[881] More Daydreaming About Beetles

I've been doing some daydreaming yet again about stuff I would do to customize a Volkswagen Beetle. This would be done after I do the basic that needs to be done should I manage to purchase a Bug. So here they are in order of priority, with explanations.

1. Modern 3-pt seat belts for the front and rear seats including middle. Old bugs used to have shoulder belts for the front and none for the rear. I'd really appreciate it if you could mount 3-pt seat belts everywhere. Plus our 20021 Rav4 has a ceiling mounted seat belt that you can pull down should you have someone sitting on the middle part of the rear set. It'll take lots of custom fabrication and upholstery work but this is something I seriously want to have in a really old car.
2. Dash cam and rear cam mounts. Again, custom fabrication for cameras, but again also very useful for safety purposes. I've seen some relatively cheap dash cams that are integrated into bigger and newer rear view mirrors. If those are reliable and easy to install then that would be my go-to option.
3. New in car entertainment system. It doesn't have to be those giant, 2-DIN LED infotainment systems. I would appreciate bluetooth connectivity and USB connectors. Also good quality speakers, a decent subwoofer, and tweeters.
4. Pop out rear passenger windows. To improve interior ventilation because I am not considering adding an air-conditioner. A swamp cooler could also be an option after finding out there is a local shop that still builds them for Beetles.
5. LED headlights and bumper mounted fog lamps. That youtube link I have above is basically what I would also want my Beetle to look like on the outside. fog lamps, roof rack, pop out windows. Nice peg. The LED headlights are something I've always wanted ever since I found out they would fit in Beetles (and Suzuki Samurais). They would improve visibility because of the daytime running lights option and the (hopefully) brighter beams at night.
6. LED bulbs for all lights. Brake lights, turn signals, cabin lights, plate number lights, if there's an LED bulb option for them I would love to replace the older bulbs. Probably use up less power too.
7. Third brake light OR rear LED chase light bar. This would help taller SUVs and buses be aware that there's a car in front of them. I'd prefer the LED chase light bar so that additional turn signal indicators would also be on it.
8. Roof rack with cargo basket. I'm aiming for the classic looking roof rack, but I would also love to have a provision for a roof mounted bike rack.
9. Custom front and rear seats for better comfort and support, easier to remove and fold down, and also so it can fit seat belt sockets.
10. Custom rims that looks like Fuchs or RS Watanabe rims. Color to be determined with whatever Beetle color I get.
11. 240Z style fender mounted bullet side mirrors. This is debatable, and will only be used if the Beetle a) looks good with it on the hood; and b) if the side mirrors actually do a good job of showing me what's behind. If it's just for looks, like those hot rod peep side mirrors, it will be a hard pass.
12. Tow hooks with proper labels and warnings. Beetles are rear-wheel driven cars. If it (knocks on wood) suddenly gets towed while I'm not there and they tow it like modern front-wheel drive cars I'm pretty sure they won't pay for the damage they'll do to that car.
13. Rear windshield wiper. I've never seen this done, I'm curious if it can be done. It would help so much with rear visibility.
14. Rear window spoiler and front bumper spoiler. They supposedly help with aerodynamics and fuel efficiency so why not.
15. Carbon fiber or fiberglass front and rear decklid. To reduce weight a bit. I don't plan on doing an engine swap or going twin-carbs. I just want a decent, reliable engine so I can cruise around. Adding all of the stuff I wrote here will add more weight to the car but they are things I honestly think I need for the Bug, so any weight savings would be great.

And there you have it. Another filler blog just so I can do more than one post a month. Mods I would do to a Beetle if I ever owned one. That youtube link above features a really great Beetle and I honestly am both jealous and happy for the owner at the same time.

Out.

[880] Mustache

I've recently started to grow a mustache. Probably started a week or so before June 11, 2021. I was probably trimming it until two weeks ago when I decided to let it grow. Maybe grow it long enough to have a handlebar mustache. We shall see.

The annoying part of growing the mustache was when it was around three weeks old. It was short and bristly and really annoying. After a while I have gotten used to it, and now it doesn't feel as bristly as before.

I've been combing it occasionally and I'm thinking of getting some beard wax for this. At the same time I don't really want to buy because it would be a waste of money to buy that then shave this off. I'll see how long I can live with my 'stache.

Out.

[879] Bike Goals

I've been having very good discussions about bikes with a friend of mine. He does a better job of researching about lots of bike things and is a bit more experienced with newer tech bikes. Let's just say, as an example, that all I know about bikes is frame size and cassettes and chainrings. Meanwhile he already knows about head angles, crank length, and other more important technical things.

My near daily conversations with him has made me realize that while yes, I still want a gravel bike, I need to be a bit more specific about things I want to have on my bike. And what my priorities are before I even start buying, and possibly building, my own bike. So in this blog post I'll try to write down my priorities when I build a bike.

1. Comfort for posture. I'm definitely aiming to get a frame that is the right size for my height. Then find a seat height, handlebar height, and stem length that will be more on the comfort side than the aero/aggressive side of gravel bikes. Another reason for this is I'll be another year older in a few weeks, so I'm not as flexible as I used to.
2. Comfort while pedaling. I'm not building my bike for speed. More than likely I'll be looking for an 11-speed cassette with 11T-38T cogs, with a 38T chainring up front. I won't be going as fast but at least I also won't be exerting as much effort pedaling. I just want to be able to cruise with my bike.
3. Safety. This means I'll need reliable wheels and brakes. I'm looking to use mechanical disk brakes, and this will, I think, be the first time I will be using disk brakes on a bike. For tires I'd think the minimum width I should have is maybe 38mm. It's not like I actually have grave trails nearby. I'll also be adding rear lights and front lights, even if have no plan of riding during the evening. Plus I also plan on buying reflective tape to add to the bike in key locations.
4. Weight. Frames are expensive. Even the chromoly steel frames here are priced at an amount that makes my eyebrow go up. Or maybe I'm just a solid cheapskate. Still, I have no plans to go racing on this bike, my biggest dream is to do long distance biking. I have no idea how much of a factor weight will be. Also the bike I'm using now is probably way heavier than modern bikes so I'm not really sure how big a factor weight is.

And there you have it. I guess I'll be going over this list again as I approach the day I decide to buy a bike, or bike parts. I still have a lot of things to learn about bikes before I decide to pull the trigger, but I'm slowly getting there.

Meanwhile I'll keep riding my old bike and gaining strength, stamina, and confidence.

Out.

[878] Bike Progress

Quick post about my biking progress. I'm using the same route I use when I walk, this is because I do a little over 1km per "lap" and this gives me a decent gauge of my progress.

Progress has been good so far, my stamina is getting better as well as my speed. I've been averaging over 13kph per session, which is a lot faster than when I started. I'm also able to do more laps, usually five or six, instead of just four. I'm trying to "offset" the fact that I can do four laps in less than twenty minutes and want to do a minimum of a twenty minute bike ride every MWF.

Legs still get sore when going up the steep part of the village but I'm now using the middle chainring. I also noticed that I'd rather pedal at a slower cadence but with more effort rather than a faster cadence with less effort. I guess I prefer to get the climb over with sooner rather than later. I can also recover from the climb faster than before.

In fact earlier this morning my average speed was up to 15kph, a far cry from my first few attempts. I should probably try to maintain 13kph to 15kph average speed and work on stamina next. Plus fix all the bad habits I have when biking. Off the top of my head the things I need to improve upon are:

1. Stretching my legs. Out of habit I always coast with my right leg at the 6 o'clock position, even when I can feel my left knee needing a stretch. So I always consciously need to have coasting periods where the left leg should be at the 6 o'clock position.
2. Better balance while biking with one hand, both hands. I can do well with my left hand solo but the right hand needs a lot of work. I still want to have even better balance and control.
3. Twisting my torso left and right to look back while maintaining balance. Right now I'm relying on the side mirror mounted on the left bar end of my bike to check my six but I really should start practicing twisting my body and head as well.

Anyway that's all for now. I still do my HIIT during TTh, and for that I've started doing double 20 pound kettlebell squats instead of a single kettlebell goblet squat. Hopefully that helps strengthen my quads, which I need for cycling. I'm also doing double kettlebell calf raises as well.

I've also started doing suitcase deadlifts instead of single or double kettlebell deadlifts.

Out.

[877] Bike Related Stuff

I went biking yesterday morning, and if I start taking a real serious liking to it then I may just push through with my gravel bike build. I did notice that my average speed inside the village was 10kph. I don't mind this at the moment since I just started all over again yesterday and I do believe I can improve my pace, stamina, and desire to go biking.

I've also been doing more research about gravel bikes, and I have some new opinions about my target parts for my gravel build.

1. Drop bar width should be around 44 to maybe 46 cm. This will depend with how low or high I plan to mount the bar with regards to the saddle. My goal is comfort, not the super aero racing pose. And yes, I want to try drop bars since I do have a really old mountain bike here.
2. Drop bar ideally should be compact, meaning the drop and reach aren't that big. Again, the reason for this is comfort.
3. Definitely aiming for a longer chain stay for the bike frame. This supposedly makes the ride more stable.
4. Still hoping for a 1x groupset, while replacing the front chainring with a 38T to at most maybe a 44T oval with narrow wide teeth, if all factors allow it. Again, my goal for this theoretical build is a casual road bike I can take off road. I'm not after speed.
5. I'm sticking with the 700 x 38c tires instead of 40s. That might be too wide anyway for the bike's purpose.
6. Cyclocomputers are expensive, even more so if I plan to add a power meter and a cadence meter.

And that's it. I continue with my research and continue with using my old bike just to get a feel for things again.

Out.