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Testing the CarryMe Folding Bike

CarryMe Folding Bike

Trains, buses and planes. You can carry this bike anywhere

Honestly, I think someone should give a Nobel to the guy who first thought of making bikes that twist, fold, and morph to just a fraction of their original size. Whoever you are sir, hat’s off to you! There’s just an undeniable quirky geeky coolness in these two-wheeled gizmos that easily reminds you of a Swiss Army knife or the Transformers—and I’m talking here of the beloved 80s animated series and not that Michael Bay abomination.

I’ve been lusting after folding bikes for some time now. But due to my severely limited financial capacity, all I could do was eyeball them from afar. My luck changed last month however. I got asked to test what is undoubtedly one of the quirkiest folding bikes out there—the “CarryMe” by Pacific Cycles. Read more [+]

Gear Review: Spyder Alpha and Tank shades

Spyder Shades atop Mt. Iraya Batanes

Shades: essential gear for the outdoors. Taken at the peak of Mt. Iraya in Batanes

Sometime ago, someone also asked me what sort of shades would be great for mountain biking. I wish I could do an exhaustive review of several brands and models, but since I don’t really have the budget of more established outdoor blogs out there (honestly, no budget at all) I can only recommend what I already have.

So what sort of eyewear do I use? Spyder shades. Why? Four words: Bang for the buck. They’re not that expensive, and they look good. Plus they have features that I really like. Right now, I’m using two different models from Spyder: The Alpha H and the Tank H, and I am very satisfied with both. Read more [+]

The Waterfalls in Shotgun San Mateo

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 [+]

Testing Bike Lights on a Night Ride in UP

Bike Lights

Trying to spell “Bike” using light painting is trickier than it sounds

Bike lights are essential if you want to ride at night. On the trail, there are no lamp posts so you need to bring your own light. If you’re a bike commuter in a city like Metro Manila (where motorists crash into each other with frightening regularity) bike lights and blinkers are a must kung ayaw mong masama sa report ni Doland Castro sa TV Patrol.

Sometime ago, a reader here asked me if I could do a review of bike lights. I thought that was a great idea. But since I was not exactly blessed with a glamorous bank account like Instagram king Jolo Ejercito, I didn’t know how to go about it. I did not have any spare cash to buy several bike lights.

Fortunately, our friends at Glorious Ride Bikeshop were cool enough to lend me some of the bike lights they had on stock and test them out. They’ve got lots of bike lights there for every budget level, so do visit them when you have the time. Here are a few of the bike lights and blinkers you ought to consider if you want to ride at night.

Read more [+]

Biking to Palo Alto and Hiking to the Radar Station

Palo Alto Falls Baras

Palo Alto Falls Baras: clean, clear, uncrowded and reachable by bike

The weather gods probably forgot to take their bipolar medication last Saturday. The sky was having very wild mood swings: one moment it was sunny and clear, and the next moment it was dark and threatening.

I woke up early, looked at the sky and almost cancelled the ride I had scheduled that Saturday for the readers of the blog. The dark clouds on the horizon reminded me of the worst of the Habagat rains from 2012. I wasn’t sure if any sort of fun was to be had in biking in those conditions. Yes, I did say that the ride would push through “Shine or Rain” but I didn’t say “Shine, Rain or Buwis Buhay!

In the end though, I decided to push through with the ride to the Masungi Rocks in Tanay. It turned out to be the right decision because although the clouds still threatened to unleash hell from time to time, the weather behaved for the most part. You might even say that the dark skies, the short bursts of rain, and the occasional searing sunshine made the whole ride more interesting. Read more [+]

Pumarada Trail in Binangonan

Pumarada Trail

Pumarada: one of the lesser known trails in Binangonan

By now, almost every Metro Manila mountain biker knows where Antenna is. This steep hill in Binangonan, Rizal has become one of the most popular weekend destinations for bikers. Most mountain bikers who go there inevitably also sample Thunder Trail and the Petroglyphs.

But besides these popular trails, the town of Binangonan has another trail system that is just as fun. This is the network of footpaths in the rocky hills beyond the Barangays of Lunsad, Mahabang Parang and Pilapila. The trail network has since come to be known as Pumarada. Locals also call it Bunot, or Sampad. If you’re in the area, this trail is worth checking out. Read more [+]

Gear Review: Merrell AllOut Fuse

Merrell AllOut Fuse

Introducing the Merrell AllOut Fuse

Buying a new pair of running shoes is a tricky affair. There is a bewildering variety of shoes to choose from. In the old days,  all you had to consider was color (uy ang ganda ng red!) and brand (parang mas seryoso ang dating ng Adidas kesa Nike). Now a shoe buyer also has to consider whether he needs traditional thick soled shoes divided along stability, neutral and cushioned; minimalist shoes that promise to get you more connected to the ground; or maximalist shoes that promise to keep you floating over the terrain.

I’ve always preferred minimalist shoes. It may not be a style that suits everyone, but it just works for me. So when my road runners began to show signs of falling apart, I started scouring the running blogs for a shoe that would be a worthy replacement. The blogs all hinted that the shoe I needed to buy was this: Merrell AllOut Fuse. Read more [+]

A Different Kind of Duathlon on Mt. Isarog

Guest post by Travel Up

mt isarog eco-tourism endurance challenge bikingThe first ever Mount Isarog Eco-Tourism Endurance Challenge last June 15 saw challengers running and biking through the natural forest parks in Camarines Sur, Bicol. The challenge which combined trail biking and trail running, incorporated a pili planting activity at the foothills of Mt. Isarog, which is known for its rich biodiversity, to mark World Environment Day. Read more [+]

Bente Bente MTB Race in UP Diliman

Bente Bente UP Bike Trail Race

And they go off in a cloud of dust

There have been lots of great mountain bike races earlier this year, but for one reason or another (the main reason being sheer slackiness) I was not able to join any of them. I missed the Trail 1000, the Adrenaline Offroad Duathlon in Timberland, and the Timberland King of the Mountain.

But there was no way I was going to miss the Bente Bente race in UP Diliman. UP is my backyard, after all. And the organizers of the race—the UP Outdoor Recreation Group or ORG was my org back in college.

Besides, unlike the other races which required heaps of beer and pulutan money for the registration fee, you could join this race for the tumataginting na halaga na… beinte pesos—hence the name. Seriously, how could anyone say no to something like that? Read more [+]

7 Types of Bikers You Want to Ride With

seven-samurai

Most of the time, I go biking solo. It’s not because I don’t enjoy company. It’s because most of the time, I can’t get anyone to go with me on my trips. Or I schedule trips, drink too much beer the night before, and wake up seven hours late feeling like Jon Jones used my head for his spinning elbow practice. And so to use a popular tagalog kasabihan: Papunta pa lang ako, parating na sila.

But seriously, it’s always better to ride with a buddy or a group. If something bad happens, you can always have someone to answer organ donor questions, carry your remains back to civilization, or help fix a flat. Riding with someone better than you in terms of experience and skill also pushes you to level up your own cache of tricks.

So what sort of bikers should you ride with if you had the choice? Here are at least seven MTB archetypes I can think of. Read more [+]