Well I just got back from an early morning biking session. And since I'm cooling off before showering and going off again for a movie, thought I share what we did.
For a change, we attempted an urban trip instead of the usual off-road sessions at Ubin or Kranji. NParks is promoting cycling through Singapore's many Park Connectors scattered throughout the island and you'll be surprised where these trails, that meander through housing estates and even the downtown CBD area, take you. Park Connectors, by virtue of the term, connect the 'Green Lungs' of the city and this network of green corridors is slated to widen in the next year or so. One day it may be possible to cycle from coast to coast through the parks in the middle.
Today we cycled from Kim Seng Park, just opposite Great World City, to the East Coast Parkway. A 32km roundtrip that took us through the 3 Quays, Robertson, Boat and Clarke, past the Fullerton Hotel, Asian Civilisations Museum and Esplanade, cutting across the Marina Promenade up to Kallang Basin along Nicoll Highway and then straight through to the ECP via Fort Road.
Being an urban trip, the terrain was easy to navigate. No undulating gradients and curves and what not. The picture of Kim Seng Park below shows what can be expected most of the way...
I used my friend's road bike. Lightweight and very fast, zipping through the underpasses and pavements was a breeze..
Clarke Quay, in the mid-morning when the throngs of boozing revellers are not there yet, is actually a pleasant place to be. But personally, I think Robertson Quay is more quaint, with its riverside cafes all opened for a leisurely late breakfast.
Likewise Cavanagh Bridge and its environs, right smack in the middle of the CBD, was a pleasant enough place to linger for awhile and take in the history of the ex British Colonial bastion. I took this picture while riding my bike and turning my head backwards =))
We were surprised that when we got to Kallang Basin, almost 3/4 of the journey to the ECP, we all still had a relatively fresh pair of legs. Maybe the cross-country training on Ubin helped. Whatever it was, we spent some time watching the various Dragon Boat teams practise their strokes. And its pretty amazing just how many people are into rowing these intricately painted long boats these days.
The only drawback of these Park Connector rides is that you must have your own bike. NParks intends to have integrated rental kiosks along the routes soon but until then you need your own set of wheels. One day it might be possible that you rent a bike from Kim Seng and then return it to the kiosk at the ECP.
But for now, we are going to concentrate on finishing up all the available trails after doing the Central one. There is another 50km return-trip sojourn in the West and another 32km one in the East.
Labels: Places