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(3 minute read)
Quick backgrounder
A journey begins with the single step... that is, to put into action those things conceived by the mind. Allow me to share my personal experiences about my odyssey to biking in this time of pandemic.
Quick backgrounder, as a kid - i learnt to bike using a BMX for kiddos; and from there i guess, i was able to develop the muscle memory of riding a bicycle from then, moving forwards.
Fast forward year 2020, i looked back and tried to remember when's the last time i rode a bike?
I couldn't certainly answer... prolly back in high-school? College, nah; i was in a dorm and i normally walk to the college of engineering building or go back home using a public utility tricycle.
When i started working - i never had the chance to go biking - Sampaloc to Makati, to Ortigas, or to MOA were pure LRTs, MRTs, taxis and jeepneys.
Bikes were not common back in those era... prior to pandemic - at least in the environment where i was used to.
Now... amidst the time of pandemic - bicycles became "In"; it suddenly became a new normal for all walks of life; whether you are in the low class, middle or the richie rich folks.
What inspired me?
It most certainly is due to my exposure of the bikers i see whenever i do the walks and jogs, may it be along Daang Reyna or within Vermosa.
Aside from the visuals and social media fever that talks about biking, it is just downright appealing to bike (verb); yeah!!
And to add, whenever i see folks with those caps/helmets and the "feeling great" display of adrenaline rush as they traverse the downhill path, i felt obliged to feel envy, but to sort out, it was on the eagerness to try and experience the same.
The Execution
I have a friend at church and a stranger friend; that i got to alk to in my walks/jogs, intrinsically their perceptions and attitude towards biking influenced me to try.
So the canvassing and hunting of a bike led to visit multiple shops in Dasma and Silang (Bike Bike Bike, Tulang Bikes, and Bike Plus).
We tried our best to at least buy from out of the mall built-bike (stock) - but we never get to find a suitable frame for me.
I decided, i wanted no MTB - mountain bike (at this time) but instead the RB - road bike, it's a personal choice; the RB is more appealing to me esp the drop bar portion of it and the slender frame, not to mention the thin wheels.
RB, unfortunately is not available based on my height... so i settled to a semi-hybrid one. I haven't been able to memorize the specs but will try to learn it prolly create a separate post about it.
Learning The Basics
Road Bikes (RBs) vs Mountain Bikes (MTBs)
I got to learn the basic difference of RB versus MTB; again, the basic... without actually trying to google and just hearing it said verbally by these friends of mine who bike and race.
What stuck in my mind - MTBs are used for trails, primarily; while RBs would be used for flat roads delivering speed and the picturesque of road races.
It got me fascinated, those with the drop bars (the curly bars i used to say) are for RBs while the MTBs would normally have
the flat straight bar handle - which makes sense, giving a more relax posture when biking.
But then, it appeals to me that the posture of riding an RB, the aero-effect style of bowing down where the torso is horizontally parallel to the lever of the bike frame is way cool thanks the ordinary ones.
What's Next?
Edi wow!
On a serious note, i guess, i will get to take time first in learning (there' a lot to know) while enjoying the exhilarating effect it brings as i devour the beautiful greens, the winds chasing my back or opposing my fronts, the foggy scents in an early morning ride, and possibly other indescribable feelings of riding a bike that i am yet to experience.
#RideSafe
~billymacdeus
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