Head For The Safety of Analogue?

Paying for messaging services from the likes of FaceBook, SnapChat, Apple etc. would still be no guarantee of any real privacy, I distrust them completely. I’m happy to use WhatsApp and the like for communications which I KNOW contain nothing that matters and I feel the same about GMail. If they want to read my emails with a machine and to use that information to target ads at me then that’s fine because I don’t look at any of the ads anyway.

Anything at all that I write that I wouldn’t want to be machine read I’m increasingly using analogue means and anything that really matters to me I avoid generating in digital form at all these days. It’s too damned easy to “forget” about copies of things which are residing in backups and the like which one day may surface. All that said I do pay (quite a lot!) for cloud storage for some things that matter to me and which I don’t want cluttering up my HD or to have on local CDs, DVDs, HDs, USB Drives etc. where they just get lost or forgotten about.

I use a company called Tresorit for this which is based in Switzerland and which is governed by Swiss privacy laws which are strict, nobody from the UK or the US could (in theory!) access the information. All data stored on their servers is E2E encrypted at source and so if I forget the access/encryption password the whole lot is gone, they cannot retrieve it from their own servers. The encryption keys are not stored on their servers, unlike many cloud storage providers. I tend to just dump all my digital stuff there and store nothing locally.

If I wanted to send something quickly and confidentially I would generate it in analogue form, scan it using a non-networked device, and then send that file to the recipient using Tresorit which incorporates a system for doing this, law firms are big customers. When I drop dead my Tresorit access codes go with me and they are gone for ever.

I have a standing daily Google search for terms like “Hacked” and “Encryption” and it’s staggering what systems are broken into these days, which is why I am where I am and moving towards analogue. Many years ago in the early days of computer use when The Internet had just really been born I knew a brilliant guy who was a very highly regarded UNIX programmer and a really clever guy. He told me then that he knew where this was all heading in terms of privacy and hacking and he was right, even then. He said to me if you want to keep something private, write it out by hand or on a typewriter, put it in an envelope, stick a stamp on it, and post it. How right he was.

Pino Positivity!

I thought I would jot down some of the positives of the 2021 Pino Steps, from our perspective. This list is not exhaustive and will vary from person to person but this is how we see it!

1. Sociable way to travel, easy to communicate.
2. Riding the Pino is fun for riders and observers.
3. Excellent visibility for both riders when used as a tandem.
4. Excellent and fun family transport option.
5. Good way to develop and maintain fitness.
6. Environmentally friendly way to travel.
7. Very enjoyable way to travel - especially downhill and on the flat!
8. Accessible cycling for many people who might otherwise excluded.
9. Allows a possibly nervous or inexperienced cyclist to make journeys that might not otherwise be possible.
10. Many options to allow disabled riders to participate.
11. Allows riders of different levels of fitness to ride and stay together.
12. Electrical assistance options with the Shimano E6100 or EP8 mid-motor Pino Steps.
13. Different battery options available to extend range. 504Wh and 630Wh options are available.
14. Excellent load carrying ability with many luggage options.
15. Telescopic frame elements make the Pino much more readily transportable. Length can be reduced right down to 184cm.
16. Can be carried on a standard car rack or in a motorhome garage.
17. Telescopic frame elements make the Pino much easier to store at home.
18. Very versatile mode of transport.
19. Excellent manoeuvrability due to short wheel base.
20. Option to ride the Pino as a solo bike.
21. Comfortable, particularly for the tandem stoker, who sits above the suspension forks.
22. Stoker can freewheel at will, legs are not forced around.
23. Excellent machine build quality and engineering.

My Marmotte

Well, it’s done—what an epic ride! The biggest challenge was the heat, which hit 40°C coming off the Col du Galibier. It felt like an oven. The climbs were immense, the descents thrilling. I expected heat, but not that hot!

I won’t go into all the route details, but as usual, I witnessed a few incidents. One rider nearly took me out on the Col du Glandon when his rear tyre blew at high speed—somehow, he stayed upright. Further down, another rider overcooked a corner but seemed OK despite being badly cut up. The worst was near the end, where someone lost concentration, went straight off a bend, and crashed hard into a rocky bank. He got up, but he was in a real mess.

I stuck to my plan, climbing conservatively to preserve energy, even as many riders passed me early on. This paid off later, allowing me to finish strong. The final climb up Alpe d’Huez was brutal—baking hot after 100 miles of riding. I just kept counting the bends, and eventually, I made it!

I was thrilled with my time—just under 8:51. At nearly 51 years old, I finished with a gold standard time, beating the threshold by 45 minutes. Even in the younger age group, I hit gold by 24 minutes and only missed the next category by 2 minutes.

Could I have done better? Maybe, if I’d ridden less conservatively or been a few kilos lighter. Would I do it again? Probably not. I achieved my goal safely and in good conditions, so chasing a few extra minutes feels pointless. Perhaps one day, I’d ride it again as a relaxed tour, stopping at cafés and taking photos—but not to race the clock.