Motorbike Routes In The Philippines

[afathertobe]

Hi all

I am trying to create a new sticky thread with good bike routes in the Phils. I have just started riding a bike here with only two tours under my belt; the recent ride to Punto Fuego/Batangas below and a Cebu island coastal loop.

 

Here my route with a rough indication of the road situation I encountered (red: badly congested, orange: mid- to heavy traffic, green: nice, scenic roads with little traffic) Feel free to post similar maps of your rides. 

 

 

 

After doing about 600km around Manila the real pain seems to be to get out of the city within a reasonable time frame. The traffic is just too dense even for a motorbike at times.

 

Edit: The images are really easy to create, I'm no computer wizard so you'll manage too: 

1. Make a screenshot of the area on Google maps 

2. Paste the picture in MS Paint or another simple editing tool

3. Crop the picture to the area you need

4. Draw lines (green, orange, red) with the thickest line strengths

5. Upload to postimage.org

6. Post the image here

 

Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes after you've figured out the process. 

Edited February 24, 2015 by afathertobe

[afathertobe]

And here the Cebu coastal ride. The southern loop is just fantastic, couldn't recommend it more. But the further North you get on the West coast the less interesting the roads are, industrial towns and lots of traffic.

 

[chris49]

Mate.I have been in TRAP,Triathlon Association of Phils for 9 years. Currently into MTB racing here in the north. Just did the Pamulinaween MTB  race at Laoag, 21st Feb. I did post my report somewhere will post it again.

 

I have a 52 km MTB race at Candon, 21st Feb. An OD (Olympic Dist) Triathlon, 28 Feb back in Currimao/Poay Lake area,malapit Laoag. Been in 6 days/week training, 65 years old, my running is a bit weak, but hope to finish.

 

I have a ton of info. Metro, then in Batangas,Sta Rosa, Pampanga, Bataan, Subic, Nth Zambales....and currently Nth of Vigan,to far north.

 

Currently riding with Lapog, San Juan** bike club. Been riding with Class A and B road bikers,2 ex national riders doing 100's up north.They drop us but we are maybe the 4th pack.

 

Hope to have time to write it all down.

 

Example: Tanawan, Batangas to Laurel..riding south, Lake Taal and Lake Taal volcano on your left. Not much time to look but it's sweet,same view you get from Tagatay. But at ground level. 29 km down, 58 round trip. 4-5 hills, one significant climb.

 

I also have rides going out of Manila to north....and some amazing off road stuff.

 

Which ones do you want?

 

**There are a few dozen San Juan's in the Philippines, I mean SJ, Ilocos Sur, about 25 km north of Vigan, 14 km from my place.

[afathertobe]

Hey Chris, sorry for the missunderstanding. I am talking about motorbike, not bicycle routes. I know the term bike/biker is a bit ambiguous, changed the thread title. 

[chris49]

Hey Chris, sorry for the missunderstanding. I am talking about motorbike, not bicycle routes. I know the term bike/biker is a bit ambiguous, changed the thread title. 

 

My bad....sorry. It was an exciting topic for me.

 

We do ride motorbikes, but not at that level.

[ironmaiden]

I did a lot of trips on my bike but those were all between 15 and 10 years ago, so all my info about traffic is probably hopelessly outdated already... I wanted to buy a new bike this year and do some trips again, but I just build a house and it went a bit over budget so no new bike for me this time...

[Methersgate]

What an excellent idea for a thread and I love the graphics. 

[Gator]

the real pain seems to be to get out of the city within a reasonable time frame. The traffic is just too dense even for a motorbike at times.

 

 

I guess as a novice rider you haven't learned, or feel confident enough yet, to weave in and out of traffic, jump curbs, ride on the sidewalks, etc?

 

Good post and good idea. I've done the circuit you indicated for Cebu on two separate trips. Both rides were nice, especially along the southern coastline, both east and west side. Looking forward to Bohol in a week or two.

 

Rest break a little south of Cebu City, was on the way home but after 2 plus hours of riding needed to stretch my legs and get some cold water before making the final 45 minute leg of my journey. Bike's loaded to the gills (mostly gf1's stuff, lol) and in need of a wash from an earlier rainstorm. Sucks riding in the rain, but it's a part of the adventure :)

 

[afathertobe]

 

the real pain seems to be to get out of the city within a reasonable time frame. The traffic is just too dense even for a motorbike at times.

 

 

I guess as a novice rider you haven't learned, or feel confident enough yet, to weave in and out of traffic, jump curbs, ride on the sidewalks, etc?

 

Damn you, that just made me snort coffee through my nose. I'm afraid not, in most cases I'm worse (read: faster) than the Filipinos on the road. But then I should have mentioned that I've been riding motorbikes in SEA for more than a decade covering tens of thousands of km.

 

Weaving through traffic works well on these orange roads where traffic is very dense but at least moving, but on some roads around Manila traffic is so dense that you often stay between two cars or trucks for minutes, stuck between dozens of bikes in front and behind you. In that traffic you can be lucky if you make 10km/h on average, a real pain. Cebu was nowhere near as bad, so perhaps I should remove the red areas on the second map with orange... but it's all relative I suppose.

[RBM]

the real pain seems to be to get out of the city within a reasonable time frame. The traffic is just too dense even for a motorbike at times.

 

 

I guess as a novice rider you haven't learned, or feel confident enough yet, to weave in and out of traffic, jump curbs, ride on the sidewalks, etc?

 

Good post and good idea. I've done the circuit you indicated for Cebu on two separate trips. Both rides were nice, especially along the southern coastline, both east and west side. Looking forward to Bohol in a week or two.

 

Rest break a little south of Cebu City, was on the way home but after 2 plus hours of riding needed to stretch my legs and get some cold water before making the final 45 minute leg of my journey. Bike's loaded to the gills (mostly gf1's stuff, lol) and in need of a wash from an earlier rainstorm. Sucks riding in the rain, but it's a part of the adventure :)

 

mini-IMG_7597.JPG

Wow some luggage there. First thing I have learnt is the GF must halve her luggage, after do it again and one more time. My gear fits into the small carry on back pack, she takes up 90% of the 55 maxi which can hold two large helmets. This is after all the halving.

When time shall post some of my more recent trips although we stick to smaller roads which may not be of interest to readers.