daily slice-of-life photo blog of a Gen-X dad
When I look back to the few years I spent in Japan with Mariko, it was like a laid-back slice-of-life dorama. Such a nice time! And now we are thinking of spending more time in Japan (perhaps splitting the year moving between the US and Japan) and I am excited about what that dorama might look like. I can’t wait!
Today I went with Sophie, my 1972 Peugeot UJ-10 bicycle, for a ride on the local hike & bike trail. I mentioned previously that the bluebonnets were on their way out for the year, but to my surprise, they were blooming like crazy! So I guess we have a couple more weeks to enjoy them. :)
Ever since I got Piplup, my 2022 Brompton C Line bicycle, I haven’t shown Sophie or Rossa much love. But today reminded me how much fun the vintage French road bike is. What I like about it is the speed and quietness of it. The 27-inch Panaracer tires, at 95 psi, roll so smoothly and the quick acceleration is noticeable. Also, the freewheel emits a very subtle and precise clicking sound which is super elegant. Many of today’s mountain and gravel bikes that I see on the trail are super loud (and annoying in my opinion). I remember reading that two signs of inefficiency are heat and noise. Not sure if that is the case with modern bicycle cassettes, but I prefer the quiet rather than the loud buzzing.
Speaking of loudness, I have a Crane Suzu (bell) on Sophie. I had forgotten how loud and crisp it sounds! I guess I got used to the Brompton’s tiny (in size and sound) bell. The Crane Suzu is so loud that it can be a bit alarming to hear, so I make sure to ring way before I actually pass people. I like Crane a lot. The company is from Osaka (my wife’s hometown) so I feel some affinity towards them. I’m thinking about replacing the little Brompton bell with a small bell from Crane – another fun and beautiful upgrade to consider!
I hope you had a nice day!
A friend’s daughter’s cat, Sushi, and one of our cats, Yuzu.
A new park just opened in our town, and it has a large lake at its center. I went with Piplup to check out the fishing, and although we didn’t catch anything, we had a very nice ride. And as a bonus, I got a tip about a good fishing spot from another fisherman. Score!
There are a couple of really nice patches of bluebonnets in the neighborhood. Here’s one that I spotted on this evening’s run. The bluebonnet season is almost finished here in Central Texas… it seems to have come so quickly that there’s not too much time to enjoy it.
