Tag: Rossa

Sunset Ride with Rossa

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/160 sec, ISO32
 “Sunset with Rossa” Cedar Park, 2022

It’s been a while since I have biked to my regular sunset spot. This evening, I went for a ride with Rossa around the neighborhood and by chance, the sun was setting just as I was passing the sunset spot.

I wasn’t planning on taking photos, so I left my Fujifilm X-E4 at home and only had my iPhone 12 Mini with me. I think the photo turned out pretty good! I took many photos using both the iPhone’s camera software and the RAW camera app, but the iPhone’s built-in processing handled the sunset scene better than my Lightroom skills did with the RAW file. I’m happy with it!

Anyways, it was fun to get out on the Bianchi bicycle again and just cruise around the neighborhood and seeing the sights and saying hello to neighbors.

Afternoon Ride with Rossa

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“Riding” Cedar Park, 2022

It was a beautiful afternoon so I grabbed my GoPro and our new DJI OM 5 gimbal, and went for a ride! I wanted to test out the gimbal and see if it will fit into my bicycling videos at all.

I used it to do some selfies and also a “ride-by” shot. I also tried some various shots of the bicycle, but it didn’t work out. I think hand-held GoPro is better for those shots. But I think the ride-by was nice! And I got a decent photo of myself too. 😀

Please take a look if you have time:

Switching up the Handlebars

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 35mm, f/2, 1/105 sec, ISO1600
 “Rossa” Cedar Park, 2021

I decided to switch up the bicycle handlebar situation a bit by putting the Upanbike swept riser bars that were on Mango onto Rossa, then putting the butterfly bars, which were sitting in the garage, back on Mango. Once I replaced Rossa’s flat bars with the riser bars, the riding experience is so much more comfortable!

Rossa is an old mountain bike, and bikes of that era had the handlebars way out front over the front wheel. Modern mountain bikes position the bars farther back (as well as different overall geometry) so the risk of going over the bars is lessened. I don’t take Rossa on any downhills, so for me I just wanted the more comfortable upright position, and the Upanbike handlebars certainly help. It’s so much more fun for me now! As an added bonus, I think they look really sharp. 😁

If you have time, come with me as I take the Rossa’s “new” handlebars for a spin around the neighborhood:

Grill Mount for Hands-Free GoPro Footage

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“Rossa” Cedar Park, 2021

This afternoon Rossa and I went out for a ride and I used the Pro Standard Grill Mount 2.0 which is something that a couple YouTubers I follow use. It’s basically a mount that you bite down on and the GoPro is situated in front of your chin. This allows you to control the viewing angle similar to a helmet mount – the frame of view matches the direction your face is pointing. The advantage over the helmet mount is that with the Grill Mount, you can quickly remove the mount and hand-hold the GoPro (the mount also acts as a nice handle). No need to unscrew the camera off of a standard mount, which can be a pain.

Of course there are a couple of cons. Firstly, since the camera is right next to your mouth, the GoPro’s built in microphone will pick up sounds of hard breathing. Secondly, I think it looks really strange. This is something I think I can just get used to, especially since on a bicycle, if someone does notice the GoPro, it’s only for a few seconds. No need for awkward eye-contact or conversation.

Do I think the Grill Mount is the ultimate solution? No, not for the videos I am making. But it’s definitely a nice addition to add some variety to the standard chest-mount view. And it’s already giving me more ideas and options to branch out on how I shoot my videos.

Please give today’s ride a watch below if you have a few minutes. Thanks!

Morning Ride at Lake Somerville State Park

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 18mm, f/5, 1/250 sec, ISO640
 “Mango at the Lake” Lake Somerville, 2021

We woke up early to catch the sunrise, but heavy cloud-cover prevented us from seeing it rise above Lake Somerville. However, when it finally appeared a bit higher in the sky, it was beautiful!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 18mm, f/7.1, 1/250 sec, ISO200
 “Sun Rays” Lake Somerville, 2021

My friend Také and I went for a short bike ride around the camp area on the hike and bike trails and saw a bunch of deer, rode through numerous spiderwebs, and worked up a good appetite for breakfast later on. I let him ride Mango, which is has front suspension, trigger-shifters, and a more upright riding position, while I rode Rossa which has no suspension, has a more aggressive position, and friction shifters.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 20.5mm, f/9, 1/125 sec, ISO320
 “Rossa and Mango” Lake Somerville, 2021

It was so much fun, but I blew it and forgot to bring the GoPro for the ride! 😒 Man, I suck! Also, Rossa had a flat front tire when we got back to camp. Double-bummer.

But the ride was awesome so it’s all good!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 18mm, f/9, 1/140 sec, ISO200
 “View from the Overlook” Lake Somerville, 2021