noel alanguilan

kikay 04
dumudungaw
(looking out the window)
bisikleta series

kikay 03
hub
bisikleta series

kikay 02
shimano close
bisikleta series

kikay 01
bisikleta series
2009

i could not ride as much as i wanted to. so until such time i am taking pictures.

kikay
san miguel, manila

this is one of the first few pictures of kikay–my bike. she was still brand spanking new i was just savoring the knowledge that she was still unscratched at the time.

part of the lost rolls

christy’s
cartimar, pasay city

this is the shop floor where jun and his guys work on the bikes. this located at the back of the selling area. they really do have a lot of stuff hanging on the ceiling including a size 56 bottecchia.

look at him go. =)

it happened march 2009 in lola nita’s yard. his tito patrick was there to help him and he saw everything. using his cousin’s bicycle he learned how to balance already. unfortunately, i wasn’t around to witness it. bummer, i know. but fortunately, robin was all too happy to show off to me. so i pumped up the tires of his bike and off he goes…

i’m really happy and proud that he can bike now. it took me a while to learn but it seems that he got it faster than i did. yey!

since i read about administrative order 254 formulating a national environmentally sustainable transport strategy and how it favors non-motorized transport (walking, cycling)  i’ve been thinking of how bicycles can be a large part of this strategy and what kind of bicycle is juan de la cruz using to commute.

i walk a lot these days and i get to notice that a lot of bicycle commuters use mountain bikes (mtb) modified for city use. these bicycles have thinner city tires rather than the knobby, fat ones commonly seen on them. recently i’ve noticed that bike owners would take out the front and rear derailleurs and just use the bike as a single speed just like the one in the photo. all you have to worry about are the brakes. life is made a little simpler.

i also see people moving about on bmx bikes but not as much as mtbs. occasionally, i get to see the japanese easy riders and banana bikes. i seldom see people commuting on a racer. the only time i get to see a lot of racer bikes on the road is on weekends. full disclosure: i ride a racer and i was a bike commuter for about a year or two. on weekdays you’d only see me on the road early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

it also got me wondering, how cheap can you get a mountain bike that can be used for cummuting? well, i asked around a bit and apparently, you can get a decent commuter mountain bike for around php 2,500.00. cheap. of course its made of steel and parts are not of high quality but good enough for a beater. just try to keep it out of the water for the next few years.