[914] Dream Bike

The moment you actually get to own and ride your dream bike, it ceases to be your dream bike. It becomes your bike. That leaves you a bike sized hole that will be filled by your next "dream" bike.

This thought popped into my head as I was browsing my youtube recommendations. I saw a few videos with the title "Building my Dream Bike" and it got me thinking. Now you have your dream bike. Is your dream over? Probably not. Now you'll probably dream of another bike, maybe not immediately but most likely it will eventually happen.

New tech comes out. Your preferences change. Stuff happens. Things change. I can attest to this. When I got back to cycling I wanted to build a gravel bike, and for all intents and purposes I did. However now that I've been riding for a few months I realized that maybe, just maybe, I should have built a cyclocross bike.

This isn't that big of an issue for me, since I'm starting to realize that maybe my bike frame was built for cyclocross. It took me a while to think why the frame was called "CX01."

So I guess if I really wanted a cyclocross bike all I have to do is change the tires to 32mm.

Out.

[913] Bike Gear

There are plenty of things I wish I could afford for my current cycling hobby. While it may be true that I'm still too scared to go far because of the motorists, fellow cyclists, and pedestrians here in the Philippines and specifically Metro Manila, that still isn't stopping me from doing some online window shopping. So here are some wearables I wouldn't mind getting for my bike.

1. POC Omne Air MIPS helmet in white/orange. This helmet seems pretty visible and stylish while having the MIPS technology that helps make your helmet even safer. The reason why I like POC is because it's the same brand of helmet that Team EF Pro Cycling use, and I'm a big fan of them since I started getting into cycling.
2. adidas Five Ten Hellcat Pro Mountain Bike Shoes. These shoes also look great and being mountain bike shoes makes them easier to walk in than road bike shoes for the simple reason that the cleats aren't protruding from the sole. Basically I can walk around wearing these shoes and nobody would probably notice that they're cycling shoes. I was actually considering Crankbrothers' Mallet Speed Lace but then my tastes changed.
3. Shimano PD-M9020 pedals. Now I know I'm not planning on using cleats anytime soon but since this is just a wishlist then we can include these pedals. I was originally thinking of using the Crankbrothers Candy 2 pedals but right now my preferences are leaning towards Shimano.

That's it. Basically just want a nice helmet and shoes that can have cleats in case I decide to go clipless pedals.

Out.

[912] Sagmit Tire Sealant

My bike's rear tire finally deflated fully today. I had been seeing signs that it might need new sealant as early as this weekend.

I've already blogged about my experience before and I'll be using that knowledge to refill my tires with sealant. Basically filling the tire directly with sealant before setting the beads, then applying just a little bit of sealant via the valve stem. That seems to have worked because my front tire holds air way better than my rear tire.

I've been using Sagmit's Tire Sealant since I got the bike last year. This is the third time I'll apply the sealant. It also seems to be the trend that after two months of use you will need to replenish the sealant in the wheel. The last time I poured sealant was early in January 2022.

I'm not bummed out to be honest. The sealant I've been using is relatively cheap (PhP66-ish per 330mL bottle versus over PhP500 for a 240mL bottle of Zefal tire sealant). Based on what happened last January I was expecting this to happen. It's just par for the course of using tubeless tires, I guess.

I'm just glad the sealant I use is cheap. I've read that other sealants also need to be replenished from two to six months so I guess this is just par for the course.

So I'll be taking the wheels off my bike either later today or early tomorrow morning so I can clean them up real nice and remove the crusty old sealant before reapplying new sealant. I might even re-apply tubeless rim tape just to be sure.

Would I ever consider switching to inner tubes? I honestly don't know. I've got two inner tubes right now for emergency purposes but I don't think I want to use them.

It's more likely I'll buy tubeless ready rims than using inner tubes if you ask me right now.

Out.

[911] Zone Two Training

I've started riding my bike more often again. While I can't seem to ride the distances I used to be able to do, I am trying to become consistent with my rides again.

I recently had a great chat with my friend JD, and he mentioned Zone 2 training to me. From what I understand, this is basically going long distances without straining your heart too much. This is to build endurance. Now, I don't have a heart rate monitor, nor do I have a high tech bike computer. All I have is a Cateye Velo 9 wired computer my dad gave me, and my adidas Running app on my mobile phone.

So how do I go about attempting this zone 2 training? Basically I try to set a pace I'm comfortable in and I try to maintain that pace and increase the distance I ride. Right now that's around 15-16 kmh around the subdivision. I know I can average over 17 kmh but when I do those rides I'm very winded when I get home.

With 15/16 kmh pace I can get home and I'm not as winded as before. How do I go about riding a slower pace? I try either spinning or grinding on my bike. Spinning is having a high cadence, and grinding is having a slow cadence. Since I don't have a cadence sensor I'm not sure if I'm legitimately spinning. When I do spin I use bigger gears that have almost zero resistance when I pedal, and when I grind I use smaller gears that make me feel the effort when I pedal.

So far I change techniques depending on my mood when I ride. There are days I prefer to spin to maintain my pace, and there are days I like to grind.

Bottom line is that hopefully I can keep this kind of riding up moving forward, and hopefully increase my ride distance back to averaging around 7-8 km per ride. Then go farther.

Out.

[910] Musings

These past two years have greatly affected me, truth be told. I've become more cynical and distant than I used to.

I've seen and read about great things humanity has done these past few years that have sort of restored my faith in humanity, but then all the bad things that have happened has also left me jaded.

People will say I should count my blessings and be thankful for the things I have in my life. I am grateful for the things I have, and I am glad that I am still alive, healthy, and capable of functioning similar to how I was before this pandemic started.

It's just been really, really tiring to experience everything that has been happening, and will possibly happen, these past few years. You've got the pandemic, the local presidential elections, the wars in some parts of the globe, rising costs of fuel and goods, and a hell of a lot more.

So focus on the things you can control. That's what everyone says, right? Easier said than done, I guess. I wish I could write more, but this is a public blog so I'd rather not.

Let's just say I'm not enjoying the ride and leave it at that. I haven't been enjoying for a long time.

Out.