I met up with the guys from Team Midpoint at Yishun MRT at around 6.10am. We headed to the next meeting point at Woodlands Centre where some of the team had breakfast before we set off, past 7am.
There were eleven of us (9 road bikes, 2 mountain bikes). Clearing the customs was smooth for the motorcycle lane - an immense jam had formed due to the incredible numbers of Singapore-registered cars heading over the causeway on our National Day.
We had a break at the Shell petrol station outside of Jusco (Jalan Tebrau) before continuing the tedious journey to Kota Tinggi. Jalan Tebrau - Jalan Kota Tinggi (Federal Road 3) has always been interesting due to its many steep, rolling hills. My breakfast had already been fully digested way before Kota Tinggi and I felt hunger. My speed slowed as my strength diminished. A packet of biscuits while waiting on the outskirts of Kota Tinggi for the others to catch up proved sufficient to get me to our next rest point. I was so glad for the plate of mee rebus, roti canai and iced tea.
Feeling replenished, we headed for the waterfall. Unfortunately, Katherine was falling out at Kota Tinggi so we were down to 10 men. The entrance fees to the waterfall were exorbitant in my opinion but that did not stop a queue of vehicles from forming outside the entrance. it was not only a Sunday, but also Singapore's National Day, which probably explained the queue!
The water was cold, refreshingly cold. We went into the pool with our biking attires but Lycra dries fast. When it started to rain, we got out to the shelter but the weather turned for the better. We had a bite before starting our return journey.
Valence was "lucky" enough to get two punctures - one before the Kota Tinggi town and the second shortly after we left the town. We had time to grab a meal since the skies poured but we got moving once the weather cleared.
It was straight back to JB and the climbs proved torturous. I never fail to be impressed by Malaysian motorists who are generally more courteous. A couple of guys in a truck transporting MTBs smiled and gave thumbs-up, but the motorist of the day was a white car which slowed to allow me to filter lane. I changed a lane to the right while the white car went to the left. The driver gave a thumbs-up as he passed and I was quite encouraged to carry on.
We were elated when we saw Jusco. Traffic was heavier but it only meant we were much closer to home. I think we drew a bit of attention as a few kids by the roadside were cheering excitedly when we passed.
I was so glad to see the Singapore customs in sight. I bet the officers were surprised when I wished them a "Happy National Day". =) This year's NDP celebrations were better than last year's, in my opinion, and some parts were rather touching. The boy who said he wanted to be the President when he grew up drew much laughter but kids are really cute.
Happy Birthday Singapore!
Total distance: 140km
Money spent: RM22.10
Participants: LSH, Team Midpoint
There were eleven of us (9 road bikes, 2 mountain bikes). Clearing the customs was smooth for the motorcycle lane - an immense jam had formed due to the incredible numbers of Singapore-registered cars heading over the causeway on our National Day.
We had a break at the Shell petrol station outside of Jusco (Jalan Tebrau) before continuing the tedious journey to Kota Tinggi. Jalan Tebrau - Jalan Kota Tinggi (Federal Road 3) has always been interesting due to its many steep, rolling hills. My breakfast had already been fully digested way before Kota Tinggi and I felt hunger. My speed slowed as my strength diminished. A packet of biscuits while waiting on the outskirts of Kota Tinggi for the others to catch up proved sufficient to get me to our next rest point. I was so glad for the plate of mee rebus, roti canai and iced tea.
Feeling replenished, we headed for the waterfall. Unfortunately, Katherine was falling out at Kota Tinggi so we were down to 10 men. The entrance fees to the waterfall were exorbitant in my opinion but that did not stop a queue of vehicles from forming outside the entrance. it was not only a Sunday, but also Singapore's National Day, which probably explained the queue!
The water was cold, refreshingly cold. We went into the pool with our biking attires but Lycra dries fast. When it started to rain, we got out to the shelter but the weather turned for the better. We had a bite before starting our return journey.
Valence was "lucky" enough to get two punctures - one before the Kota Tinggi town and the second shortly after we left the town. We had time to grab a meal since the skies poured but we got moving once the weather cleared.
It was straight back to JB and the climbs proved torturous. I never fail to be impressed by Malaysian motorists who are generally more courteous. A couple of guys in a truck transporting MTBs smiled and gave thumbs-up, but the motorist of the day was a white car which slowed to allow me to filter lane. I changed a lane to the right while the white car went to the left. The driver gave a thumbs-up as he passed and I was quite encouraged to carry on.
We were elated when we saw Jusco. Traffic was heavier but it only meant we were much closer to home. I think we drew a bit of attention as a few kids by the roadside were cheering excitedly when we passed.
I was so glad to see the Singapore customs in sight. I bet the officers were surprised when I wished them a "Happy National Day". =) This year's NDP celebrations were better than last year's, in my opinion, and some parts were rather touching. The boy who said he wanted to be the President when he grew up drew much laughter but kids are really cute.
Happy Birthday Singapore!
Total distance: 140km
Money spent: RM22.10
Participants: LSH, Team Midpoint
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