Meet Betty.

Meet Betty. She will join me in my fight against Diabetes.

I've been thinking of getting a new bike for a long time already. At first I was dreaming of getting the latest Intense Tracer. It's been getting a lot of rave reviews from all over. I'm also happy with my experience from my now eight-year-old Intense Tracer VP that upgrading to the latest Tracer seems like a no-brainer.

But I had to take a step back. The latest Intense Tracer is a bike that I won't be able to maximize. I ride more cross country while this one is bred to be a top-of-the-line enduro machine. With how I ride, I don't need a bike with that much suspension travel. I need a trail bike more.

I was able to do a quick parking lot spin with the Trek Fuel EX 5 when I visited Wheelworks Kapitolyo. Installed with a 27.5 tires, I loved how it handled. It was so much fun! You can say that it was love at first test ride. From then, I started researching on the Trek Fuel EX platform and started considering getting one as my next bike.

In January 13 of this year, I was officially diagnosed with Diabetes. It was a wake up call for me. I decided that I won't take this lying down and wait for the Metformin pills to do its work. I needed to change my lifestyle.

And I did. More than a month after diagnosis, I've lost 16 pounds in weight and reduced my medication by half. How did I do this? No fancy diets. I just did the tried and true formula -- healthy eating and an active lifestyle.

I figured that if I'm going to go through this route and fight this, I might as well be properly equipped. This is the perfect reason to get a new bike.

I was decided to get a Trek Fuel EX 8, but when I went to All Terra Cyclery at Julia Vargas, Edmund was selling his 2016 Trek Fuel EX 9.8 at a good price. Wow! I was ready to get an aluminum bike equipped with Shimano Deore XT components and 27.5-inch wheels, but I ended up with a carbon bike with Shimano XTR components, a Rock Shox Reverb dropper post, and 29-inch wheels!

So, without any more further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Betty. She will join me and my other bikes in my fight against Diabetes.

I named her Betty after Diabetes and my team Trek crush, Emily Batty.

Betty is a 2016 Trek Fuel EX 9.8 bike with a carbon frame, Fox 34 Performance fork, Shimano XTR components, Rock Shox Reverb stealth dropper post, and DT Swiss 29-inch wheels. 

My first ride with Betty was around the Ateneo campus only, but I can't wait to take her out on the trails when I managed to handle my lightheadedness caused by Diabetes. Soon, baby. Soon.