My Journey to Infanta Quezon

Before this epic Infanta Quezon solo ride, 3 days before, I was with Chris and Rnr at Tanay Rizal doing the Sierra Loop. Those guys were really fast. Reality hit me - I am old and weak. I cant keep up with them. It was painful. I tried catching up but my legs gave. Ending in cramps.  Days after, I wanted to redeem myself and decided to give it another shot. Am I really that weak? Lets see. 

It was dark and gloomy. The weather inviting. I saddled and pedalled up to Tanay for a ride. I reached Marcos Highway and stopped by at Pickup Coffee.

I was contemplating. Instead of going for another Sierra Loop, I think it would be better if I just go to Boso-Boso. Laziness struck me again. When I was cruising down Ahon coffee in Boso-Boso, there were so many people and I just said "naaahhh...". I didnt stop. Sierra Loop it is.  Then I reached the corner of Sampaloc on which I should make a right turn. The demons inside me whispered... "Go straight..."

And I listened... 

Something hit me. If you're too afraid to do anything, you will never go anywhere. Life is short to be stuck. What the hell. I gave it a shot. I have no idea what to expect. Is it gonna be hard? Is it gonna be cold? Slippery? I dunno. I just pushed myself. 

From that corner in Sampaloc, it was just 35kms away to reach Infanta, Quezon. 35kms... tss! Basic. It aint that far. 

I was dead wrong. 

Most of it is going up. It was long. Painful. Agonising. The weather dramatically changed. Its like a, new world up there. 

  

And It suddenly freaking rained! Poured really hard. Raindrops are like shots from a pellet gun. I cant see shit. Almost zero visibility. Then there was this fear of roadkill from damn speeding trucks! Plus the threat of landslides could definitely happen. But I still pedalled away without fear. I even shouted to the mountains, If its your will, take me. Im starting to lose it. 

I reached Infanta around 1pm and I was really amazed about it. I did that? Usually on Saturdays I just sleep all day and and scratch my balls. Whats happening to me?  I stayed for a while. Asked this nice lady to take a photo of me by the arc. I just sucked all the infanta air I could and gathered strength then went back. 

It was like this going down. When I took this photo, you can still see a little bit of the road. A few seconds later, it was gone. Its all white. Like the clouds went down. Then it rained really hard I cant hardly see. I was so drenched and it was freezing cold. Water is gushing like a river. Its really hard to pedal. And I hate it when my socks are squishy. 

What am I doing with my life?  

I reached Tanay Highlands and stopped for coffee (and I badly need to pee). It was really cold. I was like, a wet dog. That cup of coffee is a savior. I head out and tried to get home before dark. Good thing I brought my lights.  Im around Cogeo area around 5:00 pm and oh man, the jeepney drivers and trikes out there are mad crazy! You really have to keep your temper down... I just pretended my handlebars are their necks!

When I reached Commonwealth, I stopped by at St.Peter. I just wanna thank God Im still alive after that long crazy solo ride. I arrived at our house around 7:30pm. Damn. that ride was really exhausting. But very rewarding though. I havent done anything that scary. I just wanna give myself a " Tap at the back " for doing such a thing. And slowly started to realize, it was fun. And, I can do it again....  There was this quote i forgot who said it and it says ,  

" Everything you really love, is at the other side of fear... " 

If you're scared, thats the time you should do it. Who knows, you might even like it. :)

Till next time! 

My 1st Mayon 360 Bike Challenge!

It was my actually my 1st time to wander around the streets of Legazpi City. Ived been to Bicol before way back but I just passed by when I went to Sorsogon. I joined the Mayon 360 Bike Challenge simply because of the idea of riding my bike around Mayon Volcano is one of my bucketlists! 

The majestic view of Mayon volcano is quite satisfying to see. Its breathtaking. By the way, this event is not a race. Its basically for the experience. But I really came here to challenge myself. I was aiming for a personal best and I want to finish the whole 86kms under 4 hours.   

 

And I did it! 3 hours and 50 minutes! I really pushed it. I only stopped once for a water refill and twice just to take a photo of my bike and Mayon. Then I blasted myself all the way to the finish. Thats my goal for the day. I just want to beat the crap out of my old self. 

I cant help to pause right here because the view of Mayon right here is really beautiful. There were no clouds covering the volcano. Its just right there with all its glory. It really does have that perfect cone shape. Amazing.

Of course, a photo at the most famous 7/11 in the country. The one with the view of Mayon at the back. I dont want this moment to pass. I just grabbed my buddy kuya joel to take a photo :P 

Before anything else, this is my first time to ride in a bus with my bike. And I am doing it alone. I removed the front and back wheels so it will be easier to put inside. I covered my carbon fork with bubble wrap as well as the carbon cranks. I secured the dropbars with a velcro strap. Then placed my wheels on an Ikea bag. 

Its a bad decision actually to remove the rear wheel because when I unloaded the bike, this "nut" that holds my rear skewer got lost. Left my skewer dangling for dear life. Good thing the skewer didnt got lost. I really dont know what happened but I was mad looking for that piece of nut around the bus's compartment. No where to be found. When I arrived at Legazpi, thats the 1st thing I did. Look for a bikeshop that sells a thru axle. If im lucky, just the nut. But i think that wont happen coz you have to buy the whole thing. After searching from 3 bikeshops, theres one at Hobbies Cycle Shop in Legazpi that sells thru axles! Mad props to Sir Mark and his crew. Thanks guys. 

So here I am at the Bicol Isarog terminal in Cubao. My bus fare cost around 1,200 pesos. Plus I have to pay the fee for my bike that costs around 700 pesos!!! Aint cheap to bring your bike in a bus! Probably because the bus is loaded with bikes inside and theres no room for other bags to be placed. I got these luggage stickers. Placed the bike inside and went to my seat. 

I just have to accept that Im gonna be sitting here for 14 hours. You might be asking why Im sitting with my wheels like a girlfriend? I dunno to be honest. I just thought It would be better to just bring along the wheels with me because its so cramped out there at the luggage area. So yeah. Im comfy with tires by my side...

I dunno what happened but I slept like a baby. Probably because I was really tired the whole day. Its not that comfy but then again. I closed my eyes and when I opened it , it was morning. I just have to apologize to the people around me coz i tend to snore when Im tired. Thats why every time I go out on a camping, as much as possible I want to sleep alone in a tent coz i think i snore really bad.

  

I was still in Quezon and I still have 4 hours left to Legazpi City. To be honest, riding the bus is not that bad at all. I mean, you have time to pause. You have time to basically not to do anything but look at the rice fields passing by. I dunno is kinda theraputic. I guess living in a concrete jungle is overwhelming. If by any chance Im out to unplug, count me in. 

After my bike problems was settled. I went to SM Legazpi to get my race kit. This is my first time to participate in Mayon 360 Bike Challenge. This is their 4th year. Every year, the number of participants is growing by the number. I heard that there are 900 listed for this event. Thats a huge number. It only says that this event is successful already before it even started. 

The kit has a dry fit shirt (I like it by the way. Nice and soft). The race number, seatpost number, a bottle of ethyl alcohol and a few stickers. It came with a string bag. Which I may use during those quick market rides. 

I prepped my gear. Pinned my bib number at the back of my jersey. I really should buy those bib number holders that runners usually use during fun runs and marathons. I really dont want to stick a safety pin all the time at the back of my jersey coz these jerseys aint cheap. I dont want to mess it up and put holes on it. What do you think is the best option? 

Race day finally came. Again its not a race but a challenge! Race for food actually. There were so many participants. I heard there were 500 came out of the 900 who registered. The atmosphere is electric. I can see so many Colnago road bikes! I really dream of having one someday. There also celebrities and vloggers who joined. I noticed also there were corporate teams. Some senior citizens in their classic bikes. And kids! Also, a lot of the bikers came from afar! Some as far as Europe! Singapore! Fairview Quezon City!   

And the ladies,  oh yeah. They are pretty. Bicolanas are not only fierce but gorgeous as well. Kinda melts my heart before the gunstart! Its one of those premiere attractions from that event. Mayon is not the only thing out there beautiful. :P

So here I am riding my way around Mayon! I just have to say good job to the hard working people for this event. The staff, and the police assistance! For controlling the traffic for this event! Everything was so smooth. Good thing motorists complied and gave way. Except for that one incident a motorcycle who went against traffic almost hit me head on. Good thing my reflexes are still good and bunny-hopped a pot hole for safety! 

 

3 hours after. There it is. I finished it! The fastest that I could. Four Personal Records accdg to my strava! I have to apologize to my friend Chi who called me out while me Im pedalling my way down the straight away. All i did was raise my hand! I didnt had the chance to shout back. I was so tired again i almost cramped out at the last 2 kilometers. For the entire ride, I just drank whats inside my water bottle and ate 2 GU energy gels! When I crossed the finish line, I only thought of one thing - to eat! There were small karinderyas around the area. Oh man. 3 rice is not enough. I had pinangat. 2 pieces of spam. Fried egg and an order of Bicol express. Plus 2 bottles of coke! Grabe. 

  

What a beautiful medal. By far, this is the prettiest medal I ever had. It doesnt look cheap. It looks premium and well designed. Kudos to the organizers of this event. Its well prepped. Well organized. Well thought off. Marshalls are awesome. Lights and sounds are amazing. The video and photographers are incredible (Sad though I dont have a single photo). The food at the stops looks delicious as well but  i didnt had the chance to grab one though. The experience is a blast!

I just have to post this photo of me with my dream bike. Manifesting. Its a Colnago V4RS. Its a funny story though. I cant help to ask I could take a photo with his beautiful bike. We even even had a chat. Unfortunately I didnt take his name. Anyway, they are couples from Singapore. Her wife actually asked for a bag as a gift. When Fathers day came, the dad asked for a new bike. He said it was on sale that time. But she didnt knew it was 5,000 Singaporian Dollars! Her wife bought it anyway since hes a good husband she said. Hopefully someday I can have one of those awesome wife... i mean bike. :)

I will definitely need one of these Bike Cases someday. I have some future plans of travelling with my bike. Probably explore the Philippines first. All those places like Siargao, Marinduque, Romblon... i would love to go riding there someday. It would be safer for my bike to be in a case. And probably someday go international!! I was hoping to join Grinduro in Japan someday. Another bucketlist. :)

So there you go! My Mayon 360 Bike Challenge Experience! Thanks for reading! Heres a short video that I made from that trip. Hope you enjoy it.  Till next time! :)

My Riding Journey

This is probably my first time posting about my bike and my riding journey. For the past few years, I have been on the saddle. Its my kind of, therapy. I have to admit that I suffer from depression. Most of the time I feel down. I feel like nothings goin on with me. This is me living the moment. No future, ugly past.  For me, the only way to fight it is thru cycling.

I ride not to compete with everybody else. Im way past my prime. Let the kids grab their awards. My only victory is that I tried and conquered the challenge and become better. No one else. Just me. Me against me. That fuels my fire. 

Its not easy. Im getting old. Its not like before that I can do anything and I felt like flying! Now, its all in my head but the body cant follow. Its like punishing myself. The pain and agony is surprisingly - addicting. 

My last race in clark, i have 8 kms left till finish line. I suffered really painful cramps on my left leg. The entire left leg. From my calves all the way to my thigh. Good thing a passerby (God bless him) gave me some electrolyte capsules. In about couple of minutes, Im up and peddaling again. I finished 19th in my age category plus a new personal record clocking 4 hours , 51 minutes in a 120km ride. 

I have been a fan of Gravel Racing lately. My favorite among the races is when I joined the one in Nueva Ecija called Attck Unrstrcktd. Its a 120km gravel race in the fields of one of the hottest and windiest place on the country. So windy my bike is turning on its own as the gust of wind pushes me. Its hard when the wind pushes you on the side. You really have to pedal hard and fight back. 

Another place where I love to ride is the roads of Sierra Madre. The weather is cold. The canopy of trees shelter you from the raging sun. The long winding road gives you that natural high! I already had 3 Sierra loops under my belt. Naks yabang. 100+ kms of pure riding bliss. 

It also has river crossings and crazy bumpy trails. Exhausting but very fulfilling. Sometimes I do ask myself why I do this? And most of the time I dont know the answer and I still keep on doing it. I just love to push myself. Push myself to insanity. 

By far this is the longest Ived ever ridden. The Laguna Loop. 200km ride! We were riding our bikes as early as 3am and finished almost 8pm.  Well, we had a few stops along the way. That ride was fun. Crazy fun. 

This is my current bike set-up for now. I recently bought the new Panaracer Gravelking Sleek tires. Im riding around Bicol this weekend. I joined this bike challenged called Mayon 360. Wer gonna go cycling around mayon volcano. Total distance of 80kms. Its actually my first time cycling in Bicol and Im really excited. 

Actually theres more stories to share but Im kinda tired. I have to say, cycling saved my life. Without it I dunno where am I now. Its like an outlet. Everytime Im sad, I go for a ride. If Im happy, I go for a ride. If im not doing anything, I go for a ride. Its not just a form of exercise. For me, its an escape. 

Daraitan Weekend Adventure

 

I really enjoy camping. To some people, its stressful, time consuming, exhausting. They are probably right. Who wouldnt want a soft comfy bed with an air-conditioned room with 24 hour room service? In camping, if you dont move, you are good as dead. You will not eat. You wont have shelter. Wolves might eat you. Kidding. I really dont know how to explain why to me its better. Probably the manner of prepping everything your own from food to your bed is actually fulfilling. Plus, being one with nature is something else.  

This is my first time in Daraitan River in Tanay, Rizal. Its quite an experience! We planned this trip probably a month earlier. I really dont know what came to their heads that made them decide to go camping. This is actually the 1st time I went camping with these guys. We usually go swimming at resorts. Hangout in malls. Grab some dinner.  But camping, nahh. Im kinda anxious what might happen. Everything went all smooth. Everyone did their part. We all had a great time. 

The best thing about this trip is that the food is overwhelming. We had so many! We had some BBQ, vegies, soup. We had scrambled eggs. Even fish! Everybody was well fed. We had so much even the dogs and cats enjoyed it. 

Everybody gathered around and did all their thing. Someone is grilling. Another one is prepping the vegetables. Another cooking the rice. I did most of the washing of the dishes and keeping the area clean. Im quite an OC on cleanliness. I just cant stand when everything is a mess. (unless im drunk as hell)

If you love cats, this place has a lot of them. One of the cats even managed to go inside my tent. Woke up with a pussy at my side. Pussy cat it is. They are all over. One even got her claws on the grilled fish! A friend of mine told me that cats not only bring good luck but also keeps the rats away. 

 

This tent I bought from Decathlon is worth it. I just bought under 3k in pesos. Ived been using it for almost 2 years now. Still perfect. It survived heavy rains. No leakage whatsoever. Its quite heavy though. But for under 3,000 pesos, its all good. The brand is Quencha from Decathlon.

 Its been cold. Drizzled a little. Perfect weather for drinking. Good thing the camp area provides a bonfire. We gathered around the fire catching up and even roasted some marshmallows. One of the hightlights of the of night. I had a couple of beers as well. Theres more left actually. These guys, as they grew old, they became weak when it came to drinking. Its probably a good thing.. 

By the way, the name of the place is The Private Camp : Daraitan . Its googable. Just look for it on Google maps for directions. The place is not bad at all. Part of the package are 2 tents that fits 3 each. A kubo where it sleeps 3 to 4. It has a kitchen. Where u can grill and cook. And a dining area. Not bad. The bathroom is common. They dont have running water though. But they have an ample supply of water stored into drums though. Its all good. Best part, it has direct access to the river. 

This is Daraitan River. Water is cold that came from the mountains of Sierra Madre. Its flowing and its not that deep. But when the rains come, it can go deeper and probably dangerous to swim at. Good thing the weather is forgiving. When we checked out, the downpour was crazy. Almost zero visibility. 

There was a bridge before if you want to river cross. Due to bad weather, I guess the bridge washed out. So residents use small boats to cross. It can hold a tricycle with all your stuff. I have to give credit to the boat operators. Tough labor for these guys. I made a video for this trip. Just click on the thumbnail below. Thanks for reading. See you at our next travel blogs.

Back in Sagada

 

Im Back to again one of my favorite place to visit.  North! Where the breeze are cold. The winds are chilly. And the clouds touch your feet. Im back at Sagada! I was once again invited by my good friend Kuya Dhenver to go on a trip at Sagada along with my new found friends. They call themselves Aftersix club since they go down drinking after six pm. Anyways Im just grateful they keep on inviting me along since Kaladkarin naman ako. So anyway. Here we are at Sagada! We stayed at Sagada Sunrise View Homestay. Now its operated by Red Doors. You can see them at agoda.com 

The view of the sunrise makes you wanna cry if youre a sensitive prick. Its really beautiful. By the way this photo is not staged at all. I just went outside sipping coffee and I found this. These are the moments that being alive is simply amazing. Its like flying but your feet is on the ground. I really love this place. If ever you wanna go to Sagada, this hotel got the view that ur looking for. 

By the way, its also my first time to step foot on the Highest Point of our highway system. The last time I went to Sagada is by bus. We had no stopovers and were on another route. This time we went by van and this is a different route. I asked our driver , Kuya Abe, to stop so I can take some photos. I needed to pee as well. 

Driving up north really takes balls of steel. Slippery roads. Almost zero visibility. Plus hard rain causes landslides. Just be thankful if you reach Sagada in one piece. I am. We're on a Toyota Super Grandia compliments of Dewen Transport. That van can really punch it. Its darn fast and powerful. And the comfort inside is superb. Makes me wanna have one someday. 

  

One thing I really miss In Sagada is the food. They have this dish called Pinikpikan. I know the way it was prepped was somehow inhumane but thats the way the locals cook it. It has this certain taste. Its different. Its more flavorful. Plus in this soup, they added Etag meat. Its really good. 

Of course Sagada wont be complete if you aint gonna go exploring. The place got too much too offer. You got rice fields from left to  right. Caves. Waterfalls. One thing that I learned is, always wear comfy shoes. Comfy hiking shoes. I wore sandals from Sandugo by the way. Its nice wearing them though since ur feet usually gets soaked by water. It also has traction. Useful if ur walking along mud and rocks. 

 

This is actually the first time I visited the hanging coffins. Its kinda a creepy and amazing. You got to put a lot of hardwork and effort to place those coffins. In my opinion, i think they did this kind of burial coz maybe.. mountains are abundant in the area and I think cemetaries with flat land seems far so they just kept their dead hanging on the cliffs. I dunno. Just my 2 cents. What do you think?

There was a surprise at the end of this trekking journey and it was sweet. Theres a lagoon! The place is beautiful. The water came from the mountains. Its freaking cold actually. What a way to recharge after that long agonizing slippery walk. Stayed there to cool down and went back to our hotel. 

I just hope Sagada stays this way. Simple. Enchanting. A place free from the busy world where chaos is the norm like Manila. A place to recharge as you sip your morning coffee. A place to think. Clear your thoughts. Meditate.

 When your mind is full of traffic. Information overload. Stress. This is the place to unwind. Just by looking the clouds pass through sunrise is a very relaxing feeling. Its one of those moments that I really miss and looking forward to seeing the next time I visit Sagada. 

This is actually my 1st trip that is well documented on video. Like I said.  I am lazy doing these kind of things. I just realized that life is short and these moments should be treasured. The only way to do that is document it. So, I am now dedicated to make an effort to make videos on my next trips! I hope u like this one. 

Many thanks to Kuya Dhenver fot once again inviting me on his trips. Thank you boss KD. Till our next adventure my friend. Just tag me along!