Tag: bicycling

New Handlebars for Mango

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/45 sec, ISO3200
 “UPANBIKE Handlebars” Cedar Park, 2021

I fitted my bike (Mango) with some new handlebars today. The UPANBIKE “Urban Road Bike Retro Handlebar Moustache Shape Extra Wide Dutch M Shape” (Wow, what a nice SEO name) handlebars were very easy to install with my shifters and brake levers sliding right on with no problem. I was worried that I might have to replace my cables with longer ones, but it turns out that the original length works fine.

I also put some SAPLIZE ergonomic grips on, and they are very comfy. These use collars to tighten them to the bars so it will be easy to remove them when I want to switch back to the butterfly bars.

I was only able to go for a short ride this afternoon with the new setup, but it felt great! I also love the look of these handlebars. They have a classic, simple, and attractive shape. And having a bike that you think looks nice makes you want to ride it even more.

In the photos, you can see the extension bar for adding accessories. I actually use it to keep my phone in position. But I think I’ll remove it to keep the handlebars looking a little cleaner. It would be a shame to ruin the sweet lines of the new bars, right? 😄 I can always keep my phone in the trunk bag to record the rides with Strava. Having the phone up front is nice when I need to look at the map like when I went on my gravel ride a few months ago, but it’s not necessary for riding around the neighborhood.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/45 sec, ISO3200
 “New Cockpit” Cedar Park, 2021

In other cycling news, I’ve made a few more videos lately. Please check out my YouTube channel when you have a chance, or you can watch my latest video below:

I hope you had a nice day!

Silent Bicycling Videos

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“Bicycle Video” Cedar Park, 2021

こんばんは。How’s it going?

So, since getting my GoPro, I’ve been making little annotated videos of my bicycling or riding my motorcycle. It’s really fun to do, but I’m sure it’s super-boring to watch. In fact, I don’t even watch them after I’ve uploaded them. But not only are they fun to make in Premiere Pro, but they force me to think a little bit more about what I did, and maybe I can self-reflect on things while I’m at it. I guess my blog also serves this purpose as well as just simply documenting my daily life.

So without further ado, here’s today’s video:

If more of these videos interest you, here’s a link to my YouTube channel, where you can find the “Silent Bicycling” videos, as well as my time-lapses, etc.

Lunch Break Bicycle Ride

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/1900 sec, ISO200
 “Afternoon Bicycle Ride” Cedar Park, 2021

The weather was awesome today, so I decided to go on a bicycle ride on my lunch break. It was so nice to get some sun! I felt full of energy when I got back to work, just like Wall•E after recharging. 😄

I recorded my bicycle ride if you’d like to come along virtually:

I hope you had a great day! またね～

Nearby Trail

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/8, 1/320 sec, ISO200
 “Short Trail” Cedar Park, 2020

I had fun today at lunch exploring a little trail that runs behind our house. We have what’s known as a “green belt” in our neighborhood, which is a bit of wooded area, and when the kids were little, we explored it a bit looking for a geocache. At that time, the trail didn’t extend very far back, but now it actually connects to the street on the other side of the neighborhood, although you have to kind of know where the entry/exit point is because it’s not marked or anything. It’s kind of a neat, hidden little part of the neighborhood.

I hope you had a nice day!

Packed Up

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/18 sec, ISO6400
 “Packed Up” Cedar Park, 2020

I’m planning on camping (solo) overnight soon at Pedernales Falls State Park, so I was putting all my gear into my backpack in preparation to hike into the primitive campsites. I also wanted to bring my bicycle along and explore the park by bike if time allows, and when researching the bike activities in the park, I learned that most of the trails are open to bicycles, and that the trail to the primitive campsite that I will be staying at is very bike-friendly, therefore I will try my hand at a bit of bikepacking.

One of the nice things about having some ultra-light camping gear for backpacking is that it is also great for bikepacking. If you aren’t familiar with that term, bikepacking is similar to bicycle touring, but more off-the-beaten-path.

With my current pannier setup, I can fit all my camping gear, food/water, camera, and clothes. As much as I dislike having anything on my back while riding, I will probably wear a small daypack which will come in handy if I want to hike at all, and also, I can pack it with my kindle, camera, and camp clothes which will be very light (just a beanie, sleep clothes, and extra socks & underwear), and not stuff the panniers too much.

I think this setup will be good, but I’ll let you know how it goes!