POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SLOPES / TERRAIN FOR BIKERS WITHOUT THE PROPER BIKING SKILLS TO TACKLE

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1 : Ketam Bike Park – Proper signages are erected to show level of difficulty. Bikers should stick to the trails suiting their skill level2 : Steep concrete slope with mossy surface along Jalan Wat Siam beside a cemetary with a hump at the end(where several accidents (some fatal) have occurred6 : Long steep downhill with blind corner and hump at the end 4 : Steep concrete slope from Noordin Beach leading to a T junction5 : Narrow trails adjacent to prawn pond6 : Some steep fireroad trails leading to Chek Jawa

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Suggestions on how to improve the situation in Ubin regarding dangerous riding areas

Infrastructure and Knowledge• Police Coast Guard Ubin is the only service on site, so officers should adopt SCDF’s role (i.e.

require outdoors first aid training and topo in Ubin, or wilderness evacuation knowledge• Add numbered waypoint markers (e.g. Chek Jawa trail). Ubin does not have a lamp-post

numbering system unlike urban parks so this will enable unambiguous directions to emergency services (even to friends locating each other). Include numbers on prominent features - huts and structures.

• Set up proper danger signage e.g. place “Slow Down, Steep Slope Ahead” signage at critical points

• Humps at the end of a steep slope is best located far away enough from the slope base to allow cyclists to recover on flat ground yet forcing vehicles to slow down

• Bike rental shops should highlight the need for added caution on Ubin and to adopt safe cycling practices e.g. putting up a poster that says “Cycle slowly, enjoy Ubin’s unique scenery, keep safe”

Advice to Cyclists while riding on Ubin• Cycling in Ubin is generally safe and fun, so long as cyclists observe the rules of the road and

use some common sense. However, there are certain areas which are more challenging than say, cycling at East Coast, which is basically riding on flat concrete paths. These sloping and/or off-road areas require a fair amount of bike handling skills and some off-road riding experience

• Always ride within your riding ability. If something is beyond your skill level, get off the bike and push by the side of the road / trail while allowing those who are more competent to overtake you. Always watch out for passing traffic

• Attend a biking course to improve your skills before tackling terrain that you are unfamiliar with• When renting a bike, check that your bike is in working condition, especially your brakes• Always ride with a helmet as that will in all likelihood protect your head against head injuries.

Check if bike rental shops rent out helmets. If not, bring your bring your own or borrow• When approaching a downward slope, reduce speed considerably before descending, and

maintain a controlled constant slow speed when going downhill. Never apply brakes very suddenly (i.e. “jam braking”) as that may send you flying over your bike. Speeding and the application of brakes in a wrong manner are common causes which can lead to severe injuries and death

• Cyclists should have the emergency contact details for Ubin in their handphones handy; a few minutes could save one’s life

Prepared by Lee Chuen Ling (of DirTraction) in consultation with:-• Dirtraction’s trailbuilders who were involved in the design of the Ketam MTB Trail• Sivasothi from NUS Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research who have run a leisure cycling

programme called Pedal Ubin on Pulau Ubin since the late 90's • Rebecca Lee, an avid cyclist who treats Pulau Ubin as her playground