[919] Lizards

We're spending a few days at my parents' house in the province. They've got two houseguests. Two big lizards.

I'm guessing they are Tokay geckos based on a quick google search. It also appears as if they've reached full size since I'm pretty sure they're at least 8 to 10 inches long already. I haven't heard them make noises, but I've seen them both.

Yes, both. The gecko I saw last night seemed to have a shorter tail and a thicker body, while the one I just saw a few minutes ago had a longer tail and narrower body. I managed to take a few photos using my phone but because I had to zoom in, the quality is really bad.

So I know these geckos are nocturnal and it's hard to see them. I guess since they've lived in my folks' house for the longest time they're a bit less worried about humans? Plus it's night time and they need to feed so I guess it's hunger over fear.

I also heard from my dad that the painting they're hiding behind also had eggs before. So I'm hoping they've managed to raise some kids and help keep their numbers relatively high. That wikipedia article I read says that they're being hunted to extinction so I just have to say that these guys are in a safe space in this house.

Out.

[918] Hybrid Bike Calipers

Based on stuff I've watched on youtube the Yokozuna hybrid brake calipers are supposedly just rebranded Juin Tech calipers. The biggest advantage the rebadged Yokozunas have is that they come with great quality brake lines and housings.

The Juin Tech calipers are pretty expensive in online shops I've checked, but not as expensive as the Yokozunas. So basically in the event I decide to upgrade my brake system I can just save up for some road bike Juin Tech calipers and improved brake lines and housings.

Out.

[917] Future Bike Related Purchases

All seriousness I only need two more things for my cycling hobby. Basically all I need are:

• A smartwatch. Ideally the Garmin Forerunner 55.
• Two bike sensors for speed and cadence.

I don't even need a new fork since that's mostly for aesthetics. Plus the Garmin can function as the bike computer and pair with the sensors.

So why the Garmin Forerunner 55? One answer is it has the best bang for the buck features. I've watched quite a good number of youtube reviews for the Garmin Forerunner 55 and other similar smartwatches. Garmin seems to have the best features available. It has heartrate monitoring, body battery, route logging, etc.

Heartrate monitoring is pretty crucial for me because I really want to know if I am improving myself when I ride. I don't think getting faster is enough of a metric to see if I have improved. I want to know if my heart is getting stronger as well.

The biggest reason why I'm saving up for a Garmin is the incident detection feature available in all their smartwatches. Incident detection is a feature that if something happens to me the smartwatch will tell my phone to notify select people about what happened to me. At my age this is a crucial feature.

I'm even anticipating the possibility I ride somewhere far. Incident detection will give me peace of mind that just in case something happens to me (knock on wood).

The bike sensors will pair with either my smartphone or the future smartwatch I purchase. This will give me more information for my rides. I really want to know my cadence because I still have no idea how fast I pedal in some areas. Plus I want to know if I'm more of a spinner or a grinder when I'm riding.

Anyway there you have it. I'm being a bit more practical with my expenses and being a bit more realistic with my "upgrade-itis" so that I don't spend so much.

Out.

[916] My Dream Bike Components Setup

Let me preface this by saying I am just doing this for fun. I have neither the funds nor the patience to actually do this build. For now.

It has been a couple of months since I finished assembling my gravel bike (with a lot of help from others) and since then I've gained experience about cycling in general. So now during free time I do research about bike parts and bike tech and other bike related stuff.

I have decided that I will try to build around my Tsunami Seaboard CX01 frame. Let's begin with the groupset and other related components.

1. Brifters. Brake levers with shifters integrated. I'm not going for a fully hydraulic build so I'm going with Shimano 105 Dual Control levers for both the left and right hood. Yes, they are 2x11 and yes I have decided that maybe, just maybe, a 2x set up might be something I want to experience.
2. Brakes. I like having my hybrid disk brake calipers. They are basically cable pulled hydraulic brakes so in keeping with that train of thought I would "upgrade" to the Yokozuna Ultimo 4-piston calipers for both front and rear. These apparently come with 6-bolt 160mm brake rotors so that takes care of the braking system.
3. Derailleurs. It'll be all Shimano GRX derailleurs for me, with the FD-RX810-F front derailleur and the RD-RX810 rear derailleurs. Note that the max low cog for the RD is 34T. This is why I decided to go with a 2x setup.
4. Crankset, bottom bracket, cassette, and chain. Once again all Shimano (are you sensing a pattern?) with the FC-RX600-11 GRX crankset with the 46-30T chainrings. For the bottom bracket I'm going with the Shimano GRX BB-RS500 BB68 since I'm pretty sure the seaboard has a BB68 bottom bracket. This will be paired with the Shimano 105 CS-HG700-11 11-speed 11-34T rear cassette. This is the reason for the 2x setup. I'll still have around a 1:1 gear ratio with a 30/34 combo, but still have enough gears for a nearly 5:1 gear ratio with the 48/11 setup. These will all be connected by the Shimano CN-HG601-11 11-speed chain. Of course I will be totally removing the lubricant of the chain because I use wax lube.

And there it is. An all Shimano setup. I have done some basic research on them and the 105 brifters are compatible with the GRX derailleurs. The biggest problem now is that these Shimano components cost a lot of money, and even the Yokozuna Ultimos are also very expensive. Which is why I did say these were my dream components for my bike.

Out.

[915] Elections 2022

Next week the Philippines will be having elections. We will be voting for a president, a vice president, senators, a congressman, councilors, a mayor, and a vice mayor.

This is serious stuff, and I've just started searching the internet for details of the candidates. Why so late? Because around this point there's more information available online about the candidates. Their platform, advocacies, political allegiances, and other important factors I'm considering when I make my choices.

So if you'll be voting in the up coming Philippine elections, please do your due diligence. Make the right choice. This isn't just for shits and giggles, this is for the short, medium, and long term future of this country.

Out.