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Bathala Bike Park

September 7, 2015 9 comments
Bathala Bike Park

Bathala Bike Park lets ninjas do wall rides, but simply turning the wheel is enough for pretentious fools like me :p

I first heard about Bathala Bike Park a couple of years ago from Glorious Ride Bikeshop. I saw several pictures on their Facebook page showing a pump track along with ramps, jumps, bridges and a lot of technical stuff that I used to see only on videos about that far away mecca of mountain biking called The North Shore.

However, I never really took note of it because I wasn’t really interested in tricks and techniques. I considered myself more of a traveler than a freeride enthusiast. My priority was to explore brave new worlds, to seek new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no mountain biker has gone before. Star Trekkie stuff. Riding in style was not even on the horizon.

But a few weeks ago,  I watched a short film that made me take another look at a different kind of riding. And thus last weekend, I found myself lugging a 4X bike into Bathala Bike Park with a full face helmet in tow. Read more [+]

Switching to Steel

March 13, 2015 42 comments

Steel is Real

Steel is real. This is the battle cry of a lot of bikers who feel that bike manufacturers have been making bike frames that are way too complicated and expensive. Seems like it wasn’t too long ago when steel was the bike maker’s metal of choice. Nowadays though, steel bikes have become as rare as a competent and uncorrupted Pinoy politician, which is kinda sad because steel is such an excellent material for building bikes.

I had been looking to switch to a steel frame since late last year. While I love my aluminum Venzo, I just felt that I already needed something sturdier. The Venzo was a great lightweight alloy frame that helped me nab respectable finishes in duathlons and XC races. But it just didn’t seem like a well-suited weapon for fast descents on rock gardens and technical trails, which I found myself riding more and more often. I was longing for that strange alchemy of toughness and suppleness that could only come from that bastard spawn of carbon and iron more popularly known as (you guessed it) steel! Read more [+]

Epic Cordillera Mountain Bike Traverse

January 12, 2015 13 comments

Sagada

“Epic” and “hardcore” are words that are casually thrown around nowadays. While the proper use of these adjectives can be a hot topic of debate, I personally don’t think a 4 or 5 hour ride through flat pavement could count as epic. Neither should a morning romp down The Blue Zone be considered as hardcore.

But there are bike trips that leave little room for debating “epic” and “hardcore.” A four day bike traverse of the Cordillera is one of them. We’re talking here about distance, technical difficulty, remoteness from “civilization,” danger, and overall gonzo factor.

I would have loved to go on this cross country, all-mountain, four day bikepacking ass kicking trip through the Cordillera with these guys, who also rode with me in Bobok-Bisal. But work and the unstoppable forces of nature conspired against me. But it was not just that: I also didn’t know if I was strong enough for such an adventure. These guys apparently were, and this is their story as  recounted by Bong “Madjohn” Madriaga.

Sagada to Tirad Pass

by Bong Madriaga

While long rides, century rides, and races, are common and can happen on any given day or weekend, it’s not easy to go on adventure rides, because of work, family and priorities. I go maybe once or twice a year when “stars align” and I’m able to get the required “visa” from my commander in chief .
For this year’s grand adventure ride I went to the legendary Tirad Pass. Read more [+]

Mountain Bike Trails Around Metro Manila

December 15, 2014 21 comments

Biking in Metro Manila

Lots of people seem to have bought new bikes lately and are eager to give this thing called mountain biking a try. Good for you, people! This is probably one of the best decisions you’ve made in your life. Fitness, fresh air, countless adventures, and the love and respect of all humankind await you.

So you got the gear. Now what? Ride it of course. If you’re new to biking, you should probably first practice on paved roads to give your leg muscles some experience and oomph. I’d recommend logging in 20-40 kms for each major ride. Try to push it farther when you feel like your legs can still take it. And take it as far away as your sense of adventure will take you.

But after getting pavement miles, it’s time to try some real trails. Unknown to many, bikers in Metro Manila are actually fortunate to have a lot of trails and destinations that were designed and built for mountain biking. And there are still other destinations that are friendly to mountain bikers. Here are some of them.
Read more [+]

The Waterfalls in Shotgun San Mateo

August 5, 2014 15 comments
Shotgun San Mateo's Waterfalls

Shotgun’s waterfalls: It only comes out during the rainy season

Let’s be honest, climbing Shotgun in San Mateo is not the most fun thing in the world. A root canal operation is less agonizing. This infamous destination in Mt. Maarat rises nearly 430 meters in less than 5 kilometers. That’s like climbing the steepest part of Kennon road. The fact that there’s hardly any shade on Shotgun, just makes the whole endeavour more excruciating. You don’t climb Shotgun for fun, you climb it to test your fitness and prove you can climb it.

But with the arrival of the rainy season, Shotgun reveals a treat for bikers and runners who dare to make the painful ascent—a waterfalls. Yup, just right after the last tindahan where you can buy Gatorade and rest your weary legs, there’s a waterfalls. Read more [+]

Selfie Run up Shotgun San Mateo

February 17, 2014 3 comments
Shotgun San Mateo

Because selfies are very important in a run like this

Shotgun in San Mateo: Masochistic mountain bikers consider this the ultimate trophy in Metro Manila. It is 5 kilometers of almost relentless climbing that only gets more difficult with each turn. Last weekend I thought of doing a different challenge on Shotgun. Instead of biking all the way to top, I was gonna run it and see if I still had my mountain legs.

Shotgun is without doubt, the most punishing climb a mountain biker or runner can do near Metro Manila. The road is steep—definitely one of the steepest in the country. The Wall is a difficult climb, but Shotgun takes that difficulty to an even more sinister level.

Take the most difficult section of The Wall and multiply it three times and you get a good idea of what I’m talking about. Just when you thought you’d get a reprieve, just when you thought you’d get a chance to recover, the next twist in the road smacks you in the face with even more climbing. Such is the evil that is Shotgun. Read more [+]

Timberland’s The Wall… for Beginners

September 7, 2013 30 comments

Timberland's The WallI keep mentioning Timberland and The Wall in this blog, that I sometimes forget that not everyone knows what I’m talking about. When you’re a long time biker, it’s easy to treat it as common knowledge. But I’ve been learning recently that a lot of visitors to this blog are newbies, as evidenced by the most popular article on this site.

So for anyone and everyone who has ever wondered, here’s the lowdown on Timberland and The Wall. Read more [+]