Live.

2009-02-04T17:55:00.001+08:00

Kuantan DH Track

20 minutes of cranking up steep tarmac to enjoy this descent!

2009-01-13T23:18:00.000+08:00

Cameron Highlands Ride - 26 Dec 2008

2009-01-13T21:48:00.006+08:00

SAFRA AVVENTURA 2009 - Rough Ramble

Start point, 7am, Dairy Farm Quarry.

Max was nice enough to drop us off at about 5am.... and return at 5.30 to pass Ling her bib... and come out from home again at 6.15am to pass Ling her helmet.

Before, that LT had to dig out a Gatorade bike bottle from home for Ling, and made his wife stand outside the house at 6am with a Helmet.. waiting for Ling.

The race hadn't started and the cock-up counter was already at #4.

7.15am Flag off!

We take off on foot and turn right at Dairy Farm road. Enter BT MTB Trail in reverse at the Barrier and run towards the Quarry. We were almost last at that point.

Pick up our bikes and Chiong BT in reverse!

Revenge of the MTBers! We're going full bore, with Ling yelling "ON YOUR RIGHT! ON YOUR RIGHT!" Well, sometimes we were on the left, or along a singletrack, but it doesn't matter... they crash out when they hear the yelling anyway.

We meet Esther before the big step staircase...

poor Esther... her chain snapped and she had to backtrack, searching for her chain on the trail. Passed her a SRAM quicklink, and took off, looking for her partner. Found him near Boulder City! He really should have stuck with her.

Head to veggie farm...

where we see Soon and Yew Weng's teams! They were flagged off 15 mins earlier, but Open Mixed teams who showed up had priority of the Open Mens. Too bad....

Mystery Test

was to solve one side of Rubik' cube while being carried by the other Team member. We chose the heavier member to be carried by the weaker one. So Ling got onto my back.

Priceless ...

Was the look on the Ang Mo mixed team who were ahead of us, when we solved the puzzle way before them! Took off on bike to Asrama, our NS and biking backyard! Yee haaaa!

While searching for Hill 265 checkpoint,

We met Soon, Chong, LT and Walter. While chatting, we missed the gravel turnoff on the left, and went up the next one instead, a tortuous uphill climb. Made it to the top, but it was fenced off for roadworks. Oops! That was the start of Mandai hell. We were lost and circling the area for what seemed like eternity.

To cut a long story (with expletives) short,

We finished the 3 tasks in that area (and failed to keep my shoes dry) and headed out the main gate on foot, running the entire distance from Hill 265 to Yishun!

I dunno how Ling managed it, after doing MOST of the running at Hill 265.

I hates it when my feets gets wet!!

la la la la... the water feels so nice and cool....

This is how you do the team biathlon

OK... aim for that bump .. OUCHHH!!!

yee haaaa... managed to hold off the other mixed team

until we reach the Kayak checkpoint

and we leave them smelling our wake...

...but they overtake us at the end of the run to Safra

I'll climb the ladder, while you nurse your cramps, Ming

its a long climb...

Yikes... this is kinda spastic..

okay... tag! You take over, Ming!
Brave try Ling... you did good!

Did I say its a looong climb?

The first place team (were you expecting to see out faces instead?)

We placed 10th for the Open Mixed category.

Disappointed ? Yes.

How could we have gotten lost??

Had fun? Definitely YES!!

2009-01-12T17:00:00.003+08:00

Record 372 participants compete in one of the toughest adventure races in Singapore - the SAFRA AVventura, Rough Ramble

(Article from Redsports.Sg)

January 12, 2009

Participants crossing the water at Lorong Asrama. (Photo courtesy of SAFRA)

Sunday, January 10, 2009 - Participants of the SAFRA AVventura, Rough Ramble had to run, bike, kayak, scale a towering 25m rope ladder, sport climb, rope ascend, abseil down rugged slopes with their bikes slung over their shoulders, and clear a jungle trail and water crossing in one of the toughest adventure races held in Singapore.

The SAFRA AVventura, currently into its third edition, has also grown to be one of the largest adventure races in Singapore since its debut in 2006. A record 372 racers representing 186 teams competed in the race yesterday morning. This marked a more than 10 percent increase from the 336 adventure enthusiasts who had competed in the Coastal Challenge in September 2007.Chairman of the Organising Committee Mr Kenneth Tan commented: “The popularity of adventure racing in Singapore has been growing steadily in recent years. Besides that, the organising committee for the SAFRA AVventura has also put in extra effort to introduce new elements and new challenges to the race each year. With that, we have been able to draw an increasing number of participants.”

Organised by SAFRA Yishun Country Club and known by adventure enthusiasts in Singapore for its challenging race routes over rugged terrain, the SAFRA AVventura this year took participants from the dirt tracks of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve to new virgin territory such as Lorong Asrama where teams had to navigate, bike, run, rope ascend and abseil down steep rugged slopes together with their bikes.

For the very first time, participants of the Open and Novice categories also had to climb a record 25m and 18m rope ladder respectively, before abseiling down the SAFRA Adventure Sports Centre climbing wall. Participants of the Youth category were also surprised with a shooting challenge at the SAFRA Yishun Indoor Air Weapons Range.

The actual race route, which was only revealed to participants just before the race, covered a total distance of some 50km for the Open and Novice categories, and approximately 40km for the Youth category, which fully challenged the physical endurance, navigation skills and teamwork of the racers.

To inject some fun into the adrenaline rush, participants also had to clear two mystery challenges where they had to solve the Rubik’s Cube while being piggy-backed by their team-mate at Zhenghua Park, and note a series of markers planted along Lorong Asrama to crack a secret code.

Mr Kenneth Tan, Chairman of the Organising Committee, commented: “We took the race up a notch this year to be one of the toughest adventure races in Singapore for participants who may want to challenge themselves against a much tougher race route. Besides increasing the total distance covered, we also introduced new elements such as the 25m rope ladder climb which is the highest done thus far.”

Mr Alex Chan, Chairman of Singapore Sports Council, was Guest-of-Honour at the prize presentation ceremony held at SAFRA Yishun Country Club.

The Men’s Open category was once again won by defending champions Tan Yeow Chung and Eng Yew Kiang who took top place at the SAFRA AVventura – Coastal Challenge in 2007. They completed the race in just 3 hours 48 minutes 12 seconds, the fastest timing in the race.
Thirty-three-year-old NSman Tan Yeow Chung commented: “The race is a lot more challenging and fun this year, especially the biking leg. The route is also safe.”

The Novice Men category was won by Goh Eng Wei and Ong Tian Chang. “The jungle biking trail was very challenging as there were many obstacles that we had to overcome,” commented Goh.

Team ‘We Love the Muffin Man’ made up of national swimmer Christel Fung Shufen, 16, and triathlete Joash Chong, 18, won the Youth Mixed category with a timing of 4:13:37.
Christel Fung said: “This is a totally new experience for me. I did not expect the race to be so tough and challenging, especially for the running segment from Mandai Road as we did not know the destination or how long we had to run.”

The winners of the Men’s Open category: Eng Yew Kiang (Left) and Tan Yeow Chung. (Photo © Les Tan/Red Sports)

2008-11-20T11:38:00.001+08:00

Lucky Break wasted

The Amazing Race Asia
Season 3
Episode 10

Episode 10 is one nerve-racking episode especially when Vince didn't finished the roadblock... and penalized for 4 hours. If Fuz finished the roadblock they will be spared and become 1 of the final 3 and Hong Kong will be eliminated. I guess they wasted a "Lucky Break" but still I'm proud of the Singaporean Team because they've come this far almost they could taste victory... great example Singaporean Team to the others who hoped to join the next season.

2008-10-11T23:17:00.000+08:00

Talking Car
Park

2008-04-15T23:37:00.013+08:00

BikeAsia 100

100km Mountain Bike Race

A photoblog

Pinoy Beauty #404

Android on his 29" Single Speed.

Where's my Roti Prata?

Oops! Tinker's got it.

Burst of energy after eating that stuff.

The Race was called off at the 4th hour due to Thunderstorms and Lightning that was too close for comfort.

We were fried by the morning sun, but that's better than being fried by a lightning bolt.

Tinker's Race bike. Perfect tire choice!

Tampines Race Track Intro Video

What went through my mind during the race :

Running start - "Hmm... this running feels good, why are the rest so slow?"

Lap 1 - 41:23 min - "Ahh.. sweet.. avoided the cluster f's and bottlenecks. Keep pumping!"
Lap 2 - 39:46 min - "OK.. keep cranking hard to gain some time. Hmmm I don't understand... the legs still feel good...weird..."
Lap 3 - 42:03 min - "Slurrrrp! WTF! Camelbak's empty! puff puff... wheeze"
Lap 4 - 45:34 min - "Too hot! Too hot! Gimme Gatorade! ...hmmmm, riders are dropping like flies."
Lap 5 - 57:55 min - "Arggghhh.. leg cramps.. OK.. stand here and pretend to wave Tinker by. OK.. let's ride.. arrggghhh... cramp again!"
Lap 6 - Race off - "go slow... go slow...get the legs back.... its nice and cool now with the rain..... Race cancelled? Whooo weee!!! "

What might have gone through Tinker's mind :

Running start - "Hey, why are these guys running so fast? They're nuts"
1 - 28:20 min - "Wow.... this trail sure is narrow..."
2 - 28:36 min - "La la la la.... Teletubbies... Tinker, Dipsy, Lala, Po....."
3 - 29:34 min - "Oops... here are the slow ones... on your right! thanks. "
4 - 30:09 min - "Holeee... where did rider #3 come from? He must be a fresh duo guy"
5 - 30:35 min - "Overtaking for the 220th time. This is tricky stuff...... Hey..... who swapped my Turkey Sandwich with a Greasy Roti Prata?"
6 - 30:13 min - "On your right.. Noooooo.. don't stop on the plank!! Splat!
7 - 29:37 min - "Hi Ming, lapping you for the 2nd time.... Why are you just standing there?"
8 - 29:48 min - "OK.. lets step it up for the last 2 laps.. what? The race is called off?... dagnabbit!"

A big thank you for our pit crew for their hard work before, during and after the race!

Tinker, you're a true Champion and a Gentleman. BikeAsia / CannAsia could not have picked a better ambassador for this race. :)

Pics borrowed from here:

Noel Chian

Pinoy Riders

Linguini

See ya next year!

2008-03-01T13:45:00.002+08:00

Make 5 Wishes

Just discovered Avril Lavigne's "Make 5 Wishes". Damn...

2007-12-03T22:12:00.000+08:00

2007 Penang Jamboree Video

Riders from the "Dirtraction Bus" :
First up the Hill - Andrew
Bird Men - Eric, Ken & Ming
Heavy Horse Gang - Wayne, Max
Girl Power Crankers - Ling, Angela & Janice
Accidental tourists - Chris & George
Best XC legs - HuiMin & YuSeung
China Comrade - Collins
Big Wheels, 1 gear - Aaron
Burst Boy - William
SarcasmBoy - Yew Weng

2007-11-26T23:52:00.000+08:00

Overshot and Grave Drop

'Nuff said.

2007-11-21T18:03:00.000+08:00

NewFlash! Wild Boar Chase @ Ubin

Pulau Ubin - 21 Nov 2007 - 1805hrs

Here I am at the office and I get a phone call from Ling. They're at Pulau Ubin, working with Joey Klein (The IMBA guy) enhancing the new MTB trail with a few black diamond sections.

William goes off to buy coffee.... after a while, Ling receives 4 SMS'es from William for help! He got chased by a family of wild boars and managed to climb up a fence to get away from them!

They crew gets into the Truck to go rescue William, but the truck gets bogged down the in the mud.

They call in the Dumper to pull the Truck out, but the Dumper's Thumper is underpowered... but finally they pull the truck out of the mud.

BUT THEN, the tow rope gets stuck and they can't undo it, so more hullabaloo with the BoarWatch team.

In the meantime, they call William's phone to find out that he's still on the fence, and the pigs are waiting to eat him. He doesn't know where his bike is, cos he dumped his bike (and I'm assuming the coffee) and ran for his life.

Can't get more news out of Ling, cos she cannot stop laughing!

This was too funny to keep so myself, so I had to let our fellow Ubin Cowboys know about this by SMS.

SMS replies :

Wayne : Hahahahhahahahahhahahaa that's freaking funny, man!!!!! Hahahahahahhahaha

Max : Wat?

Soon : Oh Shit! U're kidding right?

John : Heh heh.. Sounds like our 4WD trip gone wrong :)

Eric : Shd call Ah Yeo, this Sat BBQ (meat) settled liao....

Its 1859hrs... nothing heard. Out.

Update

2000hrs. They're at L&T, still laughing about it. ...

.... Finally they reach William. No sign of boars, but William stayed on the fence for 1/2 hour cos he was afraid they would ambush him. He could still hear their snorting in the bushes...

This is how they found him ....

More about our #1 Boar incident here.

Place - Pengerang, Malaysia

Original boar-man - Wild Boar Wayne

Type of meeting - Direct hit

Casualty - One front wheel and One Boar Head

Evidence - Bent front wheel and some Bak Kwa with Boar hairs

After effects - Strange reaction to Boar humour

2007-11-12T21:52:00.000+08:00

Togoparts 11

An 11 hour enduro race..... it sounded like a good idea for us to get together for an all-day race at an easy peasy pace....

It was tough recuiting victims, but we finally got together a Team of Old Cocks (Eric & Ming) and Spring Chickens (Ling and Angela). Team Mingloid-Merciless-Birdman-Sotong. Spasticism of epic proportions for an epic race. It was going to be fun.

All our plans for an easy race became toast when Dirtraction and Adidas stepped in with sponsorship and support. So that's how team Team M.M.B.S. became Team DirtAdidtion "A" (which Togogopaparts had tremendous difficulty pronouncing).

DirtAdidtion "B" comprised of riders from the international siongalingam MTB circuit :

Lai Thutt (Himachal Pradesh Mountain Marathon),

Yew Weng (New Zealand Enduro),

Collins (China to Tibet Epic),

Yu Seung (Malaysia Jungle champion).

Oops... even before the race starts... news of the first Cock-up!

Cock up #0 - Angela forgot her shoes!! Yikes!! Her darling Wayne rushed to get them and made it back before her turn!

The race started with a 400m run to the bikes. Easy for us adventure racers... let's rush to the front of the pack and stay there for the 1st lap!

Cock-up #1 - Our plan to blitz the first lap was shattered when we found out that mountain bikers can run. Fast! We ended up way down the field.

The mud in the forested area was simply amazing... varying in consistency from Mushroom Soup to Clam Chowder to Rice Pudding. It was as unappetizing as wet cement.

Did I say MUDDY?

Lucky Break #1 - The fantastic support crew who kept the gears shifting, hydration pre-mixed and the energy food on the table. The only thing Wayne, HM, Jason and Ken didn't do was to peel the bananas for us.

Team A's average lap times was 30 mins. Team B consistently nailed sub 30 lap times, with some sub-25's, thanks to YS and Collins.

Lucky Break #2 - Team B was doing better lap times, but Team A had girl power (think 1 1/4 laps for every girl-lap).

Cock-up #2 - Ling had chain suck! Twice! Luckily she un-sucked herself and turned in a respectable lap time.

12 noon, time to start our 7th lap and also the games! Teams were divided into 3 groups, and we raced against each other, threading the entire group through a 26" tyre.

Lucky Break #3 - Team B got a 2 lap credit and Team A got 1 from the game!

1.15pm, time for the 2nd game. Sudoku! Yikes! Thanks to helping hands and Team KNN, we managed to hand in the Puzzle after 20 Brain damaging minutes. Kudos to Angela who still could think after just emerging from that mud!

Lucky Break #4 - One lap credit each for Sudoku! Yee ha!!

3pm, 6 1/2 hours into the race and 13 laps done. Time for the last game, and we sent Eric.

Lucky Break #5 - Last man standing! Eric nails if for the Trackstand competition. 1 more Lap credit!

6.30pm... Ming leaves for his lap. Ling to ride next, and she has to make it back before the 7.30pm cut-off, so that Angela can go for a last lap.

Chances were slim, considering our lap average was 30mins, and darkness was falling. Ming was considering taking his time, but Yu Seung pushes him hard (till cramping point!).

Lucky Break #6 - Ling rides the last lap at lightning speed in the dark and makes it back at 7.28pm! She rode like she saw a ghost! She even looks like one!

Angela get's the chance to finish off the race! Go Angela!! Go!!!

Its tough enough riding the 1 foot wide trail in the day. Seriously, I don't know how Angela did it in the darkness (and overtake other guys too!). Brave effort, Angela!

DirtAdidtion took 2nd place, behind the invincible Team Hammer. Hehehe.. not a bad outcome for a bunch of wacky weekend warriors. That's us holding on to the loot!

2007-10-14T21:49:00.000+08:00

Crank 6 photos

Click on the pic

2007-10-13T15:42:00.000+08:00

25 Year Old Beauty Seeks Rich Banker

Aaaaaahahahahhaaa....... very interesting......

05/10/2007 following exchange took place on Craigslist
'What am I doing wrong?’ Okay, I’m tired of beating around the bush. I’m a beautiful (spectacularly beautiful) 25 year old girl. I’m articulate and classy. I’m not from New York . I’m looking to get married to a guy who makes at least half a million a year. I know how that sounds, but keep in mind that a million a year is middle class in New York City, so I don’t think I’m overreaching at all.

Are there any guys who make 500K or more on this board ? Any wives ? Could you send me some tips ? I dated a business man who made an average of around 200 - 250K. But that’s where I seem to hit a roadblock. $250,000 won’t get me to Central Park West. I know a woman in my yoga class who was married to an investment banker, and lives in Tribeca. She’s not as pretty as I am, nor is she a great genius. So what is she doing right ? How do I get to her level ?

Here are my questions specifically: - Where do you single rich men hang out ? Give me specifics - bars, restaurants, gyms - What are you looking for in a mate? Be honest guys, you won’t hurt my feelings - Is there an age range I should be targeting ? - Why are some of the women living lavish lifestyles on the Upper East Side so plain? I’ve seen really ‘Plain Jane’ boring types, who have nothing to offer incredibly wealthy guys. Then I’ve seen drop dead gorgeous girls in singles bars in the East Village . What’s the story there ?

- Lawyers, investment bankers, doctors. How much do those guys really make ? And where do the hedge fund guys hang out ?
- How do you rich guys decide on marriage vs. just a girlfriend ?

I am looking for MARRIAGE ONLY. Please hold your insults - I’m putting myself out there in an honest way. Most beautiful women are superficial - at least I’m being up front about it. I wouldn’t be searching for these kind of guys if I wasn’t able to match them - in looks, culture, sophistication, and keeping a nice hearth and home'.

An Investment Banker's Response:
Dear Pers-431649184: 'I read your posting with great interest and have thought meaningfully about your dilemma. I offer the following analysis of your predicament.

Firstly, I’m not wasting your time. I qualify as a guy who fits your bill - that is, I make more than $500K per year. That said, here’s how I see it:

Your offer, from the prospective of a guy like me, is a plain and simple crappy business deal. Here’s why. Cutting through all the B.S., what you suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I bring my money. Fine, simple. But here’s the rub, your looks will fade and my money will likely continue into perpetuity - in fact, it is very likely that my income will increase, but it is an absolute certainty that you won’t be getting any more beautiful!

So, in economic terms, you are a depreciating asset. Not only are you a depreciating asset, however, your depreciation accelerates! Let me explain - you’re 25 now and will likely remain pretty hot for the next 5 years, but less so each year. Then the fade begins in earnest. By 35 - stick a fork in you!

So, in Wall Street terms, we'd call you a trading position - not a buy and hold…hence the rub…marriage. It doesn’t make good business sense to 'buy you' (which is what you’re asking) - so I’d rather lease. In case you think I’m being cruel, I would say the following: if my money were to go away, so would you - so when your beauty fades I need an out too. It’s as simple as that. So the deal that makes sense for me is dating, not marriage.

Separately, I was taught early in my career about efficient markets. So, I wonder why a girl as 'articulate, classy and spectacularly beautiful' as you has been unable to find your sugar daddy. I find it hard to believe that, if you are as gorgeous as you say you are, your $500K man hasn’t found you - if only for a tryout.

By the way, you could always find a way to make your own money - and then we wouldn’t need to have this difficult conversation.

With all that said, I must say you’re going about it the right way. Classic 'pump and dump'. I hope this is helpful, and if you want to enter into some sort of lease, please let me know'.

2007-10-12T21:20:00.000+08:00

Crank 6 Race Results

Yep, results are out... here's the blow by blow account :

Lap 1 - 00:29 - We're off! Slow and easy start. Long day ahead...

Lap 2 - 00:37 - Ling starts to wilt.... cannot clip in on her right side due to mud and sprain.

Lap 3 - 00:40 - Stopped to change Ling's SPuDs to platforms. Max!! Where's the Allen keys??

Lap 4 - 00:44 - Full effect of heat being felt... stopped to pour water on Ling's head.

Lap 5 - 00:32 - Ling starts to revive after dumping more water on her head.

Lap 6 - 00:42 - Load up on water and food, put on lights. No stopping till the end!

Lap 7 - 00:31 - Ling starts to push the pace!

Lap 8 - 00:35 - Ming gets cramp ticks and slows down to a walk.

Lap 9 - 00:45 - Nightfall... super adrenalin rush! Ling plays safe and walks the scary stuff.

A day of parched sand and deep, sticky mud, flat lallang fields and cruel climbs, wide sandy tracks and steep descents, fresh air and the stink of methane. Ian Ng lives on.....

2007-10-07T15:32:00.000+08:00

Crank 6

Singapore's first Enduro MTB Race

2007-08-01T01:17:00.000+08:00

2007 Penang Eco Challenge

9 hours of suffering condensed into 2 minute video.
Music : Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Torture Me

Vid Clips that didn't quite make it......

2007-07-19T23:17:00.000+08:00

Cock-ups and Lucky Breaks (Updated)
The Element of Luck in Adventure Racing

Abstract
Does Luck play a part in Adventure Race performance?

Background
Teams that are not physically strongest sometimes place well in races. How is this possible?

Adventure Racing is all about physical fitness, right? Well, not really. Shit happens out there.

When Shit happens to you, its a Cock-Up.

When Shit happens to someone else, it could be your Lucky Break.

Hypothesis
Performance of a team in an Adventure Race depends on the cumulative result of minimisation of Cock-Ups and maximisation of Lucky Breaks.

Evidence
2004 Ace Adventure
Team Slackers Winnie/Ken/Ming - 3rd place, Mixed
Cock-up - Left map on bridge at first abseil.
Lucky Break (Big One) - Team Angels took the entire field of leading teams and brought them through a wild goose chase through thick bushes and rat infested drains.

2006 Nomad Hulu Langat
Team Slackers - Andrew/Ken/Ming - 3rd place, Mens
Lucky Break #1 - Being strong bikers, we were among the first teams up the long hill
Cock-Up - We missed a turn at the foot of the hill
Lucky Break #2 - And so did everyone else!
Lucky Break #3 - We made a call and turned back before anyone else.

2006 Action Asia Singapore
Team MingLing - Ling/Ming - 3rd place. Mixed
Lucky Break #1 - Running in the dark at Butterfly loop. Yahooo!!
Lucky Break #2 - Plenty of biking! BT + KT + Road
Cock-up #1 - Ming drops energy meal on Keppel Viaduct while biking.
Lucky Break #3 - Competitor offers Ming a bite of his energy cake
Cock-up-> Lucky Break - Ming misunderstands offer and eats the whole chunk of cake.
Cock-up #2 - Ling forgets Fig 8, so Ming had to run back up highway viaduct to pass Fig 8 to Ling
Cock-up #3 - Ling borrows Fig 8, so Ming has to run back down highway viaduct. Grrrr...

2007 City Chase Singapore
Team WTF - Ming/Ling - Top 3, Mixed
Lucky Break #1 - 4th Team to reach KR check point
Cock-up #1 - Ran off to Science Park before realising there's 1 more task at KR
Cock-up #2 - Running down downhill instead of up to reach CP2 at KR
Lucky Break #2 - Making friends with another team, who led the way to the Chinese Temple
'Cock-up' - Lost Ling's camera during the Trishaw ride
Lucky Break #3 - Watched a Discovery Channel program on "how to make a Jasmine Garland"

2007 Penang Eco-Challenge
Team Slackers - 6th Position Overall

Cock-up #1 - Moseyed along, far behind lead vehicle, thinking that race will start when everyone gathers.

Lucky Break #1 - Winnie and Angela took off like a shot and pwned the muddy downhills and slick concrete slopes, scaring a few teams into cocking-up.

Lucky Break #2 - CP2, Oops, no Tyre levers! Desperate bare hands can remove tyre even faster!

Cock-up #2 - Gave in to Winnie's request for a sit down meal. aka "Winnie Picnic". Cock-up #3 - Gave in to Winnie's request to backtrack to look for her specs. This turned into a Lucky Break for team W.N. Smurf! Grrr....

Lucky Break #3 - Did not give in to Winnie's pleas to be rescued from the 2 hour Raft Torture.

Lucky Break #4 - Spotted a pod of Dolphins! Gave us renewed paddling energy! We beat Team PenUkBel to shore! Yahoooo...!!!

Cock-up #4 - Angela got nausea after bobbing at sea for 2 hours.

Cock-up #5 - Spotted Team PenUkBel who was lost and pointed them in the right direction.

pimp myspace - Gickr
Cock-up #6 - Gave bonked member of Team PenUkBel a Crank Gel, which promptly revived him.
Cock-up #7 - Frolicked in waterfall pool, waiting for Nik and Wayne, thinking that we were quitting once we hit camp.
Lucky Break #5 - Angela winning the debate with Winnie on whether to continue.. by ignoring Winnie's pleas.
Cock-up #8 - Believing the organisers that the last biking leg was just an 8km sprint... which turned out to be a 1 hour full-out leg busting ride!
Lucky Break #6 - Ming watched a Discovery Channel program on how to husk coconuts, and Angela finished them off with her bare hands.

Too many cock-ups to get into the Top 5, but enough lucky breaks to make us the 6th and last team to complete the race before cut-off time!

Conclusion
Yes! Lucky Breaks are what you need to do well!

For those that are contemplating their first A.R., go for it, enjoy yourselves and make sure you have good Karma during the race.

Life's full of Cock-ups and Lucky Breaks too. The strange thing is, that the more Breaks you give, the more Lucky Breaks will come your way. Something about Karma........

Ming

2007-07-19T22:44:00.000+08:00

City Chase Singapore 2007

That's us.. having brunch before the 'walk-in-the-park' race that City Chase was supposed to be...

We started off by collecting the Charity Teddy bears and painted them... wait.. Teddy bear! not Panda Bear! Hey Ling!

Arggghhhh... Too late!

That Kinda set the theme for our race. Do it crazy, have fun and play hard!

You can see that we're still smiling after the race.. not sure if those were smiles of relief or from the free flow of Stella Artois!

2007-06-14T10:01:00.000+08:00

Results of the "Tickle Original Inkblot Test"

Yung Ming, your subconscious mind is driven most by Curiosity

You are full of questions about life, people, and your own potential. You spend more time than others imagining the possibilities for your life — and you're open to things others are too afraid to consider.

You have an almost physical need to know and do more. It's only through new experiences that you feel a greater understanding of yourself and the world.

You also have a rebellious streak that shows up when you feel unable to truly influence the world or circumstances around you.

Your appetite for novel experiences also shows an openness others don't have, but wish they did. Your psyche is very rich; the more you learn about it, the more you will understand who you really are.

Hmmmmmm.........

2007-05-23T00:44:00.000+08:00

As The Bird Flies

Eric the bird man has taken off on a self supported bicycle ride from Lijiang, China to Lhasa, Tibet. Eric is known as the birdman for his blue bird talk (sounds more familar in Hokkien).

Lijiang is in Yunnan, situated on a plateau at an elevation of 2600m... this is the starting point of their journey, which will take them ~2000km to Lhasa, Tibet.

Follow his journey here : http://bluebirdman.blogspot.com/

2007-04-24T23:19:00.000+08:00

Ride into Boar-dom

The ride to Sungei Rengit used to be a nice ride along buff trails through shady oil palm plantations. Not any more. Most of the plantations have been razed, and replaced with young palms that provided little shade.

After a 1 hour bum-boat ride from Changi Pt, we were raring to go! Well, some of us were more interested in looking for coins on the gravel and messing around with their fanny..... pack.

The ride gets underway, and we decide to take the tarmac route, as the old route through the village and forest is no longer recogniseable.

We continue past "Han Bridge" and turn left onto the riverside trail leading to Sebana Cove.

Not far after "Puke Bush", we heard some major rustling in the bushes. A spooked wild boar rushed out of the bushes and bolted down the trail towards the other riders. Some say it was drifting as it attempted a holeshot between 2 riders. Bad judgement on Snarls Barkley's part saw it meeting with Wayne's brake disc at full-boar and taking Max down as well.

The boar-ing incident over, we continued on, eyes wide open.

Ling, Max (with open mouth) and Kapitan Soon ride on.

Prata man Yeo (the Blonde).

Charging Chio Bu Angela leading the bores though the fern garden.

Got to make this a regular ride.. time it right for the next hair cut. Heh heh.

2006-12-16T01:28:00.000+08:00

"Honda Cub"

Also known in Malaysia as Cub kia (hokkien) or cub chye (cantonese). We saw these indestructible workhorses in action at the 2006 Penang MTB Jamboree. At we struggled along, pushing our bikes up the steep tarmac sections, these little motobikes were scooting past us, with a mountain biker in the backseat, carrying his mountain bike! Cheaters!

Have a look at what else these bikes can haul.....

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2006-09-29T22:49:00.000+08:00

Epic Rides

October 2007.......

The MTB gang will head for Himachal Pradesh, for an 8 day Mountain bike race in the Indian Himalayas.

Fully supported with transport, planned routes, medics and all the spares you could think of. No worries.... just ride hard.

Altitude will be the single worst enemy. Endless climbs and thin air will bring their heartrate close to max for hours on end. Then again, long, fast downhill legs are what every mountain biker dreams of.

Eric and Tian will be spending more than 3 weeks on a self supported bike tour of central China.

They plan to fly into Guangzhou, take a bus 10 hours to Guilin and keep riding North till they come to the 3 Gorges Dam. Then East to Zhangjiajie where the limestone mountains are picture perfect.

2 contrasting countries, 2 very different rides with different hardships, hurdles and levels of uncertainty......... Both Epic rides, nonetheless.

The Mother of all Epic Rides..... Mystical Tibet

Check out Collins & Friends' Tibet ride pics here : collinsxu / xuweicollins

2006-07-10T00:19:00.000+08:00

Kent Ridge Trail

A new trail! Whoooo hoooo !!

From nothingness, Max and his Bangla crew started hacking a new trail.

A few days after the work started, we went to Kaypoh. Unrideable stuff! Large steps, steep down and upslopes. Loose soil..... and Max was already toying with the idea of holding the next race there! C'mon lah... serious or not?

Unfortunately for him, but fortunately for the MTB crowd, Nik happened to be "in between jobs". NZ trained Nik. With unlimited Internet access. A Monster was created.

Together with the Nparks folks and the Banglas, this trail machine cut thru the forest to create snaking, twisty lines that dropped and rose through the ridges. A trail that would push your skill and cardio levels to the max.

Good stuff. Weekends will be too short from this week onwards.

Here's a some snippets stitched together to a tune from Queen. Freddy Mercury on a bicycle? Another one bites the dust.

2006-06-20T22:55:00.000+08:00

Eco-X Slack

"So what's it gonna be, Andrew? Easy race, ok?" ..... "OK, Ming, I just wanna enjoy it and finish it" ..... we decided that day to call ourselves Team Slack. Team Flounder sounded a wee bit too fishy. Team Slow Smurfs and Team Serious Angels were also in on the fun.

Went for one run with Ken a few days before the race to "loosen up" so we won't hurt too much on race day. After all, we're Slackers. We were even too slack to drive up to KL. The bus option sounded good cos we could sleep on the journey up, and didn't have to wake up too early on race day. We could also go comatose on the journey back.

Ken and I decided that the last thing we wanted to do was to get horribly lost. After the race briefing, we scouted out the first part of the biking leg and also the last leg of the race. We strategised about how we should build up a lead at the biking leg so we didn't have to struggle too much the rest of the race. Easy.

Race Day. We lined up on the second row, ready to put our plan to work. Countdown 5-4-3-2-1... foghorn goes off and so do we! We knew exactly where we were going from our recce the day before. Cool. Keep the leaders in sight and we'll be all set! Yeah Right.

They led us to a dead end after a super siong-a-lingam uphill push. Bugger! Checked map and took a gamble. Headed back downhill while the rest were still milling around. Passed the rest of the field who were panting up the killer slope... and found the marker! Phew!

Mountain biking! We were in our element! Boggy flats, slimy slopes, twisty, narrow trails in tight forest, cheong ah! Team Hammergel were very strong MTBers. Cocky too. The trail markers laid out by Nomad were notoriously easy to miss. When we lost the trail, Team SART came along and pointed us in the right direction. Indebted to them. We promised them we'd "give chance" on the running sections. Heh heh.

Dumped the bikes and off we went to the Waterfall on foot. Lost sight of team SART within 2 minutes. Promise Kept. Heh heh. Andrew and I were not getting it right going up the waterfall.....dang slimy rocks. It was a bitchin' hard scramble. Team Flounder. That's us. Ken made it look too easy. Got overtaken by 2 local teams! That's it... we were losing the lead we built up on our bikes.

Next destination. Abseil. The pace of the race suddenly took a turn for the siong-er. We were the 4th men's team and we could see it in Andrew's eyes when he said "is there prize money for 3rd place?" It was confirmed during the tarmac section when Andrew said "Ming. Hook up." Towrope Teddy strikes again.

I wrote on our map "2 hours" on a off-road section. Must be a mistake. Nope, no mistake... 2 hours without a flat section. Leg burning, lung bursting, knee wrecking, ankle twisting slopes. Passed Chi and his merry band of sprinters. Traded positions a couple of times with 4 Frenchmen "Rouge! Rouge! ...*slip* Merde!!"..... and caught up with team Hammerheadgel. Grrrr..... To cut a long story short, Sang Kancil beats Sombong Sapi in the rough stuff. Schweet victory.

It was a relief to reach the abseil point after another uphill scramble. .. and a butt slide down a 2 storey high sandwall. All downhill from here!

Run run run to the river where we were to pick up the bamboo raft. The grand plan was Andrew in front, where most strength was needed to steer the "craft". Ken was handed a wooden pole, and I was given a bamboo pole. "Wood in front, Bamboo behind".... errr... that means Andrew in the middle! Dang. Andrew wasn't complaining. He was happily splashing water on his face and shoulders while Ken and I were doing our dangdest best to avoid the bloody boulders.

Getting stuck on the fast flowing shallows became routine... Ken and Andrew would hop off and I'd push off with the bamboo pole. When we were REALLY stuck, we all got off and I had to yank the back of the raft. Not good. When a raft is freed, it goes downriver. Fast. Faster than a frikkin guy holding onto a long bamboo pole watching the raft and two laughing teammates float away. Nevermind.. just lie on your back and let the life vest float you downriver. NO LIFE VEST LAH! No wonder my ass was being pounded by the rocks on the shallows and I had gasping sinking feelings in the deep sections. Kanna sai... Andrew stopped laughing long enough to grad my (bamboo) pole and yanked me in as I floated by. Now I fully understand the expression ".... its not even funny".

2km run back to the finish. No teams in front to catch and no teams behind to outrun. Chatting as we jogged to the finish, we felt good. No cramps nor major Snafus. Luck was on our side as we were handed 3rd place.

Team Angels took1st place in their category, as usual. Was there a Dyke category, Max?

Slow Smurfs mosey'ed in. Janice's knees were shot. So was Nik's mood. Take care of those 6 knees, smurfs.

2006-05-14T23:24:00.000+08:00

Pedal & Paddle Fun !

If a picture paints a thousand words then a movie.........

2006-05-10T22:30:00.000+08:00

... has Chiang mellowed?

Got a call at work yesterday from Chiang with great news! He's getting married to Becky!

Good to hear that the wild man from Borneo is finally settling down.

Its going to be a June / August wedding in Phuket, so both families can meet up (BTW, Rebecca and her family live in Fresno, California), then its down south to Pulau Redang for more sun!

2006-04-19T08:28:00.000+08:00

OK... so we were in Queenstown, New Zealand, the adventure capital of NZ...

Fantastic outdoors, but activities are very costly. $100+ for 3 seconds of bungee thrill, $100+ for jetboat ride, $200+ for Helibiking, Parasailing, etc.

Heck, why not combine a plane ride over snowcapped mountains, bungee freefall and parasailing?

"You only live once". Yep, that's why we went..... Skydiving!

Would we do it again? Sure! Next time.. 12 000 ft!

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2006-04-18T09:10:00.000+08:00

Guts....

This is Ling doing something that's scary for her. I'd be scared if I had ended up in hospital a year ago with concussion from a spectacular downslope endo.

Good on ya, Ling!

2006-04-15T21:25:00.000+08:00

Dan Osman... the first time I saw him on TV, it reminded my of Chiang, my younger brother. Not just the hair or his love of extreme outdoor stuff, but the way he maxes out on the things that he loves to do.

What Chiang said about mountain biking reflects his attitude... "If you don't fall, you're not riding hard enough".

Its a good thing Chiang has mellowed a little. Dan Osman didn't have that chance. He died in 1998 going for a record 1200 foot rope jump. Check out this vid and you will find some climbing and cliff jumping videos that will blow your mind. He was indeed a free spirit.