¿Qué llevo en mi bolsa del sillín?

¿Qué pasa "biciosos"?

Para muchos hay un debate sobre si llevar o no una bolsa de sillín cuando montan en bici. En mi caso ese debase se solventó muy rápido, yo siempre llevo una bolsa en el sillín, no me importa si eso no es "pro", lo que a mi me importa es lo práctico que me resulta.

Una ves que decides que vas a llevar bolsa en el sillín el siguiente paso es decidir que bolsa vas a usar y que vas a llevar en ella. Esta es mi configuración actual.

La bolsa es una Topeak Strap Aero Wedge Pack pequeña. Esta es la bolsa más pequeña de la familia pero es suficientemente grande para llevar todo lo que necesito. Me gusta especialmente la tira que tiene que te permite enganchar una luz trasera.

En la bolsa llevo:

• Una bomba Bontrager Air Rush Road Mini Pump/CO2 Inflator. Me encanta esta bomba. Es pequeña y ligera; puede usarse de manera estándar o con botellas de CO2. Resulta muy práctico.
• 2 botellas de CO2. Venían con la bomba y los uso para hinchar la rueda si quiero hacerlo rápido (tengo prisa o si el tiempo no es demasiado bueno) y/o que la rueda tenga buena presión. 
• 2 Cámaras Continental Race 28 (700c) Supersonic. Estas cámaras son muy ligeras y se empaquetan ocupando muy poco volumen. Yo meto cada cámara en una bolsa de plástico individual para que estén más protegidas del agua.
• 2 desmontables Park Tool Tyre Levers y 1 paquete de parches autoadesivos El paquete original traía 3 desmontables, pero con 2 yo tengo suficiente para desmontar las cubiertas de todas mis ruedas. Los parches autoadesivos ocupan tan poco y son tan ligeros que los llevo para el caso de que tenga más de dos pinchazos en una salida, no es que pase con mucha frecuencia, pero si que me ha pasado.
• Una mult-iherramienta Topeak Mini 18+ Me encanta, es pequeña, no muy pesada y tiene todas las herramientas que necesito, incluido un tronchacadenas (que funciona con cadenas Shimano para 11 velocidades)

En este video puedes ver como lo meto todo en la bolsa del sillín. El conjunto completo pesa 632g

A cuidarse
Javier Arias González

What do I carry in my saddle bag?

For many there is a debate on whether or not to carry a saddle bag. In my case though I don't have any doubt, I carry a saddle bag in my bike, I don't care if it doesn't look pro, I do care about how practical is to carry stuff that I won't need while riding.

Once I decided I was going to carry a saddle bag the next was to decide what saddle back should I use and what I'd carry within. This my current configuration.

The saddle bag is a  Topeak Strap Aero Wedge Pack Small saddle bag. This is the smallest saddle bag of this family and I find it big enough to carry all I need. I particularly like the strap it has that allows you to clip a light.

Within the saddle I carry:

• A Bontrager Air Rush Road Mini Pump/CO2 Inflator I love this pump. It is small and light; it can pump a tyre using a CO2 canister or you can use it in the standard way. I find this very convenient. 
• 2 CO2 canisters. They came with the pump and I use them if I get a puncture and I'm in a hurry or weather conditions are not good. 
• 2 Continental Race 28 (700c) Supersonic Inner Tubes. This is a very light inner tube that packs in a very small pack. I put each one in an individual zip bag to protect them from the water.
• 2 Park Tool Tyre Levers & 1 glueless Repair Kit Note the pack comes with 3 tyre levers but I only carry 2, I have found that enough to deal with any wheel I have. The glueless reapir kit is so small and light that I carry it just in case I have more than two punctures in a single ride. It doesn't happen very often but it had happened to me.
• A Topeak Mini 18+ Multi Tool I love this multi tool. It is small and not too heavy but it has all I need if I have a simple mechanical in a ride, including a chain repair tool (that I found it works with Shimano 11 speed chains).

In the video below you can see how I pack everything. The whole lot weights 632g

Take care
Javier Arias González

Trying to put words to my feelings in today's ride

I don't think I'll be able to put in words how I felt in today's ride, but I want to try because I want to be able to recall it in the future.

I'll start saying that I felt great. It is not because today's numbers were that great, I have done better numbers in the past. Also, numbers are numbers and they are not that related with feelings and this entry is about feelings.

It is not that I got first to any of the climbs either. Getting first to the climbs is great and definitively more related to feelings than numbers but the best I can say about today's climbs is that I wasn't last in any of the climbs.

I think it is more related to expectations. Today's ride was probably the fastest Kingston Wheelers ride and I wanted to join it to see how I was going to feel. I was expecting to be dropped in the first hill so I loaded the route in the GPS to make sure I was able to make it to Tanhouse and told Rupert not to wait for me if they dropped me. I was also expecting weather to be in line with the one we had had the whole week, "not that good weather" I call it when I want to be nice and polite.

But the day woke up sunny and with blue skies. I found myself riding with about 15 other riders and I knew most of them. The pace was fast but I could manage it and when the first climb came it all began to feel great.

You know that feeling when your mind is asking your legs to give a bit more and your legs give you more?

You know when you see your heart rate and you know it is the highest you have seen it in the last six months but miraculously you feel you can keep it?

You know when you push it, and it is hard, but you find yourself enjoying it, having fun?

You know when you are riding in a group at speed and you feel the harmony of how things are working?

You know when you get to the top of the climb and you look to your colleagues and you feel gratitude? You appreciate that they make the ride interesting, challenging and fun.

Do you know when you feel your bike as a great machine?

Do you know when a gap opens and you push, and your legs scream but you close the gap?

Do you know when at the end of the ride there is a sprint and you actually sprint when you thought you would never going to dare to sprint again?

You know when the ride is finishing and you feel that you could keep it going, that you still have energy?

You know when you feel the strongest in the last months?

That was me in today's ride.

These are great feelings; you obviously can't feel like that in every ride but when it feels like that it really compensates for all the work you have done on the bike. I actually think I ride and train just to feel like that every now and them. I'm just glad that today was one of those days and I was able to appreciate it.

Take care
Javier Arias González