Manila Coffee Cycling Club: December 2018 roundup and first anniversary

Having missed way too many rides and events of the Manila Coffee Cycling Club, I made sure I would be there for its first anniversary…and was I ever glad that I showed up.

Brian Sy’s Officine Battaglin Power+ Disc.
Photo courtesy JP Carino/Manila Coffee Cycling Club

JC Peralta’s Allied Alfa, running IRC Roadlite tubeless tires.
Photo courtesy JP Carino/Manila Coffee Cycling Club

Yours truly with Roxy Ibrahim and Brian Sy.
Photo courtesy JP Carino/Manila Coffee Cycling Club

Photo credit: Gavin Ng.

After the initial meetup at San Antonio Plaza in Forbes Park, founder JP Cariño took us on a 20-kilometer ride that packed quite a number of places into a dense little package. Riding a loop of Bonifacio Global City, our motley group then went down Gil Puyat Avenue to the SM Mall of Asia area.

Zoren Legazpi assuming the ‘attack’ position on his Colnago.
Photo courtesy JP Carino/Manila Coffee Cycling Club

Photo courtesy JP Carino/Manila Coffee Cycling Club

Photo credit: Pao Moreto

We then pedaled to Rizal Park and Intramuros, where we stopped for photos, rode cobblestones, and slurped some sweet taho.

Pao Moreto’s Specialized hardtail MTB juxtaposed against Lito Vicencio’s No22 titanium steed. As Pao says, his bike was the lone tank among the racecars…but what a fast tank!

Anyone for some Roubaix-style cobblestone action? Look no further than Intramuros!

Roxy Ibrahim riding his Colnago V-1r alongside a horse-drawn carriage (calesa).
Photo courtesy JP Carino/Manila Coffee Cycling Club

Photo courtesy JP Carino/Manila Coffee Cycling Club

Our way back had us cut through busy Taft Avenue, passing by UP Manila and De La Salle University, before swinging back towards Makati to conclude our ride at the new home of Gruppo Veloce Sportivo, a spiffy bike shop named La Course Velo, located on Sampaloc Street in Makati.

Photo courtesy JP Carino/Manila Coffee Cycling Club

Photo courtesy JP Carino/Manila Coffee Cycling Club

Awaiting us there was a substantial breakfast spread, plus coffee served via pour-over.

The shop itself is really rather neat, packing a lot of premium cycling components in a compact floor space. As this is meant to be the showcase for Gruppo Veloce Sportivo’s wares, right now I think it serves the purpose pretty well.

Campagnolo, Kogel, THM, Silca, Omata… This is one expensive display shelf

Shoes from Italian brand Northwave.

Spurcycle’s famously sonorous American-made bells.

Pirelli returned to manufacturing bicycle tires in 2017 with its P Zero Velo line.

Silca’s hex and Torx key set – just one of the firm’s very high-end tools, made to last ages.

Kogel bottom bracket bearings.

Wend wax: a pretty funky form of chain lubrication.

It can be argued that Gruppo Veloce Sportivo started with these: Praxis Works’ cold-forged chainrings and cranksets.

Elsewhere on the shop floor are just a few of the high-end bicycle frames Gruppo Veloce Sportivo brings in.

One wall is home to frames from Allied Cycles, the American outfit born from the ashes of defunct Canadian operation GURU Cycles.

Check out that amazing red-to-blue fade paintwork on this Allied Alfa frame.

Another wall shows off frames from Bellé, a Spanish frame builder specializing in custom steel. The bottom one has flat-mount hardpoints for disc brakes.

Not to be forgotten is Australian operation Bastion Cycles, which makes its frames out of carbon fiber tubes and 3D-printed titanium lugs and dropouts. JP was riding this very bike.

As La Course Velo is also a fully functioning bike shop, there is a workshop area, as well as a bike fitting rig.

Photo’s a little dark, but this machine is a fully adjustable bike fitting rig.

Even the restroom is steeped in cycling lore. People who’ve seen Stage 16 of the 2017 Giro d’Italia will understand this poster of Tom Dumoulin.

An Allied Alfa Allroad ready for a mechanic’s attention.

Concluding the little program was a little raffle of cycling knick-knacks, with winners drawn by lottery.

I went home winner of this Wilier cycling cap.

JP Carino calling out raffle winners.

It’s amazing how quickly an entire year rolls by. As JP himself said, the club started a year ago just as an informal collection of cyclists who happened to like coffee and riding on Sunday mornings. The ride routes back then were a little on the tame side, but gradually became more adventurous as the club reached out to little cafes and explored the theme of “riding your city.”

Despite many of the participants owning high-zoot bicycles, it’s also quite impressive how inclusive the club is. On every second Sunday of the month, you can ride with athletes, coaches, celebrities, bicycle industry players, distributors, and other people from various walks of life – all just so happen to enjoy riding. That’s pretty neat. Long may the club continue.

Photo courtesy JP Carino/Manila Coffee Cycling Club