The Perfect Ride!

I've never felt anything so awesome, not even after I finished my full first Around the Bay or 3 Peaks Challenge. There were no mountains, no headwinds - just a pack known for dropping riders without grit. And I beat them twice!

At first, I just thought I'd do a pull on the rolling roads on Mandai Avenue. It seems that I kept creating a gap, so I decided I might might as well make it an attack. With a blend of smooth cadence and good form, I managed my momentum and never looked back. By the time I got to the first regrouping point at Mandai Shell, the pack was more than a minute behind. So I waited It seems like my heart rate stayed in the 180s throughout the whole effort.

The second interesting stretch was the narrow rolling and twisty sections on Neo Tiew. The front few developed a small gap and the chap in front of me couldn't close it. Terry said something like "ok Ben, all up to you" seeing how much 'energy' I had today. I just kept the pace - there was no need for a conscious bridging effort. This pack can't climb, despite their super-light Colnagos, Cervelos, Dogmas, and even a few Venges. By keeping my own steady, high pace, the gap simply closed with time.

Once we hit the 'highway', I was in second wheel. Not keen on being someone's domestique a second time in a pack where no one pulls, I hopped to the back. It was only towards the intermediate sprint point that I made an attack from 10th wheel. It was a good attack - only this skinny chap on a skinnier Cervelo S3 (yea, it looks awesome) pipped me to it. For the 1st time, I saw someone who knew how to sprint. It seems he's american - figures. Most Singaporeans can't sprint either. He was right on my wheel and made a good move. I kept pace for awhile but realised I couldn't keep up my cadence on the slight rise and ceded the sprint saying "Good one."

The most interesting segment of today's ride was after Neo Tiew. Since a few of us rolled slowly past the 2nd regrouping point, I thought the pack would follow. Apparently they didn't for a minute or so - all 40 of them - and Ivan, Nic, and myself did something of a TTT. Actually, I did an ITT - they chipped in once they couldn't draft the trucks anymore. I didn't see the point of trying. We went over the next few rises in the upper 30s, going between 38-42 on the flats. The mock-TT position I tried on drop bars was responsible for the portions ≥40. Soon, Ivan was dropped. Nic and I arrived on West Coast Highway. Towards the end, Nic was dropped as well. I just powered on, no looking back...

... Once I saw the end, I moved from 53x14 to 53x12, gave a yell (or groan) and sprinted for the end of the Highway. Rolling down the other side towards the coffee shop, I gave a big victory salute. The sprinting pack rolled past the line some 30-40s later, after I pedaled slow and looked back. If Kelvin was here today, I doubt he'd let me get off the hook so easily! :PP

I was all smiles for the rest of the ride and coffee shop banter. This was the first time I dropped this pack - and twice at that! Coming 2nd in the intermediate sprint and crossing the final finish line way ahead of the chasing pack was a revelation! It was an inspiring moment, and I'll cherish it forever!

From my logs, the averaged overall speed of this pack from June this year till 18th September was 34.7 over approximately 56-57 Km. It waxes and wanes, from as low as 33.1 to 35.9 on the 18th. This figure includes the multiple start-stop scenarios in urban Singapore. My average today, with the breaks et. al., was 36.2 Km/H. It's the fastest time I've ever clocked on this route.

I feel like I've really matured as a rider. I know what sort of pace I can push, what sort of cadence I need to recover in the bunch, and how I should approach tighter bends and rolling terrain, whether in Singapore or in Australia. Kew Boulevard and Beach Road have been the anvils upon which this strength was built, and pulling Tim and Rohan to the Best Time for the 2011 Around the Bay (135 Km route) sealed my confidence. I never knew I had that in me. Criterium racing, even at a humble D-grade, has taught me a lot about handling myself in a pack, knowing when to go, and fighting for wheels like I mean it.

Today, I feel like my mind has blended perfectly with my bike and body. Coach Bruce deserves the lion's share of the credit, with David Mckenzie's power-building program following behind, and Zuyi's aerobic conditioning regime during my 1st 3 months as a cyclist. Although I had to part from each under various circumstances, their teachings have undeniably made me what I am today.

Zuyi: "to build aerobic endurance of which I find you lacking" (I thought fuck you, I'll show you! It was a positive motivator)

Coach bruce: "Don't be obsessed with numbers", "soon you'll wonder what all the fuss was about" regarding cadence, and "it'll come to you" regarding sprinting. "I'm really pleased by how far he's come" when he met my folks for dinner before flying back to NZ. He believed in me, and then I believed in myself.

I did not have much time with Mckenzie but I remember calling him 'Legbuster' after 1 week of his program. It killed my legs; I couldn't ride the next day. But as I got on with his audacious program (I can't find a milder word that would fit), I gained confidence in the hills and launching multiple sprints/attacks/bridges from the pack.

The week leading up to this ride was tumultuous - psychological burnout from training had set in. My body felt perfect, but I could not relish the thought of getting up at unholy hours to focus on cadence, speed, heart rate, feel, and a host of other 'cyclometrics' (punning on 'psychometric'). Even Alvan could see that. Thankfully, my personal woes were set right days before the ride. Having hung out too late with Ding, I decided to skip sleep and just ride a la ATB. Rock up, have fun, and just catch up with the nice bunch of cheeky old MAMILS I hang out with (Nic included). This afternoon, I felt like crap - and really was full of crap. Doctor said it was stomach flu, something I ate last night. Good thing it's after the ride!

I've rediscovered the fun and joy of cycling - and I intend to keep it that way! ;)