Home // Posts tagged "mountain biking philippines" (Page 6)

Biking up Kennon Road to Baguio

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 [+]

Epic Bike Ride on the Bobok-Bisal Trail in Benguet

December 3, 2013 Outside Slacker 5 comments

The scenery is breathtaking, in case you have any breath left after wrestling with gravity.
Photo courtesy of Roger of Late Comers Harcor team

The Bobok Bisal Trail is definitely the most challenging ride I’ve done so far. This trail, which winds through the heart of the town of Bokod in Benguet province, will test your lungs and legs with its punishing ascents.

However, the true test comes later when it’s time to descend. The long technical downhill will push your handling skills to their very limits. Loose gravel, babyhead rocks, roots, deep ruts, berms, cliffs and a very steep grade that recalls the roller coaster route that is The Wall in some sections: Bobok-Bisal has plenty of these.

But along with the extreme challenges come epic rewards. The views of the pine covered peaks and slopes are simply fantastic. The downhill shoots a drum full of adrenaline through your frail shaking veins. And the flowy singletrack in the cliff sections is the stuff of mountain bikers’ wet gushing dreams. Read more [+]

Biking in Coron, Palawan

October 27, 2013 Outside Slacker 2 comments

Coron is not really a biking destination yet. People don’t go here to sample the singletrack and trails, but to swim in its crystal clear waters, marvel at the islands’ fantastic limestone cliffs, and to dive and snorkel in the archipelago’s incredible coral reefs and historic shipwrecks. That’s why Kara and I came to Coron, Palawan—we wanted to soak in the islands’ beauty, which begs for words that are beyond superlative.

But since we had a half-day of free time before our tour of the islands of Coron and Culion, we decided that we could explore Coron’s poblacion and its surrounding areas. Since everyone was telling us to check out the Maquinit hot springs, we decided to give this tourist trap a visit.

We could have just taken a tricycle, since it was just about 30 minutes away. But instead we opted to rent mountain bikes and pedal all the way there. I’ve always maintained that apart from walking, the best way to get to know an area is on two wheels. Read more [+]

La Mesa Offroad Duathlon 2013

October 18, 2013 Outside Slacker 4 comments

The La Mesa Nature Reserve is one of the best running and biking trails in Metro Manila. It’s always been a favorite trail of mine because it never fails to give both newbies and old timers a very satisfying endorphin kick, while making them realize what a beautiful well-preserved forest looks like. These were some of the reasons why I couldn’t pass up the chance to race in La Mesa again.

Mud, sweat and gears: we often hear these words used to describe top MTB racing events. This year’s La Mesa Offroad Duathlon was all that and more. Much more.

Last October 13, just after Typhoon Santi dumped a week’s worth of rain on Luzon before saying sayonara to the Philippines, around 200 trail runners and mountain bikers made a pilgrimage to La Mesa to test their mettle in the forest’s soaked earth. Many of them were casual bikers and first timers who wanted a get a taste of the booming multisport scene. Others apparently were triathlon veterans who wanted to add dirt to their resumes. Read more [+]

Tips on Upgrading your Mountain Bike

October 11, 2013 Outside Slacker 84 comments

So you’ve bought your first bike and tried out mountain biking. You got to experience the trails, learned to climb and descend, and had the time of your life with your new found buddies on that astig gnarly killer epic bike ride to some never before explored majestic waterfalls and carinderia and bulalohan in the middle of nowhere.

But regretfully, you also caught that debilitating biker’s disease called upgraditis. You look at your bike, shake your head, and feel something just ain’t right. You visit bike shops and leave drool puddles on the floor while looking at that shiny new groupset, those blinged out wheels that sound mayaman, and that fork with those golden stanchions costing half your son’s pang-tuition. You are certain that if only you could have them, the magic will return.

And since you’re not exactly a porked-up senator or Janet Napoles with bathtubs full of filthy cash, you need to decide which part (or parts) of your bike make the upgrade shortlist. So here are a few tips to consider before you go to the bike shop and part with your hard-earned cash. Read more [+]

Timberland’s Blue Zone

September 30, 2013 Outside Slacker Comments off

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 [+]

Epic Biking to Puray Falls

September 17, 2013 Outside Slacker 7 comments

Biking to Puray Falls, Mountain Biking in the Philippines

Getting to Puray Falls means numerous river crossings

Puray Falls is definitely one of the most epic mountain biking rides I’ve done. Riding to this postcard pretty cascade in the mountains of Rodriguez, Rizal already busts lungs and cramps legs on a normal day. But throw in Habagat-like downpours, plus 90% cluelessness on how to get there, and you have the recipe for an adventure.

I’d been to Rodriguez/Montalban several times before, but those were trips to Wawa Dam on rock climbing excursions. I had yet to explore Montalban on a mountain bike. And while Wawa has kick ass climbing cliffs and an awesome boulder-strewn river, it has no waterfalls.

Lately, I had been hearing a lot about Puray. Supposedly, it was accessible via a half day ride on a mountain bike. I looked at the photos online, and was instantly hooked. This one was without doubt a bucket lister for any Manila weekend warrior. Read more [+]

Timberland’s The Wall… for Beginners

September 7, 2013 Outside Slacker 30 comments

I 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 [+]

At the Camp Aguinaldo Bike Trail

August 16, 2013 Outside Slacker 10 comments

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 [+]

OutsideSlacker