Bikes and Trails

When I was a child, I liked riding the bicycle and exploring the neighborhood. Some weekends when my family would go to the Quezon Memorial Circle park, my dad would rent bikes for me and my brother and we’d ride around the park for hours. And then when I was in college, I would borrow my friend’s mountain bike especially when I was running low on loose change for jeepney rides to get to class.

In 2010 D and I appreciated cycling more as a practical way to get to know new places when we travel. We were in Munich for less than 24 hours and were able to roam quickly using our rented bicycles. We did this again when we were in Amsterdam, Kyoto, and Melbourne. Somehow with cycling I get more in tune with the surroundings and the moment, almost like a form of meditation for me.

Most days now whenever I walk (to work, to church) I daydream I am on a bicycle. It would sure save me more time to get to my destination faster, and at the same time tick the box for my daily exercise.

Speaking of exercise, D and his friends would regularly go to different bike trails at Metro Manila’s south for some serious cycling. There’s a trail right next to McKinley Hill in Taguig, at Filinvest in Alabang, and at Nuvali in Laguna. Of these trails, the Filinvest one is recommended for beginners. For a scenic view, best to try out the one in Nuvali. As for the one next to McKinley Hill, the path is lined up with trees so they shield bikers from the sun’s heat.

I wish there are bike paths in the Philippines so it is safer for cyclists to ride along city streets. It would definitely encourage more people to use bicycles as mode of transportation to reduce traffic congestions if there were bike paths. It would also be good for commuters like me to save on commute money, or parking and gas fee.