Sunday, August 19, 2007
Apayao to Cagayan Bike for Mama Mary
We had a wonderful chance to visit Apayao last June. Robin and I got invited to join a tribute ride for Mama Mary as part of the fiesta celebration of Piat, Cagayan. Eboy's good buddy, "Atty", is from Cagayan and every year they organize an epic mountain bike ride around the area. This year the ride would begin from Cabugao, the capital of Apayao and end up in Piat.
Apayao is probably one of those poor Philippine provinces that never gets any attention. It's so poor in fact that malaria still lurks in these hinterlands. As a precaution, Robin and I took prophylactic anti-biotic dosages. I had to drink this tablet once a day for 6 weeks! Apparently, you really won't know that you have malaria until weeks after the mosquito bite. Even the roads leading to the capital are unpaved gravel roads.
Half the challenge of this trip was not just the planned 9 hour bike ride. It was the almost 24 hour car ride (one way) that would bring us through Cabanatuan, Cauayan, Tuguegarao,Piat and finally Cabugao, the capital of Apayao. We left Makati at around 8:30pm on a Thursday and finally arrived at Cabugao at around 7pm (!) the next day. We of course had the customary stops for meals and pictures along the way. Although I pinched hit for Robin for a couple of hours, Robin drove most of the way. It was amazing how he kept awake. We stopped for breakfast at Cauayan Isabela, hosted by the local bike group. Very hospitable people, and they really opened their homes for us. The food was simple but sumptuous. They had this really wild stew that was similar to "Papaitan". It looked like batchoy but extremely bitter; like a mixture of ampalaya and bile! Acquired taste obviously. Lunch was in Tuguegarao, the capital of Cagayan. You can't escape the buffet craze... even that far north. We wolfed down our food knowing full well we would need all the carbs we could get for the next day.
Piat has a very old statue of the Virgin Mary and it is to Her name that we were riding. The plan was to motor to Cabugao, sleep overnight at the parish church seminary, then bike our way back to Piat the next morning. Hopefully we would arrive in Piat in time for the 4pm Holy Mass in celebration of the Feast of our Lady of Piat. There we were supposed to meet close to a hundred other cyclists from Cauayan.
We parked our vehicles at the church yard and boarded a dilapidated Kia van. The van looked like it was being held together by masking tape. But we crammed in 7 bikers in there along with our gear. We had to leave our cooler and some of our bags because we were bursting at the seams! Another 5 bikers crammed into Atty's pick up which had at least 6 bikes loaded onto it.
Past Piat is a town called Tuao at the border of Cagayan that has a beautiful old church that is still in use. We kissed the cement roads goodbye and entered the land of gravel and dust. Most of us had actually never biked in the area before so we took careful note of the terrain as the van gingerly made its way to Cabugao. Knowing that we would pass the same road the next day although in reverse, we applauded everytime the van would climb and held our breath and prayed when the van would go down a descent. "Oh no, that was a long downhill section! We're going to have to climb that tomorrow!" All in all though, we noted that Cabugao was much higher than Cagayan so we knew it would be mostly downhill.
The seminary at Cabugao was a modest compound in the middle of town.
We were led to an old dormitory which seemed to be in a similar state as our Kia van. The priest and seminarians were in a conference somewhere so it was a bit strange moving into other people's rooms and sleeping in their beds. The downstairs toilet was sealed shut with tape with a strong warning sign against its use. He he he, no problem with compliance here. Hanging inside the bathroom were 2 pairs of camouflage design underwear. Uh oh, looks like the military has sent its deep penetration agents to spy against these leftist seminarians!The people though were very nice and they welcomed us with open arms. The swarming mosquitos welcomed us too. I fretted over that.. as a mountaineer, I can take a lot of discomfort... leaches, mud, heat, sleeping on hard floors, etc... but mosquitos piss me off big time. Luckily we had a fan and Off lotion. Dinner was simple and spartan... extremely tough pork but very good soup. Life is tough in Apayao... and it really gave me new respect for the life of a parish priest in the hinterlands.
The next morning we were finally on our way back to Piat this time on our bikes. Most of the ride was through a winding loose gravel road that was thankfully wide enough. The loose gravel made it tough to keep one's balance especially on a downhill because tire grip was at a minimum. I could feel my front and rear wheels drifting from one side to another. Two of the guys
took a spill. I was all prepped with elbow pads and newly purchased shin guards. The ironic thing is the only injury I got from the ride was a blister behind my knee from the shin guard straps.Admittedly, the view wasn't as spectacular as the Cordilleras. The road wasn't as high and therefore the cliffs weren't that sheer. But it was an experience nonetheless testing our endurance over 9 hours of bumpy roads. Fortunately, Robin and I prepared well for the ride. We prepared our power sandwiches (peanut butter and strawberry jam on whole wheat Gardenia bread) the night before. As I bit into my sandwich though, I realized Robin was overzealous with the peanut butter. The stuff stuck to my teeth, palate and throat sucking out every last bit of moisture in my mouth! Turns out that as Robin was slapping on the peanut butter that morning, he was muttering something about bonking (running out of energy) being the biggest danger in long rides. Well, I beg to disagree! Suffocation from peanut butter overdose must be higher on that danger list.
Of course after downing one of those zillion calorie sandwiches, we suddenly stopped to have lunch. I didn't even realize they had packed fried chicken and rice into the back up van. I ate the chicken anyway... and I paid for that right after... the longest uphill climb was right after lunch! Despite that though, I did quite well. I passed Eboy and Atty on the climb and almost caught up with Lester as well. We stopped for
a refreshing break at a natural flowing water source. Luckily it was a bit cloudy so the heat didn't pose that big a problem. The halo-halo stop was great though. Pinipig, banana, gulaman, sweet malagkit rice and other stuff made the halo-halo unique and much appreciated.Finally, after close to 9 hours on the road (including stops) I crossed the river that bordered Apayao and Cagayan at around 4pm. Just ahead was Tuao. By this time though, due to varying fitness levels and pace, the bikers were scattered. I was all alone and I knew Robin, Lester and some others were way ahead me. I decided not to stop in Tuao and proceed to Piat to try to catch up with the them. When I got to Piat, I was surprised to find no one around from our group. There were several vehicles including a large truck full of bicycles. The group from Cauayan had arrived hours before. When I opened my cellphone I realized they had all stopped at Tuao to regroup. They even sent the backup van to look for me! Yikes, what a blunder it was not to have left my cellphone open to receive messages. Oh well, hard lessons learned. By the time the group caught up with me it was dusk. Atty led the group in a thanksgiving prayer (an entire rosary again!) and afterward we argued on whether to grab a shower somewhere or to just proceed straight to Manila. A few hours later the issue was settled as we drove along this lonely road with no sign of civilization or even a faucet. So much for the shower.
Again Robin drove most of the way... I took over a few hours later and told myself I'd try to drive for at least 2 hours. After just half an hour, I could hear my ipod's 80s music echoing mysteriously in my ear! Everything looked and sounded strangely surreal. The road seemed to float around. It was REALLY tough keeping awake. A couple of days later we found out that it wasn't just fatigue that was hitting us. A freon leak in the A/C system was discovered by Robin's mechanic. Freon apparently is toxic and can cause drowsiness symptoms! And I thought it was just the mind blowing music of Steely Dan!
When we finally drove into my village the sun was up. We had been traveling on a bike and in a car for another incredible 24 hours. This ride was more than just a bike epic. It was a test of physical and mental endurance... or should I add, a test of butt endurance.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Bonanza Loop Finally Conquered!
Wow! It's hard to believe that it's been 2 months since my last post. I guess it's all the more perplexing since I quit my job! Shouldn't I have more time to blog? Well, it's turned out that I do have more time... to ride.... he he he. These are the times when you realize what the more important things in life are. Funny thing is now that I'm not working, in-between-jobs as they say, I seem to be busier than ever. I wake up early and I feel like my days are full and well-spent, so much so that I get a good sleep at night.
Ok, time to catch up on my blogs. One memorable ride we did was last June over the Independence day holiday. After 3 tries, we finally completed the Bonanza Loop! Recall that we first explored the trail with Robin and Joel way back in April. We reached up to the stream and turned back (t'was me who chickened out due to exhaustion). The second time my bottom bracket gave out 30 minutes into the trail.
This time we challenged Elena, Mona, Nix and Kiko, our novice bikers, to help us finally close the loop. Frankly I was a bit worried about bringing them to a trail that we hadn't really fully explored. We knew they could make it to the stream, albeit with difficulty, but beyond that who knows what kind of uphills we would face? Robin, Bong and I just reassured them that we would take it slow and make frequent rest stops. I also insisted we start riding before 8 am to avoid the heat. The big risk we faced was we didn't know exactly where the trail starts to head down toward Montemar. Getting lost with a group of novice bikers is not exactly fun.
We motored to the trail head in Bgy. San Antonio and parked, hoping we'd still see our cars there when we came back. Our plan was to bike all the way to the front of Montemar, and complete the ride via concrete roads to Bgy. Kabayo, where we were staying. Then we'd motor back to San Antonio to pick up the 2 other cars.
It was a beautiful, sunny but cool morning as we set out. Luck was on our side, even the poultry farm wasn't so smelly. The novice riders looked comfortable as we hit the first rest stop for pictures. The first few hills though took its toll on Nix and Kiko. As usual, my son likes to barrel up the hills and then run out of steam at mid-climb. By the time we hit the ranch gate, Kiko was wondering aloud about heading back. Nix was experiencing shortness of breath and nausea; payback time for all the steaks she ate while on cruise a few days back!
It was a beautiful, sunny but cool morning as we set out. Luck was on our side, even the poultry farm wasn't so smelly. The novice riders looked comfortable as we hit the first rest stop for pictures. The first few hills though took its toll on Nix and Kiko. As usual, my son likes to barrel up the hills and then run out of steam at mid-climb. By the time we hit the ranch gate, Kiko was wondering aloud about heading back. Nix was experiencing shortness of breath and nausea; payback time for all the steaks she ate while on cruise a few days back!
Mona in the meantime was showing off her fitness charging up the hills on a borrowed bike. Unfortunately for her she didn't have the right shoes for the clipless pedals which were now painfully digging into her soft soles. When her feet would come off the pedals during a steep climb, she'd have to stop. Of course that's unacceptable for this spinning class instructor, so she would go back down the hill and ride up again! Although she was an ex-member of the David Salon Cycling Team she'd never gone mountain biking before and you could tell she was enjoying herself. Oops. Looks like Robin's going to have to buy a new bike soon.When we finally hit the stream, we took another well-earned rest. I couldn't restrain myself though, I decided to go on and scout the trail up ahead. What I saw wasn't encouraging. A 
looooong steep climb faced us. I had to fib a bit when I got back to the stream and I told the girls that it looks like the downhill part is nearby (ya right). "uhh, but first we need to push our bikes a bit since the climb's too steep." 15 minutes later, we were still alternately pushing and pedaling up this long hill. I stole a glance at Elena and she didn't look too happy.
looooong steep climb faced us. I had to fib a bit when I got back to the stream and I told the girls that it looks like the downhill part is nearby (ya right). "uhh, but first we need to push our bikes a bit since the climb's too steep." 15 minutes later, we were still alternately pushing and pedaling up this long hill. I stole a glance at Elena and she didn't look too happy. I kept reassuring them... malapit na... malapit na. See, I can see the trail and it's leveling off! (ya right). To my chagrin, the double track trail we were following began to turn away from the trail that I was pointing at a moment ago. Oh no, what if this trail starts heading uphill again?!? I was worried that the Kiko and the girls were near exhaustion and they couldn't take another climb. Luckily, it started leveling off and as we rounded the curve I saw a familiar group of eucalyptus trees in the distance. Further down we could see the South China Sea! It was like a big load was removed from my shoulders. The trail flattened out and eventually started heading down. It was a classic downhill ride complete w
ith green scenery and soft earth. The trail brought us to a rustic cattle farm where we politely asked an old man for directions. Take a left and you'll end up in Saysain. Turn right and it will lead you down to Montemar and Bagac. The cattle was quite a sight! About a hundred head of cattle blocked our trail. We could see ALL OF THEM staring at us from a distance, with their tails swishing away the flies. As we rode closer, the herd slowly parted to let us through. I could hear strains of the Marlboro theme song playing in my head.
ith green scenery and soft earth. The trail brought us to a rustic cattle farm where we politely asked an old man for directions. Take a left and you'll end up in Saysain. Turn right and it will lead you down to Montemar and Bagac. The cattle was quite a sight! About a hundred head of cattle blocked our trail. We could see ALL OF THEM staring at us from a distance, with their tails swishing away the flies. As we rode closer, the herd slowly parted to let us through. I could hear strains of the Marlboro theme song playing in my head. 
The payback downhill was worth the sacrifice! Not too steep, but loooong. Through the cogon fields, some cultivated plots and eventually we hit the eucalyptus tree plantation we had been to some weeks back. Within half an hour we were at the most technical part of the downhill. A steep, bumpy road with lots of water damage. Nix took a spill but wasn't hurt too badly. Elena gingerly made it through. Kiko didn't get off his bike at all. I guess there is no substitute for saddle time in teaching you good bike balance. Through out the whole ride, Kiko showed his excellent balance. His weakness though is he doesn't know how to pace himself and he still lacks mastery of his gear shifting. This results in a lot of energy wasted.
Finally we hit the last stretch of dirt road just before the Montemar subdivision. Just 20 meters from the concrete road, Elena took a spill over loose gravel. Elena could hear Bong exclaim, "Aray!" as she fell. "Ooooo, that's got to hurt!" Poor Elena. Her shin swelled up and you could see the black and blues. Luckily it was just a scratch. Tsk tsk tsk, I hope she doesn't accuse me of wife abuse!
The last few kilometers of concrete road took their toll on the novices. Except for Mona, they were exhausted. Although by this time, the rain started to fall cooling us down a bit. It was a triumphant ride nevertheless with the girls wishing for more of those rides in the future!Friday, May 4, 2007
The Killer Loop Trail
To celebrate his birthday, Robin arranged another trip to Bagac, Bataan. This time with Bong, Nix, Poch and Doris. Of course Mona, Elena and the kids were around too. Note that we avoid calling this place Montemar... the dreaded "M" word... he he he, that should be subject of another blog about Uncle Charlie.
The plan was to finally complete the Bonanza ride from Bgy. San Antonio to Saysain, reportedly a 4 hour ride. Then the next day, we were to ride around the Orion area with our guide, Eboy, who I found via the net. Unfortunately, after just 20 minutes into our ride along the Bonanza trail, my bike suddenly seized and my crank refused to turn. I thought it was just a kink in the chain but unfortunately it was more serious than that. My bottom bracket was loose and the only way to tighten it was with a special tool that nobody likes to lug around. Robin tried turning it with his fingers and ended up cutting himself. We managed to tighten it somewhat but we decided it was prudent to head back and abort the ride.
Next day I borrowed Nix's bike and we all met Eboy at the Total station in Pilar. Eboy is a hardcore outdoors man. An Amci veteran, he has climbed almost all the major mountains around. Since he got married though, he's had to tone it down by doing shorter trips using his mtb. "Shorter" trips of course is subjective. He talked about this many forays in the jungles of Mariveles,exploring old guerrilla trails and finding paths across the Bataan peninsula. Eboy started a group called the Bataan Trailriders.He tells of times when he and his wife Joyce would find themselves trying to head back from the trail beyond 7pm. In fact most of the trails in the area are Eboy discoveries. I somewhat liken him to explorers like Magellan or Columbus... always finding and mapping out new adventures for the sheer pleasure of it. In fact, the website I visited mentioned package rates for Eboy's tours but after talking to him on the phone and inquiring, he said he'd do it for free since he was riding that weekend anyway. It was as if he was reluctant to charge for something that was obviously a source of joy and passion.
With us that day, was Nestea (as in the drink), a music tutor and a member of Bataan Trailriders. Eboy apologized that the first hour or so would have to be "scripted" somewhat since we had people from the Bataan tourist office who wanted to take pictures to promote the area as a destination. We took the main road to the waterfalls near Liyang. After a 15 min hike down a steep hill, we came upon the short but impressive falls. It has a beautiful pool only slightly marred by plastic trash thrown by the locals. Eboy groaned in frustration as he narrated the clean up drive they had in the area recently. "Obviously, we need to be more than just janitors and educate the locals about this gift that they have," he remarked. After a few photo ops we headed back up the path with the tourist office guys, but not before seeing one of them throw his empty water bottle carelessly on the ground! Looks like it'll take more than just a lecture to educate those guys!
After a few kms of paved road, we hit the trail head. A graded road full of loose gravel. The first climb was a killer (hence the name killer loop?) as we struggled to get traction from our rear wheels. Poch demonstrated his new found fitness by getting to the top first, Robin was close behind and then me, Bong and our sweeper Nestea. Before that hill, Eboy was cagey about where he was taking us. He said we had many options like Killer Loop, Killer Loop Junior etc. I guess after seeing us tackle the hill, he was more definite about taking us on Killer Loop. The name is daunting and for good reason. It took us more than 8 hours that day to finish the trail although it included the rests plus the photo shoot side trip to the falls. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
After a few kms of paved road, we hit the trail head. A graded road full of loose gravel. The first climb was a killer (hence the name killer loop?) as we struggled to get traction from our rear wheels. Poch demonstrated his new found fitness by getting to the top first, Robin was close behind and then me, Bong and our sweeper Nestea. Before that hill, Eboy was cagey about where he was taking us. He said we had many options like Killer Loop, Killer Loop Junior etc. I guess after seeing us tackle the hill, he was more definite about taking us on Killer Loop. The name is daunting and for good reason. It took us more than 8 hours that day to finish the trail although it included the rests plus the photo shoot side trip to the falls. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Near the top of the hill was a beautiful rest house with a windmill. It had a breathtaking view of Mt. Samat and a steady wind. Eboy explained that the guerilla trails that these roads followed were well-worn and wide probably to accommodate small artillery pieces designed to take potshots at the troops in the low lands. Later on the Japs probably used them to flank the USAFFE troops making a last stand on Mt. Samat 65 years ago. Seems like the same war story everywhere. Invaders in overwhelming numbers storm a handful of heroic, well-entrenched defenders. In the end, a traitorous local gives away the secret path that finally dislodges the defending patriots. "300" the movie? No! THIS IS BATAAAAAAN! (You're supposed to yell that while kicking the hapless courier into a bottomless pit.)
A few minutes later we were among the trees which was something quite unexpected. I've seen the deforestation of Bataan first hand when we did the Bonanza trail a few weeks ago, so seeing those lovely trees was just special. In some places the trail got quite deep in some places that it was like biking through a small canyon. The canopy didn't last long though as we hit the open trail 
again and labored up some of the toughest climbs that day. We rested midway up the last climb under a giant balete tree. Eboy's trail rides are planned well. He times his rest stops in cool, shady areas where the wind blows steadily. Parang aircon! And believe me, there are shady areas where the humidity can still kill you. Eboy and Nestea taught us a neat trick. While doing a slow steady climb, it'll help cool you off by taking off your helmet and just strapping it onto your backpack. Just don't forget to put it back on though once the downhill begins.
again and labored up some of the toughest climbs that day. We rested midway up the last climb under a giant balete tree. Eboy's trail rides are planned well. He times his rest stops in cool, shady areas where the wind blows steadily. Parang aircon! And believe me, there are shady areas where the humidity can still kill you. Eboy and Nestea taught us a neat trick. While doing a slow steady climb, it'll help cool you off by taking off your helmet and just strapping it onto your backpack. Just don't forget to put it back on though once the downhill begins.
Finally most of the climbing ended and we entered a lush canopied area that looked a bit like the Makiling rain forest. It was so cool (l
iterally) we almost fell asleep while resting. The trail in this area looked more like a road big enough for a 4x4. Eboy gets asked a lot if he could guide motocross bikers and 4x4 enthusiasts through this trail but he gives the cold shoulder. We'd hate to see such a great trail torn up by knobbies from an ATV.Through out most of the ride we could see the cross of Mt. Samat to our left as we slowly made our way around it. We weren't actually on the slopes of Samat but on Mariveles mountain. Which is really an extinct volcano with numerous peaks. By this time, the noon time sun was beating hard on our heads (especially my naked
head) but the wind kept us cool. Our water supply however was next to exhausted. I regretted not buying a spare bottle of gatorade at the station! Poch was especially worried. He drank like a fish and sweat it all off almost instantly. "Is there a water source up there?" he anxiously asked Nestea. "Yup. Meron." "Ano, tindahan?" "Walang tindahan doon," Nestea answered with a chuckle. In fact, that was one of the many extraordinary things about this trail. After just 20 minutes into it, we didn't see a single soul except for a solitary farmer somewhere near the start.Luckily we soon hit the water source. It was a brook that crossed the trail. The water was clean, clear and refreshingly cold. Eboy laid out a leaf where we could lay down our bottles to scoop up the water. I could see Poch was a bit worried about drinking from it but thirst got the better of him. Bong had nursed his 2 liters throughout the ride and decided not to risk an upset stomach with the Subic Triathlon just days away.
Near the top of the trail we stopped to enjoy the 360 degree view of Mariveles,
Manila Bay, Mt. Samat, Mt. Natib, and the South China Sea. Soon after that we hit the downhills. I think Eboy calls this the Killer Loop trail because you can get killed on the way down. It was WILD. I'd say the scariest downhill I've been on so far. It was steeper, longer and faster than Makiling. It started with a slow extremely steep descent (much like Cali). Poch almost did an endo as he struggled to stop his bike. As his rear wheel went up, we could almost hear the sportscaster doing the commentary..."Will he make it?....will he make it?.... he made it!"
I think what made the downhill scary and difficult were the numerous unexpected dips and drops. "Stay on the right side of the trail, cause there's a bit of a drop on the left," warned Eboy. What an understatement! It was more like a cliff and I didn't dare look at it for fear of steering into it. At one point I did lose control and fell, luckily this was after the cliff. Although I didn't get any injuries, my adrenaline levels were so high my muscles started cramping up causing extreme pain. I was gasping for breath and decided to ride on through the pain. Luckily for Nix there was no damage to her bike although earlier, her shifters had given up on me and I was stuck on my granny gear, which was acceptable given the terrain.
Moments later I hit a severe dip and rise that caused my bike to violently buck up from under me. I didn't fall but again the cramps hit me so badly I laid down on the ground grimacing in pain. I heard Robin's worried remark, "O Dave, ano nangyari?!" "Cramps! Arrgghh!".
Luckily I got past that. Since we had a little more time, Eboy led us down "Joyce Trail" the loop he does with his wife when he wants a short training session. A single track joy ride is what it was. Less scary than the previous downhill but just as fast. Near the end of the ride we had a series of bad breaks. Although it gave a lot of comedy relief. Poch hit a thick patch of old cut bamboos that had been laid across the trail. As he went over, it closed on him like a venus flytrap and he got entangled in it. He was incredulous having seen Eboy just ride through the patch without incident.
Soon after we had to stop as Robin, and then Eboy got flats. As Eboy fixed his flat, a group of boys started to gather around and gawk at us. They were the first souls we'd seen on the trail over the last 6 hours. I made a mental note never to buy hydraulic brakes after one of the kids pressed on Eboy's brake lever while he had his tire out causing his brakes to close. He decided to finish the ride with this rear brakes constantly gripping, albeit lightly, his disk rotors. A few minutes later, while riding the last kilometer of highway before the finish, Robin got his 2nd flat running over a broken bottle.
Whew! After 8 fulfilling hours, we were back at the Total Gas Station in Pilar and our ride back to Bagac in Bong's Expedition was full of excited chatter recalling the day's fantastic ride around Bataan's Killer Loop!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Tour of the Fireflies and the Limitations of Age
Last April 15, Kiko and I joined the Tour of the Fireflies. This annual event is a massive 5 hour bike ride along the streets of Metro Manila that is held to raise awareness of our deteriorating environment. It's called that way because air pollution has driven away the beautiful firefly from the city. The motto of this event is, "We'll keep doing this ride until the fireflies come back."
I could tell Kiko was excited about the ride. He'll take any opportunity to show off his biking skills and knowing Paulo was going to be there, he was all set. I shoved a sandwich into him on the way to Tiendesitas to make sure he was fully fueled. It's funny the way I worded that, but that's exactly the way Kiko treats food... like a necessary chore. He wolfs down his food without a trace of enjoyment. I think he eats faster than it takes to load gas in my car.
We were well prepared for a hot, long ride. Bananas, Cliff Bar (like a Powerbar) and 2 liters of water each on our backpacks. Nix and Paulo joined us at Tiendesitas for the mass start. Bong was still in Iba, Zambales after his first Olympic distance triathlon held the day before."Massive" is the correct word to describe this ride. I'm not sure of the official estimates but I'd say there were more than 3,000 people that Sunday including 120 members of a Pasay bike club all dressed identically in blue jersey an
d helmet. It was really quite a site seeing thousands of riders of all ages, shapes and genders (some in costume) crawling along C5 at 10kph. It was actually scary trying to keep our balance as the throng slowed down along the narrow stretches and curves. The bikers were so close together that at one point Kiko's handlebars snagged onto mine and we had a few hairy moments keeping our balance while entangling ourselves. After Kiko extricated himself from that and seeing him weave through traffic, I realize that biking is undeniably my son's strength. There's a lot of pride in that statement... sniff sniff.
From C5, the ride went through Fort Bonifacio, then into McKinley, and then Ayala Ave. Meanwhile, I saw a few people getting flats, some others taking a spill... I think it took us close to an hour to hit the Ayala triangle... one of the designated stops. We blocked traffic along Makati Ave. and the motorists were furious! We just gave them this "Asa ka pa!" look. Once a year... just once a year.... bikers rule this city! You could see th
e marshalls really sticking their bikes in front of these angry taxi drivers... ready to fight for this once a year privilege. There were a few motorists who really didn't give a damn and they pushed their cars and trucks through the line regardless of who was in front. Nix had to stop for one of these bastards in the intersection but little Paulo didn't stop at all, and a van almost hit him. Nix was furious! She cussed at the driver but instead a confused pedestrian answered her back, "Sino'ng tinatawag mo'ng gago!?!" thinking Nix had addressed her. Close call!
I could see that Paulo was slowly tiring. I pushed him up the hill going into the Fort and by the time we hit Buendia, Nix and Paulo were several minutes behind Kiko and I. When we got to Roxas Blvd I couldn't spot them anymore. It turns out Paulo had to pee several times and by the time they tried to join the pack, Nix and Paulo were too far behind. Luckily the sweeper van was there to pick up Paulo. We regrouped in front of Malate Church and Nix decided to call it a day. It was a good decision... we were just 15km into a 50km ride and it was getting hot! Kiko gave me this worried look and said, "Uhhh, is it still far Dad?" "Kaya natin to Kiks!" was my standard reply. He was a trooper nonetheless.
We turned right on Padre Burgos, passed the Manila City Hall, the old Metropolitan theater (in a sorry state) and made a right up the Quezon Bridge. Tight squeeze on that bridge! Then down through Quiapo. Poor Kiko, he just went with the flow. I don't think he ever realized the historical significance of the whole area... until we turned into Espana and I pointed out the UST and its hospi
tal. "That's where you were born, son!" His face lit up... "Huh? How come you never told me that Dad?" Sigh. It's the simple things we take for granted that are sometimes important to our kids.
By the time we got to the Welcome Rotunda in Quezon City and turned right into E. Rodriguez, the pack began to slow down even more as the road got narrower and it began to get hotter. Along St. Luke's Hospital it was almost unbearable as the surrounding tall building prevented any sort of wind from cooling us down. When the pack would stop, you could see the bikers veer off to a shade on the road side to escape the oppressive sun. Kiko gobbled up half my Cliff bar in less than 3 seconds. Right turn on Gilmore road. "We used to live near here Kiks," I said as I tried to get his mind off the heat and the ride. He had this glazed look but all through out the ride you could see his kick never faltering. When we hit Ortigas I thought we'd go straight on to Tiendesitas but the sadistic organizers felt they had to take us down Santolan first and into Cubao to please the Araneta Center sponsors. So we turned left into Edsa and right into Cubao. I chuckled to myself that it was better that Kiko seemed lost. If he had known how quickly we could have cut short the ride, I think he would have broken away from the pack.
We took the mandatory rest in Cubao to listen to the speeches... in the shade of course. As the ride restarted I made the mistake of
not filling up my empty hydration unit. There was a 20th avenue water station but it seemed too full of people for me to stop. Back into Santolan and right into Katipunan and I finally decided to stop at the water station in front of White Plains Village. Finally, the welcome relief of cool water!
As we approached the home stretch our pace got faster... relieved that the finish line was just 5 minutes away. Time to showboat a bit in celebration. I did a few bunny hops on my bike which brought some laughs and encouragement from my no.1 fan, Kiko. I saw a speed bump (hump) near the end of Temple Drive and I decided I'd show my son the Mother of all Bunny Hops. As I hit the hump I tugged hard on my handle bars and on my cleated shoes to push up the front and rear of the bike. I felt an excruciating pain stab into my lower back and I struggled to keep from falling. I had seriously strained my lower back muscles... again. I thought to myself, is there no end to this back problem? I used to say that I pull my back maybe once a year. No problem. I stay in bed for 2 or 3 days and that was that. Well this was the 2nd time since January of this year. Sheesh. It's embarrassing to admit but I no matter how much I deny it, I'm getting old.
My back was so bad I could hardly keep myself on the saddle let alone pedal the bike. Luckily Tiendesitas was just around the corner. We were greeted by a firetruck spraying us with water. Sarap! But I couldn't stay long under the waters spray with my camera with me. I had a hell of a time trying to put our bikes on the Terrano's roof rack. Luckily, my son has really grown up and his strength has improved significantly. He hoisted the rear and I took the front of the bikes. Whew! That was probably the worst back strain I'd ever experienced and I was bedridden the rest of the day.
Recovery from the injury was coming along fine and by Monday afternoon I was walking around (I couldn't even sit up from bed Sunday night). By Tuesday I was back at work and but when Wednesday came I reinjured my back soaping my foot in the shower! Aaargggh! Frustrating! Obviously this injury really needs more than a week of rest and taking it easy. No sudden movements allowed! Sigh! Hopefully I'll be ok by this weekend. We're planning a ride in Bataan again. This time stretching will be part of the agenda.
Is it The Limitations of Age or The Age of Limitations?
I could tell Kiko was excited about the ride. He'll take any opportunity to show off his biking skills and knowing Paulo was going to be there, he was all set. I shoved a sandwich into him on the way to Tiendesitas to make sure he was fully fueled. It's funny the way I worded that, but that's exactly the way Kiko treats food... like a necessary chore. He wolfs down his food without a trace of enjoyment. I think he eats faster than it takes to load gas in my car.
We were well prepared for a hot, long ride. Bananas, Cliff Bar (like a Powerbar) and 2 liters of water each on our backpacks. Nix and Paulo joined us at Tiendesitas for the mass start. Bong was still in Iba, Zambales after his first Olympic distance triathlon held the day before."Massive" is the correct word to describe this ride. I'm not sure of the official estimates but I'd say there were more than 3,000 people that Sunday including 120 members of a Pasay bike club all dressed identically in blue jersey an
d helmet. It was really quite a site seeing thousands of riders of all ages, shapes and genders (some in costume) crawling along C5 at 10kph. It was actually scary trying to keep our balance as the throng slowed down along the narrow stretches and curves. The bikers were so close together that at one point Kiko's handlebars snagged onto mine and we had a few hairy moments keeping our balance while entangling ourselves. After Kiko extricated himself from that and seeing him weave through traffic, I realize that biking is undeniably my son's strength. There's a lot of pride in that statement... sniff sniff.From C5, the ride went through Fort Bonifacio, then into McKinley, and then Ayala Ave. Meanwhile, I saw a few people getting flats, some others taking a spill... I think it took us close to an hour to hit the Ayala triangle... one of the designated stops. We blocked traffic along Makati Ave. and the motorists were furious! We just gave them this "Asa ka pa!" look. Once a year... just once a year.... bikers rule this city! You could see th
e marshalls really sticking their bikes in front of these angry taxi drivers... ready to fight for this once a year privilege. There were a few motorists who really didn't give a damn and they pushed their cars and trucks through the line regardless of who was in front. Nix had to stop for one of these bastards in the intersection but little Paulo didn't stop at all, and a van almost hit him. Nix was furious! She cussed at the driver but instead a confused pedestrian answered her back, "Sino'ng tinatawag mo'ng gago!?!" thinking Nix had addressed her. Close call!I could see that Paulo was slowly tiring. I pushed him up the hill going into the Fort and by the time we hit Buendia, Nix and Paulo were several minutes behind Kiko and I. When we got to Roxas Blvd I couldn't spot them anymore. It turns out Paulo had to pee several times and by the time they tried to join the pack, Nix and Paulo were too far behind. Luckily the sweeper van was there to pick up Paulo. We regrouped in front of Malate Church and Nix decided to call it a day. It was a good decision... we were just 15km into a 50km ride and it was getting hot! Kiko gave me this worried look and said, "Uhhh, is it still far Dad?" "Kaya natin to Kiks!" was my standard reply. He was a trooper nonetheless.
We turned right on Padre Burgos, passed the Manila City Hall, the old Metropolitan theater (in a sorry state) and made a right up the Quezon Bridge. Tight squeeze on that bridge! Then down through Quiapo. Poor Kiko, he just went with the flow. I don't think he ever realized the historical significance of the whole area... until we turned into Espana and I pointed out the UST and its hospi
tal. "That's where you were born, son!" His face lit up... "Huh? How come you never told me that Dad?" Sigh. It's the simple things we take for granted that are sometimes important to our kids.By the time we got to the Welcome Rotunda in Quezon City and turned right into E. Rodriguez, the pack began to slow down even more as the road got narrower and it began to get hotter. Along St. Luke's Hospital it was almost unbearable as the surrounding tall building prevented any sort of wind from cooling us down. When the pack would stop, you could see the bikers veer off to a shade on the road side to escape the oppressive sun. Kiko gobbled up half my Cliff bar in less than 3 seconds. Right turn on Gilmore road. "We used to live near here Kiks," I said as I tried to get his mind off the heat and the ride. He had this glazed look but all through out the ride you could see his kick never faltering. When we hit Ortigas I thought we'd go straight on to Tiendesitas but the sadistic organizers felt they had to take us down Santolan first and into Cubao to please the Araneta Center sponsors. So we turned left into Edsa and right into Cubao. I chuckled to myself that it was better that Kiko seemed lost. If he had known how quickly we could have cut short the ride, I think he would have broken away from the pack.
We took the mandatory rest in Cubao to listen to the speeches... in the shade of course. As the ride restarted I made the mistake of
not filling up my empty hydration unit. There was a 20th avenue water station but it seemed too full of people for me to stop. Back into Santolan and right into Katipunan and I finally decided to stop at the water station in front of White Plains Village. Finally, the welcome relief of cool water!As we approached the home stretch our pace got faster... relieved that the finish line was just 5 minutes away. Time to showboat a bit in celebration. I did a few bunny hops on my bike which brought some laughs and encouragement from my no.1 fan, Kiko. I saw a speed bump (hump) near the end of Temple Drive and I decided I'd show my son the Mother of all Bunny Hops. As I hit the hump I tugged hard on my handle bars and on my cleated shoes to push up the front and rear of the bike. I felt an excruciating pain stab into my lower back and I struggled to keep from falling. I had seriously strained my lower back muscles... again. I thought to myself, is there no end to this back problem? I used to say that I pull my back maybe once a year. No problem. I stay in bed for 2 or 3 days and that was that. Well this was the 2nd time since January of this year. Sheesh. It's embarrassing to admit but I no matter how much I deny it, I'm getting old.
My back was so bad I could hardly keep myself on the saddle let alone pedal the bike. Luckily Tiendesitas was just around the corner. We were greeted by a firetruck spraying us with water. Sarap! But I couldn't stay long under the waters spray with my camera with me. I had a hell of a time trying to put our bikes on the Terrano's roof rack. Luckily, my son has really grown up and his strength has improved significantly. He hoisted the rear and I took the front of the bikes. Whew! That was probably the worst back strain I'd ever experienced and I was bedridden the rest of the day.
Recovery from the injury was coming along fine and by Monday afternoon I was walking around (I couldn't even sit up from bed Sunday night). By Tuesday I was back at work and but when Wednesday came I reinjured my back soaping my foot in the shower! Aaargggh! Frustrating! Obviously this injury really needs more than a week of rest and taking it easy. No sudden movements allowed! Sigh! Hopefully I'll be ok by this weekend. We're planning a ride in Bataan again. This time stretching will be part of the agenda.
Is it The Limitations of Age or The Age of Limitations?
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Caliraya Sports Week Part 3
Ok this is the end of this trilogy. I just wanted to write about the "Deaf Trail" in Caliraya. This dirt road starts from the Caliraya cement road and ends about 15km later at a school for the deaf. It's a moderate climb on a mountain bike (I'd call the Reverse Palace Ride a difficult climb) but it can really demoralize you if you're not psyched up to climb it.
I've done the climb before (before I tore my ACL) the last time we visited Bong's place in Cali. This time Nix and Elena decided to join us. Nix had tried climbing the trail a few weeks back and she turned back in the middle of the climb when Bong told her, "After the curve, there's another hill." He he he. That did it. I guess if you put it in your head the next curve will be the end of the trail, you'll get psyched out when you discover it ain't over yet.
Poor Elena was still struggling to find her rhythm on a mountain bike. I think this was just her 3rd real ride on an MTB. She would sometimes shift gears too early before the start of a hill and other times she would shift late. I'm convinced that a large part of the problem is that she's still not comfortable and therefore she tends to tire easily due to the tension. She complained later that hands and forearms felt really tired from gripping the handlebars so hard.Meanwhile Robin was determined to get a proper workout from the ride... so he went up and ahead of us.... a few minutes later he'd turn around and rocket down the hill.... then up again to pass us.
At the end of a particularly hard climb, we had to stop and Bong reassured Nix and Elena that this was the highest point of the climb. Ya right. Highest point?!? Mwa ha ha ha. 3 or 4 more hills later, Elena wasn't laughing anymore. She was out of breath and struggling. The bananas helped a bit. After some coaxing we finally made it to the gate of the school.... he he he, the politically incorrect joke of the moment: Bakit walang doorbell dito?
It was a great downhill ride and my KHS full suspension really performed nicely (the last time I was using a hard tail frame). At one point, I almost over-shot one of the steep left turn curves. I applied just enough braking force, locked the rear wheels for a split second, letting my rear wheel skid a bit and then ended the move with a subtle correction. I was a bit anxious on the way back because it was getting dark and I thought Elena wouldn't go down fast enough. She did great though, speeding downhill at a faster-than-expected pace. She said she just had to put more trust in her bike and that it wouldn't fall apart on the way down. By the time we hit the cement road it was dark already but we made our way back (about 4 km of cement road) to the Surf Kamp parking lot safely.
All-in-all, a great 4 day vacation. Although I must confess I felt very bad about not being able to properly meditate over the holiness of Holy Week. As if to drive home the point, while on the bangka on our way back to Manila, I realized to my chagrin that I had left my car keys in Bong's house. Luckily I had a spare key. Unluckily, we had to endure the noisy car alarm that went off as I tried to manually override it without my remote. To make matters worse, the traffic was terrible. We missed the 6:30 pm Easter Mass completely. Next year, I'll make an effort to at least hold a Stations of the Cross prayer with the kids. We did that in Anilao a few years ago and it really was a touching experience for us and the kids.
I've done the climb before (before I tore my ACL) the last time we visited Bong's place in Cali. This time Nix and Elena decided to join us. Nix had tried climbing the trail a few weeks back and she turned back in the middle of the climb when Bong told her, "After the curve, there's another hill." He he he. That did it. I guess if you put it in your head the next curve will be the end of the trail, you'll get psyched out when you discover it ain't over yet.
Poor Elena was still struggling to find her rhythm on a mountain bike. I think this was just her 3rd real ride on an MTB. She would sometimes shift gears too early before the start of a hill and other times she would shift late. I'm convinced that a large part of the problem is that she's still not comfortable and therefore she tends to tire easily due to the tension. She complained later that hands and forearms felt really tired from gripping the handlebars so hard.Meanwhile Robin was determined to get a proper workout from the ride... so he went up and ahead of us.... a few minutes later he'd turn around and rocket down the hill.... then up again to pass us.
At the end of a particularly hard climb, we had to stop and Bong reassured Nix and Elena that this was the highest point of the climb. Ya right. Highest point?!? Mwa ha ha ha. 3 or 4 more hills later, Elena wasn't laughing anymore. She was out of breath and struggling. The bananas helped a bit. After some coaxing we finally made it to the gate of the school.... he he he, the politically incorrect joke of the moment: Bakit walang doorbell dito?
It was a great downhill ride and my KHS full suspension really performed nicely (the last time I was using a hard tail frame). At one point, I almost over-shot one of the steep left turn curves. I applied just enough braking force, locked the rear wheels for a split second, letting my rear wheel skid a bit and then ended the move with a subtle correction. I was a bit anxious on the way back because it was getting dark and I thought Elena wouldn't go down fast enough. She did great though, speeding downhill at a faster-than-expected pace. She said she just had to put more trust in her bike and that it wouldn't fall apart on the way down. By the time we hit the cement road it was dark already but we made our way back (about 4 km of cement road) to the Surf Kamp parking lot safely.
All-in-all, a great 4 day vacation. Although I must confess I felt very bad about not being able to properly meditate over the holiness of Holy Week. As if to drive home the point, while on the bangka on our way back to Manila, I realized to my chagrin that I had left my car keys in Bong's house. Luckily I had a spare key. Unluckily, we had to endure the noisy car alarm that went off as I tried to manually override it without my remote. To make matters worse, the traffic was terrible. We missed the 6:30 pm Easter Mass completely. Next year, I'll make an effort to at least hold a Stations of the Cross prayer with the kids. We did that in Anilao a few years ago and it really was a touching experience for us and the kids.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Caliraya Sports Week Part 2
Gosh, maintaining a blog is so much work! I'm so way behind my posts that I'm still trying to finish writing about the Caliraya trip last Holy Week. Since then I've got more pics about the Tour of the Fireflies. Oh well, isn't that the story of my life... always playing catch up ball.
I thought I'd share this video of me wakeboarding in Caliraya. I was apprehensive because I haven't done this for about a year and it's just been 6 months since my ACL operation. I decided to throw caution to the wind and just give it my all. I had a few good jumps and this is one of them. I still can't do that jump-and-reverse-the-board move yet. But I think I've figured it out already (it'll have to wait till next trip to Cali). I should make the jump toe side first (from the right going to left) hanging on to the ski rope with both hands. When I'm airborn, I can let go of my right hand and hopefully the force will help spin my body. If only I can jump high enough and spin hard enough to land that sucker trick.
I also noticed thanks to the video that on my usual heel side jump, I'm hanging on to the rope with my right hand, letting go of the left. Bad form, because when I land on the other side of the wake, my body would tend to twist counter clockwise. Hmmm. I wonder if my jump will improve if I hang on with left and let go with my right?
I thought I'd share this video of me wakeboarding in Caliraya. I was apprehensive because I haven't done this for about a year and it's just been 6 months since my ACL operation. I decided to throw caution to the wind and just give it my all. I had a few good jumps and this is one of them. I still can't do that jump-and-reverse-the-board move yet. But I think I've figured it out already (it'll have to wait till next trip to Cali). I should make the jump toe side first (from the right going to left) hanging on to the ski rope with both hands. When I'm airborn, I can let go of my right hand and hopefully the force will help spin my body. If only I can jump high enough and spin hard enough to land that sucker trick.
I also noticed thanks to the video that on my usual heel side jump, I'm hanging on to the rope with my right hand, letting go of the left. Bad form, because when I land on the other side of the wake, my body would tend to twist counter clockwise. Hmmm. I wonder if my jump will improve if I hang on with left and let go with my right?
Monday, April 16, 2007
Caliraya Sports Week
Holy Week this year found us at the Caliraya lake house of Bong and Nix Arroyo. We made sure we didn't get bored and brought practically everything but the kitchen sink! 2 bikes and a kayak on top of the Terrano. I got a bit worried as we drove up the lake... my engine began to get really hot. Luckily the climb wasn't that long and we reached the top before the temp gauge hit red line.
The trail behind the Arroyo property at Lake Caliraya is a great place to bike. Quite technical because the trails are narrow and full of underbrush. Robin and I went through the same trail we did last September. 
Great views all around and a tough uphill climb on the way back from the end of the trail.
My favorite part of the trail is right at the highest point of Bong's property and just before the ride ends. You go down this really steep hill with your rear brakes fully locked. Despite this, gravity continues to pull the bike down so you need to apply the front brake carefully, too much and you do an "endo" (short for end over end). The hill is so steep I'm completely out of and behind my saddle. The two videos on this page will show a successful descent and the other a classic endo.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Trianna Learns How to Bike
There are certain magical times in a child's life that makes a parent feel so good to have witnessed. This is one of them and I'm even more grateful to have my camera ready to record it. This is a true Kodak moment! Although taken with my Sony... ha ha ha...
Trianna has been trying to learn how to bike for many months now. Of course she's not really known to be very diligent in practicing. Elena and Liza have been trying to teach her by running along side of her and holding the seat of her bike now and then. Now I realize that what she needed was a pro like me (ehem) to teach her. He he he.
I made her try it at the nice smooth basketball court of our village. I held on to her shoulder loosely, often times just pushing her a bit when she got off balance. I taught her that the balance was actually achieved by moving her handle bars a bit toward the direction that she was beginning to fall. In minutes she finally had that "aha!" moment.
I'm not sure who had the widest smile, the student or the proud teacher. Of course she had a few inevitable falls. But she obviously learned from them.
Trianna has been trying to learn how to bike for many months now. Of course she's not really known to be very diligent in practicing. Elena and Liza have been trying to teach her by running along side of her and holding the seat of her bike now and then. Now I realize that what she needed was a pro like me (ehem) to teach her. He he he.
I made her try it at the nice smooth basketball court of our village. I held on to her shoulder loosely, often times just pushing her a bit when she got off balance. I taught her that the balance was actually achieved by moving her handle bars a bit toward the direction that she was beginning to fall. In minutes she finally had that "aha!" moment.
I'm not sure who had the widest smile, the student or the proud teacher. Of course she had a few inevitable falls. But she obviously learned from them.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Bataan Bonanza Trail
Robin, Joel G. and I took a nice ride today going up the slopes of Mt. Mariveles in Bataan. They call this trail Bataan Bonanza (we found it via the Internet).
From the Mariveles highway turn right toward Mt. Samat on the main highway going to Bagac, Bataan. After 14 kms, in Bgy. San Antonio, there's a cement road on the left. After about a kilometer of cement, the road turns into a double track fire road. Toughest part of the trail is going through a large poultry with the expected stink from chicken excrement and urine.
It's a treeless landscape, with windswept hills, and grazing cattle. Great view of Mt. Mariveles, with its blown-out crater, in front of us and Mt. Natib at our backs. A steady climb in oppressive heat... but the wind keeps it tolerable.
Some challenging single track detours that go through a canyon ledge.When we finally hit the forest line, I was too fatigued to go on so we had to turn back. But not before hitting a nice stream at the bottom of a steep descent. The trail looks promising... but that'll have to wait another day.
Great downhill ride through the winding, sandy, fire road. 
Saturday, March 24, 2007
The Makiling Forest Trail
Last March 10, I had the pleasure of riding up the Makiling Forest Trail at the back of UP Los Banos. Poch and I set up early that Saturday to check it out... I had been there many years back (2001?) but I had no idea if the fire road was still in the same shape. Before we left someone told us that the road was already asphalted.
Poch and I thought it was worth the risk. My KHS mt. bike was newly assembled with mostly second hand parts so I was really excited to ride it in rougher conditions than AAVillage.
Turned o
ut to be a great ride... the fire road was almost exactly as I remembered it. A 1 hour climb on a mountain fire road with hard packed rocks as foundation. Great surroundings... many old trees which helped cool the climate. My rear derailer kept skipping gears. Poch said it's normal due to cable stretching on the newly installed shifters and derailers. I was able to adjust it though with a few twists on the rear derailer knob.
The climb was steep but I felt fresh and full of energy. I was well prepared, eating and sleeping enough the night before.
I was surprised to see Poch catching his breath and struggling. He had proven his fitness a few weeks ago when he set a fast pace going up the Reverse Palace route. Turns out he was having trouble with the hard packed rocks which caused him to stall a few times. It didn't help that mother nature was calling out to him to do a major dump. We stopped at the sari-sari /bukohan at the midpoint and Poch's face looked pale. He managed to suck it in as we went further up the winding road which was getting rougher the higher we went. After a while we had to carry our bikes up and over fallen trees and bigger rocks. The picture shows Poch doing the "eagle claw" technique.
The downhill reward was terrific. Noticed my front brake lever was harder to squeeze than my rear. Later at home, I figured out how to increase the caliper distance with an allen wrench. The downhill was so rough I had to stop to rest my gripping hands. My KHS performed well despite the noisy suspension.
The ride was fun but it could be better if only it were longer. It turns out that there's a botanical garden/park very near the trail. That might be a good place to explore next time.
Poch and I thought it was worth the risk. My KHS mt. bike was newly assembled with mostly second hand parts so I was really excited to ride it in rougher conditions than AAVillage.
Turned o
ut to be a great ride... the fire road was almost exactly as I remembered it. A 1 hour climb on a mountain fire road with hard packed rocks as foundation. Great surroundings... many old trees which helped cool the climate. My rear derailer kept skipping gears. Poch said it's normal due to cable stretching on the newly installed shifters and derailers. I was able to adjust it though with a few twists on the rear derailer knob.The climb was steep but I felt fresh and full of energy. I was well prepared, eating and sleeping enough the night before.
I was surprised to see Poch catching his breath and struggling. He had proven his fitness a few weeks ago when he set a fast pace going up the Reverse Palace route. Turns out he was having trouble with the hard packed rocks which caused him to stall a few times. It didn't help that mother nature was calling out to him to do a major dump. We stopped at the sari-sari /bukohan at the midpoint and Poch's face looked pale. He managed to suck it in as we went further up the winding road which was getting rougher the higher we went. After a while we had to carry our bikes up and over fallen trees and bigger rocks. The picture shows Poch doing the "eagle claw" technique.
The downhill reward was terrific. Noticed my front brake lever was harder to squeeze than my rear. Later at home, I figured out how to increase the caliper distance with an allen wrench. The downhill was so rough I had to stop to rest my gripping hands. My KHS performed well despite the noisy suspension.
The ride was fun but it could be better if only it were longer. It turns out that there's a botanical garden/park very near the trail. That might be a good place to explore next time.
Down to Earth Excuses for Falling
I need to think of good excuses why I fell 3 x in the first 30 minutes of the ride in Montalban…. He he he. Let me give it a try ……actually the Montalban trip is the first time I’ve ridden my KHS through hardcore single tracks. The previous times were on the road and the fire road at the back of UP Los Banos going up Makiling. It’s also only the 2nd time I’ve ridden with cleats.
The first time I fell, it was because I hit an obstacle on the trail and my bike suddenly stopped. Couldn’t remove the cleats on time, and bang… fell on my side. I got up, brushed myself off quickly para hindi halata. Pero sakit sa pride.
Within 5 minutes, eto na naman. May pa-akyat but I wisely unclipped my shoes na just in case I needed to stop. And stop I did…. Right on top of a small hill… on the left side was a short drop into a stream. I stuck out my left leg to break my fall but there was no ground for it to step on… ayun…. 8 ft into a stream with the brush stopping my fall. I remember I was so far down that I had a hard time trying to lift my bike up to Alex and Freddie… it had all these vines holding it back… I had a small cut on my knee… very near the scar of my ACL operation…. Honestly, the fear slowed me down after that and I think the fear caused my next fall.
Next fall was equally dumb… I was going fast through similar single track with a slight drop on one side of the track…. I thought to myself, “paano kaya kung mahulug ako dyan?!” I got what I asked for… my front wheel went off the side… my bike went down but since my feet weren’t clipped on, I was able to jump off my bike.
Moral lessons? I guess I’ve been biking too long on road bikes and on old mountain bikes with lower, more aerodynamic profiles. Since this was the first time I’ve owned a bike with an upright stance (great for downhill), I realized that going uphill on that bike causes my front wheel to lose traction and control. Plus the high ground clearance makes it hard to extend a leg onto the ground. The upright stance though, helps a lot in controlling the bike when going downhill.
A few more practice rides should get my confidence back on track which I guess is another factor in MTB. Going down those steep hills after that was tough because the tendency is to brake too hard especially in front. This causes a loss of steering control. So my lesson here was to just pump my front brake while going downhill.
That was a very challenging ride!
The first time I fell, it was because I hit an obstacle on the trail and my bike suddenly stopped. Couldn’t remove the cleats on time, and bang… fell on my side. I got up, brushed myself off quickly para hindi halata. Pero sakit sa pride.
Within 5 minutes, eto na naman. May pa-akyat but I wisely unclipped my shoes na just in case I needed to stop. And stop I did…. Right on top of a small hill… on the left side was a short drop into a stream. I stuck out my left leg to break my fall but there was no ground for it to step on… ayun…. 8 ft into a stream with the brush stopping my fall. I remember I was so far down that I had a hard time trying to lift my bike up to Alex and Freddie… it had all these vines holding it back… I had a small cut on my knee… very near the scar of my ACL operation…. Honestly, the fear slowed me down after that and I think the fear caused my next fall.
Next fall was equally dumb… I was going fast through similar single track with a slight drop on one side of the track…. I thought to myself, “paano kaya kung mahulug ako dyan?!” I got what I asked for… my front wheel went off the side… my bike went down but since my feet weren’t clipped on, I was able to jump off my bike.
Moral lessons? I guess I’ve been biking too long on road bikes and on old mountain bikes with lower, more aerodynamic profiles. Since this was the first time I’ve owned a bike with an upright stance (great for downhill), I realized that going uphill on that bike causes my front wheel to lose traction and control. Plus the high ground clearance makes it hard to extend a leg onto the ground. The upright stance though, helps a lot in controlling the bike when going downhill.
A few more practice rides should get my confidence back on track which I guess is another factor in MTB. Going down those steep hills after that was tough because the tendency is to brake too hard especially in front. This causes a loss of steering control. So my lesson here was to just pump my front brake while going downhill.
That was a very challenging ride!
Montalban Mountain Biking with Doc Mon
Pictures and text by Alex ReyesIt had been almost two months since I last trekked. My KHS mountain bike was beginning to get jealous of my road bike, with me spending precious weekend time on flats and my limited budget on upgrades to the Cannondale.
The confirmation text came from Dave, and off we went.
We met at the Shell gas station in front of the grotesque Gotesco mall on Commonwealth Ave. Other bikers were meeting there; it's the jumping off point for rides up north. From Shell we had another 30-40 min journey through the Payatas dump area to get to the trailhead at Buffalo Farm.
Our group was seven – Doc Mon Belmonte, Dr. Ronnie Mendoza, guide Abul Solomon (who would prove to be a big help later on), Jun, Dave Valdes, and my brother Freddie. Later on, we would be joined by Ericson, another biker very familiar with the terrain.
We mounted about 7:30 a.m. The early part of the ride was the highlight. From the dirt road we cut into single tracks, making our way to a mahogany plantation. It was named "Mahogany Trail," and this section was straight out of a "Lord of the Rings"
movie set. The trees made sure there was no direct sunlight penetrating the canopy. The entire floor was covered with leaves, so riding down a slight slope, it was as if we were pedaling on a soft mat. Morning mist from a drizzle kept us cool.
During the first 15 minutes of the ride, someone from our group had three falls, including an 8 foot drop to the river. A bed of kangkong broke his fall. We had to extricate him by first yanking up his bike and then pulling him up. This guy (hint: his first name starts with D and last name with a V) joked that he was a "very down to earth" kind of guy.
After almost an hour of trails, we ended up on a main road, and made our first stop: a sari-sari store at the top of a small town. We met up with Ericson, and from there we re-entered the trail. My memory of this section of the ride is hazy: there were few landmarks to check on our progress. We went up and down several hills. The only landmark I remember is a wooden bridge, of which we all walked (an accident there would have been a 30 foot drop to the riverbed).
Throughout the ride, we made several river crossings.
On one of them, the bank was steep and required some nerve to negotiate. I came down, but could not control the bike and slipped off the path. My back disc brake wasn’t biting, and I was accelerating quickly. In my panic, I put too much brake on my front tire, and failed to switch more of my weight backward. Result:
my bike upended. I jumped off the bike, and my right shoe came off. No injury, but it felt like my KHS had bucked me – payback time for not having ridden it for a long time.
In four hours, we only covered 20km, and did the equivalent of 500m of climbs. What made it hard was that it was almost all single track. This was challenging in an enjoyable way; there was even a Rambo moment, when we went through a thicket of bamboo, some with open pointy ends. One wrong move there would have meant a date with a punji stick.
The last climb was the hardest. We descended to another river bed. About half the group decided to refresh by splashing themselves with the mountain water, though of course upstream from a guy in skivvies taking his midday bath. I went ahead climbing the hill. They said the sari-sari store to refuel was just beyond the summit of the hill. I walked my bike more than I rode it on this last climb.
Even after having our fill of bread, softdrinks, and water at the sari-sari store, Freddie and I
opted for the tricycle ride home. We had been trekking for 5 hours already. We both had gone through our water supplies; an 800ml Pop Cola bottle was not enough to quench my thirst.
So thanks to Arnel, our tricycle driver, and some plastic rope to tie our bikes to the trike, we got home. The GPS helped; the driver did not know where to pass, and with the aid of the GPS, we took all the right roads.
Overall, Montalban is a great ride for medium to advanced riders. Not for the faint of heart thoug.
Highly technical drops and climbs. Would I do it
again? No hesitation: YES.
The confirmation text came from Dave, and off we went.
We met at the Shell gas station in front of the grotesque Gotesco mall on Commonwealth Ave. Other bikers were meeting there; it's the jumping off point for rides up north. From Shell we had another 30-40 min journey through the Payatas dump area to get to the trailhead at Buffalo Farm.
Our group was seven – Doc Mon Belmonte, Dr. Ronnie Mendoza, guide Abul Solomon (who would prove to be a big help later on), Jun, Dave Valdes, and my brother Freddie. Later on, we would be joined by Ericson, another biker very familiar with the terrain.
We mounted about 7:30 a.m. The early part of the ride was the highlight. From the dirt road we cut into single tracks, making our way to a mahogany plantation. It was named "Mahogany Trail," and this section was straight out of a "Lord of the Rings"
movie set. The trees made sure there was no direct sunlight penetrating the canopy. The entire floor was covered with leaves, so riding down a slight slope, it was as if we were pedaling on a soft mat. Morning mist from a drizzle kept us cool.
During the first 15 minutes of the ride, someone from our group had three falls, including an 8 foot drop to the river. A bed of kangkong broke his fall. We had to extricate him by first yanking up his bike and then pulling him up. This guy (hint: his first name starts with D and last name with a V) joked that he was a "very down to earth" kind of guy.
After almost an hour of trails, we ended up on a main road, and made our first stop: a sari-sari store at the top of a small town. We met up with Ericson, and from there we re-entered the trail. My memory of this section of the ride is hazy: there were few landmarks to check on our progress. We went up and down several hills. The only landmark I remember is a wooden bridge, of which we all walked (an accident there would have been a 30 foot drop to the riverbed).
Throughout the ride, we made several river crossings.
On one of them, the bank was steep and required some nerve to negotiate. I came down, but could not control the bike and slipped off the path. My back disc brake wasn’t biting, and I was accelerating quickly. In my panic, I put too much brake on my front tire, and failed to switch more of my weight backward. Result:
my bike upended. I jumped off the bike, and my right shoe came off. No injury, but it felt like my KHS had bucked me – payback time for not having ridden it for a long time.
In four hours, we only covered 20km, and did the equivalent of 500m of climbs. What made it hard was that it was almost all single track. This was challenging in an enjoyable way; there was even a Rambo moment, when we went through a thicket of bamboo, some with open pointy ends. One wrong move there would have meant a date with a punji stick.
The last climb was the hardest. We descended to another river bed. About half the group decided to refresh by splashing themselves with the mountain water, though of course upstream from a guy in skivvies taking his midday bath. I went ahead climbing the hill. They said the sari-sari store to refuel was just beyond the summit of the hill. I walked my bike more than I rode it on this last climb.
Even after having our fill of bread, softdrinks, and water at the sari-sari store, Freddie and I
opted for the tricycle ride home. We had been trekking for 5 hours already. We both had gone through our water supplies; an 800ml Pop Cola bottle was not enough to quench my thirst.So thanks to Arnel, our tricycle driver, and some plastic rope to tie our bikes to the trike, we got home. The GPS helped; the driver did not know where to pass, and with the aid of the GPS, we took all the right roads.
Overall, Montalban is a great ride for medium to advanced riders. Not for the faint of heart thoug.
Highly technical drops and climbs. Would I do it
again? No hesitation: YES.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Mayon and the Butandings
Here are excerpts from an article I wrote for PDI, published last quarter of 2006:
Recently, news that whale sharks have been spotted 15 minutes from Legaspi prompted my family to take a trip to the famed city under the shadow of the imposing Mayon. With the volcano having a mini-eruption, we figured that even if we were unlucky spotting butandings, we could at least catch the breathtaking sight of Mayon spewing lava. We arrived in the late afternoon just in time to view Mayon’s majesty. By nightfall, glowing rocks and trickles of lava could be seen slowly seeping from the volcano’s crater and moving down its perfectly gentle slopes. “Are we sure we’re far enough Dad?” Kiko, my 12 year old son asked with an anxious look on his face. Thankfully, Mayon’s show of restiveness was relatively mild this year.
The next day found us having breakfast in a little thatched hut along the black sand beach of Barangay Bigaa. The locals had just begun to organize themselves to cope with the expected onrush of tourists. Each boat was required to have a Butanding Interaction Officer (BIO) to guide and regulate the animal interactions. A few boats were already out searching the waters. The excitement was palpable.The paddle-powered “sibid-sibid”is a perfect boat to silently approach the shy butanding but I was apprehensive knowing it would take hours to cover the area. Even when Joe, our boatman, signaled a sighting I was skeptical. Boatmen though have a way of seeing things that a typical tourist would never see until the last minute. But it seemed the butandings were not surfacing long enough for a chance to swim with them.
Just before noon though, that all changed. A jumble of boats gathered around a single spot and shouts of glee were the unmistakable signs that something was up. From about 200 meters I saw the dorsal fin and a tail briefly break surface. Swimmers began jumping in the water. I donned my mask and fins and slipped into the water to where I thought the shark would surface away from all the tourists. Within seconds a juvenile shark not more than 15 feet in length passed slowly a few feet away from me. Its tiny eyes looking
straight at me, the shark turned and went back toward the swimmers and boats. Chasing after it, I found myself in the middle of at least 20 swimmers ogling the butanding. I saw my nervous son on a sibid-sibid and talked him into the water. When he finally jumped in with me another butanding had appeared. It was an adult 20 footer with a heavily scarred dorsal and caudal fin, old wounds unmistakably from an encounter with a boat’s propeller. We christened her “Putol” because of her wounds. In the gin-clear water, Kiko met his first butanding and with a gasp he exclaimed, “It’s so B-I-G!” Accompanying the shark were smaller fish called remoras that can attach themselves onto sharks with a suction-like feature at the top of their heads.Trianna, my 7-year-old daughter, was also in the water being pulled by my wife excitedly toward the smaller shark. The BIO had warned us not to touch the shark or shout out loud when you first see the butanding because it might get spooked. And true enough my daughter hardly said a word in the water although her eyes were never wider. Later on, Trianna exclaimed to Elena, “Did you hear me screaming in my head Mom?”
We nicknamed the juvenile shark “Kulit” because it was the most playful. Once, Kulit went by the shoreline not more than 10 meters from the beach. Another time, Kulit went under the sibid-sibid, gently nudged it and slowly lifted the skiff almost out of the water! My nephew, Andy was swimming in the late afternoon, when he spotted the biggest butanding yet. We took turns chasing the female behemoth that must have been over 30 feet in length!
The next day, the giant female was again spotted, this time with a similar-sized shark tailing it. Putol was there too. The 3 animals circled slowly in the midst of at least a dozen swimmers, truly an amazing sight. As we reluctantly packed up at the end of the second day, you could see the locals pride in playing host to satisfied visitors. Our hospitable hosts jokingly called us “lokal-poren” to differentiate us from the foreign tourists already making their way to Legaspi.
If you’re planning a trip to see the butandings of Legaspi, make sure you bring a lifejacket, swimming goggles or mask and a pair of fins. In the water, the sandy floor slopes down steeply just meters from the shore so be prepared to jump into clear waters without seeing the bottom. Most boats are not motorized (thankfully. Nobody wants to be hit with a prop like Putol) so be prepared to use a paddle. If you are a strong swimmer, you will get to see the sharks longer. If not, you’ll need some luck and a good BIO to place you in the path of these slow swimming creatures. Look for Joe in Bgy. Bigaa. He has the uncanny ability of spotting butandings even before they surface.
No one yet knows for sure why these animals frequent Legaspi and Donsol. Are they feeding? Are they mating? Are the butandings of Legaspi the same individuals as those in Donsol? These are exciting questions that researchers need to answer. Donsol’s whale sharks are plentiful from December to May while those in Legaspi seem to congregate from June onwards making whale shark watching a year-round event in the Bicol region.
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