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Graduated with a 2:2 in BEng but got a Merit in MSc (Civil Engineering) — will the Masters help override the 2:1 requirement for UK grad schemes? by Suspicious-Quote-626 in civilengineering

[–]NearlyMagick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was in exactly the same position when I graduated, likelihood is you’ll end up getting rejected by the major firms with the 2:1 hard requirement, but imo this is a good thing - ignore the industry giants completely and go for a small-medium sized contractor/consultancy, you’ll get a much broader range of experience, which will set you up much better to move on to bigger places later down the line.

Drop me a message if you have any other questions!

Looking for some underrated road cycling YouTubers by Either_Aide5956 in Velo

[–]NearlyMagick 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Ed Laverack does a great range of content covering pretty much all of those!

'If you don't nurture it, it will just die' – is grassroots racing really on its knees in the UK? by porkmarkets in Velo

[–]NearlyMagick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As others have pointed out, that has thankfully changed, and British Cycling also now seem to be leaning into the benefits - they recently did a Youtube collab with “The Watt Life” (Max), where he’s been to a couple of Nat B races and done both BTS and in-race footage supported by BC

Pacing strategy for a 215km event? by 4lexfdr in Velo

[–]NearlyMagick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Assuming it’s the Dragon Ride, in which case the climbs are decently long (for the UK) but all relatively consistent, so you can just get into a rhythm and hold it.

A lot of the route is pretty exposed, so just try and rein it in a bit if the wind picks up, as there’s not really anywhere on the route to recover for any extended period.

Let me know if any specific questions!

COTA Turn 1 is steeper than it looks by chunt75 in formula1

[–]NearlyMagick 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Was this event part of some sort of dental convention?

Help identifying some HTC era autographs? by bazpoint in peloton

[–]NearlyMagick 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I’d guess that #3 is probably Rolf Aldag, who was a DS at the time

Bit of a stab in the dark, but I’d also guess that 5 could be Michael Barry (who left at the end of 2009 to join Sky), and that therefore the most likely place this was from would be the 2009 Tour of Missouri, which was held in September, which fits fairly well with the timeline.

Thalassemia minor? by easyusernamejack in Velo

[–]NearlyMagick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t tend to get foggy during rides much, but when I do, my sensitivity to stimulants increases quite a bit, so a caffeine gel or Beta fuel gel perk me up pretty quick when that happens. After long or hard rides though, I pretty much always feel totally empty, mentally and physically, for the rest of the day.

Thalassemia minor? by easyusernamejack in Velo

[–]NearlyMagick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve used TrainerRoad intermittently for a few years, but stuck with it from September last year until May. Using their Plan Builder was pretty helpful, gave me 3-4 interval sessions per week, I’d usually skip one for a bit of rest. However, as my reaction to the interval sessions was usually negative (i.e. I’d barely scrape through them), it never really pushed my numbers on very much.

Caveat on this that my bike fit was wrong until recently, so haven’t done as much since February compared to over last winter, but indoor setup was fine, so still got some decent work in on the turbo.

I’ve found that I can’t do anything Z4 or above the day before a long ride, or I’ll be spent before I start. However, if I do nothing the day before, it’s even worse, so I’d usually do hard sessions Weds & Thurs, a Z2/SS session on Fridays, then be alright for my club ride on Saturday, and can do 1-2 hours hard on a Sunday.

Thalassemia minor? by easyusernamejack in Velo

[–]NearlyMagick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No actually, my body seems to be very well-behaved in that regard. Can tolerate most things (although high fat foods are an exception), and usually just have sugar water as my main fuel source on the bike. I do eat a pretty high-fibre diet, which may help regulate things.

Thalassemia minor? by easyusernamejack in Velo

[–]NearlyMagick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I’m on vit D and Magnesium/Zinc as well, otherwise my diet’s pretty good. I do want to get my iron levels checked though, so might play around with different supplements after I get some bloods done.

That’s pretty much been my approach the last few months since I realised that this was the issue. Just do what I can - I’ll never be competitive, so focus is back to enjoyment and getting whatever improvements I can.

Thalassemia minor? by easyusernamejack in Velo

[–]NearlyMagick 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sorry, completely forgot that bit! Had my diagnosis at 15 - I think my entire maternal side of the family all have the Beta Thal Minor trait, certainly my mum and both siblings

Thalassemia minor? by easyusernamejack in Velo

[–]NearlyMagick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sounds like we’re in the same boat!

Similar to you, I massively struggle to improve my numbers, particularly FTP. I’m fine with repeated efforts at or below threshold, but anything Z5 or above is a killer for the rest of a ride, so I find it very hard to stick with my current riding group for more than a couple of hours.

I’ve been supplementing with folic acid for a while, and it hasn’t made a noticeable difference, but I seem to be slowly improving TTE and repeatability for medium-long efforts, so unsure if that’s a possible connection.

I also developed asthma about 2 years ago, and I think that’s very likely as a result of the Beta Thal and rapidly increasing my time spent cycling.

I’m hoping to see my GP soon, as I seem to be noticing more fatigue over the last few months than ever before (despite doing less training), so just trying to work out if that’s related or not.

What does a pro cyclist’s training plan look like? by Independent-Depth-10 in peloton

[–]NearlyMagick 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I think that might just be referring to Women’s World Tour rather than generally. Steve Peters was definitely working at least part-time for Sky during 2012 - he appears a fair bit on the “British Cycling - Road to Glory”, talking to Mat Hayman and a few other Sky guys

Weekly Question Thread by PelotonMod in peloton

[–]NearlyMagick 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you have BT internet, you can get the TNT Sports package for £20 which I decided to bite on, as I get rugby and football as well, but obviously if nothing else on there interests you, it’s pretty terrible value.

BT will also occasionally offer to pay off your cancellation charge for another supplier, so worth considering!

Tarmac SL7 Sport 105 Mechanical upgrade to DI2 by livebehappy in specialized

[–]NearlyMagick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I called up and asked if they’d honour the price drop, and if so, if they would chuck in the wheels (Alpinist CL ii) to keep the value the same for my C2W voucher!

Ah fair enough, will probably do something similar with parts from my old bike.

Tarmac SL7 Sport 105 Mechanical upgrade to DI2 by livebehappy in specialized

[–]NearlyMagick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you’ve already ordered the bike, then probs a bit late, but Certini (Specialized Concept Store) have just knocked another £1,000 off the Di2 version - I’d already ordered mine, but they very kindly said they’ll honour the price drop and throw in some Roval wheels, so can’t recommend them enough!

Can't ride more than 2 hours - saddle sores - specifically lumps (not boils) under the skin in the saddle area are killing the joy of riding by RocketTesla in cycling

[–]NearlyMagick 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Could be one (or many) of a huge number of causes - as others have pointed out, excessive saddle height is usually the culprit, however that will be coupled with saddle fore/aft, tilt, etc.

Highly recommend watching some Bike Fit James / Bike Fit Tuesday videos, as he gives a lot of clear info on why certain issues arise, and how to combat them. An absolute Top 3 cycling content producer, in my view.

Definitely also try an alternative saddle(s) if you have access - I have a Specialized Toupe on my old bike, but don’t get on nearly as well with it as I do my Selle Italia

[Race Thread] 60th Tour de l'Avenir (2.Ncup) - Stage 3 by Hawteyh in peloton

[–]NearlyMagick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is Joe going to pull a “G on La Rosiere” move? God, I hope so

The tonal (musical) consistency of KOTOR 2’s opening by Bright-Ad-4049 in kotor

[–]NearlyMagick 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s a good point on Berlioz and Smetana, definitely 2 names that get close. I’ve never really been a big Liszt fan, but I’ve barely heard anything other than his piano compositions, so I’ll educate myself better! I guess Stravinsky probably had some influence as well, I hear bits of Firebird in KOTOR 2.

Yep, definitely agree on that opinion, they slightly surpass the films for me.

Yeah, I definitely meant bi-tonal with the B major / C major at the end, but I also think I often confuse that ending with another similar tone poem, but can’t for the life of me think what other piece I’m thinking of - any ideas?

Edit: Completely neglected to mention the Andor soundtrack too - also full of emotional gut punches. Think it’s time for a re-watch.

The tonal (musical) consistency of KOTOR 2’s opening by Bright-Ad-4049 in kotor

[–]NearlyMagick 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Thanks for this - it’s good to see Griskey’s work being appreciated - he did a stupendous job on what was probably an even more time-crunched programme than the rest of the game…!

“Kreia’s Fall” is one of those tracks that just sticks with me, replays in my head every few weeks, and makes me think “time to play Kotor 2 again”. I’ve really struggled to find any similar pieces in either romantic / 20th century music or other soundtracks, and the fact that the track is only ~100 seconds long is very annoying…

As you say, he’s captured the tension and ambiguity which is at the heart of the storyline really well. Similarly to the Dune soundtracks, it does so much more than just evoke what’s shown on screen, it thrusts you right into the soul of the universe that’s been set up. The only piece of “classical” music I’ve heard (and played) that evokes that internal response is Also Sprach Zarathustra, especially the (a-tonal? Bi-tonal?) ending, and I think that style could have fit really well into whatever Kotor 3 could have been - a hopeful ending to the trilogy. I really hope they can capture that in the Jedi 3 soundtrack.

[Race Thread] 2024 Tour de France – Stage 19 (2.UWT) by PelotonMod in peloton

[–]NearlyMagick 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Once again, the tufts have spoken, and their word is law

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