Skirt Guard

I’ve just discovered one of the most useful bike accessories ever: the skirt guard. It is what the name says it is, a guard to keep skirts from being tangled with the rear spokes. It’s a perfect accessory for bag pipers and ladies. I see it in many ladies’ bikes sold in surplus shops here in Cebu but I never knew what they were before I stumbled into this post by Copenhagen Cycle Chic.

A couple of days ago my girlfriend/boss asked me to check out some ladies’ bike for her sister. So I obliged to look around, being interested in ladies’ bike myself. I started out by searching at Pinterest and then went to looking for blogs about women’s bicycles. That’s how I landed at Cycle Chic and I am glad I did. I don’t really know where this blog post leads to. But I have three ends in mind: let everyone know the importance of the oft-neglected skirt guard, explain the anatomy of a ladies’ bike, and show some locations of surplus shops in Cebu where you can buy them.

The first objective being accomplished already, let us proceed with the second. “Ladies’ bike” may sound like a sexist term. In case you are an extremely passionate feminist, do not be angry. The term only denotes a bike designed for comfortable city commute for ladies. It is designed in a way that allows them to ride at any weather in any outfit.

The low top tube and skirt guard allows them to pedal even in long skirt.

The inward bent handlebars allows them to maneuver without having to lean forward.

The wide seats for comfort, so it feels like watching TV at home except that you have to keep your balance.

The big basket in front provides space to carry their make-up kit and lipsticks while the carrier to where they can tie their spare outfit for the day. I’m bluffing. It’s actually for more practical purposes which I need not explain.

Being for city commute, the tires are slick to make the bike more efficient. There are also no gears since gear-shifting is not really necessary for easy city commute. There are fenders to keep the splash away and chain guards so the gears don’t end up munching on skirt ends. It’s really a very efficient city commute and I really think guys should have it.

I found out just now that stands, chain guards, and skirt guards were actually standard features in a bicycle. It is only sports cycling company that got rid of them to make bikes lighter. As a former competitive rider, I know it makes good sense to get rid of those things not only because they add up in weight but they can also hinder riding. On the part of the stands, they may even pose a crash risk. But I definitely recommend those components for city commute.

On to our next topic, here are some of the places you can buy ladies' bicycle in Cebu. Lick on the locations to find them on Google map.

Limbros - this a bike shop that sells ladies' bicycle. Made in China bikes sold a 3k pesos, 2.5k for smaller ones. It is located near Mandaue City Hall. You have to contend with snobbish service but that's fine, at least nobody will bug you around while you are just taking a look.

Surplus shop at Wireless, Mandaue - they sell ladies' bike for smaller women. Some are from Japan, others from China. Being surplus bikes, you will have to do so minor upgrades or replacements. I saw a good one a 1.9k.

Old Patiller Road - This surplus shop is located at the intersection that leads to Cansaga bridge. They have surplus bikes piled up that reach up to the roof of their warehouse (scary, I didn't even get near that dump), but they also have displays outside. They have all sorts of used bicycles there: ladies' bike, kids', mountain, old roadies that are fixed-gear material.

ML Quezon Street - This shop sells folding bikes mostly. I haven't really taken a good look at it, just passed by a couple of times. You may not find ladies' bikes there but they sell foldies in good condition.

Mockery

The Municipality of Liloan hosted the Xterra yesterday. I could not help but note (and learn from a participant himself, also a friend) the despicable attitude of the people towards cyclists. I never experienced this in other places except in Liloan and Consolacion (probably it happens in other places too except that I ride here more often). First, people are overly critical of cyclists. A lot of times that I have gone downhill after a climb, I would hear those jobless idiots shout at me, "pag-hinay oi" (slow down). Dear loser, I am not going fast. I wouldn't want to ride recklessly. I have a job, a girl-friend, and I just turned 23. I would not do anything that would put my life and consequently that of others and your kids in danger.

Second, they enjoy mocking cyclists. An old woman remarked of my friend who came in second to the last on the bike yesterday, "Last na siya dong? Kaluoy pud" (is he the last rider? What a pity). Third is schadenfreude. They love seeing others in misfortune. They think of cyclists as actors in their world of low-rate slap-stick comedy. And they have no qualms about exaggerating just so they can laugh at cyclists. One time I got off my bike because my chain dislodged and I guy from a distance hurriedly gathered his friends and shouted at me "haha! natumba" (haha! he fell off). So they think that getting off your bike seat in the most normal way is just the same with falling over.

Fourth, they are not afraid to curse you. Yesterday, a group of kids asked, no "told," my friend to give them his water bottle. He wouldn't because he needed it to finish Xterra. The kids got disappointed and wished that he would fall down. They also said "kapoy no? gaba" (it's tiring, no? you deserve it"). It's a shame that this enmity towards mountain bikers (and probably cyclists in general) extend from the adults, to the kids, and even to people in their prime.

I haven't even mentioned the daily mocking that I get from habal-habal (motorcycle) drivers at Capulay, the market intersection I have to pass through to get to our place. They are there all they long read to mock. I could not figure out why because I have never engaged in any conversation with anyone of them. So what's the point of what they're doing? Still, I love to ride and no amount of mockery can keep me from riding. 

Now that Liloan is becoming a popular host of outdoor events, the local government should start educating the people around here. They hosted the previous Xterra off-road triathlon and before this year's edition, they hosted the Columbia trail run. I think a simple "respect cyclists and runners" sign in some places should do enough.

Mockery is a sign of lack of education. It is one's way of degrading others so one would feel superior. This is a video of Olympic athlete Derek Redmond. Surrounded by an educated crowd who have a true understanding of what being an athlete is about, he is able to send one of the strongest messages of inspiration in sports history. Redmond was injured at the middle of his run. He stopped for a while and limped towards finish, aided by his father. Inspiration, beyond the meagre grasp of words. If it happened here, would it have the same meaning to the spectators?

Falls Alarm

I did a morning ride last weekend and as I went along my usual route, I noticed a new sign: 'this way to Katinong Falls.' I love falls (who doesn't) so I strayed from my path. There were steep descents and steep climbs so it was really an enjoyable ride. Scared myself 'til I giggled on some parts of the track. But all the hype died when I found out that the said falls is no more than a 3-foot drop with water trickling through it. And they call it falls. False, yes.

 

This is the falls referred to. I don't feel bad anyway because the route on the way is really fun.

Aren't Folding Bikes Awesome?!

Last weekend in Camotes, Cebu I had my first folding bike ride. Before that, I had no opinion about folding bikes. I don't hate them but I don't adore them either. It's like my opinion about Mitt Romney, I had none. But when I had my ride with the Boss last Saturday, my perception has changed. We rented our folding bikes from Mangodlong Island Paradise, the resort where we stayed at for my birthday (will post photos of the place later). The rate was at 100 pesos for the whole day. We went from Mangodlong to Santiago Bay, a place famous for its very vast sandbar.

It was a 5.3km folding bike ride along a mostly empty highway. Except for the occasional vans ferrying tourists and locals going about in their motorbikes, we had the road to ourselves. The best part of the trip was somewhere along the way when I pushed the Boss downhill while pedaling. That was the fastest yet she rode on a bike, I bet. The momentum gave us a nice push up the coming ascent. We had a breakfast of egg, milkfish, and coffee when we returned to Mangodlong Island Paradise.

We checked out at 12pm but the van that would take us to the port was not there yet so we rode our bikes again. We hit some trails just near the highway. We did not really go deep into the hills but just rode some single tracks that stretch several meters from the road. Then we went back again and searched for another trail. We did three mini-trails in all on our foldies. Folding bikes handle pretty decently. It rides fast on the pavement and you can actually spin if you get the seatpost high enough. Being a commuter bike, the seats are quite comfortable and with small, slick tires my bike just glided on the road. Unlike my trail bike, it feels like sawteeth when riding on the paved road.

Our foldies did not handle technical singletracks pretty well but it is understandable. The bike was not made for it. It's meant to give city commuters a sweet ride to there workplace, with a carrier on the back to take care of their bags or luggage. I often see foreign tourists ride around Cebu City on their foldies and now I know why. The small foldies packs a lot of power and makes your ride quite convenient.

Cheers to my friend Ed Carlson. He is foldie rider I met in Toledo in June 2010. He practically covered the whole of Cebu on his folding bike. I don't know which part of the world he is right now but I'm pretty confident he has a foldie with him. Cheers to him and all foldie riders!

Here's a map of our travel from Mangodlong to Santiago Bay in Camotes, Cebu.