[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.

Out.

[889] Cycling Progress Report

Yesterday was the very first time I had ever ridden along the East Service Road. Ever. And today I did it again, going through a loop where I turned somewhere about two kilometers from here and taking a road that led me to the back of our subdivision. I used my gravel bike.

It was pretty thrilling to actually finally ride outside the subdivision. I treat myself as a total beginner in cycling basically because I stopped biking after a crash I had in grade school and only started seriously cycling a few months ago, when I made it a goal to assemble a gravel bike.

It's basically a 3.5km loop that I do, something that takes me around 12 to 15 minutes inside the subdivision. Outside it's much faster since there are almost no humps and almost everyone outside is going way faster than me. I probably average around 15-16kmh inside the subdivision, but outside whenever I get the chance to check my cyclocomputer I ride at around 20kmh or so.

Yesterday when I finished my ride my hands were numb and sore. Today I felt like I cracked on the way home. I've been trying to adjust my bike's setup as well as my own fitness levels to avoid these things, and I'm glad that riding outside gave a reality check of the stuff I need to improve on.

My core strength needs improving so I don't lean too much on the bike. I've seen countless bike videos on youtube of bike fitters and cycling channels saying that engaging the core is important. I've also read a few articles from what I believe are legitimate and trusted sites that do say that one of the most important factors in riding well is the core strength.

My stamina also needs improving. I think the reason why I felt like I cracked in this morning's ride was because I tried pedaling on smaller gears today. Maintaining a high cadence with more effort is of course draining, and since I'm doing intermittent fasting I'm basically running on "empty" whenever I ride in the morning. Lesson learned, at my current fitness level I should go use the bigger gears.

I also need to work on my balance and spatial awareness. Cycling on public roads is very different here in the Philippines. You've got public transportation, motorcycles, other cyclists, and other vehicles sharing the road with you and they're not really bike friendly. So I need to constantly remind myself to ride at a slow but decent pace, stay on the right, keep a cool head, and make sure I'm riding properly.

Overall I'm quite happy and motivated at what I have done. I'm realizing a lot of things I need to improve as a cyclist, and I'm feeling a level of freedom. I do know I need a lot more training to do before I can even ride further than what I'm doing now.

I'll probably ride inside the subdivision again this week and ride outside on Sundays, when there are hopefully less vehicles on the road.

Out.

[866] Developments

Interesting developments have been happening to me since 2021 started. I don't want to mention anything here, because I've learned to censor myself to what I actually broadcast online.

Biggest change is that I've finally added one more cycle to my HIIT/Tabata workout. I used to do three 5-minute cycles of 20-second exercise and 10-second rest with a 1-minute recovery break. Since I've really slowed down the number of times I've been exercising since around October last year I decided to increase the duration of my exercise. I started last Monday, January 18. I finished my second workout earlier this morning.

I'm really hoping that once the weather slowly starts getting warmer, and the dawn starts getting brighter, that I will be able to exercise more frequently. If I can get back to my Monday to Friday frequency I'll probably be doing MWF with some lifting and TTh as all cardio.

As it stands now what I do is two cycles of cardio. Usually alternating between jumping jacks and a 20-pound kettlebell swing. After those two cycles the next one is usually either (if back day) suitcase deadlift alternating with left and right bent over rows or (for leg days) a combination of a kettlebell goblet squat, calf raises, and forward/backward lunges. I end the workout with (for shoulder days) some shoulder exercises I don't know the names or (for arm days) some bicep/tricep exercises I don't know the names either.

When I started this HIIT/Tabata workout last year my original goal was to lose more weight. I had gone down to 86kg and I wanted to go below 85kg. Since then I've gained weight and I am now hovering between 87kg to 89kg. This doesn't worry me. I am just refining my goals.

I've been here before, when I initially started my weight loss journey. I went down and hovered between 96kg to 99kg for quite a while before I refocused. I went down and hovered between 92kg to 94kg. Took a while before I managed to go down and now I'm hovering (yet again) between 87kg to 89kg. See the pattern?

The important thing I want to focus on now is to get back to exercising. Less for weight loss but more that I get my body moving. I'm already forty years old, I'm not getting younger, and I'm starting to slowly feel Father Time catch up to me. I need to be healthier.

Out.

[845] Thoughts on My Weight Loss Journey

The heaviest I can remember myself weighing was around 236 lbs or 107kg. This was back in 2016, during an annual physical check-up I had with a previous company. I was advised by the doctor to start losing weight for my own good. They even had me attend nutrition seminars, that I appreciated at the time but also didn't pay much attention to.

You see, discipline and self-control were never my strong suits before. I love food, and I would eat food I loved a lot. Sure I could curb my eating for a few days or so, and my weight would drop by one or two kilos, but it always used to hover in the 105kg to 107kg range until some unfortunate events in 2017.

It was during 2017 that I decided to go walking almost every morning. That was the year I managed to drop my weight below 100kg for the first time since around 2012 (I won't go back to this in too much detail, let's just say I lost weight but since I loved to eat you know what happened after). I was perfectly happy with my final weight fluctuating between 96kg to 98kg. Occasionally it would go to 95kg but again, love of food and eating.

I managed to maintain that weight until 2019, when during one random weigh in I saw that my weight had ballooned up to 99kg again. I think this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Determined (for probably the first time in my life, health-wise) to not go back to over 100kg I decided to try intermittent fasting. And it worked. I powered through the first few months, increasing the frequency of my weigh-ins daily just to remind myself that I did not want to get heavier again.

It is now the 14th of May 2020. I am proud to say my weight now fluctuates between 86kg to 88kg. I've been doing a minimum of 16:8 IF almost everyday, and since this quarantine started last 15th of March I've been doing it non-stop. Yes there are times I'd like to have breakfast (I usually eat lunch and dinner plus snacks) but when I see where I've gotten it's easier to just say I can just wait a few more hours.

While I still refuse to set a concrete goal, right now I'm sort of trying to get below 85kg. And this is the funny part, I also said that near the end of last year. I was hovering between 92kg to 94kg at the end of the year and told myself if would be nice to at least get to 89kg so that when I reach one year of doing IF I can say I lost 10kgs and look where I am now.

I still don't believe in setting a concrete goal for myself. I can challenge myself to reach a certain weight, but I know that with the way I think I get frustrated if I don't achieve something with a deadline. And that can be counter-productive to what I've reached so far. So I'll still gradually push myself to lose weight, but as of the moment I'm happy with where I am at weight-wise.

Out.

[843] My New Thoughts Regarding Social Media

I'm learning so much about the power of social media and how people behave because of the stuff we see in social media. I'm also learning to just treat everything with a grain of salt, not overreact, analyze if it is factual or not, and cherry pick what stuff I see on social media I will believe.

I've also realized it's better to keep my opinions to myself because having freedom of speech doesn't mean standing on a goddamn soapbox and forcing my beliefs on other people. I'll respect your beliefs and agree to disagree if you do the same courtesy for me.

It's healthier that way for me.

Out.

[841] Palm Sunday 2020

It's Palm Sunday today for Roman Catholics. Technically Holy Week starts today and ends on Easter Sunday.

For most Filipinos this also starts an almost week-long holiday. As a nation we have non-working days from Holy Thursday until Black Saturday. A good number of Filipinos usually file their vacation leaves for the whole week.

Because of this current Coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic we are experiencing, the vacation plans of most people have been changed. I know our plans have changed. One thing is for sure, I will be taking a few days off this coming week to decompress, binge watch show on streaming, and hopefully power through whatever negative energies I've been experiencing.

I know I'm an introvert and I don't like to go out. I also don't like spending too much time in crowded areas just because I feel overwhelmed and out of my element. To be honest, I miss those times I could go out. It was a luxury I could choose to do before, and being able to go out at least once a week was enough to re-charge my social batteries and last me one more week.

Now that I rarely get to go out I end up missing those times when I can choose to just go out to either buy stuff or just cool down in the airconditioned malls of Metro Manila.

Not that I don't get to go out. I'm the one who can go out and buy supplies during this lockdown. The quarantine pass for our house is under my name, mainly because I'm the only who can drive and is within the age range of the quarantine pass. Though the age range has been updated already to allow senior citizens the chance to go out in the event that they don't have anyone to care for them.

Just yesterday I went out for some errands. Had to go buy meat at the meat shop, get some money for my mom, buy medicines for both my wife and dad, and buy other stuff for the house. I'm thankful that I had the chance to go out and decompress, even for just around two hours or so.

For those of you who've made it this far and are wondering, "What does the title have to do with his blog post? I see little to no connection." Well, you're right. I just made that the title because technically today is Palm Sunday in this year, 2020.

Out.

[826] Reflecting on 2019

The end of December is a few days away and I haven't posted anything in over a month. So I'll post something today, just so I can say I posted something on December.

It's been a very interesting 2019. Like I said in an Instagram post, I've gotten more jaded as the years have passed. I have, however, also learned to persevere and be more resilient nowadays.

Yes there are weak times when I want to give up. There are times when I will indulge myself in a pity party. Usually I try to talk myself out of my funk. Remind myself of the gif of Mr. Krabs playing a sad song in the world's smallest violin.

So many things have happened this 2019. I have to say overall I've become a better person. Of course, that's my opinion of myself and I honestly don't know if others feel the same.

Out.

[820] Why I Play Video Games

I play video games. I play them to relax, have fun, and while away the time.

I prefer single player games. I have little to no desire to interact with anyone online unless someone I know invites me to play.

Do I like to be challenged in the games? Sometimes. There are also times when I'm losing in NBA 2K18 that I will finish the game and try to at least bring the score down.

Oftentimes I rage quit. Again, I play to relax. If I feel that I'm getting pissed off because I'm losing or because the enemy had a lucky head shot, I rage quit. Some people will call me a sore loser. I am. That's why I play single player, because I want to relax and also win.

I also save scum. A lot. As often as possible. This is a video game, not real life. I'd rather have multiple chances to redo something until I get the desired effect. Again, video game. I'm trying to enjoy.

So yeah, I'm not really as bothered as I was before about how I play. I used to try the 100% completion, hardest difficulty, iron man modes but I would just get pissed off and frustrated. That's not why I play.

Out.

[817] Appearances

I just realized that some people I consider friends probably see me in a way that bothers me. Specifically I guess they assume things about me, either based on how I interact with them or whatever stuff I post on social media. And through those things they come up with their opinions on me.

And sometimes when they let me know what opinion they have on me it bothers me, though to be honest why should I let it bother me? It depends on how much of a friend I consider them. It also depends on how much I should value their advice with how I see how they treat me.

Maybe I'm getting too onion-skinned or maybe I'm just becoming annoying to him but I did notice that recently I've been slightly offended with the way he interacts with me in our group chats. I honestly cannot assume how he's feeling or how he's saying it since there are no emotions included in words. So I can only interpret it the way I read it, and recently it seems hostile.

I've been trying to think if it's my fault, sometimes chatting too much or maybe being the annoying person in the chat. Or maybe it's because I've been acting too much of the fool. I honestly don't know.

I've tried asking more questions so I can better understand everyone but I guess it just makes me seem like I've been living a sheltered life and that I really know jack shit about the world. And honestly it pisses me off that some people are starting to treat me rathery condescendingly from my point of view.

So I shall deal with this problem with how I usually deal with negative things in my life. I'll just cut it off. Not totally, as it could be just me being too sensitive.

Why don't I confront him you might ask? Because I really don't like confronting people. I don't really want to open up and say that he's been acting hostile lately. Might open up more shit than I want to deal with.

So I retreat, metaphorically speaking. Like with things I don't like I'll just avoid them. I know who has my back and who doesn't, and right now it looks like he doesn't have my back.

Out.