[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.