after 2 full weeks of trail building at Ketam Mountain Bike Park, Joey and me took a stroll with Andrew, Angela and Wayne, riding what we build, and marking some of the future todo and prepare for our work report.
2 big sections that need some further work include that bad turn at ‘Rock N Roll’ and China Bowl wall ride.
been an eventful 2 weeks, and Joey is leaving the next day, we are thankful to have IMBA working together to develop this beautiful bike park, and we hope to see Joey back in the future.
If trail building is like any TV series, we are into Kent Ridge Trail season 3.
the end of August marked the start of new trail initiative, we targeted small touch up and reroutes on parts of the original lines that will not survive any riding season.
Today, I get two new faces into the trail building by doing a bike and hike adventure in the uncharted portion of Kent Ridge.
William and Ellery happened to need some 1hr workout from their books, and I guess is a good short workout for them to keep their brains healthy too.
I got them through the usual introduction to clinometers, trail design basics and show and tell of existing examples.
The new ‘My Precious’ leg is doing well, with nice contour and riding flow. We gave the main route 40metres of trails to descent 4metre towards to drain area. Is healthy riding and a perfect way to solve a crazy 45% grade slope that does the same 4 metres of elevation in 4metres.
We walked the trail, checking the Fern hill descent corner for flow, checking the condition of the ‘Snake’ and pointing out the new alternative route. and also the first valley after the rock garden.
the interesting part of the journey is to get started in marking control points for the ascent towards carpark A from the existing trail end (Evac D). There’s a wide variety of terrain, all sweet mountain biking area with potential of getting another 500-1km of trails into Kent Ridge.
I am taking this process slowly, mainly to be sure we get it right the first time. There’s much lesson learn from every new trail. So let’s plan and check a few times before we cut the perfect line.
Alvin and Liyana together with 4 other labour force, get things going by looping the top of the hill back to the original trail.
This new stretch of single track is well cutted, containing a breath-taking downhill rocky opening, sweet single track for any newbies, with some simple dropoff to spice the trail.
RenHao and me took the chance to finish the berm needed to rail riders down the gulley after the big bridge. We are lucky to find fallen trunks that curve to the berm, making our live very much easier.
With the experience gathered over the months, among the labour force, the few trail master and trailbuilders, we are getting better in prepping the trail for test ride.
the trail is prep by 2 workers working their cangkul (hoe). Usually performed at a rate of 3mins for each trail metres. for granite chips, we can lay up to 5metres of the trail in 5 minutes, giving the trail the first layer of armoring easily.
Max and Nik took the chance to walk the trail upon completion, both happy to see how the trail formed up.
In fact we are planning for phase 3.
Alvin, RenHao and me took a recce trip to the wilder section of the park. getting to see how the trail might end up being 5km long of sweet single track. I guess we need some GPS and some proper map to link all the recce bits together.
35 manhours – fern hill downslope trail preparation
to do so, a big bridge is done up. This bridge formerly known as MB200 in my posting is almost ready. Alvin and the gang of workers are getting it done up throughout the day.
Chi, Max and me took the time to recce and route the new diversion, and later on work on a new hairy section, something that requires some good bike control, and of course chicken runs for this section.
We took the day slowly, with planning taking most of the time.
Love these shot, new atmosphere for the trail.
30 manhours – MB200 Bridge 9 manhours – routing and minor trail work
With my walking buddy, we took a stroll along the trail to check for water catchment, flows and for any items to be fix.
The first part of the trail is now lined up with concrete lining. These will be painted brown later on.
Most of the rhythm section is pretty dry and the upslopes are holding up the wear and tear well.
Snake slope needed one more drain at the middle to get the mid slope water off to the side naturally.
The ‘japanese rock garden landing’ will need a new extra drainage, as the current water flow show obvious exit points
The ‘log slope 1’ took me by surprise. I can see rain water flowing out from the drains that we made. perfect fix!
The small drop towards the river path will probably need a fix on the landing. Deep marks are carved out of the messy mud now.
Bridge 2 itself is a triple flow. With the main drain flowing and 2 minor stream flowing nicely beside the drain itself. It’s good to have the ‘bridge 2’ or ‘narrow bridge’ long. covering all 3 flows.
the long mud slope after the roadie’s ramp will probably need immediate attention
caving in and erosion is happening.
and the stairs ride is in fact part of the rain flow, minor problem as we are riding on top of a solid rock surface instead of mud.
U-turn dropoff with a bad landing. Will take a while before we can fix it nicely.
A wooden berm is planned, but lacking big rocks we are unable to elevate the berm securely.
erosion at bridge 4
another immediate fix before it get worst.
some stuff for project MB200
I am glad the trail is holding well after a pretty rainy week.
SO where’s our volunteers? This trail needed manpower, if you are willing and curious on how we build certain stuff, drop us a mail, join us in getting a fresh trail out.
someone commented : “A trail built by bikers for the bikers “
With the granites chips being poured on the trailhead in big cubic metres, Max, Nik, Alvin, Chew take the chance to route the trail from ‘yellow space‘ to ‘triple junction‘.
I pop by just in time to see the section and ride through the proposed route first hand. Indeed a total different kind of ride compared to the rhythm section of the earlier sections.
Love the underlining ‘bog’, the soft yet ridable surface simply give the trail a new flavour.
15 manhour – yellow space to triple junction routing
Just like any other meetings, things get tied down and some new question raised.
The race and adoption plans are made ready, with various National Parks people coming for the meeting with a few of us from SACA, so to come up with a plan.
Indeed some papers and clarifications are needed here and there. Everyone got to know the status of affair, and how Kent Ridge Park be featured as one of the official trail in the future.
Stay tune.
This is certainly the highest place this trail will ever reach.
we got to the ‘summit’, and I went all the way down to the drain, walk myself out of the trail, hike along South B. Vista road to the bottom of the area we were, so to mark an exit from the ‘summit’.
We managed to pathfind ourselves around gulleys, and some trails possibilities. tracked a nice route back to the drains, and then to yellow space, down along the bakau footpath wooded area, all the way to the Kent Ridge Park entrance!
