Am riding with the big boys now

His bike is of the type known as racer. It is red in the body, light and lean, and it has been watered down for speed. The only thing that may be considered unnecessary in the assembly is a speedometer on the handlebar. It has a white rosary next to the gauge.

We rode in tandem Sunday at the bay area in Manila and tried to breach the 30 kph mark. That was his idea. Having no speedometer, I knew I could take on 30. And, anyway, I could not think of anything to prevent me from slowing down on the side of the road and just leave him on his pace.

He was on the lead and I tried to stick as close to him as possible. Almost immediately my feet could not quite keep up with the pedal. I shifted to the high gears. But that was the easy part. Next came catching my breath, then the stiffness on the legs, and at that time I wished that we had already breached the 30.

It was generally a straight course. And going 30 would be easy, I supposed, if not for the length of the road. I thought of Cartimar in Pasay City and that there were muggers around waiting for an easy dupe, or that I could get in the way of other bikers, and anything that could make me want to push at the rate he was going.

Toward the end of the road there was a slight rise. I allowed my bike to slow down for the U-turn. At the turn he again started on the pace. But I had enough already. I rode with what’s left of me unto the area of the Macapagal Avenue where the other bikers are, and had a smoke.