Beykha smiling 
after kicking someone

Her name is Beykha, loosely translated it means "Horse Leg" in Chinese. She thinks that it’s because of her legs but it more because she is always threatening to kick people!

Her current job title is a Commercial Finance Leader but don't ask her what that means as she isn’t really sure but she reckons it is something between sales and finance. Get this folks another Travel writer wanna be. Actually that is one of three would be jobs listed. The others are Adventure race/trips organiser/leader and PE teacher

She’s been on a bike since she was 10 on a Wheeler that was shared between 4 siblings. She only took a great liking to it while training for a triathlon in JC, which she didn't take part in the end as her team mates bailed on her. And after discovering the joy of mountain biking in Ubin, she was hooked and wanted to ride there all the time.

But with no money to buy a bike of her own and with a boyfriend who didn't like her to bike, she didn't get to ride much until she broke up with him. Following that she took up a 6 month working stint in KL changed everything. The trails there were fantastic and moreover, since there was nothing else to do there, she would ride three times a week. She feels that these were the “Best biking days of my life.”

She’s owned two bikes since then. She started out with a Gary Fisher Tassajara (nicknamed Tassie) which was bought while she was working in KL and lasted for 6 months. This got her hooked on mountain biking and wanting to keep up with everyone else, 3 years ago she bought herself the Gary Fisher Procaliber (nicknamed Prolly), which is still her current bike before she returned to Singapore. It cost her about 4X the price of her first bike but she’s had no regrets. "The difference was remarkable," she confesses.

The person that most influenced her to ride and even helped to provide a bike for her was her kind neighbor, David. He and his friends started her on spinning, wheel-sucking and initially, she used to ride with them every week. And since she couldn't afford a bike then, he would so kindly lend her one of his 'spare' bikes to ride around (he's got 4 btw).

Despite her many years riding, she doesn’t really have a dream road bike but thinks that Sandman’s bike is really nice. She has also seen a 2nd hand black carbon bike at Treknology which looks really fierce and yet feminine.

As for dream mountain bikes, she feels that she isn’t really up to date on what is out there but would like to like to try Cannondale or a Trek someday. She wouldn’t mind Ling's Firefly. But that’s just cos she has a thing for red bikes. :)

The best advice received on riding is "Where you look is where you'll go". So on technical trails, keep eyes away from ruts/ edge else you'll end up there.

Her best advice on riding is to learn how to Wheel suck.

Her best cycling moment came when she was able to ride the whole of the Semenyih trail in KL (really difficult trail), without having to get down & push, thanks to the new-found confidence from her new Prolly then.

Her worst cycling moment came when she has a fall that resulted in a broken collar-bone on the 2nd day of her week-long bike trip holiday in Chiangmai/ Chiangrai. Had to spend the rest of the holiday in the safety vehicle, salivating as here friends enjoyed the trails and rides there. 

Her best bike related purchase are her Answer Impact SPD shoes. She thinks that “The colours are lovely and it doesn't make her look like a clown.”

Her worst bike related purchase is not so straight forward, it is her back light. For some reason, she can't seem to attach it to the back of her bike as the frame is too thin. Thus, she always just puts it in her back pocket. And to top that, she’s bought 2 of them. Sigh.

Her best non-bike related purchase is her old car, which was her first car purchase. A symbol of freedom to go anywhere, anytime and the ability to bring her and my bike to the trails of KL, Malacca, Johor and the likes. Now, without it, she’s stuck with Bukit Timah and Bukit Timah and Bukit Timah....get the idea?