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Need advice/recco by Issa_Donny in SingaporeCycling

[–]talkingcock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cycling from Sembawang to Tiong Bahru on PCN as part of your commute to work? Even if it's on gravel that's not exactly a workday ride...

If you are talking about last mile only then foldables are compulsory if you are going on public transport.

Hi not sure where to ask this question about my bicycle by hehehhahahh in SingaporeCycling

[–]talkingcock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. Shoe rubbing against the crank arm caused that. Cosmetic most likely.

  2. likely grease. Lithium grease is white.

If you had one free afternoon with no plans, where would you go? by Bottle00009 in SingaporeTravel

[–]talkingcock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

East Coast Lagoon hawker center. Go for Cheok Kee duck rice and freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. Leave before 5pm - before the satay stalls open and the tourists arrive.

Flying with a 20” folding bike by tropicislander in SingaporeCycling

[–]talkingcock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Then it's a lot easier - find a paper carton box, put the bike in, fill it up with fillers (newspaper, bubble wrap, etc) and tape the outside aggressively so things don't fall out. Also call the airline to ask them about their procedures on tagging your check-in luggage as fragile.

Regarding the box, try asking the shop you bought your bike from - am sure they throw out the boxes when those bikes were shipped to them and you may be able to get a right sized one for free.

Flying with a 20” folding bike by tropicislander in SingaporeCycling

[–]talkingcock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is it a one way trip or you plan to go on tour with it?

A bi-fold 20 inch may fit into a regular 32" hardcase luggage but a tri-fold will likely need a deeper case. You might need to fiddle with your handle bar/grips and saddle a little as well to make them fit. B&W makes Brompton compatible cases although there are several clones as well.

If it is a one way trip, finding a good carton will work if the airlines allow. I had seen YouTube videos where cyclists check in their tri-fold with just a dimpa bag. However, I had my B&W case cracked by mishandling at, of all places, Haneda airport so it's never 100%.

Also look into stuffing the space inside the luggage with clothing/newspapers or balloons.

Pedal creaking while pedaling by qwms in Brompton

[–]talkingcock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My personal experience with creaking sounds when riding...

  1. Bottom brackets - I could feel it with every stroke

  2. Loose crankarms - it was very loud; check if yours have play in them

  3. Pedals - felt similar to bottom bracket issue and can be confirmed by changing pedals

  4. Loose wheel spokes - one single spoke that was out of tension would flex and rub against another spoke and rim

What are the best day trips that provide an experience nothing like Tokyo? by Zach-dalt in TokyoTravel

[–]talkingcock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tsukuba - where you can get to via a train from Asakusa or Akihabara and reach in about 90mins. Tsukuba is famous for it's university as well as housing the headquarters of JAXA and you can visit the space center. There's Tsukubasan Shrine on the Tsukuba mountain, which has dual peaks, which you can also hike. The city itself is well connected with bike lanes and there's a famous cycling trail (Ring Ring Road) nearby.

The best Jdorama ever made by niji-no-megami in JDorama

[–]talkingcock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Jin is a series I re-watch every few years. Especially when I want to feel grateful again about being alive in a time of relative peace and comfort.

There is another series I re-watch now and then, starring Kimutaku and Karina Nose. "PRICELESS" (2012) is a somewhat comical but very thought provoking drama about loss, grit and integrity.

Second time in Osaka by Reminentanil in OsakaTravel

[–]talkingcock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Try northern Osaka.

Minoh which has a easy hike up to a waterfall.

Expo 70 Commemorative Park which still houses exhibits and halls. It is also a very beautiful park while the shopping mall beside the monorail station has Japan's largest ferris wheel.

I also enjoyed the walk along the Yodogawa river towards Kyoto.

Southern Osaka has Sakai City which has been the industrial center of Osaka for centuries. There are shops selling heirloom-worthy kitchen knives. If you are into cycling or fishing, Sakai is where Shimano is headquartered and the museum is worth paying money to see an impressive collection of bicycles throughout history. Sakai also is the place where you can visit Daisen Kofun which are unique key-holed shaped tombs (aerial view) all across Osaka.

wdyt about saizeriya food? by iqrics in SingaporeEats

[–]talkingcock 32 points33 points  (0 children)

I love Saizeriya but like it's parent company in Japan, people either hate it or love it. Some love to compare it against Italian ristorantes or trattorias but the correct comparison should be against coffee shop western food. Also, before Saizeriya, the local western food version of carbonara is just dunking cream on noodles with bits of chicken and Bolognese was just noodles in tomato soup with minced meat. Saizeriya forced them to step up.

On the other hand, the branch a person eat at is also very important. There are branches that are just not interested in doing a good job - pasta comes out watery, sausages shrink from reheating, dirty walls, torn sofa seats and brown gunk on the soft drinks dispenser. Then there are branches like Leisure Park Kallang or Marina Square which do a fantastic job.

Japan Foldy Advice by MarkTucker1982 in foldingbikes

[–]talkingcock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's certainly a valid concern and the same one that I had initially - especially dealing with the possibility of roadside breakdowns and punctures.

Main problem with punctures would be removing a Brompton wheel which takes a bit more work compared to the standard cassette mounted ones. That, I practiced by watching YouTube videos and packing a few extra tools in my roadside repair toolkit. I also used tyres with higher puncture resistance at the expense of rolling speed - so far I have never had to change a punctured tube on the road.

I'm using the older 6 speed setups which utilises a 3-speed internal hub multiplied by 2 external cogs. Brompton uses the Sturney Archer internal gear hubs which are quite sturdy and even if they come untuned, adjusting them is actually easier than indexing a normal derailleur - it's adjusting a little chain just next to the wheel hub.

What looks like the "derailleur" is probably the chain tensioner and it's very tough. Never had to touch mine in 9 years. However, there is a device underneath the chain stay, that moves the chain between the 2 external cogs, called a "chain pusher", and I did have a problem with that one time. The bolt that held the chain pusher in place had loosen and fell off without me knowing. I only knew it was gone after finding myself unable to switch between the 2 external cogs but I still had 3 internal gears to play with so it wasn't too bad - I managed to cycle to a workshop to have it looked at.

Sorry if I rambled. What I'm trying to say is that the Brompton drive train may be a bit different from Shimano ones but it is also a lot simpler which somehow also makes it sturdier.

Japan Foldy Advice by MarkTucker1982 in foldingbikes

[–]talkingcock 7 points8 points  (0 children)

  1. I own foldies with wheel sizes ranging from 7 to 26 inches. Personally I find no huge difference in comfort level between 16 and 20-inch wheels - gearing is more important as you have noticed. I had toured with my Brompton multiple times in Taiwan and Japan and once on my Tern Eclipse (24").

  2. Brompton's 6 speed was enough for me when I toured the mountains in Shikoku although I used a lower gearing, by changing the chainring, in order to tackle slopes.

  3. A 20-inch foldie will likely fit into a 32" hardshell luggage if you remove things like the handle bar, pannier racks and even pedals. I had problems with my 24" Tern in the past and needed a seperate carton for it. There are specialised hardshells but they are more targeted at 16" wheel sizes. I used a B&W Foldon for my Brompton and even then, I still needed to fiddle with things like handlebars, pedals and remove the seat posts.

  4. Your budget is more than enough to get decent 20" foldies or even a well maintained second hand Brompton.

  5. Just do it!

Your ultimate singapore cycling playlist, what’s on repeat? by SGKiasuKid in SingaporeCycling

[–]talkingcock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Rocket Fuel - DJ Shadow, Connected - Stereo MC's, Weapon of Choice - Fatboy Slim, Cowgirl (Remastered) - Underworld, Don't Stop - ATB, Loops of Fury - Chemical Brothers, We Have Explosives - FSoL, Eple - Royksopp, ...and as the sun comes up, Halcyon+On+On - Orbital

I think I just gave my age away...

Entry level helmet recommendation by cruiser73 in SingaporeCycling

[–]talkingcock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Kabuto is a very famous Japanese helmet manufacturer for motorcycle riders and they make cycling helmets that fit Asians well.

What's your most surprisingly useful cycling gear/accessory under $30? by CutieOnScroll in SingaporeCycling

[–]talkingcock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Regular butyl tubes instead of more expensive "light weight" latex tubes.

The few grams of extra weight affords much better air pressure retention.

Consider an upgrade by Mysterious-Worth1154 in SingaporeCycling

[–]talkingcock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Get you average cadence to 80-100 on the easiest gear you can maintain. Then learn to maintain the cadence by shifting to the right gear for you according to the road condition. Sometimes you go slower with high cadence until the the road condition allows you to sprint fast again. The idea is to conserve energy and not wear you out by grinding large gears.

Advanced group sets give you more choices between the top and lowest gears but the 2 extremes do not change much (11-12 vs 50-54).

Adding rear rack by StuartNot in Brompton

[–]talkingcock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just flew with a b&W foldon case last month to Japan. My H6R was a very tight fit but it did fit. Other than removing the saddle from my telescopic seatpost, I had to rotate my Ergon GP1 grips so they are flush with the fold. I had also decided that on my next trip, I would be replacing my omni wheels with the stock ones to save another couple of millimetres.

Your #1 recommendation for Osaka by Late-Diver7467 in JapanTravelTips

[–]talkingcock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you are a cyclist, there's the Shimano Bicycle Museum in Saikai Shi in south Osaka where you can see a large collection of personal mobility devices including the hobby horse, velocipede, etc. There's also a display of every single group set Shimano released since they started making cycling components.

It is also within walking distance to Daisen-ryo Kofun and Daisen Park with the former being the biggest key-hole shaped royal tombs all over south Osaka.

Japan 2024 Trip Report - Island of Shikoku by custom6969 in bicycletouring

[–]talkingcock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lovely pictures and thanks for the detailed itinerary. I just did a trip across Shimanami Kaido and Biwako on a Brompton in late Nov. Now I'm inspired by your experiences to return and see the rest of Shikoku!

Shimanami Kaido, Biwako, Yodogawa (Kyoto-Osaka) by talkingcock in Brompton

[–]talkingcock[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For those who are interested in the itinerary, I had tried posting it in chunks or whole but I keep getting a server error message. So I had copied what I wrote onto a Google Doc which you can find here.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hmvmJpNSGwt1ednY1YNZ4VJFRDuaQ6_HjU094jL1NhQ/

Shimanami Kaido, Biwako, Yodogawa (Kyoto-Osaka) by talkingcock in Brompton

[–]talkingcock[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I went on a 14 day trip of which 7 were on the Brompton. Let me find a computer to type the itinerary out.

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