Cyclists in Rizal wearing Ciclo Cycling Jerseys and Bib Shorts
The Sierra Madre mountain range is the longest in the Philippines. It spans about 540 kilometers on Luzon Island, from Cagayan Province in the north to Quezon Province in the south. For those living in Metro Manila, the closest Sierra Madre climbs are in Rizal Province. And the most popular ones are in Antipolo City, Tanay and Pililia.
The mountain roads into Rizal from Metro Manila are the Marilaque Highway, Sumulong Highway, Ortigas Ave. Extension and Manila East Road. You’ll encounter rolling terrain, with some twists and turns in steeper segments.
Read our full Rizal Sierra Madre route guides here: Bike Routes near Metro Manila - Sierra Madre Rizal
Team Loyola heading up Boso-boso, Rizal wearing Ciclo Custom
Overlooking Taal Lake and Volcano from Tagaytay City
If you’re located south of Metro Manila, the tourist hotspot of Tagaytay City is also a destination for cyclists. Its view of Taal Lake and Volcano, cool weather and countless al fresco restaurants make for a perfect day’s bike ride.
The traditional road from Metro Manila leading to Tagaytay is Aguinaldo Highway. It is a long road with around 1% to 3% gradients, making it a virtual false flat from Bacoor City all the way to Tagaytay City in Cavite. For this route, you can read our route guide here: Metro Manila Gran Fondo Bike Routes.
However, the main problem with riding along Aguinaldo Highway is the heavy traffic. An alternate route is the parallel Conchu, Trece Martires Road that goes up to Amadeo and then to Tagaytay City. For this route, you can watch our short video here:
@rideciclo Have you biked at Conchu, Trece Martires? #RideHappy #RideCiclo #siklistangtiktoker #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #cycling #bike #cyclinglife ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE - Queens Road, Fabian Graetz
Another route going up Tagaytay is through Santa Rosa, Laguna and Nuvali. For a complete route guide for the area, especially up the iconic Revpal climb, visit here: Bike Routes Near Metro Manila - Nuvali.
A cyclist near the top of the Revpal Climb wearing Ciclo Cycling Jerseys and Bib Shorts
And if you’re coming south of Tagaytay City from Laguna or Batangas, you can take the much shorter but steeper Sampaloc Tagaytay-Talisay Road or Ligaya Drive (Sungay Climb). The Sampaloc-Tagaytay Road is the more pleasant route among the two because it passes through the rainforest just below Tagaytay City.
Cyclists on the Sampaloc Tagaytay-Talisay Road wearing Ciclo Cycling Jerseys and Bib Shorts
If you want a challenge, Ligaya Drive is the way to go with lesser tree cover and steeper switchbacks, especially nearer the climb’s summit. View these climbs’ profiles below and see for yourself:
Cebu City is a place where the city sit right between the sea and mountains. Cebuanos have easy access to flat coastal roads and steep climbs whenever they like. Climbers love going up Veterans Drive all the way to Tops and even past that to Balamban where there are several coffee shops with a view.
View the complete climb profile here: JY to Willy's Ride
Cyclist on the way to Baguio City wearing Ciclo Cycling Jerseys and Bib Shorts
Baguio is known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines because it is the destination if you want cooler weather in the country. At an elevation of 1,500 meters above sea level, climbing up to Baguio on a bike is on the bucketlist of many Filipino cyclists. There are three main roads leading up to Baguio: Kennon Road, Ben Palispis (Marcos) Highway and the Bauang-Baguio (Naguilian) Road.
Cyclist on the way to Baguio City wearing Ciclo Cycling Jerseys and Bib Shorts
Kennon Road is the most common route taken by cyclists, especially by those coming from Manila because it is the traditional road going up to Baguio. Ben Palispis Highway is longer, but with more forgiving gradients. If you’re coming from the north of Baguio, Naguilian Road is the quickest way up, but it is the most challenging among the three main roads.
View the climb profiles of all three routes and choose which one will fit your ride:
Should you want to do further bike climbing from Baguio City, then traversing Halsema Highway is the way to go. Halsema Highway is a 150 kilometer road connecting Baguio to Bontoc, Mountain Province. Its highest point at 2,255 meters above sea level in Atok, Benguet, the second highest in the Philippine highway system.
Read our full Halsema bike route guide here: Cordilleras Bike Route Guide Halsema Highway From Baguio City
Cyclist on along Halsema Highway wearing Ciclo Cycling Jerseys and Bib Shorts
Are you looking for longer bike routes, but not yet quite comfortable riding with the usual road traffic? Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna is the place for you. Located 50 kilometers south of Manila via the South Luzon Expressway, Nuvali is a quiet and scenic low density residential and commercial district where you can enjoy rolling hills and lesser cars on the road.
It’s a popular cycling spot for weekend warriors. There are routes for casual cyclists, serious triathletes, trail riders and those looking for a challenging climb. And there are several options for longer distance loops within the area and even take you to nearby Tagaytay City in Cavite.
Cycling routes usually start at Solenad Mall where two bike shops are located, The Coffee Trail Cyclery and Multisport Hub. The Coffee Trail Cyclery is right in front of a parking lot where most cyclists start. They serve coffee, shakes, snacks and even have a shower. Multisport Hub is a larger bike shop with a wide selection of bikes, parts, accessories and services. You can also try out our cycling jerseys, bib shorts and socks at their shop!
Ciclo Cyclists entering Nuvali in the Pro Light Jerseys and Endurance II Bib Shorts
The Main Nuvali Loop goes for a little over 19 kilometers. Starting from Solenad, you continue along Nuvali Boulevard, past the rotonda and up to the ending T-intersection with Diversity Avenue. From there you can turn right and go up to Miriam College Nuvali. From there it’s a 3.38 kilometer gentle descent back to Diversity Avenue, ending near Republic Wake Park.
Ciclo Cyclist Bea Quiambao wearing the Womens Endurance Collection near the Republic Wakepark, Nvuali
Conversely, you can also turn left at the T-intersection, go down to Republic Wake Park, and then go up the road to Miriam College from the opposite direction.
If you’re looking to train with your time trial or triathlon bike, neighboring Carmelray Industrial Park is the place for you. Riders park at The Strip, a commercial complex within the area. It is along Wisdom Ave, a pancake flat road where you can train your time trial and triathlon riding skills. Its northern end is exposed to a crosswind, providing an extra challenge for those who want to train in real world conditions.
Ciclo Cyclists At Carmelray The Strip wearing the First and Second Collection Jerseys
And if you want to try pushing your climbing limits, the infamous Revpal or Reverse Palace climb is just right beside Nuvali. The palace referred here is Tagaytay City, Cavite's Palace in the Sky and People's Park in the Sky where the climb ends.
The ride starts out manageable: an easy rolling segment from Solenad Mall towards Canlubang Golf and Country Club. Before entering the club, you turn right up a short but steep curving road up to the abandoned mansion of former dictator and plunderer Ferdinand Marcos. There, you’ll find makeshift stores where cyclists eat, drink and hang out.
Riding past the Marcos Mansion in the Mens Candy Warp Jersey and Endurance II Bib Short
The short gravel road after Marcos Mansion only about 200 meters long.
If you don't feel like pushing yourself, you can turn around and go back to Nuvali. Because from there, the real climb starts. This segment's average gradient is 4%, but towards the end slopes go as steep as 33%!
Once you reach the top of Revpal's climb, you'll find the appropriately named All Is Well restaurant. There you can have rice meals and special Bulalo that will make you feel that all really is well 😉
After a short distance you'll see the entrance to People’s Park in the Sky. Turn right and you can head back down to Nuvali via the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay road. Its slopes are gentle, making it easier to control your bike on your descent.
Cycling Matters Jerseys from Ciclo Custom
Here are some routes we have for starting from Luneta Park’s Kilometer Zero, Manila going North, South, East and around Metro Manila. Please note that some of these roads are in poor condition, such as MacArthur Highway in Bulacan and some roads in Antipolo City, Rizal. Bring a patch kit and hand pumps just in case you get a flat tire.
Team Loyola wearing kits from Ciclo Custom
This route takes you out from Metro Manila and into Bulacan through Manila North Road or MacArthur Highway. It then loops around Angat and San Jose Del Monte towns in Bulacan where you’ll encounter some rolling hills before entering Metro Manila through Fairview, Quezon City. After that you can just follow Commonwealth Ave. and Quezon Ave. on the way back to Luneta Park.
Ciclo Cyclists wearing the Pro Light Jerseys and Endurance II Bib Shorts at Boso-Boso, Rizal. Photos by Mark Lacsamana and King Filart.
From Luneta you head out towards the mountains of Antipolo City, Rizal. This route follows Aurora Blvd. from Manila and out to Marilaque Highway starting in Marikina City. Continue until Boso-boso, Antipolo City and turn right into Sitio Pinugay to make a loop coming out to Teresa, Rizal.
At Ahon Cafe, Antipolo City in the Mens Medley Pro Light Jersey and Endurance II Bib Shorts
From there you climb up to Antipolo City Proper and then descend to Taytay, Rizal via Tikling Road. Follow Manila East Road towards Taytay City Proper and come out to Highway 2000. This road will eventually lead you to C-6 which is on the Laguna Lake coast.
Exit C6 through MRT Ave. in Taguig City and head towards Bonifacio Global City (BGC) via Bayani road. You can now have a choice for a quick snack in BGC or at the nearby Makati Central Business District (CBD) before heading back to Luneta Park to end your Gran Fondo.
Ciclo Cyclists in the Pro Light Jerseys and Endurance II Bib Shorts overlooking Taal Lake in Tagaytay City
This route is basically an out-and-back route from Manila to Tagaytay City. Follow Roxas Blvd. in Manila until its intersection with the NAIA Expressway exits. You cannot go straight at this point because Roxas Blvd. turns into the CAVITEx highway where bikes aren’t allowed. Turn left then right into the parallel Quirino Ave. and continue heading south. This road eventually becomes Radial Road 2 (R-2) and leads into Aguinaldo Highway in Bacoor, Cavite.
Follow Aguinaldo Highway through Bacoor, Imus, Dasmarinas and Silang towns until you reach the Tagaytay City Rotonda. There is an abandoned commercial complex by the rotonda which has an amazing view of Taal Lake and Taa Volcano. Should you want to put in some extra mileage and elevation, you can go down the Tagaytay-Sampaloc Road for an amazing cruise through the jungle.
Riding through Tagaytay-Sampaloc Road in the Mens Candy Warp Pro Light Jersey and Endurance II Bib Shorts
And to get home, all you need to do is follow the same route back.
Riding your bike through Metro Manila
If you want a true Metro Manila Loop, here’s the route for you! This route goes counter-clockwise, heading south first from Luneta Park, but you can do this either direction. For easier wayfinding, you’ll be passing through major roads so expect heavy vehicular traffic. There will be some trucks on the route but you won’t be passing through the major trucking roads of C-5 and R-10.
Photo credits to Pitik Maniniyot
Trying to be consistent. Since the level of competition is high, you cannot have many days off. You're going to train really hard so you can be at the same level as the ones who are competing in world championships. You don't want to have days off because you know you have a lot of progress to catch up on. The day off that I have is just once a week, sometimes I don’t even have that! You cope with people’s expectations from you. A lot of successful athletes are able to just enjoy what they're doing without thinking of pressure. Athletes go through a lot of judgment and criticism. It could affect their mental health, performance, and physical condition. To be a successful athlete you need to be able to handle pressure.
If I were to go back to when I started cycling, I would tell my younger self to just enjoy biking. Have fun from the start. At the start of my career, I wasn’t happy, honestly. I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I’d like to. Right now, things have gone differently and I’m happier. Ngayon ko lang talaga na-enjoy yung sport. I believe I perform better when I’m my happiest self and right now, I’m that. I wish I knew that before.
Since I have an international trainer, I talk to coach Javier Sola on Viber and he sends me my training program in a week. Usually, I train 16-20 hours a week. Every day he gives me a different training program. And 2-3x a week I have gym sessions in the afternoon. It really takes a lot of determination and consistency to keep up with the training program but I love what I do and I want to bring glory to our country. I want to get better everyday.
This part was quite challenging before but now I’m kind of OK. I live alone so I can manage my career outside of my sport. I try to plan ahead and take notes so when I look at my calendar, I can see what I need to do for the following day. We have to be organized to balance things. Sometimes you have to sacrifice your social life. My friends ask me to go out and I refuse them now because I’m always so tired and as much as possible I want to rest. This is because I have a big race coming up. My friends understand that I need to focus. I’m thankful to be surrounded by people who support me and understand what I go through.
Photo credits to Ma L Photography
Being a girl, self care has always been there. Since I live alone and manage my own time, there are days when I allot extra care for myself. I go to the spa, get a massage or I go to the salon to take care of my hair. Since I’m an athlete I also have to take care of my skin and my overall health so those are the things I also research about. I have lovely people that I work with like my nutritionist. My coaches also help me practice self care in terms of recovery. Self care is not a chore for me. I love to do it because I love to pamper myself. It’s a reward for the hard work that I do. You perform better when you take care of yourself.
How I was a year ago and how I am now is totally different in terms of mental and emotional maturity. When I feel down, I let myself feel down because I’m just human. We want to be positive or encouraging on social media but sometimes suppressing negative emotions is not good. Let your emotions out to the people that are important to you and understand you. Do not dwell on it. You let it out but you have to keep moving forward. After I let my emotions out, I analyze what went wrong. You always have to self reflect because in every situation you can learn something. I’ve gotten to this level of maturity because of the experiences that I’ve had before. I try to help other people as well. When they come to me, I try to help them.
“Keep moving forward”. It’s from the movie Meet the Robinsons. It’s a movie from years ago, but that line really stuck with me the most because it’s something that I also practice. Whenever I feel down, it’s the one line that helps me get back up. You really do have to keep moving forward no matter what. You cannot dwell on a situation because it won’t do you any good. Keep your perspective positive. Whether good or bad there’s always lessons to be learned.
Any bike trail is my favorite destination because I feel most free when riding trails. I feel like I’m having a really great adventure when I get to explore the mountains and ride down trails. I really love mountain biking. I didn't expect that I'd be able to ride a bike on the mountains—jumping, being able to fly even for just a few seconds or going down rock gardens! Having the ability to do those is just mind blowing to me up to this day. The feeling of freedom while riding my bike on mountains and trails—it’s really nice. It’s something I’d love for other people to experience. I want to promote it in the future, even after my racing career.
Photo credits to Joniel Aquino
I rest most of the time. On a great rest day, I would just be in my room, watching Netflix, laying down on my bed. Turn the aircon on the whole day and eat good food! I don’t have a specific diet pero hindi naman ako pabaya with the food that I eat. In my free time, I prefer bumming around in my room. Other than that I go out with my friends or I go out to take care of myself. I love going to spas, doing my nails, my hair and getting a massage. I love to shop also!
Ramen, I love Japanese food. Any Japanese food is my favorite recovery meal. I love Japan! I love the culture, I love their food. My diet is based on carbs. I’s what my sport requires and I burn the calories anyway.
Naruto Shippuden—that anime gave me a rollercoaster of emotions! I’ve cried a lot, I’ve cheered. I’ve been mad because of the villains. People close to me know Naruto is my OG anime.
Of course it’s my Ariana x Ciclo Jersey! I love wearing it and I imagine myself being in the world cup racing abroad. Wearing the Ciclo jersey would be a great honor. It really looks nice.
Speed is everything! I train to be fast on the bike but of course endurance is a factor as well. If you’re able to endure a fast speed, then that would be the ultimate goal for me.
Of course nature! That’s why I love mountain biking because I get to go out in the mountains and see beautiful views where there are no buildings, no cars. Mountain biking is an escape for me because I get to be with nature. I highly prefer that.
Stay in! I’m always out training because my sport is outdoors. If I could stay in, I’d choose that.
I’m a morning person really. If I didn’t have to wake up early to train, I’d still choose mornings because I love being productive. I like to keep myself busy. To achieve my goals and dreams, I know that I have to keep moving. And I love breakfast! When I do feel tired, I don’t wake up as early. I like to see the sunrise.
I love climbs. If you’re strong with climbs, it’s going to be a great advantage for you. Most cyclists hate climbs. It doesn’t get easier, but you get faster. People think that when you’re fast on a climb, it’s still easy…no! It’s still hard but the length of time you endure the climb gets shorter as you get faster.
Ariana Evangelista is wearing the Ariana x Ciclo Limited Edition Jersey
Here's the schedule of my upcoming competitions:
May 16, SEA Games, Vietnam
May 22, Yawatahama International MTB Race, Japan
June 1-3, Clark Pampanga event
June 12 Philippine MTB National Championships, Cebu
June 19 Secret Trail race, Imus, Cavite
Please order my official jersey, available only through Ciclo. It will go a long way in supporting my cycling career. Thank you so much!
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We at Ciclo are supporting the platform presented by the candidacy of Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency of the Philippines.
The values of honesty, transparency and inclusivity presented by their candidacy are consistent with our own values at Ciclo. We believe in their platform to support inclusive and green transportation: veering away from car-centric policies and focusing on programs and policies that would benefit commuters, cyclists and transport workers more.
We believe in their platform in protecting the environment and green development, especially as the Philippines is at the forefront of Climate Change's devastating effects.
We believe in their candidacy's platform to uplift the lives of the poorest of the poor in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors. And we believe in their platform to uplift small and medium enterprises.
We believe in their candidacy's mission to empower Filipinos.
And to learn more about the candidacy and platform of Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan, visit Team Leni Kiko.
Better by bike, is a statement that has been echoing across the world, especially this past year and a half. The COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to rethink how we live and get around cities. Proper ventilation became our top concern as a way to avoid contracting the virus. As a result, most modes of urban public transport such as taxis, buses and trains were shut down. People switched to one mode that ensured proper ventilation: cycling.
Many people started riding bikes because it allows you to travel in an outdoor environment with plenty of ventilation. Around the Philippine cities, pop-up bike lanes appeared because the growing cycling public demanded recognition and protection on the road. We started seeing more and more people on bikes. When restrictions first started to ease up the number of riders on popular cycling routes soared. The old weekend crowd became the new normal weekday crowd. And on weekends, well let’s just say it becomes a street party.
To be honest, Philippine government actions to promote active transport and protect cyclists during the COVID-19 pandemic were half-assed, at best. However, aside from the need to travel, continued restriction on other forms of recreation and sport pushed many people into riding bikes. Leading to a Filipino bike boom.
Basketball was restricted in 2020 because it is a close contact sport. Other popular sports such as volleyball, football and use of gyms were also restricted. Aside from sports, usual social gatherings at restaurants, bars, clubs or even at homes were also restricted because of the high risk of contracting COVID-19.
All female cycling group from Bukidnon, Philippines wearing Ciclo Endurance Jerseys
And riding bikes was able to fulfill the two human needs: exercise and social interactions, in one outdoor activity. Morning coffee rides around cities became the usual kind of ride. This led small coffee shops popping up almost everywhere, from quiet alleyways to open car trunks along popular bike routes.
More and more people are able to experience the world in a more direct way than if they were sitting in a car. As Ernest Hemingway said, “It is by bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best.” Riding a bike lets you feel every slope on or off the road. It puts you out there in the city or in nature. This pandemic forced many to separate, but now bikes allow people to build connections that would not have been possible before the pandemic.
And this is why we believe that bikes make life better. It connects us with people and places in ways private cars can never do. A landscape built to prioritize private vehicle use only divided us from communities and experiences that improve quality of life. Road widenings have cut down countless trees. And these wide roads only incentivize high speeds which increase the risk for crashes, injuries and death. Overspeeding is the top cause of road deaths in the Philippines. In Metro Manila alone for 2020, there were 14,465 injuries and 337 road fatalities. Would you really want to live in a place where everyday someone dies just because they were trying to get somewhere?
And more than car crashes, fossil fuel combustion from car engines is one of the heaviest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. And this type of pollution has been shown to increase risks of contracting respiratory illnesses in cities.
It is only fitting that the Philippine National Bike Day is one week after the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims; too many lives have been lost as a result of car centrism and poor urban development and riding bikes is one way we can stop the carnage. More cyclists on the road is better for everyone because:
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed major flaws in Filipino cities. Now that we are aware of these flaws, we have the chance to fix them. And these three benefits of bikes listed above will make our cities and communities much more livable as we ease out of this pandemic.
Ciclo Cyclist Chip Sillesa and family at the Ortigas Center Carless Sundays along Emerald Avenue, Pasig City.
Now that the 2022 Philippine General Election is coming, we encourage you to vote for officials who will push for the welfare of cyclists, commuters and of our environment. Policies written by government officials shape our physical environment. As this pandemic has shown, incompetence kills. And decades of incompent governance with our cities have resulted in car-centric infrastructure and policies that have killed so much more.
If we want better cities, we need to fight for it. And it’ll be a huge help for us if we have people in power who share our vision for a sustainable future. The government assigned today as National Bicycle Day. And we should hold them accountable.
Every cyclist has their dream ride. And many Filipino cyclists have Halsema Highway on that bucket list. Halsema Highway is a 150 kilometer long road connecting regional center Baguio City to Bontoc straddling Luzon’s Cordillera mountain range. Its highest point is located at Atok, Benguet at 2,255 meters above sea level.
Ciclo Cyclist Mawi Dagdag after finishing the 2018 Fondo Manila Halsema Highway Ride. Like what he’s wearing? Shop our cycling jerseys and bib shorts.
And up until 2019, Halsema Highway’s highest point was the highest of the Philippine road network. It is now the second highest after the Kiangan-Tinoc-Bugias road segment at Barangay Eheb, Tinoc, Ifugao Province. But this doesn’t take away decades of prestige offered by riding along Halsema Highway to cyclists from all around the world. And it still remains an epic ride.
Most cyclists ride Halsema Highway starting from Baguio City, the Cordillera Administrative Region’s (CAR) economic center. This is where we’ll start our route guide. We have two routes: up to Atok, Benguet and up until the end of Halsema Highway in Bontoc, Mountain Province. We will discuss the distances, elevations and tips on how to navigate this route. We will also provide a map of points of interests such as food stops, medical facilities, accommodations and tourists spots along this route.
The shorter route takes you from Baguio City to Atok, Benguet, where the highest point marker is located. This route starts at Burnham Park, Baguio City which is already at ang elevation of almost 1,500 meters above sea level. It’ll take you out of the city and into neighboring La Trinidad. Here, you’ll reach the Acop National Toll Gate, the official entry of Halsema Highway.
Finishers of the 2018 Fondo Manila Gran Fondo Baguio Ride
The Halsema Highway Highest Point Marker is 51 kilometers away from Burnham park. You’ll climb a total of 1,535 meters of elevation gain to get there. A roundtrip is 101 kilometers with a total elevation gain of 3,070 meters.
Municipality of Bontoc, capital of Mountain Province
This route takes the full length of Halsema Highway, and back. The distance between Burnham Park and Provincial Plaza in Bontoc is 143 kilometers. Your ride would be an overall descent because Bontoc is located in a tight valley at 865 meters above sea level. Although you’ll have to ride through 3,890 meters of climbing to get there. And should you want to make a round trip, your totals would be 286 kilometers of riding and 7,781 meters of climbing on your bike.
Ciclo Cyclists Patrick Joson and Mawi Dagdag wearing the Arrowhead and Kapua Jerseys from the Ciclo Second Collection.
Should this route seem too much for you to finish in a day’s ride, and because we do not recommend riding along Halsema in the dark for safety, you may spend the night at Buguias, Benguet which is about 85 kilometers from Baguio City. The town is located on a plateau where you’ll see its vast vegetable farms. There are a couple of accommodation options located near the town center such as RK’s Garden Breeze Hotel & Restaurant and Vi’s House.
This is a map of facilities along the route that will help you on your epic ride. These include restaurants, hotels, inns, hospitals, health centers and famous tourist attractions along Halsema Highway.
Ciclo Casual Coffee Ride Jersey in collaboration with Habitual Coffee
Although there are times where we want to take it easy for a little bit longer, if you know what I mean. And should you want to go on a relaxed bike ride for a little bit longer and get away, there are coffee shops you ride to outside of the city. Here is our list of coffee ride destinations outside of Metro Manila that’ll make it worth the trip!
The closest destination coffee shop is Ahon Coffee on Sumulong Highway, Antipolo City. It’s an outdoor coffee shop with its own view of Metro Manila.
Photo from Ahon Coffee Facebook Page
Ciclo Cyclist Joey Marcelo in the Mens Dapple Pro Light Jersey and Endurance II Bib Shorts at Ahon Coffee
Should you choose to go another direction in Antipolo City, you can head over to Cafe Cristina inside Boso-boso Highlands Hotel. It is an east-facing terrace cafe overlooking the Boso-boso valley below. And if you arrive early enough, you can catch the sun rise over the mountains.
View of Boso-Boso Valley from Cafe Cristina
About 15 kilometers further from Cafe Cristina and up into the Sierra Madre mountains you’ll find Cafe Katerina. It is also a featured stop in our Sierra Madre route guide!
Photos from Cafe Katerina's Facebook Page
If you want a more authentic coffee experience, try heading to the Coffee Capital of the Philippines, Amadeo in Cavite. Kaffe Belardo is a roadside cafe that produces and sources its own coffee beans.
Photo from Kaffe Belardo's Facebook Page
And in neighboring Silang, Cavite you can also visit Cafe Agapita. It is located at the town center and boasts of a sprawling garden cafe and events venue. You might also catch the owners riding around in their bikes!
Photo from Cafe Agapita's Facebook Page
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And in line with Ciclo's core values of inclusivity and protecting our environment, we oppose this project.
]]>And in line with Ciclo's core values of inclusivity and protecting our environment, we oppose this project.
Rivers breathe life into landscapes. And in a sprawling metropolis choking for fresh air in public open spaces, the Pasig River is a lifeline for Metro Manila. For centuries it has been a source of livelihood and access to opportunities for its residents. However, mismanagement in the past half decade has led to its degradation, leading to the perception that the river is dead.
Photo by Ivy Pangilinan
This perception is wrong. And we only need one bike ride today along its banks to witness that it is still full of life. During mornings and afternoons, people catch fish with their homemade rods and air guns. On power lines near the river, birds watch out for their next meal in the river. Where there is space, people take walks and children play games. And where the view is wide open, we can stop and watch the sunset.
Views such as the Post Office in Manila will be destroyed by the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX).
Now imagine taking away that vista and replacing it with the underbelly of a road. Imagine how miserable that would be above the Pasig River. And if you want a real-life example, another bike ride is all you need.
Photo by Ivy Pangilinan
The South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) East and West Service Roads will give you the most miserable bike ride you’ll have in Metro Manila. Being under the first and second stages of the Skyway project, noise and pollution have drastically degraded living standards for people living and working near the SLEX Service Roads. Now Skyway Stage 3 has done the same for Quirino, G. Araneta and the northern end of A. Bonifacio Avenues, as well as part of the San Juan River.
Noise and air pollution have made these areas less livable and more hostile to people. And if you were familiar with these roadsides before the Skyway’s construction, another bike ride would show you how undesirable they are now because of the expressway. Aside from making these places less livable, noise and air pollution from an expressway have been known to lower real estate values of areas next to it, negatively affecting local businesses and investments.
The Pasig River is crucial in mitigating the effects of climate change on Metro Manila such as rising temperatures and flooding. Aside from the negative effects on human life and livelihood, the PAREX will also destroy the Pasig River ecosystem. It’ll deprive its marine life of sunlight vital to their survival. Construction will also disturb the riverbed and increase siltation. The birds who depend on the river will also lose their source of food.
Terns by the Pasig River in Binondo waiting for fish. Photo by Mike Lu
The supposed argument for trading off livability along the Pasig River with the noise and pollution brought about by an expressway is that it’ll improve connectivity between the eastern and western ends of the Greater Manila Area. However, how many people will benefit from this project? And will it be worth sacrificing an icon of the city?
Our answer is a resounding NO. The PAREX is not worth the livability of Metro Manila. We want cities that are livable and prioritize people, and not the cars of the few who can afford them.
The supposed conception of this project is a testament to how disconnected it is from the common person’s life in the city. San Miguel Corporation’s Chairman, Ramon Ang, thought of building an expressway above the Pasig River while he was in his helicopter. And how many residents of Metro Manila can commute by chopper to escape its gridlocked roads?
And more than that, this expressway will only serve 12% of Greater Manila’s households who own cars. Where does the PAREX leave the remaining 88%?
'Justicia Urbana' by Fabian Todorovic Karmelic.
Evidence also suggests that construction of a new expressway will not alleviate road congestion, but aggravate it further through a phenomenon called Induced Demand. Induced Demand in this case occurs when creating more room for cars encourages people to use more cars resulting in even greater vehicular traffic volume and congestion. It's like solving the problem of a growing belly feeling tighter in your pants by just buying a bigger pair and belt. And we cannot continue building more roads and widening existing ones because these will just destroy Metro Manila’s livability.
Furthermore, Induced Demand will also increase air pollution with more vehicular traffic. And being at the forefront of Climate Change’s disastrous effects, Filipinos cannot afford to pump more greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Increasing accessibility to primary services such as schools, hospitals, markets and recreation centers through better public transport infrastructure will drastically decrease greenhouse gas emissions in Metro Manila.
What we need now are mobility solutions that will benefit the most people: efficient public transport and access to safe active mobility. We want more bus lines, more train lines and the ease of interconnectivity between these modes of transport. We want to walk, ride our bikes and scooters without fearing for our lives. We need to be able to have more transport choices, and not be forced to choose between terrible commuting options or being burdened with the high costs of car ownership. Because having more choices gives us more freedom. And to improve lives across the Greater Manila Area, we need the freedom of mobility.
Instead of constructing the PAREX, we would like to list the following efforts and projects that will bring systemic and sustainable changes and serve residents of Metro Manila and Rizal better. These efforts seek to reduce reliance on private car use and encourage active mobility and using public transport.
For further information about the movement to oppose PAREX, you may want to read up on AltMobilityPH’s statement. And we also would like to invite you to sign the petition to Stop PAREX by signing at this link: https://bit.ly/NoToPAREX.
Problems with mobility require an interdisciplinary approach to solve. Monolithic and supposedly “grand” projects like the Pasig River Expressway won’t be able to solve congestion along the East-West corridor of Metro Manila. It will just do more harm than good and devastating cost to our living conditions and environment.
We want to have a future where Metro Manila is still livable. We want to be able to walk around, ride our bikes, buses and trains and get where we need to be on time. We don’t want to feel forced to burden ourselves with car ownership. And that is a future without the Pasig River Expressway.
]]>If you choose to ride the Laguna Loop, you will pass through Metro Manila and the provinces of Rizal and Laguna. Depending on which version you choose, the short or the full loop, you would cover between 170 to 205 kilometers and pass between 28 to 31 cities and municipalities near Laguna Lake’s coast.
Our Laguna Loop route guide starts and ends at Shell C5-Tiendesitas in Pasig City, Metro Manila. From there, we recommend starting early in the morning at around 3:00 or 4:00 AM to get ahead of the road traffic. This is before sunrise; be prepared to bring bike lights that will last at least two hours of riding in the dark.
We also recommend following the counter-clockwise direction and pass by the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) service road through Taguig, Paranaque and Muntinlupa cities first. Again, this is to get ahead of the heavy vehicular traffic congestion on these roads. Otherwise, you will get caught in suffocating bumper-to-bumper traffic later in the day on the way back to Shell C5-Tiendesitas.
Our full Laguna Loop Route is 205 kilometers long with a total elevation gain of 1,233 meters. Most of this route is flat, with one punchy climb at KM 96 crossing from Lumban to Kalayaan, Laguna, as well as the rolling hills starting at KM 176 when you start crossing from Cardona into Binangonan, Rizal.
The shorter laguna loop route skips the Jala-jala Peninsula, Cardona and Morong Towns bringing the total distance 174 kilometers. However, the trade-off shorter distance is greater elevation gain at 1,432 meters with major climbs going up Bugarin at KM 119 and Teresa at KM 156.
The Calamba Crossing is where three major roads intersect at Calamba City, Laguna. The entire area is shaped like a triangular roundabout. Going the wrong way will lead you towards Santo Tomas, Batangas. As you approach the crossing heading southbound, take the road leading slightly towards the right. Then turn left before SM Calamba mall. After turning left, make a right turn at the next corner.
The Pagsanjan Stone Arch built in 1880 will welcome you as you enter Pagsanjan, Laguna’s town proper. And right beside the arch is the Binalot sa Dahon Restaurant. This bike friendly restaurant offers a bike rack parking space and al fresco dining. They serve Filipino favorites such as tocino, adobo and binagoongan pork chop.
If you want to make a slight detour, you can visit the Pililla Wind Farm on the way down from Bugarin. Their main tourist facility offers an expansive view of the Laguna Lake. And from there, you can even trace where you came from earlier in the day.
Punta is a barangay at the tip of the Jala-Jala Peninsula. There are no stores or restaurants here, but it offers a great view of the Laguna Lake should you choose to take a pit stop here.
A little over a kilometer away from Punta is the Jala-Jala Dairy Farmers Cooperative store. Here they offer various milk and yogurt products that make for great refueling at this point of your ride. Their yogurt is especially thick and filling.
Tita Carmen’s Eatery is a popular stop for day ride cyclists coming from Metro Manila heading towards Pililia or Jala-Jala. They offer various Filipino food and rice-based snacks or kakanin.
We have compiled a Google Map for locations of hospitals and clinics along the route for medical emergencies, as well as bike shops that can serve serious mechanical problems.
This is a very long ride and you will need to maintain your hydration and nutrition to sustain yourself. Numerous convenience stores can be found along the route. Bigger towns have multiple restaurants where you can have full rest stops and meals.
You will be passing through major roads linking urban centers. For the most part the road is wide enough for adequate space between you and motorists. Take extra care when the road narrows, especially at the climb at KM 96.
The narrow road at the Lumban-Kalayaan climb. Photo by Sara Erasmo.
With our guide, we hope that you’ll be able to tick off completing the Laguna Loop off your cycling bucket list! Continue to Ride Happy and Ride Safe.
Marikina River Park is an 11 kilometer series of pathways, parks, community gardens, plazas and bridges along the Marikina River. Every morning and afternoon, residents walk or jog along the path. Some bring their bikes, while others bring their fishing rods.
The Marikina River Park offers a controlled environment whose slow pace allows beginner cyclists to find their momentum and have more room for mistakes.
Ciclo Cyclists wearing custom cycling apparel from Ciclo Custom
If you’re not from Marikina City, there are parking slots at Riverbanks Mall, SM Marikina and other areas connected to the river park. It is also accessible via public transport with many jeeps passing along A. Bonifacio and Marilaque Highway.
The UP Diliman Academic Oval is a 2.2 kilometer oval loop inside the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus in Quezon City. Century-old Acacia trees line the loop giving the area day-long shade.
Photo by Ian Braga
Normally it is open to vehicular traffic, but it does have a lane reserved for joggers and cyclists wide enough to accommodate all safely. And on Sundays, the entire oval is closed to cars.
Cycling Matters custom bike jerseys from Ciclo Custom
Bonifacio Global City (BGC) is a central business district located in Taguig City. The area has slowly shifted to more inclusive transport during the COVID-19 pandemic when they dedicated entire car lanes to people on bikes.
A popular place to start cycling in BGC is around Bonifacio High Street commercial area. The loop is two kilometers long with protected bike lanes. High Street is also sandwiched between two parks which are alternatives for riding in the area.
Mall of Asia (MOA)’s Seaside Boulevard is very popular for cyclists around Metro Manila. Its mainly attractive for the smooth and flat road. It’s easy to ride there for beginners While for more experienced cyclists, it’s easy to ride fast.
Ciclo Cyclists at Mall Of Asia Seaside Blvd. wearing Ciclo Jerseys
Cyclists going around Seaside Boulevard take fast and slow lanes. Faster cyclists are on the inner lanes close to the road island, while more relaxed riders are on the outer lanes closer to the sidewalk.
Filinvest Alabang is another business district in Muntinlupa City, south of Metro Manila. If you live close to the area, it’s a good place for riding your bike. Bike lanes and roads closed to cars on weekends are some measures put in place to attract people on bikes.
As is always said, practice makes perfect. And getting better and gaining comfort on a bike will give you confidence to go further. Just remember to go at your own pace and make sure to take the necessary safety precautions when riding.
No two stories are exactly the same. Read on to get to know the 7 cyclists we had the privilege of talking to. They also shared helpful tips for beginners who want to get into cycling.
When my boyfriend and I started dating, I made an effort to do things he likes, including cycling. I barely knew how to ride a bike but he patiently taught me so I could commute to and from work. Eventually work became too stressful so I resigned just as the pandemic started.
My family and I temporarily moved to Clark. That's where I fell in love with cycling again. I biked everyday. I wasn't athletic so I started with 2.5km, then 5. The farthest I've gone is 50km. It may not be much to others but for someone who was sedentary (and sometimes still is lol), it's a feat!
Riding a bike makes me happy because there's absolutely no external pressure (at least for me). There are days where I'm motivated to do hill reps because I want to see how strong I'm getting, and there are days where I just want to stop every 5 minutes to take in everything around me. The best part is that I get to go to places with two wheels and my own strength.
My favorite cycling experience is climbing Boso Boso for the first time. I went up with guys who have climbed it probably over 10 times but they never pressured me to go faster nor go beyond my limit (see what I mean about no external pressure!). I finally reached the top and man, the view (and the food LOL) was so worth it! Little did I know that I was already sick with a respiratory disease. In hindsight, it made the experience a little more epic because I was able to do it when I was sick. Imagine how much further I can go after I recover? That's all I keep thinking about when I get sad about how much weaker I've gotten since. But I'm doing my best to get my stamina back. Can't wait to climb Boso Boso again but with stronger lungs!
Don't be afraid to get on the saddle. Happiness & fulfillment after every ride trump falling and getting hurt. Falling is inevitable but saddle sores are avoidable with some cream and a pair of women-specific bib shorts. No cap, my fave bib shorts are from Ciclo. Unlike "unisex" shorts, it's great and the length is just right. HAHAHA! But for real, there's nothing to be afraid of when it comes to cycling. You can easily find a girl or a group to ride with."
Teresa is wearing Ciclo's Coral Endurance Jersey
Do it because you want to and it's something you will enjoy. Getting into cycling is an investment, from the equipment and gear, but the experience of getting to see nature as well as keeping yourself healthy is worthwhile.
Mixi is wearing Ciclo's Olive Endurance Jersey
My mental health wasn’t in a good place. I was experiencing major burnout as an effect of the pandemic. My friend asked if I have any outlets for this stress. So it got me thinking, "Bakit nga ba wala?" Haha!
That’s when I, together with my boyfriend, decided to try cycling for the first time. Matagal na akong interested to bike pero ngayon lang talaga na-fuel yung urge nung nagkaroon na ako ng time for myself. At first we were being safe pa na baka hindi namin ma-tripan, but we were wrong! We actually love the sport so much.
When I tried to bike solo, that’s when I realized how cycling makes me feel. I get to stop for a while and observe the places around me. I’d feel happy after every ride. Just simple joys of cycling!
My best cycling experience so far was when me and my best friends tried the Active Woman Challenge! The challenge requires achieving 200km distance for two weeks. It’s fulfilling to be able to finish this especially as working girls! We really bonded and gave time to cycle. Also, achieving this with your best friends feels so awesome! We felt strong!
If you feel like you can’t do it or are feeling any self-doubt, remember that there’s a learning curve. That’s what I would always remind myself. Everyone started somewhere and you are allowed to pause, and to make mistakes. Just keep riding!
I started cycling in 2019. At first I was just looking into coffee rides near my home. As my rides progressed, I believe I have found the reason why I started cycling: it's to enjoy and find purpose in my life amidst all struggles. It was to push both my physical and mental capacity to the furthest it can reach
Riding makes me happy as it is a way for me to be able to reset my mind aside from being able to escape Metro Manila and find bike-friendly food spots.
I think the best cycling experience was my first ride in Marilaque. It was pre-COVID but during that time there were very few cyclists. I remember being cheered on after a big climb by a group of cyclists in their 60s. On that same ride, it was my first time to see saw such majestic views of the mountains in its complete unobstructed view. This really made me so happy and I have never felt more alive!
For women who want to start or who have just started, make sure you are with someone who can guide you with cycling. Start with short distances on familiar roads. Study how to change your own tires and how to take care of your bike. Always make sure you are visible on the road and don't let other road users bully you.
Ira is wearing Ciclo's Coral Endurance Jersey
When I was a little girl, I really loved the thrill of biking on mixed terrain—feeling the wind and getting all grubby from the ride. It was at that moment that I decided that I wanted to cycle, and so I did.
I don’t really have the best cycling experience yet but one thing’s for sure; the best rides are always the unexpected ones. What makes me happy is being in the saddle with people who have the same interests in riding a bike. Cycling tends to be better when you’re in the company of people you enjoy. Besides, we all need that uphill pace partner right? *wink*
To the women who want to start cycling, I want you to start however you want. It takes courage to ride a bike. Start slow and go on short rides. Find your ride style and get comfortable with it. Enlarge your comfort zone and enjoy while you’re at it. Do whatever it takes to accomplish your passion for the saddle. When you slowly progress from your starting point, that’s when you begin to love the essence of cycling. Being fast doesn't happen overnight. But with grit and a few rides, you can be wherever you want to be—literally!
Thea is wearing Ciclo's Cerulean Endurance Jersey
Two of my work friends are big into mountain biking. After about a year of listening to them talk incessantly about trails, epic rides, bike parts, etc., I gave in. I bought my very first bike and went from being a couch potato to this crazy person who gets up at 4 AM to go on a ride.
Where to begin? There is something about cycling that makes me feel so connected - to my body, my thoughts, to nature, to every root, rock, and tree. It forces me to live in the present. As an adult, I also find that it’s the one thing that gives me that sense of adventure I used to have as a kid. As a bonus, I get to spend lots of quality time with some of my favorite humans: my hubby (who also caught the cycling bug and bought his first mountain bike around the same time I did) and my friends.
My best cycling experience happened pretty recently. A couple of weeks ago, we planned on riding from QC to Pililla and back. At 120+ kilometers and a total of almost 900 meters of elevation, that was already a bit of a stretch for me. When we got to Pililla, I decided to test my limits and go further. Long story short: we ended up doing the Laguna loop. You know what they say - sometimes the best adventures are the unplanned ones.
Go for it! Cycling is super fun and it can be such an empowering experience. It can be intimidating at first and I get that, especially here in Metro Manila where cycling is a dangerous enterprise given the lack of infrastructure. Find someone who can teach you the ropes and ride with you while you’re getting used to riding in traffic, etc. My friends played a huge part in boosting my confidence and teaching me everything I needed to know when I was starting out.
But the most important thing is don’t get discouraged. It can be really hard at first, so push yourself to get through the first few weeks or so until you get the hang of it - you’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll progress.
Before I started cycling, I had a very sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits that led me to become overweight. At that time, I didn't really have any outdoor activities. But one day, a friend asked me to try cycling. I enjoyed my first ride and immediately felt like I wanted to do it more often. So I got myself a 10-speed folding bike. That same bike was what I used for my first century ride! As time passed, I got myself a proper road bike, kits, shoes, and a cycling computer.
I dragged even more friends to get into cycling with me. Before we knew it, we were already training for the AUDAX Randonneurs Philippines 200km category. It was my first big event and my first win so to speak. I hit the finish line with only 2 minutes to spare! I really felt victorious! It was such an exhilarating experience!
Cycling has made me feel a lot better about myself. I lost weight during the process. I gained a lot of friends and I became more sociable. There's a thing about cycling that sets my mood right, relieves my stress, and releases my endorphins!
My advice to all the women who want to start cycling… DO IT! Enjoy the process because cycling is an exciting sport. It may seem intimidating and scary at first. But with good research, equipment, and buddies, your 5km ride will quickly turn into 20k, 50k, and eventually into a century ride!
]]>San Pablo City, Laguna is probably not at the top of mind for most people as a romantic destination, but it’s amazing how going by bike can lead you to discover new places. Sampaloc Lake is one of San Pablo’s seven lakes.
It is at the city’s center, right next to the city hall. Residents and visitors have the privilege to enjoy the lake up close thanks to the plaza and pathways built on its shore. There’s a small stall where you can rent bikes and ride around Dagatan Boulevard, the four kilometer road around Sampaloc lake. And after a nice round or two, you and your date can stay at one of the many cafes and restaurants by the lake.
Its terrain is mostly flat with several short rolling sections. We also recommend taking a breather at the tip of Jala-jala peninsula, a place called Punta. From there you can see nearby Talim Island and on a clear day, Tagaytay City. And near Punta is the storefront of the Jala-Jala Dairy Processing Center owned by the Llano Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative. There you can treat yourselves to some of the thickest yogurt found in this side of the Philippines.
Riding around the peninsula is generally pleasant, but please note that winds can be strong. To give you an idea of the winds you can encounter, the Pililla Wind Farm is located on the mountains near Jala-jala. For an added challenge, you can also climb up to the wind farm and enjoy even more views of Laguna Lake.
Iloilo City has been dubbed as the Bike Capital of the Philippines. With an active public and private sector partnership, the city has built the proper infrastructure, systems and more importantly, the culture which gives respect and dignity for people on bikes.
And the centerpiece of the country’s bike capital is the Iloilo River Esplanade. It is a riverside system that connects a series of plazas, walkways and skateparks on both banks of an 8.1 kilometer segment of the Iloilo City River.
Mornings and late afternoons until evenings are the best time to visit the Esplanade. Most people come at night because the entire stretch is well lit. The Esplanade also connects to multiple commercial areas that are lined with restaurants. And this makes it the perfect place for a romantic bike ride after any dinner date.
If you’re looking for something historical, Calle Crisologo in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur is the perfect place for a bike tour with a feel of Philippine colonial history. The actual Calle Crisologo is just 500 meters in length, but the surrounding streets have plenty to offer to couples who want to go around town on two wheels.
Some attractions within the old city are the Crisologo Museum, Syquia Museum and Plaza Burgos. And if you want to head outside, you can also visit the nearby Bantay Church Bell Tower.
With its cool climate, Tagaytay City is a popular destination for romantic getaways. Being about 600 meters above sea level, the city also offers amazing views of its star attraction, Taal Lake.
If you’re up for an adventure, a ride down from Tagaytay will let you get up close to the lake and the communities around it. Our favorite route heading down to Taal Lake is the Tagaytay-Sampaloc Road which starts at the Tagaytay City Rotonda and ends by the lake in the town of Talisay, Batangas. This road is also known to cyclists as the Sampaloc Climb.
We love it because the road gently slopes along Tagaytay City’s ridge, passing through dense forest. And while enjoying the quiet scenes, occasionally punctuated by passing cars or bird calls, you’ll get peeks at Taal Lake and Volcano as you make your way up or down the road.
And you won’t have to worry about climbing back up Sampaloc, all you’ll need to think about is where in Tagaytay you’ll be eating after. Any meal tastes better after working for it, especially if you work for it together 😉
Ciclo Cyclists sporting the Endurance Collection
Looking for longer bike rides and to get away from Metro Manila? Here we show you some routes you can take into the scenic Sierra Madre mountains of Rizal Province. Here are some routes you can take starting from Quezon City, list of stops you can take along the way, and back and forth route profiles showing maps and elevation.
Ciclo Cyclists wearing the Ciclo Second Collection Mens Jerseys
This route leads up to the Pililla Wind Farm, a 54 megawatt power complex made up of 27 wind turbines that each stand 125 meters tall. It's become a tourist attraction for the area because of the views it offers of Laguna De Bay and of course, the strong winds. The climb up to the wind farm also offers views of rolling hills, grasslands and the lake.
The wind farm is around 55 kilometers from Quezon City if you pass through Antipolo City, Teresa, Morong, Baras and Tanay towns in Rizal Province. If you're not in the mood to go that far, you'll have other stops along the way.
Right before the climb towards the wind farm, at around this route's KM 47, you'll find Tita Carmen's Bahay Kainan. They serve home-cooked meals and homemade snacks. The area is more popularly known as Pisong Kape, after a restaurant right across Tita Carmen's that used to serve coffee for only one peso. Unfortunately, that restaurant has been demolished to make way for a housing development.
Another stop along this route closer to Metro Manila is Antipolo City's Hinulugang Taktak. From Quezon City, it is only about 16 kilometers if you pass by Marilaque (Marcos) Highway and climb up Sumulong Highway. It is a public park surrounding a waterfall. You can spend an afternoon there having a picnic. However, most cyclists like to ride down towards the end of Taktak Road and hang out at the eateries and pop-up bike market there.
The route to Pililla is sort of a teaser for Sierra Madre because the route sort of skirts the mountain range. The real climbs are when you go follow the Marilaque (Marikina-Rizal-Laguna-Quezon) Highway. But with harder climbs, you get the better views 😉
This route has three main climbs: Boso-Boso, Radar and finally Cafe Katerina in Tanay, Rizal's highlands. About 45 kilometers from Quezon City, Cafe Katerina is a hill top al fresco restaurant that serves homecooked meals along with expansive views of the Sierra Madre mountain range and Laguna De Bay. It is a popular stop for tourists who travel along Marilaque Highway.
Photos from Cafe Katerina's Facebook Page
One popular stop on the way to Cafe Katerina is Mt. Tarangka Coffee Shop, also know as Radar. The place got the name Radar because of a satellite dish on top of the mountain overlooking the coffee shop. This is also right next to the world renowned Masungi Georeserve whose main attraction are the rope bridges above limestone rock formations.
Team Loyola wearing Ciclo Custom going down from Radar
If you want a relatively shorter climb, Boso-boso is the place to go along this route. The top of this climb is only about 20 kilometers from Quezon City. There are several cyclist stops in the area. The first of which is Inang Valing's store where you can get snack and drinks refills on the way to the heights of Sierra Madre or a cup of coffee to end your climb. They have bike racks and tables for cyclists to hang out.
Team Loyola wearing Ciclo Custom going up Boso-Boso, Antipolo City
Inang Valing's at Boso-Boso
If you want a challenging ride, then the Sierra Madre Loop is worth a shot! It is a combination of the Pililla Wind Farm and Cafe Katerina routes. These two routes are connected by the challenging Tanay-Sampaloc Road which is about 11 kilometers long with gradients reaching 20% near the top of the climb. If you're not in the mood to tackle this segment, you always have the option to ride this loop clockwise 😉
Ever noticed how amazing it is that our bikes can bring us almost anywhere? Imagine, we only need our legs just to travel. One long weekend brought about the anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, we celebrated our freedom by riding our bikes to Caliraya, Laguna.
Team Loyola wearing Ciclo Custom at a rest stop
Along with cyclists from Team Loyola and Cycling Matters, sporting their custom cycling kits from Ciclo Custom, we covered a total of 95 kilometers riding from our origin in Quezon City. Our route through Rizal's Manila East Road had a total elevation gain of 1,100 meters crossing Antipolo City, Teresa, Morong, Pililla in Rizal Province and Mabitac, Famy, Paete, Pangil and Pakil in Laguna Province.
The route followed the national highway, but traffic was mild along the way. We just had to watch out for any sudden stops made by local jeepneys or tricycles. The climb up to Caliaraya from Kalayaan, Laguna may have been painful but the destination was worth it. The cool winds by the serene lake took away whatever fatigue we had from the ride.
We spent the night at one of the lakeside resorts and admired the stars before falling asleep.
If ever you need a place to go for a long bike trip, we definitely recommend Caliraya. It'll always be one of our happy places on a bike.
Photos by Sara Erasmo
Curious about the route we took to and from Caliraya, Laguna? Check out our Strava ride profiles!
Looking for new places to ride? Check out our route guides:
]]>Even if one is done on land while the other is on the sea, cycling and surfing have three things in common: balance, reading your way and your choice of ride.
First, you need balance on a bike and on a surfboard. All of us at Ciclo know how to balance on a bike, but not so much on a surfboard. The same can be said of Team Loyola, who we joined on this trip. But that didn’t matter, we just wanted to ride somewhere. Heading out to a beach was a change of scenery to balance all the time we’ve been spending on the road. We chose La Union because we felt like we hadn't rode our bikes that much to the north of Metro Manila. And we chose San Juan because it’s a familiar place we’ve been to, but not yet on bikes.
Second, reading your way is essential in both riding a bike and surfing a wave. Before surfers head out, they first see the sea’s conditions: is it too calm, too rough or just right for a good surf? We cyclists also try to get as much information about our routes before we ride them. We check distances, elevation profiles and points of interest on the way. For this bike trip, our destination was 280 kilometers from our departure point in Quezon City. We planned a three day, two night bike trip. Our first stop would be in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, covering 185 kilometers; while the remaining 95 kilometers would be ridden on the following day.
We chose dividing the ride that way because the terrain was relatively flat through Central Luzon, with only 1,016 meters of elevation gain spread over 280 kilometers. We also wanted to spend most of our ride during daytime as a safety precaution. We’d take the first segment in a day, and the second segment on the following morning so we’d have the entire afternoon to lounge on the beach.We were also very lucky to have other Team Loyola members tag along in SAG cars in case we needed support for emergencies.
We left Quezon City at 4 AM on the first day. Our route mostly followed MacArthur Highway all the way to Pangasinan, except for a 40 kilometer stretch where we passed a parallel road to skip heavy traffic in San Fernando and Angeles Cities in Pampanga. This was a quieter side of Pampanga where rice fields stretched as far as you can see. And the only structures on this road were houses or a warehouse every few kilometers. We returned to MacArthur Highway somewhere near Capas, Tarlac and stopped for lunch in Tarlac City. After lunch we headed on to Urdaneta City. And after Urdaneta City we passed through the town of Manaoag and then on to the Manila North Road following northwestern Luzon’s coastline.
And finally, the third similarity between cycling and surfing is that your bike or board depend on the kind of riding or surfing you want to do. Sticking to the basics of surfing, longer boards are more stable but harder to maneuver. They’re for more relaxed surfing or for beginners learning the basics. As boards become shorter, they’re less stable but have better maneuverability. And they’re typically used by more advanced surfers and in surf competitions.
Bike choices are also dependent on where and how you plan on riding it. And since our route was all on the road and gear were in our SAG cars, we used road bikes. The entire ride was smooth except for some segments during our first day in Bulacan and Pampanga where potholes and neglected excavations forced us to be more cautious. Plus, it was raining the entire day which did not make the roads any friendlier to us. Despite these conditions, we got to Urdaneta City on time right before sunset. We settled into our Airbnb, washed ourselves and our bikes, had dinner and prepared for the next day of riding.
The following day, the skies were clear with just the right amount of breeze to make it a great day for riding. A couple of punctures were the only inconvenience on our ride from Urdaneta City to San Juan, La Union. We left urdaneta at around 8 AM and arrived at our hotel a little before lunch.
It was a Saturday and San Juan was packed with tourists. We’ve all been there before, but we had a feeling of accomplishment because we rode their on our bikes. Instead of using the expressways, we chose what I’d say was the more scenic route to La Union. We saw how rivers become cleaner as we crossed each bridge farther and farther from Metro Manila. We took side roads that were much closer to rice paddies ready for harvest. Even the rain and potholes made the ride an experience in itself. Being able to finish it at San Juan, La Union was just a bonus.
Photos by Karen Sison, Jobim Bimbao and Remmon Barbaza.
In case you were wondering what our exact route was, here it is!
Looking for more bike routes? Check out Ciclo's bike route guides:
Team Loyola wearing kits made by Ciclo Custom
Cycling events and races now occur more frequently across the Philippines. And in recent years, duathlon and triathlon have become sports on the rise, gathering a lot of attention. And in June 2018, Subic Bay hosted the Philippines’ first full distance Ironman race, widely seen as a milestone for the sport.
The racing culture has driven cycling’s popularity among Filipinos. The attitude of pushing yourself or racing against yourself is common among competitors. But for Team Loyola Co-Founder Brian Giron, this represents a departure from cycling’s core, “Everything revolves around that principle: racing, touring, getting faster…It’s too person-centric.” For him, cycling is about being on the bike and that we bike for the love of cycling, nothing else.
Our goal for the day was to get to our resort in Pantabangan before dusk, since it would have been too dangerous for us to be out at night. We carefully traversed Commonwealth Avenue towards Fairview, then into Bulacan. Rolling hills across four Bulakeño towns provided the initial challenge before we entering the plains of Nueva Ecija. Somewhere along this stretch I remember saying to Brian that it was my first time in that part of the Philippines. His response, “Me too!”
There’s a line from the great novelist Ernest Hemingway that I hold close, “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best.” Cycling is in a sweet spot between walking and being in a vehicle. The former can be intrusive since you're more noticeable with your slower pace, plus the journey takes more time. And for the latter, encapsulation can prohibit you from missing outside details: a bottle dropped by a passer-by, that whiff of animal feed mixed with manure as you approach a pig farm and of course, the cool breeze.
But the breeze turned humid, then scorching as we left Bulacan and entered Nueva Ecija. Traffic jams snaked through provincial roads; and we had to weave through exhaust pipes along with equally impatient motorcycle riders. Noon came knocking and its heat forced us to seek refuge in air-conditioning and halo-halo.
By this time my calves have been twitching for a while and I had to stretch them several times while on the bike to prevent full on cramping. In the month leading up to this ride, I only went on one short night ride. I admit I wasn’t prepared for it, but I was confident with the pace we had planned out (and a SAG car to catch me if I fall). After my large halo-halo, I felt maybe I had enough gas in the tank to push towards Pantabangan.
And boy, was I wrong. By the time we neared Cabanatuan at around 1 PM, the heat had gotten to my head and I was starting to feel dizzy. We used a bypass road to skip the city traffic, but by then I was already lagging behind my teammates. My legs felt okay but the rest of my body had been drained. Once I arrived at our rest stop, I called it quits, loaded my bike and hopped in the car.
I didn’t feel defeated when I was sitting in our car as we followed the rest of the team. I haven't been riding long distances and I just wanted to see how far I could go. Riding my bike all the way to Baler would have been great, but I had to listen to my body and accept my limits.
From Cabanatuan, it was about 55 Km to the day’s stop at a resort in Pantabangan. We trailed the team as they formed their chain gang along the straight road from Talavera to Rizal, Nueva Ecija. And by around 4 PM, we were already at our bed and breakfast. It took a while for the entire team to recover and settle into our accommodations after a tough day of riding. We spent the night with food and beer before turning in.
We woke up later than we hoped for the next morning. Our bodies were probably asking for a few more minutes of rest before we traversed the Sierra Madre range into Baler. I thought of riding with the team that day. We reviewed the route and saw that it was 60 Km between us and our next stop in Maria Aurora. On any other day, 60 Km was a normal ride for Team Loyola - but these mountains were different. While looking at the route profile, team member Jan Belmonte remarked, “This looks a little steep.” I looked at it too, and decided it wasn’t for me and I should just help document the team’s ride.
My decision turned out to be a good one when I saw the team's suffering. The road was scenic but brutal: steep rolling slopes, mixed in with long climbs and descents took their toll. A few kilometers out of Pantabangan, we caught Hidde Van Der Wall on a climb and he said to us, “This is tough.”
It was a challenge for Team Loyola. For Jan, there were countless climbs and it felt like there was no end in sight. This mental burden was compounded by the fact that it was our first time riding through this road. The unfamiliarity made pacing tricky for member King Filart, “I ended up giving my all [at every] climb.” And what kept him going was his focus on one question, how bad do you want it?
It took the team four hours to travel 61 km while gaining 1,050 m in elevation. And as some sort of icing on the cake, Team Loyola was greeted by strong headwinds as we entered Baler. By the time we got to our accommodations, everyone who rode just wanted to savor the feeling of not moving (and post their bike rides on Strava).
Us cyclists have individual reasons for pushing ourselves by traveling arduous routes. Some want so see how fast they can ride, while others (like me) want to discover how far they can go. But we all had a shared reason for joining this mission: to be out on the road and experience everything that comes our way. The ups and downs themselves were rewarding in themselves, all culminating once we reach our destination. For Jan, our ride did its job in both challenging and surprising him, “It was worth it.”
We all finished the ride learning something new about ourselves, but also more about the places we’ve traveled through. For Jan,
The route to Pantabangan changed the way I saw Bulacan and Nueva Ecija. The views ranged from old Filipino architecture along small town roads, to lush farm landscapes. I was also so surprised to find rolling hills in Bulacan. I grew up driving through those provinces via NLEX and they had always felt like some boring parts of Luzon.
Which highlights the difference between two types of travelling: selfish and genuine. A selfish traveler would be more interested in showing off that he/she has been there, without any conscious thought of how there’s so much more to learn about one’s self and the world by being in a foreign land. This is someone who’s self-absorbed and eager to just take photos and buy souvenirs, without even trying to learn. It grossly limits the experience because this person ends up being a spectator.
While a genuine traveler immerses in new places and experiences - placing greater importance on being there. This traveler takes moments to process the trip and comes home knowing more about one’s self and the world; or better yet, coming home asking more questions.
Our immersion was provided by our bikes. They took us far enough and provided us a platform to be in all the places we’ve been. We all went home learning a little bit more about the Philippines and a lot more about ourselves. For Brian, he liked the Baler Mission because, “the people who went really just love being on the bike. It wasn’t about what they could say they achieved, or other selfish reasons. It was about being on the bike.” And on the trip back home we started asking, where else can we go?
In case you were wondering, here's the route we took:
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It was the morning of December 2 and the riders were herding into Costa Pacifica’s lobby. Fondo Manila’s Patrick Joson greeted us all a good morning and proceeded to give out the ride briefing. Like all of Fondo Manila’s rides, this was not a race. The ride was about discovering roads and sharing stories. And the day’s route was to follow the Baler-Casiguran road along Aurora province’s coastline.
We assembled along the resort’s driveway and did a headcount. Gathered that morning were sixty-one riders looking like fireflies with our blinking bike lights ready to head out into the dimly lighted and (still) sleepy streets of Baler.
Members of the Aurora Bikers Association served as our guides. And we were accompanied by several support cars with food, drinks and other equipment.
For some stretches on the way out of Baler our bikes were the only ones who lit the way. The group stayed compact. Each cyclist led each other with each other’s lights because it was still too dark to read the road signs. I did peek at the sky a to check if the sun would come up soon. Instead, I was amazed to see something only a clear rural sky can show you, we were blanketed by stars.
We rode north for about 20 km until we reached the Ampere Beach and Rock Formation. It was our first stop, just in time to watch the sun rise. We got off our bikes, took in the sea breeze and admired the waves from the Pacific crashing into the pebble beach. But after several minutes, it looked like the sun was still too shy to come out. We had to make time, so we rode off with some photos of each other and the Eastern twilight
We pedaled for about eight kilometers until we reached our first major climb at Barangay Dibutunan. We were briefed about this one, but I guess not all were prepared for the actual slope (including me haha).
Joseph and Pat on the climb wearing the Ciclo First Collection Jerseys. Photo from Patrick Joson's Instagram account (@patrickjoson)
The support crew egged us all on. Patrick cheered us by yelling, “Amore!”, referring to that blissful feeling we’ll get once we’re over the hill. Eventually, we all got to the top where refreshments and bananas were handed out of the back of our support cars. We were winded, but I did whisper to myself, “amore”.
Ciclo Cyclist wearing the First Collection Womens Jerseys
Then we got back on our saddles and glided down on hill’s opposite side. I couldn’t really enjoy the glide down because I was just thinking that we’d have to climb it again on the way back. Once the gradient eased, I caught up with a small group of cyclists and we all shared the same feeling. Then again, that’d come much later. There was still much more to see!
The herd of 61 riders thinned out after that hill. Everyone rode at their own leisurely paces. At kilometer 40 I took another pitstop and refueled (read: bananas). I decided to continue on my own keeping in mind Patrick’s reminders: there will be Fondo Manila road signs; if the lanes disappear turn back; and if you’re unsure of the road, wait for the guides or turn back.
Sometimes it’s easier to notice details when you get the space to be on your own. The Baler-Casiguran road tightly hugs the Sierra Madre mountain range. Houses along it are far and few in between. A number of vans were traveling too, perhaps ferrying tourists up and down beaches on Aurora’s coast. During the briefing, Patrick warned us of crossing dogs, but most I saw were just sleeping on the shoulder with their heads within the road line. It was cute but, was also concerning.
I wondered how residents felt about this large group of cyclists passing through their otherwise quiet roads. Did we disturb them? Were we a novel sight? I didn’t notice any evidence for the former but the number of kids that came out to give us high fives as we rode by seemed like proof of the latter.
Our turnaround point wasn’t exactly clear. We reached a point where the road started to look unsafe because of landslides. I waited for a guide who was with a larger group of Fondo riders. Our guide went ahead to scout the road.
When he came back, he told us to turn around. The ground underneath the road already eroded, leaving only the concrete to bridge the gap. As we turned around we saw an even larger group of riders stopped behind us. We had a few photos, a few laughs, then started on our way back to Baler.
Fatigue had already set in. My pace was slower and the uphill slopes made my legs stiffer. I also rested a little bit longer at our pitstops to prepare for my second time up that hill. This climb wasn’t as encouraging as earlier because I ended up by myself. It really does help having a group with you.
Ciclo Cyclists wearing the Ciclo First Collection Jerseys
It’s the community that helps you get through. From being able to draft with them, being more visible on the road as a group and even with small words of encouragement, being with other cyclists makes the ride safe and enjoyable. And I’d like to thank Fondo Manila for bringing all of us along for this ride. We met knew faces, discovered another road and shared more stories about our lives and about Baler.
I got back to Costa Pacifica at around 1 PM, with my odometer reading 123 km. I was exhausted, but happy. A tray of lychee coconut coolers welcomed me at the lobby; it was just the thing I needed.
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