My Cycling Stories

I've started aggressively cycling since Aug 2020, thanks to my one week of AL which I thought it would be boring at first. My first few cycling journey began with just around the Marina Bay Sand area, then slowly proceeding to East Coast Park and steadily.. I joined these little locations to become a huge distance of wonder and adventure.

Before every cycling trip, I usually will pre-plan on the spots I wish to visit/end OR trail that I wish to explore. NParks Sg is a great website to begin as it has maps of the different trails that bikers can explore. Sometimes I feel that the maps displayed at the website are pretty general, it does not exactly reflects the real road/lane that we suppose to turn. So besides the map posted at the site, I do rely on Google Maps (walking) as well. 

So far google Maps has brought me to 'exciting' lanes/places where I need to carry my bikes across the pedestrian bridge... 😂 Pretty surprising but it was good kind of adventure.

When I have figured out on the places I'd love to go, I can roughly know the duration of my journey and plan the time that I am kicking off at my starting point. Another point to take note is the weather check on that day itself. It'd be all pointless to plan everything nicely but the gloomy sky decided to give a good heavy downpour on that day. So weather play a crucial role in a great cycling trip as well!

Based on the Park Connector Network (PCN) shown at NParks Sg , I've completed Northern Explorer Loop, Eastern Coastal Loop and North Eastern Riverine Loop. 

Left with Central Urban Loop (though I have been some parts of the PCN mentioned in this loop), Western Adventure Loop, Coast to Coast trail and Round Island Route for me to explore slowly..

Here, sharing some of the trails I have covered :

                                      

For this Northern Explorer Loop Trail, I chose Woodland Jetty as my destination. Started off at Lower Seletar Reservoir, I cycled through Yishun Avenue 1, heading towards Mandai Avenue then to Mandai Road. 

Note: Along the way it's one way (SLOPE). You may experience fast heartbeat and catching your breath as you ride. It's pretty normal. Don't panic! Just remember to stop if you feel tired. Otherwise please enjoy the journey and please enjoy the greenery scenery on your left as you ride. :)

Once you reach Mandai Park Connector (which is on your left side), do not proceed to ride all the way up. Take note that you'll have to ride across the road to enter Ulu Sembawang Park Connector.

It's another foresty Park Connector that will make you excited, for a while. It feels as though you have entered another mystery mini greenery place. 

Mind you, there's another STEEP slope to the top (roughly around 60m?). Ride hard, try your best -I promise after this 60m slope you'll have the best time of your life riding freely downslope with the free wind blowing through every cell of your body!! (weeeeeee)

Okay. After that just ride all the way through the Ulu Sembawang PCN (it's a one way trail anyway).. then exit the PCN, passing through Ulu Sembawang Flyover and enter Woodland PCN on the left.

When you're here, I'm certain that you'd be screaming again because there's another slope up... 😂 but keep riding, keep keep riding,  love.

Once you are at the end of this PCN, you'll be entering Woodlands Avenue 2. Just ride all the way up for a few kilometres until you meet Admiralty Road. Turn right to Admiralty Road then ride all the way up until you see Woodland Waterfront signboard. Turn left to your destination and voila! You have reached your destination which is so so close to Johor Bahru, a river away from dear home.

Woodland Jetty is a place where many would gather to fish or just 'lepak' around. It's a great place to watch sunset (though I haven't witness it myself but from the google Image I stumbled upon.. it looks amazing!)

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NEXT UP!

Northern Eastern Riverine Loop

                   

I started off at Hougang heading to Punggol Park (a beautiful park!), entering Sungei Serangoon Park Connector, riding all the way until Lorong Halus bridge (amazing, famous, photogenic red bridge), then heading to Punggol Promenade Park. 

Along the way you will enjoy great scenery of nature as well, you'll notice Coney island on your right and a view of Punggol HDBs on your left. Once you passed through west entrance of Coney Island, please continue to ride towards Sengkang Riverside Park.

When you're on the way, there are a few areas that you may need to take notice to turn, which I don't know how to explain it here. I followed the signboard but sometimes I missed it even with the help of Google Maps. So be careful, ride slow. Don't miss a turn! Once you miss it you have to make a u-turn then figure out the way to where you suppose to turn.

It was 7+pm that day, pretty dark when I was on the way to Sengkang Riverside park, hence I didn't turn but keep riding until I see a road. I rode through Kampong Lorong Buangkok, heading towards Yio Chu Kang road, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, slowly reached Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park at almost 9pm? McDonald was my dinner then.

:)

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This trip was one of my favourite, happiest ride I'd say because the weather was absolutely AMAZING! As you can really tell from the pictures.

I started off from Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park, riding up to Punggol Park via Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5, passing through Luxus Hill Park. I used the same route as before, heading towards Sengkang Riverside Park -this time I entered the park because it was bright and sunny. 

When I exited the park, I rode towards Jalan Kayu. It was a slight slope up on Jalan Kayu, I almost got lost here because I missed the little roundabout to Piccadily road. Hence I'd advise you guys to ride slowly again, to check on the Google Maps properly so that you can notice the little roundabout!

Once you reach the Piccadilly, ride smoothly all the way up then turn left to Seletar Aerospace Drive. You'll pass by many beautiful cafes such as Wheeler's Estate, Soek Seng Bicycle Cafe and Hampstead Wetlands Park. 

Just cycle all the way (follow the signboard to Rower's Bay Park). You have to cross a road in order to reach Rower's Bay Park though. I don't know why but this park is always full of little bugs which I don't really fancy... It's a pretty chilled park where people do a mini picnic, fish or a place for couples to date! I was very surprised that the sunset view here was breathtaking! I stopped here for a while to enjoy the golden hour before I departed to Lower Seletar Reservoir.

In order to reach Lower Seletar Reservoir, you will need to cycle through Yishun dam on a rocky, unsmooth pavement. Be very very slow and careful here as you may meet some joggers and other cyclists too. It's a narrow pavement so make sure to slow down and give way when necessary!

After the Yishun dam, please turn left towards Yishun Avenue 1. Ride all the way to Lower Seletar to enjoy the rest of the sunset if the sun is still setting! :)

I rode back home via Lentor Avenue and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 thereafter. It was a fulfilling evening cycle that's for sure! ❤️

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As you can tell.. I did multiple cycling trips for this.. haha. Most of the time I started off at City Hall MRT station slowly riding to Marina Bay Sand via National Gallery Singapore and Anderson Bridge. then slowly heading to Gardens by the Bay, Marina Barrage and all the way to East Coast Park!

Pretty easy to ride for this trail. There was this one time I rode until Pasir Ris MRT station, passing through the horrendous never ending yet famous Tanah Merah Coast Road (TMCR) and Changi Beach Park. I swear the first time I encountered TMCR, I almost wanted to cry. The never ending road felt so so crazy.. and with not much interesting view, I almost gave up but I just can't.. because that region has only one bus stop and I simply can't give up so easily!!

Reaching Changi Beach Park was such a relief. I stopped by Changi Village Hawker Centre for lunch, tried a few popular food there. Pretty good I must say! Then the journey to Pasir Ris MRT was a little dreadful as well,  as Google Maps brought me to shortcuts, carrying bikes lanes again.. plus the scorching hot weather blasting through me.. it was a rather dehydrating day.

Did I also mention that.. there was a grumpy (yet kind) man who yelled at me to be CAREFUL of cars when I was checking google maps while riding? I was very startled at his sudden yell, almost skidded but didn't! Thank the good Lord.

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Visiting Soek Seng Bicycle Cafe has been one of the places I wished to check and I'm happy to finally checked this cafe out of my list :D 

Started off at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park again, slowly riding up to Punggol to meet a friend. Then we cycled all the way to Seletar through the ways I mentioned before.. had our heartiest lunch at the cafe then we rode and parted our ways to our respective places after that!

It was another chilled, well spent off day, exploring different places. :)

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Hehe so I guess that's about it for my cycling stories at the moment.

I'll continue to share as I cycle/explore more. HOPEFULLY, I'll have the time to blog like this again.

Don't know if this is helpful to any of you (who's interested in exploring Singapore via 🚲) but feel free to approach me to ask for more! :) I'd be my utmost pleasure to share!

I can never forget this day. The day I took a leap of faith to venture into the city despite the uncertain weather. Turned out that the weather was unbelievably amazing. Clear sky, fluffy clouds, beautiful city lights! And this is definitely a very happy picture of PK :) 

Til' the next blog entry, y'all!

xx