欧州自転車レース追っかけ日記

Hot in LA

There was a time when I lived in San Fernando Valley area (generally called the Greater Los Angeles Area) and Santa Monica, California U.S.A.

I remember a time when a friend of mine (a Swiss) visited me around November 10th and there was a really hot day. So we decided to take a dip in the ocean on Santa Monica Beach.

I read this piece of news that it got really hot in Los Angeles area at this time of the year (Late November) and it reminded me of this event that took place about 20 years ago.

www.autoroutes.fr
The French Motorway Company


(Logo taken from its site obviously)


(One of its services is that telling customers the estimated cost of using the French motorways)
I thought of not using the motorways at all on my way to La Roche-sur-Yon but It also occurred to me that I would have to take a nap in the car before arriving and if so a parking next to the gas station on the motorway would be a better choice as a venue. So I wanted to know how much it would cost to use the tollway.

It is expensive! What I should do?


(Judging from the Marshmallow man logo, the map info is provided by Michlin)
The map (shrunk to fit the page so details won't be recognized from this image) is also provided as a guide.


www.wheelfitment.eu


(The logo of the site taken from its site as you can imagine)


This is the image that got my attention (on Facebook Market Place). Would it fit my MX-5?


My Ford Ka (made by Fiat and basically a Fiat 500 clone) had these wheels (and tires).


My MX-5 (ND) has the same hub measures as its older brothers NA and NB but not NC. NC's hub needs a 5-hole wheel.


Some MINIs have 5-hole wheels and others have 4-hole wheels. This seems to be the spec of the wheel above. So I have to have a set of 4 adjusting hub centric rings (54.1 to 56.1) if they exist.

I could not easily find ones on Amazon Germany as Amazon (Germany) sells mainly those rings intended for VWs and such cars. Japanese imports are not so popular in Germany for the moment. 54.1 center bore hubs are found mainly on Japanese imports and some French small cars.

Later I did find the hub centric ring 54.1/56.1 on Amazon Germany. So I could have installed those wheels on my MX-5 although those wheels were quickly snatched by somebody as they quickly disappeared from the Market Place.


The space-saver spare wheel made for the Toyota MR2 (that I own) seems to have this hub measurement. It is identical to that of my MX-5 (ND), thus I concluded that it should fit my MX-5.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Hot in Los Angeles (greater or just true) in November]の続きを読む

テーマ:愛車と日常 - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2017/11/27(月) 17:03:35|
2. Diary
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My MX-5's summer tires have about 4,600 m on them. The next time I put them on back will be the end of March 2018. I don't think I have to worry about the wears on them. I'll just put them back on randomly. In other words, I won't be worried about their previous positions before removed.

I don't have any idea where they had been as they were removed by the dealer's mechanics who did not leave any marks on them.

I have know the importance of rotating tires once in a while to avoid uneven wears. This will be especially true to so-called FF vehicles, where the heavy engine sits in front and the front tires are responsible for steering. I know from my own experience that front tires wear significantly faster than the rear tires.

Whenever I changed them (summer to winter and then back or when the tires burst - in past tense), I noticed the greater wear on the front tires so I put them in the rear and less worn formerly rear tires in front.

I kept rotating them as I had to.

When I learned that a friend of mine drove a lot without rotating the tires (all season tires), I volunteered to rotate them for free.

Luckily his Ford Kuga came with a space saving spare tire and other tools needed for changing tires. The jack was not an efficient that you can quickly extend or collapse one but at least it worked.


Rotating tires on Mazda MX-5
I may want to get one of these for me.

It is easily acquired from Amazon Germany and that is why they are in German.
V stands for Vorne and H stands for Hinter (front and rear respectively) and L stands for Links and R stands for Rechts (left and right respectively). These German words may not be correct. Excuse my poor German!

I don't know if a FR car like my Mazda MX-5 requires frequent rotations. I will see. [Rotating tires on friend's car made me think]の続きを読む

テーマ:愛車と日常 - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2017/11/23(木) 00:53:21|
2. Mazda MX-5
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A Dutch site (www.campingstourdefrance.nl) called "Campings Tour de France" has been updated to 2018 version. This site is useful (at least to me).

As the name suggests (and if the name itself is not self-explanatory enough), it lists the camping sites around the stages of the Tour de France. If you (like me) follow the stages and stay at various camping sites, you can easily plan your itinerary using this site.

The first destination is La Roche-sur-Yon, where the team presentation ceremony is held on Thursday preceding the Grand Départ on Saturday. It will be over 825 km of drive for me to get there. The drive is not so easy as the route includes unavoidable skirting of Paris area. The traffic is always heavy there.

I intend to use roads without any toll charges to get there. It will take more than 12 hours or more likely 16 hours to get there.

When I leave for La Roche-sur-Yon around midnight (between Thursday and Wednesday) here from Luxembourg, I will be passing Paris early morning of Wednesday (July 4th). This way I will be least affected by the traffic.

I will have a brief break after Paris. Probably a couple of hour of sleep in the car seat. I will check in a camping site in the evening of Wednesday.

The teams will be staying at hotels around La Roche-sur-Yon, I guess. The first stage's start is located about 90 km from the city center so they (teams) may stay up to 4 nights there (Wed. Thu. Fri. and Sat.).

I have been to La Roche-sur-Yon before. It was year 2011.

I will stay quite possibly at the camping site near La Roche-sur-Yon for 4 nights (4, 5, 6 and 7) before moving to Cholet.

I will watch the first stage near Les Sables-d'Olonne because the feed zone will be around here. I will be watch the second stage near Montaigu as the feed zone is likely in its vicinity. I may drive back to La Roche-sur-Yon to see the finish. After the second stage, I will drive to Cholet and try to find a nice spot on the course where I will be sleeping in the tent along the road. I won't check in a camping site then.

The TTT stage held around Cholet (July 9). I don't think there are no hills on the course.

I have not decided where to drive to next. The course details are not known yet. If the course is flat, I usually go to the feed zone.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Tour de France 2018 and how do I follow the stages]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. 2017/11/22(水) 02:25:03|
2. Tour de France
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On the verge of overheating? Why don't you say it is a "bubble"?

https://www.wort.lu/en/luxembourg/survey-luxembourg-housing-market-may-be-on-verge-of-overheating-bil-says-5a12a307c1097cee25b7789c


A while ago I wrote about the possible case of a housing bubble here in Luxembourg. That was my feeling, hunch gut feeling for what I had been seeing (and am still seeing as of now) for the past few years.

Today I found this article. The URL shows the article. They don't admit it is a bubble but mildly put it as "the verge of overheating." If it is overheating, it is a bubble.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [The housing bubble 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. 2017/11/21(火) 00:30:21|
2. Info Luxembourg
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So finally I had the tires changed on my Mazda MX-5 (ND) at the dealership.

Usually and normally I do it (changing the tires) on my own but this time as I bought the tire/wheel set together with the car, they had been kept at the dealer. When they called me to tell that they had been delivered, they also told me that the installation fees for the first time was included in the initial purchase price. So I decided to let them do the job.

The tires were Yohohama W Drive M+S tires. I quickly looked up the reviews on the net. According to the one I read, they were really OK. Here in Luxembourg and neighboring countries nearby it does not snow too much. I don't think I will run into troubles with these tires.

The summer tires (and wheels) are lying in my room. I will install them as soon as the risk of snow or icy roads diminished toward the end of March.

And I will keep my eyes on the mileage they (Yohohama W Drive tires) get during Winter. Based on my experience, winter tires tend to get low mileage compared to summer tires.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Yokohama W Drive tires]の続きを読む

テーマ:愛車と日常 - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2017/11/19(日) 09:30:27|
2. Mazda MX-5
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The SeaSucker Komodo is a neat device. I have never had the honor of owning it but seeing those pictures containing the image of it on the Internet made me feel like owning one if I could. One problem is (was) that it is as expensive as paying for the installation a trailer hitch on my Mazda MX-5 and also buying a matching hitch bike rack.

Installing a hitch that comes with TÜV certificate (TÜV is a German word for Technische Üverwachgungsverein and it is widely recognized in Europe as an approval for ’street legal’ as far as automobiles are concerned) will cost me around €1,000 and buying a matching hitch (like one from Saris) will get me to pay another €150. The sum will make a nice amount of what a Komodo will cost here in Europe.

TÜV by Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technischer_Überwachungsverein)

Which would I choose if I had the money? I would choose a hitch and a rack because a hitch and a hitch rack will be hard to steal once propery installed. A Komodo will be easy to steal from a car unless it is securely hidden inside the trunk. I don’t think that I will have enough space inside the trunk while on the road with a bike and the bike rack.

If (and when) I have the money, I will have one hitch installed on my Mazda MX-5.

Is it possible to make up something that would function as the Komodo?

I'm looking into this possibility, too although it is highly unlikely that I would actually make it up something.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ


[SeaSucker Komodo v.s. hitch (installed) racks]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. 2017/11/17(金) 12:30:50|
2. Bikes and related things
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Winter tires

It is getting colder (and rainier) here in Luxembourg.

Night time lows are around 0 (zero) to 4 Celsius these days. My MX-5 does not have winter tires on although it should have already.

Reasons: I don't have them (winter tire/wheel sets) with me for the moment. They are kept at the dealer where I bought the car.

If I had them by me, I would have changed the tires by myself. I am good at changing tires.

I have an appointment with the dealer's service on Friday, November 17. I will have the tires changed by the afternoon of that day. I don't know what kind of tires I had bought but my guess is I will have Bridgestone Blizzak tires. The wheel/tire sets of 4 cost me around €1,000 because the wheels were really expensive (genuine Mazda aluminium wheels).

We are not expecting snow fall anytime soon but when it does, I will be ready. I don't plan to drive a lot during winter but I will be forced to drive around to go to work sometimes.


I don't remember driving on icy roads during the last winter season. I don't think I will be driving on icy or snowy roads this winter, either.


Roadlink by www.wolftoothcomponents.com or Lindarets

I just bought one from an online store in Germany and they (items I bought including the Roadlink) will arrive sometime next week hopefully.

I have also bought a SRAM 12-36 (PG-1050) cassette so I will be installing this cassette on my ZIPP 404 after removing the SRAM 11-28 (or 12-28?). I am downloading those videos from YouTube showing the installation or reviews of this Roadlink with road rear derailleurs.



In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Mazda MX-5 and winter tires]の続きを読む

テーマ:愛車と日常 - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2017/11/16(木) 20:54:38|
2. Mazda MX-5
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Saris Solo mod
Sewing time! I am glad it is over.

I think the these stitchings will hold at least for a while. On the other hand the Mibenco Flüssiggummi paint won't hold for a long time. That's OK since the paint is there only for cosmetic reasons.

The difference between Saris hooks and Peruzzo hooks is:

Saris hooks are bent sheet metal pieces with thin rubbery coating over them while Peruzzo hooks are bent zinc plated sheet metal pieces with separate plastic covers.

Saris hooks are thinner and go into the gaps between the body and trunk lid / hatch while Peruzzo hooks are thicker and won't go in the gaps unless you open the lid or hatch (unless you own an old battered vehicle with a trunk lid or a hatch so askew that you can put the tip of your pinkie in one of those gaps).

Peruzzo's hooks feel more secure against sideway forces (when the vehicle is tacking corners) than those of Saris. This is very important because I had an accident where the Saris Solo slipped off as one of the upper hooks gave way to forces. This was not actually Saris Solo's fault in a way but only partly.

The explanation is complicated. I had to wrap the legs of it as they made scratches on the paint. This rug wrappings made the rack insecure (shaky) and one of the upper hooks gave way as a result.

Nothing would have happened if those upper hooks had been securely in place. Or nothing would have happened if those legs had been solidly seated without those rugs (and those upper hooks had stayed in place).

Anyway. What happened helped me improve the rack and I will not have it happen again.

Another Amazon shopping list
I have to buy 1. fine sand paper (#5000 or finer) to water sand the clear lacquer paint 2. the polishing agent and 3. the polishing buffs.

I need these in addition to the clear lacquer spray and masking tapes that I had already acquired from a local store to clear up the mess left by the Saris Solo fiasco.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Saris Solo mod and another Amazon shopping list]の続きを読む

テーマ:愛車と日常 - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2017/11/05(日) 17:36:34|
2. Bike Races
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Amazon (Germany) stuff! Again!

Mibenco Liquid Film (or Flüssiggummi Flüssig = liquid or flowing and gummi = rubber: I know these words from my days living in Germany) arrived. In the U.S.A. similar stuff is sold as Plasti Dip.

I chose this particular brand product because it was cheaper than others on Amazon (Germany).

I wanted to paint these with this paint before continuing to modify my Saris Bones Solo.

They are Zinc plated and shiny in sliver. They won't look good on the jet black paint of my Mazda MX-5.

I also wanted try the paint before deciding whether it might be useful for covering the boot lid with it for protecting it from being scratched.

Now my room smells of the paint as these parts are being painted. Let's see how it dries and sticks on the zinc plated metal.

Delta Cycle Wheel Hitch
It is relatively a cheap device that will hold a front wheel. A similar device from SeaSucker will be much better designed one but with a cost.




(Both of the images are taken from the Internet and they are part of the SeaSucker product images)
These ones from SeaSucker have prolonged and bent hooks so that a wheel (or its contact points - both ends of the hub) won't easily fall off the holder in case of a loose skewer mishap.

According to the guy who took this picture with his Miata and SeaSucker bike rack, he will not recommend anybody to do this. He think he can drive for a short distance with a lower speed but he would not dare more.

(This image I found a long time ago more than 6 months ago on the Internet)

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Mibenco Liquid Film (spray paint 400ml) and Delta Cycle Wheel Hitch]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. 2017/11/03(金) 01:42:24|
2. Bikes and related things
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Zombies? Appropriate for the occasion (Halloween)?

Wow! They were not dead. Limits (via Indiegogo) sent an update email to the campaign backers. The previous update was in the beginning of June (2017) so this was done after another 3 months of silence. It has become a tradition for them to remind us that they are not dead yet.

This update is totally out of place. It says that they were busy developing the second generation of the products. I don't think (or have they done?) that they have fulfilled the original pledge yet.

For the moment my Limits power meter is off my bike because the one of the caps fell off (it had been cracked due to the inferior quality of the material).

What do they mean by Generation II (or they put Gen II in the email)? Bluetooth support? Reinforced caps? What about our Gen I power meters? Ours have not been fully made yet. They (ours) are still waiting for the firmware updates that will enable the Bluetooth support and more accurate power output.


Roadlink™ by Lindarets or Wolf Tooth components

I would like to give it a try. I have SRAM RED Wifli rear derailleur (a second hand one) and I can install it to accommodate the 12-32 cassette that I have already purchased.

If I buy and install Roadlink™ with the SRAM Force (normal standard or short gauge) rear derailleur that has been on my bike for a while, I can even use a 12-36 (or 11-36) cassette that I have not yet purchased.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ

[LIMITS (power meter) and Roadlink]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. 2017/11/02(木) 01:49:32|
2. Bikes and related things
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