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Today - August 2012

I don't even bother trying to fit my bike in the rinko bag, just take the front wheel off and tie the bag in a knot over the back wheel and pedals. Leaving the front hanging out. No-one has said anything yet, unless you count the other cyclists who usually have some envious comment to make as I stroll past on my way to the train while they are entirely dismantling their bike to try and make it all work.
 
I saw a TCC-clad thigh out of the corner of my eye while working on my 'garden' fence this afternoon. Eugen or Thomas, perchance, doing some hill repeats?
 
No riding for me today, but did walk by what looks to be a new C Speed in my neighborhood - seconds from Takatsu station. I have known that Hiroshi-san is my neighbour for a while and heard good things about him. After all my bitching about my LBS's, it looks like I may have finally found a good one. Time will tell.
 
No riding for me today, but did walk by what looks to be a new C Speed in my neighborhood - seconds from Takatsu station. I have known that Hiroshi-san is my neighbour for a while and heard good things about him. After all my bitching about my LBS's, it looks like I may have finally found a good one. Time will tell.

C-Speed is a Boutique store so all parts need to be ordered in advanced. Our very own Belgium hardman Tom has great things to say about Hiroshi-san and the guy is an artisan when when it comes to builds.
 
just got a call from good myx yokohama and felt a bit sad that they couldn't take out the last pivot bolt and change the bearing on my intense uzzi vpx. looks like this is a known problem with this model, plus the fact that i didn't change bearings for 6 years! told them to destroy the pivot pin (felt weird saying "kowashite kudasai") as this was the advise from intense in temecula, california (and the pivot bolt is cheap at 2500yen plus shipping). was ready to assemble the bike again as i have bled the brakes, changed fork oil and bought new cranks but it was not to be, at least not yet. the shop is asking for more time and told them that i am not in a hurry. hoping to hear some news from them soon!

overall, i'm still very happy with the service, they changed the rest of the bearings without any fuzz and bought new blue odi grips (on sale at 500yen!)

some good progress on this, the shop has successfully taken out the bolt! lesson learned, if you have a fullsus bike, try to check/change your bearings in order to avoid headches like these in the future.

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now trying to source that bolt from intense dealers in japan, another learning adventure :p
 
Great ride in the Typhoon this morning up to Miyagase.

Got some "thumbs up" from other cyclists sheltering from the rain on route 46. I met my family at the village who had taken the car and then headed up Yabitstu - the road had basically turned in to a raging river and on the otherside they had actually dropped the barrier to close the road up.

On the way down I treated the kids to fresh tofu doughnuhts, something great about finally being able to take the family to those little places you go to when on the bike.
 
Beautiful day on this side, not much, but at least a little cooler than the last 10 days or more.

For a while after lunch I could look out one side of my building and see dark clouds and rain in the mtns, and then from the other side sun and clear skies to the coast and beyond.
 
Yesterday my son wanted to cycle to his grandma in rural Saitama and stay overnight, to meet some friends in Kawagoe the following morning. He invited me to join him and so I got 151 km in.

To minimize urban distance, improve average speed and maximize the portion along the Arakawa we first headed east a bit from Setagaya on R3/R246, then north on 317 (one of the newer roads) and 17 until we hit the river. Not a bad route and we averaged some good speed, except for one puncture on my front tube, on the inside near the valve. No obvious problem on the tyre. Very strange. Swapped the tube and mended the old one at the same time, as per FarEast's tip. We left home late in the afternoon and arrived after sunset.

Helped out a cyclist on a bike path near the riverside north of Kawagoe who had trouble inflating his rear tyre. He'd never used his pump before and had deflated the tyre while trying to add air. He couldn't get his pump to work and was very thankful for not having to carry his bike home in the heat.

Guided my son to Kawagoe this morning and then headed back to Tokyo by myself, which included 3 hours in steady rain. Long live rule #9: at least it made me feel better :)

Will be climbing Mt Fuji again (on foot) tomorrow and the day after. Might actually see the sunrise from the peak this time, if all goes well. Wish me luck!
 
Joe, has the rim tape slipped? This is very common in the heat, especailly if you are doing technical descending or constant stoping and starting on hot roads.

I switched to a really thick rubbery rim tape by Panasonic that has worked wonders on other wheel sets.
 
Joe, has the rim tape slipped?

I'm not really sure what properly fitted rim tape should look like, but it covers the inside of the rim all the way around the wheel, except for about 5 mm either side of the valve hole. The edge of the valve hole looks a bit rough. However, the cut was not aligned with that edge but with wheel rotation, maybe 10 mm from the valve.

I was doing over 30 km/h at the time, it was not a good experience to have this happen on the front wheel. I'm glad it wasn't on a fast mountain descent!

This is now my second puncture in 5500 km (the other was on the rear, from a piece of glass). I think almost all the punctures I've seen with fellow riders on social rides have been on metal grates. They seem a particular tyre hazard, which luckily has not affected me yet. Twice I've even seen someone someone puncture both tyres at the same time!
 
I think the wx changed the day before yesterday. Slightly cooler, sure, but the skies look different. Maybe the end of the rainy wx patterns and the start of fall?
 
I just watched the Olympic triathalon. I thought you weren't allowed to be within 2 seconds of another rider? These guys were riding in big groups. Kind of makes the whole thing a bit of a joke. It just comes down to who can run fastest.
 
I just watched the Olympic triathalon. I thought you weren't allowed to be within 2 seconds of another rider? These guys were riding in big groups. Kind of makes the whole thing a bit of a joke. It just comes down to who can run fastest.

You still have to be able to swim into the best cycling group..
 
I just watched the Olympic triathalon. I thought you weren't allowed to be within 2 seconds of another rider? These guys were riding in big groups. Kind of makes the whole thing a bit of a joke. It just comes down to who can run fastest.

2 types of triathlon: draft legal and non-drafting. Olympic tris are draft legal. So yes, swim fast enough to be in the lead group on the bike, like Edogawakikkoman said, and then basically just a running race. At least the men could control their bikes better than the women...their cornering on a course that wasn`t that wet :eek: that was embarrassing!
 
Cooler wx..., I hope it lasts! What's the smiley for relief?
 
Top morning this morning, a fast few laps with Ben on the Arakawa TT track followed by a fast commute down to the suburb of Arakawa and into Shinjuku.
58km at a 33km/hr average. My fastest to date.

I was pacing along the Toda TT at about 37 when an old guy siddled up for a convo. I'm sure you know the type, all bronzed sinew and muscle with a bowling ball head and bowed legs. I thought I would shake him, but no, he stuck it out continued talking as he rode along beside me. My replies getting ever shorter and in the end being mere grunts with dribble mixed in.....:warau:
 
No cycling for two days (except for brief evening shopping after I got home on the second day) because I was away climbing Mt Fuji for the second time. Managed to get up there in time for sunrise. I dare say being at the top of the mountain at night made Aug 8 the coldest day of the year for me so far :eek:

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