After my trailing in La Mesa, we went to Timberland Heights in San Mateo a week after. My second trail had been very difficult ride for me. My boss and I tried the great “Wall” in San Mateo just a kilometer away from the entrance of Timberland heights. I almost ran out of air trying the wall. It’s an uphill path of about 1.5 kilometers away from Timberland from where we parked. There was no downhill or paved path, just pure uphill climb and hard pedaling. I failed to complete the task, I was a quarter away from the top when I felt grasping for more air leading me into hyperventilation. My heart pounded like a dribbling ball and felt like under the water grasping for air…I sat down on the road and rest for like 15mins, I immediately went down to the parking area and had to rest more and then packed my bike to the car rack and drove myself up to the entrance of Timberland heights.

Timberland was a popular trail site before it was named Timberland heights. There are bike trails and Motorcycle jump park inside.  Before riding inside, we left some identification card to the guards because the land is a private property now. The single track trail is much harder than the La Mesa’s.  The tracks were slippery because it rained couple of days ago and the tracks were muddy.  We even carried our bikes to some parts of the tracks. The destination point is at El Dorado mini canteen.  It’s a small diner on top of the mountain where all bikers meet, rest, eat, smoke?, show off their bikes!?!? hehehe.  After eating a can of corned beef and spam.  We headed back home and hitting more single tracks and muddy trails which made the color blackie turned to brownie! We started biking at around 8am and finished at 11.30am.

Comparing my trail in La Mesa to The Wall and Timberland heights,  I like La Mesa best because of the ambiance of the place and the tracks are more friendly than in Timberland heights.  Though, timberland is a good trail sites for non-newbie bikers and I’ll definitely come back there and finish what I have started…to conquer the “Wall”…

My Muddy Crankand Front Derailleur

Blackie became my Brownie

My muddy bike after the Timberland Ride

My boss with his colleagues and seniors invited me to trail at the La Mesa Nature Reserve (Ecotrail) located near SM Fairview just last Saturday, 19 Jul 08. We got there at around 6.30am.  I’ve been biking for a month now and this is my first time to go trailing.  I came there without the basic kits actually. I have no patch kit, tire pump, tools and a spare inner tube in case I get a flat. I’m so worried to get a flat tire.  Well, thank God I didn’t get a flat tire and the good thing is, my boss had some tools which took my worries. With regards to trailing, the most important thing you must consider is the condition of your bike and your food and hydration.  Since I’m a newbie, I don’t have any accessories or tools yet, and a Hydration pack is one of them.  I though a bike bottle would suffice my trip, but my boss instructed me to at least pack 3 Liters of water.  With just a 700ml bottle that I bought from a local bike shop, i thought of borrowing my bro-in-law’s bike bottle and 1 liter of wilkins water.  In trailing, Hydration is the most important thing that you have to consider, that’s why other bikers advice newbies to buy hydration backpacks.  Putting bottles inside an ordinary backpack is definitely not a good idea, that’s why I bought this hydration pack from crazyjeys at PinoyMTBiker. A very nice guy who gave me a good discount with this High Sierra Hydration pack.

High Sierra Hydration Pack! 2.0 Liters

Rear view of the back pack

Now trailing has never been so comfortable…Yahooooo!!!