The Beautiful Sunset in the Backyard

Sembawang Circuit.

Total distance: 19.6km
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH

Off-Road Madness

Total distance: 12km (on-road), 25km (off-road)
Money Spent: $0
Participants: LSH, Pan, Gerald, Eric, Melvin, Dexter

Final “Training” before SCSM 2009?

I rode down to Toa Payoh at quite a taxing pace in the evening to meet up with Team Midpoint and we proceeded on to Mandai and the Zoo before I broke off at Woodlands Road.

Total distance: 50.7km
Money Spent: $0
Participants: LSH, Team Midpoint

Eastern Loop

My usual way of tackling a sleepy mid-day! East Coast Park was pretty crowded, which gave me countless opportunities to burn my brakes. It was also a refreshing change both in feel and scenery – riding in a park as compared to the trails or on the roads.

We stopped at Chong Pang to have a good dinner before heading home.

Total distance: 80.4km
Money Spent: $4.20
Participants: LSH, Dad

Mud-Bath 2

The weather was drier as compared to last week but mud was still in abundance. I shouldn't have told a friend that I keep falling off-road. It's a curse! I thought I would buck the trend as I did the last two weeks with a bike offering superior control and traction but I got caught on a wrong line with a slippery root this time round. I was fast enough to un-cleat myself but still lost balance. =P What a joke!

Total distance: 22.6km (on-road), 15km (off-road)

Money Spent: $0

Participants: LSH, Pan, Gerald, Eric

Red, Black and White

 

From the photos, it’s obvious why! It was a good early morning ride to Mount Faber and we stopped at C2C and Yishun Polyclinic on the way back to get Alrasvee’s cleats fixed and my errand done respectively.

Total distance: 64.4km
Money spent: $2
Participants: LSH, Alrasvee

Sembawang Circuit In Place Of Another Cancelled Midpoint Ride

Total distance: 16.7km
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH

For the Sake of Dinner

The first mid-distance road ride on my Jamis. Enough said. Mount Faber was crowded with Chinese tourists, Orchard was jammed with vehicles and Little India was simply overwhelming in terms of human numbers!

Total distance: 57.1km
Money spent: $3.30
Participants: LSH, Dad

The Biggest Mud-Bath Yet?

It rained for the past few days and the weather at 7am certainly didn’t look forgiving. The trails (T15, Scorpion, BT) were incredibly wet, slippery and muddy but it was damn fun. My Kenda Nevegals gripped well and I certainly have no complaints as I was going faster than ever over certain tricky sections.

Today was Gerald’s inaugural test of his Giant Boulder with a full Deore group-set and Mavic wheel-set. From what he said of the bike’s performance in wet weather, all looks good and the bike should perform much better in drier conditions.

The amount of mud on our bikes was just incredible. l gave up trying to wash the mud off along the corridor and brought the bike into the toilet for a wash-down with the shower. =P

Unfortunately, the RD and rear brake cables had come loose during the ride and intense grinding against the frame induced quite bad cable rub! Now I have a “polished” spot of aluminum where the paintwork has chipped off! I spent quite some time taping up the damage to prevent further aggravation.

Total distance: 30km (on-road), 15km (off-road)
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH, Pan, Gerald

Sembawang Circuit Spin

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

Last Ride to School this Semester?

Total distance: 57km
Money spent: $0
Participants: LSH

Mountain Biking & The New Balance Real Run 2009

On Saturday morning, I was blown away by the XCR Expert’s on-trail performance. The grippy 2.1” Kenda Nevegal tyres were almost a liability on the road but on the wet, slippery trails, they proved to be a valuable asset. Cornering was a breeze and when we hit Bukit Timah, the bike really showed its race potential as it took obstacles well and climbed with ease. Jamis did well in the design of this particular frame and the bike was well-balanced even on the steepest climbs.

On the downhills, the suspension systems worked well enough to snuff out potentially tricky bumps and I had better control over the bike than previously. The trails were muddy following a few days of rain but it was really enjoyable to put the bike through its paces. As expected, I had a hell of a time washing off the immense amount of dried mud which had clogged the linkage and my parents just shook their heads at how a brand new bike had been thrashed into a disgusting filthy slob of metal. The bike also incurred its first battle scars – scratches at the end of the right crank arm – when it hit jutting rocks on a climb. Somehow, the linkage also got scratched, probably by a flying piece of debris.

I am definitely looking forward to the next ride.

Total Distance: 24.6km (on-road), 14km (off-road)
Participants: LSH, Ben

In the evening, we met up with Mum’s family at Bukit Batok to celebrate Grandpa’s birthday. We left before the cake-cutting as Bro was leaving for Brunei that very night (or rather 2.55am in the morning). After seeing him off at the airport, we left for home and I finally retired to my bed at 2.30am.

In just 1.5hrs, my alarm rang and I had some breakfast before cycling a short 3.2km to Yishun MRT where I caught the 5am shuttle bus to Changi Exhibition Centre where the New Balance Real Run 2009 was held. We reached more than an hour early and I was really drowsy as I did my warm-up, then settled somewhere to just close my eyes.

Before the commencement of the 10km race at 7am, several trainers came on stage to lead a warm-up session. I was in the front pack, roughly 15 seconds away from the gun start lead. Soon, we were off and I broke away to join the last of the leading pack. I just managed to cling on, overtaking a few stragglers on the way but my last kilometre was pretty bad. The pack accelerated away but I really couldn’t find the strength to increase my pace.

Nonetheless, I am quite happy with my time of 42:16min (10km) but I have some work to do if I am going to attempt running under 3.5hrs for the Standard Chartered Marathon.

After the race, it was a long walk out to the SAF Ferry Terminal and I took nearly an  hour to cover that distance. I totally lost my consciousness on the bus and was just glad to reach home.

Total Distance for the week of 2 November 2009: 195km

Jamis Dakar XCR Expert

After days of research and a visit to Hup Leong, I decided to settle for the Jamis Dakar XCR Expert (2009). I decided to pay Gilbert a visit today with the intent of ordering the bike and collecting it on Friday but thanks to their great service and efficiency, they built the entire bike from scratch and I was on my way home by 4.30pm. =)

I struggled a little on the way home – the bike felt draggy with suspension not locked down, the seat-post was low and the SPDs kept digging into my sandals (improper footwear =P). Worse, I didn’t have my helmet on and my Bermudas were just too baggy to cycle comfortably in. I was glad to be home and made several adjustments before bringing the bike out for a test-run with Dad.

The bike feels smooth on bumps but on the roads, the Fox RP2 flexes when activated. Switching it to pro-pedal mode is much more efficient and the bike finally feels faster. The hum from 2.1” Kenda Nevegals is reassuring of good traction but when it comes to endless kilometres of smooth tarmac, the over-traction just seems to be the main factor slowing the bike.

In the air, I must say the bike feels pretty light. Landing is just brilliant as the shocks cushions the impact well. I can’t wait to test it out on the trails this weekend.

The Specifications

Frame Kinesium alloy main triangle, STW optimized 7005 seat & chainstays, 100mm travel mp3 linkage design, Fox FLOAT RP2 shock with 10mm hardware, replaceable derailleur hanger

Fork Fox 32F FIT RLC

Headset Ritchey Comp Logic Press fit, semi-integrated with 20mm shim stack, 1 1/8”

Wheels Mavic XM317 eyeletted disc rims, 32H, Shimano Deore M535 CenterLock disc hubs, WTB 14g stainless steel spokes

Tires Kenda NEVEGAL, 26 x 2.1”, folding bead

Derailleurs Shimano Deore XT Shadow rear, Deore XT 34.9mm top pull front

Shiftlevers Shimano SLX Rapidfire Plus, 27-speed

Chain Shimano Deore XTR

Cassette Shimano Deore XT, 9-speed, 11-34t

Crankset Shimano SLX Hollowtech II, 44/32/22

BB Set Shimano SLX integrated

Pedals Shimano M540

Brakeset Shimano SLX hydraulic disc brakes, 160mm XTR SM-RT97 CenterLock rotors

Handlebar Ritchey Mountain Comp Rizer, 31.8mm O˚ x 20mm rise x 670mm

Stem Raceface Revolution SL

Grips Ruffian Odi clamp-on

Seat Post Ritchey Pro, 31.6 x 350mm

Saddle Selle Italia X0 Trans AM

Color Team Red/Pearl White

Weight 12kg approx?

---------------------------------------------

Original Specifications

Frame Kinesium alloy main triangle, STW optimized 7005 seat & chainstays, 100mm travel mp3 linkage design, Fox FLOAT RP2 shock with 10mm hardware, replaceable derailleur hanger

Fork Fox 32FRL, air spring, external rebound adjustor, lever actuated lockout, 32mm stanchions, 100mm travel

Headset Ritchey Comp Logic Press fit, semi-integrated with 20mm shim stack, 1 1/8”

Wheels Mavic XM317 eyeletted disc rims, 32H, Shimano Deore M535 CenterLock disc hubs, WTB 14g stainless steel spokes

Tires Kenda KARMA, 26 x 2.1”, folding bead

Derailleurs Shimano Deore XT Shadow rear, Deore XT 34.9mm top pull front

Shiftlevers Shimano Deore XT Rapidfire Plus SL, 27-speed

Chain Sram PowerChain 971 with Gold Power-Link

Cassette Shimano Deore XT, 9-speed, 11-34t

Crankset Shimano Deore XT Hollowtech II, 44/32/22

BB Set Shimano Deore XT integrated

Pedals N/A

Brakeset Shimano Deore XT hydraulic disc brakes, 160mm front & rear CenterLock rotors

Handlebar Ritchey Mountain Comp Rizer, 31.8mm O˚ x 20mm rise x 670mm

Stem Ritchey Comp V2 OS, 31.8 bar bore x 6˚ rise x 90mm (13-15”), 100mm (17”), 110mm (19 & 21)

Grips WTB MotoTec clamp-on, DNA compound

Seat Post Ritchey Comp 2B, 31.6 x 350mm, with alloy clamp & cromo seatpin

Saddle WTB Silverado Team, flex-tuned shell, DNA padding, ABR corners, titanium

Color Team Red/Pearl White

Weight 26.20 lbs (11.9kg)

---------------------------------------------

Total Distance: 38km
Money spent: -
Participants: LSH

Retirement

After 16,781.5km of faithful service over slightly less than 2 years and 10 months, the time has come to retire my Raleigh. I realized something was really wrong when I cycled to school on Tuesday. It was to be the bike’s last. As had been in the past, the bike did not break down in the middle of nowhere – it got me home and when I checked for the source of malfunction, a sense of dread washed over me. There it was, the cable on the verge of snapping for the third time in months.

I imagined the cable snapping 30km from home. With a rapid-rise system, I would take hours to spin home. I was immediately thankful for its reliability over the years despite my continued abuse. I will miss the days when I took it everywhere. Round island, Bintan, KL, Genting, you name it. It was the do-it-all bike which never gave me any problems when I was out there in the middle of nowhere.

The next time I am out mountain biking, I would probably be on a different system. Then again, nothing lasts forever. Time to start anew. And look forward to a faster and more controllable platform.

Total distance for the week: 224km