I like cars.

As a child in the late ’90s and the early 2000s, I grew up with icons such as Gran Turismo and Need for Speed.

I’ve always dreamed of having a Nissan Skyline GT-R (in Bayside Blue). But car ownership is a very different reality, especially in Metro Manila.

By the time I actually started driving, I had accepted that my enjoyment of automobiles would be limited to the PlayStation.

Little did I know that my enthusiasm for four wheels would have been fulfilled with two. Here are four ways biking lets me live out my desires as a car enthusiast.

1. I get to own cool rides and customize them. Need for Speed Underground was a revolutionary racing game because it gave players countless customization options. The enjoyment of a car didn’t end with acquiring it, but continued with making it your own through aftermarket parts.

I started out with a humble folding bicycle. But as I gained more experience, I learned more about bikes and how they worked. Never did I imagine that I’d be this immersed in tinkering with bicycles, nor did I expect my living room to be a makeshift workshop.

The culmination of all this was when I had my Bridgestone Eurasia undergo a major transformation, like restomodding a classic car.

Was any of this necessary? No.

Just as owning one car and leaving it stock is enough for most people, there was no need for me to go through this many bicycles (and spend so much in doing so). However, I wanted to learn through experience, and this became an outlet for me to express myself through my different builds.

Now, I understand why people modify their cars even if there’s no performance benefit.

2. I get to go on road trips and explore new places. Cars are often associated with freedom. They let you hit the open road, travel whenever you want, and go to far-off places. Test Drive Unlimited did a very good job of convincing me regarding this by letting me drive from one end to the other on the virtual Hawaiian island of O‘ahu.

In some ways, this is still true. But the harsh reality is that you’re going to spend most of the time stuck as part of traffic the moment you get behind the wheel.

Although I got into biking as a way of socializing, I embraced the lifestyle because of the practical benefits. I could go out whenever I wanted because I didn’t have to worry about gas, traffic, and parking.

Eventually, the city wasn’t enough and I began going outside of Metro Manila. I’ve been on many road trips behind the wheel as well as on the saddle. Both are enjoyable, but I find the latter more immersive because of the fresh air.

3. I get to experience thrilling action. Do you have a need for speed?

The irony about driving a sports car is that, despite all the horsepower packed under the hood, you can’t actually unleash it on public road. Speeding is dangerous, and too many people die needlessly because of reckless drivers.

The good news is that there is a way to enjoy the thrill without the life-threatening danger.

On a bicycle, I can feel fast without resorting to reckless stunts. Nothing beats descending on mountain roads and carving through corners, as if I were playing Initial D. I get to enjoy the ride with the wind blowing in my face, while following the speed limit and staying in my lane.

Aside from circuit racing, rallying was one discipline I grew up liking. Gravel biking in Clark made me feel like I was Colin McRae in his Subaru Impreza. It’s a very different thrill when the road isn’t paved and you have to counter-steer to go straight.

4. I get to meet new people and hang out with friends. “There’s always room for family.”

This line from The Fast and The Furious franchise pretty much sums up the sense of camaraderie among car enthusiasts. I’ve seen how dedicated my colleagues in the motoring media can be. They brave traffic and go the distance to meet each other on weekends and enjoy their cars.

During the pandemic, I wished that I could hang out and go car-spotting at places like Burgos Circle, Esteban, or Karrera. But driving was costly, especially for someone who wasn’t working yet, and I didn’t know anyone in a car community.

Instead, my cycling journey began in the wonderful neighborhood of Kapitolyo. I didn’t get into biking because I liked bicycles or wanted a new hobby. Rather, I was fascinated by the individuals gathering in cafés and having a good time.

Within the first few weeks of hanging out at these third spaces, I met more people than I had throughout the whole pandemic. The enthusiasm was just as infectious as COVID. I wouldn’t have enjoyed getting into biking as much without the encouragement and the support of the community.

Cycling brings people together because of the shared experiences. Regardless of who you are, everyone knows the ups and downs of biking in Metro Manila—whether it’s the joy of skipping traffic on the way home, the anxiety of a close-call with dangerous drivers, or the excitement of a “New Bike Day.”

I’ve met my closest and most trusted friends because of cycling, and that’s what I appreciate the most.

“We love what we love.”

Although cars and bicycles are vastly different machines, the one thing they do have in common is the passion and the enthusiasm shared by their surrounding communities.

Having written this article, I realized this: I love cycling so much because it gave me the opportunity to enjoy the different experiences I longed for as a kid who liked cars.