I told my hubby, Dennis, to write about his bike experience going to Wawa Dam. I wasn’t feeling well that morning so I wasn’t able to go. After looking at his pictures, I wished I downed a bottle of Paracetamol to have been able go with him.

To celebrate National Heroes Day, we aspired to be heroes and planned a trip to Wawa Dam.  So on August 30, 2010 at 6:30am, I met up with our regular biking buddies at McDonald’s J. Vargas.  Our group left for Marikina at around 7:00am to meet up with other bikers for the ride to the dam.

Arriving at the Marikina Riverbank, we were joined by other bikers for the heroic (at least for me) ride.  We traversed the river bank and crossed over a narrow bridge to the other side.  We rode out to J. P. Rizal just following the main road until I saw mountains looming over us.  The road was fairly flat and easy to ride.

But lo and behold, the path going to Wawa Dam itself is another story.  We weaved through pocket communities in and around the mountain and had to carry our bikes up and down the pathway.  Some of the experienced bikers rode their bikes in some parts but this is where the “hero” in me decided to take a break and let the newbie take over.

A few meters after entering the pathway, we were greeted by the stunning scenery of boulders strewn across the river.  We trekked the pathway by the side of the mountain where slippery white rocks jutted from the ground.  Upon reaching the dam itself, it looked more like a waterfall as the water was running over the dam instead of through it.  (More like a miniature Niagara Falls but picturesque just the same).   A roofless tower at one end of the dam served as a rest stop for hydration, snacks and photos.  There are four wells in the tower which were around thirty feet deep or more. Sadly though, we saw trash at the bottom.  Even the protective metal covers were stripped which left these wells virtual traps for the unwary.

Going past the tower, we moved on through more mini communities to the river ahead where Ronie and Winston took a dip with a carabao basking upstream.  We gave them fair warning on what the carabao could possibly expel going their direction. Raul, one of the more experienced riders explored the other side of the river wading through almost waist deep water.

After about an hour, it was time to head back…the same way!  Raul showed us a practical way to carry our bikes which was to sling the saddle on the shoulder while holding on the bottom tube with one hand and handlebar with the other.  This is one of the benefits of riding with great people, you learn along the way, literally.  While exiting through the pathways, we chanced upon a group of wall climbers.  We saw one climber a third of the way up the wall.  I did some indoor wall climbing a few years back that somehow pales in comparison to what this guy was doing.  And I was envious of the adrenalin rush he must be having at that moment.

We stopped for lunch at one of the eateries in the area to replenish our strength and re-energize for the ride back.  We rode off at around 1:00pm with the sun full blast on us.  Our group decided to stopover at Mama Chit’s beside John Wilkie in Marikina for burgers and soda.  We lusted over bikes, bike parts and accessories at John Wilkie while waiting for our orders.   Upgraditis slowly creeping up in me..

We finally touched down at McDonald’s J. Vargas at around 3:00pm. My cyclometer registered 57km total.  And that ends my “heroic” ride to Wawa Dam.  I will prepare for another ride to Wawa one of these days with Tina.  Time to train!

Check out our Flickr set for more pictures of Wawa Dam!

My all time favorite trail is the La Mesa Watershed or the La Mesa Nature Reserve. Ever since I first biked in La Mesa, I can’t get over the beauty of the tree canopies, the single tracks and most specially the gorgeous lake. Located along Quirino Hiway, at the heart of Quezon City, you’ll never imagine such a place exists in close proximity to the busy and very urbanized Fairview area.

It was a no-brainer that this was the place to hold a bike ride to commemorate the Quezon City Day holiday. The call in Philmofo and in this blog also caught the attention of other sites for bikers to come and celebrate the holiday with an amazing ride. The list started with less than 20 but almost 50 riders showed up from areas like Bulacan, Taguig and Pasig — some even biking all the way to the place.

To say that the weather was perfect is an understatement! You know that moment when the rain threatens to come but it never does? It was cool and cloudy and we looked forward to bike through a lot of MUD!

The ride started with a briefing by Ranger Abe who described the purpose and goals of the Watershed.

One of the great things about this ride was the generosity of some bikers to offer tips to the newbies on what to expect from the trails and what to do to their bikes prior to the ride (i.e. checking tire gauges).

Since a group of bikers haven’t arrived yet, a group consisting of faster riders went ahead with one trailmaster. Little did this group know that since they were tagged as “faster and stronger” riders, the trailmaster planned a more rigorous route for them composed of a lot of single tracks! (Thank God I stayed to wait for the next group…but I guess that was my plan all along)

The mud on their legs and bikes says it all!

Then came the cavalry who biked from Philcoa led by the legendary Essworks!

Then off the riders went with their efficient trailmaster and sweeper.

Every trip to the Watershed offers new sights, structure and scenery.

How muddy was the ride? This bike can show you.

The usual problem of bringing home dirty bikes is solved by the new  facility of the Watershed — a Bike Wash for 30 pesos!

After the ride, the group gathered together for the much awaited raffle from Rudy Project, Philmofo stickers and Mr. Hookshot’s Bikestatement shirts! And the winners are..

Any successful ride relies solely on the kind of people who you ride with. If this is the ultimate gauge then this was THE perfect ride.. generous veterans, excited newbies, efficient trailmasters and magnificent biking camaraderie. I wish this experience in everyone’s ride!

To reserve (they don’t accept walk-ins) a slot at the La Mesa Watershed, call (632)980-5221. The Bike Fee is Php200.00 per rider. They now have a bike wash for Php30.00 and starting August 21, 2010, they’ll be selling drinks at Tower 11 (a relief to a lot of bikers!).

For more pictures of this ride, check out our Flickr.

I honestly don’t know how to go about this post. Just remember that this post is written by an excited newbie mountainbiker. Read at your own risk…

I was very excited to join this FUN race because of how the organizers described it:

DESCRIPTION: The 7-eleven tour 500 is intended both for those who want to complete their first 60km ride in a safe, supportive environment, and for those who wish to test themselves in competition. It is a 60km timed fun ride. The first 37 km is a paced fun ride thru Daang Hari, Molino Drive, Paliparan Road and Governor’s Drive. Motorcycled marshals will set a 15-20 kph pace and shepherd the peloton thru intersections. The race begins via rolling start at the marshals signal after the peloton turns into Amadeo road, and continues for 23 km with an average grade of 2.5%, finishing at the Tagaytay International Convention Center. Lunch and distribution of finisher shirts and certificates follows; race numbers are needed to claim these. After awarding, riders can choose to join the marshaled ride back to Alabang, or catch a ride back on a truck (P100, reservation required).

When I  registered, I became even more excited because they indicated that there was going to be SAG (Support and Gear) vehicles that will help the bikers. So I called on my friends and convinced them that this ride is fully supported and the organizers promise it to be well-marshalled and organized.

• First up, I knew this was a race but if the organizers place the word FUN and RIDE in the same paragraph, noobs like me will assume it is a Fun Ride as well. For me, the definition of an organized fun ride is like a Tour of the Fireflies Fun Ride, where marshalls and sweepers not only take care of the fast bikers but also of the slower ones like me. For the record, there was no sweeper or marshall in sight at the tail-end. There was also NO SAG vehicle. If there was, it wasn’t labeled as such. I saw a lot of personal SAG vehicles. I even thought one of the good samaritans giving me Gatorade was one of the vehicles and it turned out they were just that, good samaritans. So at the last 20 km, where I felt I needed to stop, I paid an outrageous amount of money to hire a jeep to reach Tagaytay.

• I did not also see any Motorcycled Marshalls. From reading other comments in some bike forums, a lot of bikers even got lost because there were no signages nor marshalls in the corners if the bikers needed to turn. Also in the forums were very happy bikers that felt the love from SAG vehicles, marshalls, etc.. but I guess, these were the fast bikers that were in the bigger peloton.

• The pace was definitely not 15-20 kph. Now, don’t get me wrong. I know that this is also a race. But if you promise a 15-20 kph speed, then I guess a 15-20 kph speed should be delivered to the bikers that are expecting it. There should have been pacers that kept this speed behind the faster group.

• I rode the jeep because I got a message from a friend in Tagaytay that the cut-off time for the event is 2-3 pm. It was already 12:30 and we were still about to start the last 23 km climb. I panicked. I thought that if I couldn’t get to the top at 2 pm, I wouldn’t be able to ride the truck that 7-Eleven provided to bring back bikers to Alabang. And honestly, at that point, I didn’t want to bike anymore, even if the ride to Alabang was mostly downhill.

• I felt worse when I climbed the Convention Center to realize that there were no more shirts, wet certificates and less freebies. I didn’t feel bad for myself because I still don’t know if I can consider myself a Finisher, but for the many bikers that braved that last 20 km regardless of the time, the rain and the absence of marshalls. (I’m sorry but for noobs like me, the shirts are all I imagine while biking…hehe)

• I was able to get the free Chowking food and catch the latter part of the program that, to my surprise, was held along the street! While biking, I was imagining that we would be warm and toasty inside the convention center rather than wet and cold outside it.

• As I looked for that promised truck to carry me back to Alabang, I noticed that no one was managing our way home. My husband just instructed me to carry my bike to a truck in front of the podium because they were on their way to Alabang. The group whispered to each other if we were going to pay the P100 upon boarding which the 7-Eleven form said but no one was leading the trip back. I felt bad for the bikers who paid P100 in advance in some 7-Eleven stores just to reserve their space on the truck because no one was collecting when we rode (luckily this happened because I would have lost it if 7-Eleven would still charge me after I lost a lot of money for my own personal SAG vehicle!)

Most of our group finished the race…ride..whatever you call it and I was very happy for them. You should see their Facebook profiles the following day. It was great reading all of them! I still couldn’t call myself a Finisher even if I biked the first 40 km and probably the last half kilometer. I don’t even think the organizers can keep track of the other bikers that had personal SAG vehicles and also did not bike the whole 60+km. The whole experience became based on personal satisfaction that you were able to bike from Alabang to Tagaytay (and for a lot, double that going back, for a century ride).

You know what made my day? The biking camaraderie that no inefficient race can take away. Seeing other bikers cheering each other on and swapping high fives, bikers helping each other out in the sidewalk because one of them had a flat or giving them free Gatorade out of your own personal stash (thanks, Vic!)…. priceless.

The trip back to Alabang on a flatbed truck was the most fun for me. We laughed at our bathroom breaks where we had to jump off from the truck and step at each other’s arms just to climb back. We huddled together because of the cold and wet weather. We cheered as the rain fell on us. We had a great time just talking about the actual bike ride and and not the event itself.

Photo from Edgar de Jesus

If you check the local bike forums, you’re going to read the stories of happy participants and probably some unsatisfied bikers who are willing to surrender the inefficiency to this being the first time 7-Eleven staged a tour. All is well and good. We even had an apology from the 7-Eleven president himself. I appreciate the apology with all sincerity and I hope you take my post as a way to improve future events not just for veteran bikers but also for newbies like me who thought we were going to be taken cared of in this ride.

I still look forward to completing this ride with my friends soon. I’ll tell you about it when I do.

For those of us blessed to be on holiday on August 19 to commemorate Quezon City Day, what’s the best ride we can do in QC? A trail ride at the La Mesa Watershed, of course!

This is one of my favorite biking places because it has rolling trails, gorgeous tree canopies and .. efficient rangers that can sweep me off my bike and bring me back to the first tower when I cramp out my legs!

Interested to join us on the 19th at 6:30 a.m.? E-mail me at tina@ilovetoridemybicycle.com. A cool shout out to Mountain Bike Philippines and Philippine Mountainbiking Forum for posting this ride!

Free Gatorade for all participants..plus.. a Rudy Project raffle! Happy QC Day and happy trails!

Fee: PhP 200 (standard fee of La Mesa Watershed)

Please bring the following:

1. Helmet (no helmet, no ride.. you should know this by now!)
2. A lot of water (if you have a hydration bag, better)
3. Friends (the more merrier)
4. Food (during the ride you may need crackers or bars to munch on, still thinking of having everyone bring packed lunch or let’s just eat somewhere else)
5. Excitement (useless going on a ride without this)

For a map going to the La Mesa Watershed, click here.

While biking with a couple of friends, we asked each other, “Where to, next?” Then someone (they always say it’s me..) suggested to bike to the Angono Petrogyphs. It was going to be a hard climb going up but the group was determined to go so off we went one Monday morning.

Meet up was at McDonalds, J Vargas, Pasig.

Our very efficient friend Paolo typed out the route and gave everyone a copy.

We passed through the busy streets of Pasig.

Then… Welcome to Angono!

Upon entering Angono, we had our first flat. Check out Lester’s clear inner tube.

We braced ourselves for the 3 km uphill battle with Col. Guildo St (1.8 m incline = hell on earth!)

We sat on the side road seriously contemplating to hitch a ride with the many trucks going up!

We had to take our picture at the top of the road because I think none of us wanted to go back to this place again! Just kidding, I’ll probably go back but I’ll drive my car instead.

We had to enter the Eastridge Golf Club compound to access the tunnel that will lead us to the caves. While pedaling in the Club, we met Ellery. He was one of the facilitators of the club and he asked us if we wanted to try the Eastridge trails. They wanted to promote the club to bikers which was why they developed some mountain bike trails within the area. (If you want to plan a bike ride in Eastridge, you can contact Ellery at 09178038639. A shout-out to Ellery, your bike is gorgeous, man!)

We reached the tunnel that will lead us to the caves.

Bikers are warned to either use their lights or avoid biking in the middle part of the tunnel because of a long pipe that runs through it. Don’t worry, it’s a very short tunnel.

After the tunnel, we reached a small house-like structure that has a mini museum. The guard informed us that we cannot enter the caves. They were closed because of vandals. However, a viewing deck was built so visitors can take a look at the caves’ walls that had engravings of people, animals and plants.

We decided to take the Antipolo route to go back since I think none of us dared to take the doomsday downhill road that we took climbing up to Eastridge. The Antipolo route, though predominantly going downhill also had some inclines. On our way through Antipolo, we had our second flat. We call out to the Flat Gods that hey, we’ve reached our quota for the day, no more flats please!

While planning this trip, we had plans in eating at different famous restaurants in Antipolo. But at the sight of the first Jollibee sign, we forgot all our plans out of hunger, fatigue and thirst!

Going back through Antipolo was a great downhill rush down its main road leading to Ortigas Extension. We then made a beeline to Starbucks for some lemon tea frappes!

In total, we clocked in at 41.55 km for that day.

How did I fair? I always have a problem when I don’t eat in the middle of the ride. I can’t ride the uphills and I’m faced with the the proverbial “Wall” — a biker’s dreaded image of not being able to continue anymore. Before we ate lunch was my worst time, I was always off my bike during the uphills and I stopped all the time. After eating, I was raring to go and was able to bike as fast as the lead of the pack. So I started researching on how important eating is when you prepare for a bike race or a long ride.

Here’s an article I found from Suite101:

1. Don’t eat within 2 hours of a bike race. The food needs time to digest and get out of your stomach before your bike race. If you eat too soon to your bike race you’ll start to feel sick when you start to exert yourself. Some bike racers end up throwing up their breakfast during races because they don’t follow this rule. Don’t become one of them.
2. Eat a high carbohydrate meal before your race. Oatmeal, whole grain breads, bagels and English muffins, pancakes, waffles, pasta. These are all good foods to eat before a bike race. They will give you the kind of energy you need to keep going for hours. Try to avoid white bread and sugar cereal before the bike race because they’ll give you short term energy but won’t be there when you really need it.
3. No protein or dairy. Meat and eggs will sit in your stomach too long. You don’t want things sitting in your stomach when you’re trying to race in a bike race. Dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt may make you feel sick. Try to avoid these foods before your bike race.
4. Hydrate. You also must remember to drink enough. Staying hydrated is really important to bike racing. Drinking an endurance drink is good for you during a bike race too, we like Gatorade Endurance ourselves. Drinking too much during a bike race isn’t good either so you need to find the right balance for you.
5. Eat and Drink. If it is going to be a particularly long bike race you may want to bring a small snack to eat along the way. Don’t eat too much at once during the bike race or you’ll get sick but you may need a recharge. A general rule of thumb for bike rides is to drink every 15 minutes and eat every 15 miles. I’m not sure how that goes with bike racing but it might be something to think about.
6. After the race. Get more carbohydrates into you right away after the bike race, within 30 minutes. Also, replenish your vitamins. Get a recovery drink right after your bike race, that’s what they’re for. Eat your proteins now.

I’m joining my first bike race.. mainly because the organizers promised it to be a FUN race. FUN being the operative word…

My Race Number!

My husband and I joined (my husband says COERCED is the better word, but I choose to ignore) the 7-Eleven Tour 500, a 60 km ride from Alabang to Tagaytay on August 8, 2010 at 6:00 a.m.

The Racer’s Kit describes the race as.. The 7-eleven tour 500 is intended both for those who want to compete their first 60 km ride in a safe, supportive environment, and for those who wish to test themselves in competition. iT is a 60 km timed fun ride. The first 37 km is a paced fun ride thru Daang Hari, Molino Drive, Paliparan Road and Governor’s Drive. Motorcycled marshals will set a 15-20 kph pace and shepherd the peloton thru intersections. The race begins via a rolling start at the marshals signal after the peoloton turns into Amadeo road, and continues for 23 km with an average grade of 2.5%, finishing at the Tagaytay International Convention Center.

Another great thing about this race is that they will provide a truck that can bring you and your bike back to Alabang from Tagaytay, in case you don’t want to bike back with the marshaled group. A lot of bikers will ride back just to take advantage of the downhill rush.. yet I still reserved a space in the truck! You never know..

There’s an age+gender category and a bike category (road or mountain). But I think the best thing about this race is that the prize money will not be given to the biker but to a chosen charity instead. What charity did I choose? Firefly Brigade, of course!

So I’ve signed up, now what?! I found this great article in Bike Magazine. I’m obviously Googling my way into training..

Get on the Bike

If you’re planning on entering as a beginner or sport-class racer, you should be able to ride for two or three hours without interruption. If you’re not there yet, there’s only one solution: volume. The more you ride, the faster you’ll be.

How often and how far you should ride will depend on your age, fitness, and health. But the most important thing you can do is set a workout regimen you’re comfortable with—and stick to it. Split your rides into two types: faster/shorter and longer/slower. Vary the schedule, and don’t ride back-to-back days until you’ve been training for at least a month or two. Do a few days of long, slow rides, followed by a few days of intermediate rides, followed by a week of fast rides. Or do a week with one slow, one medium and one fast ride. Mix it up. If you’re feeling strong after a few weeks, throw in a couple of two-ride days.

Whatever your schedule, don’t miss workouts. Repeat: don’t miss workouts. Rain will fall, beers will beckon, and sweetie will try to lure you into sleeping late. Don’t take the bait. Turn on the coffee maker, load up your hydration pack, and get out there. If you have a road bike, ride that too (don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone). But make sure you hit dirt at least once a week; you can be as fit as you want, but if you’re not used to the up-and-down crimpers that make XC courses fun, you’ll still choke.

To read the whole article, click here.

Every month the Firefly Brigade conducts a Critical Mass Ride, an organized monthly bike ride that aims to promote cycling as a sustainable means of transport.

I have joined 5 of their CMRs, including their Tour of the Fireflies held every April, and the experience has always been rewarding — for bike mileage, for their advocacy and for meeting new biking friends. For the month of July, the Firefly Brigade organized a Wet T-Shirt Rainy Day Critical Mass Ride. Rain or shine, the ride will push through!

The group passed through 5 cities — San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, Taguig and Pasig. Kick off was at the bike racks area of the Greenhills Shopping Center.

Along Makati Avenue

During these rides, we see riders of different ages and genders with different kinds of bikes!

Dahon Folding Bikes

Da Bomb!

There are ambulances in every ride.

I lusted over these bikes..

Cruiser

Cool tandem with cool bikers

and this jersey!

Alien Biker!

Poor biker.. I wasn’t able to take pictures of his first wheelies so I made him do it again..

and again!

As promised, the rain poured on the more than 280 bikers that morning. We were drenched but very happy.. and very hungry..as we should be!

Pic courtesy of Boggart14 of pinoymtbiker.org

Pic courtesy of Boggart14 of pinoymtbiker.org

Here’s a video of the ride from Al Castillo!

As much as biking in the rain can be so much fun, We need to protect ourselves and our bikes. Here are some tips to bike in the rain safely by CommutebyBike:

• Visibility is paramount! I’m not normally a safety ninny, but consider what you can and can’t see when you’re in a car with the windows fogged up and the wiper blades leaving streaks of bug juice across the windshield. I normally run with lights on in the rain. Consider also high visibility jackets.
• Braking may take longer than usual. Wet braking surfaces take longer to slow you, and you generally want to avoid sudden stops on wet roads. Test your brakes before you have to stop to dry the braking surfaces and brake pads.
• Avoid puddles. They may hide hazards such as deep potholes, bricks, alligators, etc. On the other hand, if you don’t care about your bottom bracket too much flooded streets are a ton of fun to ride through
• Pavement markings can be very slippery in the rain. Ditto (especially so) for anything metal: manhole covers, rail crossings, drain covers.
• A small towel is handy. Like Ford Prefect, I know where my towel is. I keep a small hand towel in an easily accessible pocket to wipe the mist from my eyeglasses so I can see where I’m going.

As much as I hate short technical trails, it’s the best way to beat the trail itch at such a short notice. A group of friends planned to hit the Fort Bonifacio trail after Typhoon Basyang (Conson) hit Manila. When everyone arrived at the meeting place, someone suggested a ride along the C6 highway overlooking the Laguna de Bay. Not knowing what we were getting ourselves in to (which is the best way to plan for a ride, btw), everyone said YES! So off we went..

I noticed that my commuting skills have improved because I was able to dodge jeepneys, tricycles and scooters that peppered the street on the way to Pateros and Taguig from C5. After biking for almost 10 km, we reached C6, the wonderful street overlooking the Laguna de Bay.

We were then deciding to either go to Angono, Rizal or exit Bicutan and pass through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. We chose the airport and biked the long and flat C6 road. During the whole stretch of road, I wanted to shout out “Are we there yet?!” A flat road seems longer when you’re biking.

Nothing looked better than those Golden Arches in front of the airport!

After resting for an hour, we biked back to the Fort. We had to stop by the American Cemetery because of our painful thighs!

After biking for 44 kilometers, I was drained. I started looking for endurance building programs because I usually get winded on the tail end of a ride — slow reflexes, wiggly steering, out of breath.

I started obsessing on MTB training programs until I saw this article written by The Bike Snob in Mountainbike.com entitled Ride, Don’t Train: And thank your lucky chamois that you’re not paid to pedal. Thank God, someone’s on my side! Enjoy the ride!

As the season gets into full swing, you may find yourself working to achieve this year’s cycling goals. This is a tremendous mistake.

Just as rules are made to be broken, beer is meant to be drunk and tubulars are meant to be punctured on the very first ride, so are goals made to be missed. The world is a beautiful place, full of endless possibilities. Every glorious day is an experience yet to be had, a sensation yet to be felt, a cheese yet to be tasted. Why then rule out all of these possibilities by focusing your entire existence on getting a top-10 finish in the Cat 4 field of the Blue Ridge Properties Kingsport Criterium in Kingsport, Tennessee, on July 12th?

Obviously some people need goals. These people are called “professional cyclists,” and they exist to entertain us. We thrill to their victories, and we laugh uproariously at their defeats. However, while we should enjoy the exploits of professional cyclists, we should not seek to emulate them. Does Alberto Contador spend his leisure time cleaning people’s teeth or folding clothes at Banana Republic? No, he does not. We do these things because we’re paid to do them. Why should we want to do his job for free?

Even worse, some cyclists actually pay other people to help them experience the needless stress of being a professional. These people are called “coaches,” and they set goals for you that are even more masochistic than the ones you might have set for yourself. This is like Alberto Contador paying your manager at Banana Republic to berate him for his poor folding technique.

Cycling is fun. Whether you prefer to race, or tour, or just get on your bike and wander, it’s all volunteer work, and the only way you can really lose is to hurt yourself. Setting goals serves only to reduce the limitless vista that is cycling enjoyment to a tiny sliver of possibility in which you have maybe a fifty-fifty chance of succeeding. And I don’t like those odds.

I hate them. I hate them with a vengeance. It doesn’t want to make me wake up early and get out of bed. I’m talking about the technical trails like Camp Aguinaldo and Fort Bonifacio.

I hate them (reasons that’ll probably make YOU love them) because:

1. They’re short. A biker can actually do I whole round in both trails in under 20 minutes. I know that they’re man-made practice trails but I love rolling natural trails like the La Mesa Watershed. My friends usually do 3-4 rounds but I stop at 1 because I get bored.. and scared! So I bike around the empty lots while waiting for them or I bike all the way from my house to the trail and consider the commute as my ride.

Camp Aguinaldo

2. I feel like the fast riders behind are ganging up on me. I know they’re not but when I feel a fast biker behind me, I stop and let them go through instead of speeding up — something I cannot do on the single tracks!

3. They’re in the middle of an urban area. It’s convenient to go to but it’s hard for me to mix the scenery of trees and buildings! Although, I love the way Fort Boni incorporated a man-made lake in the middle of the trail.

Ari by the lake in Fort Bonifacio wearing his Biker's Pass

Still not deterred by my hatred? Go try these trails:

Camp Aguinaldo Biking Trail

The trail is located along Santolan (Bonny Serrano Ave). The entrance is in between Katipunan and EDSA. If you’re biking all the way from Quezon City, you can pass Katipunan and turn right at Santolan (Green) or from EDSA, go under the Santolan flyover and use the U-turn to turn left to Santolan (Purple).

From Makati, passing C5, go straight up the bridge going to Katipunan and go straight Santolan (Red). From Makati, passing EDSA, go under the Santolan flyover and turn right at Santolan (Blue).

Upon entering the Camp, go straight passing the Driving Range on your left and entering the gate at the end of the Camp’s main road.

Entrance fee: P50.00

Open Everyday from 6 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Fort Bonifacio Mountain Biking Trail

The trail is located inside the Camp along Bayani Avenue. You can pass C5 and exit at Mckinley Hill and go towards Nichols or you can exit through Market Market, pass Serendra and the American Cemetery. What we do is park at the Bonifacio High Street parking area and bike all the way to the trail but you can drive all the way to the army camp and park there. We just want to make it harder for ourselves!

You need to leave an ID by the guard at the gate to get a Biker’s Pass. You pay at the Trail Entrance.

Bikers can choose between the Blue (Chillax) Trail or the Red (Killer) Trail. Good thing about these trails is that they intersect one another at some points and you can shift from to Blue to Red anytime.

There are stores around the trail that serve food and drinks.

Entrance fee: P50.00

Open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m., and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 6 a.m.-6 p.m.

Both trails are closed when it’s Red Alert.

My husband and I planned to go to Philmofo’s 5th Newbie Ride in Licao Licao but since we celebrated my daughter’s 18th (yes, 18th!) birthday the night before, we decided to sleep in.

But after waking up in the middle of the day, regretting the decision of not going to the ride, what do you do to kinda make up for it? We do some urban biking around our area — Ortigas.

Today, we did almost 10 km. My husband had the bright idea to conquer Canley Road, famous for being a steep incline AND the motels along it’s route! I always thought I wouldn’t be able to bike this road all the way but that’s what granny gears are for, right?

The following is an article from  Mountain.Bike198 that will help you conquer that mountain of a road — Conquering the Pain-Getting through that Impossible MTB Climb.

This past weekend, I came to a fork in the trail. After slugging it out in the mountains for miles with friends, there was a decision to be made. It was time to either head back to the car or go for bonus miles on a steep, long climb with little payoff on the other side. We are hit with this decision a lot in our rides. The truth…the only way to get back into peak riding shape is to do some things that stretch our abilities. Just sitting back and hoping the power comes back to our legs is not going to cut it. I sucked it up…tried to muster what was left of my legs forward…and hit the climb knowing it was going to hurt like hell.

Conquering the Climb Even When It Hurts

These kind of climbs serve two distint purposes.

1. You are on a mission to get to a killer downhill.
2. You are trying to get into better shape.
3. You are a freak and love climbing.?

Ok…I know…that was actually 3 reasons but I don’t consider the 3rd one to be real…or human for that matter…so it doesn’t really count in my book.

When I hit the trailhead on Saturday, I didn’t have much left in the tank. Being a rider of heavier, longer travel rigs, there is an amount of power you need to have to get through the longer rides with mountain bikers on light bikes. To get this power back (or get in better climbing/overall shape), you have to start to push your limits and extend your fitness. What this creates is a painful experience that pays off huge dividends in the long run.

When you go to start one of these climbs, mind and body management is key. Most of the time, it will be the concentration on the task at hand and managing what power you have left that will get you over the hill. With cramps and mental breakdown looming on the horizon, what can you do to insure that you will get to the other side without falling on the side of the trail gripping your CamelBak crying for your mommy?

Tackle Your Climb 50 Feet At A Time

If I look all the way forward to see how much I really have left to muscle through, my mind will want to quit. Part of the trick I play on myself is tackling the climb in sections instead of worrying about the entire process.

“Just get over that next steep pitch.”

“You can make it that next 50 feet.”

By sectioning off the climb and mentally preparing myself for each section, the climb seems to go by quicker and it keeps me on the bike not thinking about the miles ahead.

Stay On The Bike and Smooth

One of the biggest mistakes riders make when trying to make it through a grueling climb is getting off the bike. 99 times out of a 100, you are better off gearing down, slowing down, focusing on smooth pedal strokes and lowering your heart rate. When you get off the bike, you are making your legs cool down again causing lactic acid build up and the need to warm back up again. Unless your completely locked up with cramps, do everything you can to stay on the bike and moving forward.

Think About Anything Other Than Your Burning Legs

While I am tackling these climbs on my mountain bike, I do everything in my power to try to block out that insane burning sensation that is coming from the muscles in my legs. I’ll put on music, count the rocks I am passing, argue with myself, sing an annoying song…anything other than think about that pain. If you focus on how much it hurts, you will just end up giving in and giving up (unless you are the freak that applies to #3 in the list above).

You Can Do It…You Just Have To Try

While it absolutely sucks while you are in the process, it is very satisfying to finish a painful climb victorious. On top of that, the next time around will be easier because you bit the bullet and made it happen. If you are wanting to become a faster and stronger rider, you can only achieve that through extending what you consider normal riding. If you plan on doing the same thing day in and day out…you are just going to get the same results.

If you are ready to push your mind and body even just a little bit, the results will be mind blowing. You just have to mentally prepare yourself and apply a little bit of riding technique. The rest will be just dirt under rubber.