Cycle 600km in 40days Challenge

The Cycle 600km in 40days Challenge (C600K-40D) for short by Trisports Solutions, Inc is an online format cycling challenge. Rides are recorded through a GPS-capable gadget like a smartphone, cyclo-computer or in my case, a Tomtom GPS watch. Data is then uploaded online and exported to Strava. By joining the Strava club for the challenge, the organizers are able to track the progress of participants. The main advantage of the online format is that anyone can ride anywhere, anytime and at their own pace.

Like any race, I gauge the prospect of success before registering. With 600km in 40days, I need to average around 15km per day. My commute (bike to work) takes 4.8km one way and another 4.8km going home. That assures me 9.6km in a day and leaves me with 5.4km more, which can easily be done through detours and going the long way around. For weekends, I do not have work so I just need to make sure that I accomplish 30km. On top of my commute, I do go on training rides in the morning for my duathlon races. This gives me the extra kilometers to finish ahead of the deadline. With the computations done, I go and register for the challenge.

I finished ahead of the deadline. I did 612.62km in 20days to be exact. I averaged 30.631km per day. I only did three long rides (the three spikes). The rest of the kilometers covered are from my commute and training rides.

Daily km covered and Running sum.

PAP Wonders...: Best of Both Worlds?

Here is the simple logic of bike gearing:
1. Fast on the flats = BIG chainrings
2. Fast on the climbs = BIG cogs/cassettes

If these are true, then:
BIG chainrings + BIG cogs = fast on the flats + fast on the climbs
The BIG-BIG combination gives the best of both of world.

By having both, can we really set-up a do-all bike? For a bike to handle anything the race course throws at it? Answer: Yes.

55/44t chainrings paired with a 12-27t cassette. Fast on the flats, can be painful for the climbs.

As a duathlete (duathlon: run-bike-run), most course I have raced have involved uphills or rolling terrain: Clark, Nuvali, Eagle Ridge, SCTEX and Balanga to name a few. I can only think of one "flat" course: Pradera. Short anecdote: my first Balanga experience at the 2015 Pilipinas Duathlon Final Leg was a huge surprise. We had to climb up to Letran three times. With fatigued legs, my 12-27t cassette was too heavy for the first time. The same thing happened again for the SCTEX Duathlon (2016). "Parang kailangan ko ng mas malaking sprocket" (I think I need a bigger sprocket/cassette), I thought to myself. Another season is ahead and I'm considering my options. Since getting myself a Roadlink last February, I've been using a 12-30t cassette. This is very similar to my 12-27t cassette but it trades the 16t for the 30t. I've raced the cassette three times so far and no complaints except for the rare times when at speeds that the 15t is too hard and the 17t is too easy. (For an introduction on chainrings, cassettes and the drivetrain, click here)

A Dropbar Time Trial Bike

Time Trial bikes (including Triathlon bikes) are characterized not only by their aerodynamic shapes and usually large gears, but also the uniquely-shaped handlebars. These are basebars with the brake levers and the aerobars bar-end shifters. The separate brake levers and shifters bucks the trend of most other bikes where they are integrated together (Shimano STI, Campagnolo Ergopower, etc.) or at least close together (mountain bikes). For Time Trials and Triathlons, aerodynamics is the king. That's what aero-bars are for. The aerobars allow riders to ride in an aerodynamic position. Since these riders don't ride technical trails nor in a group (or peloton), they don't need their brakes nearby. What they do need is to shift gears to  adapt to the terrain and still remain in the aerodynamic position - hence, bar-end shifters.

Time Trial bike with a Dropbar and Clip-on Aerobars.

Why use dropbars on a time trial bike? My answer is "a bike that works for me is a good bike". So far, I have only raced one duathlon (run-bike-run) that I think a bar-end shifter set up would be alright. Most times, duathlon races here involve some degree of climbing and of course, descending. For the climbing part, you can ride out of the saddle and still shift depending on the steepness of the climb. For the descending part, I find it more confidence-inspiring to use the drops - lowering your center of gravity and adding stability when descending. Also, there are races where there are U-turns - having brakes and shifters close together would be useful. Decelerate - shift to an easier gear - make the U-turn - accelerate - when you gain momentum, shift to a harder gear. Thirdly, group rides feel much safer because the brakes are within reach.

The shifters on a dropbar are integrated with the brake.

Another benefit of dropbars is the multiple positions available. You can choose to ride the hoods and the drops. If the pads of the aerobars do not stick close to the dropbar, you can use the tops too. By puting clip-on aerobars, a new position is added.

Available Positions of a Dropbar with Clip-on Aerobars.

Those descriptions are typical for road bike set ups. In time trials and triathlons, aerodynamics is king. Yes, that's why I spec mine with clip-on aerobars and thus, I can be in an aerodynamic position.  I know I said earlier that shifting is still important in the aerodynamic position. It can still be done using the right hand (keeping the left arm firmly on the aerobar). After shifting to the appropriate gear, return to the aerodynamic position. For the most part, the aerodynamic position is maintained.

Front view of the cockpit.

Conclusion. A Time Trial or Triathlon bike might look unorthodox or maybe, even unusual. But, it works. There are multiple hand positions available - allowing for confident climbing, descending and group riding. Second,  the aerodynamic benefit of aerobars is maintained. I think the bottomline is "to go with what you would find useful." Dropbar mountain bike, flatbar road bike, bullhorn road bike.

Function over Form.

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PAP Wonders...To Buy or To Build?

When it comes to getting a new bike, there are two options you buy a built bike or spec & build one yourself. Almost all cyclists start with a built bike because it is always available. Why not? Go to the bike shop, look for one you like and go home with your new bike.

A "Spec & Build" Bike.

Built bikes. Built bikes are normally built up in such a way to accommodate majority of riders. For road bikes, this would mean compact cranks and an 11-28 cassette. For mountain bikes, cranks would either be triple or double, and paired with a wide range 11-34 cassette. Although, nowadays, mountain bikes spec'ed with single chainrings (or 1x - "one-by") are becoming more popular.

• Drivetrain. These rarely have "straight" groupsets (except for the higher end models). There are always parts from another groupset of the same manufacturer or from a different brand. For example, when manufacturers quoted a bike as having a "Shimano 105", what I got were Shimano 105 shifters, front derailleur and rear derailleur. The crankset is a non-series model from Shimano and the cassette is Shimano Tiagra (one level lower than 105). Because these are not as complex as the shifting mechanisms, these substitutions have hardly any recognizable effect (see our article about mixed groupsets). The brakes are unbranded.
• Wheels and Cockpit. These components are usually supplied in-house - by the frame brand itself. Another possible supplier would be a subsidiary or sister company of the frame manufacturer. For example, when I got my Giant Defy, the wheels and tires are from Giant. The whole cockpit - stem, handlebar, bar tape, seatpost and sadde - are also wholly provided by Giant. Essentially, the whole bike except the drivetrain are produced by Giant.

Riding a Triple for the Road

In this article, I will talk about my experience in using a triple crankset on a road bike. First of all, what is a triple crankset? A triple crankset has - of course - three chainrings. This offers another small chainring (a "granny" ring as others would call it) in addition to the usual two of typical road cranksets. By doing so, the range your road bike has increased and it is now easier to tackle steep climbs. The downside is having more weight (additional chainring, triple-specific derailleurs) and having a slighty more complicated system (a triple front shifter). However, the rise of the compact chainrings in recent years has made the triple seem "obsolete" - easy gear for climbing using the "normal" double front shifter and derailleurs. The triple has then faded into obscurity and nowadays, people are surprised to see road-specific triple setups.

Nonetheless, this article is about triple setups.

Gearing. The gearing of a triple is  typically a standard (53/39, 52/39, 52/42, 50/39) plus a little 30t small ring. 50/39/30t is the most common ratio available today. On the other hand, the rarest is a 53/39/30t - this combination is what I consider the best of all. It has a "true" standard 53t instead of an "almost-there" 52t. In the middle, one might still be able to find 52/39/30t and 52/42/30t ratios around.

This is my steel road bike set up as a triple. The comfort of a steel frame and the wide range of a triple crankset makes a wonderful combination for long rides.

PAP Wonders...P-E-D-A-L-S!

It's been a while since the last article but I hope this new article will be helpful for those who want to change their current pedals or try new pedals. The pedals are part of the "cockpit" of the bike - the components which connect you to the bike. This category includes the handlebars, saddle, stem and seatpost. Here is a link for an introduction to the cockpit. The pedals' purpose is to let you transfer your power to the crankset, then to the chain, then to the cogs, then to the wheel, and finally, to the ground.

What types of pedals are out there? Pedals fall into two basic categories: Flat pedals and Clipless pedals. Flat pedals are what most people (even non-bikers) know. They are everyone's first pedal and there are several advantages in using them. First, they are the easiest to use and the most confidence-inspiring. Just put your foot on it and pedal. If you lose your balance, you can easily put your foot down on the ground. Second, flat pedals are offered at a wide spectrum of price points from the most affordable to the most expensive. With flat pedals, the cyclist can use any shoe he already has - sneakers, skateboard shoes and others. Clipless pedals, on the other hand, need cycling shoes.

Example of a flat pedal. This particular example has metal studs to improve the shoes grip on the pedal.

PAP Wonders... Cassettes, Sprockets and Cogs

Our next topic in PAP Wonders... is about cassettes. Cassettes are the gears that engage the chain and the rear wheel. For a brief introduction on cassettes, look at our Parts of a Bicycle article on the drivetrain. We will be talking about the pros and cons of different cassette choices like having more cogs in your cassette and having larger cogs. We hope this can help you on your cassette choice.

My personal choice: a 10 speed cassette with 12-27 range.

PAP Wonders... Chainrings for You and Me

Here is our next PAP Wonders... topic: Chainrings. Chainrings are what engage the chain on the crankset. You can review from our Parts of the Bicycle series. In this article, we will be talking about the different types of chainrings and their pros & cons. If your building up a new bike (your first one or your next one) or maybe planning to change your chainrings, we hope that this article can be useful for you in your decisions.

One-Two-Three. There are different numbers for different uses. Mountain bikes typically have three and road bikes usually have only two. These past few years there has been a trend in mountain bikes to have less chainrings. Mountain bikes and mountain bike groupsets now come with two chainrings or just one. For road bikes, the triple (three chainrings) is available but rather rare. Also, single chainring options are offered by SRAM. This first appeared in their Force CX1 groupset (mainly geared toward cyclocross/CX riders). Now, they have the Force 1, Rival 1 and Apex 1 groupsets.

A Double Crankset - 2 Chainrings.

PAP Wonders... Drivetrain - Straight or Mixed?

PAP Wonders... is a new segment here in Pinta At Padyak. We will be wondering and discussing bikes, bike setups and other bike-related topics. In our first issue, we will be talking about the bike drivetrain. For an introduction on the bike's drivetrain, click here.

When we talk about a bike's drivetrain, common sense dictates that a straight groupset is the gold standard. A straight groupset is where all the components of the drivetrain (cranks, derailleurs, cassette, shifters and brakes) are all from the same series. By having a straight groupset, we can have the smoothest coordination between the different components for an efficient operation.

An example of a straight groupset. Pictured above is a 10-speed Dura-Ace groupset (Special Anniversary Edition).

Parts of a Bicycle: Part 5 - The Cockpit

We talked about the drivetrain of a bike in Part 4. We learned about the mechanisms that drive the bike forward. Here in Part 5, we will be talking about the cockpit. The cockpit is what connects you - the rider - to the bike. These are the contact points and related components on your bike. These include the stem, handlebar, seatpost, saddle and pedals.

Front view of the cockpit. 

Parts of a Bicycle: Part 4 - Drivetrain

From Part 3, we learned about the wheels of a bicycle. The wheels transfer the movement to the road. In this article, we will be talking about the Drivetrain of the bike. The Drivetrain is the main mechanism of the bike. It transforms the pedaling motion to the rotation of the wheels.

The Drivetrain is the main mechanism of the bike.

The Drivetrain is composed of the shifters, crankset, cassette/cogs, chain, front derailleur, rear derailleur and brakes. The big names of drivetrain manufacturers are Shimano, Sram and Campagnolo. These companies have different series for their components. Having all components from the same series is called having a "Groupset" or a "Gruppo". Although one can mix and match different components from different groupsets or different brands, there may be occasions where these would not be compatible.

Parts of a Bicycle: Part 3 - The Wheels

Last time in Part 2, we talked about the different parts of the frame like the different names of the tubes and the two triangles. In this article, we will be tackling the different parts of the wheels. The wheels are the contact points between the bike and the road. No wheels, no movement.

The wheels connect the bike to the road.

Parts of a Bicycle: Part 2 - The Frame

We saw from Part 1 what a bike is and the four major component groups. In this article, we will be talking about the first - the Frame. The frame is the skeleton of the bike. It is where all the other components are attached. The frame set includes the fork which holds the front wheel in place and allows steering the bike.

The frame and the fork comprise the skeleton of the bike.

Parts of a Bicycle: Part 1 - What is a bike?

Everyone knows how a bike looks? YES.
Everyone knows how to ride a bike? MOST LIKELY.
Everyone knows how a bike works? MAYBE NOT.

This series introduces the basic parts of a bicycle and how these different parts make a bike work.

In a mechanical or technological perspective, a Bicycle is a vehicle, with two wheels, powered by a human being, through a pedaling motion. To make riding a bicycle possible there are necessary components. When I say necessary, I mean bare minimum. Without one of these a bike will not be functional or ride-able. These necessary components can be grouped into four categories: Frame, Wheels, Drivetrain and Cockpit.

Pinta at Padyak, Painting and Cycling

Painting and Cycling might not seem to have a lot in common but they do have things in common. One of the most significant similarities between the two is their power to capture our intellect and emotions.

In Cycling, one can be a calm state - relax, chat with friends, enjoy the view, and other things.  This calm state can go two ways. One can be so "in" your cycling efforts and be so immersed in the effort. Focus - even instinct - takes over to accomplish the task. On the other hand, one can just turn off their mind. This goes for long steady rides. Ignoring any outside stimuli to prevent one's self from the mental fatigue of enduring the time and the perceived energy spent.

In Painting, viewing an artwork can be a serene experience. One can feel a calm energy produced by the painting. However, the opposite can also happen. One can be pulled into the world of emotion created by the painting. The saddest expressions, scenes of heroism, abstractions of blues and purples - these intense colors and images make our emotions run wild.

Painting and Cycling - PINTA AT PADYAK - affect our mental and emotive states. Serene and calm to intense and focused to just switching off and immersing in the experience. Go ahead. Enjoy the experience. Be absorbed by the intensity of the experience. Your choice.


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