S08/05 Chalet & BBQ

My JC classmates were organizing a chalet stay-over and BBQ from 30th Dec to 1st Jan but since I am still working, I could only join them for the BBQ on New Year’s Eve. I decided to cycle to the NTUC (Downtown East) Chalet, despite the long ride to Kukup scheduled to take place on New Year’s Day.

It was great to see everyone doing fine. Dinner was good but I didn’t stay too late. Still, I ended sleeping only after 2am!

Total distance: 48.1km
Money spent: $16~
Participants: LSH, JC classmates

Sembawang Circuit Recovery

Total distance: 16km
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH

Ketam!

IMBA-certified, Blue Square, Black Diamond, Double Black Diamond, Gravedrop, Black Cobra. At last, I was finally back on Pulau Ubin to ride the one-of-a-kind-in-Singapore Ketam MTB Park!

I was so excited that I woke up at 4am and had to force myself to sleep an hour more! The weather held up and after a 35km “warm-up” ride to Changi Village for breakfast, we embarked on a short bumboat trip to Ubin. A one-way trip cost $2.50 a person and an additional $2 per bike.

It’s difficult to describe the ride. Just absolutely fantastic. The climbs pushed us to our limits, the tight steep switchbacks threatened to throw us off the edge while the rock gardens provided non-stop adrenaline-pumping action. On my XCR Expert, I felt as if I were on a larger trail bike and it was simply a wonderful experience.

The scenery complemented the ride. Without the sights, the trail would not be that enjoyable. In fact, I wouldn’t want to race Ketam, it’s perfect for a thrilling cruise – with obstacles that simply blur the lines between XC, AM and DH. With an XC bike, the steep rocky descents will seem more fearsome, with an AM machine, the stamina-busting climbs will be made more painful! Such defines a well-built world class trail that simply allows the rider to push his rig to its limit.

Fearing that I may fail to clear, I just blasted off on my first attempt!

We had fun at the Free-ride Skills Park and no one wanted to do the trails a second time! The “Teeter Totter” proved an irresistible challenge and distraction from the trails. After a break, we cycled the usual routes around Ubin, helped a rider fix his chain when it broke, and visited Chek Jawa.

Slower approach on another attempt

It would be the first time I stepped into the boardwalks – Pan had been there before and this time round, he took care of the bikes while we explored nature. It began to rain when we headed back to the jetty, had coconuts (at an exorbitant $2.50 per fruit) and loaded up a bumboat for the return journey.

Ipoh chicken hor fun at Changi Village was very much welcomed along with a mug of grass jelly drink. It was still raining cats and dogs when we started our ride home but the good thing with the pouring rain was that it washed mud and unwanted crap off our bikes, making our jobs much easier when we got home! I was feeling damn cold in the rain but the rigours of cycling warmed me up.

Total distance: 70km (on-road), 20km (off-road)
Money Spent: $18.10
Participants: LSH, Pan, Gerald, Jasper, Terence

Christmas Greetings from Bukit Timah

Alrasvee had to turn back when he incurred his fourth flat in two off-road sessions. We had just started passing through Bukit Sembawang when it occurred. I guess the problem lay with his rims.

As we were running late, Eric and I rode quite quickly through Track 15, kicking up a mud-bath. We linked up with Team Midpoint at Chestnut Ave and thereafter, I did two full laps of the Bukit Timah XC circuit, hoping to catch up with Midpoint which did one lap and probably broke up at Diary Farm.

Obviously I failed and I rode home via Track 15, slowing my pace down to ease the build-up of lactic acid during the two fast BT laps. Already, I was feeling hungry and my strength was fading.

Total distance: 10km (on-road), 28km (off-road)
Money Spent: $0
Participants: LSH, Eric

Round and Round Sembawang

I met up with Alrasvee to pass him his new pump and we both headed down to the LBS to get his spare inner tubes. We returned via Simpang Kiri and Sembawang Park. I was feeling famished and after stuffing myself with cornflakes, Dad came home and he wanted to ride. As a result, I found myself on the Sembawang Circuit again.

Some uncles were spoiling to race at the park connector. I was in no mood for their nonsense but as they bore down into my path dangerously, I felt a bit irritated and couldn’t resist giving their lovely hybrids and road bikes a good thrashing.

Total distance: 34.8km
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH, Alrasvee, Dad

Sunday Spin with Team Midpoint

The roads were crowded with road bikes today. Once in a while, I saw a few MTB hard-tails but I think I was the only full suspension MTB around! I had left home for Toa Payoh around 4.15am and arrived back before 10am.

I had an early lunch and hit the bed soon after!

Total distance: 88.7km
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH, Team Midpoint

The “Leafy” Tire

What happens if you are unlucky enough to get three blown tires in the space of a couple of hours and you have only a single spare inner tube?

 

We took a practical lesson on bike survival skills!

Total distance: 10km (on-road), 22km (off-road)
Money Spent: $0
Participants: LSH, Eric, Alrasvee

Sembawang Circuit Recovery

On the long ride yesterday, I eased down on the gears every time pain shot through my muscles and threatened to aggravate the injury incurred during SSCM last week. I was glad I didn’t feel any ill effects today other than a slight strain as I rode to the beach.

Total distance: 16km
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH

Cycling – In Search of the Meaning of Life

The average Singaporean will scorn at the idea of cycling 130km from JB to Pengerang under the late morning sun for seafood. They would gladly prefer the air-conditioned comfort of their luxury cars, never mind if gallons of petrol are burnt just to get to Pengerang and back.

Few understand cycling culture and even fewer understand the underlying philosophies of pushing our physical and mental limits. In fact, over the last 3 years, cycling has taught me a set of life values, skills that I rate more importantly than almost anything else in the world – it has allowed me to understand the true meaning of life.

Just yesterday, I was on my way home from work when I passed 2 kids on their new bikes, from the looks of it. One of them was intently securing with rubber bands a piece of cloth to the handlebars (to act as padding). I could see the innocence in their eyes, the excitement of getting probably their first real personal bicycles and the tender loving care towards the bikes. I couldn’t help but smile as I recalled my first bike close to 15 years ago. Yet, I felt a sense of guilt. Some of us own bikes of incredible extravagance (the cost of a fleet of 30 bikes from Carrefour will still not be enough to purchase the bikes some of us own) but the excitement, contentment and care are long gone, only to be replaced with an ugly urge to feed our ever-growing egos.

As the never-ending road stretches on for tens to hundreds of kilometres and I settle into a comfortable cadence, it’s time for some self-reflection. I feel my worries draining away and an inner peace taking its place. It’s almost as if I have all the time and space to myself.

The sights and experiences encountered by a traveler of the path less beaten never fails to amaze me. Contrary to bustling metropolitans where we bemoan the degradation of societal values, the kindness, encouragement and help provided by complete strangers with no strings attached humble me and make me feel more human. These friends are no rich people – many struggle to make ends meet – but they possess values that many of us – superficial and living in material lavishness – lack.

The majority of Singaporeans can get by with life comfortably but in our pursuit of social status and material gain, many have lost what it is to be human. We take pride in the immense amount of monetary and material donations made during high profile fundraising drives (perhaps for fame, glory and a flaunt of wealth) but ironically, few will give up their seats on public transport to the more needy.

Still, I feel very fortunate to be a Singaporean and living in a well-governed country. As I made my way home, a reckless driver swerved into my path and slowed to make a turn. At that instant, I was checking my blind spot and when I turned my attention back to the front, I was horrified to see my front wheel inches from her bumper. Instinctively, I clamped down on the brakes hard and swerved to avoid the vehicle. Welcome home.

Total distance: 185km approx.
Money spent: RM16.70, S$12 approx.
Participants: LSH, Tim, Eric

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Race Kit Collection and Pre-Race Warm-up =P

The race kit this year wasn’t fantastic but I hope the race tomorrow is. I guess the torrential downpour “cooled down” rather than serve as a “warm-up” but it was good to get my muscles working and a bath for my dirty bike.

Alrasvee’s friend guessed my bike was at least a year old! Haha!

Total distance: 64.2km
Money Spent: $3
Participants: LSH, Alrasvee and his friend

Inaugural Dusk Ride

 

Total distance: 23km (on-road), 15km (off-road)
Money Spent: $0
Participants: LSH, Terence, Jasper