Bike to Work (part 1)

It all started because there was this stagnant mountain bike at home (Tagaytay). It was always standing next to the staircase and I see it when I eat at our dining room. It was also blocking my clear view of our stairs (not that I really need one). For months of standing there, the tires went flat and no one dared to fill it up with air. Also since the terrain of Tagaytay is so hilly, no one dared to ride it. One day it seemed that it was shouting to me to use it. So this wild idea came to put this piece of equipment into good use. And with all the daringness that is befitting of a punx, I asked my Tatay to haul the bike to Makati.

And there it was. It still took some time for me to start riding the bicycle. I was still assessing the pros and cons of biking. At the same time, I was simulating ala Abet in my mind the scenarios that would be to and from work while biking. I realized that nothing that I simulated actually happened but then it helped me plan my first time on the saddle.

So what happened on my first ride? I immediately noticed that there are a lot of drivers who don't give a damn that cyclists exist (or even pedestrians for that matter). The next thing most noticable was there's still a lot of vehicles blowing black smoke from their rears. Man, where the hell are those MMDA's who's supposed to fine the people for their unmaintained vehicles? They even had this text program. TXT USOK <space> plate number <space> vehicle type <space> location (and send to 2399 for Globe subscribers). Heck, I think I already deleted this template since I didn't see it work anyway. Talk about empowering the citizenry!

Of course the "uneducated pedestrians" exist also in the city of Makati where circulation is better planned than the other cities of the metro. They still cross the street anywhere they like even when the pedestrian crossing lanes are well kept. During my first month of biking, I almost run through a pedestrian because of the fact that he didn't look both ways before crossing the street. Thanks to my super powered brake pads, I was able to stop a couple of inches from hitting him, but I think I performed a MI:2 stunt doing so! Remember T.Cruise on his black Triumph bike and making a stunt by braking his front wheels and maneuvering the rear of the bike (which was on air - like a reverse wheelie) to make a quick 180 degree turn. At least that's how it felt then. I pressed the brake lever so hard that the rear of the bike lifted! After a couple of hours pondering what happened that morning, lessons from physics class came back. I remembered collisions, momentum and inertia, 2nd law of Newton, etc... wondering what could have happened if I actually hit that pedestrian because of his stupidity.

I bike to work at least twice a week. And with all the trips that I made, I got to know better the streetscape of Makati. I never noticed them when I was commuting. I got acquainted with all the one way traffic areas, almost all the parts where there are pot holes, what road to squeeze into when the traffic jam is pretty thick. I started to see Makati in a different way. Last December was the most beautiful time to bike. With the cool state of weather and all the lights that the Ayala's put to make Makati beautiful, it was interesting to see and experience all these things at a slower (bike) pace.

For six months now, I've also noticed that I was able to bike to work without having to break a sweat. Most probably, my body's cardiovascular endurance improved to the length of the trip so that I wouldn't have to wash up a lot when I reach the office building. Earlier this year, I decided to try something more. Jing (my friend, officemate and who also is a bike enthusiast) bikes sometimes from his home in quezon city to the office. One day I decided to join him going back to QC and back to the office the next day. It was quite an experience worthy of another blog entry so I'll leave it at that.