Wants and Needs

These are two different things, want and need. For this holiday season, here’s my top 5, from a cycling and sporting perspective.

I still want that Parlee Z1 (www.parleecycles.com) frameset. I know Colnago EPS are the most sought after framesets (Tata Codina has been waiting for his frame for more than a year now because Colnago can’t make enough frames!), because of its history but I loved the Z1’s simply because it’s simple which makes it artistic.

Like most weekend athletes’ who are into endurance activities, I need keep my weight in check. Our metabolism slows down as we age and we should understand that. Remember that the best method is moderation, not denying yourself from the good things in life.

I want to witness two of the greatest one-day races in the world, Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders, before I go. I want to see the Tour de France, too, but these two races makes my heart beat fast. To see Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen duke it out in the ancient cobbles is Nirvana.

Executive cycling in the country has grown leaps and bounds the past 5 years but it needs to be reorganized. Executive riders have different abilities and therefore, categorization is a must. As I have said a million times, categorization is a bitch but someone not only has to do it correctly but enforce it like it is meant to be.

I want to see cycling in Cebu find a place it can all its own. With the Mandaue North Reclamation Area about to be fully developed, we’d have to start looking for a new place. There are still places like the “Rekla”, but it’s getting scarcer and scarcer.

Philcycling, to be relevant, needs to be blown apart and started from scratch. I want PC to succeed but the irony here is that it’s the officials that stifle their success. PC needs leaders with vision and courage, not appointed politicians whose attention is someplace else. Until the time comes when PC can clean house, I find it hard to support them.

I want sponsors see cycling as a viable way to sell their products. In the same vein, I want cyclist to understand that we need to do our role to achieve this. Remember, cycling is not basketball or soccer where sponsors seek them out.

We need to manage our time better. This means less time on the internet. Unlike some sports, cycling eats up a lot of our time and if don’t get it right, our enjoyment with the sport and more importantly our family won’t feel right. It needs to be right!

I want a safe 2012, not just for all the discipline of cycling but also for all road users. The road maybe not as wide as we want it to be but we can always share the road. What are a few minutes of patience than a few hours spent at the emergency room?