Tag: bicycling

New Handlebars for Mango

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/45 sec, ISO3200
 “UPANBIKE Handlebars” Cedar Park, 2021

I fitted my bike (Mango) with some new handlebars today. The UPANBIKE “Urban Road Bike Retro Handlebar Moustache Shape Extra Wide Dutch M Shape” (Wow, what a nice SEO name) handlebars were very easy to install with my shifters and brake levers sliding right on with no problem. I was worried that I might have to replace my cables with longer ones, but it turns out that the original length works fine.

I also put some SAPLIZE ergonomic grips on, and they are very comfy. These use collars to tighten them to the bars so it will be easy to remove them when I want to switch back to the butterfly bars.

I was only able to go for a short ride this afternoon with the new setup, but it felt great! I also love the look of these handlebars. They have a classic, simple, and attractive shape. And having a bike that you think looks nice makes you want to ride it even more.

In the photos, you can see the extension bar for adding accessories. I actually use it to keep my phone in position. But I think I’ll remove it to keep the handlebars looking a little cleaner. It would be a shame to ruin the sweet lines of the new bars, right? 😄 I can always keep my phone in the trunk bag to record the rides with Strava. Having the phone up front is nice when I need to look at the map like when I went on my gravel ride a few months ago, but it’s not necessary for riding around the neighborhood.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/45 sec, ISO3200
 “New Cockpit” Cedar Park, 2021

In other cycling news, I’ve made a few more videos lately. Please check out my YouTube channel when you have a chance, or you can watch my latest video below:

I hope you had a nice day!

Silent Bicycling Videos

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“Bicycle Video” Cedar Park, 2021

こんばんは。How’s it going?

So, since getting my GoPro, I’ve been making little annotated videos of my bicycling or riding my motorcycle. It’s really fun to do, but I’m sure it’s super-boring to watch. In fact, I don’t even watch them after I’ve uploaded them. But not only are they fun to make in Premiere Pro, but they force me to think a little bit more about what I did, and maybe I can self-reflect on things while I’m at it. I guess my blog also serves this purpose as well as just simply documenting my daily life.

So without further ado, here’s today’s video:

If more of these videos interest you, here’s a link to my YouTube channel, where you can find the “Silent Bicycling” videos, as well as my time-lapses, etc.

Lunch Break Bicycle Ride

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/1900 sec, ISO200
 “Afternoon Bicycle Ride” Cedar Park, 2021

The weather was awesome today, so I decided to go on a bicycle ride on my lunch break. It was so nice to get some sun! I felt full of energy when I got back to work, just like Wall•E after recharging. 😄

I recorded my bicycle ride if you’d like to come along virtually:

I hope you had a great day! またね～

Nearby Trail

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/8, 1/320 sec, ISO200
 “Short Trail” Cedar Park, 2020

I had fun today at lunch exploring a little trail that runs behind our house. We have what’s known as a “green belt” in our neighborhood, which is a bit of wooded area, and when the kids were little, we explored it a bit looking for a geocache. At that time, the trail didn’t extend very far back, but now it actually connects to the street on the other side of the neighborhood, although you have to kind of know where the entry/exit point is because it’s not marked or anything. It’s kind of a neat, hidden little part of the neighborhood.

I hope you had a nice day!

Packed Up

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/18 sec, ISO6400
 “Packed Up” Cedar Park, 2020

I’m planning on camping (solo) overnight soon at Pedernales Falls State Park, so I was putting all my gear into my backpack in preparation to hike into the primitive campsites. I also wanted to bring my bicycle along and explore the park by bike if time allows, and when researching the bike activities in the park, I learned that most of the trails are open to bicycles, and that the trail to the primitive campsite that I will be staying at is very bike-friendly, therefore I will try my hand at a bit of bikepacking.

One of the nice things about having some ultra-light camping gear for backpacking is that it is also great for bikepacking. If you aren’t familiar with that term, bikepacking is similar to bicycle touring, but more off-the-beaten-path.

With my current pannier setup, I can fit all my camping gear, food/water, camera, and clothes. As much as I dislike having anything on my back while riding, I will probably wear a small daypack which will come in handy if I want to hike at all, and also, I can pack it with my kindle, camera, and camp clothes which will be very light (just a beanie, sleep clothes, and extra socks & underwear), and not stuff the panniers too much.

I think this setup will be good, but I’ll let you know how it goes!

Easy Way to Carry a Bike – Swagman STANDARD Fork Mount Rooftop Bike Carrier

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/500 sec, ISO200
 “Bike Carrier” Cedar Park, 2020

Today, with the help of my two teenage sons, I installed a trailer hitch on the Subaru. And along with the hitch, I bought a hitch-mounted bicycle carrier. I love it!

The hitch is a CURT 13382 Class 3 Trailer Hitch, and it’s beefy, heavy, and tough. I was so happy to have my sons at home because, although it’s a relatively straightforward installation process, the weight of the hitch makes it awkward to lift both sides and thread the four nuts onto the bolts (all while lying on your back). I followed this helpful video and it made the process easy to understand. I love YouTube!

After the hitch was secure, I put the bicycle rack on, and adjusted the wheel supports so that Mango the Bike fits perfectly. The Swagman XC2 Hitch Mount Bike Rack is super-easy to use. It carries two bicycles securely, and you can even lock the bicycles if you have a padlock. Highly recommended rack!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/750 sec, ISO200
 “Bike Carrier” Cedar Park, 2020

Before I bought the hitch and bicycle carrier, I bought and tried out the Swagman STANDARD Fork Mount Rooftop Bike Carrier. It’s a lot more affordable, but lifting the bicycle to the roof was kind of a pain, and more importantly, I felt a lot of anxiety driving around with the bicycle up top, especially when I was driving around corners. And not being able to see if the bike was ok up there was not comforting.

With the hitch-mounted bicycle rack, I can see it in my rear-view mirror for that peace-of-mind, and the mechanism that secures the bicycle is very sturdy. I have no worries at all with that hitch-mounted bicycle rack. Definitely a good solution. (Thanks to my brother for recommending it!)

Birthday Gravel Bicycle Ride – Castell Texas North Loop

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“Birthday Ride” Castell, 2020

So, my birthday happened. :) I took the day off and decided to go for a long ride on the north loop near Castell. I rode the south loop a few days ago, so I wanted to compare the two, and I think I prefer the north loop, but both are great.

This time I took my camp chair and a sandwich and took a nice break at the halfway point. It was definitely a good idea, and something I would do again. I actually thought about bringing my camp stove and some ramen but the Texas weather is still quite warm, so I nixed the idea. Maybe when the weather turns colder. 😀

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/13, 1/100 sec, ISO400
 “Birthday Ride” Castell, 2020

By the way, this was my longest ride (of my adult life), and I felt great afterwards. I also enjoyed riding with the new Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires. The puncture-resistance gives me a bit of peace-of-mind which is welcomed. But even if they do get punctured, I have the tools to make repairs in the field. I’d rather not do that, of course. 😄

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/8, 1/280 sec, ISO200
 “Birthday Ride” Castell, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/13, 1/100 sec, ISO200
 “Birthday Ride” Castell, 2020

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/13, 1/350 sec, ISO200

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/13, 1/280 sec, ISO200
 “Birthday Ride” Castell, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/13, 1/280 sec, ISO200
 “Birthday Ride” Castell, 2020