Trans Cycle

It's not been a good year for the Spanish holiday islands, the number of visiting holidaymakers has dropped sharply and family favourite Menorca hasn't been spared from the economic downturn. And it's not just the overall economy and worry about job security and future prospects that have hit Menorca and the other Spanish holiday islands hard this year - the British pound has slipped again in value against the Euro, sometimes coming close to parity. Menorca while not exclusively reliant on British tourism, or even to the same degree as for example another Mediterranean island Malta, does still see a high number of British tourists in its overall mix, and the island will be hoping that the British...

Man oh man! The Great outdoors! How wonderful it would be to finally go out on a fantasy outdoor adventure trip. However; it is important to be aware that any camping trip can quickly turn into a bad camping trip if certain details are ignored. The Bugs are Waiting for You Bugs are the number one hazard that can turn any outdoor adventure trip into a living nightmare. Giant ants, biting flies and mosquitoes are always ready for a free feast and you and your food are number one on their menu. Dealing With Hungry Mosquitoes Don't skimp on your mosquito repellent. Buy the best that is available and get two containers of it, in case one is lost or runs out. The secret is to spray it on your clothes and...

A French Cycling holiday is as good as it gets. The cream (or more accurately, "crème" ) 'o the crop. The top of the adventure mountain. And I'm not just saying that because French cycling is what I'm(almost) famous for. France has three big cycling advantages. First, and most important, it has more beauty and variety than any other European country. Italy, Spain, Southern Germany, Luxembourg-been there/done that/got the tee-shirt. If you have'nt –you need to! Each has something unique and exceptional to offer. But not variety "a la Francaise." French cycling's second attraction is the abundance of bike trails throughout the country. You'll notice I said "throughout" as opposed to "all over...

When most people think Majorca, they think beautiful, white beaches. Beautiful beaches and crystal blue waters aren't all Majorca has to offer. In fact, the island has something to offer nearly everyone. Majorca is one of the most popular family vacation destinations in the world. Mediterranean people love to indulge children of all ages. In fact, the servers at even the most upscale restaurant are likely to offer to cuddle your unruly toddler to give you a moment's peace to enjoy your meal. Many of Majorca's beaches are well-geared for families with small children. They offer great features like safe, shallow water for little ones to really enjoy their beach time. Many theme parks and water...

As we start to emerge from the cold Winter months and the outside temperature starts to go up many of us will start to think about preparing our plants for the Summer growing season by paying some attention to preparation in the Spring. However, while we are busy tending to our plants one of the things that sometimes gets forgotten about in the Spring time is the lawn. As Spring marches inevitably towards Summer then the temperature also increases and the grass will start to grow. As the first few weeks of Spring go by you will need to get the mower out more often as the grass starts to grow more quickly. You may also need to start lowering the cutting height of your lawn mower. There are a number...

This probably sounds really odd, but I think that dirty cars look sort of cool in that they show the car has been used a lot etc. The thing is though, this only works for cars that are really, really dirty or ones that look like they've been used off road and so have mud splats up around the wheel arches etc. The problem is though that the majority of dirty cars don't look like this, they just look neglected and untidy. This is the state that my car tends to get to no matter how often I use it and so rather than find a forest rally stage to take part in it inevitable gets to the point where I decide to give it a wash. There is a correct way to wash a car though and the following is intended as a...

There's a new car cleaning product in town and it is about to become one of the staple weapons in the car owners arsenal in the fight against the dirt found on the car. I am talking about detailing clay. Detailing clay is used for removing what's known as bonded contaminents from your paintwork. You might find that after washing your car, although it looks all clean and shiny, it actually feels kind of rough or bobbly to the touch. The next time you wash your car, once it is dry, try running your hand gently over the paintwork. Does it feel a bit rough to the touch? Those are the contaminents left behind after the washing process that have bonded to your car's paintwork. They could come from...

The first thing that is noticable about the Ferrari 458 Italia when you first catch a glimpse of one is that it is a much bolder, different design over the F430 than the F430 was over the 360 Modena. The F430 is an obvious evolution from the 360 Modena that went before it. The styling cues are very similar. But the 458 Italia is, if not a complete departure, at least a radical re-think. There are one or two design homages paid too, especially from to the likes of the Ferrari Enzo and the simply stunning one off Pininfarina designed P4/5. The F430 was slightly more aggressive styling than the 360 Modena, but the 458 Italia is quite simply on another level design wise. It almost looks like Pininfarina...

One of the worst things to contend with when you are washing your car, especially on hot Summer days is water spots. No matter how hard you try it is sometimes almost impossible to stop water spots from appearing as your car dries. If this is a problem you are suffering from every time you wash your car then you will be pleased to know that the cause has been identified. You are using the wrong sort of water! Now before you go off and say that you are fighting a lost cause because there is no way to change your water, there is a solution. You need to change to de-ionised water for the final rinse of your car. What is De-ionisation? Ions are simply impurities that exist in any normal water supply and...

Road bike shoes aren’t made to look pretty. They are designed for speed and power to handle long distance riding. When looking for road bike shoes, there are several factors you should consider: Compatability The best type of road bike shoes have a clipless system in which a metal or plastic cleat on the bottom attaches to a binding on the pedal. However some clipless road bike shoes are designed for only one type pedal. Always make sure your road bike shoes are compatible with your pedals by looking for specifications such as “cleat drill hole pattern SPD” or “Look adapter plate.” These specifications mean the shoes come with industry standard adapter plates and will fit almost ant SPD...

If you live in or near a city centre you will find that there is a growing trend towards getting to work on a bicycle. One of the biggest reasons for this is likely to be cost. It costs you nothing to cycle to work and when you compare this to the cost of congestion charges in London and the increasing costs of taxis, buses and trains it seems to be a no-brainer. Another reason for wanting to ride to work on your bike is combatting congestion. Our major city centres can become gridlocked very easily during rush hour. You can beat this congestion on your bike because you can go places that cars and buses can't. Herein lies one of the risks of cycling to work though, and that is the risk to your...

There are a number of things you should take into account when you start to get into the festive spirit for Christmas and other times of year when there may be changes within the house that cause your cat to get excited. If you have a cat that has been around for a while she may not over react, but if you have a kitten then all of the new decorations and unusual glittery things such as Christmas trees will be in danger of being played with to destruction. If you have put up a Christmas tree in your home and spent hours decorating it, the last thing you need is for your cat or kitten to destroy it in seconds by playing with the decorations or even trying to climb to the top of it to play with the...

Cycling in Winter time is different to cycling in the Summer. In the Summer you can speed along at quite a pace and have confidence in the ability of your bike to hold the road, no matter what your level of bike control. In Winter you need to slow down. The road conditions are invariably wet which means slippery and the level of bike control you exhibit needs to increase. When temperatures drop below three degress celsius you also need to be on the lookout for black ice. Miss it and it won't matter what your level of competence is. Because of the weather the roads will have also been salted by the council which means that your bike is being attacked not only by the elements but also by the corrosive...