Cycling Culture and the Summer Heat
Photo Essay by Fortunado, Charlize Andrea S. BAJ 2-1D
Cycling Culture and the Summer Heat
It’s now summer, and what do people do amidst the hot weather? They ready their swimsuits, prepare their halo-halo, and inflate their bicycle wheels to pedal in the streets to unwind from weary work schedules, exercise, and hang out with the gang. Since the pandemic, bicycles have become popular because of their cost-efficiency and their ability to provide people with cheap transportation amidst the lack of commuting vehicles during the pandemic. Long after the pandemic, the cycling culture maintained its prominence, and cycling became a pastime and a means of transportation for many.
While pedaling through my neighborhood, I saw a young girl cycling across the street despite the heat. Sweat was cascading down her face, but she wiped it away and continued. Aleia is a high school student, and her summer vacation just started last week. When summer break came, she cleaned her bike, inflated its wheels, and cycled during evenings and later afternoons. According to her, biking is a great recreational activity that allows you to have fun while exercising.
Francesca Tabudlo is a student of PUP taking up a Bachelor of Science in Biology. As a biology student, her to-do list is always full of weekly lab reports and research. So when she has time, she takes her bike for a ride around the subdivision in the late afternoon. Madilyn Daquiz is a student from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM). As an education major, she also has a lot of workload and often has a hectic schedule.
As I rounded the corner of a street in Greenfields 3 Subdivision, I spotted them gleefully chatting while pedaling despite the humid weather. When asked why they are cycling despite the hot weather, they smiled and answered that cycling is a therapeutic hobby, an exercise, and a cheap means of transportation. Cycling together helps them get their minds off academics, allows them to have fun while burning calories, and takes them places for free. The weather is fatal in the afternoon, so they choose to ride from 4 pm onwards. When riding during afternoons, they make sure they have extra money to buy water or pack a tumbler.
Their bicycles are stunning and well-maintained. Francesca rode on a Samchully Lespo 700c Momentum 21, while Madilyn was on an ANM ZF20 F1 folding bike. Both bikes were brands from South Korea. They said their bicycles are stock and bought at a local bike shop.
When visiting a local bike shop, I noticed their bikes were all branded and imported. The bicycle prices were a bit expensive, ranging from 10,000 pesos and above. Upon researching, I discovered we only have one local bicycle brand in the country, MOB or Men on Bikes. Stores often sell imports from brands abroad that are costly.
Cycling culture remains prominent despite the abnormal heat of this year’s summer. To avoid the fatal temperature, cyclists avoid riding between 11 pm-3 pm when the sun is high. They also ensure to remain hydrated by having water or buying water from nearby stores. Unfortunately, there is little to no sign of local bicycle brands that are more affordable to the public, and people have to save up to buy imported brands and bicycle parts in the local market.