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Christmas Gifts for Mountain Bikers

December 5, 2014 Outside Slacker Comments off

There was once a wise man who said: It is better to give than to receive. Legend has it that that man was actually Mike Tyson, and that he was just describing the most basic tenet of his sport. Anyway, Christmas is fast approaching, and the season of giving (and receiving) is here again.

Yup, it’s that time of the year when people at work receive bonuses from their employers. It’s also that time of the year again when those who get something extra in their paycheck give something back in a chain reaction of gift-giving that exponentially increases the level of goodwill and fun that is Christmas.

If you’re reading this blog, chances are you are mountain biker, or you may have a friend/significant other who is also a biker. Chances are, you may also be wondering about what to give him/her this holiday season. Well then, here are a few ideas you may want to consider. And since people don’t really receive the same amount of goodwill in their paycheck, I’ve taken the trouble to sort them out according to budget.

National Bike Day and the Hell Ride on Edsa

November 26, 2014 Outside Slacker 6 comments

A gathering of the tribes

I like long solo rides or epic rides with a small group. I like rides up in the mountains where the view and the fresh air make it worth the effort. These are the kinds of rides I usually do—the kind of bike rides I really enjoy.

But I also see the value in joining critical mass rides or CMRs. These are gatherings of hundreds, and sometimes thousands of bikers to ride on streets normally claimed by cars and other motorized vehicles. I believe that biking should not just be a means for having good, clean fun outdoors; it should also be a means for keeping the outdoors good, fun, clean and free from toxic suffocating oily halitosis that seems to perpetually choke our cities. And yes, I believe the urban landscape is also part of the great outdoors.

As a former tibak from Peyups, I also like the idea of thousands of cyclists taking over the streets to demonstrate their collective power. Last Sunday, November 23, cyclists from all over Metro Manila joined the first National Bike Day (NBD). Thousands more joined them in the provinces in a nationwide push to promote cycling as a viable means of urban transport, and to pressure the government to make the roads safer for cyclists.

Interestingly though, it was also on this day that Kara and I found out first hand just how unsafe Metro Manila’s most well-known road is for bikers. Calling Edsa unsafe is putting it very mildly. Para kang nakikipagpatintero kay kamatayan is more like it. Read more [+]

One Awesome Bike Expo

November 18, 2014 Outside Slacker Comments off

Thomas Oehler at the Phil Bike Expo

If I could, I would fit it in even more words into the title, like: vintage bikes, fat bikes, low riders, fixies, cargo bikes, recumbents and all other pedal powered machines in between.

And of course, I would also include Thomas Oehler, the Red Bull trials biking maestro who was awesome enough to grace the Phil Bike Expo 2014 with his presence. Yes, I know: awesome is an often-misused and abused term. But in this case no word could be more apt.

If you weren’t there… ang laking sayaaang! What’s your excuse? Were you busy covering up the details of your hacienda in Batangas? Were you incarcerated for stealing from your pork barrel funds? Or did Jessy Mendiola ask you out for a date to watch Interstellar on IMAX? Di pa rin excuse yan. Read more [+]

The Phil Bike Expo 2014

November 11, 2014 Outside Slacker Comments off

Organizers of the Phil Bike Expo 2014

This is big. It is probably the biggest expo of its kind. I guess it’s a testament to how much the Philippine biking scene has grown in recent years.

If you want to scratch that nagging itch from upgraditis, you need to be there. Some of the best gear from the biggest brands in the industry will be featured at the expo. If you want to see just how Filipino bike makers and bike brands are making inroads in the industry, you have to go there and see their displays. Nyfti will be unveiling its Pinoy designed hand-made folding bike. Bambike will be showing off bicycles made from probably the greenest material you can ever use to build a bicycle–bamboo. Local brand Mars Kingdom will also be there to acquaint the public with their very affordable line of folding bikes and mountain bikes. Local makers of hydration packs and travel bags will also be there.

And last but not the least, if you want to see world class trials rider Thomas Oehler showcase his ninja tricks, you had better be there. Of course, you can simply have a good time being with thousands of other like-minded people who have a passion for bikes.
Read more [+]

Tis the Season for Night Rides

November 7, 2014 Outside Slacker Comments off

Christmas is coming

Bike Ride to the Ayala Triangle Christmas Lights and Sounds Show
You can literally feel it in the air. The breeze has become noticeably cooler and more pleasant especially in the mountains. If you go to the malls, you will inevitably hear chestnuts roasting on an open fire and sleigh bells ringing and jing ting tingaling too. Yup Christmas is almost here.

With the Yuletide season comes traffic, expenses, (bah humbug!), puto bumbong (sarap!) and great urban night riding! Of course, good cheers too.

One of the most anticipated Christmas events in Metro Manila is the opening of the Ayala Triangle Lights and Sounds show. Come Christmas season the country’s premiere business district explodes in color with millions of LEDs strewn along Ayala Avenue, and the most spectacular lights and sounds show at the Philippine Stock Exchange building.

Last year, I went on a solo urban night ride there just to soak in the Christmas vibe. And it was worth the tedious and sometimes dangerous ride from UP through C5 and to Ayala. Read more [+]

New Balance Fresh Foam 980 Trail

November 3, 2014 Outside Slacker 4 comments

New Balance Fresh Foam 980 Trail

I love trail running as much as I love mountain biking. This is why I was quite excited to try out the New Balance Fresh Foam 980 when it was unveiled several months ago.

This shoe has generated a lot of hype. The very name itself was calculated to stir up buzz and incite curiosity. Fresh Foam: does this mean every other foam used in every other athletic shoe has become stale? What the heck is so fresh with this foam anyway?

Well, honestly, not that much. The foam isn’t really that (excuse the pun) groundbreaking. But it’s the shoe’s marriage of the virtues of minimalism and maximalism which really distinguishes it from the current crop of running footwear. Read more [+]

IFmove: did Apple design this folding bike?

October 23, 2014 Outside Slacker Comments off

The IFmove is the kind of bike that would get Jony Ive’s thumbs up

Folding bikes have an offbeat geeky coolness to them. One minute you’re happily riding one, and the next minute your ride is neatly tucked away in a small corner barely taking up any space. A folding bike could fit in the trunk of your car, or a small closet, and you can even carry them with you on the train or bus.

But folding bikes are not for everybody. Their eccentric looks may attract people who like offbeat and weirdly cool stuff, but their quirky designs don’t really appeal to a larger audience. They represent the engineer’s function over the designer’s form. Most folding bike enthusiasts I know will agree with me on this and say beauty is relative.

However, sometimes something comes up which wonderfully messes up the order of things. Earlier this month, Glorious Ride Bike Shop lent me a foldie whose appeal went beyond its geeky ability to morph. The IFmove bike from Pacific cycles is not just a great folding bike; it is a sleek bicycle that attracts curious and envious eyeballs from bikers and non-bikers alike. This thing is a fine looking machine. If most folding bikes were Androids, the IFmove stands out like an iPhone. Makinis. Maangas. Read more [+]

Biking to Calinawan Cave

October 6, 2014 Outside Slacker 4 comments

One of several skylights in Calinawan Cave

Calinawan Cave is one of the more popular tourist destinations in Tanay. This cave lies just a few kilometers from the always crowded Daranak Falls, and is usally reached by renting tricycles from the Tanay poblacion. Last weekend however, TravelUp and I thought that it would be more interesting to visit Calinawan on our bikes.

I first learned of Calinawan Cave about two years ago when I joined the Nature’s Trail Discovery Run in Tanay. After finishing that 21k race, I promised myself I’d return to Calinawan and enjoy this place at a more leisurely pace. Last weekend, I was finally able to do that. Read more [+]

Biking Talim Island

September 30, 2014 Outside Slacker Comments off

This island is worth exploring by bike

Talim is the nearest island to Metro Manila. This rocky isle in the middle of Laguna Lake is not normally visited by mountain bikers. But it is a popular site for weekend hikers seeking a great 360 degree view of Laguna Lake and the surrounding towns. Hikers come for the peak known as Mt. Tagapo, which is oftentimes also referred to as (I’m not making this up) Bundok ng Susong Dalaga. This roughly translates in English to “Mountain of Unmarried Female Snail.” Just kiddin. You already know what it means.

Four years ago, I and a group of local riders from Binangonan decided to load our bikes onto a boat and see just what Talim island had to offer. While most of us had already been to Talim, none of us had been there on mountain bikes, so it was something of an adventure for us. Read more [+]

Solo Biking in Sabtang, Batanes

September 6, 2014 Outside Slacker 3 comments

The pebble beach in Chavayan village in Sabtang Island, Batanes

Sometimes you just have to do things on your own—like biking in a strange beautiful island for instance. Last April, I went to Batanes for a week’s worth of biking. After savoring the sights, sounds and vibe of the province’s main island of Batan for several days, I thought it was time to hoist the anchor and sail to another equally incredible island—Sabtang. (Actually, I would have preferred to bike with someone, but my traveling partner took off on her own for the island of Itbayat.)

This small island municipality lies just a few kilometers from Batanes’ main island. Sabtang is easily accessible by boat. The trip however can last anywhere from half an hour to almost an hour depending on how rough the waves are.

But even if you easily get seasick, you should not forego the chance to see Sabtang. If you loved what you saw in Batan, the honest truth is: Sabtang has got more of them and then some. Skip Sabtang and you’ll be cursing yourself for life. The rolling hills, the cliffs, the quaint villages with stone houses, the friendly locals, and the quiet idyllic scenery that have come to define Batanes—Sabtang has all of that. But it also has the best beaches in Batanes, and rock formations which you can’t see anywhere else. Read more [+]

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