4th September, Saturday, 1130hrs
Went down to Hougang to check out a Surly Long Haul Trucker that i saw was on sale online. met up with Nat, a fellow avid cyclist in singapore. had lots of fun talking to him and his brother who seem to be avid aventure seekers like me =)
anyway... did a test ride around the estate with the LHT and the thing that struck me was how comfortable the Brooks saddle was, defintely gonna get one of those. didnt expect it to be that comfy. bike was ok and normal though i guess... nth spectacular that struck me, didnt feel lousy either. guess that means i dun really noe much bout bikes eh?
still contemplating though whether the bike will be worth my money. its 2nd hand, bought in 2008, and Nat is planning to sell it for bout $1200. hmmmm the brakes definitely need changing cause its worn out alr, and the Brooks saddle dun come with it so i have to top up another 100bucks to get one. gears are nothing much also, normal LX drive chain, handlebars were exotic, not something i used before. the bar-end shifters were also something new, prob need to get used to it also. bike doesnt come with racks so thats another extra $200-300 for front and rear racks if i were to fit them.
on the way back from hougang, was thinking thru the cost of the entire bike set-up and this is what i envisage it to be.
Bike - $1200 +$200 for some basic maintenance and upgrades
Racks - $300 (planning to get tubus racks shipped in from USA cause singapore has a limited range of touring accessories)
Panniers - $500 (the whole deal. front and rear panniers and a handlebar bag)
Brooks Saddle - $150
Total - $2400 estimated
Hmmmm looks rather pricey eh... On the bright side, its still cheaper than a return trip to UK! so as long as i cycle all the way to UK, then it will be well worth the money i guess
