New project started

I decided to purchase new frame of road bike!!

I am using full carbon frame since 2006. Every year autumn, I disappointed due to frame maker released new shape carbon frame. Fuuuu.....

Recently, I decided to will purchased new frame. I think which is better?

Carbon frame....will disappoint again...Titanium? So expensive!!....Stainless steel?...Cr-Mo steel?...

Finally, decided to Cr-Mo!!
Because reasonable price, Durable and so enough stiffness. But little bit heavy, it is not important!!


First photo is my current carbon frame bike.
Main components: SRAM
Crank set and rings: Rotor 3D and Qrings
Wheel set: Carbon tubler with PowerTap, or Mavic reflex rim wheels

Now I am considering new frame basic dimension and seat post construction with frame builder side.

next photo is reference image of normal type frame. It is very simple basic frame.

I will choose sloping type of top tube one.

Next photo is image of using "integrated seat post" type.

I ask to them, I would like to use this type could you?
Their answer is "possible!! but position adjust range will be narrow. New frame dimension and bike position should be much to your current bike. Will consider ISP then send your bike dimension."

Wao, excited!!
I will order ISP version one.
I am looking forward to seeing result of consideration.

During considering frame dimension, I have to consider frame color!!

It's very fun time for me!!
?? Consideration is fun before get parts or something every time.

Recent Purchased things

After back to Japan, I purchased some goods for biking and life.

One is shoes for usual use.
It is Soucany "Outlaw" shoes.
Soucany released many colorful running shoes, however this Outlow is Black color!! They said, Outlaw is for XC running looks heavy-duty!!

It is very light weight!! And good fit for my feet.
So, my Euro size is 42.5.

Sole stiffness is very good tuned I think. I purchased from UK, price is about 6500JPY, but in Japan shop is 13000JPY!! Twice!!

Another is head light for my bicycle.
Usually I ride to bike in early morning on 5:00 or 5:30. Summer season is already after sunrise, not necessary head light, however now sunrise time is over 6:00, middle winter is 6:50!! I have to equip head light and switch on!! For safety.

My choice is Cateye HL-EL540RC
Supplier URL is;
http://www.cateye.com/uk/products/detail/HL-EL540RC/moreinfo/

I think it has best performance in LED light products.

Cateye's data

With my bike (fixedgearbike)

It is very good light!!
If ride in no light road, I can see road condition well!!

Battery is 4X AA size(rechargeable)
On time is about 5hours. It is suitable for my usual use. If I ride in dark longtime, I have more 4 AA batteries.

This light is so big and heavy, but it's safe!!

Business trip to Europe Oct/2011 part2

Last posted blog was till 21th Friday evening. After that.

21th/Oct Friday night.
We did look Japanese food restaurant, but everywhere was full!! Went to Benkei in Nikko hotel. Foods menu was improved, it was good and reasonable price!! We had some raw-fish, Tenpra, Oden and some Beer.

After dinner, I was go out to Dusseldorf night area alone. I saw lot of peoples. DB S-bahn is running over 2:00am!! Good!!

I did back to hotel on half past 1am.
Have to go to bed!! Because wale up on 5:30 on next morning for Belgium trip!!

22th/Oct Saturday
AM 5:30 I did wake up safely but very sleepy....I had hot shower.
6:30 let's go to Dusseldorf station.

I move to Koln by RE, next we took ICE for Bruxelles, transfer at Bruxelles again for Kortrijk city.

In Kortrijk, we joined to Exhibition of BusWorld. It was so huge exhibition!!

I met German friend in here, we had lunch and discussed about next generation of Truck and bus.

We returned to Dusseldorf through Bruxelles by Thalys on over 22:00.
I exhausted, but today is Saturday!! I went to drink to city!!

To be continued.

Business trip to Europe 2011 Oct part1

Hi, I went to Europe 2 weeks trip, now fighting to jet lag!!

This trip is 4th time in this year for me. It's special year?!

1st day 17th/Oct
Leave from Japan to Germany first.
I took bus for Narita airport, usually 2.5hours running, but over 3hours due to heavy traffic jam by heavy accident....no....
I hope nobody had heavy injury....

Arrive Narita to boarding was very smooth, no trouble and had very relax time in JAL lounge...little bit too much drunk.

Flight was 12hours...too long. Watch two movies...had enough time bored...feel pain on my back...

After 12hours, arrived Frankfurt main airport safely. However I had to move to Baden Baden by DB train.

I took ICE at airport, 2 times transfer at Mannheim and Karlsruhe.
First ICE was on time operation, but next ICE was 20 minutes delay....I think I could not take next IC at Karlsruhe station... But IC also 30minutes delay. I was lucky?!

Finally, I arrived hotel in Baden Baden. Eat some food and drink beer. 24hours from leave my house... Tired!!! Go to sleep!!


Next morning, I surprised I saw view from hotel window. This hotel is in grape plant!!!!

18th/Oct.
Meeting in component supplier.
It wad completely "away game"!! Because meeting with 6 German guys!! I am alone!! Wahaha.

But face to face meeting had so high efficiency!! Could see faces directly, and could use white board and drawings!!

19th/Oct
Meeting again same company for more detail technical discussion, another company guys joined. Very interested!!

After meeting, I moved to Aachen city with another company guys by car. 400km moving. We had two times heavy traffic jam.......

Aachen city is beautiful city.

20th/Oct

In Germany, Sunrise time is later than Japan. Still dark on 7:30am.

German style breakfast

Sunrise on 8:00

Meeting all day. After that I moved to Dusseldorf by DB regional train. I will join to my boss who will arrive Dusseldorf on night.

Dusseldorf HBF

21st/Oct
Meeting!!!
In evening, every Japanese restraint was very clowd!!....we had dinner in Nikko hotel....

Next morning, we have to leave this city heading for Bergium!!

To be continued.

I wanna go WOA someday!!

In this few years, I visit Germany many time for business. But never much to Wacken Open Air metal festival!!

This year, my favorites bands were acting!!
Examples;


Kreator WOA 2011

Children of Bodom at WOA

Helloween WOA 2011

I really want to join to WOA someday!! Next year?....I have to make business in middle of summer!

Hiroshima Trip

I went to Hiroshima city with my family on 30th/Sep to 2nd/Oct.
For me second time visit, last time was 25years ago.


photo: Atomic Bomb Dome, it was very close to center of explosion.

Park of memorial of peace.
Lot of houses were in here, completely destroyed!!

66 years ago, Atomic bomb has been exploded and Hiroshima city was completely destroyed. But now this city is very good city beautiful view and good food.
If Dome and memorial park are not here, we can not imagine about bombing in city.
We have to never forget!!

We did ride tram in city lot of time. Because it is very convenience and my boy is loving trains!

And we went to Miyajima. It's world heritage place. It's awesome view!

Access to Miyajima, we have to use ship, Miyajima is island.

It's really nice place!!

We had good foods and some beer.
I love Okonomiyaki with Hiroshima style!!!

Rotor 3D crank has been equipped my bike

Hi, I did not wrote in long time.
2 month ago, I purchased new crank and chain rings that Rotor 3D crank system and aero Q-rings set.

I ordered to England shop, their work was very quick. Only 5day until arrived my house.

Crank box and chain rings

My choose is CrMo spindle crank compatible for Shimano BB and 50x36 chain ring set. Rotor has also 34 for inner ring. But it is too much wide spread for me and front gear change quality is little bit bad.

Assembled my bike

First assembly, I used Rotor BB1. But thread accuracy is not so good. Therefore I used Shimano Dura ace BB. It oil seal torque is little bit big but accuracy is too high.


Riding impression
It's so stiff!! Comparison with Fulcrum carbon RS crank previous use. Rotor crank has very high stiffness that is same as Shimano Dura ace hollow tech system.

And Outer chain ring has one good improvement.
Number of pins for outer shifting are increase to 6 from 4(my former version). Shift change is very smooth and not necessary fine tuning of Front derailed setting!!

It's nice and good looking crank system!!

Keep fun ride!!

BONT A1 Shoes

I am using BONT A1 shoes for roadbike and fixedgear bike with Speedplay pedal.

A1 features are;
*Very light weight
*Possible perfect fitting own feet by Thermoforming
*Full carbon sole has much stiffness
*Carbon sole is very thin, it is very close to pedal surface. Direct feeling!

My first purchased color was Red, I love red and my fixedgear bike is also red!

I did thermoforming used heat gun (not hair dryer, energy is not enough) by myself. It was so easy then read manual carefully. If I get not so good fitting, I can do thermoforming again and again. (BONT said, possible over 100 times)

I think it is good that thermoforming every half year, because socks is different between summer and winter.

In riding.

After thermoforming and assemble pedal cleat, I was riding bike.
I can feel very direct feeling during pedaling.
By very stiff carbon sole, and very stiff upper side.
Like a snowboard hardboots shell. I like very tight and hard hold feeling. My foot can not move in shoes, exclude fingers.

At first I didn't use insole with this shoes, I feel hurt on my foot bottom due to much hard sole. Now I use insole. It's my recommend.

10 months have passed from start to use it. I use almost everyday.
The shoes have become damaged (especially bottom and side). Sometime I did lay down on the road!!

I purchased one more A1 shoes I love it. But store has not red color, I choose white leather version.

This time I got very cheap price from overseas. Below half time to in Japan market price!!
It's not only shoes, other import goods is same situation. Japanese dealer added very high margin (understood it's risk-hedge, but....too high)

At the moment, my feeling and my opinion, Bont shoes is best!! I keep to use this long time.

Oh, one negative point, it's air flow is not enough to inside shoes...hoooooot in summer season.

My weekend is shifted

This year 2011 is quite special year for all Japanese people. As you know terrible huge earthquake and tsunami attacked and nuclear power plant accident.

Of course, I can work almost normal.
I don't say anything I think about north of Japan area.....

I am working in commercial vehicle produce company. Almost car makers are shifting weekend in this summer for energy saving.

I feel very strange....every morning I can't understand what is today. Little bit confused.

My motivation is not increase!!!
Because it's different between my weekend and my wife weekend.
And in my case, I can contact to European cooperation companies only 3days in week.

Probably, shifted weekend will be used in next year and next and so on......
Who will check this years effect??
I will check by own after shifted weekend season.

Interest bicycle frame

Hi,

I found very interesting road bike frame that is Ridley Noah FB.
Source of some photos are
Bikerader.com

New Noah FB has "full integrate brake system in frame" is called "Fast Brake".
Both brake arms are integrated on Front Fork and Seat stay.

It's like the V-brake system. I wanna ride it!!

And Cervelo released new Aero Road frame name is S5.

I think it is combine S3 and P4. Looks very fast!! Also I wanna ride!!

Each frames (Noah FB and S5) are so expensive. I wanna purchase but I have not enough money.....next year model???