欧州自転車レース追っかけ日記

Schwalbe Kojak tires 16-inch
I bought these tires (two of them) from Bike24.com of Germany. Why Kojak?

Well, there are at least two answers.

One: why is it dubbed as Kojak?

Kojak is a so-called slick tires without any visible tread patterns on the surface. In other words, it is bald. You see by now? Yes, the name comes from a TV drama character Kojak (Lieutenant, after evidently promoted to Inspector Theo Kojak) played by Telly Savalas.

Two: why did I buy these Kojak tires?

Because they were inexpensive on Bike24 at a significantly discounted price. My Brompton came with factory-installed Schwalbe Marathon tires and they are still good after 8 years (shipped 2015). I have ridden over icy roads and they were good.

I just felt that I needed spare tires just in case so I wanted to buy something inexpensive. They cost me around (or less than) 30 Euros together.

Currently they are on the new wheelset that I bought for 7-speed conversion and the rear wheel is waiting for the 7-speed cassette from China. So I have not ridden those tires yet. I have nothing to talk about the tires other than they look cool.

I am not sure if the Kojak tires have less rolling resistence than Schwalbe Marathon (Marathon Racer?) tires. They should be with that bald tread pattern. With these on I would not fancy riding on the icy road in Winter. So these are "Spring to Autumn" equipment on my Brompton.


Amazon shopping and shipping / delivery options
There are locations where you can use as a 24-hour deposit / pick-up location provided by the Post (Post offce of Luxembourg). Recently I used it and found it neat.

I did not take any pictures but the next time I will and provide some lights on those locations and the service they provice.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Amazon shopping spree?]の続きを読む

テーマ:日記 - ジャンル:日記

1. 2024/03/01(金) 15:06:22|
2. Info Luxembourg
3. | トラックバック：0
4. | コメント：0

Saving money by using the public transportation and get the money back (that I paid for the Brompton)
For the moment, I ride to work (and of course back home). This costs me a considerable sum of money. Recent hike of gas prices hurts me, either.

The public transportation in Luxembourg is free of charge since two years ago (or three years ago?).

I don't have the exact sum of gas expenses but I assume that I spend more than a couple of hundred Euros a month. If I take advantage of free buses and trains to work, I can save a lot of money.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Free public transportation of Luxembourg]の続きを読む

1. 2023/10/21(土) 15:00:03|
2. Info Luxembourg
3. | トラックバック：0
4. | コメント：0

I was about to be scammed

I received a phone call this afternoon from a disclosed number (my phone showed "Unknown"). First it was a recorded message (in English) telling me something that my ID was used in a money laundering scheme from supposedly the Police of Luxembourg. Toward the end of recorded message, I was told to press "1" if I wanted to talk to a personnel for assistance (or something). I don't remember the exact message, of course.

The person I talked to said he was part of the Luxembourg Police Force and he said something and something. According to him, my ID was used in a crime or something. He asked my name and my postal code of my residence. He asked some questions like if I had noticed some anomaly in my banking activity or If I had rented cars in the past.

Then he asked me to get a pen and some paper to write something down. His name, his badge number (supposedly his Police badge number or something) and the case number. He said he was Luuk Meijer (pronounced like Luke Meyer).

Then he asked the last three digits of my Luxembourg ID.

This hit me. Why should I give him some personal information over the phone? Is he really a police officer?

After this I told him that I did not want to give any personal information over the phone and if I had to do so, I would rather do it face to face. I would go to the police and talk to someone in person.

He said that this operation was not handled by the local police officers but rather by some other branch of the police. By then I knew this was really fishy and he was not a real police officer.

He then threatened me that he would send some officers to me and arrest me.

Anyway, after hanging up the phone. I searched on the Internet for some clue. "telephone scam Luxembourg" were the words that used.

I could read some articles about this telephone phishing or scam taking place in Luxembourg in recent weeks.

So it was a scam after all. I am relieved that I did not tell me anything important.

His English accent was somewhat flat like the typical accent you would find from someone from India or around those areas.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [A telephone scam happened to me Today.]の続きを読む

テーマ:ヨーロッパ - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2021/12/07(火) 23:59:02|
2. Info Luxembourg
3. | トラックバック：0
4. | コメント：0

Vaccination Passport in Luxembourg?

It is almost official. Soon it is required to show the vaccination proof or PCR non-negative test result (tested at local pharmacies?) to enter many public places.

It is beginning here in Luxembourg. Who has authorized the law? The parliament? The government has the power to enforce such measures without the parliament?

I am not yet vaccinated. I will be forced to get vaccinated soon if I want to live normally in Luxembourg, or in this matter in any of neighboring countries.

In Japanese; 続きをどうぞ [Vaccination Passport in Luxembourg?]の続きを読む

テーマ:ヨーロッパ - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2021/10/11(月) 00:35:54|
2. Info Luxembourg
3. | トラックバック：0
4. | コメント：0

The Dreaded Vaccination on Monday (August 23rd)

A friend of mine told me that the vaccination rate (people who got vaccinated against not yet vaccinated) in Luxembourg is so high that the government decided to offer non-appointment vaccination locations in Luxembourg. It started a couple weeks earlier here in Luxembourg. There is one location in Luxembourg City where you can just walk up to and queue in line to get vaccinated (of course free for charges).

You have to be either Luxembourg residents or cross-border workers (who live in neighboring countries). You have to show them the Social Security Card and a valid ID to get it done. If you work in Luxembourg, you have the SSN.

I am going to get vaccinated Tomorrow.

The reason why I used "Dreaded" above is that I don't like the idea of getting vaccinated against a disease whose nature is, in my mind, a phantom, ghost or hoax. I appreciate the efforts and ingenuity of people who had devoted their life to finding the cures and preventing diseases by establishing the vaccination treatment but regarding the COVID-19, I still don't think we have been deceived.

In France so-called vaccination passport regulations will go into effect in September. I might have difficulty doing something (like visiting and watching cycling events) without complying to the regulatory restrictions. Not having this so-called vaccination passport (sometimes I hear it as Green Passport) is one of them.

I decided that I should let them have their way of being the big brothers.

The Calm before the Storm?

So Today is the last day that my small resistance against the phantom COVID-19 hoax lives. Tomorrow I am going to join them (the mindlessly marching people who got disturbed by a woman with a sledge hammer that were described in that famous Apple TV AD in 1984? during the half-time show?).

Today I am alone with my beloved Hannah. The intruder (not to me but to my Hannah) cat was picked up by the owners this morning. Hannah is calm and composed now.

The Storm is coming (vaccination) but it is calm for now.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [A Quiet Sunday in Luxemobourg and the dreaded vaccination on Monday]の続きを読む

テーマ:ヨーロッパ - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2021/08/22(日) 22:31:12|
2. Info Luxembourg
3. | トラックバック：0
4. | コメント：0