Traveling to Iloilo City anytime soon and want to explore on your own by bike?
If you’re looking to rent bicycles in Iloilo, head over to Alex Bike Cafe in Mandurriao. Aside from serving local cyclists for top-quality bike parts and services, this local shop also offers bike rentals for tourists and runs a laid-back cafe to fuel your rides or for your post-ride caffeine fix.
Iloilo City is well-known as one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country, with bike infrastructure in place even before the pandemic cycling boom. It currently has over 32km of designated bike lanes, including an 11km network along the Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue (Diversion Road) extending to Pavia and Santa Barbara, and an amazing network of interconnected riverside esplanades that continue to expand every year.
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If you’re an urban cyclist used to dodging traffic and biking through the chaos of Metro Manila streets (or other provinces), you’ll definitely want to hop on two wheels to experience what it’s like biking around Iloilo City just to see what’s possible (and what we’re missing).
Location
Alex Bike Cafe is located in the Smallville Complex on Donato Pison Avenue, Barangay San Rafael, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
You can find this bike shop a short walk from The Shops at Atria and hotels like Smallville 21, Hop Inn Hotel Iloilo, MO2 Westown Hotel, and Seda Atria.
Services
As an authorized Shimano service center, the shop caters mostly to local cyclists and athletes, as evidenced by its posters showcasing upcoming bike races and duathlons, and featuring bike champs. The shop is well-stocked with a range of built bikes, bike parts, accessories, helmets, cycling jerseys, and loads of other merch for sale.
For casual tourists flying into the city, the bike units, which you can rent for DIY exploration and sightseeing around Iloilo City, are the main draw. During my visit, they had six mountain bike units available for rent, as well as a few commuter bikes with baskets for casual sightseeing. The units looked very new and were in good condition. You’ll be issued a helmet and can request a bike lock or other accessories if needed.
Bike rental rates start at P150 per hour, P400 for half-day use, and P800 if you plan to bike the whole day. Currently, the bike shop only offers rentals and doesn’t offer any bike tours.
Requirements to rent a bike
You’ll need to leave a valid ID and fill out a rental agreement/waiver form. I wasn’t required to leave a cash deposit and was told to just pay when I returned the bike.
The shop accepts various modes of payment, including cash, credit cards, and GCash.
Where to bike
For short bike rides near the bike shop, you can easily bike to spots like the Iloilo River Esplanade, Molo Church and Mansion, or the Jaro Cathedral and Plaza for sightseeing.
Since I had a bike and food tour scheduled in the afternoon with BikeLab, another bike shop in the La Paz area, I only planned to rent a bike here for an hour in the morning. The shop staff recommended I check out Sunset Boulevard. This route offers a scenic and continuous 10km ride, with safe and designated bike lanes, which you can enjoy with minimal stops.
There’s a nice series of viewpoints along the river next to the mangroves. Some sections of the bike lanes were still being paved, while other areas were still being landscaped and fixed up as of my visit.
If you want to grab a bite to eat while biking, it’s best to visit Sunset Boulevard in the mid- to late afternoon when the food stalls open and more people come out to jog and ride.
For longer rides, you could ride to other towns of Panay Island or to the island province of Guimaras, a quick ferry ride from Iloilo.
Coffee pit stop
Aside from the bike shop and rental services, Alex Bike Cafe also has a laid-back cafe with both indoor (air-conditioned) and al fresco seating. The cafe serves classic hot and iced coffee priced at P90 to P160, as well as frappes, fruit shakes, refreshing drinks for bikers to cool down after a ride, and light bites like Milo and Oatmeal cookies.
For more filling meals, they also offer all-day breakfast, rice meals, sandwiches and sliders, soup, pasta, and pizza in the P220 to P350 price range.
The bike shop is open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 7pm. The shop is closed on Sundays, so plan your visit and bike exploration accordingly.
Alex Bike Cafe, Iloilo City
Address: Smallville Complex, Donato Piston Avenue, Mandurriao, Iloilo City, Iloilo
Operating hours: Monday to Saturday, 8am-7pm; closed on Sundays
Website: Alex Bike Cafe
Mobile: (0948) 206-2754
