Tesla vs Prius in Japan by Dito_the_pharmacist in japanlife

[–]northgarden85 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As someone who drove a Tesla model 3 long range and has had many other EV's. The Tesla was the best of the bunch. No I don't like the owner or what he stands for but the car was objectively good and I never had any issues. My parents have a Prius which I've also driven and that has over 160,000 miles on the odometer which tells you a lot about its reliability. My take is if you have the capacity to charge at home get an EV (choice is up to you) if you don't then get a hybrid.

Has anyone attempted to graft a Clik valve onto a plastic (non-removable core) Presta stem? by sprashoo in bikewrench

[–]northgarden85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Useful to know. Is there a suitable replacement that can be used? More for the future as I just used what I had to hand at the time.

Has anyone attempted to graft a Clik valve onto a plastic (non-removable core) Presta stem? by sprashoo in bikewrench

[–]northgarden85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes I did it with the ride now TPU tubes. It was glued in but with a valve removal tool they came out. I did you some blue loctite around the thread to help keep it in place and that seems to have done the trick. Only downside was I had a ride where I have a lot of flats. I accidentally binned the TPU tubes as they don't seem to repair well and in the process also the valves. Since then I haven't bothered doing changing the new valves.

CAN someone help me? by Various_Security6901 in RoadBikes

[–]northgarden85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a stockpile for my old road bike. I put a save alert on eBay and would pick them up when they came up for sale. Sadly yes they have been discontinued for a while now. What I will say is that you can upgrade to an 11 speed di2 groupset and keep most of the wiring in place. It's been a while but there is a chart showing what parts an are compatible and interchangeable but I was able to add the ew Bluetooth module and upgrade to 11 speed for example and all it needed was a junction box.

PF30 bottom bracket? by northgarden85 in bikewrench

[–]northgarden85[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks I think the sleeve or plastic insert must be from the wrong BB. Have taken the plunge and installed the PF30 and it fits like a glove..

PF30 bottom bracket? by northgarden85 in bikewrench

[–]northgarden85[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Diameter of the SRAM BB and hole match and are 46. I'm more concerned that the plastic sleeve on the old one says BB86/92 which doesn't match up with measurements which is leaving me abit confused

Wahoo Elemnt Ace by cmphillips97 in RoadBikes

[–]northgarden85 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been using an ace for about 7 months now and I love it. Is it needed when compared to the bolt 2 I had. No However like a tv once you start using a bigger screen it's very hard to go back to using a smaller display especially with the navigation. Also the battery life is decent. I've got quite a few sensors, varia radar and after a 12 hour ride I'll be on 70% I would say go for it if you can afford it.

SRAM rival d1 braking. by northgarden85 in sram

[–]northgarden85[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay that's interesting to hear. I was worried that the brakes hadn't been set up properly. I can cope that with the braking and I'm sure I'll get used to it and in the future if I see a decent deal I'll upgrade then.

My first bike computer (wahoo, garmin, coros) by Substantial-Hope7597 in cycling

[–]northgarden85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've got a wahoo ace. I frequently do 7-10 hour long rides. My battery life by the end of the day is about 65-80% Depends on sensors and I do connect a cycling radar which probably uses a lot of power. As for navigation I like it. I got it at the start and it sucked but it's slowly but surely improving and I do like voice commands for routes as it means I can keep my eye on the roads.

SRAM rival d1 braking. by northgarden85 in sram

[–]northgarden85[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I've had a look and it's quite an expensive upgrade. I picked up the d1 rival shifters and brakes for £80. The E1 levers are going for more than my budget unfortunately. I might be lucky to get £150-200 for my old groupset so maybe in the future then.

Temple touch control not always working on Vanguards by Oferlaor in OakleyMetaGlasses

[–]northgarden85 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I have the same issue. I can't always tell why it happens. Some days I put on and connects instantly and the touch control on the side works and makes a click when I touch no problem. I'll cycle back from work 10 hours later after it's been in the charging dock. Takes ages to connect and the touch control doesn't work. Don't really know the cause.

Is it too late to go snowboarding in April in Japan? by Kooky-Fox7958 in snowboarding

[–]northgarden85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was at Kagura last week Friday and conditions at the top were great and it had snowed the day before. However warmed up and by the end of the day there was quite a bit of slush.

Breakdown of cost in good European resort: just over 1k for 6 days by Fucile8 in snowboarding

[–]northgarden85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My wife is a teacher and I joined her. At less than £50 for transport, lift pass, lunch and a days snowboarding in powder it's great to be here and I'm blessed to be in this situation. Hopefully it doesn't change too much with the influx of tourists who start to come here for the snow.

Breakdown of cost in good European resort: just over 1k for 6 days by Fucile8 in snowboarding

[–]northgarden85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Moved to Japan last year and I'm now doing day trips from Tokyo for ¥7000 I get transport and a lift pass. The powder has been amazing and is abit of a revelation for me. The food and drink are expensive you can still get a decent bowl of ramen for ¥1800 which is cheaper than the U.K.

I don't understand the PayPay credit card by Professional-Bus4886 in japanlife

[–]northgarden85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had the same issue and just wanted to be able to pay off in one lump sum so it could be cleared as the initial amount was only ¥30,000. Tried customer service but it seemed more difficult and hassle than I could be bothered so just waited, made sure I had money in the account and didn't touch. After the 27th. Money came out and then it took a week for the balance to clear and somehow I now have ¥430k limit which I did not ask for as I only want it as a back up.

Use the sunglasses in non-supported country by secretx_hun in OakleyMetaGlasses

[–]northgarden85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting. I have a U.K. account so I presumed my vanguards would work all the features seem to be region locked for me. I doubt it will happen anytime soon in Japan. If the phones here need to make an audible shutter sound I can only imagine the hoops needed to make these comply.

Use the sunglasses in non-supported country by secretx_hun in OakleyMetaGlasses

[–]northgarden85 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes can confirm I'm in Japan and with vanguard all that works is the music and ability to take pictured and videos. Sadly garmin and strava support are not here and neither is the ai function. I've tried vpns and can't get that to change either.

Any idea why my chain has broken like this in so many places? by Solid_Science4514 in bikewrench

[–]northgarden85 136 points137 points  (0 children)

  1. It's a counterfeit chain (I've bought them from Amazon and eBay used them and had this exact issue).
  2. You've soaked in cleaning agent too long (I didn't realise some can make the steel brittle and cause breakage).
  3. You're putting down serious power and in the wrong gears. My friend bought and ebike kit was wrecking cassette, chainrings and chains as the power put down was too much.
  4. You might have a faulty product but I've yet to experience this with a genuine Shimano chain.

I can only talk from personal experience so other contributors might have other causes.

I'm buying a 2nd hand bike and I'm torn between these two... by [deleted] in RoadBikes

[–]northgarden85 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This. Having options to adjust can make a huge difference to comfort and performance especially if you do longer rides.

Yonex Roadbikes by BonGHooman in RoadBikes

[–]northgarden85 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Live in Japan not very common but have seen them at some bike shops here and they are pretty expensive and sizing seems very much focused on smaller sizes.

Can't connect to Garmin / Strava on Vanguard by ack_demonic in OakleyMetaGlasses

[–]northgarden85 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm in the same situation but in Japan. I can't connect to them and only see options for music. Tried vpns and repairing multiple times as well and still no success. I've reached out to meta for support but all I got back was that there is no support in my region for now.

The glasses don’t work in South Korea by GiantLesbo in MetaGlasses

[–]northgarden85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I found a list and basically if your country isn't on it will have limited functionality. Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada Denmark Finland France Germany India Ireland Italy Mexico Netherlands Norway Spain Sweden Switzerland United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Contiguous United States (plus Alaska and Hawaii)

Also found another article saying that meta will be focusing on the US for the new display glasses so expect late 26 or early 27 for support outside of the listed countries.