RobiNZ Personal Blog

Tern BYB P8 Bike in a box, the Tern Airporter Slim ready for the world

The BYB in my Tern BYB P8 folding bike mode name stands for 'Bring Your Bike'. The wonderful thing about a folding bike is taking it, anywhere. When I saw the Tern Airporter Slim case, on their site, the idea of an easily flyable bike really appealed. It isn't for point-to-point touring, more 'hub and spoke' (day rides from a base) but that is the type of cycle touring I like. Photo from Tern Website Trying to buy one... None of the local Tern dealers had one in stock. Rouleur, where I got my bike, were happy to order it... Read more →

The Lancia Delta, Big Car YouTube and me!

Big Car recently released his comprehensive video on the history of the Lancia Delta and I was happy to give a small hand to the production. As a Patreon supporter, I saw an early cut of it and recognised some concept design images he'd used. Back in the 80s, when I was studying Product Design (at what is now Unitec) I used to cycle around the car dealers in Great North Rd and Newmarket to see the new cars (and still do!). When the Delta arrived in their showroom Continental Cars had some books (more than a brochure) about the... Read more →

Recalling a ride in the only Porsche 911 I've ever liked

A post by Swade, asking 'A question from a reader….. Which Porsche 911 should he buy?', had me remembering the only Porsche 911 I've ever liked. For some reason I'm immune to '911 desire'* as they really do nothing for me except for memories of one experience. Back in 1999 I had the fastest auto ride in my life around the Pukekohe track as a passenger in a Lighting Direct Porsche 911 GT Le Mans Turbo with Kiwi race driver Owen Evans driving in 'one arm mode'. Owen's left arm was crushed in a horrific land speed record attempt crash... Read more →

A new home for my blogs, Me Dot Net?

My blog is still on TypePad but now, after nearly twenty years of procrastination, are accessed via www.robincapper.net. The story of how that happened is here... A new home for my blogs, Me Dot Net? - RobiNZ CAD Blog (robincapper.net) Read more →

Missing the link? Hobsonville Rd Proposed Cycleway and SH16 Cycle Path

AT are currently seeking consultation on a roadside cycleway link between Westgate and Hobsonville Point. From there it will link into the existing Upper Harbour path/cycleway to connect to the North Shore. It will run along the existing Hobsonville Rd with provision for bikes added to the road intersections along its length. Hobsonville Road Cycleway | AT Site Link Auckland Transport is working to deliver a connected safe cycle network across Auckland. The Hobsonville Road Cycleway will provide safer access for cyclists to the Hobsonville Ferry Terminal and the new bus interchange at Westgate serving the Western Express. This is... Read more →

The Big Bike Film Night Matinee ride

Back in early May I, guiltily, DROVE to The Big Bike Film Night in Avondale. It was due the grim evening weather; sporadic torrential rain and the thought of sitting in damp clothes for a few hours didn't really appeal. The Hollywood is a great venue, and it was awesome to see a huge turnout for Brett's evening of cycling inspiration. The quality and wide subject range of films—from bike packing adventure, amazing MTB families, endurance cycling on vintage bikes, e-bike enabling mobility, and school commuting, to name a few—year after year is amazing. Even the pre-run promotions, many of... Read more →

Modern 'cars' aren't safer for those outside them

A mention in David Slack's (brilliant) More than Feilding Substack led me to an opinion piece by Auckland (National) List MP Paul Goldsmith opposing reducing speed limits 'because cars are safer' and he included the Auckland CBD in his argument. I wrote to him... Sent: Saturday, 6 May 2023 16:19 To: [email protected] Subject: Cars are not safer, for pedestrians Hi Paul, Take issue with your 'cars are safer' and citing reducing CBD speed limits in Auckland as an example of poor policing in this recent NZ Herald article: "Auckland Transport has proposed the entire area of the CBD inside... Read more →

Vale to my Samsung Active 2 Smart Watch

Vale to my Samsung Active 2 smart watch which finally died today while I was doing housework. Technically is it still alive... I thought the strap had broken but it was the entire watch face dangling off the case, hanging by a ribbon connector! Has been a great device (does most of my ride/walk tracking) and lasted far longer than I thought it would after the 'hare incident' in Roxburgh in February 2022... After finishing cycling a leg of the Clutha Gold Trail I was riding slowly around a park paying more attention to possible 'framing' for a photo of... Read more →

Going green: Electric, Hybrid or...?

"Big Car" (currently a Tesla owner) wonders if pure electric cars are a fad and if there is a better answer.... I wonder if the current technology pure electric is transitional but also don't think hybrid is the answer either. If you so rarely need the ICE component just buy an electric and rent an ICE car when you need range rather than carry the complication and mass of a generator? But I also wonder about the ecological impact of scrappage replacing ICE for electric. NZ power is pretty green, ~80% renewable, so if you can grid charge source isn't... Read more →

Bing Chat GPT slips?

Ask the Microsoft Bing (Chat GPT powered) how up to date its database is and it seems to slip. A true answer is visually backspaced, to be replaced by PR? Watch it happen here. Bing answers truthfully Bing rolls back to this Read more →

Over a century, and about a week, of memorials...

It's ANZAC day today and my Great Grandfather, Ernest Bock, was one of so many who went to war and didn't come back. On Saturday I attended the celebration of Paul Rodler’s life. A work colleague, friend, who drove to work on Monday 17th April and, after a tragic road collision, didn't come back. Although we both left TWG a few years ago still used to catch up occasionally. Last time, in early Feb, he gave me heaps (as was his style) for turning up to dinner on a bicycle, on my work bike/train commute, even more so when I... Read more →

A Fiat 132!

The first Fiat I drove, back in the late 70s, was a 132. A very rare sight now in New Zealand, anywhere, so had to snap this when I saw one (the white saloon in the background) this morning when I stopped at the pharmacy on the way to work. It was a newer model, but there is no way I'd ever see our family 132 on the road again... Read more →

Memories of Antarctica

When the random TV screen saver (of my content) transports you straight back to Antarctica, a couple of years after visiting 🙂 The day: Kayaking, a landing and endless evening from Antarctic Mission 2019 - RobiNZ Personal Blog (typepad.com) Read more →

Frankie in the engine bay #DumbCatSmartTag

Bizarre Frankie, the inherited #cat, story. Have collar with name tag & #smarttag as still roams to visit old home about 1km away. He arrived home without collar/tag, is designed to release, not strangle. I tracked to a neighbour's SUV, on their drive, it 'beeped' near front with tag chime. Could not see it, they opened bonnet & found collar, tag attached, dangling off a metal pipe that ran across behind the top end of the engine! Modern car, had squeezed up thru undertray hole by exhaust... Read more →

Missing Greg at the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival 2023

Today it's the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival 2023. This time last year I was in Hokitika, mid-ride on the West Coast Wilderness Trail, and had hoped to see, Kiwi musician, Greg Johnson performing at the 2022 festival. It was a bizarre coincidence as his music played a significant role in my decision to take off around NZ on a bike and he lives in Los Angeles. When I rode the trail was decided, by other fixed events, before I even realised the Festival was that weekend, never mind Greg was performing. That our paths crossed on the remote West Coast of... Read more →

My last Car?*

I just cancelled my print subscription to Car (magazine U.K.). I have been buying it monthly, one way or another, since February 1979. It was probably the Fiat 131 Racing on the cover which first got 13-year-old Robin’s attention, but the contents had me hooked. ** It's not because of their product, more than physical delivery has been so erratic and have lost interest in what the motoring industry has become. I don't care about dull SUVs, Utes, yet another iteration of Porsche 911 or overcooked overweight cars, both ICE and electric, which are irrelevant to what I like about... Read more →

I offended Microsoft Bing's Chat 'artificial intelligence'

I asked the new Bing AI chat about me. "What is the new Bing? The new Bing is like having a research assistant, personal planner, and creative partner at your side whenever you search the web. With this set of AI-powered features, you can: Ask your actual question. When you ask complex questions, Bing gives you detailed replies. Get an actual answer. Bing looks at search results across the web to offer you a summarized answer. Be creative. When you need inspiration, Bing can help you write poems, stories, or even share ideas for a project. In the chat experience,... Read more →