Steel Mace, Club and Gripper

I just got my steel mace (8KG), club (6KG) and captain of crush gripper (1.5) a few days ago from Deimos Athletics

I was surprised to see that the owners of Deimos are teenagers. The customer service was great. I did not see the combo promotion that I wanted on their site but I was able to confirm my order thru simple email and text messages.

The steel mace is longer than what I normally see in online videos. It is hard to grab at the end and swing all the way from the back to front to perform Bulgarian squats. I had to grab it almost at the middle which stretches my lats and elbow a bit. I feel a bit of pressure on the elbow due to the stretch, but it must be just my case. Also, the 8KG weight makes it triple hard which I already expected based from online reviews and feedbacks. I would think that a 3-4kg is advisable for beginners.

The one workout I love with steel mace is the grave digger. It works your biceps, lats and back. You can push yourself to 100 reps if you want to because the risk of injury is almost none. Just don’t slouch when you perform this workout, always tight abdominal muscles.

So far I’m only using the club for Bulgarian squats since it is lighter and shorter.

The captain crush gripper is as good as advertised. I used to search for this brand 4 years ago but was unable to; it is great to see that local shops are carrying this now. 1.5 is already tough to squeeze. I’m hoping to fully close it in 2 months.

Please don’t go crazy on this weights especially if you have back and/or wrist injury like me.

For my case, since I had minor protrusion of my L4/L5 with sciatica I lift weights heavy but I don’t go crazy that I have to finish it with time limit. I still believe in getting stronger by the numbers (of weight) not by the number of reps you can do. If you want to do cardio then sprint like a madman.

Time limits are one of the reasons that I’m not a huge fan of Cross fit. The idea of lifting weights regardless it is light or heavy and combining it with time limit forces a person to abandon form. Plus doing this with Olympic lift is a disaster.

Anyway, the message from Deimos using the word 'gains' kinda made me day :D

I back with an accident (with an Anderson Silva accent)

I was not able to post for 2 years due to busy schedule and our twin boys.

Anyway, I started cycling again and met some new friends and we started an informal cycling group for fun: Team Balasubas.

Unfortunately, on January 10, 2015 I got hit by a lorry while crossing a junction at Still Rd – Changi Rd.

The accident happened around 5:45AM Saturday which is just 5 minutes away from my place.

I flew off the bicycle right when the lorry hit my right side. LTA arrived and did the investigation and took pictures.  The driver is an old man and said that he did not see me crossing the junction.

Thank God I just suffered sprained left ankle and beat up right shoulder.

Bicycle was 70% useless. Helmet was shattered. So to all those people spreading information that helmet doesn’t help; I wish you more luck and remember to always use a condom. 

Driver offered to pay for the damages.

At first I was reluctant to build another bicycle due to following reasons:

- Risk outweighs the benefit.

- 99.9% of drivers do not respect cyclists on the road and I don't see it changing.
- Cycling is just a hobby for me. It is fun and you feel free. However, I’m not passionate or crazy about it. Grappling will always be my passion and hopefully I can go back to training once our kids are easier to take care of. Ahhh! I miss the grind and training for competition where some of us will throw-up.

Anyway, I used the money to build another one without any certainty that I'll be riding again. Maybe use it for short commute or sell it again.
This time I bought a carbon frame. 

Frame	2nd hand Focus PRO Stealth matte black. Size 50. - Some negligible scratches on fork and BB but no functional damage. - Seller forgot to include the fork compressor / stem cap.  I got one at Bike Terminal for $8. - Bottom headset bearing is not moving. So I had to pry it open, degrease and repack with grease. - Front Derailleur cable won't go thru the frame. After checking, the internal cable frame housing is blocked with some mud at the bottom part. I replaced it for $5 from CannAsia Vertex. By the way, mechanic/staff there are awesome. Some shops boringly answer you when you're just buying small things.
Groupset	Brand new 105 5800 black. Purchased at Cycling Express
Stem	Ritchey 80mm
Handlebar	Fizik Cyrano Handlebar R3 made for Snake I bought it at recent Entro Cycle sale at Ubi.
Bar Tape	Zipp Service Course SL
Seat Post	Re-used my old Polygon alloy seat post. Brand logos removed using acetone.
Saddle	Astute – alloy rail
Pedal	Re-used my old Shimano PD-M530 MTB Pedals
Cable	Shimano
Wheels	2nd hand Mavic Aksium that I bought from a friend.
Speedometer	Re-used my old Cateye Microwireless

It’s fun to build your own bicycle instead of letting a mechanic do it for you. Yes, you need to buy all the tools but you can use that again and again when you need to re-service/clean it after 6 months or 1 year. You can also lend to it your friends/group when they need it. It took me 4-5 hours plus and a couple of beer to finish it. That's probably why I messed-up the bar tape :)

After 1.5 months I started riding again but only at ECP - Changi Coastal Road – Changi Village. I still need to overcome the phobia of riding our usual east and west route. Also, left ankle is still painful when I try to run (NO, I don’t do marathon. I meant running like trying to catch a bus.) and right shoulder is still tight.

That's it for now :) I will try posting again. Ride safe!

A failed Desaru Ride

October 26 we planned to cycle to Desaru, Malaysia. From east coast park we cycle to Changi Ferry Terminal arriving around 6am, as usual Mang Jing hit 35+ kmh after we told him to take it easy! Unfortunately, the ferry is only opening at 7am. Had some light breakfast nearby and when we got back, the terminal is full of people. Ah, it's holiday in Singapore and everyone is trying to get into the boat.

After an endless wait and carb loading we arrived at Pengerang ferry terminal around 12 noon. The scorching heat is unbearable, riding condition in Malaysia is way different than Singapore. The ride started immediately; after 30km Kuya Silver had a flat tire. It's already past 1pm and there's no way we can reach Desaru then go back to Pengerang to catch the last 3pm ferry. Thus, the group decided to continue riding all the way to Desaru then Johor Bahru to Singapore. Unfortunately, just less than 30km reaching Desaru we had to stop and go back as one of our riders is having leg cramp and can't continue anymore. We decided to go back to another ferry terminal, Tanjong Belungkor which is 30km from where we stopped.

The ride was tough. It was a never ending climb. After you finish a slope another one is just meters away.

Lesson learned:
Ride early.
Bring enough water and consume it wisely.
Make sure all riders in the group almost have the same stamina, endurance and mental push. A group riding in the same speed makes the ride easier.
Pack some bread and power gel supplement. Yes, power gel. I believe in science of supplements.

Unfolding to Road Bike

Last Sunday I sold my Dahon Speed P8 for a lower price by 20%. I decided that I want to start riding road bike. Sad day for me but a very huge smile for the new owner. The buyer intend to use it for touring; he definitely got the right folding bike.

Using the money from my Dahon I bought a Polygon Helios 300. I was eyeing for Helios 400 as all of its components are Tiagra with Richey stem, handle bar and seat post. However, my budget won't fit as I need to buy necessary kit for road bike. Helios 300 is a decent entry road bike unless you're brand name conscious.

I got my road bike at Rodalink Commonwealth assisted by Sammy. He did the bike fitting and made sure I got reasonable discount. He included free bottle cage and pedals. I highly recommend Rodalink as I noticed that their price on bikes, accessories and apparels are cheaper.

It was also the first time I got to touch a Colnago frame. Oh man! I also saw a full carbon Colnago and I can lift it with two fingers :D

Kit: Topeak saddle bag, Topeak multi-tool, Topeak pump and extra tire tube.

MODEL NAME	HELIOS 300
MODEL CATEGORY	ROAD RACE – TIAGRA 18SP
SIZES (CT)	46 / 48 / 50 / 52 / 54 / 56 CMS
COLOR	BLACK WHITE GLOSS
FRAME	ALX 6XXX ALLOY RACING FRAME
FORK	COLUMBUS TUSK LIGHT CARBON
REAR SHOCK	-
HANDLEBAR	POLYGON XPERT
STEM	POLYGON XPERT
BAR END	-
HEADSET	FSA ORBIT IS-2
SADDLE	POLYGON STEEL RAIL
SEATPOST	POLYGON XPERT
CRANKSET	SHIMANO FC-R450 52/39T
PEDALS	-
BOTTOM BRACKET	SHIMANO BB-ES25
CHAINGUIDE	-
CHAIN	KMC X-9
CASSETTE SPROCKET	SHIMANO TIAGRA CS-HG50-9 12-25T
FRONT DERAILLEUR	SHIMANO SORA FD-3400 BAND TYPE
REAR DERAILLEUR	SHIMANO TIAGRA RD-4600 SS
SHIFTING LEVER	SHIMANO TIAGRA ST-4501
BRAKE LEVER	INTEGRATED BRAKE LEVER
FRONT BRAKE	SHIMANO TIAGRA BR-4600
REAR BRAKE	SHIMANO TIAGRA BR-4600
ROTOR	-
TYRE	KENDA KONTENDER K-196 700X23C
RIM	-
SPOKES	-
FRONT HUB	-
REAR HUB	-
WHEELSET	SHIMANO WH-R501