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Saturday, April 17, 2010

Zuiko and Bicycles

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E-30 with Zuiko Digital ED 35-100mm F2.0
35mm, f/3.2, 1/400s, ISO100, -0.3ev

I have rekindled an old past time - cycling. The last time I rode a bike was when I was a teenager, which was a 17"-frame road bike. This time around, I got myself a 17"-frame hybrid bike.

I have found that for the past twenty years, a lot of technological development had advanced this mechanical wonder. I remembered the cumbersome gearing system, the heavy iron frame, and the non-friendly tooling for wheels, brakes and fitting setups. Now, with the wonder of materials engineering the frame is much lighter, and the inclusion of easy clip-ons for easy fittings and tooling. The gearing system is very friendly, too.

What makes this past time worthwhile now is that I have a cycling partner - my lovely wife. She loves mountain bikes, but I came from road bikes. The easy way out was for me to get a hybrid bike so that we can go on trail and park rides on many occasions. So far, after one week getting the bike, I am getting the feel of riding again. Well, not counting my motorcycling days with the Aprilia RS125, the exuberance and excitement of pedaling this lovely machine really hit the right spot. I am feeling the freedom, the speed, the youth; and, using just plain clean energy while riding is just great!!

Except for the sore buttocks for the first couple of days, the light aluminum 6061 frame and wonderful Shimano equipment have helped eliminate the potential pains to my arms, back and legs. Lovely!!

Daughter coming straight at me, Continuous AF to track her approach
100mm, f/3.2, 1/640s, ISO100, -0.3ev

Well, it seems that the whole family also on the bike thing. My two kids are also enjoying this leisure. It's a good way to spend quality time with my family.

Son diligently putting on the helmet, hard at work trying to lock-in the straps
100mm, f/3.2, 1/160s, ISO100, -0.3ev

As for photography on wheels, I have decided to go back to 135 camera system, especially the OMs due to its lightweight design and small size. I seem to have about 30 rolls of Fujifilm Reala 100s in the fridge. It's about time to unleash Full Frame.



Till then....

4 comments:

Unknown said...

really like your photos and skill to capture the mood and own character. Tq and hope to read more from u soon.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
wjl (Wolfgang Lonien) said...

Wonderful photos, as always. And since I'm considering buying new bikes for both my wife and myself too: care to tell us what bike that is?

Thanks in advance,
Wolfgang

Razi said...

It's a hybrid bike..

basically it's a Mountain bike with large wheels.

The chassis, pedals and gears are mountain bike so that it's tough enough for riding in park trails and hilly terrains. The fork has spring suspension to absorb minor shocks.

The wheels and brakes are more into road bikes type. The 29" inch size makes this bike fast on the road, and the 700C tyre threads are great for comfort riding and grip on slippery grass/trails (road bike racing tyres are high pressure for much greater speed, and not very comfortable).

The hybrid bike is best of both worlds, and is more usable for general applications.