Originally Posted by
cubewheels
I avoid routes that can have sparse population / traffic when riding solo. It's not just street crime I'm worried about but motorists who have bloodlust for cyclists. They are much more likely to harass cyclists if no one is around.
I do much more solo rides than group rides here in the Philippines and have actually disguised my already dirt cheap gravel bike to look old and dirty. Even my cycling clothes have mud splatters on it and getting dark around the edges I didn't bothered to de-stain. I still wash with detergent but I just leave the stains on so even my clothes look old and dirty.
It might be important when riding in a poor country to make yourself unattractive to thieves, literally make yourself look like a poor person, your bike and clothes dirty, etc. Helps you blend in better as opposed to standing out. Because many bike commuters here do have ugly and dirty bikes, and even dirty manual labor work clothes and ride wearing flip flops. That's one reason why I also ride with flip flops as footwear.
There has been group rides I've seen where everyone is wearing fairly ugly clothes, dirty bikes, and flip flops footwear. Ironically, those are rarer cases. More often, group rides will consist of riders out to show off their kits so naturally, they keep things clean and looking nice and expensive. But they really stand out in the poor backdrop of a poor country. If you can dress down a bit and keep some dirt on the frame and even clothes, it really helps to blend in better. Perhaps, some close-fitting non-cycling apparel, MTB cleats (because they look like regular shoes), etc.
If you may have issues with aerodynamics with "derelict" looks in keeping up with a fast group, you really do need to push harder, adapt!
Oh boy. Are you Filipino, or an expat living here? Where do you ride? I ask because you exaggerate so much it's funny. We are a poor country, granted, and a lot of things are crappy, but you make it sound like going out to ride here is like stepping out into no-man's land in a war zone.
Yeah, you have to deal with traffic but roads here in Manila and its outskirts are generally good. (that massive pothole in your photo is a rare exception and surely is on a badly neglected rural side road?) You just need to stick to your line and look before you change direction: motorcycles passing you are your biggest enemy. You are right though about the lack of cycling lanes, but that has somewhat changed since the pandemic started.
As for crime- I have heard stories of cyclists getting mugged, but it's rare; I have been cycling solo for over 5 years and frequently traverse sparsely-populated areas, but I have never ran into trouble. I ride a CAAD8 in complete and proper road cycling gear (clean- no stains - that would just be fugly), maybe would-be thieves know mine is not a super-expensive bike or maybe I'm just lucky? Besides, I see a lot of solo Rapha and Sidi-clad Mamils on titanium and Colnagos; if they were so afraid for their bikes and lives, they wouldn't be going out, would they? Is is safer to be out with a group? Yes. But riding solo is not the death wish you make it out to be.
I think that this is my first post on BF. I felt compelled to challenge your posts with what I actually see on the road as a cyclist. And what I see is fine, with cycling in all its forms vibrant and growing. There's a lot of room for improvement, yes, but it is nowhere near the beyond-all-hope dystopian landscape you describe.