If you do ever get the chance get your bike out and hit the Bukit Timah trail.
Warning : DO NOT GO DURING THE RAINY SEASON AND ALWAYS GO WITH A PARTNER!
Ok, it was an emotional ride for me (woah, i actually said that!)
No joke. The scenery was beautiful. The trail was not technical but was well rounded. What i mean is, instead of being narrow and steep all the time (like Kent Ridge) it had a delightful combination of steep uphills , downhills, scenic paths and lots of intermediate sections with manageable slopes.
It was not an easy ride, but it was bearable and fun. The trail was heavily covered by jungles most of the time, but there were sections where the trail popped out clearings which were simply beautiful.
lovely green plains with a hill in the background
Start of the clearing. This sections was very nice to ride on. Rocky and bumpy, giving you the chance to test your suspension. Mine were ok only. Need to upgrade to RockShox later.
There were a few of these small bridges along the trail. Nice view of small streams meandering off into the thick jungle from them.
Trail disappears back into the jungle from the clearing. Lovely tunnel like structure by the foliage.
It was getting a bit dark by the time i was halfway through the trail. This section is where you max your speed before hitting the steep slope in the jungle ahead.
I used the Old Jurong Road from Boon Lay to get to the Bukit Timah area. It runs along the PIE. Quite scenic and nice to ride along fast.
Anguish and Pain
There were a few of these small bridges along the trail. Nice view of small streams meandering off into the thick jungle from them.
Trail disappears back into the jungle from the clearing. Lovely tunnel like structure by the foliage.
It was getting a bit dark by the time i was halfway through the trail. This section is where you max your speed before hitting the steep slope in the jungle ahead.
I used the Old Jurong Road from Boon Lay to get to the Bukit Timah area. It runs along the PIE. Quite scenic and nice to ride along fast.Anguish and Pain
I took to major tumble on a slippery sloping part of the trail. The ground was clay, pretty nice to ride on when dry, but horribly slippery after the rains. And it had rained the day before i went.
TRY TO AVOID BKT TIMAH AFTER THE RAIN!
What happened was, i whissed along a downhill section in the thick jungle and then suddenly burst into a clearing with an even steeper section i was totally unprepared for.
Foolishly i braked hard and the bike slipped sideways, lost grip and tumbled twice with me on it down the slope until i landed hard with it between by legs, all tangle up in the frame.
THANK GOD I WAS WEARING A HELMET!
Cause at the final tumble my head slammed into a rock and i almost blacked out for a few seconds. Then i gingerly slipped my right leg from the frame and my hand from between the spokes. Badly bruised, but at least i didn't break any limbs.
And then the horror....
My gear lever had been bent upwards into the frame and the rear wheel was bent out of shape. Not badly, it was still ridable, but enough to know it can;t be knocked back into shape.
So I half limped , half rode the bike back to the carpark (3 clicks away) and i met these bikers who fixed up the Jamis so i could hobble it to a nearby RodaLink.
Not too bad news though :)
The gear lever could be bent back and its still pretty strong , but the wheel needs replacing.
Interesting Info Here
When i appeared out of the trail, the biker who helped me asked me if had gone ALONE along a section of the trail called the "Belukar Trail". I had in fact.
Then their jaws dropped.
Biker 1: Eh, do not go there alone after 4pm man. Haunted.
Me : *raised eyebrows*
Biker 2: No joke. I did not believe when my friends told me, but i have ridden that section at 6pm once. Saw something in the trees following me through the thickly jungled section. Don't ever go along Bukit Timah trail alone. Can get dangerous.
Okay , i am a major sceptic. So i'll just let this pass. It won't stop me from giving the trail a second try though. Was major fun.
Now i need to beg mom for cash to fix my bike. Am broke after spending nearly 500 bucks on everything bike related. A new wheelset costs nearly 100 bucks it seems. I think its cheaper, so i'll get a quotation first or something.
Cheers and Merry Xmas from the,
matrix
TRY TO AVOID BKT TIMAH AFTER THE RAIN!
What happened was, i whissed along a downhill section in the thick jungle and then suddenly burst into a clearing with an even steeper section i was totally unprepared for.
Foolishly i braked hard and the bike slipped sideways, lost grip and tumbled twice with me on it down the slope until i landed hard with it between by legs, all tangle up in the frame.
THANK GOD I WAS WEARING A HELMET!
Cause at the final tumble my head slammed into a rock and i almost blacked out for a few seconds. Then i gingerly slipped my right leg from the frame and my hand from between the spokes. Badly bruised, but at least i didn't break any limbs.
And then the horror....
My gear lever had been bent upwards into the frame and the rear wheel was bent out of shape. Not badly, it was still ridable, but enough to know it can;t be knocked back into shape.
So I half limped , half rode the bike back to the carpark (3 clicks away) and i met these bikers who fixed up the Jamis so i could hobble it to a nearby RodaLink.
Not too bad news though :)
The gear lever could be bent back and its still pretty strong , but the wheel needs replacing.
Interesting Info Here
When i appeared out of the trail, the biker who helped me asked me if had gone ALONE along a section of the trail called the "Belukar Trail". I had in fact.
Then their jaws dropped.
Biker 1: Eh, do not go there alone after 4pm man. Haunted.
Me : *raised eyebrows*
Biker 2: No joke. I did not believe when my friends told me, but i have ridden that section at 6pm once. Saw something in the trees following me through the thickly jungled section. Don't ever go along Bukit Timah trail alone. Can get dangerous.
Okay , i am a major sceptic. So i'll just let this pass. It won't stop me from giving the trail a second try though. Was major fun.
Now i need to beg mom for cash to fix my bike. Am broke after spending nearly 500 bucks on everything bike related. A new wheelset costs nearly 100 bucks it seems. I think its cheaper, so i'll get a quotation first or something.
Cheers and Merry Xmas from the,
matrix
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