It was a little chilly, but I had a few minutes to extend my mail-run bicycle ride. It was fun to ride with my new handlebars. Come along!
Tag: cycling
New Handlebars for Mango
“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.
“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!
Trying New Handlebars
“Cabling” Cedar Park, 2021
A while back, I found a pair of dirt-cheap handlebars and decided to give them a try on my bike. My current shifters and brake levers fit, but the cables are too short and just barely work. However, I was able to go for a ride and the new bars felt really good! The swept-back style is kind of retro-looking and fun, and puts the wrists in a comfortable position. I can see using these handlebars with friction shifters on a more classic bicycle that has more chrome. It would match nicely!
Because this type of handlebar is so easy to swap out, I’ve ordered another similar model, which is also swept back, but the curve is a little different, and I’m hoping the levers be positioned closer-in so that the cables will have more slack. If not, I can just replace the cables with longer ones, which seems like an easy DIY project. It’s also black, which will match my bicycle.
“Swept Back” Cedar Park, 2021
I still love my butterfly bars, but I want to switch it up a bit. Plus, the more conventional bars will allow me to use a handlebar bag more easily. At least I hope! At any rate, swapping out the bars only takes about 15 minutes, so it’s not like it’s a huge endeavor. And it’s fun!
By the way, here’s my latest cycling video that I took during my lunchbreak:
Silent Bicycling Videos
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
“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～
