Mountian Riding - 穹隆山

Went mountain riding yesterday. This route is my first time. Very challenging with an dirt track of 8km. A total of 17 of various physical standard went to the ride. I would love to do this again since it is physical demanding with an height of 300m.

Meeting at Mu Du overhead bridge

Ready to climb

Long dirt track ahead

Almost reaching the hill top, there is an airport runway down the foot of the mountain.

At the top of the mountain

Enjoying a good meal after the hard work. I perspired more during the meal than the ride.

Mileage from home to the bottom of the mountain. I had to ride almost 40km before I ride up the mountain.
Mileage at top of the mountain, a 8km dirt track to reach mountain top.
A 4.7km downhill on the metal road.
With a max speed of 57km/h... shiock
Total trip distance 90km. Yet another good ride

Leisure Ride - 拙政园 (The Humble Administrator's Garden)

I wanted to go for mountain riding with the Suzhou Riders but woke up late due to a nite outing yesterday. So, in the Saturday afternoon, was idling at home and though of going out for a ride in town again. This map shows the route.

Point 1 - Pretty white flower along the road side. As autumn is here, flower start to blossom again.
Point 2 - By the old transport canal (运河). Across the canal is the Suzhou Zoo. I have not been there and have no interest to visit. Probably just another zoo.

Point 3 - (2 pictures), By cycling across a bride, I can to this huge monument. It is so huge that my Merida mountain bike is so insignificant.

Point 4 - Cycling further down west along Eastern North Street (东北街), I had reached The Humble Administrator's Garden. This garden was built in 1509 with an area of 52000 sqm. For more information, please refer to here.

This picture was taken when my family visited me during early part of June. We visited the garden back then. Well taken by the guide who advice us to to pose in the picture.
Point 5 - Shops selling souvenir along the street outside the garden.

Point 7,8,9 - Riding back along the street, there is a small street that is more like a open market. It was very crowded. Stall selling fruit, snack, vegetable and illegal (the guy wearing red flower short) selling fish heads.
Point 10,11 - After about 2 hrs, I decide to head home. I passed by a bridge. This bridge reminds me of the bridge span across the Kallang river outside the Singapore Indoor stadium. The atmosphere is definitely not romantic comparing to that of the one in Singapore though.

Nanjing Mountain Bike Race

Yesterday race was difficult. I am still feeling sore on my leg today. We took a bus from Suzhou with a total of 15 participant for all the 4 categories (men, women, student and senior). I wish I could join the senior categories but too bad, I am not at the age yet. hehe...

About 6:40am, loading the bikes frame onto the bus. We actually disassemble both the wheels and load the wheel separately.

In the bus, right at the back are bike frames stack together.

Reaching Nanjing by 9:30am.

We recce the race course before lunch. After the recce (rode 35km, 15km from my place to the bike store, 20km the recce plus going to a town for lunch. Lunch was pretty good, just 20rmb each. Dishes are tofu, duck, pork, fish, 2 greens, 2 bottles of coke. We need all these to provide us the energy during the race at 2pm.

We registed at 1:45pm with a fee of just 10rmb (S$2). I understand Singapore races cost at much as S$20. That's too much. Anyway, race started at 2:40pm for men open.

A 1.2km uphill of rocky road. As many do not have experience going up on such road, one a person stops, he will block the rest and everyone slow down. I am no good at it so I started slow.

Look at how steep the slope can be. Most of us are not able to cycle up except those solid one.

After the rocky road, it is another 3.5km of up hil on pavement road... siong... it doesn't look steep but try it out, you will know what is the difficulty.

After the pavement uphill, here come the interesting part. A 2.5km down hill on dirt track with many turns. One side is the wall of the mountain the other side is the cliff. Must be very alert and careful with guts and good brake so that no mishap can happen. No picture of it but here is the end of the dirt track.

For men open, a total of 1.2km rocky uphill + 3 x 3.5km uphill + 2 x 2.5km downhill dirt track (16.7km)

The race ended with prize giving ceremony at 4:45pm. We left Nanjing by 5:30 and reached Suzhou by 8:30pm. Went to KFC for dinner and cycled back home at 9:30pm. Washed up and sleep by 10:30pm. Good weekend but tiring. I will need more of this type of weekend.

Morning Ride

Went riding again this morning. Rode a total of 37km but today speed was slow. Went to some villages, took couple of pictures. Rode to Suzhou train station and Ren Ming Lu (人民路) and finally had a You Tiao (油条) from road side stall and rode back home.

Tomorrow, I will be going for my first mountain race. I had 2 road races and this will be my first mountain race. Very excited but have to wake up in the morning 5am and set off at 5:30am to Giant store for the bus pick up to Nanjing. I will be going with a colleague. Family stay at home. Hope to snap some pictures and post it here.

Farms along a village. I can here pig oink when I was there. So, there must be a pig farm nearby.

A Chinese metal door.

This is next to the train station and Ren Ming Lu

Road side stall selling snack in the morning. Don't ask me the hygiene level. I can only said it looked clean and I did not get any stomach upset after taking the Yu Tiao, but the taste is similar to what I had in Singapore.