The Passion For Biking
 

Who could ever tell what tomorrow may bring to each one of us?  Really, I was amazed upon reading an article in one of the national newspaper about this certain Ryan Tanguilig, the proclaimed champion in the recently held 2004 Air 21 Tour Pilipinas. He gave up his high paying job and pursue with his passion for cycling. 

I believed that he never thought of this while he was a toddler. If given the chance to meet him one day, I would like to find out from him why he sacrificed his job and chose cycling. Why not have those both? 

If that happens, I believe he’s answer will be “Destiny”.  Well, what ever his answer will be, he will still be the same person I’ll admire the most because he inspires a lot of cyclists in the country particularly here in the city of Dipolog and the whole province of Zamboanga del Norte.

The story of Tanguilig’s passion for cycling is not a rare one. Like my friends and co-members of the Zamboanga del Norte Bikers Unlimited (ZANOBU), share the same feelings. I can see in them the determination, discipline, courage and passion for it which led to the organization of ZANOBU.

The group was organized in the city last February 2004. It has about 100 members coming from Dipolog Chapter and Polanco Chapters and some parts of the province. The group is composed of bikers from ages 20 to 60 plus and some of them are students while others are professionals, government and private employees, entrepreneurs, mountaineers and some are merely mountain bikers.

Some of them that I happened to interview said that mountain biking is a good sport.  In fact it is recommended for all ages as long as he or she knows how to ride a bike. For those who engage in this kind of sport for several years now, they said that it is more than an attitude and more than a life style 

“It is also satisfaction guarantee sport because all the challenges are at hand and then the farther you drive, the grater the thrill”, they added. 

But despite the constantly changing thrill and adventure, the pleasure and everything good about mountain biking, we still heard several good comments regarding the said sport. Some believed that it is only for well-off individuals who can afford to purchase mountain bikes. There are also people who said that mountain bike alone cost hundreds of thousands and the equipments such as helmet, shoes, jersey, gloves and tools including the maintenance is expensive.

A fellow biker conversed with me that perhaps the issue is correct but if the biker is not classy or too sophisticated and not so much particular with “signature” mountain bikes and equipments then he or she can have a bike and the complete gear for biking at a lower cost.

I also heard from other regular bikers that mountain biking is only for men because it is a tough and strenuous sport. In fact, I was discouraged by some of my friends to discontinue biking. But I just simply answered them that over used line “what men can, women also can”. It is also a way of saying “no way”.

Yes! That is true with biking; I’m sure some of the people can remember Shiela Margate, she is now married and have two kids.  During her youth, she was able to go to other municipalities in the province by merely biking together with other bikers.

I also heard about Abigail Ladera. My co-members of ZANOBU told me that she sometimes join the group during night ride schedule. Knowing that she was one of the candidates of last year’s Mutya sa Dipolog which mean she is not boyish or something.

Here in Dipolog, there are a lot of women who are engaged in mountain biking even long before men try to discourage women to join such a sport. They enlist themselves with the “fun ride” or “night ride” spearheaded by mountain bikers from different organizations here in the city like the Bicycle Association of Dipolog, Incorporated (BADI) and now, we have ZANOBU.
 

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