Two legs good, four legs better?
It must be close to 11 in the morning as I took a rest to survey my surroundings. The sun was ablaze on the skies of Nongsa, a rather rustic yet charming part of Batam, Indonesia. There was only one word to describe how I felt: breathtaking.
And I do mean it quite literally. After all, weeks before this, I was still a ‘nobody’ in my hectic world of busyness attending to my day to day chores. But on 9th May 2015, I assumed the role of a cyclist, alongside other professional cyclists in the Casio Nongsa Cycle 2015. It was an assignment like no other. And it came without prior training. My last attempt at man-handling a bicycle was probably more than 3 years back where I last cruised East Coast Park to unwind for the weekend. But I was by no means a pro-cyclist, mind you. So my presence at this cycling competition baffled me more than anything else.
I call the roads of Nongsa “unforgiving” as I encountered slopes with elevation of more than 40 degrees! I wouldn’t have mind if it was all a downslope affair, but I had to go through these several times! So yes, my legs ached and I immediately regretted skipping “legs day” at the gym, a mistake that I would definitely rectify.
I wasn’t on a mission to win the competition though. After all, we were talking about professionals hailing from countries like Japan who were taking part in the King of the Hill category (60km) while I was pretty much a wannabe in the ‘Wannabe’ category doing a 24km route.
I was halfway through the inaugural Casio Nongsa Cycle 2015 event, and had already completed probably 12km of my ride climbing up and down “mountains”. I was on a rather special mission to document my journey – I had something on my head. This, too, I meant it literally. 🙂
The latest feature from Casio works like a breeze. As you see, you can separate it into the camera module, which can be attached to almost anywhere. In this case, we had it attached to our helmets. The other part attached to our bicycle was the LCD-equipped controller. It basically allows you to browse options and view images or videos taken from the camera.
The camera module easily docks or detaches from the LCD-equipped controller providing three distinct styles of shooting when using the EX-FR10. It can either function as a ‘Conventional Camera’ by docking and folding the camera module on its hinge, used in ‘Selfie’ style with the camera upright and LCD screen facing self-wards, or transformed to the innovative ‘Split’ style by detaching the module and shooting remotely with the controller or hands-free using the interval shooting function.
And should I go on to say that this is a godsend for outdoor enthusiasts? Weighing at a nimble 175g, the EX-FR10 is designed not only to be light and compact, but also dust- proof, splash-proof and resistant to drops of up to two metres, complete with an attachable lens hood for extra protection.
A better show and tell would be to have a peek at how the EX-FR10 served me during the race:
I’m sure you could vividly hear the sounds of the wind gushing past me as I traversed my way downslope. The rush of adrenaline was fantastic, if not therapeutic.
With that, I’m pretty sure that a lot of outdoor fanatics out there would have another gadget option to add to their list, this being a recommended one. Not just that, selfie lovers have yet another reason to rejoice as well, for the EX-FR10 is perfect for taking selfies – go ahead and attach the camera and hang it anywhere while you find the perfect angle for a flattering shot.
There goes a famous Chinese proverb that says that “The journey of a thousand miles begins from one step.” Having now took the first step (and pedal), I could only anticipate new adventures to happen. And when they do, I’m going all out to embrace them. 🙂
This modular-designed EXILIM EX-FR10 camera is available in three colours (Orange, Green and White) at a Suggested Retail Price of SGD$699.00 and can be found at all Casio authorised retailers in Singapore.
Follow me on instagram @nightcharmer for more adventures!
