[961] Filler Post Crazy Bikepacking Build Musings

Full disclosure: I saw that I had 65 blog posts and will now try to blog enough to reach 69. So be prepared for a lot of filler posts, maybe multiple posts in one day.

Once again I've been doing a lot of reading and watching bike stuff online. One of my early dreams when I started getting interested in cycling again was to ride from Metro Manila to the province to visit my folks. I know I have a long way to go to build up stamina, endurance, confidence, and resilience but hopefully I get to do it one day.

Anyway I've always been curious about those cyclists who compete in those ultra-endurance races. Or those bikepackers who ride around the world, like some people I follow in Instagram. Seeing photos of their builds has made me come up with a build of my own that could end up being my main bike if finances permit. I won't be naming any specific brands but I will be putting general requirements instead.

• The frame. Definitely an adventure gravel bike. One that is comfortable for long rides, has good tire clearance to fit maybe for me at most 700x42mm tires, and those classic looking mudguards. It would also be nice if the fork would have mounting points for additional bags or water bottles. I wouldn't mind lighter aluminum frame or steel. Carbon or titanium are just too expensive and I don't really see the need for them.
• Wheels and tires. Aero 700c rims that are tubeless ready and can fit at biggest a 42mm tire. Though I'm not planning on going tubeless, I'd love for the rim to be tubeless ready. For an inner tube I'd want those butyl inner tubes that are both light and puncture resistant. Knobbly gravel ready tires are my preference, ideally 33 to 35mm wide. The middle strip should provide great grip for tarmac but it would still have knobbles in case I need to do off-roading. Front wheel should have the dynamo hub to help charge/power important bikepacking essentials like front and rear lights, bike computer, and a power bank.
• Groupset. I'm sticking to 1x, keeping it simple. Cabled, not wireless. I was also thinking of going internal gears but from what I've read the affordable ones are built more for city riding and the expensive ones can buy you a fully built bike just for the hub. So I'm sticking with my trusty combination of a 42T oval narrow-wide chainring and an 11-speed 11-50T cassette.
• Brakes. I really want to just say hydraulic and be done with it, but with advances in technology I just want dual-piston brakes that are powerful and easy to maintain. I've read that there are hybrid brakes out there that can do just that, and to be honest the hybrid brake calipers I have on my bike right now are pretty good. For the brake pads I'd want to upgrade to organic brake pads so that they aren't noisy when I brake. There are even fully cable-actuated brakes that provide almost the same stopping power as hydraulics so I will be keeping my mind open.
• Handlebar. Of course I'm going with either the standard drop bar for road bikes or the slightly flared gravel drop bars. Compact handlebars that are 40mm wide with slight flares would be perfect.
• Pedals. Flat pedals. Or those clipless MTB pedals that have flat pedal attachments so you can use them even without your bike specific shoes. I honestly have no experience with clipless pedals and I don't even know if I want to experience them but they have their pros and cons I guess.
• Bike computer and electronics. Speed sensor attached to the rear wheel, cadence sensor attached to one of the pedals, a crank power meter, and a bike computer mounted on the handlebar. These will be more for data and making sure I'm meeting certain requirements when I ride. If I become faster or stronger because of them, great. I'll also want a rear bike light and a bike headlamp that won't blink oncoming traffic and pedestrians but is bright enough that I can ride safely in the night. The rear bike light can be those new ones with a radar to warn me of incoming cars.
• Other bike gear. Bar end mounted mirrors for both ends to help me check the rear. Mudguards front and rear. A rear bike rack that can also be rear bike pannier bag mounts. A front bar bag for all the bike tools I'll need. Two bottle cages that can hold at least 800mL bike bottles.

So there it is. So far at this moment that would be my ideal bike build. I didn't bother including the aero bars on the handlebar because I'm not even sure how often you can use that on long rides and I'd rather always have my hands on the brakes just in case.

Out.

[960] Cars I'm Interested In - End of 2022 Edition

Full disclosure: I saw that I had 65 blog posts and will now try to blog enough to reach 69. So be prepared for a lot of filler posts, maybe multiple posts in one day.

Now I'm not saying I can afford to buy a new car, but if I did these are the cars I'd seriously take a look at. Points for consideration for me, as always, are reliability, practicality, fuel efficiency, and size. I want an affordable, nice looking, decent-sized, reliable car that isn't a gas guzzler. Bonus points for having a paint color that I think is high visibility, meaning white, yellow, and maybe orange.

I'm also considering that it will be mostly just for my wife, my daughter, and myself. I also have chosen vehicles that are all automatic transmission, because it will really suck to drive stick in traffic here in Metro Manila.

So here we go with my list. I'll be writing them down in order of preference, meaning first car is the one I want the most and the last car is the "least" of the cars I'd want.

1. Suzuki Celerio GL AGS. Arctic white pearl color. This car has skyrocketed into the top of my list. It's got everything I want. Small, fuel efficient, practical, and an automatic transmission. Perfect for driving in the city, with just the right size for small parking spaces. Looks capable enough to take for long-ish drives to the province. If we need more space? Add a roof rack.
2. Toyota Wigo 1.0 VVT-I G AT. Yellow SE color. I have the exact same reasons why I like the Wigo as the Celerio, except this one is one I could probably afford the most. From what I've read though the Celerio has even better fuel efficiency versus the Wigo which is why this falls to number two.
3. Mitsubishi Mirage 1.2 GLX CVT. Titanium Grey Metallic. Yet another hatchback, and also the same reasons as the Celerio and Wigo. This falls to number 3 just because it's pretty expensive, not as expensive as the Celerio I think, but I like the Celerio most.
4. Toyota Yaris 1.5 S CVT. Citrus Mica Metallic. Pricey car at over PhP1M, but I do love a hatchback and this is bigger than the Celerio and the Wigo. The Honda Jazz isn't being sold here anymore and I'm not really interested in Mazda, Chevy, or other brands that have this size hatchback. Plus I'm really biased about Toyotas because of "reliability" (even if our Toyotas are starting to need more maintenance, but they're at least ten year old cars) and parts availability.
5. Hyundai Stargazer 1.5 Premium GLS IVT. Creamy White Pearl. This leaps over the Suzuki XL7 and Toyota Avanza, Rush, and Honda BRV just because it looks so cool. It also has CVT and hopefully that means great fuel economy. It's also the biggest car on my list, which makes this an ideal city and road trip car.
6. Toyota Vios 1.5 G CVT. White Pearl Crystal Shine. It's a non-hatchback Yaris, that's basically it.

Other cars I've considered when browsing used car lists:

• I have no idea what happened to the Kia Picanto but when I check various local websites they're only selling the 1.2L manual model.
• The Kia Rio hatchback looks nice but isn't as fuel efficient from what I've read.
• Hyundai Accent (either diesel or petrol) have decent reviews but not a fan of the look.
• I'm not sure how fuel efficient or reliable the Chevy Spark is, though I've read some mixed reviews about it.
• Chinese car brands are on my radar but I share the same reasons with the Chevy Spark why I don't seriously consider them.

Anyway I have no idea why I blogged this, it's not like I can afford to borrow money for a brand new car. I'd rather look for a well used second-hand car that's not that old, to be honest. Probably way cheaper.

Out.

[959] End of the Year Musings

In a few days 2022 will be over, and I have decided I will try to post some musings on this blog. Stuff that I feel like I can openly discuss on a public platform. So here we go.

• The "2022 is pronounced twenty-twenty too" meme. I saw this near the end of 2021 where people were joking that this year would be as bad or worse than 2020. In some ways you could say that this was true. On my end this was specially true with regards to some aspects of my life. Burn out is real, and I cannot believe I am feeling it again. This two week break is much needed, and I honestly plan on taking more long breaks next year.
• I can overcome challenges with the proper mindset. However it is also important to remember to take care of myself.
• My exercising and portion control is getting into a groove. Unfortunately the holidays are throwing a massive monkey wrench to my weight control plans, but I'm glad to say I don't think I'll be hitting high 80s or 90s in my weight.

I wish I could write more but honestly I think these are the safest things I feel comfortable blogging about.

Out.

[958] Swatch Bioceramic Moonswatch

I was originally planning on saving up to buy a Garmin smartwatch for my cycling and fitness needs, however a few months ago Swatch announced their Bioceramic Moonswatch collection and man do plans change fast.

I really like the following "Mission to..." designs, and I'll explain the reasons why.

1. Mission to Mercury. It's grey, it looks like a neutral color, and I really think this can go with almost any attire.
2. Mission to the Moon. It's black. Same reason as the Mission to Mercury.
3. Mission to Uranus. For the laughs.
4. Mission to Saturn. Brown but also neutral. Nothing too eye-catching.

I'm not sure how great it would be to own one since I haven't done much research about it. I saw a youtube video saying there were some concerns with the bioceramic material being fragile, so we shall see.

I'm still not sure what I'll end up eventually purchasing, or if I'll even purchase one of the watches/smartwatches at all. Times are getting tough and I need to be more judicious with my expenses. Ideally I'd get one of the Moonswatches and one of the Garmin smartwatches that I really wanted.

We shall see.

Out.

[957] Recharge

Getting sick a few weeks ago really helped me recharge.

My schedule changed a lot because I had to just rest. I didn't have to wake up early, I couldn't go out to do my morning walks nor bike rides, and I didn't have to help out with stuff in the house. Plus I also turned off all the alarms on my phone.

I basically had all the time to focus on myself and get better. I slept during the afternoon, I still slept early, and I woke up later than usual. I definitely got over eight hours of sleep at night plus the additional naps I took during the day. And it felt great.

I felt great after, and this translated to me being re-energized and ready to hit the ground running for work. My mood is still high and I'm glad I can maintain my current productivity levels.

It also probably helps that the project is almost done, so I can see the finish line which helps me focus even better.

Out.

[956] "Mods" I Would Put On A Car

Again using quotation marks on "mods" since these will be either aesthetic or practical mods, or both.

• Rain visors for the windows. If I understand how they work, you can basically open the windows a small amount and not have rain get in the car. Probably useful when the windows fog up and you need to de-fog them. Of course you do have vents for the front window and a defogger for the rear window. Do these rain visors help with aerodynamics? I have no idea.
• Improved antenna, either shark's fin or traditional telescoping metal rod. None of those rubber antennas that eventually droop due to baking in the hot sun. This will hopefully make sure that you can get AM/FM signals almost anywhere when you decide not to pair your phone with...
• Bluetooth Android Auto / Apple Car Play ready head unit. This was I can pair my phone to the in car entertainment system and listen to tunes I like rather than random songs the radio station plays.
• Window tints. I don't want the dark tints, what I do want are the quality UV blocking tints that can keep visibility nearly as great as a window without a tint.

I'd basically leave it at that. Rims are too expensive and are definitely optional, and a manual air pump isn't exactly a mod. Those four bullet points I listed are things I would most definitely purchase for a car to help improve the "quality of life" inside the car when I am driving around.

Out.

[955] "Second" Wind

I used quotation marks in "second" because this isn't my second wind when it comes to work. This is probably my nth second wind, and for that I am grateful.

I don't know what lead to this renewed vigor I have, but I'm riding the wave and enjoying the uptick in my mood and productivity. This is the feeling I missed before, the feeling I want to feel again when I work.

I also finally got "sick" last November 22, 2022. Lasted eight days and I ended my isolation on November 30, 2022. It wasn't that bad, and I was able to do some work stuff during my isolation. I'd like to think getting bored doing nothing helped me get my mojo back. I was really bored and was looking forward to doing stuff that would make time seem to go faster.

I'm not sure how long this mood of mine will last but I'm hoping it can carry me through until our holiday break. Then hopefully the break can recharge me even further.

It has been a long and tiring year, and I have experienced stuff at work that I never imagined I would experience. Mostly bad, some good, but definitely tiring, and not in the fulfilling way. Basically I'm just tired and I need a break.

Out.

[954] Beetle Musings

It's probably the effect of social media, specifically Instagram, that the classic Volkswagen Beetle is still my all-time dream car. I really wish I had the financial flexibility to buy, restore, modify, and maintain a Beetle as my main car. Specifically a Super Beetle.

Of course I plan on modifying it and making it a bit safer than usual. Bare minimum modifications would be front wheel disk brakes, modern three-point seat belts for the front seats, three-point seat belts for the rear seats, newer front seats with head rests, and also head rests for the rear seats.

I could go on and on about what I'd love to do to modify the car but safety is the most important thing.

Out.

[953] Reflections

I've been sick these past few days and for some unknown reason it has left me a bit introspective. Probably because I've been sleeping or resting and my mind was wandering.

I'd like to think I'd found my focus again. I guess that's what being sick makes me.

Out.

[952] Full Hydraulic Disk Brakes for My Bike?

I recently found out that L-TWOO will be releasing a hydraulic brake groupset for road/gravel bikes. There will be a 1x groupset and it will be relatively cheaper than groupsets from more well-known brands that also offer hydraulic brake groupsets.

Now I know I've blogged before about L-TWOO and how curious I am about their road bike shifters since they're similar to how Campagnolo shifters work, and the fact that most, if not all, brifters in the four seasons of Yowamushi Pedal anime all had similar shifters. Quick summary, a lever behind the brake lever is used to shift to a bigger gear and a thumb lever is used to shift to a lower gear.

Now I've heard some complaints about L-TWOO's system since they say it's a bit of a challenge to shift to smaller gears when you're in the drops, specially if you have small hands. Well, I have small hands and I am a bit concerned about this since I do occasionally use the drops on my gravel bike.

I also wrote before about how I'm already happy with my Sensah SRX Pro brifters. However if this gives me a chance to upgrade my brakes to full hydraulic then I am really interested in a potential change of groupsets in the future. I must admit the braking power on my bike has improved a lot and I'm still using my hybrid cable-pulled hydraulic calipers. I've read so many interesting things about full hydraulic brakes that I'm really curious about it.

It will also be a great chance to change components in my bike. In the event I do save up and change groupsets I'll probably get an 11-42 cassette, adapters for flat mount brake calipers, and better brake rotors. Then my next problem would be what to do with my older components.

Out.

[951] A New Computer

I've been saying I need a new computer since 2019, and up to now I still haven't bought one. I've always been "waiting since there's a new processor/GPU coming out so current prices will drop or I can get the latest parts."

Problem is up to now a) I can't decide whether I would rather go back to a desktop computer or stay with a laptop, b) I really hate spending big amounts of money, and c) every time I plan on buying something new comes out.

Problem a isn't really an issue since it looks like I'll be sticking to laptops, probably just upgrade the RAM and storage when I buy a laptop. I definitely need those to help with what I do, and as an added bonus it'll hopefully help run the games I like a lot faster.

I originally had a laptop I was going to buy a few months ago, it was reasonably priced but I kept holding back. Now it's sold out and a similar laptop with similar specs is available but it's around PhP10,000.00 more expensive. That price difference could have been the RAM upgrade.

So now I'm again waiting in case they stock up on that laptop again, or I can just buy the more expensive laptop and bite the added cost. Or most likely I'll still not buy anything and make do with my five-year old laptop. Sadly this last option is slowly becoming less and less possible each day. My system drive is almost full and I don't think it's worth it to invest in a new M.2 SSD and clone the old one considering how old my laptop is. We shall see instead.

Out.

[950] Car Stuff

I just realized that most of the posts I wrote here about what I would do if I could own a classic VW Beetle or Super Beetle could also be applied should I manage to buy a second-hand modern car.

Of course I would do all the due diligence before purchasing it, but I'd still probably bring it to a trusted car shop just to give it yet another go over, maybe give it preventive maintenance service just in case the fluids have been staying too long in whatever car that is. I'd also have them check for any possible rust spots and check the brake pads, rotors, and drums.

After that the next thing would be upgrades, starting with an Android/CarPlay ready head unit and hopefully a reverse camera and a dash cam. I'd rather have the ability to sync my phone to the head unit in case I need to use a navigation app. Speakers are optional.

Rims and tires would be next. I'd still keep it with the stock specifications but I'd definitely try to upgrade the tires. I'd also upgrade the brake pads and rotors.

Then I'd probably add some window tint. Nothing too dark, just a nice almost clear layer to reduce UV heat coming in to the car. I'd also add rain visors to the windows because you never know when you might need to leave the window open a small bit.

Finally, and this is a total luxury mod, a roof rail system so I can add a cargo basket and/or  a bike carrier on the roof.

Out.

[949] RIP Tita Susie

Earlier today I found out my paternal grandfather's sister passed away. I always called her "Tita Susie" (which basically means Aunt Susie) when I probably should have called her Lola (for Grandmother) instead.

I'm not sure how old she was or what her real name was. I just know that she was the last sibling of my grandfather that was alive. For context my grandfather passed away back in 1989.

All I remember about Tita Susie was that she was a voice coach, and a good one at that. She and her husband, Tito Tony, had a small dog named Panda that stayed with us for a few months back in the early 1990s when they went to the US for a vacation.

Rest in peace, Tita Susie. Say hello to Lolo Pabling for me.

Out.

[948] Bicycle Brakes

I've been chatting with my friend who also has a gravel bike. We've been talking about brakes and I told him that I really want to invest in good quality brakes, specifically the SRAM Avid BB7 Road calipers. It was either that or the TRP Spyre post mount calipers.

I'm not really curious about full hydraulic brakes, and the cheap hybrid brake calipers I have aren't really cutting it for me. I asked an acquaintance to check my bike out and he adjusted my calipers, which improved braking power a bit. However I'm still not sold on these brakes.

Stopping is one of the most important things in a bike and if I'm not confident in it then I really need to invest in excellent brakes. There are some things I've been considering though.

Brake mounts. My Tsunami Seaboard CX02 frame has an IS mount in the front and post mount on the rear. Since I've been buying cheap parts online the only calipers I've gotten are most likely fit for mountain bike brake levers and not road levers. At least that's what I've been forming in my head, specially after reading about the aforementioned Avid BB7 road calipers. They sell road and mountain bike specific calipers because of the pull of the levers.

Brake mount adapters. They're pretty expensive online, but I've been seriously considering buying IS to flat and post to flat mount adapters specifically to get flat mount brake calipers that more than likely will be a better match to my road bike brake levers.

Brake pads. I think I'm getting what I paid for with these cheap resin brake pads I got online. I honestly think I should buy legitimate branded brake pads.

Brake rotors. I'm also not sure if the rotors I have are good or not, and I've been tempted to buy some "branded" rotors but I'm also not sure if those are legitimate products or just replicas that carry the brand.

Anyway my continuing experience with my bike is helping me understand things about bikes, and as I wrote before these experiences are helping me form my own opinions about bike builds and what things I want. My problem now is finding the money for these new "wants."

And yes, I've considered selling my bike but I don't want to deal with strangers.

Out.

[947] Gravel Bike Musings

Just a quick post about stuff I would change if I were to suddenly find a budget for a new gravel bike.

Wait a minute, why another gravel bike? Well at my age it appears to be the best all-around bike for my taste. It can let you have aero positions for riding at faster speeds yet it has thick and knobbly tires that can handle off-road stuff. For me that makes it a jack of all trades, and also allows me to hopefully be able to bring my bike to almost any place so I can ride in almost any terrain. Plus I'm not really a big fan of the current mountain bikes with the really wide handlebars, and honestly I've grown to like riding my current gravel bike.

Anyway there are only two crucial things I really want should I have an opportunity to change frames.

1. Thru-axles. They're supposedly easier to attach and remove versus quick release. I'm currently using QRs for my bike and there are times that I install them wrong and that's basically bad for the rotors and for my safety.
2. Flat mounts. My brakes currently aren't that great, and I have no idea if it's because the hybrid calipers I got are also used for e-scooters or if the pads I'm using aren't good. One thing I do know is that there are plenty of good quality brake options available that are post mounted. Should I keep my current bike with the IS front mount and rear post mount I would need to buy flat mount adapters for them, and these adapters alone cost as much as some of the decent brake systems I've seen online. And by decent brake system I'm not even talking about Shimano or other globally known brands.

The cheapest frame that has these two requirements of mine are also from the same brand as my current frame. The Tsunami Gravel GR02 frames have both TA and flat mount. Not only that, the frame is aluminum and the fork is carbon fiber.

Anyway since I'm also being realistic I doubt I'd be changing frames or bikes any time soon. Unless I suddenly meet someone who's looking for a gravel bike and would gladly buy my current bike from me. Realistically I'd probably just be better off saving and upgrading my bike one component at a time.

Maybe start with brakes and getting some flat mount adapters...

Out.

[946] Tired

I'm tired. I need a vacation. A long one, a vacation where I don't have to do anything I normally do every day.

I want to miss doing 3D. I want that feeling of excitement of working on something again and being able to focus on my task so much that I lose track of time and when I snap out of it, a few hours have passed.

I used to experience that before, I think people called it hyperfocusing or something. I'd just put on my headset, set a playlist, dive into work. Next thing I know I'd been working straight for three or four hours. And it was amazing.

I need a break. A long break. Or else I'll break.

Out.

[945] Second-Hand Car

With the fuel prices and inflation peaking I've been doing a lot of online window shopping for second-hand cars. My previous plan was to get one of the smaller, 1.2L hatchbacks that boast great fuel economy in city conditions. This plan has sort of changed, though.

First of all the fuel economy reports of those said hatchbacks do have a big caveat. They were tested with only one person in the car with minimal gear. So I have no idea how much lower the fuel consumption will be with three to four people and cargo.

My second reason for changing parameters is driving on the highway. Sure those cars can go for long road trips, but I'm not sure how strained the engine would be when you do overtaking maneuvers. I think I'd rather get a slightly bigger car with at most a 1.5L engine that is a bit more powerful.

This is why I mentioned previously that my search has spread to both the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris. Now though I've included non-hatchbacks in my search. I just need to make sure I find the best choice I can find. My biggest factors are:

1. Fuel economy. Has to be at worst 7-8km/L in heavy traffic in the city while carrying three to four passengers and cargo. This buys me 1-2km/L for gas, so extends the range a bit. Plus it won't be me doing the driving most of the time. I do know I can improve fuel efficiency of the Rav4 when I drive because the one or two times I drove that Rav4 the fuel consumption went up above 7km/L when we topped it up.
2. Reliability. I don't want to buy a second-hand car that starts breaking down the moment I start driving it. We have that problem already with one of my mom's cars. I can't afford getting a second-hand car that needs constant maintenance.
3. Maintenance costs and parts availability. I won't be a total cheapskate and buy the cheapest replacement parts available. I've always had a mindset of using original parts or OEM spec parts made by reliable brands for car repairs/maintenance.
4. Looks. Just because I can only afford a second-hand car doesn't mean I can't get a car I want, so I really want to get a car I can grow to love like how I treat the Rav4 I use.

Ideally I'd still love to eventually find a reliable Honda Jazz but to be honest I'm also a bit worried how much replacement parts cost. Whenever I do make my purchase I do hope I make the right decision because I plan on owning that car long term.

... So a classic Volkswagen Beetle? Just kidding, I think.

Out.

[944] Challenge Myself

I calculated the distance to travel from here to my folks' place in the province via bike using https://onthegomap.com/#/create . Roughly 124km far and not as bad with climbs and descents as I thought.

I'm not sure about the accuracy of the gradients though. From what I've seen it's relatively smooth riding with maybe 6% as the worst. I'd love to share the route here but then you'd know where I live and where my folks live, so nevermind.

It's a challenge that has interested me for the longest time. Here are my reasons why I hope I can do this.

1. I'm scared to ride in public roads. What better way to beat that than riding to a far away place. Just need to ride relatively steady pace and keep my lights on all the time.
2. It's over 100km far. The farthest I've ridden here in the subdivision is 14km. I have no idea if my stamina can hold out, but what I do know is I'll most likely be taking multiple stops to rest, use the bathroom, and eat.
3. This seems like an adventure I'd love to experience. I've never pushed myself to do something this crazy, yet here I am.

If I ride at a minimum pace of around 15kmh it will take me over 8 hours. Factor in my breaks and there's a big chance it will balloon to 12 hours total time. This means I would have to start my ride as early as 4am or so so that I have enough time to get there before the sun sets.

Summer / dry season would also be the ideal time to try this out so that the sun is out longer. Plus less chances of rain. Maybe I will try this out next year.

Out.

[943] Home Appliances I'd Love to Have

I need to de-stress and blogging is one of the ways I can do this. I've been thinking about this topic for the past few days and I guess I've come up with maybe a Top Five home appliances I'd love to buy and have in the house. So here we go.

1. Front loading washing machine. This would save us me a lot of time handwashing my clothes every night. Plus it would hopefully save us money spent having our sheets laundered elsewhere. Plus scheduling laundry nights during the week would be a nice break I would love to take responsibility for. Maybe two or three nights a week, depending on how much laundry there is.
2. Air fryer. I've watched a lot of healthy meal prep videos from this one youtuber, Josh Cortis. He usually uses an air fryer to cook his food I guess to make it healthier since you use less oil.
3. Microwave oven. You need a way to re-heat or defrost your food and this is the best/fastest solution. If people are afraid of "radiation" from the microwave, then set the timer, press start, and run away until you hear it beep.
4. Bigger LCD/LED television. We may not have cable anymore but I still have my second-hand bought Chromecast. The TVs we're using here are relatively old and have issues with the screen already so a newer, bigger, and louder television would be a very welcome addition to the house.
5. A good quality blender. This would help a lot with making fruit shakes, creamy soups, and other cooking related stuff. Ideally a blender that can crush ice.

And those are the appliances I'd love to start buying and using for the house. In order of prioritiy.

Out.

[942] Weight Loss

A few months ago I was back to around 89 to 90kg. I knew that that weight wasn't that acceptable to me, so I decided to try to do something about it.

I'm now back to 85 to 87kg. I did this mostly by being disciplined enough to do portion control and improving the quality of my daily exercises.

Instead of aiming for 1 hr and 30 min a week of walking and 20 km a week of cycling, I decided to simplify my goal to 20 km a week of activity. Then I focused on walking because of the brake issue on my bike. I also wanted to keep my pace at around 10 minutes per kilometer.

These things helped but the biggest thing that helped me was the portion control. It is very challenging because I love to eat, but I needed to "check myself before I wreck myself." Yes, I did just quote Ice Cube.

I do set cheat days for me, where I'll eat more than what I usually do. And I do sometimes do it more than once a week, because I'm human and there are times that I do want to eat to cope. I just have to remember that the discipline days should be more often than the cheat days.

Out.

[941] Bike Daydreaming

I'm having issues with the rear brake of my bike. On the trainer, or if lifted, the rear brake engages and stops the rear wheel from spinning. It also becomes a challenge to move the pedal when the rear brake is engaged, as it should.

However, when I'm riding and I try to engage the rear brake I rarely feel any stopping power, and after a few seconds the brake starts squealing. I've done my research, aside from bedding the brake pads I'll probably try to adjust the caliper so that the rotor is evenly in between both pads. I'm still not optimistic about it. I do hope I figure out why my bike doesn't slow down with the rear brake only. Am I still too heavy?

Anyway this has led me to the crazy idea that I should get the adapters so I can use flat mount calipers for the bike. If I'm crazy I might even try going to 180mm rotors for the front and back, since I'm already at 160mm rotors already.

Plus getting the adaptors will prep me for any future expensive upgrades, specifically GRX group and brake sets. Hell I'll even do hydraulic if it'll help my bike stop better and safer.

I'll also probably assemble a new wheelset as an upgrade. Tubeless ready rims are a must, even though I want to go with Tubolito inner tubes. And as much as I wanted to get Shimano hubs, apparently there are hubs being sold that you can replace the endcaps so they'll be compatible with either thru axle or quick release. There are more differences with the thru axle but I'll be getting the 142mm width rear ones for sure.

I've also decided I'd rather have thinner tires than my 38mm Panaracer Gravel King SS. Maybe some knobbly cyclocross 33mm tires, so that I have enough clearance on my bike frame for those old school bike fenders.

The Redshift Sports ShockStop System is something that also intrigues me. I've seen very positive reviews on youtube on how it makes riding more comfortable with the stem and seatpost.

Anyway my dreams and dream components are always changing, so I guess this is just "version X.Y" of my dream bike components.

Out.

[940] Second-hand Car Update

I've talked with a friend of mine who knows cars better than me, as well as car parts availability, and he has told me that it would be better to get a relatively older Honda Jazz. His reasoning was that Honda (and Toyota, but that's another paragraph) parts are easier to come by even if the Kia Picanto and Mitsubishi Mirage are newer cars.

What about the Toyota? Well as much as I want to consider the second generation Toyota Yaris I'm not so sure how easy it is to find parts for that car, though I have read in Wikipedia that that Yaris is basically the same as the second generation Vios, so maybe that might be the more economical choice? I really don't know.

The Honda Jazz has magic seats! It's been my "attainable dream car" since the first generation (GD) Jazz was released. However, it could be possible that Toyota parts are cheaper and more readily available here. Not only that but non-OEM parts might be easier to find. I guess I'll have to do more research.

One thing I am noticing though is that these specific models are getting harder to find at the budget I have. Maybe they're getting sold out. Unfortunately I can't act any moment right now since this is a pretty big decision and I don't really want to rush into anything.

All I do know is if I do end up purchasing a second-hand practical car the first thing I'll do is send it to a shop for some preventive maintenance. Oil change, fluid check, brake wear check. I may end up replacing the brake rotors and pads with Brembo OEM replacements, as well as removing the window tints if ever. Of course I'll also add those small, round blind-spot mirrors for the side mirrors, as well as probably investing in a good dash cam.

Other mods, like new rims, better sound system, new and louder horn, will be in the really far future. Might even get improved suspension.

A man can dream.

Out.

[939] Bike Brakes

I just finished installing the replacement rear disk brake caliper on my bike. It took me around three hours overall because I totally forgot that I had to file away considerable material from the mounting point of the previous caliper because it wouldn't fit on the frame.

You see, the rear caliper is post mounted on the chainstay. I have no idea if these calipers I get are too thick or what but they won't fit properly if I don't file away at it. I did manage to mount it properly eventually, making sure the 160mm brake disk doesn't rub on it.

I also used the older brake pad here. That also took a considerable amount of time to remove the cotter pin, but I did manage to do everything this morning. It was pretty fulfilling but it also led me to some conclusions or goals.

I am DEFINITELY getting front flat mount to IS mount adapters and rear flat mount to post moutn adapters for my bike. Why? So I can get flat mount road bike calipers. Plus I think adapters will make it easier to remove calipers in the rear because of said fitment issue.

Getting adapters to use flat mount calipers is also good because that means most of the calipers in my favorite online store that use flat mount are for road bikes, and I use road bike brifters.

In other news, the new caliper brakes. Hard. I cannot wait to road test my bike tomorrow, do another batch of bedding in the rear brake pads because I doubt it was properly bedded in the last time, knowing how weak the rear caliper was in stopping power.

Out.

[938] Gravel Bike Thoughts

I recently just purchased the exact same brake caliper I have attached to the rear of my bike. In case you don't know, the current one leaked oil and has zero stopping power. Why did I choose to just get the same caliper?

For one thing, I discovered I had zero stopping power during one bike ride. I tried to see how poor the rear brakes were engaging and discovered that there was zero difference to my speed no matter how tight I pressed on my lever. So how was I stopping so well? The front brake.

Imagine how decent, or great, my stopping power would be if I had two functioning calipers. So I'm willing to give that hybrid brake caliper yet another shot.

My next plan is once I attach the new caliper I may keep the old one and either dismantle it for science, or buy a brake bleed kit and mineral oil and see if I can get it to work again so I have a spare caliper.

Anyway...

I think I agree with people who gave me advice about my bike. Keep the frame and upgrade everything else. When I say upgrade, I mean save up for the more expensive, better known, and better quality part. I've already seen a shop online that sells adapters so I can use flat mount brake calipers on my IS front mount and Post rear mount. I want to get flat mount calipers because they're usually for road bikes and I think one of the reasons why I need to pull my brake levers all the way is because I'm using MTB brakes with road bike levers.

Getting adapters also gives me the ability to get GRX gear if I win the lottery or something.

Out.

[937] My Dream House

Let's change gears for a while and discuss my dream house. Ideally this would be built on the lot where I live right now, to replace the current house.

It's a small house, ideally around 60 square meters or so. Around 5 meters wide by 12 meters deep, with a 2.7 meter tall ceiling. It should have two bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, and a main hall for the kitchen, dining, and common area.

I'm currently a big fan of the Spanish Pueblo Revival style houses, thanks to this old youtube video I watched from Kirsten Dirksen. I'm a big fan of not only the look, but the flat roof with canales (I have no idea if I heard or spelled that correctly) that basically is the rainwater drainage for the roof. Now, why this look?

First of all I would want to have a water tank on the roof, that way in the event that there is little to no water pressure we can use the water tank on the roof and gravity to make sure we have a steady supply of water.

Second, solar power. I would love to have solar panels on the roof of the house that would help lower power consumption. If there is still some space on the roof at least we have a place to hang out.

The only catch about this is I definitely will require railings on the roof to avoid accidents.

Inside I want to keep things simple and practical in design. Both bedrooms will be on opposite ends of the house, with the bathrooms facing the perimeter.

I've been trying to model this in 3D but I keep changing my mind about the layout and the design.

Out.

[936] Bike Decisions

The difficult thing about building a "budget" bike is that once things go wrong with some components, or you decide to upgrade to better parts, there's a great chance you'll get shocked at how expensive the parts you want are.

Case in point, my rear hybrid brake caliper had a leak. I checked online to buy an exact caliper as a replacement and either they're out of stock or now really expensive.

So I decided to do some research and checked out the fully mechanical SRAM Avid BB7 Road and wow, supposedly they cost about PhP5,000.00 or so per caliper here for the real deal. Yes they do sell replicas online for maybe less than half the price, but why get that right? Still, buy a pair of these would cost more than half what I paid for my bike frame.

I decided to check for cheaper options, because at the moment the gas prices and times require some belt tightening. One option is to buy a brake bleed kit and some mineral oil. I've seen a video on youtube showing how to bleed the brake. This is assuming that the leak was temporary and whatever caused is resolved.

Another option I was thinking of is getting dual piston mechanical brake calipers, some are more expensive than the brakes I got. I have no idea if this is because of inflation, supply and demand, or whatever reason but I do have three options.

The first is the Zoom DB680 and this is my first choice, primarily because these are really cheap. I've watched a review or two on youtube and the biggest concern I have with this is if Shimano brake pads will fit, because I've also heard on youtube that usually switching to original Shimano brake pads improve the braking power a lot. And from what I've seen in online reviews this caliper is sort of weak in braking power, but at least I also know how to bed new pads so hopefully that will help.

My second choice are deez NUTT DA6S calipers. Mostly for the memes ("check out deez NUTTS") and also because I've seen Trace Velo on youtube use the hybrid calipers on his bike, and they seem to provide decent braking.

Finally these TOOPRE calipers. They look the nicest, but the brake calipers and brake pads are really expensive. Non-Shimano brake pads are around PhP300.00 per pair, and from what I heard the original Shimano pads are over PhP600.00 per pair so replacing pads is like buying a new pair of cheapo calipers.

So I'm still undecided what to pick. For now the BB7s are out of the question, and to be honest I'm leaning more on getting the NUTT brakes since my current brakes are Zoom and well, you know what happened.

Out.

[935] Second Hand Car

If you've read this blog you probably know that I've been mulling over getting a second-hand, smaller, more practical car because of the current fuel prices. I've done my research and have my choices that fit this budget that I've set for myself.

Right now, aside from a budget, I'd really prefer a relatively newer car, maybe five years old at worst. It should be small and have a fuel efficient engine. Fuel efficient meaning it should get at worst maybe 8km/L in city use. Right now the Rav4 we're using gets 6km/L, which basically means it's time for me to go on a road trip and take it to SLEX and Star Toll and drive back, because when I last drove the Rav4 to and from Quezon Province I was getting over 7km/L consumption here for a few weeks.

I now have a new wrench in my plan: Should I get a newer practical car or get one of my "attainable dream cars," the Honda Jazz. I've seen some models being sold that fit my budget, but the problem is the age and mileage. Some of them are almost as old as the Rav4, while the newer ones are still over ten years old. Not only that, most of them are also over 100,000 kilometers.

Basically is it worth it to get the Honda Jazz because I really like, and want, it? How are parts availability, prices, and maintenance costs on those models? Will I have the same headaches and concerns we're experiencing with our old cars, specially since the ones I'm looking at are used cars and I have no idea how the current owners have treated them.

Or should I stick to my original plan and just get a relatively newer, smaller, car? This is the current answer I'm leaning on for the sake of practicality. Plus it's not like the car models I've picked are compromises. Those are cars I wouldn't owning either. They just don't have the Honda Jazz's "Magic Seats" that have been around since their gen 1 (GD) model.

Anyway as always I just have lots of plans but I really don't take action with them. The reason for that is something I'd rather not tell you.

Out.

[934] Beetle Post Number Whatever

I guess I need somewhere to leave my thoughts on my dream Beetle build. Just general stuff that I prefer at this moment.

External stuff.

• Car color. Bumblebee yellow or Netherlands orange color with carbon fiber hood and rear decklid. Or black hood and rear decklid. I've read online that white, yellow, and orange are the best colors for cars to be visible. Why no white? Dirt and scratches would be more visible.
• Fix all rust on the body and floor pan. Plastic coat the underside of the car. Stuff to make the car last more years.
• No chrome trim. Door handles, hood and decklid handles, bumper, and headlight trim will either be stock chrome if the roof rack is the old school or Vintage Speed Taiwan ones, or matte black if it's the Thule roof rack. No running boards as well.
• Rims and tires. Stock color Fuchs rims or bronze RS Watanabe rims. It doesn't have to be original, I wouldn't mind decent replicas or look-a-likes. Keep it at either 15 inches or +1 to 16 inches, I'm not a fan of the low side profile 17-inch wheels. For the tires any decent all-weather tires that provide great grip, braking power, and not so loud during both wet and dry weather.
• Lights. Front fog lamps and rear third brake light. Bumper mounted, LEDs and circular housing for the fog lamps and roof mounted or at the top of the rear windshield for the third brake light. Headlights if possible replace with the new LED headlights similar to the ones used on Jeep Wranglers and Suzuki Samurais. The ones that have angel eye DRLs, low and high beams. I'm still keeping the (at least for me) iconic top of the fender mounted turn signal lights.
• Roof rack. Ideally the old school looking roof rack, or the Vintage Speed Taiwan sleek looking roof rack. The Thule roof rack is also okay but something about the former two roof racks matches with the old school look of the Beetle.
• Windows and rain gutters. Pop out windows for the rear passengers. Either chrome or matte black trim depending on the roof rack. Just make sure they seal properly so water won't go in when it rains. For the front windows the traditional Beetle rain gutters, either in chrome or matte black again depending on the roof rack.
• Apologies in advance but those JDM/Formula 1 style carbon fiber side mirrors. It will look weird but I'm hoping it offers good visibility. Second choice would be long stem bullet side mirrors usually seen on the Nissan 240Z, but this time door mounted instead of hood mounted. Again I'm going with the long stem so I can tilt it up and improve visibility when I look at the mirrors.
• Finally, a Kamei front splitter and a roof spoiler. Either the one Gerrelt's garage makes or something similar. These supposedly help stability in higher speeds. I'm guessing in the event I drive on highways here at around 80kmh or so these will help.

Engine, mechanicals, electricals, stuff we don't think about.

• Twin carb 1600cc engine with an alternator. Improved exhaust headers and muffler. Hopefully these improve power and fuel consumption.
• A/C system provided it doesn't get too much power from the engine and as long as the engine can stay cool when the A/C is being used.
• All new suspension components, specially the bushings. I've read about the death wobble and would like to avoid it as much as possible. Nothing too special for the suspension, maybe a 2 to 3 cm lift and sway bars for the front and rear to help improve handling. I want the ride to be stable and comfortable.
• All new wiring harness so it will be easier to buy replacement fuses. 12V system already instead of the older 6V system just so modern components will work.
• Front disk wheel upgrades at the last, at best all four wheels will get the disk brake upgrades. Not just any disk brake set but the legit VW Beetle brake disk upgrades.
• External oil cooler to help keep the engine cool, additional oil as well as a better oil filter would help.

I'll stop myself there. In car stuff and other details can be another post.

Out.

[933] Gravel Bike Build

Here's a gravel bike build with links from Shopee. All I can do now is theorycraft since I have no budget and I'm quite happy with my bike. Prices as of today, 12 August 2020 but not including shipping fees. I will try to get as much of the components from as few sellers as possible.

• Frame: Tsunami GR02 Gravel. PhP16,810.00, Bianchi Green, size 50. I'm guessing the geometry of this bike is similar to my current size 50 Tsunami Seaboard CX01 frame. This new frame uses aluminom alloy with a CF fork, internal routing, and through axle.
• Groupset: Sensah SRX Pro 1x11. PhP5,799.00. Supposedly an improved version of my current groupset. I was considering getting the cheaper priced LTWOO GR9 1x11 (PhP4,799.00) just because it has similar shifters to Campagnolo. Honestly I've had experience with Sensah and they have gained my trust.
• Brakes: ZTTO Cable actuated hydraulic disk brakes. PhP4,929.00, black, disk brakes with 160mm rotors. More expensive than the brakes I've got on right now but hopefully these are better. Biased with cable actuated hydraulic calipers.
• Saddle: ZTTO Ultralight road bike saddle. PhP669.00, all black. I know for a fact I was getting hand pain with my original saddle because it was only around 25cm long. This saddle is 28cm long, but it does seem narrower than my current saddle.
• Cassette: ZTTO MTB 11-speed 11-42 cassette. PhP1,399.00. I honestly don't know if I will ever need a rear cog bigger than 42T because honestly with my current bike I rarely use my 50T cog. When I do use it in the slight climbs here I get a maximum speed of around 12kmh.
• Stem: ZTTO MTB +/-7 degree 100mm. PhP379.00. I currently have a 90mm stem, I'm thinking worst case I can slide my saddle around to compensate if the stem is too long.
• Misc items batch 1. ZTTO QR seatpost clamp JX068 28.6 black. PhP149.00. ZTTO Bar end plug, black. PhP79.00. ZTTO Teal road handlebar tape. PhP369.00. I just ordered three similar products (with the bar tape being the only different one) for my current bike.
• Crankset: ZTTO MTB BCD104 170mm crank length. PhP1,489.00. There's a bottom bracket included with the Tsunami GR02 and it looks like this crankset will fit it.
• Pedals: ZTTO Aluminum pedals. PhP499.00, black. Yes I'm getting a lot of parts from ZTTO. They've got everything so why bother looking elsewhere?
• Chain: ZTTO 11-speed. PhP899.00. More expensive than the chain I have, but I'm not really sure the chain I'm using is a genuine branded product.
• Chainring: Deckas 104BCD narrow wide, oval, black, 46T. PhP569.00. Again, I'm not expecting on going on any extreme climbs so a 46T with 11-42T drivetrain would probably be good enough for whatever I have planned.
• Wheelset. I'm seriously considering 650/27.5 wheelsets because they're smaller. Rims: Weinmann U28 32-hole rims, 29 inches. PhP2,200.00. These are supposedly tubeless ready and wide enough for gravel or mountain bike tires. Spokes: Weapon spokes, 29 inches, 72 pieces. PhP600.00. Bike hub: MEROCA 6 pawl 32 holes. PhP2,450.00, black, through axle. Tires: Continental Terra Trail ShieldWall tires, 700x35C. PhP1,400.00 each. Going away from my Panaracer Gravel Kings and trying something different and more knobbly. Inner tubes: Tubolito X-Tubo City/Tour Bike. PhP1,090.00 each. 700c 30-50mm thickness. Yes, I'm going with an inner tube, hopefully something pretty durable like these Tubolitos. Rim tape: ZTTO PVC rim tape. PhP49.00 29 inch 20mm thickness. Goodbye, tubeless setup. Though the rims are tubeless ready.
• Drop bar: Sagmit CX-Pro Drop Bar. PhP699.00. It says it's 400mm x 580mm so I'm hoping this is the right size for me, and it does look like it's flared already.

Total cost so far is: PhP46,705.00 (before the edit it was at PhP45,065).

If I missed some crucial component then I will update this post.

Out.

Edit:

I forgot to add brake cables and shifter housing. As far as I know the Sensah groupset comes with a shift cable already. For brake cables I'll go with Jagwire brake cables and lining. PhP1560 for a set ideally black or green, these are supposedly very good brake cables. For the shifter housing I'm going with whatever these are. TRLREQ shifter cables and housing set. PhP80.00 and I'll be getting two cables since it looks like the set is for 2x.

[932] Of Groupsets and Dream Bikes

Looks like I was wrong about the Microshift Advent X brifters.

Apparently the two shifters are along the brake lever. What I thought was a thumb button was I think where the gear shift cable goes out. This was confirmed with this youtube video I saw from Path Less Pedaled where he did say that the gear shift cable is externally routed. The video is over two years old as of this writing but I don't think Microshift would do a radical change of how their brifters are set up in two years time.

The youtube video also mentions that one of the shift levers was a bit of a challenge to push when you're in the drops. Compatibility with other derailleurs is also an issue, meaning that Advent X brifters only work with Advent X rear derailleurs.

So what does this mean?

Since this is a dream bike build then I'm probably dreaming that I'll be replacing the groupset with that Frankenstein Shimano build I wrote about a few months ago. Or even crazier the Campagnolo Ekar gravel groupset, except as far as I know that uses hydraulic brakes.

Basically the Frankenstein groupset requires you to get a Shimano GRX rear derailleur, compatible mechanical front brifters, an 11-40 cassette and at the biggest maybe a 44T oval narrow-wide chainring.

It was even more extreme before because at the time I wanted to go 2x with an 11-34 cassette and a front derailleur with a 44/30 chainring. Now that I've realized less moving parts means less things that can break, I've decided I'll be happy with a 1x.

So why do I want mechanical brifters? Because I really am a big fan of the cable actuated hydraulic disk brake calipers. As far as I know you don't need to bleed or refill them with brake fluid. Then again, I've been wrong before.

Out.

[931] The 2022 Suzuki Celerio

I recently watched Autodeal's review of the new Suzuki Celerio over on YouTube. I don't know if I'm easily impressed or what, but I was really impressed.

It had split folding rear seats, ample space for the size, an interesting automatic gear shift system, and supposedly great fuel economy. These are very good features considering rising fuel costs and the return of the dreaded Metro Manila traffic.

My biggest gripe would be the price. Yeah, I can't afford it.

So now ranking my choice of small hatchbacks locally I guess it would be

1. Kia Picanto 1.2L AT
2. Suzuki Celerio 1.0L AT
3. Mitsubishi Mirage 1.2L AT (if they even sell Mirage hatchbacks up to now)
   
4. Toyota Wigo 1.0L AT
5. Suzuki S-Presso 1.0L MT (just because it has no automatic variant available... yet?)

Out.

[930] Cannondale Topstone 4

I'm currently liking the Cannondale Topstone 4 aluminum alloy gravel bike. Specifically the Mango colored frame. I would probably get the SM sized frame even if I'm anywhere between 175 - 177 cm in height (depending on who you ask). I'd rather get a smaller frame because it's cheaper to buy a longer stem and seatpost to upsize your bike fit than it is to try to shrink a bike frame anyway.

I'm not even thinking of replacing the group set and handlebars, to be honest. I'm curious how the Microshift brifters feel, plus because I'm a fan of Yowamushi Pedals I've always wanted brifters similar to the ones used in that anime. And no, I cannot afford Campagnolo components, and I'm not that curious to try L-TWOO components either.

Of course I do plan on customizing the bike once I've ridden it for a while to know what I need to replace.

• Redshift Sports Shockstop stem and seatpost. Stem more importantly if I realize that the bike is too small for me. I've always been curious how much more comfortable a ride will be if you have these two specific mods.
• Juin Tech R1 hybrid brake calipers. The Topstone 4 I linked above uses mechanical disk brakes, and honestly I'd rather have hybrid calipers on my bike. Basically cable-actuated hydraulic brake calipers. I'm using a relatively cheap set on my current bike right now. I don't have a point of comparison but I am happy with the stopping power and feel of the bike. All you need to do is replace the brake calipers with these hybrids and you're done. Hopefully it's that easy.
• Velo Orange Zeppelin Fenders. Black to match the fork, 52 mm to allow up to 42 mm wide tires.
• Tubolito Tubo-CX/Gravel-All inner tubes. These Tubolitos are pretty durable inner tubes. Honestly I'm seriously considering going inner tubes on my bike, because I have one bottle of sealant left and I may just finish that off. Right now it seems too expensive to keep buying "cheap" sealant that lasts for a month or two before needing to top up the tire again. I'd rather get an inner tube and some patch kits because that looks like it will be cheaper in the long run. I just don't know how durable my current back-up inner tubes are.
• Microshift H-Series 11-42 cassette. I think the stock 11-48 range for a 10-speed cassette is too wide for me. I don't mind downsizing to an 11-42 because the stock chainring is 40T so I'll still have a 1:1 gear ratio for the really heavy climbs.
• Brooks B17 leather saddle. These are supposedly the best saddles you can get for "casual" cycling. The bike I have in mind is more for casual cycling and hopefully long distance riding so I wouldn't mind having a comfortable saddle on top of a suspension seat post.
• OneUp Composite flat pedals. As tempted as I am to use mountain bike clipless pedals and cleats and maybe with the built in power meter, I still consider myself a casual cyclist. So I'll definitely be happy using flat pedals.

And these are some of the modifications I would do to the bike. I didn't bother writing down my usual go-to mods that include bike computer, speed and cadence sensors, dynamo hubs and lights.

Besides, I can't afford to buy a Cannondale Topstone 4.

Out.

[929] Happiness

This may sound real strange but now that I'm another year older, I also realize that the things I seek for happiness are becoming less material stuff and more intangible stuff. So what makes me happy?

• Family. Specifically my immediate family, my parents, wife, and daughter. Some relatives. I enjoy spending time with them and making memories.
• Memories. In the end that is one of the things I can always take with me, great memories with people I love.
• Travel. Haven't been able to do too much of this lately but I'm hoping I can start travelling again.
• Food. I love eating food, it doesn't have to be the expensive kind, it just has to taste good and hit the right buttons.

Those, off the top of my head, are things that make me happy.

Out.

[928] Dream Gravel Bikes

Here's my current top dream gravel bikes. Not in order of preference.

Why them? Well they've got mounting points, they look nice, and they're not as expensive as the more famous gravel bikes I keep hearing about. I'm just looking at the entry level models of these bikes, not even the top of the line. Also I realized that there are many different kinds of gravel bikes and maybe the "right" one for me is the gravel bike built for adventure. Hopefully that means the frame isn't as stiff and will be comfortable for long rides, I honestly don't know. It could all be marketing jargon for all I know.

• Kona Bikes Rove NRB. I'm a big fan of US cyclocross athlete Kerry Werner and he's currently sponsored by Kona Bikes. I used to be a fan of the Kona Jake but the Rove NRB seems like a more forgiving bike, plus the mounting points.
• Cannondale Topstone 4. I kept getting Canyon and Cannondale mixed up, and which company sponsored EF Education-EasyPost. Then I discovered both of them had gravel bikes I liked.
• Canyon Grizl AL. This was actually the first gravel bike I was checking out online that I realized was the "right" type of gravel bike for me, hence it makes the list.

I'd also like to note that despite this being fully built bikes of course I'd want to customize them a bit. Specifically with dynamo hub wheels, old school fender flares, and of course dynamo head and tail lights to name a few. Maybe even a new paint job if possible.

These are my dream bikes anyway, I honestly doubt I can afford one any time soon.

Out.

[927] Bike Thoughts

Ideally if I had any guts I would have been riding around Metro Manila already, and probably going on some long trips to the nearby provinces. However since I'm still too scared to consistently ride outside the village, I will have to keep blogging about stuff I wish I could have on my bike,

Today's setup is still based around a gravel bike. Ideally a frame built for bikepacking, meaning it has mounting points galore. Steel sadly is not the preferred material, maybe aluminum. Slightly lighter to offset more weight for other components. Something like the Canyon Grizl AL. Now whatever happened to other dream gravel bike, the Kona Jake? Well, the Grizl looks like it was actually designed for long rides with all the mounting points.

The groupset will still be 1x, most likely similar to my 42T chainring with either an 11-42 cassette or 11-46 cassette if ever I do end up going on climbs with a loaded bike.

Brakes will still be the hybrid cable actuated, hydraulic brake calipers. Of course we will be going with more well known and hopefully better brands.

For the wheels honestly I'd rather have tubed wheels as long as they're Tubolito Tubo-CX/Gravel-All. It's getting annoying and sort of costly to be refilling my tubeless tires with sealant every two to three months, and I'm seriously considering not buying more sealant and just using the two inner tubes I got once I finish all remaining sealant. Aside from having an inner tube, I think I'll be happy with thinner 35mm gravel tires. I like my Panaracer Gravel King SS tires, but also wouldn't mind slightly more knobbly tires since in "this timeline" I'm riding on long rides and possibly rough roads.

Additionally I'd want the front wheel to have a dynamo hub that can power front and rear lights, as well as hopefully charge a USB powerbank so that I can recharge other stuff with said powerbank. I'm choosing Shimano's DH-UR700 because I read on this article from Cycling About how that specific hub had the most power output at speeds between 5kmh and 15kmh. Knowing that dynamo hubs do slow you down, and knowing how my pace is I won't be surprise if that is the range of speed I'll be averaging on long rides while the hub is being used.

To round things off I would also want some old school looking fenders/mud guards for my bike. Something that looks like this set from Velo Orange. Then to round things off a bike fork mounted headlamp from Busch + Muller like the MYC, and of course Busch + Muller dynamo rear lights.

Of course I'd still need a bike rear mounted rack and bags but those are things I can choose to remove from the bike or not. The things I wrote above are things that would always be on my bike.

Out.

[926] Older

I'm now another year older. I hope that the experiences I've had in the past few months have helped mold me to become a better person, and I hope I can use those experiences as learning lessons on how to deal with life in general.

Yes, I did not make a blog post about a birthday wishlist. I'm too jaded/realistic about the fact that whatever I write down there will just be that, wishes.

So here's to yet another year, may I continue my journey searching for happiness and maturity.

Out.

[925] Stress

Not going to lie, it has been a really stressful past few weeks. One good thing I got out of it was a sort of direction for myself moving forward.

That's all I have to say. I'm looking forward to hopefully de-stressing myself these next few days, because I really, really need it.

Out.

[924] Surprise! It's a VW Beetle Post

During my walk this morning my mind wandered back to my ultimate dream car, the classic Volkswagen Beetle. I may have cooled off a bit on owning one because of what happened to the Brazilian Jesse Kozechen and his dog, Shurastey but that incident also enforced some things I was strongly considering if ever I get the chance to own and modify a classic Beetle, namely:

1. Preferably a flat windshield VW Super Beetle. Better suspension, more stable and safer ride. Raise the rear height to match the front for better ground clearance.
2. Totally new and modern wiring harness. Upgrade to a 12 volt system with an alternator instead of 6 volts and a generator if needed. Make sure to put rubber covers on the battery connectors to avoid accidental fires.
3. Minimum front disk brake upgrade, better if the rears are also converted to disks. It doesn't have to be those Wilwood big brake kits, just standard disk brake upgrades so that hopefully replacement disks and pads are cheaper and easier to come by.
4. Upgrade all lights. New LED headlamps with built-in daytime running lights, LED bulbs for taillights and signal lights. Additional front fog lamps, rear third brake light. Change the interior to better cabin lights, ideally LED as well.
5. 3-point seat belts for the front and rear seats. Middle rear seat can get the roof mounted shoulder belt. Just additional safety measures.
6. I changed my mind about the engine. 1600cc twin carb setup so that we get better fuel economy.
7. As always, roof rack and rear decklid rack.

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[923] 2x vs 1x Groupsets

Yes, another post about bicycle drivetrains. I've been thinking about 1x vs 2x drivetrains yet again, specifically when I was riding my bike earlier this morning.

Before I continue forgive me for using non-cyclist terms, I still get confused with them. So when I say fastest gears that means the smallest cog on the cassette, and easiest gear the biggest cog on the cassette. Anyway...

I'm not going to talk about the weight difference between 1x and 2x since I'm not a weight weenie and I don't really plan on racing anytime soon. I'm more focused on what will give me a more comfortable ride if I eventually do get brave enough to ride around the city OR I bring my bike to the province.

My thinking is that you can have the similar gear ratios for the fastest and the easiest gears. Fastest being the gear you use on downhill and flat roads, and easiest the gears you use in climbs.

The biggest difference I can see between 1x and 2x would be the smoothness in gears. Having a 2x setup allows you to have a cassette with smaller teeth difference, while a 1x setup will have compromises with the difference in number of teeth per gear.

Let's compare my current Sunshine MTB cassette with a Shimano CS-HG700-11 road cassette.

• 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-36-42-50T (Sunshine MTB cassette)
• 11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-30-34T (Shimano Road cassette)

Looking at the differences in the number of teeth per cog you can see that the Shimano cassette has a smoother increase, with the biggest gap being three and four teeth, and only at the biggest cog. Meanwhile the Sunshine cassette has four, six, and eight teeth gaps for the biggest cogs.

This basically means that you will struggle finding a sweet spot changing gears for the easier gears with the 1x. Chances are one gear will be too hard and one will be too easy. With a 2x it isn't that bad.

Cassettes don't tell the whole story. Now let's add in the chainrings and calculate the smallest and biggest gear ratios. My bike is currently using a Deckas 42T narrow wide oval chainring, and let's put that up against a Shimano GRX FC-RX600-11 46/30T chainring.

• 42/11 = 3.82, 42/50 = 0.84
• 46/11 = 4.18, 30/34 = 0.88

So as you can see the 1x might be a bit "slower" in high speeds but it could in theory be "easier" in climbs. Meanwhile the 2x will "struggle" in climbs but be faster in flats. I'm saying these in quotation marks because I haven't factored in fitness levels and other intangibles.

Which brings me back to why I wrote this in the first place. I'm still not sure what kind of groupset I want. I'm happy with what I have right now, and I'm hoping I will be able to ride long enough to enjoy my bike. My biggest question now is, let's say I can upgrade my bike in the future... do I want to try a 2x setup? Is it worth it? Or should I just get a smaller range cassette for the rear so I gear differences won't be as harsh?

I wish I could afford to find out.

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