Henry Lubong's Journal

Another must have accessory and tool for a road bike. I love it! It looks clean on my bike. It also works perfectly with my Garmin Forerunner 305. Pairing is smooth and painless.

Carmela got an upgrade, from a  trike to a real bike (almost) with training wheels.

Picked up my new 2011 Tarmac Elite from the store.  She looks gorgeous

FACT 8r carbon frame vs E5 race-inspired aluminum frame (S-Works’ old frame)… exactly the same geometry, 95% of the components are the same using SRAM Apex gruppo, $600 difference. Oh joy, here goes the debate between carbon and aluminum!

Just picked it up today. It’s a women specific bike in stunning purple color. It’s only 18.5 lbs. Pretty light for a beginner bike. She’s already tested it to the hill I used to go for warming up. Hmmm…

I’m selling my Motobecane Fantom Elite and some other MTB components that were taken off from upgrading my other bike. They’re on craigslist so check them out: 2008 Motobecane Fantom Elite – http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/2230995658.html Shimano XTR Rear Derailleur RD-M971 SGS Long Cage – http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/2230927753.html Shimano SLX Shifters SL-M660 with cables (Left & Right) – http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/2230915789.html Shimano [...]

Dyna-Sys is Shimano’s new drivetrain technology which primary goal is to improve drivetrain efficiency. Unlike SRAM’s XX, instead of going with a 2×10, Shimano kept the three chainring in the front with a closely spaced gearing (42-32-24 vs the traditional 44-32-22) and paired it with a wider range 10-speed cassette (11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-36). This new technology is [...]

Thanks to Sheldon Brown’s bicycle gear calculator for making it easier for me to decide on which set of chainrings and cassette to get for my next setup. The first column on the chart is what I currently have on my bike. I just got myself a 10-speed 11-36 cassette, which will give me a [...]

My current setup on my Santa Cruz Superlight is okay but I’m looking to improve efficiency on the hill. I’m currently running 22/32/44T in front and 11-34T in rear. Of course, I’ve never really used the tallest gear in the front – it’s just a weight robbing metal right now. With most of the mountains [...]

I took my kids at Alum Rock Park and rode my bike while hauling their Croozer bike trailer. This video is from the end of Penitencia Creek Trail to the parking lot. There is also a bonus part where I did a short climb of the North Rim Trail. And I did this twice

After weeks of product comparison and contemplation, my wife and I decided to pull the trigger on the Croozer 535, a 3-in-1 bicycle trailer. It seems like the market for bicycle trailer is very small. So you will either get something good or worthless. Anything in between is still questionable. I’m not saying you have [...]

Yet again, I pulled the trigger today on a Santa Cruz Superlight mountain bike. I got it from Sun Bike Shop in Milpitas and I have to give two thumbs up for my first purchase experience with them.  I was initially just going to replace my frame but since my wife needed a bike anyway, [...]

I rode my bike on a hill yesterday and tried something new. So while climbing up, I slightly moved my body backwards (about an inch or two) and for some reason, I was pedaling more efficiently and less effort with my body in this position. I tried switching back and forth to my normal riding [...]

I did a 5.2 mile loop today around my neighborhood – Nieman to Yerba Buena. It’s mostly uphill but not too steep. Next time, I’ll try the opposite direction. Yerba Buena is about 1.5 mile climb.

My Church has an ongoing summer fitness event at the Groesbeck Hill Park every Sunday afternoon. It started last week but we didn’t get out of the car because it was windy and cold. But today is the opposite, it’s 92 degrees burning hot outside. Groesbeck Hill is a great exercise and physical park. It [...]

So the bike was delivered by UPS yesterday. The shipping took about a week, from TX to CA. I’m pretty satisfied with the overall transaction. It actually exceeded my expectation. I placed an order on the 1st, the following day I received my UPS tracking number. The transaction is through Paypal. I was skeptical at [...]

I just got a phone call from my wife, my bike has arrived. Thanks to UPS, the bike was delivered at 3:36pm. Can I go home now. Work is so distracting.

Awesome! Now it’s a waiting game. UPS, please be careful with my baby.

My quest for a new mountain bike is over. It took me almost a month looking for a new bike. Every night I go online checking out the forums, posting questions and looking for good deals. I can already memorize every single mountain bike post on Craigslist, lol. I’ve also visited a couple of LBS [...]

This afternoon, I went to Performance Bicycle to get me a new tube for my road bike. I browsed around the store first and checked out some bikes. Then I saw a 2007 Iron Horse Azure Sport full suspension mountain bike with dw-link. I was actually checking this bike online because it’s on a closeout [...]