CDN SportsTalk host Brian Ochoa with Team ARK’s Vince Torrefranca, Kalon Venus Torrefranca, Timothy Jon Mendoza, and Jenny Mendoza. CDN Digital photo | Dave Cuizon
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Push bike is one rising sport in Cebu.
Competitions have been held almost every month in the past year, and kids—and their parents— are starting to get hooked into this fast rising grassroots sport.
So what is push bike?
According to Vince Torrefranca, a member of Team ARK of Cebu, push bike is the “first step in training kids to balance.”
It is basically a fast and effective way to teach children to balance with their bikes.
Push bikes are just like bicycles without pedals and chains.
To make it move, kids just have to push the bikes.
Torrefranca and Jenny Mendoza of Team ARK shared insights on push bike in a recent episode of CDN SportsTalk.
Also present were push bike kids Timothy Jon Mendoza and Kalon Venus Torrefranca, who have participated and won in several races in Cebu and in Malaysia, considered the hub for push bike in Southeast Asia.
Pushbike community in Cebu
According to Mendoza, push bike started in Cebu just recently. “
It started very small by cyclists parents who wanted to let their kids learn how to balance,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza said she got her son Timothy into this sport so he would get way from gadgets.
Timothy has won several races already, as shown by the trophies they brought to the set of the show.
Is push bike expensive?
Torrefranca said just like other sports, push bike isn’t that expensive to start.
He says a starting push bike could be just around P1,000 to P2,000.
“But as we progress, you want top try aluminum or carbon bikes,” he said.
This is where it becomes a little bit expensive.
But it’s ok since according to Vicne, “we also see the passion of the kids so we invest.”
Carbon bikes cost around P30,000 to P50,000, Torrefranca said.
“But you can see how the kids perform (with these bikes). The carbon bikes are really lighter and faster,” he said.
But Torrefranca clarified that it’s still the kid pushing the bike who will win a race.
“The bike is about 40 percent factor and the rest is on the willingness of the kids to win,” he said.
Push bike teams in Cebu
Torrefranca said push bike started in Cebu for almost a year already.
“But the rate of progression is fast,” he said, adding that there are around five teams in Cebu.
“Kids are getting competitive also the parents,” he said.
He shared Manila is building up its push bike community.
The rise of the sport has a lot to do also with the strong support from local government units such as Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, and Naga.
In fact, the team is preparing for another competition in Lapu-Lapu to be held at the Mactan Shrine on Saturday, November 11.
Torrefranca said among the goals of the team is to inspire other kids to join push bike.
Should be a good idea considering how hooked kids are with gadgets these days.
Would you let your kids start push bike?
/bmjo
READ MORE:
Philippine Push Bike Challenge: 120 youngsters to join Sept. 3 Mandaue competition