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Biking up Kennon Road to Baguio

Bike Ride up Kennon Road
Hey, I didn’t know we could get to Singapore by bike

Until last November 30th, I had never been to Kennon Road. This was a travesty because Kennon is one of the most beautiful roads in the country. I’ve travelled around lots of places in the Philippines, and Kennon ranks way up there among the roads that are just pure joy to ride through.

Kennon snakes for more than 30 kilometers through a canyon dotted with waterfalls, slopes covered with pine trees and sunflowers, and cliffs and peaks that truly scrape the skies. It’s also a road with a reputation for danger. Kennon has sharp curves, switchbacks, and pavement that can turn slippery in the rain. Rockslides also occasionally happen, especially when there’s heavy rain. All this means that motorists can’t safely take their eyes off the line of the road for more than a few seconds, which is a shame because they’re missing out on the awesome scenery.

Bikers, however, are not so burdened. Since we move according to a more natural pace—the pace of our breathing—we can soak in as much of the mountain spectacle as we want. We are swimming and diving in the scenery while motorists are just skimming the surface. It makes you almost pity them. Read more [+]

Timberland’s Blue Zone

Blue Zone Timberland, Mountain Biking in the Philippines

Crossing a stream in Timberland’s Blue Zone trail

All Terra Cyclery and Timberland Corp really need to be commended for setting up the bike trail systems in the hills of San Mateo. These guys are taking mountain biking in Metro Manila to the next level.

Last Saturday, a brief respite from the rains allowed me to again explore Timberland’s Blue Zone. I got slathered in mud, whipped by the berms, scared shitless of the fast twisty descents, and had a hell of a good time figuring out how I was supposed to maneuver my bike through this roller coaster of a trail. Read more [+]

Timberland’s The Wall… for Beginners

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 [+]

King of the Mountain 2013

All Terra King of the Mountain 2013

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 [+]

Le Tour de Filipinas 2013 Stage 3

Le Tour De Filipinas Stage 3 Climb

A taste of the mountains

After two long punishing flat stages nearly 200 kilometers each, Le Tour de Filipinas was about to kick it up a notch and pick up some serious altitude. Finally, after the sprinters had their field day, the climbers would have their time to shine.

With a length of just 104 kms, Stage 3 was almost just half of the 196-km long Stage 2. But it also presented the first serious climb of Le Tour, and everyone was looking forward to finally testing themselves on the race’s first real mountain stage. However, everyone also knew that it was just a prelude, and that the real test would come the day after in the dreaded Stage 4. Read more [+]

Le Tour de Filipinas 2013 Stage 2

Le Tour de Filipinas Stage 2

A fast flat route amid scorching temperatures tests the riders of Le Tour de Filipinas Stage 2

The heat returned with a vengeance on Day 2 of Le Tour de Filipinas. The longest stage of the tour was likely also its hottest stage as the sun baked the roads from Aparri, Cagayan to Cauayan City, Isabela.

The heat was already making itself felt as early as 8am when riders began arriving at the starting line. It was not yet uncomfortable, but the humidity was palpable. I left the town of Aparri with the TV crew at around 8:30 or about half an hour before the race started to scout for a few scenic spots for filming. Even though it was just mid-morning, I think I already consumed two bottles of water because of the heat. And to think that I was riding in an airconditioned car.
Read more [+]

Le Tour de Filipinas 2013 Stage 1

Le Tour 2013 kicks off in Bangui, Ilocos Norte

Riders rush out of the starting line as Le Tour 2013 kicks off in Bangui, Ilocos Norte

Pinoy cyclists gave a gallant fight, but in the end the superior training of foreign pros was just too much. That pretty much sums up the action at the recently concluded Le Tour de Filipinas–the most prestigious biking race in the Philippines.

I was fortunate to have been part of the media contingent for this year’s tour. I was invited by Living Asia Channel to document the event, and am now in the process of writing the script for it. I finally got to see the windmills in Bangui Ilocos Norte, ride through the awesome Patapat viaduct again, see the postcard pretty Marlboro country in Cagayan, and witness the brutal but beautiful uphill road from Nueva Vizcaya to Baguio. Most important of all, I got the chance to observe up close what a UCI sanctioned race looks like. And let me tell you, it’s the next best thing to actually seeing the Tour de France. Read more [+]