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Ah, onto the chain where it's right at the top of the cassette -- yes, obvious now that I think of it.

My brain needs an upgrade
 
s there any effective way of dealing with this design of can? (Am I supposed to fire it at a cloth, and then use the resulting "quick spray action the highest quality" cloth to wipe the chain? But that seems perverse
that stuff is expensive.😲

Spray it into a small cup and then use a fine paint brush to wipe it on the links. But as soon as it rains you'll wish you had our green label friend on your chain. Good for race day if it's fine or the indoor trainer though.
 
My regular chain lube is "Finish Line wet". Aside from the fact that the chain reverts from grey to black within 10 km of application, it works well for me. (And to be fair, the blackness may be due to my incompetence rather than the species of lube.)

But I also have a can of "Naskalub":

View attachment 32775

Down the top two thirds of the left of the can as shown in this stock photo is a thin tube. You swivel this up ninety degrees or so and press the button on the top of the can, and "quick spray action the highest quality" [I quote] comes out of the nozzle.

It's horribly difficult to position the nozzle just right; and if one did somehow manage to do this, most of that quick spray action [Hmm, sounds like a species of pr0n] would surely be bounced back by the chain. So I position it a little short of the chain, and fire -- and an estimated 90% whizzes past the chain and lubricates the concrete below, the spokes, the rear rim, whatever.

Is there any effective way of dealing with this design of can? (Am I supposed to fire it at a cloth, and then use the resulting "quick spray action the highest quality" cloth to wipe the chain? But that seems perverse....)

(I rather wish that I didn't have the damn thing, but throwing it in the trash would not be environmentally friendly. So I'd like to use up its content.)

The chain going black after 10km is normal as the lube gets the remaining dirt out of the chain. Just wipe it off with a towel.

I am using a similar spray can now. Spray it directly onto the chain above the smallest cog on the back. One revolution of the chain is enough. Then run the chain through the cassette a few times before wiping off.

Andy
 
Thank you, all!

But as soon as it rains you'll wish you had our green label friend on your chain. Good for race day if it's fine or the indoor trainer though.

Anyone who's ridden "with" me (gone ahead of me and waited for me to catch up) will be chuckling at the notion of me participating in a "race day".

Come to think of it, I've never participated in any advertised event. Numerous nations have "Eroicas", and many of those nations have less commercial alternatives. I can imagine an 'eroic "200" event: (1) age of bike + age of rider > 100; (2) 100 km. I might sign up for that. (No, this wouldn't discriminate against you young whippersnappers; you'd just have to ride older bikes.) But it might rain, so even there I'd be using my green label friend.
 
Okay I guess this is the right spot for a few beginner questions regarding cycling in Japan.

– I haven't lived in a coastal area (Yokohama) before, does that in anyway influence your bike? Rust or whatnot?
– I've read in another topic that bike stuff here is on the expensive side. But are there deals to be found on i.e. Shimano or well-kept 2nd hand stuff?
– Are japanese cabbies 'the enemy' as they are in most parts of the world? (slightly ironic, still curious tho)

Thanks!
 
Rust is not an issue if you clean and lube your bike regularly. I think @Half-Fast Mike lives in Kanagawa when he isn't away snagging squares.
Second hand stuff while a bit more expensive in Japan than overseas is generally in better condition. The classifieds here are good and if you want something someone usually has it or can put you onto a good deal.
Yep, cabbies are a curse everywhere but it is their job to pick up and drop off people at random places. Expect the unexpected, which is good advice for any time.

Welcome.
 
My request to the Helpful thread: (and this happens every spring)

Is there any way to unclog last year's chain lube--either aerosol or the squeeze-drippy type?
 
Is there any way to unclog last year's chain lube--either aerosol or the squeeze-drippy type?


buy a new chain. works every time.


but if you have a kerosine heater a cup of kerosine strips grease off old chains really well. Then a bath and shake in soapy dishwash detergent and hot water, rinse dry and relube. Best to do this when your wife is out of the house as I got busted doing the rinse stage with the kitchen sink dish brush and had to buy a new one just two days ago.
 
buy a new chain. works every time.


but if you have a kerosine heater a cup of kerosine strips grease off old chains really well. Then a bath and shake in soapy dishwash detergent and hot water, rinse dry and relube. Best to do this when your wife is out of the house as I got busted doing the rinse stage with the kitchen sink dish brush and had to buy a new one just two days ago.
No, I'm referring to the chain lube--what you put on the chain occasionally, or esp after cleaning up your chain (as you describe).

Once again, I'm left with a couple unusable containers of lube. They're jammed up/cogged, so that some remaining lube won't come out.

This is not the end of the world, I'll be getting a new can. But there's obviously a little left in last year's that will be wasted in the trash.
 
No, I'm referring to the chain lube--what you put on the chain occasionally, or esp after cleaning up your chain (as you describe).

Once again, I'm left with a couple unusable containers of lube. They're jammed up/cogged, so that some remaining lube won't come out.

This is not the end of the world, I'll be getting a new can. But there's obviously a little left in last year's that will be wasted in the trash.

What are you using?

If it is aerosol, then probably just the spray cap is clogged and you can just use one off another aerosol can? Not the wife's Channel No. 5 though.

Andy
 
oh soak it in hot water. The waxes will soften and then the inner wire from a twisty tie will unglog it
 
Three shots of boiling water over the cap/nozzle thingie in a small cup, let that sit for a minute or two each time, and it then worked for a minor fraction-of-a-second squirt. I'll keep trying...
 
Helpful friends, I need a recommendation for a bike computer. I don't want to spend a huuuge amount, and honestly I'm really only interested in navigation. I could buy a phone mount, but I'm thinking for when I want to do longer trips, and not carry around a battery pack, cables, etc. I've spotted the Garmin 130 and it looks like it might serve me well, but I'm 100% completely new to this so wondering if there are other good alternatives out there.
 
Helpful friends, I need a recommendation for a bike computer. I don't want to spend a huuuge amount, and honestly I'm really only interested in navigation. I could buy a phone mount, but I'm thinking for when I want to do longer trips, and not carry around a battery pack, cables, etc. I've spotted the Garmin 130 and it looks like it might serve me well, but I'm 100% completely new to this so wondering if there are other good alternatives out there.
Wahoo Roam. In terms of bike computers I think this is as affordable as they go with navigation.
It can help navigate on the fly, check out the review videos by GP Lama.

My only gripe with the Roam is that when navigating if zooming out too much the ridiculous number of streets in Tokyo can overwhelm the memory processor and I've crashed mine causing a reset a couple of times mid ride. It always recovers, but be interesting to see if the next version has more horsepower.
 
Taking a mask along on a ride for indoor use in conbini and other businesses but you're not wearing it on the bike because it's outdoors?

When not in use I hook my mask onto the GPS mount that extends forward from the handlebars using one of the ear loops. However, I have already lost one or two that way on days when it was windy. If there's wind from behind and especially if you're going slowly (e.g. climbing), the mask can come off and you probably won't notice until you need it.

Two ways to prevent that:
1) Twist the mask at least 180 degrees so the the loop elastic crosses at least once behind the GPS mount. It makes it much more stable
2) Hook both ear loops, one from above, the other from below. That way it's impossible to come off on its own.

Stay safe!
 
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Taking a mask along on a ride for indoor use in conbini and other businesses but you're not wearing it on the bike because it's outdoors?

When not in use I hook my mask onto the GPS mount that extends forward from the handlebars using one of the ear loops. However, I have already lost one or two that way on days when it was windy. If there's wind from behind and especially if you're going slowly (e.g. climbing), the mask can come off and you probably won't notice until you need it.

Two ways to prevent that:
1) Twist the mask at least 180 degrees so the the loop elastic crosses at least once behind the GPS mount. It makes it much more stable
2) Hook both ear loops, one from above, the other from below. That way it's impossible to come off on its own.

Stay safe!
Joe, I keep a mask together with a credt card and 1,000yen note in a ziplock bag in my saddle bag.

But at this time of year, I'm riding with a turtleneck base layer (uniqlo heat tech) which pulls up over the face for a quick toilet, combini or interaction with strangers.

My son says it looks like Alan Walker which earns me a few cool dad points.

Kids today!

Andy

images (85).jpeg
 
Wahoo Roam. In terms of bike computers I think this is as affordable as they go with navigation.
It can help navigate on the fly, check out the review videos by GP Lama.

My only gripe with the Roam is that when navigating if zooming out too much the ridiculous number of streets in Tokyo can overwhelm the memory processor and I've crashed mine causing a reset a couple of times mid ride. It always recovers, but be interesting to see if the next version has more horsepower.
Nice! Yeah the Roam does look pretty decent and looks like I can get it slightly cheaper from Mercari. Thanks for the tip, next savings goal unlocked!
 
Nice! Yeah the Roam does look pretty decent and looks like I can get it slightly cheaper from Mercari. Thanks for the tip, next savings goal unlocked!
Wahoo Roam is good. Might want to look at Garmin Edge 530 also. I've had both Wahoo and Garmin. Wahoo is much easier to set up and use since it can be done by using the paired phone. Garmin, in my experience, had better build quality. Since I put together routes that often have lots of twists and turns, I use both my Garmin, with the route loaded, and my iPhone with the MapsMe app when I'm exploring new areas. (This also has the advantage of giving me a backup if my Garmin has any issues.) MapsMe allows you to add your route to it and use it offline. Easy to zoom in and out as needed, which I find really helpful if I'm in 'lost mode' or if I want to reroute on the fly. Sometimes on Wahoo and Garmin, if you zoom out quite a bit to get your bearings, the screen can't really handle it and it just becomes a tangle of lines. Not helpful.
 
Hey @hellerphant,

bit late to the discussion, but here's my two yen: I own a Wahoo Roam and am usually quite happy with it. I think the UX of Wahoo and Garmin Apps afaik is astoundingly mediocre, but the Roam is very legible and the aforementioned features are indeed convenient.

Regarding apps for support/fallback/phone-only: MapOut is a very tidy, flexible and versatile app for offline maps and is based on OpenStreet maps. I've followed the recommendation from Alee Dunham (cyclingabout.com) who used it to travel Japan and I must admit it's really well made. You simply download the chunks of a map (it's a grid) that are interesting for you, to not unnecessarily clog your phones memory. The map design is great and you can of course import routes and places of interest.
 
Hey @hellerphant,

bit late to the discussion, but here's my two yen: I own a Wahoo Roam and am usually quite happy with it. I think the UX of Wahoo and Garmin Apps afaik is astoundingly mediocre, but the Roam is very legible and the aforementioned features are indeed convenient.

Regarding apps for support/fallback/phone-only: MapOut is a very tidy, flexible and versatile app for offline maps and is based on OpenStreet maps. I've followed the recommendation from Alee Dunham (cyclingabout.com) who used it to travel Japan and I must admit it's really well made. You simply download the chunks of a map (it's a grid) that are interesting for you, to not unnecessarily clog your phones memory. The map design is great and you can of course import routes and places of interest.
Thanks for posting " cyclingabout.com ". Sure is an informative site.
 
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