My bikes

The bike that I used during the 2009 nationals, a second-hand Benotto. I suspect a "Modelo 2700".

It's not hard to qualify as a representative for Taichung city... but to get anywhere near the podium is another thing. I failed the Keirin qualifying round (3rd from last) and only did 1'16 something in the kilo. (PB for kilo is 1'15"021.) Winning time is like 1'03.

Those bars were not the same I used in last year's race by the way. But all else pretty much the same, save for those training wheels.

The cranks were Sugino... not sure of the model name, but they were of 110BCD and originally came with 3/32" 44T single speed chain ring. That one in the photo was an FSA road model (50T).

New setup for my aero bars. I used a similar stem (actually sharing one same part) and a MAVIC bull horn last year. But this setup allows me to go just a little bit lower, and the base bar also provides a wider clamping section.

Originally a mountain bike riser stem... two of the similar products merged into one, actually. These new "ahead" parts allow a few degrees more rotation downwards, getting lower and more towards the rear. Stiff as hell, this chunk of metal...

And as you can see the clip-on's are naturally set wide apart due to this special stem; so wide in fact, they're at the widest the base bar can take! The elbow pads were then set rather well but that was simply an accident.

Another view. As can be seen here my base bar was nearly touching the head tube. One trouble you'll encounter when you set up a mass start bike for time trial. In my opinion.

And last... my current road bike.

Since there won't be any racing in quite a while, I've chosen a steel frame and didn't bother with integrated shifters. :)

SITREP

3rd day into the study. Yup, I'm back at it once again... but this time for different goals. Graduation from college has not been an option anymore (as I've failed completely), but after five years of hanging around, I'd be able to attend the exam for grade school using the equivalent education level acquired during this period.

But when? Two years after would be the most possible. That's including 14 months in the military, starting (hopefully) late this August or early September. In other words, the exam would take place in March-April 2012, about four to five months after I'd served my time.

Not too much time to get ready, but just about enough. Subjects: engineering math (calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, probability), mechanics(statics/dynamics), and mechanics of materials. (And maybe English.) Yup, this time I'm heading for the one direction that I should have headed five years ago: mechanical engineering!

Well it's a bit weird to say the least, but my family, esp. parents, still expect me to at least get a degree. Whether this would be of any help... I don't know. Because deep down I still want to be an athletic coach, or a masseur. And I'm pretty sure, a grade school degree in ME isn't going to be of too much help in that area. But there being nothing else to do, and since these subjects aren't as boring anyway, I'll just do it as a past time.

They say that only the experience of military service separates the men from the boys. I wonder, would I then be really able to decide things on my own, as a grown man?