Rest and recreation are important for human beings. Whether you’re studying or working, we all need to take a break once in a while. How do you spend your weekends?

I thought of this intro while biking somewhere in Batangas, my legs screaming in pain and my lungs grasping for breath.

“Ginusto ko ‘to.”

I was itching for an out-of-town ride after getting my newly rebuilt Bridgestone Eurasia in late July. So I checked out Gabay Cycling’s schedule and saw that there was a Lobo Loop planned on September 20, Saturday.

I signed up, marked the date, and sent the down payment (P500 out of P2,450). All that was left was to wait for the day itself, right? Well, not exactly.

Many things happened along the way: My mental health took a nosedive, work got even busier, and the bike I was supposed to ride underwent a major repair.

In the week leading up to the ride, I started it out sick. I was only able to pick up my bike the night before the ride, after I had an exhausting event for work.

Oh, and did I tell you the call time was 3am?

Despite all that, my bike and I showed up at the meetup point in one piece—though I was a bit sleep-deprived. Two vans arrived: one for the bikes, and another for the riders.

After loading the bikes, the group traveled to Batangas via SLEX. Just because I wasn’t biking didn’t mean that I wasn’t getting tired, especially with the road quality on STAR Tollway.

The group rode out past 6am from Golden Tamaraw Resort. Right off the bat, we were greeted by rolling hills. I decided to stay at the front of the pack, so that I could tackle the descents unobstructed.

Eventually, I found myself on the main road, and after pedaling for a couple more kilometers, I was at the twisties, almost as if I was in Marilaque. Thankfully, the climbs were manageable with no ahon overstaying its welcome.

The bigger challenge for me was getting overtaken. Space was limited, especially when there was only one lane per direction. That’s why lane positioning was crucial.

If I wasn’t certain there was enough space, or if I saw an oncoming vehicle at a corner, I’d hand-signal the driver behind me to wait before passing (they don’t always listen).

Descending was fun, and there was no problem as long as I stayed vigilant. Those on road bikes might struggle with the surprise gravel sections, but I had no problem thanks to my bike’s thick 650b-by-48mm tires.

The twisties ended upon approaching Lobo. The first stop was the Malabrigo Lighthouse, located almost 10km from the municipality’s center. The road going there was filled with resorts and more hills. Upon seeing the beach, I was ready to check in and pop open a beer.

As I approached the lighthouse, the path was shaded, narrow, and steep, with even more surprise gravel sections. I was hoping the view would be rewarding, but it was rather underwhelming.

I was the third member of the group to arrive at the lighthouse. Since there wasn’t anything to do there, we went back and ate at a roadside eatery while waiting for the others. What was supposed to be a morning bite at around 9:30am ended up becoming my early lunch.

Eventually, the others arrived, and we all rested there until around 11am. The next stop at Ungkot was supposed to be the first one. I didn’t bother ordering food at the café since I was still full from the pancit canton.

The next part was my favorite as the group biked along the coastal road. There were barely any motor vehicles, so I was able to appreciate the tranquility and the view.

This stretch lasted for a couple of kilometers until we approached the industrial areas. I saw a large ship in the distance. And upon getting closer, I realized it was an Arab tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The next stop on the itinerary was Montemaria, a pilgrimage site, resort, and amusement park combined into one.

While the others had cyclocomputers with GPS, I only had my ignorance. It was bliss until I came face-to-face with a climb that might as well be the stairway to heaven. The ahons were back and even steeper, with the worst gradient being around 17%.

If there’s one thing I learned from my ride to Tanay, it’s that there’s no shame in dismounting and walking—especially if that would be less tiring.

After taking a break at Montemaria, the ride resumed with roughly 30km left out of 100km. I was faced with even more climbs and industrial zones, which was followed by traffic the closer I got to Batangas City.

The last stopover was at Go Café. With daylight running out—and traffic getting worse—I just wanted to regroup with my friends.

I had a Sunset Americano while resting, only to find out most of the group had decided to head straight back to the resort. I waited for a friend before heading out.

The way back was deceptively simple. All I had to do was make a left on the national highway and go straight through 8km of secondary road.

The homestretch was ironically the most demoralizing part. The road was dark, narrow, and hilly. It didn’t help that the few motorists that passed through drove like maniacs in such dim conditions.

I frequently stopped and checked Komoot, only to see that I had moved less than a few kilometers. Had I traveled the same distance in Metro Manila, so much would have happened within that distance.

After biking for 12 hours and 100km, I finally arrived at the Golden Tamaraw Resort by 6pm. The rest of the group arrived before we freshened up, had dinner, and went back to Metro Manila.

Given that we left early in the morning and arrived close to midnight, it was as if a day hadn’t passed in the city. Also, the road trip was just as tiring as the bike ride.

I thought I was going to be a wreck the following day, but my body proved me wrong. I woke up early just like on a workday, and found myself on the saddle of the Eurasia (instead of my e-bike) going to Sunday service for my spiritual rest.

Going on long rides like this are my favorite form of recreational rest. I get to travel and see nice views, while enjoying my bike and hanging out with friends.

It may be slightly tiring, but nothing beats the satisfaction of exploring new places on a bicycle.