Cycling with Team Midpoint

I left home at 7.40pm for the coffee-shop along Toa Payoh Lorong 4 to join the Team Midpoint guys and girls for their Tuesday night ride. We met up with more members at Casuarina along Upper Thomson Road before proceeding to a rest point at Chong Pang. Following that, we rode on to Sembawang Park where I broke off for home. It was a good ride. =)

Total Distance: 44.7km
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH, Team Midpoint

Preparation for the Journey Home

This time yesterday, I was in JB with Dad. We were at Tesco and subsequently Tebrau City (Jusco hypermarket) shopping for necessities and utilising Dad's off. In a blink of an eye, I am in front of the computer, typing this entry as I make final preparations for arguably the longest backpacking expedition in my life yet, over four countries and estimated to take us twenty days to complete.

We will be setting off in the wee hours of 6 July, armed with just flight tickets to Ho Chi Minh and our essential gear. We have identified several major cities to stop-over and with a budget of S$600 per pax to last the entire trip, our plan should look something like this: Singapore - Ho Chi Minh - Phnom Penh - Siem Reap - Chanthaburi - Bangkok - Hat Yai - Ipoh - Gua Musang - KL - Singapore.

Right now, I am scanning through the packlist for items which I lack and my mind is ploring over possible loopholes in our plan and equipment. And how I can squeeze all my stuff into a 30l rucksack for a 3-week trip =P Perhaps, I shouldn't be worrying too much. We had gotten along fine and survived our previous adventures, so this shouldn't be an exception =P

Pack-list:

• Passport / NRIC (photocopies)
• Plane tickets
• Cash
• Mobile phone / camera with charger
  
• Travel adaptor
• Inner wallet
• 3 shirts
• 2 long pants
• 2 shorts
• 1 windbreaker
• Belt
• Towel
• Socks
• Disposable undergarment (at least 3 weeks)
• Toiletries (shampoo, shower foam, shaver, toilet paper, toothbrush and toothpaste)
• Masks and hand sanitisers
  
• Shoes and sandals
• Insect repellant
• First aid kit (Mopiko, flu medicine, carbon tablets, plasters, alcohol swabs)
• Notebook and pen
• Maps
• Compass
• Shades
• Swiss Army Knife
• Toggle rope
  

"Smileride's Backroads" Final Edition

It was a pleasure and privilege to cycle in the final run of this particular route organised by James. This being my second time on the route, I am still nonetheless amazed by his knowledge of the area which he put across to his audience effectively.

As we go about our daily lives, few of us stop to ponder over the significance of many things we see or do. We often take things for granted. Yet, time and tide waits for no man, and changes occur constantly. I felt great to be able to re-visit these little-known / taken-for-granted places in Singapore, knowing that they may just disappear forever over the next couple of years. James has really done a good job of researching into the history and interesting stories behind these places.

After all the "hard work" on the trails yesterday, today's ride allowed me an opportunity to "cool down" at a more leisurely pace. All the aches from the knocks taken on the trails were pretty evident when I woke up this morning but I am glad I rode today.

Total Distance: 70km approx.
Money spent: $1.80
Participants: LSH, SMBF cyclists

Crashes, Rain and Mud

Daniel and I went mountain biking at T15, Scorpion, Butterfly and Bukit Timah today. Butterfly really exposed the weakness of a hard-tail and perhaps less than ideal tyres on slippery roots. I went down a couple of times when my gears failed me on certain sharp, steep switchbacks. But the most unexpected of crashes came when I crossed a large root (I had even taken care to cross it in the correct angle!).

Before I could comprehend the situation, my bike was swept away from under me and I hit the ground, stunned. This time, I did not even have time to break my fall. Apart from a few bruised and a sprained pinkie, I was totally fine but my bike chain got twisted up and the RD was out of tune. Hobson's choice, I had to slow down for the rest of the ride.

We had brunch at the Bukit Timah hawker centre and Daniel suggested off-roading back to Mandai! At that point in time, I didn't think it was a very good idea! =P The skies looked menacing when we finished the meal hence we decided to bypass the first half of Bukit Timah. We entered by the Diary Farm way and turned out to Zhenghua Park and subsequently T15. By then, it had already started to rain and it was one hell of a muddy ride back.

I had intended to try and keep my shoes dry but within the first hundred metres, I splashed through a few mud pools and there went my shoes! There was no point in trying to keep "clean" so I just started to really enjoy the rain and the mud! I met Ben along Mandai Road. He had just come out of T15 with a friend.

The rain beats down on you,
you crank on.
Your shades start to fog up,
you ignore it.
You can't see anything,
maintain speed.

You bounce on the uneven trail,
fighting to keep control.
You splash through deep puddles of mud,
savouring the splatter.
You skid round slippery corners,
hoping to recover.

Brace for impact,
a drop is near.
Fear not always,
crashes are common.
Get to your feet,
it's time to speed.

Welcome to the world,
where adrenaline rules.
Welcome to the sport,
the world of mountain bikes.

And I have to thank a good friend for the book Tours of the World. Looking at the photos of Genting (Genting stage, Tour de Langkawi) brought back many fond memories of our attempt some time back =)

Total distance: 30km approx (off-road), 40km (on-road)
Money spent: $2.20
Participants: LSH, Daniel

Sembawang Circuit - 7km run

I felt my right knee act up within the first kilometre, sending sporadic cramps down my calf along the way. I ignored the cramping sensation and kept to my pace, quite sick of the problems my leg have been giving me. First my hamstring, now this. I wonder if it had anything to do with the torn ligament I suffered at the hamstring three years ago.

The Rain

It rained literally the whole of today. I decided that tights was the way to go in this weather and decided to cycle to Mount Faber. As expected, I was drenched within a short time, 30% by the rain and 70% by the water my tyres kicked up.

People shun places like Mount Faber when the weather is bad. No vehicle passed me on the way up. Near Jewel Box, a PUB utility truck overtook me. At the garden (on Faber's highest point), there were no Singaporeans, only a small group of Chinese tourists taking photographs. They soon left, leaving me to enjoy the silence and tranquillity of nature amidst the drizzle.

I discovered that my cornering traction was extremely poor. At a certain leaning angle, both tyres tended to skid outwards when the brakes were applied. After clocking tens of thousands kilometres of mileage on this pair, the cornering knobs had started to fall off and performance has deteriorated. I gingerly guided the bike off Mount Faber.

My next stop was along Orchard Road. I emptied my pocket of the fruit bar it had been carrying. The rain still did not stop. I headed home via Upper Thomson Road. Yay! - My first ride this week.

Total distance: 59.9km
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH

Shopping in JB

Dad is on off today hence we decided to cross the Straits to quell the boredom of doing nothing at home. We could not even decide where to go in Johor Bahru. I suggested Skudai Parade but the idea was dismissed. Finally, across the border, we decided to visit Carrefour.

I intended to buy a belt as I had passed mine to Bro who was in urgent need of one when he reported to OCS. After scouting F.O.S at City Square, we took a bus down to Carrefour. The durian season is here at last! There were stalls selling 3 medium-sized durians for a reasonable price of RM10 and the small durians went at 8 for RM10! I was so tempted...

School had re-opened in Malaysia, thus the hypermarket was rather free of people. We bought some stuff which we needed and I was really tempted to carry home a watermelon! Why? It cost RM0.89 =P I really wonder the cost price Carrefour procured them at.

Lunch was nasi briyani, as usual; we always have that when we visit Carrefour (along Jalan Tebrau) as it tastes good and is reasonably priced. Back at City Square, we checked out several stores but finally bought a belt at F.O.S. We totally forgot to get Mum's favourite bread from the bakery at the basement but I guess I will drop by some other day.

Back at Woodlands, I saw a damn cool trailer with Thai registration plates sporting Thai Ministry and ASEAN logos. It was basically a refrigerated vehicle transporting perishable goods all the way from Thailand. The driver is one hell of a drive away from home!

SAFRA National Runway Cycling 2009

I was just too tired last night to write an entry after helping Bro print his passport photos. So, here is my take of the happenings yesterday.

I jumped out of bed when my phone rang at 5.15am. After some breakfast, I met up with Alrasvee and his friend at Northpoint. Pan had overslept so he decided to meet us at Paya Lebar instead. Hence we set off for Hougang Mall to meet Daniel.

It was just around 7.10am when we arrived at Paya Lebar Air Base and shortly thereafter, they opened the gates and we proceeded through the security checks. Soon, Pan arrived with his road bike. Zi Kai and Jing Kai came and they proceeded to collect their new bikes.

The sun was just rising and it looked like it was going to be another beautiful day. True enough, the weather was fine in the morning but became dreadfully hot towards noon and in the early afternoon. The morning view on the runway was actually quite scenic, surprisingly, as we were in an "urban" area.

Zi Kai was unlucky enough to collect a bike with a faulty gear shifter and he had to get it checked at the Shimano Service Booth before they "certified" it faulty and allowed him to get a new set. By then, we were just in time for the flag-off but were way at the back. Pan and co filtered their way to the front and I soon lost sight of them as Jing Kai and Zi Kai were still at the back. Halfway through the first lap, I decided to try and catch up but didn't spot them (I didn't know they had stopped out of boredom until I was on the final lap).

I witnessed a couple of crashes and there were some unhappiness among those involved. Many a time, the faster and so-called more serious riders were blocked by slower cyclists and their bids to overtake the leisure riders resulted in crashes. Some of the "pro" riders yelled at the other parties in anger and some even shouted for people to get out of the way. I was quite disgusted at this.

Although I was going fast, there were times I had to slow down rapidly due to the vast numbers of cyclists around and in front of me. I overtook only when a clear opportunity presented itself. After all, it was just a leisure, non-competitive ride. No one will stop you if you choose to speed, but it is not right to blame "lousier" cyclists for causing your crash since you are the one speeding in a heavily congested area. I was one of them who went almost recklessly fast, but no, that is my choice, and I won't blame anyone for blocking me. Some jokers just have over-inflated egos. So what they own a $10k bike.

Some of the discounts offered at the booths of various retailers promoting their wares at the event were attractive. Zi Kai and Jing Kai bought front lights for $10 apiece, which was a good bargain. It was great to see familiar faces around too. I ran into Jasper, Jingjie and Xeno Cai.

Zi Kai, Jing Kai, Daniel and myself headed for Tampines after the event. We intended to have lunch at Hougang Street 21 initially but Daniel proposed a much faster route to Tampines and we had lunch at a coffeeshop close to the mountain biking trail. Then, it was one short round of Tampines MTB Park, just the outer perimeter and the jungle portion, for Daniel and myself. I went through the dirt jump park a couple of times then it was back to the hut to rest and watch Daniel pull off his amazing jumping skills.

We soon split ways with Daniel and the three of us headed to Changi to check out the bike shop there. As expected, the prices of stuff there were very reasonable but too bad the ATMs were not working! In the end, the two of them bought small stuff like bottle cages, rear lights and chain-stay protector. We had a drink before proceeding down the coastal road to East Coast Park and on to West Coast Park.

It was 7.30pm when we reached West Coast Park. I was just famished! A hamburger and milkshake was just enough to revive me for the return leg. The traffic lights were mostly in my favour and I took only about an hour and ten minutes to get home.

Total distance: 152km (including 45km Endurance Challenge)
Money spent: $10.25
Participants: LSH, Zi Kai, Jing Kai, Daniel, Alrasvee, Pan and co

Sembawang Circuit: 7km run

Valuables Pouch

After studying some designs found on the market, I decided to make a valuables pouch / inner pocket. Rummaging through a box of unused, old and damaged bags (most of them freebies from various events), I selected a few potential ones for their materials and "parts".

Weak fabric (left) and the finished product (right)

Initially, I used the "nylon-polyester kind" of fabric found commonly on goodies bags. Halfway through, I realised the material could not withstand a stress test. The fabric simply tore itself along the stitched seams.

Then, I found an old "Yakult" sling-bag. A passport could fit the front compartment / cover perfectly, hence I snipped the front pockets off the bag. Now, it resembled a pouch. I stitched up the openings three times for extra durability. Next, I undid the stitching of the "Yakult" brand as well as the unnecessary Velcro piece at the back.

Finally, I sewed on the belt loops, giving them four passes of stitching for greater strength. A lanyard (recycled from the bag that had failed the stress test) provided an alternative way to carry the pouch and I sewed down the knot to prevent it from accidentally coming apart.

Voilà! Now I have a inner pouch, fully recycled and functional, and its real worth will be proven in time to come =)

And I have short-listed a few notebooks that meet my requirements. My desktop is almost 7.5 years old and is rather fond of acting up unexpectedly. Ideally, I need a computer that can handle power-intensive tasks like graphics and video editing / encoding as well as one that's small and well-built enough to fit into my haversack and withstand shocks / water (from rain). I guess shocks and exposure to water can be minimised by a waterproof hard case as well as my bag's rain cover.

Getting a good balance of performance and portability within a budget is already hard enough. So far, I am quite inclined towards the HP DV4 1413 and Acer Aspire 4937G. The Fujitsu Lifebook S6520 is also a good choice, the only downside being its lack of a decent graphics card.

The Special Occasion

It is quite depressing to wake up realising that officially, "childhood" and "teen-hood" are over. I woke up with a surprise at my feet though. Literally at my feet were two neatly wrapped presents, courtesy of Bro who had left for his camp early in the morning. I didn't intend to unwrap the presents till much later but Mum accidentally leaked as to the content of one of the parcels.

I headed to the library to return a book which I had almost forgotten to return until I rediscovered its existence late last night. I had been carried away reading "Finding God in Unexpected Places" that my interest in the bicycle-touring guide I had borrowed diminished.

After lunch, I packed my usual essential gear and headed out to Owen's place to collect the jerseys and tights I had ordered earlier. Close to the fitness corner, my rear shifter jammed. The problem did not go away. I could only use the heaviest cogs (rear) and I decided to make to do with it. I had an appointment to meet and changing the bike was a hassle.

In the end, I got to the place without any further "surprises", collected the stuff (the Trifemme tights cost $25 per piece while the Veloce jerseys cost $30 each) and made my way back via Thomson Road.

Back home, I removed the shifter cover and to my dismay, the cable was half-broken. I tried to rectify the problem by snipping away at the broken ends, hoping the intact wires would hold. False hope. I tightened the wires, worked the gears and the wires snapped.

Dad came home around 6pm and I managed to convince him to accompany me to Orane Concept which had moved to Blk 731, Yishun Street 72. I was stuck at the lightest cog at the rear (I am using XT Rapid-rise) and tried to compensate with the largest chain-ring but still, I found myself spinning crazily to the bike shop. Most of the time, I was just travelling around the same speed as the uncles and workers returning home from another tiring day of work.

Anyway, I am glad that Richard replaced both gear cables and the cable housing where necessary. After the servicing, shifting is also much more crisp =)

On hindsight, it was great the cable snapped only when I was fiddling with it and not during the journey itself. Had that happened, I would have been in greater trouble. For the second time in 6 months, the exact same thing happened (cable snapped when I got home), and I had to get them replaced. What a surprise for this special day.

Total distance: 36.3km (errand); 13.2km
Money spent: $126; $16 (replacement of gear cables)
Participants: LSH; Dad

Desaru Durian Hunt

It was a super last minute decision made last evening to go "durian hunting" in Johor today. In the end, we decided to do the Desaru loop in one day. The mission objectives were to eat durian, "da-bao" (pack) durian and have seafood and Sungei Rengit. I am pleased to say that all mission objectives were accomplished today, albeit the hardship we had to endure. =)

Breakfast at Kota Tinggi (right)

Standard operating procedure. We moved out at around 4.40am, under the cover of darkness. By 5.30am, we were in Johor Bahru and we took Jalan Tebrau to Kota Tinggi. Of the major roads leading out of JB, Jalan Tebrau is by far the most hilly. Jalan Skudai is almost laughable, compared to this. 45km to Kota Tinggi was not a very long distance but it was way more energy sapping than cycling the same distance from JB to Pekan Nanas.

Anyway, we pulled over at Kota Tinggi to have breakfast (cost only RM8 for the 3 of us). Dad and I had prata to go with tea while Bro had nasi lemak and Milo. Recharged, we started our way towards Desaru, a good 60 - 70km away.

The rolling terrain was a torture. However, with good utilisation of gears and momentum, much energy can be saved on rolling terrain. I had learnt that lesson the hard way over many road trips and the correct application of gear shifting allowed me to pull away from Dad and Bro (perhaps knobblies are faster than a road bike or a hybrid? =P). This also allowed me to take a good many photographs of them. They must thanks me for that!

With much effort, we finally reached Desaru Fruit Farm at around 10.30am. We did not have time for a tour, hence we just took a look at the store marketing the farm's produce, bought some fruit juice, and tried durians. =) Right now, I can't really figure or recall what juices we tried but they weren't exactly cheap (RM3 per cup). However, they tasted rather exquisite. The durians were also of higher grades, hence the higher prices of RM12/kg and RM18/kg. We tried two types from the RM12/kg range but Bro preferred the sweeter type over the more bitter kind. Around 11am, a few bus-loads of Singaporeans pulled in and the place started to get crowded.

Huge jackfruit (left)

Close to 11.20am, we set off for the last 30km to Sungei Rengit. I have nothing much to describe the arduous process - just never-ending climbs and descents.

At Sungei Rengit, we decided to patronise Jade Restaurant (the same one Dad and I had our dinner at on the last trip there). It was crowded and business was superb. We had chilli kangkong, chilli crabs, chicken soup (the herbal kind) and coconut drinks for lunch. According to Bro, the lunch cost around RM90. When they were settling the bill, I went ahead to "recce" durian stalls. The stall opposite to the bus/taxi station offered a range of durians from RM3/kg to RM7/kg. In the end, we bought 2 durians of the RM5/kg range and brought them to a corner where Bro took out containers and gloves! We started packing them into the plastic containers for transport back home. =) From the looks of it, the flesh of the fruit did not seem as firm as the ones from the fruit farm. We tasted them back at home, and quality was certainly lacking.

Taking Dad's and Bro's passports, I cycled ahead to Tanjung Pengelih, hoping that we would be able to catch the last boat. My worries were unfounded. In fact, there were 12 bum-boats of people waiting ahead of us. It was crazy and we just spent more than an hour waiting. Somehow, 13 bikers (including us) were waiting and all of us got grouped together. Hence, 13 bikes with 13 people went onto the Malaysian-registered boat, whose owner was smart enough to charge us S$12 each for the fare.

Tanjung Pengelih (left); the cargo ship which path we crossed (right)

The boat ride back took nearly an hour. The boatman steered us into the path of a fast-moving freighter which blared its air-horn in warning. I shudder to think what would have happened if we got rammed into but the boatman got us out of its path. I watched as planes lined up for their landing at Changi Airport.

Tired (left); Singapore Airlines (right)

Customs greeted us with a temperature check and the guy said my Bro stank of durians. Actually, it was his bag! Now my refrigerator has an overwhelming aroma, or odour, depending on your taste.

Night fell as we cycled home. I was super hungry and I felt my strength drain away.

Total distance: 191km
Money spent: RM51 per pax excluding S$12 boat fare
Participants: LSH, Dad, Bro

Sembawang Circuit: Warm-up

Total distance: 21.5km
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH

Pulau Punggol Barat

"Barat" means "west" in Malay. This morning, we visited the little island just opposite Seletar camp, separated by the inlet fondly known as the "Wet Gap". Now that the arch bridge linking mainland and the island has been completed, traffic can now access the island.

We rode through some trails that led us to several scenic spots. I could see the entire 35 SCE from across and I wonder if security has been compromised now that Pulau Punggol Barat is accessible by the public. Further down the trail, we could see the exposed runway of Seletar Airport in fine detail, something that one rarely gets to observe in our little country. Separating us from the main road was a huge field of lalang in full bloom. The morning sun was just creeping up. On the other side of the island, the Straits of Johor was in clear view. Perhaps, it is only a matter of time before urbanization destroys these spots of "untouched" nature.

I had my favourite "zui gui" and "dao hui zui" at the Chong Pang Hawker Centre before heading for home. It sure beats lazing the morning away.

Total distance: 32km
Money spent: $2.50
Participants: LSH, Alrasvee, Max, Nicholson

Sembawang Circuit: Leisure Spin

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

Off-roading + Rain = Fun

Looking back at my past entries, I realized that I have gone mountain biking on an average of two occasions a month. Spread that out among all the trails in Singapore and that is pretty low in terms of trail familiarity and experience. Bukit Timah is among the ones I most frequent but judgement of lines is not exactly my forte. I tend to make mistakes and they result in crashes.

Today's ride with the other three bikers (SMBF) to Bukit Timah via Track 15 was enjoyable. We did encounter two flats though, one from Jasper after we completed T15 and the other from Bernard when we were on our way back through T15.

Lawrence, having 7 years of MTB experience on Bukit Timah, could give us some pointers on clearing obstacles along the way. He was experienced enough to choose correct lines unlike me who tend to make careless mistakes. As a result, I had a couple of slips and my poor bike took the bane of poor judgement, incurring a couple of "scars" on the fork, RD and shifters.

On the way back, the skies poured and we sped down T15 at a rather reckless speed. Back in Woodlands, the wind was so strong that I had to lean towards the direction it was coming from to counter it! The rain was brilliantly heavy. It washed most of the mud off my bike =)

Total distance: 28km approx (off-road), 18.5km (on-road)
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH, Jasper, Lawrence, Bernard

Sembawang Circuit: 6.3km run (6 June 2009)

Sembawang Circuit: Recovery Ride

Total distance: 14.2km
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH, Dad

Gunung Pulai at 654m

My mobile phone alarm jolted me awake at 3.50am and I grabbed a light breakfast before setting off at around 4.20am. By 5am, I had already crossed over to JB (the female officers at the Singapore Customs were rather amused at a solo cyclist exiting the country at such an earthly hour) and started the 45km ride to Pekan Nanas.

I reached Pekan Nanas exactly 1.5hrs later, an average speed of 30km/h over the rolling terrain. Don't ask me how I went that fast when I encountered almost complete darkness after Pulai! My S-Sun illuminated the ground a couple of metres ahead but I couldn't even differentiate a hole from puddles of water. I could barely see the white line marking the side of the road and each time a vehicle passed, its lights illuminated the road ahead like a thunderflash and I took the opportunity to "re-orientate" myself. I ended up "imagining" where the white line lay and just blasted forward. I knew I teetered on the edge of the road a couple of times but pushed the thoughts away from my mind!

Taken in "bright" Singapore (left) and a moment before I fell (right)

It was depressing enough riding alone in the dark and the spray from my tyres irritated me further. I was glad when I spotted a fellow cyclist ahead. As I pulled up right behind him, I saw that he was wearing a Team Discovery jersey and riding a MTB. I overtook the rider and greeted him. He was an elderly Malay man and he returned my greetings before bombarding me with a whole string of sentences which I could barely understand. I told him my destination but he continued to blabber. I think he was complaining about the unforgiving terrain. As I sped into the darkness, I think he made a turn into a side road.

Again, I must add that Malaysian drivers are often more courteous than their Singaporean counterparts. A motorist passing in the opposite direction switched to low beam, afraid that he might blind us. What consideration for other users of the road.

Upon reaching Pekan Nanas, I proceeded to look for the "Nanas Besar". I couldn't find it and had to ask a kind woman who directed me to the Public Bank. I remembered passing it earlier and headed back. There it was, the "Nanas Besar", right in front of the bank and the junction to Jalan Sawat. I saw the bank but missed the icon. I had to be blind.

I had my second breakfast at a Chinese coffeshop. The wanton mee (RM3) was delicious, though the serving of noodles was a little small. Perfect for breakfast =) I had milk tea (RM1) to go with the noodles. Around 7.15am, I cycled to "Nanas Besar" and smileride spotted me from across the road.

There was a faint drizzle and threatening clouds were looming ahead but we decided to carry on. The distance to the foot of Gunung Pulai was about 15km. I had my first ever fall on the road when I failed to unclip in time. Anyway, we continued to the gate which was locked and entered via a hole at the side.

As we cycled up, we met 2 groups of hikers who had probably completed their morning routine and were on the way down. They were quite surprised to see us. The gradient increased rather rapidly. To make our climb more challenging, the road was still wet and covered with moss. There were also metal grilles with large spacings at several intervals. As my tyres rolled over them, I could feel a sudden loss of traction.

Towards the last couple of km to the peak (total 6km from the foot), the gradient became incredibly steep. In fact, it was mostly steeper than what we faced on Genting, except that Genting was much longer in distance and way higher in elevation. On Gunung Pulai, my knobblies were already slipping at the steepest sections and the bumpy, narrow roads did not make the task any simpler. I was on the lightest gear for most of the time towards the end and had to stand up and power through several tight turns/sections. My front wheel threatened to lift while the rear wheel lost traction. I had a hell of a time trying to strike a balance!

The peak of the mountain housed huge transmitting/receiving stations of major television and radio networks. There was also an army camp at the top and we were fortunate to witness the power of a Land Rover Defender, as well as the Malaysian Army's truck (similar to our 5-tonner). The soldiers were friendly and acknowledged our presence =)

On the way down, smileride was unfortunate enough to lose control on a steep section. He fell down and rolled. His shirt was torn at the back but fortunately, his injuries were light. Thank God. The impact probably broke a spoke of his rear wheel, which explained why the wheel became untrue, and which I noticed on the way back to Pekan Nanas.

What is a trip to a waterfall if it does not involve some bashing? I discovered the way down to the rocks and although steep, there was a rope! Haha =) In the end, I went down to capture some pictures. Full gear and all. I must have looked weird "abseiling" with my helmet on. But at least it made bashing easier. The civilians playing at the waterfall turned in my direction when I emerged from the trees, probably surprised at both my presence and my attire. I grinned, waved and started taking pictures. I decided to bash up the slope, following in the footsteps of two Malaysian Army lance-corporals whom I had seen earlier. I have to give it to them man... They are the masters =)

I yearned for lunch, so for the 15km back to Pekan Nanas, I was literally drafting smileride. We dropped by at a bike shop for a check on his rear wheel and I took a look at the bikes on sale. Surprisingly, they carried several good bikes ranging from Raleigh models to a Look MTB with full Deore groupset (RM2800). The uncle changed a spoke for smileride and it cost only RM1.50! What a vast difference from Singapore prices.

We had lunch at a hawker centre (sort-of). The iced coconut drinks cost RM1 per mug and smileride ordered two for me! I was bloated man. I ate mixed vegetable rice (RM3.20) and it was a good form of carbo-load. A funny incident happened when I visited the loo. There were two arrows ("lelaki" and "perempuan") and at that instant, I didn't know which one to go to. I hung around a bit before a Malay girl from a nearby stall realised my dilemma and pointed the correct way. She was very amused at my ignorance!

We started our journey home at slightly past 2pm, with me taking the lead. I enjoyed the ride back as the weather was somewhat cool and the pace was leisure. Traffic was a lot heavier when we hit Lebuhraya Skudai but we managed to get along fine. And as always, I felt comforted when we got closer to the customs. It was a huge relief to pass ICA at Woodlands. We rode on to Sembawang where smileride had to contend with the rolling terrain of Sembawang Road and Upper Thomson Road (nothing compared to Malaysia of course!) while I cranked home =)

Total distance: 152km (LSH)
Money spent: RM9
Participants: LSH, smileride

Sembawang Circuit: Sprint Training

I thought of going over to Mount Faber in the afternoon but dropped the idea and spent a few hours servicing my bike instead. It was close to 6pm when I was done. Hence, I decided to take the bike out for a spin as well as some sprint training.

I managed to hit my top pace for 3 x 2.8km, recovering during the intervals of 2.8km each. I realized the bike was not very balanced and tended to tilt to the right when I rode hands-free. The problem probably lay in the positioning of the saddle and the fact that it is not true (twisted off due to off-road crashes).

Total distance: 21km
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH

A Real Recovery Ride

Sembawang Circuit - Pulled off a couple of controlled skids around a few corners today and attempted several wheelies. It has been some time since I did such stuff.

Total distance: 14.2km
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH, Dad