What made you happy today?

[Kimbers]

Am happy that the nice weather is back. My tablets are working. Work is superb. But sadly my back has been knackered for 2 weeks now which means my car has been growing cobwebs. But she will come out this Sunday, and next wednesday.

Oh yes, only a week to go before my 2 weeks in Cyprus....joy of joys!!!

[Günter]

not 'today' -as it was yesterday evening, bud really impressive for me:

My first real life 'personal inspection' of one of the LHD EVORA press cars. I like the double-size [dual-DIN] Alpine infotainment system (especially the separate sat-nav..) and the brushed aluminum look on some details.

OK, I'm not Jeremy Clarkson and I've heared some of the story's about dashboard changes on the production cars. Bud there is one point i would give too.. .

The Ford entry/ignition key-system is a go! No problem, bud those simple black hard plastic on the steering column cover/ steering column switches is not an charming combination in contrast with the leather & aluminum look. That was something that made me laughing yesterday. And that you can feel packages of uncovered cables if you touch the underside of the steering column cover and/or dashboard with all those gaps on it... . As you should imagine the situation: an customer would try to lever the [adjustable] steering column by hand manually (as he had done this maybe on all his former cars...). So if he grabs on the steering column (..It's always good to read the manual first, I know -bud imagine our US friends and those user friendly laws..) than he would rip off some cables an shout about Lotus build & production quality and is electrics on the dash/car would fail.

Oh how i like car test....

Bud there are enough positive impressions too.. . So for example the overall look & proportions are not that bad (funny details on the lights & side indicators..) and the space [especially the hight] inside the drivers compartment is good for 1.90m blokes like me.. .

[gospeedv8]

6 am today morning, superb weather, i went on a 45 min tour with my bike.

After the tour arrived on schedule at 8 am in the office.

[simonf]

Thats a very nice bike gospeedv8! You need your seat a little higher though!! Fully carbon fibre it must have cost you a small fortune!!

I have a Bianchi, sadly only my front forks are carbon the rest is heat treated aluminium (its a little bit old now you see) but you can't beat a good ride first thing in the morning!!

[gospeedv8]

Thanks, Simon.

This is a older Pic. The seat was about 15cm higher wen i went cycling with it.

I ride the 110 very rarley now, but today was one of thouse days.

Mostly it sits in my collection.

My "dailydriver" is a klein - a aluminium mountain bike - nothing special.

But better for the mountains in austria

I got the 110 from Willem van der Kooi 4 years ago.

He told me its the winner bike from the 1993 Tour de France prolouge, driven by

Eric Breukink and his Team Once.

Dragi

[simonf]

It is UBBER-COOL! You hang on to it! I saw a similar bike (Chris Boardman's i think) at Hethel at the Lotus open day. Most people just walked straight past is on the way to looking at the F1 cars, but i was mesmorised! The handle bars were actually at the top of the front forks to enable a more aerodynamic riding position!! I also noticed that Lotus have diversified into Tobogans too!!

Best wishes

Simon

PS i might go out for a ride tonight now were have been taking about it!!

PPS - are you at liberty to say how much you paid for such a pretty piece or art??

Edited June 17, 2009 by simonf

[gospeedv8]

Sure, i have paid 4000 Euros back in 2005.

But i got offers between 8000 and 10000 for that bike.

A swiss biking-freak phoned me 3 month long just to get that bike .

Thanks god i have been resistant

You saw a replica of chris broadmans Type 108. Lotus made just around 12 pieces of type 108.

Best wishes

Dragi

This is the usual place for my bike:

[simonf]

Have you seen that Chris Boardman is making his own range of carbon fibre sprint bikes? They are very nice but can't compare to your bike! I used to regularly do 10mile time trials and my best time was early 23 mins which is respectable without setting the world alight! My times now maybe 25mins or so. Here in Norfolk there are no hills let alone mountains! so time trials are very even in pace and level.

4000euro thats a bargain!! that probable equated to

[gospeedv8]

Yes, i`ve seen them.

But i`m not that professional cycler, i`m more the biker

I

[simonf]

I am far from a professional too! Just a keen enthusiast, I used to belong to a club and take it all very seriously (training 4 times a week) now its just for fun. My father too was a very keen cyclist and regualrly did Cycathalons (100mile race) but he hasn't ridden in anger for many years - my father has an Ellis Briggs -you probably haven't heard of them, but they are very special touring bikes made to measure hand built, hand painted all very traditional they had a sprots bike division called favouri you may have heard of them - if not they may be on google!

Anyway enjoy that bike whether just looking at or riding it!

Best wishes

Simon

[esprit350]

what made me happy today

this

[semi42]

just had a great conversation with one of the guys restoring k7 , Donald Campbell's Bluebird

[molemot]

I used to feel the same way about Bluebird as I felt about Parry Thomas' "BABS"...they should have left them where they were. That was until I saw BABS in the little museum at Pendine..a brilliant spot, by the way, worth a detour to go there...and read the tale of the restoration. Then I became converted; BABS has been restored in exactly the right way, and I hope K7 will be, too.

My favourite Donald Campbell story is of the time, after a great run of bad luck and money troubles, one New Year's Day he just took Bluebird out and ran her up and down Coniston, bereft of timekeepers, spectators, fanfares...just for the hell of it. Must have blown away the cobwebs....

[Paul C]

Was out last night and some old chap pointed at me:

"I know you, You're one of Val Lewis's boys!"

Knew my mum by just looking at me.

Turns out he was same age as mum and went to primary

school with her in the 1940's. Had a few pints with the chap

and it was really nice. Turns out he knew so many of the folk

my mum grew up with (my 'non relative' aunts and uncles etc),

was sharing pints and stories with this chap until gone midnight.

A lovely evening.

I love living in this town. I can't imagine living anywhere

that you are not from, or that you have no roots. Nowhere

i'd rather be, and that made me happy today.

[redshift]

Number 3 has arrived, we now have 3 generations of Wolfhounds - father, son and grandson.

This is Elliot a.k.a. Eejit:

[Kimbers]

I'm going on holiday!!!

Every sunny day has a cloud tho! 4am start! DOH!

[Simon350S]

This

and this

So it was Saturday not today, but it made me happy, and I still am now

The black car will deteriorate no more and the blue one is soon to be at its new home where I can work on her to my hearts content, Happy days

[Advantage]

Wow! Is the blue one running? Not seen that for a while.

[Jukka]

My 5 weeks holiday starts now

[Katie]

I test drove an Evora. It's not often I am left lost for words. But it truly is unbelievable, out of this world, handles like a dream, is unbelievably responsive and incredibly comfortable. It is truly fabulous. I am grinning from ear to ear!

To all at Hethel....You have got this so flaming spot on RIGHT!! And nice to meet Scott too at Bell & Colvill.

[cumbriaimp]

jet washed the 'good' 907 today (inlets are taped up) after liberal doses of Gunk

changed from black to shiney and i now see how the cambelt tensioner works

a small step, but a positive one. shame the centre terminal fell out of the

dizzy cap when i had a look at it. more expense for the unemployed but hey ho,

2 forward, 1 back, it was a good day! And i picked up a guitar for the first time

in ages.

and its sunday tomorrow

[USAndretti42]

Saw my first road runner today. Disappointing, it didn't go, "beep, beep" or move very quickly. In fact it wasn't even running.

Also went the Unser Racing Museum. Neat little museum that opened only a few years ago and a good way to spend an hour or two.

[Jukka]

I'am happy because we are in Amsterdam just now. We came here yesterday and going home on tuesday. No special plan, just walking on the streets, visiting some museums, shopping etc.

[Iconic Ride]

Amsterdam always seemed to be a favourite weekend destination for my older son (and his classmates) while he was away at University in Scotland (as part of his US college's "International Studies" program). He, too, felt that the "shopping" was.....err.......uh.......,"culturally diverse" shall we say?

[Sparky]

Yup - all those clogs.