Vesak Day Ridin' with da Pedalphiles

T'was a weekend spent at the trail which is the favouritest of my favourites - the Ketam MTB Trail!

Saturday was the official launch of the bike park (albumstory comin' right up soon) and Sunday was a fun ride with our PCC friends from up north. Click here for the full dirty details.

In case you're wonderin' who PCC is, according to their website :

PCC is a collection of cycling-crazy people from around the Klang Valley region of Malaysia. We share a common love for cycling and our mission is to have fun on 2 wheels! We ride regularly every Sunday, both on and off-road. We also hold long distance outstation rides and special events every now and then around Malaysia. Check out our BRAND NEW 2008 Ride Calendar and start planning your rides with us. All are welcome to join us. Sign up to be a member and get connected to our world !

And I was their 116255th visitor!

I've heard so much about them from Smokin' Babe, and Max has done the PCC road ride with them. But I've only ridden on the PCC Presidential Ride 2006 and it was heaps of fun watchin' all those tortured souls! Hee hee!

In case you missed the action on that ride, click below :-

PCC Presidential Ride 2006 - the silly video

PCC Presidential Ride 2006

Too bad I missed last year's ride (must have been busy with some race or other)....but I'll definitely be back for more! Heard they're going to start another PCC MTB ride next year - so do watch out for their calendar of events!

Da BombMean-able SnowGirl

She's SnowWhite, she's Mean, and she's an absolute Bombshell! Meet the new chick on the block, da BombMean-able SnowGirl, my new stead....another present from Maximuzz, my Santa Biker Claus! And it's not even Christmas yet! You're the best, sweetiez!

Model : Fuel EX8 WSD

For more photos, click BSG Album
For more info about her specs, go to Trek Website

Max went to the bike shop many times over to change parts of her vital organs, while donating some entrails from his former steed. All this operational aspect of bike setting up is all Greek to me, so I think I'll do what I do best....just ride the lady!

This is the first time I've ever ridden a full sus (apart from borrowing Pling's bike once for a spin around KR)! I brought her out for a test ride at BT the other day, and the uphills took some gettin' used to. I almost keeled over on a climb coz I wasn't used to her geometry. But the downhills.....oooo.....that was all worth it!

The dirtraction sticker gets a prominent placement on her smooth white skin....

Why WSD Difference ? = Trek website says "Because you're built differently from a man, your bike should be too. Trek Women's Specific Design (WSD) bikes are engineered to fit your body, putting you into a more natural riding position by balancing your weight more evenly between your hips and hands. The result is extreme comfort and control, better balance and optimized power efficiency."

I've been told that my current frame (which I've been riding for donkey years) is too big for me? Hmmm.....I guess perhaps that was what was contributing to my back aches and occasional knee pain although I had a proper bike fitting exercise and all.....tho the "aging girl in denial" reason is probably more like it! haha....

I guess what sparked off this whole full sus episode was a mixture of me not daring to test out too many of the double black diamond sections at Ubin or jumps for fear that my aging hardtail might break from under me...and also Joey Klein telling me that I'll pick up more courage if I got meself a full sus bike with a riser bar - which will make a whole lot of difference in instiling rider confidence.

Well, I really doubt guts and skills come with the new bike, but...with an upcoming trip to Moab, I'd like to think that I'll pick up 'nuff courage to at least test some of the technical trails that they have there without doing a Ling faceplant! All I need is practice, practice, practice...a full faced helmet, some knee guards, a shot of vodka etc. etc.

My friends are bettin' that after gettin' well acquainted with her, I will never ride a hard trail ever again! Only time and some intimate time with her, the trails and the elements, will tell whether I'd abandon my raggedy hardtailed Blue Bones for my plush new BSG...

BUT THEN I will never abandon any of my bikes! They are all part of my bikehood and I cherish every one of them!

Remember Chek Jawa

Check our the screening of an acclaimed documentary entitled "Remember Chek Jawa" at sinema oldschool.

I watched it last night with Eric, the director and independent producer, together with Chi, whose dad was one of the characters in this real life docu-drama about a time when Singaporeans rose to the occasion and helped to save one of Singapore's natural treasures. It was a beautifully crafted piece of local history and I'm so thankful to all of those who have helped to preserve this little part of Singapore!

We may be an apathetic buncha people, but when nature calls, sometimes we have no choice but to answer her plea for help.

Excerpts from Eric's invitation on facebook :

"Just weeks after its discovery, residents of Singapore quickly realized that Chek Jawa - the last remaining untouched inter-tidal area in Singapore - was doomed for urban development. One final attempt is made by a group of volunteers to preserve Chek Jawa, in their minds and in their hearts.

An action leads to an unsuspecting shift in government policy, forever changing the course of Nature Conservation in Singapore. Up to today, many still tells me they never knew such a place exist in Singapore.

So, if you have not visited or seen it, do catch this film or let your friends know.

Although Singapore is small, I think there's still littlesecrets left at some corners for you to discover.

Monday, 12 May. 9pm

Monday, 19 May, 9pm

Monday, 26 May, 9pm

Tickets at $5 / $4 student concession

Venue: Sinema Old School

http://www.sinema.sg/oldschool/shorts/objectifs-films-may/

More about this short film on the official website.

If you missed my little contribution to documenting the Chek Jawa cause, fret not...you can watch it on utube at my short film on Chek Jawa.

The 7th day of the 7th month of the 7th year of this century marked the official launch of the Chek Jawa Wetlands. I went down for the launch and managed to take some photos. For the full photo story, click here.

Amball Revisited

Found this old newspaper cut out about the Touch Football folks that I used to play amball with religiously every Sunday.

Judging from the age of those interviewed in the article (the interviewer happens to be my sister-in-law), this must have been published back in what....1992?

My eldest sister, Ting (the one quoted in the paper) introduced me and the rest of the Lee sisters to the sport.

It was also how Mart and I were first introduced to each other during our PLC course coz we had friends in common playing this unladylike sport....

I remember my friend Terence getting lots of flack for being quoted for his views on the weaker sex....which he claims to have been a misquote....oh well, that's another story...and something to laugh about now!

Though this was only a friendly game, I remember someone breaking an arm and a leg (literally) while tripping all over themselves! And they call this a violent game?

Apart from the strategic planning (my favourite being the motion plays), tackling and counting one-alligator-two-alligator etc..., it formed a great SDU platform for lurrrrvvvee. Some have hooked up as a result of the weekly gatherings - myself included at one stage (with my ex-boyfriend - haha), and I've known of 2 marriages that blossomed - including my sister and now brother-in-law who live in Hawaii! :)

It was also a chance for my doggies to roam loose....and they were always looking forward to Sunday afternoons when we drove them there in my mom's ol' beat-up Mercz!

We were always searching for the best field, from Nanyang Junior College, to Lorong Liu Lian, to the Hwa Chong field, to the Sentosa field, and now the ACJC field! Whatever field we could get our hands on! But no bumps please?

Looking back, I had really fond memories of our football days. Good ol' days indeed! At one stage, the network went up to over 40 members!

The most recent reunion was when Ben, Choo and Eddie were back from the US. Same core group of players, but the bones were gettin' all creaky....mind is willing, but body is slowin' down....

How time flies, but so does the kanna seed....

Through the Looking Glass

Friends, Roamers, Countrydogs,

Lend me your ears!

I'd just like to paw you a note to tell ya how much I love this balcony with a view! It's to howl for! Catch more photos of me by clicking here.

Hugs and licks,

Saskia Lee-Mager