SUFB TAGAY-Tay Ride 100kms

One cloudy, drizzling Sunday morning, Feb 23, 2014. 31 bikers: with SUFB, LPEDAL and other guest bikers took on the challenge of 100kms from Zapote, Las Pinas City to Tagaytay in Cavite. This is the first SUFB major ride I am able to organize myself.

Route: Molino-Paliparan-Silang-Mahogany Market.
Here is the map:

Post by Maribeth Brown.

The route was considered 85%-90% "patag" with a short assault at Silang, going up the highway. The entire route was safe enough for biking as there are fewer vehicles, especially in Paliparan area. The only motor-heavy areas are the town propers in Molino. The ride going up took 5 hours on recon, 6 hrs during the main ride. The downhill ride back was super fast like your were running a motorbike!

A few points in downhills: 
Downhills are more dangerous than uphills! It is because you get to sometime loose your control over the handle bars, the "lula" factor and the unpredictable obstacles you can meet as you speed down. Make sure to check your brakes. Your gears must be set on the highest, (usually the smallest gear your bike has). And most importantly hold on your handlebars steady as you make a descend.

Two weeks before the main event, I with 6 other bikers did a recon ride first, to check if newbie riders can take it. It turns out to be challenging but not THAT hard. This one was taken after the Bulalo lunch at Mahogany Market.

with SUFB contingent: James, Ryan, Alwin, Andy, Jessa and Edvie

So with enough mental, physical and bike preparation, fellow bikers met us in two meetup points: Jolibee Zapote and Molino Rd Cor Molino Bldv in Dasmarinas Cavite. We started rather late. Met some minor problems like flat tire, sprained bikers and some minor mishaps on the road, but all of those are deemed normal in major rides.

3 Things I learned in this ride as an organizer:

• Set the time early, like 4am! Bikers often come in late.
• Make sure to have bikers do their practice rides before an assault like this. Iwas pulikat. 
• Make sure to stick together so to avoid breaking the convoy and loosing track of other bikers.

This is my first time, so please bear with me ^_^

Check out our photos here!
All photos grabbed from Andy Dimaculangan, Robert James Yngente and Joey Salazar via Facebook.

                                      

                                      

                                      

                                      

                                

                                      

The First Padyakera Post #excitedmuch

Finally I decided to focus on blogging about my real passion: biking!

My name is Beth and I am a Pinay Padyakera. I started biking in 2012 with a big folding bike group. It was mainly for weight-loss and leisure purposes, but later I discovered that there is more than just that. I met great friends, experienced adventures and made me happy in general. For this post lemme share to you how it all began -starting with my first bikes.

Fasthoff

My first bike was a size-20, 6-speed, China-made Street Cruiser folding bike, we bought in a local bike store in Makati. I named him after a favorite US client I worked for. It was not a durable type as it was heavy and costs more on repairs after each ride. The only thing I liked about this is that it has a child seat on the frame. I sold this out to my brother-in-law after a few months.

 Our family bike upgraded: New saddles (replaced child saddle with long seat 
for comfort, removing the kiddie handle bar), plastic fenders and added barrend. 
Also replaced rusty rear carrier, nuts, bolts, washers and cables. Derailleur set also repaired.

Tiny

Tiny was a size 16, single speed, Japan-surplus bike I bought from a friend. It was bit in need of a make over so it was my first time to actually tried to dismantle, repaint and restore any bike -all by myself. I was able to take this to a long ride Makati-Montalban, Rizal and back. But since it has limited speed, it was not that long when I decided to sell this to another friend.

 Click the here to view the whole album with instructions.

 Oriang

Oriang was my super best girlfriend! We enjoyed a year adventures with more than 500kms mileage. She is a size-20, 6-speed, very durable Japan surplus bike I also bought through Facebook. I named her after a heroine, Gregoria De Jesus, wife of Andres Bonifacio and the Lakambini of Katipunan. It was because of her brown color and durability -Pinay na Pinay! I had the first century ride with her the next day after purchasing as well as most of my great rides, I had with her. Then, I soon outgrew her as she is a bit heavy on uphills. I treated her like something with a personality or a soul, so I cannot just sell her off. Just recently, I decided to give it as a gift to my own best friend, Rinna.

Athena

After 2 years of folding biking, I thought of trying out a Minivelo -a compact type of a road bike. Also got this from a Facebook seller. I named her Athena since the bike is a My Pallas Athene brand, a size-20 half suspension mini-MTB Minivelo. She has the largest crank 53T I ever had, 7-speed with slick tires, courtesy of a friend. Right now she is my ultimate ride. I was able to bring her up to Tagaytay and endured a century ride. The photo below was from the seller himself. I just added the handle grips.

Unlike most bikers, I do not keep more than two bikes at a time. I am pretty much kuripot, so I am not afflicted with folderitis or upgraderitis. Or the urge to upgrade and pimp out bikes. As a single mom, I am more about the joys of biking and being with friends. More stories to follow about my adventures with Athena. Cheers to biking!