Dermalogica TRI-Bike 2010

In front of hangar 3...

My training buddy...

A fellow Joyrider who was kind enough to gift me a lift there...

[A Novice's] Breakthrough

I spent the night with S**** Y* at Clarke Quay, drinking (very slowly because she sipped timidly) and savouring cakes for supper. We talked till the night past into dawn, and after sending her home I had two hours before my ride started.

Despite not sleeping a wink, I was up and about. My uncharacteristically early arrival at Longhouse allowed me to catch up with Scott, Gregory, and a new guy whose name I can't recall.

TO the point: while reading "We Might As Well Win" by Johan Bruyneel - Lance Armstrong's team manager - I came across a two phrases that greatly improved my game today. Firstly, Johan mentioned that "winners make dents", be it in other's egos or otherwise. Secondly, he wrote "was that rider's knee always wobbling?" and inferred his skills and physical state from that.

The second was especially telling. I began to watch other riders as we rolled off this Wednesday. Some were mashing large gears up the hill, an unsustainable practice at this level of the sport, while others were heaving their shoulders into each pedal stroke. Both these suggested significant physical exertion on their part and I stopped drafting them. It paid dividends once things got cranked up a notch (pun intended) - they were left behind, and if I had followed them I would've undoubtedly been boxed in.

We trailed Cycleworx till Mandai Shell. For once, I departed from conventional wisdom and stayed on their wheel. Again, this paid off. When they dropped down to the bars with a telltale 'clank' of the sprockets, I followed suit in preparation for a breakaway. Using their draft as a slingshot, I hit 60.8 Km/H and only slowed down for the customary club regroup. After that, I pulled a little while and dropped back because I couldn't sustain it. I wasn't ashamed to admit I wasn't as strong as the other riders. Discretion is the better part of valor, and this also worked to my advantage.

Next I began to watch who pedaled in a high cadence up the hills and who charged up. It was fun spinning behind someone surging up hill after hill - the draft was delectable. Then he began to tire and I realised it was time to hop over to someone else. Before the pack caught up, I began turning my head around to look for a spot. They had formed a paceline and the rolling terrain had created a gap - I took it.

By the time we reached Keppel Highway I knew who was in and who was barely hanging on. Another paceline formed led by someone with a smooth cadence and steady speed. One of the riders in front began to lapse. I attacked and usurped his place, to which he later noted somewhat unhappily at the coffee shop. "Someone flew by; I think it was you!" complemented with an accusatory finger. I smile sheepishly. Winners make dents. Towards the end, someone else made an attack out of the saddle. I latched on by increasing my cadence - it was so sudden that I couldn't change my gears in time. No one followed, and once his head dropped in apparent fatigue I sprinted forward. The first down the ramp off the highway.

By some strange chance the regular riders had all taken leave that day. We sat down for the customary fruit juice and sugarcane - the auntie knew what we each wanted by now - and talked about gadgets and iPhones. We proceeded to Hong Lim hawker centre from Amoy for a good breakfast of Bak Kut Teh with rice and tea. They said it put back everything we burnt, I said it was a recovery meal. That helped everyone smile a little. It was Martin, a Brit who spent the last 15 years in Asia, who showed Joyce, Scott, and myself how a proper tea sharing session proceeded. Apparently, the first brew in that little pot is poured into the cups but not drunk. It is the 2nd thru 4th brew that was taken and relished. It was very agreeable after the meal. I was hitherto ignorant that the tea was an integral part of the meal - they don't do that in Balestier! - and it amused us that the Brit was showing us how to eat in our own backyard! Even the soup store was patronised upon his recommendation!

A hearty breakfast, a jolly chat. I dare say my day has started right at no less than 60.8 Km/H!

Desaru 2010

Joyriders Desaru Expedition 2010

‘Masochistic Cycling’ through a Rookie’s Eyes

I could’ve sworn there was a conspiracy that day. There was a head wind wherever we went, terrain as hilly as an ECG graph (which probably does the same to our heart rates!) and the sun beaming a sadistic smile! At the Desaru Golf Course, I wondered, “Who would be crazy enough to tee off in this blistering weather?” Then I realized we had close to 50 cyclists tackling 110 Km of rolling terrain under these conditions!

Many of us tried to draft the 1^st pack, going in excess of 40 Km/H – bad idea! The likes of ‘newbie’ Flo and Dr. EPO Siong were something else altogether. Then again, Flo is a mountain-biker-turned-roadie a la CADEL EVANS while Dr. Siong is ostensibly on EPO (the performance-enhancing drug erythropoietin). BAD DOCTOR! :P

But if you thought their cycling was crazy, think again! While most of us were huffing and puffing, budding videographer ShyGuy Scott was casually riding up and down the group snapping pictures of everyone! If you noticed, this superlative only had one chainring on his bike – THE BIG ONE! Off the grapevine, word has it that Peter Woo drafted a car! He had a slight scrape from his adventure when the car braked but my boat-mates wondered if he was focusing on something else – perhaps a pretty young lass. That seems more plausible than drafting a car don’t you think? Or perhaps he was doing both!

On another note, I’m sure we were happy to reach the golf course after the first half. Water, delectable ice kacang and cans of 100 Plus made our hundred-plus kilometer route less daunting right? That is until someone said, as we retrieved our bikes, “we’ll be taking the same route back”. “Same route ah? Heh hEh heH…” and soon the rest of us started laughing in that happily exhausted manner. A swig of water later, we were once again proving that the golfers were of sounder mind. Thankfully, Douglas gave us a Grand, exotic seafood lunch to dash towards (what was in that curry dish?)! Now we know who should plan the next JR post-race meal! (*Hint hint!*)

All in all, I daresay we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly on this trip. The arduous route and elemental, wind-sun conspiracy only served to enhance the sweetness of our victory. Take a look at your hands and legs – your victory stripes are branded where your shorts, sleeves and watchbands end. Well done to all Desaru Veterans! 

Now, who’s up for Genting??

 [Not for the likes of me]

En route to Penggarang Jetty

Our bumboat - captain standing

*Please do not sink...* 

Stacked @ Desaru Golf Course