When making wish lists, my first instinct is to opt for all the extravagant stuff that one can imagine but I realized, I should consider making this list as close to reality as possible--with products that are locally available--for me to be able to gift to myself (eventually) because, let's face it... nobody else will.
1. A poncho. Something light to put on and/or carry: big enough to fit when you have a backpack on, long enough to cover your ass from the mud splatter, and durable enough not to get ripped after the first use.
Something like this but longer...
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| December 26, 2016: on the way to Mt. Samat in Bataan |
2. A footpump. To pump my tires with at home. I also used to have one but it wore out over time.
3. A 3L hydrobag. Big enough but not too big; something I can use for both long rides and commute.
4. Exustar SS503 (with muti-release cleats). Although my Shimano M064 still serves its purpose, how it looks doesn't secure me of how long it's still gonna last especially when used on rainy days. I've been fantasizing for a pair of Exustar SS503 since knowing of its availability here in the Philippines, because you can install cleats and use it on a rainy ride! Also perfect for bike+swimming / bike+dragonboat training (if I was attending).
(
https://pedalpowerphilippines.com/2017/01/09/initial-impressions-on-exustar-ss503-cycling-sandals/)
5. SVCK IT! drawstring bag. For when I don't really need to bring a hydrobag. Plus, it's cute.
6. A loopbar. Ultimately, I just want it so I can then attach a loopbar bag and have easy access on snacks while riding. And, of course, there will be more bars for me to handle / grip on. Lol ok
7. Thor toolbox. It's a toolbox in the figure of Thor's hammer, need I say more?
8. A bike roller!!!!!! Availability of bike rollers here is such a bitch and its price got tripled from my first inquiry--PHP3000 to PHP9000 real quick. Contrary to most people's probable impression of how I live my life, I do not really bike all the time (although I want to!). I only bike when I *have* to be somewhere. That's why I think I *need* a bike roller so I can bike while I'm at home watching tv or if rides get canceled because of the weather.
9. A smart watch. I don't have a watch for more than a year now. So if I'm going to have one, I want it to be a smart watch. I'm not exactly tech-savvy; I don't care for most gadgets, I only want a smart watch so recording activities on Strava would be more of a breeze. Aside from the app being too taxing on your phone's battery, it doesn't always work and, sometimes, even records inaccurately. I don't know what compels me to think the same inconveniences won't exist in a smart watch. I guess, I just want one.
LASTLY!!! [NOT IN PHOTO] I WISH FOR...
10. A bike buddy. I've been solo riding forever. I'm so tired of being alone, to be honest. I just wish for someone who share my general principles and is on the same page as me in terms of
why bike--I bike because I hate having to shell out money for gas or fare just to be stuck in traffic. I bike because I want to maximize what money I still have on important things, like food. I bike because it's easier to control your travel time--no matter the distance--by adjusting your own speed. I bike because I want to eat whatever I want without the worry of going back to a life of necklessness. I bike because going to places I literally sweated for makes me appreciate the motherland. I bike because no matter how fast I pedal, the world in my eyes doesn't seem so fast-paced as I think it is in everyone else's--I get to see more. I don't even need a group that's already established; my heart isn't at being the strongest in this sport (anymore). I only need one person to help me bring out the best experience in
why bike and try to change, if not completely abolish, the errors we'd likely encounter on the road. Someone I can make a better world with, one destination at a time. (So much for making this list ~close to reality~)
