欧州自転車レース追っかけ日記

I am writing this at 30 minutes past midnight so it is April 2nd now. It is already Sunday. I am going to go bed and get up around 03:00. After taking a shower, I will leave for Antwerp around 04:00. I am expecting a stop at a gas station along the highway in Luxembourg. Gas is much cheaper in Luxembourg than almost any other countries in EU (exceptions? maybe Andorra?).

I will drive about 260 km (162 miles) and hopefully arrive at Antwerp around 07:30 or so.


Who's gonna win Today? Sagan? Boonen? Gilbert? I am hoping that Philippe Gilbert will. Let him win this year!


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [De Ronde van Vlaanderen 2017]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車レース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2017/03/31(金) 23:29:07|
2. Bike Races in Belgium
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Paris-Roubaix

Paris-Roubaix is coming. ASO's site www.letour.fr has posted the information. I downloaded the PDF file and compared the race route of 2017 with that of 2016.

There are changes. Cobble stone sectors have increased in number. I have accumulated those sectors on Garmin BaseCamp for the last several years as waypoints. By now all I have to do is to rename those waypoints making them up-to-date.


Saris Bones Solo purchased (and Bell Segment helmet)

It will be delivered next week. It has been dispatched already within 24 hours after placing the order. Good job, Evans Cycles! I also bought a Bell Segment helmet. I'll need it when Acton BLINK S2 arrives in June.



TomTom iPhone app and Gramin map updates

I noticed Today that iTunes listed TomTom navigation app has been updated (version 1.27). On a hunch, I launched Gamin Express on my MacBook Pro mid 2010 and noted that Garmin's map had been also updated to 2018.10 (meaning that it is the first update of year 2018 although real 2018 is far away).

I will try to update both of them as soon as possible.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Saris Bones Solo and Paris-Roubaix]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車レース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2017/03/31(金) 14:02:40|
2. Bike Races in France
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nanopresso

www.wacaco.com

I bought minipresso NS (Nespresso capsule compatible) from this site a year ago. I like it. Yesterday I noticed something. When you visit the site, a new upcoming product was being promoted without the details.

It is an even smaller hand operated espresso machine called nanopresso. It is cute.

Currently googling "nanopresso" only hits a hair care product. I wonder the name nanopresso is a registered trade mark. Anyway, it is a smaller brother of minipresso.

Naming scheme reminded me of Jetboil products, anyway.




In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Some packets arriving and De Ronde]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車レース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2017/03/29(水) 22:42:59|
2. Bike Races in Belgium
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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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LIMITS power meter

The latest update from LIMITS Technology (via Indiegogo) was that for the last three weeks they had been occupied with sending the units to some Eastern European countries and they would send out some units to Sweden, Switzerland and etc. It was the fourth batch for the European countries.

I got mine that was included in the third batch.

They don't have enough units made in China daily or weekly to satisfy the demand. And to save the shipping cost from China to Scotland, I guess that every 3 weeks units are shipped to Scotland. That was why they have been doing this 3-week batch shipping and 3-week interval updates. They don't simply have nothing else to do other than wait for 3 weeks for the shipping from China.

In the update there was no mention of Oceanic shipping. It will take another 3 weeks for them to have some cartons from China and decide which countries to send to. It will be Australia, first and then other countries in Asia.

We (LIMITS owners) all have to wait for the implementation of Bluetooth connectivity (other than firmware update) for another 2 or 3 months (or more) and the improvement of the firmware. We will be lucky if we see it before the end of 2017.

Shopping spree!

Spring is for me a Classic races opportunity and a bit of shopping spree.

Some of my friends and acquaintances arrive for those Belgian, France and French cycling races. I ask them to be a courier for me.

I buy them on-line and pay with my own credit card and specify the shopping destination to them in Japan. Some items are almost exclusively sold in Japan or at least at reasonable prices. I may buy the same thing sold here in Europe but they are priced way much higher.

I had run into some problems with some of the shops last year or two years ago as they did not accept my credit card on the basis that mine was issued by foreign banks (in this case outside Japan). There were greater risks of being scammed by some rogue people in the past for those shops.

When this happened, I had to ask friends to buy something for me on their credit cards. I later reimbursed the fees.

This year I had no problem at all. The "3D Secure" security features may have something to do with my experience. My current credit card is relatively new and had to do some extra procedures to make it on-line usable.

I bought some small thins and also bought things that some of my colleagues asked me to buy.

One of the things that I bought was silicon covers for Mazda MX-5 key.

E3 Harelbeke

Coming soon

De Ronde van Vlaanderen

Coming soon

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [E3 Harelbeke and some shopping]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車レース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2017/03/28(火) 22:13:53|
2. Bike Races in Belgium
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Thinner, leaner and meaner

I think I am getting thinner than before. Obviously the body fat is getting shaved off and the thin layer of the fat that I had beside my belly area is almost gone. I also realized that my thighs got thinner. I am very happy with that.

I needed some kind of encouragement and seeing these obvious changes in the appearance made me feel that my efforts paid off.

March 22nd, 2017 I ate some vegetable and a bit of fish (lean white fish). That was it. I did not feel that I needed more. My stomach is definitely getting used to eating less.


E3 Harelbeke

I am going to watch the race live with my own eyes. I am now looking at the PDF files available on the official site (https://www.e3harelbeke.be/).

They also provide GPX file but it is not perfect. Now I am looking for the best way to enjoy the actions along the course.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Getting thin?]の続きを読む

1. 2017/03/21(火) 21:26:15|
2. Diary
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Gastrointestinal tract (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrointestinal_tract)

Recently I have been on a diet to lose weight. I managed to eat less. I feel fine with less food than I used to consume.

I have noticed that as I consume less, I jettison less. I mean I have far less bowel activities than before. This is not good. Not good at all.

Digested food stay longer than desired in my small intestines and colon. This is not good for my health. I have to do something. I have to ingest something.

Something that contains more fiber and has less calories. I'll be happy if it costs less. Sauerkraut (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauerkraut)?

I am also going to buy some products that are good for the ingestive system. A Japanese product that is available at many local supermarkets called "Yakult" could be the one I need. They (come in a pack of several small bottles) don't come cheap but are known to be effective.

"Food is not your friend," is an expression that I heard somewhere in a movie or TV drama. I don't quite remember where.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Now there's another thing that I have to take care of]の続きを読む

1. 2017/03/19(日) 23:20:11|
2. Diary
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Mazda MX-5 a.k.a. Miata (a.k.a. Roadster in Japan)

K&N 33-5040 is the part number for the air filter that fits MX-5 (ND).

I somehow like K&N's air filter. I bought one for my Smart (first generation and later model name became Four Two) back in 2002 when I was still living in Japan.

I have one in my current automobile Ford Ka (2011).

And I just ordered one from the UK (before they depart from EU, in other words, before I have to pay the nasty import tax charges). I did not buy the cleaning and re-oiling kit but I will do so in the future.


DVB-T2 tuners for Android devices

At the same time of the purchase above, I bought two of them, seemingly different models. These are almost sure to work on my tablet via an app called "Air DTV II."

In Europe DVB-T is being replaced by DVB-T2. I am not sure about the progress but as long as I know, the digital terrestrial signal in iParis, France was T2 standard in July, 2016. France has started replacing the equipment since the end of 2015. Germany has just started it.


Being on a diet

It is not easy. I have tried and failed. My weight has been down. I don't know exactly how much I weighed two or three months ago but I am guessing I weighted between 71 and 72 kg (157 - 159 US lb).

I'm blessed in terms of DNA. I don't get fat. I am serious. In my all life, I ate a lot. I never weighed more than 73 or 74 kg in my life.

Now I weigh about 65.5 - 65.8 kg (144 - 145 US lb). I don't eat as much as I did. I will keep it so as long as I can.

My target weight: 62 kg (137 US lb)


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [K&N 33-5040 and DVB-T2 Tuners]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車用品 - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2017/03/17(金) 08:51:13|
2. Mazda MX-5
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How to train on the bike


(a clip of a screen shot of GCN on YouTube)


I have been watching videos on YouTube recently. A lot!

1) I have been watching Mazda MX-5 (Miata) reviews and and some modifications videos.

2) I have been watching cats videos.

3) I have been watching "How to ..." and "Truth about ..." videos on the topics related to cycling, in particular, on topics about losing weight, how weight affects climbing hills, how to train effectively and such.

I have almost run out of the videos of the first category by now.

The third category videos were very intriguing. I watched a lot of videos from GCN (Global Cycling Network). One I saw them on location making a video. I don't know if that particular shooting actually made it to YouTube but it was in Utrecht, the Netherlands in 2015 (Was it 2015 that the Tour de France started in Utrecht?). I was visiting the hotel where Trek, Katsusha and Lotto-Soudal (or at that time Lotto-Belisol?) were staying.

an MX-5 to insure

I am writing this after coming back from my insurance agent. There I learned that the annual premium for my new car (Mazda MX-5 1.5L Skycruise = top of the line equipment) would be around €1,500. Which is, of course, higher than what I pay for my Ford Ka. It is OK.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [How to burn effectively fat and train better for climbing hills?]の続きを読む

テーマ:ヨーロッパ - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2017/03/16(木) 15:21:17|
2. Bikes and related things
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I am not too sure

There is a thing that has stuck in my mind since I saw it. I was searching for some neat cheap items that would accompany my new car (arriving in June, 2017). A cheap watch with a line on the part (I don't know exactly what is should be called) where dials sit on. A face?

It reads, "KEEP CALM AND DRIVE A MX-5." OK, I got the message and I even think it is cute. It is one of those items with that ubiquitous 'Keep calm and ...' gnomes.

My question is; Is this grammatically correct? Shouldn't that be, "KEEP CALM AND DRIVE AN MX-5" ?

I decided not to buy one.


A soft carry bag is coming

I bought a pet carrier. It is intended for a cat or a small dog, maybe. Do I currently have a cat? No, although I intend to in the future.

It is very light at 1.2 kg (2.6 US lb). It can be used as a hand-held bag, can hang from the shoulder and can be used a backpack to carry a cat.

A space saving spare tire for MX-5 (ND)?

Why do I want one?

When I bought my current car (Ford Ka), I chose deliberately an option space saving spare tire. During 5 years, it helped me get out of troubles three times. I was very happy and firmly believe that it was worth the money I paid for.

Mazda has not set this option for a MX-5. All MX-5 come with a so-called a repair kit. It consists of a DC 12-Volt cigarette socket operated pump and a filling compound in a spray can more or less. I am not sure if it comes with a jack.

It may repair minor holes but won't help at all when you have a tire burst. There are some shops who sell them. I am very much tempted to get one from the UK. Should I?


(image borrowed from this UK seller on ebay)


(image borrowed from this UK seller on ebay)

As you can see, the space saving spare tire will go in the boot.

Wait a second! When I change the tires/wheels and take the regular tire/wheel out and seek for a tire shop for a new tire, I have to put this big regular size tire in the boot or somewhere. This will be the bigger problem.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [A space saving spare tire ]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車用品 - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2017/03/15(水) 13:04:10|
2. Bike Races
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LIMITS power meter second day



How much do I weigh, really?

This is my cheap body weight scale which I purchased 3 year ago (maybe?) at around €13 (or less?).



It has four feet in each corner and I think each foot has a pressure sensor in it. It has to lie on a solid flat floor to function reliably. In this picture it is sitting on two tiles in the bathroom floor. Here it works fine.

I used to put it on the laminated wood floor and the weight it gave out was not reliable.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [How much do I weigh, really?]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車用品 - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2017/03/12(日) 02:36:19|
2. Bike Races
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E3 Harelbeke

http://www.sport.be/fabiancancellaraclassic/2017/en/

Fabian Cancellara won many of those Belgian Spring (Semi-) Classics and had a lot of fans there. Finally someone figured out the way to take advantage of it. The URL above shows the formula.


LIMITS power meter first impression

This evening I took out my bike and rode about 40 minutes. It was dark outside and I had my Shimano dynamohub wheel WH-3N71 and Exposure Lights Revo in front and the Neo by Reelight guarding the rear.

I selected simply 'power' output on the Garmin Edge 800. I could choose '3 seconds average' or others. I simply did not know what to choose. One thing I noticed is that the power reading jumps up and down so much when I don't choose some "averaged" outputs. Maybe in near future I will choose 3 seconds average or so.

I noticed that my legs were wider apart than before. It felt a bit weird. I may grow accustomed to it in near future.

According to some reports, Limits unit need to be broken in first. The metal parts (even though stationary in essence) need to be stressed under load. After this breaking-in, the data reading will improve, so some report says. Now I am blindly stressing it.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Spring Races to come]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車用品 - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2017/03/10(金) 21:12:14|
2. Bike Races in Belgium
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Well. I have a Garmin ANT+ Speed and Cadence sensor (GSC 10) that came wth my Garmin Edge 800. This LIMITS power meter includes the cadence sensor (for the moment only with ANT+).

I don't need the cadence sensor function of this Garmin sensor. Simply it is redundant.

This is why I am thinking of getting another Bluetooth / ANT+ (bilingual) Speed only sensor like BBB Smartspeed BCP-65.

Before I go further, I have to mention that LIMITS is also supposed to be Bluetooth / ANT+ bilingual. It is one of the functions that were promised by the manufacturer. For the moment Limits Technology is too busy with sending out the units to the supporters. They said that once they are done with the shipping, they will work hard to add this Bluetooth function. For the moment, Bluetooth connectivity is only used for the firmware update.

Garmin Edge 800 speaks only ANT+, which is OK. Bluetooth connectivity is also attractive to me (and many if not most people) because this Bluetooth functionality is available on almost all smart phones, tablets and many bike computers.

Let's talk about Garmin Edge 800 for a while.

Garmin Edge 800 works fine but the battery lasts only several hours (I don't know exactly how long). Once the battery is depleted, it needs to be recharged. For the moment, my bike's training setup includes front wheel with a dynamohub (Shimano WH-3N71, a neat 20-spoke wheel) and a B & M USB-Werk (with a buffer battery). So I can keep charging my Edge 800 during the day (in the evening and at night this dynamohub feeds Exposure Lights' Revo).

I don't trust my Garmin Edge 800's waterproof capability.

This is where a Bluetooth smart phone comes in. A smart phone from major brands have a dedicated waterproof case. I myself have a iPhone 4/4S ANT+ bike case. Alas Wahoo Fitness app does not work on my iPhone 4 so I can not use it, though.

Anyway, if a smart phone does not have a dedicated waterproof case, I can still use a smart phone as a bike computer (as a display for bike sensors). I can simply put it in a Ziplock bag to keep it dry and put it in the pocket. There are bike computers (like ones from Cateye) that work as a display unit between bike sensors and a smart phone.

Anyway, Bluetooth / ANT+ bilingual devices seem to be a better choice for the moment.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Bluetooth / ANT+ Speed sensor and etc.]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車用品 - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2017/03/10(金) 14:31:12|
2. Bikes and related things
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Saris Bones Solo bike rack

I am thinking of buying a Saris Bones Solo for my new car which is arriving in June.

The current bike rack that I own (also from Saris and has been discontinued) is designed mainly for a rear hatch door. I doubt that it will fit a typical rear trunk (or boot) surface. Maybe it was reason why it was discontinued and replaced by Bones 2 or 3 Bike Racks, which will fit on a hatch door or on a boot.

I could buy a Bones 2 Bike Rack and I think it will fit on my new car's boot but as my car is really small and does not have much cargo space, I thought Solo would be the best choice.

I have been watching the one on Wiggle. It has been constantly carrying the lower price than other stores. It was around €54 until Yesterday (March 8). Now the price went up. The price included 12 % discount but Today the price is around €60 with only 1 % discount.

I will wait till the price comes down again. I can wait until July when eventually I need a bike rack.

Weight watcher

It was about a month ago when I got this nasty FLU when I felt really sick and lost all my appetite for a week. During this time I did not feel hungry as before. Since then I have been trying to lose some weight taking the advantage of feeling less hungry than before.

Two weeks ago, I put a small battery (CR2032) in the scale that has been neglected more than a year. I am now watching my weight.

I don't know the body weight before the flu but I could safely guess it was around 70 kg to 72 kg (which translates to 155 to 159 US Pounds). I could never go over 73 kg in my life (Thank my gene for that!).

Now, as of March 8, 2017, I weigh 67 kg (148 US Pounds). My target weight is around 62 kg (137 ditto). There are 5 kg to go. I think it is not easy to get this number. I am 173 cm tall (5 feet and 8 inches). One of my favorite professional cyclists, now retired, Carlos Sastre stood as high as I do and at the peak of his career weighed 62 kg. This is where the number came from.

LIMITS Power Meter now with battery cells and working (or is it?)

Today, I put the battery cells into the power meter and tried to pair it up with my Garmin Edge 800. It took me while to do it and I failed to pair them up. I had to "factory default" reset the Edge to make it happen. After the reset, the Edge 800 recognized the power meter.

It took me also while to set the crank length on the Edge. It had a great deal to do with the rather clumsy user interface of the Edge 800 but I don't want to criticize it now. I turn the crank (obviously, the left one) for a while to see that the power reading and cadence reading appeared on the headset. Now I am ready to do some outdoor riding if the weather permits.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Saris Bones Solo and the weight watch]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車用品 - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2017/03/08(水) 12:01:27|
2. Bikes and related things
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My first Android experience was with my ARCHOS Oxygen 70 tablet which I bought in December 2016. I like it and use it more than my ageing iPhone 4.

I found it (the tablet) very practical and liked it. It had limitations but it was cheap.

Google Play (like Apple's App Store) is fine. It is full of apps and others (music, movies and books). I wish I had used Android earlier.

My iPhone 4 is only capable of running iOS 7 and my iPod touch (4th generation) is only capable of running iOS 6. The up-to-date iOS version is 10.*.* and most i-device in use have already running it.

I had thought of buying iPhone 7 or 7 Plus and also had thought of buying used iPhone 4S before buying this Android tablet. I did not buy iPhone 7 (Plus) because it was simply too expensive or iPhone 4S because it was too expensive for what it could offer in terms of performance.

By the end of December 2016, I learned that some apps could not be used on my tablet because it is not a phone. Some apps require mobile phone capability (a SIM has to be inside it). Aha, WhatsApp or MyMazda, among those that require phone capability, are the ones that I want to have on my Android device.

Should I buy an Android phone? I don't think so, at least for the moment.

The iOS version of MyMazda requires iOS 8.4 or later. So my iPhone 4 won't be able to run it.

In the future I have to buy either an Android phone or iPhone. I don't know how long this iPhone 4 will work.

A Sony Xperia with ANT+ capability is on the wish list.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Android phones and bike racks]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車用品 - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2017/03/04(土) 19:21:46|
2. Bikes and related things
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Issue1:

I sent the message twice to LIMITS Technology using the "contact" form at http://limits.technology) but got no response. I could not wait anymore so I took a risk.

Using two wrenches: one normal 15 mm pedal wrench (from Park Tool USA) and a 18 mm thin cheap bike tool, I forced the Speedplay Zero (CroMo version) into the RIGHT side spacer with a lot of anti-sieze assembly paste from SHIMANO. It went in. I had to squeeze up and down many times until the metal grinding got a bit warm.

Finally, I got to the point that I can put the pedal into the spacer only by hand. It is not the optimal mending method but it worked.

Now I don't care if LIMITS Technology responds or not. It is working now.


Issue 2:

I put the device on my bike. I have not yet put the batteries in the device. It will be done later. The manufacturer did not supply us with a special tool to open the battery cell compartment lids. I think we are supposed to improvise. What could be used to open the compartment safely without breaking the fragile (according to some reports from those who had broken them) lids?

I suppose using a proper coin will do perfectly. Here in Luxembourg we have easy access to Euro coins and additionally we have access to some other coins used in neighboring countries. I will try them out.

A normal user would use a normal flat-blade driver to open them. This is a big NO-NO. The tip of a driver is way too thin. This would harm the lids right away. We are supposed to use a appropriate coin to open them.

Even with a snug fit coin, screwing too tight is also a NO-NO. Doing so will also make the lids deteriorate quicker.

I am not sure how long those battery cells will last before they need to be replaced. Some report that the cells will die sooner than expected.

I intend to use Silicon-based sealant paste on the lids' thread just slightly. This way I don't have to tighten the lids too much to attain the desired sealing level. I have done this successfully with my carbon seat posts on my Aluminium Cervélo Soloist and also on my Carbon Cervélo RS.

The weather here in Luxembourg is getting better. I can definitely feel that Spring is just around the corner.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [LIMITS (power meter) installed on my bike]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車用品 - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2017/03/04(土) 19:05:12|
2. Bikes and related things
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I read (as "reed" not "red") some news pieces concerning this topic. My concern is that 'how soon?'

If it (burst) does not happen in two or three month, I am happy. Why?

Because I am expecting the arrival of my ACTON BLINK S2 sometime in April, 2017. The manufacturer (the real factory is in China but the entity who is responsible for making and distributing is ACTON), ACTON, says that they (BLINK S2) are in full production and by the end of March, they will be ready to be shipped to U.S.A.

I am also thinking of buying some items sold on ebay from China, namely, some DVB-T2 tuners for the Android devices and some other small things in a month or two.

Do they really burst in near future?


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Do China's bubbles burst in near future?]の続きを読む

1. 2017/03/01(水) 15:40:17|
2. Diary
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4. | コメント：0