Medical staff in HK are threatening to go on strike now unless the government closes the border with china, its seems that even this simple task is beyond our leaders unless China says so. There were tensions against our current administration and China before, now I can see this getting worse when this blows over.
All schools are now also closed till the 2nd March with teachers and pupils moving lessons online. I’ve just been told not to come in on Monday but to look to work from home for another week (I’m at a large American financial firm).
On a brighter note, the trails are in great condition and theres hardly anyone around, no one wants to go out and use up precious masks.

As a side affect of the recent ‘troubles’ in Hong Kong the Chinese government have tried to clamp down on shipments of related items to here including Black TShirts, various types of flags and you guessed it, face masks of any kind. Since no one in their right mind would trust a surgical mask from China Im now having to buy them in Germany, to get shipped to the UK, and then shipped to me wrapped in in other stuff.
As a rule, dont trust the Chinese government, however I would risk taking advice from the WHO as at least you could in theory take them to court and hold then responsible.

More people have died of the H1N1 Flu (Swine flu from around 2009) in California than from this new Corona virus globally so far this year. Most people will get infected with a corona-virus of one type of another at least once in their life.
The main issue here is the incubation period, which at 14 days is long, this means that in our new globalized world people can travel and spread it further and faster.
I expect the RO numbers will stabilize a little once a true numbers start to come in, however this is China so Im not optimistic the full truth will ever be revealed.

Businesses are starting to extend the Chinese New Year breaks in HK or simply telling staff to work from home for another 14 days, Id go home before the lock-down in Asia starts to spread. I think the golden rule at present is to practice good hygiene (carefully wash hands, carry a sanitizer around, wear mask if possible etc) and don’t travel with any large groups of Chinese!

I think most western nations would get a 1000 bed temporary hospital up in a week…after 3 years of going through planning permission and Nimby protests.

Currently running a SC Megatower and find its been my go to bike for everything at the moment, even for the stuff I usually use the Tallboy for. For the more XC centric stuff I tend to leave the compression on but otherwise does a pretty good job. If I had only one bike though, I would probably go Hightower or Stumpjumper and just sacrifice the performance on the really gnarly stuff if you are not riding a park or Alps every weekend.

Still no rain and 17 degree weather means riding season is still on so a pleasant 30km spin around South Lantau today was just what was needed to get me ready for work tomorrow.

It’s like a plot from a Bond movie

The best one, Quantum of Solace.

Reckon mass migration will be the cause of the next big one, probably a combination of access to water and/or dramatic climate change.
As for industrialized first world countries not fighting each other, I seem to recall a saying about countries with McDonald franchises never going to war with each other, is that still correct?

Again more great riding weather this weekend so managed to sneak in a little New Territories and Lantau riding in on Saturday thanks to some ferry action…

Then took part in a DH race on the Sunday, managed to bag a 3rd in the old blokes category (40-49 and 50+ groups).

Good weekend all round.

It may be only possible with a totalitarian govt.

The rate the Chinese are buying up land there that may be possible in the near future :)

The Iranian government is far from being blameless, but it doesn’t take much time to realise that the US are worse. They just have a more effective way of spinning things.

The American government has a very poor record in meddling to say the least but overall I would rather live in any place in the US than Iran. In 5 years Trump will be history however I am sure the Shah’s and theocratic rulers of Iran will still be hanging gay people, treating women very poorly and ensuring that the hate campaign against the US (and Britain by extension) is still front and centre of every government poster and TV program.
I should add in fairness Irans probably still a nicer place to live than Saudi!

We should feel guilty about what we have done in the past to Iran and both the US and Britain are directly responsible for where Iran is now but lets be honest, when has the current Iranian government ever made approaches to normalize relations, it would never happen, they need bogie men just as much as the West (or East etc).

Also, and I may be shielded from the press (feel free to correct me) but not many governments are publicly criticizing Trump, more trying to distance themselves from what he ordered….I suspect he has done many people a favor but no ones wants to acknowledge it without getting caught in the backlash.

Mines been faultless for the last 250km and I break everything.

The great weather continues, pleasant Buddha DH and some South Lantau backcountry on Saturday, how I love the winter.

Some Big Buddha DH Trail

Live by the sword, die by the sword.
The guy was no angel with thousands of deaths on his hands, some due to the recent protests in Baghdad itself but as with anything in the Middle East, there is no clear distinction between good and bad.
Expect some tit for tat carnage with Iran dragging the UK into it for good measure, it will simmer down again like it always does (famous last words).

He was no Clinton Baptiste

Been to Hakone many eons ago but sadly the ex (Japanese lass) did all the booking. Its a very traditional type of Japanese weekend retreat, popular for company trips where whole departments strip off and hit the onsen together.
From my experience, and this was over 14 years aga, it was not very western friendly but things could have changed a lot since then.
If you do get stuck PM me and I can ask some friends in Japan for some advice?
Hakone Guide

Finaly had some rain after many months, much needed and made for some good New Years day shuttles….of course the New Year doesn’t actually start till the end of the month.

If you liked Chickenhawk maybe follow up with one of the book recommendation within that book, Street Without Joy?
Just finished ‘First they killed my father’, a book that both depressed but also gave me a little understanding of the related war in Cambodia.

My MiL doesn’t understand me, literally, as her English is terrible and my Cantonese likewise. Needless to say, since we cant really do small talk we get on fine.

Looks like no rides till the 1st so…
146 rides
2,907 km
Climbing cant be trusted as I do a fair bit of shuttling (49k apparently)
All on the mountain bike, outdoors, no commuting.

how “some people” still look to events of 70 years ago in reference to current political and moral values.😘

Note, dont study history about people attempting to create a superstate in Europe as its saaaaad.

I wonder what ever happened to that old Yamaha he had.

Superstar…until he hit that slick

Yoda, shittest Jedi ever

Thats Count Dooku, plays No.2 to an evil Sith Lord, taking an active part in all the shenanigans, betrayals and bluffs and then acts surprised when his boss gets him killed.

Evoc Pro should work, even better if you get it with the base unit. Seemed to cope easily with my old large Sentinel and now the MegaTower, both are a tadge shy of your 1250mm wheelbase (but the same axles) but close enough that it shouldn’t be an issue. Neither bikes felt that they were in too tight.

Was pleasantly surprised, sneaked in after leaving work early and having a few hours to kill. I think they handled the Carrie Fisher parts well and, although there was a few plot holes and wasted characters (Hux etc), it rolled along nicely. Not amazing but a good 7/10 effort, much better than the previous one.

Not had any rain for some time now so the trail are getting dusty, making it a little treacherous on the steep stuff.

When out riding you can tell a lot about a person when you first meet just by their choice of components and attire

Sadly this wall, near my LBS, has been painted over.

Ex Sentinel owner, 94kg, it’s not a pedal friendly bike and I did find it hard work on my local trails were theres a lot of crunchy climbs (usualy in a very humid climate) before it got into its element, chunky downhill fun that belies its 140mm travel.
Cant comment on the others but currently on a Megatower which is a revelation for its climbing a ability, it’s no slouch elsewhere either and I’m now taking it out on treks usualy reserved for the Tallboy.

Prime dust still in Honkers plus some rather pleasant sub 20 degree temperatures.

Looking forward to all those cheap UK properties vacated by earnest STW contributors leaving for Europe, its an investment boom…..if they go ahead with it

Cheap Korean Motel, me and the ex managed to find after arriving in Busan rather late in the day, went out to get a coke from a vending machine I saw up the hallway on the way to the room.
No drinks, just lube, condoms and sex toys, it was a love hotel which kind of explained the receptionists behavior when trying to check in.

Used pants. Not kidding! #japan

Been to Japan many many times, seen all sorts in vending machines but never saw any like this, always presumed it was one of those apocryphal things that appeared in Clive James travel programs but never existing, in Akihabara I guess?

<£20 – Royal Racing jersey on sale at JensonUSA, one of my throw on as its just comfortable.

<£100 – Some Sweat Protection knee pads, just feel so right from day one even if a little pricier than the alternative, luckily on Sale.

>£100 – ASX Dropper post, really digging it and planning to go full AXS when I finally kill my X01 rear mech.

eeWings, zero performance improvement but boy do they look good.

Regrets – Too few to mention.

I think my interest in the news waned not with all this fake news but when they stopped putting a human interest story at the end (bunny rabbit found on the motorway found safe and well type of thing). I say brig this back and people wont get so miserable about the news.

Snopes is OK for a lot of social media stories.

Have the dropper and really likening it, will definitely go all AXS when I finally knacker up my current Eagle rear mech however, despite being a serial rear mech destroyer the current one seems to be hanging in there.
For those who have it, how often are you charging the battery, and for those with both dropper and drivetrain, is there any tricks you can program via the mobile app?

We should also consider that most of those involved in the protests/rioting (have to be fair, some of it is just wanton vandalism or violence) were not born when the original handover agreement was created, and most of those who created it and implemented it are long dead.
Imagine being born into a relatively free country country and then be told that in 20 years time you are going to be under the control of a totalitarian regime and the international communities fine with that as its written down in an agreement.

As someone who is living through this I would say the equivalent experience would be the London riots a few years back. Basicaly a load of kids taking the opportunity to cause havoc and riot, that and attack any property or people who they decide isnt onboard with the message. This is my major bugbear with the whole current situation, I generaly feel sorry for the kids here, as HK has been building up issues over a long time.
Theres a lot of big social issues that’s led to where we are but I’d say the recent events all started with an incompetent or belligerent administration who didnt listen to months of peaceful protest, a police force not used to dealing with mass protest going in with too much force and a lot of people taking advantage of this to start letting off some anti-Chinese steam.
The genies out of the bottle as far as the violence goes and I dont expect it to get better, especially since the Americans have now effectively given the green light to the protestors to up the ante as the police now have their hands tied.
We are now stuck between two parties who will not compromise their demands and no one brave enough on either side to make the first step to de-escalate it.
The Chinese government to to be fair have shown amazing restraint but I suspect it’s more related to the current trade negotiations and as being married to a local, I would say the protestors are losing popular support for their actions with the older locals (they tend to not care about only their immediate family and not bother, or be bothered by others) but from the ages 30 and below have strong support.
I expect once the trade deals are done the Americans will drop the kids just as quick as the Kurds or the Marsh Arabs and a few of the political opposition get out to a new comfortable life somewhere else living on this for their pay, leaving the foot soldiers behind to the Chinese, who are happy to wait to get their revenge in.
It’s a sad state of affairs all round.

In need of some quiet time to get away form the current climate here, so a good old hike a bike session was called for in the west Lantau mountains.

Nearly every ride recently, but the last one trying to chase fellow Hk STW’er BigD, happens at the 4.50 mark.
[ video]http://vimeo.com/370642891[/video ]