Rumble

Wasn't referring to the howl and rumble from the rainstorm just hours before Sun morning ride

Literally got woken up at 5am by the howling wind and splatter that came through the window.. There had been some pretty heavy episodes lately but this morning was some serious amount of water that came crashing down.  Temperature by 7am was down to an almost unheard of 23 deg Celcius on this island...though I smelt Autumn in the air...

Been pretty much a loner or riding only in small groups of no more than 3-4 in the past couple years....

Anytime there's more than 10 in a group... things usually get off with a slow start but I was pretty excited with the idea of a fattie group ride and can't wait to see what kind of attention would be garnered.

Hit the ferry terminal just after 9:30am and nope... the normal 12 bikes/boat won't fit. Virus and me have to contend with both our Moonlanders peeking at the rest inside

First timer to Ubin, Adam on his Ops with signature BMX bar... Shhh don't tell him about the rolling terrain and short but killer steeps

Familiar scene as we move past the usual crowded jetty area towards the trailhead. Last bastion of rural life in Singapore... don't think we thought much as we pedal past but each time looking at all the pics taken in this area, I can't help wonder how much longer before the "need" for progress is gonna rip this tranquil island and transform it into another mega resort/ revenue generating entertainment area...

I'm sure the SOP trailhead shot has been taken to death by everyone that comes here and equally bored to death will be anyone seeing the fence and quarry-lake.. I'm normally not inspired to join in. However today was a little (ok "big") difference. 11 Big Fat set of Wheels and 1 rental

Just realized while counting, all the fatties were Surly.  Pugs, Moons, Krampuses and one Long Haul Trucker.

Twas a slick ride after the heavy rain.. not much spill or blood involved but everyone was pretty much trail sprayed...

Eyes blinding big poser factor rims or not... it definitely
was no stroll in the park ride today.

Outgunned: The 4.8 Bud and Lou combo of Virus bike mounted on 82mm Rolling Daryls made the 3.8 Knards on my 100mm Clownshoes look ridiculously small

Made up my mind to bleed the wallet again for a set of these obscene rubbers but halfway through the ride home on the roads I was having second thoughts though....unless I'm determine to build some Neanderthal quads like Virus.

DIY Locking Headset Spacer

Why would you want to have locking spacer on the steerer? Well if you are one of those down-to-the-millimeter freak on bar height like yours truly.... or want to perform a quick stem change. In these situations you won't need to hold the headset in place each and every time which can be a real PITA.
*falling hex keys* , *spacers tumbling & rolling away*

Unless you are just gonna slam the stem or need a tiny amount of spacers beneath it...

 ...a solution already exist from Problem Solvers. But I needed a quick fix and can't wait 2 weeks shipping from the US. Seen a number of DIY floating around, mostly using plastic brackets but didn't fancy the ill-fit of those as plastic gets crushed when the screw is tightened. Doesn't look too convincing too, sturdiness wise.

Looks like a spare 32mm seat clamp filed flats would just about fit with a little shimming from a cut plastic P-clamp.

Pretty snug too.. don't really need to tighten the screw

I really think laziness is actually the greatest motivator for innovation? Achieving the most with the least effort has been my steadfast philosophy.


Yup, gonna push the functionality of the lockring spacer further - cutting excess steerer without having to disassemble the front end of the bike.The only compromise tonight will be having to use a pipe cutter instead of priding on usual freehand sawing preferred. Saw guide? Nah never own and never use one.

Making the bike it's own workbench...

Hope I know what I'm doing... else its gonna be one expensive experiment to replace a fork.
(Nah-- I'm leaving a liiiiittle more just in case)

           Pipe cutter blade checked
         Pre-scored lined check
       Length measured-- checked and doubly... triply... quadruply checked

Steel steerers take a lot more rotations to get through...maybe it was my paranoia as well. Gone at it real slooooooooooooooooow to make sure each revolution is still aligned with every turn and each tightening of the cutter.

Pretty good. A little filing to bevel up the slightly expanded cut edge due to the pressure of the blade pressing on it and all's good to go...

Still a considerable amount left compared to what I normally leave for spacer stacks but then got to cater for those funny bars to switch around to on "touring"/ cruising modes..

Update: Just realize this morning the converted seatclamp spacer doesn't sit flush. Another Salsa Lovelip does a better job.

A Moonlander. Finally

Not a fan of yellow or blue on bikes but this combo looks like something straight out from Toys "R" Us and it seems to strike an agreeable chord with me. Maybe I'm reminded by the yellow of those taco resistant ACS-Z rims from my very first 2 wheeling pride and joy

Its been going back and forth at the back of the mind for awhile now...To buy or not to buy. Rigid or boink?

The recent fat bike epidemic with its variations is almost like the Cambrian Explosion in evolutionary terms. Like some side freak show gone viral, brands have been putting out an unheard of  number of fat related items at Interbike this year. For a niche little market that grew out of demand, it's quite a contrast to the 27.5 wheelsize fever which really in my usual cynical view is more of a concerted effort to force a change in consumers by the BBBBs... Big Bad Biking Brands. It's literally trying to reinvent the wheel (size) to inflate flaccid sales and just to tell people there is something "new"...

Ok I digress, back to fatties... its not just simply some  errr.. "wide" sweep around the globe but evolving standards surrounding the usual fattie related measurements as things get ever bigger. From the absolutely latest and longest 190mm rear hubs to the realization of more actual fattie suspension forks... For those in the know, suspension has always been far and few in the fat bike world until now.
Let's see at the end of the day whether its the purist or the techno geek that will win. That is how many fat bikes will be sporting what forks in time to come. But I have a feeling this has very much to do with how stock bikes are spec in the first place. For me there is a place for both.

Of course not even fat bikes are spared when it comes to the attention of the weight watching posse.... Latest  21lb Borealis carbon fatbike is gonna make weenie gram counters wet their chamois. Sorry but no carbon fanboy here.

With a multitude of choices, its definitely not making things easy to settle on my next obese one.. Hey if even Walmart jumped on the fatwagon with their $199 Walgoose, you know those wide tire treads are literally gonna be rolling all ov'r ya face eh!

"anything bigger than my Pugsley on a sunny tropical island is just overkill"

Yea, yea that was my line...while absentmindedly staring at the rows of parked (under utilized) wheels in the house. But seriously, attempts at rationalizing number of bikes?

Faced with an irresistible deal, the sagely bike fomula of  "x+1" always win. Always.
Now I know my current low meat hi fiber diet didn't arise out of some new age health fetish. The unconscious has unleashed the very deep dark reason... yes

Time to break the piggy bank for 'em porky rubbers this time.

No sooner than after Sat's nite moonlight B.Y.O.E. dinner with the missus... someone posted  a Moonlander for sales . Condition shown from the pics -- was just unreal.

Long story short-- It was in the house by Sun afternoon. An almost mint (and by that I mean like 99.9% spanking shiny new) monstrosity. What's more it was all decked out with some pretty tricked out upgrades on this 1st gen frame in lieu of stock parts.

Frankly the ti-sand color of this year's model looked really appealing but then again, now I have both THE fatbikes that pretty much started it all. Purple Pugs, that got the world gawking over fatbike in the very first place and now the Moonlander, the first 100mm rimmed mega fattie.

Now here's a new problem-- bloody bike look so good I don't even know if I will ever set it up to go offroad!    Ok ok just kidding.

Oh... the SOMA Eagle which I was browsing online and wondered (if it was too short) is just flipping sweet... One of the best funky swept back I ever had and that's coming from having tried a ton before.

The Exustar pedal was another performing component beyond my expectation... Haven't been on a proper ride but I have some serious time on flats to know a thing or two on first metal to sole contact. Long studs on this square pizza should make me triple-E size 11 boondockers happy.

Not even sure where to even start dissecting the Surly Whirly O.D. crank. Specifically made for the Moonlander. Surly's website has all the info for those interested.

There's lot of other "first" on this bike for me, apart from the ridiculously wide wheels which hasn't even fitted on the  largest possible rubber yet. The Clownshoes are only mated to 3.8 Knards for now... making them maybe ~4.0 all stretched out.

This marks my first 10spd mtb drivetrain. Something I have been religiously resisting. Got to say the setup overall has been uber uber smooth. Climbed a few short steep grassy slopes with the granny in reserve. Damn thing just gobble, tracks, surges forward & up. Which says a lot since the setup as is, is probably in the region of  38lb. 

Pugs leaning sadly looking forlorn is dangerously anorexic by comparison. Can't wait to have some proper 4.8" rubbers on the Moonie later on.

Pugs on the Marge/Larry combo is definitely having a nutritional-deficiency issue.

Direct mount deraileur... Most of my bikes run single ring and I haven't had a direct mount front dee before... Kinda like the look of it. Let's hope there just won't be the usual FD woes as time goes by.

Last but not least.. the Surly rack... a much much much lusted after item... Time to dust off those old moldy panniers ;)

B.Y.O.E.

Tiny willing model: Almost missed it if not for a tiny jump from my peripheral vision

Remembered I didn't quite get to field test the alcohol can stove the other day... An impromptu decision at the supermarket led to a B.Y.O.E. dinner tonite. With the missus, no less. Rare enough she cycles with me and even rarer she is game with tonite's plans...

B.Y.O.E.? Yea. Bring Your Own Eggs and definitely one of the best I've cooked facing the sea with a cheapo two bucks non-stick pan from Daiso.

Ok another of our more frequent meat-less dinner these days. Gotta make do with carb since packing without much prep. Sun dried tortilla chips with cheese dip.

Well, turns out my dingy alcohol stove worked well beyond my expectation. Strong salty wind didn't faze the cheapo can once it was properly primed.

Before dinner...
The route was something I discovered last week while taking a run. Through the park connectors into a nature area. One of those precious bits of mangrove that's left on this island and preserved with lots of bird watchers frequenting this area...

Purpose built walkways right into the mangrove but done properly and not destructive. I only wish people would stop littering. Its really quite an eyesore with all the non bio-degradable plastics around in some parts of this place.

Then we passed something seen on a local TV program on paranormal activity... It did look kinda spooky later on the way back when all was but dark and chilly.... Was it really strangely chilly or twas that my imagination...hmmmm

The Samsung S3 takes really good pic in bright light but the today's pics are seriously all crappy since we started out at ~6pm. What a waste as we saw one of the most beautiful (and huge red) moon ever after dinner! 2nd day of the new month on the 8th Lunar Month. The pics below absototalutely do no justice to what was out there tonite.

 

With a little aid from my 900L front light

Still wobbling on her foldie, I really didn't know what prompted us to take the by now pitch black route through the mangroves again. Well its dry and has all those nicely nailed together wooden planks but still... Thankfully I armed both bikes with enough lights for tonite...

Some section got a little more adventurous...

And whOops,  I almost crushed a baby python with the Pugs... Backed off in time and shine the light to take this pic.. Little guy obviously wasn't very happy. We were on our way soon enough though.

Pretty fun night overall and was thinking again over something I had been mulling over these last few weeks... another fat bike and re-jig the present one for the missus...

Muduro

Too tired for wall of text...

BEFORE

 

DURING

AFTER

EDITOR'S CUT

Fatventure Day

Wheels seem to have a mind of its own these days. Didn't feel like washing bike and so wasn't intending on a off road session but guess Pugs made a good call after all turning when I would have gone straight...

With the impending gloom and definite doom of all my "just-a-stone-throw-away" riding grounds bent on being destroyed in the name of progress on this tiny island... what I term as my "lazy"-radius  has a clear and present urgency to be expanded

2pm... just out of the lift Purpsley looking rather handsome decked out and swapped back to funny H-bar.

Normally I would head straight from Pasir Ris Farmway 3 and cross the bridge to Punggol, oblivious to Lor Halus on the left and Pasir Ris Coast Industrial Park 6 on the right

Somehow Pugs was like an untrained mutt tugging at the leash and right turn it was today.

Towards the end was the off-limit access road to Serangoon Tidal Gate.

No parking huh!

Didn't venture forward to the gate though. Security probably wouldn't appreciate people snooping too near.

Scattered along the waterway are anglers busy casting rods a little further down from here. Nothing to the right (North) but the sea. Didn't think Pugs can float to Malaysia.

Turned around and saw what looks like a long singletrack on the left... And it is (at least by this island's standard), reaching back to the bridge... hmm ok now I know.

Though not far from "civilization", it would have been rather idyllic except it is dotted along the entire length with what I thought was water monitoring machines... one about every 250-400m by my estimation. Turns out after some  research, these are actually pumps and wells from this article where they " ...built 125 wells with pumps and pipes all along the riverbank, to suck water out of the ground every time it rained." Presumably to prevent flooding?

Reckon they are really doing some serious homework when they decide to dam up all the waterways in Singapore with this latest, the entire Serangoon River as the island's 17th reservoir

Kudos to the hydro engineering here, not easy considering the fact that this was once the island's largest dumping ground and having to deal all those years of leachate where now the area has become a crucial water source.

Pop back out and went on Punggol PCN. Still thinking how to get in on the other side when I saw 2 foreign workers cycling opposite me... plus a few anglers on the bank. The cyclists got down and started pushing and that's when I knew riding fat tires was the right choice today.

With no access via TPE that's spanning across the river since there is no way to get down from there I reckon it gotta be further .... 

More PCN mileage..

Buangkok East-- Yup. Bingo. Gotta look for it a bit after crossing 3/4 of the bridge... Throw Pugsy across and down a tarmac slope... Strange that they build a short steep road like this to the river bank and close it off with railings on top... Think some  project got shelved halfway...

Left or right?  Left... not much to go before hitting the "end". Supposed to be a lot longer on Google Map but again mass destruction, oops construction has started up.

Construction at far end... Entire area here should be forested based on Google's satelite map (which probablymeant it was at least 3 months outdated)

About turn ... Mulchy and gooey all the way. Not the worst of it yet.Just a prelude of things to come...

Friendly rangers came along by the river... Hey I wasn't suppose to be cycling on this side or so I was told. But then they told me to be careful before throttling off. Ok. Thanks dudes.

Living in this claustrophobic sardine packed island is hard... where everything is just cordoned off. No hiking, no cycling, no fishing yadda yadda but leaving us with nowhere to go and escape from the oppressive heat and stress. I can hear from the tone of voice that these guys just had a job to do. After work, they are probably like you and me also looking for breathing space. Friends from overseas are always asking why all the whining when I'm living in one of the most modern vibrant city in the world. Guess its a little hard to explain.

All the while to my right, the entire length has been fenced. Vegetation is pretty thick hence I hadn't harbored ideas of any direct bush whacking. Besides I wasn't packing the Rajah today.

As expected, the fence just ends abruptly in the middle of nowhere.. far from the entry point. Guess authorities figured most folks just don't venture this far in and could save a few dollars from the fencing. save for military and sensitive installations, its pretty much the same when they make perimater off these empty state land.. 

Pretty wide tracks begin to appear. Multiple Y-junctions. Heading in reverse from where I came from...it was all loose and rutty going  in. From the signs of vegetation crisscrossing the ground, this place definitely has seen little human activities.

Halfway in, decided to head back out to explore the rest another time...as it was rather open and blazing hot by now...
 

On the other side towards TPE there are more signs of human activities. Huge pile of fallen trees and big branches. Judging from the dryness, I would say they were cleared at least 2 years ago. There's also a hardened sand pile... enough for a bit or air time fun with whatever I can muster up on the 42lb pig.

Back home GoogleMap confirms there are much more than what I rode in this area. If my navigation instincts are right... there should be some access points further down the Buangkok East Bridge where I first entered, apart from the riverbank route. Which means traversing on the inside and avoid making life difficult for those good rangers who are just trying to do their jobs warning/ fining folks like me...

Was wondering how to negotiate the smaller (but still sizeable) river that cuts the landscape after TPE. An angler told me to turn right and look for a "bridge".

By the time the crossing was spotted, the waterway has tapered off considerably.  Found out later this was called Sungei Pinang.

Decided to ignore the crossing to push straight on instead. My mental compass say I should end up somewhere near the Farmway area that's nearer to home. Too tired to whip out phone to GPS exact location.. as all my recon Sage Mode and Byakugan were pinging clear today. Only thing was not knowing what the ground holds...looks dry in the pic but this is really where all the seriously soft and squelchy riding of the day begins...

Trackstanding and balancing skills were called into play...some parts were almost axle deep. It was still doable with the 3.8" Larry but  made me wonder about  the extra float of bigger 4.8" rubbers.

 Yea yea..  trying to justify getting another fat bike here.

Signs of civilization... and onto a quiet road that goes into that elusive entrance of the still functioning dumping ground further up.

Heading towards  the direction of the bridge to Punggol again after watching people flying their RC planes in the open field...

5:15pm. About to leave the patch I eyeballed a fortnight ago. Well...with' another hour and a half to last light plus remembered I had packed some lumens

Inside...  An excavator...  some grounds cleared but rather haphazardly with no organized pattern of why things are actually cleared... No signs of other heavy mechanized machinery or construction materials that would have otherwise signify swift  hasty developments in store.

Tracks in every which direction...

Nothing technical but some trails leads to a large body of water not connected to the nearby river. I can see why this is really a migratory birdy wetland paradise... Unfortunately my knowledge of things biology doesn't extend well to the feathered ones. Still I would hedge a bet I saw a huge Ardea sumatrana today.  Must remember to bring bino next trip.

Found a purple kite with a whole yarn of purple string too. Must be  Pugs day. My purple bike has its own purple pet now!

With light fading... the mozzies were getting louder. Time to ex-fil but not before I manage to turn Pugs into a "Goolander"

Damn, those were some serious sticky sh#t to wash off back home.... Yup tiny apartment living means not having the luxury of chucking a dirty bike in the garage.