We have cycled regularly on Sundays since the beginning of the year and have blogged about many rides in Zendogs 2. These were road and PCN rides, and Pulau Ubin’s trails which are too tame to be counted as offroad.
Finally, after half a year, I hit the trails today with Kenneth on his new Giant and Kevin on his still new but already well-used Surly. Zendogs and friends made up nine including route planner Andy Dinesh, a veteran of the area.
Chi, Li Ying, Airani, Dinesh, Kenneth and Kevin
Click for larger view.
Route on Runkeeper.
The baptism for Kenneth’s Giant took place in Pengerang – Tg Pelepih to Sg Rengit via dirt tracks through oil palm plantations and young secondary forest – and some overgrown electric able maintenance lines. It’s actually a depressing place for an ecologist, as it is a stark reminder of the long disappeared forests and freshwater swamps which once covered the area.
Ignoring the biodiversity graveyard feeling, on a rainy day like today, the plantation lorry routes test our bicycles for preparation for the mud without severe punishment. Sure enough, we struggled to cope with gear changes once the bikes were embedded with grime. It’s a good way to figure out how to better prepare and to add things like a mouthguard to our kit, so we’ll eat less dirt.
A heart-wrenching landscape.
Eat dirt!
Grass beneath power cables.
Yes, there was a durian stop!
Next – to introduce Kenneth and Kevin to Singapore’s own T15.
Zendogs ride Pengerang, Johor: Kenneth Pinto, Yap Chi Wei, Andy Dinesh, Kevin Lim, Catherine Chew, Airani S., Lee Li Ying, Stephen Yan & N. Sivasothi. Runkeeper route and stats here. 117 photos on Flickr:
Otterman speaks... 
Impressive ride! Dirt, mud, electrical currents, tar and durian! A baptism of fire for Kenneh’s new bike! Cheers, John