cycling Goods and Services, Travel, July 16, 2007 5:55 PM 17 comments
Philippines Bicycle Hunt
Or more specifically: How to Buy a Used Road Bike in Manila. A set of instructions.
View of my new used bike riding a street somewhere in Quezon City, Metro Manila. It veers right without hands but otherwise pretty great.
Spend two months spanning half the country asking everyone you meet where to buy a used bicycle. Give up looking.
Google 'philippines cycling touring ride bicycle travel buy bike used shop'. Give up looking.
Answer a two-page email interview and three-stage sign-up process to join the Yahoo Philippines Cycling Network Group. Post greeting and message looking for riding friends and advice. Get no response for one week.
Lose track of Yahoo Group credentials. Repeat sign-up procedure. Post message about wanting to buy used bike. Get responses for new bikes but no used ones.
Begin extensive email exchange with excellent photos from Yahoo Group member Joash who contacts you with details about his old touring-style bike in Manila.
Work extra two weeks on your internship in the North but continue to promise Joash that you will check out his bicycle "any day now."
Arrive in Manila and check out bicycle. Start to realize how many extra things you and the bike need to ride around Asia for five weeks. Spend half the day with Joash going to bike stores getting parts and repairs done.
The original tire. It blew halfway back to Joash's house with no spare.
Spend next half of day in another Metro Manila City and 12 different bike stores finding and not finding the following things:
- Bottle cage (P120)
- 'alloy' frame pump (P150)
- Presta valve adaptor (P20)
- Tire levers (P80)
- 'Japanese' patch kit (P70)
- Cable lock (P200)
- Allen key set (P130)
- Cardboard bike box (where?)
- 700x28-28c tubes and tires (where?)
- Rear rack (of even minor quality where?)
- Downtube shifters with frame clamp (where?)
Receipts form the six stores that actually had what I needed. A typical scenario: spend 46 cents on a presta valve adaptor with help from three of the six young female employees who will then provide a hand-written receipt for it.
Spend half what the bicycle cost buying bike parts and the five taxi trips to find them.
Give directions back to your host home area that no one has heard of to a racist sex-obsessed cab driver. Get off when conversation and directions get worse. Begin exchanging 18 text messages with host family how to find you / them.
Arrive home after dark. Write report about buying a used bike in Manila. Sleep.
Joash accompanies me to see his favourite mechanic. Note the dropbar on his back that I just couldn't be bothered using in the end (see problems with STI shifters, cassette spacing, bar tape, replacing cables).
It was either spend 1,000 pesos on tools or get Joash's mechanic, Jaime, at Carlito's Bike Shop in Quezon City, to wrench it for me at 40 pesos an hour. Here he swaps out the rear SIS-quality 'roller' aka rear deraileur for a new, P650 Acera one.
Carlito's Bike Shop. About the size of a closet, with mechanics working on the sidewalk.
Some of Carlito's employees, or at least kids behind the counter.
Adjusting the limiters (still goes into spokes at the back, off the big in the front).
Tightening the bottom bracket.
Joash, 27-year-old triathalon racer, with the bike he sold me. He says he already started to really miss the bike but is happy it is going an adventure.
17 comments on Philippines Bicycle Hunt
1. sc0 | July 16, 2007 7:14 PM
Nice Jeffery, nice.
3. Jenn | July 17, 2007 2:08 PM
Good luck my friend! I hope you have the wind at your back and keep the rubber side down, (two of my favorite good wishes I received this summer).
You do realize you could have gotten somebody in Canada to gather you the odds and ends for your rebuild of your bike and send them to you-right? I suppose there would be no fun in that though ;)
4. Jenn | July 17, 2007 2:08 PM
Good luck my friend! I hope you have the wind at your back and keep the rubber side down, (two of my favorite good wishes I received this summer).
You do realize you could have gotten somebody in Canada to gather you the odds and ends for your rebuild of your bike and send them to you-right? I suppose there would be no fun in that though ;)
5. A | July 17, 2007 7:03 PM
"One Stop Bicycle and Electrical Supply"
"Global Craze Corp"
Do all the stores have English names and receipts?
Also, it's nice to see they use hammers like all good bike mechanics.
6. Anonymous | July 19, 2007 11:39 AM
many happy trails Jeff! looking forward to the tales :)
7. Carrie | July 19, 2007 11:40 AM
many happy trails Jeff! looking forward to the tales :)
8. 2per Santos | August 7, 2007 3:32 AM
welcome to the philippines man. what can i say. u've gone looking at the wrong places. had you gone to the places frequented by cyclists, such as the mall of asia complex in Manila's bay area, you would have found great items.
9. Omi | August 22, 2007 5:56 AM
I also want to buy a good (used) bike.. How can I get one? I'm from Quezon City
10. mike | January 17, 2008 5:17 AM
www.biketradesph.com
11. jet sales | April 17, 2008 11:33 PM
hehehe.. si josh din ang nagbenta sa akin ng trainer niya..hehehe
12. nuben | May 12, 2008 8:02 AM
Hi
My name is Nuben I WORK IN THIS COOL SHOP in singapore its a trek shop and they are looking for an experienced bicycle mechanic ..anyone interested please email me at kuchu12@gmail.com
Great and the best \shop in asia
13. Nick | August 31, 2008 10:13 AM
just us here at www.PinoyMTBiker.Org - Philippines' Mountain Biking Community, they got list of trails, fun rides events, exchange/share ideas and meet people along the way.
14. Lily | October 14, 2008 8:49 AM
Dear Sir or Madam:
Sorry to disturb you,This is Lily from Jiangmen city Guangdong China.I’m glad to meet you on the internet. I hold wholesale business in electric vehicle and bicycle spare parts. We supply all spare parts and Accessories from china. We have very big Spare parts Shop in the market.Specialzes in saddle、pedal、tube and tires、pump 、lock and bicycle basket etc. especially the pump and saddle are very popular .retail & wholesale all business welcome. Small part we can mail by DHL / UPS and the like . IF you need big quantity spare part we can shipping by sea. we can also find any goods you may need in short time at low prices. Enclosing the photos.Please contact us if you want to know more about our product! We will do our best to supply you first-class products and services at low prices.
Thank you and best regards!
Lily
15. Ben D. Villamor | December 11, 2008 4:13 PM
no comment it's okey very nice bicycle
16. michael | December 22, 2008 8:59 AM
i am looking for a size 18" tubes/interior, where can i get one?
17. Ken | June 13, 2009 6:37 AM
cars that sell like pancakes in the Philippines..
the Shem Suzuki Multicab
why?
1) Cheap , low maintenance
2) Fuel efficient
3) safer than a motorcycle
great for water refilling station, construction, hardware
catering, family use, deliveries , etc....
click on this website :
http://www.cebuspring.com/shem.htm
or search at google.com = " shem multicab"
tell your loved ones abroad, we can help..
car you can give to your family...
you can choose the color...
we can deliver in every major sea port in the Philippines...
Manila, Cagayan, Butuan, Palawan, Leyte, Negros, etc...
Order direct from a manufacturer
from
Ken
Shem Trading Corp.
Tel:6332-2549349
Globe: 63917-4688107
Sun: 63922-8549496 - call anytime
aike75@yahoo.com
Cars you can give to your family...
-------------------------------
Suzuki carry cab, Bayan Cab, Pajero
Philippine used cars, Manila Cars
Cebu multicab, Japan surplus Pajero
Fb type, OFW, easy ride, Phil-AM
Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.—Will Durant
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