Cervelo Aspero: Ride to Green Corridor, Keppel Bay and Labrador Park

With a gravel bike, you can ride on nearly any road surface, except for rough off-road terrain. This makes it super versatile for exploration rides, where you only plan a general direction to cycle to, without a fixed route or knowing exactly what kind of terrain is there. Even with light off-road terrain like single track or gravel, it is no problem for this Cervelo Aspero gravel bike. Basically I can go wherever I want, without worrying about using the wrong bike for the terrain.

A gravel bike is the best bike for the gravel stretch of the Green Corridor, no doubt about that. Road bike tires are too narrow and hard to ride safely and comfortably, while MTB tires are good but the overall speed is slower due to suspension and an upright riding position. Wide MTB handlebars also make it harder to navigate around people when it is more crowded.

Folding bikes are not good for the gravel stretch as well, as it puts a lot of stress on the folding joints (unless you have a Birdy folding bike!). The smaller wheels also make it hard to roll over bumps, making a folding bike a poor choice as well.

Gravel bikes are perfect because the drop bar riding posture allows you to travel fast, using the wide, low pressure tires to absorb the bumps and let you float over the gravel surface. A separate suspension system is not necessary for gravel riding.

In my opinion, the most suitable bike for gravel riding on the Green Corridor, ranked in order from best to worst:

Gravel > MTB > Road Bike > Small wheel, wide tires > Small wheel, narrow tires

Here are some pictures from my exploration rides, which brought me to some amazing places which I have not gone before. I would not have ventured to many of these places on my road bike or folding bike, because they can only ride on smooth surfaces.

At the end of the Green Corridor, at The Rail Mall

Fully equipped for a day of adventure

Next time, this end will be connected to the northern stretch of the Green Corridor, which will lead all the way to Woodlands.

As mentioned in the other post, the gravel along the railway lines are embedded into the substrate, which fixes them in place. This prevents erosion and also improves walking safety.

This staircase leads down to The Rail Mall

The other railway bridge crosses Bukit Timah road

Moving on, this is at Queensway, after exiting the Green Corridor.

Great weather and sunlight in the morning!

At Alexandra Garden Trail, which links Queensway to Labrador Park.

Interesting bridge that I came across along the way.

Reached Berlayer Creek, which is near Labrador MRT

After passing through the mangrove swamp on the boardwalk, you will end up along the seaside.

Glorious view of the sea! That is Sentosa that you see at the back.

Boardwalk at Keppel Bay

Great view of the sea from the boardwalk

Route from Green Corridor to Keppel Bay

This route is doable on a road bike or folding bike as well, but you might not have so much fun as there are some gravel and short off-road sections along the way.