Riding bikes responsibly

Manny Sitchon, left, navigates an uphill road in Marpi during one of the races held before the coronavirus pandemic hit the islands. (Contributed Photo)

Multi-sport athlete Manny Sitchon is thankful that bikers are still allowed to hit the road amid the coronavirus pandemic so he encourages his fellow riders to do it responsibly.

“I usually do solo rides, but there are times that I go out with a small group and when we ride together, we see to it that we observe social distancing,” said Sitchon, a frequent participant in biking, swimming, and running events on Saipan.

Sitchon admitted there are a lot of bikers who stopped riding because of the crisis and the government’s directive to refrain from having activities that involved more people. The pandemic even forced the postponement of the Tagaman Triathlon plus regular weekly rides have been limited. However, there are also several bikers who manage to continue with their passion while still following safety measures. He said at the start of the pandemic, he and other bikers wore facemask and during stopovers they maintain their distance with each other.

“It’s tough to wear a face mask when you are biking because your rhythm and breathing are affected, especially in an uphill road. Even in running it has the same effect,” the Tagaman Triathlon and Saipan Marathon participant said.

He added that most of the bikers today are using rear or front lights, especially when they are going out early morning.

“The good thing about having this limited movement of people is the number of vehicles on the road is also minimized, so when we ride, the chances of accidentally colliding with a car is lessened, too,” the sexagenarian said.

Enrique Suba, another member of Saipan’s bikers community, said having the opportunity to bike amid this pandemic helps him stay active.

“Whether it’s biking, walking, jogging, or any type of outdoor activities, I appreciate that the government still allows us to do them so we can still exercise and take care of ourselves,” Suba said.

“Of course, when we do go out, we observe social distancing. It’s also good to have one or two riders with you for safety, but still maintain your distance with each other and distance with the cars passing by,” he added.

Both Suba and Sitchon believe that Saipan riders are lucky to have bike routes that are not only pleasing to the eye, but are also much safer because of their locations (up north), which are not crowded.