When someone mentioned to me that the (new) TMCR felt like it was double of what it used to be, I couldn't quite visualize it.
Now I do.
The new TMCR is really, really long. Truth wise, it isn't much different from what it used to be; it's about.. 10km? 3km more than what it used to be. But maybe because this time the route isn't straight and because of that, it feels longer than what it really is.
And you know what's the most amazing thing about it?
It's the fact that you now suddenly realize that all this while there were all these unexplored pockets of land and you didn't know. It's the fact that you now start to wonder what other pockets of land remain unexplored and whether you can actually go and take a wander around there.
We began from East Coast Park. It's been a while, so very scenic it was to finally be able to bike there instead of walking, and walking, and walking. There're more shared bikes on the PCN now, which is a very good thing. There're also more children cycling there now, which is an even better thing. Somehow there's this unspooken consensus amongst all cyclists that if you're going on the PCN- any PCN- in activity hour, that is, broad daylight and fine, fine weather, you're gonna have to slow down and be patient to other riders who might be doing their best on the mobikes and obikes, or the children who are still figuring out how to use their bikes and so will brake suddenly halfway.
Lunch was at the East Coast Hawker Center. Had a place of chye tow kuay and char kuay teow between my co-rider and I, plus coconut and teh o air limau. :)
And then it was a straight route all the way.
Little has changed on the other side of East Coast Park, save for a single route change where cyclists now turn right instead of going straight. The winds are there. The trees are there. The coast is still the same on this end. The planes seem to fly lower now. That's all.
But the TMCR begins after you make that distinct turn that runs along the canal. I call it a turn where there're four seats and a dustbin. And over here, where we used to cross the road, go straight and make a short left before going parallel to the airport runway, now we turn right and keep going, going, going.
It's all trees.
Trees, trees, trees, more trees, with a very little break in between. There's the cycling lane on the left, but it's one way heading back to ECP, so the PCN was the choice. It was long, or it felt long. I don't know whether the presence of all that space on the left (where presumably the new T5 is going to be) made one feel that way even more, or whether it was the sight of more forest and grass and turf on the right leading to the coast.
Maybe it was both.
The day was cool, the winds were cool, the skies were mildly grey. But on a warm day, a warm day with high humidity, it would have been more of a challenge. A drudge sort of challenge.
Plus, there really were very few shelters along the route. I counted four, perhaps five.
It wasn't completely void of people though. There were a few worker dormitories along the route, purple in color, really bright, really vibrant, with security(!) and everything on one entire section near what I think was an old plane runway. And there were lots and lots of shared bikes, some standing alone, some in pairs and some in clusters.
Altogether a fairly smooth ride for me, except for one part when there was this roadie who decided to make a sharp turn up to the pavement where I was coming down and the proximity (because I'm one of those peeps who needs a wide, wide berth) made me swerve left and I ended up applying my disc brake really fast and hopping away on my left leg just so I wouldn't fall.
Would it have hurt him to brake just that lil so that a fellow rider could make her way down happily and safely? -_-
But that was the only incident along the TMCR, thankfully, and we continued on happily, until we reached Changi Beach Park and then it was familiar way until Changi Village. :)
Now I do.
The new TMCR is really, really long. Truth wise, it isn't much different from what it used to be; it's about.. 10km? 3km more than what it used to be. But maybe because this time the route isn't straight and because of that, it feels longer than what it really is.
And you know what's the most amazing thing about it?
It's the fact that you now suddenly realize that all this while there were all these unexplored pockets of land and you didn't know. It's the fact that you now start to wonder what other pockets of land remain unexplored and whether you can actually go and take a wander around there.
We began from East Coast Park. It's been a while, so very scenic it was to finally be able to bike there instead of walking, and walking, and walking. There're more shared bikes on the PCN now, which is a very good thing. There're also more children cycling there now, which is an even better thing. Somehow there's this unspooken consensus amongst all cyclists that if you're going on the PCN- any PCN- in activity hour, that is, broad daylight and fine, fine weather, you're gonna have to slow down and be patient to other riders who might be doing their best on the mobikes and obikes, or the children who are still figuring out how to use their bikes and so will brake suddenly halfway.
Lunch was at the East Coast Hawker Center. Had a place of chye tow kuay and char kuay teow between my co-rider and I, plus coconut and teh o air limau. :)
And then it was a straight route all the way.
Little has changed on the other side of East Coast Park, save for a single route change where cyclists now turn right instead of going straight. The winds are there. The trees are there. The coast is still the same on this end. The planes seem to fly lower now. That's all.
But the TMCR begins after you make that distinct turn that runs along the canal. I call it a turn where there're four seats and a dustbin. And over here, where we used to cross the road, go straight and make a short left before going parallel to the airport runway, now we turn right and keep going, going, going.
It's all trees.
Trees, trees, trees, more trees, with a very little break in between. There's the cycling lane on the left, but it's one way heading back to ECP, so the PCN was the choice. It was long, or it felt long. I don't know whether the presence of all that space on the left (where presumably the new T5 is going to be) made one feel that way even more, or whether it was the sight of more forest and grass and turf on the right leading to the coast.
Maybe it was both.
The day was cool, the winds were cool, the skies were mildly grey. But on a warm day, a warm day with high humidity, it would have been more of a challenge. A drudge sort of challenge.
Plus, there really were very few shelters along the route. I counted four, perhaps five.
It wasn't completely void of people though. There were a few worker dormitories along the route, purple in color, really bright, really vibrant, with security(!) and everything on one entire section near what I think was an old plane runway. And there were lots and lots of shared bikes, some standing alone, some in pairs and some in clusters.
Altogether a fairly smooth ride for me, except for one part when there was this roadie who decided to make a sharp turn up to the pavement where I was coming down and the proximity (because I'm one of those peeps who needs a wide, wide berth) made me swerve left and I ended up applying my disc brake really fast and hopping away on my left leg just so I wouldn't fall.
Would it have hurt him to brake just that lil so that a fellow rider could make her way down happily and safely? -_-
But that was the only incident along the TMCR, thankfully, and we continued on happily, until we reached Changi Beach Park and then it was familiar way until Changi Village. :)