Biker businessman

WITH the pandemic posing problems

for public transport, people have turned to biking as an alternative way to get aroundN “Bike to work,” which began as a small advocacy before the health crisis, has now become a more mainstream activity, with more Filipinos savoring the convenience and freedom that biking bringsN

Paul Robert ON Martinez, chief executive officer and founder of Juan Padyak Clothing knows this scenario all too well, discovering biking at an early age and embracing it years later as his main commuteN He says: “I was in grade school when my father Robert taught me how to ride a bikeN I also remember my first crash when my uncle Rodel removed my training wheels to teach me balance and momentum, and had me hurtling towards a neighbor’s gateN

“As the adage says, if you fall you have to get up again, and I didN After laughing about the incident, my uncle and I resumed our learning sessionN”

Paul was reintroduced to biking in 2016 when his father, an overseas worker, bought him a 29er Fuji Nevada MTB. “We tried it out and ended up riding the 120 kilometers to my grandmother’s place in Pakil, Laguna,” he saysN Bolstered by the experience, he switched from commuting to taking his bike to work, traveling the 20 kilometers from their home in Tatay town, Rizal province to his office along Ortigas Avenue in Pasig CityN “I saved a lot of money on my transportation allowance, and my six-hour UV Express ride was replaced by a bike ride that took only two hoursN”

His weekends were also spent bikingN He says: “The beauty about biking is that it is easy to make friends with the same interestsN I think it’s the pleasure of cycling what connects you to them while enjoying the view after a hard climb. I made friends with every ride by just simply sharing stories and experiencesN The cycling community is very kind and friendlyN” He started sharing memories of those outings on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and TikTok accounts and his blog juanPadyakNwordpressNcomN

In 201Y, he had chalked up three thousand social media followers, which gave him the idea to start selling merchandiseN By that time, he had already left his senior software developer job at Accenture and had gone into a t-shirt printing business with his sister jhadelyn and her best friend jessica Kiwang, called Inkspiration PrintworxN They catered to Taytay residentsN Unfortunately, the Covid-1Y quarantine forced them to shut down their venture Paul says: “We were afraid getting infected with the virus and locked ourselves inN There were also few suppliers, who were operating (at the time)N”

The forced inactivity convinced him that this would be a time for online businesses to thrive, so last October, he revived his inactive Lazada shop and started adding products, focusing on cycling shirts with the juan Padyak brand, which he prints and packs at his home-office with the help of his cousin jennilynN

As a biker himself, Paul understands his market’s needs. “I sell dri-fit shirts that are highly visible and can be seen on the road even after dark,” he saysN His lightweight shirts come with cool designs that have a Pinoy flair at a more accessible price points compared with imported knockoff brands currently flooding the market. The quality of his biking apparel did not go unnoticed, and orders started coming in at first, gradually, and growing at a steady paceN His products are pre-ordered and custom made, with some of the designs suggested by his repeat customersN

I believe that cities die when people spend half of their lifetime stuck in traffic. My advocacy with Juan Padyak is to create a self-sustaining bike network around and across the Philippines...”

Paul’s technology background, primed by years of playing video games as a teenager that led to an information technology course at STI Ortigas- Cainta helped his build his business, he saysN “It prepared me to do editing designs along with other tech aspects that helped me set up my online shopN Researching is another invaluable skill that I learned from this industryN”

The 28-year-old tells his followers that tempting as it may be to go on long group rides at this time, it is better to stay home — as he does — in order to keep their families safeN His main clientele are essential workers, who opt to bike to work, and with his reflectorized shirts in bright colors, he hopes that these will help keep them safe on the roadN

Transport savings

Shop ni juan Padyak is still a work in progress, he says, and still has a lot of ground to coverN “I want to address the market needs for safety items like helmets, reflectorized vests, bike sleeves, bike lights and basic bike protective gear and basic bike toolsN”

His store, which is also present on other shopping sites such as Carousell and Shoppee, is set to have a brick and mortar presence soon on Cabrera Road in TaytayN It is a strategic location, popular for its scenic spot dubbed “May Forever” by pedal pushers because of its breathtaking vistas of Metro ManilaN

Paul is a staunch advocate of the biking lifestyle, fostered by a love of nature that started with him spending time on their roof to watch the stars as a young boy. “Nothing beats a breath of fresh air,” he saysN Encouraging more people to switch from cars to bikes puts them in touch with nature and helps protect the environmentN

A new study led by the University of Oxford’s Transport Studies Unit, as well as researchers from the Imperial’s Centre for Environmental Policy, say that “active transport,” which includes cycling, e-biking or walking — can help tackle the climate crisisN The study, published in February 2021, says that choosing a bike over a car just once a day reduces an average citizen’s carbon emissions from transport by 67 percentN Paul agrees, saying: “I believe that cities die when people spend half of their lifetime stuck in traffic. My advocacy with Juan Padyak is to create a self-sustaining bike network around and across the Philippines where healthy people thriveN”

For Paul, experiences on the road are an added attraction, where he meets people from all walks of life on his biking journey. “Chasing sunsets and fording rivers with friends, or riding on a new trail and getting lost — it’s an exhilarating feelingN juan Padyak is not about me, but the people I share the road with, and our stories that can inspire others to start biking tooN

“I want to show that there is life after your workweek, and biking can help you improve your physical and mental health and your lifestyleN”