Sunday, February 1, 2009

Bike Test @ Bukit Timah

After a hectic day yesterday, I woke up only to realize that it was past 10am! I was feeling lazy and an off-road ride didn't sound very appealing. Yet, I somehow got my butt on the saddle after lunch even though the skies threatened to pour. I told myself that I would start enjoying myself once I hit the trails and it was kind of true.

I cycled to T-15 and started the off-road trip to Bukit Timah, rested at the Visitors' Centre and made another loop before heading for home. It proved to be another interesting ride which I got to test my new FD and RD =)

First, the FD. The Shimano Hone shifted smoothly. While the previous Shimano SIS did the job, the "lag" time was less noticeable on Shimano Hone. I noticed that it did not seize up even when traversing difficult terrain. However, I encountered some shifting problems after the crash, but it may have been the impact causing the FD to run out of tune.

As for the RD, the performance was just short of amazing. On very steep terrain, the rapid-rise system still shifted perfectly and I had a much easier time climbing all the steep slopes of Bukit Timah. A test at another trail with climbs will be able to further ascertain its abilities, but so far so good =)

Anyway, I counted on my luck and tackled several steep downhill sections as fast as possible. On one particular section, I didn't use the brakes and gained an incredible amount of speed as the bike bounced down the uneven terrain. Sadly, the joyride had to be interrupted by a large pothole. I lifted the front wheel but the impact on the rear was so great that it dislodged my foot of the pedals. Without proper control, the front wheel probably hit another obstacle and before I fully comprehend the situation, I was in the air. The bike flipped and landed behind me, with the saddle taking most of the impact. Not another battle scar! =(

Nonetheless, off-roading is pretty addictive and after completing the loop, I took rest at the Visitors' Centre before calling it a day and headed for home.

Total distance: 26km (off-road), 45km (on-road)
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH

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