RobiNZ Personal Blog

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) Updated 2024-09-01: Something broke and seems TypePad can't fix so now back to https://rcd.typepad.com 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 →