The Route That Knows Me Best

Every cyclist has a route that feels less like a road and more like a companion.

- Jose Vicente 'JV' Araneta

For me, it begins quietly in Cebu City and unwinds southward toward Naga, looping through Uling, Don Andres Soriano, Landing, Lutopan, and back home via Manipis. I've ridden many roads, chased many goals, and logged countless kilometers—but this one remains my favorite. It knows my legs, my breathing, my silences. I know its curves, its moods, and its unforgiving honesty.I've been riding this loop almost every Sunday for close to ten years now, usually starting at dawn, when the city is still rubbing sleep from its eyes. I used to ride north before, but traffic and bad roads brought me South. Back then, it was once a week—my ritual, my reset. During the pandemic, when the world slowed down to a halt, I sometimes ride this three times a week. While everything else felt uncertain, these roads remained stubbornly the same.