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Waterfalls You Can Bike to from Metro Manila

There are several waterfalls you can bike to from Metro Manila

Metro Manila has waterfalls. Well, maybe they’re not exactly in Metro Manila itself. You will need to work a bit to reach these cascades. But if you’re a mountain biker, getting there is more than half the fun.

For a lot of people who grew up in Metro Manila, it can be almost hard to believe that there are waterfalls that are just an hour and a half away by car, or two and a half hours away by bike from the city. Waterfalls, after all, are part of mountain streams, which are in turn nurtured by forest watersheds. If you cut the trees in the forest, you eliminate the watershed, and you kill the waterfalls. Rampant deforestation in the municipalities and provinces around Metro Manila has probably eliminated a lot of these awesome nature spots. (This is what happened to Uugong Falls in Morong, Rizal.)

Still, the situation isn’t so bad yet. There are still a few waterfalls near Metro Manila, which means that there are still trees in the mountains to sustain them. And here are some of the waterfalls you can reach with your mountain bike. Read more [+]

8 Best Rides of 2013

January 1, 2014 Outside Slacker Comments off

Best Rides of 2013

The start of the new year is the best time to take account of the really good things that happened to us in the past year. When you look back at all the good things that happened to you, and which you accomplished in the past 365 days, it makes you want to look forward to further adventures in the coming days.

Yes, a lot of bad things slammed the country last year, which left most of us scarred in one way or another even though we were not directly affected. But lots of great things also happened to each of us, and we should be thankful for all the good things too.

For me, 2013 was an excellent year for riding two wheels. And here are some of the awesome experiences/adventures that I am thankful for. Read more [+]

Timberland’s Basic Trail and Roxas Loop

December 16, 2013 Outside Slacker 13 comments

Timberland's Basic Trail and Roxas Trail, Mountain Biking in the Philippines

The basic trail, it’s pretty basic but it’s a nice place for newbies to get some trail experience

Seems like a lot of people have been buying mountain bikes the past few weeks. It’s no surprise, people are awash with cash right now thanks to Christmas bonuses, and many are eager to get into this thing called mountain biking.

If you just bought a bike, ride it around the city streets for a while so you can be more familiar with your new toy and how it handles. The U.P. Diliman campus is an excellent place to learn how to bike. Once you’ve learned the basics, it’s time to level up your fitness and tackle the climbs. Timberland’s The Wall is an excellent training ground for pushing your inner Son Goku from Saiyan to Super Saiyan. Just don’t push yourself beyond your limits. If you think you’re about to black out from the strain of the climb, take a breather. Not everyone can conquer the wall in one go. Don’t go all out on the descent either.

Even veteran bikers have met accidents on that crazy fast descent. But once you’ve done The Wall, what’s next? The obvious answer is beyond the gate, and into the real trails! Read more [+]

Biking up Kennon Road to Baguio

December 9, 2013 Outside Slacker 4 comments

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 [+]

Running in Sagada, with Iyer and Kundera

October 31, 2013 Outside Slacker Comments off

Sagada: one of the best places for mountain running

Sagada has always been one of my favorite destinations in the Philippines. The cool clean and crisp air, the mountains covered in a thick forest of evergeens, the clearest dome of blue that is the sky over the town, the cliffs carved by eons of rain and sun which are just begging to be gripped and climbed, and the friendly people and their unique culture–all of this always makes for a transcendent retreat.

Last year, on All Saints Day, Kara and I went there on a much needed vacation. We were also looking forward to witnessing the unique custom of Sagada on Novemeber 1st called Pinag-aapoy. Here locals build a small bonfire on their loved ones’ graves instead of lighting candles.

But first, I had to get my runnng fix that morning. I was training for a 21k trail run that month and needed to keep my cardio level up. And Sagada was just perfect for running. 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 [+]

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