half:and:half

half:and:half, originally uploaded by monkey_pushover_tree.

More fun with the 5D MkII.
This time half sea half sky. There were whales in the distance occasionally surfing and splashing around. The South Pacific Ocean is amazing.

back

, originally uploaded by monkey_pushover_tree.

After not having the 5D Mkii for so long (being repaired after the sea incident), it’s nice to have it back again. Just need to find some more inspiration and shot more. But summer is coming so maybe there are more times to use it again.

door:zone

Following from the some of the items I mentioned in the bike:vs:car post, here is an example video of what happens when you include the parking area within the bike lane and what I as a cyclist is trying to avoid and why sometimes I cycle where I do.

This distance needs to be taken into account when you are designing these shared areas.

bikes:vs:car

Yes, this is going to be about bikes and cars.

I’m writing this after reading the following article from news.com.au – Truck driver throws firecracker at Sydney cyclists.   This in itself isn’t the fullest new story, but what is more interesting are the comments attached.   At time of writing there are 336 comments to this article.  It’s quite amazing the hatred from both cyclists and motorist and also the hatred they have for one another.  There are also the classic quotes about what cyclists are allowed to do and that they should pay road tax etc and they all run red lights and hop pavements.  There are also the same generalizations from the cyclists about the motorists and their speed, lack of knowledge or road rules, and that they all run red lights.  Funny how both parties run red lights all the time…

The first comment, which a lot of people don’t agree with, I partially do agree.  It is about time the government did something about cyclists and cyclists need to start obeying the laws.  There is nothing that annoys me more as a cyclist, is seeing another cyclist hopping onto the pavement or running a red light.  I stop at red lights, every one of them.  The simple reason is that it’s the law to do so.  The second it’s far safer to do so; in a vehicle vs. bike situation, the bike is never going to win.   So why even bother jumping the light just so there is an off chance that you could get hit.  As for going up onto the pavement to cross the lights on your bike with the pedestrians…just don’t.  If you’ve chosen to ride on the road, then ride on the road, or the cycle path and obey those rules.  You don’t see cars doing it and for the exact same reason, you shouldn’t do it on a bike.

As for cyclists not paying for the road; well, like many others, I have a car and pay Rego, CTP and Insurance.  My bike weighs less than 10KG and does far less damage than the car anyway.   But, I would be happy to have the bike registered etc if it would make a difference.  The truth is that it won’t make a difference.  The attitude from both cyclists and motorists need to change.  It doesn’t matter if it’s rush hour traffic or not, both the car and the bike need to respect each other.  I hold my hand up, I’ve yelled at car drivers more than once while on my bike.  The main thing is what is a registration of a cyclist going to do?  What I would like to see is a crack down on cyclists by the police in the exact same way that a car driver would if they ran a red light or hopped a curb just to cross the road.  Saying this, I have only once seen the police stop a cyclist – it was dark and wet, and the guy had no lights or a helmet.

Riding two abreast seems to be a big contention to most people as well.  The following page from the RTA clears this up:

Laws and Penalties

Cyclists also have some special rights, which include:

• Riding two abreast, no more than 1.5 m apart
• Travelling to the front of a line of traffic on the left hand side of the stopped vehicles
• Travelling in Bus Lanes and Transit Lanes. However, cyclists cannot travel in Bus Only Lanes
• Travelling on the footpath where indicated by signage
• Cycling on the footpath if the cyclist is less than 12 years old. An adult, who is riding in a supervisory capacity of a cyclist less than 12 years old, may also ride with the young cyclist on the footpath
• Turning right from the left hand lane of a multi-lane roundabout with the proviso the cyclists must give way to exiting traffic

To be a legal road vehicle during the day, a bicycle must have:

• At least one working brake
• Either a bell or horn fitted to the bike, within easy reach and in working order

To be a legal road vehicle at night, a bicycle must also have :

• Lights fitted and in use when riding at night – a steady or flashing white light that is clearly visible for at least 200 metres and a flashing or steady red light that is clearly visible for at least 200 metres from the rear of the bike
• red rear reflector that is clearly visible for 50 metres when light is projected onto it by a vehicle’s headlight on low beam

It is compulsory to wear an approved helmet correctly when riding a bike. This applies to all cyclists, regardless of age, including children on bicycles with training wheels and any child being carried as a passenger on a bike or in a trailer.

Failing to obey road or bicycle rules may result in a fine.

(The above makes no mentions of hook turns, you should see the looks and confusion when you pull one of these off in front of a car)

hook turn example

The first thing we see is that Riding two abreast is legal, and in fact a lot safer than not.   Riding three, four that’s not.  The other one that annoys people is the  “Travelling to the front of a line of traffic on the left hand side of the stopped vehicles” of filtering as it’s known.  This causes the most upset to drivers stopped in traffic and they really don’t like it when you come the end of the line and stop in front of them at the lights (yes, we’ve stopped at the lights).  This is here for two reasons, the first is that bike is a lot smaller than a car and can pass through the gaps without issue.  As for plonking yourself in from of the car at the lights; well it’s so they can see you.  If I’m in front of you, you can’t miss me no?

Well, yes you can.   Take a look behind you when your on a bike stopped at lights.  The motorist is often looking about, talking on their phone, talking to the passenger, do they see you in front signaling that you are going right when the lights change?  No.  How many times when you have been in a car and the car in front doesn’t move when the lights change…it’s the same thing, people don’t notice what is happening around them.  Car drivers freak out when a cyclist appears from no where, even thought they have been there for a quite a while.  The response from the driver is “bloody cyclists, not obeying the laws etc”, the cyclist “bloody drivers, not giving me space or obeying the laws etc”.  Sound familiar?

I’d like Sydney to implement the “bike box” like the city of Portland have done.  It’s a really simply thing but it makes sure that the cyclist is seen by the driver.  It also gives a little bit of safety to the cyclist.  We had these back in the UK and they work.  Then again, Portland has kinda come to realise that bikes are here to stay and if you make it easier for them and safer people will use them.   Just checkout Bikeportland.org and Portland Online for the differences in thinking when it comes to a bicycle.  If Sydney did the same thing, maybe some of these criticisms might be leveled?  Or at least there might be a better understanding between the motorist and the cyclist.

Another complaint the comments made is that cyclists don’t stick to bike lanes.  I can understand this.  My commute to work takes me via a long stretch of cycle lane.  The problem with these lanes are they are shared parking lanes; an example here.  So rather than having a clear lane to myself, out-of-the-way of the cars I have share it with parked cars and vans.  Some of which take up the whole lane.  As it’s valid for parking I have to watch for cars overtaking me and then stopping and pulling in to park, parked cars pulling away and those that have just parked opening their doors.  Is it any wonder I stay more to the left of the actual road and on the line of the bike path.  These bike lanes are a joke.  They don’t help the cyclist and they don’t help the motorist.  All that they do is allow for parking and allow for the government to say we have X many KM of cycle path.

My favourite bike lane craziness is this one here.  This looks down Miller street in North Sydney.  Looking at the photo, to the right there is a bus lane, then a bike lane then two car lanes.  Now the buses often pick up there then go straight on.  Here is the view that you have across the intersection as cyclist.  Buses go straight on here from the bus lane, so you need to be aware of them undertaking you on the right hand side, cars (the two lanes to the right of you) also go straight on and round the corner, so you have to be aware of a car turning right and going straight on.  So worse case, if you are going straight on there could be two cars and a bus that will squeeze down on you trying to get into the two lanes.  Actually it’s more like one, because there is parking on the other side… This area is a sore point with me as it’s where I was hit by a bus undertaking me.

Saying this, it’s not like Sydney isn’t aware of its issue.  They have promised more bike lanes for added safety.  How many we actually see, are another thing.  Their design is great though, and I’d love to see that separation of each user.   Certainly the artist impression of how it would work makes sense.  If this was everywhere, would more people cycle to work?  Maybe.  The downside is that it does take up at least four lanes.  This in itself may not go down too well with motorists.  It also could compromise on existing parking spaces.  It does mean that the cyclist is off the road and the cars aren’t bothered by them.   But then again, Portland has bright green bike lanes on regular traffic lanes that everyone can see which are for cyclists.  Even the colouring of these roads green in Sydney would be better than what there is in places.

Other things that drive me insane as another cyclist and that aren’t mentioned in the comments for the news.com.au article are the carrying of helmets.  If you ride a bike, wear your helmet.  Don’t just ride with it hanging off your handle bars.  It’s there to protect your head, and even at low speeds the results of not wearing a helmet can be horrific.   I can’t talk for others, but I don’t feel any discomfort while wearing a helmet.  Even if some may say that the statistics are flawed and that it doesn’t prove anything, why not just wear it.  On the odd chance something does happen, then great it may save my head.   To be fair, accidents can be avoided by being careful and not breaking the laws, but yes they happen.  Luckily I’ve never hit my head when riding, and any damage has been skin rash.  But still, wear your helmet please.  The site, helmets.org, does have list of stats.  Make of them what you will.

My other gripe comes down to riding at night.  Too many cyclists don’t have lights, or only have one light and think they can be seen.  The truth is that you can’t.   Even as another cyclist, I look at the cyclists in the dark thinking, really you think anyone else can see you cause I hardly can and you’re only 100m in front of me.  I have a 3 white LED light on the front of my bike and two small lights on my helmet.  So that’s three lights going forward.  I have a 5 LED rear red light and 2 smaller red lights hanging off my back pack.  The final thing on my back is the Exelite Lumipac.   It’s a two EL lamps embedded into a pack cover that attaches to my backpack and can be seen for 800m.  I do notice that when I’m wearing it at night, people notice me and move over.  There is something obvious about the backpack that says I’m not what you think I might be and you need to take note.  It does mean I look like I’m lite up like a Christmas tree, but I’d rather that, than not been seen at all.

But it all comes down to both the cyclist and the motorist.  The cyclist needs to obey the rules of the road for starters.  There also needs to be some peer pressure from the other cyclists out there when they see cyclists breaking the law.  The same time there needs to be an understanding from other road users that the cyclist is still there and needs some respect and just that extra bit of room.  In the end, we are all trying to get somewhere safely as fast as possible…aren’t we?

pushed:over:fear

There are times that I like to be pushed others not so.  Climbing is one of those sports that sometimes you need that extra push from someone else to try something.  That little extra push can get you over that piece of fear that is holding you back.  At the same time, when you are climbing with people that you don’t normally climb with, that extra push can be more readily accepted.  All too often it’s easy to just sit back and say no; just because you are scared and that you know that the people with you aren’t going to make you do it.  Climbing with someone else that is obviously far better than you, but is saying “nah, you can do that” gives you that little extra bit of confidence just to get you over that last bit of fear that is holding you back.   I struggle all too often with that fear when climbing on lead.   I’m not a great climber, not all of it comes natural to me.  Outside I still find it hard to read some of the routes and yes, self preservation does get the better or me at  times.  Between moves, there is a mental fight to push the fear away and concentrate on what I’m doing, where my feet are, what is coming next, where am I going etc.  When you are climbing well, these come easy to you; it’s almost like you are not even in your own body.  When you are fighting the fight it’s hard to continue; the flight reflex can be too strong at times.

This past weekend I was pushed and I pushed past the fear that sometimes holds me back.  It was good, it still feels good and I’m glad I did it.  The being pushed meant I got myself on a new level of climbing and did three things that I’d previously not done before.

We went to crag that we’d previously visited, Narrabeen Slabs.  It’s somewhere that we’ve climbed several times before with interesting moves and nice slab climbing.  We got there to find five cars parked by the entrance.  It seemed that everyone and their dog wanted to be climbing on the slabs.   With the easy walk in (unusual for crags), most of the people climbing were spread out and there are plenty of climbs to do.  We started on Manic.   The guide describes this as “An excellent climb with interesting moves. Follow the right-arcing line. 4 FH to double RB lower off. Originally graded 19, but a few people have suggested that it’s a bit easier than that”.  It’s a climb I’ve done a few times and also a climb I’ve freaked out on too.  Gaby went up first and then came down, handed me the rope and it was my turn.   Lou was my belayer.  Lou is 5 foot 5 maybe and must only weigh about 40 kg.  She is tiny. I’ve also never climbed with her, so I have no idea about whether she will catch me etc.  When you climb with people on a regular basis, you get to trust them…you trust them with your life.  Someone new, well that complete trust isn’t quite there yet.

Before I start we kinda joke about tying her in somewhere.   .  That way if I was to fall I wasn’t going to pull her half way up the slab with me.  Looking back, it’s probably not a good idea to talk about falling before we start.  So I approach the rock.  At the same time Locke turns up.   Again, someone we’ve never climbed with.  We talk for a minute with introductions and I turn back to the rock.  Manic looks blank.  I can’t see the holds, I can’t remember the sequence to start this… oh crap.  That’s the first 10 seconds of the climb in my head.  I haven’t even got off the ground yet.  Deep breath, count to 10…one…two…three…calm.  Left hand, right hand crimp, left foot, right foot, left hand, right hand, right foot, left hand, right hand clip the draw, grab the rope, clip the rope in the draw, move up onto the ledge.  Just like that it all came back.  It seems so simple now, but at the time it’s not.  The next move is the one that usually freaks me out.  It’s a high step through onto a ledge which feels awkward.  This time, no problem straight through.  I was feeling good now and just took the climb slowly just going move to move.  Before I knew it I was at the anchors and on the way down again.  Good start to the day.

Everyone else went up and then down without issue.  Next climb.  “Into the Void” a 19.  “Start: At highest part of wall, below big jug (3m right of Frantic) Boulder to jug, balancy slab past 3 BRs.”  I’ve never climbed this one before and I don’t really have an idea as to what to expect when I do.  I can see the start looks fine and then the middle looks a bit balancy and the end appears tricky.  I’m handed the rope again – “I’ve never lead a 19 before” I kinda wimp.  You’ll be fine comes the replies.  Still not 100% sure, but the first two clips look easy so I’m going to be safe from there.  So I start.  Gaby is finishing “Iron Chef” and the rope kinda appears in front of me.  I get to the 1st bolt and joke that it feels like a top rope as I can see a rope in front of me.  All is going well, I’m seeing moves, I’m seeing the rock, I’m seeing the holds and I’m 2 moves from the anchors.  Then I’m stuck.  I’m holding a poisition out to the left, I can see a crimp on the right and larger foot hold to the right.  How do I get to there?  I can’t see how to do that.

“Take”
The rope goes taught.  I’m now secure.  Oh well there goes the 19 flash.  Right let’s work this out.  What follows is several attempts, about 4 falls ranging from a meter to a few more.

“You see that ledge”, “this one?” the one by my waist, “yeah that.  You need to get your foot on that and rock on and stretch then there is a crimp on your right and you’re there”.  Why is it that advise is so easy from the ground and not the case when you are on the pointy end of the rope?   “Er…really?” How am I supposed to do that?  I give it another 5 or so attempts and give up.  So close, just not close enough.

The others go up and down.  I watch them through that move.  They all do it differently.  Great.  I ask to leave it as top rope and try again.  As before it’s easy to that point.  Another few attempts, then suddenly I’m in the right position.  My foot is on that ledge.  I rock on, moving all my weight on my left foot and standup.  Shit, the hold is still too far away.  Stand up more, still too far…onto tip toes and stretch…stretch fingers stretch.  Then it’s there a nice hold to crip on, and I’m up.  Gah why couldn’t I have done that before.  Still, that’s the hardest lead I’ve attempted. I’m chuffed with that so far.

Down I come; someone else goes up and cleans it.  Right Next climb.  Frantic – 15meters long, grade 21.  “Athletic start. Head up past BR and 3 FHs, then step right and back to fourth FH. Over two bulges to double RB lower off.”.  The rope is handed to me again.  “Er…I’ve never lead a 21″ (in fact I’ve only every climbed one 21 clean before this on top rope and that had lots of swearing in it).

Locke then pushes me.  “It looks easy up to there, that’s a bit thin, but they have gone crazy with the bolts, you’re well protected”.  I’m not convinced.  I look to Lou and they get the feeling that I’m not a 100% sure on this.  So Lou climbs it.  I see a delicate part in the middle and then an awkward part at the top.  Lou makes the whole thing look easy.  Another push from Locke “So…you’re well protected.” Mental stare push towards me….”okay”.  Shit did I just say okay, this is a 21, but the start does look easy and that second clip is fine.  The third looks run out and that’s the delicate part.  That must be the crux?  So I’m tying in and off I go.  It’s easy to the second clip.  Then comes the delicate part.  I’m looking at it and it looks tiny and scary.  I can see a crystal that I need to use for a foot hold and that’s it.  Panic starts…this looks a lot smaller than I thought.

“Go right”

What?  eh?  The call just pulled me out of the panic.  Back to focus on the climb ah there’s the hold oh and that one.  Okay let’s move that way; the crystal get your foot on that; oh that hold is good, there’s the clip I’m at the third clip.  Now this is delicate again.  Quick pull the rope up. Gah not enough.  Bite the rope.  I can taste the chalky sweat. And clip the rope in.  “Come On” I cry that’s the third clip.  The next one is an easy reach too.  So I clip that.  Then I run out of holds.  Where have they gone?  There is big undercling, but the footholds all out of the right, how?  Maybe if I move this way…oh crap and fall.

A short fall, but a fall none the less.  Hmm… well it’s a 21 I think.  I try again.  Same thing.  I’m at this bulge with an undercling, footholds to the right and I have no idea how to do this.  Eventually I kinda get a foot hold in place and reach up to the break where I can see the holds…I’m still six inches too short.  CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP.  If I can grab that hold I can clip the anchors.  This is so frustrating and another fall happens.  I’m getting tired now and my feet hurt.  I give up.  I’m happy with what I’ve done so far.  This is the hardest I’ve climbed on lead and I was six inches short from getting it.  I’m stoked with myself now. To be honest I can leave it here.  I’ve been pushed today and it’s gone well.
But there is one more push to come.  Locke talks about the “overhanging climbs” and there is this “easy” 18.  “I’ve never done an overhanging one outside”, “Ah this one one will scare you, be great for your first one”…”Sounds…great, I’ll give it a go”.  At this point I’ve not even seen the climb.  We move down to it.  It’s called “C” – “A big, excellent and easy roof – one for the masses! Steeply past BR and 2 FHs to roof. Great positions out roof past FH to chain lower off in break.”.    It starts vertical, then moves out and right at maybe 30 degs from vertical and keeps going, then it’s a flat roof.  It’s a jug haul all the way (large big holds).  It doesn’t look too bad.  Looks a lot of fun in fact.  So I start it.  First clip, easy.  Second easy, third, I’m getting pumped like a really pumped.  My arms are burning, my shoulders are burning, Third clip in.  Now I’m on the roof.  Left hand sucks, this hold is crap, can’t get any more weight into into it.  Everything aches and burns now.  I feel like I can’t close my left hand any more, I try to move my right and fall.  Hah!  This is insane!  So pumped with so little moves.  I give it another 10 attempts and call it quits.

Still that’s an experience I’ve not done before and not something that I would normally do.   I’m happy a good day climbing; lots of things learnt and limits pushed.  It’s been a while since I’ve done that or got to that stage.  It felt good, would have been better to complete them all, but I don’t think I would have learnt as much.  A certain Eric Hörst said one of his podcasts along the lines of “Go and climb something really hard and fall off it all day; you’ll learn more on that day than a day where you climb everything you can”.  I didn’t really know what he meant by this until Saturday, and yes it’s true.  Being pushed and pushing yourself to your limits teaches you more than just doing something that you know you can.

Phew long post, but I want to finish with this clip that features video from The Sharp End. It features Steph Davis and Dean Potter. It’s free soloing, not something that I plan to do, but as Step puts it “Fear is the Danger”; one fall and your dead.  It’s this mental fight that I wish I could get better at and something that I need to aspire to.  In the meantime, I’ll just look up to these guys and their ability to do what they do.

6:6:urinals

6:6:urinals, originally uploaded by monkey_pushover_tree.

I think this is the strangest place that I’ve pulled out a camera in. Timing it to avoid people using it was going to be the key. So Sunday afternoon should be quiet… only for a wedding to be on and everyone and their dog wanted to use it.

Oh It was requested by a company…

picking:up:some:dust

As promised by NASA, the LRO provides us it’s first shots of the Apollo landing sites.  Remember these are not at full resolution yet, but still these images make me tingle.  The Apollo 14 images are something else.  You can see the footprints left from the moon walks.  How can you not get excited or welled up by these images.  To me, these are some of the most amazing images I have ever seen.

Apollo 14 landing site

Oh, why “picking up some dust” as the title; it’s from the Apollo 11 landing.  “Down two and a half” is my other favourite bit from the landing.  I don’t know why these two phrases make me smile, they just do.  I’m hoping they are going to turn up in one of the following twitter conversations:

AP11_SPACECRAFT, AP11_EAGLE and AP11_CAPCOM

I love that we are using twitter to do this in real time for the anniversary (the best use of twitter to date I think).

apollo

This file is in the public domain because it was created by NASA. NASA copyright policy states that “NASA material is not protected by copyright unless noted“. (NASA copyright policy page or JPL Image Use Policy).

This is one of my favourite shots from the Apollo 11 mission.  Yes it’s a classic shot and it’s been shown many times before, but it still rings true and clear to me even though I wasn’t alive for the actual event.  Still these images mean more to me than most.   To go along with these, Big Picture, have released images remebering Apollo 11 just in time for the 40th anniversary of the launch.  For me, these pictures are beyond words.  I believe that we went to the moon; these are the proof and shame on you for not.

The next pictures that I’m looking forward to are the ones from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).  Already it’s returned spectacular images from the moon surface and it’s not even at the optimum distance yet.  With 18inches per pixel resolution, its going to be returning some sweet stuff.  Then there is this press release from NASA:

MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-133

NASA BRIEFS MEDIA ON NEW IMAGES OF APOLLO LUNAR LANDING SITES

GREENBELT, Md. — NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has
sent back its first images of Apollo lunar landing sites. The agency
will release the images Friday, July 17, at noon and hold a
teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT to discuss the photos and future plans
for the LRO mission.

So, by Saturday my time I’ll be able to see the first images of the Apollo landing sites; yes it’s going to be a crap resolution, but it’s going to be the first time we’ve seen these sites since we left them.  Whilst this will never convince those people that still don’t believe we went, despite the evidence, for those of us that are sane it’ll make us smile.  Well, it’ll make me smile.

we:grew:here

we:grew:here, originally uploaded by monkey_pushover_tree.

urban:mirror

urban:mirror , originally uploaded by monkey_pushover_tree.

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