h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

G'day there. A subbed version of your splendid opus lives at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A593291

Have a look at it and, if you want any changes, we can discuss them in this forum. I do have a query about the last paragraph. Do you mean that the table is only of use for people involved in bike racing?

Loonytunes - more into driving than riding

Hi Loonytunes,

thanks for taking on the job of editing my entry.

I think this....

....it's optimum best by utilising a narrow range


should be

...its optimum.

It's not "it is" but the genetive "its".



Here, I think the rider got separated too far from his Tour de France

A Tour de France - the world's toughest professional cycling race - rider will pedal at 80 to 90 rpm


Howzabout...

A professional rider competing in, say, the Tour de France - the world's toughest cycling race - will pedal at ...


Also, regarding the first footnote. I think the cyclists in the UK will be more familiar with gear inches. It's mainland Europe where they use cirmum. in meters.

I think the table should apply even to your casual cyclist too.

You've improved the other foot note - but it's still a little akward. How about...

You may not have to count the teeth on the front chain rings. They usually have a number stamped in them.

Hmm - still akward. Good luck!

Thanks again.

Awu

Oh dear. As I hadn't heard from you for a couple of days, I sent the article back to h2g2 Towers. Before it appears on the front page it will be checked twice by h2g2's permanent editorial staff so, hopefully, the blemishes (its etc) will be picked up and corrected.

I changed the metric thing because, increasingly, the USA is the only country that still retains imperial measurements in every-day usage. Places such as Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania are all metric. In Britain you can be fined if weights and measures are not displayed in metrics. For example if you said something was 12 inches long you would also have to say it was 30 centemetres long. I read the other day of a English shopkeeper being fined because he displayed bananas for sale by the pound without offering the kilo equivalent. The same rule would apply to a wheel's circumference. I blame Brussels.

Ausnahmsweise, the italics (h2g2 paid staff) seem to have taken care of most of your concerns. There is a blemish in the first paragraph that, hopefully, will be picked up in their next preview reading of the article.

Loonytunes,
Thanks! I'm sure they do an excellent job.
Awu.