Thrill factor, limited alternatives push some cyclists to enter trails in restricted areas
The car park was close to full, with mountain bikes being lifted off vehicles and rapidly assembled, before their owners mounted them and whizzed off into the forest at Chestnut Nature Park.
There are more than 10 official biking routes, and they appeared far more popular and more heavily utilised than the hiking routes, during the two hours that CNA visited.
Along an 8.2km stretch, divided into two sections, are also entrances to other less official routes. One of these is Woodcutter's Trail, in a restricted area where the public is forbidden from entering.
Media reports have suggested that this could be where a man suffered a gunshot wound last week, while cycling near Nee Soon Range where the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) was conducting a live-firing activity.
The 42-year-old cyclist was taken to hospital by his friends. He was in a stable condition after surgery to remove a bullet slug lodged in his left lower back.
Police said the man had been cycling with friends in a forested area of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve between Upper Seletar Reservoir and Upper Peirce Reservoir.
"The public is not allowed to access that particular area, which has signage warning against unauthorised entry into a live-firing area," the police said.
Authorities later said on Wednesday that the cyclist was now under investigation for wilful trespass.
"ALL ABOUT PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY"
Those who spoke to CNA on Sunday said it was not uncommon for cyclist to enter restricted areas within the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
"I'm not surprised because there are some illegal trails that people would go on," said Mr Mike Jayona. "The (trail on the) inside is more challenging ... for more thrill-seekers, and (those) looking for that rush."
CNA understands Woodcutter's Trail is in particular is known for its mix of undulating, rough and undisturbed terrain which appeals to some bikers.
Another cyclist, who requested to remain anonymous, said: "At the end of the day, it's all about personal responsibility, and also a bit of common sense. If you hear that live firing is going on, and they still decide to venture in, then they have to pay for the consequence."
While official trails were teeming with cyclists on Sunday, CNA did not observe any bikers or hikers ignoring the prominent red and yellow signs warning of live firing areas along the Chestnut North Loop.
Chestnut is one of four parks offering mountain bike trails in land-scarce Singapore. The others are Kent Ridge Park, Dairy Farm Nature Park and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Offshore Pulau Ubin also has a mountain bike park.
The anonymous cyclist told CNA it would help for the National Parks Board (NParks) to design some of its more challenging trails - such as the Bukit Timah Mountain Bike Trail - to be more "user-friendly".
"If BT (Bukit Timah) is safer, then I guess more people won't be tempted to go on other illegal trails because in terms of thrill factor, BT is also quite challenging," he said, citing the limited number of trails for beginners.
On the mainland, Chestnut Nature Park appears to be the only venue offering a beginner-level trail.
"It doesn't make sense for you to take a drop or a jump and land into a pile of rocks," the cyclist added.
"At the end of the day, we are not idiots and we are not people who want to break the law ... But it's getting very limited in terms of the available trails and it's also very crowded."
Another cyclist who only wanted to be known as Barry also added that he now avoids Bukit Timah Mountain Bike trail because it gets "very, very" congested on weekends.
But he said that opening up more trails would not completely stop people from venturing off the beaten path, he added.
"If you ask me, I'd say yes it would help. But will it deter people from going into unmarked trails? No.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
China denies supplying new weapons to Cambodia in Thai border conflict
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Col Siwat Rattan-anant (left), Thai Army Assistant Military Attaché and Acting Defence Attaché at the Royal Thai Embassy in Beijing, meeting China's Senior Col Sheng Wei on July 25. BANGKOK - China has officially denied recent allegations that it has supplied any military weapons or support to the Cambodian Armed Forces amid the current Thai-Cambodian border conflict . All items in the Cambodian armoury originate from past military cooperation agreements, and no new military support has been provided, said China. On July 25 at 2.45pm (3.45pm Singapore time), Col Siwat Rattan-anant, Thai Army Assistant Military Attaché and Acting Defence Attaché at the Royal Thai Embassy in Beijing, held an urgent meeting with the Office of International Military Cooperation (OIMC) of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China. The meeting took place in the OIMC Reception Room in Beijing. Representing China was Senior Col Sheng Wei, Deputy Director of the Asia Division, OIMC. The Thai side officially submitted a report titled: A Clash Incident on the Thailand-Cambodia Border' to China. In response, the Chinese side emphasised: 'Since tensions began along the Thailand-Cambodia border, China has not provided any military equipment to Cambodia for use against Thailand. All Chinese military hardware currently possessed by Cambodia is the result of historical cooperation projects. Please do not believe fake news generated by malicious actors.' The Chinese delegation requested that this clarification be communicated to the Thai public in the interest of maintaining regional stability and trust. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Asia Death toll climbs as Thai-Cambodia clashes continue despite calls for ceasefire Multimedia Lights dimmed at South-east Asia's scam hub but 'pig butchering' continues Singapore Black belt in taekwondo, Grade 8 in piano: S'pore teen excels despite condition that limits movements Asia Where's Jho Low? Looking for 1MDB fugitive in Shanghai's luxury estate Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur calling for the resignation of PM Anwar Life SG60 F&B icons: Honouring 14 heritage brands that have never lost their charm Business Can STI continue its defiant climb in second half of 2025?
Independent Singapore
4 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
1,300 names and addresses leaked from traffic police records after ransomware attack; SPF, CSA say no signs of further data exposed
Photo: Depositphotos/monsit SINGAPORE: About 1,300 names and addresses believed to be from traffic police records were leaked online on July 18, though there is 'no indication' that any other information was published, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) said on Thursday (July 24). In a joint statement, the agencies said the incident was the result of a ransomware attack on printing vendor Toppan Next Tech Pte Ltd (TNT), first reported on April 6, 2025. The traffic violation information provided by the police to TNT for printing and bulk mailing purposes included names, addresses, NRIC numbers, and details of the offences. The names and addresses are believed to have been leaked at the time. 'Police will be notifying affected persons individually as a matter of priority,' the statement said. As a precautionary measure, SPF and CSA advised those affected to remain vigilant by monitoring their personal accounts for any suspicious activity, including potential phishing attempts or unusual communications. They added that any such activity should be reported immediately to 1800-255-0000 or via . The agencies also said that the traffic police's systems were not breached and that they are working with TNT to strengthen their cybersecurity measures. /TISG Read also: Fraud and scams driven by generative AI are now among the biggest cyber threats in the financial sector Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only) () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
CNA
7 hours ago
- CNA
Bus driver who dated girl, 13, gets jail and caning for statutory rape
SINGAPORE: A 26-year-old bus driver who was introduced to a 13-year-old girl on his route later entered into a relationship with her. The girl later lodged a police report saying the man had engaged in sex with her multiple times. The man, now 30, was sentenced to eight years' jail and six strokes of the cane on Friday (Jul 25). He pleaded guilty to one count of statutory rape, with another six charges taken into consideration. All parties cannot be named due to a gag order protecting the victim's identity. The court heard that the man was a bus driver with SMRT in 2021. The victim took his bus to school every morning. In November 2021, the girl joined an interest group on Instagram and was introduced to the offender. They followed each other on Instagram and began chatting. About a week into their daily chats, the offender asked the girl out on a date. She agreed as she had developed feelings for him, the court heard. They began going out together. On Dec 9, 2021, the offender rented a car and drove the girl to a multi-storey car park. They had sex, and the offender drove the girl home. During their relationship, the pair met almost every day after the bus driver's shift. This went on until early 2022, when they broke up. Throughout this time, the victim was 13 years old and the driver was twice her age. Sometime between February 2022 and April 2022, the victim's aunts noticed a change in her behaviour. They spoke to her and she told them that the offender had had sex with her in a rented car. The aunts wanted to lodge a police report, but the girl begged them not to. It was only in around June 2022 that the girl called one of her aunts and asked to be taken to lodge a police report. The victim's mother was only informed about what had happened a day before the report was lodged. Prosecutors sought eight to nine years' jail and six strokes of the cane, noting that there were four other similar charges taken into consideration. However, they noted that the offender pleaded guilty early, cooperated and was relatively young at the time of the offence. For statutory rape, an offender can be jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned.
