Cycling is like life. Cycling with no goal is meaningless. What meaning is there cycling in circles? Or living aimlessly? Meaning comes from direction and destination. Join me in my life's journey on a mountain bike :)

Blogging since 2003. Thank you for reading :))

Sunday, February 27, 2005

Gone to the birds

Feb distance: 908 km

To Old Lim Chu Kang Road, 126 km. The air reeks of chicken shit. "Is the air safe?" I ask the PCRT doctor. "Yes," he says, "Don't stop breathing!" I see an electric blue kingfisher on the road, which flits quickly to a treetop as I approach. Lying motionless elsewhere on the road is a dead mynah. I feel like lying down beside it. I feel half-dead, having tagged along with two PCRT girls for three laps round Old Upper Thomson. There, we pass a mountain biker going slowly uphill. "Come on baby!" yells F. I tell her: "The male ego is a fragile thing." I slow to a more humane pace. SH passes me. "Ladies first!" I yell, and she smiles.
Tech note I ask coach how I can cycle better. He says my pedalling is quite good, but I'm going as fast as I can on a mountain bike. Only minor tweaks left, like shifting my saddle back, or using 1-inch tyres.

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

Made in China

To Old Upper Thomson Road, 34 km. She has no helmet, but her hair is tied in a pony tail. She wears no bicycle jersey, but a factory coat. On her feet are not bike shoes, but canvas with printed flowers. She rides a little single-speed bike, possibly made by her comrades in China. Two cyclists side by side, but worlds apart. Who is to say who is happier? I'll bet she is, but then the grass is greener on the other side. These days, I don't really know what's eating me, but I'm "too busy" to find out. Tonight, I train for my charity ride so I can keep up with the roadies. I didn't even train for the 2003 Penang MTB Jamboree or 2004 SACA road race, NUS Cycling Club or Yew Tee Hunt on Wheels.

Sunday, February 20, 2005

Founder's day

To Old Lim Chu Kang Road, 122 km. It's not the distance, it's trying to keep up with them roadies. After biking 30 km to the rendezvous, I hang on for another 30 km of laps before taking a break. It's a nice route, with hills and plains, and little traffic. After 90+ km, I stop my laps. I meet the founder of PCRT today. N has a trademark pink sling bag round her shoulder. She lets me fondle her Fondriest. The weather is baking hot, so hot there've been bush fires the past couple of weeks. I burn up much energy, so much so that the prata man suggests taking away half my food. But he understands: "You need the carbo."

Saturday, February 19, 2005

Kid's chorus


To Johore Bahru, Malaysia, 97 km. Solo, exploratory ride across the causeway. I venture into Kampung Pasir. Friendly kids gather as I whip out my camera. I ask: "Apa khabar?" They chorus: "Khabar baik." Beautiful rustic scene, with friendly waves, smiles and laughter throughout. I twist and turn until I get lost somewhere around Taman Sutera. As usual, a friendly motorcyclist tells me where to go, and my trusty compass puts me back on the right road. (No. of near accidents: 2. Unusually high in Malaysia; one near-miss is my fault.)

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Grey ribbon

To Old Upper Thomson Road, 31 km. Heavy workload, heavy heart, heavy bike equipped with Cateye 10W halogen lamp (which I won in a race in 2004). The half moon turns the unlit road into a pale grey ribbon. My lamp cuts through the night with a swathe of light that sweeps the entire breadth of the road. The road at Upper Peirce is mine, all mine. Not a soul in sight, or perhaps none that I can see ... Spooky. But that doesn't deter the nocturnal activities in cars parked nearby along the road.

Sunday, February 13, 2005

Singapore tourist


To Sungei Tengah Road, 69 km. Uncharacteristically of me, I change my mind just before a ride. Instead of heading across the causeway, I decide to tour in Singapore. Packing my camera, my first stop is to see the Thomson roadies in action - from the front instead of the familiar rearview. On the way, I meet WH and bike guru AF. I see PCRT in action too; they go up Old Upper Thomson Road uphill, while the Thomson roadies come downhill. Spectacular. I chat a bit more with AF, then try to catch up with the roadies. I overtake a few, and a few overtake me. One of them, like the PCRT coach, tells me to get a road bike. It remains to be seen if I'll become invisible if I get one. But I do know beauty when I see it: Jalan Lekar and Lorong Semangka. I must be a sight for sore eyes too, for the doggies come after me. The owner barks like his dogs but fails to call them off. Grrr! I shake them off though I'm so slack today, I stuff my face on the road - twice!

Saturday, February 12, 2005

Ankling for pedaling

To Old Upper Thomson Road, 91 km. I've read 20 books on cycling, but have never come across "ankling" until the PCRT coach tells me today. Ankling feels like dancing; and is more graceful. Remains to be seen if it helps in my performance. Today, I keep up with the roadies for about 23 km, then drop back at a more mountain-bike friendly pace. Strange company, while I've overtaken roadies before, this is getting to be too much. Coach says it isn't their drive train that helps them pull away from me, it's the weight, geometry, tyres and drop bars. After 55 km non-stop, it's time for five laps along Upper Pierce Reservoir. While there are few cars in the area, some of them are driven by illiterate monkeys feeding their own kind. Wait a minute - you don't need to be literate to read the "no feeding of monkeys" sign. Monkeys don't need to be fed; I see a troop gathering around a dead rat.

Thursday, February 10, 2005

Bike therapy


To Sengkang, 47 km. Chinese New Year. A time for reunion. And farewell. A plane leaves Singapore. At the same time, I leave home on my bicycle for some therapy, to leave some memories behind for a while. My heart is heavier than my steel bike. A headwind blows as I head for Buangkok. It's a journey into time, with some trails, wooden bridges and wooden houses with zinc roofs. Going on dirt and rock-strewn trails reminds me why my one and only bicycle is a mountain bike, not a racer. Next stop is Sengkang and Punggol. Much has changed. Old roads are sealed off. New roads are opened. I feel better.
Tech note The irritating, persistent clinking when I'm using my middle chainring has largely disappeared. I also sand off the rust on my frame: Chinese New Year advice from someone who built a race car.

Sunday, February 06, 2005

Going round and round

To Old Upper Thomson Road, National University, 92 km. Today, I go for my first training ride with the Precision Cycle Racing Team (PCRT), whose coach is also coaching the Charity Bike N Blade bikers (420 km charity ride to Mersing next month in aid of St Andrew's Mission Hospital). The ride starts well enough; I see some roadies (not yesterday's) streak ahead. I start drafting, then drop behind. More roadies show up. I hang on a little longer, then it's a solo ride again. Deja vu, just like yesterday. The first group of roadies overlap me twice. I'm distressed, though I thrash the mountain bikers in the group and some triathletes. It's only when the first group remove their helmets and shades that I realise they're kids. Two of them are apparently Singapore's best in the women's open. It seems they train six days a week, covering 400 km per week. In the afternoon, I ride to the university for the centennial ride training. There's just three of us, with no official in sight after the "coach" left the university. We chat for half an hour, then scoot off. I'm exhausted.

Saturday, February 05, 2005

Amritsar Express

To Desaru, Johore, Malaysia, 175 km. It's true: the Amritsar Express does exist, despite the Indian's denial. He is spotted plying the Tanjong Belungkor-Desaru-Tg Pengelih route. I keep pace at 42 km/h but soon drop behind. The other roadies shoot past at 37 km/h, I manage to hang on longer, but soon it's a solo ride for me until I spot the stragglers from the 14-strong group. This is my first ride with the Charity Bike n Blade bikers. Some of the bikers are older than me, but kick my butt. One of them is E, 56, on a Litespeed racer. One of his rims costs more than my entire bike. Riding at a more sedate pace is M, on a rigid Specialized Stumpjumper. It's 15 years old; he rode it for 2.5 months across Canada - all 4,000 km of it.
Tech note Replaced front tyre (Panaracer Pasela) with new tyre (Panaracer T-Serv).

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

Going south

To Tanjong Katong, 24 km. When financial markets head south, it's generally not a good thing. Ditto with cycling in Singapore. There's more traffic, more traffic lights and more braking. Still, it's good to see old and new faces, eg R, a 59-year-old on a Klein. There's no need for me to lament picking up cycling instead of a more geriatric-friendly activity like chess.