欧州自転車レース追っかけ日記

I regret having used a program called 'monolingual' on my MacBook Pro. This program is a utility to save some space on the HDD. It removes the "unnecessary" language files. I use only English (main) and Japanese (when necessary). I thought the program would do some good.

I regret making this premature decision.

People, don't use it! Some programs utilize those language files even though they don't explicitly tell you that they need some 'other-than-its-native-language' files.

For example, Pangu (jailbreak utility) apparently tries to use some Chinese (I am assuming) language files normally installed on your Mac OSX system. I used the English version of Pangu but it does not boot at all.

I have to use my other notebook (Windows 7) to jailbreak my iPhone 4.

I am going to upgrade the system to Yosemite soon. After this upgrade, I won't have this kind of problems. I hope so.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [iPhone 4 jailbreaking and monolingual]の続きを読む

テーマ:iPhone - ジャンル:携帯電話・PHS

1. 2014/06/30(月) 13:00:40|
2. iPad, iPhone and iPod touch
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I wanted to transfer my waypoints (more than 800?) on my BaseCamp on the MacBook Pro to Garmin nüvi 2340. For the next 4 weeks, this small device is my buddy, my guide and my navigator (literally). I did and rebooted the device to see if everything went well.

It did not. Only part of waypoints got transferred and rests were not there on the device. I repeated the maneuver (Scotty, beam them up!) several times but the results were not satisfactory. Another Garmin woe!

I knew by instinct what to do with it. I have been using Garmin devices (nüvi 2340 is the third device) for the last 8 years by now, I think. I own Garmin Edge 800, too.

So what I did was to erase the old files (***.gpx) on the device directly from the Finder. Just looked into the device or its microSD card and deleted old ***.gpx files.

After this maneuver, transferring waypoints to the device produced the expected results. All of the waypoints on my BaseCamp were successfully transferred to the nüvi. Now I can drive.

I don't know why this debris accumulation happens but it happens anyway.

I have to add this.

Please do not fool with what is on the Garmin device and/or its microSD! Those contents are normally not for us (normal users) to directly manipulate. If you have to manipulate them directly, do it at your own risk.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ

[Garmin nüvi 2340 woe and Tour de France]の続きを読む

1. 2014/06/30(月) 11:51:57|
2. GPS Navigation
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Mamer (www.mamer.lu), which hosted the event , is, I think, somehow related to Nicolas Frantz, who, as many cycling sport fans know, won the Tour de France twice. Maybe he is from that city. In the community of Mamer, there is a building named after Nicolas Frantz. A cycling road, Piste Cyclable in French, No. 13 which begins near Mamer and runs through Mamer is nicknamed PC Nicolas Frantz.

I was there once. I went to see a road race feminine that commemorates Josy Jacobs, a female cyclist from that area also?

On that particular day, a chilly spring day, I saw Fränk Schleck. He was chasing the female peloton. Actually I think he was just training in that area and the female road race was in his way. I wrote about this incident a year ago. Female racers were the main dish and Fränk was the side dish.

Today he was the main dish. He won the national title for the road race.

I took some pictures.

It was a bit chilly and a bit rainy day. It rained in the morning but the weather turned better. Occasional sun shines and almost no rain in the afternoon. Four of the Trek Factory Racing riders were there.





The main contenders were they and Ben Gastauer (AG2R la Mondiale). Ben Gastauer has already been named on the Tour team of AG2R la Mondiale. He would definitely try to win the title.

The area was not far from the capital but it is a very quiet one.

It is so rural that the race course (circuit) goes into a cycling road (not for cars). Here are the photos. It happened before. I remember that two years ago or three? the National Championship circuit included a cycling road section.


(The second photo shows the signs telling us that only bikes and on-foot pedestrians are allowed beyond this normally-down-gate)


The first two rounds were dominated by a man who I don't recognize of course performed the solo stunt (maybe his girlfriend was watching). For the next couple of rounds, the race was shaped. TFR guys, Ben G. Jumpy Drucker and some Leopard-Trek guys formed the leading group and the rest of the bunch were distanced. For the next couple of rounds the formation was TFR riders and Ben Gastauer in front and then Leopard guys (3), and distanced Jumpy Drucker and others.

The final result is Fränk Schleck, Ben Gastauer and then Andy Schleck on the podium.

Men on the podium but what is bothering Fränk?


You too, Andy?


Leea (Fränk's daughter) was standing by.


So was Teo (Andy's son).

Leea and Teo were also on the Podium with their respective dad. Teo grew bigger.

One last thing. Have you noticed the beard? Fränk Schleck had grown some beard. After the podium ceremony and then the anitidoping control, I asked if he would shave it before the Tour. He said that it would stay. Now that he has won the NC road race with the beard, his beard has become his lucky charm. He can not shave it. Or will he appear shaven in Leeds?

Now I have to start packing. [National Championship Luxembourg 2014 results are in]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2014/06/29(日) 20:56:55|
2. Bike Races in Luxembourg
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I told you! Or did I? I don't remember writing about this incident in English. I remember writing it in Japanese at least.

It happened a while ago when I updated the Garmin BaseCamp on my MacBook Pro. The first time I launched this newly updated version, I got this nasty message (I don't remember it exactly but something like corrupt data ... etc.) and my waypoints were screwed, not lost but attributes were lost.

Attributes like their (waypoints') category, address, ect.

Take a look at these images clipped from Apple App Store Garmin BaseCamp Update descriptions.



As you can read, there were bugs relating the "first launch" and data corruption. I told you so. The last version was an evil update and did a lot of harm to me.

No words of apology? OK, BaseCamp is a piece of free software. I did not pay but I did pay for the GPS device from Garmin.

Please, in the name of God, test the software before making it available to the general public.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Garmin's snafu caught redhanded!]の続きを読む

1. 2014/06/27(金) 00:58:13|
2. GPS Navigation
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Topics: National Championship of Luxembourg, Mail holding services

On Monday, 23rd June (National Holiday), I checked the site, Fédération Sport du Cycliste Luxembourgeois to see if they have the info on the topic. Almost none. Only the lists of participants of the TT and road race.

On Tuesday, 24th June (a normal day), I revisited the site to see they have updated the info on the topic.

This year the road race takes place in the area near the capital. Mamer is the city where they start and finish. I think last year's Championship took place in the almost same area?



This image is a screen shot clip from the map (map.geoportail.lu). www.fscl.lu gives the link to this site. The area is just a couple miles from the boundary of city of Luxembourg. From my humble studio apartment, I can drive there in a matter of minutes.

Last year I was there (at the championship) and I remember it rained. The main sponsor of the event, Boefferding (www.boefferding.lu) provided us with a poncho, which I appreciated a lot.


Today I Went to the post office to get my mail held at he local post office during my vacation in july. I am expecting a small package from the US and regular mail (like bank statements and others) during this time and I don't want them to fill up my small mail box for security reasons.

I was not sure if the service was free of charges and I suspected it would cost. It did. 11 euors and some. Not much. I will go to the post office and pick up the mail during my absence after I get back.


The Tour team for Trek Factory Racing has been announced and I am happy.
Fabian Cancellara
Fränk Schleck
Andy Schleck
Haimar Zubeldia
Jens Voigt
Matthew Busche
Markel Irizar
Gregory Rast
Danny van Poppel



In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [National Championship Luxembourg 2014]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2014/06/24(火) 23:04:31|
2. Bike Races in Luxembourg
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Today, four topics.

1) Luxembourg is celebrating the National Holiday (or what is left of it). Monday is the National Holiday but the real party was on Sunday night (fireworks and everything). More later.

2) I was on my way to one of my workplaces when the chain broke (the connector broke). More later.

3) I had to retighten the BB and readjust the FD. More later.

4) I am searching for my lodging in UK on July 6. The last night before returning to the Continental Europe. More later.


Luxembourg is quiet today as most people living Luxembourg are either on an extended weekend trip or having an hangover from the previous night. And many many people working in Luxembourg but living in the neighboring countries are staying off Luxembourg. So the polulation in Luxembourg is significantly fewer than usual. Period.


It happened on Saturday. I had a small toolbox can (in the water bottle cage) and I had a spare connector, too. It (connector breakage) happened before and as I did not have a spare, I had to walk almost 4 to 5 km at night (past midnight) home a cold winter day. Chance favors the prepared mind.

I quickly re-connected the chain and went on. No sweat!


Since I had a spring bike overhaul, one thing has been bothering me. As I sit out of the saddle and pedal hard, a familiar noise come from the BB area. I know the sound. The BB cup is not tight. I have to re-tighten it. I did and I also re-adjusted the FD. During the Tour I use my Zipp 404 and the rear wheel has a different cassette on it than the everyday use Mavic Cosmic. It is wise to check the setting to see if the big cassette (11-28) fits.

In the end I have to spend some time to do it right. I think it is fine now.


I have already booked a room (very inexpensive) for the first three nights (2, 3 and 4) in the UK. The lodging for the night of 5th is totally undecided. What I want to do is to stay at Holme Moss, which is inside a National Park. I don't know if overnighting is allowed there. I will find it out then decided where to sleep.

The last night in the UK (6th) is going to be spent somewhere between Cambridge and London. I have been looking for a camping site. There are some up there. It seems that the closer I get to London, the camp sites are small and sparse (of course, since London is a big metropolis). It is easier to find bigger camp sites near/around Cambridge.

Let me see. The second stage ends in Sheffield. I will be (most likely) at Holme Moss in the afternoon. From there I have to drive down toward Cambridge. It will be around 250 km. By the time I get to Cambridge vicinity, it will be around 20:00 in the evening (I guess).

What are my options?


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ
[KMC chain connector broke and other maintenance]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車（スポーツ用） - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2014/06/23(月) 13:44:57|
2. Bikes and related things
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I have to go to a local electric appliances store and get a UK-Euro electric outlet plug adapter next week. For the first three nights (in the UK) I am sleeping under the roof (an inn) and I will need it for my MacBook Pro and others. I also have a in-car 12V DC source adapter for my MacBook Pro, which I have never tested since I bought it.

When I buy an adapter, I have no doubt that it will be a 'universal' adapter, which covers (at least the plug male/female physical dimensions but not voltage differences, for which you need a transformer) Central Europe (my local one), Switzerland, UK, AU, NZ, China, USA, Japan and so forth.

Oh it is coming! The Tour is just around the corner!


This morning I tried the Hylix carbon saddle for the first time.

OK, here is the brief history. I've used Selle Italia "SLR XP (135g)" for the last 10 years and my impression will be based on that experience. For a long time (since I left Germany), I haven't done any long rides on this saddle.

My saddle was only 135g according to the manufacturer's spec. That means that the padding is minimum. I once saw my favorite Fabian Wegmann use the same (maybe 165g version?) saddle on his race bike. Not many professional riders use this one as it is not so comfortable on your as*.

So after riding only measly 20 km this morning, all I can say is that I was surprised that the saddle felt good on my as*!

I also have to say that this is not an entirely accurate impression because;

1. Only 20 km! I did not ride PBP 1,200 km (Paris-Brest-Paris)

2. The carbon saddle is in so-called an anatomic form. There is a groove running through in the middle of it. It helps take pressure off your crotch. My previous saddle on the other hand, has the Appalachian range running in the middle.

3. With no padding and somewhat depressed-in-the-middle form, my saddle height got a tad lower, I guess. This also affects the feel of it.

I have to spend more time in it to see if it fits my as* but I like it already.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Hylix saddle and UK plugs]の続きを読む

1. 2014/06/20(金) 22:37:38|
2. Things European
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Only two weeks and some days left before I leave for Leeds, UK. I haven't packed yet.

Yesterday (Tuesday, 17) I received a package from China. It had a carbon (composite) saddle inside.

A Hylix carbon saddle, ladies and gentlemen! It is light. It is hard. I haven't ridden on it yet but I think it feels hard on my ass. Let's see.

Oh my God! I have to start packing. Pack the minimum things and as lightly as possible. This summer I don't use the Thule roof box on my Ford Ka. I am going to pack inside the vehicle.

There is a strong warning not to travel with a lot of things inside the car. It entices the break-in thieves. I know the strong arguments against doing it and I personally don't like it. In fact, I once had my Ka broken in and had a notebook computer, a Garmin navigation device along with other small things stolen from the car in Liège, Belgium. Well I don't have to mention the shattered side window glass and the trouble of replacing it, right?

Hiding the stuff inside the big roof box is a better way to protect myself from that kind of crimes and the troubles. I know.

Then why did I decide not to have a roof box on top of my Ka?

One reason is that I am traveling alone and there will be less things I have to carry.

Another reason is that when I put that big Thule roof box on top of the vehicle, the aerodynamics of my Ka is lost and I cannot drive to fast. Well this is a joke.

The "real" another reason is that it make my Ka's height roughly 2,100 mm and this means I have to line up where big vans make a queue when loading into the ferry. It also means I have a hard time looking for a parking inside big cities, which sometimes only provide underground parkings. I mean when I look for securer parkings. Open air parking is not so safe. Guarded underground parkings are safer than parking lots on the street.

I have to carry my bike (very important), tents (for sleeping and multiple use tent) and paint buckets all the time. These are the most cumbersome stuff. Other important things are my MacBook Pro, portable TVs, a satellite receiver and its obligatory dish, cooking utensils, clothes and other small things.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Only two weeks before TdF and a new saddle made of carbon composite]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車（スポーツ用） - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2014/06/18(水) 15:24:30|
2. Tour de France
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Today I found in the mailbox a letter with a logo of aferry.com.

aferry.com is the online ferry operator (or ferry ticket vendor) from which I booked the very ferry tickets between Calais and Dover. I thought for a moment what would be inside the envelop before opening it. I thought they sent me the tickets. I was wrong.

I found a sheet of paper (an ad material) and a sticker. When I booked the tickets, I found a paragraph on their site that I would get a free 'L' (L for Luxembourg) sticker. I wondered when and how I would get it.


Now I got it. It is also an promotion (of the operator) material. It contains their logos and URL. Should I stick it on my car?

I rode (my bike) with the Spiuk ZS15RC that I just purchased last evening. First I felt a bit of pressure on the outer tips of the second joint of the big foot finger. As the outer material of the shoes is soft, the pressure went away as I pedaled. So I think it is not a problem.



In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [aferry sent me a free gift 'L' sticker and Spiuk ZS15 RC]の続きを読む

1. 2014/06/16(月) 14:37:27|
2. Tour de France
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I received the package from Germany, which I ordered a short while ago. It had a pair of Spiuk ZS15RC shoes and a RD hanger for my Cervélo RS.

I will take some photos and upload them later.

The shoes included two sets of insoles to my surprise. One is in red and the other is green. They have letters on them to explain what they are for; Warm and Cool. I don't intend to use the warm one as I use them during the Tour de France, which is held in summer.

They are light! I can say that. I haven't ridden in them and since only two weeks remain before I leave for Leeds, I have to quickly break them in. They look cool and sharp. I like them.

I haven't decided yet if I should swap the bent hanger before the Tour. I will definitely bring the new one in the tool box.

I have repeatedly written about this Ass Saver mudguards and once again I have to write about them. Their site has been updated since I checked it the last time. Now, only now they have an extended version (in length) for the roadies like me. A lot of users gave reviews saying that they wanted a longer one. They (Ass Savers) listened. I want one of them but I already have ones (previous models).

Spiuk shoes

A lot of perforation! Punched holes everywhere. No ventilation problems!
(image later here)


Look at the two sets of insoles!

(Actually only one set of 'Cool' insoles are pictured but I have one more set of 'Warm' insoles)

The plastic parts protection the carbon sole are not intended for maintenance. I don't think I can order the replacement parts for those. My other shoes, SIDI, are maintenance-ready. This Spiuk's revetting method surely saves some extra weight compared to SIDI's screw-in method.


The Speedplay Zero cleats are on. The small toe plastic part is riveted (or so) and won't be replaceable.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Spiuk shoes, Cervélo RD hanger and Ass Saver Extended]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車（スポーツ用） - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2014/06/15(日) 14:12:03|
2. Bikes and related things
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So I decided to book a hotel (more like a bed & breakfast type) room for three nights (Wed. 2nd to Sat. 5th morning). That costs me 60 GB pounds, which is roughly 74.5 euros.

The room is a single room with a shared bathroom. I decided to spend more as a typical campsite in the area will cost 12 (and up) GB pounds. The area is a (supposedly) beautiful countryside and some of (most of?) the campsites don't want to the guest use soap/detergent on their sites. A campsite (a pitch with no electricity hook-up), which cost 12 GB pounds per night, tells that they don't have a toilet/shower unit but offers a portable toilet in a cabin.

The cheap room that I booked at least offers a bathroom and free Wifi, too. I think I will be happy even if I spend a bit more for the lodging in UK.

In France, I will be staying at campsites. I know them.



In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [An inexpensive or reasonable (simply put cheap) hotel room booked!]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2014/06/13(金) 15:34:44|
2. Tour de France
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The official guidebook (for the general public) goes on sale during the Critérium du Dauphiné in recent years. This year was not an exception. Today (June 12) I went to a local kiosk (books, magazines along with other thing sold) and bought one.

I expected two versions; French and German. I only found one, which was a German version. That's OK because I was going to buy the German version not because of the language but the editorial reasons.

The German version usually has more maps and course profiles than the French one. The French version (to avoid the conflict with other vélo magazines published by ASO related publishers) is a thin guide book with less data.

ASO stopped revealing the ravitaillement (feed zone) information on their Internet site or the magazines. I think it is because to discourage people from coming to the feed zones as already too many people come.

How many days are there before I leave for Leeds? 19 days!

I am leaving for Leeds, UK on early Wednesday (July 2nd) morning (around 04:00 'O Four Hundred') to avoid the traffic jam in Belgium. My ferry (Calais-Dover) will start loading cars around 14:00 in the afternoon. It will take more than 4 hours to get to Calais.




In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [TdF 2014 Official Guide Book (in German) purchased]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2014/06/12(木) 15:09:28|
2. Tour de France
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I went to see the last stage of Tour de Luxembourg on Sunday (June 8). The finish has been moved to the center of the city (Luxembourg city) to a different part of the city.

The new finish was located on the top of a steep climb. They had to go over the hill six times before finishing the race on a sunny hot day. Six times.

Who had thought that Andre Greipel would win? Me? Not! All the riders suffered a lot climbing the climb. It was apparent. It showed on their faces.

Andre Greipel attacked on the last round and took the hill top win and Matti Breschel took the second place to secure his overall win (both of them raised their arms/arm on the finish line to celebrate their respective win). I saw them cross the line.

I could see the numbers of riders getting fewer every time they came up. The numbers of riders were abandoning and returning to their hotel (Park hotel not far from the finish, probably 3 to 4 km). Because the finish was located in a crowded residential area, no team buses stayed there. I guess everybody rode home by themselves (not a big problem).


Today (Tuesday, June 10) I drove to Asport Ingledorf where I had hoped to find TFR jersey and bib shorts. I had already talked to the personnels at the finish (TdL) where they were promoting their product (Asport was one of the official sponsors) if they had TRF stuff.

I found only 20 to 24? (L by European size/M by USA size standard) jerseys and two (XL by E/L by USA) jerseys. What the heck? I extra asked the personnel if they had any bibs and their answer was no. I also asked if they had the date for the next shipping if any and their answer was no.

Where are they? It is very very very frustrating that I don't have the bib shorts. And the most unfunny part of this farce is that TFR invites us to post a selfie with TFR kit on. Are they serious?


Today I received a ticket to the team presentation of the TdF 2014. Here is the ticket.



I am now looking for camp site in the UK. First in Leeds area.

I remember this temporary camp site near Brest when the Grand Depart was held in Brest. This sport complex (I vaguely remember that there were soccer pitches and other sport facilities there) set up a temporary camp site. I stayed there two nights?

I found a similar camp site near Leeds. I don't post the link here but anybody can find it by googling. I wrote an email to this temporary campsite administrator to know if they are open on 2nd of June (their preliminary information tells it will be open from 3rd of June).

There are many campsites around and there are some entrepreneur spirits going around (irony intended).

(image 001: taken from a site, hahaha!)

This campsite (above mentioned) is a candidate for the stay on 2nd of June (a night before the team presentation). It is not far from Leeds and close to Holme Moss. [TFR team kits needed! Part II]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2014/06/10(火) 22:26:08|
2. Tour de France
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Yesterday (June 5) I went to see the race in Hesperange (finish area) on foot. Yes, on foot. I live in the vicinity (Hesperange is adjacent to Luxembourg).

Today (June 6) I went to watch the peloton (there was a breakaway group before them) at the Ravitaillement (feed zone) and then later went to see more.

Unfortunately I had to work today so I saw them in my break time.

At the ravitaillement, I picked up a bidon from a rider belonging to RusVelo.

Tomorrow (June 7) I will drive to Eschweiler, the start in the morning. I will then head to one of the GPMs before going to the ravitaillement.

On Sunday (June 8) I will drive to Mersh (the start) and then to the ravitaillment before going to see the finish.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Tour de Luxembourg 2014 Stage 1, 2, 3 and 4]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2014/06/07(土) 00:23:25|
2. Bike Races in Luxembourg
3. | トラックバック：0
4. | コメント：0

Tomorrow (Wednesday, 4 May) is the prologue. Unfortunately I have to work so I will not be cheering the riders in the evening. I don't like it but that's life.

I will try to watch other stages as much as possible.

Apple (I am writing this on my MacBook with OS X Mavericks 10.9.3) presented its coming products a few days ago. Let's see.

My iPhone 4 is not a candidate for iOS 8. I already knew that.

My MacBook (mid 2010) is a candidate for this coming update OS X Yosemite. I also learned that Apple is looking for brave beta testers from the general public (like me). These brave (or curious) beta testers get the taste of Yosemite earlier than the rest of the general public (along with developers, of course). The first one million people will have the chance to dive in there.

I was just curious if I could be one. I read those articles and went to the Apple's site to see if they were still admitting.

I think I was admitted. After the registration, this message appeared telling me that they would notify me when the beat is ready.

My bike recently had a new stem. It is from 3T and it is a 'pro' (reads cheaper) version of ARX II. It is good. I have almost no complaints. I noticed that the fastening bolts (seemingly made of stainless steel) developed rust. Yes you heard it right rust on 'stainless' (reads no rust) steel.

Why? It is an effect widely known. Aluminium is already a metal with corrosion resistance. When stainless steel and aluminium meet, stainless steel loses and develop rust.

That's why more expensive stems have 'titanium' bolts on them.

I had two other stems (currently not in use) that have titanium bolts on them. I swapped them. Now my 3T ARX II has titanium bolts on it. Problem solved!

This is the LED bulb intended for swapping a halogen bulb in a dynamo-driven light. Do you know why I uploaded this particular image?


The right one is the LED mounted bulb and the left one is the halogen bulb. Do you see the difference? Please pay attention to the positions of the filament on the halogen bulb and the led mounted on the tip of the LED bulb.

The difference of the positions make a huge difference in the beam shape. As you may have already guessed, the LED bulb does not fully make use of the reflector of the Shimano LP-R900. This means that the light beam made with the LED bulb is not focused. The beam is bright in close range but really weak as it goes further. The beam pattern is not optimal.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Tour de Luxembourg 2014 and OS X 10.10 Yosemite (Beta testing)]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2014/06/03(火) 23:37:36|
2. Bike Races
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4. | コメント：0

Already? I ask myself. It is amazing.

Today I found in the mailbox a small package. The LED bulbs for dynamo-driven light arrived. They (I bought two of them) had AC-DC convertor and high voltage protection builtin. I will try it out later this evening when it gets dark outside.


This is the pair of shoes I just bought. They will arrive sometime soon I hope. I will break them in in time for TdF 2014.

(image01: the shoes I bought- Spiuk 15RC)

This piece of metal and two accompanying screws are for my Cervélo RS. They will stay in the tool box until the current one in use breaks some day.


On June 1 I took my bike out for the first time in a while after changing the components on it. The ride was smooth except for the broken out of tune harp like sound coming from the rear wheel spokes when I changed into the lowest gear. The pulley cage was touching the spokes. How did that happen?

Later when I inspected that area (Rear Derailleur and co.), I found that the RD is not vertical but a bit askew leaning inward toward the wheel. How did that happen? I suspected the rear hanger a bit bent. I gently corrected the bent hanger. Now the lowest gear could be used. This is not good. The aluminium made hanger will eventually break as aluminium is not strong against fatigue.

I decided to buy a spare hanger just in case. That is why I hurriedly bought the hanger from the same online shop, from which I bought the shoes above-mentioned.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Less than a month till TdF 2014]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2014/06/02(月) 20:53:47|
2. Tour de France
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Wow! Surprise, surprise! On May 28, I visited www.letour.fr to find that they had added maps (provided by Google) to the stage info.

Now I know that some of my guessing proved to be wrong but I am not surprised anyway. Let's move on!

Preparations for the Tour is getting complete. I am waiting for some bike parts that I purchased a while ago. I hope they will arrive in time. Should I buy a new pair of shoes? I found a nice pair of shoe that I liked on sale.

It's a pair of Spiuk 15 RC. It utilizes atop dial system. Are atop and boa the same? Are they at least related? I did some Google search.

atop leads to http://www.atop-team.com/, which is a Chinese manufacturer, who claims to make them.

boa leads to http://www2.boatechnology.com/, which is a firm based in California.

Are they (boa and atop system) reliable? That is the question I am asking.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Now maps added to route info at www.letour.fr]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2014/06/02(月) 16:32:29|
2. Tour de France
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