A century later

Another Saturday. Another century. Sampaloc-Capinpin route. A supposedly fun ride turned incredibly difficult as the day wore on. The ride was relatively benign and relaxed until we reached the Tanay-Sampaloc intersection. From there, it was a gutty 7kms to the Momarco resort/Bathala Bike Park. We thought our troubles were over but heading to Sampaloc from there was another story: heart pounding, lung-busting, pedaling slowly and looking for that extra gear (literally and figuratively), all the while praying your chain won't snap in the process. We reached the Sampaloc-Marikina intersection just in time for lunch, then headed up the Sierra Madres on the way to Marikina. The "rolling hills" were deceptive after a relaxed lunch, thankfully the cool breeze and relatively free roads made the ride a bit more enjoyable. Things went downhill (not literally, all I remember during that ride was uphill) when we hit Cabading. Those last 1.7kms uphill were incredibly difficult. Reaching Cogeo was a mixed bag. On one hand, it was great to realize we were nearing home, on the other, the traffic and rough roads made for horrible biking. It was a relief to finally hit Marcos highway.