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At the Camp Aguinaldo Bike Trail

While trying out Camp Aguinaldo’s bike trail, I thought about zombies.

Yes, I love zombie apocalypse films and TV series. I am having serious withdrawal symptoms right now with the next season of the Walking Dead not set to air for several more months. I need my regular zombie flick fix where survivors are constantly on the move evading the undead, hunting for supplies, and fighting off other survivors who seem to be worse than flesh eating ghouls. As sickeningly antisocial as it may sound, survival in this scenario seems like the greatest adventure one can ever have.

I revisited the Camp Aguinaldo bike trail on Saturday last week, just before supertyphoon Labuyo slammed into the Philippines. While biking through the section of the trail where old, rusting, abandoned military vehicles were dumped, I was reminded of scenes from The Walking Dead. It’s part of what makes the place special. Read more [+]

Biking in Mayon

July 26, 2013 Outside Slacker 3 comments

Mountain biker riding to Mayon lava wall

Daragang Magayon, please show your face to us!

Mt. Mayon–this may just be the most badass place anyone can bike or run in the Philippines. At over 8000 feet high, Mayon towers over the landscape of Albay province like a fiery Olympus. The fact that it is the most active volcano in the country further adds to the awe that takes over when you behold its almost perfect contours. Yes, this is an awesome lava churning monster that dares bikers to go extreme. If there’s ever going to be a cradle of Kaijus in the Philippines, Mayon would have to be it.

As a kid, I had always dreamed of getting close to Mayon. Last week, I finally did just that. I was part of a group of bloggers invited by Biggs Diner on a tour of Bicolandia. I saw my chance to finally get to bike Mayon and I took it. Read more [+]

Biking in La Mesa

July 12, 2013 Outside Slacker 22 comments

Biker at one of the bridges in the La Mesa Nature Reserve

It’s tricky to descend into and then climb out of these bridges. Photo courtesy of Bong Madriaga

The first time I came to La Mesa several years ago, I couldn’t believe that there was such a place right inside Metro Manila. I had heard a lot about the place, about the beauty of its trails, and the postcard (or is it Instagram?) perfect scenery you get to enjoy while biking there. But nothing compares to seeing it for yourself.

Let’s just get something out of the way first. The biking destination I am talking about is the La Mesa Nature Reserve, not the La Mesa Ecopark. The former has kilometers upon kilometers of well-maintained fire roads and singletrack which can take you a whole day to explore. The latter (the Ecopark) is a smaller park which features boating, paintball, and a few kilometers of biking. It’s more suited for family picnics instead of mountain biking. It’s easy to confuse the two parks because both are maintained by ABS-CBN’s Bantay Kalikasan. Read more [+]

King of the Mountain 2013

July 4, 2013 Outside Slacker 6 comments

Mountain bikers race towards the sun and the hills at the All Terra King of the Mountain 2013

The philosopher Nietzsche had a lot of strange ideas. ‘What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger,’ is one of his more popular quotes. For no reason at all, this thought struck me out of the blue while I was ascending The Wall in Timberland last Saturday in All Terra’s King of the Mountain bike race.

I was with more than a hundred other bikers who were struggling up the steepest part of the dreaded Wall, drawing heavy breaths, gritting their teeth, grinding their cranks, giving everything their legs could possibly give, but I was also wondering: will I get stronger after this or will I simply drop dead? While marinating in gallons of my own sweat, the outcome seemed more like the latter. But I kept two fingers crossed while I held on to my handlebars. Read more [+]

Biking and Running in UP Diliman

June 28, 2013 Outside Slacker 23 comments

For running and biking, the U.P. Diliman campus is the best destination in Metro Manila

If New York City has its Central Park, Metro Manila has the UP Diliman campus. No disrespect to Luneta and the QC circle, but in terms of wide and green open spaces, the 493 hectare flagship campus of the State University is unmatched in Metro Manila. The campus is a gigantic garden with tree-lined avenues and wide grassy areas where all sorts of outdoor activities can be held. I am not sure if there’s a place that can compare to it in the Metro.

Bonifacio Global City may have lots of runnable and bikeable pavement, but its small trees hardly provide any shade. Luneta and Roxas Boulevard meanwhile have deteriorated a lot, as evidenced by the seemingly uncollectable trash along the baywalk. If you’re sick of breathing in the brown, oily halitosis of Metro Manila while running or biking, UP Diliman is the best place to go inside the Metro. Read more [+]

Biking Gear and Tips for Rainy Days

June 21, 2013 Outside Slacker 8 comments

Summer’s over, but the biking shouldn’t stop

Summer in the Philippines is now officially over. The rains have become an everyday phenomenon and the evening news is now saturated with reports of floods, traffic jams, landslides, government officials looking stupid and making excuses, and a whole litany of other depressing stuff. This doesn’t mean though that you should stay indoors, sleep all day and start to complain that there’s too much rain

Biking in the rain is actually quite fun. Like I said in an earlier post, the rains take away some of the bite from the tropical heat. The hills come alive with a fresh wardrobe of green. And finally, the trails become a mess of mud and puddles that will put your bike skills to the test. But biking in the rain requires some adjustment, and a few extra gear. Here are some of them. Read more [+]

Biking to Antenna Hill and the Angono Petroglyphs

June 7, 2013 Outside Slacker 29 comments

Downhill bikers of Antenna Hill

Its steepness will remind mountain bikers of The Wall in Timberland. The view from the top meanwhile will recall the hills of Antipolo, which overlook Metro Manila. If you’re looking for a different kind challenge for the weekend, Antenna Hill in Tayuman, Binangonan, Rizal should be high on your list.

This biking destination also comes with several bonuses as you can head on to the historic Petroglyphs after climbing the hill, visit a first-class resort along the way, and take a tour of the arthouse restaurants in Angono. Read more [+]

Music for Faster Runs and Rides

May 19, 2013 Outside Slacker 5 comments

A wise man once said: What is life without music?

Let me qualify that, as whoever this erudite hombre is, he obviously never lived in a place where wannabe crooners occasionally inflict their alcohol-addled versions of Pusong Bato on their hapless neighbors.

What the existential hallmark card writer should have said is: What is life without good music? Almost all human activities are made better when these are accompanied by good music. Researchers from the University of Southern Queensland’s Department of Psychology have also found out that listening to up tempo music can actually make you faster! Apparently when you move in sync with music you like, you perform better.

Biking in Corregidor

May 9, 2013 Outside Slacker 14 comments

Bikers in Corregidor, Mountain Biking in the Philippines

Biking trip through the ruins of Corregidor

Corregidor has always fascinated me. This small island fortress at the gate of Manila Bay was once dubbed as one of the most formidable outposts of American power right before World War 2. It was also the site of a fierce Fil-American resistance, some of the bloodiest battles of the War, and a futile and tragic effort by the Japanese to keep the Allied juggernaut at bay. For a history junkie like me, being in Corregidor was like being a kid let loose in Willy Wonka’s wonderland.

And is there a better way to feeling like a kid again than riding on a bike? Last May 4th, I and a group of friends got to travel around Corregidor island on bikes. It was one of the best bike trips I’d ever done. I had been to Corregidor once before, but travelling around the island leisurely on a bike is definitely much better.
Read more [+]

Le Tour de Filipinas 2013 Stage 4

May 5, 2013 Outside Slacker Comments off

Biker in Le Tour de Flipinas 2013 Stage 4

Bayombong to Baguio, take the Wall and Shotgun and multiply them ten times and you’ll have a pretty good idea of this route.

Many mountain bikers in Metro Manila are familiar with Timberland, San Mateo and the infamously steep road leading to it. Bikers have nicknamed it as The Wall, because climbing it on a bike is like ascending a sheer wall.

Near The Wall is another infamous climb which has come to be known as Shotgun. It rivals The Wall in steepness, but is much longer. Bikers agree that Shotgun is a much more punishing ride, because when the sun comes up, there are hardly any trees on the road which can provide shade and relief from the heat.

Now take The Wall and Shotgun and multiply them ten times and you’ll have a pretty good idea of this route. I am talking about the killer fourth stage of Le Tour de Filipinas 2013–a route which took riders from the town of Bayombong Nueva Vizcaya, through Aritao and all the way up to the country’s summer capital Baguio. Read more [+]

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