An Even Sneakier X'mas Ride

I must be riding very slow because I've been noticing all these flowers lately.

Christmas Day! ... and I managed to squeeze in a trail ride.

My wife just told me to go @10AM and be back by 1PM

and she doesn't want to hear any complaints later when we

go out. A tall order but I managed to comply with

all the conditions :-)

Just took 2 pictures and didn't bother taking video

since doing so would most probably result in not

being able to comply with the 1PM curfew.

Short Ride to T15 (Part 2)

continuation ...

T15 is 5km from end to end. You'll know that you are already at the end when you see ....

... this. The right path leads to the gates of a military camp. You'll have to do a u-turn and retrace the trail again so you'll get back to Bukit Timah.

The left side is a new entrance/exit that was done just a few months ago. This park connector leads all the way to Mandai Road. Yes, I know, the right side also leads to Mandai but that way is illegal and besides the left side is cooler due to the number of trees inside.

I rested at the shade of the first tree I encountered inside and then did a u-turn and rode back the way I came :-)

The ride today was made possible by my long suffering Jamis Durango Hardtail bike. I have had this bike for 2 years now. I started MTB on this bike. Upgrades on it are :

F1RST 120mm fork

Easton MonkeyLite SL 635mm carbon bars

Shimano PRO 100mm stem

Tune seatpost <== bought for just 80SGD :-)

Avid Juicy 3 Hydraulic brakes

Ashima 160mm Airotor

and an almost complete Deore drivetrain

Before I conclude this post, I'd like to show these Token steel bearing-ed jockey wheels.

I was shocked that my SLX and Deore RDs didn't have bearings in them. I thought all things that spin needed bearings and the manufacturers would have put it in. Well, they didn't. Who am I to argue with them? But that doesn't mean I have to agree. So I got this from LnT cycles at Tampines for 35SGD. They came in a blister pack with 2 Token stickers. Putting them in place of the original jockey wheels is pretty simple.

Now the question : Did I feel the difference between the black, plastic, bushing-equipped Shimano and this aluminum, gold anodized, steel bearing equipped replacement? No. No difference at all.

Are they worth the dough? To me, yes! I can sleep at night knowing that those jockey wheels in my RD now have steel bearings to support them. Plus they are gold.. and did I mention the center is red :-) ?

Short Ride to T15

Yesterday I was telling myself I would go for a long ride. Maybe go to Pulau Ubin, spend 2-3 hours there and then come back the long route (East Coast PCN, Fort Road, Tanjong Rhu, Kallang).

But when I woke up today .... arrrggghhh, who am I kidding? I can't go to Pulau Ubin if I wake up at 9AM! Pulau Ubin rides start at 6:30AM. I am one of those carless individuals who bike from his house to Changi Village ... and back! So, no long ride for me today.

So, it was quite an overcast morning at Singapore today. Rain clouds look threatening ... but I'd rather have rains than the searing heat generated by the summer sun on this island near the equator.

After having the customary breakfast at King Albert Park McDonald's, I turned right to Dunearn Rd and then turned left to Rifle Range Road.

I normally see roadies in Rifle Range Road practicing their hillclimbs. I didn't see any today. They might be all feeling strong and decided to tackle Mt. Faber this morning.

Up, up, up I went. There was a short downhill section (and I mean short) then I went up again. After this second uphill section, there was a longish downhill BUT you can't enjoy it too much as you need to have your eyes peeled for a big fenced-up area on your right. Don't ask what is that fenced-up area, I don't know what is is. Althought I see a sign saying PUB.

Anyway, once you see the fence, start feathering the brakes ... then you will see a traffic signpost on your left. Once your bike aligns with the signpost, brake !!!!!

... then you will see this :-) Nice isn't it. Well, it's nice if you're just admiring the scenery. But if you intend to tackle this with your MTB, the only thing you see is the amount of climbing needed to be done to get to Zheng Hua park!

My phone camera can't capture the colors of the field and sad to say but this photo didn't capture what I saw. My photography-crazed friends would definitely say I 'overcooked' the background. So.....

... I took this photo after I cycled for a few hundred meters. Still no good. Now, I'm already at the right of the field and can't see its entirety. Anyway, the singletrack you see on the right is the same singletrack I follewed at the start. Just follow that. If it climbs, then climb. If it goes down, then hang on for dear life :-)

After what seems to be an eternity climbing and going downhill, the singletrack is blocked by this tree. You'll know that this tree has been there for quite some time now because somebody has already made a 'ramp' out of smaller branches. You can ride over the tree but your big chainring will hit it.

Continue following the singletrack. This track will eventually lead you to the Bukit Timah loop BUT you'll be going the opposite way! Good thing I didn't see any other riders this morning.

... almost at Zheng Hua park now. This tree is blocking the 'entrance' to ZH park. I rode over this tree at the left side crook made by that branch that grew at a right angle up. I think you may also be able to ride over the right side crook. But I saw big chainring hits at the left side so that's where I went.

From ZH Park, you go right (downhill) to Chestnut Ave. The downhill ride is long(ish) but before you enjoy it too much, you go under a bridge and then the uphill slog begins. After the climb, you'll see the start of T15 :-)

By the way, T15 starts and ends as a paved road but the route in between is soil (fireroad?).

I don't know what's up with blogger.com. I uploaded five pictures and then followed it with 3 more pictures. The last 3 pictures are missing. So I'll have to reupload in another post and continue the trail ride there.

See you in a bit.