The Pinoy Bikepacker: A Cycle Touring Primer by Lagalag

Last night, I attended Lagalag's "The Pinoy Bikepacker: A Cycle Touring Primer" at their store in SM City North EDSA. I've always been interested in touring and it would be nice to hear from people who have been doing it.

The event started a little after 7:00pm and the discussion was led by Pen and G-third, who I believe are members of UP Mountaineers.

G-third and Pen

There were quite a lot of us packed inside the store. There were about 10 of us there who had no experience in the kind of multi-day bikepacking that they do. There were also other members of Lagalag in attendance. Generally, the talk had a very friendly vibe because of the presence of the "veterans". It's nice to see other people being interested in trying to do a bikepacking tour. As mentioned by G-third, people do bikepacking for different reasons. Some people just want to see new things and be in new places. Some people want to explore the in-betweens of their destinations. For me, it's all about experiencing getting from point A to point B using one of my favorite things in the world - a bicycle. I haven't really been doing a lot of traveling. But I love having more reasons to ride my bicycle. And seeing the pictures of their bikepacking trips (see them in their Facebook page) makes me think that seeing the beautiful scenery and the interesting people are just more reasons to do so.

Crowd shot

G-third was the one who discussed about the finer points of bikepacking. In his introduction, he told us how Google differentiated bikepacking from biketouring. Basically, to some, bikepacking involves shorter distances and lighter loads compared to biketouring. But for the purpose of our discussion, these two terms are interchangeable, thus the title of the talk. He also emphasized the idea of "Filipino bikepacking/biketouring". I've been researching on the web for a while and as G-third pointed out, foreigners do biketouring differently than we do. Mainly, Westerners have more financial freedom to do long tours so they can actually leave their day jobs and even sell of their possessions to fund their expeditions. This phenomenon is documented in several of the blogs and sites that I follow. Filipino bikepacking, is shorter and more on a shoestring budget because most of those who do it, can't leave their day jobs and have families to take care of. So in a sense, our brand of bikepacking is more "practical", I suppose.

G-third is bikepacker himself with a lot of experience

G-third then talked about the key things in preparing for a bike tour. Here are some of the things I learned:

1. Don't worry about age or lack of athleticism. There are many bikepackers who started in their latter years and those who came from virtually zero physical fitness. The key is to cut the length of the trip into shorter distances per day. But of course, having a couple of long rides are still a good way to prepare for any bikepacking trip.
2. Don't worry about having the right gear. Sometimes we can get too fixated on buying the right stuff, that we overspend for luxuries, distracting us from the more substantial planning. It's bikepacking, Filipino-style so all that is needed are the practical things. Keep it light and keep it simple. Conversely, we were comforted that we shouldn't worry about our gear, particularly the bicycle, breaking down. The occasional flats or even broken spokes happen, so knowing how to do basic fixes are important. But as G-third mention, worry about your body more than your bike. This means eating, hydrating, and resting properly before and during the trip.
3. Planning is everything. A bikepacking trip starts with a desire to see things.They talked about their Souteast Asia tour and it started with one of them just wanting to try the new border pass. Then, proceed to ask how much time and money can you spare for the trip. Knowing the destination, the budget, and the duration shapes the itinerary of the trip. The itinerary will only be complete if the route is plotted in the map. One of the most important tip that G-third mentioned is to check blogs, because more often than not, other people have tried the route that was envisioned. Researching online leads to knowing the right gear for the climate and finding out the best places to stay.
4. Find out the airports' and the airlines' policy on checking-in bicycles. We had a lengthy discussion about how to make sure that the bikes are checked in properly. Airlines and airports have different policies on this, so it's important to check online and to call ahead of time. When confirming the policy via the telephone, make sure there's a way for you to show the check-in counter personnel that you were instructed with a certain policy. This involves asking for an e-mail confirmation of the policy that you can print out and show. There was a also a discussion on the merits of checking-in a naked bike, putting it in a box or a bag, and wrapping them in plastic. Whenever able, try to push for a naked bike check-in.

The talk ended with a walkthrough of their Vietnam-Laos-Thailand. It was a very interesting trip. Going abroad for a biketour isn't in my mind yet, all I want to do is bikepack around the country, particularly in the Cordilleras. But seeing the photos and hearing their stories made me want to try it. G-third even mentioned that it's actually cheaper to go bikepacking in Vietnam than in the Philippines because the food and lodging are cheaper there. He said that they spent around 35,000 pesos for their 15-day tour. Then Pen said that exclusive of airfare, they spent around 7,000 for their 2-week tour.

Now all I want to do is plan a bikepacking trip to the Cordilleras

(photo c/o Lagalag's Facebook page)

All in all, the talk was quite informative. It's good to get some pointers from people who've actually done it. It's also nice to see how normal these other people are. They're not athletes or exploring extraordinaires. They're everyday people, with everyday responsibilities. If they can do it, so can I.

Postscript: I think it's awesome that even though we're in a store, G-third, Pen, Bunny, and everyone else aren't trying to sell us any of the equipment they have on sale. I appreciate that because it means they're really into it for the love of bikepacking, and not just to sell us stuff. I guess if I'm really into biketouring, I'm now in good company.

The Larga gear are actually cool and practical

Bikepacking to Puerto Galera

​Last weekend, I went to Puerto Galera with my college friends. Feeling a little extra adventurous, I invited my friend Jet to bikepack with me from Quezon City to Batangas Port. I was confident that the trip won't be too hard because I already rode to Calamba  last year for another outing with friends.

Jet found a biker's route map posted online that we'd follow. Honestly, I didn't check the route at all and just let Jet navigate. That's a mistake in bikepacking. Everyone should know the route.

View the MapMyRide route here

The second mistake I committed was not getting enough sleep. I was out drinking and playing Netrunner the night before so I only had roughly 2 hours of sleep. I woke up at 5:00am the next day to pack my bag and to make sure that my bike's tires have the right pressure. At aroung 5:45am, Jet arrived.

I opted to keep the basket so I can secure my backpack to my bicycle

The first agenda of the day is to get to Alabang, Muntinlupa. We crossed EDSA via Ortigas Avenue and proceeded to C5 via Shaw Boulevard. We then entered the SLEX west service road via Fort Bonifacio. Going through the service road on a weekday meant going alongside jeeps that keep on loading/unloading every 20 meters.

Eventually, at around 7:30am, we arrived at Alabang. I grabbed a quick breakfast in Jollibee and agreed that our next stop will be at Calamba.

Aside from having to wait for Jet in Muntinlupa (he took a "buko juice break"), the ride up until San Pedro, through the national highway, was uneventful. Then in Binan, we had to go through some sort of carmageddon. Both of the north-bound lanes were blocked off for about 50 meters due to road construction. The section was covered up so drivers can't see the oncoming traffic. Those going soutboud occupied one lane on the other side. The traffic wasn't moving so Jet decided to walk his bike through the sidewalk. I followed suit. We did the right move because traffic was indeed hopelessly gridlocked. On the other side, the northbound vehicles occupied all of the lanes. There was no traffic enforcer in sight. Oh well, it looked like there were a lot of people who'd have to take a leave from work.

At around 9:00am, we arrived at Calamba, Laguna. The sun is already up so it was getting really hot. We rehydrated and figured out how to go to the Laguna-Batangas boundary. We also checked on our friends who were traveling by car.

The ride to Batangas is actually an uphill one

We arrived at the boundary at around 10:00am. At this point, we've been covered around 70 kilometers already. Batangas is a big province and we have about 50 kilometers of riding to cover.

Our bikes' Laguna-Batangas boundary shot

After a quick 7-Eleven hydration break, we pushed through. We went through Tanauan and had a quick lunch in an eatery in Malvar. I ordered a plate of pancit canton and Jet opted for gotto with rice. I wanted to drink some softdrinks but for some reason, the town didn't get any delivery that week. The route was a gradual uphill until we arrived at Lipa City at 11:30am.

We then pushed onwards through Lipa City and San Jose. We eventually veered away from the national highway and took some sort of a back road in San Jose. 

At around 12noon, we got a call from out friends who just arrived at the Batangas Port. We needed to be in the port ASAP because our boat for Galera will leave at 1:00pm. Jet and I were confident that with a little over 30km to go, we can make it in time. So we started pedaling faster. Fortunately, the route from San Jose to Batangas City was more or less a downhill one.

After 10km, we were already approaching Batangas City. We were pedaling at a pace wherein, at best, we were covering a kilometer every 2 minutes. The time was around 12:35pm. By my estimate, if we maintain the pace, we'd get to the port by 12:55pm. At that point, I wasn't sure what the procedures for boarding were so I wasn't too confident that we'd make the 1:00pm boat ride. Nonetheless, we continued racing against the clock.

At around 12:50pm, we arrived at the port area. I had no idea the Batangas Port was so immense. We eventually found the right gate by 12:55pm but by that time, we were told that we won't be allowed to board the 1:00pm boat. So, we had to wait for the 2:45pm one.

While waiting for our ride, we freshened up (tip: always bring wet wipes when bikepacking) and ate a nice lunch. We had to buy 2 extra tickets for our bicycles. I'm not sure if that's the official policy at the port but we were in no mood to argue. We're just glad our bikes were allowed to board.

Our bikes at the pier

Waiting to be allowed to board

Our bikes were the last ones to be loaded into the boat. They were placed at the front. Unfortunately, we forgot to put a cover on our leather saddles. They got wet with sea water. Good thing there was no damage after the 1 hour ride. Another thing we didn't account for was the chain rust accumulation due to the salt water. Next time I'm bringing my bike to a boat, I'll make sure I pack some lube.

We arrived at Sabang Beach at around 4:00pm. We had to walk our bikes to our resort. A lot of sand stuck to our bikes and the brake pads so we knew we had to clean our bikes soon. Eventually, "after ten year", we saw our friends and we can finally say that we have arrived.

Jet and I decided that on our return trip, we'll just board our bikes on the van via Jet's bike harness. So there's no long biking for us on the way home. I was open to doing it but I'd rather not do it alone that day. Maybe next time.

Shirley along Sabang Beach

All in all, I think it was a good ride for us. If I'd do the ride again, I'd star earlier. 6:00am was a little too late. We had to do the climbs under the heat of the midday sun. Shirley, as usual, was more than capable to do this bikepacking trip. I couldn't be more happier with her. We actually met a couple of guys in Sabang that own Surley LHTs. One pf them actually did a bike tour from Europe to Hong Kong in a span of 3 years. 

For me, bikepacking is fun because I get to experience going through the towns along the highway. Cars go through expressways so most people don't get to see much of the sights. I know to some bikepacking is impractical because our 5-hour ride (7 hours total, inclusive of stops) would only take about 2 hours by car. But for me, the riding is all worth it. It's all about the experience of being able to ride a long distance, of being able to go to places in my own terms. A little sweat and some dirt never bothered me anyway.

Jalajala Long Ride

It's been months since my last long ride, so when my friend Oz asked around for people to join him in a ride to Jalajala, Rizal I immediately said yes. Last Thursday, April 17, I set out on a PATW (padyak-all-the-way, as my friend Paolo Duay would say) to our meet-up point at the Bulawan Floating Restaurant in Pililla, Rizal.

It took me 50km of riding to reach the meetup point. It was actually my first time to go beyond the Manila East - Sampaloc Road junction. Usually, I'd turn left to do the Reverse Sierra Loop. Unfortunately, I had to wait almost an hour for my companions to arrive because they rode their cars to Bulawan. The traffic was heavy in several points after Teresa. I guess people wanted to go either to the popular vacation spots in Rizal or to Quezon Province.

Shirley waiting in the gate of Bulawan Floating Restaurant

Eventually, Oz, Slim, Mo, and Miguel arrived and we proceeded to go on an easy ride to the tip of Jalajala. Oz was riding his new cyclocross bike and Slim, Mo, and Miguel rode their mountain bikes.

En route to Jalajala (Photo c/o Miguel's Instagram)

At the tip of Jalajala, overlooking the Laguna Lake (c/o Miguel's Instagram)

The ride to the tip of Jalajala was around 20km from our meetup point in Bulawan. The route was mostly flat and at several points, we were riding with other bikers as well. It was mid-day and the summer sun was shining brightly. Good thing it was quite windy, unfortunately the breeze will not stop me from getting a serious tan later on.

After riding back to our meetup point (another 20km ride), we looked for a place to eat lunch. The floating restaurant was filled with people so we found another restaurant (Stephanie's). After a brief break, I bid adieu to my companions as I resume my PATW back to Manila.

My friend Jet met up with me before going up Teresa. His company was short-lived because we eventually lost each other after reaching the town proper. But his company up the slopes of Teresa was well-appreciated.

Summer's heat was too much to bear and I needed a lot of hydration along the way. Good thing I had a healthy dose of free water refills c/o the Lakbay Alalay stations and some refreshing buko juice.

Eventually, after almost 6 hours of riding, I got back home. It was a 142km ride all in all, 18km shy of a century. Maybe next time, I'll push more mileage. For now, I'm just glad to be back on the saddle.

Awesome shot c/o Oz

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I know it's not really safe to listen to music while biking but it would be remiss to not mention how much I enjoyed listening to my indie OPM playlist during the long ride. The upbeat songs made the heat of the sun and the occasional steep climbs so much more bearable. I think it's safe to listen to music as long as the cyclist is aware of his surroundings (e.g. do the regular shoulder checks).

Below are some songs from my playlist.

Riding with Team Adventureros

The lone photo I took during the ride

Last Saturday, I joined my friend Paolo and his group Team Adventureros on their newbie ride around the Sierra Madre loop. It was my third time to go around that route so I was expecting the ride to be easier than in the past. Unlike my previous long rides, I opted to just bring my rear rack pack with me and leave the belt bag at home. I also packed less stuff (no extra food) and instead of wearing my usual Merrell Trail gloves, I wore my Sandugo sandals.

After meeting up with Paolo and Drake (a first timer) near Cogeo, we pedaled to our first pitstop, about 35km into our ride (I can't remember the name of the place so I need to take a photo next time). In the pitstop, we refilled our water bottles and my two companions drank bottles of soda to get energy from sugars. After a few minutes of rest and pleasantries, we went on our way.

After a few kilometers, Paolo and I noticed that Drake stopped a few meters back. Apparently, he was having troubles with his rear cassette - his bike's chain won't go into the cog when shifting. Paolo, the ever reliable mechanic, busted out his screwdriver and adjusted the rear derailleur. And so we went on our way.

After a kilometer or so, I heard air coming our of my rear wheel. I stopped and checked my tire and I saw that my bike has suffered a flat. For the record, this has been Shirley's third flat since I got her over a month ago. I actually get a flat tire every time I go for a long ride. With Drake's help, I was getting ready to replace the inner tube (bought one spare after my last mishap) when a guy approached me and told me to just have the wheel vulcanized. When I asked the manong where the nearest shop was, he pointed to the shop right across the street. I was so focused on removing the wheel that I didn't notice the shop. After a few minutes, the 18-peso vulcanizing job was done and we were on our way.

We went through our usual routes and usual stops (soda break at the kawayan kubo and lunch at that eatery in front of Pranjetto Resort). The Adventureros are actually a fun bunch to ride with. Most of them ride in mountain bikes. I liked hearing their experiences in their long rides including their multi-day ride to Baguio. I guess that ride won't be the last time I'd be joining their group.

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Currently, a couple of things about Shirley is bugging me. First, I think I need to find a better set of tires. Currently, I'm using Kenda Klimax Lite. These tires are very light. But as my experience have shown, they're prone to punctures because they are quite thin. Touring bikes need bomb-proof tires that can survive harsh road conditions. But at the same time, I need tires with little rolling resistance so I can easily accelerate on pavement. I'm currently looking for a shop in Metro Manila that carries any one of the following:

• Continental Travel Contact
• Continental Touring Plus
• Schwalbe Marathon Plus
• Schwalbe Marathon Extreme
• Schwalbe Marathon Dureme
• Vittoria Randonneur

I also want to change my pedals. I'm currently using a pair of Exustar P-921 pedals. They're cool looking pedals because of their small size. At first, my only problem with them is their sharp teeth. My legs kept getting small wound whenever my calf accidentally hits a pedal. But after last Saturday's long ride, I realized that their small size is also a problem.

This is how my pedal comes in contact with my footwear - (left) Merrell Trail Glove and (right) Sandugo sandals

The effective surface of my pedals are about 75mm only. The consequence of the short width is pain in the knees during hard pedaling. I learned this after last Saturday's ride. Because part of my foot isn't leveled on the pedal, my knees either flex inward or outward. This lateral stress on the knees caused some mild pain in my inner right knee a few days after the ride. The small surface area of the pedal makes for a slippery hold during wet conditions. In addition, bigger pedals would definitely provide better power transfer per downstroke.

Any of the following pedals would be excellent replacement for the ones I have:

MKS Sylvan Touring

MKS Lambda

Velo Orange Touring

Shirley at the Million People March

This morning, I brought Shirley to Quirino Grandstand to join the Million People March against the abuses in the use of the pork barrel. Although I went on my own, I had a great time hanging out with the other bikers. 

All 'em boys kept staring at her racks

There were actually several bikers who approached me, admiring Shirley's racks. They'd ask me where I got her and if I go on touring. Then our conversation would shift towards the issue of the pork barrel and we'd talk to about what we think can and should be done. Not bad. Good job bikers!

I was going around with some random bikers

More bikers

Fixie community represented

Next time I ride a bike to a rally, I'd bring a flag along

These bikers were riding chromed cruisers. Astig!

The WTF moment of the day. Impeached Chief Justice Corona showed up and people boo-ed and shouted "Epal!"

There were a lot more interesting stuff that I saw in the rally, like bikers wearing Guy Fawkes masks, witty banners, copper-plated bikes, recumbents, members of the Tiklop Society of the Philippines, and mini velos. Unfortunately, my phone won't turn on any more. I wish I had a better smartphone for times like this.

Oh well.

*oink oink oink oink oink oink*

What to Bring on a Long Ride

1 - Rear rack bag. This 10L bag is perfect for those extra Gatorade bottles, snacks, and change of clothes.

2 - Hand towel - especially useful for wiping my hands when texting in the rain.

3 - Water bottle. Never leave home without it.

4 - Light raincoat. It's not about being dry on the road. It's really just to avoid getting the chills because of the wind.

5 - Saddle cover, because leather saddles hate a downpour.

6 - Plastic bags. This is useful as either a double protection for the saddle or as a bag for those wet clothes.

7 - Head light

8 - Ziplock bags - my gadgets' bestfriend.

9 - Jersey and cycling shorts

10 - Extra shirt

11 - Hand pump

12 - Patch kit

13 - Gloves

14 - Snacks (Choco Mucho and an apple)

Note to self: Pack a couple of tire tubes

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Some sights from yesterday's ride along the Sierra Madre loop:

Beware!

 Shirley looking pensive

There's a lot of climbing to do

Siblings photo 

Halfway point brunch break

When Shirley Turned into a Cyclocross Bicycle

This morning, I joined Oz, Noah, and Mo on a bike ride around the Cogeo-San Mateo loop. I was looking forward to go on a long ride with my road bike, Mrs. F, but Oz told me last night that we'll be going through some trail so I opted to bring Shirley.

Shirley, waiting for the others

Shirley, somewhere on top of Antipolo

One of the highlights of the trip was meeting Shirley's older sibling. At around the 25km mark, we stopped by this bulalohan to rehydrate.

This place is a biker's pit stop

There, we met Paolo, Oz's friend.

What I want Shirley to be

Like me, Paolo rides a Surly Long Haul Trucker. His Surly, though blue in color, also has the same set of racks as mine. It's even outfitted with a black Brooks saddle, though his is the more deluxe version (i.e. the Brooks Champion Flyer).

Look at those springs!

I also inspected his bike and saw a couple of neat things. His bike had a dynamo in his front hub that is connected to a front light. That's useful for riding in that dark for extended hours. He also has a cross bar on a 2nd stem wherein he attached a second set of brake levers and a handle bag mount.

I think I'd like to order this from Amazon

It looks weird but it does seem practical

Although his Surly LHT is smaller in size compared to my Shirley, his bike  is the more experienced one. He told us that he has gone on an 8-hour bike ride to Pinatubo. I guess I could say that he's been doing the kind of touring that I wanted to do. Seeing someone like him who actually goes on a tour on a Surly LHT definitely motivated me to start planning longer rides to scenic places.

Our next stop was the Ten Commandments in Camp Sinai in San Mateo, Rizal (Yes. Sinai. Ten Commandments). But on the way to Sinai, we had to go through Heaven's Gate cemetery. Well, technically we just passed by it. There was nothing heavenly about that climb, though. My thighs got a good work out from that climb, especially because we also went up that MMDA office in San Mateo. But eventually, we reached Camp Sinai and the humongous slabs of stone.

I look awkward

View from the handlebar

Unlike the last long ride, part of this morning's itinerary was a brunch break. At mid-morning we had adobo flakes at Pestano's, also along San Mateo. It's also a famous pitstop for bikers and we saw some who were heading for Timberland.

Thank you Noah for the treat!

While we were eating, rain started to fall so I had to cover Shirley's saddle with a plastic bag. After our meal, I put on my raincoat because I didn't want to be shivering the way I did when we went around the Sierra Madre loop. It's a thin, yellow raincoat so it fit nicely in my belt bag. As an added bonus, I felt like I was doing a Jesse Pinkman in a hazmat suit.

I'd love to wear this on Halloween

So we rode a few more kilometers until we reached the end of the road and the start of the Timberland basic trail. It was my first time to go on a trail so I just followed Noah's lead. We saw several mountain bikers along the rocky, muddy path. Aside from slipping once, I think I did pretty well for a newbie. After getting out of the trail, we inspected our bikes. As expected, Shirley got caked with mud. My primary concerns were my saddle and my brakes. I checked my plastic cover for leaks and found none. We were going for a wet downhill ride so the brakes are very important. Fortunately, on the downhill my brakes didn't fail me.

Eventually, we reached Marikina and then we parted ways near Libis.

Just like my last ride, I ended the wet long ride with some hot noodle soup.

Kowloon House, White Plains

Epilogue:

On my way home, along P.Tuazon, I rode my bike though a small hole. When my rear wheel got out of the hole, I realized that it was flat already so I walked the last 500m of my 50km ride.

My one month old inner tube has failed me

After a quick trip to my favorite bike shop, I got a new inner tube already and Shirley is ready for yet another ride.

Some thoughts about today:
1. It pays to bring a raincoat.
2. Ziplocks and plastic bags are essential.
3. I wish I had a smart phone that can track my route.
4. Trail running looks fun. We met a friend of Mo who was running in Timberland. I think I'd like to try it some time.
5. Don't eat a heavy meal in the middle of a ride. Rather, go for smaller meals like bananas.
6. I really prefer the open road than the trail.
7. I need to practice patching tube holes.