Sunday, April 11, 2010

A Bad Day at Bukit Timah

When it isn't your day, it will not be. In just two laps of Bukit Timah, I fell twice and nearly totaled my bike against a huge slab of rock.

The first fall came when I was on the rock gardens at the entrance (2nd lap). There was someone ahead of me and I slowed, only to lose my balance on the rocks. The grips took the brunt of the impact. I believe I made 4 successful attempts up the entrance out of a total 6 tries today.

The second crash took place when we were practicing on the rock gardens. As I cleared the last slab of rock at the entrance, my control just went wide and the bike slammed sideways into a huge rock lining the path. I half-expected to see dents in the frame but fortunately the bottle cage took the brunt of the impact. My bottle flew off and what left of the holder was a twisted piece of metal which broke when I tried to pull it back into position. My crank arm also took some scars and the pump bracket nearly got ripped off. The plastic bracket was slightly damaged but what surprised me was the screws which held the bracket to the frame. They were twisted out of position. Imagine the force I had hit the rock with.

I just felt tired on the ride today. To mention that my control was poor would be an understatement. On a positive note, I met Jeremy – I think it has been 4 years since I last saw him. His new Giant Trance X3 is a beauty. Its slack geometry inspires more confidence downhill.

Total distance: 23km (off-road); 20.6km (on-road)
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH, Jasper, Terence, Jeremy Yeap

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