Cycling in the Philippines: Marikina to Wawa Dam

Finally, with proper bikes, I was comfortable and confident enough to brave the roads of Manila! I sent my Giant Escape 3 to the Philippines in 2019, and it has gone through numerous parts replacements as my father used it for commuting from the pandemic until now. My father proposed going to Boso-boso, but I didn’t trust the motorists racing in Marilaque, so instead, we planned a Marikina-Wawa Dam route!

Sending a bicycle from Taiwan to the Philippines, via EEC Cargo, NT$5,500

I sent my gravel bike, Liv Devote, to the Philippines on Nov 7, 2025 via EEC Cargo. Gerald received it exactly a month later, on Dec 7, 2025. Here’s how:

1. I went to my favorite Giant cycling shop in Taipei Nanjing and discussed with them the logistics of sending my 5-year-old gravel bike.
2. It needed to be cleaned and boxed, which cost me NT$1.8K.
3. Then I arranged the pickup from EEC Cargo via Facebook Messenger. They reply, but it takes hours, so be patient. I deposited the payment into the designated bank account.
4. The EEC Cargo driver will call the contact person at Giant to arrange the day and time of pickup.
5. The contact person will give you the receipt with a tracking number so you can monitor where your bike is.

Now, I’m a loyal customer at this shop, and this is my second time arranging this transaction. The contact person has been the bike mechanic for the Filipinos in our company through word of mouth, so I can’t say whether other Giant shops offer the same level of service. But check with your local bike shop anyways.

Decathlon Riverside 500, NBD for my father!

I finally convinced my father to replace the old Giant Escape 3 and had time to go to Decathlon to buy a new bike. First, we browsed through the website at night to shortlist bicycles.

He tried a couple of bikes and ultimately decided on the Riverside 500.

Key information:

• Aluminum, 13kg
• Hybrid – suspension at the front, hard tail
• 1×9 speed
• Disc brake
• 700x38c tires
• Only Php19,990!

I took it for a spin outside Decathlon Masinag, and it gave me confidence in its safety on the road.

Warm-up! Light up the streets of Marikina!

It’s still very festive in the Philippines a few days after NYE, so I brought LED strip lights and wrapped my gravel bike! Unfortunately, the 10000mAh battery only lasted me 40 minutes, and it was back to boring white and red lights. In Taiwan, I bring 3 battery packs to last 2 hours, but with airline regulations and also fear of causing accidents, I only brought my most trusted battery pack.

@slabster013

I’ve been doing this every December for about five years now back in Taiwan. I’d decorate my bike with LED lights as a Christmas touch and a personal celebration. I thought I’d do it here too – after all, the Christmas spirit in the Philippines isn’t over yet! I use LED strips powered by a power bank tucked into my saddle bag. I usually bring three to last about two hours; a 10,000 mAh power bank runs for roughly 40 minutes. #fyp #cycling #ledbikelights #ledlights #bikelights

♬ Traffic Jam Oh My – The Oling Jut

For our warm-up, we did a 20KM ride passing a lot of familiar barangays and high schools! I spent my high school years in Marikina, so it brought back a lot of memories and made me wonder whether classmates from this class and that still live here and there. Here’s our route in Strava.

Marikina to Wawa Dam

The next day, we met my father at the Marikina Sports Center with Gerald navigating and me sweeping at the back.

I’m happy to see many cars and motorists sharing the road with cyclists. Some jeepney drivers are still arseholes, staying in bicycle lanes to pick up passengers but that isn’t the worst part.

First, the view when we arrived at Wawa Dam – it’s enchanting! Then we had goto, lumpiang shanghai, and taho for breakfast before walking to see the dam up close.

@slabster013

Marikina 🚲 Wawa Dam, 38KM I rode my bike with my Pa today, and he was in awe – taking in the mountains, the sun’s rays, and the dam. Meanwhile, I was weighing the risks: breathing in car fumes, getting hit by motorcycles, jeeps, or buses, or falling because of rough roads. Still, I appreciate the bike lanes, the fact that most people behind wheels respect them, and seeing more cyclists give it a try. #fyp #weekend #cycling #wawadam #philippines

♬ Pandora – James Horner

Now, the worst part of this cycling experience is the air pollution – the dust from rough roads, fumes from all the transportation whether public or private, and the smoke from burning leaves and trash in the morning. I was coughing pretty badly and even brought it back to Taiwan, lol. I was also a little disappointed with the local community around Wawa Dam because for a protected area, the amount of tricycles and scooters belching fumes doesn’t look like it’s protecting the area. The fees aren’t expensive; however, if you’re going to charge a fee, there has to be a tangible product or service to be seen – like parking space for bicycles, toilets, cleaners…but the environmental fee just seemed to be a concept.

The route is straightforward; check this Strava for reference.

Gerald and I had disagreements on road safety. I think he’s taking a lot of risks on the road, which puts cyclists in a bad light. We already don’t have a lot of champions speaking for our rights; the least we can do is follow traffic rules and not cause accidents. So it’s important to call each other out, reflect, and discuss how to share the road safely with other drivers, motorists, and pedestrians.

===

That’s it for now! Stay tuned for more cycling adventures in the Philippines.

🌹