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.
Out.
