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Switching to Steel

Steel is real. This is the battle cry of a lot of bikers who feel that bike manufacturers have been making bike frames that are way too complicated and expensive. Seems like it wasn’t too long ago when steel was the bike maker’s metal of choice. Nowadays though, steel bikes have become as rare as a competent and uncorrupted Pinoy politician, which is kinda sad because steel is such an excellent material for building bikes.

I had been looking to switch to a steel frame since late last year. While I love my aluminum Venzo, I just felt that I already needed something sturdier. The Venzo was a great lightweight alloy frame that helped me nab respectable finishes in duathlons and XC races. But it just didn’t seem like a well-suited weapon for fast descents on rock gardens and technical trails, which I found myself riding more and more often. I was longing for that strange alchemy of toughness and suppleness that could only come from that bastard spawn of carbon and iron more popularly known as (you guessed it) steel! Read more [+]

Duathlon: More Fun in Batangas

February 16, 2015 Outside Slacker Comments off

The duathlon is my favorite kind of race. I like biking, and I like running, and there’s nothing quite like combining the two in one event. So when I got an invitation to try out the Batangas Earth and Water Festival duathlon, I immediately said: Oooh… Hell… Yeah!

Besides, how could anyone say no to a race which promised to take participants down to Taal Lake? So, even though, I had absolutely no practice, and could never do any track read, I signed up for the 5k-20k-3k race. I knew I would suck, but I didn’t care. It’s not everyday that you get to race in a special place like Taal Lake. It also helped that the guys who invited me to the race also threw in a free stay at the excellent Lima Park Hotel.

I just had one problem: was it going to be a trail duathlon or a road duathlon?

Apparently it was the latter. And as I looked at the rows of slick road bikes and road-optimized mountain bikes being slung on the rack at the transition area, I could only hope that these intimidating, ripped, hardcore-looking guys would bonk at some point in the race. I hoped that maybe they got dumped by their girlfriends the night before, drank several longnecks of Emperador afterwards, and were eventually going to break down crying and screeching like Piolo Pascual in some cheesy melodrama. It was the only chance I had of not sucking so bad. Read more [+]

CamSur Enduro Lite 2015

February 9, 2015 Outside Slacker Comments off

Disclaimer: I know zilch about enduro apart from the fact that it seems to be the most talked-about mountain bike racing format right now. I was invited by friends from Naga to try out the Cam Sur Enduro Lite last month, but work commitments got in the way. This was kinda sad because I really wanted to try Mt. Isarog’s trails. I was planning to bike on Isarog last December, but the weather was schizophrenic that month–rainy and dreary when it was supposed to be all sunshiny.

When I got the invite to do the CamSur Enduro Lite, I immediately checked if I could take some time off to finally sample some Cam Sur dirt. But… no can do. Fortunately, some adventurer from Travel Up agreed to cover it for me, while doing some canyoning/waterfall rapelling on the side. So this is the race I missed. Thank you very much Ms. Travel Up.

Enduro Lite on Mt. Isarog

Guest post by Travel Up

101 riders from all over the Bicol Region participated in the 1st Mt. Isarog Enduro Lite Challenge, held last January 25, 2015 at the mountain trails of Mt. Isarog covering parts of Naga City and Municipality of Calabanga.

With an elevation of 1,966 meters above sea level, Mt. Isarog is an ideal destination for mountain climbing and biking. The 19-km challenge route tested riders’ technical bike handling skills as well as their endurance with timed downhills and untimed uphills. Final race times were determined over a series of 3 special stages, with the top prize being awarded to the rider with the fastest combined time. Read more [+]

Nuvali: Another Mecca for Mountain Bikers

January 20, 2015 Outside Slacker 6 comments

Getting some air on the Nuvali 4X track during the Dirt Weekend 2015

Nuvali is a vast real estate development in Sta. Rosa Laguna has been attracting bikers from all over Metro Manila and Southern Luzon. I’d been hearing lots of good things about this place for quite some time now–chiefly about its amazing trails and scenery.

I’d always wanted to check out Nuvali and sample its dirt, but I often got discouraged from going there. Why? Because it meant loading up the bike on the car, and braving the infamous gridlocks of Southern Metro Manila. Yeah, I’ve said it before: nothing ruins my day quite like getting stuck in traffic.

But last December, I finally got to bike in Nuvali.The almighty mountain biking gods accepted my sacrifices of virgin titanium spokes and graciously granted me my most fervent wish! Or almost. Actually, my wife got invited by Seda Hotel for a free overnight stay through her travel blog. Since we were going to be resting, relaxing and luxuriating in an excellent hotel for FREE (!!!), the dreaded traffic going to Sta. Rosa seemed less dreadful. Read more [+]

Mountain Bike Trails Around Metro Manila

December 15, 2014 Outside Slacker 21 comments

Lots of people seem to have bought new bikes lately and are eager to give this thing called mountain biking a try. Good for you, people! This is probably one of the best decisions you’ve made in your life. Fitness, fresh air, countless adventures, and the love and respect of all humankind await you.

So you got the gear. Now what? Ride it of course. If you’re new to biking, you should probably first practice on paved roads to give your leg muscles some experience and oomph. I’d recommend logging in 20-40 kms for each major ride. Try to push it farther when you feel like your legs can still take it. And take it as far away as your sense of adventure will take you.

But after getting pavement miles, it’s time to try some real trails. Unknown to many, bikers in Metro Manila are actually fortunate to have a lot of trails and destinations that were designed and built for mountain biking. And there are still other destinations that are friendly to mountain bikers. Here are some of them.
Read more [+]

Christmas Gifts for Mountain Bikers

December 5, 2014 Outside Slacker Comments off

There was once a wise man who said: It is better to give than to receive. Legend has it that that man was actually Mike Tyson, and that he was just describing the most basic tenet of his sport. Anyway, Christmas is fast approaching, and the season of giving (and receiving) is here again.

Yup, it’s that time of the year when people at work receive bonuses from their employers. It’s also that time of the year again when those who get something extra in their paycheck give something back in a chain reaction of gift-giving that exponentially increases the level of goodwill and fun that is Christmas.

If you’re reading this blog, chances are you are mountain biker, or you may have a friend/significant other who is also a biker. Chances are, you may also be wondering about what to give him/her this holiday season. Well then, here are a few ideas you may want to consider. And since people don’t really receive the same amount of goodwill in their paycheck, I’ve taken the trouble to sort them out according to budget.

One Awesome Bike Expo

November 18, 2014 Outside Slacker Comments off

Thomas Oehler at the Phil Bike Expo

If I could, I would fit it in even more words into the title, like: vintage bikes, fat bikes, low riders, fixies, cargo bikes, recumbents and all other pedal powered machines in between.

And of course, I would also include Thomas Oehler, the Red Bull trials biking maestro who was awesome enough to grace the Phil Bike Expo 2014 with his presence. Yes, I know: awesome is an often-misused and abused term. But in this case no word could be more apt.

If you weren’t there… ang laking sayaaang! What’s your excuse? Were you busy covering up the details of your hacienda in Batangas? Were you incarcerated for stealing from your pork barrel funds? Or did Jessy Mendiola ask you out for a date to watch Interstellar on IMAX? Di pa rin excuse yan. Read more [+]

The Phil Bike Expo 2014

November 11, 2014 Outside Slacker Comments off

Organizers of the Phil Bike Expo 2014

This is big. It is probably the biggest expo of its kind. I guess it’s a testament to how much the Philippine biking scene has grown in recent years.

If you want to scratch that nagging itch from upgraditis, you need to be there. Some of the best gear from the biggest brands in the industry will be featured at the expo. If you want to see just how Filipino bike makers and bike brands are making inroads in the industry, you have to go there and see their displays. Nyfti will be unveiling its Pinoy designed hand-made folding bike. Bambike will be showing off bicycles made from probably the greenest material you can ever use to build a bicycle–bamboo. Local brand Mars Kingdom will also be there to acquaint the public with their very affordable line of folding bikes and mountain bikes. Local makers of hydration packs and travel bags will also be there.

And last but not the least, if you want to see world class trials rider Thomas Oehler showcase his ninja tricks, you had better be there. Of course, you can simply have a good time being with thousands of other like-minded people who have a passion for bikes.
Read more [+]

Biking to Calinawan Cave

October 6, 2014 Outside Slacker 4 comments

One of several skylights in Calinawan Cave

Calinawan Cave is one of the more popular tourist destinations in Tanay. This cave lies just a few kilometers from the always crowded Daranak Falls, and is usally reached by renting tricycles from the Tanay poblacion. Last weekend however, TravelUp and I thought that it would be more interesting to visit Calinawan on our bikes.

I first learned of Calinawan Cave about two years ago when I joined the Nature’s Trail Discovery Run in Tanay. After finishing that 21k race, I promised myself I’d return to Calinawan and enjoy this place at a more leisurely pace. Last weekend, I was finally able to do that. Read more [+]

Biking Talim Island

September 30, 2014 Outside Slacker Comments off

This island is worth exploring by bike

Talim is the nearest island to Metro Manila. This rocky isle in the middle of Laguna Lake is not normally visited by mountain bikers. But it is a popular site for weekend hikers seeking a great 360 degree view of Laguna Lake and the surrounding towns. Hikers come for the peak known as Mt. Tagapo, which is oftentimes also referred to as (I’m not making this up) Bundok ng Susong Dalaga. This roughly translates in English to “Mountain of Unmarried Female Snail.” Just kiddin. You already know what it means.

Four years ago, I and a group of local riders from Binangonan decided to load our bikes onto a boat and see just what Talim island had to offer. While most of us had already been to Talim, none of us had been there on mountain bikes, so it was something of an adventure for us. Read more [+]

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