With No Tri Bike I Bought A....... Road Bike Again

Why did I buy a road bike and not a tri bike?

In all of my racing events I've never used a time trial bike or a tri bike. I knew that tri bikes were more aero and the rider position was best for triathlon especially the non UCI compliant bikes. Tri bikes were simply FAST, period. Contemplating on buying a new bike as a reward to myself for finishing an Ironman event, it was never a hard choice between a road bike and a tri bike. I knew that I could go faster on a tri bike in non drafting races and for that reason alone I considered it but still I wanted to have a new road bike instead of a tri bike and here's the reason: STI levers. I always ride out with my bike and the safety and comfort of having both the brakes and shifters right at my fingertips was a pure joy. 

Giant TCR Advanced 1 KOM - snappy

I bought a Giant TCR Advanced 1 KOM a week after IMPH. I replaced the wheels with Vision Metron 55, the tires with Continental GP4000s II 25c and the KOM cogs with 11-28. This bike handles really well, it looks cool, it feels fast but it actually isn't faster than my old aluminum bike. It corners predictably and brakes smoothly surprisingly better than my alloy rim Shimano Dura Ace wheelset. Giant TCR Advanced 1 KOM is a highly recommended bike in my opinion.

Shipped thru cargo

This bike is a lucky one for me; in it's first four events I finished first place twice (National Age Group and Subic Bay International), second place once (Niyogyugan Tri), and third place once (My Daily Collagen Tri). I am a slow biker but sometimes my bike split is enough to have a decent finish.

inspires me to ride

I thought I would smash the peloton at MOA... my tiny quads wouldn't allow me

bike to work

The Vision Metron 55 wheelset has a compression cap that needs to be tightened,

if you happen to own one and feels like you have a bearing problem you 

might just have to adjust the compression cap with an allen wrench

Online Buying

I'm a frequent online buyer of things and that goes the same way with bike stuff. Some stores which seem hard to reach physically are naturally appealing to me for online transactions. They may not have online payment facilities but a bank is always near for bank to bank transactions and although they don't have dedicated websites there's always a presence in Facebook and a phone number to reach them.

2,300 for a pair

Here's how I bought a pair of Kenda Kaliente Pro tires with white stripes from a bike shop in Quiapo.

1.  I googled the shop's phone number.

2.  I called to check if they have what I need and asked for the price, shipping included.

3.  They texted me their bank account number.

4.  I deposited the money to their account and called them.

5.  The bike shop texted me with the tracking number.

6.  I received the package after a night.

Buy from reputable bike shops.

New Gears

I've had my share of misfortunes in choosing the right running shoes a couple of times already. Last year I bought two pairs that were both uncomfortable to run with. I always use an extra insole to cushion the impact and it is the reason why I find it hard to get kicks that's right on the money. For it to work properly the shoes should be light and be able to accommodate the insole while still providing room on the toe well and height on the ankle.

Last Monday I ended up buying a New Balance 1980 Zeta. It is light and lights up the day with its color :). I got a size bigger than my usual NB shoes. 

From my two shoe mistakes last year I learned that weight really matters and toe box is just as important. With the newest hit from NB I discovered that the width from ankle to mid part and shoe drop are quite important for the stability of an extra insole :(. They shouldn't have replaced the old 1090 version 2 with a v3 or v4 so wouldn't be looking hard for a nice fit - some designs aren't meant to be replaced because they're just perfect.

The Speedo Mariner is now being phased out according to the salesperson who entertained me. I was looking for something that has a similar strap and ended buying a Biofuse training goggles. 

First impressions - my new goggles fits too tightly around the eyes when pressed to avoid water leak but on the good side it is the easiest pair to adjust the strap. I feel that the Mariner is better in open water swim even if it is just a leisure model for the brand. I'll know soon enough on Challenge Camsur though. 

The latest gear I acquired is the sunglasses. It doesn't seem like a big deal but my experience on Tri United 3 suggested otherwise. At that moment I thought it was the way I trained with a folding bike and how I was riding upright most of the time but now as I analyze how I came prepared for TU3 yet suffered a bad neck on the bike, I think it's the glasses that did me in by using my 'japorms glasses' I ended up looking more upwards than I usually do.

The glasses I got doesn't speak of my taste in style they're just been bought for functional reason and of course I'm a cheapskate. 

Depending on how it will perform or how I perform with these new gears on my workouts, I may or may not use any of these in Challenge Camsur on June 14. Race day is fast approaching, these are too new to gamble with and I'm not a gambling man. 

All In A Day This Tuesday - Off Tangent Tuesday

Recovery Day :)

Breakfast at Cafe France

Went to an Art Gallery to Commission 2 Paintings

Went to UST for My Check Up

Waiting for my Appointment

Lunch at Mexicali

Life Cycle Greenhills for some Bike Gears

Keo Cleats, Aerobar Pads, Cover Cleats, Gel Saddle Cover

Hmmm...

Girly Things for My Girl

Pasalubong - Krispy Kreme

Late Dinner - Bulalo

New Balance NB1090: Long Runs, Here I Come!

Here's hoping for longer distances with this pair and a Shuffle

These trainers were on my wish list for some time now, just waiting for the price to go down. Last Saturday I found it at 30 percent off / 3 months to pay so I grabbed a pair in Glorietta and run on it at Bonifacio High Street. My initial impression was that it's light and well cushioned compared to my 10K shoes, the New Balance 1400 which is a lightweight with minimal support. Actually I won't be using these shoes for much of my runs, that privilege goes to my oldest and heaviest New Balance pair, but for longer races which I plan to enter (IM distance perhaps). 

Shoes!

These pairs are my current line up (January 2013)

Training:  old model NB480 - comfortable

Bike and Trail:  NB310 - light and trail ready

Race:  NB 1400 - super light

Cycling Shoes: Specialized - wore on 2 races then never tried using it again... but coupled with my Look Keo Max pedals I noticed a big improvement in speed when going uphill... I'm just 'not comfy' (afraid) going clipless at this point 

These shoes are great for their specific purpose but my feet's soles are way too thin and running fast is always a problem (blisters). I'm still happily looking forward to my first long run hopefully when I get a pair of NB1090v2.

I'm Going Clipless... and I Don't Like It

Don't you think a 91K bike leg is long?  Well I thought so, which leads me to buy cycling specific shoes and pedals to go with it.  The shoes are Specialized and the pedals are Look Keo Max 2.  Together they form an intimidating pair so much terrifying that I spend cycling with my mountain bike trying to avoid using the cleats and the pedals on my roadie. If I'm going to race White Rock Triathlon in October I just think I have no choice but to master these gears.  First race with my new upgrade will be the Powerade Duathlon Leg 3.  Hope this thing works minus the crash. 

Black Specialized with 3 hole cleats and Look Keo Max 2

Pinoy Triathlon Tee

The Tee that travels with me when I'm doing multisport races.  Made by my friend bisikletaadventures.blogspot.com.

Why I Don't Wear a Trisuit... yet

No trisuit for me just yet

The advantages of wearing a trisuit are hard to ignore.  They can make for a fast transition, the fit makes you aerodynamic, the extra cloth may prevent jelly stings, the suit is a good sponsor's advert, and as a team uniform it's a must have.

But still I don't have a trisuit and here are the trivial reasons why

1.  The look: while trisuits look good even awesome on most triathletes I just don't think that it will translate to my physique 'coz I'm so thin my daughter calls me a stickman when riding my bike.
2.  I like to swim without a top.  It's just me and the 3 percent who swim with our good old speedo trunks..
3.  I am not vying for a podium so transition time is not that important to me.
4.  I don't have a club or sponsor.  Yes, the banners you see here aren't paying me. I just use them.
5.  I haven't been stung by a jellyfish... yet.
6.  I love my muscle shirt :-)

My advice:  buy a trisuit, it's nice to have, it's just not my thing yet.

Short Distance Nutrition

For duathlons and short distance triathlons I eat and drink these simply because they taste good for me.

Jelly Belly Sport Beans and Bunete bread inside my bento box.

Post Race Recovery Drink: Fresh and Real Lemonade

My Road Bike

During rainy season I ride mostly with my mountain bike but when it's all sunny or I have the urge for speed I ride with Baby Bull, my black and white road bike. My usual milage is about 80 kilometers per week. - wheelset upgraded to Shimano Dura Ace SL

upgrades:

Wheelset: Shimano Dura Ace SL

tires: kenda kaliente

bento box: bontrager mini

removed the aero bottle