85
{ }
This same perspective is nurtured
even among those who use their bikes
primarily to get to and from work. The
bike commute is steadily becoming an
attractive option. Even the car-loving
middle class who are feeling the pinch
of higher gasoline prices, onerous
maintenance costs and congested traffic
intersections, see possible advantages.
When you’re on a bike, the distinctions
between white collar and blue don’t
matter a bit, especially when you’re all
getting to your destination faster.
It goes without saying that riding
a bicycle can be beneficial to one’s
health, but we’ll say it anyway: Regular
riding gives you a good cardiovascular
workout while toning your muscles. It
has proven benefits to mental health by
lowering stress and is even associated
with a longer lifespan. These benefits go
beyond you, in fact, and impact other
people in your community. When you
choose your bike over your car, you’re
keeping one less motor vehicle on the
road, alleviating traffic congestion ever so
slightly and making a small dent in the
amount of toxic emissions released into
the atmosphere.
Collect all of these small incremental
effects, though, and you have the power
to create an impact that can change
the world. This firm belief keeps the
Philippines’ many bicycling advocacy
Best for bikes
While some cities have made
efforts to provide dedicated bike
lanes, the city of Marikina remains
the undisputed cycling capital
of the Philippines, with a 52km
network of bike paths and lanes
for the urban commuter. Bike
culture is strong here and highly
encouraged. Marikina is also
within striking distance to some
of Metro Manila’s best mountain
bike trails.
Locally made
bamboo bikes have
a cult following
The Innovator
This guy looks for ways to enjoy the bicycle apart from your run-of-the-mill ride,
such as bicycle polo, and he is always coming up with new ways of building bikes.
Bike of choice
A locally made fixed-gear bamboo bike by Kawayan Tech
Easy rider
Ben Bartolome, regular go-to guy for customized bikes and owner of
Raven Cycles.
B I K E T H I S C I T Y
PHOTO
AT MACULANGAN
