[894] A Bike Trainer and Other Bike Thoughts

I recently bought a bike trainer from one of our local and well-known online shopping apps. My logic for buying a trainer is I can do HIIT or high cadence rides on it since I don't think it would be safe for me to ride fast either inside or outside the subdivision.

Before the trainer arrived I noticed the pace of my morning rides was getting faster. Not insanely fast, but faster than usual. I usually average around 14 - 15 kmh inside the subdivision. The past three or four sessions before the trainer arrived I averaged well over that, peaking at 17 kmh.

I rode around again this morning after spending the weekend trying to do HIIT and high cadence cycling on the trainer. This morning I got around 15.3 kmh, but that probably had to do with me continuously stopping to wipe my fogged up glasses.

Anyway back to the bike trainer. I tried doing HIIT last Saturday and I was only able to do 4 reps of 30-sec effort 30-sec rest before stopping. I have no idea if I'm exerting too much or not but it was a fun challenge. Then Sunday I tried riding at high cadence and was able to do maybe eight minutes overall. The reason why I stopped was I increased the seat post height by around 5 mm. When I did high cadence before raising the seat post I felt discomfort on my knees. After raising it disappeared.

Sadly I also got bored staring at the wall which is the biggest reason why I stopped after a total of ten minutes including the time needed to raise the seat post height. Besides, I was excited to try out the raised seat height in an actual ride and this morning I did just that.

It felt great this morning. I just rode and couldn't hear my Runtastic app notifying me how far I'd gone so I just rode around and around the subdivision. I ended up going around 9 km, about 2 km farther than my usual morning rounds.

I'm planning on using actual rides as my "recovery" ride or relaxed ride, and using the trainer for higher cadence and HIIT, like I said earlier. Hopefully I can get used to riding inside the house on a trainer that I can increase the number of HIIT cycles to maybe 3 or 4 30/30 efforts. Then if I can consistently do that I'll probably shift efforts to 40/20 or so. Of course the resistance of the trainer is also a factor but as of the moment I'm happy doing my efforts on 3/6 resistance.

I honestly wish I had a speed sensor to mount on the rear tire so I have an idea how "fast" I go on the trainer. A cadence sensor would also be nice so I also know just how high my high cadence pedaling is. For all I know I could just be doing 60 rpm.

Out.

[893] Bike Upgrades / Replacements

Not that I'm planning on doing it any time soon since I need to be tight with my budget for in-real-life reasons, but here are some things I would love to get as upgrades or replacements for my bike.

1. High end smartwatch with heart rate monitoring and GPS, a cadence sensor, speed sensor, and a power meter. I want to know what zones I'm in whenever I ride, even if it's just inside the subdivision. My past few rides have had faster average speeds so I guess that means I'm getting stronger. I still want to be able to see how my performance is and I think all these sensors can tie in with either a smartwatch or all of them will tie in to my mobile phone.
2. A modern, advanced bike computer with GPS. Yeah this serves the same purpose as the smartwatch. I'd rather have a small GPS device so I can go around and not get lost. I don't need to pull my phone out to look at a map. Or I can tie it all with the smart watch and mobile phone so that hopefully the data will be as accurate as possible. I honestly don't know.
3. New saddle. A third one basically. My first saddle was too short. The current one I'm using is gel filled and seems okay but aesthetically it doesn't look sleek. So yes, a very shallow reason.
4. Cycling shorts with gel padding. I really need these, even in my rides here if I have the wrong shorts on it gets uncomfortable riding around.
5. Flared drop bars. I was a noob on the online shopping app I used when I bought parts for my bike. I'm not saying my drop bars aren't good, they're great actually. I do want to have flared bars in the event I finally get to go off road. Then again I can pretend I've got a cyclocross bike instead, except my tires are too wide.
6. Fenders. I'm just making my bike heavy but I really like the classic fender look for my bike. Unfortunately because of my 38mm tires I don't think I can fit them on my bike anymore.

Those are some of the upgrades I'd like to do to my bike. Unfortunately my bike isn't even six months old and I've already got a bad case of upgrade-itis. So I'll basically just day dream and stay happy with what I currently have. I would love to improve myself as a cyclist and hopefully finally be able to go riding around Metro Manila.

I'm just really, really scared of other motorists here because this place is crazy.

Out.

[892] Death

Last December 5, 2021 a friend of mine passed away. I heard it was due to a heart attack. That guy was a few weeks older than me.

It's scary. I'm glad I've done a few steps to hopefully improve my health, but remembering your mortality is a chilling wake up call.

My friend was a swimmer. He'd gotten a bit round the past few years, and he'd always leave words of encouragement whenever I used to post my walking data on Facebook. Gave me great advice what to focus on and basically helped keep my interest on walking going.

And now he's gone, just like that.

Rest in peace, Paul. And thank you for being a friend.

Out. 

[891] Thoughts

I wasn't expecting these developments to happen these past few months, but they did. I guess I sort of jinxed things. It's nothing good or bad, just a reminded that life is in a constant state of change and staying in your comfort zone is not always a good thing.

Do I want to expound my thoughts? No. This is something I will only discuss with my wife and maybe some close friends. Aside from that, I will try to keep things within my small circle of trust.

Out.

[890] Two Car Garage Update

Yeah you guessed it. Filler blog time!

Seriously though with the amazing increase of fuel prices and salaries remaining the same you do have to think twice about what kind of car you drive to get the most bang for the buck. Plus I was talking about this with a good friend of mine last night.

What I'd want first for a two-car garage would be a small daily driver that you can still bring to out-of-town trips. Ideally an automatic so that you don't have to worry about clutch stuff in stop and go traffic. Plus the engine should be very economical, maybe at most 1.5L or smaller. The car should be relatively small so you can park it in parking areas without worrying if you can squeeze in between cars when you go in or out. It should also have decent space, so a hatchback.

I'm honestly thinking a Kia Picanto. You can choose between a 1.0L or 1.2L engine, it's a hatchback, it's small, there are automatic transmission variants, and the rear seats are 60/40 folding, I think. Other small hatches are available but I honestly prefer the Picanto because of the 1.2L engine and the split folding rear seats. The Mitsubishi Mirage is also an option because of the engine size, but I don't know if the rear seats are split. Bigger options are of course my dream car Honda Jazz and a Kia Rio hatchback. I think Ford has stopped selling the Fiesta and Focus here in the Philippines.

The dark horse small car would be the Suzuki S-Presso. I really like that car as well, and it's also very affordable compared to the other cars I mentioned. Biggest drawback is that there is only one variant being sold here, a manual transmission variant. Aside from that it has great ground clearance, great interior space for such a small car, and I really like how it looks.

For the other car, which will be used more as a number-coding car, an out-of-towner, or a utility car, I'm picking the Toyota Rush. Yes there are cheaper options, like the Suzuki Ertiga, but the Rush has the most air bags of cars of similar body type.

I used to dislike the Rush. I thought it was an overpriced Avanza. Now that I've done my research though I'm starting to like it just because of the cargo capacity and the air bags. It can seat five to seven people, plus the cargo space if you fold the 3rd row seats makes it a very practical car.

So there you have it. I wish I could own a Kia Picanto and a Toyota Rush. Those two cars are ideal for me considering the times we're in now. Both can be used as daily drivers, both can be used for road trips, and hopefully both have good fuel economy depending on driving style.

Out.

[889] Cycling Progress Report

Yesterday was the very first time I had ever ridden along the East Service Road. Ever. And today I did it again, going through a loop where I turned somewhere about two kilometers from here and taking a road that led me to the back of our subdivision. I used my gravel bike.

It was pretty thrilling to actually finally ride outside the subdivision. I treat myself as a total beginner in cycling basically because I stopped biking after a crash I had in grade school and only started seriously cycling a few months ago, when I made it a goal to assemble a gravel bike.

It's basically a 3.5km loop that I do, something that takes me around 12 to 15 minutes inside the subdivision. Outside it's much faster since there are almost no humps and almost everyone outside is going way faster than me. I probably average around 15-16kmh inside the subdivision, but outside whenever I get the chance to check my cyclocomputer I ride at around 20kmh or so.

Yesterday when I finished my ride my hands were numb and sore. Today I felt like I cracked on the way home. I've been trying to adjust my bike's setup as well as my own fitness levels to avoid these things, and I'm glad that riding outside gave a reality check of the stuff I need to improve on.

My core strength needs improving so I don't lean too much on the bike. I've seen countless bike videos on youtube of bike fitters and cycling channels saying that engaging the core is important. I've also read a few articles from what I believe are legitimate and trusted sites that do say that one of the most important factors in riding well is the core strength.

My stamina also needs improving. I think the reason why I felt like I cracked in this morning's ride was because I tried pedaling on smaller gears today. Maintaining a high cadence with more effort is of course draining, and since I'm doing intermittent fasting I'm basically running on "empty" whenever I ride in the morning. Lesson learned, at my current fitness level I should go use the bigger gears.

I also need to work on my balance and spatial awareness. Cycling on public roads is very different here in the Philippines. You've got public transportation, motorcycles, other cyclists, and other vehicles sharing the road with you and they're not really bike friendly. So I need to constantly remind myself to ride at a slow but decent pace, stay on the right, keep a cool head, and make sure I'm riding properly.

Overall I'm quite happy and motivated at what I have done. I'm realizing a lot of things I need to improve as a cyclist, and I'm feeling a level of freedom. I do know I need a lot more training to do before I can even ride further than what I'm doing now.

I'll probably ride inside the subdivision again this week and ride outside on Sundays, when there are hopefully less vehicles on the road.

Out.

[888] Things I Need

There are two things I really need right now. New prescription glasses and a haircut.

I think I last had my eyes checked in 2018 or 2019. Since then I've noticed I can't really read while wearing my glasses, which apparently comes with old age. I'll need those two-way lenses where the lower half is for reading the the upper half is for normal needs.

Apparently if you're near sighted you won't be needing reading glasses as you get older. However your normal prescription lenses do affect what you can see up close, and up close I can't really read anything anymore unless I remove my glasses.

As for the haircut, I've been trimming my hair since the pandemic lockdown started way back in March 15, 2020. I've gone through different styles, from fully shaved, a mohawk, to figuring out a nice fade. Sadly I've decided to grow my hair long, in a style similar to an undercut. I don't know how to trim the long parts of my hair so I probably look pretty weird right now. I need a pro to fix my hair so it can grow and look the way I want it to look.

Out.

[887] So I Built A Gravel Bike

My gravel bike is finally done. All I need to do is buy some miscellaneous stuff I will be needing, like chainstay guard, maybe reflective tape, and maybe a clear protective sticker to protect the bike's clear coat from dings, some of which I've already done.

I'm not going to pretend that I did it all myself. The major part of the build I had loads of help from Coven, my mom's long time chauffeur (or known colloquially as 'driver' here in the Philippines). Coven's been riding bikes for the longest time and he does have experience building them. Without tools, even.

Here's the thing though, I don't agree with some of his methods. He did tune the rear derailleur but I want to tune it again since I did see some very good Park Tool videos on youtube. In other words, I really want a "best of both worlds" scenario where I will be fine tuning stuff based on videos I've seen online but I will be doing some things based on what experience, and Coven, has taught me.

I probably would love to say I did 80% of the work, but without that crucial 20% the bike would still not be done. Coven saw that part of the frame where the rear wheel would sit needed filing. He was also crucial in installing the star fangled nut into the steerer tube. I did try to do the install myself but I honestly couldn't hammer the thing in and I did not want to risk breaking anything.

Coven also checked the brake cable installations I did, he tuned the RD, and he adjusted the rotors, that seem misaligned. Aside from that he also gave me some shifter cable end housings because all I bought were for brake cables, which were too big.

The fit is great. I am not experiencing any of the aches I felt riding Coven's (formerly my Dad's but he gave it to Coven) road bike. I do believe geometry wise my bike has a shorter effective top tube, which is probably why I don't feel the aches.

Youtube and the internet is a great source of information for bike fit, bike maintenance, and bike assembly. However experience is still one hell of a teacher.

Out.

[886] Converting to Tubeless, Lessons Learned

One of my goals with my gravel bike build is to go to a tubeless tire setup. This week when I got the wheelset I decided to attempt it. I watched a few videos online about how to do the conversion, specifically for non-tubeless ready rims. Here are two good videos I watched, one from Park Tool and another from Dusty Betty. Also a very useful video from Oz Cycle teaching you how to remove and install a tire without tools.

Now before I continue I have to admit that I struggled a lot. I learned a lot of important things during my attempt to go tubeless. At the moment I have so far succeeded in having one tire hold air. I'm letting the sealant set as I write this. Anyway here are some lessons I learned during my attempts.

1. Minimize the air bubbles on the tubeless tape, but I really don't think it will have zero air bubbles. On my end at least, I checked online and confirmed that other people also had air bubbles on their tubeless tape. Specially over the spoke holes of the bike.
2. Patience is a virtue. I know I was excited but I was always tempering myself and setting expectations that I won't succeed the first time.
3. The method shown by Oz Cycle how to install a tire was very, very useful. Seriously, that's how I managed to mount my tire.
4. The only time I needed to use tire levers was when I wanted to remove the tire from the rim. I chose to remove it to make sure I sealed the tubeless valve properly. And I needed to take stock if what I was doing was correct.
5. No matter how much you inflate the tire if there is no sealant the beads won't seat. This was what frustrated me the first time I tried to inflate the tire. I had this misconception that you needed to inflate the tire to get the bead to seat before adding sealant. Silly me didn't realize that no matter how much air I pump in it will escape from the gaps.
6. Sealant is the key. This morning I decided to throw caution to the wind and add sealant inside the tire. Probably added too much if you ask me, but better safe than sorry. I moved the tire around the same way I saw in the videos. Then when I tried to inflate it for the nth time, it finally did! I heard the popping sounds signifying that the beads were seating.
7. Give it time. Let the sealant seep around, then when you inflate the tire it will naturally have the sealant leak out from the massive air gaps. Just wipe it a bit so it doesn't get the rims dirty and keep moving the wheel around so the sealant has a chance to fill in all the gaps. Let it stand for a few minutes before inflating and the tire will hold air.
8. You have to move the tire occasionally while waiting for the sealant to set. Also make sure you check the air pressure. I'm at this stage with my first wheel.

By tomorrow I will be applying tubeless tape to my second rim, then hopefully I'll be able to add the sealant and have it be ready for use by the weekend. All that's left is to get finish assembly of my bike.

Special thanks to my friend JD who encouraged me to keep at it with the tubeless conversion and who shared his experiences with me doing the same thing. I got him into gravel bikes but he got a gravel bike earlier than me.

Out.

[885] My Current Top Three Attainable Dream Cars (As of Now)

You guessed it! It's time to start posting about cars yet again! I'm going to write about the top three attainable dream cars I want in order of practicality. So here we go.

1. Honda Jazz GE/Gen 2. It has four doors. It has an amazing interior that can fold flat and fit almost anything. It has an air conditioning system. It has airbags. So yes, this is the top choice I would love to own. Other generations of the Jazz are also welcome but the GD/Gen 1 had possible issues with the CVT and the newer ones are just too expensive. The most important mods I would add to this Jazz would be roof rails, a roof cargo basket, and roof mounted bike racks.
2. Honda Civic EG Hatchback. Another Honda? Yeah I really like this hatchback as well. Similar to the Jazz just add roof rails for extra cargo.
3. Volkswagen Super Beetle. This is the least practical of the three for plenty reasons. No aircon, lack of safety features, and possibly reliability issues. Still, I really, really love the classic VW Beetle. I'm picking the Super Beetle because the MacPherson suspension gives it a better ride plus with all the restomods I have planned it would just be better to work on a Super Beetle. And yes, roof rails, cargo basket, bike rack.
4. Classic Mini Cooper. This gets a special mention. I'm not talking about the modern looking ones. I'm looking for the ones that look like the classic Mini Cooper. With the roof cargo accessories as always. Also heavily retromodded.

As always in the event that I'm fortunate enough to own a car I will have a checklist off stuff I will do before I even start modifying it. Stuff like making sure it is reliable, rust free, and safe.

Out.

[884] Daydreaming of Cars

I've been reading a lot about cars again lately, not that I can afford one. I was looking at what kind of cars would be practical in our current situation and two cars come to mind. The Toyota Rush E A/T and the Kia Picanto EX A/T.

Let's explain why first. The Toyota Rush has decent ground clearance, can seat 5 to 7 people, and has decent cargo room. Sure some people might probably complain about it being underpowered, having only a 1.5L engine. To be honest the way my dad and I drive we don't really feel the need for speed anymore. We can just go with the flow. This car would be great not only for driving around Metro Manila but also for going to the province while bringing along a lot of stuff. Worst case scenario you can spend extra money, add roof rails and a roof cargo basket or roof cargo carrier for even more storage.

For the Picanto, it's small enough to be able to fit in most parking spaces in Metro Manila. The rear seats are 60/40 folding so you can still have 3 passengers and carry some luggage. Sure it has a relatively lower ground clearance versus the Rush, but then again you would be smart enough to consider your routes to avoid either big potholes or flood prone areas when you do drive around. Plus the engine is decent enough that you can still confidently bring this car on long distance road trips. Similar to my idea with the Rush, you can spend extra to add roof rails, and either roof storage or roof mounted bike racks.

What happened to the Suzuki Ertiga? I still like it because it is cheaper than the Rush and similarly sized. However it does have a slightly lower ground clearance and the Rush has more air bags compared to it. And if you regularly go on road trips then having more safety measures will always be the better option.

So what's my point in this post? Well my preferences for a two car garage have changed. It would be a Rush and a Picanto so you have a smaller car to use daily when just driving around Metro Manila and the Rush for coding days and when you need to transport more people. If it becomes a three car garage, then it would definitely be a Picanto, a Rush, and an Ertiga. So you still have two haulers and one city car.

Out.

[883] Pandemic Musings

Today marks the last day of our ECQ (extended community quarantine) I believe this was done to help curb the rising rates of infection because of the Delta Variant of Covid-19. We spent about two weeks in this stricter version of our community quarantine.

Times have been really tough. I do feel bad for my daughter having to go through this pandemic. She hasn't been out of the house that often and I think she hasn't physically seen her friends in over a year.

Now I do know the line, "what does not kill you only makes you stronger," and while I try to be optimistic, it is still personally very draining for me to go through life as it has been happening. I am more than willing to admit that the pandemic has taken its toll on me mentally and emotionally, and no matter how I try to keep things together there are times that I just want to give up.

And to quote Metallica, "... that soothing light at the end of the tunnel is just a freight train coming your way." So while I try to remain optimistic about the future, I can't help but live in dread and anxiety about what's going on right now.

Everyone get vaccinated, stay safe, and be careful and hope for the best because that's all we can do now.

Out.

[882] Belated Birthday Wishlist

I've been pretty busy these past few weeks dealing with personal and work stuff that I totally forgot to write my annual birthday wishlist. So here's a belated one, that we can probably also consider as my Christmas gift wishlist. So here we go.

1. GoPro Standard Grill Mount 2.0 - I found out about this from one of the cycling youtubers I watch, Dustin Klein. Plus I also someone else using the same mount, if not another similar mount. I got my dad's old GoPro Hero (yes, the very first version) and I can use this while I cycle. If I can actually get the stamina and guts to cycle outside of my village.
2. A gravel bike that's actually a real gravel bike. I've noticed some budget gravel bikes being sold locally and while they are indeed affordable, I have a bad feeling they're just ordinary road bikes fitted with the thickest tires the frame and fork can allow. I'd rather bide my time to find the right gravel bike frame for myself rather than buying cheap, getting used to them, then replacing them.
3. A new gaming desktop (or laptop). Ideally a desktop since I can build it and if problems happen parts can be easily replaceable. Worst case scenario would be a gaming laptop but after everything I've experienced with my current gaming laptop, I'd rather have a desktop despite power consumption being higher and portability being an issue.
4. A new car! I'm not even wishing for really expensive cars. I just want a nice car that can have a roof-mounted bike rack. If you want really affordable it can be the Suzuki S-Presso, the bigger yet practical Suzuki Ertiga, or the Kia Stonic that would be the closest to look to the Rav4 I currently drive. Or if we're talking about any car then make it the Audi RS4 Avant.
5. Power tools. We can start with two basic power tools. A good friend of mine sent me that link and it seems like a good idea to start with a cordless drill and a circular saw. I'd probably be able to do a couple of DIY cabinets for the house.

That's it for now. I can't think of anything else I'd want right now.

Out.

[881] More Daydreaming About Beetles

I've been doing some daydreaming yet again about stuff I would do to customize a Volkswagen Beetle. This would be done after I do the basic that needs to be done should I manage to purchase a Bug. So here they are in order of priority, with explanations.

1. Modern 3-pt seat belts for the front and rear seats including middle. Old bugs used to have shoulder belts for the front and none for the rear. I'd really appreciate it if you could mount 3-pt seat belts everywhere. Plus our 20021 Rav4 has a ceiling mounted seat belt that you can pull down should you have someone sitting on the middle part of the rear set. It'll take lots of custom fabrication and upholstery work but this is something I seriously want to have in a really old car.
2. Dash cam and rear cam mounts. Again, custom fabrication for cameras, but again also very useful for safety purposes. I've seen some relatively cheap dash cams that are integrated into bigger and newer rear view mirrors. If those are reliable and easy to install then that would be my go-to option.
3. New in car entertainment system. It doesn't have to be those giant, 2-DIN LED infotainment systems. I would appreciate bluetooth connectivity and USB connectors. Also good quality speakers, a decent subwoofer, and tweeters.
4. Pop out rear passenger windows. To improve interior ventilation because I am not considering adding an air-conditioner. A swamp cooler could also be an option after finding out there is a local shop that still builds them for Beetles.
5. LED headlights and bumper mounted fog lamps. That youtube link I have above is basically what I would also want my Beetle to look like on the outside. fog lamps, roof rack, pop out windows. Nice peg. The LED headlights are something I've always wanted ever since I found out they would fit in Beetles (and Suzuki Samurais). They would improve visibility because of the daytime running lights option and the (hopefully) brighter beams at night.
6. LED bulbs for all lights. Brake lights, turn signals, cabin lights, plate number lights, if there's an LED bulb option for them I would love to replace the older bulbs. Probably use up less power too.
7. Third brake light OR rear LED chase light bar. This would help taller SUVs and buses be aware that there's a car in front of them. I'd prefer the LED chase light bar so that additional turn signal indicators would also be on it.
8. Roof rack with cargo basket. I'm aiming for the classic looking roof rack, but I would also love to have a provision for a roof mounted bike rack.
9. Custom front and rear seats for better comfort and support, easier to remove and fold down, and also so it can fit seat belt sockets.
10. Custom rims that looks like Fuchs or RS Watanabe rims. Color to be determined with whatever Beetle color I get.
11. 240Z style fender mounted bullet side mirrors. This is debatable, and will only be used if the Beetle a) looks good with it on the hood; and b) if the side mirrors actually do a good job of showing me what's behind. If it's just for looks, like those hot rod peep side mirrors, it will be a hard pass.
12. Tow hooks with proper labels and warnings. Beetles are rear-wheel driven cars. If it (knocks on wood) suddenly gets towed while I'm not there and they tow it like modern front-wheel drive cars I'm pretty sure they won't pay for the damage they'll do to that car.
13. Rear windshield wiper. I've never seen this done, I'm curious if it can be done. It would help so much with rear visibility.
14. Rear window spoiler and front bumper spoiler. They supposedly help with aerodynamics and fuel efficiency so why not.
15. Carbon fiber or fiberglass front and rear decklid. To reduce weight a bit. I don't plan on doing an engine swap or going twin-carbs. I just want a decent, reliable engine so I can cruise around. Adding all of the stuff I wrote here will add more weight to the car but they are things I honestly think I need for the Bug, so any weight savings would be great.

And there you have it. Another filler blog just so I can do more than one post a month. Mods I would do to a Beetle if I ever owned one. That youtube link above features a really great Beetle and I honestly am both jealous and happy for the owner at the same time.

Out.

[880] Mustache

I've recently started to grow a mustache. Probably started a week or so before June 11, 2021. I was probably trimming it until two weeks ago when I decided to let it grow. Maybe grow it long enough to have a handlebar mustache. We shall see.

The annoying part of growing the mustache was when it was around three weeks old. It was short and bristly and really annoying. After a while I have gotten used to it, and now it doesn't feel as bristly as before.

I've been combing it occasionally and I'm thinking of getting some beard wax for this. At the same time I don't really want to buy because it would be a waste of money to buy that then shave this off. I'll see how long I can live with my 'stache.

Out.

[879] Bike Goals

I've been having very good discussions about bikes with a friend of mine. He does a better job of researching about lots of bike things and is a bit more experienced with newer tech bikes. Let's just say, as an example, that all I know about bikes is frame size and cassettes and chainrings. Meanwhile he already knows about head angles, crank length, and other more important technical things.

My near daily conversations with him has made me realize that while yes, I still want a gravel bike, I need to be a bit more specific about things I want to have on my bike. And what my priorities are before I even start buying, and possibly building, my own bike. So in this blog post I'll try to write down my priorities when I build a bike.

1. Comfort for posture. I'm definitely aiming to get a frame that is the right size for my height. Then find a seat height, handlebar height, and stem length that will be more on the comfort side than the aero/aggressive side of gravel bikes. Another reason for this is I'll be another year older in a few weeks, so I'm not as flexible as I used to.
2. Comfort while pedaling. I'm not building my bike for speed. More than likely I'll be looking for an 11-speed cassette with 11T-38T cogs, with a 38T chainring up front. I won't be going as fast but at least I also won't be exerting as much effort pedaling. I just want to be able to cruise with my bike.
3. Safety. This means I'll need reliable wheels and brakes. I'm looking to use mechanical disk brakes, and this will, I think, be the first time I will be using disk brakes on a bike. For tires I'd think the minimum width I should have is maybe 38mm. It's not like I actually have grave trails nearby. I'll also be adding rear lights and front lights, even if have no plan of riding during the evening. Plus I also plan on buying reflective tape to add to the bike in key locations.
4. Weight. Frames are expensive. Even the chromoly steel frames here are priced at an amount that makes my eyebrow go up. Or maybe I'm just a solid cheapskate. Still, I have no plans to go racing on this bike, my biggest dream is to do long distance biking. I have no idea how much of a factor weight will be. Also the bike I'm using now is probably way heavier than modern bikes so I'm not really sure how big a factor weight is.

And there you have it. I guess I'll be going over this list again as I approach the day I decide to buy a bike, or bike parts. I still have a lot of things to learn about bikes before I decide to pull the trigger, but I'm slowly getting there.

Meanwhile I'll keep riding my old bike and gaining strength, stamina, and confidence.

Out.

[878] Bike Progress

Quick post about my biking progress. I'm using the same route I use when I walk, this is because I do a little over 1km per "lap" and this gives me a decent gauge of my progress.

Progress has been good so far, my stamina is getting better as well as my speed. I've been averaging over 13kph per session, which is a lot faster than when I started. I'm also able to do more laps, usually five or six, instead of just four. I'm trying to "offset" the fact that I can do four laps in less than twenty minutes and want to do a minimum of a twenty minute bike ride every MWF.

Legs still get sore when going up the steep part of the village but I'm now using the middle chainring. I also noticed that I'd rather pedal at a slower cadence but with more effort rather than a faster cadence with less effort. I guess I prefer to get the climb over with sooner rather than later. I can also recover from the climb faster than before.

In fact earlier this morning my average speed was up to 15kph, a far cry from my first few attempts. I should probably try to maintain 13kph to 15kph average speed and work on stamina next. Plus fix all the bad habits I have when biking. Off the top of my head the things I need to improve upon are:

1. Stretching my legs. Out of habit I always coast with my right leg at the 6 o'clock position, even when I can feel my left knee needing a stretch. So I always consciously need to have coasting periods where the left leg should be at the 6 o'clock position.
2. Better balance while biking with one hand, both hands. I can do well with my left hand solo but the right hand needs a lot of work. I still want to have even better balance and control.
3. Twisting my torso left and right to look back while maintaining balance. Right now I'm relying on the side mirror mounted on the left bar end of my bike to check my six but I really should start practicing twisting my body and head as well.

Anyway that's all for now. I still do my HIIT during TTh, and for that I've started doing double 20 pound kettlebell squats instead of a single kettlebell goblet squat. Hopefully that helps strengthen my quads, which I need for cycling. I'm also doing double kettlebell calf raises as well.

I've also started doing suitcase deadlifts instead of single or double kettlebell deadlifts.

Out.

[877] Bike Related Stuff

I went biking yesterday morning, and if I start taking a real serious liking to it then I may just push through with my gravel bike build. I did notice that my average speed inside the village was 10kph. I don't mind this at the moment since I just started all over again yesterday and I do believe I can improve my pace, stamina, and desire to go biking.

I've also been doing more research about gravel bikes, and I have some new opinions about my target parts for my gravel build.

1. Drop bar width should be around 44 to maybe 46 cm. This will depend with how low or high I plan to mount the bar with regards to the saddle. My goal is comfort, not the super aero racing pose. And yes, I want to try drop bars since I do have a really old mountain bike here.
2. Drop bar ideally should be compact, meaning the drop and reach aren't that big. Again, the reason for this is comfort.
3. Definitely aiming for a longer chain stay for the bike frame. This supposedly makes the ride more stable.
4. Still hoping for a 1x groupset, while replacing the front chainring with a 38T to at most maybe a 44T oval with narrow wide teeth, if all factors allow it. Again, my goal for this theoretical build is a casual road bike I can take off road. I'm not after speed.
5. I'm sticking with the 700 x 38c tires instead of 40s. That might be too wide anyway for the bike's purpose.
6. Cyclocomputers are expensive, even more so if I plan to add a power meter and a cadence meter.

And that's it. I continue with my research and continue with using my old bike just to get a feel for things again.

Out.

[876] Size is Relative

Some of the videos I enjoy watching on youtube are about small houses or apartments. The way these people solve the storage and functionality challenges that arise from have a relatively small space.

In the Philippines a 50 square meter apartment or condominium is usually very expensive and already has maybe two bedrooms if it's one of those condominiums targeted for the middle class. I guess the higher end condominiums could have a one-bedroom 50 square meter floor area, but obviously I'm not the target market of those things, not that I can even afford the middle class units.

One of my favorite youtube channels have videos with titles like "Small Apartment 50 sq meter" or something similar. Then when I watch the video it's usually in some first world country in Europe or Australia. These apartments are usually big one bedroom units that they usually rent out as AirBNB units or something. The few videos that feature actual homes are interesting but I wouldn't be surprised if the homeowner was also renting out storage lockers because their house is so spartan.

Don't get me wrong, I like seeing their units and seeing some solutions they have for their relatively small spaces. I just don't see the practicality of some of the set ups. One man's small is another man's huge, I guess. I just wish they would feature more units that are compact and actual homes, not gorgeous AirBNB units with so much space but little storage.

Out.

[875] A Gravel Bike

I got curious what these gravel bikes were a few months ago and tried the most basic research attempt -- watching youtube videos. I've come up with some ideas for an ideal gravel bike build for myself, not that I've been biking my whole life.

As a side story, during the Halloween break way back in 1994 I was biking around the village with a friend when he "accidentally" cut me off because I made a snarky joke at him. Cutting me off caused his rear tire to hit my front tire and made my front tire turn 90 degrees to the right, launching me into the air. I didn't know what to do in that situation so I fell on the right side of my face. Strangely enough this happened right in front of the house across the street from my house.

Ever since I rarely rode my bike. The last time I had a relatively long bike ride was in Bohol with my dad, around 2012 or so. We found out the resort we stayed at had mountain bikes that they let guests borrow so my dad and I went a few kilometers outside Bohol. Lack of practice and stamina made me go maybe a total of 2 or 3 kilometers. Round trip.

Anyway I have no idea why I became fascinated with gravel bikes, even going so far as to imagine myself going on really long bike trips by myself. I have no idea why, maybe because I'm getting older and I'm looking for something to do aside from playing video games.

Based on what I've read and watched online I've come up with this rough build on my mind.

• Size 54 bike frame. This was the ideal size for someone of my height, which is around 177cm. Frame should have enough mounting points for two or three water bottles and maybe some backpacking bags.
• 700c 40mm tubeless gravel tires. Decent size and width would be okay for a casual like me, plus I'd mostly be going on roads with the occasional trips off-road.
• Schrader auto valve for the tires if possible. These are the same valves cars use and almost all decent gas stations have automatic air pumps that fit this kind of valve. Sure you can bring along a hand pump for Presta valves, but Schrader seems more logical for me.
• The flared drop bar should ideally be around 500mm wide so it won't be too wide on the road. Flare shouldn't be too extreme, maybe around 10 degrees or so.
• Brakes should of course be disk brakes. Most likely mechanical instead of hydraulic since I'll most likely be using this theoretical build only inside the village.
• I'll be going with a 1x11 group set. Front chainring should be narrow wide oval. Maybe 38T since I'm old and I don't think I can maintain a high cadence to actually ride up to the max speed of the front chainring. So just a relatively small chainring with a gravel bike rear cassette so I have no problems climbing and won't go too fast going down.
• I'll be going with a standard mountain bike flat pedal so that I can use the bike anytime.

I'm sure I've missed some details for the build, but it's not like I'm going to be building it anytime soon.

Oh, and I'd like my bike frame to be reflective yellow so I can be easily visible on the roads. Of course I'll be mounting front and rear lights for safety, and maybe a cyclocomputer so I know my speed, cadence, and other important details.

So that's my idea for my gravel bike build. Too bad there's a pandemic so I can't go out to check prices in bike shops. My plan is to buy components and assemble the bike, instead of buying a fully built one.

Out.

[874] "Going Naturale"

 About three or four weeks ago I decided to stop using anti-perspirant on my armpits. I tried this last 2020 as well, as a means of detoxifying myself since we still basically can't go out because of the pandemic.

I'd made it this far and while I do continually cleanse my 'pits during the day, the summer heat is just too strong. So today I started with my anti-perspirants again. I just can't stand the heat, the sweat, and the smell, no matter how often I wash.

Anyway I'll probably try to detoxify myself once in a while every year. Maybe during the colder months of the year.

Out.

[873] Nothing

Nothing to update. Life still goes on. I have no desire to blog, and have decided it's better to just not write anything rather than trying to set a goal of two to three blog posts a month.

If I did try to do two to three posts a month I'd just end up writing the random stuff I've been posting the past few months.

Out.

[872] Exercise Update

Due to the sudden surge of record breaking new Covid-19 cases, my wife and I had decided to stop going out on morning walks. Now we're back to working out at home, and I decided to not do my previous HIIT/Tabata routine.

The reason why I chose not to do that was because I was gassed when I tried to do my usual four cycles. I only made it up to the start of the second cycle before stopping. So I decided to try other forms of exercise that involves kettlebells.

I saw some good videos on youtube about kettlebell complexes that I used as basis for my new exercise. It's still taxing and so far the most I can do is three sets, but I'm hoping I can improve the quality of my motions and eventually increase the number to four or five.

Each set (or cycle? complex? circuit?) usually involves doing 10 goblet squats, 10 swings, 10 deadlifts, and 10 kettlebell upright rows (at least that's what I will call it). My goal is to do maybe four or five of these everyday. I take at least a one minute break after each set.

It is a totally different experience versus going around walking. Also it's disappointing for me to stop walking because I've already gotten back to my old pace of around 9:50 to 10 minutes per kilometer. Working these kettlebell exercises involve totally different muscles and a different kind of stamina. Still, at least I'm exercising.

Stay safe everyone. Out.

[871] Hand Washed Underwear

 I recently started hand washing my underwear every night, before taking a bath. I started this a few months ago as a form of me time, as well as to do something that can help take my mind off of things I normally think about.

I stopped for a few weeks because my hands were having a reaction to the soap I was using. However I started this again when I discovered some holes in one of the newer briefs I got. They said it might have gotten snagged in the clothes line. Being the miser that I am, I didn't want to spend again for new underwear when I just bought some six to nine sets of briefs so I decided to hand wash them again.

After washing them I just leave them in the bathroom to dry. It takes around two night to get one brief to dry.

Why am I writing about this? For some people washing clothes, not just underwear, with hands is a very common thing. I've been very lucky that I didn't, and don't, have to do this. As I'm getting older, however, I feel that I should have more life skills that I should have developed when I was younger. I had an easy life growing up and honestly I just wish I was a lot more mature then.

Out.

[870] The End

Just like that February is almost over. A lot of things have happened this month for me, and the biggest of which is that I started going on morning walks again.

I'm trying to re-build my habit of doing at least 3 kilometers every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Just this past week I was able to succeed on this. Hopefully once I get used to going on walks every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I'll be able to get myself to go back to doing my HIIT/Tabata workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Why Tuesdays and Thursdays? Well I figure I can do cardio three days per work week and for the remaining two days I can use it to do the light kettlebell weightlifting.

Also these past two days or so the weather has been really, pleasantly cold. I keep saying how by March things will start to heat up so, again, I keep telling myself to savor these last few days of nice cold mornings.

Out.

[869] Walking

 After almost one whole year I finally did another three laps around my usual walking route earlier this morning.

It has been very challenging for me to get back to working out, and the high intensity interval training I was doing wasn't something I was looking forward to. I decided to finally stop making excuses and try walking around the subdivision in my usual route I used to take.

Of course I was wearing a mask because the pandemic is still around. I was initially worried about any difficulty of engaging in strenuous activity while wearing a mask but it wasn't really bothersome. It was more bothersome that my feet and calves weren't used to the strain and pace that I used to have.

I managed to average around 10 minutes per kilometer during my walk. It was around twenty to thirty seconds off one of my last walks around March last year. I believe I averaged around 9:37 per kilometer then. Today I think I was around 10:05 per kilometer. These stats are off of my adidas Running app. I was able to do one more set of 10:01 per kilometer last year before stopping totally because of the quarantine and the lockdowns that happened.

It felt interesting to go walking again. My calves were aching during the inclined climbs up some of the streets but I was happy that I was able to push myself to a pace I was happy with. Wearing a mask was almost a non-issue except for the times I was breathing through my mouth and the smell was noticeable when I breathed through my nose.

Will I continue walking again? Most definitely. Summer is closing in and the earlier sunrises, coupled with the hotter weather will drive me to wake up earlier and hopefully have no excuses to not exercise. The dark early mornings and cooler weathers during these past few months were really not conducive to me working out.

My plan moving forward will probably involve going on walks on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be my HIIT/Tabata sessions. I can do four five-minute cycles that involve 8 20-second workouts, 8 10-second rests, and a minute recovery per cycle. I usually do two cycles of cardio, usually jumping jacks, kettlebell swings, and running in place. Then for the other two cycles it's either a combination of deadlift variations and bent over rows, or squats, lunges, and calf raises for the third cycle. For the fourth it's either shoulder exercises or biceps and triceps exercises. All using one or two twenty-pound kettlebells.

Consistency has always been a big issue for me with regards to working out. I had managed to drop to 86kg during the middle of 2020, but gained weight and am now hovering between 87kg to 89kg. As I wrote before, this is nothing serious because that is usually my trend in weight. I lose, gain, hover, and find the inspiration to lose again.

Out.

[868] The Weather

 The weather has been great so far. However I can already feel the warmth of summer slowly creeping in. And it's not even the end of February yet!

Ever year that passes I start to savor the cool evenings and early mornings that start around November and end around March. I dress appropriately so I don't get sick but I also make sure to appreciate the fact that I don't need to turn on my electric fan. That I don't need to sleep shirtless, and that I can sleep a bit longer because of the cool weather.

Once the summer heat hits in the tropics, it's "over." You go to sleep sweaty, you wake up sweaty. Electric fan is in steady mode and maxed out.

Out.

[867] One Car Garage

I like to write about cars, that much is obvious. I also like to daydream about cars I wish I could own. So here we go again. A list of cars I would love to own if I had the money to buy them. I am basing all prices from Autodeals' website. They are my go-to local website for prices and specs of cars as well as online window shopping used cars. Because that's all I can do, look online.

My categories for my choices will be practicality and fit for the streets of Metro Manila. It should also be capable of going on roads trips, long and short, to visit other places in the Philippines. Finally, it should be available locally through a dealer. I'm listing down brand new cars, not second-hand ones. So here we go again with yet another list.

The attainable one. The Suzuki S-Presso. I could probably be able to afford this car with the price. And I really, really like the way this car is. It is exactly what I like in a car, practical and nice looking. It can seat around four to five people, and you can probably fix the space problem by installing roof rails and a roof basket / cargo carrier. Size is small enough that you won't have problems in parking spaces, ground clearance is tall enough that you won't scratch the bottom on tall humps and you'd probably be safe slowly driving over potholes that you can't avoid.

Less than PhP1 million. As far as I know all models of the Suzuki Ertiga still cost below one million. Decent size, can seat seven people if needed. With five people you have great cargo space. Again, you could probably add roof rails and a roof basket or cargo carrier if you want more storage. I think you just have to have it registered to carry cargo on the roof if they haven't changed the laws here.

Anything over PhP1 million. The Toyota Innova. The price range is so vast you can get some for a little over (or under?) one million to almost two million. So pick your variant, type of fuel, and transmission. The Innova has good ground clearance, is pretty practical, and can seat five to seven people. Again, an excellent practical choice.

So there you have it, my practical car choices. You'll notice I didn't include my personal favorite Honda Jazz in the list. It may also be practical, fun to drive, and nice to look at, but at the end of the day you can only fit five people there. Sure, there are only three of us in the family but I honestly believe the extra seating or storage space is better just in case you have other people riding with you or if you're going on a long road trip.

Out.

[866] Developments

Interesting developments have been happening to me since 2021 started. I don't want to mention anything here, because I've learned to censor myself to what I actually broadcast online.

Biggest change is that I've finally added one more cycle to my HIIT/Tabata workout. I used to do three 5-minute cycles of 20-second exercise and 10-second rest with a 1-minute recovery break. Since I've really slowed down the number of times I've been exercising since around October last year I decided to increase the duration of my exercise. I started last Monday, January 18. I finished my second workout earlier this morning.

I'm really hoping that once the weather slowly starts getting warmer, and the dawn starts getting brighter, that I will be able to exercise more frequently. If I can get back to my Monday to Friday frequency I'll probably be doing MWF with some lifting and TTh as all cardio.

As it stands now what I do is two cycles of cardio. Usually alternating between jumping jacks and a 20-pound kettlebell swing. After those two cycles the next one is usually either (if back day) suitcase deadlift alternating with left and right bent over rows or (for leg days) a combination of a kettlebell goblet squat, calf raises, and forward/backward lunges. I end the workout with (for shoulder days) some shoulder exercises I don't know the names or (for arm days) some bicep/tricep exercises I don't know the names either.

When I started this HIIT/Tabata workout last year my original goal was to lose more weight. I had gone down to 86kg and I wanted to go below 85kg. Since then I've gained weight and I am now hovering between 87kg to 89kg. This doesn't worry me. I am just refining my goals.

I've been here before, when I initially started my weight loss journey. I went down and hovered between 96kg to 99kg for quite a while before I refocused. I went down and hovered between 92kg to 94kg. Took a while before I managed to go down and now I'm hovering (yet again) between 87kg to 89kg. See the pattern?

The important thing I want to focus on now is to get back to exercising. Less for weight loss but more that I get my body moving. I'm already forty years old, I'm not getting younger, and I'm starting to slowly feel Father Time catch up to me. I need to be healthier.

Out.

[865] New Year New Weight

2021 has been here for two weeks already. First thing I need to get in control of more is my weight. I have gained weight and now I am hovering between 88 to 89kg. This is a big warning sign for me because I do not want to go back to 90kg or more.

I need to get my food intake back in control, and hopefully the end of the holidays will help with this. I am also trying to get back to exercising again but the cold early morning temperatures makes it very challenging for me.

I know, excuses excuses. I also know I need to dictate what I should be doing and not letting others tell me what I should be doing. So I will do my best to get good habits back again. Wish me luck.

Out.

[864] 2020

It's Sunday, you know what that means.

2020 is over and a new year has arrived. Looking back at everything that's happened I am thankful I have survived and have learned a lot of things from last year.

It was a very sad year with all the surprise deaths (non pandemic related), and unnecessary deaths that happened. I lost one of my very good friends and mentor, the world lost some amazing people, whether they were athletes, actors, leaders in their fields, young, old, whatever.

There were good things to happen for me personally in 2020. I cannot believe I am writing this but it is true. I cannot ignore the positives and focus on the negatives.

Out.