Random Ramblings of a City Cyclist

Warning: This is just one giant wall of text.

I wish that the people who are in the business of what happens to and on our city roads would take the time to ride bicycles arond their cities. Hopefully local chief executives, and DPWH district engineers and contractors would find out for themselves that our rough and bumpy roads are literally causing a lot of pain in the butt (and the wrist). Can't we make smoother roads? I wish there was a way to make those manholes be at road level. And can we please find a better way to patch those potholes? Filling them with asphalt only makes for another bump in the road. Maybe the people from MMDA and the city planners would see the ridiculously cramped bottlenecks in the roads - it's like having to choose between getting your bike tire stuck in a manhole or you getting swiped by a side mirror. I hope the people from LTO and LTFRB would smell the toxic fumes from those jeeps and trucks. And please, can someone unleash the kraken on those jeeps!? They are the most unpredictable vehicles on the road. All road users should know that predictability is the root of road safety. I also wish car drivers would be more considerate. I know that these city roads were made with you in mind (though I think livable cities should have cyclists and pedestrians in mind), but please learn to share the road. No matter, how fast you try to overtake us, we'll surely meet you in the next stoplight. So please, learn to chillax a bit and know that people in bikes are also trying to be on time for their next appointment. I learned from my Dutch friend that there's no better way to know your city than riding a bicycle. So please, all of you, try hopping on a bike and see our cities the way we cyclists see it.

TED Videos on Urban Bicycle Culture

Below are some videos I've seen in YouTube on making cities more bike-friendly. We need all the ideas and inspiration we can get if we want to transform Metro Manila.

Bicycle Culture by Design: Mikael Colville-Andersen at TEDxZurich

Key take-aways:

1. We should veer away from traffic engineering and move into a more user-centered design.
2. Sociology - anthropology and mapping "desire lines" are great starting points to investigating safe and usable infrastructure for modern cities.
3. It doesn't always have to be all about the automobiles.

TEDxCopenhagen - Mikael Colville-Andersen - Why We Shouldn't Bike with a Helmet

Key take-aways:

1. The bicycle helps in rebuilding cities into livable ones.
2. We live in an age wherein the culture of fear is prevalent. And fear clutter up the ideology.
3. The scientific community is split on the efficacy of wearing helmets. A study showed that wearing a helmet increases the chance of getting an accident by 14%. They are designed for non-life threatening impacts in solo accidents under 20 km/h.

TEDxPortland 2011 - Mia Birk - Pedaling Towards a Healthier Planet

Key take-aways:

1. I think I should visit Portland, Oregon and study how they made their roads cycle-friendly.
2. To make bike lanes, maybe we can try removing a foot or two from our car lanes.
3. I should try to get a copy of her book.

Surly LHT Frame

Today marks a milestone in my preparations for my bike tour around Luzon. I have finally purchased the frame of my bike. I also got a quotation for the parts that I'll need to complete my bike. And oh boy is it expensive. I need a way to cut the cost to almost half. I need to do more research.

Cycling Books from Washington DC

I just came from a work trip in Washington, DC. On one afternoon, we found this great bookstore called Politics and Prose along Connecticut Ave. In their Sports section, I found a great selection of cycling books and below is a photo of the ones I bought.

I also found out that Washington DC has a lot of bikers. I saw a lot of commuters riding all sorts of bicycles from granny bikes to fixies. With the picturesque parks and brick buildings as their backdrop, the DC cyclists are wonderful to watch. Impressively, DC also boasts a bikeshare program of their own, the Capital Bikeshare.

I wonder how the ADB's bikeshare program in Davao is doing.

Tocino Day

In life, sh*t happens. Mine happened last February 10, 2013 at 11:20AM along Timog Avenue.

I was signalling to a car behind me that I'll over take a car parked in front of me. I looked behind my shoulder, pointed my left had to the side, then "BAM!", my front tire went in a pothole. I somersaulted off my bike. As time seemed to slow down, I hear someone across the street shout "Putangina, ang bilis!". My right hand tried to absorb the shock from the fall, but to no avail. My right knee, my right elbow, and my right shoulder scraped the asphalt pavement. My head fell to the ground. I guess I was fortunate that I was wearing a helmet.

I immediately stood up. I stood my bike, slammed the tires to the ground out of frustration. I checked my bike. The chain fell off the chainring. I placed the chain in place with my fingers. My fingers are painted with a mix of grease and blood. I took out my handerchief and wiped the sweat from my brow. I looked at my knee. It was a bloody mess. I wiped my hands and went on my bike. I was apprehensive at first but the bike held up. I rode to a nearby pharmacy to buy some antiseptic and cotton. I got home a few minutes afterwards and tried to clean my tocino as best as I can.

Now I can't bend my knee without cringing. My wrist hurts when moved a certain way. And my neck feels stiff.

I spend most of the time sitting, counting the days when I can ride my bike again.

Biking and Dining

One of the advantages of biking is how easy it is to go to nearby establishments. Having a folding bike makes this even more convenient. I've brought my bike to carinderias, coffee shops, and restaurants a handful of times already. Although I'm not as hardcore as some folding bike owners, I'd like to think that I've taken advantage of my bike to some extent.

This evening, I went to Gilmore to have a quick (and late) dinner at Hermano's Taco Shop. I like bringing my bikes in small establishments that don't attract a lot of people so I can easily and discreetly bring my bike inside. Unlike some people, I'm quite shy when people watch me (un)fold my bike.

Road Bike to Work

For the first time in months, I was able to ride a bike to work again. My folding bike is still in the shop, awaiting new brakes to be installed. This is the first time I've used my racer to go to the office. This morning's travel time is the shortest ever, clocking in at a little over 19 minutes.

Riding my road bike to work requires a slight change in my usual bike routine. First, I wasn't able to ride while wearing my work slacks. I usually wear my pants over my cycling shorts. But this morning, all I had on were the shorts. Secondly, I didn't have the luxury of a front rack. I had to wear my messenger bag throughout the trip. Actually, it wasn't so bad. But the biggest change of all is that I have to wear a helmet. It's my personal rule to always wear a helmet when riding my racer. I still can't pedal around cars at 38kph without one.

I would like to think that this is how I looked like this morning