Chain broken

Hi,

Last Sunday, it was little bit cold. Was it returned winter??
I did ride fixed gear bike 50km. I had a trouble that my bike chain link was broken!!

I was riding at 20km from my home. Suddenly my crank did no reaction force!!
I did stop the bike immediately and confirm, chain derailed from rear cog. I think it is strange because single gear bike chain line is straight!! It has not push force of side direction.

I putted chain on cog again and re-started. I hear some noise from chain, confirm again during riding.....a point of chain was bending!! I stopped again and check carefully.

Oh my gooooood!! Chain link was broken!!
See Photo!!

However, I was lucky because broken link plate only inside!! Still connected!!
I had no chain connection pin and chain cutting tool.....I decided to return to home with broken chain.

I had to ride carefully especially in starting situation. I kick the ground hardly on starting!!
And very careful acceleration.

Finally I returned to home safely, but take about 1.5 hours for 20km. (normally less than one hour)

Checked broken link plate with scope. It is metal fatigue due to tensil stress cycle after small crack. (I found start point of crack and shell mark of fatigue sign)

My estimation of process of broken is follows;
1. 1st small crack was occurred by chain connect and remove because I had bend to inside link plate for connect and remove.
2. It has tensile stress in forward and backward pedaling (it's fixed gear), 1st small crack should be propergated.
3. Inside link plate was broken. I could not find. However, I heard some noise from somewhere before few minutes of derailed chain.
4. Finally, then accelerated bike, broken link was in front of rear cog, outside link plate was pulled by big pedaling force and bending to outside direction, chain derailed!

Why chain link crack occurred?
In my opinion is this chain's connect link specification is not so good for many time connect and remove.
I wrote I had to bend to inside link for connect and remove chain. I did two or three times.
Link plate has large strain at sometime, perhaps over the yield point of metal material or small crack was occurred.....


I purchased new chain is not necessary bend for connect and remove.

I have to check other critical points.
Brake wire, brake pad and other.....

Keep fun and take care!!!

Bye.

Got new weapon, but....

It is still critical situation in Japan. But I have to do to my life and work possible normally.

Anyway, today's topic is my new weapon of snowboard.
Got new snowboard from Virus Snowboards Germany. It is Ultimate Free Carving 163.

163cm board is shorter than current my main board is 180cm GS board.

Before parchase, I did contact to Frank Dietzel is CEO of Virus Snowboards. Because it was difficult to choose length for me.
I got advise from him.
He said, UFC is very very fast board. If you want deferent feeling to current board. 163cm is better for you.

I decided to parchase to 163cm.
UFC has been arrived my home on 28/Feb from Germany, when I was in Germany for business!! It's funny....

I opened the box after Euro trip.
It's so nice snowboard!! Deck is Titanium and Carbon!!

I checked stiffness of bending and torsion. I think it is little bit soft compare with my current and past used boards.
UFC has so big side cut radius, therefore it is little bit soft. Rider have to more stand angle at into turn situation for same radius of SL boards.

Nose of this board is "hammer head" and "rocker" shape. They are strong effect to into turn situation and stability. But I have to arrange riding little bit for this may be.

I did set up binding and edge tune and waxing.

My stance setting is follows;
Stance width: 540mm (possible wider)
Front angle:55 degree
Rear angle:50 degree
Side cant : No
Toe and heel lift: higher as possible
(my stance width depends on amount of lift)

I planed to go to test ride on 12th/March.
But as you know, Japan had hard attack by terrible earthquake on 11th/March. I could not go.

At the moment (end of March), perhaps I am not sure go to ride to mountain in this season. If I can go to there, I will report to impression of this board!!

I am looking forward to riding UFC soon.

Bye!!

Pray for North of Japan

It Is so severe situation in North of Japan due to M9.0 earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear plant accident at Fukushima.

I pray for all of the people in north of Japan.
I believe Japan will be back!!!

Earthquake M8.8 In Japan....

Yesterday Japan had so huge earthquake was M8.8 and 10m Tsunami....


This morning, we can see "Horrible and tragic" condition at Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefecture.
Unbelievable........


I saw lot of peoples are sending very kind message and pray for Japan, Thank you very much.
I also pray for them and think " What can I do?"

Motor Fan illustrated magazine

Hi,

As I wrote, I am a Vehicle transmission designer on my blog profile page.
I purchased a magazine is "Motor Fan illustrated MT/DCT issue" from Japanese publisher.

It has so many transmission photos, beautiful illustrates and interesting texts.
If you like car or mechanics, it is impressive magazine for you.

So this issue's special is mechanism of "Manual transmission" and "Duel Clutch Transmission".
Notes; typical DCT is VW DSG system, do you know?

In japan, almost passenger car equipped CVT. However, in Europe, they moves from MT to DCT now. Because it is different drive condition between each other countries.
In this magazine, they said DCT is best slution for passenger car....really??
I think which is best depends on aprication, destination, cost and other demands.

Near future, CO2 reduction demands will be increased. Engine displacement should be decrease, Hybrid system will be more used. We have to more deeply consider which transmission solution is best!! So I don't say, somebody did said same.

What function of transmission is most important?
Optimize to engine torque and speed in any vehicle driving condition!!
And torque transmit efficiency!
It is my personal opinion.

Anyway, I am incharge of commercial vehicle transmission development.
Please write in Motor Fan regarding technology of transmission for truck.
Heavy duty truck transmission is The State of the Art I think.
Example,
Formula1 has AMT system, many year ago, HDTruck uses 12speed AMT system. Of course controlled by wire.
And newly system is calculating fuel consumption of engine for gear shift management.

Passenger car world is interesting. Also Heavy duty world is very interesting!

Let's go to book store or web surfing!!!

Bye,

Next trip to Europe

Hi,


I am planing to next business trip to Europe.
I will visit to Germany, Swiss and Austria (Not fixed yet). It was so cold on last time visit in last December. I hope it will be warm!!


Honestly, I have not enough time because I will visit to four companies in five days....so many move.
If possible, I would like to stay more some days, but I can't approve from my boss....This is business.


Swiss trip, 
I went to Swiss over ten years ago. I am grad to visit again.
But I have no time for site seeing!!! haha.


I will be extreme busy......may be.


Bye,

2 days meeting with European guys

Hi,

These 2 days, I had meeting with European cooperation company guys for my working. This time meeting is technical discussion. It's was very impressed experience for me. But so tired...I had to use English!!

Thier working style, technical backbone and management are deferent to us. In other hand, same situation for them. But technical documents are common language for each other.

So, our young staff joined meeting. I have to transfer correctly technical interigence and our experience. It is very difficult, but I have to consider how to do this.
I think this issue is "big problem" for all company in the world....

Anyway, off business time, lunchtime and yesterday night dinner.
We invited them to Typical Japanese style restaurant is call "Yakitori house".
They were very relax and talk about many things, we also enjoyed!!
They could eat raw fish "Sashimi" in last night. We did suggest to them for lunch, go to Sushi-shop!!

Today, they went to Sushi-shop, of course moving dish style shop (very cheap!!)
They very enjoyed and said "This style Sushi-shops are in Europe, but fish is not so fresh and not so much kind of fish, it is very good!!"
I relieved...because I had so much kindness from them in Europe then I went.

We promise to them, invite to "Ramen shop" on next time in Tokyo!!

I have to transfer to young guys and other guys my experiense (business issue and night life issue, hahaha)

When next time????

Bye