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

Blogging since 2003. Thank you for reading :))

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Laos: south to north, north to south

Dec distance: 1,165 km


Wed 19 Dec 07 - Wed 2 Jan 08: South to north, north to south
From Nong Khai (Thailand) to Luang Prabang (Laos), 907 km. This is my fifth cycling expedition in as many years. It is also the furthest north I've ever cycled, from Vientiane to Luang Prabang and vice versa. More

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Wet run on wet road

Mandai Road, 39 km. This is my last ride in Singapore for the year. A road test on narrow slick tyres, with Topeak trunk bag loaded at 7 kg. The load balances well. I cycle leisurely, until another mountain biker (with bike rack too) shoots past me, running a red light. When the light turns green, I give chase. A truck roars past me. I slip into the slipstream and reach 56 km/h. I feel a few rain drops and risk riding on. The risk materialises. I try to outrun the rain clouds, but fail. A few more minutes and I'd have been home dry. Risk taking is tricky. Too scared of gloomy skies, and I miss an opportunity to cycle. At least, I discover that my bag repels water.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Adjustment

Yio Chu Kang Road, 24 km. My helmet shifts easily. Safety is illusory. I'm about to retire my brain bucket, then adjust the straps a final time. It works. My jury-rigged map carrier crashes into my legs when I stand on the pedals. I pull some strings and it sits nicely on the handlebar. I too, seem to adjust well to this post-cold, pre-Laos training regime. Two roadies cycle ahead. They catch the draft of a bus. I'd throw in the towel if I had one. I grip the handlebar grimly and grind away instead, and catch up on my fat squishy tyres. Someone wonders if I'll adjust to the new office structure. I think so.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Last stall, last customer

Mandai Road, 36 km. I'm wet and hungry. Wet because of sweat (and my spectacles still steam up in the cool aftermath of rain). Hungry because I Ieave the office late and want to cycle my bicycle while the star shines (I see only one in the cloudy night sky). If I can't do a century ride because of a washed out weekend, I can do it over a few nights; some training is better than none. I stop at a hawker centre for dupper (if brunch is breakfast/lunch, dupper is dinner/supper). There is only one food stall open. I'm the last customer, I reckon. The hot soup tastes sooooo good.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Hot and wet

Old Upper Thomson Road, 24 km. It was raining yesterday. Just as the sun peeks out, it ducks back into the clouds which then burst into showers. The roads are wet tonight. But the sky is dry. So I charge up the hills to make up for yesterday's inaction. It starts to rain. My spectacles fog up as heat from my face condenses on the water-cooled glass.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Wild ride

Old Upper Thomson Road, 25 km. It stops pouring. I start cycling. As I round the bend, half a dozen wild boars cross the road. I squeeze my brakes and the rear tyre starts sliding on the damp road. The pigs crash into the undergrowth on the other side of the road. After years of cycling on this road, this is the first time I've seen boars. I continue my "circuit" training, more wary this time. In the past, the only danger was from cars parked in the shadows along the road.

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Sleep deficit, ride deficit

Almost round island, 110 km. When I'm sleep deprived, I catch up on it during the weekend. When I'm ride deprived, I do the same. Why all these deficits? Work stress = sick. I load up my trunk bag, clip it on my bicycle and ride on my squishy tyres. Singapore is getting more crowded. The traffic-light-free Tampines Road and Old Tampines Road are now punctuated by lights. The road outside Vivo City on Saturday night is like rush hour. My throat is hoarse as I yell at pedestrians and a driver. I exceed my lactate threshold with a fully-loaded century ride. I even ride up Mount Faber. I overdid it but I'm glad I did it.