欧州自転車レース追っかけ日記

Nice Souvenirs from Zurich, Switzerland 2024
On Sunday, I got two Food Bags (Sacoche). Two rider almost at the same time gently place them at my feet. How nice of them!

One belonged to the Spanish team and the other to the Team Britanica. The latter included three unopened energy bars (of kinds), which soon consumed by me. Thank you very much for the lunch!

The Spanish sacoche had a hand-written name on it, Alex. I looked it up on the PDF start list and soon learned that it belonged to Alex Aranburu. Nice! If I encounter him the next time I will ask him to put autograph on it.

The other one was bit puzzling with no names but I had help. I took photos on my Google Pixel 7 and I had a good shot with a British rider about to throw away his sacoche. At least I had the suspects face (with sunglasses) and bike head tube logo clearly in the photo. The logo turned out to be Scott's.

I also had a Spanish rider with seemingly riding Canyon bike (also judging from its head tube logo) with one hand extending with something (must be the bag) with a small face with some package of food in his mouth (but it was too small to recognize his face) in the same shot.

I came home and did some Googling and checked all the background of the British riders. All I had to know was their team and the team issue bike brands. I soon found that Oscar Edgar Onley was a Scottish rider riding for Team DSM–Firmenich PostNL and the bike supplier was Scott. On top of it, the face I saw on the Internet was exactly like the one in my picture. Got to be him.

I will also try to get it autographed by him.


In Japanese:続きをどうぞ [Zurich 2024 and the souvenirs!]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. 2024/09/30(月) 23:23:02|
2. Bike Races in Switzerland
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I am not a good packer

I am leaving for Switzerland in about 6 or 7 hours but have not packed yet. I am lazy. It won't be too difficult to pack for a 2-day car trip but I am too lazy to pack.

It is not raining in Zurich now (Friday evening) but will rain later in the evening throughout Saturday. Tomorrow it will be much colder than it is Today.

I will be bringing warmer clothes and the poncho, windbreaker, umbrellas and others for me and Hannah.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Here I come, Zurich, Switzerland]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. 2024/09/27(金) 18:06:32|
2. Bike Races in Switzerland
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Zurich, Switzerland car trip
I am leaving for Zurich today, sometime past midnight or so. I am crossing the French-Swiss border around 04:00 in the morning, I think.

My main objective is watching the Women Elite and Men Elite road race on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. I'll be watching the race on a ascending road past the finish on the circuit course around Zurich.

Women's race starts in the afternoon but there are Men's and Women's para-cycling races in the morning. They (three para-cycling races) seem to climb the bigger circuit course once and then they use the short and flat circuit near the lake.

I am driving my Mazda MX-5 with my beloved Hannah, the cat. I found out that I had Saturday off (not working) a bit before noon of Friday (I am writing this Friday afternoon). I hurriedly looked for a place to stay near Zurich using Airbnb.

I found one and requested for a stay. The host (who seems to be staying home, I don't know if the host person is retired or working home?) responded a few minutes later and welcomed me (and my Hannah).

Now that the place to stay in Zurich was secured, I started preparing for the early departure (I was going to leave early Sunday morning to watch only Men's road race). I have already purchased the E-Vignette. I have now collecting some more information on the races.

The official site (https://zurich2024.com/) seem to post the time tables and then the start lists as the races near. For this moment, all time tables are available for download but not all the start lists. I have to download the start lists on Saturday or Sunday.

The weather in Zurich seems to be harsh (raining and cold) on Saturday and turns for the better on Sunday but still chilly. I have to bring something extra (poncho, umbrella and so on) for the rain.

The Airbnb host I booked is 44 km away from the center of Zurich by mostly highway. It won't be much of drive.

In Japanese:続きをどうぞ [Zurich 2024, here I come!]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. 2024/09/27(金) 13:43:40|
2. Bike Races in Switzerland
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Who is going to be the next Prime Minister of Japan?
Do you know how the Prime Minister of Japan (the chief of government, who can order Japan's Defense Army to "go") is elected? It is much like the process in the UK.

The Parliament system is much like those of the UK and the UsA. Japan does not have the President but the Prime Minister. How does the Prime Minister get elected?

There are many (not like the USA, where two dominant parties rule the House and Senate), so many political parties have seats there. Even outright Communist Party does exist in Japan (where in many Western European countries communist parties are forbidden).

Whoever (whichever political party or coalition parties) has the majority in the Parliament can choose the Prime Minister when they vote. It is almost automatic. In other words, we, the people, do not choose our Prime Minister directly but only remotely indirectly. The one who is the leader of the leading party will be the next one.

So Japan's leading political party is "Liberal Democratic Party". (I don't know the exact English name of it)

It's leader is voted by its member and the ones who have seats in the Parliament. Their vote is not equal. Its member's one vote weighs less than that of an elected plitician's.

Now the leading candidates are to be one of these three: Ishiba Shigeru, Koizumi Shinjiro and Takaichi Sanae.

I am a supporter of the last candidate. It will be decided on Friday, 28 September (in Japan's time). When she makes it, she is going to be the first female Prime Minister.

We will see.


In Japanese:続きをどうぞ [Prime Minister of Japan]の続きを読む

テーマ:日記 - ジャンル:日記

1. 2024/09/26(木) 16:25:02|
2. Diary
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Repairing the JetBoil SUMO's policarbonate cup
I bought this JetBoil SUMO this year (2024). I wanted this for some time. I used a Trangia cooking set for many years for my camping tours and it never let me down. I still like it.

For the first several years (since around 2008?) I used the alcohol burner and was happy with it. I wanted to get the gas burner for its ease of flame control. It (the genuine gas burner) was a bit expensive and so I did not buy it. I found cheap compatible burner made in China later and bought two of them. It worked fine, actually OK for several years before the first one broke. I then started using the second one but it did not work too well.

How did it not work well? It did not burn smoothly when the burner head once got hot (seemingly). Why did I like the Trangia? Because the pans are big enough to cook some pasta (like spaghetti or penne) or cook rice. One has to start cooking them with a lot of water inside the pan.

I like my JetBoil Flash (or simply the first generation of JetBoil, I belive it was not called Flash at it debut) but it is not really big enough.

So naturally I had my eyes on its bigger brother (or sister?) SUMO for years. I finally found an inexpensive used set on eBay this year after years of seeking.

It worked very well. The burner has evolved and works way better (stably) when (it is) simmering.

During the last Tour de France camping tour, the cup developed a crack. The crack was around 4 to 5 centimeters wide. After returing home, I fixed it with a plastic repair kit (acrylic power/solution kit). I thought it was fixed. It was not really. The crack reappeared.

I quickly researched on the Internet if acrylic power/solution was a valid solution. It turned out that it seemed not so.

I think the policarbonate is way flexier than acrylic material so when the cup bends, the acrilic material can not catch up. The acrlic material does stick very well to policarbonate surface but can not bend or warp together.

It seems that I need epoxy glue to fix it if I want to fix it.

I found a replacement cup on eBay from the US. It costs after paying the shipping fees and all but it can be cheaper than paying for the glue and a small grinding tool (as I have to get rid of the acrlic material accumulation along the crack which I had applied earlier). What should I do?


OMG! My USB wired keyboard has been destroyed!
I was using a USB wired mini Keyboard (US layout) for my Mac Pro Late2013. It broke. I came home to find it was in a small pool of coffee. I wiped the liquid quickly but obiviously it had been like that for hours. It did not respond at all.

I left a mug beside the keyboard. It was not full but slightly contained leftover coffee. Obviously Hannah toppled it and what happened happened. It was my fault and she (my beloved Hannnah) was not to be blamed at all.

Luckily I also had a Bluetooth keyboard around, which saved my day. I am writing this with this keyboard now.

I have to buy another USB wired keyboard soon. I need it. A wired keyboard works better than a non-wired Bluetooth one when one needs to interrupt the booting process (of a Mac or others) to boot from other sources than the usual (internal SSD or so).

For example, holding down the Option key (or alt key) while the computer is booting on a Mac makes it possible to interrupt the usual booting process and select the medium (USB connected disks, flash memeries or others). On typical PCs, holding down the ESC key or one of the function keys make it possible to enter the BIOS menu.

One can obtain the same result with a Bluetooth keyboard with some luck but if the computer is not capable of handling Bluetooth function at all, no chance at all.

That's why a wired keyboard is a must.


The USB wired Keyboard came back from the grave

This cheapo USB wired keyboard was spattered with coffee from the mug that I left near it on the desk. My Hannah tripped it over. It was my fault and not hers.

I actually thought it might come back when the soaked coffee was once dry. It did after 4 or 5 days. I tried it to see if it was back almost everyday since the accident.

I ordered the same keyboard from Amazon along with other small items. I hit the order button just 10 minutes before I realized the keyboard was OK again.

Had I realized that this once dead keyboard rose, did I buy the new keyboard?

It's OK. It was just around 15 Euros. The keyboard might go down if the residue of coffee corrupts some circuits inside the keyboard.

It is better to have a spare keyboard.

Streamlight JR™ and other flashlights
I am waiting for the arrival of this new face, JR™. I think it is being in transition to Europe, most likely to Amsterdam, the Netherlands?. It will be here by me in a week.

I am crossing my fingers that it is complete (meaning that it has all the internal parts) and works. If not, I have to seek for needed parts and source it (or them) mostly from the United States of America with some hefty shipping charges.

It would be nice to find a way to inplant a LED bulb into it. So far I haven't found any solid methods described or actual pictures of successful conversions of the first generation JR™.

Is it possible to bend some pins and grind some edges of some LED parts meant for Mini Maglites and stuff it into the JR™.

In Japanese:続きをどうぞ [JetBoil SUMO and a USB wired keyboard from hell]の続きを読む

テーマ:日記 - ジャンル:日記

1. 2024/09/24(火) 20:09:45|
2. Camping in Europe
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Tour de Luxmbourg (Skoda Tour de Luxembourg) 2024
September 18th (Wednesday) to September 22nd (Sunday)

I am now enjoying this stage race in Luxembourg.

Streamlight JR (Junior) (perhaps) the First Generation Incandescent
I recently bought (an eBay auction) a flashlight claiming to be the Streamlight JR™. It will arrive in around 2 weeks, I guess.

According to the brief search study on the Net, the Streamlight JR™ seems to have started back in the late 1990's or very early 2000's. I found a YouTube video (uploaded 15 years ago = 2009 or so) introducing the LED version of the JR.

I paid only 3.5 US dollars for it. Of course I had to pay for the shipping and the import tax (or VAT) in addition. In total I paid roughly 27 US dollars.

The listed item was not guaranteed to work. The seller had not tested it. The seller wrote that the bulb was missing. I was interested in it and decided to bid. I won.

It seems that it was the original (first) version of JR series. Someone (Reddit user) described it as a "rare" item in a way. In other words, this version was not popular and short-lived before being replaced by the second generation (still an incandescent version). Obviously the LED version introduced around 2009 came out after these 2 models.

One of the photos that the eBay seller uploaded seemed to show fragments of etched letters. I thought there was Norris(town - town part is not visible at all) written on the body. Streamlight started etching "Eagleville, PA" after moving there in 2001. This was the reason I assumed that the first generation must have started back in late 1990's or very early 2000's. I will see the actual etched letters to see if I was right.

I am not sure if it works at all. I am not sure it is complete.

The past summer during my 2-week trip to France. I used my old (from early 2000's) Streamlight Clipmate (black body and green LED) at night. It broke. Some small plastic parts (of the twist switch) broke off. I liked its gentle green LED light.

If it works, I will use it in the tent at night.

(image 1)


(image 2)


(image 3)


(image 4)


(image 5)


(image 6)


(image 7)


(image 8)

Images 1 to 4 are clipped images from the eBay seller's listing.
(image 1: Etched letters seem to be (STREAMLI)GHT JR™ and Norris(town, PA))
(image 2: The reflector and the empty hole. Where's the bulb?)
(image 3: The bottom cap/switch. Is the threaded plastic broken? Is the spare bulb there?)
(image 4: Is the + terminal/bulb holder showing?)

Images 5 to 7 are taken from the various images on the Net.
(image 5: This seems to be the same model)
(image 6: This one is also an incandescent model. Is this the second generation?)
(image 7: This one is the LED model. Is this the third generation?)
(image 8: Expended view of the guts. Are these parts present?)

In Japanese:続きをどうぞ
[Streamlight JR™ First Generation?]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. 2024/09/18(水) 20:24:24|
2. Bike Races in Luxembourg
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1. Barend Rear View Mirrors
2. Pet Carrier Backpack
3. Mazda Connect Upgrade Unit
4. Screw Bit Kit
5. Brompton Suspension Spring
6. Arm Rest

1. Bar End Rear View Mirrors
For my Brompton (or Birdy), I got these (set of two) barend rear view mirrors. The reason for the purchase is almost self-explanatory, I hope.



2. Pet Carrier Backpack
I can take Hannah the cat in the front basket on my Brompton. I can not put the basket on my road bike (Cervélo). So I might need this in the future. I hope this one is comfortable for her and for me, too. I will see.


3. Mazda Connect Upgrade Unit
The biggest problem with my Mazda MX-5 (besides the fact its luggage capacity is too measely) is the USB ports (there are two of them) built in on the Mazda Connect unit. They provide (I remember) only up to 0.5 Ampere (or so) of 12 DC current. They are too weak to charge any latest smartphones.

In fact it was almost laughable and at the same time deplorable to see my Pixel 7 losing its charge while connected to one of them for a couple of hours while the phone was on. I shut it down and plugged to it for a couple of hours and it gained almost ignorable amount of charge.

I wanted to upgrade the unit (not the screen unit but the lower module unit) for some time. I found compatible thrid party upgrade units sold on Amazon (Germany) or on AliExpress. I was inclined to buy one but hesitated because of the price (not too expensive but ...).

This past summer I took my MX-5 and my beloved Hannah on a journey for 2 weeks following the stages of the Tour de France. Charging the smartphone was one of the important chores that I had to face every day. I took a power generator (not an engine generator but battery to AC/DC generator) with me and it helped me recharge my Pixel 7.

I realized that I needed this upgrade. So I was shopping for it after the Tour. I found that this upgrade units had evolved since I first found them. Now they had one USB (called A?) port and one USB C port. I ordered the latest updated upgrade unit bundled with necessary tools. I hope the installation is easy.

Using this upgrade to its full functionality (CarPlay or Android Auto) seems to require updating the firmware on the Mazda Connect side. It costs. I have not decided if I will do that.


4. Screw Bit Kit
They are helpful on occasions.


5. Brompton Suspension Spring
I had a suspension spring upgrade but it broke after a couple of months. I reinstalled the original genuine suspension spring (rubber block) back. It works fine but I am too curious and want to try this one.


6. Arm Rest
For my MX-5 I bought this. I hope it fits. This will be Hannah's seat.


In Japanese:続きをどうぞ [Shopping till I drop?]の続きを読む

テーマ:日記 - ジャンル:日記

1. 2024/09/08(日) 14:57:15|
2. Diary
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Streamlight Ultra Stinger Made in Eagleville, Pennsylvania USA
Prime numbers are normally positive natural numbers that can be divided by only either 1 (one) or itself without generating any fractions except 1 (one) itself like 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17 and so on. Other integers are composite numbers that can be expressed as multiplied numbers with two or more prime numbers.

Pretty basic, right?
2 is the only prime that is even. Otherwise only odd numbers can be prime numbers.

For example, these are prime numbers.
101 = 1 x 101
103 = 1 x 103
113 = 1 x 113

Where as, these are composite numbers.
111 = 3 x 37
121 = 11 x 11
123 = 3 x 41
1,111 = 11 x 101
111,111 = 3 x 7 x 11 x 13 x 37

composite number = prime number x prime number x ..

There are many kinds of prime numbers like twin prime numbers (separated by two like 3 and 5 or 11 and 13). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Classes_of_prime_numbers)

There are Mersenne prime numbers (those that can be expressed as 2&supn; - 1). Some of the resulting numbers are prime numbers.

For example,
2² - 1 = 4 - 1 = 3 (Mersenne prime)
2³ - 1 = 8 - 1 = 7 (Mersenne prime)
2 to the power of 4 - 1 = 16 - 1 = 15 (not prime)
2 to the power of 5 - 1 = 32 - 1 = 31 (Mersenne prime)
2 to the power of 6 - 1 = 64 - 1 = 63 (not prime)
2 to the power of 7 - 1 = 128 - 1 = 127 (Mersenne prime)

There is a list of various types of prime numbers there on this Wikipedia page. I found there was no entry of Grothendick prime numbers. I was a bit disappointment to me. Instead, I found it on a separate entry for number 57. There was a paragraph for the Grothendick prime number. By the way, 57 = 3 x 19. Then why is 57 called Grothendick prime number? There's a very funny story you will find behind it if you properly search it on the Internet.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/57_(number))

Anyway, there is a line mentioning "palindromic prime" there on the page above (like 11, 101 and so on). That is what I am talking about here in this entry.

My prized (not in terms of its value but my sentimental attachment to it) Streamlight Ultra Stinger that I obtained from (I believe) Texas, USA sold on eBay. I got it because it was not too expensive and its serial number (#93139) was clearly visible on the seller's description.

It is battered (left the factory between 2001 to 2015? when they introduced new LED Ultra Stingers) but not so badly. Streamlight relocated its factory (or headquarter office) to Eagleville after 2001.

Its (supposedly) poly-carbonate lens has more damages than other parts of the body. Extreme heat from the filament bulb caused the deformation (a very small protrusion in the very center that the focused light could have melted the material) and years of use left those scars.

I once researched if it was possible to replace the lens by myself easily. There were replacement lens sold but it seemed this required a special tool.

I like this Ultra Stinger and thought about getting an upgrade for it, namely a Lumens Factory emitter upgrade. Should I get it? I would really love to get that lens replaced if I was going to get that emitter upgrade. I also know that this lens replacement would cost me more time and more money.

There are some close encounter with two twin prime number serial Stingers. I found two alone twin prime Stingers sold as a lot. I did not get them. Way out of my reach. Not even thought of betting.
(http://teamcsc.blog93.fc2.com/blog-entry-2965.html)

I would love to get a complete set of twins one day. Maybe? I don't think I will be lucky enough to get twins.

In Japanese:続きをどうぞ [I love prime numbers]の続きを読む

テーマ:日記 - ジャンル:日記

1. 2024/09/06(金) 23:47:47|
2. Miscellaneous stuff
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Oddly calm situation of the video distorsion
A while back I wrote about the video distortion that appeared suddenly while using the Mac Pro Late2013. It happened many times in about two weeks. I thought that my Mac Pro was going down.

What happened since than? Or what has happened to my Mac Pro sicen then?

Nothing. Since then I have not seen a single case of video distortion. Why? Why has it gone away (just for a while)? Is it the clam before the storm? Am I going to have a big fatal catastrophic apocalyptic crash of the D500 graphics card soon?

I am enjoying the use of it. Do you remember "The Style Council"? And their "My Ever Changing Moods"? Check out the lyrics if you can! I loved it. I just wish this calm span does not invite any storm.


Apocalypse Now!
My shopping cart and wish list of *liExpress are growing and growing. When was the last time I ordered someting from them?

I noticed something. They (sellers of *liExpress) are discouting their goods, the merchandises lately. Does it (this trend) have anything to do with the stably crushing bursting economic bubble in *hina? They are struggleing to sell their merchandise domestically to those who are also struck by this bursting bubble, which are nearly impossible. So naturally they are hoping to sell internationally, which is the only possibility and their last resort. In other words, they are desperate.

If I hunt for good deals, does it mean that I am taking advantages of them, those poor sellers? I wonder. Their government, or simply put, the ruling party is not doing their supposed job, namely governing the country but rather is extorting the people to fatten their (party members) own wallet.

I think, however, this extortion scheme is just a small ant hill. Who are behind the economic boom of *hina in the last 30 or 40 years? Who benefited from it? Any economic activities need money. Who lent money? Who invested money there?

There are people or group of people (in the shapes of organizations, companies, institutions, etc.) who are benefiting behind this extortion scheme.

I am not benefiting from buying those cheap items from *hina. I am destroying the opportunities of other manufacturers who once did, could have done or should have done the same manufacturing because I am not buying from them (who duely had the chances but were deprived of it by the forces behind this big extortion scheme).

In Japanese:続きをどうぞ [Calm before the Storm]の続きを読む

テーマ:Mac - ジャンル:コンピュータ

1. 2024/09/03(火) 16:59:03|
2. MacBooks and Macs
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