The recent spell of hot and muggy weather continued through to this event, although the lunchtime thunderstorm caused a bit of concern - were this to happen at the event, I could have seen the third cancellation in four events!  By 7pm it was rather better than that, but with a breeze that made conditions rather harder on the outward leg.Annoyingly, I got stalled by traffic at the first and second roundabouts, which always interrupts my concentration a bit.  On the dual carriageway, I initially found my concentration wavering, but then set to the task of catching my minute man (which took until some distance beyond the turn).  Rounding the turn, I was counting the time off until I saw Tony - when I did see him, it seemed to me that he was on a good ride.Back of the dual carriageway, and I was horsing down the hill to the last two roundabouts.  Unfortunately I was again held up by traffic at both - once by a huge white lorry with a train of following cars that (in discussions after the event) had encountered riders at elsewhere on the course.I finished in 4th place with 22:19.  Tony was in first place with an excellent 21:30, so a nice return to form for him!Results:

	Name	Club	Time	Cat	Vets Std	+ / -	Vets Pos
1	Tony Parks	NBRC	21.24	V46	26.42	+5.18	4
2	Geoff Perry	TeamMK	22.04	V51	27.46	+5.42	1
3	Rob Saunders	NBRC	22.19	V51	27.46	+5.27	2
4	Richard Golding	TeamMK	22.21	V42	25.54	+3.33	6
5	Glen McMenamin	NBRC	22.32	S
6	Lindz Barral	iTeam cc	22.58	S
7	John Buchanan	TeamMK	23.22	V41	25.42	+2.20	8
8	Dave Carrington	TeamMK	23.43	V46	26.42	+2.59	7
9	James Vaughan	Twenty3c	23.49	S
10	Clive Faine	TeamMK	25.38	V65	31.00	+5.22	3
11	Alan Lawson	NBRC	26.48	V43	26.06	-0.42	9
12	Gilbert Wheelwright	NBRC	27.10	V68	31.45	+4.35	5
13	Tony Brunton	NBRC	29.12	V46	26.42	-2.30	10

There seems to be a growing tendency for software updates to be pushed out to users at a fixed and high frequency. I've kind of got used to this through Ubuntu GNU/Linux releases every 6 months (but there it's generally a large collection of packages, many of which will have had significant updates during the 6 months). Additionally, periodically a release is denoted for Long Term Support.More questionable is the Rapid Release cycle adopted by Mozilla for Firefox. In this release cycle, updates are pushed out four times a year. For most domestic users, this might not be a problem (it's not a major hassle updating a browser), but for the corporate sector, it's a headache for the IT managers (Rapid-release Firefox meets corporate backlash).What then do I make of the upcoming release schedule for the Joomla! CMS which I use for a number of sites? You can see the sort of situation in this infographic:This strategy seems to involve releases of different support durations, which is confusing in itself.  To add further complexity to the upgrade path is that often upgrade requires database changes as well as updating files.  For the 1.6.5 to 1.7.0 migration, the Joomla! devs have kindly supplied a 'one click' upgrade tool accessible from the back end of the site to be migrated.  Unfortunately on the two sites I've tried it on, it doesn't work.  The second method proposed in the documentation, in which a migration package is manually applied through the extension manager, also doesn't work.  Irritatingly (and I presume this is to to with my particular hosting company's setup), there's no feedback to indicate where the problem lies.  At least not that I can find.  And the migration documentation isn't too much help.Yet another level of complexity is presented succinctly in this snippet from the documentation:

Check that all installed extensions are compatible with Joomla 1.7 by checking the JED Listing or developer site.

Very wise advice (and I suspect it could include templates).  I use several extensions on my sites - none very exceptional - and few appear to be compatible with Joomla! 1.7 so far.OK, so I probably can't migrate my sites until the extensions and templates are compatible with 1.7.  Who knows how long that may take?  I have every sympathy with the extension developers, who have presumably found themselves at the mercy of a rapid release schedule!As it is, I'm looking at the manual installation, where I have to copy a whole bunch of files and folders over to the site, delete another bunch of files and folders, conduct a migration of the database using an sql script.  Now, I'm competent to do this, but it seems like quite a hassle, particularly when the version being installed is only going to be supported for 6 months (and half a month has already elapsed!).Looking at the release schedule, it looks very much as though version 1.5 will be supported beyond 1.6, and to the point when the replacement for 1.7 is released.  Perhaps I ought to have hung on to 1.5, missing out releases 1.6 and 1.7?  I see security updates for 1.6 continuing for the moment, but for how much longer?  Maybe migration out of Joomla! is the best course?

A lovely morning greeted us as we loaded my bike into the car.  As we drove over to Tempsford, the conditions became rather misty though this had cleared by the time we lined up at the start.  Also rather disappointing was the head wind to the turn, which rendered the outbound leg rather stodgy - I was certainly struggling to keep the speed over 25mph.The current incarnation of the F1/10 runs southbound from near Tempsford, across the Sandy roundabout to turn at the Biggleswade North (Warden Lane) roundabout, with a finish line really close to Tempsford Hall.  Joining the A1 after the start is rather nice - it's a sliproad coming down from a flyover.  Unfortunately, the 29+mph I'd got up to coming down the sliproad soon evaporated and I was plugging along trying to keep the speed above 25mph.  Once at the turn, things looked up a bit and I found myself doing 28-30 mph most of the way back from the turn.I finished with 22:33 (somewhat better than I'd expected in the first half of the race), around 18 seconds slower than Tony.  In fact there weren't many really quick times today - the event was won with a 21, I think.Back home, where Tony and I had cappuccinos, then nipped out for a 33 mile easy ride  out through Soulbury, Stewkley and Hoggeston, during which we saw some charity bike ride under way.  All in all a rather good Sunday morning.

Pos	Rider	Club	Time
1	J Bates	Team Milton Keynes	00:21:15	V
2	T Davies	Icknield RC	00:21:42	V
3	D Kealey	Finchley RT	00:21:56	V
4	N Stephens	Finchley RT	00:22:03	V
5	A Strickland	Cambridge CC	00:22:12	V
6	T Parks	North Bucks RC	00:22:15	V
7	S Tarry	Chronos RT	00:22:16	S
8	N Pitt	Chronos RT	00:22:18	S
9	C Symonds	Bike and Run London	00:22:29	S
10	K Gill	PCA Ciclos Uno	00:22:30	V
11	I Bibby	Finsbury Park CC	00:22:31	V
12	R Saunders	North Bucks RC	00:22:33	V
13	G Perry	Team Milton Keynes	00:22:35	V
14	J Hargrave	Spalding CC	00:22:36	S
15	K Read	North Norfolk Wheelers	00:22:53	V
16	P Davis	St Ives CC	00:22:57	V
17	A Halliday	Westerley CC	00:23:00	S
18	N Ellison	Beyond/WDBMC/Specialized/RRP	00:23:02	S
19	M Horton	CC Ashwell	00:23:10	S
20	R Palmer	Team Salesengine.co.uk	00:23:25	V

It's not often I see telomeres referenced in a web comic. Here's today's Dilbert:

This event was looking promising.  A warm and overcast evening, there was a breeze that looked likely to help the riders up the hill to Nash.  The timekeepers, riders and associated personnel were congregated at the start, when a bloke in a big 4x4 pulled up an announced that there was a significant car crash between Beachampton and Nash. This was just before the first rider was about to start - we duly held off starting and dispatched Chris on his motorbike to investigate whether the road was indeed closed.  It turned out to be the case, and the location of the crash prevented us from switching to the Whaddon circuit.So that was that.  A 33 mile round trip and no race!  This is the second time in three events that we've bee forced to cancel an event just as we were to start.Not riding events is becoming a bit of a feature of my 2011 season!  Hopefully the Hitchin Nomad '10' using the F1/10 on Sunday will go ahead without disruption.

This is getting ridiculous. Alberto Contador tested positive for a vanishingly small amount of clenbuterol about a year ago. At the time I felt that the small concentration found (which was several orders of magnitude below the testing ability expected of a testing lab) meant that guilt for clenbuterol use might become a lottery of which lab was selected to test a sample (Is Alberto Contador really positive for Clenbuterol?).Now comes the news that the CAS inquiry, already delayed from before the Tour de France until August is to be further delayed till November (Contador CAS hearing postponed until November | Cyclingnews.com).The length of time this case has taken to reach a conclusion is nothing short of scandalous.  Remember that the UCI is seeking to nullify Contador's 2011 results.  Assuming that he's found guilty, of course.

The recent weather patterns were forecast to continue for this event - heavy showers were to be the main feature.  As it turned out, despite the glowering clouds, all we got was a little light drizzle for a few minutes.The Stagsden course (see map below) isn't a very frequently used course, so it made a bit of a change from the regular events.  Unfortunately, I rarely ride on the course, as in my annual cycle of work, I'm generally working away from home at this time of year.  I put this lack of 'course experience' down as the explanation of my lousy start in this event.  Shooting off from the start in decent style, my rheumy old eyes couldn't believe the 29.9mph my computer was showing.  Unfortunately, the road then went upwards - not as who should say a mountain, but a significant impediment to a rider in an inappropriate gear!  I found myself plugging up this gentle undulation at embarrassingly slow speed, before reaching Astwood and lifting the pace significantly.  I suspect this, and the ensuing oxygen debt cost me quite a few seconds, and indeed made me wonders what I was playing at.Fortunately, things improved from there, as I picked up speed between Astwood and the small climb to Chicheley, and made it to the turn roundabout in decent style.  Coming out of the turn, I could see Tony (who started a minute behind me) was gaining on me.  This spurred me on, and this together with a gentle tailwind no doubt lifted my pace for the return leg (you can see this in the Garmin trace below).  Despite getting stalled a bit by a motorist who was being excessively cautious in passing riders I was about to catch, I felt pretty good about the return leg, finishing in 22:48 (I think).  Results to follow.I was of course beaten by Tony (and also a visitor from Finchley RT), but that's kind of to be expected, I think, and at least he didn't catch me.  So, second NBRC rider in a League event.

Pos	Name	Club	Time	Cat	+ / -	Vets
1	Andy Hastings	Finchley RT	21.35	S
2	Tony Parks	NBRC	22.30	V46	+4.12	4
3	Rob Saunders	NBRC	22.49	V51	+4.57	2
4	Trevor Hook	TeamMK	23.43	V53	+4.29	3
5	Anthony Batt	NBRC	23.52	S
6	Ian Markham	Chronos RT	24.35	V42	+1.19	6
7	Alan Crane	Chronos RT	25.14	V42	+0.40	7
8	Clive Faine	TeamMK	26.02	V65	+4.58	1
9	Graham Line	NBRC	27.38	V46	-0.56	8
10	Gilbert Wheelwright	NBRC	27.49	V68	+3.56	5
11	Alan Lawson	NBRC	28.03	V43	-1.57	9
12	Tony Brunton	NBRC	29.18	V46	-2.36	10
13	Dave Crane	Chronos RT	32.55	V46	-6.13	11

Both time trials I'd intended to ride this week were cancelled, adding to the general sense that my 2011 has been (and will probably continue to be) rather lacklustre.The North Bucks club event on Wednesday was abandoned due to roadworks on the course, complicated by some rather inexplicably high traffic levels.The API-Metrow '25' was to be held on the E2/25 on Saturday afternoon.  The weather forecast was pretty dreadful, and I'm never keen on riding DC courses in heavy rain.  As it was, Tony came round and we jointly decided we wouldn't trail over to Newmarket only to drive back.  We had an enjoyable day watching the Tour de France, eating curry and drinking beer.  Possibly not the best fitness regime... We did monitor the situation regarding the API-Metrow event on the timetrialling forum, and the event was indeed cancelled due to the prevailing conditions.  They plan to run it again, I think on 17th September - the day before the Duo Normand!

A review update for the Cowon X7 Personal Media Player.I've still really only explored the audio functions (though I did try the radio player).I have played about with four UCIs (User Contributed Interface, I think), which I believe significantly enhance the usability of the device:Lynx - An excellent desktop replacement, with useful widgets - an absolutely vital addition to the X7. It offers customised wallpaper art and a very usable interface.Sense - A replacement for the original music player, offering among other things good album art display.  I understand that the device as supplied has a bit of trouble displaying/resizing album art.Leaf - A music browser app, which is not only visually appealing but offers several search options.Vision - Photo album, less important for my purposes, and it seems to pick up a lot of cover art files (a legacy from the music collection).All four of these UCIs were written by Kizune, who posts frequently at the iAudiophile forums (indeed he may be the administrator there).  These forums are an invaluable resource for the new Cowon user.   In use, I've had a couple of occasions when something's got corrupted and the system no longer recognises the music files on the hard drive. The only sensible way I've found to rectify this is to replace the system files on the Flash drive.  I guess it might be possible to identify which files are responsible for the problem, but I haven't done so yet.  On the first occasion this happened, upgrading the firmware (in this case from 2.07 to 2.08) corrected the problem.  The second time I tried to reinstall the firmware, but it didn't help.  I then made a back up of the Flash drive and deleted the lot, reinstalled firmware 2.8 and copied back the UCIs I'd installed. This is a faff, since you have to go back and configure the device from scratch.For future use, I've made a backup of the Flash drive in a functional state, and I'll see if merely replacing the Flash drive files with that will sort matters out.I've seen reports that using a Mac for file transfer can responsible for this situation arising. I was indeed using a Mac, but it doesn't seem to happen particularly frequently - I have connected the device many times daily for file transfers and only suffered this issue on two occasions.I think I'd have to conclude that the Cowon X7 is an excellent player, but that the user needs to be prepared to fiddle and troubleshoot the device on occasion.  Fortunately, I quite like tinkering!

I picked up a link to a website that claims to test if your website is blocked by the Great Firewall of China.  Interestingly the results are as follows:This website appears to be blocked in Yunnan province - I assume that Wonderful Life is also blocked, but it throws an error.The Team Grumpy site and blog, the North Bucks Road Club site, and the Northwood Wheelers site are all freely accessible in China.  So it's great to know that the population of Yunnan province are free to read all about my cycling activities (except my time trial reports!).This all begs the question as to what activities I have perpetrated on Flies and Bikes have roused the ire of those in charge at Yunnan Province!