Celebrating a 59th birthday with a round island 115km around Spore

Looking rather grubby after 10 hrs on the road!

CV19 has meant that travel is off limits. Though it is just starting to open up, it is still early days. We have like many cyclists in Spore began to do round island rides and Singapore very honestly is a tiny island nation measuring 50km by 27km. Still, it is possible to do in excess of 200km if you choose your routes carefully. For my birthday, we did 115km and it was fun to have a bunch of friends to cycle with. Yes, we much prefer doing it overseas in Taiwan or Thailand but for now, this has got to do. Enjoy the video that our friend Angel made... . . .

Singing and climbing in the rain...

Last Thu I could not do our usual climbs up Sesuai with the Owls as I just had my CV19 vaccination. There has been lots of concerns about the side effects but for me, it was just a sore arm and a bit of headache. So I did accompany the gang up the climb but did not join them and they did an impressive 13. Today is 4 days after and I feel fighting fit. This evening at 6pm I went up to pay my dues. The clouds broke and there was a bit of a sprinkle but nothing too big to worry about. I actually enjoy riding in the rain and have organised many LTF rides in August specifically to ride in the rain in Thailand. The temperature dropped and so did the dreadful humidty and that made for a most pleasant climb, so much so that I did 12. Coming down though, extra precaution must be exercised as the incline is steep and the road can get slippery. But with a bit of care, it was not an issue and I went home a bit drenched, but feeling top of the world!

Jan 45 Feb 62 Mar 4 - 1 due to vaccination Mar 8 - 12 Mar 11 -10 Total 23

The Sesuai Owls - where bonding is sweet and pain is sour!

          Sesuai - Taken fm Personal Project: Grind.  Great article n pics of the cycling hills in Spore.

Sesuai carparks were barricaded as parks were closed due to CV19 in Apr 2020! Note towel which is needed to mop up the bucket load of sweat!

                                               The speedy descent! Hang on to your brakes. 

These 2 roosters which we named Tom and Jerry hung around for a few weeks until one day, they disappeared! 

                                                         Video done by the talented Leon Tan!

A very happy and blessed New Year! Welcome to a brand new chapter of time and what a challenging year 2020 has been for us all...

No thanks to CV19 restrictions implemented in the 2nd quarter of 2020, we were confined to staying at home and allowed to exercise only within a 2km radius of our homes. That immediately put a stop to our regular gym sessions and our usual cycling came to a grinding halt. I have no argument about the reason for this - to curb and stop infections. After 8 months, measures are working and Spore has entered Phase 3 and life has improved tremendously thanks to the cooperation and discipline of her people.

In Apr, we were looking at the very limited opportunities to enjoy our cycling and exactly 1.7km away from my home is Bukit Batok Nature Reserve. There is a very steep and quiet road called Lorong Sesuai which is 400m up and a 12" incline. It's near the former Ford Factory along Upp Bukit Timah, a WW2 place of significance where the British signed the surrender papers to the Japanese Imperial Army in 1942. Up here at Sesuai also was the place a war shrine  built to commemorate the dead from both armies but that has since disappeared before the war ended. 

We remember coming here to train for our Mae Hong Son mountain climbs in N Thailand a few years ago and if you ever want to kill people's interest in cycling, do bring them up this road. Hence, we were not too thrilled about the idea of getting our exercise up this hill of torture but given CV19 conditions, this proved unexpectedly ideal. 

Its near, its steep and you get the workout of your life. Not many people can climb up on a bicycle without pushing and we set a target of 5 and we are done. The intensity of the climb beats any gym equipment for your legs and heartbeat will average 150 or more.

Also, you have to ensure that your bicycle has climbing ability and a granny gear is almost a must unless you are a very strong cyclist. Usual 8 speed bikes need not apply! Road bikes, despite its lightness, struggle to go up the hill unless the rider has above average fitness.  The ideal gearing would be under 24" in my opinion. The lighter the better, the skinner the tire the better!

So when we first started, it was sheer pain and torture. Our initial goal was 5 climbs and that itself felt like running a half marathon. As we got fitter, we started "enjoying" the pain in a strange way - somewhat like a sweet and sour experience. We were surprised that after several weeks, we got stronger and fitter. 10 was the new target! The sequence would be 3 climbs, then rest. Repeat. Then 2 climbs, rest. Repeat. 

We also started inviting our friends to join us. Veasna from Cambodia and his friend Suto from Nagaland live nearby as they are students at Trinity Theological College. On the first go, both of them rode 1/4 way and pushed all the way up even though they had MTBs. Veasna came because he wanted my help to vet his theological essays and to discuss topics but he didnt expect to pay such a painful price.

When restrictions lifted, more people from outside the neighbourhood could join us. We had 2 young physios, York Fuan and Angel who are very experienced cyclists. YF rides a Brompton everyday and toured Malaysia with it while Angel is a roadie and toured Europe solo. She just gotten a Flamingo 16" foldy. Being Physios, pain and muscle strength are their forte and they took this Thursday appointment with aplomb. I was shocked that YF can actually climb this on her 6 speed std geared Brompton! Then Wayne, the late Ying Chang's son started to come along on his roadie as well and he is a Mae Hong Son graduate who was missing the long climbs of N Thailand. So he too is a regular.  Then we have Oreo, who is an avid MTB and a roadie who cycles every Thurs and decided to incorporate Sesuai as part of his 30+ km ride routine and to drop in for the fellowship. Recently, my neighbours Chris and Constance also joined us and a few other friends as well come every now and then though many come only, once!

These rides start at about 10pm and finish about 1130 or so and hence, the name Sesuai Owls and it has become a beautiful time of friendship and bonding. Most Thursdays, they would come to my home for a simple dinner, have some fellowship, study and discuss on life's issues and then attack the hill.

It has been 8 months since we started and now we are averaging 12 climbs each session. Celia and I have done just under 500 climbs in total since we started. Veasna who began and could hardly do one has now finished 20 and is our champion! 20 thus is our goal for 2021! Technique is a slow and steady approach and when you get the hang of it, it is possible to have pleasant conversations with a buddy as I found out.

What goes up must come down and if you are like me, love high speeds, the steep incline rewards you with a steep decline. It is possible to hit 60km/h .You dont have much of a runway as at the end, the road turns sharply to the left and can get slippery. Hence, many go down cautiously and good brakes are very important. When it rains, we abort the ride due to safety issues. 

For Christmas, I added an LKLM 318 Step-Thru to my fleet which I named the Green Hornet and this is a specially built bike that has meaty disk brakes and a 17" climbing gear. Though it weighs 15kg, it climbs beautifully with "gears" to spare and descends extremely confidently with its secure handling and powerful stopping power.  For me at least, Sesuai climbs are even more of a joy now. 

So if you are keen for some torture-fest, try the Lor Sesuai challenge! And if you are a night bird, you may see fellow owls there on Thursdays, having fun in a painful but pleasurable way.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.  Psalm 121:1,2

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Sesuai climb done by a roadie - his inclination meter is a bit faulty towards the end. 12% is about right. Good idea of the climb in the day time. 

Sesuai updates for 2021

3 Jan - 12  Total 12

7 Jan - 5  Due to tyre blowout of YF and medical treatment. LM did her 1st climb up!

8 Jan - 6   Total 23

14 Jan - 10  Total 33  Installed a 46T Chain Ring (fm 52) on LM P8. Magic.

28 Jan - 12 Total 45  -  Distance done 300km

Feb 1 - 10

Feb 4 - 10 Total 20   -  Mich achieved 5 climbs today! LM 4.5!

Feb 12 - 10  Total 30     Distance done 460km

Feb 16 - 10  Total 40

Feb 18 - 10  Total 50    Distance done 505km  Mich did her first 10 climbs!

Feb 20 - 56.8km mini round island ride with YF, KC, CO, Cil n I. 

Feb 25 - 12   Total 62    Green Hornet Total 607km