opiniondose-blog

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Meet my first bike or should I say, my first upgraded bike.

 In the Philippines, when one will do a casual road trip using bicycles, the option for a road bike is blurred due to the fact that our roads are not as smooth as others. There are potholes and other uneven surfaces that will make riding a road bike strenuous especially to the muscles. Hence, it will be practical to purchase a mountain bike in which case, I did. Budget was the main factor and so, I did not opt to go directly to super high – end bikes because I’m just getting into biking and will not be advisable to go straight to something very advanced. The reasons that I bought a bike are: (1) my cousins are into biking itself and they kept on persuading me; (2) as a form of exercise and a hobby; (3) biking is starting to boom here in the Philippines because different bike groups are emerging; and (4) to explore, save a little money by not using too much the family car, and avoid traffic.

 Just a bit of a history, my bike frame is a brand called SGM which was an alloy and already an acceptable price; mechanical disc brakes; standard alloy rims; 21 speed; narrow bars and long stem; 26er; Shimano Tourney parts; standard coil – sprung fork; and was capable enough for my super beginner skills.

 As for the upgraded version, after months of saving up from my daily allowance from school and reading articles about bike parts, capabilities and the Physics behind it, the components were overkill as what my cousins used to react. Still the capable and fun 26er, the frame got a major change from the SGM to a Merida TFS. The cockpit now boasts a 740mm bar in which I interchange with a 780mm and a 800mm depending on my mood. The said bars now sits on a shorter stem, probably about 50mm in length. The seatpost is now a Truvativ brand which I mostly see from pro riders. My drivetrain is now a 30 speed, mid range Shimano Deore groupset which functions very crisp even after 2 years and counting. As for the fork, it’s now a SR Suntour Epicon which is air sprung. Probably the cheapest air sprung fork here at our place. The wheelset is now a Mavic brand with Continental Race King 2.2 Tires.

 The set up is based on the mindset for long rides because I started out as a long rider and not as a trail rider. Though the bike surely handles trail rides very well because of the trust and confidence for the components, I purposely assembled this for more on road use.

  The experience with this part of biking has helped touch some of the basic concepts of bike dynamics and expand my social circle.

[opiniondose-blog]

Got these installed last December 17, 2016! Can't wait to test these more especially the Crank Brothers Highline Dropper post!

[opiniondose-blog]

RED LAVA TRAIL

           The sun shows its yellow crown from afar. The team was already traversing the winding road to Talisay, Batangas where they will have their jump off. The 2 – week preparation will finally materialize as the glare of the bright yellow ball in the sky hits the 8 o’clock mark. A boat ride to the Taal Volcano Island while cruising over Taal Lake will take mostly 30 minutes. As the boat drop anchor near the shore of the island, the team disembarks and headed for the tourist reception hall. Once preparations were complete – water bottles refilled, snacks packed, and cameras checked – the team walked towards the entrance. The tourist will be offered 2 options for this trek. The most obvious one, walk until the observation post at the mouth of the crater or get a horseback ride up until the observation post. Our team decided to just walk it and experience the feel of the hike. Sandy, loose, and a bit slippery were mostly what the topography has to offer. Though an additional feature might be for everyone to be cautious, and that will be horses’ droppings scattered along the trail. This can’t be avoided after all horses are one of the income generator of the island. My advice is, just watch your steps. Another great feature of the island and will probably contribute more to its tourist arrivals are the Stations of the Cross that will be a tourist magnet during Holy Week. At midway, we can already see remnants of the lava flow and you can see steam coming out of it. It’s the final stretch near the crater and it becomes a bit steep. However, there is a resting place at the top – snacks, drinks, and some souvenirs to keep the tourism alive in the area and to keep the body replenished. From the observation post, we met some Japanese folks also visiting the area. But, the grandeur of the hike does not manifest at the observation post. It can be found at the Red Lava Trail itself. There you can see below the astonishing look of the Taal Volcano Crater. This trail was also the best time and place to test the GoPro Hero 4 Black. It did capture great shots without having to tamper much the settings. Crisp and very detailed images were captured and so the memory itself. Photos to inspire me to see more of the nature around me.