15 riders, 66 km, one water bottle

To Lim Chu Kang, 66 km. There are 15 cyclists today; the biggest group I've ever led. One cyclist drops out barely 5 km into the ride, the fastest anyone has ever abandoned a ride on me. It's a slow start, cycling at 20 km/h. Wave after wave of roadies sweep past me. I ache to join them. A kingfisher flits past, the bright blue of its feathers the colour of a biker's jersey. A snake lies motionless, belly up on the road. Some cyclists look like they're dying of thirst. We break at Kranji and Lim Chu Kang, plus a few other unscheduled stops to regroup. It's a cloudy day. But somehow, the sun manages to beam brightly. Someone points out I'm barely sweating and hardly drinking. Somehow, one water bottle lasts me for the entire ride. Back in civilisation, a "tai tai" cuts into my path. She's so audacious, she ignores not just me but two cars zipping by. The drivers honk furiously at her, but her thick makeup - or thick skull? - deflects our wrath.