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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