Bic Bilbao Sit On Top Kayak

Sit On Top kayaks have encouraged many thousands of new paddlers to take to the water over the last few years.Its a cheap, healthy,fun, activity andrelativly safe compaired to sit in Kayaks when used with a little common sense. There are manybrands and models of Kayak available. This review deals witha specificmodel but visit the Storm-riders website for a full guide and technical specifications of the two current most popular brands in the UK, Ocean Kayak, and Bic Sports Kayaks' best selling models.The Bic Sport sit on top kayak range is one of the most popular choices of brandfor recreational paddling in Europe. BIC has a small but well designed range of Kayaks available to suit a variety of purposes. This guide deals withBilbao model which is the most stable single person [plus one small passenger extraif required]recreational kayak in the Bic range and geared towards family fun on flat water. I'll make specific comparisons in this review with Ocean Kayak and other Bic models to illustrate points. Ocean Kayak are the worlds most popular range of sit on's, and for good reason. The OKrange has more models than any other we know and are well designed and constructed.I've regulary used this model for day trips on flat water, as a fishing platform and forbeach playwith my children. Its a firm favorite with users not looking for too much adrenalin in their paddling but who want a very stable and comfortable kayak. It's perfectly suited to relaxing paddling but can be used to a degree in very small broken waves and whitewater. Its not designed for carving on surf. If thats something your'e likely to do a lot of, then the Ocean Kayak Yak or the Bic Ouassouwould be more appropriate and slightly cheaper. Its been great fun on rivers and itsperformed well on longerinshore costal water and lake trips. Its very stableon flat water and gives a very secure feeling to the user. It is however a bit limited on surf as its almost too stable and doesnt turn very quickly. Its direct Ocean kayak competitor is the Frenzy or Prowler. These are alsovery capable boats but the cockpit of the Bic definately feels roomier and better suited to a bigger paddler or to carrying an extrapassenger. I would say that if you are likely to travel really big distances on your kayak then the OK Prowler or the Bic Scappa would be far better options as the both glide far better than the Bilbao, but they are more expensive and more awkward to handle when out of the water. The OK Frenzy looses out a little to the Bilbao in terms of stability, which isnt nessecerally a bad thing. If your looking for a bit more excitement the Frenzy should provide it. The Bilbao wins hands down in terms of storage potential, and due to the fact it provides a comfortable front seat for a smaller passenger.Another thing to consider is that kayakslarger than this can become difficult for most people to get on their cars roofrack which could be wise to bare in mind when choosing a model of kayak suitable for you.One of the definate advantages of all the bic models in comparison to other ranges is that they can give the user a much dryer ride in flat water. The sidewalls of all the Bic models are taller thanmost other brands of sit on top kayaksmodels and when using bungs in the drainholes in calm water you will feel dryer. You also feel a bit less exposed which seems to give less experiencedpaddlers a little more confidence.Bic produce a fishingspecific version of this boat equiped withrod holders,net holders, dry storage hatches, etc which offersa superbly stable platform for inshore / river/ lakefishing trips. Its a great little fishingboat and a good seller in our shop.The Bilbao is one of the easiest of the full sized single person kayaks to useand is very easy to move around on land as its equipped with a rear wheel housed in its rear skid plate. This whole wheel/skidplate is replaceable and will definately save wear and tear to this most vulnerable, rear bottom section of the boat and prolong the life of the boat. A new skidpleate cost nothing compaired to a new boat!It's stable enough to accomodate a very large adult plus smaller front passenger with a combined weight of up to 120Kg which is adequate for most people. I would say that I've perched a much larger passenger at the front occassionally for fun but the boats become nose heavy and dont paddle easily, allthough they wont sink.The rider position in the cockpit is set up to allow comfortable paddling for most adults and teenagers. The width of the seat makes it comfortable for wider hips of bigger blokes and women. For woman specific use, the Ocean Kayak Venus is a better choice due to the seating position and lower weight and volume, but it is quite a lot more money and the rest of the family wont be able to use it comfortably. The footrests on theBilbao allow a comfortable knee position for all but small children who's feetdont generally reach the footrests. I've personally found this far more comfortable to paddle than the Ocean Kayak Frenzy which is OK's equivalent model which is a bit narrow for my 14.5 stone frame. The use of kneestraps make itmuch more controlable as conditions get tough. That recommedation applies to any sit on kayak.One great thing about the Bic Kayaks is that they dont have the hidden extra cost of the backrest to make them useable. Most brands require a backrest to be fitted to allow a basic level of comfort. That will drive up your cost by about

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Simple Guide To buying A Pedometer (Step Counters)

A pedometer senses your body motion and counts your footsteps. Thiscount is converted into distance by knowing the length of your usualstride. Wearing a pedometer and recording your daily steps and distanceis a great motivating tool. You can wear a pedometer all day, every dayand record total steps. Or you can wear it just when you go out for awalking workout. Multi-function PedometersAll pedometers count steps, although they may use different methodsto do so. These include (in general order of accuracy): piezo-electricaccelerometers, a coiled spring mechanism, and a hairspring mechanism.Beyond showing the step total and/or calculating the distance, featuresabound. The top features are: Calorie estimates, clocks, timers,stopwatches and speed estimators, 7-day memory, pulse rate readers.Simple Step Counting PedometersThe simplest pedometers only count your steps and display stepsand/or distance. This is all you need to track to keep yourselfmotivated. Set a goal of distance or steps for each day. Therecommended number of steps is 6000 for health, 10,000 for weight losswhen you count all steps during the day. For weight loss, anuninterrupted walk each day of 4000-6000 steps is recommended.Pedometer AccuracyThe current generation of pedometers uses turned pendulumtechnology, accelerometers, and/or electronics to count your steps. Theunit should be accurate in its count when you wear it correctly - youmay have to experiment with where to wear it. Distance accuracy dependson setting your stride length correctly.How to Wear Your PedometerA pedometer should be comfortable to wear all day and be heldsecurely by its clip, an extra safety leash is almost required. Thedisplay should be easy to read without removing the unit from yourwaistband. It should be protected so that bumps don't punch a buttonand reset the count. It should easy and intuitive to move betweenfunctions. How to Set Your PedometerMost pedometers require you to measure your step length in order toset it to estimate distance. Where and how you wear the pedometer willalso influence step counting accuracy. The pedometer must be straightup and down, not tilted.

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Choosing your football boots.

I am writing this uide to raise awareness of what you will actually recieve once purchasing a product. There is a wide varity of football boot out there, and u get for what you pay for.Recently i read a report on "Fake" or "replica" boots and thought i should share my knowledge.The big firms, ie. Nike, Adidas, Puma, all make a varity of the same boot. This is to give people the choice of design to fit there wallet. Many people see the boots the professionals wear and wish to buy them. IF U WANT THE QUALITY, YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE!! However, if you wish to have the same design for a cheaper price, you can get a variation of the boot for less.For example, Adidas have 3 variations for their F50's and preditor range. The Adidas F50 are top of the range, exactly what the professionals use. Adidas also created the F30 and F10's. These are exactly the same design but different materials. F50 TRX - Has a high abrasive material for low water absorbtion, and a K-leather upper.This is top of the range. The variations have similar characteristics but different materials. You will usually find that any boot with Kangeroo Leather (K-Leather) is usually top of its range.Sythetics tend to be cheaper.For Example. TheNikeMercurialVapors are top of its range (rrp 119 pounds). The next stage down are the Mercurial Talaria (rrp75 pounds) and then the Mercurial Steam (rrp 30 pound).(Above) Nike Mercurial Vapors - Long, slender, boot. Notice the black Carbon Fibre on the rear of the boot. Also Blade merge into the bottem of the boot.(Above) Nike Mercurial Talaria - Similar shape, But different rear design. The fade on the gold is further up, it has a back plastcie plating and no carboon fibre. It also has a thin plate which is where the baldes are attached to.(Above) Nike Mercurial Steam - The whole shape of the boot is higher/rounder. Not as slender. It has a carbon fibre effect pattern stitched on the rear, and the gold fading design is again different. More stitching on this than the other boots.So when perchasing a pair of boots, be aware of material, design, and MOST importantly, PRICE!! There are many rip off boots out there, but make sure you dont make the mistake of which boot u choose. I hope this helps people when they come to buy there products. My advise, \When looking to buy a new pair of boots, get a website up of all the football boots, make note of the differences and then switch between it and Ebay. That way, you'll know what to look for.

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Correct length for a walking stick / cane

Consider the length of the stick, this is not an exact science but there is a good rule of thumb.Adopt a relaxed posture with your feet together and your arms hanging down by your sides, the walking stick should reach up to the crease of the wrist.The stick handle should be level with the crease of the wrist.Some people find the length easier to measure by turning the stick upside down, so the handle is on the floorI hope you find this guide useful, please visit our website at allgoodideas.co.uk or our ebay shop at All Good Ideasfor quality sticks and canes and unique items including wedding canes and a bespoke stick making service.Kind RegardsAll Good Ideas

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New Strain of Fake Airmax Tracksuits

Evidently a new shipment has arrived in the UK and they have found their way on to eBay! As before, I say that if you're fine with buying fake goods then don't fret. However, make sure that you don't pay more than the goods are worth.A good starting point is the current Nike Airmax Challenge Tracksuit. This tracksuit is on sale at JD sports for about

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Trampoline buyers guide

Bouncing on a trampoline is both great fun and good for you. It helps develop balance, strength and confidence. A trampoline is always a big hit with the kids, but don

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Fitting Disc Brake Rotor Bolts

Tips for Fitting Disc Brake Rotors to Mountain Bikes (6 Bolt Fittings)The international standard uses six bolts to attach the rotor to the hub. The picture below (left) shows a Shimano XT hub with the rotor removed so you can see where the six bolts would fit.BoltsMaterials / Quality: Disc brake systems generate a lot of force and so you should always use good quality high tensile bolts. If you want to save weight titanium is one (expensive) option but I would never recommend using aluminium alloy bolts. Stainless steel are attractive because they stay shiny, but I use high tensile steel bolts which are stronger. These are coloured black so they look good on any bike.Bolt heads: Some bolts come with a Torx head (roughly star shaped) and others with a standard hex/allen socket head. The latter tends to be easier because most people have allen keys whereas torx are a bit more obscure. Also most bike multitools have a range of allen keys but seldom a torx key (which is a real pain if you are far from home).FittingThread Preparation: Use a non-permanent thread locking compound (e.g. Loctite 243 Lock 'n Seal - try Halfords, Robert Dyas or search for 243 / threadlock on ebay) on your bolts. Firstly this will seal the thread against water and so the bolt won't seize in the hub. Secondly threadlocks, as their name suggests, keep bolts in place. Mountain bikes are subjected to lots of vibration which can cause bolts to come loose, especially where they weren't adequately torqued initially. I can tell you from personal experience that rotor bolts coming undone is a BAD thing. Please don't skip this step - in my opinion it is an essential safety precaution.Installing the Rotor: Most rotors are intended to function in a particular direction so check the manufacturer's instructions and/or look for markings on the rotor itself (e.g. Hayes use an arrow to show the direction of rotation).Torquing the Bolts: Bolts should be installed in a 1, 3, 5, 2, 4, 6 pattern.This reduces the chances that you will distort the rotor. Bolts should be fitted using good quality tools. Avoid using ball-ended allen keys (below, left) which can start to round off the bolt heads. Allen keys with a 90 degree end (below, right) are a better choice.Once fitted, give the threadlock a few hours to cure before riding the bike. After your first ride, and as part of your regular maintenance, check that your rotors are securely fitted and all the bolts are still tight.Removal: Threadlock normally comes undone with the use of hand tools. When refitting you should reapply some fresh threadlock. Bolts can be reused many times, but if you think they are damaged or you have started to round off the heads then buying fresh ones is a good plan.Happy riding!

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