeles, where canals and streets, respectively, were temporarily shut down during principal photography. Produced by Paramount Pictures, The Italian Job was theatrically released in the United States on May 30, 2003, and grossed over $176 million worldwide. Critical response was generally positive, with publications highlighting the action sequences. The prominence of the BMW Mini Cooper automobiles in the film has been seen as a contemporary example of product placement. A sequel, The Brazilian Job, has reportedly been in development since 2004, but has yet to be produced as of 2010. -Wikipedia.org

6. The Good, the Bad, the Weird

The Good, the Bad, the Weird is a 2008 South Korean western film by Kim Ji-woon, starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, and Jung Woo-sung. It premiered on May 24, 2008 at the Cannes Film Festival and was inspired by Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The Good, the Bad, the Weird received generally positive reviews, scoring an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. -Wikipedia.org

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5. Office Space

Office Space is a 1999 American comedy film written and directed by Mike Judge. It satirizes work life in a typical 1990s software company, focusing on a handful of individuals who are fed up with their jobs. The film's sympathetic portrayal of ordinary IT workers garnered it a cult following among those in that profession, but the film also addresses themes familiar to office workers and white collar employees in general.

It was filmed in Las Colinas, Texas and Austin, Texas. Office Space is based on the Milton series of cartoons created by Mike Judge. Office Space was Mike Judge's foray into live action film and his second full length motion picture release (the first being the animated Beavis and Butt-head Do America). The promotional campaign for Office Space often associated it with Beavis and Butt-head, leading audiences to expect the brand of humor of the creator's previous animated efforts rather than the relatively low-key ironic humor of the film. -Wikipedia.org

4. Inside Man

Inside Man is a 2006 crime-drama film directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Willem Dafoe and Jodie Foster. The film's screenplay was written by Russell Gewirtz and produced by Brian Grazer. It was released in North America and several European markets on March 23 and 24, 2006. The film was shot on location in New York City and features an expansive and diverse ensemble cast.

In addition to being a cerebral action-oriented thriller, the film handles issues of good and evil in unexpected sources, corruption, prejudice, multiculturalism in United States (and New York City in particular) post-September 11, 2001, and leaves several interpretations of right and wrong open to the audience. The title comes from several meanings of the term "inside man" and therefore is a use of word play. -Wikipedia.org

3. Point Break

Point Break is a 1991 action film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, and Gary Busey. The title refers to the surfing term "point break". The film was a box office success upon its release and it has since gathered a cult following. Point Break was released on July 12, 1991 in 1,615 theaters, grossing $8.5 million on its opening weekend. With a budget of $24 million, the film went on to make $43.2 million in North America and $40.3 million internationally for a worldwide total of $83.5 million.

The film received positive to mixed reviews from critics. Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote "Bigelow is an interesting director for this material. She is interested in the ways her characters live dangerously for philosophical reasons. They aren't men of action, but men of thought who choose action as a way of expressing their beliefs." -Wikipedia.org

2. The First Great Train Robbery

The First Great Train Robbery known in the U.S. as The Great Train Robbery is a 1979 film directed by Michael Crichton, who also wrote the screenplay based on his novel The Great Train Robbery. The film starred Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland and Lesley-Anne Down.

The story is loosely based on the Great Gold Robbery of 1855, in which a cracksman called William Pierce (named Edward Pierce in Crichton's book and film) engineered the theft of a train-load of gold being shipped to the British Army during the Crimean War; 12,000 (equal to 809,417 today) in gold coin and ingots from the London to Folkestone passenger train was stolen by Pierce and his accomplices, a clerk in the railway offices called Tester, and a skilled screwsman called Agar.

The robbery was a year in the planning and involved making sets of duplicate keys from wax impressions for the locks on the safes and bribing the train's guard, a man called Burgess. The plot was inspired by Kellow Chesney's 1970 book 'The Victorian Underworld' , which is a comprehensive examination into the more sordid aspects of Victorian society. -Wikipedia.org

1. Heat

Heat is a 1995 American crime film written and directed by Michael Mann. It stars Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Val Kilmer. De Niro plays Neil McCauley, a professional thief, while Pacino plays Lt. Vincent Hanna, veteran LAPD homicide detective whose explosive temper and devotion to his job causes him to neglect those closest to him.

The central conflict of the film was based on the experiences of former Chicago police officer Chuck Adamson and his pursuit of a criminal named McCauley in the 1960s, from which the name of De Niro's character was derived. The film is technically a remake of L.A. Takedown, a 1989 made-for-television film which was also written and directed by Mann; Mann had been trying to get Heat made for over a decade, and created L.A Takedown as a simplified version after his efforts were unsuccessful. Heat was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $187 million worldwide. -Wikipedia.org

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Monday, April 23, 2012

What You Must Know About Tires

Routine maintenance of the car is very important; change oil, make sure the tyres are in good condition. When you are looking for tires for sale, whether they are used or brand new, there are some things that you want to check. Your own safety and that the family is one of the priorities in mind and with it, you should consider the following questions when buying tires. Tire sales Before you buy a set of tires, be sure to go through them very well. You can get a large number of used tyres, which takes a long time, but it is important to make sure they are good tyres. Look for cracks, bumps and the protection of individuals with regard to documents on rubber. It's a good idea to check the tread and sidewall sprinklers to check whether the tires in good condition or not. If substantial queues, wear or pieces you absolutely do not buy tires installed.Also check to see if the tyres were worn unevenly. Sometimes this happens when the rings were used in the car, which had a problem with the adjustment. Tyre wear unevenly, the possibility that it will last a long time probably won't have the money, even if it is used. Buying tires for sale Whether you buy tires for use or not, you need to check and make sure that you are looking for the right size. There are so many different types of rings that you want to make sure that you get for your needs. Such as snow tires, performance tires, tires, and many others.If the climate is mild live and driving only roads and highways, you simply all season deck needs traffic processing. If you live in an area where snow is common and you will be safer, you can buy snow tires or all templates that are at the end of the season at the top of M + S [1] [2]. If you are not sure whether to buy a bus seller, you can speak or express their views.When you search for tires for sale you will definitely get the best. Compare prices on tires that are available in various locations. So you know what you want to get the features and price compared to other leading tyre sales channels. Shopping is also available and can be a great way to quickly compare prices, so you get better. It is impo rtant to maintain your car buying rings are a problem, whether they are sold or not.





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Sunday, April 22, 2012

Shakespeare Getting Bored With Life

Shakespeare Getting Bored with Life

Shakespeare (1564-1616), the Bard of Avon, the greatest English poet, was getting bored with life in his last plays Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale and The Tempest, as well as the collaboration, Pericles, Prince of Tyre. In Shakespeares swansong The Tempest, Prosperos speech "Our revels now are ended is a clear testimony to this fact:

In the above speech by Prospero, Shakespeare reveals a subtle sense of renunciation as he feels that there is nothing substantial in life. Life is a dream, and far from truth.

Moreover, in this last play the character of magical spirit Aerial does not seem to be true to life.

The last plays of Shakespeare are more serious in tone than his comedies. We remember that the whole play Macbeth is steeped in darkness; the sun never shines in this tragedy. On the other hand, in Shakespeares last plays we notice the serene spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness. This proves that Shakespeare was losing interest in life in the closing period of his writing.

It might be added that Matthew Arnold aptly says that the critics try their best to unravel the mystery of his plays, but Shakespeare doesn't answer our queries:

Others abide our question. Thou art free. We ask and ask--Thou smilest and art still, Out-topping knowledge. For the loftiest hill, Who to the stars uncrowns his majesty,

Planting his steadfast footsteps in the sea, Making the heaven of heavens his dwelling-place, Spares but the cloudy border of his base To the foil'd searching of mortality;

And thou, who didst the stars and sunbeams know, Self-school'd, self-scann'd, self-honour'd, self-secure, Didst tread on earth unguess'd at.--Better so!

All pains the immortal spirit must endure, All weakness which impairs, all griefs which bow, Find their sole speech in that victorious brow.

The above criticism by Arnold makes it clear that it is not possible to tackle the Shakespearean mystery in his last plays. The surest way to know his message is to peruse the plays again and again.

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Saturday, April 21, 2012

The Wilder Ford Ranger

The UK has also seen a rise in interest for 4x4 and SUV Vehicles. You may have noticed a few more of these vehicles on the road too.

The Ford Ranger is one of these vehicles becoming popular very quickly and Ford has recognised this. There is a special edition of the Ranger called the Ranger Wildtrak which appears to be more popular than the other models. It is specifically designed around the outdoor adventure sports enthusiast looking for head turning looks and practical functionality.

Ford claims that with its outstanding selectable 4x4 capability, the Ranger Wildtrak is the ideal vehicle to transport the active sportsperson to the most extreme terrain, anywhere in the world. The Wildtrak model is easily distinguishable by its unique front grille, functional roof bars and side steps. A stylish front over-rider, unique aluminium sports bar and colour-coded door handle protectors at the side and rear.

The extra practically does not mean less luxury features inside; the interior is still as luxurious as a typical family car. The Wildtrak was in fact the first UK Ford model to come with a fully integrated DAB digital radio with MP3 technology as part of the standard specification.

Standard specification in the special edition Ford Ranger Wildtrak includes:

ABS Driver and passenger airbags Air-Conditioning Two-tone leather dark grey/light grey interior Blaupunkt DAB54 digital radio with MP3 technology Scuff plates Electric windows and mirrors Roll 'n' lock "Mountain Top" Tonneau cover Sports bar Roof bars Bed-liner Side step rails Rear stop bar Five-spoke alloy wheels Unique Wildtrak side and rear decaling



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Friday, April 20, 2012

F1 Cars

INTRODUCTION

Car racing is one of the most technologically advanced sports in the world today. Race Cars are the most sophisticated vehicles that we see in common use. It features exotic, high-speed, open-wheel cars racing all around the world. The racing teams have to create cars that are flexible enough to run under all conditions.This level of diversity makes a season of F1 car racing incredibly exciting. The teams have to completely revise the aerodynamic package, the suspension settings, and lots of other parameters on their cars for each race, and the drivers have to be extremely agile to handle all of the different conditions they face. Their carbon fiber bodies, incredible engines, advanced aerodynamics and intelligent electronics make each car a high-speed research lab. A F1 Car runs at speeds up to 240 mph, the driver experiences G-forces and copes with incoming data so quickly that it makesCar driving one of the most demanding professions in the sporting world.F1 car is an ama zing machine that pushes the physical limitations of automotive engineering.On the track, the driver shows off his professional skills by directing around an oval track at speeds

GENERAL COCKPIT ENVIRONMENT

Every possible button and switch must be close at hand as the driver has limited movement due to tightness of the seat belts. The cockpit is also very cramped, and drivers often wear knee pads to prevent bruising. The car designers are forever trying to lower the centre of gravity of the car, and as each car has a mass of 600 Kg, with the driver's being roughly 70 Kg, he is an important factor in weight distribution. This often means that the drivers are almost lying down in their driving position. The trend towards high noses led one driver to comment that his driving position felt like he was lying in the bath with his feet up on the taps!

As the driver sits so low, his forward visibility is often impaired. Some of the shorter drivers can only see the tops of the front tyres and so positioning his car on the grid accurately can be a problem. You may see a mechanic holding his hand where the top of the front tyre should stop during a pit-stop to help the driver stop on his correct mark. Rear view mirrors are angled to see through the rear wing and drivers often like to set them so that they can just see the rear wheel.

Around the drivers head there is a removable headrest / collar. This was introduced in an attempt to protect the drivers neck in a sideways collision. Some drivers also wear knee pads to prevent their knees banging together during hard cornering.

Aerodynamics

One of the most important features of a formula1 Car is its aerodynamics package. The most obvious manifestations of the package are the front and rear wings, but there are a number of other features that perform different functions. A formula 1 Car uses air in three different ways introduction of wings. Formula One team began to experiment with crude aerodynamic devices to help push the tires into the track.

WINGTHEORY

The wings on an F1 car use the same principle as those found on a common aircraft, although while the aircraft wings are designed to produce lift, wings on an F1 car are placed 'upside down', producing downforce, pushing the car onto the track. The basic way that an aircraft wing works is by having the upper surface a different shape to the lower. This difference causes the air to flow quicker over the top surface than the bottom, causing a difference in air pressure between the two surfaces. The air on the upper surface will be at a lower pressure than the air below the wing, resulting in a force pushing the wing upwards. This force is called lift. On a racing car, the wing is shaped so the low pressure area is under the wing, causing a force to push the wing downwards. This force is called downforce.

As air flows over the wing, it is disturbed by the shape, causing what is known as form or pressure drag. Although this force is usually less than the lift or downforce, it can seriously limit top speed and causes the engine to use more fuel to get the car through the air. Drag is a very important factor on an F1 car, with all parts exposed to the air flow being streamlined in some way. The suspension arms are a good example, as they are often made in a shape of a wing, although the upper surface is identical to the lower surface. This is done to reduce the drag on the suspension arms as the car travels through the air at high speed.

The reason that the lower suspension arm has much less drag is due to the aspect ratio. The circular arm will suffer from flow separation around the suspension arm, causing a higher pressure difference in front of and behind the arm, which increases the pressure drag. This occurs because the airflow has to turn sharply around the cylindrical arm, but it cannot maintain a path close to the arm due to the speed of the flow, causing a low pressure wake to form behind it. The lower suspension arm in the diagram will cause no flow separation as the aspect ration between the width and the height is much greater, and the flow can maintain the smooth path around the object, creating a smaller pressure difference between the air in front of the arm and the air behind. In the bottom case, the skin friction drag will increase, but this is a minor increase compared with the pressure drag.

REARWING

As more wing angle creates more downforce, more drag is produced, reducing the top speed of the car. The rear wing is made up of two sets of aerofoil connected to each other by the wing endplates. The top aerofoil top provides most of the downforce and is the one that is varied the most from track to track. It is now made up of a maximum of three elements due to the new regulations. The lower aerofoil is smaller and is made up of just one element. As well as creating downforce itself, the low pressure region immediately below the wing helps suck air through the diffuser, gaining more downforce under the car. The endplates connect the two wings and prevent air from spilling over the sides of the wings, maximizing the high pressure zone above the wing, creating maximum downforce.

FRONTWING

Wing flap on either side of the nose cone is asymmetrical. It reduces in height nearer to the nose cone as this allows air to flow into the radiators and to the under floor aerodynamic aids. If the wing flap maintained its height right to the nose cone, the radiators would receive less air flow and therefore the engine temperature would rise. The asymmetrical shape also allows a better airflow to the under floor and the diffuser, increasing downforce. The wing main plane is often raised slightly in the centre, this again allows a slightly better airflow to the under floor aerodynamics, but it also reduces the wing's ride height sensitivity. A wing's height off the ground is very critical, and this slight raise in the centre of the main plane makes react it more subtlety to changes in ride height. The new- regulations state that the outer thirds of the front wing must be raised by 50mm, reducing downforce. Some teams have lowered the central section to try to get some extra f ront downforce, at the compromise of reducing the quality of the airflow to the underbody aerodynamics.

As the wheels were closer to the chassis, the front wings overlapped the front wheels when viewed from the front. This provided unnecessary turbulence in front of the wheels, further reducing aerodynamic efficiency and thus contributing to unwanted drag. To overcome this problem, the top teams made the inside edges of the front wing endplates curved to direct the air towards the chassis and around the wheels.Later on and throughout the season, many teams introduced sculpted outside edges to the endplates to direct the air around the front wheels. This was often included in the design change some teams introduced to reduce the width of the front wing to give the wheels the same position relative to the wing in previous years.

The interaction between the front wheels and the front wing makes it very difficult to come up with the best solution, and consequently almost all of the different teams have come up with different designs! The horizontal lips in the middle of the endplate help force air around the tyres, whilst the lip at the bottom of the plate helps stop any high pressure air entering the low pressure zone beneath the wing, as it is the low pressure here which creates the downforce.

BARGEBOARDS

They are mounted between the front wheels and the side pods, but can be situated in the suspension, behind the front wheels. Their main purpose is to smooth the turbulent airflow coming from the front wheels, and direct some of this flow into the radiators, and the rest around the side of the side pods.

They have become much more three dimensional in their design, and feature contours to direct the airflow in different directions. Although the bargeboards help tidy the airflow around the side pods, they may also reduce the volume of air entering the radiators, so reaching a compromise between downforce and cooling is important.

DIFFUSER

Invisible to the spectator other than during some kind of major accident, the diffuser is the most important area of aerodynamic consideration. This is the underside of the car behind the rear axle line. Here, the floor sweeps up towards the rear of the car, creating a larger area of the air flowing under the car to fill. This creates a suction effect on the rear of the car and so pulls the car down onto the track.

The diffuser consists of many tunnels and splitters which carefully control the airflow to maximize this suction effect. As the exhaust gases from the engine and the rear suspension arms pass through this area, its design is critical. If the exhaust gases are wrongly placed, the car has changed its aerodynamic balance when the driver comes on and off the throttle. Some teams have moved the exhausts so that they exit from the engine cover instead to make the car more stable when the driver comes on and off the throttle. The pictureaboveshows what the complex arrangement of tunnels look like at the back of the car:

Engine

With ten times the horse-power of a normal road car, a Formula On engine produces quite amazing performance. With around 900 moving parts, the engines are very complex and must operate at very high temperatures. Engines are currently limited to 3 litre, normally aspirated with 10 cylinders. These engines produce approximately 900 - 850 bhp and are made from forged aluminum alloy, and they must have no more than five valves per cylinder. In a quest to reduce the internal inertia of the moving parts, some components have been manufactured from ceramics. These materials are very strong in the direction they need to be, but have a very low density meaning that it takes less force to accelerate them, ideal for reducing the fuel consumption and efficiency of the engine. A similar material, beryllium alloy has been used, but the safety of it has been questioned.

WHAT MAKES THESE ENGINES DIFFERENT TO ROAD CAR ENGINES?

You can often see road cars with engines larger than three liters, but these don't produce upwards of 750 bhp. So how do F1 engineers produce this amount of power from this size of engine? There are many differences between racing and road car engines that contribute to the large power difference.

F1 engines are designed to rev much higher than road units. Having double the revs should double the power output as there are twice as many engine cycles within a certain time. Unfortunately, as the revs increase, so does friction within the engine, so eventually, a point is reached where maximum power will occur, regardless of the number of revs. Running engines at high revs also increases the probability of mechanical failure as the components within the engines are being more highly stressed.

Exotic materials such as ceramics as mentioned earlier are employed to reduce the weight and strength of the engine. A limit of what materials can be used has been introduced to keep costs down, so only metal based (ferrous) materials can be used for the crankshaft and cams. Exotic materials can reduce the weight, and are often less susceptible to expansion with heat, but there can be draw backs. Incorporating these materials next to ferrous materials can cause problems. An exotic material such as carbon fibre will not expand as much as steel for example, so having these together in an engine would ruin the engine, as they run to such small tolerances. Although only 5% of the engine is built of such materials (compared with roughly 1/3 rd Steel, 2/3 rds Aluminum) they still make a worthwhile addition to power output.

Transmissions

Just like in your family road car, F1 cars have a clutch, gearbox and differential to transfer the 800 bhp into the rear wheels. Although they provide the same function as on a road car, the transmission system in an f1 car is radically different.

CLUTCH

The engine is linked directly to the clutch, fixed between the engine and gearbox. Some manufacturers produce Carbon/Carbon F1 clutches which must be able to tolerate temperatures as high as 500 degrees. The clutch is electro-hydraulically operated and can weigh as little as 1.5 kg.

They are multi-plate designs that are designed to give enhanced engine pick-up and the lightweight deigns mean that they have low inertia, allowing faster gear changes. The drivers do not manually use the clutch apart from moving off from standstill, and when changing up the gears, they simply press a lever behind the wheel to move to the next ratio. The on-board computer automatically cuts the engine, depresses the clutch and switches ratios in the blink of an eye. In F1 cars, clutches are 100 mm in diameter.

GEAR BOX

F1 car gearboxes are different to road car gearboxes in that they are semi-automatic and have no synchromesh. They are sequential which means they operate much like a motorcycle gearbox, with the gears being changed by a

DIFFERENTIAL

To enable the rear wheels to rotate at different speeds around a corner, F1 cars use differentials much like any other forms of motorized vehicle. Formula One cars use limited-slip differentials to help maximize the traction out of corners, compared to open differentials used in most family cars. The open differential theoretically delivers equal torque to both drive wheels at all times, whereas a limited slip device uses friction to change the torque relationship between the drive wheels.

Electro-hydraulic devices are used in F1 to constantly change the torque acting on both of the drive wheels at different stages in a corner. This torque relationship can be varied to 'steer' the car through corners, or prevent the inside rear wheel from spinning under harsh acceleration out of a bend.

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Tyres & Wheels

TYRES

F1 tyres must be able to withstand very high stresses and temperatures, the normal working temperature at the contact patch is around 125 degrees Celsius, and the tyre will rotate at about 3000 rpm at top speed. The tyres are filled with a special nitrogen rich, moisture free gas to make sure the pressure will not alter depending on where it was inflated. The tyres are made up of four essential ingredients: carbon blacks, polymers, oils and special curatives. During a race weekend, the teams can choose between two compounds of dry tyres to use during qualifying and the race. Normally, a hard and a softer compound tyre will be brought to the track, with the teams deciding before qualifying which compound to use for the rest of the weekend. The softer tyre will give a bit more grip, but will wear and blister more quickly than the hard tyre.

The picture below shows the three types of tyres that can be used.. The dry tyre has four circumferential grooves to reduce the 'contact patch' that decreases cornering speeds. The wet tyre can only be used when the track is declared officially 'wet' by the Stewards of the race. This tyre type must have a 'land' area of 75% (the area that touches the track) whilst the channels to remove the water must make up the remaining 25% of the tyre area. The intermediate tyre is used during changeable conditions when it is still slightly damp. If a wet tyre is used when the track is not actually very wet, the tread overheats, losing grip. An intermediate choice channels out water without overheating as much as a wet tyre.

Tyres are of paramount importance on a racing car as they are the sole suppliers of grip. Each tyre has about the area of an adults palm touching the ground, (this area is called the contact patch) and this area must be maximized by the suspension to create as much grip as possible. The set-up of the car's suspension is designed to maximize the contact patch during cornering, acceleration and braking. Although there are some variables involved with the tyres, most of the factors that control the behavior of the contact patch are induced by the suspension set-up.

The pressure of the tyres is a critical factor in the car's performance. As well as determining the amount of lateral movement of the tyre, the pressures are critical to the movement of the suspension. As the tyre walls are so large, about half of the vertical movement of the car comes from the squashing of the tyre walls, with the rest in the springs or torsion bars in the suspension.

Current F1 tyres must have four grooves around them to comply with the rules which were issued as a way on controlling the cornering speed of the cars. The picture above shows the dimensions of the grooves:

WHEELS

F1 wheels are usually made from forged magnesium alloy due its low density and high strength. They are machined in one piece to make them as strong as possible, and are secured onto the suspension uprights by a single central locking wheel nut. This 'lock' is quickly pushed in to release the wheel during a pit stop, and the tyre changer then pulls it again to lock the wheel once the tyres have been changed.

. Once at the track, teams deliver their bare wheel rims to the tyre manufacturers truck where the tyres are put onto the rims with special machines. The tyres are then inflated and delivered back to the teams.

WHEEL TETHERS

F1 cars have had to fit wheel tethers connecting the wheels to the chassis. This rule was introduced to try to stop wheels coming free and bouncing around dangerously during an accident. The tether must attach to the chassis at one end, with the other end connecting to the wheel hub.

The tethers used in F1 are a derivative of high performance marine ropes, made especially for each car. They are made from a special polymer called polybenzoaoxide (PBO) which is often called Zylon. This Zylon material has a very high strength and stiffness characteristic (around 280GPa) much like carbon, but the advantage of Zylon is that it can be used as a pure fibre unlike carbon which has to be in composite form to gain its strength. The drawback of Zylon is that is must be protected from light, so it is covered in a shrink wrapped protective cover. The tethers are designed to withstand about 5000 kg of load, but often they can break quite easily during an accident, especially if the cable gets twisted by the broken suspension members. The teams normally replace the tethers every two or three races to ensure that they can withstand the loads put on them during an accident.

The Suspensions

The setup of a cars suspension has a great influence on how it handles on the track, whether it produces under steer, over steer or the more useful neutral balance of a car. On an F1 car, the suspension must be soft enough to absorb the many undulations and bumps that a track may possess, including the riding of some vicious yet time-saving curbs. On the other hand, the suspension should be sufficiently hard so that the car does not bottom out when traveling at 200 mph with about 3 tons of downforce acting on it.

Most of the team's suspension systems are similar, but they take two forms. The first is the traditional coil spring setup, common in most modern cars. The second is the torsion bar setup. A torsion bar does the same job as a spring but is more compact. Both forms of suspension are mounted on the chassis above the drivers legs at the front of the car, and on top of the gearbox at the rear. The pictures below left show the typical suspension setup and the spring and a torsion bar:

A bump is absorbed by the spring compressing, and then contracting. A Torsion bar absorbs a bump by twisting one way, then twisting back.

SPRINGS & TORSION BARS

The springs or torsion bars are the parts of the suspension that actually absorb the bumps. In simple terms, the softer the suspension on the car, the quicker it will travel through a corner. This has the adverse effect of making the car less sensitive to the drivers input, causing sloppy handling. A harder sprung car will have less mechanical grip through the corner, but the handling will be more sensitive and more direct.

To gain more grip, the engineers cannot simply soften the springs all round. This may increase grip up to a point, but there are many adverse effects that will occur. Firstly, the car may bottom out when under the influence of aerodynamic load when traveling at high speed. Secondly, the car will suffer body-roll in the corners which will influence the angle of the tyres with the road, reducing overall grip. The final point is that the car will pitch forwards and backwards under the influence of hard acceleration or braking. This effect the cars aerodynamics, especially the grip obtained from the airflow under the car.

DAMPERS

Often called shocks absorbers, dampers provide a resistance for the spring to work against. The purpose of this is to prevent the spring from oscillating too much after hitting a bump. Ideally, the spring would contract over a bump, and then expand back to its usual length straight afterwards.

This requires a damper to be present as without one the spring would contracted expand continually after the bump, providing a rather horrible ride The way that dampers operate can be tuned to alter the handling. The 'bump' and 'rebound' characteristics can be altered to control how quickly they contract and expand again.

THE BRAKES

F1 cars use disc brakes like most road cars, but these brakes are designed to work at 750 degrees C and are discarded after each race. The driver needs the car to be stable under heavy braking, and is able to adjust the balance between front and rear braking force from a dial in the cockpit. The brakes are usually set-up with 60% of the braking force to the front, 40% to the rear. This is because as the driver hits the brakes, the whole weight of the car is shifted towards the front, and the rear seems to get lighter. If the braking force was kept at 50% front and rear, the rear brakes would lock up as there would be less force pushing the rear tyres onto the track under heavy braking.

For qualifying, when longevity of the brake discs is not important, teams often run thinner discs to reduce the weight of the car. Race discs are 28 mm thick (the maximum allowed) where the special qualifying discs are often as thin as 21 mm. Teams often run either very small or in some cases no front brake ducts during qualifying to gain an aerodynamic advantage

The rotating discs are gripped by a caliper which squeezes the disc when the brake pedal is pushed. Brake fluid is pushed into pistons within the caliper which push the brake pads towards the disc and pushes against it it slow the wheel. The discs are often drilled so that air will flow through and keep the temperature down.

These master cylinders contain the brake fluid for both the front and rear brakes. The front and rear systems are connected separately so if one circuit would fail, the driver would still have either the front or rear system with which to slow the car. Also visible is the steering rack and the plumbing for the power steering system.

Costs

HOW MUCH DOES AN F1 CAR COST TO MAKE?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions by spectators and this section will try to get an overall total to design and build one Formula 1 car. The table below outlines the main parts of the car and how much each part costs:

Each part costs:

PARTS AMOUNTSINGLE PRICE ()AMOUNT NEEDED TOTAL ()

Monocoque112 3601112.360

Bodywork802618.026

Rear Wing12842112.842

Front Wing16051116.051

Engine2407701240.770

Gearbox1284111128.411

Gear Ratios (set)1123601112.360

Exhaust System963119.631

Telemetry1284111128.411

Fire Extinguisher321026.420

Brake Discs96443.856

Brake Pads64285.136

Brake Callipers16051464.205

Wheels112444.496

Tyres64242.568

Shock Absorber208748.346

Pedals (set)160511.605

Dashboard321013.210

Steering System481514.815

Steering Wheel32103132.103

Fuel Tank963219.632

Suspension321013.210

Wiring802618.026

GRAND TOTAL 926.490

In addition to the build costs, thousands of pounds will be spent on designing the car. Design costs include the making of models, using the wind tunnel and paying crash test expenses etc. The cost of producing the final product will be 7.700.000

RANDOM FACTS:

In an F1 engine revving at 18,000 rpm, the piston will travel up and down 300 times a second.

The piston only moves around 50 mm but will accelerate from 0 - 100 kmh and back to 0 again in around 0.0025 seconds.

If a connecting rod let go of its piston at maximum engine speed, the piston would have enough energy to travel vertically over 100 meters.

If a water hose were to blow off, the complete cooling system would empty in just over a second.

F1 cars have 3 built in pneumatic jacks that can jack the car up in less than a second during the pit stop.

An F1 car has as many as 8 radios in operation at a time.



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Thursday, April 19, 2012

Some Useful Plants And Their Products

Agriculture, or the practice growing crops, has come a long way since then. In this chapter, we will study the methods we use or cultivating crops and rearing animals. We will also touch upon the usefulness of some microorganisms.

Useful of plats

Food, fiber, timber, oil beverages, medicines and flavoring agents are among the useful products that plants give us. Some of these products and the plants we get them from are listed in the table.

Rubber production

Rubber is a useful plant product not mentioned in the table. We make it from the latex of rubber trees and use it o make tyres, shoes and gloves, among other things. Gum, obtained from Acacia trees, is used to make glue. Resin, extracted from coniferous trees, is used to make varnishes and paints.

From ancient times, people in different parts o the world have used medicinal plants to cure illnesses. Nee, turmeric, Tulasi, aswagandha, sarpagandha and amla have been used n India for centuries. Quinine, used in the treatment of malaria, is made from the bark of Cinchona trees.

Fish meat, chicken, White milk, sweet honey, wool, leather, silk and lac, are some products we get from animals and bids. We also use animals to do farm work and transport goods and people. Animals reared for such work are called draught animals.

And the extra animal has been used traditionally to make manure and dung cakes.

Some useful plants and their products

Products plants

a) Cereals rice, wheat, maize, barley

b) Oil mustard, groundnut, castor, linseed, coconut, sesame

c) Pulses gram, pea, bean, Soya bean

d) Fruit banana, mango, orange, apple, guava

e) Vegetables cabbage, cauliflower, potato, tomato, brinjal

f) Beverages tea, coffee, cocoa

g) Fibers cotton, jute, flax, hemp

h) Spices clove cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, pepper, coriander

i) Timber sal, teak, pine, sissoo

j) Sugar sugarcane, beet

k) Paper bamboo, pine, bagasse (sugar cane)



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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Trek 1200 Racer - How To Be Like Lance Armstrong

Trek History *************** Trek is an American company which was started in 1976 in a barn in Waterloo, Wisconsin.

By 1980 the company had outgrown it's original factory and moved to new premises. The owners decided to keep the company in its 'home town' of Waterloo.

In 1982 Trek started producing road racing bikes and the 750/050 series was born.

Trek became global in 1989 and the first overseas subsidiaries were formed in Great Britain and Germany.

By 2005 Trek had the largest dealer base with the bikes being available in 90 different countries. At that time Trek had 10 subsidiaries and over 70 distributors.

Arguably, it was the 'great' Lance Armstrong who raised the profile of the Trek brand within the road racing community. In 1997 Lance Armstrong was dropped from his European cycling team after being diagnosed with cancer. What a mistake that was....

Lance Armstrong joined forces with Trek and In 1999 became the first American on an American bike riding for the American team to win the Tour De France. Lance's popularity was so great that the bike developed for the American team, the OCLV carbon 5200, became the biggest selling road bike ever.

Trek 1200 Spec ****************** The Trek 1200 is described as an entry level racer although it does have a few high spec components to it:

Frame ********** The frame is a Trek Alpha SL butted comfort aluminium frame. Whilst not the lightest frame around it is still noticeably lighter than that of my mountain bike, and being a recreational rider I would not notice the difference in weight to other entry level racers in its class.

Forks ******** Most of the bikes in the price range of the Trek 1200 have aluminium forks as standard.

The Trek comes with a carbon fork with alloy steerer which are usually associated with more expensive bikes. Again, whilst being a recreational rider I would not notice the difference between the carbon or aluminium it is nice to say "my bike has carbon forks".

Gearing *********** The Trek comes with Shimano gears which is good because they are well known for their quality and reliability, as well as being easy to work on. In addition to this, I do not like the shifters on Campag gears.

The Trek has Tiagra gears and a 105 front and rear mech. Whilst these are not at the upper end of the Shimano gear range the are still a higher spec than most bikes in this class which have Shimano Sora all round.

Gear shifters ************** The trek has Shimano Tiagra Sti gear shifters. This means that both the gear shifter are levers, as opposed to one being a lever (easily reachable wherever the hands are on the handlebars) and one being a small button on the hoods (difficut to reach when on the drop bars, if like me, you have small hands).

The Tiagra Sti gear shifters also allow the use of the Shimano flightdeck cycle computer which has the added advantage of showing cadence.

Most bikes in this class have lower spec Sora gear shifters (where one is a lever and the other a button).

Chain ring ************ The Trek has a Bontrager Select crankset with 53-39 chainrings. This means that it is a double chain ring instead of a triple.

A triple chain ring = more gears which (according to the forums) is better for beginners as the extra number of gears should mean that the rider should always be able to find a gear which s/he can easily spin (i.e rotate without getting too tired too quickly and build up lactic acid in the muscles).

After a few rides I now understand what this means. With my double I am on the largest cog but using the first 2 or 3 cogs on the rear. Being near the extremes (i.e the largest cog on the front or back and the smallest on the other) results in a tight chain which decreases the life of it.

If I had a triple I would be on the middle cog on the front and probably the 4th - 6th cog on the rear to achieve the same gear. There would be less stress on the chain and it would last longer.

Since I do not use my Trek every day to commute (like many cyclists on the Bike Radar forum) riding in the extremes will ot make that difference to me since I do not cover the mileage. I only way for me to get around this is to persevere and strengthen my legs so that I can spin the higher gears on the rear cog and the front ring.

Wheels ********** The Trek has 32 spoked wheels with black anodised Alex rims. It is the wheels that ets this bike down, however, these cheap wheels are common on entry level race bikes.

Unless you're under 10 stone (unfortunately I'm a bit more of a porker than this!) the wheels tend to flex quite a bit if you put a bit of extra weight on them. I find this a problem when hill climbing - although living in Norfolk there aren't that many about which is a good thing!

I have also had the wheels flex when going over pot holes. I know that you should always avoid these on a racer and 9 times out of 10 I do, but there are the odd occasions when they are unavoidable.

Changing the wheels is not a difficult task and it is usually one of the first upgrades most cyclists make to their bike. I'm hoping that good old Santa will bring me some nice new wheels for Christmas.

Tyres ****** The Trek comes with Bontrager Select 700x23c tyres as standard. Although I have had no problems with them yet (they haven't lost air or been prone to punctures) they have only seen nice, dry summer roads. Once the autumn/winter arrives and the road surface worsens I will have to see what happens.

Forum research/reading (I'm well and truly hooked on Bike Radar) confirms that these are not a popular tyre compare to Michelin, Continental etc but I am not going to change them until I need to, and since these are my first racer tyres I have nothing to compare them to.

One thing I would point out is the 23 cm width is very narrow and does lead to a harsher ride than 25 cm tyres. I can confirm this since my other half has 25 cm tyres on her Giant.

Handle bars ************** The Trek has Bontrager Sport handlebars. Like all racer bars these are dropped (i.e the ram horn shape).

After riding a mountain bike since I was a kid riding with dropped bars is quite strange at first. The bent forward and low riding position ("riding on the drops") does take some getting used to and it does hurt but after a couple of rides the pain goes and it does feel a lot more natural. I now find it more comfortable than the upright position when riding my mountain bike.

When riding on the drops I find it difficult to reach the brakes due to my small hands. This can be a bit unnerving especially when riding downhill where it is possible to reach quite high speeds (I'm a pure beginner and going down Norfolk hills (sorry... slopes) I reach just over 30 mph.

If back pain does set in when riding on the drops it is possible to ride on the hoods (the top part of the bar) and get the upright position back. Riding on the hoods is slower than on the drops - although it is still quicker than riding a mountain bike.

Stem ****** The stem is the metal tube between the frame and the handle bars. The Trek has a Bontrager Select stem as standard, and to be honest, I don't know if this is good or bad.

One thing I should point out is that the stem is quite short and leads to a very compact (almost "cramped") riding position and I'm only 5' 7" with quite a short upper half. This stem size would not be suitable for taller riders or those with a longer upper half although the stem is easily replaced.

Seat ****** The Trek comes with a Bontrager Race Luxe saddle. This is nothing special in the world of racers, although being razor thin it is actually quite comfortable (obviously not as nice as sitting on a mountain bike seat).

Seat post ************* The Trek has a Bontrager Carbon seat post which is unusual for racing bikes in the entry level class. The carbon seat post is a weight saving measure only, so, being a recreational cyclist and not a time trailer means I don't really see the benefit, although carbon fibre is prettier than painted aluminium in my opinion.

Peddles *********** All racing bikes tend to have clipless pedals. These pedals require specific cycling shoes with cleats on which attach themselves to the pedal via a locking system. The Trek has Wellgo Clipless road pedals which are about the size of a matchbox.

Being attached to the peddles is weird and takes a lot of getting used to, especially riding in town (where you are constantly start/stopping) or on small country roads where there are lots of junctions to stop at.

I changed the pedals straight away to those where they are clipless on one side and normal on the other. These are a lot larger than the Wellgo (they need to be since 'normal' pedals need to be big enough to get a large proportion of the foot on) so there is an effect in aerodynamics. As stated before, I am a recreational cyclist, and would not notice the difference. Besides I feel a lot more confident with my current pedals.

What's it like to ride? ************************ The Trek can be likened to a sports car in that it is quick, nimble and you'd never take it off road. The Trek is not as comfortable to ride as a mountain bike. The stiff frame and no suspension means that all vibrations are channelled along the handle bars. A good thing is the drop handle bars allows for several hand positions that can help to alleviate any arm/wrist/hand cramps.

Every pot hole, drain cover etc ridden over on the bike is exaggerated and this, combined, with the razor style saddle generally leads to a sore backside for the first few rides. I was walking like John Wayne for around two weeks! Padded shorts are an absolute must have.

I found that riding on the drop bars took a little getting used to and had stability problems at first. The trick here is to persevere it does get much easier very quickly and I now feel more confident on the drops on the racer than on the flat bars of the mountain bike.

The Trek is fast it is necessary to get used to the speed. Doing 15mph is effortless and speeds of 30mph + are easily achievable down hill (even the tiny hills of Norfolk!).

Upgrades available *********************** There are loads of upgrades available for this bike. The most common ones include:

1)Gearing (putting a higher spec on there such as Shimano 105 or ultegra) 2)Wheels (putting on lighter, and hence faster, wheels) 3)Tyres (putting on narrower, and hence faster, tyres)

There are many other 'cosmetic' changes including changing the stem, changing the saddle, changing the bars etc. etc.

The cost of upgrading varies greatly and depends what is changed. For example changing the gearing to Ultegra involves changing gear shifters/chain rings/front mech/rear mech/chain/cassette and is likely to cost around 400 (I didn't pay much more for the whole bike!).

Rather than changing the wheels (which isn't that expensive and can be transferred to other bikes) and the tyres (these will need to be changed at some point anyway) I can't see the point in any other upgrades since I am a recreational cyclist only. I, and probably 80% of other owners, would not see significant benefits in upgrades.

If a significant upgrade is required then it is cheaper to buy a new bike with the higher spec components already on it.

Any problems? ****************** During the few months I have had my Trek I have had no problems with it whatsoever. I have covered just over 2,000 miles so it has had it's first service at the bike shop. I got this for free (since the first service is usually free from the bike retailer) although the next one is going to cost me 25 plus any parts that are going to be required.

My brief ownership has shown that racing bikes require a lot more looking after than mountain bikes. For example the tyres need to be at the correct pressure (around 110 psi) otherwise they bulge and rub on the brake pads. The chain needs to be lubricated regularly. Brakes wear out quicker (due to higher speeds) and tyres last around 1,800 miles (I have never had to replace a tyre on my mountain bike!).

Owning a racer will mean you need to be accustomed to bike maintenance. It is all part of the fun. If you are looking for something to ride, put in the garage, ride, put in the garage etc and never have to do anything to it, then the Trek 1200 - or any other racer for that matter, is not for you.

Availability ************** My Trek 1200 is a 2006 model so will be difficult to get hold of. I'm lucky in that being vertically challenged and requiring a small frame there was one in the bike shop. Mr 'average' will find it harder as popular sized frames will have long gone.

The Trek 1200 has been discontinued and replaced by a newer model (hence the stonking discount I got). This is not a problem since parts are readily available should anything go wrong.

Conclusion ************* Buying an older model bike is by far the best way forward, regardless of the marquee/brand. You get a higher spec price for a lot less money, and the snobbery factor in the road bike community means that many cyclists want the 'new' model and manufacturers exploit them by bringing out a new model each year (some of the changes are minimal and often only involve a change in colour scheme!).

Lance Armstrong has helped to raise the profile of the Trek and whilst some want the Trek (so that they can play at being Lance) others don't (they do not want to be seen to be wanting to be like Lance). Lance's involvement has meant that a premium can be charged for a Trek racer. When I got mine I didn't even know that Lance rode a Trek (shows how much I follow cycle racing!)

Trek are a great brand and the bikes are very good quality with high spec components. I have had no problems whatsoever and would highly recommend a Trek to anyone.



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Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Jesus and Hiram Abiff

He was the central character in the building of the Temple and one of three leading characters along with King Solomon and Hiram, King of Tyre. Hiram Abiff, masonry teaches, was the only one on Earth who knew the secrets of a Master Mason, including the most important secret of all, the Grand Masonic Word. The name of God is however the consensus of opinion among Masonic authorities, philosophers and writers of doctrine that the egend of Hiram Abiff is merely the Masonic version of a much older legend, that of Isis and Osiris, basis of the Egyptian Mysteries.

The scriptures are full of allegorical references to masonry and building with stone. For example Jesus says: The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner(Mark 12,10). In John 1,42 Jesus makes Simon Peter a stone, a foundation stone of a spiritual Church. The reemasons likewise labour on the construction of a spiritual version of Solomon's temple and not a physical one. In Mark 6,4 Jesus is himself described as O Tektwn (pronounced TechTone).

This description has always been mistranslated as carpenter in the English Bible, but its truer meaning is Builder or rchitect. It should be impossible for a highlevel Freemason to deny that Jesus Christ is a profoundly important figure in the Masonic tradition. The deeper mysteries of Jesus' building analogies relate to the rite of spiritual resurrection. An analogy that of course sprang from the Suns celestial pause for three days, only to be resurrected again on December 25:th. Every Mason refer to himself as a Sun, a being striving for light and knowledge. They refer to themselves as the stones that the builder rejected, thus implying that they are descended from the cast, or fallen angels. They see themselves as the builders, both by selferfection and to perfect that which was left imperfect, namely society and the whole of humanity.In John 2,1921 Jesus portrays himself as a temple builder/rebuilder:

Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?

More confirmation of this comes from John's description of the resurrection, and especially so in the xchange that takes place between the risen Christ and Mary Magdalene beside the empty tomb (John 20,16):

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni which is to say, Master.

The significance of this exchange is totally lost in modern exoteric Christianity and the very curious word Rabboni is either ignored, or glossed as an Aramaic form of Rabbei/Master. However, its true significance has long been known to the Freemasons, and this is why Rabboni is a critical password in the Royal Arch degree a degree whose central motif is the rebuilding of Solomon's temple. In explaining the etymology of Rabboni, Albert Pike (the Pope of Freemasonry) demonstrated that it is not Aramaic at all, but simply derives from the Hebrew, RB BNI. These two words meaning the Master of the Builders, or the Master Builder. Thus Mary's comment clearly refers back to the passage cited above predicting the rebuilding the temple in three days. What she is saying is: Behold, the Master Builder.

What we call FreeMasonic is to shape and build culture and society and man himself. We look at the ancient builders of the medieval times and when they were building up a cathedral they were also ismantling the old one. So they dismantled the past as they were putting up the new structure. This goes on and on through all the symbolism.

Eventually they will reshape man and its not that far off. Theyve got the ability to do it. Its not because theyre waiting to improve the abilities to it theyre hanging on. Theyre getting us already entally and psychologically to accept the big changes that are coming in a physical realm because theyve always said their job was to perfect that which was left imperfect.

The guide to Solomons Temple is the individual enlightened one. You are a temple but its imperfect or the masses and therefore theyre going to perfect it. So the next type of working type of people hey will create will be purposely made for their tasks, just like in the book Brave New World.



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Monday, April 16, 2012

Whitewall Tire History.

The whitewall tire or white sidewall (WSW) tire for automobiles, had a stripe or perhaps the entire sidewall made of white rubber. In the early days, car tire manufacture was only of white rubber, that being the natural colour of rubber when initially processed. Nonetheless, in this form the the tire's rubber didn't give adequate traction on the road, nor last all that long, therefore carbon black was included in the manufacture of the rubber used for the tire-treads. This resulted in better road adhesion and tires where the inner and also outer sidewalls were still white rubber.

When completely black tires were obtainable, the existing white rubber of the sidewalls was hidden by a thin skin of black tinted rubber. If these tires were roughly scuffed against the curb-side, the existing white sidewall rubber would show through.

In the later years of the 1920s shining whitewalls contrasting with black, were thought to be highly stylish, albeit somewhat of a "show-off" style. Whitewall popularity gathered momentum through the 1930s, however, the advent of placing panels over the mudguards led to the double sided whitewall being phased out from popularity.

As mentioned earlier, whitewalls were not particularly sought as a statement of style, to begin with. Indeed, the opposite, entirely black tires were deemed more desirable. The reasons being that, black tires needed less attention spent on keeping them clean, and they were more durable. So, completely black tires became a status symbol being considered the "top" tire, often fitted to the luxury cars of the 1930's.

Through the 1950's the width of the whitewall was reduced in order to lessen the height of vehicles, a style that quickly became quite fashionable. 1957 saw a version of the ultra-exclusive Ferrari Eldorado Brougham with whitewalls, diminished to a 1" wide strip on the sidewall, with black to the wheel rim. The popularity of broad whitewalls had diminished by 1962, but were still an option for the Lincoln Continental.

The 60's, saw the introduction of a red/white stripe combination on Thunderbirds and other high-end Fords, including triple white stripe variations on Cadillacs, Lincolns and Imperials. The 1970s saw pretentious, showy, automobiles emerging from Detroit, influencing an increase in the stripe width of whitewalls to 1 5/8" plus. The pimpmobile culture of the '70's saw a reintroduction of completely white sidewalls.

These days, completely white sidewalls are still produced in original bias-ply or radial form by specialist outlets and/or classic car restoration businesses, some firms manufacture white inserts. Also available these days are niche service company's, that do a roaring trade with portable whitewall machines. This consists of a small burring machine, that after having scuffed the tire, then applies a specialised paint to the area. This type of application can add numerous stripes, coming in a number of colours, is relatively quick, generally comes to you and is long lasting.

The history of the whitewall tire, began not so much as a matter of style, rather a manufacturing consideration.



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Sunday, April 15, 2012

Moto GP Control Systems - Modern Motorcycle Systems Overview Panel

MotoGP

All MotoGP bikes use control systems to help make to bikes easier to ride therefore go faster around the track. All teams use a form of ride by wire throttle control, traction control, engine braking control, launch control and anti wheelie. All necessary parameters are measured using a suitable data logger that will be measured through sensors that feed information on to the ECU and the engineers to make these systems work correctly.

This assignment looks at how these systems work and some of the variations used by different teams to achieve the same results.

Data Logging

Data logging is the key to all of the motoGP control systems, without logging wheel speeds with wheel speed sensors and GPS, bank angle, and gyroscopes none control systems can be controlled and understood. The data logger is a control system in itself and is an important tool measuring every measurable parameter on a modern GP bike. The engines are monitored constantly and the chassis measurements30 are an important part of getting the bikes handling finely tuned for the ride, track and conditions.

A bike without any sophisticated control systems, the data logger clearly shows when the bikes front wheel is in the air and the throttle has to be shut to drop the front again. It also shows when the rear wheel brakes traction and follows the same pattern as the RPM trace in 5th gear!

Heavy engine braking is shown as the rear wheel spins significantly slower than the front when entering a corner. This causes the bike to slide and hop making it difficult to tip into the corner.

These are the main symptoms modern electronic systems attempt to fix by carefully controlling the throttle and ignition. Development has sped up considerably in resent years with electronics making more things possible to the engineers. The tools to use and create these control systems has been made possible with sophisticated ECUs, ride by wire throttle control and data logging.

Ride by wire

Ride by wire throttle control has been one of the main reasons why development of other control systems has progressed in recent years. Ride by wire essentially allows the engineers to programme how the bike is going to behave by taking some of the control away from the rider. There early systems had two cylinders controlled by throttle cables via the throttle from the rider and two cylinders controlled by the ECU to maintain a direct feel for the rider. Now the throttle openings are entirely controlled via the ECU after measuring the required input from the rider. The ECU then sends signal to a motor that opens the throttle to the correct position.

The advantages of ride by wire are obvious when other control systems such as traction control are being developed as throttle opening is an important part of making the system work correctly to its full potential.

Traction Control

Traction control is a system that prevents, limits or corrects the amount of rear wheel spin the bike has when accelerating. When the wheel is spinning there is less drive meaning the bike is not accelerating as fast as it could be as the rider has the back off the throttle to regain grip at the tyre. Traction control optimises the power delivery so the tyre does not break traction and the greatest acceleration from any situation. This is true when accelerating hard out of slow corners, very fast but tight corners and wet track conditions.

Here are two different ways that Yamaha and Ducati go about traction control systems on there bikes.

Yamaha

Yamaha uses a system that corrects the amount of wheel spin when it happens. Yamaha measure accurately the speed of both wheels of the bike with wheel speed sensors as well as the overall speed of the bike with a GPS unit. When the rear wheel spins faster than the front wheel power is limited to regain traction at the tyre. The GPS could be used to step in if front wheel is in the air. Lean angle must be measured as the tyres have different circumferences as different lean angles which may give misleading results. The tyres circumference can be matched which the lean angle and programmed into the system giving very accurate wheel speed signal needed for traction control.

The preferred power control is by closing the throttle butterflies of two or more cylinders as this is possible with the ride by wire, Retarding the ignition is also a smooth and efficient way to lose power. If lots of power needs to be lost the spark is cut at varying number of cycles, but stating at nine cycles then a spark is missed on one or more cylinders. The problem with cutting the sparks is that the rider can feel the cut because the bike misfires and the bike will pump as the power is cut then comes in again while exiting a corner. Also cutting cylinders uses a lot of fuel which is a problem because of the limited amount of fuel allowed

Ducati

Ducati prevents wheel spin altogether by knowing how much traction the tyre and the track have and the area of the contact patch of the tyre on the ground at every lean angle. With this information the optimum amount of power can be fed to the rear wheel by limiting the throttle openings giving very smooth power delivery. This method does have some difficulties. The engineers must know the exactly the co-efficient of the tyres and the track. Most of what is known is from previous testing and does not take into account that the tyres maybe inconstant as well as the track surface and weather conditions. The traction control must be preset to be very close to the point of traction loss for maximum performance or the bike will be underpowered so it is very important that the information collected is as accrete as possible. A lot of trust is put into this system from the rider as in theory 100% throttle can applied by the rider out of a slow corner and the traction control will fire him out as fast as is possible with no wheel spin or high-side but not all riders have that level of trust.

Engine Breaking Control

Four stroke bikes have a lot of engine braking which can cause the bike to lock the rear wheel or hop into a corner which causes difficulties when braking. Slipper clutches have been used for a long time and are used on four stroke motoGP bikes. Slipper clutches mainly help control the rise in rpm with the downshift. Many bikes are electronically assisted, the current GP bike use a system that opens the throttle slightly when braking meaning that the engine braking can be eliminated. This can be done because the ECU knows when the throttle is closed and the speeds of the front and rear wheel. Similarly to the Yamaha type traction control the ECU calculates the difference between the front and rear wheels but this time the rear wheel will be slower than front wheel. Power must be applied so that the rear wheel speed matches the front wheel speed. The ECU can do this because of the freedom the ride by wire gives. This again has be carefully controlled as if there is a fine l ine between no engine braking and trying to accelerate the bike forwards while braking which would be very dangerous.

Ducati was developing a system that completely electronically disengaged the clutch on entry into a corner and then smoothly re-engaged when the throttle was applied. This system had no engine braking to make the bike feel similar to how a two stroke used to feel.

Anti Wheelie

When the bike wheelies power often has be laid off by the rider or the rear brake applied which slows the bike down. A wheelie is seen by the logger as the front wheel speed slowing and then speeding up when its grounded to match the new speed, as shown above in the 2D traces. Also when the front suspension is fully extended the wheel is often off the ground. When the front wheel slows the ECU will close the throttle slightly and this can be to maintain a small amount of wheel lift or closed enough to put the wheel firmly back on the ground.

Launch Control

Launch control is a system that is used for a race start that ensures the rider gets the best possible start by holding the engine at a curtain RPM set by the rider to get the best start possible. Its a combination of traction control and anti wheelie and would be best using a Ducati style of traction control for a launch as the bike is upright and the tyres are always new. Assumptions are made of tyre and track co-efficient easier and this could be easily set in the few hours before a race. If the front wheel lifts the anti wheelie kicks in and engages the traction control even more. This gives reliable consistent starts and is now even available in basic race kits for street bikes and is set when the rear wheel is not moving and in first gear.



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Saturday, April 14, 2012

Helpful Tips For Storing Wintertires

If you have seasonal tyres, it would be better that you avoid using them for the whole year. To use seasonal tyres all year round can prove to be risky. For example, summer tyres do not perform well during winter. They lack the capacity to go over snow and ice without slipping and the same thing goes for winter tires in the summer period. This is the reason why after the season has passed you should store your seasonal tyres and use another type of tire that is suitable for the current season. For example, in summer you have no use for your winter tires, therefore it is ideal that you store these tyres and use your summer tyres instead. You should store your winter tires correctly so that you can still use it the next winter.

Rubber is the main component of winter tyres. When exposed to harmful gasses emitted by electric motors and welding machines, rubber can degrade. To keep your winter tires from degrading avoid storing it in areas where you store machines. Moreover, exposure to oxygen can also degrade the rubber material, which is why it is important to put your winter tires inside sealed tired covers. These sealed tire covers keep the oxygen out and preserve the quality of the rubber material. Avoid packing two tyres in one tire cover since this can compromise the sealing capacity of the tire cover. Always pack your winter tires individually.

Even with the tire cover, your winter tires should still be stored in a cool, dry place. The best places to store your tyres are inside a garage or in the basement. However, if you store your tyres in this area make sure that you regulate the temperature. If you have nowhere to store your tyres, you can contact your local tire dealer and inquire if they offer tire storage. Storing your winter tyres properly can certainly help them last longer and available for use the next winter. There is no denying that these winter tyres can be expensive and to keep yourself from buying four new tyres every winter you should store your winter tires properly.

Winter tires are widely available. All the top tyre brands have collections of quality winter tires (talvirenkaat in Finnish) and their products will usually outlast other winter tires sold in the market. The reputable companies can usually also offer you more advice on how to store your winter tyres correctly and advice on how to prolong their life even while in storage. Moreover, the people at the top brand tyre companies can also give you information on the proper installation and maintenance of winter tires. Lastly, you can go or call their office and inquire about their added services, ask if these services include tire storage for winter tyres bough by their loyal customers.



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Friday, April 13, 2012

Kalpana Who we Repect And Admire

Kalpana Chawla was born in Karnal, Haryana on 1st July,1961. Her father Banarsi Lal Chawala was then a leading industrialist of Karnal and owned a Tyre factory. Her mother Sanyogita Chawla, a housewife, expected a boy as her last child, when Kalpana was born. In 1976, Kalpana did her schooling from Tagore Bal Niketan School, Karnal. She did her pre-university and pre-engineering rom Dalal Singh College, Karnal. She then graduated with B.sc (Engg) degree in Aeronautics from Panjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering in 1984 from University of Texas, Doctorate of Philisophy in aerospace engineering from University of Colorado, 1988

Family Back ground:

Her elder sister Sunita Chaudhary and her sister in law, Anjali Chawla are ardent bird watchers in Delhi. Her brother Sanjay is a businessman. Kalpana got married to Jean Pierre Harrison, a flying instructor in 1984.

Hobbies: Kalpana chawla enjoyed flying, hiking, back-packing and reading. She held Certified Flight Instructors licese with airplane and glider ratings, Commercial Pilots license for single and multi engine land and seaplanes, Gliders, and instrument rating for airplanes. She enjoyed fflying aerobatics and tail wheel airplanes.

Columbia, the American space shuttle was on its 255th journey around the earth. The astronauts on board Columbia were excited; for Columbia was getting redy for its re-entry. It was Tuesday, 1 February 2003. Florida weather forecast and predicted an excellent Saturday. People all over the world, especially from India were waiting for the landing with bated breath. For Indians, this was thrilling event because one of the crew was Kaloana Chawla, the first India born woman to go into space.

The space shuttle turned its nose towards the earth Space watchers were all excited. The touchdown time was 9.16 A.M. Just when everything looked allright, there was a mojor problem in the space shuttle and it caught fire and broke apart. The space shuttle broke into pieces. All this happened barely eleven minutes before the touchdown time.

Indians who are were waiting to celebrate the touchdown were deeply moved at the sight of the disintegration of the space shuttle. Then the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee sent a special message to American President mouring the death of the crew of Columbia. As a reverence to Kalpana Chawla, India renamed its first weather Satellite KALPANA-1

Kalpana was born on 1 july 1961 in Karnal near Delhi. She was the daughter of Banarasi Lal Chawla and Sanyogita. She had a fency for flying in the sky. While riding to her school on a bicycle, she would look up every now and then at the planes zooming in the sky. Her brother Sanjay would warn her , sister, mind the road. Later, with her fathers consent, she flew in Pushpak and even sailed a glider.

As a young girl, Kalpana would sleep in the front yard of the house during summer looking at stars. She wished she had a telescope. At school while her friends drew figures of houses and plants, sining and karate were her hobbies. She always said, Im not just another girl.

Once Kalpana had a chance of seeing the airplanes that J.R.D Tata flew, hanging in one of the aerodromes. This was like entering a new world. After her school education, she opted for Aerospace Engineering at Punjab Engineering college, Chandighar. She was the only woman student pursuing this course at that time. She earned her degree and moved to the U.S.A . she joined the University of Texas. Here she did her Masters Degree in Aerospace Engeering. She got Ph.D. from Colorado University in 1988. Later she joined NASA Ame Reasearch Centre. NASA trained her to be an Astonaut. She had a chance to travel in to space in crew member of the Columbia expedition. This journey started on 16 Jan 2003. The crew conducted more than 80 experiments. But, on their returns journey all the seven members of the crew perished.

Snjay, Kalpanas brother said, To me, my sister is not dead. She is immortal. Isnt that what a star is? Yes! Our dear Kalpana Chawla is immortal.



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Thursday, April 12, 2012

What the... luck?

The Jump

I was sitting on my rusty, old bike on top of the largest, steepest drop that I had ever seen. The wind blew through my long hair, and I loved every second of it. It all led up to this; all of my preparation, all of my creativity. I released the brakes with my foot after trying a few times, and I began the descent.

I felt the wind throw dirt at my bare face as the scenery shot past me. As I was gathering speed I looked at the huge ramp that I had built myself. I thought back to the way it had all started.

In the twilight of another scorching summers day, I was looking for some action, something extreme, something radical. Something cool enough to keep me amazed until the boring routine of school began again. I had thought and thought, and I eventually came up with a brilliant solution. I could make the coolest, awesomest bike ramp that anyone had ever seen, and I could charge up it on my speedy little BMX, all summers long. After I had mulled it over long enough, it was time to start construction.

Over the next few days I began to sneak wood from a corner of the back fence. No one would notice and no one would care; that was my solution. The planks had rusty old nails and the wood was practically falling apart in my hands, but I took no notice. I hammered it together in the dead of night, and let no one at all in on my secret.

I had a ramp, but I needed a bike. I searched the shed, and eventually found my trusty little BMX. It had never let me down in any of my other exploits and I was ready to keep the streak going. As I wheeled it out from the shed I took no notice of the flat tyres or of the dodgy brakes. All I could see was me getting some serious air.

Then finally it came the big day. I was ready to bring out the ramp, and bring out the funwell thats what I thought anyway. I placed the ramp at the very end of the largest hill I could find, and rode up on the bike, again oblivious to its many faults.

It was as I was speeding down that I realised I was going too fast, and that my steering didnt let me turn right. I began to panic. I needed release. I tried the break nothing. There was only one way for me, and that was down. I swerved left, and then left again. The track was too steep. I couldnt control the fall.

The ramp sped into focus, and I prayed my heart and soul into getting out alive. I hit the ramp. It had all led to this. My days of smuggling wood, my nights of hammering it together. They all led up to this. Or down to it, if you want to put it that way.

The bike leap through the air, over the ramp.

Im through, I thought, Oh God, thank you. Thank you gravity, thank you physics-

BANG!

Something was wrong, dreadfully wrong. Before I could figure out what it was, the bike flipped over and I landed on my back. I felt the blood trickle down my forehead, and my arm flop uselessly beside me. My vision swam before my eyes and everything went dark. I was out cold.

I was awoken in the doctors surgery, and the first thing I felt was the terrible pain of a broken arm, and the dull throbbing of my consequences in the back of my mind. My mum leaned over me and smiled.

Dont worry; everything is going to be all right. She paused, Well, that is, until we get home. She had put on a fake smile and happily winked at me. I couldnt wait to hear what my dad was going to say!

I ended up with a broken arm, twenty-three stitches across my chest and three stitches along my forehead. I also lost the rest of the summer holidays to my bedroom, where I was confined for the remaining three weeks. I closely examined my bike and had found its many faults and the massive rip through the back tyre.

Even nowadays I look back at my little stunt, and think of it as an event with two sides. On one, I was unlucky to have my tyres explode during the jump and be caught in the rusty nails sticking out of the wood.

But it was my own stupidity that really got me hurt. There was no need for a stupid helmet, I had told myself, Ive got long enough hair that it will protect me against any brick or pavement. However, it was a pity this didnt include myself.

On the flip side, I was lucky to have survived, with only a few stitches and only one broken limb. It could have easily been much worse. Around that time I remember a quote, a few good words of wisdom, that my grandfather told me when we went to visit him overseas.

Theres a difference between luck and stupidity, he would say, with that swaying withering look of his, but its only as fine as an old mans hair... And that was before he went bald, so I guess he was right.



Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Trek 1200 Racer - How To Be Like Lance Armstrong

Trek History *************** Trek is an American company which was started in 1976 in a barn in Waterloo, Wisconsin.

By 1980 the company had outgrown it's original factory and moved to new premises. The owners decided to keep the company in its 'home town' of Waterloo.

In 1982 Trek started producing road racing bikes and the 750/050 series was born.

Trek became global in 1989 and the first overseas subsidiaries were formed in Great Britain and Germany.

By 2005 Trek had the largest dealer base with the bikes being available in 90 different countries. At that time Trek had 10 subsidiaries and over 70 distributors.

Arguably, it was the 'great' Lance Armstrong who raised the profile of the Trek brand within the road racing community. In 1997 Lance Armstrong was dropped from his European cycling team after being diagnosed with cancer. What a mistake that was....

Lance Armstrong joined forces with Trek and In 1999 became the first American on an American bike riding for the American team to win the Tour De France. Lance's popularity was so great that the bike developed for the American team, the OCLV carbon 5200, became the biggest selling road bike ever.

Trek 1200 Spec ****************** The Trek 1200 is described as an entry level racer although it does have a few high spec components to it:

Frame ********** The frame is a Trek Alpha SL butted comfort aluminium frame. Whilst not the lightest frame around it is still noticeably lighter than that of my mountain bike, and being a recreational rider I would not notice the difference in weight to other entry level racers in its class.

Forks ******** Most of the bikes in the price range of the Trek 1200 have aluminium forks as standard.

The Trek comes with a carbon fork with alloy steerer which are usually associated with more expensive bikes. Again, whilst being a recreational rider I would not notice the difference between the carbon or aluminium it is nice to say "my bike has carbon forks".

Gearing *********** The Trek comes with Shimano gears which is good because they are well known for their quality and reliability, as well as being easy to work on. In addition to this, I do not like the shifters on Campag gears.

The Trek has Tiagra gears and a 105 front and rear mech. Whilst these are not at the upper end of the Shimano gear range the are still a higher spec than most bikes in this class which have Shimano Sora all round.

Gear shifters ************** The trek has Shimano Tiagra Sti gear shifters. This means that both the gear shifter are levers, as opposed to one being a lever (easily reachable wherever the hands are on the handlebars) and one being a small button on the hoods (difficut to reach when on the drop bars, if like me, you have small hands).

The Tiagra Sti gear shifters also allow the use of the Shimano flightdeck cycle computer which has the added advantage of showing cadence.

Most bikes in this class have lower spec Sora gear shifters (where one is a lever and the other a button).

Chain ring ************ The Trek has a Bontrager Select crankset with 53-39 chainrings. This means that it is a double chain ring instead of a triple.

A triple chain ring = more gears which (according to the forums) is better for beginners as the extra number of gears should mean that the rider should always be able to find a gear which s/he can easily spin (i.e rotate without getting too tired too quickly and build up lactic acid in the muscles).

After a few rides I now understand what this means. With my double I am on the largest cog but using the first 2 or 3 cogs on the rear. Being near the extremes (i.e the largest cog on the front or back and the smallest on the other) results in a tight chain which decreases the life of it.

If I had a triple I would be on the middle cog on the front and probably the 4th - 6th cog on the rear to achieve the same gear. There would be less stress on the chain and it would last longer.

Since I do not use my Trek every day to commute (like many cyclists on the Bike Radar forum) riding in the extremes will ot make that difference to me since I do not cover the mileage. I only way for me to get around this is to persevere and strengthen my legs so that I can spin the higher gears on the rear cog and the front ring.

Wheels ********** The Trek has 32 spoked wheels with black anodised Alex rims. It is the wheels that ets this bike down, however, these cheap wheels are common on entry level race bikes.

Unless you're under 10 stone (unfortunately I'm a bit more of a porker than this!) the wheels tend to flex quite a bit if you put a bit of extra weight on them. I find this a problem when hill climbing - although living in Norfolk there aren't that many about which is a good thing!

I have also had the wheels flex when going over pot holes. I know that you should always avoid these on a racer and 9 times out of 10 I do, but there are the odd occasions when they are unavoidable.

Changing the wheels is not a difficult task and it is usually one of the first upgrades most cyclists make to their bike. I'm hoping that good old Santa will bring me some nice new wheels for Christmas.

Tyres ****** The Trek comes with Bontrager Select 700x23c tyres as standard. Although I have had no problems with them yet (they haven't lost air or been prone to punctures) they have only seen nice, dry summer roads. Once the autumn/winter arrives and the road surface worsens I will have to see what happens.

Forum research/reading (I'm well and truly hooked on Bike Radar) confirms that these are not a popular tyre compare to Michelin, Continental etc but I am not going to change them until I need to, and since these are my first racer tyres I have nothing to compare them to.

One thing I would point out is the 23 cm width is very narrow and does lead to a harsher ride than 25 cm tyres. I can confirm this since my other half has 25 cm tyres on her Giant.

Handle bars ************** The Trek has Bontrager Sport handlebars. Like all racer bars these are dropped (i.e the ram horn shape).

After riding a mountain bike since I was a kid riding with dropped bars is quite strange at first. The bent forward and low riding position ("riding on the drops") does take some getting used to and it does hurt but after a couple of rides the pain goes and it does feel a lot more natural. I now find it more comfortable than the upright position when riding my mountain bike.

When riding on the drops I find it difficult to reach the brakes due to my small hands. This can be a bit unnerving especially when riding downhill where it is possible to reach quite high speeds (I'm a pure beginner and going down Norfolk hills (sorry... slopes) I reach just over 30 mph.

If back pain does set in when riding on the drops it is possible to ride on the hoods (the top part of the bar) and get the upright position back. Riding on the hoods is slower than on the drops - although it is still quicker than riding a mountain bike.

Stem ****** The stem is the metal tube between the frame and the handle bars. The Trek has a Bontrager Select stem as standard, and to be honest, I don't know if this is good or bad.

One thing I should point out is that the stem is quite short and leads to a very compact (almost "cramped") riding position and I'm only 5' 7" with quite a short upper half. This stem size would not be suitable for taller riders or those with a longer upper half although the stem is easily replaced.

Seat ****** The Trek comes with a Bontrager Race Luxe saddle. This is nothing special in the world of racers, although being razor thin it is actually quite comfortable (obviously not as nice as sitting on a mountain bike seat).

Seat post ************* The Trek has a Bontrager Carbon seat post which is unusual for racing bikes in the entry level class. The carbon seat post is a weight saving measure only, so, being a recreational cyclist and not a time trailer means I don't really see the benefit, although carbon fibre is prettier than painted aluminium in my opinion.

Peddles *********** All racing bikes tend to have clipless pedals. These pedals require specific cycling shoes with cleats on which attach themselves to the pedal via a locking system. The Trek has Wellgo Clipless road pedals which are about the size of a matchbox.

Being attached to the peddles is weird and takes a lot of getting used to, especially riding in town (where you are constantly start/stopping) or on small country roads where there are lots of junctions to stop at.

I changed the pedals straight away to those where they are clipless on one side and normal on the other. These are a lot larger than the Wellgo (they need to be since 'normal' pedals need to be big enough to get a large proportion of the foot on) so there is an effect in aerodynamics. As stated before, I am a recreational cyclist, and would not notice the difference. Besides I feel a lot more confident with my current pedals.

What's it like to ride? ************************ The Trek can be likened to a sports car in that it is quick, nimble and you'd never take it off road. The Trek is not as comfortable to ride as a mountain bike. The stiff frame and no suspension means that all vibrations are channelled along the handle bars. A good thing is the drop handle bars allows for several hand positions that can help to alleviate any arm/wrist/hand cramps.

Every pot hole, drain cover etc ridden over on the bike is exaggerated and this, combined, with the razor style saddle generally leads to a sore backside for the first few rides. I was walking like John Wayne for around two weeks! Padded shorts are an absolute must have.

I found that riding on the drop bars took a little getting used to and had stability problems at first. The trick here is to persevere it does get much easier very quickly and I now feel more confident on the drops on the racer than on the flat bars of the mountain bike.

The Trek is fast it is necessary to get used to the speed. Doing 15mph is effortless and speeds of 30mph + are easily achievable down hill (even the tiny hills of Norfolk!).

Upgrades available *********************** There are loads of upgrades available for this bike. The most common ones include:

1)Gearing (putting a higher spec on there such as Shimano 105 or ultegra) 2)Wheels (putting on lighter, and hence faster, wheels) 3)Tyres (putting on narrower, and hence faster, tyres)

There are many other 'cosmetic' changes including changing the stem, changing the saddle, changing the bars etc. etc.

The cost of upgrading varies greatly and depends what is changed. For example changing the gearing to Ultegra involves changing gear shifters/chain rings/front mech/rear mech/chain/cassette and is likely to cost around 400 (I didn't pay much more for the whole bike!).

Rather than changing the wheels (which isn't that expensive and can be transferred to other bikes) and the tyres (these will need to be changed at some point anyway) I can't see the point in any other upgrades since I am a recreational cyclist only. I, and probably 80% of other owners, would not see significant benefits in upgrades.

If a significant upgrade is required then it is cheaper to buy a new bike with the higher spec components already on it.

Any problems? ****************** During the few months I have had my Trek I have had no problems with it whatsoever. I have covered just over 2,000 miles so it has had it's first service at the bike shop. I got this for free (since the first service is usually free from the bike retailer) although the next one is going to cost me 25 plus any parts that are going to be required.

My brief ownership has shown that racing bikes require a lot more looking after than mountain bikes. For example the tyres need to be at the correct pressure (around 110 psi) otherwise they bulge and rub on the brake pads. The chain needs to be lubricated regularly. Brakes wear out quicker (due to higher speeds) and tyres last around 1,800 miles (I have never had to replace a tyre on my mountain bike!).

Owning a racer will mean you need to be accustomed to bike maintenance. It is all part of the fun. If you are looking for something to ride, put in the garage, ride, put in the garage etc and never have to do anything to it, then the Trek 1200 - or any other racer for that matter, is not for you.

Availability ************** My Trek 1200 is a 2006 model so will be difficult to get hold of. I'm lucky in that being vertically challenged and requiring a small frame there was one in the bike shop. Mr 'average' will find it harder as popular sized frames will have long gone.

The Trek 1200 has been discontinued and replaced by a newer model (hence the stonking discount I got). This is not a problem since parts are readily available should anything go wrong.

Conclusion ************* Buying an older model bike is by far the best way forward, regardless of the marquee/brand. You get a higher spec price for a lot less money, and the snobbery factor in the road bike community means that many cyclists want the 'new' model and manufacturers exploit them by bringing out a new model each year (some of the changes are minimal and often only involve a change in colour scheme!).

Lance Armstrong has helped to raise the profile of the Trek and whilst some want the Trek (so that they can play at being Lance) others don't (they do not want to be seen to be wanting to be like Lance). Lance's involvement has meant that a premium can be charged for a Trek racer. When I got mine I didn't even know that Lance rode a Trek (shows how much I follow cycle racing!)

Trek are a great brand and the bikes are very good quality with high spec components. I have had no problems whatsoever and would highly recommend a Trek to anyone.


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