7 Years Later...New Post

Hello world! 

Has it really been that long since our last blog entry? How time flies. So much has changed since our last post in 2014. For one, we have relocated and are now back in Singapore. Two, that's the number of young ones we have in the household now. Three, our dogs also flew back with us, clocking all 8,527km air miles. Both Reina and Suarez are well and good. 

A few days ago, Gwyn rediscovered our blog and started reading our previous entries. It reminded us of all the good times and crazy trips that we did with our bicycles, and ultimately, the beauty of keeping a journal. By documenting past and present stories, we try to preserve those memories for our future selves to relive and enjoy. That's why we hope to continue doing it. 

Today is a monumental day for our eldest daughter Kate. She learnt how to ride a bike! You can imagine how exciting it is for us. Cycling together as a family is something that we always wanted to do and today we took a big step closer towards that goal. No pressure, Grace.

There she goes...on her bike

 

 

 

 

We brought Kate to the National Stadium to practice pedaling and balancing on two wheels. It was her third attempt this week. She was getting more comfortable each time and we wanted to keep the learning momentum going. I'm glad we did because today was the breakthrough!

The National Stadium on a weekday is actually a really nice place to learn how to cycle. It is free to use, not crowded, has lots of open space and level ground. There are colored tracks around the main stadium, which are sheltered for most parts. Access from the car park to the tracks is convenient, it's literally park and ride. It is also located near the Stadium MRT for those who don't drive. 

As a bonus, you get scenic views of the Kallang Riverside too!

Gardens by the Bay East Rides

Cycling's one of the best ways to de-stress from the pressures/ridiculous situations we find ourselves bogged down at work everyday. Last weekend was another fantastic one for riding.
Together with a group of my ex-colleagues turned cycling kakis, we explored the city via Gardens by the Bay East. There was no better way to explore the city than on our bikes.

We love cycling in SG and here's our mini tribute to the LCSG crew!

Sharing our route info:
ECP Fort Road Car Park B1 > Old Airport Road Hawker Centre for breakfast > Geylang PCN > Tanjong Rhu PCN > Gardens by the Bay East > Marina Barrage > Memory lane down Marina South > Marina Bay Sands > Merlion > Esplanade Park > Floating Platform > Flyer > F1 Pit Building > Kallang Riverside PCN > Loysel's Toy Cafe > Back to start point.
The bridge connecting Gardens by the Bay East to Marina Barrage is only open from 7am -7pm daily.

Marina South today is a pale shadow of its former glory. Gone are the iconic steam boat restaurants, kite flying merchandise, game arcades and disco clubs . What's left of what used to be an entertainment hub is now a humongous construction site.

The weather was fine. Lovely group shot at the SG Flyer.

Loysel's Toy cafe, a nice little cafe by Kallang Riverside that knows how to make a good cup of coffee. Great ambience as well, perfect for a nice chill out after a morning ride.

That was Saturday for us and well, we couldn't get enough.

So on Sunday, coincidentally, we rode to Gardens by the Bay East again. This time, it was in conjunction with the launch of the PAssion Cycling Club which flagged off at Geylang Serai CC.

We were flagged off by one of the Marine Parade MPs. She didn't ride though...

Anyway, I think it's great that the CC is launching a cycling club. It'll take a lot of effort to keep it going though. We wish them all the very best.

Hopefully the idea sustains and it can attract more residents to enjoy the simple pleasures of riding. Besides, Katong's a great area to ride!

We had special duties for the day. Convoy escort for Lil' Tiffany!

I've got the utmost respect for her. She completed the entire journey on her single speed, tackling the roads and bumps along the way like a seasoned pro with no complains.

Surely, she'll grow up to be a super rider.

Same Same but different.

This time with the LCSG crew. Priceless panoramic view of the Marina landscape from the Gardens by the Bay East side. If you have a bike and haven't been there, now is the time!

The weather was really kind to us. Shortly after we returned to the start point, it started raining.
Nevertheless, there were tons of indoor activities while we waited for the rain to stop. There were a couple of demo bikes provided by E-Walker on site. Tried the Birdy, Frog, CarryMe, CarryAll and the IF mode. It was my first time trying so many bikes at the same time.
Here is Mary doing her best bit to model the new LCSG jersey. Can't wait to get our hands on the new jerseys! They look awesome.

The riding didn't stop there. We had time to visit Loysel again, followed by LifeCycle @ Gemmil Lane by bike.

One word to describe the weekend. Shiok!
shots credited to Kay Heng and TC.

LCSG Treasure Hunt Part I

Two weekends ago, LCSG organized their first ever treasure hunt (Cycle Hunt 2011) and we were both honored and glad to be a part of the fun.

It sure did turn out to be a hugely memorable race for us. Here's our account of the amazing ride...

Team Hawaii 5 0 were in it to win it (best dressed at least).

Introducing Diane, KSL, Eman and Derek...

There were some that came straight from bed...

...and there were others that appeared in their Sunday's best.

Here was the game plan. 13 teams, 10 checkpoints. In the next 4 hours, team Hawaii 5-0 will little know embark on an amazing race around Sengkang, Punggol, Hougang and Seletar.

1/10: Start point (Mushroom Cafe, Sengkang Riverside Park) to Punggol Point.

Each of the 13 groups were given a chance to draw lots for their 1st check point. The luck of our draw took us to the commemorative plaque at Punggol Point, which was perfect as we knew exactly where it was and how to get there.

Declared as a heritage site, the plaque remembers the 1942 Sock Ching Massacre whereby more than 400 chinese were mass murdered.

As part of the challenge at our first check point, I had my face vandalized with lipstick and Gwyn got her hands dirty in the sand where X marked the spot, before we were issued the full set of photo clues for the remainder of the race.

2/10: Lor Halus Bridge

Our strategy was really to keep calm and ride on. Upon receiving the full set of clues, we made sure we took our time to plan our route carefully and then try not to get lost. Once ready, we set off towards the Lor Halus bridge, our 2nd checkpoint of the day.

If you didn't already know, the Halus bridge is a brilliant shortcut for riders/joggers to get from Punggol to Pasir Ris and vice versa.

3/10: Green tablet at Punggol Park

Next was the green tablet at Punggol Park and locating it in the park mimicked finding a needle in a hay stack for many teams.

Fortunately, Gwyn was sharp enough to spot the word, "fitness corner" in the picture clue. (not sure how many groups noticed that) From afar, we noticed a lot of teams circling around the park looking for the tablet. We arrived looking for the fitness corner.

Straight after we reached the park compound, we asked the first jogger we saw for directions to the fitness corner and the next jogger to double confirm.

Ask and you shall receive. Voila!

4/10: IMH

By now, the sun was slowly but surely out in full scorch. (See Derek's "Hawaiian Terrorist" look)

We pressed on towards the Institute of Mental Health aka the former Woodbridge Hospital which was checkpoint number four. Via Buangkok Drive and Green, we opted to stay on the road instead of the PCN as we felt it was more direct and faster.

When we arrived, there were no signs of the other teams and it was here that we virtually took our first and only rest throughout the hunt. When throngs of other riders began appearing at the scene, that was the sign for us to move on to our next checkpoint. While at it, KSL went around spreading the good news of 100 plus, 2 for $2.50.

5/10: Lor Buangkok, Last Kampung

The last kampung in Singapore was our 5th checkpoint.

I've always enjoyed visiting the kampong as it throws us all back to the early days where life was a lot simpler.

Getting to the Lorong Buangkok Kampung was not a problem as we had been there before. Searching for the right house required more effort. We forayed deep inside the kampung and found the house. There were a couple of similar looking houses and we made sure that we got the right one before moving on, red pail included!

There was another team that showed up at the Kampong at the same time. It turns out that we would bump into each other more often throughout the race.


Which team was it? 5 down, 5 more to go. Can you feel the adrenaline? Stay tuned for Part II!

LCSG Treasure Hunt Part II

6/10: Myco Mushroom Farm, Seletar Farmway

Now we were flying, in terms of both confidence and momentum. It has been really smooth so far. We have our bearings throughout and we knew what we were doing. Though half the journey still lurked ahead.

Our biggest challenge by far would now arise. Seletar Farmway, to call it an unfamiliar territory would be an understatement. Never in our lives have we set foot in Seletar farmway and now, we have to find our next 2 checkpoints in Seletar.

We stayed on the main roads (YCK, Jalan Kayu) before detouring into Seletar Farmway Lane 4. It was all gut and chance.

We bumped into Team Mandai again at the Farmway. Both teams had first bumped into each other at the last kampung. I spotted a small advert by the road, with arrows giving directions to the Animal Resort. Naturally, we took direction and about 200m down the bend, we stumbled upon checkpoint 6, Myco Mushroom Farm.

Team Mandai took the group pic for us, we took a group pic for team Mandai and we worked together to find our next checkpoint, The Animal Resort.

7/10: The Animal Resort, Seletar Farmway

It turns out that the resort wasn't too far away, about 400m down the lane from the mushroom farm and likewise we helped each other out with the group shots.

Looking back now, Gwyn mentioned something about spotting horses at the Animal Resort. I don't remember any horses. All I was thinking about then, was how to get to our next checkpoint...

We made a hasty departure and parted ways with team Mandai. On our way out, we bumped into a couple of other teams riding towards the Mushroom farm.

8/10: Sunset Grill and Bar / Fokker Services, Seletar Airbase

Spicy Chicken Wings and a blue knob. That was our photo clue and we figured it was referring to Sunset Grill and Bar. Thankfully, we've been there before. The one with the different levels of spice for their chicken wings. I remember the first time we got lost in our car looking for this place. I swore to remember the way since then and it certainly paid off that day.

Gliding through turns and channels, in no time, we found ourselves approaching Sunset Grill and Bar. From adrift, this enormous blue hanger stood out and almost instantly, we spotted the blue door knobs.

Credit to Derek, he pointed out that there were 2 different knobs. The one in our clue had a small bump on the left side, indicating that it should be the one at the further end. That was attention to detail at its very best and it saved us 10 pts. (For every correct checkpoint, we were credited with 10 pts). True enough, it turns out later that some of the teams got the incorrect knob for this checkpoint.

9/10: Jeli Jetty, Yishun Dam

Now our next checkpoint would be one full of question marks. When I first saw the picture clue at Punggol Point, I had no idea what/where the heck it was. Google didn't help much at all. Jeli Jetty is somewhere that even the almighty Google doesn't know much about. Thankfully, it was crossed on our map and we figured it to be near Punggol Dam (or so we thought)

It turns out that by the biggest unimaginable stroke of luck, muscle cramps and a hungry stomach somehow made us stop momentarily at Yishun Dam. We looked at the map again and went "Hey, isn't this here. It's not Punggol Dam, but Yishun Dam and this is Yishun Dam!" My jaw dropped.

Straight away, we forgot about the cramps and hunger, parked our bikes and started combing the area Infantry style. Tadah! Never been happier to see a "No Entry" sign. Somehow, we just found checkpoint 9.

10/10: Dome bridge and Return to Start Point.

Our final checkpoint was the dome bridge and it was enroute back to the end point, which was also the start point. We quickly snapped our pic at the dome and made our way back to Sengkang Riverside Park.

It had been a long arduous journey and we were now inches away from the finishing line. Towards the end, KSL escaped a near collision with another oncoming rider. It was a close shave.

We re-grouped just outside the mushroom cafe and rode in together. As we were approaching, we heard a huge roar of laughter. We knew there and then that we were not the first to return...

Though shortly after, we began to realize that there was actually only one other team that had returned earlier.

Diane thought everyone had left!

Nick from the other group came over and asked if we had managed to complete all checkpoints.

Gwyn was like :" you mean you didn't?"

Our eyes lit up and our hearts were now in our mouth and all that stood between us winning the hunt was getting our photos verified.

Diane, KSL and Gwyn zoomed towards the empires with our photos like the flash.

One by one they went through the photos and ALOHA! We got the full 100 points, which meant that we won!

Feel the estacy...

It was surreal. I don't think anyone would have placed their bets on Team Hawaii 5-0 prior the hunt.There were definitely more experienced and speedier riders out there. We were elated that our sheer hard work and great team work paid off.

Team Mandai, who were neck in neck with us for most of the second half came in 2nd, a mere 2 minutes behind. (now that was close!) For our efforts, we each took home a $50 Lifecycle voucher, plus a horn trophy!

Indeed, the prizes were really cool but at the end of the day, it was not all about which place we finished in but rather how we went about the race. The team work and camaraderie formed was elusive and priceless.

Diane was our camera girl; sets the tripod up regardless of muscle cramps and demands that everyone gets in the shot. Derek was our Mister attention to detail. Eman kept us on time with all the frequent time checks. KSL got hungry at the right place and the right time. Gwyn was our eagle eyed sharp-shooter, while I just tried my best not to get the team lost.

We really enjoyed ourselves and credit to the volunteering organizers for making this hunt possible. Superb organisation, sponsored prizes, great hunt, and no fees involved. We really couldn't ask for more.

Cyclehunt 2011, will always be for us, a ride to remember.

Punggol Waterway Night Ride

On Hari Raya Haji, LCSG rode along the new Punggol Waterway.

We had our very own Three Bikerteers join us straight from the Woodlands Checkpoint shortly after returning from their ride to Mersing. Respect.

It's really quite a small world and cycling makes it even smaller. We met Mel during the ride. Our dogs (yeah you read that right) are long time friends. Reina and Billie Jean met online about 4 years ago. Reina says hi!

It was really nice having Mel join us for the ride. We look forward to riding together more often in the near future!

Bernard led us through the new Punggol Waterway. NParks and the relevant authorities have done a great job with the new Waterway. Punggol residents can attest to that. Property prices have probably gone up since the launch of the waterway. It is a beautiful place for cycling.

Group shot on the Waterway bridge. About 50 riders turned up for the ride. Massive for a monday night ride!

It was a great ride, more so when you get some love from Taiwan...

Encik George brought home a Brompton basket for us. Since the day we got our Bromptons, Gwyn has been on the look out for a front basket. We contemplated DIY, but ensuring that the construction was firm and stable was always going to be a challenge.

The basket fits perfectly!

Attached to the Brompton bracket and further secured by velcro, stability was achieved. Gwyn spent little time pimping up her new basket with flowers from our Wedding.

And we had our VID (Very Important Dog) grace the basket. Looking good, though it's unlikely we'll transport them in our basket. We'll probably get a dog trailer. The basket is more for our Mee Poks and Char Kway Teows...

night shots credited to Taiwoon

Our Big Bang Theory

When we first joined LCSG for their Sunday rides, there were about 30 riders each time. Today, the group has grown and the figures have doubled. 60 odd riders turned up today in search of some big ass canon hidden amongst the subtle slopes of Changi.

From the beginning, it promised to be one heck of a monster ride.

Monstrous times call for monstrous measures. Queen Boo, lead rider for the day briefed the pack before moving off. Safety was always going to be a concern in a huge group like today and the team made the sensible decision of splitting the pack into two groups.

We were however greeted with the sad news of the passing of a fellow LCSG rider, Henry. The group observed a minute of silence in memory of Henry.

From East Coast Parkway Car Park F2, we made our way to Changi Village via the Coastal PCN. The skies were clear and perfect for a chillax morning ride.

Here is Israwi with his "in progress" self-assembled monster cargo bike. Everyone's looking forward to see the finished article.

The Coastal connector always promised to be one of the more challenging connectors around. 8km straight road with no real sight of the finishing line at any point in time, it can work your mind...

The Changi Boardwalk ensued shortly after. This boardwalk traverses the scenic coastline from Changi Beach Club to Changi Sailing Club. Because we were on wheels, it wasn't practical to walk down steps. So we did a short loop, though I can totally imagine us strolling down the other stretches of this beautiful connection.

With no monster guns yet in sight, we encountered our first monster friend at the Old Changi Hospital (OCH). It's Halloween but it's not what you think.

That was one heck of a monster slope before we reached the top/entrance of OCH. Certainly topping the one at Hort Park last week! But we pulled through and made it to the top without dismounting and that counts!

The abandoned Old Changi Hospital...Legend has it that you do not visit it during the night...

LCSG@Old Changi Hospital.

The ride got friendlier as it went on. I lost count of the number of slopes we met along the way - the ironic beauty of a ride in Changi!

Finally we arrived where X marked the spot and viola, the monster gun @ Changi, a replica built to mimic the ones in WWII.

By now, sun blocks were running off. The sun was showing it's monster side. We were now facing the near afternoon scorches from the sun. Nevertheless, we bit the bullet and pressed on.

A short ride down the road and you'll find the Changi Chapel and Museum, built to remember those who have lived and died in Singapore, in particular the Changi area during the dark times of the Japanese Occupation in WWII.

Admission is free and there is a wealth of museum exhibits to learn from. Definitely a must go for the history buff.

From Changi, we rolled down towards Tampines and Simei before hitting the Bedok PCN all the way back to ECP.

Thumbs up for an enriching ride today. LCSG, we ride, we eat and we learn!

amazing pictures credited to Andrias, KC and Taiwoon

Hospice Day Ride 2011

Two weeks of national reservist duty meant limited time for our usual riding and hence, the lack of entries of late.

It was difficult but not impossible and we were eager to scratch that week long itch to ride.

Last weekend, there was the round island night ride on Saturday that was tempting, but it would have been a big ask for my already battled body midway through a vigorous in camp training schedule. And considering the lack of ample body recovery time, we skipped the night ride and joined in for the subsequent morning Hospice Day ride on Sunday instead.

It was a short 15km ride one way from the start point at Tan Tock Seng to the end point at East Coast Parkway Car Park E2.

There was a massive turn out of riders, easily around 200-300. With such a huge group of cyclists hitting the road, safety was always going to be a concern.

The fateful route saw us manoeuvring past tricky junctions along Balestier, Lavender and Kallang. The junction just after Kallang MRT station proved the most memorable. Let's just say that cutting across three lanes on a busy road is not something we'll look forward to repeat again.

Kudos to the handful of iron butts that continued with the Hospice Day ride on Sunday morning after completing the grueling round island the night before on Saturday.

Along the way, we noticed the tagline for the Assisi Hospice, "Living before Leaving".

I'm no copywriter but surely it's not just about getting it to rhyme...

We arrived at East Coast Parkway, greeted by a carnival and a delightful line of refreshments (Cold drinks and mini kuehs/puffs) to go around for all participating riders. Credit to the organizers.

No ride would be complete without the customary pose.

How time flies, two weeks have gone and I'm back to resume the civilian life that incorporates riding and writing.

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. How true.

pictures credited to Taiwoon.