AMONG the thousand bikers in yesterday’s Earth Day, Earth Ride event was a family of three, with five year old Ñ registering as the youngest rider.
Ñ did not pedal her bike though but was the passenger of the “trisikad” her father Architect Rey Rosal was driving. Ñ’s mother Winie drove her bike alongside.
It was not Ñ’s first. She had also accompanied her father in this year’s Sinulog and Earth Hour biking events.
Her father Rey had customized a side car attached to his folding bike for Ñ.
The 5-year old girl considers herself a “green warrior.”
Despite her young age, one could see how determined she is to her cause for the environment.
“Those who don’t bike are black warriors,” she said, referring the black carbon smoke emitted by motor vehicles.
The 37-year old Rey has been collecting vintage bikes.
His hobby of collecting bikes started three years ago.
He has been hooked on biking since his childhood. But way back then, due to poverty he did not own his bicycle.
He got his first pair of pedals when he was in college.
At first Rey was collecting mountain bikes. But he has since then shifted to collecting vintage bikes. He has 10 of these bikes, including the “improvised” folding back with a side car.
Rey is a pioneering member of Tindak-Bisdak.
For Rey, biking is both exercise and a means of transportation. He does bike going to work.
The Cebu City Government is planning to put bike lanes in the roads together with the Province of Cebu who already made a resolution.
Meanwhile, the oldest participant is Alfonso “Alma” Mah, Jr.
The 67-year old biker made biking as his hobby when he retired.
Mah is part of K-Shag biking group or known as Kasama Sa Hirap at Ginhawa.
The “still strong and healthy” Mah hopes that the future generation will enjoy the bike lanes.
“Biking is for good health pa gyud ni,” he added. /Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao