Category: Cycling

Shifting Gently

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/5.6, 1/420 sec, ISO160
 “Sophie” Cedar Park, 2021

Yesterday I reattached Sophie’s broken chain and it looked good as new (as good as a 50-year-old chain can look) so today I went for a ride. When the chain broke, I was shifting into the lowest gear while applying a good amount of pressure. I think that stress caused the chain link to pop out, so with that in mind, I was shifting very gently today. I’m happy to say that the chain was fine, and the shifting was almost flawless. 😀

I should probably replace the chain, as well as all the spokes, but I’m in no rush. The next thing on my list of to-dos for Sophie is to get some new handlebar tape. I’m just pleased that Sophie is back in action and performing nicely. I love that bike!

One thing that I am not in love with, but is a necessary evil, is the frame bag. It’s super convenient to carry my cellphone and camera, but it’s a huge eyesore, isn’t it? Maybe a nice vintage-looking chrome rack is in order. Hmmm…

Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/4500 sec, ISO32
 “Sophie” Cedar Park, 2021

Broken Chain and a Sunset Bicycle Ride

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec, ISO160
 “Sunset” Cedar Park, 2021

This evening Sophie’s chain broke just outside our house. We were just starting our ride when I heard a loud “ping” and then heard the chain slide to the pavement. 😲 I bet I didn’t secure the link I used to remove the chain earlier perfectly. It seemed pretty good though…

I went back into the garage and exchanged Sophie for Mango and headed out for my evening bicycle ride. Mango is such a great, comfortable bike now. The rear light is the only part that needs replacing. It has an annoying tendency to switch off when I go over a large bump or curb. Not good!

Anyways, please enjoy the video if you’d like to “ride along” with Mango and I!

Brake Work

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/3.2, 1/80 sec, ISO3200
 “Mafac Racer” Cedar Park, 2021

In a previous post, I mentioned how the Mafac Racer brakes on Sophie, my Peugeot bicycle, were really loud. Well, I dedicated some time to remedy the problem, with some good results! Instead of a loud screech, the brake now emits a low groan. It’s not silent, but “good enough”. 😁

Using a piece of tape, I determined that the right rear brake pad was the one causing the noise, so I went to work adjusting the angle of that block so that there was more toe-in. This was more difficult than it should have been because the washer that allows you to adjust the angle does not turn easily, but I was able to add a little more toe-in, just not as much as the other pads.

Hitting the rear brakes will work to alert pedestrians that I am approaching which is fine since I don’t have a bell for Sophie. 🤣

Also, I got a frame bag which is nice because I can put my camera and phone in it. And I also found my handlebar GoPro mount, which gives me a good option for filming when out with Sophie. She’s such a fun bicycle!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/3.2, 1/100 sec, ISO800
 “Sophie” Cedar Park, 2021

Burger and Bicycle

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/5, 1/100 sec, ISO1600
 “Big Burger” Cedar Park, 2021

Big burgers were on the menu at the Fujimoto house today, and the toppings were grilled jalapeño peppers and red onion, American and Havarti cheeses, and the usual condiments. Plus, I bought a bag of frozen crinkle-cut fries, which were a nice change from potato chips!

Happily, I only got two mosquito bites while grilling outside, which I consider a win. These days, I don’t mind getting bitten so much because Zap It works great for me. No more itching (after the initial bite). I even took my Zap It to China when I went on vacation, where it almost got taken away by the Chinese TSA… I would have been so sad.

Anyways, the burgers were delicious, but I felt guilty about eating so many calories so I went for a ride with Sophie around the neighborhood. Bicycling brings a huge smile to my face, so I try to do it (or go running) as much as I can.

In the video below, you can hear the super-loud brake squeal. Sorry about that… I’ll try to fix it in the future. It’s really embarrassing. 🙃

Evening Ride Around the Neighborhood

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/5, 1/300 sec, ISO320
 “Waiting for Mercury and Venus” Cedar Park, 2021

I originally intended to just ride my bicycle down to my sunset spot for a photo and then back home, but it was such a pleasant evening that I rode on past my house and kept going towards the library, and what would have been a 2 km ride turned into an 11 km evening cruise around the neighborhood.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/3.2, 1/140 sec, ISO320
 “Twilight Panorama” Cedar Park, 2021

My first stop was at my go-to sunset location (see top photo), where I chatted with a man who was settled in to try to see the Mercury-Venus Conjunction. The clouds were not cooperating, but at least he got to enjoy the cool evening and brilliant colors of the sunset.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/110 sec, ISO320
 “Colors over In-N-Out” Cedar Park, 2021

After that I cruised around by our city library area and took a few more sunset photos and then on one bit of trail, I noticed there were fireflies blinking all around. It was so cool! I tried to video the fireflies with my phone, but it really doesn’t capture the magic.

I’m so glad I decided to go for the longer ride this evening. There were lots of neat things to see. ☺