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Today July 2019

@luka

I read this article today about the new Evo. I do prefer the black one in the review. The metallic yellow is alright too. Interesting point they make about the UCI regs leading to a convergence in design amongst all the brands.
 
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This rain is killing me one weekend at a time!
Just cleaned my bike yesterday after a long time. This isn't the best season to do so but I barely had anything left on the brake pads and the chain had 5000 km on it. :ashamed:

Question: Do the quality of brake pads (Shimano) vary? I see some labelled as 'Tiagra' while others labelled as 'Dura-Ace'?
 
Question: Do the quality of brake pads (Shimano) vary? I see some labelled as 'Tiagra' while others labelled as 'Dura-Ace'?

The Dura Ace ones use a cartridge system where you only replace the pad itself but keep the metal part while the Tiagra ones have the two parts combined (at least that's how it used to be). That's the major difference.

With the cartridge type brake shoe holders you can also use third party pads such as SwissStop Green or the Kool Stop Salmon which work better in the rain than the Shimano parts.
 
Got in a short ride before the rain. Kyushu got hit pretty hard yesterday.
 
Yeah, I've got the day off tomorrow so I'm looking to get a ride in too. Almost two weeks off the bike for me😩


You ever get the "riders high" after a long ride. I mean like the air is fresh and and you look up to the blue sky and say what a wonderful life I'm having today, then you rush to 7-11 and realize you don't have your ATM card with you. :rolleyes:
 
@luka

I read this article today about the new Evo. I do prefer the black one in the review. The metallic yellow is alright too. Interesting point they make about the UCI regs leading to a convergence in design amongst all the brands.

from the article: "in any engineering-driven design, form follows function, and when everyone is going for the same function, there's only so much you can do with form before you start making functional compromises."

blah, I get it but as amateur riders we should be given some leeway on form as well. I guess they are forcing people into custom built or "vintage". better than "canyondale" there
 
from the article: "in any engineering-driven design, form follows function, and when everyone is going for the same function, there's only so much you can do with form before you start making functional compromises."

blah, I get it but as amateur riders we should be given some leeway on form as well. I guess they are forcing people into custom built or "vintage". better than "canyondale" there

It looks like they're doing basically the same thing with the CAAD. I wonder if they'll leave the Optimo as is. But, yeah, end of an era for performance racing bikes if you want something from one of the big brands.

@adventurous cyclist riding my bike, is very sweet indeed🙂
 
Hit a short ride on Sunday, last 10km the downpour started. Me and the local crew of much more expensive bike riders (including one all carbon, electronic disc brake & shifters and some pretty deep carbon wheels...drool) waited the requisite 5 minute or less under a bridge northbound on Arakawa before saying eff it.

Another short ride today. Pretty humid out there, glad I brought the cap to put under the helmet or I'd be swimming. On the way back, through town, was headed solo down the main road to my house. Opposite side coming towards me is a taxi cab pulled over to the side of a parking lot of a grocery store (not sure why they didn't just pull in the lot??) letting someone off. Bus behind the taxi decides to boom over into the wrong direction (my lane) to get around this stooge. I see it, unclip because I expect the worse and sure enough, fucker leaves me like 3 inches of total room.

Now choose your own adventure:

1. Do you fake an injury and do your best to get $ out of them?
2. Punch the bus
3. Yell something in English that they wouldn't even hear
4. Flip them the bird?

I opted for 4 after a solid 20 seconds of sheer baffled, what in the actual f? I'm certain it made a lasting impact. A few birds flew away.
 
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Here's an example of the the fun of the Arakawa Trail. Sunday about 20 minutes before the rain hits, heading back from the south part, going northbound next to the tennis courts. This is looking southbound. Look how nice and clear that trail is! Although there are a couple girls standing not on the left side, and not on the right side, but wait for it....

wait for it...

DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE!




IMG_1821.JPG

Ok next up, lets look at the actual tennis match. Pretty much nothing going on. Because you got to, yes, you got to, you got to wait for it...

IMG_1822.JPG


And here it is. The fun of cycling in Japan. The random conglomeration of that that is complete Kuki Yomenai, Buck Nasty, Let's stand as a massive group across the entire width of a mixed use walking, running, cycling trail. Gg!

IMG_1823.JPG
 
Here's an example of the the fun of the Arakawa Trail. Sunday about 20 minutes before the rain hits, heading back from the south part, going northbound next to the tennis courts. This is looking southbound. Look how nice and clear that trail is! Although there are a couple girls standing not on the left side, and not on the right side, but wait for it....

wait for it...

DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE!




View attachment 18213

Ok next up, lets look at the actual tennis match. Pretty much nothing going on. Because you got to, yes, you got to, you got to wait for it...

View attachment 18214


And here it is. The fun of cycling in Japan. The random conglomeration of that that is complete Kuki Yomenai, Buck Nasty, Let's stand as a massive group across the entire width of a mixed use walking, running, cycling trail. Gg!

View attachment 18215
Can't see anything wrong with what they are doing. Just slow down and don't be a d1ck as you ride past them.
 
@joewein I already have the cartridge type brake holders. Any recommendations for non-Shimano cartridges?
Thanks.

Look for "kool stopサーモン" on Amazon Japan. They are widely recommended for their superior performance in the rain. Before I entirely switched to disk brakes about 4 years ago I was using the salmon pads and found them an improvement over the Shimano pads. They actually get their colour from added powdered iron oxide.
 
DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE!
(...)
Let's stand as a massive group across the entire width of a mixed use walking, running, cycling trail. Gg!

In situations like these I deploy my secret weapon, the mamachari bell:

IMG_20190702_170745.jpg

RIIIIING, RIIING! or just "ching... ching", depending on the situation.

Bicycle bells are actually legally required on every bicycle on the road in Japan. Maybe there's a reason for that.
 
Much worse in my book are those kids who ride their bikes 5-6 abrest and thus block the whole arakawa path, then shoot all in separate directions when they hear a bell and someone approaching from behind
 
Can't see anything wrong with what they are doing. Just slow down and don't be a d1ck as you ride past them.

@leicaman so its perfectly find to stand across the entire width of the trail? For me that's wrong. If you aren't moving in one direction, gtfo of the way. The tennis courts have more room to watch the game. And you can actually see in there. Same goes for the baseball courts.

Second, the point of the third picture was there wasn't room to ride past without risking hitting a person, which would land a huge fine, if not jail time.

Not trying to be a d1ck, as much as these people are oblivious to thru traffic. I literally had to unclip both on the way past, and then on the way back when I took these pics. I still have no clue why on the weekends, massive "sports" groups simply stand on the trail as if that is where the after party is.
 
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