Rode up to DOMSA today on a road bike; practice makes climbs easier

Wheels of Happiness

Rode up to DOMSA on a Road Bike ((Sworks with Wheeltop gs)   this morning.  This was much better ride than before.   It felt easier (maybe because thisi post shifted to the biggest cog early and rode less intensely) and because I am having more practice.    

I met Ruben, Nolite and cousin Rommel Unidad (he was on Colnago with Campy groupset) and several other familiar faces

As usual, the males made Maritess of people who were not here, and talked about ladies with diabetes.   

All 3 bikes now functional: S works, Sava Ti, and Pinarello F10

Wheels of Happiness

Before, only the Ti was usable functional bike.  Pinarellos hood was ripped off after a dooring accident;   the Sworks SRAM changer was toast, as well as its rear tires whose side walls had puncture holes. 

For the Pinarello, this post had DIY make do solution for the rubber hood cover:   just wrapped old bike interior to make the feel on the right STI (brifter smoother and for aesthetic purpose), 

For the S works for the tire used super glue to bond the rubber patch on to the sidewalls.  Now am more confident that I will not get puncture as a I ride.  For the shifter, I bought an electronic changer for the the bike.  Though its not perfect, I can use most of the gears I need:  the front chainring, big and small, and the 36t large cog.   

Solved.  Now happy

Rode to Morong on S works, with higher gears now.

Wheels of Happiness

Rode up to Km 47, 20 km from Angono on S works RB.   The cogs are 11-28 and had to use much higher gears unlike before when  I was using 11-36.  Good for the heart and better exercise at my age.   Noticed more strain on my calf

What I did to my bikes while it was raining hard?

Wheels of Happiness

We were not able to bike because since Monday evening, there were rainfall warnings (and they were accurate -  it rained really hard) there was no choice except to stay at home and do some bike repairs and or maintenance:

1.  S works:

     1.  Reinflated tires, They were down to 40 psi

     2.  Cleaned the chains with degreaser and then applied light oil on the roller

     3.  Tuned the RD.   turned the Hi limit screw inward by  3 turns to remove noise.

     4   Oiled the pivot points of RD and FD

     5.  Wiped the frame and ws with moist rag

     6.  Polished the frame and the bar

2.   Pinarello

     1. Reinflated the tires;  the pressure also went down by 20 psi

     2.  Degreased the chains

     3.  Tuned the fd, turned the Hi limit screw by 3 turns to remove noise of chain on the cogs

     4.  Oiled the pivot points of fd and rd

     5.  Oiled the rollers of the chain

     6   Wiped the frame with moist rag

3.   MTB ti

    1.  It has been on storage for a month so I tested the drive train.  It would not shift to the lowest fd

         The FD was stuck and I had to practice this manually

   2.   The fd and rd alignment was OK

   3.  Oiled the cables for fd and rd

   4.  Wiped the frame and the WS with wet rag.

   5.  Degreased the chain, relubed the roller

   6.  Reinflated tires.  The front was down to 10 psi.  It had to be 50 psi

All done

Adjusting brakes of S works (built in) Venge Vias

Wheels of Happiness

Due to wear and tear and passage of time, the brakes of S works Venge Vias have become weak.  No amount of barrel adjustment would make it work.  

I thought over what could be wrong.  ?   The cables may have stretched and the limit of the brake line  barrel adjuster was reached.   So I removed the wheels, adjusted the cable of the brakes (about 2 mm tighter) and barreled down the barrel adjuster to the max.  So that when I turn it counter clockwise, there is a lot of travel for the adjuster to tighten the cable.

Solved.  Saved P200.00 pf for the bike mechanics

Constant repairs, upgrade on S works now makes it a darling bike

Wheels of Happiness

S works carbon frame, venge vias bike was a least preferred bike because of many challenges:   weak brakes, untrued wheels, noisy hubs  Non functioning sti and RD

I held the bike since 2016 and was a Peter Sagan model.

However I strived hard to make this A-1

1.  To align the wheel, I researched YT and had 5.5 socket wrench sanded out to be a tool to align the

      Cosmic wheel set.  No one dared touch the alignment because there was no tool.  With the tool, it be-

      came an ordinary alignment job.  Cheap.  No need to bring this to Greenhill's.

2.  I had new tires 25mm fitted;

3.  For the  SRAM red STI i tried to get BN 10 speed STI.  Fortunately Mario Toledo repaired the broken barrel drum and found the problem to kinked cables which he replaced

4.  As for the crank, disassembled this, cleaned  regreased this.  However the crank bolt kept coming off

     A stronger push on the 14 mm made sure it would not get loose again

5.  Centered the V brake and had a barrel adjuster for the rear brake to get this finely adjusted

6.  Disassembled  the rear hub repaired the pawls, regreased the bearing and oiled the pawls.  Spent             some  time perfecting the pre load and centering the wheel in the bike

But finally got things right.  It now runs as smooth as a better.  And is equal to or better than Pinarello 

Winning bikes for TDF 2022

Wheels of Happiness

Winning bikes at TDF 2022

The champion bike is Cervelo by Jonas

Runner up is  Colnago by Pogaar

Othrs are:

1.  Giant 

2.  S works

3.  Factor

Tried out the Met helmet and S works biking shoes

Wheels of Happiness

Met helmet

Last week, VM Jun Vic gifted me with a Colnago bike, a Met helmet and a S works biking shoes (with Boas and lightweight Dymax  upper.  The Met helmet is equipped with MIPS  (Multi directional Impact Protection System -  it mimics the brain own protection system and its main indicator is the yellow sticker at the bottom of the helmet.  It is claimed to reduce the injury to the brain on impact)

I tried this on bike ride today on MTB.  It takes some getting used to after having been away from cleats shoes for more than a year.   It always feels as though I would fall, as if I would be unable to uncleat.  There is no problem with the helmet.   

You can feel the full power transfer when using the cleats.   The S works shoes (SRP P24K)    is also very light compared to Shimano, Sidi shoes.   

After a month of riding I would get used to cleats again?

Fixing my S works Venge Vias

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
July 15, 2019



I have not used  my Venge Vias S works bike shod with Cosmic wheel set Kenda tires, SRAM red groupset (which is light)  for a while  More than a year  Because 1. The bike is not that strong  it feels
vague compared to Shimno brakes (VV has built in V brakes)  2.  There is a clanking noise at the rear chain stay which is rather annoying.   I bought this bike from a Globe Electronic Engineer from Batangas who used the money to buy a Bianchi    Nakatawad ng mga P12,000 sa original buying price niya sa BN.  Now I know why. he disposed. it. Because of the internal brake cables at the handlebar and steerer, the cables are likely to get kinks and not function well....  He was obviously troubled by the braking efficiency.... The external bikes and external cabling works better.

When the bike news featured again the bike of Peter Sagan, a Venge S works, I decided I must bring out my S works again.  First I had to do something with the brakes   Many mechanics from the area, including the  Cainta area.   Some hope from #Dante of Lifecycle at Greenhills, Mechanics of Jay  Gotangco at Calumpang, and Jun of Christy's.

As stop gap measures:

1.  I adjusted the front brake adjustment so that the pads are closer.  It worked. Lumakas na preno. Sa
    rear, hinatak ko ang cable much tighter para mas dikit ang pads to brake line.  It worked too.  Maybe
    the brake efficiency is now 75% instead of 50% before.

2. As for the unwanted sound at the rear stays:  

   1.  I cut a plastic tube  about 3/8 in diameter  2 inches long  into two wrappped the  RD cable entry into            the rear stay so that it is not loose;

   2.  From the BB side, I cut a length of the same plastic tube wrapped the metal spaghetti cable of teh
       RD cable so that the clanking against the tube could be dampened.  Nabawasan na kalampag.

So you see, you do not have to bring all your problems to the mechanic or hope for a high cost solution like bringing the bike to Missing Link or Bikezilla (where the repairs may cost me a thousand)

I am happy now with my S works bike.  Naitravel ko na nang Morong.    Maasahan na

Cosmetic improvements you can make on your bike

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
June 20, 2018

Everyday we itch to improve see something new in our bikes.   This week, I wanted to put Specialized sticker on the Sworks VV.  And Venge on the  top tube. This were my inspirations:

Sticker job:

                                        Note the Specialized logo on the fork

                                  The name of Peter Sagan on the  bike + Venge on the top tube

I went to the sticker shop an hour ago with a USB of these pictures and the sketches and dimensions of what I wanted for the sticker

                                                Plan for the  name plate

                                                    Proposed dimensions (measurements)

The results:

                                             Specialized logo on the fork  (1.5 cm x 14)

                                         Venge + name plate on the top tube

                                           The name plate

Evolution:

                                                 Sketch of the  proposed name plate

                                           Ang inspiration

                                                              Ang kinalabasan

Repaint works


A very young painter suggested that to improve the appearance of the bike further, he could have this repainted with glitters or blue with pearl effect (irridescent changing colors)

Does owning a pricey bike causes one to ride faster and harder?

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
May 14, 2018

Does owning a new carbon fiber bike make one ride faster because of psychological (yabang) reasons or because the bike really rides faster?  I wonder

But ever since I got this S works super bikes, I noticed that I often am tired and had to spend a great deal of time sleeping (fatigued or part of growing old)  I noticed too that I ride faster and harder.

1.  In the bike ride yesterday, though my kapadyak had a carbon frame bike (which I sold to  him) en route to the blessing, I still was ahead of him (he is much younger than me) and even overtook him after I stopped /waited for him.

2.  Today, a MTB overtook me and we took turns in overtaking each other:   at Montevideo, at Callahan, and Namay.   He must be only 20+.  That was hard riding.  Was it because the Venge Vias is a fast bike, or pride egged me on to get ahead of him?

What do you think?

Seen - S works Shiv, the best TT bike

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
May 12, 2018

On the way home I saw a bike that looked familiar:  an S works bike and it was a Shiv.  Riding it was a triathlon athelete from Pasig and said he had it since 2012. It was a red Shiv and its bar is at level with the top tube.

It looked very similar to S works Venge Vias  my bike.  A close relative.  A progeny

                                                      Best TT bike in the world

                                                Except for the built in brakes, it looks like a Venge

Happiness is sharp and smart shifting with SRAM red

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
May 3, 2018

The SRAM red GS I bought from an owner of  repair shop of luxury cars who lives in a village in Pasig, stayed in a box for nearly 5 months, and was advertised for sale for 3 months.  It was installed in an S works bike I bought and its RD shift functioned 100%. And oh it worked like a dream.  Especially for  downshifts (going to lower number of cogs).  The clicks are shorter crispier and smarter.  And the change of gears were more silent....There was no chain rub even for a 34 x 12 combination.

That is why SRAM owners swear by their groupsets?

Did I get used to it at once.  Oh yes...

S works Vias Venge: from Dreamworks to Assembly/Realityworks

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
May 1, 2018

                                                   Ayos ba upgrade, change?

                                                      Pang d/p lang sa S works

                                      At P24.5 K murang mura, pang DP lang sa frameset ng
                                                S works

                                      S 105 GS which currently sells at P16K panalo na buyer.
                                      Add the cost of frame and the RS 10 wheelset

                                               Ito kapalit na bike pero naka SRAM red

This post dreamt of having an S works after seeing the younger brother bring out two S works Tarmac bike: one in Vigan and one in Marinduque, and after Peter Sagan won the Roubaix Paris race on a Sworks Roubaix. After meeting Mr. Ronald Santos (Dianor FB account) with a fellow Recyclist Engineer Francisco regarding his purchase of   carbon frame bike, he suggested that I buy a 2nd hand slightly used S works for undisclosed low price.  And I agreed.

We had a deal with the  seller for an undisclosed amount that would equal the selling price of Mosso that I sold and I would add some more.   It was to be given to him last April 28, and he would deliver to me the frame on May I. I would give him the  DP (the proceeds of the Mosso bike) provided the bike is BB30 ready.  (It was after some guessing and after being surprised today. The mechanic and Mr. Santos also did not know hahaha)

The assembly took almost 5 hours.  And some bikers waiting for services of the mechanic: Alex had to leave. It was a big challenge to install the cables

     1   The cables are hidden in the handle bar and passes through the stem;
     2.  And to the head post. One had to pass through the head post expander.
     3.  The 3 other cables had to be inserted through the head post shell
     4.  Alex had to repeat the process, because he missed inserting some of head post parts  It took
          him another hour.

And since we were outdoors, we perspired and were dehydrated. I had to buy him and Mr. Santos several bottles of coke and mineral water.


Finally at 5 pm, the dream works on S works was all ready a reality... I had took a jeep from Sta Lucia to home and paid another P25.00 for the fare back to Angono.  Romeo B and  Mr. Long Henson saw the bike frame.  A Peter Sagan bike.

As I rode the jeep, I had the opportunity to feel and observe the bike frame.  It is all about aero dynamics (and speed).  No cables to obstruct air flow. No brakes.   The handle bar was blade shaped. The down tube is huge and aero too. The seatpost is aero.  The seat stay are thin and aero. Everything is aero. But is heavy. The SRAM made the whole set up lighter.  

I have an issue with the seat post which would not accept my seat.

I have installed the bar tape.   And the  water cage (Zefal) lang.

What really is BB 30? The mechanic and the bike trader were surprised

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
May 1, 2018

                                               The  circlip and the bearing

                               The circlip being fitted with a special plier into the BB30 shell groove
                                The bearing at the top right pics will rest/be stopped by the circlip

A bike trader and I had an agreement to buy and sell an S works bike frame today, provided:   it had a BB 30 shell ready for installation of SRAM BB 30 Red Crank (which was very light at less than 600 grams).  When I arrived at the appointed time and place the  frameset had a BB30 adapter for a Shimano Ultegra spindle. It did not have a BB30,  for SRAM and so we thought.

I brought out the SRAM crankset spindle and trying to insert this into the adapter  it wont, nor trying to find out if the spindle would protrude out of the adopter.  It wont.

I called up Bikezilla and said they dont have any adapter.   They will have one in a month's time. The trader was blaming me for not agreeing to let him provide/order the BB 30.   And so I requested that the BB30 adapter be removed so that he can have ready for the next order. I paid the DP as agreed upon, and I requested that the BB adapter be removed (It was done with a drift)

As the mechanic was readying the bike, I noticed that the  shell had the familiar groove for the circlip (where the 30 mm ID bearing would set flush.  And Eureka, I said the BB 30 bearing and circlip I had were the BB 30 parts.   The mechanic and the trader did not know. We do not have to buy nor wait for the BB 30 because it was right here.  They had no idea.  I had no idea.  Iyon pala BB 30.  Hahaha

Now the mechanic the trader, and I increased in the  technical knowledge about the actual BB30. Now we know


The SRAM red BB30 crankset finally found the  home. Am I glad nobody bought it after a 3 months  post at a famous social media site.

                                               Light at less than 600 grams (the  BB 30 especially)

                                             30 mm outside diameter, 30 mm ID ng bearing -
                                                   kaya nga BB30 eh. 41 mm ang OD ng bearing

                              The gray and black graphics of the SRAM matched the same color of
                                                           S works frameset

                                                  I am so glad no one bought you

                                                            Ito mismo ang BB 30 parts!!!

Soon to acquire an S works Venge Vias - replacement for Fuji?

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
April 20, 2018


I may be able to obtain a  S works Venge  Vias but we are still struggling negotiating on the price.  It is not the special edition color of Peter Sagan.   It was bought for a big amount but the  owner changed his mind and wanted a Bianchi instead. I wanted to utilize the SRAM red with BB30 crank.  The S works houses BB 30.

                                         Napost sa FB, 3 weeks daw lang nagamit black S works

Peter Sagan ditches Di and disc brakes in favor of mechanical and rim brakes

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
April 17, 2018

Peter Sagan rode on a traditional bike last April 10, 2018 winning the Roubaix Paris race.  No Di (electronic shifting) and only rim brakes.  We are reminded of him dumping bike with Di that failed (dead batt).

He quarreled with PR and Marketing of Specialized.  

So why dont we have a Tarmac of SL6 carbon bike frame even for a show if not the skill, strength and speed of Peter Sagan

                                                     Sabi ni VM, start ng Surname namin, could we sue?
                                                              Hahaha

Peter Sagan wins Paris Roubaix race on an S works? Are you a Peter Sagan fan who dreams of an S works bike too?

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
April 13, 2018



Peter Sagan, the winningest pro on an S works bike. Dont you wish you have one too?


Paris Roubaix 2018 Race Highlights - Peter Sagan wins

                                                               S works bike used by Sagan

                                     Peter Sagan and bikes with S emblem in front now
                                       a familiar sight among top finishers.

                                            Sagan wins the 100th edition of Tour of Flanders

                                              Sagan wins tour of Down Under last January 2018


Peter Sagan does it again.  Winning in a consistent fashion important races:  UCI Championship and last Tuesday, the Paris Roubaix race. On a what:

S works Roubaix bike...

So the bike of choice now of would be champions, Peter Sagan wannabees is an Sworks bike.  Do you have one now?  Do you dream of having one soon?

Imagine and dream and make it a reality by contacting 0997 432 0312.  Or FB account Onay Ayuson .  He will help you get one at tipid price.

Specialized SL6 choices  K1 to K12.  Take your pick and ride like Sagan soon.