Connecting The Dots, 3,000 Riders Later.

Connecting The Dots, 3,000 Riders Later.

Connecting the Dots

The Joy of Two Wheels 🚲

Since I was a kid, I’ve always enjoyed getting around my neighborhood on two wheels. I still remember the day I got my first bicycle as a birthday present—one of those unforgettable childhood moments.

When I was 10 years old, we had electric scooters at home. E-scooter technology and design weren’t as great back then (this was 2008), but I remember riding them all afternoon until the sun disappeared and the day turned into night. It was one of my most memorable childhood memories.

Rediscovering Two Wheels During the Pandemic

Years passed, and my love for riding reignited during the pandemic. I purchased a mountain bike from a friend— mainly because one of my favorite UFC fighters, Nick Diaz, always rode a bike as part of his daily routine. Watching his videos made me miss those good old days as a kid.

And of course, most of us were bored at home, looking for activities to do during lockdown and entertain ourselves. 

The First Steps of Popcycle

Months later is when I discovered electric bicycles. 

As I've shared before, this was the beginnings of Popcycle.

It was late July 2020 with a small batch of electric bikes—just around 10-15 pieces. I started making unboxing and demo videos in my garage, posting them online, in random Facebook groups, and on Marketplace.

To my surprise, people started messaging me, wanting to buy them.

We set up our first small store and servicing area in a hidden room on the mezzanine floor of City Park Hotel in Taguig City. That was Popcycle's first official branch. 

But there was one problem…

âť“How would customers find us if we were in a hidden room?

This is where the digital world forever made a mark for Popcycle. Our first sales came purely from online efforts—raw, unedited unboxing videos, demo rides, and genuine efforts to make real conversations with customers.

 

Our billboard outside of City Park Hotel

Our first store 

One of my first demo videos. Shot in my garage

From Car to E-Bike: My Commuting Journey

The distance from my house to City Park Hotel is approximately 2 kilometers. This is where my bike commuting journey began. Instead of driving, I started commuting on my e-bike every day.

I saw that my e-bike wasnt just for getting around my neighborhood anymore. It became my daily mode of transportation. Before this happened, I would take my car to get to anywhere and everywhere. 

Lessons From My Stepfather and Mother

My stepfather, Oli, became my guiding light, my mentor, and a major reason why Popcycle exists today.

Besides looking up to notable entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs (Apple) and Dana White (UFC), my stepfather is easily up there among entrepreneurs that I admire

His approach to business was intuitive and natural —he doesn't overthink and would rather figure out solutions to problems along the way. 

This has left a great impact on me on how I do things in business too. 

Aside from encouraging me to be an entrepreneur. He also taught me that: 

đź’ˇ Nothing in the real world is ever given but instead, you work for it.

He did not let me settle and always taught me to re-invest back into Popcycle. Looking back, that's really what allowed us to grow to who we are now. I am forever grateful for that guidance because I have kept that same approach and sense of urgency to this day. Those are things that theories and books in business school could have never taught me.

On the other hand, my mother was my biggest motivator. She wasn’t fully sold on me dropping out of college to pursue business. She's always had a more conservative and dogmatic approach. And at that time, she did make sense. 

This is when I had to dig deep within me, and ask myself

âť“What do I want? Who am I?

My moms worry, is what pushed me everyday to work hard to make sure that everything would work out. 

I had to prove myself. And I did.

Why Mobility Became My Passion

You see in business, you have to be all in. You cannot be one foot in and one foot out. I had a deeper why and looking back, that has been my biggest blessing in this life. I had the guts and the dedication. 

My passion for mobility began when our first batch of customers started sharing their stories.

They told us how e-bikes significantly improved their daily lives. 

I could relate to their stories. I was using my white Fiido D4s ebike daily to get to the Popcycle store, and I realized how much more efficient it was. 

That’s when it dawned on me:

Popcycle isn’t just about selling e-bikes. It’s about changing lives.

People from different backgrounds, paths, ages, and genders all wanted the same thing: to move and go through their daily life more efficiently. 

Building Popcycle With Kayla and the Team

Today, I run Popcycle with my life and business partner, Kayla.

Together, we work with talented and dedicated individuals who are also passionate about the advocacy and are just as excited as us about our products. 

Before Kayla even officially joined Popcycle, she was always there for us. She has aways been my #1 believer since we met. 

I’ve always found confidence in what we do because of her belief, even during dark days when doubt would fill my mind. We are like yin and yang and it allows Popcycle to have such good balance—I am more on intuition, while Kayla is more technical. 

Our team, specifically Jemuel and Mark, who have been with me since Popcycle's 1st year, have also grown a lot and become better individuals along the way. I am very proud and thankful. 

Four Years, Three Stores, and approaching 3,000 units sold

We are still dedicated to remaining true to our mission:

Changing people's lives

We still continue trying our best to hear & share stories of customers who purchased from Popcycle to improve the everyday quality of their lives. 

We still continue to explore different products that Filipino's can relate to

We will continue to advocate for safe streets - to encourage bike commuting beginners to give it a try 

We continue to take care of our existing customers while also educating people on an alternative way of moving. 

This is Popcycle, and we are excited for what the future has in store for us. More dots to connect.

 

 

Venice Grand Canal Mall, Taguig City Branch

 

2 Scout Rallos, Quezon City Branch

 

 

Promenade Mall, Greenhills - Opening in April 2025


This blog tells the story of how everything connected—from childhood memories to discovering e-bikes, from setting up our first store to growing into something much bigger.

🚀 Popcycle is just getting started.

Let’s keep riding. Let’s keep changing lives. And let’s keep connecting the dots.

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