Latest games and tech news. Discover premium gadget reviews, exclusive Amazon deals, discount coupons, and seasonal sales. 🎮💻
Support Our Channel: Help us grow by letting ads run on our blog and YouTube channel! When you shop through our Amazon and advertiser links, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate (#ad). Thank you for supporting our content!
I decided to finally get myself a gravel hybrid bike. I searched around and finally decided to get the first version of the Twitter V1. You can get it from their main online store shop @ Aliexpress here. They actually have the latest version but didn't have the white color.
Even though this hybrid bike is the first version, I love the smooth and aero design. The white version is really nice. I also opt for a straight handlebar instead of a drop bar. I have a slip disc and everyone keeps telling me, I should get a bike with a straight bar instead.
It is more comfortable to sit up straight rather than hunch over. But, sometimes, I'll miss the drop bar when I want to go for speed. Feels more comfortable holding the drop compared to just a straight bar. Anyway, it's not as if I don't have a road bike.
Above are some of the photos I took while unboxing and fixing the bike. I didn't have to do much as the back tire was already fixed and probably tuned. The handlebar was already fixed with the front and rear brakes. The front tire was straightforward.
I had to cut the seatpost around an inch as it was too high for me. Changed the seat to a white color by West Biking. It's an 11-speed with 700x40c thick tires. Full hydraulic brakes which is my first. I worry about the maintenance. Carbon fiber frame and fork. SRAM NX-11S. SUNSHINE-11S,11-42T.
I haven't test-ridden the bike yet as my left knee still giving me problems. Already been a month. I can bend my knee but there's still pain so, it's not totally healed. I don't think it will ever heal as I feel it could easily be twisted. That's why I have to be careful just doing everyday things.
I'm trying out some knee-joint vitamins and hope it'll help heal my problematic knees. Maybe, I'll go out cycling again by the weekend or next week. Been feeling kinda bored after a month of non-cycling activity. I'm also thinking of going hiking at my local nature parks.
Help support this blog and YouTube channel. Buy me Coffee @
I love working on my mountain bike parts. Although my current Raleigh mountain bike is still kinda new, I decided to change the handlebar handgrips to a different design and color. This time, I chose light green. I think it mixes well with my red handlebar and bike stems.
I'm actually waiting for some new parts for my foldable mountain bike. I'm having a problem with the bike cassette and thought, might as well upgrade everything all at once. A guy I met at a traffic light advised me to change the bike chain. He thinks it is the one that's causing the problem.
Yup! I have people compliment my bike while riding it to work. They like what they see and one guy even exclaims how beautiful my cheap foldable bike is. I've changed the handlebar to a colorful type. Changed to different colors and design handgrips.
My bike pedals are also colorful type too. I put bike frame stickers on it that also act as protection. There are many mud guard designs too. I love the colorful type. I only recently decided to put on a frame chain guard when I saw how dirty it always gets. I didn't really care at first though. lol.
My foldable mountain bike is over a year plus old now and I still remember someone commenting on my youtube video that it's a cheap useless bike. You can see the #shorts video here on my Youtube channel. I've learned that it's built like a tank and I've traveled far and wide with it.
I use my folding mountain bike mainly for commuting to work. I also use it as my test bike. I pretty much learned how to change or repair parts with it. I also bought the necessary tools so that I can work on them quickly. I basically learn through trial and error.
The weird thing is, I studied automotive engineering for 2 years. Got my certs and all but I already got bored by the first year. My schoolmate was the one that urged me to join him but then he went AWOL on me. Years later, I discovered that he took a different class and now working in the oil industry.
I didn't join the automotive workforce but working on my bikes makes me feel like I'm coming back to my technical roots. Anyway, as I've said, I'm waiting for my bike cassette, shifters, and chain to arrive. I've never changed a bike cassette before. I'm upgrading from the original 7 to 9-speed type.
In the future, I might want to change my bike fork and crankset. I've already done some surveys of the parts that I like. Again, I've never changed them before. So, it'll be a challenge for me to do them. It ain't gonna be pretty but I'll learn from the mistakes.
Hopefully, not too big a mistake but the experience would be good. I've even thought about buying parts and fixing them myself and then selling them off the bike to anyone interested. Most of the bikes on sale have generic designs and colors. Some might like my work.
I actually put out my folding mountain bike for sale and got some interest in it. I should have sold it before I had a problem with the bike. lol. Now, I have to spend money and repair them before being able to sell. But, having worked on it, makes me a little reluctant to sell.
What do you guys think?
Help support this blog and youtube channel. Buy me Coffee @
I finally got myself a new bike pedal, and bottle holder with a cool design and colors by the brand ROCKBROS. Also got an X-TIGER portable pump with a holder which is not that big and is light. It could be helpful when you're on the road in the middle of nowhere.
I also got some pedal bolts which doesn't fit my new bike pedal. Damn it. I thought they were all the same size. Okay, I was hoping they're the same size. Well, I might be able to use it on my road bike's new bike pedal. Yes, I also decided to get one for my road bike.
I don't have a road bike shoe. So, I didn't buy a road bike pedal with cleats. I got myself a normal kind of bike pedal. When I cycle, I mostly use it to go to work and visit nature parks. Wearing road bike shoes with cleats won't be suitable for me.
I might get one in the future though, just to feel what it's like. My bike is more for my transport rather than for sports. I do use it for maintaining a certain level kind of fitness. I have bad knees and a slipped disc. Cycling is a low-impact exercise for me.
Yesterday, I used my Java Veloce road bike to work and I think, every time I ride it really feels good. Especially, when I hold the drop. Also, I always feel the need for speed and to go faster when I'm on it. Doesn't feel the same when I'm riding my mountain bike.
The way I ride though is more of the reckless mountain biker. That's why a mountain bike is more suitable for me. Especially, when sometimes, I need to cut into grass and dirt road. Yeah, I've thought of the hybrid gravel bike. But, I feel more secure going off-road with a handlebar instead of the drop bar.
Again, who knows I might decide to get one in the future. I like cycling around the country to beautiful quiet beaches and cooling green nature. Listening to birds and bugs singing from everywhere around you. I used to be lazy and just hang around my house when not working. Not anymore.
Feel free to visit my youtube channel and check out some of the videos I took of places I've cycled to. I plan to go to more places in the near future. There are parks and places that are closer to my workplace that I can go to after work. Like the Japanese Cemetery park.
Cycling is really fun and changing some of the bike parts yourself is fun too. I'm always on the lookout for cool design bike parts. It makes my bike feel a little special. Of course, getting the look from strangers is fun too. I like when I stop at traffic lights and people eye my bike.
They'll be wondering where I get it. Most of them, I got online and from China. The bikes I bought are made in China but the Java brand road bike is a collaboration with an Italian design company. I like the design and the quality of the bikes. My RALEIGH brand is from England but made in China version.
What do you guys think?
Help support this blog and youtube channel. Buy me Coffee @
I love the GoPro Hero 10 Black. I've always wanted to buy a GoPro so that I can record while on the go. I've tried it out when cycling on my Java Veloce road bike. But, I didn't use the chest mount as it is kinda cumbersome.
Before I had the GoPro, cycling to Coney Island, I thought to myself if only I had an action camera. Now, that I finally have it, using it to record my ride on the little island. Which is excellent for mountain biking. Though, it's not a mountain. It's fun for off-road riding.
You can watch my coney island cycling biking video here. It was my first time using the chest mount and I make the mistake of not testing it out first. So, the first few mins are videos of the road, my legs, and the handlebar. I keep it as it's a different point of view.
After I reach the beach, which is another reason why you want to go cycling on coney island. I reposition the camera again. Oh yeah, I took some pictures with the GoPro and it's actually not that bad. It's great if you want everything to be on the GoPro MicroSD card.
Having all your videos and pictures in one card makes it easy and faster to transfer to your mobile or PC. I'm the lazy type so, I like everything to be in one easy-access place. Though, I did take videos and pictures on my iPhone 13. Especially, when you want to upload the #shorts video.
I brought my Nikon P950 camera along too but decided not to use it. Makes me wonder if I need it anymore since, my mobile phones and GoPro seems already good enough. But, then I thought, I still like using the P950 mostly because of the zoom capabilities.
The problem for me is that I'll be needing a bigger backpack to bring all these stuff and their accessories. Of course, when you go cycling, you want to go light. But, I'm making videos for my youtube channel and other social media platform. So, I need to bring them along.
Yes, I already have bike bags if you're wondering. But, I prefer a backpack so that they'll always be with me and I don't have to worry about them being stolen if I leave them on my bicycle bags. I also don't want to put bike bags on my road bike.
One day, I might want to get a drone that has the 'follow me' feature. I cycle alone and although there are ways to record yourself riding, having a drone that follows and record you in action will be practical and way cool. I'll need to save up though as they're pretty expensive.
I've played with drone and there are skill sets to master. Also, there are some place where drone are ban. You'll have to be mindful of that when using drone. Technology is good when it's for good reason but when people starts to abuse it's usage, we all suffer.
The pic is my foldable mountain bike. Some don't like it and saying thing such as it's crap. Just because, it's cheap doesn't mean it's not good. I cycle to work with this bike and also when going cycling. The bike is serving me well on my adventure.
Yesterday, I saw a cycler with his big tires type mountain bike. I was wondering why he's pushing his bike when I saw the front flat. His bike looks rather new. Just shows, big tires can easily get punctured too. Another reason why I got the foldable. So, that I can chuck it inside a cab when needs to.
I finally finished installing a new headset for my mountain bike fork. My old bearing was somehow ripped and I had to change to a new one. Lucky for me, the parts are easy to order but, I wasn't sure of the exact size even though I did the measurement.
I also wanted to try different bearing types and colors. I chose purple as it looks nice and also it comes with a full set. Unfortunately, because my bike is a folding bike, the design is a little different. The good news is I've ordered several different types of bearing.
Like I've said before, I want to learn to change all of my bike parts and already bought tools specifically for bicycles. Definitely, it wasn't a smooth experience but, for some reason, I find it relaxing. Especially, when you think it's easy but there's always a problem cropping up.
I'll be screaming and cursing to myself when things don't go my way but always try to find a solution to solve it. It helps when you can actually get the correct parts but so, you'll have to wait if it's not. Sometimes, I just guess the size as I'm a little lazy to do the measurements.
I measured my original bearing size around 40-41mm. I wasn't sure so I ordered both sizes and both actually fit the cup. My original bearing is also not a sealed bearing but when I tried the sealed type, it actually felt better and smooth.
I only realized that I can actually change the cup after it accidentally came off while I was trying to put back my fork. Now, I have a new cool purple color cup set for my bike. Taking out the fork makes me realize I can easily change to a new bike fork next time.
Well, every damn time, I said to myself this is going to be easy, a problem came out. And, I have to either modify, reused old parts, etc. I pretty much learn from mistakes. That's what I call learning from the school of hard knocks!
I'm almost 50 and I don't know why only now am I interested in biking. Yeah, I learned to ride a bike in the parks when I was around 9 or something. Even then, I had to beg my dad to buy me a bike. He bought me a 2nd hand bike that has a weird handlebar and different tire sizes.
Check out my new mountain bike fork purple color headset below:
Some people commented that my bike is just cheap junk trash. I beg to differ. Yes, it is cheap. That's why I bought it. It suits my budget and so far I've road over 100 miles with it. Using it to commute between work and home. I've also ridden to faraway parks and beaches without any problem.
It's not those expensive trails or road bikes. Although, I'm basically using it for various different terrain. Sometimes, I use the pathway, cut into grass and little off-road trail. Going up and down slopes and even smashed my bike into a metal railing. Yup, this bike has been through it all and still riding on!
By the way, I took the opportunity to also change my cable bike brake cable housing from black to green and red. Will be changing the shifter color to white once I got my new drop bar. I'm curious to use a drop bar on my folding mountain bike. Lol.
