Bike Nirvana
Yet another cycling blog
Typhoon ride: Noch-Ten
December 26, 2016
Only crazy people will ride their bikes on a typhoon day right? Well, there are more crazy people than I initially thought.
I'm supposed to ride with the group who planned to go to the Pililia Windmill farm today, but due to the typhoon, cancelled the night before. Luckily, or crazily Carlo is in Tagaytay and I asked him if he's still doing the Nuvalid ride which he said he would. So I waited for him at our usual meeting point at Nuvali.
As I arrived the parking, there are already a group of MTB riders ready to go, so we're not the only crazy ones. I continue to monitor the weather conditions and it still seems to be possible to ride.
When Carlo arrived, we spent little time to take off so we did Canlubang before heading to Miriam College. I continue to pedal along the Nuvali Road when I heard a big crash behind me. I stopped and look back to see a van on its side and the driver is trapped. I went to the scene to help the first responders in prying the door up which was stuck due to folded metal from the top gutter of the van. Bad design!
I was taking a video and it revealed that he hit the light post as it was bent all the way which might have lifted the left side of the vehicle causing it to land on its side. It wasn't until another vehicle stopped that I got hold of a tool big enough to lift the door which is more pliable that we finally freed the still shaken driver. As I moved away, Carlo called and he was with a bunch of yes, crazy cyclists (whose Fondo ride was cancelled). One guy said "luckily it wasn't you" and only in that moment that I realized what could have happened.
We rode back to Nuvali parking as the winds are too strong and both our bikes are affected which will compromise further riding.
Once we have changed to appropriate clothes, we had coffee and Sans Rival at Craft Coffee Revolution.
I also visited Motori Moderni to look at the Vespa scooters which could be my ride when I don't have the power to pedal anymore. Ha ha.
The Edge 25 was able to capture the entire ride and here's the Strava recording of it together with the Relive video.
Post-ride thoughts
The Eddy Merckx Blockhaus 67 really do get affected by wind which causes the front end to wobble similar to what I experienced at Sierra Madre.