It’s been a while since I did a product review, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on a product which I feel would be a worthwhile investment for any motorcycle rider.
As you know, I’m a Pacsafe whore. Whenever I need to purchase a bag (or storage apparatus) for a particular need, my first instinct is to check if Pacsafe has got a bag that addresses that specific need. When I started riding, I was pleased to find out that they too had made a very practical “bag” for my use – the Lidsafe Anti-Theft Helmet Bag. Read More
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always hated the bulk of traditional wallets, this aversion probably went back as far as highschool. Of course, there were more “important” things that interested me then – so I started being particular about it probably during college.
In any case, it’s been so long that I can’t even remember exactly when I decided to use money clips exclusively. But I do remember my first money clip being a Fossil (brand), with a metal mechanical hinged clip – which a fairly short while due to mechanical failure 1 The pin that held the pivot point fell out, rendering the whole clip useless. I started experimenting with different types of money clips with different types of “clipping” implementations, but soon decided that a mechanical hinge was a really bad idea after my second ever mechanical clip-based Money Clip failed due to the same reasons. Soon, magnetic type clips were out of the picture – as they quickly lose effectivity once you have a thick enough wad of cash.
Turns out the simplest design was, and continues to be the most effective: the single piece clip that relies solely on tension. The only real concern there is if you have a material that can hold it’s shape after being bent. And since then, I’ve always kept my eyes open for the perfect balance of form/function – always willing to try different approaches if the design made sense. My only non-negotiables were:
Cash mush merely be “fastened to” (via clip or otherwise) instead of “stuffed in” – for easy access.
Must accommodate credit cards.
And for the most part, I’ve always found decent money clips that suited my needs. But today, I will attempt to veer away from the “clip” design altogether. I will give a product called the Minimalist a chance.
Today I just got my helmet ICC validated in the strangest of situations: after arguing on the phone, I went straight to the BPS main office to get my helmet validated and “stickered.” This obviously isn’t the SOP, and I admit my [ultimate] reason for arguing this route was the simple fact that I didn’t want to be inconvenienced with lining up in the mall.
First me explain the whole “scenario” – then you can go ahead and judge me for breaking schedule/procedures.
Stupid Law is Stupid
There is a law that has been passed (but has been deferred to the start of 2103) which require all motorcycle helmets to have an Import Commodity Certification (ICC) from the Bureau of Products and Standards.
This sticker is said to be a “stamp of approval” for any consumer product to have passed certain quality/safety standards applicable to the said product. If you heard the recent news about the warning about christmas lights, the “stickers” they mention are the exact same stickers being talked about in this post.
That certainly is a good thing, I mean why would anyone not want some quality standard enforced, right? Which is why I’m not saying it’s a useless law. I’m saying it’s a retarded one – because it’s poorly thought out on so many levels – from purpose to implementation. Read More
Yesterday, I decided to bite the bullet, take my neighbor’s advice na magpalakas ng loob (grow a pair), and take the Monster to the open road.
Call it a trial by fire if you will. And in a nutshell, I was able to cover decent ground: started from Valle to Taguig, then went around Taguig (and McKinley Hill) for a while. Then proceeded to go back north via C5 – to Eastwood area, then to Katipunan, past Ateneo, then took a U near UP then went back home.
Later, I went to Motomarket Libis to get a balaclava – but then it drizzled a bit so I returned home immediately and called it a day.
Hola from Taguig!
However, I did learn a few things:
There are only two types of riders: those who have already fallen, and those who are about to.
If you’re not falling, you’re not learning.
You got that right; I learned this the hard way. I fell, twice! But as the sayings go – I did learn a lot from the experience and I still consider the things I did as accomplishments. 1 And now I’ve got “battle scars” to show for it hehehehe And of course, unlike my previous post, this I can consider to be a legitimate post of real-world riding impressions on the actual bike – from the perspective of a total noob. Read More
Well, after days of finding excuses to put it off, I finally mustered up the courage to ride my new bike. And just to manage reader expectations, I’d like to make it clear that I did not put it through its paces… far from it.
Don’t get me wrong, I do want to ride it, it’s just that the venue is a bit unnerving. I’m a total noob in riding a motorcycle – so I have no idea whatsoever what to expect from a “handling” perspective. I do intend to take lessons, but I still want to be able to ride my bike as I go along.
I wish I still lived in a subdivision, where the roads are wider, the houses are further apart. And the overall area is not so busy as it is in our condo cluster. I want to be able to practice where I can experiment without anyone seeing me make a fool of myself. Obviously that’s impossible in our area. The guards, the maids, everyone is within ear/eyeshot so it’s like there’s so much pressure just not to fall. Read More
