I Got a Bike!

I finally bought a bike. Do you know how much I like bikes? Check these points out:

• My main form of transportation from 2005-2007 was a 1980's era BMX bike.
• I only a vehicle for a year and a half.
• Through University I only had a bike (and my roommate's truck from time to time(Thanks Hunter)).

I have a long history with bikes, one of my lesser known passions.

In the Peace Corps you're allowed Php12000 for a bike and Php1600 for a helmet. After getting to site here in Cabanatuan City I put my request in for my allowance. My Region Manager said he'd look into it but asked me to make sure I needed/really wanted on. After several more inquiring texts my RM knew I wasn't going to be satisfied til I had a ride of my own.

I wanted a bike for several reasons:

• Trike rides are the main form of transport here and it's expensive and more of a punishment. Php20-30 for an angry guy to begrudgingly haul you (slowly) to you destination.
• Walking is slow
• Expanded ability to explore surrounding areas without dropping excessive Php.

The first thing I needed to do was find a place to buy a bike. I went downtown with one of my counterparts to see what the local selection would yield. There are two more traditional bike shops and their selection spanned from wildly cheap to fakes. It was the fakes that blinded my briefly, I was staring at an S-Works frame that could be built up into a Php15000 bike, cheap for me. I did some simple research online and realized there was no way those frames were legit and therefor might not be as reliable. I was on a mission for a quality ride.

After a few days I found that there was a shop North of me in Guimba. After a few texts I figured out this was going to be where I'd buy my bike. I had my eyes on some for of Specialized HardRock.

A few weeks later I had my allowance in hand plus some extra (total of Php20000), headed to Guimba for bike buying. I walked into the shop and started rattling off specifications I wanted and was walked to and fro through the shop looking at various bikes. I originally wanted a Specialized but sound their selection was seriously lacking. I was directed to a few different brands and was left to weigh the costs of each. After a little bit of deliberation I settled for the 2012 Giant Revel 3.

I rolled out of the shop with a new bike and a sack of extras: helmet, tire pump, toe clips, bike lock, and tire fenders.

The bike is nice but very basic. It looks pretty fancy but actually has very basic some cheap parts on it. It's also incredibly heavy. I want to build into a Single-Speed bike but that's a ways off as I'll need some more capital. I've already sunk a lot of my personal PC money into it. I'm rich in bike, poor in Php.

So far I'd say it's great to have a bike. There are downsides though:

• Traffic is tight and aggressive. You have to be careful when on the roads.
• Constant comments like “when you leave can I have your bike?”
• I think people think I'm better off than I really am, thanks to my flashy bike.

I've had my bike for a week now and it's been great, even with the few downsides. I even have a spreadsheet that I input my rides into and calculate the money I save. One of these days It'll pay for itself. In about 160 rides, no time really.