Wheeels arrived! (Quite a surprise)They were shipped just a week ago or so but this morning they arrived at my doorstep. I was surprised to see them delivered so soon in a box. I was a bit anxious as the seller did not show any fixing bolts of any kind. I opened up the box and checked the contents. They did come with fixing hardware.
For the front wheel, a 74-mm skewer came. For the rear wheel, two fixing bolts came. I will show the images of them later here.
The cassette has not arrived yet. I tried a Shimano-compatible SRAM 10-speed cassette on the rear hub spline. I could put up to 7 cogs on it. It sure was a 7-speed Shimano spline compatible hub.
Oh, by the way, they look good! They are very handsome wheels.
I checked the wheels and found some discrepancy between the specfication description that the manufacturer supposedly supplied to the seller and the actual products I received. I was led to believe that the hole in the rim was for Schrader valve tubes.
Wrong! The actual hole diameter is 6.5 mm and this is clearly for Presta (French) valve tubes. The ad material shows two versions of wheels, "trade edition" (in lower case) and "Enhanced Edition" (in taller case). I have to guess the original ealier version of "tradition edition" had been made to Schrader specification but the current "Enhanced Edition" are made to Presta specification. I don't mind it as I have Presta tubes around.
Weight? Scaling the weight of my BromptonHow much do they weigh?
How light or how heavy is my Brompton? How much does it weigh?
It has been made slightly light as I have removed 1. original seatpost, 2. original soft comfort saddle and 3. broken bell body (the hammer was non-existent). I have added more mass probably by installing 4. the LitePro extendable wheels.
1. LitePro carbon seatpost might be 100 grams or more lighter?
2. Selle Italia's "165 g" SLR XP should have shaved off more than 200 grams?
3. 20 grams?
4. Probably less than 100 grams?
In the future, the handlebar will be replaced by LitePro's black aluminum one. Two wheels will be replaced by 7-speed capable black wheels. I am not sure if the current wheels are heavier or lighter. I want to substantiate the diet efforts so I will be measuring those components with a scale.
By modding the Brompton to make it have 7-speed cassette, I will be adding some weight inevitably. The shifters (2 and 7) are different but the latter should be a tad heavier. 7 cogs should be heavier than 2 cogs. The 7-speed deraileur could be as light as the current 2-speed shifter/chain tensioner.
I might remove the mudguards. I have to see how bad it will be without those mudguards when I ride on wet roads. This will save some weight but I don't expect those plasticky mudguards weigh more than 600 grams or so.
In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ
[IKEA shopping and AliExpress delivery]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
- 2024/01/31(水) 23:02:10|
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The shipping process has been completed!AliExpress shopping Part IV: Brompton 7-speed modification
1. LitePro JKLapin 7-speed cassette capable Wheelset
2. LitePro 7-speed cassette 11-28
3. L-Twoo 7-speed shifter / deraileur set
1. LitePro JKLapin 7-speed cassette capable Wheelset
According to the seller of the wheelset, these are specifications.
Hub model:JKlapin
Spoke: Belgian SAPIM straight pull spokes
Material: Aluminium alloy
Colour: black
Diameter: 360mm
Weight:
front wheel 565g
back wheel 676g
Hole : F20 holes / R24 holes
Hub: front 2 rear 4 Bearings, 6 claws
Rim height: 30mm
There's a logo and a pictogram of the brand on the hub body. This line art seems like a rabbit (or hare) as I know that the french word for rabbit (or hare) is "lapin". I don't know what JK stands for.
2. LitePro 7-speed cassette 11-28
Brand:Litepro
Material:Chromium-molybdenum steel
Speed:7speed
Teeth:11-28T(11-13-15-18-21-25-28)
Weight:7s 11-28T about 189g
I really wanted the other version 11-30 but the L-Twoo deraileur stipulates that it can only accept up to 28.
3. L-Twoo 7-speed shifter / deraileur set
I learned about this "L-Twoo" shifters and deraileurs on YouTube. Some people are having fun with these components on thier Bromptons. The reviews on these seem to be favorable in general. The price is also very agreeable.
According to the manufacturer, the chain has to be 11-speed specfication compatible.
In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ
[Brompton 7-speed modification]の続きを読む
- 2024/01/25(木) 00:49:12|
- Bikes and related things
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MAGA, Make America Great Again! 2024 Trump Champaign goodsI was following the Tour de France 2019 with my Hannah (only 3 months old) and was aware of the Presidential election going on. I was confident that President Trump would win. I put some messages on the road (in France of course).
Anyway, this year 2023 is also the year of election.
I grew aware that some campaigning goods were available on AliExpress. Typical items are like baseball caps, T-shirts and banners (flags). I am getting some of them soon and will wear them on occasions.
Brompton 12-speed stuff. Just a marketing buzz?Brompton released a piece of news that they would sell 12-speed Bromtons. 12? This was my first impression upon hearing (or reading the headline) the news.
I now know how it would materialize. They already started marketing 4-speed (external gear) Bromptons a while ago. Now they put the internal (Sturmy Archer) gear with this external cassette together. 4 x 3 = 12. Simple.
Am I interested in it? No! I am not interested in it at all. There are some reasons but I can list some of them.
1. Heavy (maybe?). It involves the hub filled with a lot of gears. It should be heavy.
2. Complicated (maybe?). It involves two shifters, one for the Sturmey Archer and the other for the external gears. So the shifting can not be linear.
I am expecting my 7-speed gears to arrive sometime in February. I will be putting everything together soon hopefully after that. The 11-28 cassette
will create about 250 % of shifting range, which is wider than Brompton 3-speed (Sturmy Archer's typical 177 %) but short of 300 % (Brompton 6-speed). I will put 34 / 50 chainrings on my Brompton. So the actual (I have to dirty my fingers to shift between 34 inner and 50 outer chainrings) shifting ranger will be 370 %.
I don't think I will take my Brompton in the Alps or the Pyrenees but it should be enough for touring around in Luxembourg.
I am charging the battery (of my Mazda MX-5) as of nowThis afternoon (Tuesday, January 23rd 2024) I woke up and thought I might just go shopping for some food and some food for my Hannah. I got into my Mazda MX-5 (ND) and pushed the engine start button. I got no go as the battery was too weak. I immeidately took 10 milimeter spanner out of the armrest compartment and began disconnecting the battery. I took it inside the room and connected to the charging device that I bought 2020 (I guess). It has been charging since around 14:00. It will be (hopefully) ready to be back under the hood by Tomorrow morning.
You know there were some cold days here in Luxembourg last week. The night time low was around minus 9 degrees Celsius. My MX-5 is constantly losing the charge for some reason. I have to be very careful not to let it inactive for a week or longer. I have to keep charing it by driving it.
Since I started commuting with my Brompton (bus, tram, train), I have not used my Mazda MX-5 as often as I used to.
In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ
[Road to the White House 2024]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
- 2024/01/23(火) 22:58:52|
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Saving more money by buying a Brompton or maybe notWhen I was looking for a Brompton to commute, I figured that I would get the money back by not using my Mazda MX-5 and using the public transportation in Luxembourg (which is free of charge, yes, they are free) within 6 months or so.
Since I got it (in mid December), I have been relying on the public transportation to commute. I am sure by now I have saved around (or more than) 250 Euro.
Yesterday, I spent around 250 Euro to buy Brompton parts to convert it into a 7-speed bike. Yes, I bought a pair of wheels (Aluminum rim annodized in black) that accepts a 7-speed cassette, 7-speed cassette (11-28) and L-Twoo 7-speed shifter and rear deraileur set.
All I need to convert my 2-speed Brompton into a 7-speed Brompton is a shifter cable and Shimano 10 (11 or 12) speed chain in addition to time and efforts on my part.
In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ
[I could save some money... so I thought]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
- 2024/01/21(日) 23:26:19|
- Bikes and related things
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My Brompton's grips were glued to the handlebarI learned it just hours ago. It was not easy to remove them.
The grips were shaped like a cup (one open end and the other end closed). I had to cut open the closed end to remove the glue by sticking a thin plastic object under the grips to peel off the glue.
In the end, I could remove the grips. After that it was easy to change the positions of the things on the handlebar. Now the 2-speed shifter is on the right side of the bar. The shifter is now behind the bar. It was in front of the bar when it was installed on the left side.
Flanders Classics will soon manages Amstel Gold Racewww.flandersclassics.be is a good source of information. This management organization oversees a lot of bicyle races (mainly) in Belgium. I learned that it will soon manage another very popular road race, Amstel Gold Race held in the Netherlandes.
In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ
[The grips have been removed and reinstalled]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
- 2024/01/18(木) 22:57:33|
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AliExpress shopping Part III1. Brompton's seatpost end plug
2. Brompton's rear suspension
3. Bike rear safety light
4. Bike maintenance tool: Chain cutter
5. Bike parts: Chainlink (and installation tool) for 7, 8, 9-speed chains
6. Bike pedals: One side detachable
7. Bike parts: Handlebar grips
1. Brompton's seatpost end plug
MY Brompton (acquired in December 2023 as a used bike) seems to have lost it by the time I got it. It (this rubber or plastic plug) plugs the seatpost's hole where it touches the ground when folded preventing the end to rub against the ground. It is now more important to have it as I switched to a carbon seatpost.
2. Brompton's rear suspension
The genuine part suspension is a just rubber block and it works, in addition to being robust (I believe). I bought this piece because it looks cooler. That is it!
3. Bike rear safety light
Mine has a red reflector on it but I want a bit more safety by emitting light. It can be put on the saddle rail or on the seatpost. It has a USB-C charging port.
4. Bike maintenance tool: Chain cutter
A while ago I tried a 38-cog chainring and realized (as expected) it was too small. I now have 52-cog chainring on it. I might switch to 50 or even smaller (46) in the future. That's when I need this sucker along with the next item.
5. Bike parts: Chainlink (and installation tool) for 7, 8, 9-speed chains
When I have smaller chainring on my Brompton, I have to cut out some links of chain to keep the chain tensioner to work properly. That's when I
need these small parts.
6. Bike pedals: One side detachable
I found the genuine Brompton pedals too big and cumbersome. I chose these because they look somewhat similar to my favorite pedals, namely SpeedPlay Zero.
7. Bike parts: Handlebar grips
My Brompton has a 2-speed shifter on the left side of the bar. I would like to put it on the right side. This shifter when installed on the left side inevitably positioned on the bar making it too visible. If I put it on the right side of the bar, I can make it sink under the handlebar making it less visible.
This maintenance involves taking all the parts on the bar off and then puting everything back including the grips which stick on the bar and very much reluctant to budge. I might successfully remove them and be able to reinstall them or fail miserably. Should I fail, I would need replacement parts.
These are the ones that I ordered. Now I want some more items.
Soylant Green (1973) or Entomophagy?"Soylent Green is a 1973 American ecological dystopian thriller film directed by Richard Fleischer, and starring Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, and Edward G. ..."
Plot
"By 2022, the cumulative effects of overpopulation, global warming, and pollution have caused ecocide, leading to severe worldwide shortages of food, water, and housing, bringing human civilization to the brink of collapse. New York City has a population of 40 million (out of a global 20 billion), and ..."
I can find a lot about the moive on
Wikipedia. I watched this movie aired on TV in Japan a long long time ago probably during the 1980's.
I remember watching this movie but not every single detail. I remember the last scene where the guy played by Charlton Heston finds what "Soylent Green" is and shouts out the curse.
In hindsight, the idea of depletion of food resources and overpopulation leading to a global crisis was even then (to me in the 1980's) well perceived. I did not think that I would see this situation in my life time back then.
Why Soylent Green now? Why has it suddenly occurred to me that I should look it up on Wikipedia now?
And when I did, I was surprised that the setting of this futuristic science fiction movie was 2022 (The original book's time setting is 1999 accoding to Wikipedia). It is now!
Let's see if the future predicted by the world depicted in "Make Room! Make Room! (1966)" by Harry Harrison (the author of the book on which the movie screenplay was based) has bearing on the real 2024.
I was very shocked to learn that the movie's setting was 2022 (now!). The reason why I thought about this movie was that the recent trends of "Insects as food" or "Edible insects" is getting more polular and seems to gain solid ground.
Growing insects is factory work but not field work like agriculture or fishing. You can have overall control of the production not affected by climate or human working conditions. In other words, it is done behind the shut door. Is growing insects the modern day Soylent Green scheme?
Once the proper method is established, all those insects can be manufactured (raised) in factories behind the shut doors without the consumers' knowledge. They (products) can contain some chemicals to reduce human appetite or other appetites to control the public with ease.
Wait! What do we feed those insects? What do those insects eat to grow? If they start feeding human bodies to them, this could be real "Soylent Green" scenario.
In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ
[Brompton and AliExpress shopping]の続きを読む
テーマ:自動車の整備&修理 - ジャンル:車・バイク
- 2024/01/17(水) 21:50:12|
- Bikes and related things
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Tour de France 2024Many anomalies found in it. It happens that the Olympic games and the subsequent Paralympic games take place in Paris, France around the time the Tour de France concludes. This is why they (organizer and those concerned) decided to have the final stage not on the Champs Elysees in Paris.
To add more twist to it (the fact it does not end in Paris), the final stage between Monaco and Nice is not a parade run but a dead serious individual time trial. I am not saying that the usual Champs Elysees stage is mere a show but the general classification won't change on this day. No riders will ride out of the peloton until they arrive at the final circuit course around the Champs Elysees.
I became a cycling sport fan in 2003 and did not know the Tour de France until then. I did not know what Fignon vs LeMond business in 1989 was about until probably 2005 or so.
In that year these two riders were battling against each other up until they reached the final stage held in Paris. The final stage happened to be an individual time trial stage. Greg LeMond (U.S.A.) used an aerodynamic handlebar that was popular among triathletes and gained enough time to take the overall win. Laurant Fignon (France) was so upset and distraught by the loss on the Champs Elysees. This dramatic duel between them seems to be one of the best Tour de France in history.
It must have been brutal for Laurant Fignon to lose the Tour just by a couple of seconds after more than three weeks of stages on his own soil in front of his own people against an American. I can easily imagine.
I have been to Monaco and Nice when the Tour started in Corsica, France in 2013. I booked ferry rides between Nice and Corsica. I arrived several hours earlier than the departure time and visited Monaco. I have never been to Col d'Èze but known its name for years.
According to the official site's information, the peloton passes through San Marino, an obscure small independent country found in Italy. I don't know if I can find time to visit this country but I will see.
It passes the highest asphalted mountain pass in France (col de la Bonette) this year. I have been there. I know the place. It is located in the middle of Natural Park of sorts and is not a optimal place to watch the race. It is protected area so it was not allowed to pee. I heard (back in 2008 when I was there) that a man was fined by doing so.
When the Publicity Caravan came, they were not distributing any petits cadeaux (small gifts) nor were they making any noise (no music). They were like a dismal funeral progression because of the restrictions.
For me personally, it meant no painting on the road. That sucked. Because of the high altitude where were camping out, the small pools on the ground were all frozen in the morning. It was brutally cold at night.
I doubt that I am going to be there this year even if I could.
Hilly: Sat. 29 June Stage 01 Florence - Rimini (Italy)
Hilly: Sun. 30 June Stage 02 Cesenatico - Bologne (Italy)
Flat: Mon. 01 July Stage 03 Paisance - Turin (Italy)
Mountain: Tue. 02 July Stage 04 Pinerole - Valloire
Flat: Wed. 03 July Stage 05 Saint-Jean-de-Marienne - Saint-Vulbas
Flat: Thu. 04 July Stage 06 Mâcon - Dijon
ITT: Fri. 05 July Stage 07 Nuits-Saint-Georges - Gevrey-Chamberin
Flat: Sat. 06 July Stage 08 Semur-en-Auxois - Colombey-les-deux-Èlises
Hilly: Sun. 07 July Stage 09 Troyes - Troyes
Rest Day 08 July Orlèans
Flat: Tue. 09 July Stage 10 Orlèans - Saint-Amand-Montrond
Mountain: Wed. 10 July Stage 11 Èvaux-les-Bains - Le Lioran
Flat: Thu. 11 July Stage 12 Aurillac - Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Flat: Fri. 12 July Stage 13 Agen - Pau
Mountain: Sat. 13 July Stage 14 Pau - Staint-Lary-Soulan Pla d'Adet
Mountain: Sun. 14 July Stage 15 Loudenvielle - Plateau de Beille
Rest Day 15 July Gruissan
Flat: Tue. 16 July Stage 16 Gruissan - Nimes
Moutain: Wed. 17 July Stage 17 Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Superdèvoluy
Hilly: Thu. 18 July Stage 18 Gap - Barcelonnette
Mountain: Fri. 19 July Stage 19 Embrun Isola 2000
Mountain: Sat. 20 July Stage 20 Nice - Col de la Cuillole
ITT: Sun. 21 July Stage 21 Monaco - Nice
Tour de France 2024 Female edition Stage 1 08/12 124 km Rotterdam > La Haye
Stage 2 08/13 67 km Dordrecht > Rotterdam
Stage 3 08/13 6.3 km Rotterdam > Rotterdam
Stage 4 08/14 122 km Valkenburg > Liège
Stage 5 08/15 150 km Bastogne > Amnéville
Stage 6 08/16 160 km Remiremont > Morteau
Stage 7 08/17 167 km Champagnole > Le Grand-Bornand
Stage 8 08/18 150 km Le Grand-Bornand > Alpe d'Huez
In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ
[Tour de France 2024]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
- 2024/01/09(火) 21:56:12|
- Tour de France
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