Velominatus: ChrisO
Order: Guest Contributor
Location: Abu Dhabi
Social: 
/ 
An Aussie, transplanted to Britain and living in Abu Dhabi and now Dubai. One wife, two cats, three kids and four bikes. The wife and kids live in London, the bikes live with me, mostly. I'm a TV person - originally journalism, then consultancy and project management and now in audience research and ratings. On average I ride 10,000+km each year. I love club and group riding and have got more into racing, especially stage races and events. In the past I've done a bit of audax too. I have a Ridley Noah, a custom-built steel Roberts, a Colnago Master and a Pearson fixie.
@ChrisO's activity:
@ChrisO's posts:
@ChrisO's posts:
@scmtns I’d sure like to look at your no doubt impressive stats. Are you on Strava, or is that too yuppie – or maybe just filled with too many people who show you where you really stand in the great scheme of things. Frankly I’m surprised you even have … »
@scmtns I wouldn’t be quite so harsh on them, mentally at least. Maybe it will be an incentive for them to take up racing and do some proper training, or maybe they will just accept with good grace that they are not as fast or fit as they thought they wer… »
@ChrisO's posts:
Blacktoolpower… bet that turns up some interesting searches on Google. »
@ChrisO's posts:
Just remember Frank, who had the most faith in you, for when you do the acceptance speech as the new holder of the Alpenrose track record. »
@ChrisO's posts:
@Chris and @ChrisBrown Just to confuse everyone I’m now replying both to the Chris who is my curry-eating beer-drinking alter ego and the Chris who created the poster (which I’ve only just seen). As Chris noted I spellcheck posts and I am happy to tell… »
@ChrisO's posts:
@Chris Slap yourself, Marx brothers style… If he eats fish and seafood he’s not a vegetarian. You sound like a French waiter. “Je suis vegetarien” usually provokes a confused look followed by the suggestion (or assumption) that you eat chicken, and … »
I used to be veggie for many years, and still eat a mainly non-meat diet – but I will have fish mainly and sometimes ham or chicken. I found it difficult to remain veggie when I was doing a lot of travelling and business lunches – it got a bit dull to al… »
@ChrisO's posts:
@Gianni Is that a frame-mounted pump I see before me… The handle on the down tube ? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight ? Or art thou but a pump of the min… »
@ChrisO's posts:
Maybe some of y’all have seen this already… I bet the marshal regretted volunteering. The first bit you don’t see is her being hit out of shot, then while she’s on the ground the other marshals tell the riders to go left, but they are facing the ride… »
@ChrisO's posts:
On the All The Gear No Idea debate… while I don’t obsess about it, nor do I apologise for taking pleasure in passing people who clearly have spent vast sums of money but can’t ride for toffee. And out here in tax-free disposable-income land that repres… »
@ChrisO's posts:
@andrew Gorgeous bike, looks great. Can we have some closeups – show us your lugs son. »
@ChrisO's posts:
@Mrs Engine La Redoute do a Plus Size range, with the obvious benefit of having a cycling name connection. Or you’re in Scotland… wear a kilt, like a Swedish train driver. »
@the Engine Truly, we will one day look back on the people wearing tinfoil helmets and realise they were prophets. When I look at things like this all I think of is that it provides a massive amount of individual data about what you do, where you go, e… »
@bicycle-nerd The subtlety may have caused some confusion but if you look closely you may see that the Rules, the bikes, the articles and the comments on the site tend to be of the Roadie persuasion, not the Touring type. It’s easy to miss. There are si… »
@ChrisO's posts:
VSP PICKS: 1. TVG 2. Mollema 3. Costa 4. Brajkovic 5. Pinot »
@ChrisO's posts:
@Frank Well I will find out for sure next week when I get a power meter – but, people I ride with who have them reckon the average seems good. At any given point it may be a wild guess but over a period of time it seems to get it right. And as they say i… »
I’m surprised at all the estimates below 40km. I can do a steady hour at 38km in training – that’s an average output of around 240W and wouldn’t really be getting above 85% for the most part. And I’m about the same height and weight as Frank. His averag… »
@ChrisO's posts:
@Chris I should be thinking of Clark Kent and Superman but I get the impression of a cycling Gollum somehow. And if it was my wife, then keep dreaming – I think myself damned lucky to get the occasional romp and I’m only there once every six weeks, so… »
@Sandy154 What long responses are you talking about ? There’s a total of five lines from three different people responding to your comment. Admittedly five lines more than you deserve but still considerably less than your own contribution. I think you… »
@Chris No, I’m not in denial. I really am like that, and oddly I think it gives me some appreciation of what people mean when they talk about addictive personalities. I’m so far at the other end of the spectrum I can see the opposite. When I was drink… »
@Sandy154 One of the things I’ve learned is that sometimes there are things I don’t empathise with and maybe even disagree with. I’m not addictive. I pride myself in being measured and controlled. I could post to say “Well I’ve never had that problem, w… »
@Ron, DerHoggz, Fins and anyone… This article is worth a read. A doctor working in an obesity clinic basically asking very similar questions among other insights. Very well written too IMHO. http://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2013/march/1361848247/kar… »
@velocodger Perhaps if you explained a little about why you would call it passion rather than obsession. At least Brett has set out his stall, even if you don’t choose to buy from it. Argument is fine, contradiction is dull. »
@scaler911 From the pictures it appears Frank didn’t have a computer display on the bike, but used a Powertap wheel. It might have helped to achieve a more measured pace, despite any Rule #72 misgivings. »
How wrong was I… 43.7. I BELIEVED in you Frank… Good effort and I will be interested to hear what it was like over the hour and how you found the track riding – what went right, what went wrong. Oh and please upload your data. Very keen to see the … »