Mountain biking in the rainforest near Manokwari

There are several mountain bike groups in Manokwari. They regularly meet and have trips around the city or to the rainforest. One day, I joined some mountain bikers for a cycling tour in the rainforest behind Rendani and Wosi areas. The track there was very good although it is not covered with asphalt pavement. Mountain bikers who like traveling around this track come from various government and private institutions in Manokwari.

When I was mountain biking with them, we went to the Table Mountain and did some caving. When we ride our bicycles together, we often discuss things related to the maintenance of our bikes and the preservation of our nature especially the rainforest. These discussions often led to other cycling activities such as the cycling tour from Bintuni to Manokwari and cycling tour from Minyambouw to Manokwari. Because most of the routes that we go through are close to the rainforest, they are not hot. While we ride our mountain bikes through dense tropical jungle, we breath the fresh air which the forest produces. As a result, after the mountain bike tours, we feel more refreshed and healthy.

So, if you have not decided where you will go for this season's holiday, why don't you fly to Manokwari city for cycling with us? You will not only have the opportunities to enjoy the beauty of our rainforest but also the colorful life of the coral reef in the Dorey bay of this city. The tropical rainforest of Manokwari is rich of animals and plants. After enjoying mountain biking with the mountain bike clubs in Manokwari, I can guide you to Arfak mountains for 2 or 3 nights camping in the jungle. You will be able to see tree kangaroo, kuskus or watch the magnificent birds of paradise. Your trip to Manokwari will be a lifetime experience that you will never forget. by Charles Roring
Mountain bike tour from Bintuni to Manokwari
Mountain bike tour to Cape Bakaro

Mountain Bike Tour to Abasi beach of Manokwari

Last month, I, together with Peddy Tangguni, guided two tourists - Marko and Rita Laakonen from Finland on a mountain biking tour to Abasi beach of Manokwari. Manokwari is the capital of West Papua province of the Republic of Indonesia. Although the term is mountain biking, the terrains that we explored were not mountaineous at all. We rode our bicycles along Brawijaya street to Kwawi and then to Pasir Putih beach. There, we stopped for around fifteen minutes to see the beauty of Pasir Putih beach which was now unfortunately dirty with plastic wastes. After taking some pictures of the Finish tourists with the background of sea water and the Arfak mountains, we continued cycling to Arowi.

Along the road to Abasi beach we were greeted by children and people who were surprised to see that there were two European tourists who were riding bicycles with us. It did not take long to reach the Abasi beach. The beach was quiet - not many people swimming in the water. Marko took out his camera and starting to take pictures of the scenery. I also took my cell phone out of my pocket. It was a Nokia XpressMusic 5630. I activated its 3.2 Mega Pixel camera mode and began shooting some pictures of the beach and the tourists. We returned to Losmen Kagum half an hour before dark. As a tourist guide, I provide this mountain bike tour to travelers who visit Manokwari as a way to explore the beauty of Papua's nature and at the same time to promote cycling culture among the citizens of Manokwari.

The next day, I, Marko and Rita flew to Numfor island for a few days bird watching in tropical rainforest of Yemburwo village and snorkeling trip in Manem islet. If you are interested in touring around Manokwari regency by riding bicycle and need me as a guide, please, contact me via my email: charlesroring@gmail.com

Also read:
Mountain Bike Tour Through the Rainforest of Bintuni
Mountain Bike Tour in the Rainforest of Table Mountain

Night Riding around Manokwari

After the Bintuni - Manokwari Mountain Bike Tour, cyclists from MTB community gathered again at the parking lot of bank Mandiri last night to do some night riding around Manokwari city. Night riding is a great way to explore the night life of Manokwari. Last night (26 May 2011) we rode our mountain bikes to Wosi and Rendani airport, and then to Swapen area. The slopes down the Manggoapi area were a nice downhill route for our tiring legs.

 

Through this night riding event, we also expect to attract the interest of city dwellers to choose riding bicycles every day. Cycling is as an alternative mode of transportation that is more friendly to the environment and good for our health.

Mountain Bike Tour Through the Rainforest of Bintuni and Manokwari

bikers climbing the Gunung Ular (Mount Snake) between Ransiki and Oransbari

16 May

We left at 9 morning time from the parking lot of Bank Mandiri. Our bicyles had been loaded into 3 cars that would take us to Bintuni - the capital of Bintuni bay regency. There were 9 mountain bikers. This tour would be supported by a team of volunteers from mountain bike communities in Manokwari, Bank Mandiri, the Indonesian Red Cross, PT Taspen and the Provincial government of West Papua. We would ride our bicycles through the rainforest and the beach of Bintuni and Manokwari.

 

 Mr. Abdul Rauf (rear left), Mr. Adi Bowo (middle) and Charles Roring (right) were having lunch at the bank of a river in the middle of the rainforest in Bintuni regency

 

Gunung Botak (Mount Botak) in Ransiki of Manokwari regency - one of the routes that we passed through

After eating lunch in Oransbari we continued our trip to Gunung Botak. We stopped for around one hour there to add some drinking water from the spring water that flows through the stone cracks. All of us took our digital cameras out of our pockets and bags and began taking pictures of the beautiful sceneries of the mountains, coral reef, and the blue sea of the bay.

 Afif was pushing his bike up a slope in the rainforest of Bintuni regency

 Mr. Sugeng and Mr. Bowo at Gunung Botak in District Ransiki of Manokwari regency

The whole touring team arrived at the branch office of Bank Mandiri in Bintuni town at around 7 p.m. We spent the night sitting and watching the nightlife of the small town at the front stairs of the Bank Mandiri office. We had to unload the bicycles and reassemble them again. Mr. Sugeng, Mr. Bowo and Mr. Eko checked the readiness of the bikes. Some bicycles were tuned up for the syncronization of the front and rear gears - chain positioning. For dinner, we had nasi bungkus from Rumah Makan padang.

17 May
After having breakfast and receiving technical directions from Bpk. Ignatius Bowo, Bpk. Eko Hadi and Bpk. Abdul Rauf, the participants of the Bintuni - Manokwari cycling tour were released by Vice Regent of Bintuni Bpk. Haji Akuba Kaitam from the front parking lot of Bank Mandiri office. This first leg was the toughest part of the tour. When we are out of the Bintuni town, the road condition changed from the asphalt pavement to hardened gravel road. Every time a car or truck passed us, dust flew from behind covering all of us mountain bikers. The slopes began to appear when we had spent one hour riding our mountain bikes. Most often the slopes were too steep for us. We had to get off our bikes and push them up. The stamina of the bikers was worsened by the hot weather condition. Finally, we arrived in Pintu Angin. On the left of us was row of high cliff covered with tropical rainforest whereas on the right of as was a steep slope down directly to the sea. We set up camp at the beach at the Agung Mulia basecamp. We spent one night here. Our dinner was instant noodles, rice and some coffee. The distance that we reach on this first leg was around 94 kilometers.

18 May
This was the second leg of our tour. The next morning we continued our mountain biking trip from Gunung Botak. At the top of the Gunung Botak, the road was muddy slowing our speed for a few minutes. Fortunately, the muddy road was not long. The asphalt pavement appeared again after we had paddled our bikes for two or three hundred meters. Gunung Botak gave us a little downhill track.  We also passed Momi Waren before entering District Ransiki. We stopped at a traditional market there and drank some water. I bought a can of Coca Cola sprite. We saw bush fire there. The weather was really hot. We stopped at a school. Some activists from Indonesian Red Cross who supported this tour gave hand washing lesson to kindergarden school children. They also gave soap and toothpaste to these nice children. In the middle of the day, we arrived in Ransiki for lunch. We ate rice and fried fish. The front part of my left shoe was broken. To fix it, I went to the nearby market to buy Castol Glue. Then we continued our cycling trip again. This time, we climbed the Gunung Ular (Snake Mountain). On both sides of the road, big trees from the tropical rainforest cover the slope of the the mountain. The zigzag route leading up to the top of the mountain was a hard route to us. However when we had been at its top, the next zigzag asphalt pavement down to the flat terrain was really a great bonus to us. We arrived in Oransbari before dark. The bikers and the supporting team stayed at Griya Alit for one night. Our team prepared grilled fish, and cooked some vegetables for us. We had very delicious meal that night. The distance achieved by the bikers for cycling the whole day was 107 km.

19 May
The next morning, we left Oransbari at 7.30 a.m. for Warkapi beach. The road condition was very good. We passed by several villages whose agricultural produce were bananas, cacao beans and ampo (an alcoholic drink from the sap of aren palm tree). We stopped at the beach at the foot of Mount Syoribo. After taking a rest for a few hours and eating lunch which were rice, instant noodles and canned beef, we rode our mountain bikes again climbing Mount Syoribo and Mount Acemo. These were the last two mountains that we had to overcome before arriving in Maruni Batu Kapur. This third leg was 53.5 kilometers. Tomorrow, we would enter Manokwari. Here, below the Maruni bridge we take a bath. Water that was flowing through the Maruni river was really fresh. It cleaned our skins which were covered by dust.

20 May 2011
Today we entered Manokwari city. Our final destination was the governor office of the West Papua province. It was located near the ship harbor. We arrived at 5 p.m. accompanied by tens of other bikers who were coming from all cycling communities in this city. Vice Governor of West Papua province Mr. Rahimin Katjong received us. This last leg was 27 kilometers. The whole distance that we covered from Bintuni to Manokwari was 281.5 kilometers. It was not only far but also dangerous - a exhausting trip. But it is a beautiful cycling route. Along the way we met villagers who smiled and encouraged us to reach the finish line. This is really an unforgetable experience.

If you are interested in cycling from Bintuni to Manokwari, you can do that in a group of at least five cyclists. Please, contact me via my email charlesroring@gmail.com. I will arrange and organize your trip and fully support your tour until the finish line. written by Charles Roring

all photos in this article were supplied by Mr. Adi Bowo (16 - 20 May 2011)

Mountain Biking in the Morning

Once upon a time in January 2011, I rode my mountain bike in the morning. It was not my usual time for mountain biking but I felt that I should try some exercises in the morning to keep my body in fit condition. Manokwari city dwellers were still sleeping when I pushed by Cozmic DX 2.0 out of my house. I got on to the bike and started riding it to the east of the city. The cool air hit my face and my hands. I pressed on faster and faster. As usual, my destination was Pasir Putih beach. I wanted to reach the area before sunrise.

It took around 25 minutes for me to reach the beach. I stopped there for a while admiring the beautiful view of the Manokwari bay and the blue sea that was very calm that morning. When I arrived at the Pasir Putih beach, the sun had not risen. After taking some deep breathes to restore my energy, I continued riding my bicycle again. This time my destination was Abasi beach. It took another fifteen minutes to reach the beach whose waves could reach up to three meters between November and February. At Abasi we could sometimes watch children wave surfing during the high waves season. I stopped my mountain bike near the white sandy beach of Abasi.

The rising sun creates a band of red sky at the south above the Arfak mountains. It was really beautiful to sit on my bicycle admiring the magnificent view of the blue Arfak mountains with the bright pink sky. I really enjoyed the morning cycling journey at that time but I knew that I had to return home immediately, otherwise the streets of Manokwari city would be filled with cars and motorcycles again. As I ascended a slope behind the governor's office of West Papua province, I stopped for a few minutes to take pictures of a Pelni passenger ship that was mooring at Manokwari harbor. While I am writing this article, I feel that I will do the morning mountain biking again when I have free time next week. by Charles Roring
Also read:
Mountain bike tour in Manokwari
Mountain bike tour to Cape Bakaro

Mountain Biking as Healthy Lifestyle in Manokwari of West Papua

I have been promoting cycling or in another term Mountain bike tour in Manokwari since December 2010. I am not alone in doing this. There are hundreds of mountain bikers who have started this healthy lifestyle. One of them is Mr. Adi Bowo. I met him for the first time when I visited Numfor island. He was taking a rest at a coffee hut near the ship harbor of Numfor. I entered the hut to order a glass of hot coffee. Well, before continuing my discussion about mountain bike and cycling. I would like to explain a little bit about the term "a glass of hot coffee." When I was learning English, I read that western people use cup for hot coffee or milk and glass for cool or cold drinks. Unfortunately, cup is not always available in coffee hut. I call it a hut because it was a hut not a cafe. So, the Papuan woman who served coffee in the hut gave me a glass of hot coffee.

Back to the story of mountain biking in Numfor, yes, Mr. Adi Bowo explained how important it is to promote cycling in Papua for people who want to enjoy the natural beauty of this tropical island. He added that some cycling groups had been formed in Manokwari. Some of them are bike to work which was established by employees of the governor’s office, and cycling community from Bank Mandiri. During our conversation that afternoon, I stated my interest in promoting cycling and mountain biking both to city dwellers of Manokwari and tourists who come from abroad. I planned to buy some mountain bikes which I would use for traveling with tourists through the tropical rainforest of West Papua. West Papua as part of New Guinea island - the largest tropical island in the world, has got vast area of rainforest that is rich in biodiversity. The best way to enjoy this green beauty of the tropical region, besides hiking, is by mountain biking. I have arranged a number of routes which tourists can cycle through while traveling in Manokwari. Some of them are as follows:

• Kota - Pasir Putih - Cape Bakaro - Pasir Putih - Kota
• Kota - Sarinah - Tropical rainforest of Table Mountain - Mangoapi - Fanindi - Kota
• Kota - Manggoapi - Amban - Amban Pantai - Nuni and Back to Kota
• Kota - Swapen - Reremi - Wosi - Rendani and back to Kota again
• Kota - Pasir Putih - Cape Bakaro - Susweni - Ayambori - Sarinah - back to Kota again
• Kota - Cape Bakaro - Susweni - Amban - Manggoapi - Fanindi and back to Kota again.

Because Manokwari stretches along the Dorey bay whose terrain consists of flat land and hills, the most recommended bicycles that cyclists should use are mountain bikes that are equipped with 18 to 27 or 30 speed gears (mostly supplied by Shimano). For Manokwari city tour, the best time to do the cycling is early in the morning at 5.20 a.m. at this time, cyclists can ride their mountain bikes around the city without much disturbances from motorcycles and cars.
After cycling regularly in the afternoons for nearly three months, I begin to notice that more Papuans are now doing the mountain biking too. This is a good sign because when the indigenous people especially the adult ones ride bicycles, they have directly shown good example to other Papuan about how important it is to keep their body healthy by adopting cycling as their daily lifestyle. When there are more children, and adults ride bicycles to schools or to work, the atmosphere of Manokwari city will be cleaner. by Charles Roring

Mountain bike tour in tropical rainforest of Table Mountain Manokwari

Yesterday I rode my mountain bike through the rainforest of Table Mountain twice. For the first round I used Polygon dirt jump Cozmic dx 2.0 whereas for the second one, I paddled the Celine 3.0. The road leading to the entrance gate of the mountain was quite steep. I had to adjust the front and rear gears to level 1 to climb it. It was quite exhausting especially after I arrived at the gate. The road condition after the gate was rough and steep. I tried to rode my mountain bike up the mountain but my rear tyre slipped. I had to get off my bicycle and push it up the slope. Around two hundred meters after the entrance gate, the terrain was moderate again but still rough. Also read: Mountain bike tour in Manokwari.

This time I was cycling down a little before meeting the flat road of the Table Mountain. When going down the little slope, I nearly fell of my bike because there were stones whose diameter was bigger than ten centimeters. After that, the road in the rainforest was quite good again. I sat down for a while on the stone bench to take a deep breath. Then I took out my cell phone to activate its digital camera feature. I took some pictures of my mountain bikes. I thought it would be more interesting to attach some pictures of this afternoon mountain biking tour in this tropical rainforest when I write a blog post about it. I saw some plastic wastes on the floor of the monument so, I picked them up and collected them on one place. I hope that other visitors of the monument would do the same to keep this Japanese war memorial monument clean. Several minutes before I continued cycling through the rainforest, I saw a Papuan came to the place where I was taking a rest. He liked to walk in this rainforest. I used to meet him last year when I was guiding a European tourist, together with my friend Paul Warere. We talked a little. I stated my concern about the plastic wastes and alcoholic bottles which forest goers like to through around the forest. These wastes really make the tropical rainforest of the Table Mountai of Manokwari look dirty. He also agreed with my opinion and began picking up some wastes.

Then I got on my mountain bike again and continued cycling. The air inside the forest was really cool. I like to be inside the forest whose canopy protect me from direct sunlight. I saw some wooden planks that had been sawn from a naturally fallen tree. As a nature lover, I fully support this exploitation method. We can harvest the wood or timber from the rainforest but only from the trees that have fallen naturally. There are a lot of trees in the rainforest of the Table Mountain which have fallen naturally. We can cut them using chain saw to make blocks and planks that are needed for house construction. It took around ten minutes to reach the Japanese war memorial monument. I stopped at the monument for around twenty minutes to take a rest and to enjoy the scenery of the surrounding green trees of the tropical rainforest. Department of forestry can charge tax from these timber blocks and planks from people who extract them from the rainforest.
What I don't agree or reject is the exploitation of wood from trees that are still standing on the ground.
My mountain bike tour through the rainforest of the Table Mountain of Manokwari city lasted for around three hours. I was exhausted by that but I really enjoyed it. I think I will do it again next week. This afternoon I rode my mountain bike again but to Cape Bakaro, my favorite cycling route. I have written some stories about them in this blog. If you are interested in reading them, you can read my post: Mountain bike tour to Cape Bakaro. by Charles Roring

Tropical Cycling in Manokwari city

I have just checked my google analytics account a few minutes ago that I found someone typed "tropical cycling" and landed in this blog. I wrote some articles related to mountain bike tour in Manokwari city, the capital of West Papua province in New Guinea island. New Guinea is the largest tropical island in the world. It consists of two parts, the eastern region which is the independent state of Papua New Guinea and the western region which is the territory of Indonesia. There are two provinces in the western region i.e. Papua and West Papua. Cycling in Manokwari is a great way to travel around the tropical city and its surrounding areas. Some cycling destinations

Also read: Mountain bike tour in Manokwari
This is a great location for tourists who want to do some mountain bike tour to the Table Mountain. To climb the mountain, I used my Polygon mountain bike. The slope is quite steep but I can manage to reach the top of the mountain if I use gear 1 both at the front and rear chain wheels of my bicycle. Several meters before the gate of the Hutan Wisata Gunung Meja (meaning tourist forest of Table Mountain) is a great spot to see the beauty of the Dorey bay, Manokwari city, and the Arfak mountains. I don't enter the gate, instead I continue riding my bike around the mountain. There are more things that I can see such as the villages of the indigenous people and campus areas of Papua university. It takes between 1.5 to 3 hours cycling if we want to enjoy the natural beauty of the tropical rainforest of the Table mountain, the village life in Anggori and Ayambori, and the academic environment of the university.

Pasir Putih beach, Abasi and Cape Bakaro
This is my favorite tropical cycling tour. Because it's terrain is quite flat, tourists can use road bicycle to travel around. The best time to visit these beach areas is early in the morning. I used to go out of my house with my bicycle at 5.30 a.m. I rode my bicycle to Cape Bakaro which is a famous fish calling station. Here, we can ask a Papuan man to call fish. He usually uses termites and a whistle. Standing on the rock by the sea water, he will brake some termite house and throw it to the sea. After that he will blow his whistle to call the fish. When the weather is good and there are no waves, a lot of fish will come to eat the tiny termite which has been thrown by the man. Also when I ride my bike in the morning to this area, I could hear sounds of birds in the tropical trees that are covering the Cape Bakaro. Please, read: Mountain bike tour to Cape Bakaro
The Northern Coast
The northern coast of Manokwari regency stretches from Aipiri to Yonsoribo. It is more than 50 kilometers. Although the road has been built along the beach, the terrain is not always flat. Tourists need mountain bike to cover the long route of the northern coast of Manokwari. There is no hotel along this region but accommodation at some good houses can be arranged for cycling tourists. Be sure to bring with you enough food and water if you want to visit the area by bicycle.
Prafi valley
Cycling to Prafi is also possible. I have never done a cycling trip to Prafi but from the information that I got from mountain bikers in Manokwari, it can be done with a support van or car. Prafi is a huge plain in Manokwari regency. It is an agricultural center that supplies fruits and vegetables to the city. The most important thing that we need to know is that the road leading to Prafi valley consists of flat and steep slope terrains. Most often cars and trucks run fast.
Manokwari - Ransiki
Other Cycling Route that I recommend is from Manokwari city to Warkapi - Oransbari - and Ransiki. If we start riding our bike in the morning, we will arrive in Ransiki in the afternoon. We can stay in motels there. Make sure that your mountain bike is in good condition before you start riding your bike.
If you are interested in cycling around Manokwari city and its surrounding areas, you can contact me via email peace4wp@gmail.com, I will be happy to cycle with you and guide you around to see the natural beauty of this great tropical island.
Also read:
Tropical rainforest mountain bike tour

• Birdwatching in Sulawesi
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa
• Birdwatching in Minahasa
• Manado City: Birdwatching and Sightseeing Tour

Mountain Bike Tour to Cape Bakaro of Manokwari city in West Papua

It was Sunday morning 23rd January 2011, 5.30 a.m. when I was pushing my mountain bike out of my house. It was still dark outside. This time I planned to do a mountain bike tour to Cape Bakaro located on the east of Manokwari city. Much of the cape area is still covered with tropical rainforest. On the previous days, I always rode my bicycle in the afternoons from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. During those hours, there were cars and motorcycles on the streets and roads of the city. So, I decided to change my cycling exercise time to mornings.

After wearing my bike helmet, I got on my bike and began pedaling it to Brawijaya street. All the city dwellers were still sleeping. One or two ojeks (motorcycle taxi) passed by me. I could feel the cool air when I increased my speed. Going down the slope behind governor's office of West Papua province, I felt that my mountain bike was going faster and faster through the dark under the big trees which had been planted by the Dutch. Because I did not attach the front lamp on the handle bar, I was afraid that I might hit other motorcycles or cars at the cross roads thirty meters ahead of me. So, I "squeezed" the Tektro front and rear brake handles to reduce the speed of my mountain bike. Everything around me was still dark. I could see some motorcycles were approaching the cross road with a small round about in the middle. I was now at Kampung Ambon area behind the city's general hospital.

I was not far from Ketapang boat terminal in Kwawi area where I could see Arfak mountains on the other side of the Dorey bay. Some people were sitting by the beach. Perhaps they had been there since night time spending Saturday night under the full moon light. Manokwari is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Mansinam and Lemon islands in the middle of the bay are famous destinations for tourists who like swimming and snorkeling over the coral reefs which are the tropical rainforest of the sea. Personally, I am really concerned with a lot of plastic wastes from the Manokwari city that are now polluting the coastal area of the Dorey bay. I really hope that the local government will take serious actions to tackle this problem. 

When I arrived at Pasir Putih beach, the Sun was emerging on the east just a little bit above the horizon of the sea surface at the tip of Cape Bakaro. Although the scenery of the sunrise was beautiful, I did not stop to take some photographs. I was still half way to Cape Bakaro my usual cycling destination. I would take the sunrise picture when I returned. I needed around twenty more minutes to reach the cape. The scenery of the Abasi beach was really beautiful. It was calm and peaceful to be at the beach that morning. I did not see many people there. I turned right and headed to the beach just ten meters from the waves. I pulled my digital camera out of my pocket. It was a Sony SteadyShot DSC-W310. I turned it on and began shooting.

Then I got off my mountain bike and pushed it back to the road again and took some pictures of the surrounding scenery. I was quite happy because I could take as many pictures as I like. After spending five minutes taking pictures of the beach, some flowers, and the road of Abasi, I continued cycling to Cape Bakaro again. The morning was now bright but with the half full moon was still white in the middle of the blue sky above my head. Birds were singing on the coconut trees. I thought that because it was Sunday, I should not go further to Bakaro village where the fish calling station was. So, I turned around and returned to Manokwari city again.

Before completing my morning mountain bike tour, I went to the ship harbor of Manokwari to take some pictures of a PELNI ship. It was MV Labobar capable of carrying around 2,500 to 3,000 passengers. My friend Grietje in the Netherlands needs the pictures to complete the revision works of the Travel Guide Book of Ecotourism Manokwari West Papua. The bell of the Catholic church St. Agustinus was clanging when I arrived at home again. People were now preparing to go to church. by Charles Roring
Also read:

• Mountain bike tour in Manokwari
• Riding bicycle is good for our health and the environment
• How to promote cycling culture in your town
• Mountain biking to Cape Bakaro in Manokwari city
• Birdwatching in Sulawesi
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa
• Birdwatching in Minahasa
• Manado City: Birdwatching and Sightseeing Tour

Mountain Bike Tour in Manokwari

Last Christmas, I gave a mountain bike tour to an Indonesian tourist. His name was Danang. He worked for Datascript an IT company in Indonesia whose headquarter is in Jakarta. He rode my dirt jump mountain bike Polygon Cozmic DX 2.0. which had just arrived on 6 December 2010. Danang rode his bicycle every Fridays to his office so it was not difficult for him to adjust the seemingly complicated Shimano Alivio gears of my newly arrived mountain bicycle. The first touring route was to Pasir Putih beach. It was on 25 December 2010 and the second one was touring around the Table Mountain which is still covered with tropical rainforest.

As a matter of fact it was my first time providing a cycling tour to a "tourist." Most of the tourists who visited Manokwari rent a car for traveling around the city or going to the Table Mountains. I saw the potentials of providing mountain bike tour to tourists as a new way to raise awareness among the cycling tourists about the importance of preserving rainforest that is now shrinking in size very rapidly.

The first tour went well but the second one was completed with a small incident. When we were entering Anggori village in Amban area behind the Table Mountain, on a small slope, the chain of Danang's bike went off the rail when he was trying to shift it to gear 2 (which did not exist) and stucked between the bike frame and the front gear. I had to borrow a screw driver and a plier to hammer it out leaving deep scar on my new bike. Well it was an unfortunate experience but it taught me a lot about how to adjust the screws that control the derailleur mechanism.
One thing that I was really impressed from this mountain bike tour was that along the road to Pasir Putih beach and to Cape Bakaro, a little bit outside Manokwari city, we were warmly greeted by children, and teenagers. They might see our new mountain bikes complete with their  Shimano Alivio gears as their dreamed bicycles because such human powered vehicles were quite expensive for them. They might need to save their pocket money for years before being able to buy one. But the mountain bike tour has given a great impact to children a long the usual route that I pass through that now I see more bicycles on the road from Missi - Kwawi - Pasir Putih - Arowi - Abasi and Cape Bakaro.

As of today, I only have two mountain bikes but I can buy more if I see a definitive growing interest among tourists who want to enjoy the natural beauty of Papua by riding bicycles. by Charles Roring
Also read:
Tropical rainforest mountain bike tour
Mountain biking to Cape Bakaro
Mountain biking in the Table Mountain
Benefits of riding bicycles
Riding bicycle is good for our health

• Birdwatching in Sulawesi
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa
• Birdwatching in Minahasa
• Manado City: Birdwatching and Sightseeing Tour

Tropical Rainforest Mountain Bike Tour

Last Christmas I guided an Indonesian tourist cycling around the tropical rainforest of the Table Mountain. His name is Danang and he was very fond of cycling. So, in the afternoon I offered him a cycling tour with my mountain bikes. I gave him the dirt jump mountain bike polygon dx 2.0 whereas I rode the Polygon Celine 3.0. We began cycling from my house along the Brawijaya Street and slowly ascending the Sarinah area. From the Sarinah, the slope was getting steeper and steeper. the dark green color of the tropical rainforest of the Table Mountain was in front of our eyes. It was only around 200 meters ahead of us but it was difficult to be reached.

I shifted my front gear to 1 and gradually moving the rear gear to 1 too from speed 9. I felt that paddling up the slope is difficult but I managed to get to the top where I could see the gate of the Table Mountain on my left. Danang seemed to be exhausted in the middle of the road. He got off the bike and started to walk up the slope pushing the mountain bike on his right side. Finally, he was able to reach the top.
After taking a rest for around 15 minutes watching the blue sea of the Dorey bay below us and some part of the Arfak mountains at the other side of the bay I decided to carry on our mountain biking tour that afternoon. We did not enter the forest because the road condition at the slope near the gate was not good enough. We passed through the Ayambori village, the Litbang area, the black house, and then the Kebun Percobaan.

Several hundred meters before the entering the Anggori village, the chain of Danang's bike went off the gear when he tried to shift the front speed from 3 to 1. We stopped to repair it. The chain stucked between the gear and the dirt jump bike frame which was made of aluminum compound called Alx 6061 manufactured by Polygon - a wellknown bike maker in Indonesia. Fortunately there was someone on the other side of the street who was repairing his grass cutting machine. I borrowed his screwdriver and plier to hammer the chain out to the narrow gap. I saw that the friction between the chain and the frame left some deep scratches on my mountain bike that had just arrived 3 weeks before Christmas 2010. While repairing the chain, we were able to hear the sound of waves landing on the beach of Amban beyond the tropical rainforest of the North Coast area of Manokwari. We arrived at home at around 7 p.m.. Although we experienced small incident that afternoon, I could say that I really enjoy the cycling trip on the second day of clear afternoon Christmas.
Private Guided Tour
As a tour guide, I provide a private guided cycling or hiking tour services to you if you are interested in exploring the mountains, the tropical rainforest and the coastal area of Manokwari. I can also escort you on a hiking and snorkeling trip to Numfor island - a small and peaceful tropical island in Cendrawasih bay. Please, contact me via e-mail: peace4wp@gmail.com for further arrangement of your trip.
Also read:
Mountain Biking in the Table Mountain
Riding bicycle is good for our health and environment

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