Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Promoting the 1.5 distance between cyclists and motor vehicles

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 27, 2017


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Perhaps we can promote this:  Perhaps this can reduce accidents

Pedal power

Monday, June 26, 2017

I biked 100 km today to Jala jala to make up for the non participation in Zambales ride

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 26, 2017



Today I left early about 5:45 to bike to Jalajala and I managed to be at Sacred Heart Church by 6:00 am.  I was in Morong by 6:50 and found Master E having finished his lugaw.  Then Joel arrived and then Peter Anonuevo and his companion Arnel.  (Arnel is a retired Meralco employee;   his second wife just died from her sleep 40 days ago).  Peter Anonuevo who just alighted from a tanker (he is a seaman, its good he was in the Pakistan tanker that exploded that killed more than a 100)

Peter visited the following churches but were all closed this morning:  Baras, Tanay and Pililla. It was Bisita Iglesia once again.   We stopped in Pisong Kape where Peter treated me and Arnel to Saging na Saba and gatorade.  And then I went on my sojourn to complete my ride to Jalajala.  I rode another 20 km out and back to Pisong Kape.    It took me more than an hour to complete that.  The 20 km is as far as the Carabao dairy plant.  (some 2 km+ from the town proper)

I was back in Pisong Kape by 11 am, had coffee until 11:30.   It was as I judged very hot.   I was in Cardona by 12:00 and home by 1:00 pm.  I was relatively faster compared to the Tuesday century run to  Mabitac

Friday, June 23, 2017

Vhen and I agreed we would not be joining Zambales ride this Saturday

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 23, 2017

As I am writing this post, I am coughing and experiencing general body malaise.   Probably I was exhausted from heat and exposure to rain and hot weather during my birthday ride.   (Add to that high bmr causing me to sweat profusely and my back is exposed to wet clothes)

Yesterday at Wawa, I conversed with Vhen Apran, a senior like me who would like to join the Zambales long ride this Saturday up to Monday. It will be 200 km one way  I said because of my experience on my long ride  last Saturday, I will elect not to.  At 11 am, up to 3 pm, the hottest part of the day, we will be hill climb at Dinalupihan and Subic and may be probably too risky for us.  We may get a heat stroke and be a liability to the group.

I all ready informed Gerry.  

Better be prudent than sorry?

Tuning the front derailleur could be frustrating

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 23, 2017



On my birthday bike ride, I was only able to use the small chain ring;   the front derailleur wont shift to the large chain ring.   Yesterday, I had the opportunity to tune it for it to work on large chain ring.  The lack of large chain ring slowed me down on flats and going downhill.

I spent almost 30 minutes  trying to get the fd work right.  Armed with a 5 mm allen wrench screw driver and pliers, I tried my luck.   First thing I did was to get the slack off the cable,  Then trying to get the shifter a little bit out by turning the low screw clockwise until I got the chain go to the large chain ring.  However the chain was jumping off the ring.   So I had to turn the lower (high screw) about 4 x so that the limiter will prevent the chain from over reaching.  After wards, I tried the shifter and it would not shift again.  I had to turn the lower screw cc about 3 turns to get it right.  

I think did trial and error of the adjustment about 4x;  I nearly gave up to bring the bike to the mechanic. The patience paid off and was rewarded with a functioning front derailleur.

Celebrating birthday with a long ride

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 23, 2017

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Birthday cycling inspiration

I celebrated my 6 years after being senior last Tuesday by doing a long bike ride.  I planned to do a one way ride equivalent to my age.   So that would be riding up to Kalayaan (near the hydro power plant)  However, right after I reached Mabitac (the plain after Bugarin) it started to rain and I had to turn back.  I would have probably done only 45 km one way (21 km short)   On the way back about 11 am, it was all ready to shot.  The ride back going home took me 2.5  hours.  I got a flat tire in Calumpang.  There  was no puncture but the patches probably peeled off during the extreme heat.

The extreme heat (I all ready saw blue as I biked near home) let me decide not to join the long ride to San Felipe on Saturday

Celebrate your birthday on your bike


Monday, June 19, 2017

Perils of Biking and how to avoid mitigate them

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 19, 2017

Happy Rizal (Birth)Day today.  It is a holiday in entire Laguna to celebrate the natal day of who is recognized as national hero.

Warning:   the pictures are graphic and can be disturbing

From topgear - Nathan Buenconsejo - pinned by jeepney   He is a kapadyak from Rain Forest in Pasig City

Bicycle accident in the Philippines



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1127 deaths from bicycle accidents

The article reports that in 2005 to 2013, there were 1127 deaths arising from accidents involving bicycles compared to only 366 involving 4 wheeled or more vehicles.  This is 3x  more


I have long wanted to write on this to collate my experience on the said topic:  perils of biking and how they can be motivated.  It always escapes my attention until yesterday when a twenty foot container plowed into several people killing four in Taytay Rizal. Another post at facebook showed a donation campaign for a biker who met an accident in Antipolo:   he broke his jaw when his brake locked which caused his fall. He needed jaw reconstruction which cost a lot of money.

Many of us would dismiss or shrug off the dangers and just be careful;   when we have to go we  go.  And we would like to go with our boots on (cleats on) rather than wait for our time on the rocking chair.

I would like to list down classifications of causes/sources of dangers from biking:


Sunday, June 18, 2017

Happy Father's Day

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 18, 2017


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Belated happy birthday to VM, naghanda ngayon sa Bulawan Pililla

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal  Philippines
June 18, 2017

There was a plan today to bike to Bulawan Pililla Rizal to celebrate the birthday of VM who celebrated his birthday last June 15, 2017.    I was unable to join because of previous commitments.   I met though the great VM at Calumpang Highway near Island Gas at today on the way bacck

Belated Happy birthday VM

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Yesterday was my large chain ring day

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 13, 2017

Choose riding on large or small chain ring


                                                          Small (39) or


                                                 Large Chain Ring (53)
I read an article once of a lady rider, height challenged at 4' 11"but who won a dreaded mountain climb. She was asked what was her training secret. One of these she said was alternating your practice between small and large chain ring day.  When you choose either large or small you do not shift the front derailleur.You just shift the rear cogs.Thus at small chain ring, when you want speed and you are at 34 36 or 39,  you simple have to pedal faster.   When you are at large chain ring, when climbing hills, you shift to your cogs to the biggest if  needed.

Yesterday, I rode to Jala jala up to km 73.5 (2 km into  the Jalajala town proper, just past  the arc and the dragon fruit farm.

I ate lugaw at simples where I met Meong, Ado and Joel.  Joel said he was off form yesterday and had hard time chasing me.   I climbed Montevideo 53 x23,  and same for Callahan, for Baras Pililla 53 x 23 also, 53 21 at Quisao and going back to Malaya power plant was 53 x 28.

I also chased some MTB and road bikers in Tanay.  I gave my best shot and even overtook their fastest rider from km 56 to 57 in Tanay.  Not bad for 66 y.o . senior

But one thing I observed is that your muscle ache and there is noticeable strain on the calf and thighs.   But you feel much stronger

The general idea is variety and getting stronger by varying your practice

P.S.

Prior to this I had only small chain ring day.  Reason, I could not shift to large chain ring.  Reason?  I could not shift to large chain ring. Reason?     The cable was loose and  I mistakenly loosened a shifting screw which I thought was limiter to the large chain ring shift (it was pala for the small chain ring and by loosening it, the fd stayed farther from the line of the large chain ring and hence  it could not be shifted.  Thus when I screwed it in, the problem was solved

Papa Rick slowing down - AGE MATTERS

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 13, 2017

I caught up with Papa Ric Mancao (84 years old) past km 53 Tanay last Sunday and I had some conversations with him while riding at about 20 kph. I noticed that while was pedaling constantly, he was slowly being left behind.Until I sensed that he was left  very much much behind. Papa Ric is one of the oldest biker in the area who is very much functional

I had Biak na Bato in Pililla as my destination.Then I turned back, made a U turn to go home.I met Papa Ric at the Munisipio of Pililla.That meant that I was ahead of Papa Ric by about 2 km.  or by 2 minutes. It has not happened before. Despite being old before he turned 80, I was not able to overtake him

AGE MATTERS

Ride to Marinduque aborted due LPA

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 13, 2017



The ride to Marinduque was supposed to be last June10, 2017 at 4 am assembly, and 5 am departure. I went to the assembly area at 4 am and waited up to 5 am.  However, at 5 am I decided to leave because it could have been aborted.  It was, except that I do not have the numbers of my kapadyak  I got a new phone number and I could not/they could not access me.

There was an LPA noted at Palawan and it was raining hard Friday evening and early am of Saturday. That is the reason why they aborted the ride.

May be next time

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Planned trip to Marinduque on Saturday June 10 to 12, 2017

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 6, 2017












I came across Meong this morning after an AM ride and he told me that there is a planned ride this Saturday,   Assembly at 4 am, depart 5 am for Lucena.  We ride the van.   And from there we catch the 10 am boat ride to Marinduque.  We sleep at the place of Sec. Noe.  Then June 11, we ride around Marinduque.   The following or evening, we take the boat ride to Lucena and from there ride back to Angono.

The estimated expense would be about P1,000 per.  Sounds an interesting ride.

Mga kapadyak join na.

Ang tanong practisado ba?

Monday, June 5, 2017

Too much DIY can create problems; if you are not careful

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 5, 2017

I could not use my Fuji carbon fiber well lately.  It would not shift well between 21 to 23  and 12, 13 and 14 at the cogs.

I found out today:

1. That the  nut for the cogs was not tight  (the tool that I used Taiwan made does not fit well the Campy cogs.) Fortunately today, I found the Shimano tool that fit;

2.  I used the wrong spacers:   between 21 and 23, it had to the wider spacer with the groove;  I saw that the distance between 21 and 23.  The correct spacer was between 12 and 13, both would not shift well.  

Compared to Shimano, even if you interchange the spacer, there would be no problem

So I had the spacers interchanged, tightened the nut.

Tomorrow, I could use the bike well?

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Hard climbs/yesterday and Wednesday

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 4, 2017

I was not able to ride today because probably of the hard rides I did for the last two days.  Yesterday, I rode up East ridge, trying to climb it at 32 front chain rings.  However before and after Unamonte I had to shift down to 24 and return to 32 before the former SG outpost.   After resting for a while, I rode up to the new guard house and  passing by the MTB riders from Taguig. who had to stop and rest some 20 meters before the summit.  In a conversation, the young riders said they admire me, the senior rider for not stopping.

Last Wednesday, I climbed San Carlos Heights Antenna via the Gate 2 (the more difficult climb, the easy climb is via Tolentino) I also used 32 chain ring.  There were lot of riders last Wednesday.   I did it non stop.    There I met Glen Diestro and Supremo Armin.  Great guys and riders

On those two occasions, I was with new recruits/trainees at the office.  Part of developing sound mind in a sound body

Thorough cleaning of MTB today

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 4, 2017

I did not bike today.  I was tired from my sojourn at East ridge, and I devoted my time giving a thorough cleaning to the 3 MTBs I have.  I washed the tires.  Wiped clean the inside of the stays (they are not reachable so I had to remove the tires).  Fixed the valves that are rattling or loose with masking tape (I removed the bolt that can damage the interior. If you screw it tight, the valve separates from the rubber or gets loose and develop a leak)   I wiped clean the sprockets and then wiped tire black to the tires and the rim.

That is on top of cleaning the two cars we have.  Inside and out.   and even the underside of the car.  That was a lot of perspiration.   As challenging as a 4 hour ride

Saturday, June 3, 2017

Frequent riders Jimmy and Supremo

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 3, 2017


                                                       Supremo Armin Zapanta


I try to ride at least 3x a week.   That will keep my Basal Metabolic Rate at little bit higher and let me burn fat while resting (but it gives me BO when the perspiration invites germs to grow.  Thus I biked Tuesday, Wednesday and today.  I will bike again tomorrow
.
On those occasions, I saw Jimmy twice and Supremo Armin once.  But he climbed SCH twice  He descended and climbed again and met him again as I was descending.

For the last two rides, I made two hill climbs (and they were not easy)   SCH antenna and SCH.  I went up SCH via gate two on a 32 x 36 gear.  I did poorly at Eastridge.  I had to dismount 2 x doing granny gears.  The bikers from Taguig admired that I was able to ascend the final 100 meters up to the guard house without stopping.  They stopped and rest and had to do cross stitch while climbing

Some riders/kapadyaks mistook me to be the owner of Bikers World Bikeshop in Binangonan

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 3, 2017



New Bike Shop in Town 0932 386 9519

I think it was Sec. Noe who joked about me as the owner of the said store, for the great things I said about the store,   Then the owner himself said a buyer was looking for me as he bought from the store, thinking too that this post owned the store.   The other day, Wednesday, it was Supremo whom I met while I was descending SCH antenna who also thought the same and was asking for a discount on top of the very low price that is being offered in the store.

I told him that I am not the owner of the store and I will call text the owner:   Mr. Glenn Diestro.  He said he will buy entry level MTB say XIX or Trinx.  I later called up Glenn who said he will take care of Supremo Armin Zapanta

It is Mr Glenn Diestro who owns the store,  He is an entrepreneur from Angono. He will answer the cp that is listed on the post

New Bike Shop in Town 0932 386 9519