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Biking in La Mesa

July 12, 2013 22 comments
Biker at one of the bridges in the La Mesa Nature Reserve

It’s tricky to descend into and then climb out of these bridges. Photo courtesy of Bong Madriaga

The first time I came to La Mesa several years ago, I couldn’t believe that there was such a place right inside Metro Manila. I had heard a lot about the place, about the beauty of its trails, and the postcard (or is it Instagram?) perfect scenery you get to enjoy while biking there. But nothing compares to seeing it for yourself.

Let’s just get something out of the way first. The biking destination I am talking about is the La Mesa Nature Reserve, not the La Mesa Ecopark. The former has kilometers upon kilometers of well-maintained fire roads and singletrack which can take you a whole day to explore. The latter (the Ecopark) is a smaller park which features boating, paintball, and a few kilometers of biking. It’s more suited for family picnics instead of mountain biking. It’s easy to confuse the two parks because both are maintained by ABS-CBN’s Bantay Kalikasan. Read more [+]

King of the Mountain 2013

July 4, 2013 6 comments
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 [+]

Trail Running in Daraitan

June 11, 2013 1 comment
Barefoot Trail Runner in Daraitan in Nature's Trail Discovery Run 2013 (Leg 1)

Hardcore dude thinks shoes are optional for trail runs like this

Race Report: Nature’s Trail Discovery Run 2013 (Leg 1)

Daraitan in Tanay, Rizal is legendary for Manila mountain bikers who have a serious craving for pain. I’ve heard bikers compare Daraitan with Sta. Ines—that other brutal biking route in Tanay, with some saying that Daraitan was probably the more difficult of the two.

I had never been to Daraitan until I joined this year’s first leg of Nature’s Trail Disovery Run. But after running to and from Daraitan, I can safely say that Daraitan is the more difficult climb.

The dirt road from the river bed to the highway seemed to go on forever. The road grade is also something that could put Shotgun to shame. It was a great race and a feast for people whose idea of fun is generating gallons of lactic acid in their legs. Read more [+]

8 tips on buying your first mountain bike

March 18, 2013 407 comments
Bikes for sale

How to buy your first mountain bike

So you’re sick of spending the weekends glued to the TV. You’re feeling slightly guilty about spending half your day “liking” status updates. You’ve also noticed your neck is starting to disappear, while another layer of love handles is pushing its way up your sides. 

You know you need to get some exercise, and biking seems a likely choice. It doesn’t look as physically taxing as running, and it can burn as many calories. The only problem is… you don’t have a bike yet. You need to buy your first mountain bike. Read more [+]

Downhill Racing at Antenna Hill

February 26, 2013 59 comments
Spyder Downhill Cup, Mountain Biking in the Philippines

Spyder Downhill Cup 2013

It was fast, furious and (from the look on the faces of the racers) extremely fun. Downhill racers maneuvered their heavy full-suspension rigs down a steep hill (45+ degree slopes?) at full speed, not minding the two to four foot drops on a narrow dirt track with trees and boulders thrown in.

As each biker flung himself down the track, the crowd hooted, cheered and some even clapped while contestants put all their skills on display. Such was the atmosphere at the Spyder Downhill Cup, held last February 24th at the “Antenna” in Binangonan, Rizal. Read more [+]

Trail Running in the Sierra Madre

February 13, 2013 4 comments
Tanay Trail Run 2013 Love a Tree

A trail runner enjoys the hills, streams and fields of Tanay

Dawn broke around six. By that time I had already been running for about an hour. Normally, I would have already covered at least 10 kilometers, but when I checked the GPS app on my phone, it said that I had covered a paltry 7 kilometers.

My goal of finishing the trail run in 3 hours now appeared impossible as my legs seemed ready to burst battery acid if I kept up this pace. With my race goal now completely out of reach, there was nothing left to do… but enjoy the scenery, take lots of photos, and have fun on the trail. Read more [+]

La Mesa Offroad Duathlon

September 27, 2012 1 comment

 

Mud-spattered participant at the Adrenaline Offroad Duathlon at La Mesa Nature Reserve.

Dirt finds its way into this racer’s tongue and teeth. Photo taken during the Adrenaline Offroad Duathlon at La Mesa Nature Reserve on September 09, 2012 by Raph Rios and the Office of Senator Pia Cayetano.

My first duathlon. The goal was simple: to not suck. By this I meant: to finish at a decent enough time, and maybe (if I was lucky enough) not in the bottom half of the list. It was that simple. I had no illusions about winding up on the top ten, much less stepping up to the podium… well, maybe just a little.

I have heard from friends who’ve done triathlons that duathlons can often be more punishing. Running, then biking, and then running again really test the limits of your legs’ powers of endurance. Against my slacker instincts, I said: Bring it on. I joined the Adrenaline Offroad Duathlon at the La Mesa Nature Reserve on September 9. Read more [+]

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