photo-essay: mtb race

Something i had wanted to write about but just never got down to completing. I was at Tampines MTB trail some weeks ago (a Sunday morning) - not as a race competitior, but a supporter-cum-photographer for Jon who was taking part in the race. It goes without saying that I took lots of pictures.

When we arrived at around 10 a.m, the road leading to the MTB trail was already lined with cars, many of which spotted bicycle racks on them.

According to Jon, there were a lot more participants this year. Quite a number of cyclists were milling around in their bikes, warming up for the race. The otherwise bleak compound was awashed in a riotous kaleidoscope of colours, with cyclists of different builds spotting a myriad of jerseys and bicycles.

You can't miss the Red Bull tentage for sure. There were even young, lithesome girls of university-going age who walked around approaching people to give them a free Red Bull - but not before you name a benefit of the drink.

Personally, I never quite like the taste of Red Bull. But that's beside the point.

That's Jon securing his race number to the handlebar. Notice the shadows on the ground and the clear blue sky interspersed with pockets of clouds: the weather was to turn hotter as noon approaches.

I was scorched and parched moving around taking pictures. And it was only until the following day that I realised I was mildly sunburnt.

Participants of the Men Masters Category. They had been waiting for quite some time under the tentage beside where they are in this picture. Being at the front gives an obvious advantage, but it is only so far as one could maintain the lead from start to end.

Many of them were foreigners, who presumably would have experienced more advanced and scenic MTB trail routes in their native countries. Amongst them was one guy whose bicycle chain had snapped in the midst of his race, forcing him to withdraw. It must be devastating not to be able to complete the race, especially so if one had been training hard and looking forward to a good race! Sometimes circumstance and luck play a big role.


Race participants had to manoevure an upslope right at the start of the race. Better to take it slow than to stop pedaling halfway under the watchful eyes of onlookers and supporters alike, who were standing just a few arms' distance away at the side.


This photo could hardly convey the immensity of the cyclist's exhausting labouring. He's probably doing his second lap in this photo.

Meanwhile, supporters and friends of race participants gather at various spots on the hill where the MTB trail cuts and winds through. Most of them only cheered a solitary cheer (as did myself) when their friends cycled past. Seemed to me rather discouraging for the other cyclists - which, basically, include all the cyclists - who gritted their teeth and sweated it out only to cycle past totally passive onlookers.

Not many parents would encourage their kids to take up off-road riding, much less compete in a race. These tenacious kids here, barely bigger than the bikes they are riding, had their parents cheering them from the side.

I noticed that quite many of these kids had fathers who were competing in other race categories. Mostly, they were Caucasian families though.

A picture paints a thousand words, as the old saying goes. Many an intrepid small kid had to cycle up this upslope as did all the adult participants. When gravity proves too much for them to overcome, they got off, pushed their bike and continued the race to the finish.


It's always a delight to take photos of kids. Their endless antics and amusing expressions give one free rein to play with captions.

This boy here obviously wasn't interested in bicycles. But neither is he contented with what he's doing here, coz...


...no sooner had he started fiddling with the large sunglasses (his mum's, probably) than he grew bored with it. Yawwnnnn.


First thing that Jon did when he got to the open space after completing his race was to dump his muddy bike on the cold, hard ground.


A close-up of the extent of 'damage' to the bike. Any more mud clinging to the brakes and derailer and the bike is going to cease working properly.

Cyclists queuing up to have their bike (and themselves) washed. Each of them probably has his own race story to tell.

Both the cyclist and his bike getting a good wash-down here, with a helping hand from the Indian man who basically stood there the entire morning splashing water at bike after bike.

My ever-wandering eyes beamed with delight when i saw this woman walk past holding this almost display-worthy bike. I wasted no time in flashing out my camera. 'Click!'

I was later told that the bike was often spotted at other races. So, the owner of the bike is a veteran of cycling races!