Fixed Gear : Mount Faber Challenge Completed! .... somewhat

After a long 3 months break from the Faber route, I decided to tackle it with my Fixed. Bad Idea! Started off from home at 5.30am and started from Kg.Bahru entrance around 6am. My HR shot up really fast and I was grinding at 20rpm....going barely 8km/h at the steepest point. It was impossible to sit and pedal so I was standing all the way from the right turn at the carpark (where you'll hit the 300m+ wall....averaging 10% grade and 18% max grade at its steepest!). I was suffering bad, breathing heavy and HR very quickly up to 190+bpm......legs ached, lungs ached and I held on as far as I could.....until about 2/3 way up the steep portion I caved in....had to stop. I unclipped and rested for about a minute.

The next problem was starting out again at the steep incline from a stand-still and getting clipped in! I was lucky, I got on the bike and within the 2nd crank rotation I got my left foot and and mashed my way up the remainder of the steep portion. 48x18 is still too tough for me to get up that route non-stop (that's about equivalent to a 39x14, accounting for crank length as well).

Next the downhill.....I just exercised caution and had my hands on the brakes, modulating so that I do not spin too much! Going up Morse Rd route was much better.... managed to do that a few times but very slow. It was all about leg power due to the gearing, pushing and pulling on the pedals. On one occasion at the steepest point via Morse route, my left leg unclipped as I was pulling! The cleats are gone.....

While going at it alone, there was a huge group of Cycleworx guys and gals doing loops as well, suffice to say, they went pass me like the wind. One slowed down and just said "Fixie?" , I nodded ,smiled and he nodded back. Another passed me fast and shouted "You are strong!"...So I did another 5 loops of Morse (total of 6 loops) before resting at the top while waiting for Ryo and KL to arrive from the Kg. Bahru wall.

Did another 2 loops of Morse after that with Ryo. He was pretty fast up the incline....can tell his legs are quite powerful and dropped me for dead at every round. I was just glad that my bike was still moving!

The Mockie on Faber summit..

That's me on loop #7

Ryo arriving from Kg.Bahru 'wall'

KL arriving from Kg.Bahru 'wall'

8 loops! Also had a short challenge at Nicoll with Ryo leading. I spun out going 40+kmh...

The Fixed punished me yet again. Lovely.