Was advised not to join the long ride this coming month end, to Quezon

Wheels of Happiness

This post has been furiously practicing for the long ride this month end to Quezon.  The journey will take 2 days and will cover 300 km  approximately.   However, a kapadyak who recently had a heart attack and was hospitalized advised me when he met, not to go with the ride  -  considering my age and the heat wave that is now raging.  The guy and I were DNF for the same trip - 5 years ago.  I banged my head after the bike oscillated going back from the  bitukang Manok back to Lucena;   he was simply poofed up -  (lack of practice) (We had about 20 chicks which died yesterday due to extreme heat exposure).

All my efforts seem to have gone to waste?   May be not.  Because I brought back the bike up to standards.   And my health too

If you were 75, your bike has been prepped, you practiced hard, and yet the external conditions are risky, would you go ahead or quit the plan?

How does Tadej Pogacar, now 4 times TDF champion (about to catch up with Lance Armstrong)? train?

Wheels of Happiness

Plenty.  About 6 hours at Zone 2 (!!! at 150 BPM HR) 

Everywhere you read in the book about Talent -  Its not mostly inborn by talent is developed by practice.

And Malcolm Gladwell  of Blink says you need 10,000 days to be an expert.    (10,000 steps to be fit)

So its practice, practice practice and more practice

But not just practice that is light.   Intense (HIIT) and long.  Practice harder than the competition event.  Not the other way around.  

So even if you are around, challenge your self to practice:   regularly and hard.

Getting older but getting stronger and faster

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
March 11, 2018

I pledged that in 2018 I will try to be fitter and stronger, resisting the time and aging.  In 3 months time, I will be 67.   (Thats 10 years biking all ready which started as a cure for arthritis and high uric acid high cholesterol and blood sugar leve)

To do this, says experts:

1.  Once a week long ride (say 100 km)

2.  Occasional short rides with sprints, or race like day;

3. Stay in contact with strong riders;  do not be left behind;  chase if left behind.  (Turo n rin si Joel J Talap)

4. If you are climbing hills do interval at final 30% of the climb.   Hard fast effort  (Turo din ni Joel)

What have I done:

1.  To train for Vigan I did an average of 200 km a week:  two short rides of 100 km - Morong, Pililla, or Antipolo.  And 1 long ride: Jalajala or Bugarin.  In the short ride I sprint usually at Morong Cardona, at Calumpang. I do interval going up Callahan or Mambog, Pantok.

2.  In the Vigan ride I rode ahead of others for 50 km from Urdaneta to Agoo.  At Vigan, I chased and even went ahead of some leaders.

3.  In the ride today:

    1. I chased one rider na orange at black and passed him at Cardona Church

    2. I sprinted the final 100 meters of Mambog hill.    I led some of fellow kapadyak mula pa Looc (sprint pa rin) up to Callahan;  somebody overtook me but I chased and passed him at Cardona to Morong straight;

   3.  I was able to catch up with an idol strong rider at Morong, despite the  fact that I went to Sacred Heart after I peeled off from him in Tayuman

  4. On the way home at Pantok, a group of wealthy riders:  naka Willier at Pinarello overtook me counterflowed at  in  heavy traffic but I stayed close and even led them from Bilibiran to Pag asa...Thanks for allowing me to boast

I am happy with today's ride.  Yesterday, I led a fellow kapadyak who for the  first time again in a month rode up Antipolo.  (I have rode up Antipolo during the last 30 days for 4x all ready) At Sumulong Highway, I came across a group with Dogma and other expensive bikes.  They were away and ahead as they rode over Bankers Village in Sumulong.  Right after Assumption we overtook them...

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 mechanical issues in my Ambuklao loop ride

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
May 16, 2016

I had some concerns about the mechanical fitness of my bike yesterday.  But discounting them (which are minor) I love more my bike, and that should make more attentive to some of the issues with MTB:

1. Its front wheel tire orientation relative to rotation direction is wrong.

2. The cleats mechanism. I could  not engage or disengage fast after we passed the dirty, dusty road between Halsema and Ambuklao dam

3.  I lost brakes at the rear. It happened too to Long and Dino.  Too much heat degrade the mineral oil and cause the expansion of the brake lines containing the hydraulic fluid. To avoid this, some mods have to be made on brake lines:   SS or braided lines at least near the chain stay to avoid this thermal expansion of the brake lines.

4.  Suspension and tire pressure:  I was challenged at the dirt off road section of the provincial highway (17 km) because of two things:

    1.  The recommended tire pressure is 40 psi. for off road   Mine was at 65 psi.  I had no gauge so I could not estimate the right pressure, I wanted to be conservative as in road bike, we prefer to have  tire pressure of 100 psi to avoid flats

   2. I had the suspension adjustment wrongly set at lock, and not at soft setting

  This caused me to have jarring jack hammer like ride that even caused the flashlight and seat mount to loosen.  I braked frequently and moved slowly and was left behind by 2 to 3 minutes.  The MMS rider were kind enough to wait for me.

Well it takes a lot of practice and maybe crashes.  But Dino advised that to avoid the jarring vibrating ride aside from having  rough ride, he advised me to ride fast so that the bumps look some 25 ft ahead to see obstacles.  Once it is 10 ft or less, you are committed and dont panic if you make a mistake. Just Go go. Bumps, berms, rocks  are evened out (that is the reason why we have 29 tires for the rough x country ride\  I have to work on my techniques too.  I must not do this where there are cliffs and passing vehicles

I learned my lesson and I will do better next time

Bike lessons that I learned over the years

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
September 13, 2015

I have been itching to write this post for a long long time but I had no time to gather my thoughts. For the last 7  years, I got the following tips which I dare share to others:

1.  Stay focussed on why you want to bike:  say health, strong body, adventure and do not be distracted with crashes, mechanical problems,  or expenses. Other keep on saying that what you spend on your bike would just be one day at ICU (knock on wood if you get sick)

2. Spend on your bike up to a certain limit, and love your bike afterwards.  Do not be afflicted with UPGRADITIS ie buying a new bike, a new wheelset, new handlebar or seat.    Love your bike and focus how it could be your good partner on many of your adventure and long rides.

Lessons learned from the recent Baguio climb

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines   | February 25, 2015

Happy EDSA rev (29th year)

Where is the Spirit of Edsa 1986 (did we just replace the dictators with new ones, the commissioners, but used the old system and values)

In biking, it can never happen that we use the old system to achieve outstanding results.  Certainly we should have learned our lessons.  Some interviews show lead us to some lessons:

1.  Invest in a trainer.  Vhen has one (given/courtesy of Engr. June)   Tito plans to buy one.  You can practice a lot of things on the trainer:   leg speed, sprint, ILT and a lot more.  Not to mention being able to practice on a rainy day.

2.  Hydrate often,  Eat every two hours.  Or bring along chocolate, banana, or even rice cakes.  Drink before you feel thirsty, eat before you feel drained out.

Practice #bikeride today

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines  |  November 25, 2014

Pres Luis all ready posted at FB that we will have the Real Ride by November 30, 2014.  I suppose this is a one day ride, no overnight. So we have to practice hard and long.

This morning I biked to Hilltop Cabrera road.  There are 4 climbs:   one before the water tank, the other near Maharlika village beginning with Provincial jail,  next is after Sto Rosario, and the last one that jacknifes sharply to the left is before Don Enrique heights.  The last one is tough one because it is long.  There are two other hills after this one but they rise gently.

Then I rode to Teresa, Morong, and Binangonan.  It took me two hours and half to do this ride.

I think I saw VM at about 8;15 in Calumpang

Time trial practice today July 14, 2013

Real Cyclists

Angono, Rizal  PHL   July 14, 2013

I did a time trial practice today from Angono to  Pillilla (Km 28 to 59) today.  I started  at 6 30 am, was in Morong by 7:10 and arrived at Pililla by 7:40.

Maybe I did the course in a little under 30 kmh.  Not bad eh.  I usually did that in 1:30.

The practice routine consisted of initially 500 meters at say 100 rpm say 30 km/h.  rest for l km, then 5 reps and eventually increase this to 1 km.  rest for 1 km.  My legs again feel stoned after this routine.  I hope I will do good in the actual TT

My notable experience in the ride was Carlos of Taytay passed me at Km 51 but I chased him and he passed me again at km 52.  I chased him again and caught up with him at km 55.  He passed me at 56.5 but I was with him at km 58 and passed him.  Not bad for a 62 yo senior.

I had breadfast at Simples by 8:00.  The REcyclists were no longer there.  I saw:  Papa Ric, Chito and Secx.

I inspected Holy Angels by 8:15 and started biking back by 8:30

I was home by 9:20

Practicing for time trial today July 10 2013

Real Cyclists

Angono, Rizal  PHL    |  July 10, 2013

I biked last Monday July 8, and today to have some foundation miles and training for the time trial.  Last Monday, I biked until the Morong Municipal building.  Today I biked till km 58 in Pililla for a total of 30 km one way or 60 km two way.

I could do the morning biking because of the change of schedule at work and I was allowed by our Officer in Charge when I asked permission yesterday.  I was even asked if I would bike to Pampanga;  that is too far.

I left at 6:30 and went to mass at Sacred heart church in Tayuman.  I left at 6:50 and was km 58 by 7:50.  I biked back immediately and was in Binangonan URS by 8:50 and in Angono, Rizal by 9:10

Incidentally I saw Tito at LLDA on the way back and he did not recognize me.  He said he thought I was a young rider because I was on heavy gear (50 x 2l) and I had different uniform.  He did not see me wear the FSA uniform.  We parted ways at URS Binangonan.

I think it was a good TT practice.  I bike hard for 1 km (maybe 30+ km) then rest as many times as allowed.  I practice standing up say I km up the hills.  Tito and I did some fast interval at Calumpang highway.

My things and legs feel like stones now.  It was a good practice I think;  I covered km 58 in 1 hour. That is 30 kmh pace