#189 - Nite Ride

I saw this flyer of a GoldSprint to be done at

Esplanade on 12-14 August. I thought to myself :

'Huh?! What's a GoldSprint?' ... and since I have

been thinking of trying on a fixie bike,

it seems this is a good opportunity for me

to go and have myself introduced to this hip world

of fixies and their skinny jeans clad riders.

The guys organizing the GoldSprint have a big

tent at Esplanade just behind MakanSutra. There

were lots of fixie riders. There were shirts, helmets,

and other stuff for sale... there's even supposed to be

a swap meet! There are these mock ups of urban sceneries

where you can pose your bike and have its picture taken...

and last but definitely the centerpiece of the whole event,

there's this stage with 2 fixie bikes without front wheels.

Of course, I got intrigued! What are those 2 bikes

without front wheels doing there? So me and my

bike mate approached for a closer look... we were

just going to look... really! Then here comes this

guy with a microphone and before you know it

I was on the stage and on one of the bikes and

I was going to compete on the GoldSprint!

Wow! I think those fixie guys must be wondering

which mountain I came from. That fixie bike thing

was really hard to pedal in the beginning. I had to

stand and stomp on the pedals. Then the DJ told

me not to stand... I think they're concerned that I

might endo? Then I was pitted against another

guy and we were supposed to sprint for 200m.

All the while people must be seeing question

marks over my head. I was thinking, is it safe

to do this without a helmet? hehehehe. Why is

there a strap on the pedal? I didn't even need to ask

that, one of the guys must have read my mind and

guided my feet onto the straps. Once I was strapped,

I pedalled, found it hard, so I stood up and mashed.

To my surprise the rear of the bike moved sideways.

I asked the DJ : 'What was that???' He said

'It's ok, it will straighten BUT don't stand,

don't get out of the saddle'... I said ok.

One guy supported my fork and another guy

supported my opponent's fork.

... and we're off!!

I remembered they told not to get out of the

saddle, so I didn't. I can see my opponent

really letting it all out ... and then it was over...

I lost?! LOL! I shook hands with my opponent

... and got out of the bike ... I scratched my head

at everything that transpired ... then I took pictures

of my bike and the other nice fixies that were there.

If you have time this weekend, head on out

to Esplanade and check out the GoldSprint.

Lots of cool bikes, cool people, cool stuff for sale

... and from what I read, they're giving out

a fixie bike if you win the GoldSprint :-)

Tuesday Nite Ride

What are we doing in the middle of the jungle on a week night? Errrr ... riding? Was it a good idea being a week night and all? Don't think so. But we still did it just because.

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Anyway, the venue for this night ride is somewhere in the jungles of BT. We have done night rides in Tampines Trail. I have even done 2 night rides there all alone. But all those night rides did not prepare me/us for the darkness / creepiness of a real jungle!

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All three of us brought our cheap LED torchlights. This is probably the surest sign of our being unprepared. It was only when we were faced with the black wall of darkness in the jungle that we realised that we are severely lacking in the lumen department.

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But hey, we were already there and all 3 of us are too macho to go back down Rifle Range Road with our tails behind our legs.

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Within a few meters of the ride, all the small talk has drifted to white-ladies and that girl who comes out of the well in 'The Ring'. After that, it has become evident that there will be no sweeper hehehe. We were riding in a wedge-like formation. I was point and I had two wing-men. Lucky that I know each rock and root of the trail so my two friends have no choice but let me lead. I'd hate to be the sweeper last night.

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The trail ride was quite uneventful. My friends just kept on reminding me to 'say something'. So they know I have not been possessed yet and also to stop pointing at things (an old Filipino belief).

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We were almost at he end of the trail ride when I guided my friends to a new trail that I found. It was all nice and quiet, we can already see Mandai, when all of a sudden ... we heard barks! We were chased by three big dogs.

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After we got away from the dogs, it was decided that we had our fill of excitement for the night and decided to go on the road. Good thing I was wearing my RadioShack jersey. It made me go fast even if I was using Kenda Nevegals :-)

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The road ride route was Mandai Road -> Yishun Ave 1 -> Yishun Dam -> Seletar -> Jalan Kayu -> Yio Chu Kang Rd -> Boundary Road -> AMK Ave 1 -> Lorong Chuan -> Braddel Road -> Thomson Road -> Balestier -> Home

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Thursday should be Mt. Faber day.