欧州自転車レース追っかけ日記

I have been buying thing on ebay for several years but never sold a thing.

This time I am thinking of selling those winter tires (with steel wheels) for the first time on ebay.

As you may have already know, I have sold my Ford Ka (2010) and purchased Mazda MX-5. I have a set of winter tires left in my room. I don't need them at all.

First, I have to take pictures of them. The guide says "at least 4 images." So I will take 1. overall picture (4 tire/wheel sets), 2. detailed picture of the tread with a scale indicating the wear, 3. detailed picture of the steel wheel to show that it is a bit rusty and 4. maybe repeated 2. from another angle on another tire.

If someone should be interested, the most important factor that this potential buyer wants must be the wear on them. "How much rubber is left?"

I will sell them as is and specify the delivery as "local pick-up only." They are heavy (14 kg each?) and I don't want to send them out to the buyer.



In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [I may sell the leftover tire/wheel set on ebay]の続きを読む

テーマ:愛車と日常 - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2017/07/28(金) 00:05:17|
2. Ford Ka
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Summer tires

Today (March 29) I changed the tires on my Ford Ka. This will be my last time changing the tires on it as I plan to sell it (as a trade-in) soon.

It started in Germany (as far as I know) that one should put winter tires during Winter (November to the end of March). Soon it was made compulsory in Luxembourg if one used the car.

So I should keep them for a few days longer but heck, who cares by now? It is warm and totally Spring.

I am planning to take a long drive this weekend so I need my summer tires on my car. They will bring me a comfortable ride and better fuel economy. While changing the tires I noticed that my Ka's space saver tire was sized as "135/80/14." This is a tire kit (came with a jack and other tools) was an option equipment that I paid for when I bought this Ka.

I know that my next car (Mazda MX-5 ND) will not come with a spare tire nor Mazda provides one for customers. I will be getting 125/70/16 space saver tire/wheel set somehow. I will ask around to get it cheaper.

I may keep the jack and tools from my Ka.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Bye bye winter tires and say hello to summer tires!]の続きを読む

テーマ:ヨーロッパ - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2017/03/29(水) 20:28:18|
2. Ford Ka
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Now I am back from my car dealer and writing this.

So Yesterday I dropped off my car there and left. The man at the reception said they would look at it and let me know how much it would cost to fix it.

This morning I got the phone call and the other man at the reception told me (in French so I did not understand 100%) that they found two major-ish problems. In total it would cost me more than €700. Wow! I am not happy but I agreed that they could go ahead with ordering the required parts and that I could pick up my Ka and drive while I wait. I have now a service appointment next Tuesday.

So my business at the reception was done in 5 minutes or less.

After this I did not come home but stayed there to look at the car I wanted to have. There it was, my next car on display!

I did not enter the car because doing so without the sales representative will alert them. I did not provoke them. I just looked it closely from outside knowing that the sales personnel would/might show up to help me. Sure it worked. A man in his late fifties or sixties came to talk to me. I have seen this man several times and I knew (I did not know exactly but I had assumed) this man was in charge of the make of the car that I wanted.

I bought my Ford Ka from this car dealer but it also sells two (or three) makes. It is very convenient that the car I want is also handled by the same dealer that I have been a customer of.

I asked if he spoke English in French. He said that I spoke French and he spoke French, too so there would not be any problem. So I told me of my intention to own this car in front of us. I said I might want to have it after May as when my friends arrive this coming April I would still need the car.

He said it would be around June if I reserve the car now. Obviously he did not have any customers at hand at that time and he kindly invited me to his office to have a chat.

We had a chat. I asked the questions that I already came up with and got the answer. He said he would make an offer including the price that he could give me for the trade-in (my old Ford Ka).

Like I said (grammatically "as" I said), it is convenient to buy a car from the same place that knows exactly what my car is. He could access the detailed data of my Ford Ka on the computer on his desk. It did not take too long till he came up with the price he could offer for my trade-in. He printed a sheet of paper that carried some figures.

I liked them. He added that the current loan rate was low but it would go up after this coming Saturday.

What should I do? So I asked him to proceed. First he had to "reserve" the "spot" for the June delivery. I guess that they (the manufacturer) have designated numbers of cars that they can put on a ship that shuttles between Japan and Europe. Now my reserved car has secured a spot on the ship arriving in end of May or early June (presumably Hamburg, Germany).

I needed some paper to give him to finalize the paper work. It will be done on Friday. What have I done?

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [My Ford Ka requires some repair work and it costs fairy a lot (to me)]の続きを読む

テーマ:車選び - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2017/02/08(水) 23:41:11|
2. Ford Ka
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The last entry was about this issue. A lot has happened since then. In fact just a day or two later at night after work I turned on the ignition and heard an electric monotonous tone. I looked down on the console panel and saw a bunch of warning lamps on and the text saying, "check engine."

In disbelief and with that 'this is not happening but it is just a glitch in the matrix' hesitation, I turned the engine off and turned it again. It was real. It was not clear what was wrong with the engine. I gently revved it and could see that the engine hesitated and was reluctant to rev. Something was wrong.

I could drive home and went to bed thinking that the next morning everything would be peachy. I was wrong. I knew I had to go see a mechanic and have the analyzed.

As this day was one of the days that I had to use my car to commute, I could not drive to the dealer where I bought the car, I drove to work. The next day is the same but I don't work in the afternoon so I can ask for some technical service.

I have been thinking about buying a new car. I drove close to 108,000 km in almost 6 years I drove a lot and my Ford Is was a very good buddy for the past years. It is a small car but it served me well. As it was small, it taught me the importance of packing light during my camping trips that spanned over 4 weeks. Quickly drying clothes and efficient cooking gears were two key points for the solution.

In other words I had to wash already scanty (thus easily drying up) clothes and underwear on every available occasion. I had to settle with dried pasta or the likes, dried meat stuff and canned or jarred food for nourishment on the way (or simply put anything that lasts without resorting to a fridge).

This is not a good eating habit but during the camping trip, there is no choice.

My camping packing has become lighter than ever. It did not happen in a day. I have "Thule's huge coffin-like roof box", "Elite Sanremo (first generation)" and "Saris Bike Porter Trunk 3-bike". I paid a lot for these.

There's always a challenge coming towards you. I mean the car that I want to have is even smaller (in terms of luggage space) than Ka. It has puzzled me a great deal to figure out how to put a bike, wheels tents, cooking gears and clothes in (or out) this car.

Here are the stuff that I took with me in 2015 to follow the Tour
a decent amount of cooking equipment (Trangia, Jetboil original/Helios and their gas canisters)
a bike (wheels, a helmet, shoes, bike wear and minimum tools)
tents (one for sleeping and another for shower)
stock of food and water for 3 to 4 days (when the stock got low, it was time to shop)
a sleeping bag and a pillow with an extra thin blanket
a MacBook (Wall and DC12 adapters, a mouse)
mini TV sets (Wall and DC12 adapters)
minimum toiletries stuff
a folding chair
a hair clipper (yes, hair grows)

and so on.

4 weeks is about a month and a lot happens!

It is very clear that my next car will make me leave a lot them home. Here are the list of stuff that I won't or cant leave home.
1) Stock of food and water
2) my bike, wheels, a helmet, shoes, bike wear, bear minimum tools and spare parts
3) tents and sleeping bag
4) cooking gear (Jetboil original and Trangia with gas burner)
5) clothes, underwear and toiletries kit
6) a MacBook (to use Garmin BaseCamp) with Wall/DC12 adapters
7) Android tablet with a DVB-T2 tuner
8) Wacaco Minipresso (a hand pump espresso extractor)
9) a folding chair
10) Did I forget something?

OK, it is pretty much the same as I took with me in 2015 (4-week camping tour). They are so essential and it is almost impossible to make the list shorter.

Should I stock up only French baguettes and Nutella and water so that I can leave all cooking gear home? No warm food? Stale bread every day, day in, day out? I don't like it.



In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Is it about time? (for a new car)]の続きを読む

テーマ:車選び - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2017/02/07(火) 23:29:00|
2. Ford Ka
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My current car that I am driving now was purchased in March 2011. That means that I have been driving it for almost 6 years. The odometer reads almost 108,000 km. Wow! You know that the Earth (our planet) has only 40,000 km in circumference. I have (virtually) driven more than twice around the earth.

The car is fine.

I chose to buy the Ford Ka because;
1) a diesel fuel engine was available
2) more inexpensive than others in the same class / category
3) small (in overall length) meaning that I can park in a tight place
(like crowded road side of moutains during TdF)

These were essential. After all, all of my free time (like paid vacation) was spent on chasing bike races. It is my passion.

Now I am thinking of (not immediately but in near future) buying the next vehicle for me. What should I buy? Or what can I buy?

What I liked about Ford Ka (RB9) and did not like about it.
Like
1) fuel efficiency /economy (great milage)
2) its compactness

Did not like
1) seat

The seat is very very terrible. There is no (almost) support at all! I find myself holding on to the steering whenever I go in the corner. In addition I put my left knee against the door to keep myself in seat.

The seat of the Smart I used to drive in Japan was excellent. It had support. It did not have any reclining (well almost none) function but it was the best seat that I have sat in my automobile life.

What do I look in a car?

I like;
1) small cars (in overall length and in weight)
2) inexpensive cars (well, I cannot afford expensive cars, thus Ford, hahaha)

I used to drive the Smart (its first generation and at that time it was not call "Four Two"). It was small and not too expensive. You see? I have been consistent.

I am willing to spend extra money to have a leather steering wheel. It is the most important and intimate part in the vehicle that you drive.

I am also willing to spend extra money to have a seat that supports. It is also the most important and intimate part in the vehicle that you drive.


My next car must have a supportive driver's seat.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Smart was a very nice car]の続きを読む

テーマ:車関係なんでも - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2017/02/02(木) 02:03:26|
2. Ford Ka
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