CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[CitroJim]

I love the headlight 'eyebrows' on that Leyland Octopus They really knew how to style lorries in those days!

[Michel]

Oh yes, balance bikes are the way to go with the little 'uns Stabilisers just delay the inevitable skill of learning balance whereas a balance bike instils it from the word go...

Sian, my youngest, hardly used stabilisers... She watched me teaching Robyn to ride a bike without stabilisers when she was 5 and a half and Sian wanted to do the same... She did too... A few weeks before her third birthday!

I saved the expense of a balance bike by simply removing the pedals from Sam’s first bike. Took him to the park in Marlow which has a gentle grassy slope, he spent 30 mins freewheeling down it with no pedals and another 15 mins with 1 pedal on it. 15 mins later he was pedalling with 2 pedals. He was three years old.

[CitroJim]

Well done Sam!, that's bloody marvellous Just shows you can't start teaching them too early... And that goes for many things as well as cycling...

[Hell Razor5543]

While you don't have a TV, Jim, you might still want to have a look at the following link;

https://yesterday.uktv.co.uk/shows/trai ... the-world/

Some of the ideas in the early 20th century are incredible. Bugatti made trains for the French, while a former Zeppelin engineer came up with this;

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view ... ajaxhist=0

[van ordinaire]

of course elf & safety came later - after the accountants!

[CitroJim]

While you don't have a TV, Jim, you might still want to have a look at the following link;

https://yesterday.uktv.co.uk/shows/trai ... the-world/

Thanks James! Very appreciated

[CitroJim]

And here ends my 2018 running year on something of a high - 1014 miles run in the year and this morning's run is my fastest 10K training run this year What a way to end the year!

Definitely All My Own Work!

Currently I'm on 8,646 miles by bicycle but that will be substantially increased later today as I go out on our last club ride of the year...

It's been a great year generally tinged with a not a little sadness that both work, my driving career and my ability to spanner cars (amongst a myriad of other things) has come to an end after so many years and that my overall cognitive health continues to deteriorate at the same rate as my physical health seems to improve!!!

It's by no means the end, I'm just moving into a new phase of life and happily embracing it I'm actively looking forward to 2019 and the opportunities and challenges it will bring. I'm hoping to attend a few of the more local rallies in 2019 - by bike

Finally a special mention to one forum member who's gone out of his way to make sure I'm OK and bring some bright light into my life just when I most needed it... I'm not going to name names but you know who you are

The FCF truly rocks! May it forever remain the greatest forum on the Internet

[NewcastleFalcon]

Jim,

December 31st has arrived, and today James (hellrazor) has fittingly put you on 1000 likes!

So let me be the one to move you onto the "big, big carpet for less than half-a-crown mark" as I did for marc (givemeabreak) only a few days ago.

So brace yourself and allow 34 seconds of your time for this appropriate fanfare for your achievement



all the best

Neil

[CitroJim]

Oh wow That's made my day 2018 certainly has seen some milestones for me and 1000 likes on here is very special! Thanks all

And here's my final cycling mileage for 2018

All my own work with some help from a few bikes!

I'm a very happy boy this evening... It's been a great day today and some very special bike rides were enjoyed

[Skull]

Jim

Well Done on the 1,000 likes and on your 2018 mileage you've biked twice as far as one of my Xantia's has done

Have as much fun this year as you're allowed

[CitroJim]

Jim

Have as much fun this year as you're allowed

Thanks Skull

Just a quick update... I'm still here, mainly read-only as I find it increasingly hard to comprehend even small areas of this forum now... Also I have nothing to say about cars as my life no longer includes them in any capacity except for the occasional lift somewhere...

As this is a car forum I will be saying no more about any activities I spend my time enjoying now, they are all way off-topic... If you are keen to know then follow me on Facebook

I discovered to my cost the other day just how allergic I have become to all forms of oil, greases, solvents, VOCs, smoke, vehicle fumes, petrol, diesel, perfume and household cleaners... It is now total

A couple of hours in my workshop was enough to render my rather ill for a day or so a while back... To demonstrate how bad it is now, I farmed out work on my bike to our local indy bike mechanic... Unheard of but needs must. He did a cracking job too...

My workshop is now strictly out of bounds. I needed to quickly go in there to get a tool this afternoon and again I' feeling sick I was in there all of five minutes

[Hell Razor5543]

Well, if you could stand being in the workshop making a few devices it might be worth designing a few 'waldos' to manipulate/collect items and (after passing them through a hypo allergenic cleaning bath) hand them to you!

Oh, welcome back, by the way.

[CitroJim]

Oh, welcome back, by the way.

Thanks James The first part of your reply was more or less indecipherable to me but I sort of got the gist

I'm just about OK will light electronics... Oddly, I seem fairly OK with small exposures to solder fumes in a well-ventilated area so not all is lost...

I'm working on a vintage reel-to-reel tape deck at the moment and that needs mechanical work involving cleaning out old, gummy grease with solvent and re-greasing... That will have to be farmed out...

Does anyone have any advice on a face mask that may help?

[Hell Razor5543]

I will ask my brother for you. Because of his work he has experience of gas masks and the like.

The first part of my previous answer was a suggestion you make/get remote manipulators that will allow you to 'work' in your workshop without actually being IN your workshop!

[CitroJim]

I will ask my brother for you. Because of his work he has experience of gas masks and the like.

Thanks James, that will be very appreciated

The first part of my previous answer was a suggestion you make/get remote manipulators that will allow you to 'work' in your workshop without actually being IN your workshop!

Ahh! A bit like they do when working in a nuclear reactor Just the job