Cool Touring handlebars

I went down to C2C on Friday to cut a aluminum fork's steerer and to install a star-nut and spotted this cool touring handlebars

Looks to be 101 possible hand positions on those bars! A friend commented on why aerobars on a hybrid that probably won't be traveling fast enough to enjoy the aerodynamic advantage. Do you know why? My guess is that, is just so to have that one more position you can rest your hands on. Spending long hours on the bike, you try to adjust your position once in a while. To get make other alternative muscles take the strain, and make that additional kilometer that much easier! Cheers!

Outside AMK Hub...

I saw this on a Friday afternoon, a pretty expensive looking Giant (I thought it was a Trek at first) hybrid:

Would you please look at the front and rear quick release wheels begging to be stolen! Gosh!

Then when I was on SMBF I saw this:

After giving grimacing for a minute, I wondered whether he could have ran that cable lock through his front wheel as well...

Now me being all paranoid about bike thefts and all, I considered where I would park my bike if I went to AMK hub... I figured the exact spot where is bike was being mutilated to be a relatively safe place! I mean, it is parked in front of  AMK MRT for crying out loud! I busy cross-junction, many smokers gather here since they can't smoke indoors. And for the same reason security guards patrol this area and they can't smoke too near the building as well.

So how the thief managed to get away almost completely baffles me. AMK Hub CCTVs, care to help?

Bike Shop: Radstation

From the origins of Chapter 2 Cycle, a new bike shop has opened!

I went to visit and found these sexy thing!

The rear suspension is like part of the top tube!! Oh my god, I wonder how it performs! Looks so sick!

And would you just look at where the rear disc mounts are! This brings down the Center-Gravity of the bike too... Should perform impeccably! Radstation lend me for review leh!

There was a Focus roadie, the rear mount also seemed pretty cool. It's not your usual where the rear dropout is positioned at the tip of the triangle... Hmm... Great design!

The owner of the shop let me bring out the Tyrell mini velo for a spin too! It was so light and fast! Yet didn't have a menacing position compared to a Dahon Hammerhead. There are Moultons inside too... Too bad it started raining before I could give the Rolls-Royce of mini velos a test run!

Park it upside down.

 

Was changing my commuter's tires and when I pumped up the the tube with the other set of tires, air was leaking pretty bad! How unlucky! I felt the underside of the current tires but nothing was found... Searched the old tire and found a nasty looking torn:




Apparently, this torn had already penetrated the tube. but because it was such a snag fit no air was leaking previously! Until I pulled out the tire, the torn dislodged itself against the tube. Strong tires or strong tubes? Anyway with no spare tube insight, I decided to leave my bike like this:

 



And I went home to patch the tube and fix it out the next day, cheers.

Tokyo fixed gear ablazing

As a follow up to "Japan : Fixed gear crazy?" Well, let the pictures do the talking.

Sorry for the blur, walking a taking pictures in a crowed street avoids traffic build up. hahah excuses!

Damn, is that a chrome/silver seat?

More on Chrome! So shiny! I mistaken the top tube as the railing at first glance!

Probably the best lock-up I have seen in the whole of Japan. Front wheel and frame locked using a bike-locking kiosk and the rear amour-ed cable lock through the rear triangle, frame and chain. A (A stronger U-lock or beefy chain will get the lock-up a distinction)

What a rare gem! Locked at Shibuya. Looks so sleek!

Somehow I find this familiar, maybe I saw it on FGGT... what looks like 26" MTB fixed, horizontal dropout frame and front only discibrakes.

I'm lovin' the front balloon tire as well!

And stumbled onto a fixed gear gathering, outside a tiny weeny bike shop. Love the hip B/W big picture above the shop. Lucky find!

Retro or not?

Taken in Tokyo... There is just something retro, chic slightly hipsterish about bicycles... You see them in designer shops... Restaurants, furniture shops, fashion, hardware shops! Everywhere!

So what is it about bicycles? Their simplicity? Their long history? Or simply because the owner likes to ride bikes? Whatever it is, I'm glad they decided to use it as a decoration instead anything else!



Taken at Fukuoka, part of a window display of a shop selling apparel.

Radical Stimulus : Others commuting experience

(Picture, taken at Tokyo, Ginza edited with focal B&w, almost definitely ridden by a couple in love <3)

It often spurs me on to do my commutes when I hear how others have it much harder, how they cope, their tips and tricks, and basically everything they say since most of it can be related to my own experiences. One of the best places to hear from others are forums, such as SMBF!

But I'm going to post a link from Togoparts.com today since I seldom go there. Reading the thread was refreshing! Here

Tags: Cycling in Ginza

More good stuff in the wild

What looks like a brand new Giant Anthem in Tokyo, near Akihabara. Talk about a ultimate urban warrior!

Secured with just a cable lock around the frame (near seat stay), imagine being able to ride your favourite bike for commutes! All you need to worry is too many people might stop and admire your bike! Wahaha. That said, even if I were a resident in Tokyo., I would buy a really good lock for such a sweet ride!

Things on a bike.

If there is one thing that I like about things on a bike than new bling blings, expensive parts, carbon, DIY bike hikes, etc. Is... Is... Well.



Girls. Especially when they are local and helping to promote sports in Singapore! Cheers Ziyi! Visit her blog here.

Can't get enough of the fairer sex?



Thank me later :)

tags:  Bike Spotted, Girls on bikes, kuek ziyi bicycle bmx, link sharing

Kick stand: Yes or no?

I always thought have a kick stand is a serious form of useless weight. Why the extra weight? How often do you really want to the bike to be standing? Just rest it on the floor i say!

Of course unless peer pressure starts building up...

Oopss, all of a sudden I am a space hogger.

As a consolation when I arrived early in the morning my bike was the only one there. My college asked me if I knew my bike was flat on the ground. Lol.

First bike I took a picture of in Tokyo.

What you are look at is a basket. Not your typical market bike metal wire basket... But a hand woven, hand engraved leather pouch that engulfs the frame to become a designer carrier for your groceries. I didn't bother to check the price, since I wouldn't be a able to afford such luxuries! Looks extremely exquisite!

tags: Bike Spotted, custom leather basket for bicycle., Japan, tokyo

Spotted: CAS boys, or shall I say girl?

I think they were doing a practice Tour de Singapore... And I was riding my mountain bike at the time... Aww...

Spotted, double rear suspension

I have heard many stories about sturdy racks being on full suspension bikes being impossible.

Is this a possible answer? It looks like a scooter really, but how efficient will it be?

It does look pretty comfy though... Seen something similar? Mail me!

Difficult to ride?

Visited a LBS called Hillclimb , courtesy of a nice manager. he said this bike is difficult to ride.... I wonder why!

 

Following behind.

Following a fellow commuter has many advantages! I sometimes get caught in a commuter race and edge pass a fellow commuter only to be overtaken later but an experienced move on the other commuter's part.

What good move? Like using the pavements in heavy traffic (sure you can zig zag through the traffic, but it's really dangerous. Espeacialy with Singaporean drivers not used to cyclists on the roads), or taking an alternate "short-cut", or a line without pot holes! All true stories! hahaha.

It's times when I'm tired and just lag behind other commuters that i realize that most of these commuters are much more experienced than me, and they know a thing or two about the route. So the next time you see a commuter ahead of you, try following them!

But dun be stalkerish! Duh! Following others is easier, irresistible even. Provided you are following instinct, aka the opposite sex.

Vroom vroom

What bike did you say you ride again?

A Kawasaki KDX260.

Can't say I have heard of that model before, it has a 260cc engine?

It's pistons are my legs, :)

What the? Just show me the bike!

Sweeeeeeeeeet.



weekdays = work...

The awe for the single speed.

Just look at it, even cooler and more hip than the cruiser.

Simple, modern, low maintenance, fast.

 

A medium lock for a city that hardly has thefts... I grade this lockup B+, if it were in Singapore the wheels would probably be gone the next day. a C- grade in Sg. Dun lock just the frame, lock the rear wheel as well :)

Leaving a note by a bike you fancy...

I spotted this bike on the way to dinner.... It's name was delightful... There was no lock... And it was up against some rubbish. The seat was gone and the tires deflated... It totally got my attention... What looks like a street geometry, street tires, street single speed setup, street riser, street stem, street... Ok, you get the picture.

How was I gonna talk to the owner? I want the bike if nobody wanted it! It looks so understated and cool!

So I wrote a note... How many of us have done this?







I wrote that 1 week ago... No reply leh...


Tags: seeing a abandoned bicycle and leaving a note, bicycle brand delightful, buying a stranger's bicycle, delightful bike

Renault

Love the brand, the looks, the small rack upfront, but not the parts... But hey, if you are locking this bike in the great outdoors, giving it proper abuse... Than I suppose its fine :D

Locking just your bike...

I'm sure you can identify my bike right? There is nothing to lock my bike onto...



A little more the the left...



Locking just your bike... And not locking it onto a railing or etc... Has some serious risks...



I counted six bicycles probably thrown in the river by vandals.