Apple watch review

Gruber seems to have an astute take on all apple products and that is why I like his product reviews. He has the apple watch review up already and am now contemplating buying one when it launches in India. Only time will tell if I will buy one as soon as it launches or if I will wait for the second generation. But I am very tempted buy one even gift one for that matter.

The In-Between – Book Review

I just managed to complete the book The in-between by Jeff Goins and I have to admit, it was enjoyable and thought provoking. It is a book that that I would be happy to recommend to my loved friends and you my dear reader.

Don’t get startled if I say I didn’t read the book, Yeah this was the first book that I managed to complete using Audible app on my iPhone. Audio books were never my thing, I have tried a couple of books and tossed the app out of the phone after two months of no usage. This time it was different. I have to admit the bike commutes to office helped.

The Book is a short yet nice read. It helps one realize the amount of time we miss out enjoying each day waiting for something. I have to admit that the book has redefined my perspective of waiting, especially the time spent waiting for the next big thing. I can’t relate more to the book and the time, given the transition phase I am in. I think I do have a few more months of this transition time. Thanks to the book, I am going to enjoy the time rather than be restless and worried.

Amidst bustling traffic in the suburbs on a sweaty and dusty bike commute, Still being able to relate to the anecdote that is being read to you by the very own author in the earphones, can only mean that the narration is pretty darn good. The audio book is a bit shy of 4 hours including acknowledgements, etc and I recommend you spend the time learning what waiting actually means.
You can grab The In-Between book/ebook from here or grab the audio book from here

Park Tool Chain Gang -Review

I was growing tired of maintaing my bikes drivetrain clean and hence, I bought the Park Tool Chain Gang Cleaning System from local bike store at the start of the year. Its been over 6 months now since i’ve used one and it really makes my life so easy, i couldnt resist myself from writing a review about Park Tool Chain Gang Cleaning System here.

Cyclone Chain Scrubber CM-5 is the most essential tool of the chain gang system and it should be atleast part of your bicyle cleaning kit if not the entire gang. The handle for the scrubber is the only thing you would need to assemble when you open the box and remove the chain gang. The handle is quite big enough to hold the scrubber in place, and just the right size to grip in your hand. The scrubber is simple to use and cleans up the chain in minutes.Just open the metal latches on both the sides, Open the lid on top, pour the Park Tool Chainbrite Chain Cleaner or the degreaser till its filled upto the marker on the scrubber, then just put the chains in between the brushes at both the ends, and close the lid and the latches. You are all set to go now, Hold the scrubber steady and spin the pedals anticlockwise a couple of times and the chain gets clean in no time. The only gripe i had is excess degreaser might flow out and drip on the floor from your chain if you arent paying attention. So just be cautious of the floor where you are cleaning the bike. I just put my bike on an old rag and then start cleaning so that i dont litter my floor. The Magnet at the bottom does an icredible job of collecting the dirt at the bottom and hence you can you the degreaser for a couple of more times with out getting the chain dirtied with the dirt already in the scrubber. I would recommend you use your own discretion on how soon you would want to change the degreaser though. Cleaning the Scrubber itself is very easy, I just soak it in some warm soap water for some time and and wash them with plain water a couple of times later. I do feel that the Park Tool Chain scrubber is much better in build quality and durability than the Finish Line Bicycle Chain Cleaner and hence worth paying the extra price.

Park Tool Chainbrite Chain Cleaner is the second most important tool of the chain gang, due to the reason that, you could always try a different degreseaser or WD-40 anytime. It is as good as any other degreaser out there and is definitely worth using on a daily basis. It doesnt dry up off the chain if you dont wipe it off, but it does have a good lemon(citrus) smell to it which I like. If you would want something to dry off soon, this might not be the degreaser you are looking for.

Park Tool Gear Cleaning Brush is more of a good to have tool, than an essential one, but it definitely is a worthy tool to have. The bristles are hard enough to get dirt out of the sprockets and the curved handle reaches near impossible places to remove to dirt.

In all the Park Tool Chain Gang Cleaning System has been a huge time saver for me so far. Buying products made by Park tool means they are durable and crafted with thought to very minute detail to help the user. I can vouch for the products reliability and durability inspite of the premium pricing. I would rather use pay a premium and use the product longer than keep buying replacements every year.

If you ride your bike daily and you are obssessed with cleanliness Park Tool Chain Gang Cleaning System is a must have, even more so for the casual user who is too busy to ride in the first place. Besides the Chain gang is steal deal rather than buying each of these tools seperately.

Carrier Unlocking the iPhone

It’s been almost a fortnight since I unlocked my phone, boy am I not happy with my phone? I am completely delighted and loving the iPhone even more now that it is unlocked. I am a nerd and I did enjoy the jail breaking and it’s benefits. But it was always a pain in the butt to wait for a new feature on the OS update that Apple offered and I just couldn’t update to it since I had to wait for the jail break for it, and even if one is available you just got to find if its untethered etc. I just didn’t enjoy the wait at all. Its a pain for a nerd like me who wants to keep trying new things all the time, trying to live on the edge.

Earlier when the permanent unlock was offered during the iPhone 4 days I wasn’t sure if it would work and besides the price was really high. Now that there’s a ton of competition out there in the market for permanent unlocking, the prices are a bit reasonable. I liked how my phone was unlocked at official iPhone unlock, I decided to spread the happiness 🙂

The website is run by a bunch of professionals and I could vouch on it by the process they follow.

First you just select the phone model and your phone’s carrier(the one the iPhone is locked to) , then you type your iPhone’s IMEI number and add it to Cart and just give all the mandatory details like email name etc at checkout.

You instantly receive an email notification of buying the unlock, then another email asking you to verify your card. Once the verification is done, the status of your unlock is updated online. You can keep a track of it online. As soon as the unlock goes through, you do get a confirmation email.

Once you get the confirmation mail you just connect your iPhone to iTunes and your phone is unlocked. If you don’t get success instantly just update your iOS or re-install iOS and it definitely will get unlocked.

The entire process is so simple and easy and done professionally, I definitely would recommend them for your iPhone if you need to unlock it. My iPhone 4 got unlocked in about 8 hours since it was locked to AT&T. Different carriers might take different time to unlock your phone, so please be patient and don’t fire me here.

Have Fun Unlocking it!

Topeak Morph Turbo Mini-Reviewed

Its been two months now since I became a roadie with my Ridley Excalibur. The first set of things i ordered besides some parts for the bike was the Topeak Morph turbo Mini. I earlier used the mini pump from decathlon which had rest-

-rictions for use with the road bikes, given the valve types and the amount of pressure. So I was forced to look out for a versatile pump which can get to 100+ psi quickly with minimal efforts. After quite a few searches and research on biking forums I ended up with the Topeak Road Morph Mini, which seemed to have a lot of good reviews. But unfortunately at the time of ordering CRC did not have Topeak Road Morph in stock. So I chose to buy the Topeak Morph turbo Mini, since there was not much difference between the both, except for the pressure gauge and the size of the product, which is completely negligible as both go only on the frame or into your jersey if you are a true scum or a back pack.

So far I have used the pump thrice and I am really satisfied with how quickly i can get my tires to pressure. The pump is a bit large for any jersey pocket, but i am sure one can live with that rather than buy C02 cartridges every now and then. Besides pumping the air gives that extra satisfaction of accomplishing something completely on your own and a much need upper body workout 😉 . The pressure Gauge works perfect to let you know when exactly you need to stop, and the pump head fits snug to the tube valve’s so that there’s no air escaping. It takes a few tries to get the head to seat correctly on “small presta valves”, as the head starts touch the rim already. This a minor learning curve, and you would get used to it after the first time, and from then on pumping air is as easy as your floor pump, only that you are little bent and pumping a little lesser volume than the floor pump. The fold-able foot pad and the hand grip is a big advantage. With the hold from the foot on the pump, the pump stays stable on the ground and the extra hand grip that opens out makes it easier to pump. Though if you go real hard (carelessly) and end up pumping the last air molecule into the tube, you will end up hurting your fingers on the side walls of the pump. The only disadvantage I have seen so far. You can avoid getting hurt if you are cautious not to pump till the very end.

The pump head fits both schrader and presta valves. The head has adjustments valves which need to be interchanged to fit the other valve. Yet another one time learning. The pump can take up to 160 psi or 11 bar and weighs about 280 gms. I havent tried pumping to 160, i have managed 120, and 160 requires some strong arms, but i din’t bother as road bikes run fine on anything 100+ psi and am under wieght. It does come with a frame mount which still is yet to find use on my bike. The pump sways from side to side in the jersey pockets, but never has fallen off. Overall the pump is good value for money and i would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Last updated by simplysaru at December 21, 2016.