July 2020

This is not about a motor racer, but about a man of deliberation on just two wheels, a very courageous and sporty one. Now it is the moment to have a look at today’s video – it says a lot, but to that, there are also some essential aspects to point out.

Two wheels, no engine – one man, the Austrian Fabio Wibmer. But it did not work completely without engine either: the foundations were laid in motocross; he started riding motocross at the age of six and even took part in 2011 in the Motocross World Championship in Italy. 

But after watching a video of stunt rider Danny MacAskill, Fabio Wibmer became hooked on biking, fell in love with this sport. He was subsequently one of 15 young bikers selected by MacAskill to attend his „License to Trial“ workshop. Some time soon, the Austrian had become one of the best-known faces in the biking scene.

Behind his brilliant performances is a lot of hard work. Preparation begins in the head (often around a thousand times for just one new trick), takes years and requires training over and over again. Nevertheless the risk is always present, falls are unavoidable.

With or without engine, two or four wheels – there are some things in common: the driver’s talent and dedication, skills and abilities – indispensable and fundamental, crucial for the show and the success. As a driver, enjoy your ride – as a spectator, enjoy the drivers’ spectacular performances!

See you next Friday.   -   God bless you, all the best!   The Castiron

Recommendation:       www.cbmcint.com/signup-now

PS   Source reference: touring April 2020 and https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/07/sport/fabio-wibmer-bike-spt-intl/index.html

PPS   As an encore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0OoUqKkwwM

Heat kills performance and damages equipment – it afflicts human beings, too! Vehicle and individuals must operate together. Blogpost 108 focused on the vehicle, today’s subject is about the human being.

You have to be aware of what is at stake. High temperature has an impact on individuals; for some a greater one, for some a little less. With warm weather temperature can increase to more than 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in a car. Additionally: in a dark car temperature can be up to 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) more than in a light coloured one.   

So what? High temperatures cause an increased stress level: the heart beats faster, sweating attacks, lack of concentration, more nervousness and aggressivity, growing tendency of driving errors. Sufficient? According to surveys, the number of accidents in urban areas went up by 6 percent at 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit).

More details, more figures? At 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) 13 percent more accidents, at 37 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) 33 percent more accidents – still valid for urban areas. It may be assumed that these data apply generally and base on a temperature of about 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit).  

Experts assume that the quality of driving under such circumstances is very close to that of a drunken driver. Air-condition or open windows help, but the fan’s or wind noises boost stress, too; it does not alter the fact that the body nevertheless is heated up.

Today’s picture: around 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) correspond to the cooking temperature of some piece of a meat. That is all there is to say – stay cool, have a safe and effective drive, on the road, on the track!  

See you next Friday.   -   God bless you, all the best!   The Castiron

Recommendation:       http://thecastiron.ch/en/links-en.html

PS   Source reference: AUTOMOBIL REVUE, Nr. 27, 4. Juli 2019, www.automobilrevue.ch