Two wheels a-rolling

I was intrigued by the invitation of The Firefly Brigade to "promote cycling as an efficient, environmentally sensible and healthy means of transport" instead of gas guzzling and polluting cars and buses. The Tour of the Fireflies, held two Sundays ago for the sixth year running, made a big splash in the public consciousness, but I wonder how much of an impact it made in terms of promoting cycling as an alternative means of daily transport and not just as a Sunday activity.

Aside from the hardy souls on the Tour Pilipinas who will cycle in to the Quirino Grandstand in a flashy finale today, I wonder who seriously rides a bike around polluted and congested Metro Manila.

I didn’t have to look far: STARweek’s art director Eugene Bacasmas regularly bikes between his home in Quezon City and our office in Port Area. He sings the virtues of two-wheeled over four-wheeled transport: travel time is about a third, saving him over an hour each way. Flash floods are not a problem, as his bike can go where even jeepneys fear to venture.

There are caveats though. You must know your route well in order to avoid the potholes and diggings that seem to be permanent features of Manila streets. This is especially important when it’s dark and when there is even the slightest flood and you cannot see the road surface. He usually takes side streets which are less congested, except at night when main thoroughfares are safer. He notes that in general, jeepney drivers are considerate of bikers, whereas FX drivers cut in front of you or squeeze you off to the side with reckless impunity. While there are gangs of "bike snatchers" in certain parts of the city, Eugene has thankfully not encountered them, keeping as he does to safer areas. Besides, he says, "Mura lang yung bike ko kaya hindi naman ako pinagiinteresan."

Pollution is definitely a negative, and it about takes the joy out of biking. Breathing in all the exhaust fumes and dust and whatnot probably wipes out whatever health benefits one gets from biking, but we breathe that same polluted air anyway whether we bike or not. While I totally agree with the need to promote fuel-less alternative transports like bicycles, with the current state of our roads and traffic I honestly cannot see myself biking from San Juan to Port Area everyday. The last time I got on a bike around the neighborhood I was sideswiped by a taxi; I cannot begin to imagine myself fighting for road space with those humongous 40-footers and 10-wheelers that abound in this part of the world!