Bike to Basics

24th January 2010

My first experience riding with SMUX Bikers in Singapore proved to be an eventful and enjoyable one!

We gathered at East Coast Park at an uncomfortably early time of 830am. Many of us had not woken up that early in a long while and that was evident from the array of sleepy faces. My face of sleepiness quickly turned to one of slight disappointment as 5 of the 11 participants in my group did not turn up. I could not help but wonder if it was because they had caught wind that Lim Yun Lu, also know as Blur Queen Lim, was going to be leading our group!

Nevertheless, being the nice SMUX people that we are, we put 100% faith and confidence into our fearless group leader and set off for Seah Imm Food Centre at 915am.

At around 916am, our group leader missed a right-turn and led us on a super-long detour towards Kallang Stadium. This proved to be a blessing in disguise as we realised what an enjoyment it was to be cycling around like lost sheep for close to 15 minutes! We finally reached Seah Imm Food Centre which was roughly 15km away from our starting point. In spite of the fact that we got lost along the way, we still managed to reach our mid-point destination ahead of schedule. The group sat together and chatted over savoury Singaporean cuisine (at the hawker centre) while some of the more adventurous bikers decided to challenge themselves by cycling up Mt. Faber (an additional up-hill climb that added a total of 3km to their mileage).

After we had had our fill, and restocked our water bottles with delicious Bandung from the famous Bandung stall, we hopped on our bikes and rode back with renewed purpose in life. I could feel the bonds of friendship being forged and couldn’t help but smile as the participants chatted with each other while riding (while observing safety precautions as listed in the safety briefing and keeping both eyes out for traffic, of course).

Before long, we arrived at the place where our adventure began – ECP Kit Runners, to return our bikes. At that point in time, Bike to Basics had already left me with a deep impression in my heart, as I really witnessed the ethos of “Adventure, Fun, Family” being displayed in front of my very eyes that day. While the journey itself was enjoyable, what made it memorable were the people that cycled together with me. The jokes, the sharing of experiences, and the new friends found will stay with me for a very long time to come.

Special thanks to:
Christina Boon who provided unrivalled safety support to our group throughout the ride
WeeKee Toh without whom we would have no world-class photos to journalise the event with
The organising committee who made this entire event possible

Written by:
George Loo

Pulau Ubin Offroad Welfare Ride

Date: 30 Jan 2010

The weather was great as I met up with 9 other adventure enthusiasts not knowing what would await for my very first off-road cycle with SMUX Biking Team. We reached the Ubin Jetty at about 11am and wasted no time in renting our bikes from the bike shop, which costs us about 10 dollars for an entire day.

Our ever awesome, Training IC, Kelvin with the safety brief before we embarked on our journey.

After meeting Kelvin, who recce-ed the place before we reached, I was starting to look forward to my ride, thinking how tough could it possibly be. Clearing the first few slopes was still relatively easy, until we started to go down slope. WOW, not as easy as what I had imagined. Nevertheless, it was still exciting and thrilling.
Reaching the first peak after about 20 minutes, I started to feel shag even though we had just started cycling not long ago. Thus, we took a short break and started on SMUX’s favourite past-time, CAM-whoring:)

Camwhoring at our first rest point!

After that 20 minutes of rest, we proceeded on to a tougher challenge, as Wei Yuan claimed that what we had just went through was only an introduction, and we had to go in deeper so as to experience what off-road biking is about. Thus we started on the next part of our journey and it was then where the real fun began. We started to encounter slopes that were 60 to 70 degrees steep, and I must say that on several occasions, some of us had to dismount from the bike and push it upslope as it was almost impossible to ride up the track. Along the way, the bikes that we rented started to had some problems such as the rear wheel coming off for mine and other minor ones, however, with experienced off-road specialists like Junyi, Kelvin and Wei Yuan, I could always be rest assured that any technical help that I need could be solved by them.

Occasions when it was too steep and riders had to dismount and push their bikes up.

Due to our in expertise at off-road, it was inevitable that we suffered from several falls. I feel that it was just part and parcel that we suffer from cuts and falls when we cycle off-road. Nevertheless, it was still enjoyable despite the falls and worthy of a second round for me. PULAU UBIN OFF-ROAD ROUND 2, I WILL BE BACK : )

Awesome Seafood Lunch at the restaurant in Ubin

Written By:
Chang Si Yuan
Survivor of Ubin Off-road

Penang-KL Ride!

Day 1

December 4: Penang to Taiping (Perak), 87km

We set off at 9am after an enjoyable buffet breakfast at the hotel. The ride starts off at a smooth pace. It’s flat ground in Penang, though fairly sunny as we left late. As we crossed the border into Perak, a strong headwind emerges. My lack of preparation for this ride soon shows. Around the 30km mark, I struggle to keep up. But I persist, pedaling doggedly when the hills come. After another 50km, we enter Taiping. It used to be the capital of Perak, but it’s now small and quiet town as Ipoh is now the capital.

Lunch is Bak Kut Teh, Ipoh style. It’s pretty tasty but it contains much more liver than we are used to. We refuel at one of Taiping’s main shopping centres for dinner. Amazing that such a small town has Starbucks and Tesco hypermart, among other stores.

Day 2
December 5: Taiping – Ipoh (Perak), 88km
We rolled off at 6am. After a few km, the street lights of Taiping fade away and we plunge into near total darkness. Soon after Padang Rengas, we encountered a 6% climb that seemed to last forever. Even the lorries struggle to go up the slope, their engines chugging furiously. One of the team gets into the support car, but the rest plod on. What keeps me going was my memory of a harder climb up Genting Highlands (gradient 10%) in 2008.
What goes up must come down. It took very long for the downhill to come, but it was an exhilarating experience. On the long, straight road down, I hit 50.5km/h. That’s nothing: some hit 57km/h.
Stopping by a petrol kiosk in Kuala Kangsar, we admire the scenery. Clouds float on top of a hill that looks like “Big Guilin”. It’s like dreamland, like heaven. If only we could sit on top of the clouds.
For some reason, I turn sluggish again in the middle, my pace dropping to around 20km/h. But after a rest stop where we eat chocolate bars, I’m recharged.
We soon reach the outskirts of Ipoh. The city is the size of Singapore despite having a population of only 700,000. On the way to the hotel, we pass by the civic district and the central business district. Lorries horn to greet us, and ask where we are from. It’s so different from Singapore, where a horn means “get out of my way”. There’s an exception though – a lorry whose cargo was not secured properly spews small granite stones at us. Even I am tempted to hurl vulgarities at that lorry.
After cycling 20km from the north of Ipoh to reach our hotel, we arrive at noon. Lunch is delicious and cheap Yong Tau Foo at the hotel coffeeshop.

Day 3
December 6: Ipoh to Lumut (Perak), 59km

It’s a recovery ride today. We set off slightly later at 6:45am at a slower pace. The road is flat and the weather is good. The sun doesn’t even come out; it’s blocked by the clouds.The ride ends uneventfully when we reach Ayer Tawar, on the outskirts of Lumut at 11am. That’s too early, we can’t check into the hotel yet. So we do one hour of bike maintenance. After lunch, we stopped by Old Town coffee. Its motto, “take your time” has a completely different meaning today as compared to when we were in the army. Dinner is a “coffeeshop buffet”: we stock up on carbohydrates for tomorrow’s long ride.

Day 4
December 7: Lumut (Perak) – Sungai Besar (Selangor), 108km

Setting off at 5:30am, we chiong south. I grudgingly start pedaling, wondering if I can survive today. However, my fears prove unfounded. My legs move as smooth as butter. It’s once again good weather and excellent flat terrain. Halfway through the ride, we are surrounded by beautiful fields on both sides. We stop for photos. For almost three whole hours, we ride on never-ending roads that run as straight as arrows. Padi fields stretch interminably. It’s simply picturesque. We stop once for photos.
Around the 80km mark, there’s an odd structure in front of us. It seems pretty tall. Is it a building? A tower? No – it’s a bridge! Some of us gasp in horror and crank up speed. I, however, take my time. The view from the top of the bridge is indescribable. A gorgeous river is on my left and right. To my front, a coconut plantation stretches as far as the horizon. I’m in awe of both God’s and man’s creation. Another river, a few km away, has water buffalos swimming inside. We finally reach Sungai Besar at noon, after having made a 6km detour due to erroneous GPS. After 3 days in Perak, we finally reach Selangor. It’s as if this ride is a “Tour De Perak”.

Day 5
December 8: Sungai Besar (Selangor) to Kuala Lumpur, 126km

We pushed off at 5am, hearing the Islamic call to prayer at the mosques we pass by. Some of us give thanks as it hasn’t rained yet for the past four days. Oops – a drizzle starts, turning into a downpour. We rest at a petrol kiosk until the rain stops. Soon after we set off, the rain starts again. Ouch! We continue pedaling and decide to stop at the next petrol kiosk, but that only occurs in Kuala Selangor, some 15 km away.

We pause in Kuala Selangor very briefly to regroup and drink water. The next 30km are straight roads, flanked by open fields and by plantations. For once, the sun appears out of the clouds, just as we are taking our group photograph. Some 40km after Kuala Selangor, we reach a road that could’ve been used to film “Initial D”. Twice as shiong as South Buona Vista Road, cycling up and down felt like Daytona.

The rural scenery gradually fades away as we approach Kuala Lumpur. On the last day of Tour de France, the riders enter Paris. On our last day in Malaysia, we enter Kuala Lumpur. Hmm… At the first flyover in northern KL, I can see the towers of Genting Highlands in the distance, and the Petronas towers to my right. But I can’t admire any of them – the traffic is extremely heavy, far worse than in Singapore. My mediocre bike handling skills become also evident here. Not only that, the GPS fails us too. We are forced to stop at a petrol kiosk while the support vehicle searches for the hotel. The car finally locates its after more than an hour, and we cycle the last 5km to our destination. We reach our hotel at 3pm, tired but glad. Dinner is a Japanese buffet near the Petronas Towers. We learn the meaning of “spoilt for choice”. It’s as if the long highways of Malaysia have been changed to long lanes of food.

Day 6
Kuala Lumpur – Singapore

We spend our last day in Kuala Lumpur viewing a bikeshop. Owned by former Malaysian national cyclist Edwin Ng, its sign displays prominently the virtues of cycling: No License needed. No Road Taxes. On the bus back to Singapore, I reflect upon what has been a wonderful trip. I’ve met 13 new friends. Rode through 450km of beautiful roads. And got my legs and butt more seasoned.

And I’m thankful too: thankful for the organizing committee for putting together a fantastic tour. Thankful to each member of the team for making the experience a memorable one: Jamie, Terence, Lionel, Calvin, Gerald, Fengru, Benedict, Jeremy, Zao Yi, Kelvin, Marcus, Kheng Yew, Ce Wei. Thankful to the numerous motorists who gave way to us. And thankful to God, through whom all things are possible.

Finishers!

Top (L to R): Kheng Yew, Weiwen, Ce Wei, Kelvin, Terence
2nd Row: Benedict, Marcus, Calvin, Zao Yi, Jamie
Bottom: Jeremy, Fengru, Lionel, Gerald

Written by: Leung Weiwen

Biking 103

The Biking 103 session was conceived by the 5^th Biking Exco as we saw the need for the team to have a better knowledge of the various bicycle components and able to DIY basic maintenance procedures. This is in line with our exco objectives for 2010- to evolve internally through acquiring of knowledge and skills.

Our Training Executive, Kelvin Liew, came up with the syllabus for the Biking 103 session. He liaised with the biking store Rodalink to have an experienced member of their staff to hold a 1-day course for us. On the morning of 23^rd December 2010, the entire exco made our way to the Rodalink store at Jurong where we met our friendly instructor for the day- Najib.

We proceeded straight into the programmes, where Najib introduced us to the different types of bicycles, namely the road bikes, time-trial bikes, mountain bikes and the hybrid models. He showed us the major differences between the bikes and how to identify them. He also explained the mechanisms of the bikes and how they are suited for their various functions. We learnt how the suspension system of the bicycle works and how it helps to absorb the impact of bumpy roads to provide a smooth ride for us. To the surprise of a few of us, we also found out that some higher-end bikes have rear suspension systems too, which provides greater comfort and ease of riding.

Next, we dived into the detailed explanation for the components of the bicycle, such as the frame, the gear shifters, the front and rear brakes, the chain and chain rings, the front and rear derailleur. This was to ensure that we could identify each part of the bicycle clearly, which will help us in identifying any problems with bicycles and in its maintenance.

Following which, Najib demonstrated to us the maintenance of the bike. Firstly, he taught us how to change the inner tube of the bike. This is an essential skill to all bikers as puncturing of the inner tube is not uncommon and knowing how to change it yourself can save you time and money. All of us then had the chance to try changing the inner tube ourselves. It was indeed an experience for the first-timers as we did our best to complete the task quickly, but we learnt quickly and were rather proficient by the end of the day.

Secondly, we were taught basic skills such as adjusting the brakes to achieve its maximum braking ability and also how to clean the bikes using the correct types of lubricants. These are important knowledge to have as they concern our safety and durability of our bikes.
Thirdly, Najib explained to us the mechanics of tuning a bicycle. It was a complex process that certainly requires frequent practice to master. However, some of the more experienced bikers such as Kelvin and Gerald were able to catch on quickly and tried it on their own bicycles.
Finally, at the end of the session, our Training Executive, Kelvin, took us around the store to point out essential apparels like the helmet, gloves and jersey. In addition, safety items such as the front and rear light, mini-tools and tire levers were shown to us.
Overall, I felt that the Biking 103 session was a success as it introduced us to the basics of biking, allowing us to learn from the experts with hand-on practices. This session equipped the entire exco with the knowledge of basic bike maintenance, which we can pass on to our fellow team members. It is definitely a first step towards achieving our objective of evolving internally and externally.

Written By:
Hwang Shih Haur
Assets Executive
5th Biking Team Exco

Biking welfare

True to a biking event, even the welfare gathering saw SMUXies turning up decked in skintight jerseys and rigid soled biking shoes. Close to 20 loyal spinning-happy people huddled round a long table laden with a plethora of yummies waiting to be dipped into the steamboat. There was the traditional table of mahjong (led by none other than chief mahjong man Wei Bin), vicious table tennis matches, poker table dealings amidst girly giggles and cheery chatter.

The night peaked in true Mt Faber fashion when 6 seemingly unfamiliar faces popped in. They turned out to be our seniors. Seniors all the way from the first batch of SMUX biking. Seniors all the way from the Class of 2006. It was most heart-warming to find out that all 4 Biking Team Managers there ever was; was present in the room that night. We spent an amazing hour being introduced to one another, 5 generations of the SMUX family catching up and getting to know one another. The awe-inspiring passion of the seniors definitely left a lasting impression on each and every one of us, and hopefully our zest for the team and the sport would be as enduring.

By Lin FengRu

Ride of silence ‘09

An estimated 500 riders turned up at the Merlion, near the Fullerton for the Ride of Silence 2009. All sorts of bicycles could be seen making up the crowd, from sleek carbon road racing machines, to cute foldable bikes, to garish neon fixed gear whips. While it took some time before the SMUX biking team contingent was dispatched, we were immersed in the mood of the impromptu crowd, tempered by patience and consideration for others as befitting that of the silent theme of the mass ride. Many had simply turned up on the spot and signed up there and then for the ride.

It was amazing to see riders of all stripes and ages riding together in a pack strung out along Singapore roads to commemorate the safety of cyclists on the roads. While it was an initial nightmare trying to organize a pack of strangers to ride together with any semblance of discipline, it turned out to be a non-issue. The ride turned out to be slow and controlled enough such that no riders were left behind or forced to ride dangerously. To me this reinforces the message that riding a bicycle on the roads should be (is) safe. By riding safely, we can get to ride again another day.

By Su JunJie

Kukup 2009

Many Kukup-ers would totally understand when I said that none of my friends deem a 200km ride by bike as normal.

Well, their negative response did discourage me a little before leaving my house at 1am on Saturday, a day when you would not want to get out of bed before the sunrise, especially when the drizzling rain cooled the whole atmosphere.

My energy and enthusiasm started to pump in upon seeing 50 other “crazy soul mates” at the optical shop excitedly moving up the bikes to the lorry to go to Kranji.

The feeling of sitting on the lorry flashing through the roads in the middle of the night was just simply awesome. The cool breeze swirled my hair and flattered my skin.

Starting to cycle from Kranji MRT, I began to worry about the sun heat as well as the enticingly challenging and seemingly endless roads that I had to cycle through the next day.

Initially, it was exciting. The drizzling, to me, was like a special treat; honestly, I would rather choose the rain over the scorching sun. I kept counts of how far we cycled every time we stopped for a short break. But slowly, when we cycled upslope, I started to feel the strain and my legs just refused to pedal. It was so disheartening to see myself further and further away from the rest of the group while pedaling uphill…

I had little mental and physical strength to continue. But cycling is never about fighting the tiredness alone; it’s about having company to motivate one another, to multiply up whatever little energy left in our “fuel tank”. Having in mind that my GLs would be waiting for me in front, my teammates behind who kept on cheering “jiayou, a little bit more”, I knew I could overcome it by just keeping keeping on.

At times when all encouraging words seemed to have little effect, I reminded myself of this beloved teammate, small in size but exceedingly full of mental power and abundant with determination, Jingmin. Knowing how to ride not so long, she never fails to challenge herself to achieve what we might think as “mission impossible”.

When we were at the prata place, 37 km away from Kukup, never in my life had I declined to try delicious prata, because I just wanted sleep more than anything. Once we reached, I almost fell dead on my bed after my shower and lunch was just like quick bite so that I could get back to my dream land.

In spite of how sleepy I was, after lunch, it was immensely hard to resist the heart-to- heart talk that my roommates and our guests of honor, some uninvited guests (haha joking) were having in my room. I guess that is the trademark of SMUX events, we challenge ourselves and we share the experience as one family afterwards.

The night spent at Kukup was memorable too. Dinner was great. If anyone had not eaten the stingray that day, you really ought to really go back to Kukup next year. Oh also, if you want to go walk-walk around the neighborhood area to get the juicy and mouth-watering mango ice blend, you do it before 9 pm. It’s a small town and people rest early after all.

Talking about food, there is also the “cannot-be-missed” chendol on the way back to Singapore. The trip back was of a slower pace and going down the steep slope was so shiok!!! It was more dangerous, more safety caution needs to be taken, but definitely adventurous too.

Finishing Kukup was like conquering another limit that I hadn’t imagined before. Besides the personal sense of accomplishment, Kukup also gives me many meaningful lessons; about how to look out for safety concerns for one another, like the GLs and the seniors always did, about how to care for your whole team’s welfare, to boil water for the team to make sure everyone is hydrated, etc. At the same time, no one should be alone at any point of time, for any reason, so sounding out for your team to wait for you is a simple and effective solution.

I remember once Junyi said that Kukup is his favourite ride. Admittedly, I never enjoyed biking as much as I did at this trip. When I came back alive with my tan and my cheery face, my friends, being inspired, changed their opinion thinking that maybe they should try it one day too!

By Emily Pham

Biking Admin IC

TOUR DE SINGAPORE (TDS)

Feb’ 09

TDS was a fulfilling night ride that took place during the midterm break in February 2009. 120-odd participants began their journey at East Coast Park through the heart of the city to the West and back to the East of Singapore again.

Like what the theme suggests, the aim of this ride was to bring participants on a tour of Singapore, and to explore the different areas in Singapore through biking. The various food stops along the way were specially designed to introduce the different delicacies in Singapore to the participants. Some of the places visited were Macritchie Reservoir, Bishan Park, Thomson Prata House, and Simpang Bedok. The whole planning process was a hectic one, as the organizing committee had to run through the route many times over, conducting recces, planning the games, and also ensuring that safety was in no way compromised both during the recces and the actual event day.

During the event, it was a grueling yet fun 70 kilometres for the participants as they biked through the night together. New friendships were forged and existing friendships were further strengthened. Participants gained not just the sense of achievement of being able to complete 70 kilometres, especially for new road bikers, but also the bonding and company of their friends.

Being part of the organizing committee for TDS has been an awesome and refreshing experience. The days leading up to the event might have been hectic, but to see both SMUX members and new participants enjoy the ride thoroughly was in itself, the most rewarding of all. This was indeed the greatest takeaway for all the members of the organizing committee.

By Tong Ling

TDS Admin IC

The Crew Story

Why does the SMUX executive committee call themselves the Crew?

Here, we bring you an excerpt from Shawn Tee, President of the 1st Crew and the story behind it.

Bike-a-laxation

Intro-Biking is a bi-yearly event targeted at students who are enthusiastic about road cycling. To maintain interest and to provide students a unique and unforgettable experience, the theme of the event is varied. Judging by the amount of new participants, the variety of the biking activities has proved to be successful. On top of that, difficulty level of each event is kept at a manageable level in consideration of the newcomers.

The theme for this year’s Intro-Bike is Bike-a-laxation. The main aim is to allow students to enjoy a relaxing ride around the urban city and enjoy the exotic city glamour in a day. Bike-a-laxation is opened not only to beginners but also to advanced bikers.

The rationale for the choice of that particular theme is due to a lack of appreciation of the magnificent buildings and monuments within the city. I think the cause for the lack of appreciation is due to the strong emphasis that students placed on academic excellence thus the negligence of all the other things that are equally important.

In the morning of 17 Jan, a group of 40 enthusiastic explorers gathered at East Coast Park – Kit Runners, all geared in covered shoes, backpacks and sun block to embark on this ride.

The adventure kicked off at East Coast Park. Our first destination was the City area. We caught a glimpse of the majestic Merlion at One Fullerton and also the grandiose statues of Sir Stamford Raffles at Clark Quay.

Do you know that there are three Merlion and two Sir Stamford Raffles statues in Singapore?
You have definitely missed out on the fun in discovering the other sites!

From there, we proceeded towards the Vivocity and stopped by Seah Im Food Centre for our well-deserved lunches. Wasting no time, we advanced to our last rest point – Labrador Park, where we indulged ourselves with ice cream from a mobile umbrella truck.

Our biking journey ended on a memorable note. We stole the opportunity to take a group picture with a mesmerizing view of the sea.

As part of the organizing committee, it was a privilege and wonderful experience in planning the last Intro-Biking in SMUX. Though there will not be any Intro-Bike, there will be other annual biking events such as Nite Bike to look forward too.

Lim Yun Lu (17/01/09)