Ive known them for so long. Good bike shop. Good owner. Lots of stocks . No frills no thrills bike…read moreshop in Makati.

Okay, let's get the obvious out of the way. Endless Bike Shop is located at the less fashionable…read moreside of Makati. It's open air, and it honestly looks like a streetside car repair shop. Now if you're the kind of biker that gets turned off by such details, then this isn't the bike shop for you. However, if you're looking for incredible value, a great selection of bike parts that's well within your budget, backed up by skilled mechanics, then Endless is the place for you.

I have this friend who used to shuttle back and forth between her hometown Karachi, Pakistan and…read moreManila for her work, and one time, she had to go home in a hurry because of a family emergency. She ended up moving back to Pakistan indefinitely after that, but she left a whole lot of stuff behind including her handsome Cannondale CAAD 8 road bike. Since it was just gathering dust in her condo's storage (and bikes can get notoriously rusty if you don't take them out for a spin every now and then), and since I was also starting with my first year in UP Diliman as a grad student, she thought it would be nice if I could have her bike for safekeeping and use it to go around campus. Anyway, the very nice road bike stayed with me for almost 5 months until my friend asked for it back (many injuries and a couple inches off my waist later). She had a cousin who had a business trip in Manila, and she requested me to ready the bike for international air travel. Gulp. I didn't know the first thing about packing a huge road bike for air travel. All I knew was I couldn't do it by myself, and I ended up at Cristy's in Cartimar. The moment I told them I needed to have it ready as check-in luggage, they knew exactly what to do. They quoted me a price of P500 for the box and the service and they set to work. My friend advised me to watch them as they dismantled the bike (apparently, some dubious bike shops steal expensive bike parts during this process), and it was something fun and educational to watch. They took the wheels off, deflated them (they will burst with the altitude and cabin pressure, they said), loosened all the screwed parts, and took off the chain. They soaked the chain in some liquid and brushed it clean so that it shone like new.They also carefully foam- and bubble-wrapped all the parts and put them neatly inside a box that was specifically for the same model. They took such good care of the bike during the disassembly that my friend was very pleased when she received the parcel back in Pakistan. Cristy's also has lots of bikes for sale, but judging from the volume of their customers who go their for repairs and servicing, I think it is the best place to go if you need a trusty bike mechanic. Their huge work area has sophisticated tools and very experienced mechanics that can remedy all of your bike problems.

Always a lifesaver, this litte neighborhood bike store. They are always so helpful with my little…read morebike and it is one of the cheaper shops in the area. No need to go all the way to Quiapo to get something fixed or readjusted. The bike mechanics work super fast and they give good advice for bike care and maintenance.

If you're in Manila and want to try your hand in riding a fixed gear bike or have yours repaired,…read morethere's only one place to go to - Tryon Riders. Tryon is located in J.P. Rizal Avenue, Makati. It's a bit easy to miss so while on the road, look for a big poultry egg shop on your left. Yes, you can't miss it with those visuals. Tryon has something for everyone. Whether you're a beginner (like me) riding fixed for the very first time, or a veteran in the fast world of single gears, the friendly and knowledgeable staff of Tryon is there to help you out. There are products to suit every budget, from generic frames from China, to DosNoventa frames in the 6-figures. One of the most amazing things about them is that you can pay via PayPal, so if you're a bit wary of bringing too much cash, you can opt to pay online or via your credit card. However, paying in cash nets you a discount so there's that.

A good friend asked me to accompany him to buy his very first folding bike. I personally do not…read moreknow anything about folding bikes, but only mostly about mountain bikes because I used to ride one. Braving the trip to Quezon City, we left early, hoping to have lunch at nearby Maginhawa. We got there and we were amazed to see that even if it was relatively early, the shop was already packed with customers, staff busy tuning and attending to customers who came before us. Our turn came and one of the staff keenly listened to my friend's specifications and concerns. After about 10 minutes, the boxes arrived and despite asking for a certain color, he brought another color as option. Good thing he did so because my friend chose the second bike. Haha! We could have assembled it ourselves if we knew how, but they gladly did it for us. We were so giddy while waiting for the bike to be finished that the gentleman in charge gave us a generous discount. We felt so accomplished after with the newly bought bike, and had extra cash from the discount enough to buy both of us a full meal.

Glorious Ride Bikeshop in Sikatuna is the best all-purpose bike shop in Quezon City. They…read morespecialize a bit more on mountain and trail bikes, but they carry road gear and accessories as well. The store looks deceptively small from the outside. Once you step inside however, you'll be left speechless as you're greeted with a visual feast of bike parts and accessories. The staff are courteous and will immediately greet and assist you. What I like about them is that they are genuinely helpful. They don't follow you around making you feel like a criminal. The store has three floors. The ground is dedicated to small parts and accessories like saddles, action cams, cranksets and others. This is where they service and assemble bikes too. The second floor acts as the stock room for built bikes, while the last floor is dedicated to a wide array of bike helmets and shoes. Check them out!

You can get a fully customized and built fixie for less than 10k at AA Fixed Gear. They also sell…read moreparts and accessories for fixies. There was a time that I was really into biking and I wanted a fixie because it looked pretty cool. They were bikes that only some people knew how to ride and looked very minimalist because of it being stripped down of all the "unnecessary" parts. I was talking to a friend who rides fixed gear and swears by it. He had a really nice looking bike so I asked him where I could get a fixie for cheap. I didn't want to spend too much because a fixie doesn't have a lot of components so it should really cost less than a bike with gears and all that other stuff. AA Fixed Gear imports their stuff from Taiwan. You can choose the color for every part that you put so you can make it as plain as you want or in all the colors you could imagine. After choosing the color of each part of your bike, they will assemble it for you in a few hours for you to take it home. For those that want to get into riding fixed gear, please put some brakes on your bike and practice riding until you get it perfect in an empty open lot. Please also read up about riding fixed gear before you get into it. If you don't know how to ride fixed gear, the bike can be the one to control you and you can get seriously injured. Remember to ride safely and responsibly!

I've started joining my husband with his weekend morning run and just last Saturday, while running…read moreat the trail in Vista City, we saw a big gathering of cyclists at the side of the street near Fernbrook Gardens. I thought there was a big biker's competition happening there, but there was no sign or any event marshall to indicate such a thing. I got really curious so I decided to check it out. It turns out that the tented venue was a mini Divisoria for bikers and cycling enthusiasts. Inside were little stalls that sell all kinds of biking paraphernalia such as shirts and cycling shorts, helmets and shades (don't expect too much, most of the Oakleys are only replicas), bicycle parts and accessories. I'm no bike enthusiast but I suddenly wanted to be one because of the cute outfits and accessories. I asked one of the vendors what this place was called, and he said everybody calls it Evia Bikers' Station and it happens every Saturday at that same spot. I later on found out that it's sponsored by Evia, the community of Vista Land. Outside the tent, there's a corner selling food (Batangas Goto for breakfast, anyone?) and drinks, and cyclists can have their breakfast or brunch there on the plastic chairs and tables set up nearby. Evia also sponsors free water refill, coffee and bike tune-up. Cool, right? A few steps away, there is a wide vacant lot where bikers can practice their exhibitions or just a place for beginners to practice biking.

This is conveniently located next to the saint augustin church. Renting a bike was easy and my…read morebike was easy to use. You fill out their waiver online and then leave them an ID. They took my Alaska drivers license and held on to it the duration of my rental. It's 100 Pecos an hour. What a deal! They take 100 Pecos as a deposit and even charge by half hour increments. It was very hot the day I rented the bike and was so glad there is a breeze while riding vs walking in the heat. Service is great and best value.

Nice to have a refresh on Philippine history, specifically what happened inside the walls of…read moreIntramuros. JD was a very good tour guide, maybe just a suggestion that it would be nice if they have a better way of showing us the photos they're carrying. I was honestly surprised by the very good condition of the bikes they were using. Will definitely take this tour again in the future (with our guests).

I've recently learned how to lead an active lifestyle. Because of that I found myself breaking my…read moreshoes, which is the first time that's ever happened. The usual case is that I outgrew my shoes, that's right, I use my rubber shoes so often that I actually outgrew them. Ever since I had to bury my last pair of shoes six feet under I found myself being drawn to to stores that sold rubber shoes. I'm a guy who likes distance running. I run at least four kilometers when I go out. I've been going to one store to another to look for something real good at a real nice price. Sports Central is nothing special in terms of what it offers. It offers basically the same brands compared to other sporting goods stores that have multiple brands. What I like about it though is the feel. It feels upscale and even has interactive touchscreen computers to give out info. on their products. It's a fun place to shop is my point.