Street Biking

Biking = Eating

After another hiatus, I hope to return to active writing. During the break from writing any entry, I purchased something I wanted for the longest time: a bike.

I have been biking during my younger years. This was a time when academic requirements have yet to eat up most of my time. One of the marks of being an adult, at least for me, was the ability to go to places by myself. I started navigating through the streets of Manila since I was 10. The sheer excitement of going to places on my own was thrilling enough. Doing it on a bike raises the thrill exponentially.

Street biking, simply put, is biking on the streets as an alternative means of commute. The practice, I heard, is more prominent in some of our Asian neighbors.




I would offer a few reflections upon taking up this new-old way of transportation. There's the perceived and actual benefits. There's a possible venture connected with blogging, and all-around excitement of just being able to bike around the city and even beyond (Tagaytay!).

Reunited and It Feels So Good

I made the choice to purchase a bike primarily to combine my commute with exercise. I have been on and off with my workouts, due to the the increasing amount of work. To intentionally add biking is easier than taking a regular trip to a gym. Also, I believe that physical activity in the morning promotes a better work rhythm the rest of the day.

Taking up a sport (I have biking and boxing, at the mean time) is a sure way of preventing health concerns in the future, barring accidents. My bike is a Specialized Pitch Sport MTB (that's short for mountain bike), which I call "Kodachi." It's an amazing entry-level bike with no upgrades whatsoever. I have integrated it into my week: biking to work in between days (Tuesdays and Thursdays), and on Saturdays I take it to my old university for some laps around the academic oval.

My old university is home.

The common question I receive from friends is whether or not this street biking is dangerous. Manila is a sometimes-asphalted, sometimes-concrete jungle. Streets are very inconsistent. And everyone wants to be the king of the road. So the answer comes fairly easy: yes, it is dangerous. Don’t get me wrong, I want to encourage people to bike! But there are real dangers out there. Just how much, you ask? That will depend on the biking style, the streets, and the oh-so-untrustworthy motorists of Metro Manila.

I consider myself as a defensive cyclist. The need for speed is there, but only in a controlled environment (empty street). I am clearly aware that it is futile to race against machine-powered vehicles. During night rides, I am usually more careful, despite the lack of traffic, since I nearly learned the lesson the hard way (a car surprisingly cutting my right of way). I intentionally chose a bright coloured bike, contrary to my deep preferences, so that I could be easily seen at night.

With regards to streets, I almost always choose the road less traveled. While I do have a mask, this helps settle the concern of the amount of pollution I inhale. If the road less traveled is mostly unlighted at night, or is a known dangerous location, then I flow into major streets. With regards to Metro Manila motorists, the main opposition would be motorbikers (even 4-wheeled drivers know the bane that these road creatures bring) and massive trucks (who usually don't see cyclists that maybe on the side).

Another question is how much a bike investment going to cost. I have a bike which I needed to save up for. The main reason is this: I would like it to be very durable, and I am preventing future illnesses. Spending for the bike is just equal or less than what I would be shelling out for future medical expenses.

If that sounded discouraging, I have no apologies. Remember, however, that I use my bike to commute. I enjoy it, but there are clear dangers that one needs to take note of. But think of this, while you are stuck in horrible metro traffic, there such a joy passing by cars stuck in said traffic.

Some Benefits

Biked to Tagaytay

Overall health. My goal is to bike at least 100kms per week. The distance from my house to the office is roughly 14 kms (roundtrip), and to the campus is around 24kms, not including at least 22kms of biking around the academic oval. Sometimes I bike to a business center (BGC) to meet some friends in the area, which adds around 30kms to the total.

Biking to work poses some challenge, and I don't mean a shower challenge. My house is located in a lower part of the metro, meaning that I go uphill in the mornings. It is definitely a workout. What's great is that biking does not bring any impact to the joints, especially the knees, unlike running. Biking can be a safer option, depending on the location, than running. I have nothing against running/jogging. I am also taking it up just so I could participate in a duathlon in the future. 

This is a great possibility: joining races when I get to purchase a qualified road bike in the future. I find myself to be competitive. Only a very few opportunities help to manifest that in a good manner. I find that bike racing is one. I do not intend to win one, as the commitment (time and training) for victories is something entirely different, but regularly joining one is definitely something I consider to be a beneficial recreation.

Future duathlon bike?

Racing aside, possibly the best benefit of biking is still going to places by one's self. I’m aware that a car is faster. But biking is just a different experience altogether. The physical challenge, while completely taxing, is rewarding. I can stop road side to witness the sun’s rising and falling. I can bike to nearby Tagaytay. Okay, it's not so nearby, but conquering the challenge makes it feel so close to where I live. As a lofty goal, there is the beautifully elevated mountain city of Baguio. Going by bike makes the trip so much sweeter.

What is usually a source of amusement is when two bike enthusiasts see each other on the street. We usually greet with a horn or a nod of approval to the other party. Sometimes, I get to talk to other enthusiasts while waiting for a green light in an intersection. There's one time where I biked some distance with a complete stranger where we talked about biking.

Bloggin' and Bikin'

Biking gives some potential content for this blog. I might try out a new blog series, covering food discoveries because of and through biking. "Man on a bike." An entry on "Breakfast and Pies" in Malingap Street, QC might be the first of many. The bottomline is: I just want to both bike and write.

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[Blog Challenge #2: Post 01]