Simon Clayson

This section of my site is taking a back seat. It’s going to stay alive, but just away from public view for now and be experimented with…

Campagnolo Record Delta brakes - circa 1988* Photo: Leigh West

I'm sure the new 2009 top end kit works like a dream, but lets face it, cycling is as much about aesthetics as anything. And if there is one component manufacturer that sums up this up more than any other, it's the Italian firm Campagnolo. Or, I think, used to sum this up.

This week, Cycling Weekly have confirmed all the spy shots and rumours about an overhaul of the 2009 Campag offerings and re-introduction of Super-Record. 11 speed cassettes are one thing, but it's the new ergo levers and rear-mech that concern me. Carbon fibre has taken over the whole show, and although it can look good in moderation, there are no clean crisp lines to be seen. Functional? Probably. Aerodynamic? Doesn't look like it. Good looking? Er, no thanks love.

Pick up any cycling magazine in the past couple of years and you'll notice an amazing amount of retro articles abounding - harking back to a golden age (the 80's, bizarrely) where bike technology leapt forward with style, the racing was exciting and EPO just a sponsors dream. But look at the bikes - and look at the kit that Campagnolo were producing - it's was so stylish. Yes, I wanted some of it, and I couldn't afford it. Not on my Sunday job wages.

I never want to go back, I just want some style injected into modern cycle components, not just carbon. Still, the new Shimano Dura-Ace looks quite nice...

*Issue 5 of Rouleur magazine has an excellent article on Campy Record Delta Brakes

Building upon the spook shoe collection, it has been suggested many times that this should be a public Flickr group.

And now it is. And anyone can join if you have a relevant entry that abides by the rules:

• Shoe must genuinely be lost
• Other shoe must be nowhere to be seen
• Location must be accurately located on the map so an accurate picture can be built up

One lost shoe

Simon Clayson design is 3 years old today. Thanks to all the people I’ve worked with and have met along the way. I’m spending the day (not because of being 3) in the company of the chaps at Erskine in the big city of Nottingham who have lent me a desk and their wireless network for the day. I did bring some nice biscuits with me to share with all the tea.

I’ll be back to Rissington HQ on Monday.

...by the end of June or not long after. With iPhone/iPod touch apps round the corner, here's a quick list I've been meaning to publish for a while. As well as this sort of thing from Mr Van Damme.

• Things, it is promised
• Proper Flickr client that can upload to said site from the photo library
• Something to download pics with the Apple Camera Connector and add to the photo library
• Twitter client
• Light metering
• Proper RSS Reader from the NetNewsWire people
• Full on GPS app, that will read a from Bluetooth GPS module. (I don't want to hear about battery life)
• Texteditor
• FTP client
• Unit Converter
• Weather app of some use, in fact, all the info from the met-office will do