Adapting to a new normal: A culture of cycling
Last Monday, I had a very productive discussion With Arnold Clavio on DZBB / GMA News about bicycling as a viable means of transportation not only in NCR, but other provinces all over the Philippines as well. In Fact, there’s so much headway now in cities outside Metro manila like Baguio and Iloilo City. But as mentioned several times, there has to be infra support — not only for getting to and from work, but also for facilities in workplaces like safe bicycle parking, lockers, showers, and other requirements to encourage employees to use their bicycle to work. This also includes financial incentives. Key here is education of what to do and not to do. It’s a two-way street. BOTH cyclists and motorists have to adjust.
After the interview, I got in touch with MMDA Chairman Danny Lim. He was very receptive to the idea of pushing cycling as a viable means of transportation in Metro Manila.
In last week’s column, I discussed some of the preliminaries before you start cycling to work. I dug up old files and found the second part of that series. This is specially for those who asked for more information about cycling to work:
a. What you need to know before you ride your bicycle to work
Before moving forward with your plans, remember: ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET & A MASK. No matter if cycling to the corner store, across the village, to the nearby restaurant, to your friend’s house, across town, or across Metro Manila, never ride a bicycle without a helmet.
Now, having drilled into your planning that you need a helmet and MASK, we can move forward.
Last week, I talked about planning a route to bike to work. Ideally you should have at least two routes to give you options. Try to pass the roads you plotted (using a car) to see which are feasible to use. I suggest looking for a route with minimal vehicular traffic. Or, in the alternative, look for a route where vehicular traffic is slow. Thus focus on secondary roads, and try, as much as possible, to avoid main roads.
Having plotted a route, try riding it on a weekend.
There’ll be fewer people
(and cars) on the road so it’s easier for you, and less stressful because you’re not rushing to get to work. Do it at a leisurely pace. Don’t forget money for food on the way, a valid ID, and your mobile phone.
Always hydrate. Don’t take big gulps of water (you’ll end up wanting to pee after). Try sips of water, at no longer than 15-minute intervals. Dehydration is your enemy. If you drink only when you get thirsty, dehydration will have already started. b. Managing your expectations Will you enjoy your first bicycle ride? I hope so, but honestly, I don’t think so. You’ll get a thrill out of it, for sure, but chances are, you’ll have to learn a few things during the first few times you bike to work. Many get stressed because they’re doing it for the first time and are usually nervous and don’t really know what to expect.
From the little things like what apparel works best for you (Don’t wear underwear under your cycling shorts. You’ll thank me later for this advice. Put your underwear with your clothes in your backpack). Study the road you’ll pass and be aware of potholes (so you can avoid them the next time). The first few rides will undoubtedly be a learning experience for you. Don’t expect it to be a perfect experience. But hopefully it’ll be a fun and healthy activity and should motivate you to do it again. With each time your cycle to work, you’ll learn a thing or two, and soon, you’ll have the knowledge and understanding on how to manage your bicycle commute to work.
Take notes of your thoughts shortly after your bicycle rides — what to avoid, etc. It’ll help you plan out your next rides and how you can prepare and/or adjust better. c. Setting goals
This is what many need to understand. You have to have a plan on what goals you want to achieve. Then you have to break down your goals into stages.
For example. If you plan to ride your bicycle to work 3X a week, you don’t do that on the first week. That would be suicide. You have to do it in stages not only for health reasons (especially for those who do not regularly exercise), so your body can slowly build up the endurance. Another reason is for your body to get used to the pollution. Based on my personal experience, I tried to cycle to work one time. First week I did it three days (M-W-F). I got sick the week after. Not because of the physical strain on my body, but because I wasn’t able to adjust to the pollution. You know, when you’re in the intersection and the light is red, you’re right in the middle of the motorcycles and jeepneys. When the light turns green, everyone tries to move forward the fastest. Naturally, when that happens, all those motorcycles rev and a lot of those fumes go straight to your face, and you breathe it all in. You have to make your body adjust to that. Or, as I said above, take note of it, and plan a way to avoid those fumes. Ideally, you’ll have: Short-term goal – What you want to achieve in 1-3 months
Medium-term goal – What you want to achieve in six months
Long-term goal – What you see yourself doing in a year or longer
Remember. using a bicycle to work is not like flicking a switch. It’ll take time, a lot of hard work, and dedication. Not only from the individual himself/herself, but more importantly from the government and private business owners who employ these individuals who’ll ride their bicycle to work.
In the culture of cycling as a means of transportation. It’s not ME, but WE.