Spare Brompton crank

As an ex-BMX rider, I know how important it is to have robust bike components. When I used to race in the 80s, many a time I heard about people using aluminium three-piece cranks and having them fail very often. The problem was the softer aluminium cranks bolted to a steel spindle. Something has got to give, With the hard starts we had in BMX, no aluminium crank would last for long. That is why many used one-piece cranks, or spent a fortune on chromoly three-piece cranks with splined spindles, like the Redline 401s or Profiles.

I do not race BMX anymore. I however own a Brompton bike. What scares me (as it did many years ago) is the aluminium crank on that Brompton. The only difference between then and now is that now, I weight a lot more than I did when I used to race BMX. Sometimes, to tackle hills, I will stand on the pedals and ride. I always wonder when the aluminium crank on this Brompton of mine will fail on me. That is why I look through places like Carousell for people selling their Brompton cranks. many of them are new too! I saw a few being sold for $80 and some went as low as $40. The reason why most of these Brompton riders change their cranks is pure snob appeal. many change to those titanium cranks and some to mountain bike cranks. For me, I just love to keep it stock. I am not in a competition anymore like my BMX days. So, I will probably get a spare and keep it just in case my crank fails.

Salisbury Honeywell 4444 Voltage Detector

I saw this on the Internet when I was looking for a voltage detector for my AV work. I was intrigued because I was looking for and expecting to find the voltage detector that is made by the company Fluke. When I saw this, I was immediately intrigued. I do not know how to use it but apparently, it is used in the audiovisual field. Some specifications of this thing are:

• Verify live or de-energized conductors
• May be used with rubber insulating gloves or hot sticks using the splined universal end fitting
• Indicate the presence of voltage with an extra bright LED light and a distinctive audible signal
• 3 ”C” batteries (included)
• Dimensions: 11 x 3.5
• Settings phase to phase: Off / Test – 240V / Battery / URD: 15 kV / 25 kV / 35 kV

A very interesting piece of equipment indeed. It just looks…strange. As they say, we learn new things every day. I need to go read up on this and find out how to use it. Who knows, it may end up in my ever-expanding toolbox!

Bosch GWS 12V-76 angle grinder

As I posted in a previous post some time back, I already have a Bosch angle grinder. However, that angle grinder works off the electrical mains. What if I need to use the angle grinder in a location where there is no electricity nearby? That is why I was looking at this Bosch GWS 12V-76, which is a 12-volt mini angle grinder. Now this little baby is not cheap. Partly because of its small form-factor and also partly because it uses a brushless motor. The cutting discs it uses are also smaller than normal. Also, this dang thing spins at 19,000 RPM, which is twice as fast as the 4″ angle grinders. I am still thinking of getting this angle grinder but I need to justify the $230 price tag. Also, getting the necessary cutting discs to fit this might be an issue.

Dulux Professional Exterior paint

These past few months, all the blocks in the exterior of my neighbourhood have been getting new coats of paint. I was wondering what was the paint that was used. One day, I decided to check it out and found out that it was Dulux Professional Exterior paint. Now this is something I would personally use to pain the indoor of my house as well, given the chance. I mean, if the paint can stand up to the elements, it must be able to handle the internal “elements” as well. I think I need to find out a price for one of these…

Dell charger cable adapter

I bought this Dell charger adapter a week back. The old charger was getting on in years and I happened to have a newish Dell charger leftover from my old laptop. However, my Dell laptop has a small DC socket hole and the older Dell chargers have a large DC socket hole. So what this adapter does is to convert from big DC socket hole to small DC socket hole. And as you can see, it works just great! Not bad for $2 from Shopee. And another thing. The new adapter offers greater amperage and I like that.

Watsons effervescent Vitamin C tablets have shot up in price

Just last week I went down to Watsons to get some more of their effervescent Vitamin C tablets. I normally take these, dissolved in a big glass of water on some mornings. To my shock, a box of three tubes now costs $25 when it used to cost much less. I know the prices of things are going up but this is crazy. So I decided that I will try my luck at Guardian and see how much they charge. If that is too expensive, I will just stop buying it. Prices here are crazy these days!

The North Face Dipsea Cover It neck gaiter

I go cycling a lot. It helps me stay healthy and I get a lot of fun doing so. However, there is one thing I face on hot days. I made a post a while back about my cycle to the Tuas Lamp Post One. It was a blistering hot day and I was well and truly sunburnt. Not only were my arms as red as a cooked lobster but the back of my neck as well. When I came back home, I was looking for ways to deal with it. Then my dear sister gave me this for a present. It is a neck gaiter made by the company The North Face. It is like a fabric tube. What it does is to block the suns rays and it also helps to cover your face against the wind. I have not used it yet but I aim to do so very soon.

My old set of Allen keys

Back in the year 2000, I re-discovered BMX racing. So what I wanted to do was to get myself a set of tools to make up a bike toolkit. I bought this set of Allen wrenches from an old hardware store that had since gone out of business. These Allen keys or Allen wrenches had fixed up and and dismantled many a bike that I have owned. They have followed me to many countries in my bike toolbag when I rode my bikes overseas. Just recently, they were used to fix a projector’s mounting bracket. I am very particular of my tools and this US-made Metric set of Allen wrenches have stood the test of time. I oil them frequently and always wrap them in an oily rag. These Allen wrenches are now part of my Brompton toolkit and will probably stay that way for a long time to come

Utilities bill astronomical

This was my face yesterday after I saw my utilities bill. Holy shit. My usage was the same but the bill was not the same. It had risen by almost thirty percent. Well folks…that is what inflation does to you. And it is not only electricity. Just yesterday I went to McDonald’s to grab a quick lunch. Ordered a Bic Mac Meal. What used to be $9 has now gone up to $10. This is crazy. But look on the bright side. Maybe this is a sign to cook at home and bring my lunch to work. Yep. That is what I will have to do from now on. And the money I save from this will go to…yes, you guessed it…paying my utilities bill!

Starhub TV+ Android set-top box

My mother subscribes to Starhub’s home broadband and TV services. About two days back, she sent me a message, telling me that she had an SMS from Starhub. The message was this:

Dear subscriber, We will be upgrading your TV Service to bring you a richer viewing experience! Simply schedule an appointment with us to replace your TV box and upgrade to StarHub TV+. To find out more, reply <Upgrade Now> and one of our agents will be calling you back with more details.

She sent this message to me, asking me if it was a scam. I told her I would find out. After placing a call with Starhub and having to wait one freaking hour to be connected to their sales, I was asked if my mother would like to update her set-top box to this new Android-based one. Now. Reviews about this POS box are not good. It seems that the subscriber will be subject to a barrage of advertisements and they will have to login via an app. So I told the sales guy that Starhub can go forth and multiply.

So a lesson here all. Do not upgrade for the sake of upgrading. You will find out that upgrade of yours is more like a downgrade.