Get Giles on his bike!

[aegidian]

Hi, I'm Giles. You probably know me as aegidian, I host this board and wrote the very basic code at the core of Oolite. I have a bit of an ask for those of you who might feel generous.

Here's the thing. I love getting out and about, riding the canal towpaths and zipping to the shops.

But for the last two years I haven't been able to.

I've developed Myasthenia Gravis, an auto-immune/neurological disorder that robs me of the ability to make prolonged repeated muscle movements, like walking or cycling for more than a few minutes.

Drugs help, but I really miss being able to cycle.

But, there are these lovely new things called electric bikes. Having one would let me pedal when I can and coast on the electric battery when I get fatigued. If I could get one of those then I could get out and about again, with a smile on my lips and the wind in my rapidly thinning hair.

If I got a folding electric bike, I could take it on trains, on the canals, anywhere, and reach places that otherwise I'd have to struggle to find public transport to reach.

It would mean that I could shop, visit friends, and adventure again - like I used to, like I'm supposed to.

So that's what I want. It would mean freedom for me, and a chance to beat these locked-in blues. Which would be a boost to me, and my family, and the friends I could visit again.

Click on the link here to see how you can help - and feel free to share this as widely as you care to.

Thank you!

https://www.gofundme.com/prz8mjm4

[Smivs]

Hi, I'm Giles. You probably know me as aegidian, I host this board and wrote the very basic code at the core of Oolite.

Modest as always!
None of this would exist without Giles. He wrote the game in the first place, and the game itself, the BB and this whole community are only here because of Giles' work all those years ago and his generosity since then in nurturing Oolite's early growth and sowing the seeds which grew into this amazing phenomenon.
Oolite has been a massive part of my life for many years and I am more than happy to be able to give something back - I just wish I wasn't so broke right now and that I could have given a bit more.
Thanks Giles, and I hope you get 'on yer bike' very soon.

[kanthoney]

Yes, indeed. Thanks, Giles!

[Redspear]

Thank you Giles and hope you make enough for the (well deserved) bike you wish for.

[ffutures]

Any way to do this without leaving my credit card details, e.g. by Paypal? Sorry to be paranoid but...

[aegidian]

Any way to do this without leaving my credit card details, e.g. by Paypal? Sorry to be paranoid but...

You can make a personal donation to [email protected] by PayPal. Currently, on top of the gofundme campaign, there is £125 in my PayPal account that has been generated to help with the cost of the bike from various sources and for which I am immensely grateful.

[ffutures]

Thanks, now sorted.

[aegidian]

Thanks to everyone who has chipped in on this, I'm astonished to say that I'm already 50% of the way towards my target to £600.

Amazing.

I'm humbled.

[aegidian]

Amazing News!

Following the campaign reaching it's half-way mark, Zack from Byocycles.co.uk has been in touch. To cut a long story short, he saw my campaign and they'd like to provide the bike I want direct from their warehouse - cutting the cost of having to go through any reseller. Although that means I won't have to raise quite so much to afford the bike, I'm going to leave the target set at £600 and myaware.org will be getting any remainder as a donation to help other people with MG.

Now I had in mind the older Byocycle City Speed 20, but that's been replaced in their warehouse by the more sophisticated and speedy Chameleon LS. So that's what I hope to be picking up from their Havant centre sometime in the next few weeks.

Expect photos and videos when it happens. I remain absolutely chuffed by the response you've given my request. You are wonderful people. Right on, commanders!

[aegidian]

"almost there... almost there..."

https://t.co/90C3ko3Y7P

[Rxke]

Right on, commanders!

None of us would've been commanders without you.

/salutes


(And I'm not the military type)

[aegidian]

Right on, commanders!

None of us would've been commanders without you.

/salutes


(And I'm not the military type)

Thanks Rik,

/returns salute

[Rxke]

Now I feel all like:






(Only older and with a lot less hair on my noggin )

[ClymAngus]

Check your paypal, maestro. What is a cartographer? Without a world to map?

Oh and I'm serious about the lock.

Much as I like the idea of surplus being given to charity, I would be happier in the knowledge that this item (once obtained) wasn't going to race off in the incapable hands of some spotty retrograde ne'er-do-wells.

[aegidian]

Thank you so much Clym, that's the donation that take me to my target of £600!


And yeah, I'm very well aware of bike theft here in London, my partners and friends have lost bikes 'secured' with cable locks and cheap D-locks.

My old bike, fortunately, has a very nice D-Lock that has seen off several attempts (and bears a few scars but no damage) and I have a hefty inch-thick, armoured cable lock that I use to join the wheels to the D-lock and frame. I'm glad I can take them forward on this exciting entry into the science fiction world of electric transport!

I will be spending a little more on a decent helmet too - since I think my dome deserves some protection as well!