First up: Crest1 will be heading to the great plains of Outer Mongolia from 9th to 19th May. So, no training updates till the next weekend. And to pre-empt accusations of me refusing to share the trade secrets of the local bike industry by my peers, here's an advanced dose of reality: Those guys still think horses are the pwnt. So....it's remotely possible that they've progressed from making lugged construction frames, and MIGHT have discovered that steel isn't the only way to go in building bikes. But no...don't expect technological advances any further than those.
On the other hand, I'm pretty much pleased to be making an announcement on behalf of E2 Cyclists: We'll be on the roster at the annual Yew Tee CSC Cycling Criterium this year. It'll be pretty awesome and all just to be racing again...to the uninformed, this'll be my first competitive event to mark complete recovery from last year's major injury. So yeah. It's a minor race, we aren't at ideal form yet to be racing it, but we'll be there. It's partially to try out some new team tactics and see how the new guys perform too. In other words, a race of firsts. June 8th. Bricklands Rd. Be there.
~Crest1 out
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Saturday, 3 May 2008
The neuronic stimulation of the pack.
Team ride today. We were practically spinning in our seats talking to each other though...we were that slow. But it was fun. And significant. We turned up in full team kit. Rode all the common training routes. Said 'hi' to every roadie we saw [ok that's just random]. Shows something, all right. E2 Cyclists is back on the scene as a team...stronger than ever. Racing's almost over for 2008...but we'll commence training for early 2009. With the new, promising guys, I sense more than just a whiff of silverware.
NOTE: We're still NOT a sponsored team. WAHAHAHA. Independence = pwnt.
Apparently, though, riding as a group can be inspiring to the individual. I'm as yet still unsure as to whether it's the combined effect of multiple body-odour emitters in close proximity or the sheer numbness of fatigue that allow the brain to be driven to such heights of performance, but whatever catalyst it is has inadvertantly allowed a junior member of E2 to come up with the ultimate solution to our local cycling scene's troubles with youth involvement and gender equality. [Which, apparently, several distinguished cyclists heading the Singapore Amateur Cyclists' Association have singularly failed at achieving.] Attached is an excerpt from our post-ride conversation:
J: Y'know, I've been thinking.
Me: Uh-huh.
J: I was thinking, SACA's got it all wrong. *snorts derisively* They're organizing more races to boost the cycling scene when the number of races isn't the real issue at stake.
Me: And what is?
J: Duh. The lack of new talent? How many people take up cycling as a sport when they're youths?
Me: Huh. So what'd you suggest the powers-that-be do to popularize cycling among us jaded young 'uns?
J: Well, most sports, obscure or not, attain popularity through schools. So, we've gotta get schools involved in the scene, like it or not.
Me: *crooks eyebrow* Schools? I can tell you that with CCAs, there's definitely a $$ issue....
J: Exactly: They don't see the value of cycling in enhancing their school image. We've gotta bring in competition.
Me: Competitions without the existence of school cycling groups in the first place? Errr....
J: *light bulb in head flares brightly and fuses out* This is it. SACA could organize a schools' cycling event or something. You know, a one-day race. The schools'd be caught off guard and would simply ask for interested parties. They'd have to participate or lose face. Especially when we've got established schools like yours and mine competing.
Me: Dude...what if they freakin' ignore you?
J: We'd have to get Sports Council and MOE backing of course. Pressurize them into acting.
Me: Well...it sounds like it may work...but how do you develop from there?
J: Well, the next year, schools would be keen to have better representation at such an event, and they'd want to organize teams and such beforehand. And presto! In a few years, we'd have a pretty much vibrant cycling scene amongst schools.
Me: ......How does this actually fit into the problem of us not being able to participate in races 'cos we're an all-guys team? [Note: In early 2008, E2 Cyclists Team was unable to take part in the team category at Punggol due to a requirement for mixed-gender teams.]
J: Well...we'd include a girls' category in the competition, of course. I'm sure there'll be enough female cyclists of our age! And from there, we can recruit some for the next Punggol race!
Me: ........................................................You do know our team has had a bad history when it comes to having female members, right?
J: Wait...was it the one where we got banned from ever entering SNGS? [Due to vested interests in preserving the image of the team, this connotation to an earlier unsavoury event will not be discussed in detail.]
Me: ...............YES...............
J: Oh. Nevermind! I'm sure it won't affect the overall scheme of things, right? But why hasn't SACA thought of this anyway? Hell, I should be the one running SACA...
Me: *slams forehead into nearby wall*
~End of Excerpt~
LOLOLOLOLOL. Idealism, idealism. Seriously. While such a plan might actually work, MOE would never endorse it. Neither would the Sports Council. Point is that cycling doesn't exactly win medals for S'pore. As for female involvement in the sport...ever wonder why there's only one category in local races for women? It's called Women's OPEN by the way. And I've never seen any female road cyclist anywhere near our age range. So fat hope. Seriously.
~Crest1 out
NOTE: We're still NOT a sponsored team. WAHAHAHA. Independence = pwnt.
Apparently, though, riding as a group can be inspiring to the individual. I'm as yet still unsure as to whether it's the combined effect of multiple body-odour emitters in close proximity or the sheer numbness of fatigue that allow the brain to be driven to such heights of performance, but whatever catalyst it is has inadvertantly allowed a junior member of E2 to come up with the ultimate solution to our local cycling scene's troubles with youth involvement and gender equality. [Which, apparently, several distinguished cyclists heading the Singapore Amateur Cyclists' Association have singularly failed at achieving.] Attached is an excerpt from our post-ride conversation:
J: Y'know, I've been thinking.
Me: Uh-huh.
J: I was thinking, SACA's got it all wrong. *snorts derisively* They're organizing more races to boost the cycling scene when the number of races isn't the real issue at stake.
Me: And what is?
J: Duh. The lack of new talent? How many people take up cycling as a sport when they're youths?
Me: Huh. So what'd you suggest the powers-that-be do to popularize cycling among us jaded young 'uns?
J: Well, most sports, obscure or not, attain popularity through schools. So, we've gotta get schools involved in the scene, like it or not.
Me: *crooks eyebrow* Schools? I can tell you that with CCAs, there's definitely a $$ issue....
J: Exactly: They don't see the value of cycling in enhancing their school image. We've gotta bring in competition.
Me: Competitions without the existence of school cycling groups in the first place? Errr....
J: *light bulb in head flares brightly and fuses out* This is it. SACA could organize a schools' cycling event or something. You know, a one-day race. The schools'd be caught off guard and would simply ask for interested parties. They'd have to participate or lose face. Especially when we've got established schools like yours and mine competing.
Me: Dude...what if they freakin' ignore you?
J: We'd have to get Sports Council and MOE backing of course. Pressurize them into acting.
Me: Well...it sounds like it may work...but how do you develop from there?
J: Well, the next year, schools would be keen to have better representation at such an event, and they'd want to organize teams and such beforehand. And presto! In a few years, we'd have a pretty much vibrant cycling scene amongst schools.
Me: ......How does this actually fit into the problem of us not being able to participate in races 'cos we're an all-guys team? [Note: In early 2008, E2 Cyclists Team was unable to take part in the team category at Punggol due to a requirement for mixed-gender teams.]
J: Well...we'd include a girls' category in the competition, of course. I'm sure there'll be enough female cyclists of our age! And from there, we can recruit some for the next Punggol race!
Me: ........................................................You do know our team has had a bad history when it comes to having female members, right?
J: Wait...was it the one where we got banned from ever entering SNGS? [Due to vested interests in preserving the image of the team, this connotation to an earlier unsavoury event will not be discussed in detail.]
Me: ...............YES...............
J: Oh. Nevermind! I'm sure it won't affect the overall scheme of things, right? But why hasn't SACA thought of this anyway? Hell, I should be the one running SACA...
Me: *slams forehead into nearby wall*
~End of Excerpt~
LOLOLOLOLOL. Idealism, idealism. Seriously. While such a plan might actually work, MOE would never endorse it. Neither would the Sports Council. Point is that cycling doesn't exactly win medals for S'pore. As for female involvement in the sport...ever wonder why there's only one category in local races for women? It's called Women's OPEN by the way. And I've never seen any female road cyclist anywhere near our age range. So fat hope. Seriously.
~Crest1 out
Friday, 2 May 2008
The convulsive fix.
Couldn't stand waiting around for my dad to get things done, so I went ahead and borrowed my uncle's twin-valve pump. God it freakin' pwns. There's a standard pressure gauge along with 2 valve adaptors for Schrader and Presta valves. No more screwing and unscrewing those piddling little valve adaptors...at least for the time being. And...I FIXED the stupid tyre. Group ride tomorrow. Feels good to be bike-ready again.
Anyway, recap.
Labour Day: My team leader called me up the night before. Apparently, they were gonna spring something big on RT; they'd found out he was heading down to RG again for his Labour Day date. So, figuring he'd be kitted up in full cycling attire, they'd head down there, blockade the gates and yell at him to go join the group ride, embarrassing the crap out of him in the process. Lame idea, but great entertainment value. Lousy thing was that my bike had a FLAT, and I wasn't gonna be able to repair it. Great. So I had to miss the little sting operation, which, I heard, turned out to be a roaring success and a good laugh for all involved, RT included. But, leader tells me that the security down at Raffles' eyeballed 'em real hard and gave him a warning 'bout 'loitering' in the campus, so I guess we'll have to switch jerseys the next time round. Well. Even good jokes come at a price, I guess.
~Crest1 out
Anyway, recap.
Labour Day: My team leader called me up the night before. Apparently, they were gonna spring something big on RT; they'd found out he was heading down to RG again for his Labour Day date. So, figuring he'd be kitted up in full cycling attire, they'd head down there, blockade the gates and yell at him to go join the group ride, embarrassing the crap out of him in the process. Lame idea, but great entertainment value. Lousy thing was that my bike had a FLAT, and I wasn't gonna be able to repair it. Great. So I had to miss the little sting operation, which, I heard, turned out to be a roaring success and a good laugh for all involved, RT included. But, leader tells me that the security down at Raffles' eyeballed 'em real hard and gave him a warning 'bout 'loitering' in the campus, so I guess we'll have to switch jerseys the next time round. Well. Even good jokes come at a price, I guess.
~Crest1 out
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