Q&A with Century Rider Aubrey Rodriguez

 

I’ve known Aubrey for many years already dating back to the Multiply dot com days — yes, the earlier and better form of Facebook. Lately, I’ve been noticing her social media posts about her cycling adventures and I got amazed at how she pulls off century rides frequently with seeming ease.

Wanting to know a bit about her preparation and cycling habit, I reached out to her for this short interview. Read on and I’m sure you’ll get some useful information and inspiration for your next rides.

What’s the hardest route you’ve taken and why?

The hardest route I've ever taken is Revpal (Reverse Palace). For me, I consider any routes that include hard uphill climbs "hard" because I'm not good with climbs and it is something that I want to overcome. The road going up is also very tight with gradients up to 23 degrees. There are also a lot of parts where the road is very tight and you're not only dealing with the steep climbs, but also other bikers (daredevils rather) riding from the top back down to Marcos Mansion as well as cyclists pushing their bikes.

If you could cycle any route in the world tomorrow, where would you go?  

I would love to cycle along the California Coastal Trail and experience its dedicated bike lane. I saw photos and the views along the coast are amazing! And I would love to stop by the towns and cities along the route as well.

How long have you been cycling?

I've known how to cycle since I was a kid because of our trips to QC Memorial Circle and being able to rent bikes. I owned my first bike with gears in 1996 in Papua New Guinea but was limited to just biking around the village because Port Moresby is a dangerous place for foreigners. 

I started actively cycling here in the Philippines in 2015 where I experienced commuting and biking to work.

What's the most and least thing you enjoy about cycling?

The most enjoyable thing about cycling is being able to explore places. For me cycling isn't just about going from point A to B. It's about what I see along the way, the views, the places I can stop at and visit, the experiences - even when driving through traffic and not being "stuck". The last thing I enjoy are uphill climbs! And we have A LOT here in the Philippines.

Solo ride or ride with other Tambikers?

I used to be a solo rider during my early days as a cyclist, but these days, if it's a leisurely destination ride, or a loop, I would rather ride with other Tambikers. If it's just going from one place to another or just using my bike to run errands, I prefer being a solo cyclist.

 

Tell me about your favorite cycling ride?

My all-time favourite ride is Marinduque Loop in 2015. We spent 3 days doing the loop and at that time, cycling wasn't as popular as it is now and the road going around Marinduque wasn't paved all the way. At the time, the bike I used was an old "bakal" bike I was looking after for my Judo team mate who had left for the UK for work. It had really old gears (7-speed Shimano dials) and it just wasn't the type of bike you would take on long-distance rides.

But I made do with it, alongside my friends who rode their Brompton, Giant, Surly and Dahon bikes - for me, it was just enough to get around. After stepping off the ferry, we prepared our bikes to start the tour, fueled up with some snacks and we were welcomed with an uphill climb not far from the port. But I survived it because of the views. Marinduque is known to have a 0% crime-rate. The first town we stopped at for breakfast, we were able to leave our bikes parked outside with our things still strapped on without the need of using a lock.

The best part of the ride was cycling to another port on Day 2, paying to leave our bikes inside a shed, and taking a boat to Maniwaya Island where we spent the night and just rested and hung out at the island's sand bar. We rested enough to take on the final leg of the loop heading back to the port. The ride around Marinduque made me realize how liberating cycling could be and how beautiful this country is. It made me sometimes forget that I was still in the Philippines and what brought me back down to earth were the people of Marinduque, their generosity and kindness and that welcoming aura throughout the entire ride.

How about your longest ride?

Kaybiang Loop which stretched over 2 days:

Where do you usually cycle?

Back when I was renting in Makati, my usual cycle would be from Makati to QC where I'd spend the weekend at home. For leisure rides though, we frequented Sierra Madre for semi-long rides.

How often do you get out on your bike?

These days, I'm sporting injuries in both knees so I don't go out often. But flashback to before April 2021, I would ride my bike almost every day for short rides, and every weekend, we would go on long 100km rides. There are plans to get back into it as I found that cycling helps in rehabilitating my knees!

What is your bike?

At the moment, it's a Kespor GRX Gravel Bike.