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Solo Biking in Sabtang, Batanes

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 [+]

The Waterfalls in Shotgun San Mateo

August 5, 2014 Outside Slacker 15 comments

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

July 14, 2014 Outside Slacker 17 comments

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.

Biking to Palo Alto and Hiking to the Radar Station

July 7, 2014 Outside Slacker 10 comments

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 [+]

7 Types of Bikers You Want to Ride With

May 30, 2014 Outside Slacker 24 comments

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 [+]

Biking Batanes: South Batan Loop

May 19, 2014 Outside Slacker 2 comments

A road carved from a hill that plunges into the sea.
Photo by traveling-up.com

Biking around the southern part of Batan Island reminded me of a lot of things. The road reminded me of Pagudpud because of how its rocky cliffs plunged into the sea. It also reminded me of Sagada because of how those same cliffs often towered above the road. Its undulating grass carpeted hills reminded me of Bohol and its famous Chocolate Hills.

But Batanes’ southern loop also had something these places didn’t have. I had a hunch that biking through the towns of Mahatao, Ivana, Uyugan and back to Basco would send me through some very awesome vistas. But I didn’t know just how awe-inspiring this place would be.

We started riding out of Basco at a relaxed pace around mid morning. We wanted to start early but there was some mix up with the mountain bike we were going to hire. Because of this the sun was already almost halfway up the sky by the time we were pedaling out of Basco’s town center. It was mid-April and as expected, the weather was already hot. But there was also an ever-present sea breeze that made the ride quite pleasant. Read more [+]

How to Pack Your Bike for Airline Travel

May 13, 2014 Outside Slacker 8 comments

Sometimes you just have to bring your bike with you when you fly. Whether you’re going on a biking vacation or joining a bike race in some far away place, there are times when there’s no choice but to pack your bike and get it ready for air freight.

Sure, it can can be a hassle, and it can be a bit expensive. But if you’re going on vacation to a place like Batanes, the hassle and expense are more than worth it.

So just how do you go about it? A lot of readers have been asking me about this after I posted my piece about biking in Batanes. I’m no expert when it comes to packing your bike for flight, but I’ve learned a few things while preparing for our Batanes trip. So I’m now sharing the shreds of wisdom (if they qualify for that lofty description) I gathered along the way. Read more [+]

Tips on Mountain Biking Batanes

April 26, 2014 Outside Slacker 15 comments

This landscape just oozes magic and adventure

Dream destinaton—there’s no better way to describe it. Batanes is likely the best biking destination in the Philippines. Bar none.

I thought I’d seen it all. But then I rode my bike up the crest of a steep grass-carpeted hill overlooking the sea. Then I pointed my bike down the hill’s steepest face and let gravity take over, fly me down the slope of a solid wave of green earth. If you like flow, Batanes is overflowing with flow.

There is also this minor thing of a rush of sweet sweet feeling in the blood. Surfers call it “stoked.” Bikers may call it whatever they want to call it as long as they know the feeling. There’s the most fantastic landscape, and there you are riding it. Read more [+]

Good Friday Ride

April 15, 2014 Outside Slacker 2 comments

Quezon Avenue at 5pm Friday looks empty and very appealing

It is no secret that Metro Manila becomes the most pleasant city in the country during Holy Week. From Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday, the city becomes free of traffic, free of smoke belching vehicles. Metro Manila’s wide thoroughfares transform from loathsome highways and actually become fun for biking.

Last year on Good Friday, instead of joining the exodus to the beaches, mountains and provinces, me and my ex-girlfriend decided to stay put in QC and sample what it’s like to live in a city without loud blaring cars, and without people who seem forever caught in a mad rush to nowhere.

We took our bikes for a spin around the city, and see what we could see. All in all, it was a pretty interesting ride. Read more [+]

The UP Diliman Bike Trail

April 4, 2014 Outside Slacker 37 comments

The UP Trail! No longer ‘Forbidden’

U.P finally gets a bonafide biking trail! And it actually requires a bit of technical bike handling!

I am actually torn between sharing this and keeping it a secret. I want to share it because I want others to try this trail and have as much fun as I’m having. But at the same time, I shudder at the possibility that hordes of people will flock to this trail and create a singletrack version of Edsa on Friday payday.

It’s the surfers dilemma: Do you invite others to your local break or do you keep it to yourself? Read more [+]

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