Thursday 15 July 2010
Hi Guys,
Unfortunately on tuesday afternoon after making my way out of melton mowbray and within spitting distance of Market Harborough I was maliciously brought down by a twig which got lodged under my wheel like a wedge under a door and threw me 6 feet forwards onto solid tarmac. The weight of my bag combined with the momentum i had ensured my face was the first thing to hit the floor. The impact was softened by my helmet but my eyebrow managed to take a firm hit. Head injuries bleed alot and my first aid kit was unable to cope with so much blood so i had no choice but to phone an ambulance.
4 stitches and a good amount of glue at kettering hospital stopped the bleed but the cut was deep an painful and accompanied by a swollen eye. I made a very hard decision to call off the rest of the trip to risk further injury. In my mind this was the right choice as my helmet is scarred and weakened and will not fit comfortably over the stitches. Safety first is a top priority on events such as this.
DIARY:
In all i completed over 125miles in 3 days travelling from Hull to Market Harborough. I was ahead of schedule and making good time.
Day 1:
My first day was the toughest with the road surfaces being broken chip and seal rather than tarmac. Humber bridge stayed within sight for most of the first few hours which drilled in just how far i needed to travel. I skated for 7hrs and only made it to kirton in lindsey, The heat of the day meant my water supplies dramatically ran out, with no sign of a town and the dinner time approaching i decided it was time to get off the road and set up camp. Here i spent the first night in my tent in the corner of a field. Pasta was boiled in chopped tomatoes to save water and a bag of haribo was consumed for dessert. It was tough to get to sleep as many thoughts were playing on my mind, and my legs and shoulders were on fire. I'm glad i packed a book about adventure to ease my mind and i eventually fell asleep.
Day 2:
Upon wakening at first light i decided to get out of the field before a farmer showed up. 5:30am start and better road surfaces saw day 2 get off to a good start. Newark upon Trent was reached by lunchtime. Continuous increasing drizzle from 8am soaked me throughout and created a muddy puddle on my board and by 2pm just outside of Bingham i was beat. I looked about for local B&Bs and discovered a jewel hidden around the corner. The Paddock at Peacock Farm B&B is self catered accomodation in Redmile. Nicky Wainright, the proprieter was an absolute hero providing me with food and drink and conversation. Anyone visiting the area would do well to stay here.
Day 3:
After a much needed sleep and shower day 3 started with a good breakfast and some sandwhiches for the road (I wasn't to know that these sandwhiches were never going to be eaten)my bearings had taken a beating from the rain the day before so 3 replacements were needed. Melton mowbray was a great little market town and it happened to be cattle market day. An hour was spent wandering around the market and a rather tasty freshly made pork pie was purchased and consumed before heading out of town.
The route was not as easy going as day 2 with uphills being in their plentiful. Tilton on the Hill is an aptly named town and to reach the top was an enormous accomplishment and I was over the moon with myself for making it. Where there is up there is also a down and some great downhill runs were around every other corner. some much needed mileage was covered.
Then the accident happened. It all happened so quickly and unexpectedly it is hard to piece together. one second i was casually rolling into Market Harborough elated at the prospect of food and with a firm sense of achievement on my mind and the next second i was watching blood stream out of my head and reaching for the first aid kit strategically placed at the top of my bag. When I managed to press some gauze to the gash on my eyebrow I was able to take a moment to figure out what happened. My board was 6-7 feet back from me and in-front of which was a tell-tell mark on the ground leading to a stick (much like the mark chalk leaves on a blackboard). This was all the evidence I needed to work out that a twig no bigger than a pencil had just got the better of me. By now people had started to stop and if they are reading this I'd like to thank the ex-para who stayed with me till the ambulance arrived who had turned around up the road to come to my aid and also the RAC van driver who made sure the ambulance knew exactly where i was. Also a big thanks to the ambulance drivers and my Brother Jason who was in the area on business who picked me up from the hospital. And finally to the Kirkbrides who had one extra visitor for the night.
I am deeply dissapointed in not finishing my challenge as this was as much for me as it was for the charity. For all those who gave support and donations I hope you feel that 125miles+ in 3 days is enough to warrant the money donated or merchandise sent.
This may be the end of 300miles-nocar-noproblem. But I hope to take the nocar-noproblem name on to other ventures. My sense of adventure and my want for a challenge has not been defeated......So watch this space.
Until the next time
Sam
Unfortunately on tuesday afternoon after making my way out of melton mowbray and within spitting distance of Market Harborough I was maliciously brought down by a twig which got lodged under my wheel like a wedge under a door and threw me 6 feet forwards onto solid tarmac. The weight of my bag combined with the momentum i had ensured my face was the first thing to hit the floor. The impact was softened by my helmet but my eyebrow managed to take a firm hit. Head injuries bleed alot and my first aid kit was unable to cope with so much blood so i had no choice but to phone an ambulance.
4 stitches and a good amount of glue at kettering hospital stopped the bleed but the cut was deep an painful and accompanied by a swollen eye. I made a very hard decision to call off the rest of the trip to risk further injury. In my mind this was the right choice as my helmet is scarred and weakened and will not fit comfortably over the stitches. Safety first is a top priority on events such as this.
DIARY:
In all i completed over 125miles in 3 days travelling from Hull to Market Harborough. I was ahead of schedule and making good time.
Day 1:
My first day was the toughest with the road surfaces being broken chip and seal rather than tarmac. Humber bridge stayed within sight for most of the first few hours which drilled in just how far i needed to travel. I skated for 7hrs and only made it to kirton in lindsey, The heat of the day meant my water supplies dramatically ran out, with no sign of a town and the dinner time approaching i decided it was time to get off the road and set up camp. Here i spent the first night in my tent in the corner of a field. Pasta was boiled in chopped tomatoes to save water and a bag of haribo was consumed for dessert. It was tough to get to sleep as many thoughts were playing on my mind, and my legs and shoulders were on fire. I'm glad i packed a book about adventure to ease my mind and i eventually fell asleep.
Day 2:
Upon wakening at first light i decided to get out of the field before a farmer showed up. 5:30am start and better road surfaces saw day 2 get off to a good start. Newark upon Trent was reached by lunchtime. Continuous increasing drizzle from 8am soaked me throughout and created a muddy puddle on my board and by 2pm just outside of Bingham i was beat. I looked about for local B&Bs and discovered a jewel hidden around the corner. The Paddock at Peacock Farm B&B is self catered accomodation in Redmile. Nicky Wainright, the proprieter was an absolute hero providing me with food and drink and conversation. Anyone visiting the area would do well to stay here.
Day 3:
After a much needed sleep and shower day 3 started with a good breakfast and some sandwhiches for the road (I wasn't to know that these sandwhiches were never going to be eaten)my bearings had taken a beating from the rain the day before so 3 replacements were needed. Melton mowbray was a great little market town and it happened to be cattle market day. An hour was spent wandering around the market and a rather tasty freshly made pork pie was purchased and consumed before heading out of town.
The route was not as easy going as day 2 with uphills being in their plentiful. Tilton on the Hill is an aptly named town and to reach the top was an enormous accomplishment and I was over the moon with myself for making it. Where there is up there is also a down and some great downhill runs were around every other corner. some much needed mileage was covered.
Then the accident happened. It all happened so quickly and unexpectedly it is hard to piece together. one second i was casually rolling into Market Harborough elated at the prospect of food and with a firm sense of achievement on my mind and the next second i was watching blood stream out of my head and reaching for the first aid kit strategically placed at the top of my bag. When I managed to press some gauze to the gash on my eyebrow I was able to take a moment to figure out what happened. My board was 6-7 feet back from me and in-front of which was a tell-tell mark on the ground leading to a stick (much like the mark chalk leaves on a blackboard). This was all the evidence I needed to work out that a twig no bigger than a pencil had just got the better of me. By now people had started to stop and if they are reading this I'd like to thank the ex-para who stayed with me till the ambulance arrived who had turned around up the road to come to my aid and also the RAC van driver who made sure the ambulance knew exactly where i was. Also a big thanks to the ambulance drivers and my Brother Jason who was in the area on business who picked me up from the hospital. And finally to the Kirkbrides who had one extra visitor for the night.
I am deeply dissapointed in not finishing my challenge as this was as much for me as it was for the charity. For all those who gave support and donations I hope you feel that 125miles+ in 3 days is enough to warrant the money donated or merchandise sent.
This may be the end of 300miles-nocar-noproblem. But I hope to take the nocar-noproblem name on to other ventures. My sense of adventure and my want for a challenge has not been defeated......So watch this space.
Until the next time
Sam
Saturday 3 July 2010
View hull to bournemouth in a larger map
Hi Guys.
Above is a route map of my skate trek to Bournemouth. I have this printed out (thank you print screen+MS paint) and in conjunction with my snazzy Android phone (of which i have downloaded this map to), a portable battery charger and the phones GPS i SHOULD stay on course. Depending on what times i hit some roads i may make on the spot alterations but i should be relatively ok for the most part.
If you can see any roads i need to stay well clear off let me know. Or if you are going to be close by and want to come have a chat let me know as well i would love to talk to any one of you.
Kind Regards
Sam (A little bit excited now)
Tuesday 22 June 2010
Hi Guys
Today has been quite exciting. I have arranged for the Lord Mayor of Hull to be on the starting line for my Skate trek. This is great news as the city of Hull has been my home for the past 4 years and I've grown somewhat attached to it. With the Lord Mayor on the start line bidding me farewell and all the best the press should hopefully follow. I will be contacting local press over the coming days.
An event page has been set up here: Facebook link
I am also waiting for confirmation of the Mayor of Bournemouth being on the finishing line and welcoming me to Bournemouth. He's a busy man that week so I've had to give a finishing date and time, this was not easy as it means I am now bound to a deadline of which I had to be realistic about. This has been set as the 21st of July at 6pm, by this time I need to be crossing the finish line which is the pier approach on Bournemouth seafront.
With the inclusion of a deadline I now have to skate 300 miles in 10 days, keeping up an average of 30 miles a day. To those in the know this is not impossible and somewhat achievable. On the flat sections I need to be pushing extra miles in order to compensate slower progress over the rough and uphill sections.
In Short......The mayor cannot be kept waiting, so GAME ON!
Regards
Sam
Today has been quite exciting. I have arranged for the Lord Mayor of Hull to be on the starting line for my Skate trek. This is great news as the city of Hull has been my home for the past 4 years and I've grown somewhat attached to it. With the Lord Mayor on the start line bidding me farewell and all the best the press should hopefully follow. I will be contacting local press over the coming days.
An event page has been set up here: Facebook link
I am also waiting for confirmation of the Mayor of Bournemouth being on the finishing line and welcoming me to Bournemouth. He's a busy man that week so I've had to give a finishing date and time, this was not easy as it means I am now bound to a deadline of which I had to be realistic about. This has been set as the 21st of July at 6pm, by this time I need to be crossing the finish line which is the pier approach on Bournemouth seafront.
With the inclusion of a deadline I now have to skate 300 miles in 10 days, keeping up an average of 30 miles a day. To those in the know this is not impossible and somewhat achievable. On the flat sections I need to be pushing extra miles in order to compensate slower progress over the rough and uphill sections.
In Short......The mayor cannot be kept waiting, so GAME ON!
Regards
Sam
Thursday 17 June 2010
Hi Guys,
So today has seen a major step forward in terms of sponsorship. Buffera has offered up some products for my skate trek. Their multifunction headwear will now grace my head and neck to keep the July sun from turning me into a lobster on 4 wheels for the entire 300miles.
All I need to do is sign my sponsorship agreement and get it back to the lovely Sarah at Buffera. But suffice to say I'm pretty excited.
Be on the lookout over the next couple of days for the Buff logo and link at the top of this page. But in the meantime be sure to checkout their range of multifunction headwear to see what you're missing out on this summer.
Regards
Sam
Wednesday 9 June 2010
Hey Guys
I have been following other distance skateboarders doing various long-haul treks around the world. These distance journeys are far greater than mine and are my inspiration to achieve my 300 mile goal.
One particular trip going on is the longtreks trip.
find out more at www.longtreksonskatedecks.com
Sam
Thursday 3 June 2010
Hi Guys
For my forthcoming skate I plan to try a bit of free camping, which is basically setting up camp wherever feels appropriate e.g. under a bridge, in a field, between the trees etc etc. This is to save a few pennies on accomodation costs and also because I love camping.
With this in mind i set out to acquire a suitable, lightweight tent or bivvy bag. I also had a look at hammocks but ruled them out for several reasons including kit security and weatherproofing, but although I dismissed the idea I did find some extraordinary cool hammocks which almost took my fancy.
With hammocks out of the idea I set my sights on to bivvybags, which although lightweight and adequate for what I wanted the lack of a room feeling to them and being able to keep my bag and board dry on wet nights/days forced them out of my mind and in with the hammocks. But while looking I discovered some great bivvybags with rollhoops over your head so you can zip up to keep the bugs out and relieve some otherwise claustrophobic nights in non rollhopp bivvy bags.
This left me looking for tents and due to weight and space limitations i quickly realised I would need to go down the hiking tents. these are minimal weight 1 or 2 man tents with either a singular or double pole construction and a typical wedge design (although some of the more expensive tents are structurally different to better battle the elements). I quickly decided to keep my options cheap and cheerful and was struggling to find the need to spend anymore than £50.
After maybe 2 hours of twoing and frowing across the internet i narrowed my options down to 3 tents all of which were 2man tents (I am 6'3" and fancied some added luxury of headroom).
- coleman bedrock
- coleman rigel
- gelert mongoose
All 3 were similar in weight with the coleman rigel being the lightest by a whole kg which almost swayed it for me if it were not for the +£50 price tag (I hovered my finger over the buy button for quite some while though. The tent is very nicely designed and came recommended) but my want to keep it cheap forced me to keep looking. It came down to the coleman bedrock and the gelert mongoose and with both good and bad reviews on each I came to a decision on the bedrock 2 man tent by coleman which although was not the lightest or the most highly praised out of the 3 it did have the cheapest price tag and got it ordered and delivered for £36...BARGAIN.
Once it arrived the very next day I quickly realised the pack length was a bit longer than anticipated but was nowhere near as heavy as I was expecting. I am still yet to find a suitable time to set it up due to a lack of garden but photos will be on the way when I am not so busy.
links
-coleman bedrock was ordered from www.simplyhike.co.uk
-tent reviews came from a fantastic site www.livefortheoutdoors.com and I would highly reccomend checking it out before buying any camping gear.
Regards
Sam
For my forthcoming skate I plan to try a bit of free camping, which is basically setting up camp wherever feels appropriate e.g. under a bridge, in a field, between the trees etc etc. This is to save a few pennies on accomodation costs and also because I love camping.
With this in mind i set out to acquire a suitable, lightweight tent or bivvy bag. I also had a look at hammocks but ruled them out for several reasons including kit security and weatherproofing, but although I dismissed the idea I did find some extraordinary cool hammocks which almost took my fancy.
With hammocks out of the idea I set my sights on to bivvybags, which although lightweight and adequate for what I wanted the lack of a room feeling to them and being able to keep my bag and board dry on wet nights/days forced them out of my mind and in with the hammocks. But while looking I discovered some great bivvybags with rollhoops over your head so you can zip up to keep the bugs out and relieve some otherwise claustrophobic nights in non rollhopp bivvy bags.
This left me looking for tents and due to weight and space limitations i quickly realised I would need to go down the hiking tents. these are minimal weight 1 or 2 man tents with either a singular or double pole construction and a typical wedge design (although some of the more expensive tents are structurally different to better battle the elements). I quickly decided to keep my options cheap and cheerful and was struggling to find the need to spend anymore than £50.
After maybe 2 hours of twoing and frowing across the internet i narrowed my options down to 3 tents all of which were 2man tents (I am 6'3" and fancied some added luxury of headroom).
- coleman bedrock
- coleman rigel
- gelert mongoose
All 3 were similar in weight with the coleman rigel being the lightest by a whole kg which almost swayed it for me if it were not for the +£50 price tag (I hovered my finger over the buy button for quite some while though. The tent is very nicely designed and came recommended) but my want to keep it cheap forced me to keep looking. It came down to the coleman bedrock and the gelert mongoose and with both good and bad reviews on each I came to a decision on the bedrock 2 man tent by coleman which although was not the lightest or the most highly praised out of the 3 it did have the cheapest price tag and got it ordered and delivered for £36...BARGAIN.Once it arrived the very next day I quickly realised the pack length was a bit longer than anticipated but was nowhere near as heavy as I was expecting. I am still yet to find a suitable time to set it up due to a lack of garden but photos will be on the way when I am not so busy.
links
-coleman bedrock was ordered from www.simplyhike.co.uk
-tent reviews came from a fantastic site www.livefortheoutdoors.com and I would highly reccomend checking it out before buying any camping gear.
Regards
Sam
Wednesday 26 May 2010
Tuesday 25 May 2010
The brilliant guys and girls over at skatefurther have included my trek on their front page. Skatefurther is a toally awesome community of longdistance skateboarders, and the home for Uk longdistance skateboarding, from gear reviews to charity events (24hrs around the Top gear test track for Haiti and shelterbox) to insider info about not yet released products, these enthusiasts are passionate. Be sure to check them out and see what they do.
Brilliant
sam
Hi Guys
This weekend i got hold off a new set of wheels for the distance board. The set-up of the board as it stands now is:
-LBL V1 pusher deck
-Dropthrough randall 180 trucks (standard bushings)
-Sesmic speedvents 85mm black ops wheels 79a
-bones swiss abec 7 bearings
The seismic speedvent wheels are such an improvement in both rolling ability and confidence levels. With a larger 85mm diameter, over the previously fitted lime big-zig 75mm wheels, the belly rubbing has stopped and rail bite on sharper turns has all but been eliminated. The 79a black ops urethane compound is better than anticipated allowing the further distances to be covered on momentum alone and plenty of grip during evasive manouvers and hard carving. Even on a hot day like saturday in the high 20's my 5mile commute to work seemed effortless. Previous spots and curbs that use to cause agro were slain by the seismics, leaving me free to worry about traffic and cyclists moving to slowly or what song i wanted to listen to next. The next test is going out and over the humber later in the week to see how it handles up and downhill, so watch this space.....
I purchased the wheels from www.octanesports.com , the level of customer service was excellent and a compromise was met when they only had one pair of old graphics and one pair of new graphics. So thanks very much guys at octansports. Be sure to check them out.
Thursday 20 May 2010
Hi Guys
So yesterday I noticed that I had not yet picked up any PPE (personal protective equipment) for my trek. With that in mind I headed straight to the internet to do some searching on the matter. I needed something robust, lightweight and with ample cooling. I looked at a variety of helmet manufacturers providing helmets of all shapes and sizes and colours, but kept being drawn back to Bern helmets. With a large selection on offer ranging from £30 to £80 I had a lot to choose from so I decided to settle on a mid range hard-hat (not a full helmet but still with adequate, if not brilliant, impact protection) complete with a visor for that July sunshine. After working out the circumference of my head by taping 2 sheets of A4 together due to the absence of a tape measure I put in my order from an English supplier.
It arrived first thing this morning?? Speedy deliveries are a blessing.
Quick review:
The hard hat is very tidily put together, compared to ye old cycle helmets circa 1999. The Foam lining is secured solidly to the inside
without a hint of any peeling. This model comes with an extra bead lining which the sweat supposedly coats around increasing evaporation thus increasing the cooling effect. This is yet to be tested by myself.
Once you put the helmet on the padding ensured a snug fit around my whole head including the top. The helmet is comfy and surprisingly cool even when just sat here typing, and it's easy to forget your wearing it (this coming from someone who wears baseball caps an awful lot). In fact it feels just as though I'm wearing a cap just slightly heavier. The overall weight of the helmet is incredibly light and much better than I thought it would be. Overall I'm very happy with it and it's now just a case of getting over the habit of never wearing one.
Cheers
Sam
Friday 30 April 2010
Hi, I have just got back from spending the morning doing some training. My regular commute to work (although good for training) is just not long enough to get some real distance behind me. So this morning I headed out on a mini challenge to skate out to and across the Humber Bridge and back.
I started from home after a good nights sleep and a quick check of the maps. I followed my usual route to work along some busy city streets and some quieter residential streets. All was well up to this point and I had no aches or pains. I continued past work and for the first time stepped into the unknown, as I had not been out this way into Hessle before. I must mention the board was behaving beautifully and the bearings were rolling well. So through Hessle square I went avoiding lunatic traffic and suicidal old ladies crossing the street wherever and whenever they pleased. A little detour up through Hessle high street allowed a more direct route, so I slowed down and gently and gingerly pushed my way uphill (for the first time on route). By this time it was around 9:15am so not many pedestrians to worry about.
From this point until I duck under the bridge was all uphill, and I had a choice of narrow pavements or horribly rough roads....I decided upon the road to get some practise in. I pushed laboriously uphill for what seemed like all morning, the wheels were barely moving and my calf and thigh were on fire. The 75mm wheels struggled on the rough surface but the lowered deck made it all manageable. On getting to the top there was a sigh of relief as the road smooths out and heads downhill under the bridge, before veering into the visitor centre and up onto the bridge itself.
(The downhill although short was a blessing as I had yet to really test the boards stability at speeds above what I can push. Both here and a steeper, faster and longer hill on the return journey the stability of the lowered deck and capabilities of the Randall 180 trucks came into their own and gave me confidence to allow myself to pick-up speeds I had not got to before without the fear of speed wobbles. My confidence grew even higher when my foot-braking was just as good at these higher speeds, being able to stop from speed is very important and with some more practise I'll be confident on any hill I may encounter in July).
The Humber Bridge itself was incredible, I have wanted to skate it for a while now, and i was not disappointed. The footpath was silky smooth and was a blessing on the wheels and bearings. The gradual uphill was met with an eagerly anticipated and joyous downhill to the other side.
Then it was just a case of getting back......
The trip was 17miles and was completed in 2hours.
Tuesday 27 April 2010
Hi Folks
Today has been spent at the computer writing some long overdue e-mails to companies i'm hoping might be interested in sponsoring my journey and asking advice from others.
Mel at sustrans, bless her cotton socks, has been great today with quick replies and great advice. She has passed on our conversations to the Press office at sustrans and also to Graeme who has planned a big bike trip for next year, and am now eagerly awaiting responses from them.
I have also sent e-mails of sponsorship opportunities to a few companies such as sainsbury's, cotswolds, Northface and blacks. Still plenty more companies out their, but a good start in whole.
Now was the time to contact Dave Cornthwaite over at boardfree to ask also for some more advice. Dave is a hero and somewhat legend figure in the long-distance skateing community as not only was he the first to longboard JohnO'Groats to landsend he also skated across australia. If anyone's got good advice for a would-be traveller like myself it's Dave.
Today has been spent at the computer writing some long overdue e-mails to companies i'm hoping might be interested in sponsoring my journey and asking advice from others.
Mel at sustrans, bless her cotton socks, has been great today with quick replies and great advice. She has passed on our conversations to the Press office at sustrans and also to Graeme who has planned a big bike trip for next year, and am now eagerly awaiting responses from them.
I have also sent e-mails of sponsorship opportunities to a few companies such as sainsbury's, cotswolds, Northface and blacks. Still plenty more companies out their, but a good start in whole.
Now was the time to contact Dave Cornthwaite over at boardfree to ask also for some more advice. Dave is a hero and somewhat legend figure in the long-distance skateing community as not only was he the first to longboard JohnO'Groats to landsend he also skated across australia. If anyone's got good advice for a would-be traveller like myself it's Dave.
Monday 26 April 2010
well let's hope the weekends stay sunny for the rest of the summer because so far they have meant i can get out and do some training over 5miles. this weekend i only did 10miles by board and 5miles by bike but hopefully with the days staying lighter into the evening i can get out and do 30-50miles a weekend.
this saturday i came to the conclusion that the wheels are definitely going to need to be larger so am now in the market for some 97mm abec11 flywheels like these:
These bad boys should help smooth out the rough stuff and keep me rolling longer, the special hollowcore design keeps the weight down for comfort. But at nearly £90 a set these aren't going to be cheap......anyway thats all for this update except to also mention a short video of me skating past one of few green spots in Hull. ENJOY.....
Tuesday 20 April 2010
Sunshine this weekend mixed with a broken bike pump and a slow puncture meant that I finally managed to get out for a half decent and a somewhat more noticeable long distance skate. it's roughly 5 miles to work on semi rough to semi smooth pavements and roads, here's how it went.
The semi rough potholed roads that are in such abundance in and around hull were swept up and spat out by the LBL pusher board. The smooth roads and pavements were a luxury and mixed with a gentle tail wind for the outward journey allowed for some energy saving, chilled out skating to be done. The low profile of the deck meant that leg ache was reduced compared to excursions on my taller pintail on original trucks, and allowed me to get through an 8 hour shift without the added joy and discomfort of tired legs (interestingly i felt better than if i had rode my bike). It took a total of 35-40mins of skating to cover the 5 miles, and i was not rushing as i left with plenty of time.
The ride home was a little tougher as a mild headwind meant extra leg work was needed on top of already tired legs from work, but the board was so comfortable to ride thanks to the great addition of rockered edges (bent at each edge like an "(" laid flat) that locked my size 10 feet in perfectly. Tree root cracked pavements and loose gritty concrete were in abundance and with only minor changes in the rhythm of my pushing were handled with ease by the board and wheel setup. The flex of the board along with the softness of the urethane wheels smoothed out bumps and lumps leaving my legs with little to do other than push, steer and balance without having to act as the main shock absorbers. In short the comfort of this board is incredible, and am looking forward to a longer ride to test it further.
The only negative comment to make was the wheels. the lime bigzigs are comfortable and grippy and the soft compound rolled over every obstacle perfectly, but the size of the wheels matched with the drop through trucks and lowered deck meant a few scrapes to the varnished edges when turning tighter turns, and i had to adjust my carving style that i would normally use on my pintail and original trucks to accommodate. Not really a huge issue but confidence and belief in making the turn without the worry of scraping edges would make the board that much more comfortable for future rides. Maybe some larger abec11 flywheels would help solve this issue but at £70+ for a set of four i might just get out on the bigzigs some more until i'm comfortable with them.
If the weather stays nice and sunny for this coming weekend i will be skating to work again and will try and get some video and/or photos plus a route map up here for you all to see.
regards
Thursday 1 April 2010
A genius idea came from an unlikely source this evening...none other than my father. He mentined that i should maybe contact some larger companies about the possibility of backing me for the trip.
so this evening i sat down and dug about for contacts, i wrote a very nice e-mail to the environment manager at Honda explaining my challenge and asking if they would like to sponsor me for the trip.
i have literally only just hit the send button and it is what...11:20pm so don't expect a reply till tomorrow at the earliest. I do hope i get a reply and it's a positive one at that.
i sent along a link to this blog so if you're reading this Mr Kingston.... HELLO and i hope you send a reply my way soon.
regards
sam
Hi guys
right thanks to a very generous donation from none other than my parents i am so tantalisingly close to breaking the £100 mark.
I am going to set a mini challenge of getting there by the end of the week.
this means i need your help.....so if you haven't already donated please do so over at justgiving and give as much as you can.
the charity www.sustrans.org.uk is really worthwhile as it helps people choose to combine active transport into their weekly routines of work, shopping and socializing through allowing safer means of doing so. this includes simple things like bicycle lanes and keeping old tracks open as well as setting up walking-bus schemes (which i think is great and dead cute to see).
regards
sam
Wednesday 31 March 2010
To allow for easier communication and to ensure i reach as many people as possible i have posted a facebook group
take a look and hit the add button. the blog (right here) get's updated first, but the group is an easy way to tell people of any "worthwhile" updates rather than random waffleing posts (such as this one).
regards
Tuesday 30 March 2010
So one of the big (if not the biggest) question playing on my mind is whether to use electronic mapping or traditional paper maps while pushing for sustrans.
When i say electronic, i am specifically looking at mobile phone mapping software rather than a hand-held GPS such as Garmin. This is to cut down on items to carry.
I have in recent weeks acquired a motorola running the android operating system, thanks to an overdue phone upgrade. Now i am mightily impressed with the google maps app embedded onto it, and the GPS tracks me well. This is very handy right up to the point where i loose 3G coverage and the map fails to update, which could be a problem.
Paper maps don't have this problem, but am worried about the size of small road maps, and/or the amount of OS maps i'd need. i need to look at paper maps and see what's offered these days and what details they have.
Another handy thing with my phone is the amount of useful apps out their for plotting and tracking on maps. might be hampered by battery life but unlike the iPhone i can carry a spare battery :) android 1 : apple 0
regards
When i say electronic, i am specifically looking at mobile phone mapping software rather than a hand-held GPS such as Garmin. This is to cut down on items to carry.
I have in recent weeks acquired a motorola running the android operating system, thanks to an overdue phone upgrade. Now i am mightily impressed with the google maps app embedded onto it, and the GPS tracks me well. This is very handy right up to the point where i loose 3G coverage and the map fails to update, which could be a problem.
Paper maps don't have this problem, but am worried about the size of small road maps, and/or the amount of OS maps i'd need. i need to look at paper maps and see what's offered these days and what details they have.
Another handy thing with my phone is the amount of useful apps out their for plotting and tracking on maps. might be hampered by battery life but unlike the iPhone i can carry a spare battery :) android 1 : apple 0
regards
My sister is going to hate me, as i have decided to push the date back by one month. so am now leaving 18th july. This is due to my masters report deadline around the beginning of june and i cannot afford to be taking time out or rushing to finish the report.
I originally wanted to be back at home to say cheerio to my sister before she jets off to Borneo to play with the orangutans. SORRY SIS...she doesn't know yet.
The £'s are rolling in. £23 so far, so thanks to everyones contributions so far.
regards
I originally wanted to be back at home to say cheerio to my sister before she jets off to Borneo to play with the orangutans. SORRY SIS...she doesn't know yet.
The £'s are rolling in. £23 so far, so thanks to everyones contributions so far.
regards
Tuesday 23 March 2010
I have just received word back from a lovely Mel at sustrans that they are happy to get involved. on top of that their press office has been sent my original email and they are going to think of ways in which to get involved. including putting my event on their website.
it's all mightily scary and exciting.
Seems i may need to put on an actual departure event in which to raise the profile of my challenge, so leaving early in the morning from my dingy student accomodation may not be adequate afterall. a More grandeur event from the centre of town may be in the pipeline....watch this space.
regards
it's all mightily scary and exciting.
Seems i may need to put on an actual departure event in which to raise the profile of my challenge, so leaving early in the morning from my dingy student accomodation may not be adequate afterall. a More grandeur event from the centre of town may be in the pipeline....watch this space.
regards
in order to maximise comfort pushing over varied road surface qualities i did some reseach into board designs.
Longboards are unique and different to skateboards due to their length, wheelbase and wheel size. longboards can also come in various shapes and sizes from dropped deck, drop through, pintail, kicktail and flat deck. with axle lengths varying in size as well as wheelbase going from one extreme to another, there's alot to consider, and i haven't even mentioned wheel choice, bearings or bushings.
in the end i settled for a custom handmade longboard, built by larry peterson (aka longboardlarry) in USA www.longboardlarry.com. the board is called "the pusher" and is specifically designed for long distance skating. It has a dropped deck with dropthrough trucks making it very very low to the floor to minimise knee bend while pushing. the deck is wide with a fair amount of camber locking your feet to the board . a fair amount of flex helps to soften the bumps.
It cost an arm and a leg but i was more than happy to pay for it.
regards
last night i set up a justgiving fundraising page.
i set my target at £300, which is a pound for every mile. This is not alot to ask and i would ideally love to smash that target and if i could raise £5 for every mile raised i would be one very happy skater.
you can take a look at it here-------> NoCar-NoProblem
please donate as much as you can and pass around the page address http://www.justgiving.com/300miles-nocar-noproblem to as many people as possible.
thank you so much for any donations and taking the time to have a look.
regards
Yesterday i went hunting for a worthy cause to rise money for in order to put an extra spin on this journey.
For me the charity idea wasn't an initial thought. I just really wanted to test myself, but family and friends have been asking whether i am raising money for a charity so i thought it might just be a good idea afterall. Helping others is simple.
So the charity i chose were Sustrans, sustrans is the UKs largest sustainable transport charity, who are helping people choose to live a car free lifestyle by promoting the use of active transport by opening up and maintaining cycle networks and the like. This seemed very similar to my way of thinking for this trip (not using a train) and i wrote them an e-mail yesterday asking if they want to be involved. will let you know what they say, once i have received a reply.
In the meantime, check out there website www.sustrans.org.uk
regards
Well this is really starting to pick up pace now. It's still hard to believe that 18 months ago, this was a silly idea in which to avoid paying out for a rail ticket home from uni. But yet here i am 3 months away from setting out on a trip that's going to test my physical and mental strength.
For those wondering exactly why i am doing this, i ask you to take a look at my inspiration for this trip....Rop thompson (www.14degrees.com) completed a world record, round the world trip by longboard. his updates over the past 18 months have convinced and inspired me to do this trip of a mere 300 miles. his video journals have made me realise i will not only battle physical exhaustion but also mental exhaustion, this could be tougher than i thought.
regards
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