www.beddysblog.com

smart car + mountain bike inside = looks very funny

Hello all! Brendon and I completed our first ever mountain bike race on the weekend called the 3 Ring Circus (mountain bike events always have funny names). It was a endurance event over 50 km's off-road with a mix of fire trail and single track.

Note I am laughing here in front of Brendon for some reason

There was a bit of a issue at the start though. The night before Brendon and I pulled apart our bikes to squeeze them into the back of our tiny cars, my Peugeot 206cc and his smart car (smart car + mountain bike inside = looks stupid). Trouble is as it was dark I left one small part that holds my back wheel on, on the grass!

When we got to the event we found the part was missing and so asked the race mechanics but as I have a fancy bike (or whizz bang bike as they called it), they didn't have the spare part. Next the announcer on the PA put a message out to the hundreds of people asking if anyone had the spare part, no one came forward.

Then after 2 minutes this lovely lady came over and said she just found out she has bronchitis and did I want to use her bike. well it wasn't the best bike in the world it has to be said, it was pretty crap really, but it was a bike!

I did the event with my handicap of a crappy bike and to my amazement I overtook crazy rider Ian in the last few km's and came first out of our 4 man group with a time of 3:24 and 54 seconds, great! Go the girl bike!

Brendon just finishing just a millisecond before he tripped up LOL

All at the finishing line, Akhil, Brendon, Me and Ian 

Here's how our times stacked up, I came first and on a girls bike ha-ha.

The feature to make comments on Beddysblog has been unavailable for a few months now but I've finally cracked it and you can leave comments again, hooray!

On Sunday Brendon, Josh and myself decided to test the aerodynamic efficiency of a mars bar and cheese twisty on the roof of the Exige. We felt it compromised high speed stability slightly and reduced the power-to-weight output of the car also slightly, but we noticed if we breathed out for long periods we could counteract this but then began to loose vision.

We did run into the risk that several hungry men in taller vehicles (basically anything on the road) were temped to reach out and grab our test food products when we stopped at Red lights.

The Snakata cheddar flavour on the central roof section didn't last long, we ate them.

Thanks to the assistance of Brendon's dog for applying the scientific Blue tape.

This is one of the best apps for free on the iPhone without a doubt I've found. Motion X GPS is a very detailed GPS logging app that allows you to pre-load all the map data of where your going as you typically don't have any phone signal when your out trekking/riding and log your entire trip, all stats everything and then upload it to twitter, facebook, or plain old email whilst your in the field still. It has so many features you just have to check it out.

As by example, Brendon and I went out for a long ride in the Royal National Park today to christen his new mountain bike. This is what it generated:

and to be truly amazed open up the following Google Earth file it generated and make sure the 3D terrain layer is turned on, its amazing!

Mark & Brendon RNP ride.kmz (Google Earth file)

If you dont have Google Earth, this is a snippet of what it looks like:

There have been a few emotional speed bumps to my Lotus ownership experience over the past 6 months, here's how it all came about, so if you're sitting comfortably I'll begin.

Back in December 2009 me and friend Ash swapped cars for a short afternoons drive. His was a 2 week old new BMW M3 and mine the recently supercharged and one of the quickest series 2 Elise's in the country. We took the cars to crystal car wash to get waxed and buffed and enjoyed a quick beer in the pub next door.

What we didn't know was the lovely Indians at crystal car wash gave a good liberal serving of 'back to black' tyre shine to the rear wheels of the Elise. Ash had only jumped in the car for a 2nd time and made 100metres from the car wash before the back of the Elise lost traction, skidded along 3 parked cars on the left side of the road, before doing a 180 and stopping in the lane of oncoming traffic.

It could of been a lot worse but the conditions were good for other drivers to see the wreck. After much damage accessing by the experts, the chassis had a small crack in the front left suspension area and the little Elise which was my pride and joy for 2.5 years was a write-off.

Sad sad graveyard for the 'Little Loti'

Chassis cracked (unrepairable) near join to front left lower wishbone

Rest of damage to car was superficial and repairable (with deep enough pockets)

So insurance paid up in full, and I hunted for my next car. I knew it had to be another Lotus, there just hasn't been another car I've driven as rewarding to drive that didn't have a $200,000+ price tag attached to it.

I didn't want another Elise, that itch had already been scratched and to be honest I didn't  want to replace what a perfect owning experience I'd had with a Elise already. So the logical step was an Exige, essentially the slightly harder slightly more track focused version of the Elise.  I knew I also wanted something the same age if not newer than my 2007 Elise.

So the hunt started, phone calls to ad's and recommendation from friends all came and gone until I found this Black Exige S in Melbourne by a seller named Blair. He wanted close to $90k which was too much but the spec of the car Sports pack & Super sports packs was a perfect match of the rawer edged car I wanted.

The original advert on Carsales.com.au

I did have a mid bargaining fling with a slightly older and much higher km's car that I even went to auction and bid for. In chrome orange and at my max limit of $55k it was a bargain, but I stuck to my set limit and I was outbid and so it just wasn't to be for me.

Back to the Black Exige S in Melbourne and after 4 months we came to a good deal! Over the weekly emails back and forth with Blaire, we built up a bit of a relationship and it was agreed to seal the deal, 2 bottles of Penfolds Grange wine at a cost of $1100 we in order. Fine by me as it was still a deal even with that inclusion and anyhow, how many car sales have been done with bottles of Penfolds Grange exchanging hands, arguably some of THE best wine in the world!

Over email the deal was done, so good friend Brendon agreed to join me for the trip to Melbourne and if I didn't buy the car after the test drive, he would pay for the flights back for both of us "but that's not going to happen is it!" he said :)

Down to Melbourne on a 6:30am flight (I don't do early mornings well) and we met Blair in the Airport as he was returning from visiting a mate in NZ. We got to his beautiful house in Richmond and took the car straight out for a test drive in the wet wet rainy cold Melbourne weather. The car was a perfect example Exige S, only 14,000km's and very tight and solid, it honestly felt like new.

All the paperwork and insurance was done and the Penfolds Grange  was handed over in a ceremony (ok not really) which was accompanied with a Penfolds book I was given when purchasing the wine.

The two beautiful bottles of Penfolds Grange 

I wrote a short note to Blair in the book:

To Blair,

The title of this book (The Rewards of Patience) couldn't describe our negotiation for the sale of the Lotus any better! It will be going to a good home and I hope you enjoy your Grange in the many years to come. Keep in touch.

Best Regards Mark Bedford

The handing over ceremony! (ok just handing over the cheque) 

The air was a bit emotional as Blair kind of air kissed the car away as we drove his old baby away.

We had plotted a recommended route via the snowy mountains thanks to Robs son Alex to take in some great driving roads and a night was booked in Thredbo in Robs shared ski lodge there. If you have driven through the snowy mountains before you will know there are a LOT of stones on the alpine roads, so Brendon intelligently brought some Blue tape to protect the nose and sides of the car.

Well that was what we started to do, but we got a little carried away being egged on by the local car wash guys who came to watch and offer advice like 'you should do that bit' 'and that bit' 'don't forget to do the wiper!'.

You can never have too much Blue tape on your car! 

Paying attention to Blue striping the details 

To just Blue strip the car is amateur, you have to blue stripe the drivers too! 

Leaving Melbourne in the pouring rain and the tape was holding up at motorway speeds 'just' and proved to entertain passersby :)

Getting closer to the mountains and the NSW border on a long clear motorway and Vic police decided to ping me as I slightly ventured over the 110kph limit whilst checking our location on the map. I was only just over the limit but Brendon straight away said 'Vic police have zero tolerance, they'll book you for sure' and sure enough they did.

Wasn't a bad experience though, the copper, a older guy, was professional and to the point. We did have a giggle out of it though when he asked 'what's with all the Blue tape' well I said 'well there's a lot of stones between here and Sydney'. With that I saw him eyeing up the bits of Blue tape on the roof and said 'not that bit, that's just for show' which resulted in him smiling and a laugh, we left on happy terms.

Victoria Police do not like Blue tape :(

The weather for the whole drive was just ABYSMAL. We left the last town before the snowy mountains ski resort of Thredbo very late with a young girl we bought some supplies from telling us in few words we were CRAZY to drive to Thredbo this late and in this weather. If she knew we were doing it in a Supercharged Exige with semi-slick tyres that run like butter in any standing water, well she would have phoned for the 'men in White coats' I'm sure.

We did get to Thredbo safe and sound around 9:30pm, about 4 hours after dark. Highlights of that part of the drive were a short 'Blare witch project' style video we made during a stop in the middle of nowhere and when 4 deer were spotted on the verge just as we were on them with me nearly browning my pants.

Thredbo was COLD minus degrees through the night and as it was summer in a ski resort, everything was closed, dinner was 2 packets of crisps, a chocolate bar and a bottle of Shiraz wine to share.

In the morning the car started perfectly from the cold and amazingly all the Blue tape was still there! Still raining hard we took a bit of footage on the video camera and soldiered on towards Sydney.

Blue Tape 'just' about holding up after 500km's + in heavy rain

Even sitting out in the rain near freezing all night
the car started beautifully in the morning

The driver wasn't starting so beautifully though
in the damp cold alpine morning air

Driving home the car performed flawlessly and it was nice to have the Lotus traction control there to catch the wheels when you pull away with a couple of cm's of rain on the road.

After arriving to Brendon's home just south of Sydney, we pepped ourselves up with a hot coffee at his local favourite coffee shop and pulled off all the Blue tape for the last 80km's back to mine, our thinking was to allow the rain to blast off some of the tapes glue residue. 

Arriving back at mine in central Sydney and the cars trip counter had passed the 1000 km mark and gone back to 45km. What a great drive and eventful trip we had, the conditions were not suited to test the cars driving dynamics out, but we tested it in many other ways in some terrible weather conditions. Thanks Brendon for sharing the experience with me.

Washing the grime off after a long 1045km drive

Next up is to personalise the car a little as my own, no that doesn't involve me leaving my scent in there! Maybe some stripes, some carbon fibre body panels, maybe a supercharger upgrade could be some of the options on the menu, I'm sure you'll find out.

Cheers Beddy aka 'Beddo'

The weather has changed for the cooler last week and with the clocks going back too, winter really feels like its on its way now. Its been a fun Summer and one to remember what with moving into our first bought home and leaving the IT industry after 15 years, maybe temporary maybe I'll return. Here are some memories of the summer of 2009 – 2010 in Australia and in no particular order.

Brendon and I had some fun with an expensive Porsche over a
few days and enjoyed making a film to go with it

Boxing day in the Jacuzzi/spa at the Wollongong
Novatel hotel with Hanna and the kids

Pedalling around Sydney's Centennial park on a hot day with Sanna,
Mum & Dad after Mum & Dad just got off the plane from England

Carrying out my ‘Dentist Infiltration’ stunt i did for the AussieElises online
forum being one of the first in Australia to drive the new Lotus Evora

Brendon enjoying a nice cool drink from McDonalds in the
boot of the BMW M3, he seemed pretty relaxed

Taking Australia’s only Ford GT supercar on a ‘brekkie run’ I
organised with the Lotus club, down the coast 

Camping out on a remote beach with Sanna with nothing but the
sounds of the bush and the waves all night 

Staring at the White Lamborghini Murcielago LP670 in the workshop
after my friend and manager of Lamborghini Sydney Ian, let me fulfil
a dream of driving a Murcielago, a $680,000 (£415,000) car

Hanging out with good friends on a boat cruise show-boating on Sydney harbour 

Being stupid with friends at our successful Mardi Gras
2010 party which christened our new home

Visiting Jamberoo water park before the
warmer weather of summer left us.

Something that was handed to me the other day as some change really made me laugh.  It wasn't until I went to go and spend it I realised someone had been having some fun with the queens face on the $5 aussie bank note.

Obviously very bored and probably in a pub with their mates, they had scratched off the poor queens eyebrows, eye’s and top lip and and pencilled in what made her look like a right angry old cow!

Well it made me laugh and I'm reluctant to spend it now as it makes me chuckle every time I see it :) I think mum used to always say to me ‘little things please little minds’, she’s right.

Click the photo to see the detail up close.

27th Feb was the date for this years Sydney Mardi Gras parade, one of the worlds most famous street parties. Our new place in the city has 2 bedrooms that back right onto Oxford St and being 3 levels up was a perfect place to watch the parade from. 18 friends came over to join us for some food and drinks and to watch the parade from the bedroom windows and we all had a good time.

Here is a 10 minute collection of some of the best bits I filmed of the parade. Enjoy the madcap craziness of the Sydney Mardi Gras as the infamous 'Team leader' controls the crowds with her takedown shouting Megaphone skills, you’ll see what I mean:

One person that loved watching the whole parade was little Basima before she fell asleep on the ‘Lovesac’, I couldn't think of a more comfortable place to sleep:

This footage was recorded back in October 2009, when we spent a couple of days with brilliant BMW M3. The weather was kind to us through our trip and many of the roads were ultra smooth to allow us to experiment with the handling characteristics of this great car.

This particular video was filmed during the Macquarie pass, a hill climb road just 30km’s South West of Wollongong in New South Wales. Its surface is silky smooth, benefiting from a fairly recent re-surface and the 7.7km pass features smooth sweeping turns with only 1 overtaking section near to the top.

The BMW M3 is a very neutral balanced car, which makes it a pleasure to be driven on roads like these. Just listen to the way the V8 engine loves to rev, as we make our way up the pass.

On a technical note, this was the first video I've completed featuring a accurate map overlay tracking the cars location as we progress up the hill. This proved pretty time intensive to complete in a accurate way but I am very happy with the tracking results and many thanks to friend Jay Ng for his assistance in this area.

Brendon and I take the keys to Porsches flagship 911 model, the Porsche 911 Turbo. We took a look at some of the details that make up the 911 range-topper, and take it for a hill-climb drive up our usual Macquarie Pass testing road. Along the way we test out the back seats, all the cubby and storage holes and see if we can as usual ‘get a person in the boot of a supercar’.

When this car’s turbo kicks in, its acceleration is as quick as the Lamborghini Gallardo I am not joking, but doesn't sound half as good.

I have to say that for me personally I enjoy driving the 997 GT3 over this car as it feels a little more nimble and the steering a little more like my own Lotus in its direct connected feeling. But I also have to say the Turbo impressed me MORE than I thought it would. The Turbo’s feeling of being able to accelerate out of a corner earlier than you can with the GT3 (due to the Turbos 4wd) is a great feeling on the road.

Click the video below to play, or you can watch it in spiffy High Definition by going here and clicking the HD button: http://www.youtube.com/mabedfo#p/u/0/7PhCyiW8ciI