How I Discovered the Joy of Biking

I first discovered the joy of biking when I was in fourth grade. There was a bike rental shop nearby our house. The curious kid I was, I felt I needed to try it because all my friends knew how to ride a bike. No one taught me, and I had to learn independently. I learned how to ride a bike, but only after crashing into a parked jeepney and sustaining wounds, with a big scar still very much visible on my left knee until now.

After that incident, the next time I had the chance to ride a bike was in my first year of high school. My parents bought bicycles for me and each of my brothers. We moved to a subdivision in Trece Martires City in Cavite during this time. It was a new subdivision, and we didn’t have neighbors. Biking with my young brothers wasn’t fun for a girl in her teenage years who was also busy trying to make new friends at a new school. So, I stopped riding my bike. Natambak lang siya and eventually rusted. I was 12 years old.

Then, I met Tuts in 2011 through Rowjie, as they had been friends since high school. Yes, the Moks Atuan. He was visiting us that day and arrived on his bike. I asked if I could try it because it had been ages since I last rode a bike, and I wanted to see if I could still do it. He let me use his Mongoose (Fireball) mountain bike (MTB) for a quick spin within our neighborhood. I remember Rowjie saying that I should take care, NOT BECAUSE HE HASN’T SEEN ME RIDE A BIKE, but because the bike is expensive. Baka hablutin sa’kin or masira ko. Ang bait, bait! I had fun! But that was it.

A decade after that MTB ride, I got my own MTB.

In June 2021, I purchased a Dartmoor 26Player dirt jump frame in Lemon Sea from a bike shop in Tacloban. Our biker friend, who just so happened to be in the same area for a business deal, picked it up for us. Shoutout to Sheriff! Naka-libre sa shipping! It’s an old model and a rare find, but I love that color.

At first, my husband and I used the bike for short rides around our neighborhood and in BGC. But not long after, I started eyeing the trails. I told him I wanted to try mountain biking. You know, the real trail riding. Rowjie already owns a Rurok Kanlaon MTB and has been doing trail rides, so I thought, why not try it since I now have an MTB, too?

So we began upgrading the parts bit by bit. By December 2021, the build was complete. I was six months postpartum when I started trail biking, and let me say I fell hard… not on the trail, but in love with downhill riding. That rush? I live for it. Iba yung high, iba yung saya. Parang bumabalik yung adventurous version ko pre-kids. That’s when I rediscovered the joy of biking, not just as a hobby but a powerful way to reconnect with myself after becoming a mom. Base Kamp Bikers’ Pit Stop became our playground every weekend. Rain or shine, we were there. Me, my husband, and my equally-daredevil friends. Nakabuo pa nga kami ng group: RRT or Reklamo Racing Team, always complaining during uphills.

Oh, wait, I fell hard pala on my first try. My friends caught it on camera. Ang babait.

Then came bike number two: a Brompton C Line in Fire Coral, which we got in January 2023. It’s my city bike, perfect for casual rides around the neighborhood. Let’s be real—my 26Player wasn’t exactly built for paved roads and stoplights. MTB nga. Pang-mountain talaga, ‘di ba?

But plot twist! Just a month after getting my Brommie, I found out I was pregnant. My husband and I didn’t tell anyone right away, especially since I was still doing downhill rides with my 26Player. I was in my “progression phase” and very much in the zone. We were in Corterra every weekend because I hoped to join downhill races then. I knew if people found out, they might say I was being irresponsible, so we kept it to ourselves for a while. Alam mo na, buntis tapos pa-bike-bike pa. When we finally shared the news a month later, that marked the end of my MTB days. For now.

Since giving birth to Indra, I’ve been back on my Brompton for city rides. I miss the trails deeply, but I know where my priorities lie at this stage in life. I’m a mom of three now, and MTB rides take up half a day—not exactly ideal when we don’t have a helper and the bike parks are far. Mama already helps so much with the kids while we work, and I don’t want to burden her further on weekends so that I can chase adrenaline.

Even though my rides are shorter these days, I still feel the joy of biking whenever I hop on my Brompton even if it’s just around BGC or Binondo. Lol. But I’m hopeful. One day, when my youngest needs a little less from me and is more independent, I’ll be back on the trails—helmet on, heart pounding, and probably still screaming joyfully down every descent. Until then, I’ll keep pedaling through this chapter on a foldie, in the city, with my heart full. Kahit sa BGC lang, kahit short rides lang. Basta may bike, masaya ako.

Thanks for reading. 😊