When Biking I Wear Pink
by Patricia May Labitoria
My body still hurts even if it has been 2 days since I went biking up a mountain to look for a waterfall. It was a challenging ride as the concrete road became steeper and as the road transitioned to a rough one, then to a soft and muddy path as I approached the forest line.
This is what I have turned to -biking- as travel became limited in the country because of Covid-19. To be even safer, I choose places where I know there won’t be a lot of people, places where there are more trees, more cows and goats than vehicles.
Slow and steady was the tactic on this ride. Gotta’ be extremely careful not to slip and fall especially in the places where the wheels suddenly stop gripping on the path. At the end though, I did not reach the destination because it is currently closed to the public but adventure still awaits in the downhill ride. As I turned around to go back, my wheels gathered more mud while a light shower started.
All the hardship going up became worth it going downhill: mud flying to my face and back as the rain and wind rushed by; the rugged road became a puzzle that needs to be solved fast- where is the safest part? Which gear to use? Will this rock puncture my wheels? It was exciting!
As I went through this little adventure, people who live upland watch me pass by. Some are clearly astounded that a woman is doing this.
My ride was in Tayabas, Quezon- a town at the foot of the mystical Mt. Banahaw but I live in Sariaya- the only town around Banahaw with both the mountain and the ocean. I have been biking (mostly) alone in these towns since 6 years ago- trying to discover new places and more rugged trails, though lately I have found some people to go with me which is a good thing also.
I am proud of the places that I have been into because I feel that I have made adventure happen for myself.
Being a woman biker is uncommon in these parts. Being a woman who bikes alone in rural areas is even rarer so ever since I started, I get looks from strangers. They will be staring at me while I am still far away and will do so until I pass by. Sometimes it is disconcerting. But with all the “looks” (and comments) that I have gotten, there is one that I am always delighted to receive: that of kids.
Kids will sometimes chase after me with their rowdy laughs; they will cheer me on and shout encouragement. Sometimes they will talk to one another how someday they will get their own bikes too! Little girls who are shy will look at me for a long time- this I exchange with a smile and a little hello.
I love those small moments with kids as I love beautiful views and the adrenaline rush going downhill. I do not want to be noticed much but with kids, I want them to see me. More importantly, I want those little girls to see me.
In a province that is still very traditional when it comes to gender roles, I feel that girls are not allowed to think of adventures and going outdoors- this is reserved for the boys, expected of them even. But for girls- well, girls stay in the house to help and play with cooksets. When we grow up, we are still expected to stay indoors and go only in nearby places. Outdoors is a big no-no. “Dangerous” things like biking away is not allowed. Home is where the woman is.
But when I pass by little girls, I see in them a wanting of being outside, of going further- a feeling that I once had when I was their age. They have auras of curiosity about the big world and their eyes sparkle with the promise of their own adventure.
I never had an outdoor mentor when I was younger. I only discovered my outdoor tribe ( and with this, the confidence to explore even alone) only after college. I had to fight for that freedom but it was a worthwhile battle for without the experiences I had of nature, my dreams of seeing the world would probably just be in a box inside of me: like a seed that was never allowed to grow.
I hope the little girls who see me- wheels full of mud, legs and arms brown from the sun- remember me someday. I hope they realize that they are allowed to have these adventures too. I hope that they discover that women do not have just one persona of being a dainty “maria clara”, that we have many facets and one of them can be the outdoor lady who is not afraid to go forth.
When biking I wear pink- a color associated with the feminine. It used to annoy me how color is genderdized but now I think I could use it as an advantage to make the little girls notice a female biker.
I hope they continue watching. I want to take up space in them even just as a pink and fuzzy figure passing by, even just as a feeling: that the outdoors is wild but welcoming and women are also meant to be there.
About
Visit Pat's site at: http://www.greenwayfarer.com
A graduate of BS Environmental Planning and Management, Pat has been involved in cosmology research,environmental education, development of a Philippine Green Building Rating System, and wetlands conservation.
She was also a corps member and then a volunteer specialist in Earth Corps, a Seattle, WA non-profit where she did hands-on environmental restoration work.
She is the Communications Assistant for project NexCities.