Description
Located in Pulau Ubin, the 45 hectare Ketam Mountain Bike Park is the first in Singapore to meet international standards for mountain biking competitions.
The park has 10 kilometres of trails meeting the needs of leisure cycling and international competititors.
Design
The tracks cater to leisure cycling as well as international standard competitions. The construction of the cycling tracks was based on International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) standards, in consultation with Singapore Amateur Cycling Association (SACA).
IMBA has five ratings of difficulty, namely, White Circle, Green Circle, Blue Square, Black Diamond and Double Black Diamond. White Circle is the easiest and Double Black Diamond is the most difficult track to engage.
The trails at Ketam Mountain Bike Park include the following IMBA ratings:
Blue Square - Trails with a combination of some steep slopes, narrow track with poor traction.
Black Diamond - Trails with a combination of long step climbs, drop-offs and tricky obstacles
Double Black Diamond - Trails with a combination of very steep climbs and drop-offs, sharp corners and tricky obstacles
In addition to the above trails, the Ketam Mountain Bike Park also incorporates the following:
Dirt Skills Park - This circuit is designed to cater to a wider genre, including mountain biking and free ride. Tracks are much more compact, with a closed loop design forming a circuit.
Freeride Skills Park - This consists of natural or man-made obstacles along the course. Generally, it is suitable for bike trials where cyclists engage a course of technically challenging obstacles without their feet touching the ground.
Amenities
Shelters - Shelters will be provided along the tracks to provide strategic resting points as well as scenic views of Ketam Quarry and the surrounding landscape.
Signage - Signs are designed such that they will be placed at the main trailhead, intersections and other key locations.
Balancing Nature Conservation & Development
Ketam Mountain Bike Park is located around the fringe of the disused Ketam Quarry, a site that was barren and devoid of greenery.
To rehabilitate it, NParks re-landscaped the site and over a 1,000 trees and shrubs were planted. Today, it is covered with greenery and is a good habitat for a large number of open country wildlife. It has even attracted birds like the Red-wattled Lapwing and Baya Weaver that were previously not found on Ubin.
Ketam Mountain Bike Park is an example of how a balance between nature conservation and development can be achieved in land-scarce Singapore. In this case, a recreational activity like mountain biking can co-exist with the need to conserve our natural heritage.