Trance... The new 2008 craze

Son of crapper. This is my DREAM bike. Its light, fast, and heck of a lot more comfortable than my GT Aggressor. But of course comparing this with my Aggressor is like comparing Brad Pitt with me. I'm so hot, and well, he's Mrs Jolie.

Now the problem with buying this bike are many. Firstly, its the moolah issue. Its $2000 without bargaining. Secondly, its me and my brilliant riding skills.

Now lets take a look at issue no. 1.

I have no problems coughing up the money by End July at most, while still comfortably maintaining my dangerous paycheck-to-paycheck style of living. The problem is, do I want to put my future financial earnings for a freaking dreamy bike?

If I put in $2000 now into my portfolio, and if markets rise 40% by mid 2009, I would be making $800 profit in slightly more than a year. And if markets rise an annualised average of 10% a year (averaging bulls and bears), my money would turn to $3221.02 by the time I turn 25. By that time, I'll be ready to buy my Zara shirts for my new executive position at Xyz MNC.

And its all doable, considering the markets are so shitty and dirt-cheap now.

Now, let's say I do buy my bike. By 2013, that bike would be still in relatively good condition, with many priceless memories, however, I would be $3221.02 poorer, not just $2000 poorer than if I had not bought the freaking sexy Trance bike.

That's the money part. Now, we come to issue no. 2. My brilliant riding skills.

I am a brilliant mountain biker. My days at Ubin can never be complete without me breaking a sweat, flexing my toned legs, or almost bleeding to death or breaking an arm.

Yes, I suck. There was a week in Ubin last month, where I crashed 4 times. And who can forget the stitches I got when I crashed into the Damai Sec wall, face-first? I'm sure my Aggressor won't forgive me for the damaged fork barely one-month into its existence that time.

But recently, I've been improving dramatically. I fell only once last week, with a deep cut on my arm, because I stupidly attempted something I KNEW I wouldn't be able to do. The rock garden was so uneven, and I wasn't confident enough, so I went slow, got my front wheel stuck in a rut, and instead of falling, I braced my arm against a sharp boulder, and got a cut that would give my torn lip a run for its money.

What was I talking about again? Oh yes. Me improving. But anyways, after that, I didn't fall in the singletrack. Oh, and there were many parts I could have fallen to my untimely demise.

All in all, I feel more confident now, and the ride yesterday at Tamp MB Park made me more so.
The only thing is, confident and improving or not, another big fall will come. Its all part and parcel of learning how to cycle. The problem is, do I want to fall on my $2000 bike or my already slightly damaged $400 one?

Another small issue would be my lack of technical bike maintenance know how. As you can see from the pic, the bike's full suspension is rather a bitch to clean, not to mention the hydraulic disc brakes would be a ITE worthy year-end project to manage and maintain.

But the question still stands. To buy or not to buy? To wager future monetary earnings for current and future happiness? To buy a bike meant for skill levels much higher than what I have now?

I say, if I can bravely see portfolio losses of 45% and still put in more money hoping for the best in the long-term, I guess I can reward myself with a little something to celebrate more of my future successes.

Haha. I'm so gonna buy my Trance.



You've served me well, my dear. And you'll continue to serve till the new girl comes. And ride her, I will. Heh.

The OTHER Side

Above is a video showing the other side of mountain biking, the side I'm VERY familliar with, though my falls are much less spectacular.

You can see that most falls are due to rider error, but there are a few where the rims, fail, causing you to just die.

Scary shit. My life and safety is in the hands of cheap aluminium rims and small rubber $3 brake pads, no more than 4 cm long.

That's just way too scary.

Anyways, why do I have so much time you ask? Well, I was and am on 2 days MC.

Keng? No la. Where got? I got injured in a spot most males care not to talk about. Haha. Ok la, its just near 'that' area. And there's a funny story on how it happened. Let's just say I won't be wearing those again to Ubin.

But I've really treasured this 2 days of hols. Seeing as how I've not taken MC for a whole year (not withstanding the 2 days I took when I busted my lips open), and I'm actually well enough not to spend th whole day drugged up and sleeping. I've enjoyed myself and have managed to catch up on some finance news.

Yes, its money time again. As at today's stock prices, my inital investment portfolio, which I started up in August 07 has since made a 49% loss. I've named it plan A.

Fucking hell!?! Yes.

As at today, the few hundred dollars I've just pumped in this month (aka Plan B) has made a 10% loss. Not bad eh?

Losses, losses losses. But I'm thinking long term.

If prices return to pre-Aug 07 prices, Plan A would make a 1.02% gain, and Plan B would make a 78.9% gain (total gain would be around 13.5% cos the weightage of A is much higher). It seems that I made bad choices in Plan A. During that period, I just started out, what. But this recession rocks. Prices have not dropped so much in decades and its set to drop further. I'm just snapping up the bargains baby, and I hope to acheive total portfolio gains (combined plans A and B) of 20% gain by mid 2009. Which is doable, unless more US banks go belly up, and the Fed refuses to bail them out, then I'm dead. Oh, and Hong Kong doesn't get SARS again, then I'm set.

I can smell the money.

Ah, we are getting old. Girls our age are getting primed up for jobs, guys our age are in NS, either being a mighty SISPEC warrior or a CD clerk planning his financial future.

Soon, in 10 years time, when we meet again, some of us will be driving big cars, some small cars, some still riding the bus. Some of us will be managers, executives, academics, some just paper pushers in MNCs or worse, the Garmen. Some married, some with children, some still alone.

What we achieve in life depends on what we do here and now.

And here I am cycling like a child who's never had a childhood, however true it may be.

Kick-ass Vids

These people are crazy man. They look like they're flying on their bikes. Its amazing that they just don't skid and die.

Wah. And here I am, unable to complete the Ubin double black diamond courses fully.

These people have my respect. Bloody awe-inspiring.

Snow City

The newest addition to my bike.

F***ING SNOW TYRES!

Einstein was called insane when he dreamt up of his what not theories, and I've been chided by my colleagues when I brought this back from lunch today from the Eunos Technolink.

But I daresay, this idea is pure genius. Snow tires on the slippery, 1.5m wide singletracks of Ubin, now that's genius.

Till now. I went to check it out, each of these tires weigh at least 300g heavier than my current tyres, also by Kenda. Plus, in retrospect, after riding my bike around the carpark tonight, (which I've since washed and lubed on Tue) cornering on concrete with metal studs may well be my last turn.

Lol. I guess it wasn't very smart eh? NOT. These branded Kenda Klondike tyres, retailing at USD $54.99 cost me SGD $9.50. Hah. More grip at Ubin for close to the price of a return bumboat journey with my Aggressor.

Thank god for the clearance sale. Now to put these new babies on and pray that it grips the road.

Oh, and (*Y&(*^*&%^&$%^#^%#^%$&^*&^*&^*&^*&&&!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been buying and topping up my unit trusts, bit by bit ( once bitten, twice shy ) everytime the market drops. Then, today, the bloody Hong Kong markets dropped by 4.8% and I didn't top up. Argh. Wasted buying oppurtunity. My recent few hundred dollars that I topped up has been breaking even, if I had bought at a low price today, my ailing portflio would've been much better.

I bet this is Karma for the other time I grumbled to my mum that it was her fault that she forwarded my loan to me late and caused me to miss the CNY slump. Now I missed a correction, all by myself. SHit. Could've have made a few hundred in a week. F.CUK. Argh.

Singapore Fei-Fei Live at Ubin

Went to Ubin today with Ismam, who is my CD colleague and Dept IC, Muhd, and Lin Hao the gay ACJC guy who I once threw accross my table (see late 2007 entries).

Lin Hao went home haflway cos he wasn't used to cycling. Anyway, here's a short video of me and Muhammad doing a very short round around a pumping (see entry below for defintion) track.

We're supposed to shift our body weight while standing, but we're not pro enough. Enjoy the sight of me bouncing around more than I usually do.

Oh, and sorry Ismam, cos I edited your commentary away cos my prep time while you were talking was too long.

Oh, anyway, here's the actual way of doing it:

But you know how pro I am? You know in the second part of the instructional video, the guy was damn fast in the forest? I was fast and confident too.

Then... I hit a tree.

Next week I'll try the same dirt track, slower and mindful of the tress. Lol.

Two Wheels and Knee-deep in Emo

I couldn't go to Ubin last Sunday due to the heavy rain throughout the whole day. But as the rain died down at around 4p.m., I was so itchy to get onto my bike I really couldn't stand it anymore. I went to the Tampines Mountain Bike Park.

I expected a crummy attempt by NParks to just build a park for the sake of building it, to achieve their goal of becoming a cycling city by 2015.

But I was wrong. I tell you the view was so breathtaking. I was indescribably happy to learn that there was a park with a good solid trail, and steep, easy downhill trails down, with a site for pumping ( small consecutive humps to be tackled at high speed, with balance to be maintained by shifting your body weight intermittently between the back and front tyres, retaining traction.)

Wow. Because it was raining throughout the day, I wasn't able to explore the park fully, but I'm definitely coming back this saturday to explore the area, pending the state of the whether.

Now, let the pics do the talking.


Even though small, the lush green rolling hills hide the lack of size, while also hiding the kick ass mud hill ahead.

Never thought being at a crossroad would've been such a beautiful thing.

I thought I was alone, but there goes another lonely soul exploring the park, breathing in the fresh crisp air, and enjoying the solitude that we sometimes need but can't get. Thank god for the bike.

The top of the hill overlooks the entire park.


Not choosing the proper line can get you in deep crap. Lol.


The mud's so thick my bike can stand on its own. I hate the rainy season. For once in my life. Haha.

Can you imagine I went to White Sands to eat covered in mud?

The greates hill and trail on earth. The KFC crispy chicken skin trail.

Now I know why those small kids put those tacky "I Luv My Bike" bells on their bikes. Cos they really do.

The money shot.

A great day, on a great bike.

You know what, if I ever get a girlfriend, she must be able to cycle or at least interested in learning, and must not be content with just cycling at East Coast. Haha. I guess I can put this on the backburner along with winning the Nobel Prize for solving world hunger. Haha.

Now, enough emo shit. Let's talk hard cash. Dow dropped 2.51% on 29/02/08, effects could be seen by Hang Seng and STI dropping approximately 3.55% the following monday. Hoho. I smell fresh bargains. Let's hope the industrial report released tonight sucks along with the Federal Govt employment reports this friday. I smell dollar cost averaging around the corner.

Oh, and thanks so much to all those who wished me well today. I love you guys. So touching, hor.

Oh, and the food at the office today was too much. Lol. OK,la, it was just nice for me, too much for all of you. Haha.

And to my mum, to whom I gave the ultimatum, "I want a bike or cash only," quietly submitted cahs, to prevent any arguments on the bike issue. Haha. You just funded my bike upgrades. Thanks loads.