Bike Cafe online

It is about time. Finally, a major university have adopted cycling as an alternative transportation in campus. The University of the Philippines, spearheaded by the members and alumni of the U.P. Mountaineers and in celebration of its Centennial launched it last April 11, 2008. The project advocates bicycle rides within campus to promote less reliance on fossil-fuel products and battle global warming. Definitely, the lesser the UP Ikot jeepneys and cars inside the more breathable the air in the campus not to mention more tone bodies and smaller asses ;).

Students will be renting the colorful bikes with step-through frames per semester in the amount of Php500 and are required to purchase their own helmets. Most of these bikes will also have utility baskets where students can put their books. They will likewise be given a bicycle clinic on responsible and proper bike riding including proper bike maintenance by the Firefly Brigade. Most of the stores surrounding the campus will also be taught on how to fix bikes and cater to simple bike tune-ups.

Bike paths, cables and bike racks have likewise been provided for a definitely hassle free ride.

Wishing that other universities and other institutions follow suit.

For more information vist www.padyak.org.

Are there any???

For the past three weeks, my wife and I have been cycling to places which before we usually visit via our car. It was really an eye opener for me how much gasoline I am saving by using a bike instead of a motorized vehicle. Not only fuel costs but I save on parking fees as well. The only drawback of course is I cannot have my sons bike with me in the streets of Metro because its chaotic out there and the pollution. Hassle as well is looking for a safe place to park our bikes.

The following are the places we visited the past weeks:

1. Metrowalk - no bike parkings whatsoever. We need to put a cable lock on our bikes next to a parking post. I didn’t even count the hassle of the guard telling us not just to park our bikes anywhere. Mind you we were parking in a place near a vendor stall and as if we will obstruct the area ;(.

2. Rockwell - none as well. We went to UCC (outside the mall where Cantinetta and Gramm’s). No bike racks but they have lots of car parking. We just parked our bikes on the side of UCC glass wall and ate our breakfast al fresco.

3. HighStreet (Serendra) - With all the car parking slots left and right of High Street how come I did not even see a single bike rack. Perhaps I didn’t search hard enough but there really wasn’t any. So we just parked the bikes near the wall beside Krispy Kreme. You dont even have any place to bolt your bike into. Or if you find any, most likely the guard will tell you that isn’t allowed.

Too bad that with the proliferation of malls around Metro Manila and almost everybody preaching a “greener” culture, nobody even have thought of this. I guess it is high time to put bike racks in designated areas in malls. Doing this will encourage patronizers to go to malls by bikes without the fear of having their bikes stolen or vandalized (of course that is a totally new post ).

Maybe the mall owners did not know that one car parking slot can accommodate 28 bikes. These malls, like HighStreet, have outdoor stores like R.O.X. (Recreational Outdoor Exchange), shouldn’t they advocate for bike parkings at least?

Oh well. How can I even think of bike parkings when we don’t even have bike routes?

I hope this happens in my lifetime ;).

None, nada, wala!!!

Except in Marikina with its own Marikina Bikeways System. Spearheaded by the former mayor of Marikina and now MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando (BF). To date around 50 kilometers of bike lanes have been built looping the entire city. This project was partly funded by US$1.3 million World Bank grant which enabled Marikina to build a network of 19.3 kms of bike lanes. On its part, the city government put up its own counterpart fund amounting to Php14.9 million which enabled it to build an additional 27.3 kilometers of bike paths — cool right! Marikina was chosen since it has successfully implemented several traffic solutions and has the political will to see this through — and they did.

Before this project, 1 out of ten road users in Marikina was a bike rider. With the full development of this project they estimate this ratio to run 5 bikers out of 10 road users. A significant accomplishment indeed. This doesn’t only help ease the traffic congestion in the city but most importantly help in the protection of the enviroment and less reliance on the ever increasing fuel prices.

So with this in mind, when can we see our beloved BF replicating  the bike lanes along Edsa (Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare) and other cities in Metro Manila. It is about time! We very much welcome this other than his huge scandalous posters lining thru Edsa ;(.

In recent newspaper articles, there were lots of discussions about the things happening in our environment. Global warming, climate change, fuel crisis, food crisis, etc. Year in and year out these problems have been aired — i guess more loudly during summer because it coincides with Earth Day. Is this really something that we must be concerned about? More seems to be apathetic since if something happens drastically to our environment most likely it will not be during our lifetime — so the usual reaction is… to hell with global warming. But come to think of it, some of the events unthinkable before is happening now. Are we really that apathetic and just shrug our shoulder and not do our own share. Everybody has been given a free will… to decide on their own… good or bad.

I am making a decision now…. I will do my share….

One less car on the road….

I will be passionate with my cycling. Not only to lose my unwanted fat but lessen my carbon footprint on Mother earth.

Again, hello Earth. I will make you greener this time.

Let’s bike.