Typically ourselves, we at Rude Machinery have been excited about Rimba Raid 2023 ever since it was announced. Event organizers took on board feedback from previous years and have made the event longer and more intense than ever before. This year’s edition is set to cover more distance, be more conducive to racing bigger bikes but will certainly take much longer to complete for everybody, including the fastest riders.
Keeping in mind that the course will truly test riders’ ability to ride well, ride consistently and take a positive beating all packed into one long full day of racing, we wanted to know how racers are preparing for the event. With about 8 weeks to go before the event descends upon us, we will be featuring a few of the riders and how they are preparing for Rimba Raid 2023.
While these stories are nice, we’ve been asked to emphasize that the race will be very difficult, so fitness and endurance will be of utmost importance. Do take note.
Carmen Leo
First off, we would like to introduce Carmen who is well known among the Singapore riding community. Ask the average bike enthusiast, they will talk about her technical skills on 2 wheels and most notably her wheelie skills. But, Carmen is a very competent dirt rider as well. She has been steadily building her speed doing quick laps on her enduro bikes and extended her riding experience to bigger adventure bikes as well. She is also a regular at the Bukit Timah MTB trails getting some laps in late evenings or mornings.
We asked her to tell us about herself and how she is approaching Rimba Raid 2023. Here are her thoughts:
Tell us about yourself. Family, work, other hobbies, passions, interests.
An extremely tired mum to three boys and a feisty little girl, I am also a M&A Program Director with a UK based MNC. Family and work takes up approximately 38 hours in a day hence it is a miracle that my husband and I manage to find a wee bit of time from the last quarter of 2022 to pick up dirt biking again (although we both own T7s as well).
Who is your most trusted riding/training partners?
I spend most of my time riding with either my husband or my kids. It’s tough putting time aside to get a whole day of riding as there are so many other priorities that take precedence over our own hobbies.
When did you start training for Rimba Raid 2023? What is your training strategy? Do you supplement riding with anything else like gym, mtb, running?
In my early 20s, I could ride into trees and walk away unscathed. Now, mounting onto the bike without hurting in 5 different places is a feat on its own! With that said, getting enough saddle time and building up my stamina would be the plan for Rimba Raid. I do enjoy my weekly mountain bike sessions at Bukit Timah as well and I suppose that helps with getting my cardio fitness up a notch.
What are your goals for Rimba Raid 2023? Podium, finish within a specific time?
Based on the statistics last year, the goal would be to complete the race in good time without having to camp overnight with the elephants!
Tell us about your bike? What it is and why did you choose this particular bike. Have you done other events with it? Does it have any significance for you?
I love my Japanese bikes as I value their reliability over a high performance engine. CRF250 would do well on wider fire roads and high speed trails – the one holding the bike back is just yours truly!
What next after Rimba Raid 2023? Are you planning any other events?
If I hold up well, Rimba Raid 2024 on a T7 could be on the cards…
What are your words of advise for anyone riding for the first time this year or considering signing up next year?
This being my first time at Rimba Raid, I don’t want to dish out advice. Maybe more after the race.
More about other racers in this series coming up shortly… Stay tuned!
