Bike update: Commencal EL Camino

Completed, installed shiny new 10 speed mostly Shimano drive train on the camino.

• Shimano ZEE RD (free ride version)
• Shimano ZEE Shifter
• Shimano XT 11-36 cassette
• Shimano XT chain
• Shimano Deore triple crank and bottom bracket (stock chain rings removed)
• Race face single narrow wide chain rings (32T installed)

EL Camino not quite XC

Deore cranks and bottom bracket was purchased used. No issues whatsoever with the crank, removed all of the stock chain rings, replaced with race face narrow wide chain ring. Since the stock crank bolts that holds the middle and big ring a bit long, when installing the RF NW chain ring you need to put washers on bolts to fit the chain ring properly or buy single ring specific male, female bolts which is shorter. Mechanic did the former.

The BB however needed new bearings, and repack luckily good ol' LBS provided the service.

No issue was reported to me by mechanic on installation of the drive train. Opted to replace the old Barradine rear derailleur cable housing with a new one.

Spank that zee Mr.Rocket ron

Bling

On the bling department the ZEE RD does not fail to impress with its pronounced gold colored shadow clutch switch, stubby short cage, all business at the back. While the XT chain, cassette, along with anodized green RF NW chain ring rounds up the additional swagger of drive train. 

Battle scars, tell your stories my friend

Hamster initial ride

Won't lie I opened ULYBY bike shop myself. Got the bike and gawked at clean cockpit setup, along with minimalist drive train a bikini better than business suit right? Pedaling the bike immediately notice how silent it is, while shifting crisp and solid. Gone slight delay, with clunk present on old drive train. Ratio spread on smaller cogs (where I spend most of my time on road) proper I did not notice any weird high jumps even on lower cadence. Yet to test the bigger tractor pull cogs due to lack of hills en route home.

With Pope arrival today, host of events that we will be attending here in Manila. Weekly night ride, training rides will have to wait for next week.

Ernest Hamster

Bike ride

Night ride with Siglo Siklistas

Hamster dreams of stars

Butt still hurts breaking-in the new saddle of the camino. After this ride the cheapo seat going to SS beater could not take the ass beating anymore.
Started in middle of afternoon along usual route to QC while climbing nearby bridge could still feel the burn on my legs from the last ride. Arrived quite early at the meeting point, proceeded to HEC BBQ with Doc arvin. Waited for the other dudes to arrive before we took of.

QC, manila, makati, capped the route at El chupacabra.

Enjoyed this ride a lot, thankfully the only part on my body that got sore my buns. Hamsters legs, lungs working fine.

According to strava clocked-in 89 Km worth of rides this week. On Sunday will capping 100 km by touring WWII historic island of Corregidor on Manila bay with Siglo's Oscar, and uly owner of Ulyby bike shop.

Strava or it did not happen!

Ernest "fueled by juice and..." hamster

Bike ride

Removing the ego
Fairly new to this bike thing with only 3 years worth of rides under my saddle. When I started other bikers would pass me left and right, today they still do but with a little more effort. Since return to riding with the Siglo Siklistas my stamina improved the usual MOA route would usually be 3 hours long with only 20-25 km covered with lots of rest. Now the only time I stop is when I have to adjust my cycling underwear being swallowed by my huge butt.

Have developed a route which is fairly straight, covers a lot of kilometers with only two stop lights, not a lot of vehicles, and without getting in the way of roadies on morning rides.

Along the route would usually encounter other cyclist some cruising, some looking for trouble. Even if you exercise respectful overtaking some would take it as a challenge...well if in the first place you do not want to get overtaken by a 300 pound man with weird looking bike then DO NOT ride slow.
In such situations the bad hamster in me would not take this sitting down, but during such stupid pissing contest I know that I would usually lose because I am not that explosive out of the saddle, giving too much weight to power (hehe), and need to sustain stamina through out the route. So in this situation I would maintain my speed, wheel suck when they pass and let them take the blunt of the wind. In their minds they know that THEY won over a fat, weak, guy but little do they know that they cannot sustain such high output for long. And when they get gassed I continue on passing them and be on my marry way doing my laps.

Riding with different folks can teach you a lot. Specially with bikers having that "mamaw" badge, I know that I will not reach that level anytime soon but at least I won't get dropped that far.

Strava or it did not happen!

Ernest Hamster

Hamster wheel

Happy bun's, happy ride
Beginning to sound like Britney Spears here "Ooopppsss I did it again" purchased something I think, I need. This time convinced myself that SS beater needs a NEW saddle.

It just so happens that yesterday my son wanted to play with his cousin's. So I picked them up, drove them to blue bay for fun family bonding and Hamster retail therapy. I did not catch her name but the staff at Paulina's patiently answered my queries regarding price of ZEE brakes, chain ring bolts (lack thereof) and giving me the receipt for the saddle thanks!

They say that no one bike seat perfect. YES I adhere to that train of though so while browsing the store display immediately looked for a longer nose model. The saddle that was previously on the camino (hah! Get to this in a minute) nose was not long enough to seat my junk, and was always digging in area before my family jewels down there.
Instead of giving SS the new saddle I opted to put the thing on the camino why? Because Main bike! Now the SS gets the trusty old workhorse seat.

Removed the WTB pure-v saddle on camino, cleaned all the gunk on seat post clamps, adjusted the for and aft, rail position, the DDK saddle looks great on the bike.
While the oldie saddle clamp on the SS needs a little spray of WD40 to remove the surface rust which was present (SS Beater has a lot of this). Test fitted the pure-v on SS and told myself that beater beginning to not look like a...beater. With saddle, new v-brakes, and probably 9 speed drive train hand me down from the camino.

Got to test the new saddle around the block for quick ride while wearing one of my uncomfortable thin shorts. Immediately noticed that the saddle felt rock hard, but now my junk n balls sitting on right position not dangling, and also the digging on the area I mentioned above was gone. Only real concern for the saddle durability, had purchase a similar low priced saddle before it only took me 3 trails rides to destroy it. Would probably swap the DDK's for the WTB on trail runs but for now since I plan to ride road more the seat stays on.

DDK saddles
WTB saddles

Ernest "this buns..." Hamster

Bike ride

Friend reminder
Before coughing myself to sleep at around 11 pm last night I felt bloated from all the eating, drinking, partying on last quarter of December. My voice still hoarse, my body weak, and occasional phlegm would trickle out my nose. Put myself to sleep by browsing the interwebs for bike related stuff I do not need, luckily I did not get the night buzz I usually have the combination of cooking, driving, and hosting parties took its toll. Deep asleep I would not usually remember my dreams but this one got noticed.
Friend passed away this summer and he was in my dream. On occasion my deceased relatives close to me would show up on such but this was the first time my friend appeared. Honestly I miss the dude, could still remember the first thing I said to him when he got back from work stint in middle east "tara bike tayo!" now what if he got into biking? Would he still be with us today? That got me into thinking...I need to RIDE my bike NOW.
So I woke up, got dressed, drank a glass of water and proceeded for first new year bike ride.
Manila route similar to last ride with tito romarico. Instead of just doing laps around Mall of Asia which is boring. I did the slightly long route, took the most straight streets which I could get up to speed and pedal like a Hamster.
Twenty KPH my minimum and no matter who's in front of me I needed to maintain that on 32T ratio up-front. Would occasionally get up to 25 kph but that was it.
Sure enough the spin bonanza ride proved effective. Did 3 laps around CCP, MOA, area and logged in 38 km on ride total. Looking at the data a small chunk of route was missing during the beginning of the ride at least 2-3 km give or take. So YES I did 40 km today not bad effort coming from binge fest that was the holidays and the ghost of a friend past.

Strava or it did not happen

Ernest Hamster