Thursday, November 10, 2016

Learning How to Bike at Camp N Incubator Trail and Bike Hub

Camp N at Nuvali offers a lot of activities that promote self-discovery and learning. The camp provides bike trails for bike enthusiasts who want to bike in a safe environment where they can also enjoy the landscape. Now, those who want to learn how to bike can learn here too with it's latest offering: the Camp N Incubator Trail and Bike Hub.

On our way to register for the bike camp.

Anyone who wants to learn how to bike or improve their biking skills need at least 3 things aside from the desire to learn: 1) a good coach, 2) a good bike and 3) a safe place to learn and practice your skills. Fortunately, Camp N caters to all levels of bikers and provides all 3 requirements.

Beginner, intermediate and advanced bikers are all required to register and are provided orientation on rules and safety regulations. One very important rule inside the camp is that no one can ride a bike without a helmet or you will be fined Php200 pesos; so it's best to follow the rules.

We posed for a picture before embarking on our biking adventure.

A banner announcing the new bike hub in partnership with Specialized.

A map of the whole Camp N estate.

The Bike Hub offers 3 types of bike clinics to cater to different age groups and skill levels.

Bike Clinic 1 - for age 6 and up who don't know how to bike. These are divided into 2 courses.

BC1-A Scoot to Pedal Program
  • Introduction to Cycling: How the Bike Works
  • Safety Guidelines in Riding a Bike
  • Mounting A Bike
  • Braking Simulation
  • Scooting Exercises in a Straight Line and Elevated Ground
  • Pedaling Exercises in a Straight Line
BC1-B Brake, Lean and Turn or BLT
  • Scooting Exercise Review
  • Pedaling Exercises in a Straight Line
  • Leaning and Turning
  • Emergency Braking
Each part consists of a 1-hour lecture and skills practice. These two programs do not guarantee that you will be able to ride a bike unassisted at the end of the course. However, you should be able to learn the basics of balancing while scooting, pedaling and using the brakes. Followed by constant practice, you should be able to ride your bike soon after.

Bike Clinic 2 - for age 6 and up intermediate bikers who have fundamental skills such as balance, braking and steering and who have little or no experience trail riding.

BC2 - Introduction to Mountain Bike Riding
  • Introduction to Mountain Bike Riding
  • Safety Guidelines in Riding a Mountain Bike
  • Types and Features of a Mountain Bike
  • Diagnostics
  • Fundamental Skills 1: Dialing the Position
  • Drills FS1
  • Fundamental Skills 2: Pedaling Efficiency and Shifting
  • Drills FS2
  • Fun Ride (Green Zones)
The program is divided into 2 parts and each part consists of 1-hour lecture and skills practice.

Bike Clinic 3 - for ages 6 and up who have tried trail riding at least once and who want to improve their basic trail riding skills.

BC3 - Mountain Bike Skills
  • Introduction to Trail Riding
  • Safety Guidelines in Trail Riding
  • Types of Trail and Obstacles
  • Diagnostics
  • Fundamental Skills 3: Controlling Speed
  • Drills FS3
  • Fundamental Skills 4: Cornering
  • Drills FS4
  • Fun Ride (Green Zones)
Different bike trails will be assigned to different skill levels to ensure that you maximize your practice time.

Specialized Bicycles
One thing we noticed at the Bike Hub was that the bicycles were not regular BMX bikes or the usual mountain bikes. These bicycles had bigger (thicker) tires and looked and felt sturdier than regular bikes.

A Specialized bike perfect for beginner kids.

It actually felt easier to learn how to balance on these bikes with their bigger wheels and even the height of the seat can be customized to the user. The whole bike wasn't too light and was just heavy enough to help you really use your muscles while balancing and pedaling--a great workout!

Specialized bikes with higher seats for intermediate and trail bikers.

All the bikes came from their partner Specialized Bicycle Components, a company which focuses on the rider's need as it was founded in 1974 by riders for riders. The company is based in Morgan Hill, California but its bikes are locally distributed by Dan's, a top action sports brands which also distributes products from GoPro, FOX Racing Shox, Bell Powersports and Troy Lee Designs among others.

Learning How to Bike
For the actual biking camp, me and my friend Sarah choose to enter the beginner level. Our instructors were very helpful and provided a lot of motivation as did our companions.


Our instructor showing us the basics.

The course we went through was straight but had a mildly steep hill which provided enough challenge for learning to balance and pedal.

A beginner biker learning how to balance.

Each one of us was assisted by an instructor as we went through the beginner trail from start to finish. It was a great feeling to be coached and be motivated by your fellow learners as you tried your best to apply what you learned.

Because of the constant attention of the 2 coaches and assistants, none of us experienced painful spills or even got a scratch. Maybe some bruises but it was only natural when you forget to step on the pedal as you roll along.

These two we're a bit nervous but still having fun.

It was my turn to take a pose with one of the coaches and my buddies.

Yes, we got bruises in the expected areas but we also got inspired by the activities of the more skilled bikers around us as they passed by on the trails.

While we were sitting on our butts, they were doing this!

If that doesn't motivate you, here are some more scenes from the bike camp that day.

These trail bikers are all muddy but quite satisfied.

Some bikes apparently also need some hang time.

Curiosly inspecting the Specialized bikes.

Muddy bikers and muddy bikes get a rest from roaming the trails.

The cemented pathway is where our trail ends and where these more advanced bikers begin theirs.

How to Start Learning How to Bike?
To start learning, you can contact World of Outbound at 0977-8422696(CAMPN) or email camp-n@lakbaykalikasan.com.

The Bike Hub opens everyday for bike clinics and tours from 8AM to 5PM.

How to Get to Camp N in Nuvali?
Camp N is a pleasant place to bike because all the greenery ensures that you breath fresh air and the different trails will help enhance your biking skills. If you're not into biking, there are other activities that will provide you with a lot of fun and thrilling challenges.

There are other activities to do in Camp N aside from biking and all that green definitely provides a nice view.

If you are commuting, there are public buses that go to Nuvali from Makati, BGC and Balibago. At the Nuvali terminal, you can then take the shuttle to Camp N.

For private vehicles, get off from SLEX via Mamplasan, Sta. Rosa, Eton-Greenfield, Silangan and Canlubang.

For more information and updates visit their Facebook page.

In the meantime, happy biking!



NOTE: Information is from the press kit provided as well as from the various speakers during the event.


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