Solon admits lack of biker-friendly gov’t programs*

(*Originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled in the Oct. 16-22, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle --- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

REP. Carmelo Lazatin (1st District, Pampanga) is urging the government and the private sector to promote bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation at the same time admitted that the government lacks biker-friendly programs.

"The government lacks a serious program to promote bicycle use despite the many benefits it brings, not only to health, but to the economy and environment as well," Lazatin said. With the spiraling cost of oil products, “there is a serious need to find alternative modes of transportation and one of this is the use of the bicycle.”

Lazatin is the author of the proposed House Bill 5335 which seeks to encourage the government and the private sector to focus on instituting a serious program in promoting bicycle use.

Under the measure to be known as the "Bicycle Use Act of 2011, "all government agencies are directed to grant bicycle-riding employees a 30-minute window before they be considered late, taking into consideration the long travel time they will take in reporting to work,” Lorelei V. Castillo of the House Media Relations Services’ Public Relations and Information Bureau, said. It shall likewise coordinate with the LGUs in leading the establishment of bicycle lanes on all major thoroughfares all over the country.

The bill enjoins the private sector, including employers and establishment owners to help in the promotion of bicycle use through the setting-up of secure and ample parking spaces and facilities like bike racks in all public and private commercial establishments, including but not limited to public markets, malls, restaurants and stores.

The standard size of the parking space to be allotted shall be determined upon the formulation of the implementing rules and regulations of the proposed act.

Also, the private sector shall grant the legitimate bicycle-riding employees a 30-minute window before they be considered late.

Under the bill, all local government units (LGUs) are directed to monitor all private, public establishments and employers if they comply with all the provisions of the proposed act, implement penalties to violators and ensure that bicycle lanes are properly utilized.

The measure mandates the Departments of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Labor and Employment (DOLE) to issue the necessary rules and regulations.

Public and private establishments who violate the provisions of the measure will be meted with a penalty of suspension and revocation of their business permits.

Building permits shall not be issued to contractors and builders of structures intended for public and commercial use if their plans do not include parking for bicycles.*

-o0o-

CYCLING is now the biggest sporting goods market in the world in terms of revenue, according to a survey by multi-national market research company NPD Group.

Global sales totaled nearly €33 billion (US$46 billion) last year --– an increase of four percent on 2009. Some 137 million bicycles (including electric bikes) were sold, with the average price estimated at €179 ($249). Cycling accounted for 15 percent of all sporting goods revenue.

Back in August the London School of Economics published a similarly encouraging report on the economic value of cycling in the UK, calculating that the country's GCP or ‘Gross Cycling Product’ was around £2.9bn, or £230 per cyclist.

Analysis from the US seems to confirm a positive economic picture there too. Industry revenue rose to $5.94bn in 2010, up from $5.68bn the year before – an increase of 4.6 percent and a return to 2008 revenue levels, according to the 2011 US Specialty Bicycle Retail Study compiled by Jay Townley of the Gluskin Townley Group.

The NPD report --– their sixth Global Sport Market Estimate – covers the sale of bikes, parts, accessories, rental, maintenance and cycle clothing. It shows there were seven countries in which the sporting goods market exceeded $10 billion in 2010 –-- the USA, Japan, Germany, China, France, UK and Italy.

The survey comments specifically on the electric bike phenomenon, saying that “electrical bikes have yet to prove that they're a mass market product in Western Europe (with the exception of some countries such as the Netherlands).”

“We believe what's missing is a touch of glamour on the bikes, and they're expensive in comparison with traditional bicycles,” the report added. "So, the interesting question is at what level of price will demand for hybrid technology products start to rocket and hit the mass market, and when will this happen? This is probably around half the current prices (the psychological price is certainly below €500) and the turning point is probably still a few years from now.”

The NPD’s cycling survey is for sale and includes data broken down by region and by nation for all countries in the world.*

It’s Not About the Bike. My Journey Back to Life.

(This article was originally published

in my sports page column Self-Propelled in the October 9-15, 2011 issue

of the Baguio Chronicle --- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

I WAS too young to remember. All that remain are fragments of vague memories that I sometimes exhume from the deepest recesses of my mind in my times of solitude and in my longings of the years gone by. Memories of my mom and me taking the commuter bus from Kamuning in Quezon City, braving the flooded España Avenue following a thunderstorm shortly before dawn, to the Philippine General Hospital along Taft Avenue which was also as flooded, for my periodic checkup. Congenital cataract.

My family has a history of visual degeneration. My maternal grandmother, though she lived a relatively long life, spent the last years of her life in total darkness, totally blind. My mom suffered diminished eyesight during the last three decades of her life.

Despite the stigma, ironic as it may, I ended up as a photographer, both by passion and occupation --- something that requires strict visual capability and judgment. And I owe it all to my mom who simply refused to give up on her menopause baby to the ancient curse of cataract. By the time I entered Grade 1, I have was declared by my doctors as already cataract-free.

And while I have been wearing prescription eyeglasses for more than 10 years now (which I wear all through my waking hours), it has not diminished my passion for printed words. Books.

About a month ago, I accidentally wandered into a second-hand books store and one particular book that instantly caught my attention was Lance Armstrong’s My Journey Back To Life (It’s Not About The Bike).

I instinctively took the book maybe because I share the same passion with the man --- biking. But as the pages turn past my eyes, I discovered a few similarities, if not commonalities, with Lance Armstrong. True to the book’s title, it was not about the bike. It was, indeed, Lance Armstrong’s journey back to life. How he fought and successfully won over cancer and how his mother refused to give up his only son to the ancient curse of cancer.

“Cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me. I do not know why I got the illness, but it did wonders for me, and I wouldn’t want to walk away from it,” Armstrong testified. “When I was sick, I saw more beauty and triumph and truth in a single day than I ever did in a bike race; they were human moments, not miraculous ones.”

According to him, “athletes, especially cyclists, are in the business of denial. You deny all the aches and pains because you have to in order to finish the race. It’s a sport of self abuse. What makes a great endurance athlete is the ability to absorb potential embarrassment, and to suffer without complaint.”

On the day he was told about it, Armstrong wrote: “I thought I knew what fear was, until I heard the words: You have a cancer.”

My previous fears, fear of not being liked, fear of being laughed at, fear of losing my money, suddenly seemed like small cowardices. Everything now stacked up differently: the anxieties of life were reprioritized into need versus want, real problem as opposed to minor scare. A bumpy plane ride was just a bumpy plane ride. It wasn’t cancer.

Armstrong defined HUMAN as the “characteristic of people as opposed to God or animals or machines, especially susceptible to weakness, and therefore showing the qualities of man. Athletes don’t tend to think of themselves in these terms. They’re too busy cultivating the aura of invincibility to admit to being fearful, weak, defenseless, vulnerable, or fallible, and for that reasons neither are they especially kind, considerate, merciful, benign, or forgiving, to themselves or anyone around them.”

“(But) as I sat in my house alone that first night, it was humbling to be so scared; more than that, it was humanizing. One thing you realize when you’re sick is that you aren’t the only person who needs support --- sometimes you have to be the one who supports others.”

To believe, when all along we humans know that nothing can cure the briefness of this life, that there is no remedy for our basic mortality, that is a form of bravery. To continue believing in yourself, believing in the doctors, believing in the treatment, believing in whatever I chose to believe in, that was the most important thing. Without belief, we would be left with nothing but an overwhelming doom, every single day. And it will beat you.

Dispiritedness and disappointments, these were the real perils of lie, not some sudden illness or cataclysmic millennium doomsday. I knew now why people fear cancer: because it is a slow and inevitable death, it is the very definition of cynicism and loss of spirit.

And while Armstrong admitted that “chemo was lonely”, he said he discovered “a new sense of purpose” which “had nothing to do with my recognition and exploits on a bike; I no longer felt that it was my role in life to be a cyclist; my role was to be cancer survivor. My strongest connections and feelings were with people who were fighting cancer and asking the same question I was: am I going to die?”

We each cope differently with the specter if deaths. Some people deny it. Some pray. Some numb themselves with tequila; we are supposed to face it straightforwardly, armed with nothing but courage --- the quality of spirit that enables one to encounter danger with firmness and without fear. We have unrealized capacities that sometimes only emerge in crisis; if there is a purpose to the suffering that is cancer, I think it must be this: it’s meant to improve us; cancer is not a form of death; I choose to redefine it: it is a part of life.

In less than two years after he was pronounced as cancer-free, Lance Armstrong won his first of seven consecutive Tour de France titles --- a feat no man ever did before. A record.

Until then and have a safe ride all the time and don’t forget to wear that cycling helmet each time. Remember: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.* (SP20)

Down Under

(This article was originally published

in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the October 2-8, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

SORES in the groin area, the upper leg and the butt area can be a nuisance. Worse, they force you to take time off from cycling.

The best treatment for saddle sores is preventing them. The most common sores include blocked or infected glands, which show up as lumps, chafing problems and pain in the pelvic bone area where your weight may be resting.

Be certain your bike is set up correctly. A saddle that is too high can force the rider to reach for the pedals, causing either pressure or chafing. A saddle that is too low doesn't allow the legs to support the body and puts excess pressures on your crotch. The bike seat should not be tilted too far up or down. This creates pressure, causing you to constantly push back in the saddle.

To help prevent chafing, slather your genital area and upper thigh with a good chamois crème. Wear padded cycling shorts without underwear. Cycling shorts are designed to reduce friction from seams, and the padding helps reduce pressure on sensitive areas.

Good hygiene is essential after the ride. Take off your dirty shorts, wash your crotch and don't wear those shorts again until they have been cleaned. Don't suddenly increase weekly or daily mileage on the bike.

If problems persist, a different saddle may help, especially one with a soft or cutout area near the nose.

As a self-treatment, soak in comfortably-hot bath water one to three times per day to help boils surface and drain. Use antibiotic ointments to aid healing. Apply moleskin with an area cut out around the sore to help keep pressure off the sore itself.

For the lady bikers, Gale Bernhardt has a lot to say. But before that, let me tell you a little about her.

Gale Bernhardt was the 2003 USA Triathlon Pan-American Games and 2004 USA Triathlon Olympic coach for both the men's and women's teams. Her first Olympic experience was as a personal cycling coach at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Thousands of athletes have had successful training and racing experiences using Gale's pre-built, easy-to-follow training plans.

According to her, several disorders related to the vaginal area are lumped under the term vaginitis. Three of the most common problems women experience are vaginitis (sometimes referred to as crotchitis), bacterial infections and yeast infections. Some causes of these problems include warmth, moisture, poor hygiene, overzealous hygiene, chafing of the inner labia, oral medications (such as antibiotics) and allergies.

Crotchitis is irritation or inflammation of the inner labia, urethra, clitoris and the skin around the vagina. Redness, itching and pain are trademark symptoms. Crotchitis is different from saddle sores. Both conditions, however, share some of the same causes such as friction, pressure, warmth and moisture.

The preventative measures for saddle sores will also help prevent crotchitis.

Keep the crotch dry and ventilated when off the bike. Breathable fabric underwear and loose fitting shorts or dresses will allow air to this area, making it less inviting for germ growth. After urinating, wipe from front to back or pat the area dry. This reduces the chances of contaminating the vaginal area with stool. Aggressive wiping and rough toilet paper can also irritate the area.

Once you have crotchitis, a non-prescription cream may relieve the itching and help make a bike ride more comfortable. This can be particularly helpful if crotchitis occurs during a multi-day bike tour.

A second type of vaginal problem is bacterial vaginosis. Its primary symptom is foul-smelling, profuse, watery vaginal discharge. Typical treatment includes an antibiotic prescribed by a doctor.

Yeast infections are the third type of vaginal problem. They often produce vaginal discharge, which is thick, foul-smelling and is accompanied by intense itching. After a doctor confirms the condition is a yeast infection, reoccurring yeast infections can be recognized by the woman and treated with over-the-counter medications.

The vaginal environment is a delicate balance of organisms, including normal bacteria and lubricating secretions. When normal secretions are replaced by a discharge that is smelly, unusually thick, or copious, or the vaginal area becomes inflamed or itchy, it is time to seek help. Do not allow a small problem to expand to a larger one.

Until then and have a safe ride all the time. Put on that cycling helmet each time you get on your bike. Remember: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.* (SP19)

Heat Stroke and Exhaustion

(This article was originally published

in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the Sept. 25 to Oct. 1, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

CYCLISTS who maintain an adequate fluid intake rarely have problems with serious heat injury but it can occur and you should learn to recognize the symptoms.

Heat stroke is a breakdown of the body’s cooling system. The victim’s temperature rises rapidly (above 40.6 Celsius or 105.1 Fahrenheit) and, if not lowered quickly, can cause death.

Symptom of a heat stroke are flushed face; hot, dry skin; a strong, rapid pulse; and sometimes unconsciousness. The victim’s temperature has to be lowered by the fastest available means, including water, undressing, shade, fanning, and ice. Once the person’s temperature is back to normal, he or she should be taken to a hospital since the syndrome may recur.

Heat exhaustion is less serious, though it can turn into heat stroke.

The victim of heat exhaustion feels tired, dizzy, and often disoriented. He or she may faint. The skin is pale and clammy, the temperature is normal or cool, and the pulse may be weak and fluttery. The victim I suffering from circulatory distress, so sit the person down in the shade before he or she falls down. Elevate the legs slightly and administer fluids when the person is conscious enough to take them. The heroic cooling measures used for heat stroke are not needed but watch for signs of stroke.

Heat injuries are best avoided by keeping up your fluid intake. Cyclists should drink at least a full 16 ounces of water before exercise begins to guard against heat exhaustion. The cool water will lower your body’s temperature before you begin. Start your hot-weather cycling in small doses until you have acclimatized to the heat.

When you begin to feel the heat badly, remove yourself from any direct sunlight by finding a shady place and sit down for a drink and rest. The electrolytes in many sports drinks also provide protection against dehydration, so ingest some of these too.

Force yourself to drink frequently, at least every 15 minutes to make sure that you do not dehydrate. Even if you do not feel like you are thirsty, your body still needs fluids. Keeping your bodies electrolytes in check will make for a more successful ride, and prevent heat exhaustion.

Pay attention to the other members of your party (when riding in groups) in hot weather and don’t pressure the weaker riders to push beyond their limits. Watch for signs of heat distress among the tough guys, they often are the people who don’t have the good sense to stop in time.

According to researchers at the University of Bedfordshire in Bedford, UK, your perception of the temperature has more of an effect on your endurance than the heat itself.

In a study published in the May 2011 online issue of the "European Journal of Applied Physiology," these researchers had cyclists ride stationary bikes in a room for 30 minutes. Their findings indicate that hot weather decreases the distance that you cover when you know the correct temperature, but have no effect if you think that the temperature is approximately average.

Lastly, cycling in extreme heat may make any metal components of your bike overly hot and can reduce the performance of your chain's lube, potentially affecting the smoothness of gear shifting and riding in general. In addition, high heat can increase your chances of getting a flat tire by causing an increase in tire pressure and making your tube softer. This leads to a greater chance of flats due to both punctures and slow leaks.

Until then and have a safe ride all the time. Put on that cycling helmet each time you get on your bike. Remember: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.* (SP18)

Secondhand Bikes

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

In the Sept. 18-24, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

IF you want to buy a decent bike at a reasonable price, the best opportunities lie in the secondhand market. But there are qualifications. You must be able to wait until the right bike comes along. You have to learn enough about bikes to be able to analyze them carefully yourself or have a knowledgeable friend who is willing to come along to check out the more likely possibilities for you. You have to be cool enough to avoid buying on impulse.

A good way to locate secondhand bikes is to check the bulletin boards in bike shops and classified ads. Garage sales are also good sources.

Do some checking before you bother to make a special trip to look at the bike. Ask about the frame size. Thoroughly check over the bike you are thinking of buying. Ride the bike around, paying attention to the operation of the bearings. Spin each moving part independently, checking for binding, sticking, hesitancy and grinding noises. See if the headset (the front steering assembly bearings) produces a series of hesitations when it is turned under load. Such catching indicates brinelling (pitting) of the bearing races. Pick up the front of the bike and drop it to see if there is any rattling of the headset when the bike bounces. If there is, it is out of adjustment and you should pull the headset apart to check for brinelling. Any bearings that show any stickiness should be pulled apart and checked. Make a list of everything that needs to be replaced and the estimated cost.

Be sure to check the frame alignment. The simplest overall alignment test is to ride the bike with no hands. A properly aligned bike tracks easily, rather than pulling to one side or feeling as though it is about to swerve out of control. If the wheels are properly trued, the rims should be equidistant to from the fork blades and the chainstays. If one side is closer to the other, reverse the wheel to see whether the fault is in the wheel or in the frame. If the short side remains next to the same frame member, the error is in the frame. Stretch a string around the front of the head tube and back on either side of the bike to the read of the dropouts. The string should be the same distance from the seat tube and down the seat tube on each side. The cranks should pass the seat tube and down tube at exactly the same distance, otherwise the bottom bracket shell is not oriented exactly at a right angle to the plain of the main triangle.

Look at the frame for dimples, paint blisters, or other evidences that the bike has crashed.

One last note on buying a secondhand bike is to ask for the bike’s original sales slip and get a signed receipt. Many people won’t have them but try your best not to buy a stolen bike. Bicycle theft is a major problem for all of us who ride and you owe it to your fellow cyclists and yourself not to reward the thieves. If you come across a suspicious situation, report it to the police then follow up later to see whether they investigated. Most police departments do not tale bike theft very seriously and they won’t begin to move unless they feel the pressure from irate citizens.*

The Conference Bike

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the Sept. 11 to 17, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle
--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

Looking for a new place to have a meeting?

Introducing the ConferenceBike (CoBi for short), a 7-seat human-powered vehicle with a pedal-driven circular jointed drive-shaft and rack-and-pinion steering --- truly a unique way of bringing together people (literally speaking). It is steered by one of its passengers while everyone is free to pedal (or not).

Everyone who rides a CoBi lights up smiling. It has a magical effect on people: it lowers inhibitions and after just a few minutes even total strangers are talking to one another.

Weighing approximately 200 kilos, it is manufactured by the German company VeloSaliko and about 400 of it are now being used in 18 countries.

Originally intended as an artwork by American artist/inventor Eric Staller, CoBis are used primarily for tourism but are gaining acceptance on corporate and university campuses. Its uses include team-building, elderly and handicapped recreation, school obesity and sustainability awareness programs.

The ConferenceBike is now being enjoyed by diverse groups all over the world. It is a tour bike in London and Berlin. It is used as a tool for corporate team-building in Amsterdam and San Diego, a way for blind people to bike in Dublin, a human-powered school bus in America and a vehicle to convey people at theme parks in England, Germany and Israel. They have been also used for fund-raising events and in biking advocacy groups worldwide.

Every week, new uses are being discovered: seminars, clubs, festivals, therapy groups and are all amazed at the powerful sharing effect that these bikes have.

It is about 2.5 meters (8 feet) long, 1.8 meters (6 feet wide) and 1.4 meters (4 feet) high. It is not considered as a “speed machine” and in normal circumstances; it can go as fast as 15 kph (10mph).

In most countries, the CoBi has the same legal status as a bicycle. It costs a little under 10,000 Euros (excluding VAT and shipping).*

Shifting Gears

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled
in the Sept. 4 to 10, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle
--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

IF you do not understand fully the shifting mechanism of your bicycle, you can either turn the bike upside down or hang it from a line attached to the seat so that you can turn the pedals with one hand and shift the gears while you watch.

There is some finesse involved in using gears well. Their function is to allow you to pedal at the most efficient cadence, regardless of the wind resistance and steepness of a hill.

Once you have learned your gear pattern well, you should be able to shift smoothly as the gradient of the road changes or as you come around a corner into a wind.

A cyclist does not have to be as quick at shifting as the racer. But it is a real help to know your gears well so that you don’t have to fumble or use trial-and-error to get into the right configuration. It is therefore essential to learn to shift when you need to, rather than pushing too high a gear as beginners often tend to do. Straining too hard at the pedals results in rapid muscle fatigue.

The ease in which you can turn the pedals and the distance that the bike travels each revolution of the pedals make depend on the ratio of the number of teeth on the front gear to the number of teeth of the rear one, as well as the size of your wheels. The different ratios that result depend on the number of teeth of each cog, and the pattern of shifting in order from the lowest to the highest gear depends on the particular combination of your bike.

Once you have a basic feel of your bicycle, it is worth spending some time learning the exact shifting sequence. Then, when you are riding along into the wind and feel yourself straining just a bit to keep up a good cadence, you can shift into the next lower gear easily without breaking you rhythm.

For the beginners, the most frequent mistake in riding up hills is to try to stay in a relatively high gear too long, allowing the legs to tire and perhaps even grinding to a halt in the middle of a belated effort to shift into a lower gear.

Shift down early and save energy until you have built up the conditioning and ability to budget your strength that is necessary to ride up hills at a faster pace.

Until then and have a safe ride all the time. Put on that cycling helmet each time you get on your bike. Remember: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.* (SP13)