Round island#2, from National Stadium to National Stadium (and Ang Mo Kio to Ang Mo Kio) 152 km. Since AR asked me to be a sweeper for this NPCC ride, I practice being a sweeper today, hanging around the back. After a few hours in the saddle, the agony of going slow builds: you spend more time in the saddle and brake a lot more. And you don't cycle at your own pace. And you stop to do some basic bicycle maintenance. Fiddling with bikes isn't that bad, but going slow is agonising.
At Lim Chu Kang Road, I can bear it no longer and take off on my own, past the cemeteries (two cemeteries, two nights in a row). I see lots of candles in some spots; elsewhere, it's dark and shadowy. I hear the sound of my breathing and the smooth working of my bicycle. There's nothing else on the road. Kind of spooky, but I try to ride faster than my fears. At Kranji, I stop and wait for the rest, just taking in the sight of Johore.
At Kranji, the roadie has a blowout. I stop to help, then ride like the wind to catch up - and then some. I push myself and my bicycle up and down the hills of Mandai Road. All of us get chewed up at the next official rest stop. At Pasir Ris, we get chewed out again because a couple of cyclists are unaccounted for. I feel bad about it all.
At Changi Coast Road, we are all good boys and girls. Even the dogs are well behaved; they bark but don't give chase. At Pasir Ris, one cyclist - from Singapore Mountain Bike Forum breaks away. I take the opportunity to do the same. Together, we tear down the roads above 30 km/h. Try as I did, I couldn't shake him off. It turns out he's modified his mountain bike with a road crank and 1 inch slicks. Well, on the actual ride (14 Jun), I guess I'll be too busy worrying about the newbie riders to agonise about anything else. I haven't lost a cyclist before and don't intend to start. Still, there are some interesting things about this ride: first time I've cycled with a police "escort" - a van that follows behind us. And I was wondering why vehicles were giving us a wide berth! Today is also the day I cross the 5,000 km mark on my Iron Horse.
Tech note Tonight, I wear Climalite. It feels more uncomfortable than cotton, but I'm game for trying new things. I don't regret it. I feel less sweaty. During my first round island, I wore cotton and it got soaked with sweat - it's heavy and it stinks.
Saturday, May 31, 2003
May: 884 km
Fri 30 May: Roads of death
To Mount Faber, 42 km. Cars and taxis that cut in front of you. Buses that swerve into your path from the right or from bus bays on the left. It can be deadly on the roads for cyclists. Tonight, I have a few close calls. It doesn't help that at one junction, there is a "fatal accident" police notice. Tonight, I also cycle on Sime Road, with tombstones on either side. Ironically, this route is to escape the deadly road that is Lornie / Adam Road, with its slip roads leading to the expressway. LSL and his pal W lead the way for me to Adam Road Hawker Centre. This is my first Friday West Night Ride (FWNR). The Togoparts cyclists on this ride have different psychographics compared to the FENR riders. What's common to both however is the high end bicycles, eg Canondale and Klein. And, of course, the only Iron Horse - mine.
Tech note Managed to get my front d to shift to #1 this time, by pedalling slow. Of course, there's a risk that if the chain doesn't shift, I'll stall in #2. My new wheelset performs beautifully. It's quieter, smoother. I hit 42 km/h easily. One of my brake pads has a tiny speck of metal on it. Hope it's a leftover from the old rim. Bikeshop man has adjusted the pads well - no squealing at all despite having old pads on new rims.
Tue 27 May: New toys
Ang Mo Kio, 5 km Tech note To find a solution to my rim problem, I go to two bicycle shops today. One of them, in town, quotes me $250 to upgrade my wheelset to Deore, plus derailleurs, shifters and 8-speed casette. So cheap - calculation error or misunderstanding? After work, I cycle to my regular shop, which quotes "at least $300". The shop has another pair of wheels - Alex rims, just like my old ones. For freewheel too. The difference: new wheels are double walled (instead of single walled), 32 spokes (instead of 36) and aluminium hubs (instead of steel). The new ones are broader too. All of which mean I don't save any weight - bicycle is still 13 kg. To change or not to change? I decide that changing to eight speed plus other parts introduces too many unknown variables. So I go for the Alex wheelset. Clearly, my old front hub is wonky - must be all that pounding on the trails. The old rear hub seems OK. Anyway, with my new set of wheels, I can feel the difference. Can't wait to road test it. Cost me $150. Looks better too.
Afternote: I go back to the shop in town to check the price again. He assures me I didn't misunderstand. I go to another shop and am quoted $350 for Deore parts. Well, it looks like there's hope for the horse yet, except perhaps if the fork goes.
Fri 23 May: Five firsts
To Mount Faber and Telok Blangah hill, 48 km. What an eventful night. First time cycling with Togoparts. First time cycling up Mount Faber. First time up Telok Blangah. First time cycling down Orchard Rd. And first time cycling three abreast on the road. We thirty riders take up an entire lane. At times, motorists get nervous, instead of the other way round. There's safety in numbers. Well, sort of. Got to watch out for unexpected movements within the pack when other cyclists get too close; like when someone cycling on the pavement jumps out beside you. Or, when going up the hills, riders stall suddenly in front of you. Worse, one cyclist to my right stalled and fell, still clipped to his pedals. Good thing his limbs didn't flail under my wheels. I meet some pals K, H and LSH, and make some new friends: A and generous J who buys drinks for five of us. I also introduce myself to bikeleader N, who has a cyclist's physique: long wiry limbs and aerodynamic torso.
Tech note Front d as usual gives me problems. It's no joke trying to get up Mount Faber on a heavy Horse without chainring #1; fortunately, I don't stall. It's also no joke getting down Mount Faber without front brakes - some metallic debris as usual gets stuck on the pads and I don't want to shred my rims.
Wed 21 May: Two by two, near the zoo
To Seletar and Mandai, 33 km. Just as the animals went into Noah's ark two by two, we cycle two by two for self-preservation at times. There's safety in numbers and from the back, hopefully drivers will think there are road works ahead when they see multiple red blinkers. But as we cycle on busier roads, the feeling of vehicles whizzing too close for comfort makes me stick close to the kerb and it's single file again. Tonight, I ride with roadies "Padre" and "R". Actually, it's more like trying to chase after their blinkers, which wink teasingly at me in the night. I almost catch up with R along Upper Seletar Reservoir. Then, he stands on his pedals and leaves me way behind again. Anyway, cycling on my semi-slicks is exhilarating. It's a kind of magic, to balance on two wheels at up to 41 km/h on flat roads, with the wind in my face. Plus the companionship of nine other cyclists tonight, including M, whom I've not seen since 16 Feb. We stop by Casuarina Rd for supper as usual.
Tech note My front d seems to have two modes: on road and off road. On road means the chain shifts only from #3 to #2 or vice versa, but not from #2 to #1. Off road means the chain shifts from #2 to #1 or vice versa, but not from #2 t #3. What a joke! And my white watch, which has been with me for hundreds of km, conks out too. It's corroded with all that sweat and is beyond repair. What a pity. White watches are rare and mine matches my home-made sweat-absorbing "turban", t-shirt and socks. Sigh. Wonder what I'll feel if my Horse is beyond repair too.
11 May: Mission accomplished!
To Seletar and Sembawang, 55 km. This is the last ride I'm organising on behalf of Bikerboey before she returns from South America on 25 May. Today's ride (the fourth in as many months) comes full circle - the first ride I'd ever led was to Sembawang too, on 3 Feb. This ride is also the most fun ride I've ever led. It's the slowest ride ever, with no need to cycle fast and no pain from lactic acid buildup. I ride at average 18 km/h, sometimes just coasting along without pedalling and sometimes going at around 10 km/h, which is like stalling speed. We cycle on the road and do some off-road. We see wide open spaces, birds and butterflies, streams, the sea and the sun filters through the cloudy sky, shedding light without scorching skin. The ride is also memorable because of the riders:
My journey from being a solo rider (cycling over 1,000 km solo last year) to bike leader started in Dec-Jan 02, when Bikerboey said she's going away on Operation Raleigh for four months and needed help to keep the BOAC bike rides going in her absence. Somehow, I agreed, though I'd never led bike rides before.
Tech note Another first - today is the first time I'm wearing a branded jersey. Supposed to be cool. Maybe it looks cool, but cotton feels better ... and it's way cheaper.
Thu 8 May: "Church of the Knobby Tyre"
To Admiralty Rd West, 47 km. Office meeting ends and I flee like the wind so I can ride like the wind. I meet more people, including "the padre" of the "Church of the Knobby Tyre". His jersey shows a medieval monk, with a halo, on a mountain bike. All with a stained glass effect. Well, the monk may be on a mountain bike, but the padre is on a Trek OCLV. He leads the ride. At first, he goes at about 16 km/h. Hmmm, that's slack. But as it turns out, that's to warm up. Soon, we're tearing up the hills of Sembawang Rd at 30, then 40 km/h. Soon, he pulls away, a little blinking red dot on the little red dot that's Singapore. We reach Admiralty Road West. It's beautiful by day and more so at night, as the lights of Johore reflect off the black waters of the Straits of Johore. Too bad about the dogs though. While they ignore the other bikers, one of them barks at me. And on the roads, we pass by a few BMX bikers. One of them shoots out and cuts in front of me, with less than an elbow length to spare, then laughs maniacally.
Tech note My XTR brakes seem to keep picking up bits and pieces from my alloy rims. I find these itsy bitsy shiny bits embedded in the pads, which make an awful sound whenever I brake. Are they braking or breaking?
Sun 4 May: Alone again, naturally
To Pasir Ris and Tampines, 50 km. I don't know if my pals are organising any rides, so today is solo day. Group cycling can be fun, but going solo has its advantages too. I cycle as hard and fast as I want, or not. I stop to explore, sometimes on foot eg Tampines Ind Ave 2. It's a road with barely any traffic. When I'm solo, I can soak in the atmosphere as long as I want. Hills, trees and the lullaby of trickling water. A toad looks at my bike. I ride on, then stop to check out interesting scenery. What lies beyond that hill? I tread carefully on the soggy ground. Up the hill, I spy a road. But it's gonna be tough getting my bike up there. Silence. Any dogs lying in wait? Near Lor Halus, signage indicates pet farms in the area. I hear barking but somehow, it doesn't sound threatening - maybe it's because I know the dogs are locked up. Or maybe I've heard enough dogs baying for blood to know when it's time to flee.
I meet H, LCT and his friend K at Tay Cycle. LCT shows me a Kona chromoly. After lunch, we cycle to SCH but ... it's closed! H asks me when I'm getting a new bike. I say, when a critical component fails and I can't find spares.
Tech note Just out of Ang Mo Kio, while I'm still fresh, I hit 44.6 km/h. Could I have gone faster? Maybe, but for the red lights ahead. Today is also the first time in my life I cycle with arm warmers. Actually, they feel cool :-) except when I stop and the sun beats down.
Sat 3 May: Mutually scared
To Seletar and Sembawang, 46 km. It rained buckets today. So when the sky clears in the evening, I hop on my horse and recce for May's BOAC ride. At Seletar West Farmway, I turn ... and see a couple of dogs ... and a dead end ahead of me. Gulp. I turn and pedal oh so slowly, so gingerly past the dogs. One of them actually jumps when it sees me, but they all leave me alone. I guess it isn't werewolf time or not there isn't enough dogs for critical mass. The area is really a maze, and amazing too. Down to the airbase, past the beauty of Yishun Ave 1, then to Sembawang. I've been cycling non-stop for two hours, then stop by Cheap John's and hey, they have a pair of arm warmers. Goodbye sunburn pains - I apply sun block but I guess the noon day sun is too strong even for SPF30? I admire the bikes there - a Marin for only $650?
Thu (Labour Day) 1 May: Off-road on slicks
To Ubin, 69 km. I take a chance of road rash and face plants by going off-road with my slick tyres, because I'm too lazy to change tyres after last night's ride to Changi. I only have about five hours sleep, then back to Changi again. At Changi, I meet Gentle Giant's colleagues, most of whom ride fierce-looking bicycles. And me on my rigid, ancient horse. For the first time ever, I ride a trail with slick tyres. I take a pounding on the trail, especially downhill. Worse, my front d isn't working well - it refuses to shift from #2 to #1. My right knee hurts after last night's race with G. Anyway, I have some thrills without spills. Back home, I snatch some sleep, then clean my chain with "Chain Gang". Wow, my chain looks like new now but all that muck is all over the floor. And as I dispose of the muck, I end up having to clean the toilet too ... The ride doesn't quite make up for the ride to Malacca, which is supposed to start today, led by P. But my leave isn't approved. There goes another record-breaker - I could've cycled 400 km.
To Mount Faber, 42 km. Cars and taxis that cut in front of you. Buses that swerve into your path from the right or from bus bays on the left. It can be deadly on the roads for cyclists. Tonight, I have a few close calls. It doesn't help that at one junction, there is a "fatal accident" police notice. Tonight, I also cycle on Sime Road, with tombstones on either side. Ironically, this route is to escape the deadly road that is Lornie / Adam Road, with its slip roads leading to the expressway. LSL and his pal W lead the way for me to Adam Road Hawker Centre. This is my first Friday West Night Ride (FWNR). The Togoparts cyclists on this ride have different psychographics compared to the FENR riders. What's common to both however is the high end bicycles, eg Canondale and Klein. And, of course, the only Iron Horse - mine.
Tech note Managed to get my front d to shift to #1 this time, by pedalling slow. Of course, there's a risk that if the chain doesn't shift, I'll stall in #2. My new wheelset performs beautifully. It's quieter, smoother. I hit 42 km/h easily. One of my brake pads has a tiny speck of metal on it. Hope it's a leftover from the old rim. Bikeshop man has adjusted the pads well - no squealing at all despite having old pads on new rims.
Tue 27 May: New toys
Ang Mo Kio, 5 km Tech note To find a solution to my rim problem, I go to two bicycle shops today. One of them, in town, quotes me $250 to upgrade my wheelset to Deore, plus derailleurs, shifters and 8-speed casette. So cheap - calculation error or misunderstanding? After work, I cycle to my regular shop, which quotes "at least $300". The shop has another pair of wheels - Alex rims, just like my old ones. For freewheel too. The difference: new wheels are double walled (instead of single walled), 32 spokes (instead of 36) and aluminium hubs (instead of steel). The new ones are broader too. All of which mean I don't save any weight - bicycle is still 13 kg. To change or not to change? I decide that changing to eight speed plus other parts introduces too many unknown variables. So I go for the Alex wheelset. Clearly, my old front hub is wonky - must be all that pounding on the trails. The old rear hub seems OK. Anyway, with my new set of wheels, I can feel the difference. Can't wait to road test it. Cost me $150. Looks better too.
Afternote: I go back to the shop in town to check the price again. He assures me I didn't misunderstand. I go to another shop and am quoted $350 for Deore parts. Well, it looks like there's hope for the horse yet, except perhaps if the fork goes.
Fri 23 May: Five firsts
To Mount Faber and Telok Blangah hill, 48 km. What an eventful night. First time cycling with Togoparts. First time cycling up Mount Faber. First time up Telok Blangah. First time cycling down Orchard Rd. And first time cycling three abreast on the road. We thirty riders take up an entire lane. At times, motorists get nervous, instead of the other way round. There's safety in numbers. Well, sort of. Got to watch out for unexpected movements within the pack when other cyclists get too close; like when someone cycling on the pavement jumps out beside you. Or, when going up the hills, riders stall suddenly in front of you. Worse, one cyclist to my right stalled and fell, still clipped to his pedals. Good thing his limbs didn't flail under my wheels. I meet some pals K, H and LSH, and make some new friends: A and generous J who buys drinks for five of us. I also introduce myself to bikeleader N, who has a cyclist's physique: long wiry limbs and aerodynamic torso.
Tech note Front d as usual gives me problems. It's no joke trying to get up Mount Faber on a heavy Horse without chainring #1; fortunately, I don't stall. It's also no joke getting down Mount Faber without front brakes - some metallic debris as usual gets stuck on the pads and I don't want to shred my rims.
Wed 21 May: Two by two, near the zoo
To Seletar and Mandai, 33 km. Just as the animals went into Noah's ark two by two, we cycle two by two for self-preservation at times. There's safety in numbers and from the back, hopefully drivers will think there are road works ahead when they see multiple red blinkers. But as we cycle on busier roads, the feeling of vehicles whizzing too close for comfort makes me stick close to the kerb and it's single file again. Tonight, I ride with roadies "Padre" and "R". Actually, it's more like trying to chase after their blinkers, which wink teasingly at me in the night. I almost catch up with R along Upper Seletar Reservoir. Then, he stands on his pedals and leaves me way behind again. Anyway, cycling on my semi-slicks is exhilarating. It's a kind of magic, to balance on two wheels at up to 41 km/h on flat roads, with the wind in my face. Plus the companionship of nine other cyclists tonight, including M, whom I've not seen since 16 Feb. We stop by Casuarina Rd for supper as usual.
Tech note My front d seems to have two modes: on road and off road. On road means the chain shifts only from #3 to #2 or vice versa, but not from #2 to #1. Off road means the chain shifts from #2 to #1 or vice versa, but not from #2 t #3. What a joke! And my white watch, which has been with me for hundreds of km, conks out too. It's corroded with all that sweat and is beyond repair. What a pity. White watches are rare and mine matches my home-made sweat-absorbing "turban", t-shirt and socks. Sigh. Wonder what I'll feel if my Horse is beyond repair too.
11 May: Mission accomplished!
To Seletar and Sembawang, 55 km. This is the last ride I'm organising on behalf of Bikerboey before she returns from South America on 25 May. Today's ride (the fourth in as many months) comes full circle - the first ride I'd ever led was to Sembawang too, on 3 Feb. This ride is also the most fun ride I've ever led. It's the slowest ride ever, with no need to cycle fast and no pain from lactic acid buildup. I ride at average 18 km/h, sometimes just coasting along without pedalling and sometimes going at around 10 km/h, which is like stalling speed. We cycle on the road and do some off-road. We see wide open spaces, birds and butterflies, streams, the sea and the sun filters through the cloudy sky, shedding light without scorching skin. The ride is also memorable because of the riders:
- G, on an A-frame Trek, knows Yishun and the places to eat
- G, on a hardtail purple Trek, gets the helpful rider award for "back marker", looking after newbie H
- H has Unlimited generosity; she buys satay for all of us
- The two Giants, for sheer good-natured entertainment. I'm pleasantly surprised to see Carbon Giant join a slack ride like this - he usually goes above 35 km/h. And Gentle Giant is "fined" for being late - she buys drinks all round.
- Gentle Giant tells me she should go on more rides with me, because she's regained her joy of cycling today instead of racing. Sure, we cycled about three hours, but we stopped to take in the sights and to talk to each other too. Which is part of the fun of cycling in a group.
Tech note Another first - today is the first time I'm wearing a branded jersey. Supposed to be cool. Maybe it looks cool, but cotton feels better ... and it's way cheaper.
Thu 8 May: "Church of the Knobby Tyre"
To Admiralty Rd West, 47 km. Office meeting ends and I flee like the wind so I can ride like the wind. I meet more people, including "the padre" of the "Church of the Knobby Tyre". His jersey shows a medieval monk, with a halo, on a mountain bike. All with a stained glass effect. Well, the monk may be on a mountain bike, but the padre is on a Trek OCLV. He leads the ride. At first, he goes at about 16 km/h. Hmmm, that's slack. But as it turns out, that's to warm up. Soon, we're tearing up the hills of Sembawang Rd at 30, then 40 km/h. Soon, he pulls away, a little blinking red dot on the little red dot that's Singapore. We reach Admiralty Road West. It's beautiful by day and more so at night, as the lights of Johore reflect off the black waters of the Straits of Johore. Too bad about the dogs though. While they ignore the other bikers, one of them barks at me. And on the roads, we pass by a few BMX bikers. One of them shoots out and cuts in front of me, with less than an elbow length to spare, then laughs maniacally.
Tech note My XTR brakes seem to keep picking up bits and pieces from my alloy rims. I find these itsy bitsy shiny bits embedded in the pads, which make an awful sound whenever I brake. Are they braking or breaking?
Sun 4 May: Alone again, naturally
To Pasir Ris and Tampines, 50 km. I don't know if my pals are organising any rides, so today is solo day. Group cycling can be fun, but going solo has its advantages too. I cycle as hard and fast as I want, or not. I stop to explore, sometimes on foot eg Tampines Ind Ave 2. It's a road with barely any traffic. When I'm solo, I can soak in the atmosphere as long as I want. Hills, trees and the lullaby of trickling water. A toad looks at my bike. I ride on, then stop to check out interesting scenery. What lies beyond that hill? I tread carefully on the soggy ground. Up the hill, I spy a road. But it's gonna be tough getting my bike up there. Silence. Any dogs lying in wait? Near Lor Halus, signage indicates pet farms in the area. I hear barking but somehow, it doesn't sound threatening - maybe it's because I know the dogs are locked up. Or maybe I've heard enough dogs baying for blood to know when it's time to flee.
I meet H, LCT and his friend K at Tay Cycle. LCT shows me a Kona chromoly. After lunch, we cycle to SCH but ... it's closed! H asks me when I'm getting a new bike. I say, when a critical component fails and I can't find spares.
Tech note Just out of Ang Mo Kio, while I'm still fresh, I hit 44.6 km/h. Could I have gone faster? Maybe, but for the red lights ahead. Today is also the first time in my life I cycle with arm warmers. Actually, they feel cool :-) except when I stop and the sun beats down.
Sat 3 May: Mutually scared
To Seletar and Sembawang, 46 km. It rained buckets today. So when the sky clears in the evening, I hop on my horse and recce for May's BOAC ride. At Seletar West Farmway, I turn ... and see a couple of dogs ... and a dead end ahead of me. Gulp. I turn and pedal oh so slowly, so gingerly past the dogs. One of them actually jumps when it sees me, but they all leave me alone. I guess it isn't werewolf time or not there isn't enough dogs for critical mass. The area is really a maze, and amazing too. Down to the airbase, past the beauty of Yishun Ave 1, then to Sembawang. I've been cycling non-stop for two hours, then stop by Cheap John's and hey, they have a pair of arm warmers. Goodbye sunburn pains - I apply sun block but I guess the noon day sun is too strong even for SPF30? I admire the bikes there - a Marin for only $650?
Thu (Labour Day) 1 May: Off-road on slicks
To Ubin, 69 km. I take a chance of road rash and face plants by going off-road with my slick tyres, because I'm too lazy to change tyres after last night's ride to Changi. I only have about five hours sleep, then back to Changi again. At Changi, I meet Gentle Giant's colleagues, most of whom ride fierce-looking bicycles. And me on my rigid, ancient horse. For the first time ever, I ride a trail with slick tyres. I take a pounding on the trail, especially downhill. Worse, my front d isn't working well - it refuses to shift from #2 to #1. My right knee hurts after last night's race with G. Anyway, I have some thrills without spills. Back home, I snatch some sleep, then clean my chain with "Chain Gang". Wow, my chain looks like new now but all that muck is all over the floor. And as I dispose of the muck, I end up having to clean the toilet too ... The ride doesn't quite make up for the ride to Malacca, which is supposed to start today, led by P. But my leave isn't approved. There goes another record-breaker - I could've cycled 400 km.
Sunday, May 25, 2003
Chasing the tail
Round island #1, from National Stadium to National Stadium (and Ang Mo Kio to Ang Mio Kio). Supposed to be at National Stadium at 7pm. But I'm working today though it's a Saturday. I reach the stadium at 8 pm and of course everyone is gone. How ironic. I join the ride because I haven't really cycled to south and south-west Singapore and now I have to chase everyone without even knowing the route. I don't even have the tail lights of the last rider as a directional beacon. But thank God for mobile phones; Gentle Giant and Togoparts rider J help put me on the right track.
This is a training ride for a National Police Cadet Corp charity ride for the bike leaders - plus some Togoparts riders (some of whom have been up Mount Faber like me last night). Tonight's ride is supposed to be a leisure ride, but I'm impressed by the discipline, caring and teamwork. They're of different ages (some secondary, some tertiary students) but they've bonded because they've cycled around this little red dot that's Singapore about six times. And this is my first round island - looks like I'm the newbie, not them. Most of the time, I don't even know the route, so after I race ahead, I wait for them or the safety vehicle.
At Tampines, I hear this is where the fun-loving Togoparts riders break off. As for me, I keep going though I'm tired - poor sleep for three nights in a row. While waiting for the rest, I try to snatch some sleep. The bike leaders sail on by, keeping a "slow-and-steady wins the race" pace of about 20 km/h (some on rental / borrowed low end bikes too, which makes it all the more impressive). But at Changi Coastal Road, all of us end up racing, because of a pack of dogs. No one panics, no one crashes. That's discipline. But I laugh at myself how my speed jumped by 10 km/h. At East Coast Park, it's still dangerous even at 6 am. People walk and ride regardless of race, language and collision. I have a close call there. I really dislike cycling there.
So, another dream fulfilled - cycling around Singapore (though I note this is a smaller "circumference' than the routes I've been checking out eg we didn't go that far west or north). Other dreams that came to pass: cycling 100 and 200 km. Dreams that have yet to be fulfilled: 400 km ride - and solo round island.
Tech note I really have to do something about my rims. Might as well change the wheelset to some decent hubs. The bearings in my no-name hubs must be shot by now.
This is a training ride for a National Police Cadet Corp charity ride for the bike leaders - plus some Togoparts riders (some of whom have been up Mount Faber like me last night). Tonight's ride is supposed to be a leisure ride, but I'm impressed by the discipline, caring and teamwork. They're of different ages (some secondary, some tertiary students) but they've bonded because they've cycled around this little red dot that's Singapore about six times. And this is my first round island - looks like I'm the newbie, not them. Most of the time, I don't even know the route, so after I race ahead, I wait for them or the safety vehicle.
At Tampines, I hear this is where the fun-loving Togoparts riders break off. As for me, I keep going though I'm tired - poor sleep for three nights in a row. While waiting for the rest, I try to snatch some sleep. The bike leaders sail on by, keeping a "slow-and-steady wins the race" pace of about 20 km/h (some on rental / borrowed low end bikes too, which makes it all the more impressive). But at Changi Coastal Road, all of us end up racing, because of a pack of dogs. No one panics, no one crashes. That's discipline. But I laugh at myself how my speed jumped by 10 km/h. At East Coast Park, it's still dangerous even at 6 am. People walk and ride regardless of race, language and collision. I have a close call there. I really dislike cycling there.
So, another dream fulfilled - cycling around Singapore (though I note this is a smaller "circumference' than the routes I've been checking out eg we didn't go that far west or north). Other dreams that came to pass: cycling 100 and 200 km. Dreams that have yet to be fulfilled: 400 km ride - and solo round island.
Tech note I really have to do something about my rims. Might as well change the wheelset to some decent hubs. The bearings in my no-name hubs must be shot by now.
Sunday, May 18, 2003
To the waterfall
We go deeper and deeper into the oil palm plantation. It's going to get dark soon. Somehow, Hospital D's global positioning satellite thingy doesn't quite help us find the way out - the foilage is too dense for the satellites, I guess. He and LCT decide to backtrack. So here I go again, bouncing back from whence I came in.
Back at the resort, I marvel at how AZ and Hospital D lovingly wash their magnificent machines (both Specialized). Me, all I have is a Specialized helmet and bottlecage. I'm going to throw away the aluminium cage - someone tells me about aluminium poisoning ...
Half of us head for home that evening. The other half head for town (the resort is too expensive) to spend the night. Next morning, we head south for home. Along the way, a puppy zooms after LCT like a heat seeking missle. Target acquired, but lost. Missle turns to face me. I bend down and shout at it. I think it's winded; it looks at me blankly. Wonder why it targetted LCT but I'm glad this dog didn't go after me.
Thanks to Giant, who suggested I feed Horse with lube, my machine is frisky again. The lube must have been washed away as I sprayed my bike yesterday. I'm also surprised how much air has gone out of my tyres too; must have been the pounding on the trail yesterday.
Tech note LCT and Hospital D comment about my bike being a rigid one, while they ride in relative comfort on the trail. At Bukit Timah (15 May), Giant's colleagues say that if my rides are filmed, bike shops will close and if I change to a better bike, I could be "Singapore's best rider". Yeah yeah, one day I'll get a hardtail. But not now, while Horse still has life in it. Anyway, who knows, it's a man-machine interface thing. I know how my Horse performs. Who knows if my next bike has that same frame geometry and everything else that makes my bike what it is today.
Thursday, May 15, 2003
Rock and roll at Bukit Timah
Cycling with us are Giant's colleagues; I've met them before at Ubin on 1 May 03. Same people, different bikes. Now, three of them have the same Gary Fishers. And me, still rigid on my Iron Horse. And I made it :-) except for an embarrasing fall while I was stationery and resting! Well, blame it on the lack of sleep - I managed to snatch about 4-5 hours of sleep only.
The ride didn't have a good start though. While I was riding along Hougang on the way to meet Gentle Giant, I see a couple of dogs at a petrol station 75m away. They start trotting out to wish me a good morning. One of them, which is coloured like a hyena, runs parallel to me. I cut across three lanes (don't remember if I checked for traffic, but whew, this is about 7.30 am on a public holiday, so traffic is light). Ahead of me is a red light. Oh oh, I'm in for it now. Fortunately, the dog gets tired of its monologue with me. It stops barking and gives up the chase. But this isn't the only rude encounter of the day.
While cycling with Giant towards Bukit Timah, a driver cuts in front of both of us. I jam my brakes and skid. I swerve round the driver and ask her: "How do you drive?" She comes after me and horns me, winds down her window and says: "I signalled." Giant yells a one-word insult at her. The driver keeps nattering away. I ignore her, thinking that she ought to try her stunt in front of a 5-ton truck and see if her signal will save her.
Tech note Am I imagining things, or is my Bukit Timah dirt stained chain working better? Previously, one flick of the wrist turns the crank about 1.5 revolutions. Now, it goes over two revolutions. Hmmm. Last night, for the first time in my life, I changed my own tyres solo (well, I was strongly advised not to use my slick tyres). Oops, got one of them the wrong way round, let's start all over again. Must have done it right, because my tyres didn't blow despite the pounding at Bukit Timah. Whoa, what incredible inner tubes - over eight years old, still going strong.
Today, I buy myself a camera. It's kinda alarming wondering whether or not my old $25 camera is working or not. Sure, the shots of my first ride with Giant's colleagues turned out OK but the Kluang experience (18-19 Apr 03) was a real fiasco.
Wednesday, April 30, 2003
Apr: 727 km
Wed 30 Apr: C is for Cool
To Changi Village, 61 km. Tonight is the second time I cycle with the Wednesday night riders. I meet C, who has an A-frame Canondale. She tells me it's about 8-9 years old and was modified extensively at Batu Pahat for about RM500. A cool-looking bicycle, with a cool cyclist to match. On the way to Changi, she has a few close calls - a taxi and a motorbike which cuts really close to her path. But she keeps her cool. At Changi Coast Road, I push myself really hard, playing tag with G, who rides a golden brown Cannondale. He cranks a furious pace notwithstanding his knobbly tires. At Changi Village, I have a quick bite, then head for home so I can snatch a few hours of sleep before the Ubin ride tomorrow.
27 Apr: Ride of contradictions
Punggol and Changi Village, 80 km. What a strange ride it is today, as I lead a BOAC ride:
A couple of cyclists tell me an hour before the ride that they're backing out and I think I'll only have half a dozen cyclists. As it turns out, there are double that number, thanks to Gentle Giant (aka XTR) who has two batches of riders join her.
Yesterday's weather report says it's going to rain this afternoon. Instead, it was a scorcher - I can see heat waves rise from the roads. Even the water in my water bottle turns warm. Not to mention my headache as the sun beats down mercilessly.
The rider (his initials and bike both start with K) in ordinary togs and shoes rides faster than another cyclist with fancy bicycle and clipless pedals. In fact, I could barely keep up, though I now have slick tyres.
The group comprise those who ride a few times a year - and a group from Togoparts (Gentle Giant's pals).
After lunch at River Mall, Mr Trek OCLV and I take two of the BOAC cyclists back to Hougang / Ang Mo Kio, then we sprint back to River Mall to join the die hard riders to Changi.
Today, I cycle for the first time in my life with bike shorts, as I try them out for the eagerly anticipated ride to Malacca next weekend. First time I wear ankle-length socks too. LSH says I'm changing my image. Today also marks another broken record - one I didn't want to break. Since I started leading rides this year in Bikerboey's absence as she traipses around South America, my rides have been accident free. Until today. A girl biker squeezes her disc brakes and brakes too well. She falls. Fortunate, she grazed only her knee. Yes, there's some blood, but she didn't bang her head ... Many thanks to Mr Trek OCLV as he sounds the alarm.
And it is good to see my bike pals again - if you're reading this, you know who you are :-)
Wed 23 Apr: Cycling with the guys
To Yishun Ave 1, 31 km. First time I'm cycling with the Wednesday night riders, who meet at Salvation Army at Bishan at around 8 pm. They ride rather exotic bikes, some of which I've never seen before. Corratec, FSR. One of them, GKT leads the ride. He's really fast, on his semi-slicks. After the short ride, we stop by Casuarina Rd for food and beverage. This is the only time we stop for a break - they believe in cycling first, talking later. Which is the way it should be.
Tech note This is the first time I've taken my slick tyres out for a spin. Hmmm. Faster acceleration, lighter too. Think they add a few more km/h to my cruising speed - from 32 to about 35 km/h. Top speed on a flat road doesn't seem to have changed compared to my semi-slicks though; still about 41 km/h. Doesn't make sense. More testing needed.
13 Apr: Cycling with roadies
To Punggol, 37 km It's Sunday again, the third day I'm cycling in seven days. Where shall we go today? A few days ago, ST said she didn't mind going to Punggol, so I go there again.
ST calls DC, who calls TSY. I invite BS - I've never cycled with him but he's e-mailed me after reading my bikelog. He says he's a newbie and needs to practice balancing and cycling on the roads. He rides a Trek OCLV racer. TSY rides a racer too, and is an ex-national cyclist.
The ride to Punggol isn't that far, so I manage to keep TSY in sight while BS brings up the rear. At Punggol end, an elderly gent walks up and wants to ride with us someday. ST agrees and I give him my e-mail address. Who knows, he might kick all our butts, judging from the way he runs. Cycling with others is about giving chances, just like I gave BS a chance and just as AF gave me a chance (sight unseen) to ride to Johore at a frantic (for me) pace.
After Punggol end (which has only a vending machine), we cycle to Punggol Marina and Punggol Port Road. DC tells me she's glad to have met me as she's never seen such scenic places. Not sure she is glad to see the metre-long snake with flies buzzing about its split head - or was that the tongue? Well, I sure am not going closer to inspect it.
During lunch, ST tells us about her rides in Indonesia and Japan. Wow, such wonderful life experiences. And here I am, messing around on this little island, going no further than Johore. DC talks about getting a friend FP (see 18-19 Apr) to arrange a ride to Malaysia.
Tech note After lunch, ST takes us to her friends bike-cum-computer shop, where I fiddle again (see 2 Apr) with my front derailleurs. I guess I don't leave well enough alone. Anyway, I don't make a mess of it - and perhaps it's my imagination but does the chain shift a teeny bit better now on the chain rings? ST tells me I should go back to the Ang Mo Kio bike shop since my handlebar grip got loose after changing the handlebar. I go though I didn't think it would do any good. Sure enough, bikeshop man says there's nothing he can do - if I remove it and clean it, I'd find it hard to put it back on. But that's what I do - I struggle to put it back on but now I've got a firm grip.
PS: Got home around 1 pm - unusually early but I'm glad to be home. I've been spending a lot of time cycling, at the expense of other things - like cooking (imagine, a mouldy frying pan) and cleaning ... Maybe that's why I cycle so much :-(
Fri 11 Apr: From zero to uphill in 10 seconds
To Esplanade, 37 km. It's Friday night. Thanks to Gentle Giant, I'm addicted to Friday night cycling. I used to dread cycling at night because it's hard to judge the speed and distances of cars from the size of their headlights. But somehow, I get by. To night, LSL does the honours again. I meet him at Thomson Road near Dyson Road, and get a taste of what my pals must have felt on the "hills are alive" ride I led last week.
10 Apr: The little joys of life
To Punggol Point, 37 km. I take half day leave and can't contain myself as I put on my bike gear and jump on my bicycle and pedal away to rustic Punggol. It's an interesting place. You can (almost) trace the history of Singapore in reverse in this little place.
The way to Punggol is through a built up area, with condo-like flats. You also see things being built, like mass rapid transit and light rail transit. There's also bare land which has just been cleared and waiting to be built on. You cycle a bit more and hey - it's like you've just crossed a time warp. Narrow, rustic roads winding past trees. Little streams. And the relentlessly blowing headwind. Soon, you reach the end of Punggol Road, which has a quaint little bus "terminus" - more primitive than the one at Sembawang Rd. There's some off-road too, off Punggol Port Rd. I pedal slowly at 7 kmh, trying to keep my chain clean of the sand. I cycle by the sea, parallel to the coast of Coney Island. Finally, I've seen of Coney Island. Several times last year, I've gone to Punggol to look for Coney Island but never found it. Just look at the waves in the foreground, with the island tantalisingly close but unreachable.
Tech note I'm still amazed how smooth my transmission is (see tech note 6 Apr). It is so smooth, so effortless. So easy to cruise at 32 kmh. Going at 35 kmh takes a little more effort, but not as much effort as it was before the drivetrain change, when my max speed was 36 kmh. Now, my max is at least 41.9 kmh. I wonder what it'll be like if I change my rims too. After all, I had to stop twice just now because the brake pads make an ominous sound against my front rim. I find bits of stuff on the brake pad. Perhaps it's grit. Perhaps it's part of the rim. I drop by a bike shop. One pair of ordinary looking wheelsets cost $110. Another pair of sleek, black Jalco rims cost $135. Maybe next time. Now, I gotta clean my chain.
4 Apr: Down by the river
To Singapore River, East Coast Parkway, 54 km. LSL e-mailed me last night asking if I want to ride with him. We've e-mailed to each other before, but I've never met him, much less cycled with him. I say "yes" and the ride is on. We meet at IRAS Building, and the route after that is all a blur as he takes me down little roads here and there. Soon, we are on Scotts Road, Kim Seng Road and then the heart of the city along Singapore River.
What a first, cycling by the river. The city lights shimmer on the black water, mirroring what I see above water level. The reflection in the water of the bridges is Impressionistic and more picturesque than the real thing. We go past Boat Quay and Clarke Quay, Esplanade and Marina Park, then another flurry of detours that take us to the National Stadium and East Coast Park.
Maybe it's the rain, but the crowd is really thin at East Coast. It's safe to ride. We stop by McDonalds and LSL buys me a drink. He offers to drive me home because it's late and it may be dangerous on the roads. Well, I don't know sidelanes like he does and cycling on the road is the only way I know how to go. I cycle home under my own power and arrive past 2 am.
Tech note LSL rides a Bridgestone MB3! It looks good, somewhat modified with RST suspension fork but original Ritchey headset. He's got slick tyres; incredible acceleration that leaves me behind. I have to pedal fast to catch up with him. My chain is still skipping and flaking particles, but less so than before. When I did my road tests, the chain skipped every other stroke or so, then reduced to every eight strokes or so. Now, it's just occasional. I'd say this is getting tolerable. I did cover 54 km after all, no chain suck (though chain almost fell off once) and no grating against the front derailleur. Really glad I changed most of the drive train. Smooth, real smooth. Back home, I'm dismayed to find my brand new chain is peppered with dirt - the outcome of cycling on wet roads and grass. I degrease it and apply dry lube. Smooth, real smooth. I clean up at 3 am.
Wed 2 Apr: Monkey business, horsing around
To Windor Park Rd and Old Upper Thomson Rd, 27 km. I'm not satisfied with the results of last night's road test. So I hit the road again, partly to repeat the road test and partly to recce part of the "hills alive" ride this Sunday. At Upper Pierce Reservoir, motorists stop to feed the monkeys, ignoring the signs which say "don't". The monkeys know humans = food and congregate. Naturally, they associate cars with food too, instead of death. And the monkeys toss food about, including the middle of the road, and dine there. I wonder who has more brains - the monkeys or the motorists.
Tech note Horse is perking up after some tweaking. There are still some things it won't do - as if it's now got a new personality after all those transplants. I learn to work around the characteristics. I don't know what the top speed or cruising speed now is, since the chain rings are smaller. But it's smooth, real smooth. Bontrager crankset, Shimano LX bottom bracket, Shimano IG chain. Without the Iron Horse frame, you are just bike parts. Well, let's see how you all work together this Sunday against aluminium machines equipped with XTR / XT parts.
Tue 1 Apr: Clanking chains in the night
To Old Upper Thomson Rd, 22 km. My dear bike pals want me to lead a ride this Sunday. But my horse doesn't seem well. I get home from work and hop on my bike. Cycling solo on Old Upper Thomson Rd in the dark isn't fun. It's really spooky - especially at one stretch where the lights are out. Anyway, even with street lights, it's so dim I can't see what's happening with my drivetrain. And I see a van stop against traffic flow. A guy got out - he is alone. Why would anyone go there except courting couples and a crazy biker? I don't dare stop to tweak my bike, in case dogs, monkeys and dunno wat else jump on me. A kid on a bicycle nearly crashes into me. An a pedestrian treats me like I am transparent. He ignores me though I'm within spitting distance of him.
Tech note Horse isn't riding well. When I get home, I see my brand new chain is flaking - tiny particles are coming off. That's because the chain is skipping like kids on steroids. Bikeshop man says it's because the chain is newer than the freewheel. So, change freewheel? But he doesn't have a seven-speed Shimano freewheel. Some of the gear ratios don't work ie chain gets stuck on one of the chain rings and won't go down. Gonna have to figure out how to resuscitate my sick horse because I think bikeshop man is sick of me.
To Changi Village, 61 km. Tonight is the second time I cycle with the Wednesday night riders. I meet C, who has an A-frame Canondale. She tells me it's about 8-9 years old and was modified extensively at Batu Pahat for about RM500. A cool-looking bicycle, with a cool cyclist to match. On the way to Changi, she has a few close calls - a taxi and a motorbike which cuts really close to her path. But she keeps her cool. At Changi Coast Road, I push myself really hard, playing tag with G, who rides a golden brown Cannondale. He cranks a furious pace notwithstanding his knobbly tires. At Changi Village, I have a quick bite, then head for home so I can snatch a few hours of sleep before the Ubin ride tomorrow.
27 Apr: Ride of contradictions
A couple of cyclists tell me an hour before the ride that they're backing out and I think I'll only have half a dozen cyclists. As it turns out, there are double that number, thanks to Gentle Giant (aka XTR) who has two batches of riders join her.
Yesterday's weather report says it's going to rain this afternoon. Instead, it was a scorcher - I can see heat waves rise from the roads. Even the water in my water bottle turns warm. Not to mention my headache as the sun beats down mercilessly.
The rider (his initials and bike both start with K) in ordinary togs and shoes rides faster than another cyclist with fancy bicycle and clipless pedals. In fact, I could barely keep up, though I now have slick tyres.
The group comprise those who ride a few times a year - and a group from Togoparts (Gentle Giant's pals).
After lunch at River Mall, Mr Trek OCLV and I take two of the BOAC cyclists back to Hougang / Ang Mo Kio, then we sprint back to River Mall to join the die hard riders to Changi.
And it is good to see my bike pals again - if you're reading this, you know who you are :-)
Wed 23 Apr: Cycling with the guys
To Yishun Ave 1, 31 km. First time I'm cycling with the Wednesday night riders, who meet at Salvation Army at Bishan at around 8 pm. They ride rather exotic bikes, some of which I've never seen before. Corratec, FSR. One of them, GKT leads the ride. He's really fast, on his semi-slicks. After the short ride, we stop by Casuarina Rd for food and beverage. This is the only time we stop for a break - they believe in cycling first, talking later. Which is the way it should be.
Tech note This is the first time I've taken my slick tyres out for a spin. Hmmm. Faster acceleration, lighter too. Think they add a few more km/h to my cruising speed - from 32 to about 35 km/h. Top speed on a flat road doesn't seem to have changed compared to my semi-slicks though; still about 41 km/h. Doesn't make sense. More testing needed.
13 Apr: Cycling with roadies
To Punggol, 37 km It's Sunday again, the third day I'm cycling in seven days. Where shall we go today? A few days ago, ST said she didn't mind going to Punggol, so I go there again.
ST calls DC, who calls TSY. I invite BS - I've never cycled with him but he's e-mailed me after reading my bikelog. He says he's a newbie and needs to practice balancing and cycling on the roads. He rides a Trek OCLV racer. TSY rides a racer too, and is an ex-national cyclist.
The ride to Punggol isn't that far, so I manage to keep TSY in sight while BS brings up the rear. At Punggol end, an elderly gent walks up and wants to ride with us someday. ST agrees and I give him my e-mail address. Who knows, he might kick all our butts, judging from the way he runs. Cycling with others is about giving chances, just like I gave BS a chance and just as AF gave me a chance (sight unseen) to ride to Johore at a frantic (for me) pace.
After Punggol end (which has only a vending machine), we cycle to Punggol Marina and Punggol Port Road. DC tells me she's glad to have met me as she's never seen such scenic places. Not sure she is glad to see the metre-long snake with flies buzzing about its split head - or was that the tongue? Well, I sure am not going closer to inspect it.
During lunch, ST tells us about her rides in Indonesia and Japan. Wow, such wonderful life experiences. And here I am, messing around on this little island, going no further than Johore. DC talks about getting a friend FP (see 18-19 Apr) to arrange a ride to Malaysia.
Tech note After lunch, ST takes us to her friends bike-cum-computer shop, where I fiddle again (see 2 Apr) with my front derailleurs. I guess I don't leave well enough alone. Anyway, I don't make a mess of it - and perhaps it's my imagination but does the chain shift a teeny bit better now on the chain rings? ST tells me I should go back to the Ang Mo Kio bike shop since my handlebar grip got loose after changing the handlebar. I go though I didn't think it would do any good. Sure enough, bikeshop man says there's nothing he can do - if I remove it and clean it, I'd find it hard to put it back on. But that's what I do - I struggle to put it back on but now I've got a firm grip.
PS: Got home around 1 pm - unusually early but I'm glad to be home. I've been spending a lot of time cycling, at the expense of other things - like cooking (imagine, a mouldy frying pan) and cleaning ... Maybe that's why I cycle so much :-(
Fri 11 Apr: From zero to uphill in 10 seconds
To Esplanade, 37 km. It's Friday night. Thanks to Gentle Giant, I'm addicted to Friday night cycling. I used to dread cycling at night because it's hard to judge the speed and distances of cars from the size of their headlights. But somehow, I get by. To night, LSL does the honours again. I meet him at Thomson Road near Dyson Road, and get a taste of what my pals must have felt on the "hills are alive" ride I led last week.
10 Apr: The little joys of life
To Punggol Point, 37 km. I take half day leave and can't contain myself as I put on my bike gear and jump on my bicycle and pedal away to rustic Punggol. It's an interesting place. You can (almost) trace the history of Singapore in reverse in this little place.
The way to Punggol is through a built up area, with condo-like flats. You also see things being built, like mass rapid transit and light rail transit. There's also bare land which has just been cleared and waiting to be built on. You cycle a bit more and hey - it's like you've just crossed a time warp. Narrow, rustic roads winding past trees. Little streams. And the relentlessly blowing headwind. Soon, you reach the end of Punggol Road, which has a quaint little bus "terminus" - more primitive than the one at Sembawang Rd. There's some off-road too, off Punggol Port Rd. I pedal slowly at 7 kmh, trying to keep my chain clean of the sand. I cycle by the sea, parallel to the coast of Coney Island. Finally, I've seen of Coney Island. Several times last year, I've gone to Punggol to look for Coney Island but never found it. Just look at the waves in the foreground, with the island tantalisingly close but unreachable.
Tech note I'm still amazed how smooth my transmission is (see tech note 6 Apr). It is so smooth, so effortless. So easy to cruise at 32 kmh. Going at 35 kmh takes a little more effort, but not as much effort as it was before the drivetrain change, when my max speed was 36 kmh. Now, my max is at least 41.9 kmh. I wonder what it'll be like if I change my rims too. After all, I had to stop twice just now because the brake pads make an ominous sound against my front rim. I find bits of stuff on the brake pad. Perhaps it's grit. Perhaps it's part of the rim. I drop by a bike shop. One pair of ordinary looking wheelsets cost $110. Another pair of sleek, black Jalco rims cost $135. Maybe next time. Now, I gotta clean my chain.
4 Apr: Down by the river
To Singapore River, East Coast Parkway, 54 km. LSL e-mailed me last night asking if I want to ride with him. We've e-mailed to each other before, but I've never met him, much less cycled with him. I say "yes" and the ride is on. We meet at IRAS Building, and the route after that is all a blur as he takes me down little roads here and there. Soon, we are on Scotts Road, Kim Seng Road and then the heart of the city along Singapore River.
What a first, cycling by the river. The city lights shimmer on the black water, mirroring what I see above water level. The reflection in the water of the bridges is Impressionistic and more picturesque than the real thing. We go past Boat Quay and Clarke Quay, Esplanade and Marina Park, then another flurry of detours that take us to the National Stadium and East Coast Park.
Maybe it's the rain, but the crowd is really thin at East Coast. It's safe to ride. We stop by McDonalds and LSL buys me a drink. He offers to drive me home because it's late and it may be dangerous on the roads. Well, I don't know sidelanes like he does and cycling on the road is the only way I know how to go. I cycle home under my own power and arrive past 2 am.
Tech note LSL rides a Bridgestone MB3! It looks good, somewhat modified with RST suspension fork but original Ritchey headset. He's got slick tyres; incredible acceleration that leaves me behind. I have to pedal fast to catch up with him. My chain is still skipping and flaking particles, but less so than before. When I did my road tests, the chain skipped every other stroke or so, then reduced to every eight strokes or so. Now, it's just occasional. I'd say this is getting tolerable. I did cover 54 km after all, no chain suck (though chain almost fell off once) and no grating against the front derailleur. Really glad I changed most of the drive train. Smooth, real smooth. Back home, I'm dismayed to find my brand new chain is peppered with dirt - the outcome of cycling on wet roads and grass. I degrease it and apply dry lube. Smooth, real smooth. I clean up at 3 am.
Wed 2 Apr: Monkey business, horsing around
To Windor Park Rd and Old Upper Thomson Rd, 27 km. I'm not satisfied with the results of last night's road test. So I hit the road again, partly to repeat the road test and partly to recce part of the "hills alive" ride this Sunday. At Upper Pierce Reservoir, motorists stop to feed the monkeys, ignoring the signs which say "don't". The monkeys know humans = food and congregate. Naturally, they associate cars with food too, instead of death. And the monkeys toss food about, including the middle of the road, and dine there. I wonder who has more brains - the monkeys or the motorists.
Tech note Horse is perking up after some tweaking. There are still some things it won't do - as if it's now got a new personality after all those transplants. I learn to work around the characteristics. I don't know what the top speed or cruising speed now is, since the chain rings are smaller. But it's smooth, real smooth. Bontrager crankset, Shimano LX bottom bracket, Shimano IG chain. Without the Iron Horse frame, you are just bike parts. Well, let's see how you all work together this Sunday against aluminium machines equipped with XTR / XT parts.
Tue 1 Apr: Clanking chains in the night
To Old Upper Thomson Rd, 22 km. My dear bike pals want me to lead a ride this Sunday. But my horse doesn't seem well. I get home from work and hop on my bike. Cycling solo on Old Upper Thomson Rd in the dark isn't fun. It's really spooky - especially at one stretch where the lights are out. Anyway, even with street lights, it's so dim I can't see what's happening with my drivetrain. And I see a van stop against traffic flow. A guy got out - he is alone. Why would anyone go there except courting couples and a crazy biker? I don't dare stop to tweak my bike, in case dogs, monkeys and dunno wat else jump on me. A kid on a bicycle nearly crashes into me. An a pedestrian treats me like I am transparent. He ignores me though I'm within spitting distance of him.
Tech note Horse isn't riding well. When I get home, I see my brand new chain is flaking - tiny particles are coming off. That's because the chain is skipping like kids on steroids. Bikeshop man says it's because the chain is newer than the freewheel. So, change freewheel? But he doesn't have a seven-speed Shimano freewheel. Some of the gear ratios don't work ie chain gets stuck on one of the chain rings and won't go down. Gonna have to figure out how to resuscitate my sick horse because I think bikeshop man is sick of me.
Saturday, April 19, 2003
Endurance Queen, King of Pain
18-19 Apr. To Kluang, 278 km. It's a bad start. Although it's 6.15 am on a public holiday (Good Friday), I almost get clipped by a car - and I haven't even left Ang Mo Kio yet. Then, I'm supposed to cycle to Upp Thomson Rd, meet a friend then proceed to Woodlands. My friend isn't there. I call a couple of times, but phone is off (and this is after I tell my friend to be contactable). I wait, but get no notification that my friend is late. How long to wait - buffer time is all used up. No sight, no sound, so I SMS my friend goodbye and scoot off to Woodlands. Sure don't want to miss the ride. On the way there, I nearly got sandwiched between two vehicles. Oh God, please let all this be the worst part of the ride.
Indeed, that is the worst part of the ride. The good things that happen:
I make it to Woodlands just in time. The bike leader, FP, is already there. Other cyclists show up, including my missing in action friend. Off we go to the Causeway, where we are surrounded by a long trail of motorcyclists. I avoid burns from their exhaust pipes.
I see TSY riding a really classic bike: Bridgestone MB0; it is 12 years old. Chromoly frame, of course. She's upgraded it with all-Shimano parts including 9-speed casette and the upgrade cost about $500. Well, look at her go! She's really great to draft behind, as she signals road hazards ahead with her hands. (I draft behind another rider and "bang", my pedal hits a rock - yup, that's how big the rock was.
This is the first time I cycle with FP. It's discouraging, yet inspiring. So, this is real cycling. FP rides his bike (a Scott, carbon frame, with 1.25" tyres) so fast, he's out of sight. He cycles about 500 km each week. No wonder he briefs us: "If we get separated, just go straight. If you come to a fork in the road, turn right."
At times, I feel like giving up but I survive. We're cycling around two hours before each break. On Day 1, we cycle in the burning noonday sun, going up interminable hills that don't seem to go downhill. On Day 2, the sky taunts us as we apply sunblock but it keeps raining. As the Endurance Queen DC cruises past me, I just feel like yelling "ah, forget it, I give up" and throwing my bike down. Whenever I feel like giving up, it is time to stop. Seeing FP by the road side is a welcome sight because it means break time.
DC says I'm really stoned, just gazing into nothingness. Indeed, it's like concussion - on Day 1, I barely notice when a truck honked at me twice. When I look up, it's bearing down on me as it goes against traffic flow. But I'm too tired to care. On Day 2, I take some risks as I ride past on the uneven roads as I hurtle past roadworks and vehicles. Thank God I don't become like the "road pizza" of monitor lizards and snakes along the roads.
I'm the King of Pain. My leg almost cramps, and my right knee hurts - but it's not debilitating. My butt hurts - on Day 2, I'm desperate enough to stuff a t-shirt down my shorts. Though it doesn't work, thank God I cope with the pain in the butt just like I cope with the pain in my neck (caused by my glasses sliding down my face as if they were bifocals - which means I have to raise my head higher just to see the road)
I sometimes feel like I'm cycling solo in a strange land. Indeed, have never been on the road to Kluang before. Sometimes, I can't see any rider in front of me or behind me. Going at 30 kmh or more, a pause of 1 minute means a gap of 500m. But thank God, I didn't get lost.
We stay overnight in a luxurious hotel - it has aircon, carpet, tv, even a bath tub. Sure beats Pengarang.
Chain only skips once on the entire trip!
Tech note Back in Singapore, I drop by my favourite Ang Mo Kio bikeshop and change my new semi slicks (which are now "rain proven") into slick tyres. The following day, I visit Treknology Bikes at Holland Grove. I see two chromoly Marin bikes - the old one costs $1,000 but the front d doesn't quite work. The new bike is $1,600 after a $1,000 discount. Though it's "new", it's an old model and it does look old.
Indeed, that is the worst part of the ride. The good things that happen:
I make it to Woodlands just in time. The bike leader, FP, is already there. Other cyclists show up, including my missing in action friend. Off we go to the Causeway, where we are surrounded by a long trail of motorcyclists. I avoid burns from their exhaust pipes.
I see TSY riding a really classic bike: Bridgestone MB0; it is 12 years old. Chromoly frame, of course. She's upgraded it with all-Shimano parts including 9-speed casette and the upgrade cost about $500. Well, look at her go! She's really great to draft behind, as she signals road hazards ahead with her hands. (I draft behind another rider and "bang", my pedal hits a rock - yup, that's how big the rock was.
This is the first time I cycle with FP. It's discouraging, yet inspiring. So, this is real cycling. FP rides his bike (a Scott, carbon frame, with 1.25" tyres) so fast, he's out of sight. He cycles about 500 km each week. No wonder he briefs us: "If we get separated, just go straight. If you come to a fork in the road, turn right."
At times, I feel like giving up but I survive. We're cycling around two hours before each break. On Day 1, we cycle in the burning noonday sun, going up interminable hills that don't seem to go downhill. On Day 2, the sky taunts us as we apply sunblock but it keeps raining. As the Endurance Queen DC cruises past me, I just feel like yelling "ah, forget it, I give up" and throwing my bike down. Whenever I feel like giving up, it is time to stop. Seeing FP by the road side is a welcome sight because it means break time.
DC says I'm really stoned, just gazing into nothingness. Indeed, it's like concussion - on Day 1, I barely notice when a truck honked at me twice. When I look up, it's bearing down on me as it goes against traffic flow. But I'm too tired to care. On Day 2, I take some risks as I ride past on the uneven roads as I hurtle past roadworks and vehicles. Thank God I don't become like the "road pizza" of monitor lizards and snakes along the roads.
I'm the King of Pain. My leg almost cramps, and my right knee hurts - but it's not debilitating. My butt hurts - on Day 2, I'm desperate enough to stuff a t-shirt down my shorts. Though it doesn't work, thank God I cope with the pain in the butt just like I cope with the pain in my neck (caused by my glasses sliding down my face as if they were bifocals - which means I have to raise my head higher just to see the road)
I sometimes feel like I'm cycling solo in a strange land. Indeed, have never been on the road to Kluang before. Sometimes, I can't see any rider in front of me or behind me. Going at 30 kmh or more, a pause of 1 minute means a gap of 500m. But thank God, I didn't get lost.
We stay overnight in a luxurious hotel - it has aircon, carpet, tv, even a bath tub. Sure beats Pengarang.
Chain only skips once on the entire trip!
Tech note Back in Singapore, I drop by my favourite Ang Mo Kio bikeshop and change my new semi slicks (which are now "rain proven") into slick tyres. The following day, I visit Treknology Bikes at Holland Grove. I see two chromoly Marin bikes - the old one costs $1,000 but the front d doesn't quite work. The new bike is $1,600 after a $1,000 discount. Though it's "new", it's an old model and it does look old.
Sunday, April 06, 2003
The hills are alive
To Admiralty Rd West (see route details below), 63km. A group of 10 riders visit the hills of central and northern Singapore.
Quite an eventful ride, with riders cursing me at the first hill of Windsor Park Rd. Indeed, the hills are alive, with the sound of cursing. Of course, it isn't that bad; if they had breath to curse me, the ride isn't that tough. Unhappiness continued at the second stop for breakfast - which was unscheduled. It seems some of the riders hadn't had breakfast, though they were supposed to eat before the ride starts. But how can they cycle on empty stomachs? So they eat while some of those who'd eaten fume quietly to me.
After the ride, cheeky Gentle Giant insists I should give her a certificate of participation / achievement. She e-mails me after that to drive home the point. But I can do better than issue certificates. Everyone who rides (and one who didn't) gets an award. Some get more than one award. Here's the roll of honour (drum roll).
This ride is memorable to me for several reasons
Tech note The second "liposuction" of my bike (see 29-30 Mar) is paying off well overall. Less weight, less energy needed, less injury. More distance, more speed and (of course) more costly. Price I've spent upgrading the bike is now about the same as the cost price. Still, it costs less than getting a new bike - and what price can you put on a "classic" bike? Anyway, the only original parts left on my horsey are the wheelset, inner tubes (unpunctured after 3,652 km), rear derailleur and, of course, the frame. May the Horse be with you. I reward horsey by cleaning and lubing it for the next ride.
- Storming the castle: Windsor Park Rd. See how rich people like big houses on big hill tops.
- Piercing pain: Upper Pierce Reservoir off Old Upper Thomson Rd. Look out for monkeys looking out for you and motorists trying to feed monkeys. There's a place here with a sign "beware of crocodile" - don't think it refers to underwear .
- Catch your breath: Sembawang Rd, Gambas Ave. Sightseeing at the hotspring where a couple of guys soak their feet while the rest of us joke at their expense.
- Waves of despair: Admiralty Rd West. Rest along the little quiet road facing Johore. Lunch, then a quick spin by Senoko Fishing Port at Attap Valley Rd.
- Dessert here we come: Admiralty Rd East to Sembawang Park. Ice cream by the sea.
- Ride in the park: scenic park connector beside river to Yishun Ave 2.
Quite an eventful ride, with riders cursing me at the first hill of Windsor Park Rd. Indeed, the hills are alive, with the sound of cursing. Of course, it isn't that bad; if they had breath to curse me, the ride isn't that tough. Unhappiness continued at the second stop for breakfast - which was unscheduled. It seems some of the riders hadn't had breakfast, though they were supposed to eat before the ride starts. But how can they cycle on empty stomachs? So they eat while some of those who'd eaten fume quietly to me.
After the ride, cheeky Gentle Giant insists I should give her a certificate of participation / achievement. She e-mails me after that to drive home the point. But I can do better than issue certificates. Everyone who rides (and one who didn't) gets an award. Some get more than one award. Here's the roll of honour (drum roll).
- Distinguished Achievement Award: RL, for perseverance despite a bad knee and riding a bike that also needs help.
- Achievement Award (joint winners): to LEK, keeps up and keeps smiling despite being a newbie and saddlesore. AZ, who took part in a race the day before the ride (this is also the first time I've cycled with her).
- Gentleman of the Ride Award (loud applause): NBL, who rides behind to keep an eye on RL. NBL has made it a point on other rides to look after stragglers / strugglers, even though he can ride like the wind. As in the case with society, it is a mark of decency to watch over those at risk of being left behind.
- Helpful Rider Award (loud cheers): LCT, for keeping me posted on happenings among riders and helping me wait for them. LCT also wins the Overqualified Rider Award, for taking part in the ride even though it must have been boring for him. Imagine a postgraduate student taking a test for an O Level student ... He rides faster than 40 kmh so the slow pace must have been boring. Just watch him entertain himself at rest stops and during the ride, as he disappears and reappears like a ninja at different parts of the road.
- The "Hello, Where Are You" Award (joint winners): Gentle Giant and ST, who overshoot turning points. Giant also wins the "What, No Ice Kachang?" Award.
- The "No Complaints" Award (joint winners): to GL and LSH for quietly enjoying the ride.
- The "I Wish I Was Riding With You" Award: to M.
This ride is memorable to me for several reasons
- I didn't get lost though the recce was more than a month ago
- First time I ride with a bandanna; it sure helps keep the sweat out of my eyes and off my glasses. Looks cool too, I think. And when I soak it in water and ride, it sure feels cool. I also put on a t-shirt cut off at the waist - it sure lets in cool air!
- I clock 41.9 kmh on a flat road. Might have been able to go faster, but chain started skipping and there were some on-coming traffic. Before upgrading my drivetrain, the max speed on the same road was 36 kmh.
- I ride like I had dogs after me at Upper Pierce, dodging cars right and left. Why did I take those risks? Speed thrills but kills
- Bike computer tells me I clocked max speed of 62.61 kmh. Dare I believe it? I don't recall going that fast.
Tech note The second "liposuction" of my bike (see 29-30 Mar) is paying off well overall. Less weight, less energy needed, less injury. More distance, more speed and (of course) more costly. Price I've spent upgrading the bike is now about the same as the cost price. Still, it costs less than getting a new bike - and what price can you put on a "classic" bike? Anyway, the only original parts left on my horsey are the wheelset, inner tubes (unpunctured after 3,652 km), rear derailleur and, of course, the frame. May the Horse be with you. I reward horsey by cleaning and lubing it for the next ride.
Sunday, March 30, 2003
Mar: 654 km
29-30 Mar: Warning - millipede crossing
To Desaru, 162 km. I see a one inch long millipede crossing the road. Inching its way across, just like most of us inch uphill along them hills to Desaru. We make it. But some creatures didn't: a baby monkey (with a trail of blood from its mouth). A chicken. A snake. A couple of monitor lizards. Guess they weren't monitoring the road and became road pizza.
There, but for the grace of God, go I. Was buzzed by a bus on the way to Changi Village to start my longest trip ever. It was the earliest I'd ever set out for a ride too - 6 am. It's cool, it's dark, and traffic is light. But amazing how many people are on the road getting to work.
In Malaysia, one of the cyclists get recalled to work. Others get lost. A couple of punctured tyres and what sounds like a hub with stones thrashing about in it . My front derailleur is OK. And I twist my foot but get away with it.
What I did't get away from was a thrashing by one LCT. I spin at 39 kmh, this guy just cruises by. He cuts a lonely figure, silhouetted on the hill tops on the road to Desaru as he waits for the rest of us. Inspiring, yet demoralising to see him "flatten" the hills while the hills flatten me. I put my head down and keep pedalling, keeping my eye on my bike computer. My wheels turn slowly, the sweat pours furiously. I think I make it no. 2 behind LCT. But along the way ... I forget to enjoy the ride. The blue sky, puffy white clouds, swaying trees, friendly visitors ... all forgotten. All because I want to keep the speck-in-the-distance that is LCT in sight. All because I want to perform. Grim determination does that - it gets you there, but without the fun. Anyway, all of us eventually get to the end point - just a matter of time.
Time overtakes us. I cleverly leave my lights in my bag at Pengarang as we scoot off to Desaru. Night falls. It's dark. Now I have to cycle close to someone to "borrow" the light. It also means I lug the heavy lights all the way to Malaysia just to decorate the inside of my bag.
In the night, unknown things rustle about in the grass alongside the road. And unknown things buzz about, hitting me and my helmet. Some of this unseen stuff is big - it hurts when exoskeletons whack into me. Watch your air intake; keep your mouth shut! As is typical Malaysian courtesy, cars give us a wide berth, or trail along behind us. No horning, just gentle patience, lighting the way for us with car lighting.
The next day, I have a huge breakfast, then eat a rather large lunch a few hours later. Some of them, including EK, leave our lunch spot Mary Brown (we had lunch there too yesterday) first. This is EK's first major ride, on the first bike he ever owns. He keeps up with us, sore butt and all, still cheerful. I stay back to enjoy the aircon (Mary Brown is the only eating place with cool air). Soon, our glorious leader D says it's time to go. So I go. But there's no sight of EK and the rest of the Giant gang who'd set out first. Am I lost?
I see the Singapore city skyline in the distance, so I know I'm heading in the right direction. Still no sight of the Giant gang - and no sight of any cyclist behind me. Without any indication of progress, I keep my head down and do the best I can, pushing myself, keeping my eye on my speedometer. And then, round the corner, a sight for sweat-stained eyes - the Giant fans. I keep up the pace. Anyway, fast or slow, we all end up in the same boat together.
Tech note Having seen LCT on his Norco, I wonder about getting a new bicycle - there are 11 of us so there's stuff to look at. Some say aluminium frames only last a few years. Get a titanium frame, I'm told. Well, my bicycle seat has titanium and it's performing really well. But I'm not sure I want such an expensive bike - would be terrified of losing it, scratching it. And what if it doesn't flex as well as chromoly? Anyway, along the road, we pass other groups of riders on fierce-looking bikes. We leave them behind.
Back in Singapore, I head for a bikeshop and reach in time to see the shutters come down. So I head for another one and replace my chain, bottom bracket and crankset - I'm just fed up of all that wasted energy. Besides, better parts tend to reduce effort and injury. The replacements cost me $118 and saved about 1 kg. That's double the price of the headset change (see entry 23 Mar) for the same weight savings. Bikeshop man tries to adjust the front d for me. Not really satisfactory.
Thu 27 Mar: Quest for perfection leads to imperfection
Tech note To Old Upper Thomson Rd, 23 km. Took half day leave to road test my bicycle. Something seems wrong with my front derailleur; noticed that after 23 Mar ride when I was cleaning the chain. I adjust the front d back and forth, but it doesn't seem to shift as I adjust. Old age? I go to a bikeshop and change the front d. But it clearly wasn't meant for my bicycle, contrary to what bikeshop man had to say.
23 Mar: Animal Farm
To Kranji, Lim Chu Kang 73 km. Led group of eight cyclists to check out Kranji Dam and Turut Track. At the track, got chased by a representative of the pack of dogs (see 14 Mar entry). The beast got within smelling distance of my foot; wish my socks could wage chemical warfare on the dog. What's scarier than being chased by dogs? It's cycling in a place knowing it was the site of a recent dog attack - and that the only way out is the only way in. Good thing Gentle Giant was there; felt better that another human being was around. Dogs left her alone - but blocked my path. I wait by the lily pond and pray, then ride like the wind past the dogs, who explode in a frenzy of barking and motion. But ha ha, they're on the wrong side of the fence so I'm free.
This is an "animal farm" ride, past fish, cow, goat, frog and bird farms. We also see a mountain of manure with a tractor on top of it. And a rustic country road which winds its way past a mangrove swamp into the Straits of Johore, with kelongs (and Johore) in the distance.
Gentle Giant sends an e-mail after the ride saying it was a killer ride with not enough rest. Sorry guys (but I did offer a few rest stops, but there were no takers).
Tech note Paid $60 to put Iron Horse on a slimming programme; liposuction of head(set) which saved 1kg. Agonised whether to get a new bicycle, be it GT, Scott ... all of which retail for about $600 with Deore parts. They're not that much lighter than my horse - which has character. It's like driving a Morris Minor, Citroen 2CV or air-cooled Volkswagon compared to a Japanese car. Bikeshop man suggests upgrading my horse with parts from the Scott because he wants to sell the frame separately, but then seems to change his mind because he wouldn't quote a price.
Fri 21 Mar: Brushes with death
To Marine Parade, Changi 65 km. On the way to Marine Parade via Still Road, several SBS buses brush by me, competing to see which one can get closest to me without actually touching me. First time I've ever cycled to Marine Parade, on yet another night ride organised by Gentle Giant. We are joined by a Yeti, who is from togoparts; first time I've ever cycled with one. First time too, that I helped to change an inner tube, using my tyre levers for the first time. We go through Changi Coast Road and East Coast Park twice. Gentle Giant is fast. I'm thinking again about getting a new bicycle. After a while, inefficiency gets to me. I reach home at 4.20 am; first time I've ever been home so late.
Thu 20 Mar: To buy or not to buy?
Tech note To Hougang 15 km. Front derailleurs went cranky after 16 Mar ride. I ride to Hougang to adjust the derailleurs by the roadside by a lampost. Also stop by a Hougang bikeshop. Bikeshop Man says he can upgrade my entire bike to Deore for $600. (Funny, some other bikeshops tell me don't waste my money / can't physically be done.) He also tells me to get a new bicycle with equivalent parts would cost $1,400.
16 Mar: Going where I've never been before
To Tuas 121 km. Have you ever had a lady bird, pale pink with little black polka dots, land on your arm? Or see a white egret swoop across four lanes of road in front of you? Or ride on a straight road eight lanes wide - with no traffic as far as the eyes can see?
On today's ride, I have. I go as far southwest as one can possibly go in Singapore, all the way to Tuas Power Station. The reclaimed land is so barren, with no trees in sight. The only source of shade is near a big pungent-smelling, polluted canal. And yet, there's a ladybird in this blighted place. Other life forms: a pack of four dogs which I blundered upon. All they had to do was lunge at me, but they don't - too hot in the mid-day sun, I guess. On another road, I see a litter of pups follow mama. One pup darts back. Uh oh, I need to get past mama. I scoot past. Mama merely looks at me. I guess all this makes up for the two attacks on 14 Mar night.
This is quite a ride, I break a few personal records. I've gone where I've never gone before, in the physical and metaphorical sense. Longest ride and longest solo ride. Longest duration without stopping to rest (except at traffic lights or to check my map / compass). I also get embarrassingly lost several times. Jurong and Choa Chu Kang estate are a labyrinth of roads. The only way out: forget the map and rely on the compass.
I never knew Singapore still had traffic roundabouts - in Jurong. I navigate it twice without incident. I also never knew roadies could go so fast. A pack of about 20 zip past me though I'm already going at 39 kmh along Mandai Rd.
Tech note Discovered that my Iron Horse distorts magnetic fields. It can deflect a compass by 90 degrees! Bits of my rear rim also came off today - after effect of the 23 Feb ride where a tiny stone lodged between the rim and brake pad. Really tired on the way home - I realise after I get home that the lube on my chain had disappeared - boiled away? It's so hot, even the water in my bottle is yucky warm. With the lube gone, no wonder it's so hard to pedal. How can lube disappear so fast? And my front derailleurs go cranky too. Time for another bicycle? Which one?
14 Mar: Night of the four-legged piranhas
To Turut Track 50 km. Supposed to have been a ride to Mt Faber today organised by Hospital D. No one seems to have details; maybe no Horses allowed. Anyway, inspired by Gentle Giant, I decide to go night cycling again - but this time alone, since Gentle Giant cancelled her ride.
This is the first time I've gone on a solo night ride. At Kranji, I look at Johore Bahru and it looks like a metropolis of bright lights. In contrast, the Singapore side is shrouded in darkness, with red lights at Kranji Transmitting Station dotting the night sky like so many Iron Giants' eyes.
I reach Turut Track. My sense of foreboding, which I started off the ride with, grows stronger. A car is ahead of me, backing into Turut Track. I cut into the track before the car cuts me off. Turut Track is dark - so dark that my bicycle light actually makes a difference. I wind along the road in the cool night air. A spider's web brushes against my lips. Phoey! Suddenly, barks rip into the air. I'd just slipped by a pack of dogs. They attack the car behind me. My heart sinks. The only way out of Turut Track is past those dogs, since the track leads to a dead end. I reach the dead end. So does the car. I know I've gotta get ahead of the car. If the car goes ahead of me, the dogs will surround it and block my way. And I don't have a reverse gear.
I shoot ahead of the car. I pass by the spot where I think the dogs are. Nothing. But before I can heave a sigh of relief, barks in sensurround rip through the air again. I see black shapes - about five dogs? - hurtle out. They're somewhere ahead of me, I'm not sure where. There's only one way out. I shoot through the pack at 34 kmh. I hear the nails of these four-legged piranhas on the road. I look back and one of them barks at me. I keep on going and leave them behind. On Kranji Way, I keep to the middle of the road - not just middle of the lane, but of the entire 4-lane road. Who knows what lurks in the shadows? I pass by two dogs sitting by the open gate of a factory. They ignore me. I pass another pack, the leader looks in my eyes and lunges at me. My left leg, which had started cramping 12 km into the ride at Seletar, cramps in a major way. Fortunately, the second pack of dogs was just kidding, I think.
9 Mar: MBA qualified
To Tampines 37 km. So, I thought I knew how to adjust my brakes (see 7 Mar entry). Wrong! At Hospital D's house, he shows us basic bike mechanics (adjusting brakes, fixing punctures and chains) while his relative shows us traditional Malay hospitality, plying us with food and drink. I thought I knew how to adjust brakes, but I was wrong. I look at his skill, modify his technique to suit my bicycle's ancient technology and presto! brake squeal is reduced.
For the first time, I remove the rear wheel from a bike and put it back on (hey, I never had to do it with my bike; almost 3,000 km on the same inner tubes). Another first: the bicycle I messed around with is made of carbon fibre (see how generous H is, to volunteer his bike for our tender mercies). Also the first time I wear my brother's Specialized helmet - and the first time the not-so-Gentle Giant dropped it on concrete :-(
Hospital D talks about riding in Lhasa next year. Talk about mountain bike action (MBA) - the whole place is mountain. Sounds interesting, but I'm not sure about altitude / mountain sickness. And will my heavy-duty Iron Horse be too heavy? But come to think about it, some of those alloy bikes are heavy too, with front / full suspension. As they keep talking, I make tracks - to Tampines mountain bike trail.
For the first time, I test my semi-slicks off-road. Poor traction on gravel and loose sand; slip sliding away, as the song goes. But on dirt tracks, stony ground or grass, wow, they are slick. I ride along at 16km/h on the trail with 280 kPa, compared to 11km/h the last time I rode on my full knobbies. I tear up (yup, uphill) Tampines Road at 32km/h - cruising speed. Time will tell how the semi-slicks perform in the rain and mud.
7 Mar: Lights out
To Eunos, Upper Thomson, Yishun, Tampines 53 km. Another night ride, organised again by Gentle Giant. I pump my tyres to 280 kPA (a first!), ride to Eunos and then back to Upper Thomson because I don't want to miss out on a longer ride with good company. It's kinda eerie at Old Upper Thomson Road, with its winding road shrouded alongside by trees wrapped in darkness. The street lights are diffused in the misty air and fail to shed light on the undergrowth. What lurks in the darkness? Saw a dog dart across the road. Is it alone? Well, we're not alone. In the pools of darkness, we see parked cars. No one is sitting upright in them ...
We stop by Seletar "dam" (Yishun Ave 1), but the "music trucks" which blast music out the back are gone. Togoparts riders pass us by. We ride on, to one of the few roads in Singapore with no street lights. By now, my bicycle light is an embarrasment and soon, it peters out. My semi-slicks, however, offer slick performance. Yup, there is indeed less rolling resistance. And they are quiet. I hear the rush of the wind and hear the whirring of the drive train. Far easier to hear the hum of Gentle Giant's tyres ahead of me.
At Jalan Kayu, we make the mandatory stop for prata. I had banana prata. is it a mistake or what; didn't know it's twice the size of the usual prata. Comes with ice-cream too. Yummy. We spend an hour there, then ride on. Cyclists start breaking away enroute and at Tampines, I break away reluctantly. Reached home at 3 am - and started tinkering with my brakes to kill the screeching.
2 Mar: The silent hum
To Admiralty Rd West, Sembawang Park 55 km. Took out my bicycle at 7.20 am for a spin. I don't even leave my house this early for work ... My new tyres are easy to start and easy to cycle uphill with. I can hardly hear them hum, except on rougher road surfaces. Even then the hum is soft. So, less kinetic energy being wasted as sound energy? But can my new tyres go any faster than my full knobbies? Sure, new toys are easier to to ride, but maybe not faster. I clocked 36km/h before running out of road at Sembawang park connector. But I'm not sure it's crusing speed ... or maybe I'm just tired, because I conducted the test after cycling 40km on hilly terrain. Tyres work OK on grass and dirt track. But hardly any traction on gravel. In fact, these tyres pick up lots of tiny stones; have to pry them out with a knife. Wonder how they perform on wet roads though. Hope they're not too slick. I'd hate to slip and crash and get road rash ... or worse.
I help myself to brother's XTR brakes. Think I save a few more grams of weight, just like his titanium saddle helped too. Not sure his wheelset would fit my bike though, but they are light. He offered to loan me his bicycle. Indeed, it's light and fast; though cobwebs abound, just look at the cassette spin! But it's too big. Anyway, I'm stuck to my Iron Horse.
I spend almost two hours cleaning my chain (it's still full of crud despite use of a toothbrush) and fixing the brakes onto my bike (trying to get it right). Need another road test, I think. Sigh, all this effort trying to save grams, when my frame and wheels are so in love with gravity. New seat, aluminum seatpost, lighter brakes and waterbottle cage. But I've added bar ends, tyre repair kit, inner tube and pump. Net weight gain!
Sat 1 Mar: Unslick job on semi-slicks
I recce part of "The hills are alive" route that I'm organising, at Upper Thomson Rd. Then I say goodbye to the tyres that came with my Iron Horse. Got a pair of semi-slicks. They look good, but are still kinda heavy. Still, they cost only $14 each. Should cut down some rolling friction, I guess. The Bikeshop Man used his screwdriver as a tyre lever! How could he! And after he fit the wheel back, the brakes went haywire. So he adjusted the spokes and brakes. Now the brakes are spongy, not firm. I don't like it. Something wrong with the way the tyre was fitted. I see people change tyres in the field and there are no problems. Why does this guy have a problem? I wanted to buy tyres from the smaller shop; the Bikeshop Man there seems to lavish more tender loving care on the bikes. Too bad he didn't have the tyres of the sizes I wanted. I was willing to fork out more dough for Panaracers, Maxxis, Continental... instead, I ended up with something I've never heard of. Let's see how they perform tomorrow.
Could've gotten hit by a bus; TIBS 928 Service 169, 4 pm. Thought of writing to TIBS to complain: he shouldn't have pulled out from the bus bay as I was passing by. But I guess I'll forgive him.
To Desaru, 162 km. I see a one inch long millipede crossing the road. Inching its way across, just like most of us inch uphill along them hills to Desaru. We make it. But some creatures didn't: a baby monkey (with a trail of blood from its mouth). A chicken. A snake. A couple of monitor lizards. Guess they weren't monitoring the road and became road pizza.
There, but for the grace of God, go I. Was buzzed by a bus on the way to Changi Village to start my longest trip ever. It was the earliest I'd ever set out for a ride too - 6 am. It's cool, it's dark, and traffic is light. But amazing how many people are on the road getting to work.
In Malaysia, one of the cyclists get recalled to work. Others get lost. A couple of punctured tyres and what sounds like a hub with stones thrashing about in it . My front derailleur is OK. And I twist my foot but get away with it.
What I did't get away from was a thrashing by one LCT. I spin at 39 kmh, this guy just cruises by. He cuts a lonely figure, silhouetted on the hill tops on the road to Desaru as he waits for the rest of us. Inspiring, yet demoralising to see him "flatten" the hills while the hills flatten me. I put my head down and keep pedalling, keeping my eye on my bike computer. My wheels turn slowly, the sweat pours furiously. I think I make it no. 2 behind LCT. But along the way ... I forget to enjoy the ride. The blue sky, puffy white clouds, swaying trees, friendly visitors ... all forgotten. All because I want to keep the speck-in-the-distance that is LCT in sight. All because I want to perform. Grim determination does that - it gets you there, but without the fun. Anyway, all of us eventually get to the end point - just a matter of time.
Time overtakes us. I cleverly leave my lights in my bag at Pengarang as we scoot off to Desaru. Night falls. It's dark. Now I have to cycle close to someone to "borrow" the light. It also means I lug the heavy lights all the way to Malaysia just to decorate the inside of my bag.
In the night, unknown things rustle about in the grass alongside the road. And unknown things buzz about, hitting me and my helmet. Some of this unseen stuff is big - it hurts when exoskeletons whack into me. Watch your air intake; keep your mouth shut! As is typical Malaysian courtesy, cars give us a wide berth, or trail along behind us. No horning, just gentle patience, lighting the way for us with car lighting.
The next day, I have a huge breakfast, then eat a rather large lunch a few hours later. Some of them, including EK, leave our lunch spot Mary Brown (we had lunch there too yesterday) first. This is EK's first major ride, on the first bike he ever owns. He keeps up with us, sore butt and all, still cheerful. I stay back to enjoy the aircon (Mary Brown is the only eating place with cool air). Soon, our glorious leader D says it's time to go. So I go. But there's no sight of EK and the rest of the Giant gang who'd set out first. Am I lost?
I see the Singapore city skyline in the distance, so I know I'm heading in the right direction. Still no sight of the Giant gang - and no sight of any cyclist behind me. Without any indication of progress, I keep my head down and do the best I can, pushing myself, keeping my eye on my speedometer. And then, round the corner, a sight for sweat-stained eyes - the Giant fans. I keep up the pace. Anyway, fast or slow, we all end up in the same boat together.
Tech note Having seen LCT on his Norco, I wonder about getting a new bicycle - there are 11 of us so there's stuff to look at. Some say aluminium frames only last a few years. Get a titanium frame, I'm told. Well, my bicycle seat has titanium and it's performing really well. But I'm not sure I want such an expensive bike - would be terrified of losing it, scratching it. And what if it doesn't flex as well as chromoly? Anyway, along the road, we pass other groups of riders on fierce-looking bikes. We leave them behind.
Back in Singapore, I head for a bikeshop and reach in time to see the shutters come down. So I head for another one and replace my chain, bottom bracket and crankset - I'm just fed up of all that wasted energy. Besides, better parts tend to reduce effort and injury. The replacements cost me $118 and saved about 1 kg. That's double the price of the headset change (see entry 23 Mar) for the same weight savings. Bikeshop man tries to adjust the front d for me. Not really satisfactory.
Thu 27 Mar: Quest for perfection leads to imperfection
Tech note To Old Upper Thomson Rd, 23 km. Took half day leave to road test my bicycle. Something seems wrong with my front derailleur; noticed that after 23 Mar ride when I was cleaning the chain. I adjust the front d back and forth, but it doesn't seem to shift as I adjust. Old age? I go to a bikeshop and change the front d. But it clearly wasn't meant for my bicycle, contrary to what bikeshop man had to say.
23 Mar: Animal Farm
To Kranji, Lim Chu Kang 73 km. Led group of eight cyclists to check out Kranji Dam and Turut Track. At the track, got chased by a representative of the pack of dogs (see 14 Mar entry). The beast got within smelling distance of my foot; wish my socks could wage chemical warfare on the dog. What's scarier than being chased by dogs? It's cycling in a place knowing it was the site of a recent dog attack - and that the only way out is the only way in. Good thing Gentle Giant was there; felt better that another human being was around. Dogs left her alone - but blocked my path. I wait by the lily pond and pray, then ride like the wind past the dogs, who explode in a frenzy of barking and motion. But ha ha, they're on the wrong side of the fence so I'm free.
This is an "animal farm" ride, past fish, cow, goat, frog and bird farms. We also see a mountain of manure with a tractor on top of it. And a rustic country road which winds its way past a mangrove swamp into the Straits of Johore, with kelongs (and Johore) in the distance.
Gentle Giant sends an e-mail after the ride saying it was a killer ride with not enough rest. Sorry guys (but I did offer a few rest stops, but there were no takers).
Tech note Paid $60 to put Iron Horse on a slimming programme; liposuction of head(set) which saved 1kg. Agonised whether to get a new bicycle, be it GT, Scott ... all of which retail for about $600 with Deore parts. They're not that much lighter than my horse - which has character. It's like driving a Morris Minor, Citroen 2CV or air-cooled Volkswagon compared to a Japanese car. Bikeshop man suggests upgrading my horse with parts from the Scott because he wants to sell the frame separately, but then seems to change his mind because he wouldn't quote a price.
Fri 21 Mar: Brushes with death
To Marine Parade, Changi 65 km. On the way to Marine Parade via Still Road, several SBS buses brush by me, competing to see which one can get closest to me without actually touching me. First time I've ever cycled to Marine Parade, on yet another night ride organised by Gentle Giant. We are joined by a Yeti, who is from togoparts; first time I've ever cycled with one. First time too, that I helped to change an inner tube, using my tyre levers for the first time. We go through Changi Coast Road and East Coast Park twice. Gentle Giant is fast. I'm thinking again about getting a new bicycle. After a while, inefficiency gets to me. I reach home at 4.20 am; first time I've ever been home so late.
Thu 20 Mar: To buy or not to buy?
Tech note To Hougang 15 km. Front derailleurs went cranky after 16 Mar ride. I ride to Hougang to adjust the derailleurs by the roadside by a lampost. Also stop by a Hougang bikeshop. Bikeshop Man says he can upgrade my entire bike to Deore for $600. (Funny, some other bikeshops tell me don't waste my money / can't physically be done.) He also tells me to get a new bicycle with equivalent parts would cost $1,400.
16 Mar: Going where I've never been before
To Tuas 121 km. Have you ever had a lady bird, pale pink with little black polka dots, land on your arm? Or see a white egret swoop across four lanes of road in front of you? Or ride on a straight road eight lanes wide - with no traffic as far as the eyes can see?
On today's ride, I have. I go as far southwest as one can possibly go in Singapore, all the way to Tuas Power Station. The reclaimed land is so barren, with no trees in sight. The only source of shade is near a big pungent-smelling, polluted canal. And yet, there's a ladybird in this blighted place. Other life forms: a pack of four dogs which I blundered upon. All they had to do was lunge at me, but they don't - too hot in the mid-day sun, I guess. On another road, I see a litter of pups follow mama. One pup darts back. Uh oh, I need to get past mama. I scoot past. Mama merely looks at me. I guess all this makes up for the two attacks on 14 Mar night.
This is quite a ride, I break a few personal records. I've gone where I've never gone before, in the physical and metaphorical sense. Longest ride and longest solo ride. Longest duration without stopping to rest (except at traffic lights or to check my map / compass). I also get embarrassingly lost several times. Jurong and Choa Chu Kang estate are a labyrinth of roads. The only way out: forget the map and rely on the compass.
I never knew Singapore still had traffic roundabouts - in Jurong. I navigate it twice without incident. I also never knew roadies could go so fast. A pack of about 20 zip past me though I'm already going at 39 kmh along Mandai Rd.
Tech note Discovered that my Iron Horse distorts magnetic fields. It can deflect a compass by 90 degrees! Bits of my rear rim also came off today - after effect of the 23 Feb ride where a tiny stone lodged between the rim and brake pad. Really tired on the way home - I realise after I get home that the lube on my chain had disappeared - boiled away? It's so hot, even the water in my bottle is yucky warm. With the lube gone, no wonder it's so hard to pedal. How can lube disappear so fast? And my front derailleurs go cranky too. Time for another bicycle? Which one?
14 Mar: Night of the four-legged piranhas
To Turut Track 50 km. Supposed to have been a ride to Mt Faber today organised by Hospital D. No one seems to have details; maybe no Horses allowed. Anyway, inspired by Gentle Giant, I decide to go night cycling again - but this time alone, since Gentle Giant cancelled her ride.
This is the first time I've gone on a solo night ride. At Kranji, I look at Johore Bahru and it looks like a metropolis of bright lights. In contrast, the Singapore side is shrouded in darkness, with red lights at Kranji Transmitting Station dotting the night sky like so many Iron Giants' eyes.
I reach Turut Track. My sense of foreboding, which I started off the ride with, grows stronger. A car is ahead of me, backing into Turut Track. I cut into the track before the car cuts me off. Turut Track is dark - so dark that my bicycle light actually makes a difference. I wind along the road in the cool night air. A spider's web brushes against my lips. Phoey! Suddenly, barks rip into the air. I'd just slipped by a pack of dogs. They attack the car behind me. My heart sinks. The only way out of Turut Track is past those dogs, since the track leads to a dead end. I reach the dead end. So does the car. I know I've gotta get ahead of the car. If the car goes ahead of me, the dogs will surround it and block my way. And I don't have a reverse gear.
I shoot ahead of the car. I pass by the spot where I think the dogs are. Nothing. But before I can heave a sigh of relief, barks in sensurround rip through the air again. I see black shapes - about five dogs? - hurtle out. They're somewhere ahead of me, I'm not sure where. There's only one way out. I shoot through the pack at 34 kmh. I hear the nails of these four-legged piranhas on the road. I look back and one of them barks at me. I keep on going and leave them behind. On Kranji Way, I keep to the middle of the road - not just middle of the lane, but of the entire 4-lane road. Who knows what lurks in the shadows? I pass by two dogs sitting by the open gate of a factory. They ignore me. I pass another pack, the leader looks in my eyes and lunges at me. My left leg, which had started cramping 12 km into the ride at Seletar, cramps in a major way. Fortunately, the second pack of dogs was just kidding, I think.
9 Mar: MBA qualified
To Tampines 37 km. So, I thought I knew how to adjust my brakes (see 7 Mar entry). Wrong! At Hospital D's house, he shows us basic bike mechanics (adjusting brakes, fixing punctures and chains) while his relative shows us traditional Malay hospitality, plying us with food and drink. I thought I knew how to adjust brakes, but I was wrong. I look at his skill, modify his technique to suit my bicycle's ancient technology and presto! brake squeal is reduced.
For the first time, I remove the rear wheel from a bike and put it back on (hey, I never had to do it with my bike; almost 3,000 km on the same inner tubes). Another first: the bicycle I messed around with is made of carbon fibre (see how generous H is, to volunteer his bike for our tender mercies). Also the first time I wear my brother's Specialized helmet - and the first time the not-so-Gentle Giant dropped it on concrete :-(
Hospital D talks about riding in Lhasa next year. Talk about mountain bike action (MBA) - the whole place is mountain. Sounds interesting, but I'm not sure about altitude / mountain sickness. And will my heavy-duty Iron Horse be too heavy? But come to think about it, some of those alloy bikes are heavy too, with front / full suspension. As they keep talking, I make tracks - to Tampines mountain bike trail.
For the first time, I test my semi-slicks off-road. Poor traction on gravel and loose sand; slip sliding away, as the song goes. But on dirt tracks, stony ground or grass, wow, they are slick. I ride along at 16km/h on the trail with 280 kPa, compared to 11km/h the last time I rode on my full knobbies. I tear up (yup, uphill) Tampines Road at 32km/h - cruising speed. Time will tell how the semi-slicks perform in the rain and mud.
7 Mar: Lights out
To Eunos, Upper Thomson, Yishun, Tampines 53 km. Another night ride, organised again by Gentle Giant. I pump my tyres to 280 kPA (a first!), ride to Eunos and then back to Upper Thomson because I don't want to miss out on a longer ride with good company. It's kinda eerie at Old Upper Thomson Road, with its winding road shrouded alongside by trees wrapped in darkness. The street lights are diffused in the misty air and fail to shed light on the undergrowth. What lurks in the darkness? Saw a dog dart across the road. Is it alone? Well, we're not alone. In the pools of darkness, we see parked cars. No one is sitting upright in them ...
We stop by Seletar "dam" (Yishun Ave 1), but the "music trucks" which blast music out the back are gone. Togoparts riders pass us by. We ride on, to one of the few roads in Singapore with no street lights. By now, my bicycle light is an embarrasment and soon, it peters out. My semi-slicks, however, offer slick performance. Yup, there is indeed less rolling resistance. And they are quiet. I hear the rush of the wind and hear the whirring of the drive train. Far easier to hear the hum of Gentle Giant's tyres ahead of me.
At Jalan Kayu, we make the mandatory stop for prata. I had banana prata. is it a mistake or what; didn't know it's twice the size of the usual prata. Comes with ice-cream too. Yummy. We spend an hour there, then ride on. Cyclists start breaking away enroute and at Tampines, I break away reluctantly. Reached home at 3 am - and started tinkering with my brakes to kill the screeching.
2 Mar: The silent hum
To Admiralty Rd West, Sembawang Park 55 km. Took out my bicycle at 7.20 am for a spin. I don't even leave my house this early for work ... My new tyres are easy to start and easy to cycle uphill with. I can hardly hear them hum, except on rougher road surfaces. Even then the hum is soft. So, less kinetic energy being wasted as sound energy? But can my new tyres go any faster than my full knobbies? Sure, new toys are easier to to ride, but maybe not faster. I clocked 36km/h before running out of road at Sembawang park connector. But I'm not sure it's crusing speed ... or maybe I'm just tired, because I conducted the test after cycling 40km on hilly terrain. Tyres work OK on grass and dirt track. But hardly any traction on gravel. In fact, these tyres pick up lots of tiny stones; have to pry them out with a knife. Wonder how they perform on wet roads though. Hope they're not too slick. I'd hate to slip and crash and get road rash ... or worse.
I help myself to brother's XTR brakes. Think I save a few more grams of weight, just like his titanium saddle helped too. Not sure his wheelset would fit my bike though, but they are light. He offered to loan me his bicycle. Indeed, it's light and fast; though cobwebs abound, just look at the cassette spin! But it's too big. Anyway, I'm stuck to my Iron Horse.
I spend almost two hours cleaning my chain (it's still full of crud despite use of a toothbrush) and fixing the brakes onto my bike (trying to get it right). Need another road test, I think. Sigh, all this effort trying to save grams, when my frame and wheels are so in love with gravity. New seat, aluminum seatpost, lighter brakes and waterbottle cage. But I've added bar ends, tyre repair kit, inner tube and pump. Net weight gain!
Sat 1 Mar: Unslick job on semi-slicks
I recce part of "The hills are alive" route that I'm organising, at Upper Thomson Rd. Then I say goodbye to the tyres that came with my Iron Horse. Got a pair of semi-slicks. They look good, but are still kinda heavy. Still, they cost only $14 each. Should cut down some rolling friction, I guess. The Bikeshop Man used his screwdriver as a tyre lever! How could he! And after he fit the wheel back, the brakes went haywire. So he adjusted the spokes and brakes. Now the brakes are spongy, not firm. I don't like it. Something wrong with the way the tyre was fitted. I see people change tyres in the field and there are no problems. Why does this guy have a problem? I wanted to buy tyres from the smaller shop; the Bikeshop Man there seems to lavish more tender loving care on the bikes. Too bad he didn't have the tyres of the sizes I wanted. I was willing to fork out more dough for Panaracers, Maxxis, Continental... instead, I ended up with something I've never heard of. Let's see how they perform tomorrow.
Could've gotten hit by a bus; TIBS 928 Service 169, 4 pm. Thought of writing to TIBS to complain: he shouldn't have pulled out from the bus bay as I was passing by. But I guess I'll forgive him.
Thursday, February 27, 2003
Feb: 518 km
Wed, Thu 26-27 Feb: So long, farewell
To Ang Mo Kio bikeshops, Seletar Rd 39 km. Time to say goodbye to some cherished things.
Sun 23 Feb: Through the maelstrom
To Tampines, East Coast, Tanjong Rhu, Changi Naval Base 98 km. How can anyone want to cycle through the maelstrom / "asteroid storm" of East Coast Park? And why on earth did we cycle in East Coast not once, but twice on the same day? It's safer on the roads than on East Coast, where pedestrians, joggers, rollerbladers, cyclists, skooters, prams, move in all directions regardless of race, language or collision. And surprise, surprise, I see another Iron Horse; looks like a newer model. "Posers" there too: really, really fancy bicycles but the cyclists don't look like they ride long and hard. Long and hard we ride. It is supposed to be a short ride, 34 km roundtrip to Tampines mountain bike trail (photo) and the "quarry".
But because all the rental bikers pull out, Gentle Giant and I are free to ride further. I end up on the road from 9am to 8pm. Titanium saddle performs very well; butt doesn't hurt as much as my $18 saddle.
Route to Changi Naval Base is a long, hard road. A long incline, plus headwind, and the sun beating down (weatherman said it was gonna rain). A roadie joins us on a (I heard) $8,000 bike. He can overtake us - and stay ahead - though he has a flat front tyre. He did fix it with his compressed gas pump, but his second inner tube gives up too, mere minutes later. So I was right to have given up on slim tyres and racers. Look at my tyres now: 2,700km without a flat!
And I'm glad my Iron Horse is finely tuned (it's primitive, ancient technology so I can adjust it myself). On the road, it makes a hypnotic hum (actually, more like a contented purr that goes "rrrrrr"). No creaks, no clanks. Unlike a few fancy bikes I heard that day. Still, I gotta upgrade my bike parts. Brother says I can "borrow" parts from his Marin for the next two years while he's away. But I'm gonna get my own wheels literally, so I can ride harder, faster, longer.
Fri 21 Feb: The night riders
To Bedok, Changi Expo / Beach Park, Tampines 62 km. Have been looking forward to this ride since I heard about it. Almost agonising pain, waiting for the time to come. And come it did. I fit out the bicycle with lights and set off for Bedok. I see other riders on the road. Some of my bike pals? Nah. Then I see someone familiar, and she sees me too. It's Gentle Giant! (She's leading this ride, and the ride is her idea.) How fortuitous; I had 30 minutes to kill, now problems is solved. I don't have to sit beside Bedok Reservoir to feed the mosquitoes. SH shows up and together we ride to "H"'s home, who is down with chicken pox. It's so bad, it's as if chicken feathers are trying to grow out of his skin.
We pick up Aviation H (B joins us later at Changi Village) and the ride proper starts. The narcotic hum of the tyres, the roar of the wind rushing by. Somehow, I don't remember hearing myself breathe. Beside the Changi Coast, one more stimulation: the smell of the sea. A heady mix.
At Changi Coast Road, a B747 lines up parallel to the road. Its lights cut through the midnite dark like light sabres the length of the plane, while our bike headlights make little splotches on the road. The 747's turbines increase their whine as it lumbers down the runway, while our tyres hum as we labour down the "highway". The plane overtakes us, and takes to the air. Time for the passengers to dream...
My dream is a reality now, to cycle with my own bicycle gang. Last year, when I started serious cycling, I'd come across groups and wonder who they are, can I belong. Now I belong to a nice bunch of cyclists. Really fortunate. I hear about "posers"; people who show off their bicycles but can't ride. Well, my cyclists aren't posers; they really like cycling. Now, I can cycle as often as twice a week like this week. Not that I'll give up cycling alone. A bike ride can be a journey of self-discovery, where I cycle to places unknown to me to find out things unknown about me. On journeys of self-discovery, the self goes alone. Just me, my bicycle and my God.
B breaks off at Tampines to go home, I break off at Bedok. The others cyclists on for supper. I reach home at 2.15am.
Sun 16 Feb: All dressed up with no where to go
To Seletar and Tampines 35 km. Supposed to cycle to Johore today with AF and co. Got up at 6am. But it'd been raining since 3am. Hoping against hope, I ate my breakfast, smear on sun block (how's that for optimism?). SMS comes: ride is off. Waah!!! All dressed up and no where to go, except back to bed. Weird, wearing sun block to bed. Got another SMS. Meet at Seletar Rd. Well, if you can't cycle, you can talk about cycling. And we did, for over an hour. M joins us too. We pour over Johore maps as the rain pours around us. I looked at the sky and at my bicycle. On its own, it really looks good, until the Giant XTC gets in the picture. When the rain lightened, I scoot off to recce Tampines for next week's BOAC ride.
Titanium saddle hurt my butt. Picked it up yesterday (4 km) from brother's bicycle (if it's going to have dust on it, might as well have my butt on it). First time I've touched titanium, I think. A tells me it costs about $120. Sure it's light; about half the weight of my $18 seat. But my old seat sure is more comfy.
Wed 12 Feb: Beside still waters
To Sungei Punggol and Sengkang, 41 km. Met the gang, led by Gentle Giant, at Upper Thomson, then rode to Jalan Kayu. I took over and led the group to the big secret place down by Sungei Punggol. The trail is becoming overgrown. Someday, it'll disappear! I've never seen mountain bikers there and today is no exception (though there are miscellaneous fishermen and campers this time).
The place is still as picturesque. We sit under the shade of a tree by the still waters and chat. And chat. Feels like we sat there talking for an hour - more time than it took for us to cycle there. Lunch at Sengkang, then to the home of SH's relative for Chinese New Year visit. Great hospitality; the hosts kept plying us with food and drink - bikers' paradise indeed. As we sat there, we talked about cycling to Bukit Timah someday.
Cycling has become an addiction. I keep thinking about it since this year's Pengarang trip. Like I said, this was one of the best days of my life. I think the others are very keen too; after all, they send e-mails about it while at work, and can't sleep on the eve of a ride.
Bike still giving problems. I hear creaking whenever I life my front wheel or merely rest my arms on the handlebars. Some slack in the front wheel too. Yup, new fork is loose. I go home, pick up plumbing tape and head for Cycle Corner to tighten my new fork. Hope it stays tight!
Meeting the gang and seeing their fancy bicycles has also tempted me to get a new bicycle. Poor Iron Horse, to face abandonment after years of faithful service. But maybe it'll still ride with me. Today, I saw how a $2,000 bike got dented after another bike tilted onto it; no one was cycling either bike! And another rider had two blowouts on the same trail, while my Iron Horse tyres are original; no punctures after 2,500 km. That's the advantage of being "solid state", I guess. To fight temptation, I look at a 1990 Bridgestone catalogue. Ah, look at the chromoly frames and the rigid forks. Don't they look good?
Sat-Sun 8-9 Feb: Fellowship of the spins
To Pengarang, Malaysia, 115 km. What a joy it is to belong to kindred spirits - people who are so excited about spinning wheels they can't sleep on the eve. This weekend, a handful of us rode to Pengarang. While I've been there before, this ride is different. It's the first time I've cycled off-road there. It's the first time I've ridden my bicycle with a new fork (see bikelog 6-7 Feb).
Overall, the Pengarang ride was great, though it got kinda slow on the first leg - crawling along at about 15 km on the roads. But the sights and sounds made up for it. The blue sky and puffy white clouds. The grass waving to us in the wind as we passed by (ditto the kids we passed by). Butterflies dancing around my handlebars as I ride. The roar of the sea mixed with the hum of the tyres on asphalt or the crunch of gravel. The birds chirping. The rush of the wind. All these really sing to my heart. And is balm for my head. Though the sun beats down hard, the cooling wind takes away the heat and my headache. A memorable weekend for about $40! The company was great too.
First time I had Gentle Giant "P" as fellow cyclist; she's so helpful, she makes me feel baaad. She pumps a fellow rider's tyres unbidden. And waits alone at the ferry terminal alone for stragglers. "H", "SH", "B" and "M" were there too. "H" is really a great rider: he cycles and videos the ride at the same time while leading the group. B has a great heart, keeping "M" company and enduring her incessant "how far more?". M is a great entertainer, telling us about her exploits in school. With her, time passes quickly. And she perseveres, labouring to keep up with us. SH is generous, buying biscuits for all of us. All great company, swapping stories by the sea, eating ice kachang, drinking Milo, eating burgers... And of course, we remember Bikerboey who's halfway round the world in Chile. Though she isn't with us, we talk about her: her optimism and encouragement.
And me? I conquered three beautiful hills. Who says being "over the hill" is a bad thing? For a biker, it's a great feeling to survey the hill visually, pick out the best routes, pick up momentum and then live by your wits and endurance to make it to the top without putting feet down.
After the ride, it's time to clean up the mess on the bike. I was the victim of the most vicious chain suck ever. Paintwork got ground off the chainstay. Painting the scratches over is like putting iodine on a wound...
Thu, Fri 6-7 Feb: The fork in the road
Ang Mo Kio, 9 km. The problem that wouldn't go away permanently - a loose headset - has resurfaced. Should I get a new bicycle? Or a new fork? And what kind of fork: rigid or suspension? And who stocks 1-inch forks nowadays? Have been to six bicycle shops so far, asking about forks, looking at bikes. Two days before my big ride to Pengarang, I make the rounds of three bicycle shops in Ang Mo Kio. Getting a fork for my bicycle is like considering an organ transplant... Finally chose a rigid fork from Cycle Corner. Small shop, but lots of stuff. Think my shiny new fork looks kinda OK on the bike.
Mon 3 Feb: Cycling in the rain
To Sembawang Park, 40 km. In the rain! Another first for me, leading a ride. Was raining on and off, mostly on. Half a dozen cyclists were to have take part in this ride. In the end, there was just two of us: me and "G" on his trusty purple Trek. Yup, that was him too who showed up on-site on 19 Jan. Since one person showed up, and he was game to ride in the rain, the ride is on!
What's cool about cycling in the rain:
Sun 2 Feb: Trailing behind on the trail
To Johore, 75 km. What a day of personal "firsts". First time I left the house so early to cycle; 6.45am and it's still dark. First time I've ever cycled to Malaysia (sure, I've cycled IN Malaysia (Pengarang and Malacca) but that's not the same as cycling TO Malaysia. First time I've touched 50kmh. First time I've eaten thosai with onions. And first time I've felt (literally) left behind.
When I cycle with others, sure, there may be others in front. But I've never ever been left behind... When people overtake me, I sometimes think: "Hey, those guys are younger. Wait till they find out how old I am... But today, the oldest looking guy ("D") leaves me behind too. Indeed, looks can be deceiving. The guy ("A") with mudguards and steel frame at one stage led the pack.
Still, a great ride (at least, I can still see the guys ahead, unlike the last leg of nite cycling last year when the renegade riders were smaller than a speck in the distance).
It's a great ride because the terrain was manageable. The bike leader ("A") is knowledgeable and, well, charitable (has encouraging words). In fact, he's incredible; chatting all the way there and back (while I'm panting). Roads are fairly good in Malaysia (though at one point I was a split second from disaster - a slight twitch and I may have ended up in a five-foot deep drain - there was no kerb to warn "watch out"). And it rained. At one stage, it rained hard enough to sting. But hey, the rain stopped and I dried out.
Cycling on Malaysia roads showed me a gentler pace and way of life. Motorists waive their right of way and just let us ride through. No fuss, no horn, no waved fists / fingers. In Singapore, the reverse happens: many drivers take away bikers' right of way and curse while their at it.
Easier going to Johore than coming back. Somehow, ran out of steam at Yishun area. Wow, cycling non-stop from the causeway all the way back to Seletar Rd. Possibly the longest time I've cycled non-stop? Dunno, I was just hypnotically pumping my legs up and down, trying to keep the riders in sight. Well, that'll teach me to laugh inwardly at people on rented bicycle ... Anyway, cycling with better cyclists is like benchmarking. Spurs me on to want to cycle faster and further. Time to upgrade my bicycle?
To Ang Mo Kio bikeshops, Seletar Rd 39 km. Time to say goodbye to some cherished things.
- goodbye, bike rides to Johore with A, who's going to Ireland with his wife J for a year. When I found out a few days ago, I was shocked. It was so sudden. What do I do now with my wad of ringgit? A invites me to a farewell dinner at Seletar Rd on 27 Feb. I ride there; it's faster than taking a bus. I ask a fellow rider what he's gonna do without A's "GPS-in-his-head". Fellow cyclist says: "I don't know, just ride north, I guess."
- goodbye, Iron Horse? Have been planning a real terror ride called "The hills are alive, with the sound of cursing" which takes bikers from one series of roller coaster hills to another. Not even sure my left knee and hip can take it (yep, recurrent problems - alarming - old age creeping up on me as I ride?). So I wanna upgrade my Iron Horse wheelset. "No," says Mr Bikeshop Man on 26 Feb. "They don't make good 36-spoke wheels anymore. The good wheels are 32 spoke, so you gotta change your cassette to 8-speed, which your frame can't take. Moreover, you gotta change your shifters. Gonna cost you $400, might as well get a new bike, what about that Scott over there?"
- goodbye, Iron Horse brand. On 26 Feb, I went to a bicycle shop near Bugis which claimed on its website and business cards that it sold Iron Horse bikes. Bikeshop Man says the last time Iron Horse bikes came in was in 1997.
Sun 23 Feb: Through the maelstrom
To Tampines, East Coast, Tanjong Rhu, Changi Naval Base 98 km. How can anyone want to cycle through the maelstrom / "asteroid storm" of East Coast Park? And why on earth did we cycle in East Coast not once, but twice on the same day? It's safer on the roads than on East Coast, where pedestrians, joggers, rollerbladers, cyclists, skooters, prams, move in all directions regardless of race, language or collision. And surprise, surprise, I see another Iron Horse; looks like a newer model. "Posers" there too: really, really fancy bicycles but the cyclists don't look like they ride long and hard. Long and hard we ride. It is supposed to be a short ride, 34 km roundtrip to Tampines mountain bike trail (photo) and the "quarry".
But because all the rental bikers pull out, Gentle Giant and I are free to ride further. I end up on the road from 9am to 8pm. Titanium saddle performs very well; butt doesn't hurt as much as my $18 saddle.
Route to Changi Naval Base is a long, hard road. A long incline, plus headwind, and the sun beating down (weatherman said it was gonna rain). A roadie joins us on a (I heard) $8,000 bike. He can overtake us - and stay ahead - though he has a flat front tyre. He did fix it with his compressed gas pump, but his second inner tube gives up too, mere minutes later. So I was right to have given up on slim tyres and racers. Look at my tyres now: 2,700km without a flat!
And I'm glad my Iron Horse is finely tuned (it's primitive, ancient technology so I can adjust it myself). On the road, it makes a hypnotic hum (actually, more like a contented purr that goes "rrrrrr"). No creaks, no clanks. Unlike a few fancy bikes I heard that day. Still, I gotta upgrade my bike parts. Brother says I can "borrow" parts from his Marin for the next two years while he's away. But I'm gonna get my own wheels literally, so I can ride harder, faster, longer.
Fri 21 Feb: The night riders
To Bedok, Changi Expo / Beach Park, Tampines 62 km. Have been looking forward to this ride since I heard about it. Almost agonising pain, waiting for the time to come. And come it did. I fit out the bicycle with lights and set off for Bedok. I see other riders on the road. Some of my bike pals? Nah. Then I see someone familiar, and she sees me too. It's Gentle Giant! (She's leading this ride, and the ride is her idea.) How fortuitous; I had 30 minutes to kill, now problems is solved. I don't have to sit beside Bedok Reservoir to feed the mosquitoes. SH shows up and together we ride to "H"'s home, who is down with chicken pox. It's so bad, it's as if chicken feathers are trying to grow out of his skin.
We pick up Aviation H (B joins us later at Changi Village) and the ride proper starts. The narcotic hum of the tyres, the roar of the wind rushing by. Somehow, I don't remember hearing myself breathe. Beside the Changi Coast, one more stimulation: the smell of the sea. A heady mix.
At Changi Coast Road, a B747 lines up parallel to the road. Its lights cut through the midnite dark like light sabres the length of the plane, while our bike headlights make little splotches on the road. The 747's turbines increase their whine as it lumbers down the runway, while our tyres hum as we labour down the "highway". The plane overtakes us, and takes to the air. Time for the passengers to dream...
My dream is a reality now, to cycle with my own bicycle gang. Last year, when I started serious cycling, I'd come across groups and wonder who they are, can I belong. Now I belong to a nice bunch of cyclists. Really fortunate. I hear about "posers"; people who show off their bicycles but can't ride. Well, my cyclists aren't posers; they really like cycling. Now, I can cycle as often as twice a week like this week. Not that I'll give up cycling alone. A bike ride can be a journey of self-discovery, where I cycle to places unknown to me to find out things unknown about me. On journeys of self-discovery, the self goes alone. Just me, my bicycle and my God.
B breaks off at Tampines to go home, I break off at Bedok. The others cyclists on for supper. I reach home at 2.15am.
Sun 16 Feb: All dressed up with no where to go
To Seletar and Tampines 35 km. Supposed to cycle to Johore today with AF and co. Got up at 6am. But it'd been raining since 3am. Hoping against hope, I ate my breakfast, smear on sun block (how's that for optimism?). SMS comes: ride is off. Waah!!! All dressed up and no where to go, except back to bed. Weird, wearing sun block to bed. Got another SMS. Meet at Seletar Rd. Well, if you can't cycle, you can talk about cycling. And we did, for over an hour. M joins us too. We pour over Johore maps as the rain pours around us. I looked at the sky and at my bicycle. On its own, it really looks good, until the Giant XTC gets in the picture. When the rain lightened, I scoot off to recce Tampines for next week's BOAC ride.
Titanium saddle hurt my butt. Picked it up yesterday (4 km) from brother's bicycle (if it's going to have dust on it, might as well have my butt on it). First time I've touched titanium, I think. A tells me it costs about $120. Sure it's light; about half the weight of my $18 seat. But my old seat sure is more comfy.
Wed 12 Feb: Beside still waters
To Sungei Punggol and Sengkang, 41 km. Met the gang, led by Gentle Giant, at Upper Thomson, then rode to Jalan Kayu. I took over and led the group to the big secret place down by Sungei Punggol. The trail is becoming overgrown. Someday, it'll disappear! I've never seen mountain bikers there and today is no exception (though there are miscellaneous fishermen and campers this time).
The place is still as picturesque. We sit under the shade of a tree by the still waters and chat. And chat. Feels like we sat there talking for an hour - more time than it took for us to cycle there. Lunch at Sengkang, then to the home of SH's relative for Chinese New Year visit. Great hospitality; the hosts kept plying us with food and drink - bikers' paradise indeed. As we sat there, we talked about cycling to Bukit Timah someday.
Cycling has become an addiction. I keep thinking about it since this year's Pengarang trip. Like I said, this was one of the best days of my life. I think the others are very keen too; after all, they send e-mails about it while at work, and can't sleep on the eve of a ride.
Bike still giving problems. I hear creaking whenever I life my front wheel or merely rest my arms on the handlebars. Some slack in the front wheel too. Yup, new fork is loose. I go home, pick up plumbing tape and head for Cycle Corner to tighten my new fork. Hope it stays tight!
Meeting the gang and seeing their fancy bicycles has also tempted me to get a new bicycle. Poor Iron Horse, to face abandonment after years of faithful service. But maybe it'll still ride with me. Today, I saw how a $2,000 bike got dented after another bike tilted onto it; no one was cycling either bike! And another rider had two blowouts on the same trail, while my Iron Horse tyres are original; no punctures after 2,500 km. That's the advantage of being "solid state", I guess. To fight temptation, I look at a 1990 Bridgestone catalogue. Ah, look at the chromoly frames and the rigid forks. Don't they look good?
Sat-Sun 8-9 Feb: Fellowship of the spins
To Pengarang, Malaysia, 115 km. What a joy it is to belong to kindred spirits - people who are so excited about spinning wheels they can't sleep on the eve. This weekend, a handful of us rode to Pengarang. While I've been there before, this ride is different. It's the first time I've cycled off-road there. It's the first time I've ridden my bicycle with a new fork (see bikelog 6-7 Feb).
Overall, the Pengarang ride was great, though it got kinda slow on the first leg - crawling along at about 15 km on the roads. But the sights and sounds made up for it. The blue sky and puffy white clouds. The grass waving to us in the wind as we passed by (ditto the kids we passed by). Butterflies dancing around my handlebars as I ride. The roar of the sea mixed with the hum of the tyres on asphalt or the crunch of gravel. The birds chirping. The rush of the wind. All these really sing to my heart. And is balm for my head. Though the sun beats down hard, the cooling wind takes away the heat and my headache. A memorable weekend for about $40! The company was great too.
First time I had Gentle Giant "P" as fellow cyclist; she's so helpful, she makes me feel baaad. She pumps a fellow rider's tyres unbidden. And waits alone at the ferry terminal alone for stragglers. "H", "SH", "B" and "M" were there too. "H" is really a great rider: he cycles and videos the ride at the same time while leading the group. B has a great heart, keeping "M" company and enduring her incessant "how far more?". M is a great entertainer, telling us about her exploits in school. With her, time passes quickly. And she perseveres, labouring to keep up with us. SH is generous, buying biscuits for all of us. All great company, swapping stories by the sea, eating ice kachang, drinking Milo, eating burgers... And of course, we remember Bikerboey who's halfway round the world in Chile. Though she isn't with us, we talk about her: her optimism and encouragement.
And me? I conquered three beautiful hills. Who says being "over the hill" is a bad thing? For a biker, it's a great feeling to survey the hill visually, pick out the best routes, pick up momentum and then live by your wits and endurance to make it to the top without putting feet down.
After the ride, it's time to clean up the mess on the bike. I was the victim of the most vicious chain suck ever. Paintwork got ground off the chainstay. Painting the scratches over is like putting iodine on a wound...
Thu, Fri 6-7 Feb: The fork in the road
Ang Mo Kio, 9 km. The problem that wouldn't go away permanently - a loose headset - has resurfaced. Should I get a new bicycle? Or a new fork? And what kind of fork: rigid or suspension? And who stocks 1-inch forks nowadays? Have been to six bicycle shops so far, asking about forks, looking at bikes. Two days before my big ride to Pengarang, I make the rounds of three bicycle shops in Ang Mo Kio. Getting a fork for my bicycle is like considering an organ transplant... Finally chose a rigid fork from Cycle Corner. Small shop, but lots of stuff. Think my shiny new fork looks kinda OK on the bike.
Mon 3 Feb: Cycling in the rain
To Sembawang Park, 40 km. In the rain! Another first for me, leading a ride. Was raining on and off, mostly on. Half a dozen cyclists were to have take part in this ride. In the end, there was just two of us: me and "G" on his trusty purple Trek. Yup, that was him too who showed up on-site on 19 Jan. Since one person showed up, and he was game to ride in the rain, the ride is on!
What's cool about cycling in the rain:
- it's cool. No need suntan lotion, no need to worry about stinging sweat getting into eyes. The ride is air-cooled and liquid-cooled
- there seems to be less traffic on the road. Who wants to venture out in the rain anyway? If they have a choice, it seems even motorists will want to see the sun break out of the clouds before they themselves venture out.
- getting wet. It rained so hard, my shoes got soggy. Cycling with water squelching in the shoes is weird.
- braking power is greatly reduced. Enough said!
- less visibility for cyclist and motorists
- the above two are safety issues. The next point is: I hate cleaning my bicycle! And to think I used autosol on my rims yesterday. Today, had to clean them again.
Sun 2 Feb: Trailing behind on the trail
To Johore, 75 km. What a day of personal "firsts". First time I left the house so early to cycle; 6.45am and it's still dark. First time I've ever cycled to Malaysia (sure, I've cycled IN Malaysia (Pengarang and Malacca) but that's not the same as cycling TO Malaysia. First time I've touched 50kmh. First time I've eaten thosai with onions. And first time I've felt (literally) left behind.
When I cycle with others, sure, there may be others in front. But I've never ever been left behind... When people overtake me, I sometimes think: "Hey, those guys are younger. Wait till they find out how old I am... But today, the oldest looking guy ("D") leaves me behind too. Indeed, looks can be deceiving. The guy ("A") with mudguards and steel frame at one stage led the pack.
Still, a great ride (at least, I can still see the guys ahead, unlike the last leg of nite cycling last year when the renegade riders were smaller than a speck in the distance).
It's a great ride because the terrain was manageable. The bike leader ("A") is knowledgeable and, well, charitable (has encouraging words). In fact, he's incredible; chatting all the way there and back (while I'm panting). Roads are fairly good in Malaysia (though at one point I was a split second from disaster - a slight twitch and I may have ended up in a five-foot deep drain - there was no kerb to warn "watch out"). And it rained. At one stage, it rained hard enough to sting. But hey, the rain stopped and I dried out.
Cycling on Malaysia roads showed me a gentler pace and way of life. Motorists waive their right of way and just let us ride through. No fuss, no horn, no waved fists / fingers. In Singapore, the reverse happens: many drivers take away bikers' right of way and curse while their at it.
Easier going to Johore than coming back. Somehow, ran out of steam at Yishun area. Wow, cycling non-stop from the causeway all the way back to Seletar Rd. Possibly the longest time I've cycled non-stop? Dunno, I was just hypnotically pumping my legs up and down, trying to keep the riders in sight. Well, that'll teach me to laugh inwardly at people on rented bicycle ... Anyway, cycling with better cyclists is like benchmarking. Spurs me on to want to cycle faster and further. Time to upgrade my bicycle?
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