Two days ago, I nearly got knocked off my bike at the London Bridge junction as a silver saloon vehicle turned left in front of me. I was in the middle part of the ASL. The motorist just couldn’t be bothered to wait till I was out of the way. I gave a high pitched shriek. The cyclist behind me asked if I was ok. Unfortunately, I was too much in shock to get the Reg Number to get him under Section 59.
Two days ago, I nearly got knocked off my bike at the London Bridge junction as a silver saloon vehicle turned left in front of me. I was in the middle part of the ASL. The motorist just couldn’t be bothered to wait till I was out of the way. I gave a high pitched shriek. The cyclist behind me asked if I was ok. Unfortunately, I was too much in shock to get the Reg Number to get him under Section 59.
Two days ago, I nearly got knocked off my bike at the London Bridge junction as a silver saloon vehicle turned left in front of me. I was in the middle part of the ASL. The motorist just couldn’t be bothered to wait till I was out of the way. I gave a high pitched shriek. The cyclist behind me asked if I was ok. Unfortunately, I was too much in shock to get the Reg Number to get him under Section 59.
If you’re thinking about studying to get an MCSE, it’s likely you’ll come into one of two categories. You could be about to get into the IT environment, and your research tells you the IT industry has a huge demand for men and women who are commercially qualified. On the other hand you could be a knowledgeable person ready to consolidate your skill-set with the MCSE qualification.
When researching training colleges, stay away from those that compromise their offerings by failing to use the latest version from Microsoft. In the long-run, this will mean the student has to pay a lot more due to the fact that they’ve been educated in an outdated MCSE program which will have to be revised almost immediately. Training colleges ought to be completely focused on discovering the ultimate program for their clients. Directing study is as much concerned with guiding people on establishing which direction to go in, as it is helping to help them get there.
Reaching the right job choice can be very hard – so which sectors are important to investigate and what are the questions we should be posing?
Speak with a skilled consultant and they can normally tell you many horror stories of how students have been duped by salespeople. Stick to an experienced advisor who quizzes you to find out what’s right for you – not for their pay-packet! Dig until you find a starting-point that will suit you. With some live experience or certification, your starting-point of learning is not the same as someone new to the industry. If you’re a student beginning IT exams and training for the first time, it can be useful to break yourself in gently, beginning with some basic user skills first. This is often offered with most accreditation programs.
A lot of trainers only provide office hours or extended office hours support; very few go late in the evening or at weekends. Never buy training that only supports students through a message system when it’s outside of usual working hours. Training schools will give you every excuse in the book why you don’t need this. Essentially – support is needed when it’s needed – not as-and-when it’s suitable for their staff.
We recommend that you search for training schools that utilise many support facilities around the globe in several time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to offer a simple interface as well as 24×7 access, when it’s convenient for you, with no fuss. If you fail to get yourself direct-access round-the-clock support, you’ll quickly find yourself regretting it. You may avoid using the support late at night, but consider weekends, evenings and early mornings at some point.
Most trainers typically provide a big box of books. It’s not a very interesting way to learn and not really conducive to taking things in. Research over recent years has consistently shown that getting into our studies physically, is much more conducive to long-term memory.
Learning is now available in disc format, where everything is taught on your PC. Video streaming means you can watch instructors demonstrating how to do something, and then have a go at it yourself – in a virtual lab environment. Every company that you look at should be able to show you some simple examples of the type of training materials they provide. You should hope for instructor-led videos and interactive areas to practice in.
It doesn’t make sense to choose training that is only available online. Due to the variable nature of connection quality from most broadband providers, you should always obtain actual CD or DVD ROM’s.
Many training schools are still using one of the most out-dated training concepts – in-centre classes. Quite often pushed as a positive point, if you track down someone who’s been through a few, you’ll find them listing some or all of these issues:
* Loads of travelling to and from the workshop centre – usually quite a distance away.
* Asking for frequent time off work – typical trainers only offer Mon-Fri class availability and link several days together. This can be hard for a lot of working people, and this is made worse if travelling time is added into the mix.
* The majority of us think four weeks vacation allowance is not really enough. Spend a big chunk of this for training classes and see your problems doubled.
* Training classes usually become quickly full, so we end up having to take a less-than-ideal slot.
* You may prefer to move at a different pace to others in the class. Sometimes this causes a lot of tension amongst the class.
* Never ignore the added expense of arranging transport or over-night accommodation either. This can run to hundreds and even thousands of pounds extra. Take some time to add it all up – you’ll get a shock.
* Training privacy can be very important to many attendees. There’s no need to give up any possible promotions, pay-rises or achievement at work just because you’re retraining. If your employer knows you’re taking steps towards qualification in another sector, how will they regard you?
* Asking questions around our class-mates will often make us a little nervous. Ever avoided asking a question as you didn’t want to appear stupid?
* Often, days in-centre frequently become nigh on impossible to attend, when you live or work away from home for some of the month.
Surely it makes a lot more sense to take classes at a time that’s convenient for you – not the school – and utilise virtual lab environments with videos of your instructors. Think… If you’ve got a notebook PC then you could study wherever you happen to be at that time. And live 24 hr-a-day support is just a web-browser away in case you get challenged. You could repeat the elements as often as you need to prep for an exam. There’s absolutely no need to jot down any notes as the teaching is yours forever. While this can’t completely remove every problem, it definitely removes stress and makes things simpler. You’ve also got less hassle, travel and costs.
Doing your bit in progressive developments in new technology gives you the best job satisfaction ever. You personally play your part in creating a future for us all. There are people who believe that the revolution in technology we have experienced is lowering its pace. This couldn’t be more wrong. Terrific advances are ahead of us, and the internet particularly will be the biggest thing to affect the way we live.
And don’t forget that on average, the income of a person in the IT market throughout this country is significantly more than the national average salary, so in general you will be in a good position to gain significantly more as a trained IT professional, than you’d expect to earn elsewhere. As the IT industry keeps growing at an unprecedented rate, it’s likely that the requirement for certified IT professionals will remain buoyant for quite some time to come.
we started. The sun was out and the weather was promising. About a mile in I turned around, went home and put more clothes on. Bbbbbbrrrrrrrr… (not complaining)
Got in a little over 40 miles with lots of climbing. A bit much for this time of season.. well for me. The distance wasn’t [...]
For some of us, buying a bicycle can be as intimidating as going into a gourmet Italian coffee shop. The choices are endless and the language is nothing short of foreign. In an attempt to ease the decision making process and ensure that you end up with the right bicycle, I’ve compiled a list of tips to help you on your journey.
1.Know what you need. Figuring out what you want and need shouldn’t take too long. What kind of cyclist are you? Casual? Fitness? Commuter? Distance? All of these factors should be taken into consideration before purchasing. The differences between bicycles are endless, so spend your time designing your specific bike needs. After you have your bike in mind, start the hunt.
2.Start Slow. If you’re just getting started don’t go out and spend $2000 on a mountain bike. Get a reasonably priced bike ($200-$400) that is going to last and perform well. As you get more and more into biking you can add and upgrade components or trade up the entire bike.
3.Know Your Skills. If you aren’t used to the gears, components, shifters and gizmos that can come with a high end bike don’t be discouraged. Lots of times, beginners run into an expert in a bike shop and think that they will never know as much as that guy and give up before they even get started. Take it one ride at a time and you will always maintain your interest.
4.Do Your Research. You don’t need to do a Wikipedia entry on the evolution of derailleurs but you need to know how much bike is good for you. There are a lot of options available but the internet is a great tool here. There are tons of cycling blogs and forums where riders will be more than willing to help you out.
5.Play 20 questions. I have found that many people are scared to look stupid or are too shy to ask a lot of questions in a face to face setting. They tend to feel intimidated and end up buying something they don’t want or need. With the internet so readily available, it offers those people the opportunity to ask many questions anonymously. Find a blog or internet bike shop and send an email. Not only will you get answers to your questions, you can use the email as a reference while researching products.
6.Know your size and fit. There are multiple factors that affect the decision behind the right bicycle. Height, weight, fitness level, gender and even age all contribute to the customization of a good bike. Safety should be the number one concern on any bike owners mind. Not just road safety or judging conditions, you do not want to put any unnecessary strain on your back, neck, legs or arms.
7.Visit a cycling website or blog. In most cases, cycling enthusiasts and bloggers are independent resources that will offer an objective opinion about the kinds of bikes available and what other questions to ask. Their personal experiences can help guide you and shed some light on what to avoid.
8.Visit a bike shop. There is a lot to be said for testing out a product before purchasing it. Although you may be able to save a lot of money by purchasing online, the last stage of research might be best served in a bike shop. Most bike shops will have knowledgeable personnel available to let you feel out a bike before purchase. In addition, if you do purchase your bike online, being aware of bike shop policies on maintenance is a great way to establish a relationship should you ever need any repairs.
9.Ask to borrow a bike from friends and family. If the thought of visiting a bike shop is still inconvenient or intimidating, speak to people in your world and go for a ride. You’d be amazed what a ride will do for you when trying to make a decision. In addition, he or she can offer their personal experiences with the bike.
10.Trust Yourself. While all of this research and question asking is bound to help, at some point you may feel overwhelmed. At this point you need to trust you gut and go with your instincts. Ultimately you need to make the call and will be the one riding your bike. Don’t buy a bike that will impress others, impress yourself. Get what you want and you will love your purchase.
Remember to have some fun while you are looking for the right bike. If you enjoy researching the bike you are going to love riding it for years to come. Picking the right bike can be easy and fun if you remember what you are looking for. Don’t get caught up in technical jargon or component details, have some fun and trust yourself. If you can remember to do those two things you’ll enjoy your bike for years to come.
I thought it would be cool to wear a helmet cam to record one of the fastest and most aggressive criteriums in the world. Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club (CCCC) hosts this crit on Sunday mornings and easily gets up to 80 riders per grade. Unfortunately the threat of rain left most of the softies in bed and there were only about 40 starters. That didn’t make it much easier though. The winds were fierce and the racing was still full-on. Here’s some footage (unfortunately Youtube’s compression makes the quality suffer). BTW, I wasn’t racing – I was jumping around the pack to get some good footage. My apologies if I was in people’s way!
Clubs take note. One of the great things that CCCC does extremely well is posing race results. By the time I get home from these races the results are already posted and then a writeup and pictures are posted a few hours later. They make stars out of their riders. Everyone wants to have their name up in lights shortly after if they’ve done well in a race. Well done CCCC.
If anyone is interested I used the GoPro helmet cam. Thanks to Brad Davies for lending me his. I think I’ll be buying one. Only about $200. The quality is excellent, however it didn’t turn out very well when uploaded to YouTube. If you want a personal copy of the whole hour of racing, email me and I’ll upload the whole 2Gigs. It’s much better quality.
A novel way to remain physically active and healthy, enjoy nature and have lots of fun is to go for mountain biking. Though the exercise can be exciting but be careful as you speed down the slopes as it can be extremely unsafe. The whole family can participate in this sport, provided you take adequate safety steps,Though there are hazards involved, the whole family can derive fun out of it if some safety measures are taken.
Basically, mountain biking can be of three genres – downhill, free riding and cross country. There are many things common amongst the styles but the skills one needs are different. The type of bike you ride would actually depend on the type of mountain biking you choose.
This sport can be best explained as biking on wild and irregular locations. Before going on a mountain trek on your bike, it is wise to consult your local park to the know the exact route and whether you need to follow any specific guidelines. Check whether there are groups who are going for rides or if there are competitions. You may be able to find groups for the more advanced riders as well as beginners.
Endurance and stamina are a must for a great mountain biker. Also needed is a burning desire to achieve the end objective and the willingness for practicing to achieve success and beat the odds. Like all other sports, it takes time and practice. As a beginner be prepared for some small injuries sustained from falling off bike, etc.
Selecting the bike would be up to your personal liking and could decide on the kind of riding which you would do in future. Choosing a bike is difficult because of the plethora of choices you have in terms of styles, shapes and prices. It is wise to consult the internet and compare the various price levels before you actually buy a mountain bike. Considering the togetherness that you would have with your bike, it is mandatory to try out the bike first before buying. How convenient and easy you feel with your bike and what types of gears it has are important criteria for selection for a mountain bike.
Considering the risks involved in mountain biking, always wear helmets and pads on your elbow and knees. Consider wearing a pair of goggles if you are lagging behind a group or traversing through the woods. During mountain biking, keep safety as your first priority and remember this is never to be taken by the way.
