kamotE trails

This is our "go to" route when we want something a bit challenging but easy enough to finish in 3 hours.  The route is about 40kms of paved roads.  We usually start at San Pedro, Laguna then go up GMA, Cavite. This part is the uphill part of the loop. After passing GMA town proper, we turn right to Paliparan Road. This is all downhill riding all the way to Daang Hari. From Daang Hari, we enter Katarungan Village in Muntinlupa to going to National Highway and back. Merida + Southwoods Early morning rides are best. Cool air and less traffic unless its a weekday.

During rides, it is best to expect the unexpected. Aside from the raging jeepneys and the reckless motorcycles on the road, it is best to prepare yourself when your ride breaks down. So what are the necessary things that I bring during rides? pump, tube and tools A good set of all in one tools is a must for every cyclist. I use the Topeak Mini 18+ multi tool. It does the job for most adjustments and bolt tightening. It's compact and easy to fit in your bag or pants pocket. It has most of the tools you will need for bike emergencies like cut chains and even a tire lever for flat tires. It comes with a neoprene carrying case. topeak mini 18+ Extra tubes and a hand pump should always be on your pack unless you want to push your bike to town when you pop a tire on the trails.  There's also the occasional glass shards and small metal wires that find its way to your tire.  It will save you time to just replace the tire tube during rides. Keep the punctured tire so ...

I decided to bike to work again for these reasons: The building I'm working at only allows folding bikes to be brought up the office and now I have a folding bike. I'm lacking physical exercise and this is a good way to get that exercise early in the morning. Riding a bike is economical. I tried a new route thinking there would be less traffic and therefore less "exhaust smoke in your face" moments. We take this road when going to Rizal on early morning weekends so there is practically no traffic and its easy riding. From Muntinlupa, I took a right turn to take the M. L. Quezon Street going to Bayani road then Mckinley Hill.  This route proved to be inefficient. There were lots of tricycles and jeepneys that block your path whenever they pick up  passengers. It's a 2 way street so I have no choice but to stop. You pass by at least 2 schools which means traffic and students crossing the road. I would not take that route anymore. Going the east/...

I was in the supermarket when I saw this home brewed looking beer so I gave it a try. Belgian Witbier Style. This beer is supposedly made from wheat and spiced with citrus flavors. Reading from the label, this is not a home brewed beer. It is brewed and bottled by Asia Brewery. This beer is priced in the same range as SMB so I decided to buy this. The taste is citrusy. The beer is a bit light with bitter after tastes. The alcohol content is 5.3%. A bit higher than pale pilsen but not that much.  After half a bottle, I felt the slight alcohol buzz. I must be tired considering that this is not a strong beer. It's a nice fresh flavor if you're looking to taste other local beers.

The color matches my Jazz. We recently bought a brand new Tern Link D8. I don't know what year model this is but looking at photos from the web, it is most likely a 2013 or 2014 model. Folded bike The stock bike is quite heavy at around 12.5 kilograms. It's not as easy to carry around as I thought it would be. Carrying it with one hand requires some sort of a strap to hold on to. The magnetix is not as reliable as I thought. It once unlatched and the bike opened up while I was carrying it. In the future, I would try to create a custom strap to easily carry the folded up bike. biologic rear rack The frame was well built. The locks (frame and stem) looks sturdy and reliable. The fenders and biologic rear rack was also included in the stock bike which is a plus for me. The rack is not that heavy so I decided to keep it on the bike.  frame hinge lock The stock saddle was good enough. Its firm yet still comfortable on short rides. It's al...

We (my wife and I) recently got a Tern Link D8 folding bike.  Initially, we went to the distributor of Tern (Junni Industries in Quezon Ave.) hoping that it's cheaper to get from them but they pointed me to Glorious Ride Bike Shop in Anonas. The guy said that they give the biggest discount. Luckily, we were not disappointed. The discount and the freebies was worth the travel from Muntinlupa to Quezon City. The store was jam packed maybe because of their anniversary sale. We managed to get the bike but opted to skip the tuning. I'd rather tune and setup the bike myself and because we're in a bit of a hurry for a dinner appointment, we just checked the contents of the box then loaded it on Royal (my Honda Jazz). The Unboxing. The box was huge. I was expecting a smaller package since it's a folding bike. The bike was packed unfolded. The front wheels is detached and the stem/handlebar folded. Seatpost and saddle are also detached. Assembling the bike is e...