.... the jackal rides and run....

.....at 10pm I had my last cigarette! Since then, I've saved some money.....spent even more on bikes. Rode harder, longer. Did things faster, more enthusiastically. Felt more confident, knowing I did not smell like a burnt butt. Did not have to hide at some corner of a coffee shop to book my corner. All the good things I can think of. Thanks to my dad exactly a year ago when he seemed to have stopped nagging at me on this point as I sent him to the bus station. Incidentally, I kept my own quit smoking chronicle. This I will close today! This is just about one of the hardest thing I ever did! Genting was a tough 2 hours. This was worse as the suffering stretches for a much longer time (especially in the first few days and weeks!!!) Respect to those who've have or about to stub this bad habit. Feel free to PM me for tips and expectations!!! http://thejackalquitssmoking.blogspot.com/2010/06/day-1-hope-hope-hope.html

760km covered this month on the bikes! A slow week for cycling only did a lower paced solo 80km on Saturday and a truly relax ride with my BIL on his hybrid Sunday. Sat ride was typical and did not do that good a speed as expected after Mandai. However, things started to pick up at the WC viaduct where I managed to average 40km/h thereabout for the 4km length. Ok, there was some tailwind and the huge passing trucks helped as well. It has been quite a hectic time at work...a lot of issues and its creeping into my cycling! I hate this obviously. At times when pedaling, the issues just creep into my thoughts and I go into some sort of a trance-like mode. Not good. I gotta compartmentalize them; meaning lock them up when I get on the bike, pass the key to someone who'll give it back to me AFTER the ride. Maybe I just care too much hahaha. Sunday was a slow ride. My BIL just started out riding on his hybrid and I think fitness-wise....for him...the only way is up! Just hope that this sp

What a start of the week. Monday - hectic hectic hectic. For the first time, I could not catch up with all my emails (yet) and I am a proven efficient mail-worker! Anyway, sign o' the times......just gotta keep grinding on. Did a decent 31+km/h ave on my SS today. Sweet ride that I almost forgot (or rather neglected) about. Of the 56 cycling outings I did this year, I only took my SS out 7 times! Thats too little considering that its THE BIKE that I still believe, improved my performance since JMFR2010. Nothing like facing it all with one gear. There can be only one (gear!)....(in Christopher Lambert's voice...) A quick analysis. Same time last year, I did 2300km of cycling....currently for 2011, I've reached 3200km....thats a good 900km more. Well, TOP did give me something like 400-500km last year in June though but still it looks like I'm gonna do some serious distance over last year. Ok, gotta send the kids and get my ass to work.

Took the Moks out for a 80km spin on Sunday. Its been quite a while since I last took her out and it just reminds me that Steel is really Real....smooth...comfortable...yet fast! The solo SS ride was good. Managed to hit up to 30.7km.h ave after West CoastH'way...managed 30km/h at the end of Mandai, that's pretty fast! I did not tighten the handlebar enough and it kept tilting down so had to be extra careful on the hoods or drops. The garmin data was corrupted (happens once in a while for god knows what reason!). Actual average speed 30.4km/h. Took some simple shots after the ride before I went up home. This is the shallow drop R701 Oval Concepts handlebar I previously had on the Parlee. On Saturday, went out with KL on the same 80km route actually. He took his SS out and seems to have improved his riding (a lot). I was on the Parlee for this ride. The 100mm stem seems more comfy and 'right'...well only time can tell. I only know too well that these things change! Nice

Swapped out my old 110mm stem with a new 100mm stem (Same brand and series from Oval Concepts, love their bars!). This setup : hands on hoods, the front hub is blocked. Feels more comfortable from today's trial ride. Only time can tell if this will solve my elbow problem. Today, I made arrangements to meet Ben for Faber but he did not make it so instead I went alone for the usual ECP - Loyang - Siglap route. As usual, I just told myself to "take it easy" and as always, this was not the case. I did pretty good speed at ECP, average speed was 31+ km/h prior to Coastal. I was 'following' 2 caucasian guys, about 4 bikes away, to try not to draft. At the turn-off into Coastal, they went ahead and I stopped for traffic (safety first). So, solo on Coastal, I did a modest 36-37km/h average and caught up with these 2 guys again. Had a bit of rest drafting @ 35km/h. Its amazing that they were doing this side by side and chit-chatting at the same time plus there was headwind

I'm blogging this from my nook.....had a good 80km solo ride on Saturday and an easy paced ride with Ben to upper/lower Pierce reservoir on Sunday. Some pics from the reservoir ride.... Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.9

Shot this video after my weekday early morning ride. Fibre Flare is really very visible! Highly recommended if you cycle a lot at night or early mornings!

What a day! I love being a bum. In this day and age....its a true privilege! All is not wasted in terms of cycling as I took the morning to swap handlebars between the FG and the Z3. So no more short drop traditional on the Z3. Its now got the traditional bend/drop OVAL R701 from the FG. This bar allows me to place the hoods at a higher position and give a flat transition between tops to hoods, unlike the aggressive sudden bend exhibited by the shallow version. I'm hoping this will reduce some stress on my right hand as I always thought the FG bar had a more stable platform for the hands compared the the shallow version. So as above, one can see the flatness between the tops to the hoods. The hoods are now effectively 2cm higher compared to the previous setup (93cm vs 91cm). Reach remains relatively the same (within 1cm I think). Oh yes, cool red bar tape! Looks to be good quality too (Bontrager)...so here's a full pic below....

Haven't ran since JMFR so decided to go back to the usual 2 x 5km routine for weekdays and 2 bike rides over the weekend. The 2 running activities were not good at all. Pace was 6min/km but I did a new route which is 5.5km iso 5km. These are more as filler activities for cycling. Weekday cycling is too much for me most of the time....waking damn early and take a while to get setup. So on election day Saturday, I went yet again on a round island solo ride (112km). I changed my saddle tilt a bit (flat) and consciously try not to put too much weight on my hands, esp the right one as I'm developing some sort of Tennis Elbow due to cycling. Kicked off around 5.05am and was trying to complete by 9am. Unfortunately, I came in 2-mins after 9am...exhausted. Normally, I will have 1/2 to 1/4 bottle of liquids left but this time around completely finished. It was ok up till around Mandai (30.7km/h average) until the sun came up. It became hot really fast and it was a real struggle maintain