Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Biking hits and misses


Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
I’m back!

After a month’s hiatus due to a very busy November, I’ve been on top of the pedal again on Saturday for bike ride. Too bad though, I missed all the happenings during a much-anticipated National Bike Month due to a hectic work schedule and sickness.

What did I miss? Well, I missed two succeeding bicycle expos on two consecutive weekends. First was the iCycle 2016: Ride Pilipinas at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, and second was the PhilBike Expo at the SMX Convention Center at the SM Mall of Asia. I had a terrible case of peptic acid disease for three weeks. I also missed National Bicycle Day on November 27 because I had to attend a godchild’s baptism.

But what did I do during those weeks I haven’t been behind Red’s handlebars?

A lot. Apparently, the Supreme Court had the guts to uphold the constitutionality of President Rodrigo Duterte’s order of burying former dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. And within 10 days of that, the Marcos family surreptitiously buried their patriarch at the heroes’ cemetery.

To cut to the chase, aside from a constantly aching tummy and a frantic work itinerary, what kept me mostly busy on the weekends was attending to anti-Marcos rallies in Luneta and EDSA. I felt it’s my duty to join the rallies and voice out my disgust over the unjust Supreme Court ruling and hasty (if not clandestine) Marcos burial. There is a sense of purpose in being able to attend these protest actions and join forces with people who share the same ideals as me.

And in attending these rallies, I was able to come across a number of fellow cyclists who share the same political stance and standards as myself (see photo).
Fellow cyclist John Edrian Atendido,
with his folding bike at the #SiklabBayan
anti-Marcos protest in EDSA corner
White Plains last Nov. 30, 2016.
Anyway, December’s here and it seems that my work schedule has started to become less frenetic. Which is why on Saturday, I went back to my usual playground in Filinvest Alabang for a trail ride.

I made my way to the place via my usual shortcut at Pilar Village in Las Piñas City and tried some of the trails that I haven’t tried before when I got there. I also discovered that there was an event there last Sunday — the 2nd Philippine Bicycle Demo. 

The event is sort of a test drive festival just like the ones that Auto Focus has been conducting for three years now in the car industry. I brought together some of the best cycling brands in one venue: Specialized, BMC, Norco, Trek, Ibis, Colnago, Felt, Santa Cruz, Lynskey, Giant, Pinarello, Cervelo, Rocky Mountain, BH Bikes, Silverback, Brompton, KTIM, Bambike, Tern, among others.

All you need are two valid IDs, your own cycling gear (helmets, bike shoes, knee pads, pedals for certain bicycles) to be able to try out the bikes.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to come to this demo. I will explain in a while.

As I said earlier, I tried some the trials at Filinvest Bike Trail which I haven’t tried before, particularly the trails along Pacific Rim Extension near The Levels and CommerceCenter. There is one particular trail that goes up a steep hill where the Ayala Alabang water catchment is located. Up there is one of the best views of Filinvest City. I took a couple of pictures and time lapses before I biked downhill.

I made my way back to the Playground trail near The Palms and was thrilled by the number of mountain bikers that were on the same trail as me. I was also finally able to get the proper shifting combination for uphill sections of the trail which made pedaling easier.

I was so caught up in the thrill of the moment that I wasn’t thinking about safety anymore. As I was about to go down from the trail at Parkway Avenue, I preempted a left turn which I was supposed to make once I reached the sidewalk. I made the turn while still on the slope of the trail at a fast pace, causing me to fall and hit my knee on bare ground. I wasn’t wearing knee pads and so I instantly felt the stinging pain of hard ground grinding the skin off my knee.

It bled a lot, but I immediately poured water on it and tried to abate the bleeding by putting a clean towel on the wound. It was quite a big gash which stretched from the base of my left knee to the middle of left leg. I even tried trying the towel with a race tag from Giro de Luca 2016, which was the only long and adhesive material that I can get my hands on, and then made my way to nearby Festival Mall.

The towel and the race tag didn’t hold that quite long, and so I let the wound become exposed for a while as I made my way to Festival Mall. Once there, I quickly went inside an SM Savemore supermarket to buy first aid materials at Watsons to treat my wound. I cleaned it with Betadine solution and alcohol then dressed it with gauze.

My injured left leg, all cleaned and dress up.
I rested for a few minutes before deciding that I should go back home because of my condition. My plan was to take the bike on a bus going to Las Piñas City, but the bus driver won’t let me. So I had no choice but to bike all the way back to our house in Cavite on the same route I used earlier.

My first bike ride after a month’s hiatus ended with my first serious bike injury. I’m just glad that it was only a gash on the knee and not a blow to the head or back. Looks like I’m gonna have to wait for this leg to heal first before going back on top of the wheels.

Always remember folks, safety first when biking!

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Monday, October 31, 2016

A perky cycling club for weekend warriors



For my last blog post this month, let me tell you something that happened more recently.

Last weekend, I was supposed to bike from Cavite to Manila in a planned tour of the city after more than a year (see previous blog entry).

On this particular route, I passed through Las Piñas City via Molino Dam, Zapote River Drive, Alabang-Zapote Road and Quirino Avenue. Just as I reached C-5 Extension Road in front of St. Ezekiel Moreno Church in Pulang Lupa, I chanced upon a jaw-dropping bicycle road race.

At first, it looked like professional road bikers in a major biking event that must have not known about. There were guards and marshals in motorcycles following and directing the peloton, so I was really convinced I ran through an major event without permission. But since no one tried to warn me and since cars and other passersby were still allowed to pass on the outer lane of the road, I kept pedaling. 

A few distances later, near the Petron station, were a group of bikers and viewers watching the race from the sidewalk. Behind them, a table with the race medals and prizes. A tarpaulin that clandestinely hung from the trees behind it said, "PERC: Philippine Executive Road Cycling Club." That's when I realized I chanced upon an official race of a well-known and established cycling club. I remembered having joined their Facebook group, but I didn't know they had a race that day or any races at all.

I stopped by the same curb and watched the race with childish enthusiasm. Took photos of the action each time the peloton passed in front of me. I also checked the medal table out. There were two categories: an Open category and a Managers, Big Boys and Women's category. Prizes were brand-new bike helmets, aside from the medals and trophies. I talked to one of the women near the medal table who told me that a certain Ernie was the brainchild of the event and that he was racing as well at that moment.

The weekly PERC tune-up race along C5 Extension Road
I waited until the race finished so I can interview the man himself and find out what this race is all about. As I waited, I also saw that many of the bikers were members of other cycling groups too like Franzia, Arctic PAGSS, Team Salic, among others.

After the race, everyone was in a jovial mood as they parked their bikes and caught up in each other's stories. One of the racers announced the race results, and each of the winners were called on the curb to receive their medals and prizes. It was then that I saw the man I was looking for: Ernesto Hortaleza, son of Hortaleza Salon, Beauty Products and Vaciador Cresencio Hortaleza.

According to Hortaleza, PERC is just a new bicycle club that's been in existence for around two months.

"We created this club for executives, managers, and employees who are looking for a weekend cycling experience to relieve their work stress. We organized these tune up races as a way to relieve that stress through competitiveness, sportsmanship and camaraderies," Hortaleza said.

He added that while the particular race was held in C5 Extension Road, there are plans to bring the race to other parts of the metro to reach more people.

PERC founder Ernie Hortaleza (first from right) with his wife and fellow cyclists
PERC is very open to blue and white collar professionals who want to join the club. You just have to present certain registration documents verifying your work details as well as pay a small membership fee. Their weekend tune up race also has a small registration fee of P100.

If you're a corporate executive or rank and file employee looking for a weekend race to vent out all your exhaustion, build your fitness and start an active lifestyle, PERC might be just the perky cycling club you're looking for.

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Saturday, October 15, 2016

Cycling the Cavite-Manila route

There comes a time in every Pinoy cyclist’s life when you have to bike to the country’s capital city, Manila. 

This comes as a particularly tough challenge for me since I live in Cavite, and Manila is around 24 kilometers from our house. But this isn’t a challenge for the many construction workers that bike between Manila and Cavite to work on various infrastructure projects in the city. 

I’ve seen some of these folks during my daily commute to the capital. Most of them use mountain bikes given the bumpy conditions of roads leading to Manila, while a handful are in hybrids and road bicycles. It’s their daily ordeal the basically inspired me to purchase my bike, Red. Their bicycles cost around ₱2,000 to ₱4,000 but are very much dependable in different road conditions. 

From following them, I’ve learned that the usual route they take is through Las Piñas and Parañaque via Quirino Avenue. Of particular use to these cyclists is the Enrique Factor Road, a narrow passageway that passes under the Don Galo Bridge of the CAVITEX in Parañaque and connects Quirino Avenue to Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard. 

THROUGH LAS PIÑAS AND PARAÑAQUE
I took on the challenge of cycling the Manila-Cavite route one cloudy December day in 2014. Red was relatively new back then, having been purchased just a month before. I wanted to test if it was possible to bike going to my work in Manila and back. 

From Bacoor, I entered Las Piñas and Quirino Avenue via the Zapote Bridge. The Las Piñas section of this road has two lanes and is asphalted, but it gets even narrower because of the many vehicles parked on the side of the road. It passes through much of what was Las Piñas during the Spanish Era. Among the typical landmarks are the St. Joseph’s Church (home to the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ), the Plaza Real where the town hall used to be before it was transferred in Barangay Pamplona, and Plaza Quezon, the center of Christmas lantern-making in the city. 

The section of Quirino Avenue along Parañaque is no different from the Las Piñas section. The road is literally a headache in front of the Parañaque Public Market near St. Paul’s College and St. Andrew’s Church because of the heavy traffic in the area. After crossing La Huerta Bridge, take a left turn at the first corner, which is Balagtas Street. It leads to the Don Galo Barangay Hall and Plaza as well as the Chinese Temple. This where Enrique Factor Road starts and leads to Macapagal Boulevard. 

Given that two major churches (St. Joseph’s Church and St. Andrew’s Church) are found along Quirino Avenue, the road experiences heavy traffic buildup on Sundays. To avoid this, an alternative route is through the C5 Extension Road and the Ninoy Aquino Road. This route is wider as it passes through a four-lane, cemented road, but vehicles tend to be faster here so take extra caution. 

The C5 Extension Road starts in Pulang Lupa, Las Piñas where it connects with the CAVITEX through a newly opened exit. Among the familiar landmarks include the Villar Sipag Center, the St. Exequiel Moreno Church, and SM Sucat, where the road connects with Ninoy Aquino Road. 

Biking along C5 Extension is a breeze given that there aren’t a lot of establishments yet along it. But it’s quite the opposite when you reach Ninoy Aquino Road. With the many informal settlers living along it, the road is notorious for numerous parked cars and business establishments that occupy the road’s outer lane and sidewalk. Occasionally, you’ll find a few pieces of broken glass, perhaps leftover from the roadside drinking sprees common in these communities, so steer clear of it. You’ll get to pass by the famous Air Force One nightclub and the Dampa Seafood Restaurant. 

You can reach Don Galo from Ninoy Aquino Road by taking a left turn at J. P. Rizal Road just in front of Duty Free Mall. This connects Ninoy Aquino Road with Quirino Avenue. From here, bike a few meters southbound and turn right to Balagtas just before you reach La Huerta Bridge. 

Once at Enrique Factor Road, just follow the road as it passes under CAVITEX and connects with Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard. 

The Manila Baywalk, taken during my first Cavite-Manila 
bike ride in 2014.
MACAPAGAL BOULEVARD AND THE MOA LOOP
Now, Macapagal Boulevard opened in 2002 with a whopping price tag of more than P800 million and yet it is already in dismal condition. The asphalt has eroded leading to bumps and cracks, particularly in the section where the NAIA Expressway is being built up until you reach past City of Dreams. The constant exposure to the elements and the high volume of vehicles passing in the area are probably the causes. 

The road was equipped with street lights that were installed by PAGCOR, but some sections of the road are completely unlit at night, especially between ICON Hotel and the decrepit Uniwide Coastal Mall. So bring ample lighting and wear a reflective vest just in case you find yourself in that section at night. 

From Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, I took a left turn to Coral Way and entered the SM Bay City where much of the SM Mall of Asia complex stands. On weekends, this road is filled with all sorts of cyclists — professional racers, mountain bikers or even cyclists who just want to stay fit. This road, all the way through Seaside Boulevard, J. W. Diokno Boulevard, the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Manila Baywalk becomes their playground. 

During the summer, the area also known as the MOA Loop becomes a usual staging ground for various running and cycling events such as Alaska Cycle Philippines. The area is so popular among bikers that there’s even a Biker’s Café at the San Miguel by the Bay along Seaside Boulevard. 

MANILA VIA CCP AND BAYWALK
A few minutes from the MOA Loop is the Cultural Center of the Philippines, which is another bikers’ haven. The newly renovated sidewalks in the area are perfect of sidewalk biking. These sidewalks aren’t made of bricks; its intricate patterns were “stamped” on the concrete during construction, so the surface remains even and level. It’s easy going up and down these sidewalks courtesy of the PWD access ramps that connect each sidewalk section. 

Reaching Roxas Boulevard, I made it point to try the newly renovated Manila Baywalk. The renovation, which at that time was being done in preparation for Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines, featured bike lanes, lush greenery and more than ample seating areas. 

Unfortunately, biking along the newly renovated Baywalk isn’t as convenient as the MOA Loop or the CCP. The bike lane has sections that aren’t paved, particularly in front of the Manila Yacht Club, so I had to stray away from the bike lane and into Roxas Boulevard. Some parts are also blocked by the huge banyan trees and concrete bases where the colorful lights of the Baywalk used to stand and has since been removed. Hence, if you’re biking in the area, do so in a manageable speed so that you can steer clear of any obstructions along the bike lane.
Taking the obligatory photo with my bike 
in front of the Rizal Monument.
I heaved a sigh of relief upon reaching Luneta Park. It took me three and a half hours to complete the entire ordeal. My daily commute is still faster at an hour and a half to two hours maximum. Nevertheless, I proved that I can indeed take my bike to work if perhaps I left home earlier. After a two-hour rest at our office, I took the same route going home and arrived around eight in the evening. 

In the end, it was a dusty, smoggy, grimey, butt-pinching ride between Cavite and Manila. I’d be happy to put my bike under a bus the next time I’d think of biking to the capital city again!

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Friday, October 7, 2016

City Biking in Alabang


In my previous post, I discussed my cycling experience in Las Piñas City. With its exclusive subdivisions and relatively narrow roads, cycling in this part of the south still feels suburban despite being a city. In this next post, I'll talk about my cycling experience in a city that's truly urban — Muntinlupa — particularly its Alabang district.

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For those who haven't been to Muntinlupa, it's Metro Manila's southernmost city, lying in the southeastern portion of the capital region. It has roughly 42 sq. kms. of land area and a population of a little over 500,000. You can reach the city via the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) from both north or south of the capital. Another passageway to the city is through the Alabang-Zapote Road in Las Piñas City. If you're coming from Cavite, the city is connected to the province via Daang Hari Road and the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX).

CITY BIKING PLEASURE
I haven't biked the entirety of Muntinlupa City. My Muntinlupa biking route is concentrated in its Alabang district, which is located on the central part of the city. Alabang is basically the city's central business district because most of the city's financial, commercial, business and retail centers are found in it. Two business parks divide the district: the Ayala-owned Madrigal Business Park and the Gotianun-owned Filinvest City.

Several malls can be found in the district including Alabang Town Center, Molito, Starmall Alabang, Commerce Center and Festival Mall, which is the largest. Various hotels and office towers are also located in the district, the tallest of which is the Insular Life Center composed of twin towers rising 140 meters each. 

But compared to the central business districts of Makati, Taguig and Pasig, the Alabang district doesn't feel overcrowded yet because of the slow pace of development. For most companies in Metro Manila, Muntinlupa seems like a far away place to locate a business. Much of the development is concentrated in the Northgate Cyberzone sector of Filinvest City as well as the Madrigal Business Park.

I believe the slow growth of the Alabang district is what made it attractive for some people to locate their business, to live in, and of course, to bike around. It doesn't feel crowded unlike Makati or Ortigas where there seems to be very little space to move around and relax. Alabang's streets are wide and smooth. There aren't a lot of bumps or gravel on the road that could hurt biker's tires. There are plenty of trees and plants lining the side of the road, providing bikers some shade as they pedal along the district. 

There are traffic lights at almost every intersection managing the follow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Pedestrian crossing are well marked while sidewalks are spacious and free of obstacles. Along Alabang-Zapote Road, from Isuzu Alabang to Alabang Town Center, there's even a stretch of service road for bicycles to pass through to avoid vehicular traffic. Filinvest City has no service roads, but it has spacious sidewalks for bicycles to pass through. At night, the streets are well lighted. You're definitely going to love night biking in Alabang.

The Riverside and Playground trails at Filinvest Bike Trails
BIKE TRAIL FUN!
Alabang is a pleasure destination not just for road cyclists but also for mountain bikers because of the Filinvest Bike Trail, which is located on the left side of Filinvest Avenue if you're coming from Cavite or Las Piñas. This is probably the longest bike trail in the south (although the Heroes' Trail in Taguig might be longer. I haven't been there yet so I'm not sure).

The Filinvest Bike Trail has eight different sections of varying difficulty and purpose. Two of the sections are race tracks where mountain bike races are occasionally held. There is also a playground trail, a freeway trail beside the Filinvest Exit going to SLEX and a riverside trail on the banks of Alabang River. I've tried the trail twice and had much fun with the race tracks and the riverside trail despite being on a hybrid road bike. Much of the riverside trail is shaded by trees. There's even a part of the trail where a tree branch arches over the trail that you have to really bend down in order to avoid it. It was an exhilarating experience passing through that part! The Filinvest Bike Trails really makes for a cool, action-packed GoPro video that you can show off to your friends.
River Park at Festival Mall
Molito at Madrigal Business Park
Once you're famished after biking, there are plenty of dining places in Alabang. If you're into affordable, freshly cooked street food, there's plenty of that along Alabang-Zapote Road near Jollibee Alabang and South Station. There is also a food court inside Festival Mall that offers affordable food choices and the mall has ample bike parking (unlike Alabang Town Center or Molito). There are also plenty of convenience stores located at the Aurora Building in Madrigal Business Park, Molito, Alabang Town Center, Caltex Alabang, Civic Prime Building in front of Festival Mall and South Station.

From Bacoor, I bike to Alabang via Marcos Alvarez Road in Las Piñas City. To avoid the Alabang-Zapote Road, I take shortcuts inside Pilar Village and T.S. Cruz Subdivision in order to reach the Daang Hari terminus at Madrigal Business Park, which is around 10 kms. Another option I take is through Daang Hari if there aren't too many speeding vehicles.

If you want to really feel what city biking is like without feeling surrounded by urban jungle and still be one with nature, pedal your way to Alabang, Muntinlupa on a weekend!

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Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Pedaling around Las Piñas


I appreciate your reading of my second post about my Kaybiang Tunnel adventure. It means a lot to me that you're following my blog despite its being new. For my third post, I am going to write something closer to home, which many Southern cyclists will relate to.

One of my usual bike routes is Las Piñas City, which is the city next to my hometown of Bacoor. Its also the city where I used to work at, as I did my internship at one of the city's public schools and, eventually, finding a teaching job at one of the private schools in the city. I also know the city quite well because my first girlfriend lived there. When I first bought Red in November 2014, his first break-in bike ride was through the city.

Las Piñas City is an ideal place for biking because of its subdivisions. Most of the private villages here are interconnected because of the Friendship Route that the local government devised, allowing both cars and bicycles passage to avoid heavy traffic at the main thoroughfares such as Alabang-Zapote Road, Marcos Alvarez Road and Quirino Avenue.

It's not that biking in these two main thoroughfares are bad. I like biking on these two reads on the weekends, especially on Sunday mornings. But on the weekdays and weekend afternoons, these roads experience some of the worst traffic jams in Metro Manila as suburban families and individuals spend most of their time congregating in the many shopping malls along Alabang-Zapote Road. You do not want to find yourself squeezing your bike between cars and trucks along these busy highways. In fact, I almost met an accident once in Barangay Almanza near the former Toyota showroom because a car had tried to cut through my space on the road.

Nevertheless, if you pick the right time of the day for biking through these thoroughfares, it's going to be smooth pedaling.

My Las Piñas bike ride is mostly centered on the southern portion of the city, inside BF Resort Village, Philam Village, Moonwalk Village, and Pilar Village. I've also biked in the northern part of the city to visit St. Joseph's Cathedral in Barangay Daniel Fajardo once.

To get to the city, I either bike through any of its four entry points: 

1) Through Zapote Bridge above the Zapote River, which marks the border between Bacoor and Las Piñas. This can be a stressing bike route given that it passes through Bacoor City Public Market. Vendors, parked vehicles and pedestrians literally block space for moving vehicles and cyclists. At the bridge itself, the road narrows into a two-way street instead of a four-lane road. 

2) Through Molino Dam. This is the exciting route because it allows cyclists to bike on top of a Spanish-era dam for just ₱2.00, which is the price of passage through the dam to enter BF Resort Village. On the rainy season, when the Zapote River overflows on the dam, a cart ferries passengers across the dam for another ₱2.00. You can hitch yourself and your bike a ride on the carts if you pay extra. But when the rains are too heavy, the dam can be closed until the water level becomes manageable for the cart to cross. This is the fastest route for me because I can get to Las Piñas from my house in just 15 minutes tops. Not only is it fast, you also get the scenic view.

Molino Dam at the Las Piñas-Bacoor border during the wet (left) and dry (right) seasons.
3) Through Marcos Alvarez Road. The road and the barangays along it are considered the back alley of Las Piñas, hence, the proliferation of industrial factories and slum areas along this road. The 4.76-kilometer road begins in Barangay Talon Quatro beside Lozada Public Market and ends in Barangay Molino II in Bacoor City. The road starts as a two-lane asphalt road that could get pockmarked and bumpy. It's probably why they called one of the villages along it as Moonwalk Village because of the road's condition. Kidding aside, the road has an uphill section along Barangay Talon Singko in front of the Golden Acres National School. By the time you reach the Bacoor portion of the road, it shifts to four lanes, although much of the outer lane are occupied by parked vehicles. Plenty of gravel along this part that could puncture your tires and do watch out for the southbound portion of Santo Niño Bridge just past the SeaOil gas station because it has no concrete railings.

4) Through Daang Hari Road. This is the longest route going to the city from Bacoor. Being a four-lane boulevard and the terminus of the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway, vehicles here are naturally fast so take extra caution especially at night. Not a lot of establishments yet along this road, mostly exclusive subdivisions as well as two Vista malls (the Evia and Starmall Molino) There have been incidences of bicycle theft in the area, with cyclists being held at gunpoint by thieves. The terrain is uphill but smooth. Plenty of gravel though on the side, just as any other road in the Philippines.

Despite the urbanity that now prevails in Las Piñas, it is a city rich in history. The northern side of the city along the Manila Bay coast used to be the center of the salt-making industry in the south of the capital. Remnants of the Irasan Center in Pulang Lupa can still be seen be no salt can be raked from the salt flats that once dotted the city's coast.

The Bamboo Organ at St. Joseph's Cathedral
One historic landmark still standing though is the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ inside St. Joseph's Cathedral. Built in 1824 by former Spanish curate Fr. Diego Cera, the Bamboo Organ still used today and is a recognized National Cultural Treasure. The area around St. Joseph's Church is also known for lantern making. As the Christmas holiday nears, the area along Diego Cera Avenue are filled with makeshift stalls selling lanterns of various designs and makes.

Of course, I already mentioned the Molino Dam, which was constructed in 1885 to water the vast friar estates of Hacienda de San Nicolas. It was built under the initiative of Spanish priest and now Saint Exequiel Moreno.

Apart from pedaling along memory lane, there are plenty of food stops in this side of the metro, especially along BF Resort Drive and Alabang-Zapote Road.

Zapote River Drive a few months after it opened.
Recently, a new road was also built along the Las Piñas banks of the Zapote River behind BF Resort Village. The Zapote River Drive stretches from Barangay Pamplona Uno near Christ the King Church where it connects to Alabang-Zapote Road, and ends at Florlina dela Cruz Street in BF Resort near Molino Dam. From here, you can reach Marcos Alvarez Road via Carnival Park Street, Abel Nosce Street and the Apollo Streets of Moonwalk Village. The road has some narrow points that allow only one vehicle at a time to pass because of right of way issues. But with very few vehicles passing this route at a time, its a fast shortcut going across the city.

I pedal around Las Piñas when I have no long-distance biking plans in particular during weekends. Its also good exercise given the shifting terrain the city has. Sometimes, I also bike through the city at night when I want to exercise on weekdays after coming home from work. The parks inside BF Resort and Philam Village are also a cool and shady spot to rest after a round of pedaling. Las Piñas City is definitely an ideal cycling roundabout.

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Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Biking to Kaybiang Tunnel


It was a good start for The Pinoy Cyclist. I hope you all enjoyed my first post last week about my list of biking firsts. I had 80 views for the site and 20 views for my first post since it was posted. Allow me to sustain the momentum with this second post.

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One of the reasons why biking has experienced a renaissance in recent years is the millennial generation’s (which I am part of) appetite for travel and extreme adventure. Biking offers an opportunity to travel with minimal expense and with great effort on the cyclist. But the health benefits and the landscapes it affords are worth it. Millennial cyclists have since made it a point to visit some of the breathtaking destinations they can reach via bike.

Among the sought after biking destinations near Metro Manila is Kaybiang Tunnel on the border of Cavite and Batangas provinces, which is 67.8 kilometers away. The new tunnel, which opened in 2013 after four years of construction, is 300 meters long and is the longest subterranean tunnel in the country.

To reach the tunnel from Manila, cyclists can bike through Roxas Boulevard and Quirino Avenue until they reach Cavite. Once in the province, cyclists can take the Aguinaldo Highway, Tirona Highway, Antero Soriano Highway, Governor's Drive and the Ternate-Nasugbu Highway to reach the tunnel.

With Patrick on the part of the road where he broke his chain
THE CHALLENGE
I accepted the challenge of biking to Kaybiang Tunnel from my friend and former co-worker Patrick Jhiel Ilog from Naic, Cavite. We went there on January 3, 2015, making it was my first long-distance ride of that year and my most difficult ride so far.

Since I was coming from Bacoor, I took a different route from what I listed above, through the narrow streets of Imus City until I reached Advincula Road that connects to the Antero Soriano Highway. I was annoyed by the pockmarked condition of Carsadang Bago in Imus, which was being drilled for Maynilad's pipe-laying project at that time. I was relieved to finally reach the main highway after that.

Along Soriano Highway are the towns of Kawit, Novelete, Rosario, Tanza and Naic, as well as General Trias City. The highway has four, wide, cemented lanes along the section from Kawit up to Barangay Halayhay in Tanza. After that, it narrows to just two lanes up until its junction with Governor's Drive in Naic, making biking in that portion scarier because of the speeding minibuses that ply the road. I had to stop and move to the grassy shoulder every time I hear a minibus behind.

This section also has plenty of gravel and broken glass that could puncture your tires, which I actually experienced when I was already near Naic after a piece of staple wire got into my tires and tore a hole into my interior. I had to bring my bicycle to the vulcanizing shop after meeting up with Patrick.

The portion of Governor's Drive from Naic to Ternate was much better than the latter portion of Soriano Highway this part returns to a four-lane configuration. And biking with a companion seemed safer than biking alone. The road returns to a two-lane configuration in Ternate where the Ternate-Nasugbu Highway begins.

Posing for a photo at Kaybiang Tunnel.
MISHAPS
Patrick and I had lunch in a roadside carinderia in Ternate, just on the foot of Mount Palay-Palay (Pico de Loro), before hitting the road again. At the bend on the road just past Gapan River, we encountered our first major incline where Patrick, for some reason, broke his bicycle chain. It was a relatively new mountain bike so the breakage was surprising. He probably didn't have the right gear on when he assaulted the incline.

Patrick tried to find the missing link that broke from the chain in order to fix it with the tools he had but to no avail. We eventually placed his bike on a tricycle and brought it to the nearest bike shop, which was in neighboring Maragondon. It cost us an hour or two to have his bicycle fixed. By the time we began assaulting the trail to Kaybiang Tunnel again, it was past 1 p.m.

MORE PUSHING THAN BIKING
It was my most difficult bike ride experience given the steep mountainous topography of the area. Throughout much of the trail, Patrick and I pushed our bicycles and felt embarrassed every time a group of season cyclists in premium road bikes would pass by. The terrain, combined with the midday heat exhausted us. But we managed to get past the drop off point to Pico de Loro and the last store leading to Kaybiang Tunnel. After that, it was smooth biking all throughout as we rode the downhill to the tunnel.

The tunnel was quite the tourist attraction for cyclists and motorcyclists when we arrived. There were plenty of people taking pictures and selling different wares. The tunnel itself was big although I thought it would be longer. I marvelled at the Filipino engineering that went through building the tunnel. I made sure I didn't miss my chance to take a photo of this destination, which literally took me sweat and bone to reach.

The view where Cavite, Carabao Island, 
Corregidor and Bataan line up.
After the tunnel, Patrick and I biked further down the road to get a view of Patungan Cove, one of Nasugbu's several coves. There was a part of the road where there is a lineup view of Carabao Island, Corregidor Island and Bataan, which was breathtaking. Patungan Cove itself is majestic with its quaint fishing village and mountains. It's just sad that the fishing village is being evicted by a real estate company to give way to a condo-resort project.

On the way back, Patrick and I decided that we've had enough bike pushing for one day. We hired a tricycle where we placed our bikes and went back to Naic. I was so tired from the ordeal that I took the bus home, with my bike stashed in the bus undercarriage.

Biking to Kaybiang Tunnel remains an unforgettable biking experience for me. It proved that I can muster the energy and endurance to bike such distance and elevation. I would like to return to Kaybiang in the coming years and bike the entire distance back and forth.

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Tuesday, September 20, 2016

First pedals


My hybrid bicycle Red on the day I bought him in 2014.
Let's talk about firsts, being that this is my first blog post as The Pinoy Cyclist.

1. I first learned how to bike in 1998. At that time, I was in fifth grade. There was a girl who lived next door to us and went to the same school with me. She was in fourth grade at that time. One summer day, her mother bought her a new bike. It was shiny little BMX that she showed off to us and which I was so envious of. She would pass by our house as I was playing my toy soldiers in our garden and each time, I would follow her with my eyes as she whizzed along the street on her bike. One day, as she was showing off her bike, I asked if I can carry a person on the back of the bike (angkas in Filipino). She touted her ability and let me hitch. One thing led to another and soon I was asking her if she could teach me how to bike. We got all sorts of bruises as she taught me how to balance the two wheels while pedalling. She was a good teacher for her age. And I learned quickly. Eventually, I would drop by her house to borrow her bike for quick errands. She still lives next door, but she's married now and has kids. We never really gotten close after that because her family is of a different religion.

2. I got my first bicycle in 1999. Like the girl next door, my bike was a BMX with blue rubber handles, a blue seat, a shiny chrome frame and colorful spoke beads that slid up and down with every turn of the wheels. My mother gave it as a present after my graduation from elementary school during the summer of that year. And since I was going to high school where my mom taught, that meant biking to the village next to ours to get to school, which was around four kilometers or a 20-minute bike ride from our house. I used that bike not just to get to school but to visit classmates' homes for group projects or activities. That was my first venture into exploring the ins and outs of our town. However, the following year, pedal problems led to the BMX being placed out of service and she was in the backyard for a long time until her chrome eventually rusted, rendering her unfit for service. She was sold for scrap when I was in college.

3. I got my first hybrid bike in 2007. At that time, I just graduated from college with an Education degree and had been accepted for a teaching position at the private school where I studied took up elementary studies. It was at least a kilometer from our house so I thought of getting a bike to commute to and from work. It was smooth sailing from the beginning as biking enabled me to get to work in just 15 minutes. But with the amount of paperwork I am bringing to and from work, it wasn't practical to commute using the bike. Moreover, when the monsoon rains started, it wasn't easy commuting in bike with my rain gear. Eventually, the bike was reduced to being used for errands and touring on the weekends. When I transferred to a different school in 2010, it completely got neglected and I decided to donate the bicycle to the foreman who helped in constructing our new house that year.

4. I first bought my bike Red in 2014. It was the year I began my career as a feature writer for a national newspaper. I would commute from our house in Cavite to my workplace in the Port Area of Manila everyday. With the hellish metro traffic and the scarcity of UV Express vans that take suburban commuters to Manila, my daily commute would take me around two to three hours the most. It was during these long commutes that I noticed the construction workers that ply Manila's streets daily to get to the different building projects that have sprouted in the city. At that time, there was also a bike boom, with cycling become more and more popular once more, especially on weekends. I would see young and old professionals on their road and mountain bikes along Roxas Boulevard. Single, stressed out, slightly overweight and still reeling from my first romantic relationship, I decided to go back to biking. I was also slightly inspired by my friend Cecil De Guzman who used to bike from her home in Las Piñas to her workplace in Muntinlupa. I bought Red at a local bike store for ₱4,000 complete with a helmet and a pair of gloves on November 8, 2014. That purchase eventually led to the start of my solo bike tours.
A map of my first long-distance bike ride.
5. I had my first solo long-distance bike ride in Las Piñas in 2014. It was a 22.60-kilometer bike ride from my home in Cavite, through the Molino Dam between the province and Las Piñas, and then BF Resort Village and back to our home. I completed it in just two and half hours, which I was able to track using the MapMyRide application on my Android phone. That route eventually became a regular route for me as it was the most accessible to my place and has very little disruptive traffic and obstructions. After that ride, I found myself itching for the pedal every weekend, thinking of and mapping out new destinations and going on farther journeys.

These are just some of the first pedals that I am willing to disclose. You'll read more of these first pedals in my next blog posts as The Pinoy Cyclist.

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