Update Nov2020 : Mixed Terrain Riding
With the lack of travel options in this situation, I wanted to do something different from the usual road riding, so I brought the ChangeBike to the local island of Pulau Ubin for some mixed terrain riding.
IMG_20201118_090538-1 by
pinholecam02, on Flickr
Short ferry trip by Bumboat to the island.
The island has had most of its original loose granite chip and dirt track paths changed to bitumen roads, but there are plenty of unpaved tracks still around, linking to some of the less travelled parts of the island.
IMG_20201118_092545-1 by
pinholecam02, on Flickr
I had my tires pumped at about 45psi as I cycled to the jetty from my place via road.
The intention was to drop the tire pressure if necessary for the trails, but in the end, I had reasonable damping and traction, so I just left the pressure as it was.
IMG_20201118_093120 by
pinholecam02, on Flickr
The bike really felt in its natural state with this sort of riding.
Ride briskly on the roads, see any interesting trail, just take it.
There were some more bumpy sections, but the 42mm tires + Suntour suspension seatpost really made these much less noticeable.
I was surprised that the Suntour came into its own, more so on these trails than I've ever felt on road bumps, working well and overtime on the many number of trail imperfections.
IMG_20201118_112330-1 by
pinholecam02, on Flickr
By midday, I had done a full 3hrs of cycling on a good mix of terrain.
It would be a ferry ride back, then the same 25km road ride back home.
By then, the Sun was already relentless.
I stopped at a local store serving a traditional dessert of Chendol (shaved ice with coconut sugar syrup and assortment of sweet bits), reflecting on the nice ride that I had just completed.
Glad that I had decided to go despite the rainy weather here which would often mean a muddy+sandy bike and a big bike wash.
IMG_20201118_120922 by
pinholecam02, on Flickr
Nice cold bowl of Chendol to cool off after the ride
Nothing to complain here about the bike.
It handled really well, the long top tube, coupled with shorter stem gave better control over the terrain which I did not appreciate on the road.
The mtb geometry also felt stable on the bumpy trail descents and the wide tire + suspension saddle helped too with the stability.