kamotE trails

I got the Token Jockey Wheels to replace the stock wheels of my Shimano Zee rear mech. The stock wheels are already dried and stuck up which made pedalling harder. This gave me an excuse to have the jockey wheels upgraded to a sealed bearing alloy type although I have easily cleaned and greased the stock wheels. The wheels came with an adapter that I don't know what it's for. Installation is simple. The only problem is that you need to tune your rear mech again since the jockey wheels are a bit bigger than the stock wheels. You need to adjust your B-tension screw to accomodate the larger jockey wheels. What I noticed from this upgrade is that there is a metal noise when turning the pedals. This is attributed to the allow wheels coming in contact with the steel chain. Shimano stock jockey wheels are made of plastic so they do not produce that noise. You just need to get used to it. Overall, the deraileur feels smoother compared to the gunked out pulleys from before ...

After my Schwalbe Citizen stock rear tire wore out, I decided to get a new pair of tires.  I have heard many good things about Schwalbe Kojak in the local forums so I decided that this would by my next commuter tires. I got a pair of 20" Kojaks for 1800 pesos from a local bike store in Pasay City.  Both the tires were installed and the still good Schwalbe Citizen tire was set aside for the rainy days. The Kojaks were slick tires. They don't have any treads or knobs. I was worried that it would lose traction on wet roads but they held up pretty well.  I tried these tires from light rains to heavy downpour and the grip on the slightly suffered. I just have to be extra careful on those man hole covers and metal gratings. Schwalbe rates this tire with a Race Guard 4 level of protection.  So far, I have less punctures with these tires compared to the Schwalbe Citizen. I got these tires because of the advertised lesser rolling resistance.  They definite...

Specs: Weight: 135 grams Material: Aluminum Diameter: 25.4mm Sweep: 5 degrees Length: 580mm Color: silver Pros: If you want to go lightweight without breaking the bank on carbon bars, this is the handlebar for you. It's made of aluminum but still super lightweight compared to other aluminum bars out there. Cons: Scratches and streaks are easy to spot on the silver/raw aluminum color. You just need to keep it clean from grease smudges and its good.

Specs: Weight: 338 grams Color: Titanium Length: 600mm Cost: 1200php I replaced the stock seatpost of my Tern D8 with this Litepro Seatpost.  I also replaced the stock metal shim with the Litepro plastic shim. Pros: It's very light compared to the stock seatpost. The surface is ribbed which is good since it prevents the post from slipping down while riding. Saddle adjustment uses 2 allen bolts compared to the single bolt adjustment of the stock seatpost.  The seatpost has height labels so it's easier to setup from the folding position. saddle clamping mechanism Cons: The seatpost can twist even when the seatclamp is overly tight. This can be due to the ribbed surface which is parallel to the twisting movement. A simple nudge can bring back the seat to its proper alignment. There's also this annoying noise it makes when you move the seatpost in and out of the clamp when folding. The ribbed surface rubs against the shim producing the noise. height label...

I recently upgraded the stock crank from my Tern Link D8. The stock crank is steel which has a lot of flex that eats up the power you apply on the pedals. It also has a cartridge type square tapered bottom bracket that is really heavy. I was contemplating between a Shimano 105 and Litepro.  I decided on the Litepro because of easy sourcing. Specs: Outboard bottom bracket 170mm crank length 56T chainring Aluminum crank for stiffness One piece CNC chainring with integrated bash guard Weight Weight is definitely a big change with this upgrade. The outboard bottom bracket and aluminum cranks reduced the weight of the bike by around half a kilo. Performance The stiffness of the cranks definitely improved the pedaling feel. It felt lighter to pedal even with a higher tooth count. The jump from 52T to 56T increased the top speed of the bike but the climbs suffered. The effect was minimized because of the increase in pedaling efficiency brought by the stiff c...

I recently changed the pads of my V-brakes in my foldie.  The old pads were quickly depleted after a rainy commute home.  Water on the rims and brakes dramatically increases the wear on your pads. Blue Jagwire Pads on the front brakes I purchased 2 sets of Jagwire V-brake pads from Paulina's at Cartimar. They were twice the price of the local MOB brake pads. I was hoping for better performance with the "Jagwire" pads. "Jagwire" in quotes because I am in doubt if its genuine just a China rip off. After cleaning the wheels and installing the new pads. There was a noticeable noise when braking from both the front and back brakes. It was so irritating that it was calling the attention of all the pedestrians I pass by. A loud metal screeching noise. I tried a few things to eliminate the noise: Let normal use eliminate the noise. (FAILED) 40 kilometers of commuting and the noise is still present and mocking me. Clean the wheels (FAILED) I realized...

I've been wanting this for my folding bike for quite a while. Good thing I found a store in Quezon City that has one in stock. Initial Impressions It comes in a nifty packaging. The grips are screwed in a plastic holder with the logo in the middle. It does really look nice which further entices you to get this grips.  The bar end extension looks solid. It clamps to the grips and the handle bar through bolts on its underside. The rubber grip has 5 configurable pieces. You can remove a piece to shorten the grip. This is also great for those with grip shifters that are planning to change to regular shifters in the future. you won't need to purchase a new grip. Just add the "bricks" to lengthen it. Performance I set this up with 4 spacers. 5 spacer is a bit too long for my short folding bike handle bar. 4 spacer setup is the optimal length where I can position my brakes and shifters perfectly. This is a nice grip. Very rubbery feel and won't let your h...

Continuing the upgrade of my Tern Link D8 drivetrain... Sorry for the blurry pics. I had to do this late at night and low light pics are not that good. After cleaning and removing the stock parts, we proceed with installing the new components. Install the SLX Cassette removing the stock cassette and the "dork disk" Put a little grease on the free hub body. I like to put grease where there are metal to metal contact to avoid metal seizing and also to protect the metal parts. Slide in the cassette(cogs). Make sure to align the cogs properly. Lock the cassette in place with the lock ring included in the cassette. Use the lock ring tool and wrench to tighten it. No need for the chain tool since the direction of tightening the lock ring is opposite the freewheel direction. I don't have a torque wrench so I tighten the lock until a couple of clicks is heard. new XT cogs installed. Install the XT shifter and lock on grips. I-spec shifters + brake leve...

The stock drivetrain components of my Tern Link D8 is good. There are times when you get frustrated over tuning the rear mech. Sometimes you need the 34 of 36 tooth cog for that steep climb or maybe the 11 tooth cog for speed on flats.  These all point to upgrading the bike's drivetrain (most of it). The stock parts: SR Suntour Rear Mech Sun Race 8 Speed Cogs 12-32 8 Speed Chain (don't know the brand) SRAM MRX Comp 8 Speed Grip Shifter Biologic long and short grips (paired with the grip shifter) Upgrades: Shimano Zee Short-cage Rear Mech (Freeride)  Shimano XT 11-36 Cogs Shimano XT I-Spec type 10 Speed Shifter (matches my Deore I-Spec brake levers) YBN SLA101 NP 10 Speed Chain Tern Rear Mech Adapter Lock on grips with barend Miscellaneous items cable crimp ends Tools needed: Cassette lock ring tool Chain whip Allen wrenches Chain tool Adjustable wrench Pre Installation: Dis-assemble and remove the stock drive tr...

A brake lever upgrade is a cheap way to improve braking and handling for your bike. I purchased this Shimano Deore brake levers to replace the stock brake lever of my Tern Link D8.  The advantage of the new lever is its ability to take I-spec shifters which will be my next project for this bike. The weight savings is minimal but it is definitely a plus in the looks department. Before Remove the grips and stock levers The challenge when removing the grips is how to pull it out of the handle bar. The grips are made of rubber and pulling it off without the proper technique would require very big muscles. I removed mine with the following technique: Stick a flat tipped screwdriver at the end of the grip. Pry it a little bit then spray some WD-40 inside. Try to work WD-40 into the grips by twisting it a bit. Twist the grips while adding a pulling force until it comes off the handle bar. Alternatively, if you will not use the grips or reinstall it again, you can ge...

In preparation for changing the shifter of my foldie to an I-spec type, I need to change the brake lever to be able to use the I-spec shifters.  Luckily, Shimano updated their V-brake levers to the I-spec technology. I like I-spec for a couple of reasons. The handle bar looks neat and clean. Supposedly lighter since the shifter clamp is eliminated. No shifter display window. I don't normally look at this so it's just an added weight. BL - T610 I have yet to install it on my Tern Link D8.  Installation will be a chore since the grips are not lock-on type and I need more elbow grease to pull it out of the handle bar.  The grip shifters are also there to add difficulty in getting the old lever out. I would get a lock-on grip to replace the old grips in the future. I-spec compatible levers. The new levers have clamps that can fully open to facilitate easy installation. reach adjuster It has a nice reach adjuster. Not the usual screw...

I got this Mountain Peak Pedal to replace the stock plastic folding pedal on my Tern D8. It came in a box. Nicely packaged. I bought it in the weekend bike tiangge at Daang Reyna. Its has sealed bearings for durability. Weighs 260 grams for the pair according to its box. A bit lighter than the stock pedals. I don't have a scale to actually measure the stock pedal's weight but by hand, it seems heavier than the new pedals. Nice solid feel and smooth bearings. It's also a breeze to install. Properly labeled left and right pedals.

I decided to bike to work again for these reasons: The building I'm working at only allows folding bikes to be brought up the office and now I have a folding bike. I'm lacking physical exercise and this is a good way to get that exercise early in the morning. Riding a bike is economical. I tried a new route thinking there would be less traffic and therefore less "exhaust smoke in your face" moments. We take this road when going to Rizal on early morning weekends so there is practically no traffic and its easy riding. From Muntinlupa, I took a right turn to take the M. L. Quezon Street going to Bayani road then Mckinley Hill.  This route proved to be inefficient. There were lots of tricycles and jeepneys that block your path whenever they pick up  passengers. It's a 2 way street so I have no choice but to stop. You pass by at least 2 schools which means traffic and students crossing the road. I would not take that route anymore. Going the east/...

The color matches my Jazz. We recently bought a brand new Tern Link D8. I don't know what year model this is but looking at photos from the web, it is most likely a 2013 or 2014 model. Folded bike The stock bike is quite heavy at around 12.5 kilograms. It's not as easy to carry around as I thought it would be. Carrying it with one hand requires some sort of a strap to hold on to. The magnetix is not as reliable as I thought. It once unlatched and the bike opened up while I was carrying it. In the future, I would try to create a custom strap to easily carry the folded up bike. biologic rear rack The frame was well built. The locks (frame and stem) looks sturdy and reliable. The fenders and biologic rear rack was also included in the stock bike which is a plus for me. The rack is not that heavy so I decided to keep it on the bike.  frame hinge lock The stock saddle was good enough. Its firm yet still comfortable on short rides. It's al...