Review: NiteIze Marker Band

For my RTW, especially when riding wearing using long pants, the Marker Band is an indispensable item. It does a double job, safety wise: keeping the hem of the pants away from being stuck onto the chain/chainring whilst making me visible from rear.

NiteIze Marker Band on my right ankle

It's intended use is on the bicep; however, I use it on my right ankle while cycling.

It has a few options as a visibility marker:

Passive - reflective yellow band

Active - continuous red LED light

Active - blinking red LED light

The LED unit is the same as on the Sport Vest albeit shorter clear wand, with the same high quality for the make and material and with the same lighting modes - continuous, blinking and off. Battery is provided and I used the item straight away after taking it off from the packaging board.



NiteIze Marker Band



The unit is lighted by a small LED, and a clear wand is attached to it to disperse the light so that we get a long, lighted strip. Everything is encased in a reflective sleeve which is also fitted with loops to slip the elastic band in. The make is of high quality and feels durable too.

Visibility is good, and LED is bright eventhough it is encased in the reflective sleeve. The switch position is marked (printed) so that you won't have to wonder where it is. When using half finger gloves, I can feel the slight bump on the end of the LED unit - that's the switch. With full finger gloves, I have to look at the unit to turn on (or blink, or off) the LED.

Sporting an adjustable buckle on an elastic band, it is easy to strap on and to take off - the feature that I like most. As the strap is elastic, adjusting the buckle is easy - just fasten the buckle together, and pull the strap to your desired tightness. However, I'm afraid that over time it will give way. We'll have to see about that.

tuck the loose end in

Another thing to be careful with is that the elastic strap would have a long loose end dangling. I have about 3.5" loose end. This is foreseeable as the unit is intended to be used on the bicep. My biceps aren't big, either, and more so my ankle. I make sure that it won't get caught on the chainring by either tucking it under the marker, or just simply flip the buckle the other way around so that it would be on the outer side of the ankle. Having a proper way to secure the loose end (velcro, or provide a loop like a belt) would make it nicer.

At RM60 a piece, it is not cheap. But, you get what you pay for - high quality safety product. Other than the dangling elastic strap which is only a minor to me, there's practically no other negative side of the Marker Band that I've encountered so far. I'm quite happy with it.

Further reference:
NiteIze page on Marker Band

Marker Band is available locally through Gear 'n' Gadget.

Review: NiteIze SpokeLit

This item is neat and simple. Lightweight, too, and ready to be used right after you install it - battery is included. Plus, no tools required to install it onto your wheelset.

 

SpokeLit - shoved between my wheel spokes

Installation is a bit challenging although no tools required, and it is only suitable to 3-cross spoke wheels with normal spokes (14/15 gauge). It's a bit hard to get the spoke snugged into the groove on the SpokeLit. That being said, it is equally hard for the unit to come out from the wheel once set and slid further out from the hub towards the rim for increased holding. Definitely not for wheels with blade spokes, or the likes of Xero Element wheelsets. Make sure you have the right kind of wheelset (and spokes) in order to use this. Recommended for 32- or 36-spokes wheels.



lighted - static 

The lighting mode is continuous (press once), blinking (press twice) and off (third pressing). There's no special button on the body, just press on the middle of the unit's battery cover and it will lit. The body is translucent plastic, so the light coming out from the tiny LED is spread to the whole unit, effectively making it lit up; visible from either sides of the wheel.

 My unit is with red LED, suitable for use on the road in lieu of passive wheelset reflectors. When the wheel is spinning, you'll get a nice ring-of-light effect. Not highly visible from the rear or front of the bicycle, though, but definitely eye catching from the sides of the bike. I get 'whoa!'s from children on the roadside whenever I pass them by especially during night commute (adults would admire, too, but I know they'd suppress their awe).

:)



spinnin' around

Put it on your front wheel, and I would dare say that you'd also be glimpsing at your front wheel every 5 seconds to enjoy the glow.



I haven't tested it for waterproofness, i.e. direct spray, but after a few rides in the rain (and mud splats), the unit is still working. Thus, no worries in that department. The battery/LED/PCB dome cover which doubles up as the unit's on/blink/off switch looks the part in ensuring protection against water ingress.

It has high quality finish, and feel. Usage is perfect for night and dawn rides. My only gripe is on the installation bit. However, that also ensures that the unit won't fall of the wheel and lost along the roads. For that, I can still accept as it's a given.

Further reference:

NiteIze page on SpokeLit



SpokeLit is available locally through Gear 'n' Gadget.

Review: NiteIze LED Sport Vest

I received this for review last year, on Christmas Eve. Okay, that's not too long ago. Anyway, I've started using it for riding back from the office, whenever it's already dark out. Also for RTW when I'm early out while it's still relatively dark in the morning.

I was a bit reluctant to wear this at first, for it would be overkill with all the blinkers and reflectors that I already have on my bike, bag and right ankle. Well, in the interest of personal safety, I put it on and lit up the rear LED (continuous mode).

Of course, I myself can't tell if I'm highly visible on the roads at night. A friend passed me by in his car and commented that I was, due to the vest. So, in terms of being visible, it does the job.

It is lightweight, and airy due to mesh material used. The vest is adjustable on the waist with velcro continuing from elastic strap on left and right; within reach as they are on the front. There's a velcro fastener on the right shoulder. Combined with the front fasteners it makes wearing the vest is easy even when helmet is worn, or over a slim hydration pack. Be careful with the velcro fastener for it would catch the mesh and make it ruffled.



The red LED blinkers are of high quality, located on the left hand side, front and back. The LED is connected to a clear strip, effectively making the whole strip lit up, from the power supplied by a coin sized battery (included).

There are 2 modes: continuous and blinking. Press once for continuous, again for blinking, and the third would switch it off. If you're not using the blinkers (during the day) the fluorescent orange strips housing the LED strips are still visible from afar.

There are 2 strips of 3M Scotchlite reflectors, a bit higher from the waist, front and back across. The location of the reflectors is spot on. On the belly, it is visible from the front; if it's placed on the waist it would be hidden due to the riding position. At the back, it is not too far up either.

However, due to the traffic flow in Malaysia being on the left hand side, the postion of the LED strips would be better if it's on the right hand side. Well, this vest is imported from the US, so that's a compromise. I get around this by switching the vest's back side front. This makes the adjustment a bit difficult because I have to reach my hand to the back. The velcro on the shoulder helps a great deal when I just have to slip the vest from the top (sides already adjusted), past the helmet and just fasten the shoulder velcro.

If I could wish for an improvement, the front blinker should be white, while the rear blinker red. As it is, I switch on only the rear blinker wile leaving the front's switched off.



coiled and stashed under bungee cord on my commuter bag

Batteries are provided, the vest ready to be used the moment I took it out from the strikingly high quality packaging. Easily coiled (guided by the LED strips) and stash it inside my bag with minimal space required, or strapped under bungee cords on top of my commuter bag.

Overall it is a serious item for a serious commuter. At a glance, and further inspected, it boasts of high quality in material and make. Good for night (and dawn) rides, especially on busy roads.

Plus:

Lightweight and airy

High quality material and make

Adjustable, with velcro on shoulder

High visibility (LED, reflective strip, neon strip)

Ready to use with batteries provided

Improvement suggestion:

LED strips to be located on right hand side

Front LED to be white, not red

http://www.niteize.com/collections/led/products/led-sport-vest

Available locally through Gear n Gadget.

biker and product image from NiteIze website

Research - Toxic Cities Mock 'Healthy' Cycle Riding

Elemeekkk...

 

The Times: Toxic cities mock 'healthy' cycle riding.

 

The real solution is to find a route that cuts through kampung roads, or roads with fewest engine powered vehicles. Or, we can cycle on the road when it is relatively clear of vehicles - much earlier than the rush hour in the morning, and a bit later in the evening. The benefit is two-in-one: lesser chance for an accident to happen, and lesser smog. Added bonus if there are no playful dogs on your route.

 

Keep finding the best solution, and keep on rolling. Be safe, all the time.

 

 

Thanks for coming over.

Have a good weekend!

Brake Levers - Which Side?

Avid Elixir CR - ambidextrous.

Cantilever - shown mounted RHS Front

V-brake - LHS Front

Shimano Deore M-595 - fixed LHS Front (shown RHS lever)

No matter what type of brakes you're mounting on your handlebar, you'll face this issue: Which side shall I mount the levers?

There are two options:

1. "LHS Front" - Left hand side (LHS) for front brake with right hand side (RHS) for rear.

2. "RHS Front" - Right hand side (RHS) for front brake with left hand side (LHS) for rear.

For V-brakes and some hydraulic brake models, the issue is solved for you. They are fixed to have the first option (LHS Front). Okay, you can say that you don't have options for these. For others, you're given the benefit of matching the levers with motorcycle style through the second option (RHS Front).

Hydraulic brakes hoses normally are pre-assembled to the levers and calipers and pre-installed with hydraulic liquid, giving you the no-hassle 'install and use' (or abuse).

V-Brakes

The levers itself for V-Brakes are never an issue. Cable changing is a walk in the park with V-Brakes. However, the system is deemed as fixed to use LHS Front, due to the location of the noodle hinge placement for the front brake. Located directly below the RHS lever, it's quite impractical to have the cable routed from the noodle to it. For a good cable route with a nice radius and kink-free, it is best to have it as LHS Front. You're left with having to adapt to this.

However, I've seen instances of Vs installed RHS Front, but the noodle is jutting outwards to the front and the cable is quite long it looks awkward.

Cantilever Brakes

Okay, it's a bit ol' skool and nobody I know still using this type of mechanical brakes. Basically, they are considered flexible. You can have the levers installed as LHS Front or the other.

This is due to its cable runs down to the middle in between the brake cantilevers. So, it's not an issue whether you want the front brake to be on the LHS or RHS.

Hydraulic brakes - fixed levers

The lever design is fixed, whereby one lever is for the LHS, and the other lever for the RHS. Usually you'll find that the default assembly of the hoses is for LHS Front. Examples are those from Shimano and Magura.

The lever design does not permit exchange of sides, so if you want to have it 'customised' to have RHS Front, you'd have to disassemble the hoses from the levers and switch between them. So far I've never dabbled on hydraulic brakes' hose and fluid, so I don't have any idea on whether it would be a messy affair whatsoever. Anyway, you can always have your LBS to help you with this.

Hydraulic brakes - ambidextrous levers

A number of brake manufacturers utilise flip-flop design, or ambidextrous, which means you can have the option of mounting the front brake levers on the RHS or LHS. Examples include Avid Juicy and Elixir; and Hayes El Camino, Stroker and Prime.

The pre-assembled sets look like the manufacturer knows what you want, whether you're a LHS Front or RHS Front guy. You'll say to yourself, "wow, they really know what I want".

To the manufacturer, this sort of design would lower down the production cost. Only one design for both levers.

Clever.

Why is this important?

Simply put, and primarily, it's for our safety.

The front brake is our prime stopper. It gives us more stopping power compared to the rear brake. Hence, we should be familiar with it; either to purposely use it to stop the bike, and more importantly to be aware of it - not to pull the front brake lever hard during a panic spell while going downhill (you get the picture).

My friend Gjoe was awarded with a few stitches on his chin due to this. He's a left-handed as I am (read: not normal. heheh...), and he's used to have the front brake lever on the RHS for his old 4-piston Shimano XT hydros. When he purchased his new XT hydraulic brakes, he's forced to use it as it is - LHS Front, as the brake sets came pre-assembled that way. Poor him, he pulled the wrong lever and ended up with stitches on his chin and scratches on the new brakes. Now, after the accident, he's changed the levers to what he's familiar with - RHS Front.

The other reason is for us to know our options and be prepared with any further costs ($ and time) should we need to have them modified to our preferences.

My way

I get around this problem by having it this way:

- LHS for front controls - brake and FD shifter

- RHS for rear controls - brake and RD shifter.

Okay, it is more towards fixed setting, since shifters are always LHS mounted for the FD, and RHS mounted for the RD. And, coincidentally, the same is for v-brakes. So I've got no issues on this, if I were to use Shimano hydros. Anyway, for the option freak me, I went with ambidextrous ones from Avid. Well, I bought because I got 'em cheap, primarily, and as a bonus, the design.

Also, I don't ride motorcycles because I don't have one, and that's primarily because I don't have a license (really, no kidding!). So, I don't have any issues with adapting the brake levers when I'm riding a bicycle or a motorcycle.

By the way, my Elixirs came as LHS Front. No twiddling necessary for me. Avid really knows what I want.

:P

The thing to be aware of

The moment you're getting yourself a pair of brakes, bear in mind and ask this question - what mounting option do you have with them, and does it suit your preference? If they do need some modification done to change the mounting side, you'll have to factor in the possible costs (time and $) for doing it.

I'd like to stress here that there's no fixed side for mounting your brake levers. As long as you're comfortable with it, go that path. It's your bike. You're the one who'll be riding it. After all, mountain bikes are built custom for fit, purpose and style; to the rider, riding style and personal preferences.

Which side are you on?

Added 03.11.2014: Do read this also, interesting fact and history.

Why Do Brakes Differ From Country to Country? 

photo credits:

Avid Elixir CR brake lever from mountain.bike198.com

cantilever brake from www.diaryofamountainbiker.co.uk

V-brake and Shimano Deore M-595 - mine

No Cycling on Dock Gate

It could be dangerous, and fatal if you fall down.

About 11 meters deep.

Photo taken from the dock gate.

Offroad Riding Insurance

Many riders I know, they bring along in their bladder bags all sorts of spare parts for their bikes. It's actually a good practice. You take care of yourself, and at the same time you could perform good deeds by providing for others (or make big money for yourself). To put it in another way, you're not a nuisance for others. Being kiasu or geeky, that's a thing you won't be thinking about when you suffer a puncture but without a spare tube or the humble patch kit (with pump/CO2 canister, of course).

I'm a roadie, I don't do bags

For most of the parts, they are lightweight, so they don't really feel that much. They won't take much space in your bladder bag, too, for they are usually small in size. Personally, parts of the size bigger than my palm cannot be considered into my spare parts list. Crankset, or rims, for instance. Besides, you have to bring along special tools for them too. Oh yes, bear in mind, you have to carry along the necessary tools. Otherwise, they're useless unless if someone else in the group carries them. With this in mind, be sure to look for spaces where you can stuff the spares when you're shopping for a (new?) bladder bag.

If you're a roadie who still want to ride lightweight offroad, be sure to carry lots of spare cash. I'm selling my spares at a premium. No kidding. Of course, you can still bring your spares in your saddle bags.

Items

I usually carry with me these spare items, for my insurance:

• Spare tube (also a pump and patch kit with levers)
• RD hanger
• Brake pad
• Rotor bolts (can also be used as bolts for your shoe cleats)
• RD cable (can also double up as mech brake cable)
• Snap-on chain link
• Spare links
• Necessary tools (multi tool should do the trick)
• Snack bar (optional)

You see, they are small in size and weight, but big in value. The biggest of them all is perhaps the spare tube. Followed by the hand pump. These, however can be opted out. You may just patch the punctured tube. Hand pumps can be replaced by CO2 canisters. Even if you're a weight weenie, you can still have your insurance.

A guy I know carries with him all sorts of spares, he seems like a mobile bikeshop. Ayub's the name - flip over to the 3rd issue of Cycling Malaysia magazine, he's the one wearing the white Cap Ayam tee on the Plentong Epic Ride pictorial. Whenever the guys in the group are in need, he's the one who provides. And no, don't ask him for a spare crankset. By the way, he sells his spares :)

RD Hanger

There are various designs for the rear derailleur hanger. 'Various' seems to be a bit understated. Perhaps 'hundreds of them' gives a pretty solid picture. That being said, there are also hundreds of frame designs using different hanger designs. Check 'em out: link. I know bro Ayub has a universal hanger, but I'm not quite sure how it works (or where he got it) - have to check with him. It certainly doesn't look like this one: link.

May I suggest for you to have your own spare hanger. That would save your knees from grinding your way back to base single speed, should you unfortunately busted the hanger. The next time you're visiting your favourite bike shop for a chat (yeah, right), be sure to bring along your current hanger. The best, is to bring along your bike. Get yourself a perfectly matching RD hanger.

Chain Links

I'm too lazy to use the chain tool nowadays. Hence, I'm using a snap-on chain link. There are two brands commonly found in the bikeshop - SRAM's PowerLink, and KMC's Missing Link (google 'em up). At around RM10-RM15 per link, they're not cheap, mind you. However, if time is money, I don't mind spending a little money for saving me time (and headache) especially on the trail and much more, on my way to the office. Easier for me to remove the chain for cleaning, too.

Albeit, I still carry spare chain links, and my multi-tool includes the chain breaker tool. I use the links for mending other people's chains, and use the snap-on for myself. I told you, they're not cheap.

Tools

Yes, you need them. Get yourself at least a basic multi-tool. You can do away the ones with chain breaker (like mine), if you're using the snap-on chain link. You can also leave your hand pump at home if you're using CO2 canisters. However, I never leave the tire levers behid. Although using kevlar beaded tires, I prefer to use the levers. I found that at times the beads are quite stubborn to be removed from the rim.

If I could offer an advice, please, get yourself a good tool from a reputable brand. It would be long lasting, durable, and most important of all, reliable. Do enough research for the reviews of the particular product, and you'll save your money on potential replacements of inferior items. Reviews may be in the form of findings out of riding buddies' experience, or the internet (where else?). Spend some time, save some money (again, if time is money).

Enjoyable Suffering

Mountain biking, for some, at times are testing your limit. Endurance, power, physical, mental, and most of the time, your patience. You're exhausted, your parts are busted, and now you have to suffer the ride home with a lesser bike than the one you got in with. I choose to avoid the strain, so I choose to carry with me those things. Tawakkal is not gambling. It is being prepared, and leave the rest to Allah. At least when bad things happened, I know that I did my best to avoid them in the first place. Yes, we go offroad for enjoyable suffering. But they don't have to be strenous.

See you on the trails!

RTW 02.12.2009 - the tergelebok

I think this is the first time I tergelebok while RTW. It happened so fast, in a matter of few seconds the right side of my body decorated with gashes (elbow and knee), and scratches (rib, waist and shoulder). Not a nice sight. Not a nice feeling, either.

 

It happened at the short hill from the Masai shortcut to Taman Bukit Dahlia. I gathered that the road was clear, and I was ready to roll down with high speed and tackle the double turns in style. Suddenly a white kancil emerged from the second turn, and I applied both brakes in response, partly startled. Skidded a bit, before I took the fall. The outcome: gashes and scratches, pain in right shoulder, broken hydrobag right sling buckle, handlebar endcap gashed big time, and FD is not responding very well. Other than that, alhamdulillah, all still as normal. Plus, it means that the brakes I mount on the bike really work well :)

 

I modified the bag's right sling and continued to ride as normal to the office. Surprisingly, I'm climbing Bukit Dahlia with higher speed at 20km/h, compared to the usual 17-18km/h. It's either the 'oh no, I'm already late' driving factor, or merely gear ratio choice. Usually I would use 44T all throughout the journey, and climbing up BD would warrant me to use 4th largest cog. Since the FD is not responsive and it stayed at 32T, I continued on, pairing it with 5th or 6th largest cog. Fortunately the front gear is at 32T, not the granny.

 

What's for tomorrow? Ride on! InsyaAllah. I set up a target of doing RTW for full week, Mon to Fri, taking advantage of the school holidays. A few things need to be done at home tonight - endure family members' comments (read: sympathy), repair the bag's sling, nurse (and admire) the decorations, and change new tires.

 

Oh, another good outcome of this is that Yad (my office's certified first aider) had his first experience of nursing gashes - need not to refer to manual, just followed my guide.

 

Reminder to self: the first aid kit is only less than 200 grams. Bring it along, always.

 

Stats:

Out from home	0713	hours
Arrive office	0750	hous
Ride time	32'41"	(37 mins DTD)
Distance	12.4	km
Ave. speed	22.7	km/h
Max speed	40.7	km/h
Odometer	2748.9	km
Good doggies	3	'tails'

 

If I RTW for another 10 days in December, that'll notch my odometer to the third thousand. InsyaAllah.

Ride Safely on the Road

1.       Sergeant Major Azhar of IPD Seri Alam gave a talk on a Friday morning during our safety talk session.

2.       He pointed out that it is estimated about 5,000 to 25,000 vehicles are travelling along the Pasir Gudang Highway between 6:00am and 9:00am (on a normal day, I guess).

3.       That fact sent shiver to my spine. Never again will I ride along the highway during peak hours in the morning for my RTW.

4.       I did it a few times, during my initial RTW days. After that I resorted to much safer routes. However, with the ever increasing number of vehicles coming into my workplace, it seems that the ‘safer’ route I’m using won’t be so any longer. Need to search for alternatives.

5.       Two days ago, a fatal accident happened involving a cyclist at the junction in front of my workplace, off the Pasir Gudang Highway.

6.       I would not put the photo of the victim, although it is not quite gory. Suffice to say that there’s a stream of blood from his head, on the road. However, the photo above is of the other party of the accident – the car.

7.       I don’t have enough facts of the accident, but that doesn’t matter for this entry. I don’t know whether the victim survives, or not; I don’t know what’s the full story is, but I know that the victim is not Malaysian. And he didn’t wear a helmet.

8.       Wear your helmets when you’re cycling – it may save your life, or reduce the impact of an accident.

9.       And don’t use the highway, especially during peak hours. Find alternatives, even though it would mean a longer route. You’ll benefit from the extra workout.

10.   Be safe. Stay alive.

classic bike bell

I was browsing the net with my daughter Marsya to help her with his school work. The subject is 'springs'.

So we googled for images of ehm ehm, full suspension bikes and also a bike bell (among other everyday things with springs of course).

This one from Zakkaliciousness' flickr caught my attention. Rustic bike bell. A visit to Søren Sögreni's website, and suddenly I was like transported to 50 years ago.

The price? 199dkk. That's about RM140. Pheww...

Anyway, a website with prices displayed is very nice website. I have always liked them.

Also from the flickr pages, I came to know that in Denmark bike bells are mandatory.

By the way, I still can't figure it out how to ring the Sogreni's bell.

Image by Zakkaliciousness

parking in the pantry - got noticed

That's my hardtail parked in my office pantry, my usual spot whenever I RTW.

Notice the notice? Yesterday someone put it up (the white rectangle, top left in the photo, and below) on an unused office cubicle divider in the pantry. From the text, it is directed towards me, and also my office mate Yad who also RTW once in a while.

I talked to my boss, and found out that he's not the one putting up the notice. He's okay with me stashing my bike there. No problem for me, then.

So I jot down a reply on the notice and asked the person to contact me to discuss the matter further. For the record, I receive no call from anybody about the matter, so far. Hence I'll continue on parking my bike there. At least as long as the written off chairs and unused dividers are still there, to be fair.

Err... notice the new wheelset?
:)

the notice from anon.

The big S

S A F E T Y

I work in a heavy industry, steel fabrication establishment. The level of safety, and safety consciousness among workers are very high.

Around the yard, there are many safety initiatives being implemented. 25km/h speed limit, wearing seatbelts (front and rear passengers too) in cars, no handphone usage while driving, wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) if you're in the yard, etc. etc.

Thus, alertness to unsafe act is sort of ingrained within. I'm a paranoid at home when it comes to safety matters, to the point of annoying (eitt.. macam Yasmin Ahmad pulak). This, also when I'm riding my bike on the road (albeit, I try to ease it off when offroad - not so enjoyable if 'too safe').

That's why I'm really into the big S when I'm doing my RTWs. Especially in finding the safest route. Alhamdulillah, so far I've found one safe route to work from my home.

Another concern is to be seen by other (faster) road users. I ensure that I have enough blinkers and in addition, having reflectors on my clothes. Tesco used to sell yellow reflector strips that you can wrap around your ankles, but I found none nowadays. It's a very good S item for bikers. If you're wearing long pants, you can use it to securely wrap your flapping trouser hems. One of the common safety motto: 'Be Seen, Be Safe'.

My dear biking brothers, be safe. Always.