helmy's riding log

PCC ride? Hell yeah!

2011-07-23T08:59:00.001+08:00

Wow?It really has been such a long time since the last I came here, ain't it? How fast time flies....I must've been reaalllyy busy....doing nothing! Hahaha...

Just letting you guys know that I'll be going to the PCC ride tomorrow.Got myself registered a month back and my ETA at Specialized Store Kota Damansara will be at 3pm today.

I'll let you guys know more about the ride, maybe in a day or two.

Wish me a safe journey, ya?

Registered - GUMQ 2011

2011-03-27T02:28:00.000+08:00

I finally registered for the GUMQ which is going to be held next 10th April. Few decisive factors why I chose to join in...first of all...as a support to a local event 'organized' by fellow rider, prof Julian..which also one of my CW riding buddies..secondly due to the convenience of the event venue which located much,much nearer than the one in Yong Peng (no over-nighties or early morning trip to event venue!) and finally because of the lucky draw prizes....kinda hoping I'd hit the jack pot and bring home the main prize, a brand new Giant Faith frame...well....everybody's wishing for that too...hehehe

I've also had the opportunity to test ride the event trail twice...although not to my liking...I quite enjoyed few parts of the trail...which part?...let it be my secret.....=p

First trial leaves me with a dilemma...whether to join in or not...the second one, yesterday morning...was more enjoyable...maybe I was more relaxed and able to tackle nearly all parts of the trail....

Well....basically...total distance for the trail was about 30km...comprising a mixture of tarmac,off road, rocky descend, freakingly scary steep downhill, lung busting tarmac hill climbs and wide open trail...sadly no single trail at all...I guess to me, the only attraction to the event is the lucky draw prizes...hahaha

We'll see how lucky I'll be on that day...=)

By the way, I'll be joining Lond to ride Bukit Timah trail tomorrow....my first Singapore ride..and hopefully not the last...I'll update the whole thing after I get back, okay?

Till then..

Mass Riding...should we have it here in JB?

2011-03-14T14:40:00.000+08:00

Hi y'all......

Been browsin' the net and came across this blog...putrajaya critical mass...it's all about a monthly mass bike ride in Putrajaya...remembered it being mentioned as one of Akmal's riding wish list.

According to the site, "Critical Mass rides are self-organized, non-commercial and non-competitive, and they operate with diffused and informal decision-making, independent of leaders. They are mostly unofficial, foregoing permits and official sanction from municipal authorities. Typically, only the meeting place, date, and time are fixed. In some cities, the route, finishing point, or attractions along the way may be planned ahead. Participants have differing purposes for the event, such as celebrating their choice of the bicycle for transportation, and enjoying car-free social time on city streets.
Critical Mass rides have been perceived aa activities. A 2006 New Yorker magazine article described Critical Mass' activity in New York City as "monthly political-protest rides", and characterized Critical Mass as a part of a social movement; and the UK e-zine Urban75, which advertises as well as publishes photographs of the Critical Mass event in London, describes this as "the monthly protest by cyclists reclaiming the streets of London." However, Critical Mass participants have insisted that these events should be viewed as "celebrations" and spontaneous gatherings, and not as protests or organized demonstrations. This stance allows Critical Mass to argue a legal position that its events can occur without advance notification of local police.
Critical Mass rides vary greatly in many respects, including frequency and number of participants. For example, many small cities have monthly Critical Mass rides with fewer than twenty riders which offer safety in numbers to cyclists in those locales, while on the opposite extreme, in what have been the largest events using the name Critical Mass, cyclists in Budapest, Hungary hold only two rides each year on 22 September (International Car Free Day) and 22 April (Earth Day). They attract tens of thousands of riders. The April 22, 2007 Budapest ride participation was generally estimated at 50,000 riders."

Kinda interesting isn't it?....sort of like the usual Tamago's twice weekly NR's...but in a much grander scale lah...and also held only once a month...maybe the only problem is to get all the JB riding groups to ride together...you see...on each Friday nights....you can spot several different riding groups in JB town area...all minding their own thing...wouldn't it be cool to unite them all in one night?one ride?

If I'm not mistaken, a group of Fixie riders called Southern Fixed had organized one on the last New Year's Eve night, but I think it was meant only for the fixie community...why not having one here involving all, be it MTB's, roadie's or fixie's?

Well...I know it's gonna be difficult to gather everybody to ride in one night...but to me..it'll be cool....hmmm...

Talking about it have me thinking...and since it has been in Akmal's wishlist...wouldn't it be great if I could make a trip to Putrajaya with him and few of our buddies? Make it as a weekend ride and throw in several others riding activities to make it really worth the trip....like...joining the PCM ride on Friday nite, then ride the Putrajaya Challenge Park (PCP) the next afternoon and finish it off with exploring Kiara or FRIM on Sunday...and while we at it, we could check out all the bike shops in Klang valley!

Sweeetttttt......=)

..........

2011-03-13T21:35:00.003+08:00

Three months had passed since my last post in this blog. Again...I’ve been busy...I think...or is it just me being myself.....=p

Where should I start? hmmm...my last entry was about the inaugural and famous Plentong Epic Ride in November...right...

The epic ride was indeed epic for me...it was also a disaster...all those psyching and preparations gone to waste when I only managed to crawl to CP3.....yep! You heard it right...for the first time in my life...I DNF-ed an epic ride...no thanks to the multiple leg cramps I suffered during the ride. Well...as a consolation maybe....I won a hotel stay as a lucky draw prize...and got a pic of myself in a local mag...hahaha

me, joe pepah and wire works before the hell ride

the flag off...

me...all smiles after suffering two cramps...

Then...later in December, I participated in the 50km Nusa Iskandar MTB Adventure Ride which I managed to clear in approximately 5hrs...despite suffering cramps once after CP3...the ride was awesome (but not as awesome as Plentong trail)...with some pretty gnarly downhill sections which to me not for the faint hearted and newbie...there were also some lung busting climbs that have me swearing the organizers..hehehe...but it all paid off as I crossed the finishing line and completed the ride and earned me back my self confidence...THAT was priceless...

jointly organized by MCA?

A couple of weeks later, I returned back to the same trail with a few CM members and ride the trail again. This time it was more enjoyable as there were no time limits and we were just enjoying ride.

Since January this year, I only went to Plentong once....a ride with Sham somewhere earlier this month. We were the only riders showed up that morning and decided not to waste the trip there.

Cyclemotion's Sham..Plentong trail 06/02/11

There were also several trips to Gunung Pulai trail with Murad to further sharpen his off road skills. Well frankly....I think he’s better than me....he has more stamina than me especially during climbs...I more of a bike pusher...I enjoyed going down more than going up..hehehe...

me and Murad at P.U.B Reservoir Gunung Pulai

king of the hill!

In these past 3 months also, I have had my schedule full with the regular NR’s....with the Tamago’s and also the infamous CW rides with few of my buddies...at some point I even had four NR’s in a week! Guess I really am enjoying these NR’s...especially to Stulang and around town.

My passport has also being put in good use lately...there were few trips across the causeway with few of my buddies, mainly in search for bike parts...for me, I took the opportunity to add few stuffs to my Fox riding gear collections with few jerseys and a collection of T’s and other gears and apparels. And did I mention I purchased my first Five Ten Hellcat shoes from Chain Reaction Cycles? =p

Orchard Road, Singapore

Xtremerated.com store in Orchard Cineleisure...nice place...nice chick...hehe

There were also few more upgrades to my Chameleon...other than a full set of XT components, I also adding in a Sunline V-One bar, ODI TLD grips and 2 sets of wheel sets....both with ZTR Flow rims with Hope pro 2 hubs laced with DT Swiss competition spokes. Why am I having 2 sets of wheels? Well...I see that I’m beginning to enjoy riding road fairly as I enjoy going off road...rather than switching tyres which can be tedious...why not having two sets of wheels; one for each ride? For that purpose, one set is being wrapped with Continental Race King 2.1 rubber while the other with Continental Mountain King 2.4 (F) and 2.1 (R)...so far I’ve no complaints with both tyres as it worked perfectly.

So far I totally am contented with the current setup...the only thing in my wish list is a set of 2011 Fox Talas 32...hey?...my birthday is in October....I wouldn’t mind receiving my present early if you know what I mean...so...anybody? =)

droollllllll.........

Few of my friends have upgraded themselves from riding hard tails to full suss bikes... Panjang, EG, Akmal, Riza, Hakim, Shukri and Joren. I have also considered building another bike...a full susser this time....I have a thing for Santa Cruz bikes...and Nomad has been my favourite for a long time...but the price tag is too much for me...maybe next year....hehehe

pick your choice......

There will be an event coming in April....well, there are two, actually....one held in UTM while the other is a jamboree in Yong Peng. Personally...I prefer to ride in Yong Peng as it covers more distance rather than the 35km UTM MTB Quest...but since the UTM event is organized by a friend of mine, I’ve decided to get myself registered and forget the other. Nuff said!

So....if you have no riding plans on April 10^th, why not join the event? You can check out the event here.

Thanks for visiting!

Plentong Epic Ride 2010

2010-11-27T17:03:00.001+08:00

I'm all psyched up for tomorrow's event....got everything's ready...from bikes, gears and myself...all set for the 60km ride of terror....

Initially I thought of sitting out this ride and help out with the event but I guess they don't need me this time...heck...I don't mind...the world doesn't spun around me anyway....hehe

Anyway....my main objective for this year's edition is to complete the ride ahead of half of the pack compared to being the last one out last year...I'll try to complete the course within 5 hours time...we'll see how lah?

Also, realizing buddying with another rider is not a good idea and will only hold me back, I decided to go solo this time...meaning I'll be pushing my "kederat" to the limit to see my true strength...this also means I'll truly enjoy the ride....hopefully without any mishaps...=)

all set to go!

So....if you've already registered for the ride, good luck and have a safe ride...to those who haven't....too late and too bad....it's not too late to register for the Nusajaya ride next 12th December 2010 though....my participation in that event depends on my performance in Plentong.I haven't decided yet..hehe

See you at the starting line tomorrow....let's ride!

Ramadhan NRs and Raya

2010-09-09T20:42:00.000+08:00

Been checking my facebook page a while ago since I decided not to go to bed after sahur and the following Subuh prayer.....updating comments on friends wall, checking out any new messages in my inbox, replying to some riding invitations and checking out photo’s that has me tagged in it....then I thought....God! I have so many to talk about those photos and I actually have not updated any rides in this blog for over a month now.....hehehe...typical me....=p

And now I’m itching to do a blog post but have no idea where to start....hahahaha.....biasa lah...

Well....my last post was about choices....nite rides....fast paced or leisurely.....between the Tamago’s or the CW nite rides...and I clearly state that I preferred the CW the most....and I still do...

But the plan of continuing the NR in Ramadhan was proven not feasible in the end.....except for the one organized by prof Julian somewhere in mid Ramadhan (where only 3 riders took part), the plan never took off....probably the gang was busy with other plans....frustrating....but was contemplated by the Merdeka NR organized by the Cyclemotion where one of the stops was the usual CW hangout place....guess that’ll suffice.....

So in the end.....the only NR I participated was with the Tamago’s, including one crazy ride to Puteri Harbour...crazy....right.....

The Tamago’s NR still goes on twice weekly despite starting late at 10.30 – 11pm....still on the usual route...wondered why on earth they changed the route and NEVER wanted to use the old route again....I’m not complaining...but kinda missed the RTM and Chinese cemetary hill climb and then the cruising along Jalan Abdul Rahman Andak and town area....the current route is actually fast paced....flat road all the way from Larkin till the HSA-Mahmoodiah hill climb...then all the way down till Jalan Ayer Molek..and flat road again till Danga Bay.....and most of the times these guys doesn’t even stop for a breather and continued riding fast till Larkin again....I have no problem with the new route but kinda wishing that they’ll ride those two routes sparingly....you know, more options...and perhaps newer routes to spice things up....hehehe.....but hey?...I’m just a follower...so I should shut up and ride, right?.....=p

Then there was this ride to Puteri Harbour...crazy...why?....because they all sped off and left me dealing with my RD problem, riding in the pitch dark Nusa Bestari – Nusa Jaya road-alone!...I was basically left 2-3 km behind and have to deal with the cold, dark environment alone...cursing all the way till Nusa Jaya...hahaha...I swore that that’ll be the last time I ride an NR to unfamiliar destination with them...ever....haha

And to think that they asked me to join them for the Burung Hantu Ride in Malacca this September....hell...no way!

The Cyclemotion held two NR’s in Ramadhan...one was the Plentong NR which I confessed that I’m not willing to participate.....the other was the Merdeka NR.

The ride starts at 10pm...but being human.....the ride eventually kicks off somewhere near 11pm....the RV point was at the Rumah Limas, Danga Bay but some of the guys opt to park their cars at BBU...me...I just rode all the way baby.....hehe......

Rumah Limas, Danga Bay

Dataran Bandaraya, JB....waiting for the count down....what count down?

The ride was participated by a close 30 riders.....consisting of Cyclemotion, Kulai Bike Club and UTM riders....and prof Julian representing the KTCC. Total km covered was 38km and the route was Danga Bay – Bukit Serene – Kolam Ayer – Dataran Bandaraya – Jalan Abdul Samad – Jalan Yahya Awal – the middle ring road – Stulang Laut (CW rest stop-yay! ) – Taman Pelangi – Taman Sentosa – Tebrau Highway – Jalan Kebun Teh – Kg Kurnia/Tmn Suria – Kg Melayu – Larkin Perdana – Federal Highway – back to Danga Bay – and lastly back to BBU for me and few other guys....where we hang out at the usual CW RV point mamak joint till 3.30am.....hehehe....now...this is the kinda NR I’ve been craving about....=)

Stulang Laut Hawker Centre.....CW time....

damn cute....damn nice.....hehehe

Taman Sentosa....

Since Ramadhan is coming to its end this year... the last NR was yesterday night...via the same route...the only different this time was the 15 minutes breather at Danga Bay...it was for the slower guys to catch up....me one of em...; )

When the guys was about to leave the spot, Riza suggested that we rested a bit more...letting those racer guys go on their way....leaving me with Riza, Hj Din and Nasim. We rested for another 15-20 mins before riding at a considering pace towards Larkin....this I could say was the most relaxed NR in this few months....and the most enjoyable too....with a new XT derailleur, dura ace chain and new hub bearings....it’s a smooth sailing...err...cycling...riding for me....

Well....Ramadhan is just a day to go....and in Syawal....it’ll be like a week or more off saddles...I’ll be itching to get on it again I’m sure....but depending on the other guys as well.....the Plentong Epic Ride is scheduled at the end of November....the CM will surely need people for the preparations...charting routes, trail markings and such.....I’m not one of their members....and I’m keeping it that way.....but if they need my help with all the dirty, sweaty works.....it’s on-on-on for me....hehehe

So...whatever plans you have in mind for Raya, be sure to think safety first....be it in riding, driving or whatever you do.... if you’re going back to your hometown to meet your loved ones, just be sure to be extra careful and come back in one piece.....we have a lot of riding to do before the next epic ride....and we’re gonna need all the riders we could gather to make it fun-fun-fun.....=)

Before signing off, please accept a humble apology from me for any words that might have been misinterprets or any unintended wrong doings that I might have done...may the coming Syawal brings joy and happiness to us all.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir & Batin...........

Nite rides...leisure or fast paced..pick your choice...

2010-08-04T12:14:00.001+08:00

Nite rides....is meant to be fun.....it's a great way to enjoy the company of few good friends with similar interest/craze after a long day at work...it's an escape from the everyday norm....and a great way to stay in shape.

Me...on weekly basis...I participated in 2 NR's....on Tuesday nights with the Tamago's.....and on Friday night's with Eky and some friends for the "infamous" CW nite rides...hehehe..

What's the difference with the two rides? well...all I could say is....the first is very fast paced...meant for stamina and endurance building while the other is purely for fun, leisure and "makan-makan" purpose....the one I enjoyed most?....well....I have to say the second one....why?

To me....the Tamago's NR is lacking in the enjoying part...well for me and some of the slow pokes....for example...yesterday's NR...with the new route, meaning no RTM climbing...no passing Jln Abdul Rahman Andak, no riding across town passing the Kotaraya....instead, riding flat from RTM till the Mahmoodiah hill climb....then cruizing Jalan Ayer Molek before briefly entering town area and the usual Lido stretch and then the long uphill climb at Jalan Tampoi before reaching Larkin...to me....there's no fun to it when everybody's started racing from start to finish....they were riding really fast, be it for those riding roadie or MTB....leaving us slow guys behind....well maybe it's good for pace, stamina and endurance building for these racer guys...but what about the rest?...with the current ~no Danga rest stop policy~.....it's just another Impian Emas ride for me....in a grander scale lah....

This definitely beats the purpose for NR....I dunno, but I guess this is fun for them....completely not my cup of tea...but I'll still join in the ride...just for the sake of enjoying meeting and riding with fellow rider's...fun? fun is in the CW NR....hehehe

There will be another ride organize this Friday night....the last before Ramadhan...not to say that we'll have to stop all riding activities for the whole month....there will be NR's as usual, only starts and ends a bit late lah...but this Friday's is the last for the normal months...starts at 9pm...RV point will be at the usual mamak joint in BBU...join us if you're free...we won't ride fast....we won't bite either....we'll save that for those delicious Stulang chicken wings....yum..yum...=)

choices to make....

2010-08-04T11:32:00.000+08:00

Ramadhan is just around the corner....meaning....no more weekend off-road ride for another 30 days for me...sigh...I'm not complaining....been looking forward to it....it's an opportunity to get back in shape, you know....with less food intake...more nite rides....more time for spiritual cleansing.....yup...been looking forward for it the whole year long....hehehe...

This also means that this weekend ride is the last off-road ride...I have 3 choices.....the first would be to register and ride the Muar-Pagoh Mountainbike Challenge...a 55km hash with 5 CP's and 3 water CP's...torture ride?...not sure....after the tough BP Hash ordeal.....kinda "serik" lah.....but being an off-road junkie......the temptation to be tortured again is irresistable....hahaha....anyway....the lucky draw prizes is mega cool...the only problem is...the guys will be going to Muar on Saturday....me working.....~sad~....I've had my share in going to events on the same day....had to drive up in the early morning....a lot of energy wasted even before the ride itself...if I could arrange something....then maybe lah....

the chartered route...arrows showing the expected climbing sections...

yummy.....hehehe

My second option is to ride in Plentong..with Panjang and his gang...Plentong?....yeah..but with the Gereker's...the entry point will be from PG.....different route....hmmm....

3rd option?....what 3rd option?...just stay home and continue my sleep la?....hahahaha

Maybe I could just go road riding around JB town alone.....nahhhh....maybe not...=)

Batu Pahat Hash - 18/07/2010

2010-07-27T20:38:00.004+08:00

taking the first corner....as if....

It’s been a week since the ride...as usual; I just couldn’t find the time to put down into words the whole ride coverage. Also...I’ve no idea where to start....the ride was definitely not a favourite of mine...it was tiring...but not as how it was supposed to...I could accept if it was the distance that worn me out, but that’s not it.... the never ending climbs...with ridiculous climbing degrees made the climb unrideable for me...and some even impossible... I could say that I only enjoyed the ride partially...the first 10km’s...the descending part (downhill) in certain areas....and the company of friends...other than that?....total crap!

trail map....40km of pure torture

Well...what’s done is done...at the end of the day...one could only assess his performance and fitness level based on his performance for the day...me included....and I must say....based on my performance for the day, I need a major overhaul! =p

Arrival

Woke up at 3.30am...hmm....just 3 hours sleep...I really gonna screw this ride, I think...Got myself ready and after leaving a goodbye kiss to my daughter and wife, I left home at 4am. I drove straight towards Johor Jaya in the cold Sunday morning to fetch fellow rider, Wan Mizer, who will be riding his first ever bike hash....gave him a few pointers the night before...not sure whether he heeded my advice by getting enough sleep before the ride but judging from his Facebook status, I don’t think that fella had any sleep at all...hehe

Reached his place at 4.30am, as promised....waited for a while before started the journey to Batu Pahat with his bike stashed in the back seat. To make way for his bike, I’ve arranged my bike to be transported to BP with the rest of Tamago’s bikes via Abg Sam’s lorry.

Reaching the Skudai toll plaza, I rendezvoused with the rest of Tamago’s before driving on towards our first stop, the Machap R&R. It was a quiet morning drive....since my co-pilot dozed off next to me. Tailing Abg Sam’s lorry really makes me sleepy since we’re only moving at 90kmph...decided to overtake and sped off to the RV point. Along the way, I was overtook by few cars with bikes perched on top of it....a nice view....kinda reminds me of my “late” thule rack...sad....=(

Arrived at Machap R&R half an hour later , was greeted by the Gereker’s who was having their breakfast there. It was nice to see some familiar faces especially when you’re heading to the same destination. There were Akmal, Lond, EG, Panjang and few other Gereker’s present. I guess only Reza sat out the event. Too bad....we could’ve teamed up and ride the hash together...like the old days...ceh!

After having breakfast, we continued our journey to Seri Medan, BP and exited via Yong Peng (U) toll exit.
Arrived at Seri Medan at 7:15am....began unloading and gearing up...headed to the starting point with few minutes to spare, got my riding pass from Along and moments later...the ride starts ..

me and the Tamago's..

Starting

The hash was only open to a limited 300 participants....but the sight that morning was overwhelming....the starting point was packed with riders anxious to start the ride. Strangely, I wasn’t feeling nervous or thrilled or excited as before....it was more like a normal weekend ride for me........

mesmerized by the crowd...

moments before the flag off...

I was waiting for the ride to start, standing beside a bus when I was called by Lond. He will be riding with a friend, whom also riding his first hash...great...maybe I could teamed up with Lond and guide our first timers throughout the ride...

Finally, the ride was flagged off around 8:05 – 8:10am...I didn’t immediately join the large crowd dispersing ....instead I rode slowly and started at the back of the pack....riding slowly towards the first stage of the ride...as if i was riding the normal Sunday ride...what I didn’t anticipate was...that was the beginning of a torturous journey.....

1st stage

The hash comprises of 3 stages....for the first stage....the first 10km was relatively easy...some climbs....but all rideable...had my first stop during a climb after the 10km mark....a fellow Gereker had broke his chain. Me and Lond stopped to offer our help....turned out that it wasn’t any of our expertise...luckily Ah Wee was riding by and I seeked his help. Being an expert....Ah Wee remedied the problem in a flash and we continued hiking uphill.

geez.....really dunno what to do here...

The route conditions were relatively easy on the flat sections....but turned gnarly later with the extra steep uphill....some of it was unrideable...
At one point, we were forced to hike almost 300 meters on a steep slopes...reaching the top....all of the riders or shall I say, bike pushers were out of breath....some of them took the opportunity to take memorable group photo’s as the scenery was breathtaking....after resting a while I continued with the ride hoping for a sweet payback after the long hike...and I was not disappointed...the ride down was a bliss....a sweet long DH with some small jumps...but was thwarted by a loose pebbles section at the end of the trail...then the ride continues till we reached the first checkpoint.

me and the hero of the day....

picturesque

After getting the CP1 sticker, I didn’t stick around for long.... after a while, me and the rest of the guys left and heads for the next CP.

2nd stage

The distance to the next check point was about 8-9km, I guess. The first few km was a straight flat road....momentarily on tarmac...it was a pleasant change of pace after the gruelling hill climb in stage 1. I was trying to catch up for lost times by pushing hard, going fast, leaving Lond and the rest behind...my plan was to beat Lond on the next hill climb as I’m sure he will attempt to ride it whereas me, unsure whether I’m able to conquer another hill after the previous hiking. And I was right...after the 2km dash, there it was...another hill to conquer....I managed to pedal halfway before giving up the effort. I resumed the journey uphill as a bike pusher....though pedalling would be a more ideal choice, I was too exhausted and I could feel signs of cramps on both of my thighs...decided to walk slowly to the top...moments later, Lond and his friend pedaled past me heading to the top but he too had to stop with about 200 meters left....same case I assumed.

hiking up....

gang members photo session...bike pushers gang that is.....

Reaching the top, one could expect a welcoming payback in form of a sweet downhill but that wasn’t to be....we were given a slight descend before another lung busting uphill climb where only few made attempt to conquer it...while the rest opted to hike up. Reaching the top, we took a breather...took out and empty my chilled Coke which I usually keep reserved in my backpack as my victory drinks (note: kinda like victory cigars in those war movies...I don’t smoke, you see) and opened a pack of dried mangoes and passed it around. Feeling refreshed after a 10 minutes break, I decided to continue the ride alone, since the rest wanted a longer rest there.

The downhill was treacherous with very steep descend and I had to carefully manoeuvred over the rocky surface...the “excitement” was cut short when I came across this motorcycle riding Marshall who was moving slow....I overtook him at one section and continued riding downhill and thru the oil palm estate heading towards CP2.

going down.....

Reached CP2 and found that Akmal was already there....moments later, Lond and the rest also arrived. We had to extend our rest there to wait for the organizers to replenish their water and bananas....it was unbelievable that they’re unable to ensure sufficient stocks of the most essential items in an event such as this. Nonetheless, we had to wait as most of us has had empty reservoir on our back.

After the refreshment finally came, we quickly replenished our H20 reserves, gulping down few bananas and make haste for the next CP.

3rd stage

My entire body has already taken a huge toll from the long ride (and the never ending climbs...hehe). By now...I’ve already travelled some 30km from the starting point....other than getting really tired from the long hours on saddles, I’m feeling muscle cramps on both thighs...the trail condition does not change even though the Marshall in CP2 told us that the ride would be a smooth flat ride to the finish...he clearly tipu-ed us all.....morale support?...nottt!...=p

There were climbs after climbs in the section of the ride....at this point, you could hear swearings from the participants all the way to the finish line.....I wouldn’t blame ‘em...coz I’m one of ‘em....hahahahaha..

There was so many climbs that I already lost count.......what I remembered was there was this really long climb thru the oil palm plantation, right after the CP2...which goes on till another torturous, steep and very slippery impossible climb...that goes on to another open climbing...to another long climb on a concrete road surface....with so few descends....until we reached a roadside....which was the only blessing left as after that we had to turned in to another tarmac hill climb which was also steep and torturing under the open air...luckily it stayed cloudy that day...else it’ll be hellish for us riders for sure...

I had to stop pedalling halfway again as I was too exhausted....Lond and his friend has long gone, leaving me behind during the concrete pavement hill climb...and so me and several riders continued hiking up the tarmac.
Reached the CP3 and found Akmal having a rest there....the organizers were kind enough to reward us with refreshing watermelons and bananas other than the usual drinking water....totally worned out after a long hike...I munched down a lot of those cooling watermelons....tired maaa?....hehehe

CP3....saved by the melons....

Finishing

Rested a while before started pedalling again...went ahead of Akmal but was overtaken later on...me slow...hehehe...

But seriously...the fact was...I was totally exhausted...and started to feel muscle cramps on both legs....after a short but steep climb, the pain suddenly came....out of a sudden...both of my legs were numb and the pain starts kicking in...I fell off my bike...and had to take 5-10 minutes break to wait for the pain to ease...once feeling okay a bit, I started riding again...

moments before the cramp attack...hehehe

The ride went on to a sweet single trail DH...quite steep at some sections but it was enjoyable...kinda reminds me the Gunung Pulai trail...but this one’s better....since there’s no need to pedal, I manoeuvred the trail gracefully...cheh!...but really.....to me, that was one of the moments I enjoyed that day....

Reached the bottom of the hill and found Shamsul and Yunos Tamago....there were only few km left so we all rode on in a quick pace...wanting to end the suffering as soon as possible...

Reaching the town area, I got a bit excited....saw this speed bumps and rode fast and did a bunny hop past it....BIG MISTAKE....once landed, the cramps kicked in again and I fell again for the second time...Shamsul stopped by and helped me up and the both of ‘em pushed me to the finish line...sorry guys....hehehe
Finally reached the end of the crazy ride at 1:45pm....not bad....for a tourist rider like me....=p

After consuming the Nasi Beryani (so~so only), me and Wan packed up and left without waiting for the lucky draws....we’re riding on other people’s passport....not qualified maaaa?

Our destination was the Machap R&R for some quick shower....I smelled terrible but there were no place for us to freshen up at Seri Medan....along the journey, Wan dozed off again....leaving me driving alone again...sigh......

Overall

I would not say it’s all that terrible....I mean...I enjoyed the company of friends....registered my ride as a Cyclemotion’s, drove to BP with the Tamago’s (my bike hitched a ride with theirs), riding alongside the Gerekers...mixing around with other fellow riders, making new acquaintances...I was enjoying myself riding alongside friends....and yeah....really enjoyed some of the DH....apart from the suicidal uphill climbs...I could say it was a great day....

BP Hash track elevation - taken from NPC blog

But I guess, the organizers should look into the event and do some post mortem...I mean judging from the trail conditions , the organizers had probably done the trail recce-ing using some motorcross bike or something....or maybe the tester should be on drugs while marking the trails...hehehehe...

Other factors was the absent of Marshall’s in some dangerous parts of the trail...I didn’t even see any sweeper at the back....being at the back of the pack, I should at least saw one, right?...other than the guy who’re riding the motorcross bike....there were no other official riding with the participants....hmmm....serious safety issues there.....

The trail marking was excellent.....no way a person could get lost that day with so many paper trails and warning hazard signs...I’ve no complaints about that...the organizers had done their jobs ...and being able to organise the whole event....kudos to them...(next time give us a more rideable trail lah!)

I’m looking forward for another event in near future...provided that I’m free lah....looking forward for another ride this week....Plentong?....definitely.....craving for an off road ride......hehehe...

**photos courtesy from Wan Mizer, Joren Mohd, Ah Wee and NBC

Batu Pahat Hash-18/07/2010-aftermath...

2010-07-19T12:33:00.000+08:00

2 words.........EXTREMELY TIRING!!!!!!!

The organizer's really meant what they said......"torture is pleasure...guaranteed."

Well.....I wouldn't bet my socks on it.....torturing?....you bet!......it's friggin' torturing....the most ridiculuos hash I've ever been in...and I've ever heard of...with the countless hill climbs; mostly unrideable....okay....for the not-so-powerful person like me....the hash seemed like hell on earth.....in my biking point of view lah....

pleasure?......what pleasure?......the first 10km was a breeze.....but then.....all hell broke loose.......climbs after climbs left most of the riders breathless....being at the back of the pack will have you hearing panting and swearing..all the way to the finish line....hahaha......

I ended the hash with cramps on both legs....thanks to the never ending hiking uphill...and thanks to the organizers too.....

I'll be updating the event later...once I've received the photo's taken by Wan Mizer......he's recovering from his first hash....me too.........I believe, Akmal will be covering it too...be sure you visit his blog http://akmalbikepark.blogspot.com/ for more stories....

Till then....

Batu Pahat Hash 18/07/2010- I'm in!!!

2010-07-16T03:12:00.000+08:00

I finally made the confirmation to join the event in BP....actually....the entry has been closed last 15th...technically....there's no way that I could squeeze my application thru...but thanks to Neo, I managed to get his riding pass for the ride since he bailed out. I guess I'll be riding with the Cyclemotion's this time.

It's not that I'm not tempted to register myself earlier...it's just my current work schedule doesn't allow me to commit earlier...never mind...the point is...I'M IN!! sweeetttttt!

My target for the ride is not to be in the top finishers....I just wanna enjoy the ride...as long as I could complete it...that'll suffice...

Well.....if you've already registered yourself for the event...good for you! If not..too bad....I nearly missed out too....lucky me..hehehe

See you in BP!

EKY's Chicken-wing Nite Ride 16/07/10

2010-07-15T16:09:00.000+08:00

plan : kayuh2 cari makan with Eky to Stulang Laut's Hawker Center
date & time : 16/07 (Friday), 9.00pm sharp
destination : Stulang Laut hawker centre
suggested route : BBU -> STF-MPTI hill climb -> Puteri Specialist -> Larkin Bomba -> Century Garden -> Taman Pelangi -> Stulang
Distance : around 25km
RV point : parking lot at Restoran Habib, BBU

wanna experience a different kind of nite ride?....have seen my previous post with the staircase DH?dare to try it?....wanna have a taste of the most talked about marinated chicken wings in JB?...c'mon and spice up your Friday night with a fun filled, thrill seeking nite ride ever........

lets ride!.....

jom lah?ride with me.....hehehe

**if you have no clue where's the place....ask Eky at 017-7721901!
***this is not an organized ride or anything...just a normal nite ride with some chicken wing crazed friends like Eky...ride at your own risk..

Eky's CW Nite Ride 24/06/2010

2010-07-13T09:44:00.001+08:00

Last ride's photo.....me taking on the stairs..

Eky had been asking for another NR since they all enjoyed the first chicken wing NR last Thursday. I must admit, I enjoyed it too. The idea of gathering some buddies and go riding to a specific destination for makan-makan is cool....other than filling in your tummy...it's a great way for work out and spending time with friends..and I'm proud to be able to organize one...=)

About last weeks ride....I couldn't say the same for Najib though...that dude was riding a roadie..must've been bored as hell to watch fellow riders enjoyed stair DH, bunny hopping, manuals and such..hehe...but I guess he's doing it for the sake of cycling....but anyhow...I hope he'll come to his senses and start riding his Specialized again...I felt sorry for his bike....=p

Anyway.....to respect Eky's request, I've planned for another ride; sent out invitations, taking confirmations, charting possible routes, posting in FB, checked out the weather forecast for any possible weather blunder and lastly, sending out confirmation SMSes....that's a lot of work there.....

Finally, I managed to round up a decent 10 riders for the NR...Okaylah?
_________________________________________________________

I was running late. My training for the day ended late at 8pm. Shoot! Got another hour to go...Waited for my wife to pick me up at City Square, drove home and geared up. No time for dinner....but no matter....Eky had promised a dinner treat for me....we'll see.......hehehe

Along reached my place around 8:50pm. After he geared up, we both headed to the RV point at nearby Restoran Osman. Eky, Bita, Prof, Izad & Izam was already there...busy unloading their bikes and stuffs.... Azam and Wan came shortly after that. The ride started late, around 9:50pm..."somebody" was taking their own sweet time to get themselves ready...that's why it was delayed for more than 30 minutes... =p

Great!

There goes my timing and perhaps my 12 midnight cut off time.....=)

We started riding via the planned route-thru BBU heading to Larkin via NPC, STF and the MPTI hill climb. I was going at a considerably decent pace but had to stop for a while at the junction near Jalan Datin Halimah to regroup with the others.

Azam's first puncture

After a short breather, we all continued riding heading towards Larkin Perdana via the bus station and had to stop again near the Larkin police station due to puncture suffered by Azam. We took another 10 minutes break and then continued riding via Larkin Perdana, Taman Suria, Kg Kurnia, Jalan Kebun Teh before turning in towards Melodies Garden. Instead of going straight towards Holiday Plaza as planned, we took a detour to Jalan Chengal which saw us crossing the Tebrau Highway via a pedestrian overhead pass. Some of us took the opportunity to ride down the stairs!The steep angle looked scary...but these guys seemed to enjoyed it a lot. =)

Along going down the stairs at Sentosa

Another rider attempting the DH....foiled halfway...hehe

All pleased with the encounter.....let's do it again?

We then head on to our destination; the Taman Sentosa hawker centre. There, Eky made a surprising decision, he wanted to go to Stulang Laut for the chicken wings instead....though surprised with the plan change, the majority agreed and so...off we went.....that definitely puts off any hope to reach home by 12....Dang!!

We rode along Jalan Sutera before turning in to Jalan Kasa 4 and proceed to the connecting Jalan Lembing in Taman Seri Tebrau...then moving along Jalan Keris, Jalan Rentaka and exit to Jalan Serampang. We continue riding along the street until we reached the intersection at Jalan Pasir Pelangi where we turned right and heads straight to Stulang Laut hawker centre near the Duty Free Zone.

Finally after a long ride...I'm finally able to have my dinner....or supper since it's already nearing to 12 mid night....

We spent about an hour enjoying the good food and company of friends....it's not everyday that we'd have the opportunity to gather and hang out like this.....the idea of making it permanent comes to mind.....see how lah?......

After a while.....with stuffed tummies full of chicken wings and drinks....we all headed home via Jalan Ibrahim Sultan...passing Foon Yew Secondary..and then continued along Jalan Tg Puteri, heading towards the Custom checkpoint...had to stop for Azam's 2nd puncture.Eky was suffering the same fate. Once fixed, we all continued heading to the staircase....most of us took the challenge and DH-ed down....no pic's taken....too bad....

The ride continues along the Lido stretch passing Danga Bay, Skudai Kiri, going over the Angsana flyover and finally reached our destination, parking space infront of Restoran Osman. After bidding farewell, me and Along headed home...

It was fun.....and meeting it's objective.... me and Along enjoyed it much....rather than riding the same route with the Tamago's every Tuesday and Friday nights.....we're enjoying different route with another group of friends....great!

I'm organizing another ride next week....same time...same day.....if you feel like joining.....gimme a ring.....the more the merrier......=)

**photo's courtesy from Izad and Wan Mijer...thanks!

Hey look?...I'm back!

2010-05-18T15:44:00.003+08:00

It's been more than 4 months since my last entry.....pardon me for leaving you guys in the dark. thanks to the unreliable broadband connection in my area, I guess it just puts me off.....good connections is hard to get these days...especially during night time....I'm practically struggling just to get connected!. Forget about lodging complaints.....been there, done that...still no improvements.....and yet...they continuously claiming to have the best network coverage ever!....and the ironic parts is....I used to work there for 15 years!...hahaha.....

Due to that also, I'm unable to upload any photos in either my FB or Flickr accounts...but no worries.....I'll load em up...someday....somehow.....hehehe...so stay tuned...=p

Well....so many things has happened in these past few months....been doing a lot of riding.....I've participated in a bike hash in Felda Adela, Kota Tinggi....consistently riding the twice weekly Nite Rides with the Tamago's...a number of NR's with friends as well as few solo rides...a couple of rides with Cyclemotion to Plentong, Kota Tinggi and Ulu Pulai...a ride with Soleh and his Custom Officials buddies to Kangkar Pulai trail....few rides to P.U.B. and Gunung Pulai-Kaizen Camp trail with Boboy and his merry men...hehe......a road ride (in the rain) to Puteri (Pearl) Harbour....and yeah....an extremely tiring ride from Bandar Putera, Kulai to Taman Sri Pulai...with lotsa climbing......dang!!!..hehehe

me attacking the trail......Adela Bike Hash 2010

Along, me and Cik Tahir - Adela Bike Hash 2010

Kota Tinggi trail ride with Cyclemotion

what a payback!nice dip at the cool stream after a long ride...pure bliss!

I guess you all should have figured that all those riding has made me a powerful rider.....nottt!!....haha...I wish lah...I'm still the ol' me, strangely...not getting any faster..or fitter....maybe I'm adapting the wrong method...(?)...Sham had told me recently that I need to practise my cadence more to gain more stamina and ultimately, increasing more speed...and so...I have been heeding his advice and puts it to practise during the past NR's...but to no avail....maybe I should use a different approach or method...hmmm....gotta figure that out soon...hehe...but I guess maybe it's because I usually tipu-ed a bit now and then by using the largest chain ring during flat roads to gain momentum...haha..

Kulai - Sri Pulai ride....fun...but torturing!

Skudai denai trail ride

Hiking up hill at the denai....

In these past few months also, I've made some new acquaintances too...from near and far....some from BBU, while others from Pontian, Perling, Kota Tinggi, Pasir Gudang and yeah...from across the Causeway too....well...you really meet all sorts of people in the trail...it's easy to clicks with new friends especially when you share the same interest...so to all my new friends....cheers!!...=)

Other than riding...there were also events that I went to that relates to biking such as the Mount Austin DH Challenge and then the LTDL (Pt Sulong stage)....went to the LTDL with Eddie, Kamal and few other guys...was fun except for the scorching hot sun....waited at Parit Sulong from 10am till 1pm just to watch the riders passing infront of you in a blink of an eye.....hehehe....

LTDL.....

I have no idea who's the bloke was...but heck?... who cares?

went to the DH Challenge with Anuar right after our riding stints at Gunung Pulai..imagine...from one side, we drove to the other end just to watch the finale....it was exciting...to see over 100 riders competing....also hundreds of spectators (chicks!), local or foreign all gather up to give support....how I envied those riders...having the balls to take up the punishing course.....me?...hahahaha...enuff said..=p

Mount Austin DH Challenge...two of the veteran riders...team Santa Cruz/Alpinestars and Specialized/ Monster

I've also added a few new stuffs in my arsenal...further burning holes in my wallet.....hehe....a brand new XTR bottom bracket to replace Anuar's worn out SLX BB....2 DX pedals (one flat PD-MX30 and one SPD-M647) to replace the super tough and dang heavy Xtension pedal....an expensive Shimano M182 SPD shoes, a few riding jerseys...a pair of TLD riding pants and a new riding shades....neccesity?...dunno...but i think it's all worth it...

Kangkar Pulai trail ride with Soleh and his gang

never knew the scenery was simply breathtaking up there...

There were also few embarrassing moments falling off my bike due to the SPD pedals...some even painful ones too...no pain no gain huh? =p

Presently, I do not have any specific plans for my future.....missed the Jasin Bike Jamboree due to some unplanned event....have to pass the first ever off road NR organised by Cyclemotion last Saturday because I've no confidence riding in the dark (read: chickennnnn) and perhaps..no idea whether I'll be able to take part in other future events...

why?....

with all these uncertainties....I just can't confirm on my availability when the time comes...perhaps..I could just wait and see....the fact is...I really would like to take part in the PCC....am dying to try out the PCP......would love to flow thru the single trails of the FRIM....and still couldn't get over the exciting Kiara trails.....sheeeshhhh!!!....am drooling already!...hahahaha

So as I put it.....I'll just have to wait and see...if the timing is right...then there should be nothing to hold me back.....

Till then...I'll settle with the regular weekend and NR's to fuel my needs.....=)

See you guys in the trail....ride on!

Dream bike...and dream ride......

2010-01-05T02:18:00.003+08:00

Meet my new ride....Santa Cruz Chameleon...Candy Blue size M....my trip to KSH Bikes TTDI last Saturday was for a sole purpose....to get me this frame.....yup...it cost's a bomb for a hardtail....and it's darn heavy too....but I kinda drool over it for quite some time now....I know there are other hardtails which are much lighter out there...and cost's much lesser than this one....but I guess my mind was already set....and so....at 10.30am 02.01.2010.....I bid farewell to my ol' trustee Merida....hehehe...

The "transformation" of my new SC completed at 5pm...with few other new components on board....a brand new Fox Float RLC 140mm...new HOPE head set, Thomson Elite 30.9 straight seatpost, XT casette and a new XTR rotor.....yikes!......initial test ride leaves me craving for the next....but that gotta wait till the next day...I'm riding Kiara with those KSH guys........=)

nice........

something's missing....a chain guide perhaps?

Woke up the next day at 6am..after a light breakfast at the hotel...I checked out at 7am and headed straight to TTDI via the DUKE expressway and reached the designated RV point at Deris Corner, Persiaran Zaaba, TTDI at 7.40am......on the way there...it was raining quite heavily...which left me undecided whether to proceed with my plans or not...but then I figured that since I was already there...it wouldn't hurt to wait for a while for the rain to stop....=p

There were already few guys waiting at the mamak joint..having breakfast...since I've already had mine...I decided to wait in the car....anyway, I didn't know any of the guys there...no signs of the KSH guys....moments later...feeling bored...I turned off my car engine and went in the restaurant and ordered a glass of teh tarik and waited.

nice bikes....=p

drool....drool....

I've waited for another half an hour before asking a malay rider the directions to Kiara....it has stopped raining..and I decided to check out the park first....the other riders parked their cars near the mamak joint and then ride to the park, about a kilometer away...I need to know the park location and the facilities first....from what I heard from Akmal, the park has a facility to wash your bikes after rides...which is very convenient for me....I couldn't strap my bike on top of my Waja as after the ride, I need to go to One Utama to get my wife something from this trip....

The place was easy to find...as soon as I parked my car next to the toilet and the bike cleaning area....I started unloading and got myself ready for the ride....a group of riders has already started riding....still no signs of the KSH guys...and so I rushed and started riding...hoping I could join the group I saw earlier....but I guess being familiar to the trail...the group was long gone as I entered the trail....leaving me alone...trying to figure out the directions.....

As I entered the trail...I was greeted by a steep 45 degree climb on a rocky surface.....since it rained earlier....it was difficult to pedal uphill....end up hiking...kinda embarassing....=p

The route was extremely difficult....mostly have to push my bike uphill...the flat single trail was short...narrow and full of slippery roots...I'm having difficulties to hit the roots square and slipped several times...

looks easy...I know...

one of the many flat single trails....don't let the condition fool you...up ahead is a turn with a very steep climb!

few photo's of the hill climb....

After about 45 minutes struggling uphill....I managed to find an access route to a tarmac section....by then I realised that I've totally taken a wrong route...the one that I have just rode was actually a downhill trail...and I have gone totally the wrong direction...instead of going downhill...I was riding the trail uphill instead!....no wonder the climb was torturous!hehehe...

Riding tarmac was a bliss....but no less tiring as I still have to scale the hill to reach the top....but I was not alone...there were other riders...and joggers too....

a huge group of riders taking a breather at the top...

Finally after a while...I reached to an area where a group of riders were resting probably after trail riding....the KSH guys were there too.....their bikes were awesome....mega expensive....and I was literally drooling by just looking at their ride's...hehehe...

The malay guy I met at the mamak approaches me....soon after, so does his buddies....according to them, Kiara has quite a number of trails....some could lead to different parts of KL....even to Segambut....so it's unwise to ride alone...point taken....maybe I'll arrange for another trip there with Akmal and my other riding buddies....maybe Akmal could get his friend to be our guide....=)

After about 30 minutes....I decided to head back to the car park....the guys invited me to join them for another round of trail riding but I declined politely....I don't want to be late....and after bidding farewell...I started riding down hill on tarmac....

Few minutes later, I reached the parking lot and started to clean my bike at the bike cleaning area....I must say....we should have this kinda facility at Gunung Pulai.....=p

After cleaning myself at the toilet....I left Kiara....not quite satisfied...but I guess it's enough for now....I'll surely return to Kiara with my buddies sometime soon......

note the facility..not the bike...

not the bike la!

we should have this over here in JB....

After One Utama....I went to PJ to re-visit Bike Pro....but they're closed.....so I went straight home....and reached JB at 7pm....

The trip was worth it.....all my objectives achieved.....got myself a new frame....with all the parts I wanted....and tested it at Kiara.....wow!.....really..satisfied....=p

Next ride will be to Plentong....Anuar won't be joining....maybe I'll join the Gerekers or Cyclemotion gang....see how lah?...hehehe

Gunung Pulai trail ride - 27.12.2009

2010-01-04T11:56:00.004+08:00

Since this ride happened a week ago....I decided just to post the photos taken in this entry...

Route : Pekan Nenas - P.U.B reservoir trail - Gunung Pulai Forest Reserve Downhill trail - Kaizen trail

Distance : 24km (est)

Riders : Me, Boboy, Anuar, Basir and Along

Time spent : about 7 hours (from 8.30 am till 3.30pm)

Difficulties : P.U.B trail - Moderate

G. Pulai downhill trail - Technical

Kaizen - Moderate

Mishaps : 2 punctures

countless falls for everybody....especially for Along hehehe

fr left-Along, me, Anuar & Basir

no comments from Along and Basir on the scenery...

another photo shoot with tuan Boboy

Anuar attempting to downhill the steep grass slopes

scarryyyyyyyyy......

Along's first puncture...

at the Kaizen Trail

at the abondoned bunker...

The ride was enjoyable....but if the condition was like the previous weeks...I might enjoyed it better....

We will be returning to this trail maybe after Plentong ride this week.....see how lah......hehehe

weekend ride - 27.12.2009

2009-12-26T21:50:00.000+08:00

plan : weekend ride to Gunung Pulai trail
date & time : 27/12/2009 (Sunday), 7.30am sharp
location : P.U.B. reservoir trail and Gunung Pulai Downhill course, Pekan Nenas, Johor
Distance : around 23km (20 km on road, 3 km off road)
RV point : parking lot at Ah Fan's
fee : what fee?....bring your own stuffs la?=p

why spend your Sunday morning staring helplessly at your bike? do u think u got the balls to downhill the steep Gunung Pulai downhill trail?...wanna feel an awesome morning scenery at the P.U.B. reservoir?...think u're up for it?...lets have some serious fun in the woods!

lets ride!.....

**if you have no clue where's the place....call me at 019 7938900
***this is not an organized ride or anything...just a normal weekend ride with some crazy friends...ride at your own risk..

I'm back........

2009-12-26T21:30:00.029+08:00

It’s been a month since my last entry in this blog...it’s not that I’m too busy to write....I’ve sooo many spare times lately....hehehe.....just being lazy.........actually I’ve tonnes of things to tell....but I guess when the MALAS syndrome kicks in.....only a strong will power can brush it off....in my case......I guess sitting at home ...watching TV....spending time with my daughter...leisure internet surfing...was my way of spending...err...enjoying my unemployment period.....hahaha.....

So many things have happened.....like countless riding hours....being jobless.....KL outing.....bike projects...and future riding plans....I’ll sum it up in this entry.....so bear with me.....=p

About being jobless

Yup.....finally took the plunge into the unknown.....kinda reckless, I know.....good job is hard to come by these days....but I’ve been applying for the VSS for over a year now....and it came just in time....getting bored with the same routine anyway....with all the things that has happened....I guess it was inevitable...sooner or later I’m bound to leave the company anyway....don’t think my career was going anywhere....I’m stuck in the same position for more than 9 years....9 long years!....been wanting to switch to other departments...you know?...doing other things for a change...but I guess “they” just won’t let me go....coupled with other decisive factors....I concluded that I’ve had enough...I’ve taken more than I could swallow....rather than stayed and suffer....I decided to leave with lots of moolah...and try my luck elsewhere....hehehe....

My last day was on the 30th November 2009....after working my butt off for more than 14 years....my tenure finally came to its end....it wasn’t difficult....and the rest of my “collegues” doesn’t seemed to mind about my decision....guess I’ve made the right choice this time....no hugs...no teary eyes...heck!...not even a decent farewell.....just a simple goodbye.....man....I felt soooo unwanted!....

and so it’s job hunting season for me.....sent out my CV to few places....so far...I’ve attended one job interview....Alhamdulillah....it went well.....now I’m waiting for the second interview....according to my pal, Jeff....all should be in order as both of the interviewer are his buddies....hopefully this unemployed period won’t be for long.....I certainly don’t want to get used to it.....=p

About rides...

There were so many rides....and frankly...I don’t think I could remember it all clearly....may end up jumbled up...so the safe way is for me not to elaborate much about it....you can view the pics in my flickr photo page or my facebook album...

my flickr page
my facebook album

You may also read about it in Akmal’s and Reza’s blogs....
Apart from the numerous nite rides....there’s also a ride to Plentong trail....2 or 3 trips to Gunung Pulai Reserve...even one solo ride there...=p.....a trip to P.U.B trail with Anuar and Boboy....ride to Seri Austin trail and so on...

gunung pulai ride-22/11/2009~the one where Boboy suffered pacat bites...=p

return to Plentong trail - 29/11/2009

P.U.B. reservoir trail ride - 13/12/2009

I’ve also made some new friends....all from my riding activities....Anuar and Basir is officially my regular weekend riding buddies besides Boboy...there’s also Ah Wee, Abg Azhar, Abg Lokman and the rest...
Tuesday and Friday nites are strictly for road riding.... and occasionally Wednesday Impian Emas ride.... with the Tamago’s....though riding road is not my favourite....but it’s good in building stamina and endurance.....also good in building rapport with fellow riders....

Talking about the Tamago’s.....they’re planning to officiate their cycling club....Hafiz had asked me to fill in the application form to become the club member....I guess being in one club doesn’t restrict me from joining other clubs/groups activities....it’s also nice to be a part of something....=)

My last ride was yesterday’s nite ride.....a little different from the usual.....there were only 7 riders riding last night....the Tamago’s decided to take the night off and heads out to Terengganu to attend Kojack ‘s wedding....the funny thing was....a few of us had sms’ed Hafiz to asked about the ride...you know with the long holiday....one can assume that the ride might not took place...but when Hafiz confirmed they’ll ride that night....a few of us showed up...and get’s disappointed...not wanting to waste our effort to show up at the venue...we decided to ride...just the 7 of us....Wan EON took the lead...while I acted as the sweeper ....it was fun despite the shortfall....we were riding in groups...unlike the normal NR’s where the group got scattered between the fast riders and the not-so-fast ones...like me...hehehe....

It took us 45 minutes to reach the usual RV venue at Danga Bay...and took a 20 minutes rest....we were back on saddles at 10:40pm...riding the usual route to Larkin.....one guy went straight back home to Kobena after passing the Angsana Traffic Light intersection...we were riding in leisure mode thru BBU and then the STF stretch....I didn’t even break a sweat....really....hehehe....even climbing the MPTI hill was a breeze....=p

After the ride...we had a TT session which lasted till 1:40am....went back home...took a shower...and went straight to bed....

About my bike project

....after giving it a deep thought...and consulting few “experts”....I decided not to continue with my bike project....you know?....the one that involves stripping the whole paint job off and repainting it with Yeti team color scheme....it’s not about the cost...in fact...the cost is very-very minimal compared to getting myself a new frame....it’s just that I’m worried that the end result might not be as expected....not all can paint a bike frame perfectly...you know?....we’re not talking about repainting a whole car or anything..... repainting a bike frame gonna takes a lot of concentration and a lot of detailing is required to ensure a smooth finish......cehhhh!....excuse..excuse.....

The fact is.....with the moolah coming in.....I’ve decided to get myself a new frame for my bike...and my recent trip to KL has easily made me come to a decision....to get myself a new Santa Cruz Chameleon frame....M size....white color.....nice built.....just looking at it hanging at KSH TTDI has made me drooled...sighhhh.......hehehe.....

And so.....my bike project is officially scrapped...and replaced with a new one.....and the mission starts this coming 2nd January 2010....I’m heading to TTDI next Saturday morning with Anuar...with both bikes (mine and his Giant reign) perched atop my Waja....the plan is to head to KSH TTDI as early as 6:30am from JB...expected to reach there by 11:00 am....left my bike there for them to “salin” all the parts from my Merida to the new frame.....check in at the nearest hotel....pick up the bike in late afternoon....stay overnight....and explore Bukit Kiara trail the next day with those KSH guys....and come back to JB in the afternoon.....sounds interesting...doesn’t it?.....

Well....I’m counting the days now.....hehehe.....

About my future riding plans

Apart from the Bukit Kiara ride.....I’m also planning to ride the FRIM trail somewhere in the near future....Akmal told me they have an excellent trail out there...and I’m just dying to try it out....also made plans to arrange a return trip to Plentong trail....and to recce ride the Pulai Indah trail with Boboy....

Tomorrow morning...I have a ride appointment (cheh!) with my buddies to P.U.B. trail and Gunung Pulai downhill trail....so far...I have 4 confirmed participants.....wanna join me?.....Jom lah?let’s rock the place.....hehehe

weekend ride - 29/11/2009

2009-11-24T11:37:00.000+08:00

plan : weekend ride to Plentong Trail
date & time : 29/11/2009 (Sunday), 8am sharp
location : Plentong Epic Ride trail, Plentong
distance : around 20-25km (half loop)
RV point : parking lot at Neo's
fee : FOC....bring your own stuffs...drinks..power bar..tit bits..bananas..what ever...

sooo....do u think u're up for it?...which do u choose?...staying at home on a lazy Sunday morning or join me and have some serious fun in the woods?

lets ride!.....

**if you have no clue where's the place....email me at gojira_75@yahoo.com or sms me at 019 7938900
***this is not an organized ride or anything...just a normal weekend ride with some crazy friends...enter at your own risk..

Tomac 2010 Carbide SL Cross Country

2009-11-24T09:49:00.000+08:00

The Carbide SL is the ultimate cross country weapon.

Over three years in development, the Carbide SL is the ultimate in lightweight, stiffness and pedalling efficiency. At a scant 4.4 pound frame weight with DT Swiss carbon shock, it's one of the lightest XC full suspension bikes on the market, and certainly the stiffest. The Carbide SL can be hammered through anything an XC rider or racer could throw at it.

Saddle up boys, saddle up.

Features

90mm rear travel.
4.4 pound/2000 gram frame weight with DT Swiss shock, large size
Optimized carbon fiber front triangle, individual lay ups for each size.
High modulus carbon fiber with aluminum dropouts.
Integrated aluminum chain suck protector.
Low stand over height with plenty of seat post adjustability.
Only three sets of bearings means easy service.
Accepts dual water bottles on all but the small frame.
Available in small, medium, large and extra large.

**taken from www.mtbpros.blogspot.com

well......what do u guys think?should I?been thinking of switching to full suspension bikes lately...especially after test riding Anuar's Giant Reign....the sweet handling.....ahhhh!!!...the plush suspensions....wahhhh!!!!.....the price tag.....arrggghhhh!!!!!!!!!hehehehe

the frame itself could cost around RM5-6k.....not to mention other parts......man.....I can only drool over it.....but....if I just add in my existing parts..throw in the SLX groupset from Anuar....a new Panaracer Rampage.....brand new Raceface Next high riser handle bar with ODI rogue grips.....pergghhh!!!....my dream machine......hehehe....

but hey?...who knows, right?...=p

Plentong Epic Ride 15/11/2009

2009-11-22T01:35:00.003+08:00

Its been a week since the ride...I just couldn’t find the time to write the ride coverage..was too tired after the ride....was on MC last Monday due to fever and sore muscles and joints...was busy the whole week...finally had the chance to write down everything today...kinda late...but I need to deliver my promises, right?...=p

note the CP stickers!

Arrival

Reached the Petronas Plentong a few minutes before 7am. Eddie, Ai, Faizal and some of the Tamago’s were already there, waiting for the boss, Ali to arrive....even Hafiz was late that morning....I had no choice but to wait as my riding pass was with Ali.....after getting myself 2 bottles of 100 plus, Eddie told me that they’re gonna wait for Ali and Hafiz at the parking lot at Neo’s.

Moments later , I reached the parking lot, starts unloading , preparing my gears and went to the mamak for a quick bite...the other Tamago’s were already set for the ride...only waiting for Ali, BK and Hafiz to arrive...

Few minutes to 8am, the committee members began directing the riders to the starting point, at a basketball court some 300 meters away... I was getting a bit restless...Ali still not there yet...with my riding pass...

Ali arrived just in a nick of time....took my riding pass, tied it to my handle bar and rushed to the starting point....

power eggs...Tamago's finest...Ai and Faizal

car park at Neo's

Bro Panjang as official for the ride

Starting

Imagine 450 riders standing by in one basketball court.....waiting for the flag off...the place was jammed packed...everybody’s was anxious to start the ride...I had mixed feelings....nervous....thrilled....ecstatic...excited...all rolled into one....it’s indescribable....

Watching everybody’s with their rides were already a bliss....especially the ones with the bikes that I could only dreamt owning one....hehehe.....already had me dreaming of winning the grand prize for the day’s lucky draw, a complete bike...though I’m not sure what brand it was....=p

Finally, the ride was flagged off around 8.15am...I didn’t immediately join the large crowd dispersing from the court....instead I parked my bike at the road side and took some pictures and admiring the atmosphere.....I started at the back of the pack....as usual...riding slowly towards the first stage of the ride...the beginning of a torturous journey.....

gettin' ready...

flag off

and off you go..

heading towards...

a torturous ride....

1st stage

It wasn’t long before we start entering the off road section ....as expected...the route was totally different from the week earlier....instead of turning right like last week, we had to turn left instead...

The route was relatively easy....a mixture of off road and some tarmac ride...until we reached to a section where we need to turn into a rubber plantation.....there were a lot of riders...some inexperienced....causing massive jams...and unnecessary waste of time and energy....enjoyed some part of the single trail downhill though....passing a shack, over a small crossing and then had to queue up to cross a stream....then took a wrong route...double back and enjoyed the sweet single trail with two foreigners hot on my tail....the single track was sweet and long....and fun....me and the two mat saleh’s enjoyed it very much that we made silly sounds....wooohooo!!!...hehehe...

first casualty of the day...

traffic congestion?

abg azhar

where's the traffic police when we needs em?

the cause....stream crossing...

The trail leads to a main road...riding on tarmac again...for a short while before Sham directing us to another off road trail....I didn’t go in straight though...waited for a while to catch my breath....Basir was there too...taking a breather.....I had to cut short my resting time to catch up with the other riders...

I was riding alone...trying to catch up with Uncle Johan whom I saw earlier....aww mann!!...that old man was really fast....and he’s 65 years old I tell ya....managed to catch up with him at CP1.....

After getting the CP1 sticker, I didn’t stick around for long....had a drink provided by the marshal’s and continued riding heading to water check point 2 a few kilometres away....

CP1

2nd stage

The distance between CP 1 and CP2 was about 7km....and the water check point located in between the two....I’ve to go thru some rubber plantation and woods before I could reach it...the terrain was slippery due to the rain previous day and not to mention all the obstacles that I have to go thru...finally I reached the water check point and stopped for a breather...I had 2 bottles of water plus one I took as a reserve and a couple of bananas. Moments later, Riza, Laban , Wan and another Tamago guy reached the CP. We chatted for a short while before I left them to proceed to CP2, some 4-5 km away.

riza, laban and wan Tamago

I joined several riders and we were riding really tight at a considerably fast tempo...the trail was quite difficult as we need to navigates thru narrow passages which filled with slippery roots, puddles, branches and tree trunks...

I was enjoying the ride so much that before I knew it, I’ve reached CP2. I was greeted by Fazlon and Panjang who was manning the CP....Anuar and a couple of his friends were there as well....after a few minutes rest, we started riding again....heading to “the lake”....

anuar at CP2

taking a breather at "the lake"

The mixture of trail & single trail was enjoyable...we were going fast....I was leading and I missed a marker and we had to double back and re-trace the marker...found it, turned and continued thru a single track heading downhill towards the lake...

We stopped by the lake and took a 15 minutes break...after a long ride, a lengthy break like that was most welcomed...I went on to wash my face as my eyes were getting itchy due to sweat...I cleared the mineral water I took from CP2 and a banana flavoured cake given by the organizers....

We were lucky that it was cloudy at that time.....coupled with some cool breeze blowing our way...the rest stop was a bliss....

After done recharging our lost energy...we started riding again, heading towards CP3.

3rd stage

My body has already taken a toll from the long ride....by now...I’ve already travelled some 25km from the starting point....I was getting really tired from the long hours on saddles...the difficulty level has also increased, the path is much narrower, with roots, branches and trunks...not to mention a lot of puddles and muddy terrain at the open trails....there were also several crossings where you really have to get your feet wet...tiresome hill climbs and really exhausting paddling thru a rubber plantation. We had to take a 10 minutes stop before entering the rubber plantation. Opened up the Nescafe Mocca given by Eddie this morning....we were discussing about the ride and what Panjang told us earlier...it seems that out of 450 participants....only 200++ has made it to CP2....we don’t see much riders behind us...and we assumed that we were in the last batch...meaning that about half of the field has chickened out at CP1 and CP2...tough trail I guess....

It was already 12.45 when we started rolling again....going thru the torturous hill climb....it was really..really....exhausting and frustrating....why?...because last week I could climb the same hill with little difficulties...I could keep up with the other guys at that time...now....hahaha....I couldn’t even making it to the top...have to MTB~ed my bike uphill...hehehe..

We continued riding going downhill and headed straight for water check point 2 located somewhere near Flora Heights I assumed....when passing the construction site....I signalled Anuar as we’ve planned to stop to replenished our water reserves but he kept on cycling....perhaps he wants to get to our destination soonest possible.....it was getting really late.....the BP guys that was with us earlier has long gone...so does the group of Singaporeans which we met during our stop earlier.....

We met several riders somewhere before the hill climb at Flora Heights...Anuar and Azizi paddled their way up hill...while me...with no more strength had to push my bike up....I was extremely tired and had the thought of abandoning the ride....but I had already passed the point of no return...no more chicken loop...it’s all the way home from there onwards..... I reckon that I’ve another 19km to go....if I paddled slowly....I guess I’ll reached the finish line by 5pm or so....hehehe...

Reaching the top...Anuar and Azizi has long gone...no trace of them...some riders passed me....I want to catch up with them but I was really exhausted from pushing the bike...so I put down my bike at an open area and lay down on the dirt...stayed there for about 4-5 minutes to gather some energy for me to carry on riding. Once I felt I’m ready, I picked up my bike and starts paddling thru the open air construction site....it was sooo hot....Gerekers nicknamed the place as “the desert”....probably due to the barren condition with no shades whatsoever....I had to agree.....I took off my helmet due to the unbearable heat....and rode on....

At that point, I was craving for some shades and some ice cool drinks...I kept on telling myself that I could do it (completing the ride)....and that the heat was nothing....if you were there with me...you probably thought that I was a nut case or something...talking to myself...I was actually trying to lift my own spirits up....since I was alone....and no one to share the sufferings with me...=p

My prayers were soon answered when I catch a glimpse of a group of riders resting near a lorry...there were a tent set up next to it...it was the 2nd water check point!!...hurrayy!!...Anuar and Azizi were there, enjoying their Nasi Lemak under the shades....yup...you heard it right!...Nasi Lemak!....in the middle of nowhere?....it was truly a blessing!...

Lay down my bike near the lorry...okay...I admit that I was too tired that I practically threw my bike to the ground and rushed to get the food and drinks...haha....poor bike...=p

After munching down a pack of Nasi Lemak and a couple of bananas...and gulping down two bottles of iced water...I lay down on the dirt and rested for a while. Then after feeling that I’ve fully recharged, I replenished my water reserves and even took with me a banana and an additional bottle of water and stashed it in my backpack...

Another group of riders reached the checkpoint moments before we left...it was the Tamago’s: Riza, Laban, Wan and 2 more guys.....Panjang was there too...he offered me a ride home (on the lorry of course) but I declined thinking that I could actually made it home myself....

We left the check point after resting more than half an hour....supposedly...by then I surely had fully recharged myself.... but I guess the long hours on road has made me worn out.... convinced myself that I need to complete the ride....I tried to keep paced with Anuar and Azizi...going in the oil palm plantation...thru some thick bushes....going thru some narrow passages....some nice single tracks before reaching the horse ranch near “bukit 9G”...met Panjang again....and he offered me again...a ride home on a lorry but again...I declined...maybe the signs of fatigue show clearly on my face....but I guess my determination was stronger....doesn’t matter what time I finished the ride....I determined to complete it none the less...

anuar and azizi at the badminton court

There’s still about 9km to CP3...and I was really worn out....at a point...I even threw my bike a side out of total exhaustion..and practically lying on my back on the dirt in the middle of nowhere....Anuar and Azizi was kind enough to keep me company. We took a few minutes rest before Anuar suggesting us to move forward and look for a better place for a breather. We rode on till we reached the ‘badminton court”, an Indonesian worker shelter...we took a long break over there, about 15 minutes....before starts paddling again heading to CP3..

hiking up hill..enroute to CP3

There were a long uphill climb....we had to push our bikes uphill....reaching the top..there were several riders resting....moments later....the Tamago’s reaches the place...there were Wan, Mr Ong and another rider...the rest has abandoned the ride at water check point 2...taking the ride home on the lorry.

After 15 minutes break...we continued riding...there were about 9 of us...including Panjang....and we ride on to CP3...

By this time....Anuar and Azizi has made some distance between me and the other guys...upon reaching CP3, Wan, Mr Ong and the other Tamago rider made a sudden stop due to cramps...leaving me paddling alone....

I reached CP3 at 3.30pm...Najib and Atuk was manning the CP....told me the water check point was less than a kilometre away....I rode on...reaching the water check point few minutes later...Ah Chai showed me the direction and told me that Anuar and Azizi had recently left the check point...I didn’t stop as my water reserves still sufficient for the rest of the ride..

Finishing

I tried to called up to Anuar and Azizi..but I guess I was too far for them to hear me...I ended up riding alone...trying to catch up with them...then there were this hill....they were riding uphill...I was extremely tired...so I got off my bike and pushed my bike up and gave up the chase....there were another 9km to go....I was tired...quite de-motivated...and lonesome....riding alone in the woods was kinda creepy...

I finally reached a main road....kind of a relief for me....so I rode on straight...not knowing that I missed a marker and overshot few hundred meters from the re-entry point.....I rode on till I reached a TNB power station...with no markings and riders in sight...I figured that I was lost....so I called the emergency contact number stated on my riding pass....Azam answered and I told him that I was lost...he asked on my whereabouts and I told him my location...he advised me to turn back and retrace back the markings....and so I did and finally re-enters the plantation....and follows the markers heading home...

About a kilometre after entering the plantation, I met the Tamago guys again...so we rode on together heading to the finish line....

Finally after riding 55 kilometres off road...in more than 8 hours...the ride finally came to its end...we were greeted by Panjang and Sham at the exit point...Ali, BK and a patrol car was waiting for us at the main road....Ali congratulated us for completing the ride despite being the last riders to complete it....we were tired..but completely satisfied... we went on to Neo’s to clean our bikes as everybody has gone back...the lucky draws was held at 2pm...even the food has finished....we were contented enough for being able to complete the ride safely...

goin' home

As we were cleaning our bikes at Neo’s...it suddenly rained heavily...I decided not to bring my bike home instead I placed my bike in Eddie’s lorry with the rest of the Tamago’s guys bikes...and shipped back to Ali’s for cleanup and probably servicing...

I hanged out with Ali and his gang at the mamak and even took shower in the open with Mr Ong and Wan...it’s been a while since the last time I took a shower in the rain...hehehe...drenching wet, we all sat and had teh tarik session at the mamak...=p

I went back after having a quick shower at Neo’s..it was 5pm...a memorable day indeed....

again...note the CP stickers!

TT session with the Tamago's

Overall

It was a great ride...long, exhausting, really a physical and mental torturing....but also really..really satisfying...the kinda ride I’ve been yearning for....it was fun...and exciting...I had cramps several times...but it just keeps me going for more....

The trail was excellent..with lots of fabulous single tracks and downhill sections..I’ve no complaints about that...the organizers had done their jobs well...kudos to them...

I’m looking forward to return to this trail in near future...perhaps in early December? Will have to discuss further with Najib on this...anybody interested to join? =)

Plentong Epic Ride - recce ride 08/11/2009

2009-11-14T11:56:00.003+08:00

Nearly missed the ride as I woke up pretty late that morning....rushed to the RV point and make it there with a lot of time to spare....parked the car, unload, got ready, had breakfast, meet and greet fellow riders and then the long wait....hehehe....

A lot of familiar faces showed up that morning.....Akmal, Panjang, Faiz, Anuar and Basir, Najib and the committee members and others.......Ali wasn't there as he was participating in an event somewhere up north....the only Tamago5 I met was Mbah who came with his son....lost him afterwards...

The ride started late....the committee members was having their briefing...task segregations perhaps....the large crowd was devided in two.....the first group consists of tourists...hehehe....those who came just to ride, nothing more......I decided to join the second group, who will be riding with the committee members....assisting them in trail markings.....I guess it sounded more fun and challenging...hehehe...

The ride finally started around 9.30am-9.45am....I won't be elaborating the ride so much as I don't want to spoil the surprise...all I can is....we didn't go for the actual full loop...as it was supposed to be a trail marking session...I guess we have gone some 40-45km or so....with a lot of short cuts and difficult trail section....the ride was extremely tiring......and my body has really taken a toll from it....a nasty fall and two cramps...hehehe....there's also a lot of stops which really helped in recovering lost energy....and yes....for an average rider like me....2 litre fluid as advised by Najib was not enough.....I completed both reserves half way the ride....luckily we had a stop at a work site canteen....I managed to get 2 cans of coke and few bananas...

The ride ended around 3.45pm.....Neo, being the host was generous enough to provide light refreshments after the ride...also letting us using his water hose to clean our bikes....and I even took a quick bath at his place...hehehe....thanks bro!.....

The following pictures were taken from my N70...managed to get a few snaps before the battery ran out....will try to get some of the photo's taken by Kevyn and Acai....meantime...here's a few glimpse of the ride...

first stage uphill climb...relatively easy..even for beginners...=p

the committee member's group...

Anuar...Fox from head to toe....

this is Najib....ladies....he's still available...hehehe

Faiz from Perling....remember the unknown rider in Pendas ride a few month back?...it's him lah..

Committee member at work...marking trails

and summore markings....

Taking a breather somewhere....

right after a group of dirt bikers passed us..

the lake.....nice....picturesque...

err....how come there'e no reception around here ahhh?...ya lorrr?terrible reception lah?...=p

another breather...dunno where....are we lost?

yup...now we are lost for sure!....

Overall....it was fun..thrilling..tiring...and painful...all in one......I loved it.....can't wait till the actual event next Sunday.......

Oh yes....entry already closed....to those who haven't registered yet....too bad for you.....missing out a fabulous ride such as this....you'll regret it...trust me....hehehe....

To the other 400++ participants......let's have some fun.......see you at the starting line.....=)

Plentong Epic Ride.....let's ride!

2009-11-04T01:34:00.002+08:00

"we ride for many reasons.....for fun......for fitness.....or as an excuse to enjoy the company of a few good friends...but mostly.....we ride to escape....to escape the stasis of a life constructed around a 9 to 5 job; to escape the streets of suburbia; and, most importantly, to escape the expected....." BIKE magazine issue 16.6…

I seriously agree with the quote.....for me.....I ride for my health....fitness (not there yet...hehe)...and because it's what I've been wanting to do for so long.....the fun part comes with the rides...and the thrills...spills and....

Riding can also makes me forget all the issues of life temporarily....kinda like an escape for me...though temporary....the peace of mind is what I sought after a hectic 9 to 5 day job....just me and the open road...off-road…what ever....

What happened last Sunday has made me craved for an off-road ride even more...it was painful...to know that your buddies were having the times of their lives while you're stuck somewhere...not being able to do anything but just stares at your poor bike...feeling sorry for yourself...feels like giving myself a kick to the butt…..hehe…I guess it’s normal for a bike junkie like me....when you missed a good opportunity of a good ride...the desire for it is so strong it’s almost painful...you only want them more...yup!....I’m addicted alright!...=p

and so...I'll try my best to make it this coming Sunday....just another week before the actual event...need to get myself familiar with the trail...it'll be easier once you get to know the trail you're gonna be riding...and expect the unexpected…hehe…kinda like cheating also…..haha….but for an amateur like me….it’s a necessity…=p

You see….I don’t plan to ride half way…..I’ve completed both of the previous events I participated before this….no short cuts…no chickening out….from the scorching hot Melaka….to soaking wet and covered in mud at Gunung Pulai….I’ve managed to overcome it…be it 44km…47km….coming 55km…I’m determined to complete it…

Insyaallah…..

So there’re no excuse for me to bail out this Sunday ride…gotta get myself accustomed with the terrain and distance….not sure whether I could do it with just one recce ride....but I guess I’ll never know if I didn’t try right?...anyway...Najib already asked me to join him for the ride to help out with the paper markings and such....how can I pass an opportunity like that?...hahaha.....

And finally....if you’ve no plans for this 15th.....and you’ve an off-road bike but just too plain lazy to ride and get your socks dirty.....just get off your sorry ass and go ride...sitting still and mopping around aren’t gonna get you any fitter...and if that’s not good enough to inspire you...take a good look at your bike....and think about all the “investment” you put in it....that simple contraption that we call bicycle hold what I consider to be the world’s greatest feeling....fear, pleasure and joy all rolled into one...the feelings I get from riding it makes me feel fantastic, young and thrilled each time and has never failed to amazes me....

So...doesn’t matter if you’re riding hardtail or full sus.....pro or amateur...young or elderly (hehehe)....let’s go ride.......see you at the trail!

a disastrous morning!

2009-11-01T15:34:00.002+08:00

yup!...you heard it right......this morning was disastrous.....why?...I woke up at 8.35am!!!!!...I remember setting my alarm at 6.30am...to give me ample time for Subuh prayer and preparing for the ride to Plentong today....but I ended up waking up super late!...

I can only blame myself for staying up late last night......if I didnt't browsed the Internet last night...I might not wake up this late....well....I guess it's predestined that I won't be able to ride today....I was actually looking forward for it....as both of my usual riding groups rides together today with guys from Cyclemotion in the lead....both PG Gerekers and Ali's gang....nice....I could've been with them...among companies of good friends.....but...sigh.......Panjang, Reza, EG, Ali, Hafiz, Najib and Azam to name a few.....if only.....hmmmm...

I woke up at 8.35am....and after packing all my stuff and bike in my car....I rushed to Plentong....previously at home, I called Reza to ask on their status and was relieved that they're still having breakfast at the nearby mamak....enroute to the destination, I called Hafiz and he says that they're about to move out...so I speed up, driving >120km/h on a 90km/h stretch.....screw with traffic summons...the ride seemed more important at that moment...hehehe....

Reached the designated parking area at 9.10am....too late...they already left...so I drove on hoping that I'd find them...no luck...there were no trace of them....disappointed, I drove back to the parking area and decided to have my breakfast at the nearby mamak....

There were a group of dirt bikers getting ready with their ride at the mamak....I estimate some 20 riders present....all with their bikes ready to run thru the jungle trail....it was cool to see them like that...kinda makes me jealous too....how I envied them....

Had my breakfast and then decided to go to Permas.....I thought that since I couldn't go riding this morning...maybe I could drop by at Jason's and enquire further about my bike project....I'm planning to re-paint my bike....haven't finalised yet where I'd do it...but maybe I could get Jason to do the paint stripping for me....or maybe I'll save all the troubles and get him to re-paint the whole bike....was thinking of sending my bike to Austin for powder coating....any suggestions?

Anyway...reached his place only to find the shop closed....contacted him and he confirmed that he's not in business today....swell........so I went to Jusco instead but they're not open yet....end up going to Tesco Plentong to look for the latest copy of Cycle Malaysia....but I guess luck was not on my side.....went back empty handed.....sigh......went to the office to settle few stuffs....

My time at the office was brief.....the server was down....nothing much I could do...so I left for home....I thought maybe I'll hang out at Festive Mall and check out for any new items at the shops there but most of the shops were still closed....what?...it's 11.05am...still not open for business?....the Danga management should seriously look into this......

Later...I went to Angsana and finally managed to get myself a copy of Cycle Malaysia.....and after that..went straight back home...

Reaching home, after unloading all my gears from the car.....I started riding around the neighbourhood for a few rounds to compensate my ill luck this morning....it wasn't the same.....still wished I could ride among my friends at Plentong....

Perhaps next week...meaning I couldn't possible send my bike to Jason this week...if I do...I'll missed the ride next weekend.....maybe I should postpone my plans for my bike....maybe after the Epic Ride.....guess so......

What a day...........

goin' where the wind blows

2009-11-01T02:25:00.001+08:00

somebody's said...life is for the taking

here I am with my hand out....waiting for ride....

I've been livin' on my great expectations..

what good is it when I'm stranded here

and the world just passes by

where are the signs...to help me get out of this place...

If I should stumble on my moment in time....how will I know...

If the story's written on my face...does it shows....

am I strong enough to walk on water...

smart enough to come in out of the rain....

or am I a fool.....for goin where the wind blows....

here I sat, half way to somewhere..

thinking what's in front of me...and what I left behind...

on my own..supposed to be so easy...

is this what I've been after?

or have I lost my mind?.....

maybe this is my chance....and it's coming to take me away.....yeah..

If I should stumble on my moment in time....how will I know...

If the story's written on my face...does it shows....

am I strong enough to walk on water...

smart enough to come in out of the rain....

or am I a fool.....for goin where the wind blows....

here I am walking naked to the world....

taking up space...society's child

make room for me..make room for me...make room for me...

am I strong enough to walk on water...

smart enough to come in out of the rain....

or am I a fool.....for goin where the wind blows....

**searched for the lyrics after I stumbled upon the video in Youtube earlier tonite...I was a big fan of Mr Big during my school days....one of my fav's band during those days...it's been a while since the last time I heard their songs....perhaps I should go and look for their cd's and reminiscing the past?... hehehe...maybe...=)

gunung pulai hash-25/10/2009

2009-10-29T14:17:00.002+08:00

At last...the much awaited hash is finally here...me and Boboy was the only Celcom riders participating....doesn't matter....we anticipated less people to join in due to the ECC ride held the night earlier....none of the Tamago5 guys participates in this hash....am sure they're still sleeping somewhere in Malacca..hehehe

Reached the park entrance at 8.10am....after having breakfast at the usual mamak at Pekan Nanas...the weather was perfect....it's 8 something but you can still feel the cool morning air...just love the cool atmosphere...refreshing!

mist covered morning...what a sight!

We began unloading our bikes and gears as soon as I parked my car at the open space car park...quite a number of riders turned up that morning...mostly were Cyclemotion guys and the Singapore Bike Hash and Singapore Rideables club members....there were quite a number of local riders too...Shaari and a couple of Gerekers were there....Hafizi and Anuar from Mat Noor Perling group too....Mat Noor couldn't make it though...

everybody's busy unloading their bikes..

It was still early....the organizers announced that the event will start at 9.30am....we decided to go for a drinks at the warung to kill time...met Ah Fan and his group....they didn't join the ride though....they've other plans that morning....too bad.....

breakfast at the nearby warung...not provided ahhh?

Nearing 10am...we were instructed to group at the car park for briefing...judging from the crowd size, I estimated less than 100 riders participating in this ride...

waiting for the briefing session

briefing by the organizer..safety first!

gettin' restless...

We finally starts pedalling at 10.15-10.20am...after getting seriously restless due to the long wait....I was the last rider in the group....the entry point was at the usual exit point for my routine offroad Gunung Pulai ride...familiar trail...only counter clock wise...meaning instead of going downhill...we were heading uphill...

starts riding....the last rider in the pack!

single trail...hot on Boboy's tail..

Since it was raining heavily the night earlier...the track was wet and muddy...I anticipated wet and slipery trail ahead of us...but surprisingly it wasn't too muddy...still rideable.....

MTB...mari tolak beskal!..1st obstacles for the day..

binatang apa yg ko tunggang itu?....=p

The trail went on passing the usual entry point....heading towards some new unfamiliar route....quite technical with lots of obstacles in the forms of logs, tree trunks, cramped in between trees trail and riding besides some steep cliffs....there were lots of riders and so the ride was not as smooth as it should be....everyone was being extra cautious navigating thru the obstacles....

1st water check point...

We finally reached a kampung and soon after that reached the main road...we took another turn after crossing it and heads towards another hill climb...after which we entered an oil palm plantation before exiting somewhere (don't ask me where-I don't know!)...and reached the first water stop...we stopped for a breather...and drinks...and bananas...hehehe..

Boboy eager to start the ride...haven't finished my bananas yet..

It wasn't long before me and Boboy starts pedalling again....as he was too eager to get his adrenaline pumping hard...since I've already used to this long distance off road riding (chewah!!)...the first stage of the ride was nearly effortless....couldn't say it's the same with Boboy....few kilometers after the water stop, signs of fatigue already shown on his face...breathing becomes irregular....hands shaking....he was gasping for air....(exegerating...heheh)...the group took a wrong turn...and so we double back to the junction some 500 meters away....I urged Boboy to ride on...slowly if possible to not to be left behind....

Reaching the Hilang Akal Hill (hehehe-good one Najib!)...the group starts to break up...some with stronger legs and will power....keeps on pedalling to the top (none succeeded!)...while the not-so-strong ones like me....begins MTB~ing our bikes uphill.....if you're wondering why the hill was named in such way....you have to ride it to understand...the hill comprising of 4 stages....with each climb will saw you hiking up to 45 degrees slopes....pedalling up is virtually impossible....according to Najib...from all the participants...only 2 managed to successfully conquered the hill!...that also with much difficulty...

scaling the "bukit hilang akal"

what's infront of me...

and behind me...Boboy's panting hard...

Reaching stage 2....Boboy, Anuar and Hafizi stopped for a breather....feeling that I still have some strength left to continue the feat, I continued hiking....telling Boboy that I'll be waiting for him at the top, I left him with the rest of the guys.....the climb was torturous...but I managed to get to the top..one step at a time....even lend a hand to a kid-seperated from his freinds by pushing his bike up....clearly he was left behind....poor kid....

hiking uphill...much more tiring than padelling...

with sweeper Najib on top of the "insane" hill...last photo from my N70 moments before the rain

I was greeted by Najib on top of the hill....acting as the sweeper...he has to wait till all participants had passed his check point before he could proceed cycling to the next check point....we waited for about half an hour before there were no more riders passing us....I was puzzled as Boboy, Anuar and Hafizi has yet to reach us....so I left my bike with Najib and walks down the hill to look for those guys....it was drizzling and so I've to carefully walk down the steep surface....

Reaching to the spot where I left Boboy and the other guys...I found that the place was deserted....which could only means that they've turned back to the main road.....feeling frustrated, I dragged myself uphill again to rejoin Najib...

gone down to look for the back marker's

only to realised they're missing..

It had already started to rain heavily. Both me and Najib saddled up and starts climbing another 100 meters or so before the 300 meters downhill......on grassy surface.....we have to carefully manoeuvre our bikes on the slippery surface...

It wasn't long before we catch up with the other guys....we were drenched and attempting to cross a trench....Najib stayed behind with his comrades while I went riding alone...climbing hills again...this time on saddles....it was taxing....with cold weather nearly making my legs cramped...drenched, blurry vision due to the heavy rain and fogging formed on my riding glasses...not to mention the extra slippery terrain..making it difficult to advance further....on several occasions, I nearly got lost due to the paper marking got washed away by the rain...and at one time I couldn't decide which way to go as there were multiple intersections to choose from....luckily enough there were others catched up with me and I decided to join them...there were 6-7 guys and 2 females in the group, majority riding full suspension bikes....compared to my hard tail...their bikes are 100 times better...and more expensive!....but I managed to blend in...

The ride went on for another 10-15km thru the platation before reaching the second water stop beside the main road.....

I was not surprised to meet Boboy and the other guys at the stop....as expected earlier, they turned back heading towards the main road at the previous water stop before cruising the road towards the second stop....

We took a 10 minutes break for me to catch my breath before we continue riding. We re-entered the plantation and faced the first obstacles...another hill climb...though not as steep as the Hilang Akal Hill....it was also tiring.....reached the top and then starts downhilling towards the exit...some 300-400 meters away.....I pushed the bike as fast as I could and began to overtake all the riders there....don't have any meters with me but I guess I was going insanely fast.....the terrain were bumpy on some parts and I ended up bouncing up and down the hill....wish I could repeat it again someday!hehehe....

We exited the plantation and ride alongside the main road before entering a kampung....the tarmac ride lasted for another 200-300 meters before we went off road again...this time thru some woods and orchard....

The off road ride ends after some 500-600 meters and we were on tarmac again...this time till the finish line....we went on riding the kampung road before reaching the Gunung Pulai Park entrance at about 2pm....

I was quite exhausted....and a bit hungry after the long ride....went on to clean myself at the nearby rest room and began loading my bike to the rear carrier...

org tak serupa org....

beskal tak serupa beskal!

We had our lunch (provided by the organizer)...each participants were given a ticket which can be exchange with 2 boxes of fried mee and rice with meat rendang and fried vege (tasty!), 4 stick of satays and free flow of Iced Sirap Limau....nice!!...after a long and exhausting ride...such meal are most welcomed......

The ride was carefully planned, well managed and brilliantly executed...kudos to the organizers....it was fun and challenging...and I'm sure that I'll return to the same trail in another months or so...right now...I'm preparing myself for another off road ride...the Plentong Epic Ride next 15th.....I'll be joining the organizer in their ride to the trail on 1st November....not sure whether Boboy would be intersted or not...but I guess the other guys would....

Till my next entry.....ride on guys....ride safe....=)

back pain, MC and another dog-gone day!

2009-10-19T13:57:00.001+08:00

I’m on MC today.....so it’s kinda bored to stay at home doing nothing......hurt my back when waking up this morning...that is if you call grinning my teeth in agony while attempting to get myself in sitting position as waking up....hehe......my wife woke me at 3am as I forgot to switch off the telly last night....tried to woke up but I had this sudden stinging at my back that puts me in dire pain and so my wife end up switching it off and me....went back to bed after taking pain killer tablet with a glass of water....hoping the pain would go as I wake up in the morning.....but that wasn’t to be...had the same difficulties this morning... only worse as it took me about 5 minutes to sit up straight...before dragging myself to the toilet to take my bath....I was in pain and so I SMS~ed my boss informing my intention to visit the panel doctor this morning....

Went to the clinic and the doctor gave me the day off....I’m not keen on going to work also as the pain was unbearable....went home after sending my wife to work and after taking the prescribed medication, I started writing this entry...have the whole day to myself...and I’m not planning to spend it taking a nap or doing nothing.....anyway...I need to take my mind of the pain.....perhaps writing this would ease it a bit...=p

Not sure how I got the back pain...didn’t do any heavy lifting last week....didn’t strain my back with excessive riding either....oh well......I guess it just happened...that’s how things are.....maybe....

Talking about excessive riding.......spent the last 2 days recce riding to Pulai Indah trail with Boboy...we were trying to find trails leading to Taman U from Pulai Indah....but failed on both attempts.....first attempt failed due to running out of time...my riding license expires at 12noon....the second was also due to running...away from a group of darned mutt! The recce trip was cut short as we encountered a bunch of cow’s herding dogs....wouldn’t want to find trouble so we decided to call it off.....hehe.....

me riding cautiously as always...eyes peeled for any potential danger...=p

Boboy checking out his GPS device

The first day we wandered deep into the plantation....with Boboy’s GPS device as our guide....but on the second day we discovered that we have totally took the wrong direction..instead of heading towards Taman U...we were actually heading towards Gelang Patah!....hahaha....guess that showed how poor our navigation skills was...hahaha....

nothing much in photo...the real ones looks tempting...hehe

crossing one of the many wooden bridges

Not wanting to waste our energy....we decided to take another route....heading the opposite direction from the previous day....I guess we were heading the right direction as we managed to get to the TNB power lines....as stated in Google Map. But we weren’t able to proceed further due to the mutt stumbling incident...hehehe...and so we went back to Pulai Indah...riding slowly towards Boboy’s house....the ride ended in less than an hour....hehehe....the shortest off road ride...ever....=p

We planned to continue riding to the trail in another 2 weeks time....why 2 weeks?....because we’re going to participate in the Gunung Pulai Hash next Sunday...hopefully by then, my back would recover...wouldn’t want to miss it...already missed the ECC Burung Hantu ride next Saturday...the organizer had closed the entry and also I didn’t managed to get my riding permit from the missus...I guess local event would suffice......maybe I could invite some other riders as well....Akmal for instance....

Boboy striking a pose

dude..I hate to say this..but I think we're lost!

It'll be like the Melaka Jamboree...only much tiring....hehehe....

Rides updates - 12/10/2009

2009-10-16T12:50:00.002+08:00

It’s been a while since my last entry…..in between the last ride I covered (27.09.09 – ride to Gunung Pulai)….there were few other rides….hmm…let’s see….there was the 3 NR’s (29th Sept,02nd Oct and 09th Oct), the return ride to Gunung Pulai on 03rd (which also happened to be my birthday….yay!)….the solo NR last Thursday and finally the off-road ride to Seelong with Ali and his gang yesterday…didn’t join the Tuesday NR though due to the department meeting held after working hours….reached home around 10.30pm…it was already too late for me…well…..(sigh)..

Nothing much to write about the 3 NR’s….pretty much the same as always….same time…same route…same people….only that on the 2nd Oct , I joined the gang halfway….went to my boss open house at Pelangi Indah that night…rushed back home and reached at around 10pm…there’s still time so I immediately changed to my riding gears and left home at 10.15pm (with the missus consent of course)…took me 5 minutes to get to the RV point at Danga Bay…and as I reached there…the guys were already there..taking a breather…..hanged out for a while before starts riding again….riding the usual route heading to Larkin….and after the TT session with the guys…I went home riding with Ali and Abg Azhar….

On the next morning…I drove to Boboy’s and reached there at 7.30am….the plan was to ride to Gunung Pulai again…we car pooled with both bikes tied at my car’s rear trunk….the ride was also the same as always….an all leisure ride for breakfast at the park entrance…hehehe….met Ah Wee at the warung and chat for a while…he was riding off- road alone….and invited us to join him…but both of us declined as we need to get back home early that day…both of our license expires at 1pm…=p..we made plans for the following week though….riding to the Orchid Valley/Ulu Choh trail next Sunday...with Ah Wee as our guide….he asked us to bring in more friends…he’ll try to arrange for his gang to join in as well….sounds interesting…but as interesting as it may sound…it didn’t happened as planned…..instead of going for the Orchid Valley ride..I went on riding off-road with Ali and his gang….Boboy in the other hand, went riding with Abg Azhar to Pulai Indah trail…..when I broke the news to Ah Wee the night before the ride..he sounded disappointed....maybe he’s looking forward towards it…felt terrible but he told me he could always make other plans……maybe some other time ya Ah Wee?....thousands apologies….=(

Also….as the 3rd October was my “growing old” day….my wife got for me a new Casio G-Shock to replace the old imitation I’ve been wearing for few months….yay! no more worries when riding thru rains or going thru some humid woods….no fogging guaranteed! =p

Ah! And lastly…..the off-road ride to Seelong yesterday…..the plan was to RV at Hafiz’s at 7am…and starts riding at 7.30am…I started early…woke up at 6am…left home at 6.45am but arrived at Hafiz’s 5 minutes late…I couldn’t find my way to Seri Austin and end up taking a wrong turn to JP Perdana…have to double back and took a longer route to his place….so much of a short cut…=p

When I arrived…there was only Ali and BK at the scene…..Hafiz just woke up and taking his bath…his wife invited us in for breakfast…cucur udang and Nescafe….yummy!....moments later the other guys started to show up….after breakfast, we all geared up and waited for Reza…he arrived at 8 something…there were 9 riders altogether…the journey starts at 8.25am…heading towards the oil palm plantation besides Seri Austin….

We stumbled upon a herd of cows just before we entered the plantation….we all stopped but Hafiz and Fazlon was too out front and they had to ride faster ahead of the herd to avoid being run down…it wasn’t scary though…only funny as it reminded you on those old wild west movies…=p

We entered the plantation shortly after that…the trail condition is quite similar to Seri Alam’s….a lot of pot holes and slippery in the mid section….since it was raining yesterday…some parts of the trail was muddy…..but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the ride………..there were several hill climbs….quite tiring….but not as tiring as my last Melaka ride….and some says that it’s nothing compared to PCC’s….well…couldn’t comment on that coz I weren't there….haha…..

We all reached Seelong somewhere at 9.30am…stopped for breakfast at a local warung…. had a Roti Telur and two glasses’ of Iced milo…the rest lasted for an hour or so….and by 10.30am…we started riding again…the ride back to Seri Austin was more relaxed and enjoyable compared the journey to Seelong…probably because everybody has had their tummy filled or maybe because everybody was just being relaxed…riding slowly…me…I guess it’s just because I find the trail more rideable going back…maybe it’s just psychology….trip going back always felt easier….hehehe….

We reached Seri Austin at 11am….coming to a junction, everybody stopped for a quick discussion…the majority of us decided to ride straight to Saiful’s place at Taman Daya for his open house….though seemed inappropriate (we’re covered in sweat and mud for God’s sake!)…everybody seemed okay with it….me…I find it quite embarrassing to go to a function in that state…but being a good member...I obliged and just follow the majority….hehehe….

15 minutes later we all reached Saiful’s and luckily there were no other guests around….so we pretty much have the place to ourselves… we hanged out till 12….

The ride back was taxing with the scorching sun above us….we just rode faster to get to our destination…Hafiz’s place…

I immediately mounted my bike on the rear carrier as soon as I reached Hafiz’s…no plans to wash the bike at his place though he offered…after bidding farewell to the guys, I left for home…

To me…the Seri Austin trail is just okay….the only difficulties were the uneven slippery surfaces that needs full concentration when navigating thru it….oh yes…and the hills…..not as steep as the ones in Melaka…but quite tiring also…..I think that the ride would be more interesting and fun if there were single tracks in between the ride….just looovvvveee riding single tracks…..fast and easy flow…..with some small jumps..nice!

Well anyway…. I guess that’s about it…there’ll be another ride tomorrow night….I’m not gonna cover it anyway…it’s just the same routine ride...don’t want to bore you guys…..=p

Gunung Pulai ride 27.09.2009

2009-09-28T13:02:00.002+08:00

I woke up at the sound of heavy rain pouring outside my house. It was 6am….and it was raining so heavily that I started to have doubts on today’s ride….messaged Boboy to confirm the ride status…while waiting for his reply…I went on to take my bath and then perform the Subuh prayer…..then checked my phone for any replies…none…so I called him…he answered and we decided to go on with the plan...hoping that it’ll stop raining when we reached Pekan Nanas….

Left home quite late….nearing to 7am….rushed to Boboy’s house at Pulai Indah….he was already waiting as I reached there…..we quickly installed his bike carrier on top my rear trunk...mount his bike and then waited for him to change…we decided to car pool today….much easier I guess…practical too as his carrier could carry 2 bikes at a time…since I have stashed my bike at the rear seat the night earlier, I decided to just leave it as it was…

We left for Pekan Nanas at 7.30am…..and reached our destination few minutes before 8am…we stopped by at Restoran Salam for breakfast and after that headed straight to Ah Fan’s and start unloading our bikes….

Starts paddling around 8.40am…riding slowly towards the Gunung Pulai Forest Reserve park some 10km away…it was a slow and pleasant ride for me…and since I’ve had my warmed up ride yesterday…the ride today seemed easy….I couldn’t say it’s the same for Boboy…he hadn’t ride for quite a while…his expression says it all….he looked awfully tired just after few km’s….

We decided to skip the P.U.B trail this time…. (again)…..as we figured that the trail should be inaccessible due to the heavy downpour earlier…and so we continued riding towards the Gunung Pulai park entrance…

Along the way…we stumbled upon Ah Fan and 3 other riders….they just got back from trail riding….must’ve started early…..as we rode by, we exchanged greetings and continued our journey to the destination….

It took us half an hour to reach the warung near the park entrance….we were planning to have a drinks before hitting the trail….it wasn’t long before another 2 riders came by…it was Abg Lokman with his friend, Abg Azhar….they joined us and a few minutes later, Abg Tahir from Pontian arrived.

Boboy invited them to join us to ride to Kaizen Trail…and they agreed….initially…I’ve had second thoughts at first as there were only 2 of us…now that there’re 5 riders…I’m more confident to ride the trail…..especially with 3 experienced (veteran) riders riding with us…..

We started by riding the Gunung Pulai trail first where we took a slightly different and treacherous route…..we were forced to push our bikes a slippery steep hill where Abg Azhar attempts to go downhill which he failed to accomplished….he was riding a hardtail…his previous successful attempts was on his Ironhorse full sus a few weeks back…the hardtail weren’t meant for downhill….I believe that’s the case….

Reaching the top…we continued riding thru the rocky trail heading the exit some 500 meters away…but not before going past thru some fallen tree trunks, slippery rocky surface and quite a steep and rocky downhill where I was forced to push my bike down….Boboy tried to follow suit Abg Azhar who downhilled the rocky terrain with ease….being an amateur like me…Boboy fells off his bike midway….ouch!

We continued heading towards the Kaizen Trail…and this time…I’m well prepared physically and mentally…and ride the initial stage with much ease…..reaching the steep uphill….Abg Azhar decided to scale the hill and once reaching the top, rode downhill…just to test his skills….and like the previous one, he managed to reach the bottom safely….

The next stage was quite difficult compared to the previous….we had to ride on slippery rocky surface and had to go thru (carrying our bikes) past some fallen tree trunks….we also had to be extra careful and watch out for “Pacat” or leeches…these small blood sucking creatures are not that dangerous or lethal…but they can certainly caused major discomfort…hehe….

We took a breather at the abandoned army bunker while Abg Azhar and Lokman went down the ravine to scout the area….while they were busy recce~ing…me and Boboy were desperately checking our legs and back for those leeches…..hehehe….

We were back on saddles after a 15 minutes break…riding towards the Kaizen Camp…..me and Boboy were quite relieved that they decided to exit via the camp as we remembered our previous ride there when we took the other exit….=p

We stopped for a while at the camp entrance to check on our bikes and search for any leeches on our legs…I even took off my shoes just to make sure I’m free from those slimy vermins….Abg Lokman and Abg Tahir were not so lucky though….but being a veteran…these little creatures are not a problem for them…a little heat from a lighter was all they need to get rid of these blood suckers…=p

The ride back to Ah Fan’s were slow due to gearing problem faced by Boboy….Abg Azhar and Lokman rides on leaving us at the back….

We reached Ah Fan’s some 40 minutes later and beginning loading our bikes on the carrier…and then heads for the warung opposite the Petronas station to join the other 2 riders.

We hanged out for a while and then begins our journey home…I’ve to drop Boboy at Pulai Indah and then heads straight home. Boboy was kind enough to lend me his carrier as my bike was too dirty to be stuffed in the back seat…

I need to hurry home as I have a wedding invitation in the afternoon….an old friend of mine is getting married….haven’t seen since the last day of school…that’s 17 years ago….

I’m seriously considering Abg Azhar’s invitation to ride at Desaru next Sunday…..have to check my schedules….in case the missus have raya plans for that day….

Meanwhile…the usual NR will resume next Tuesday night….I’ll be sure to attend it…anybody else interested?...

Back on two wheels.....

2009-09-27T02:03:00.002+08:00

it's good to be back on saddles again....especially after a week off....it felt great cruising down the neighborhood with all the envious eyes watching you passing them...hahaha....(as if..)

well....it wasn't just me with the craving to ride while the Raya mood still on....a few guys I knew also suffers from the same fate.....one called me on second day of Raya asking for a local bike shop phone number....another messaged me yesterday morning asking when will the next NR gonna be....while another two guys were seen riding as early as the second Raya......I guess being a hardcore rider, it's kinda difficult to stay off saddles for too long.....sooner or later your bottom gonna itch....itching to get back on em saddles...as quoted by Akmal in his blog entry.......hehehe

I got back from visiting a relative around 5pm....thinking that the weather's good for riding...I decided to ride in the afternoon and started riding at 6pm.....the route was BBU-Bukit Serene-Kolam Ayer-Larkin-then back to BBU....not much...I guess around 10km or less.....

Since this is my first ride after a week off.....I decided to ride leisurely ...it's great actually...riding slow paced...just enjoying the ride.....the ride goes on smoothly......and before I knew it...I already reached the usual RV point at Larkin.....stopped there for a breather and a glass of Bandung Soda before starts riding again heading home via Larkin Industrial Area.

Reached home at 7pm....fulfilled and completely satisfied with my first ride...

I'll be riding again tomorrow...this time to Gunung Pulai with Boboy......will meet him at his place at 7am.....we're planning to ride to P.U.B tomorrow.....and maybe to Kaizen Trail as well if time permits....

Selamat Hari Raya

2009-09-19T18:05:00.001+08:00

"kayuh roadie kayuh MenTiBang,
singgah sebentar ke kedai Ah Fan,
sempena Raya yg bakal menjelang,
salam ku hulur tanda bermaafan".....

hehehe....that's my pantun for Raya this year...I know....kinda lame~ish....but heck...everybody's got their own Raya wish...guess it's kinda natural for me to have mine related to biking...hahaha.....

tomorrow's the BIG day....it's Raya!....been looking forward for it whole year long....kinda like Christmas for some....well....every religion in this world has their BIG day's....for muslim; we have Aidil Fitri (Hari Raya)..Aidil Adha...and so on....

this also means that today's the last day for fasting...Ramadhan this year is coming to it's end....gone thru it...and not missing a day without fasting....YAY!....I've completed my mission this Ramadhan....to complete all the NR's without fail.....hehehe..that's from my biking point of view.....religiously...I've done my part too....so it's kinda balanced....staying healthy in both mind and body....=)

tomorrow's a new month in the Islamic calendar....it's Syawal....which also means I could eat as much as I wish....so many open houses to attend to......but....they'll be no cycling for at least 2 weeks....hmmm....gotta control my food intake....if not the whole month's effort will go to waste......hehehe

as mentioned before.....the next 2 weeks are gonna be a rideless weeks....so it's gonna be bored...and my Merida will be collecting dusts....but I guess a few rides in the neighborhood will be okay for the missus....if not....sorry bike....=p

gotta go now....1 hour to go to breaking fast....the last this year...

so...before I bid farewell....please take care....if you're too stuborn to put on hold riding....then ride safe....

"Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri"..may the grace of Allah be with you.....=)

NR 11/09/2009

2009-09-12T09:19:00.001+08:00

it's 8:10am...since my working hour starts at 8:30am, I guess I'll just take the time to update yesterday's NR...

I reached home from work at about 9:45pm...called Abg Azhar and confirms that I'll be joining the ride and we set to RV opposite a primary school in UDA...I went in the house and quickly changed to my riding gear...took out the bike..tucked my daughter and left home at 10pm sharp...

I reached the RV point about 5 minutes later and shortly after that, Abg Azhar came with another 5 riders...and we continued riding to Larkin at a steady pace...I decided not to tire myself up and enjoying the ride...that was until I reached the MPTI hill where my front gear were giving me problem...I couldn't shift the gears which saw me struggling to climb uphill....

we reached Larkin some 15 minutes later and waited for the other guys to show up...after waited for a while...we started rolling at 10:45am...there were >20 riders riding that night....still a large number if we take into consideration it is already past half way into Ramadhan...maybe the crowd will be smaller by next week...I guess...

the ride was the same as always....relatively easy...as I've already memorised the route like the back of my hand...I memorised every pot holes, downhills, parts to speed up..to slow down...and so on...(we really need a fresh new route la!)...I faced little difficulties thanks to my FD but I managed to reach Danga Bay within a considerable timeframe...was riding steadily behind Reza until Lido stretch when he signalled me to overtake him and I dashed straight to the RV point with Reza giving me a chase at the back...=)

we took a 30 minutes break..as usual...and some of us (including me)..took the opportunity to get Ali's help to check on our bikes...this where my Topeak tool kit came into use...Ali checked my bike and commented that my FD setting was a bit off...he took a few minutes to adjust and it's done...I really need to master this repairing skills...couldn't rely on others to fix my bike right?...at least I should know some basics...need to work on that....hehe..

We were back on saddles at 12 midnight..heading back to Larkin...some of us part ways as they decided to went straight back home...me too...I left the group at the Bangunan UDA traffic light junction to ride straight home...reached home at 12:15am...stashed my bike, took a shower, perform solat and went to bed....

There will be another ride tonight...with PG Gerekers...looking forward to this one as the route will be different than the normal NR routes...actually Hafiz invited me to join them to Pendas tonight but I guess I just don't want to over ride myself in Ramadhan, riding long distances in the cold still nights...20-30 km is already suffices....

well...till tonight then....ride on..ride safe guys....

moodless afternoon....

2009-09-11T18:24:00.002+08:00

I'm sitting at my desk...staring at the piles of documents in front of me...waiting for me to work on em....but I don't feel like it...I mean...I've no mood for OT today....perhaps it's because of my empty stomach....making all sorts of sound since mid day....well..just one more hour to go before breaking fast....but...that's not it....something's bugging me....

Akmal called at 3 something....asking about the parking space at Larkin...PG Gerekers planning for NR tomorrow night...he said that the usual parking lot at Danga Bay is no longer accessible after mid night...never heard of that...they were planning to park at Larkin but I suggested him to park at the Maxis parking lot near Danga Bay instead..I'm pretty sure that parking space is a public area..so there should be no problem for them to park there..it's a logical solution since it's located near the usual spot..and also easier for me to ride there..in case I decided to join them..hehe...

I will be riding tonight....the usual NR with Ali and his gang....so far I've never missed any of their NR except for the one to Pendas...and I noticed that my performance during Ramadhan has slightly declining compared to normal month's..probably due to foods I consumed during breaking fast..making me heavier?hahaha....

well...I guess it's kinda okay since my intention for the NR is more on building endurance and to burn those fat I consumed...=)

more like a late night exercise...haha...

Speaking of Ramadhan...so far I've no problem with the Ramadhan NR as I still have time to perform my religious duty after each NR..I mean I would normally reach home at 1am..and after a quick shower, I would perform those "sunat" prayers before I go to bed..

tonight maybe I'll be going home from work at 9...meaning no Terawih tonight...hehehe...well...got loads of things to clear...(excuse..excuse...=p)

6.21pm....okay..gotta go now...need to join my buddies for breaking fast...just have to avoid those spicy stuffs...really don't wanna upset my stomach especially while riding....then I'll get really upset....hehe....

but still.....something's still troubling me.......hmmm....

rideless Sunday....

2009-09-06T17:43:00.001+08:00

well...I was supposedly be doing my work at the office but it's kinda bored with me the only person working....so I guess I'll work on my blog instead...have 2 pending posts that needs my attention...complete it..post it...done...you may refer to the 2 posts prior to this one...it's nothing actually...just me covering the Merdeka Ride and recce ride to Kaizen Camp trail....nothing special with those exaggerated riding experience...hehe...

I'm breaking fast at my in-laws house tonight...at Megah Ria....so I guess that eliminates the possibility of NR tonight...damn....was kinda bored actually...I need to let go some steam...I usually did it by riding....doesn't matter if there were no specific destination or route...I just ride.....

Didn't join Ali and his gang last night....they went riding to Pendas....crazy huh?...80km at night?...the thought of joining them crossed my mind...but thinking that the ride might ends at 4am...riding in the dark still night....with one escort....I guess I'm not ready yet.....hehe...some other time maybe...

I'm still trying to get my wife permission to ride the Burung Hantu Ride at Melaka on 24th October...she seemed reluctant to allow me to participate in the offroad NR...maybe she feels that I'm spending most of my free time with my bike buddies compared to spending quality time with her and Nana...I already assured her that the ride is safe..with blinkers marker and ride marshal and such but she just won't approve it...me?...I have my doubts also...hehe...I've ride in Melaka....I know how the trail was like...at night...it'll be super tough....with zero visibility...how the heck are we supposed to ride?...the blinkers are located every 50 metres...but in between, you just rely 100% on your own bike torch light....the only logical and possible way for you to survive this NR is to ride in groups...Hafiz assured me that the gang will ride in groups..no matter what and none will be left behind....rightt.......hehehe.....I really find it hard to believe...hahaha....plus...there gonna be 5 check points...everybody will be riding fast...to beat the clock....what makes you think they'll be waiting for a slow poke like me?....hehe...still...I'll continue to try to convince my wife again....I couldn't just sit still here while those guys are having fun over there....no way!....hahaha....hmmm.....

Looking back....it has been 9 months since my first ride...I remember riding to Pantai Rambah with Boboy...on a loaned bike...with Leman as our escort....it was a memorable experience...and painful one as well....first time riding....after years off saddles...my butt was sore like hell as I reached Pantai Rambah...haha....

Then there were other rides...before I started this log....like rides to Gunung Pulai....Seri Alam with Akmal and fellow Gerekers....to Bukit Indah trail and Pendas Laut with Mat Noor and his buddies...all off road rides...and my first NR with Gerekers before I joined Ali and his gang for their routine NR around town...I guess I have grown...no longer a newbie...but I still feels I've a lot to learn...well...aren't we all?you may view those riding pics from my Facebook and Flickr page...

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=mohd+helmy+azhar&o=2048&init=ffs#/profile.php?id=1074012628&ref=search&sid=648532051.3577534956..1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21335280@N06/

uh..oh....it's nearing 6pm...need to go to my in-law's...don't wanna be late....breaking fast is at 07:12pm....haha...

so till my next blabbering session....see you guys....ride safe.....=p

Gunung Pulai Ride 16/07/2009

2009-09-06T16:48:00.001+08:00

What started as a planned leisure ride to Gunung Pulai turned out to be a suicidal ride thanks to Boboy…the story?....goes like this……=p

We met at the usual RV point at Ah Fan’s…supposedly at 7am….I was late, reaching there at 7.15am..but Boboy..being his usual self..turned up at 7.45am..no matter…there’s still time…but we missed Ah Fan and his group who decided to start early…saw him riding past at 7.30am….would be nice to join him and his gang but since the El-Presidente has not showed up, I guess maybe some other time…

After a super quick breakfast, we started riding heading to Gunung Pulai park ...riding leisurely as planned, we even rode past the P.U.B. route thinking that since it has rained yesterday, the trail should be all muddied up and slippery…we decided not to ride the trail…perhaps after raya…

After a short 10km ride, we had a long stop at a warung near the park entrance….just chatting and having our second breakfast (no wonder lah? hehe)…before Boboy suggested that we try the Kaizen Camp trail…he claimed that the trail is not as tough as the Gunung Pulai trail…having trusted him as a guy with experience with Gunung Pulai surrounding trails, I agreed and we started riding.

I had my doubts when he took a wrong turn which leads to a dead end…I asked him whether he still remembers the route or not but he insisted that it’s ok and we made a U turn and goes on riding...first descending a hill…then crossing a stream…then riding thru some bushes…literally thru the bushes….I can barely see the trail as the not so small trees & bushes was as tall as I am…kinda reminds me of Bukit Indah trail but no matter…I guess Boboy must surely knows where he’s going…

We reached a steep hill where we were forced to push our bikes up hill…reaching the top, we noticed an arrow sign at a tree trunk suggesting that the slope that we just climbed up is actually a downhill route…with that kind of steep slope…I wonder, does anybody dares enough to ride it?....hmmm…

the steep downhill...

Boboy...right before I pushed him downhill.....haha

We continued riding, this time to a more visible and rideable trail…well mostly…riding thru the woods was not as simple as I thought…the trail were sometimes wet and muddy…but mostly rocky with a lot of fallen tree trunks which requires us to carry our bikes to cross it…and also some slippery surfaces which demands full concentration and a good control over the bikes….one wrong mishandling might sees us ejected from our saddles and land flat on our back or worse…head first like the one I experienced at the Gunung Pulai trail…haha….

Trail route?...what trail route?

I was being cautious all the time as this was my first time riding the trail…Boboy on the other hand, rides his second but he rode like he has ridden the trail thousands of times…he was damn fast (really)…I couldn’t catch up….he had to stop and wait for me a couple of times…..this I gotta hand it to him….he rode the trail, on the slippery rocky surface…going past small tree trunks with ease…me?...hahaha….I was riding too cautiously…not taking any risk I guess…and missed the thrill of riding fast in the woods…maybe Boboy was inspired by the vid clips he saw from Youtube….perhaps…=p

now there's the trail...and I thought we were lost!

From the trail condition, I could see that it is seldom used by people…as most part of it still covered with thick bushes…but still accessible…I was hit by some small branches along the trail….and luckily…I haven’t fall off my bike…yet….hehe…

Boboy and his trustee, XT/XTR equipped ride...=)

me and mother nature...sounds good....feels good too!

After a while, we reached an opening with a small abandoned army bunker…kinda creepy…but we took a breather there and some photo’s too…there were signs that somebody had set up a camp site over there, but I guess it must’ve been a week ago…I thought to myself…who’d be silly enough to set up camp at a creepy place like this?...

me..posing infront of the bunker...err...who's that ugly looking lady in white behind me?

Boboy...impersonating the ugly lady...no offence...hehe

We continued riding shortly after that, going past some steep slope then riding on the hillside beside the Kaizen Camp and finally reaching the end of the trail…but not before going thru an estimated 50 metres of tall bushes…having difficulties to navigate thru the thick bushes as again, I couldn’t see where I was going…there were some downhill…thru some rocky surface…which I had to push my bike down…

Not a good experience…if only the trail were well maintained…then maybe….=)

I was relieved that the ride was over…not because I didn’t enjoy the ride (well…not as much as I should have)…and not because I didn’t feel the thrill…but mostly because of the lack of security that I felt while riding the trail….but I guess..there’s where the fun is…riding the unknown trail….where every twist and turn is unfamiliar….hehe….just thinking about it makes me regret riding the trail….but doesn’t mean that I won’t try again…..after Raya…maybe…with larger group this time….hehe….just have to remind myself and fellow riders to wear long sleeves….my arms, legs and neck were itching like hell….haha….

merdeka nite ride

2009-09-06T16:12:00.001+08:00

well....the much anticipated NR was finally over....just got back home from Larkin....reached home at 2:30am...after a quick shower, decided to start writing the event coverage...while it's still fresh.......=p

...................................................

Reached the RV point at 10pm sharp....seems like that most of the guys were already there...they came early....surprisingly....hehe

I started unloading almost immediately, assembling my front tires and gearing up…in less than 8 minutes....and when I'm done, I noticed that the car park was already packed with riders...I estimated that a total of 60 or more riders participating in the NR...whoa...a new record....not bad....there were a lot of new faces amongst the regular guys...some of em looked familiar....well I guess it's normal for us to meet these familiar faces who coincidently shares the same interest in events like this...and it's also an opportunity to make new acquaintance...and so…while waiting for the ride to kick off….errr…paddled off…I went on to greet some of those familiar faces…=)

After much delay...short briefing by Hafiz, a photo and interview session by the media (yup…that's right...the event was covered by both RTM and ASTRO)...we started riding at 10:50pm...we also have police escorts for the NR…well...actually he's one of the regular rider riding with his reflective official police vest...with approval from his superior of course...Hafiz has made the necessary arrangements with the authority for the NR...for safety purposes...an escort was one of the requirements......but I think, one escort is not sufficient enough to watch over 60 riders...let alone to guide them to safety...for that reason, some of the riders took the role as marshals for the ride...one of em was Nizam, riding a motorised bicycle (err...do I have this right?)....hehe

since the event was covered by the media....everybody was told to put on their best behaviour while riding...meaning that we were prohibited from racing or riding recklessly....darn it!...hehe...we were instructed to ride in pairs and in some cramped areas, to ride in single files...man!....imagine....these guys are used to ride fast and sometimes compete among themselves but this time...they were told to ride slowly....hehe....me?...I took the opportunity to ride extra leisurely....enjoying every seconds of the ride...hehe...

the initial riding route has been changed last minute….from riding to Stulang Laut for the Merdeka Countdown to the usual spot, Danga Bay…so the ride was more or less, considered as a routine ride for me…nothing special except for the media coverage…
speaking of which, has been covering the event from starting point, to the RTM junction, the traffic light junction at Kotaraya, along the Lido stretch and finally at the RV point at Danga Bay..

we reached Danga Bay with 15 minutes to spare before the count down…and so, we took the opportunity to take a break (not that we need any….didn’t even break a sweat..really!)…we gathered in the parking lot in front of Iskandar Investment office to wait for the countdown…imagine…the place were already packed with people and cars…for the countdown event…add in another 60 guys on bikes…the place was cramped….with all the noise and commotion…one could not say that he’s actually taking a break….me….I’m just enjoying the moment….watching people…chicks….hehe…..Mat Noor and his group came minutes before the countdown…kinda great celebrating the Merdeka ride gathering with fellow riders…

it’s finally 12am…and people were cheering the countdown….so were we….we waited for a while more before started riding again towards Dataran Bandaraya, a few kilometres away…we were riding in the traffic….the road was packed with motorists…all making way back home or just driving around town not knowing that it’s jammed everywhere…

reached Dataran Bandaraya some 15 minutes later...the place were also crowded…but I’m sure it was packed earlier for the countdown….there were a large group of “miniature riders”…kids on deformed looking bikes…which I believe was pretty stock when their parents bought for them….hehe….but I guess you gotta have some respect for these kids….they came riding from far…some even from Tiram…riding with no protection at all….I mean…no brakes (yup…you heard me right!)…no blinkers what so ever…no proper riding gear (wearing those selipar jepun only!)…and no freakin helmet!....I mean these kids must be crazy or something….with their odd looking bikes (pretty sure they won’t pass any safety inspections)….they truly are risking their lives…daredevil?....nahh….little devil maybe…hehe…

we hanged out for half an hour….just taking a break (again)…meeting other groups of riders….before we were on saddles again…heading to Larkin….

I hanged out with them at Larkin till 2.20am before leaving for home…

I guess the ride was more or less enjoyable….fun because of the large number of participants…hanging out with friends…making new acquaintance…and the less fun part was the slow paced riding….hehehe…and also the change of riding route….quite disappointed actually….=p

Well…they’ll be other NR’s….as a matter of fact, next Tuesday…same time..same route…same riding buddies….hey? I’m not complaining….it’s just that I really feel that we need to change the riding route a bit…to make it more interesting…..just my two cents on things…hehehe..

Mr MoBICs Petronas Refinery MTB Jamboree - 25/07/2009

2009-08-03T18:09:00.025+08:00

I know....it's kinda late for me to update this....but heck....better late than never right?...hehehe

............................................................................................

I reached Melaka at 12 midnight...alone...Akmal, Reza and EG had arrived somewhere in the afternoon...initial plan was to stay at a cheap hotel for the night before the event next day but luckily Akmal's cousin Adlee was generous enough to let us spend the night at his house at Batu Berendam...Thanks bro!

After freshen up a bit, I tucked in somewhere before 1 am. Woke up at 6 am...and after a few minutes wait, it was my turn to use the bathroom....and then after solat, all 4 of us geared up and started our journey to Pantai Puteri, Melaka....

EG's Perdana...with 3 bikes perched on top...nice....

The event site was about 15-20km away from Batu Berendam....and since I was driving alone.....I turned on the CD as loud as I could and sang my heart out...haha....trying to create a mood for the day...I guess..=p

Group photo....err...where's my front wheel?

gearing up...

my lucky number for the day...117...out of...err....ntah?

light breakfast before the ride....avoid taking the spicy stuff ler dey?

Reached Pantai Puteri at 7.30 am...there's still time for registration and a quick bite....and after a while, the event starts off at 8.10 am. I was riding leisurely in mid pack alongside Reza....Akmal and EG had gone further up front...

The first few kilometres were a breeze....didn't even break a sweat....hehe..(righttt.....)…that was until we reached the off road section....first few km off road was okay...surprisingly..there were many uphills..and not so many downhills...it's not what I anticipated...=p

Faced my first and only difficulties after a few hills....maybe I was over confident that I could go on riding uphill without stopping...or maybe my breathing techniques were incorrect...I had to stop mid way during one hill climb as I was seeing blank and about to passed out....really....luckily EG was around and helped me to recover and after taking about 15 minutes break, we started riding again...much slowly this time....

I tried as much to conserve energy as the journey was still long...I have no intention to DNF....since I was ok, EG left me and went on to catch up with Akmal...I paired with Reza the whole journey right till the end.

The trail condition was not as bad as I thought it's gonna be...unlike Seri Alam's, the trail there were cleaner...and more easily rideable...the only thing that I hate was the never ending up hills (one after another)...with so few downhill...haha....

I've learnt my lesson and was able to control my breathing more properly....as should be...I've lost precious time due to the earlier blunder and had to ride consistently to get to the 1st check point on time or else I'd be disqualified...

Made it to the 1st check point in nick of time…..I was quite relieved actually….I guess in this kinda situation, your determination counts most….you tend to push yourself to the limit to get to the objectives…in my case, the check points….after taking a few minutes rest, we continued our journey to the next objectives, check point two….

me and Reza...at check point 1

After a while, we reached the 1st water check point. Me and Reza took a longer rest compared to Akmal and EG. They decided to take a short breather before starts riding again with another PG Gereker rider.

1st water check point...there's EG on the left..

Me and Reza left the check point about 10 minutes after Akmal and EG. We knew that we couldn’t catch up with them…knowing that both of them had experience riding off road events before this….so this 48km ride should be a piece of cake for them…haha..

hike..hike..hike...

pedal..pedal..pedal..to the metal....hehe

one hill after another...arghhhhh!!!!

Riding at a steady pace, me and Reza reached the second check point and soon after that (after much difficulty, being lost and Reza suffering a brake problem) reached the 2nd water check point. We took a 10 minutes break before starts riding again. According to the event marshals, only about 60++ participants had reached their check point, meaning that half of the participants had DNFed….which also means that I, Reza and few of the riders there were in the last pack.

After about 2 or 3 km riding, we reached the 3rd check point somewhere before 12 noon. By this time, there were only 6 riders left including me and Reza. Two of them were riding upfront, leaving us at the back.

Reza and me as well as the other 2 riders went on riding….at a steady pace…though we were really tired due to the journey and the mid day heat, we continued riding anyway, as there were no other alternatives to reach the final destination, Pantai Puteri which was about 15 km away.
The ride back to the RV point was quite easy actually; riding on flat road…the only obstacle was how strong our determination and the unbearable heat….

I finally reached the final check point at about 1:30 pm…which makes my time on road about 5 hours. .Akmal and EG had reached the place about 15 – 20 minutes prior to me and Reza’s.

me...reaching the finish line...with style.....hahaha....

After signing out, both of us receives a medal, a participation certificate and some souvenirs. It felt great….despite being completely exhausted...there’s complete satisfaction….indescribable….beyond words….haha….

Reza : got me self a medal...yay!

me: a blank cert?after 48km you gave me a blank cert?

guy in green: dey?look in the paper bag la moron!

We all left Pantai Puteri after having lunch, courtesy from the organizers. Reached Adlee’s place to freshen up and after bidding farewell, left for home at 4pm. I was alone again, Akmal, EG and Reza decided to rest a while more before leaving for JB….me….I prefer to wonder around Melaka town first…hehe….

Reached JB around 10 pm….went to Kg Melayu to pick up my new 2010 brake set from Che Leng before heading home….hehe

Well…overall I can say that it has been a meaningful journey….gained a lot of experience too….but I guess I need more exposure to prepare myself for another ride like this….probably more off road rides to sharpen my skills and more on road rides to build my endurance?...guess so…

So..till my next riding log….ride on guys….ride safe….=)

**pics courtesy from Akmal Hizam**

RTW 01/08/2009

2009-08-02T19:27:00.010+08:00

Yup....that's right!....I RTW yesterday....inspired by Akmal, I've been wanting to do that for quite some time now...finally did it yesterday....

Though I was quite tired due to the NR I participated the night earlier, I was determined to complete the feat...I started riding at 6:40am...with my front and rear blinkers switched on, I ride thru the neighbourhood towards Jalan Tampoi...not too many cars that morning...Saturday....most people would still be in their beds...while some had an early morning....either to go to the mosque or to work..like me....=)

The trip was a pleasant one....and refreshing too...with cool morning air...instead of mid day heat....or cold nights with polluted air from exhaust fumes....=p

It wasn't all too tiring...and before I knew it, I've reached the junction of Jalan Tampoi and Tebrau Highway in about 20 minutes...take note that I was riding leisurely....no excessive use of strength to increase speed as I decided not to strain myself too much..don't want to get all tired as I need to face the auditors again today....sigh.....=p

There were less vehicles accomoditing the highway that morning....maybe because it was Saturday...on weekdays, I'm sure by that time, the road would be packed with cars...

I rode on and stayed to the left, trying not to take much space for fearing busses or lorries that might take up the left lane..riding consistantly around 20-25km/h...the only time that I'm forced to stop was when attempting to cross the road in front of the Army Camp at Pandan....after which I turned in to Ponderosa and head straight to my destination, Taman Molek....

Reached office at 07:20am....which makes my time on road approximitely 40 minutes...it was still early...enough time for me to take a quick shower, change to my work attire and go for breakfast next door...I guess it was okay for my first try.....can be improved further.....well...that was my early assumption....and it's about to change during the trip back home....=p

..........................................................................................................

It was 5:05pm...time to head back home...I took the same route...from office, thru Ponderosa...had to stop at the nearby Petronas to replenish my water bottle with 100Plus...I continued riding afterwards at a very slow pace...and before long, I reached the Tebrau Highway again and there I encountered my first obstacles of the day.....the road was packed with fast passing vehicles....I thought to myself...."this gonna be a bit tricky...how the heck am I supposed to cross the road?"....and so I kept on riding while trying to figure out ways to safely cross the road...this time, I have to carefully manouver my bike to the leftest as possible as those cars, busses and even lorries were driving fast..even at the slow lane....compared to the trip that morning....it was dusty, hot and the air was filled with exhaust fumes.......hehe...reminds me of the good ol' days (when I used to ride motorcycles to work)....finally as I was reaching the Jalan Tampoi junction, the road was getting a bit more narrower....and I don't think that I could squeezed thru the left lane anymore...let alone crossing the busy road to get to the other side....so I took a detour..and turned left towards Taman Seri Amar...that would cost me an extra 5 minutes...I rode uphill and turned right after passing the Police Station...beside the highway, there is an overhead crossing for pedastrian...and so I climbed up the steps, carrying my bike on my shoulder...crossed the road and starts riding again, this time thru Kampung Melayu before I reached Jalan Tampoi again....I estimated that I've lost some 15 minutes starting from the time I turned in to Taman Seri Amar....but there were just no way for me to cross the road and I just thought that safety comes first....

I went on riding until I reached Kg Ungku Mohsin where I had to take another detour due to a construction work on the road after the traffic light which heads towards Kempas-Larkin junction. I rode on cautiously as I could see stray dogs everywhere.....luckily they ignored me and went on to their business and I safely reach Larkin in less than 10 minutes....from there, I rode on straight home....

I reached home at 5:55pm....exhausted....and quite out of breath....my time on road was 50 minutes...an additional 10 minutes from the morning trip to work..but with all the detours and difficulties....I guess I was riding a bit faster...I guess....

I achieved my goal for the RTW trip....but decided not to do it again....well maybe....too much hassle during the trip back home...and not to mention that I've to leave my bike outside the office premise during working hour due to strict company policy...have to leave my bike chained to a stepping ladder at the back of the office...though the back gate was locked....I just don't feel secure enough...

There's no way I could RTW during weekdays...traffic is too heavy at the Tebrau Highway....too dangerous....not worth risking my life for it...I wonder how Saiful endured the danger every time he joined the NR....he would ride to the RV point from Taman Daya using the same route....hmmmm....

Well...I guess that'll be my first and last attempt for RTW....if I were to repeat it, I'll make sure that my wife will have to pick me up after work...hahaha......as if.....=p

solo NR 27/07/09

2009-07-29T22:40:00.006+08:00

I was bored that night....I didn't go riding the previous day as I just got back from the Melaka Jamboree on Saturday night..and so I took the day off thinking of going for a ride in the morning but end up baby sitting my daughter since my mum-in-law have another appointment in the morning..it's okay with me coz I got to spend some quality time with my daughter...and it was also raining the whole day...so I'm stuck at home...sigh.....

It was 8 pm....though it was dark....I could see that it was cloudy outside...and windy....as though as it was gonna rain....took out my bike for a spin around the neighbourhood....after several times convincing myself that it's not gonna rain....I changed into my riding gears and left home at exactly 9.30 pm....

It was quite chilly with cold wind blowing to my face as I rode thru the neighbourhood...riding steadily towards Larkin via the STF route....got past the killer MPTI hill climb (with little effort), cross the main road and head straight to RTM..the feeling was different as that night, I was riding alone...so I was counting on the rear blinkers to stay visible to other motorists..the hill climb was tiring...but I managed to get by it...then straight down to the Chinese Cemetary and another uphill climb towards Jln Abdul Rahman Andak...rode pass the Bukit Saujana and schools, MB residence and my old office at Jalan Taat (kinda creepy there...don't ask...)...riding thru JB town, straight to the Lido stretch..and finally reaches Danga Bay at 10:10 pm....kinda fast..I thought to myself..took a 15 minutes break before starts riding again..heading towards the Angsana Flyover..and then straight down to the Perodua intersection and then straight back home....

Reached home at 10:45 pm..so I figured that my time on road should be around 1hr...there's some improvement there...completing a 20km ride in just an hour...to me...my personal mission to improve my speed and ability to ride alone at night has accomplished..=p

Not gonna be riding tomorrow's NR with Ali and his gang as I have a meeting scheduled at 6 pm tomorrow which I bet would end around 9-10 pm...well....I guess I can always join them on their next NR...

nice shirt....err jersey....

2009-07-20T09:44:00.010+08:00

What do you guys think of this jersey?....nice huh?....was posted in Lelong dot Com few days back...some lucky guy won the bid.....too bad....=p

If I were to wear this jersey during rides...some people might think that I'm a poser....wasn't even in Kuantan to watch the race..let alone participate in it...hehehe...but hey?...it's just a jersey...any Ali, Muthu or Ah Seng could purchased and wear it....it's the respect for the event that counts....if it were me...I'd wear it with pride....one of the most talked about event by riders world wide and I got to wear the official jersey?....damn.......what a feeling.....hehehe

Well....that's just my humble opinion.....=p

pendas ride 19/07/2009

2009-07-19T23:06:00.019+08:00

Arrived at Ali's place at 7:30am sharp.....few guys were already there....Ali had just finished adding the finishing touch to my bike set up....took it for a quick test spin....gear change felt kinda funny..too early to make comment so I decided to test it along the ride...

The ride started quite late, 9:45am....Hafiz woke up late so we all end up waiting for him....he was injured during yesterday JB @ctive race...and yet he still wants to ride today.....tough lad....gotta respect that....ah! and yes......Ali won the race yesterday......kudos to him.....=)

To kill time, I went for breakfast at the nearby Mamak....I was alone at first...then Saiful and Wan decided to join me......another guy showed up shortly after that..I was lucky coz I'm not the only one with knobbies...Ali decided to ride his MTB...so does another 4 guys...only 5 guys rides roadies....so I'm saved from being left behind...hehehe

I started the ride by being the third rider up front....we were riding at a steady pace...my guess is around 25-30 km/h...I passed the Nusa Bestari hill climb with much ease...compared to 2 months ago....where I always went out of breath every time I used the same route when riding back home after rides with Mohd Noor and his gang....the same goes with the Seri Orkid hill climb....piece of cake...hehe.....

The trio stayed intact until we reached Lima Kedai when the other riders managed to catch up (either we started to go slow or they must've rode super fast-no prob with a road bike)...and from there, I struggled a bit to maintain my pace...remained in middle of the pack till Gelang Patah....then...something happened.......

Believe it or not...we were pulled over by the local law enforcer....yup!...we were pulled over by two cops on kapchai's for no apparent reason....we did nothing wrong...we rode in a single file...not road hogging...in fact...I believe we ride within the state speed limit....duhhh......=p

cop: sir...you were riding way over the speed
limit ....

smart ass rider: huh?was I?...how fast did I go just
now?

cop: 10 km/h....

smart ass rider: huh?...%$#@^&

sheeshhh...u-n-b-e-l-i-e-v-a-b-l-e.........

me ^_^

the unknown rider...forgot to ask for his name....bro?...what's your name ah?

So what's wrong?...they just say that's it's a routine check...and they were only carrying instructions from "some officer's from Nusajaya IPD" to get our details written down....for what?...they wouldn't say....something's fishy and so one of us called his contact in IPK (someone with higher ranks) to dig further...but that's just it...I'm not interested to know further....after handing over my I/C, the officer taken my details, I started riding again with another rider (didn't catch his name...some other time perhaps)...pretty soon the other guys begin to catch up and we were cruising the Gelang Patah route again....

At this point I was a bit exhausted with so many hill climbs (I lost count already...hehe)..and by the time I reach the CIQ junction...I was already the last man....Ali slowed down to accompany me and another rider...my left foot was already aching and my toes started to get numb...tried to wiggle my toes a bit but the pain just won't subside...end up paddling one footed most of the time till I reached the destination, Kg Pendas....

finally....RV point at Pendas..........

Finally reached the RV Point at Kg Pendas at about 10:50am........took off my riding shoes and walked bare footed to normalised my blood circulations on my left foot.....perhaps my left footie is slightly larger than the right one....hehe...any other possible explanations?....=p

I know...pics blurry....was too weak to hold the phone.....hehe

even the bikes knows how to hanged out....=p

We stayed there for almost an hour...I consumed a bowl of Mee Hoon Soto and two glasses of Iced Tea...to recover back my strength....really....=p

By 11:50am, we were on our saddles again, heading home....I managed to snap a photo using my trusty N70...the only photo taken on saddles during the ride.

rempit in action

We decided to took a short cut passing the Gelang Patah's R&R during the ride back home....by this time, it was getting cloudy and windy....signalling that it's gonna rain anytime soon...kinda difficult to ride especially when you're riding against the wind....very...very tiring.....

Finally it rained by the time we rode past Leisure Farm...it doesn't drizzle....straight up heavy rain...so sudden that I've to stop by the road side to stashed my handphone in my backpack....switched on the blinker and I'm off riding again...the blinker doesn't help much though as it was raining very heavily....rode steadily...assuming 20-25km/h...till I reached Gelang Patah where the rain stopped pouring......the town folks gave us this weird look...we were soaking wet...but it wasn't raining at their town area....hehe...

taking a breather at Petronas....

We stopped for a while at Petronas Gelang Patah..then decided to take a short cut (ended up not being a short cut..longer distance ada ler wey? =p)...the route (short cut) end up at Nusa Idaman (where Mohd Noor and his group usally RV-ed for each rides)....we rode on thru Bukit Indah, past Jusco, reach Perling and headed straight to the final check point, Ali's place.....arrived at 1:45pm....exhausted..but really satisfied...=)

I finally completed the feat...maybe struggled a bit at the beginning...but I managed to complete it nonetheless...there were some tiring moments, climbing hills, foot cramped...but it's nothing I can't handle...hehehe...

The guy that I couldn't catch his name commented on my ride....saying that I was okay for a first timer....he says that most of the time I rode faster than him...so he sum up that I probably rode in average 25-28km/h.....on few occasions, he said that he was riding 30km/h and I easily passed him...so I must've rode >35km/h at that time...not going downhill (you hearing this Boboy?)....the other guys were vouching his statement...might be true...I'm so gotta get myself a meter...when?....by month end perhaps....hehe

Overall I could say that the ride was very challenging and I really tested my endurance to the limit today....and I'm glad to say that I've passed.....concurred by Ali and his gang.......=p

Maybe after Raya I'll be joining them again for another ride to Pendas....for the meantime....regular NR is sufficient enough.....

Next weekend I'll be participating in Mr Mobic's Petronas Refinery MTB Jamboree in Melaka....I'll be joining Akmal and Reza from PG Gerekers for this event...my first event outside JB....I'm so excited...can't wait...=)

Then on 8th and 9th August....another outting organised by Kelab Ali Baba at Pasir Lanun, Mersing.....guys on bikes will be riding from Mersing town...some 40km away from the location....shouldn't be a problem for me....hehehe.....

I'll reserve 1st and 2nd August for my wife and Nana....so I'll be riding within Uda vacinities during those 2 days....I guess....hehehe....

So..till my next riding log...ride on guys....ride safe...=)

First look...Deore 2010 group set

2009-07-19T01:33:00.013+08:00

Articles from http://www.singletrackworld.com/2009/02/shimano-deore-2010/

Forget about those nay sayers..the new Deore sure looked awesome.....got me the crank and RD....decided not to change the FD and shifters as it is only a cosmetic upgrade from the old ones...the old ones works just fine....

The Deore rear mech is now Shadow flavoured, so you now get increased rock clearance for decreased cost

Looked darn better than its predecessor...

I have my sights locked on the super slick hyd disc brakes set.....ordered from Che Leng but still no stock yet...

Deore has gone a bit more angular and looks quite like Saint and SLX now, all good. As well as cosmetic changes there are some neat technical changes. The brake hoses and gear cables now exit at the same angle for tidier cable routing.

Guess I have to wait a while more before the minor upgrades is complete....hopefully before the Jamboree....no...not for showing off....others with deep pockets will go for the higher end products..me...I prefers practicality=quality=economical....besides, these are the only ones that I could afford....hehe......BTW....I'll be posting my used 2009 crank and RD in BBS...anybody interested?.....selling cheap....honest!......=p

another rideless day...sigh...

2009-07-18T23:11:00.006+08:00

It's has been a busy day for me today.....I have to go to work since I requested a duty swap with Lini...this is all due to the Mr Mobic's Petronas Refinery MTB Jamboree that's gonna be held next week at Melaka....yup!...I finally registered myself in one major event....can say major coz I've never participated in any event so far...hehehe....

So instead of riding this morning, I have to drag myself to work....on Saturday for a mere RM$$ allowance (note:Company executives are not entitled for OT claim).....hehehe.....what to do?...rules are rules....anyway...somebody has to do it...right?...sigh...

Due to that also, I missed the JB @ctive event at Larkin this morning...which Ali and his gang participated in....Kevin also...and maybe some of the PG Gerekers too...dunno what's the result....have to wait until tomorrow to get the whole story....=p

Though working today is not as busy as weekdays, me and my colleagues were required to attend a fire drill training (more like a briefing coz it was too short to be called a training-about 4 hours) which ended at 6.30pm...lost some valueable time there....I actually have made plans to ride with Uncle to Loji Sultan Iskandar....hmmm....as what the late P.Ramlee has said..."bikin rosak plan ana~lah"....hehehehe

I went back and reaches home just in time for the Tahlil held next door...then called Ali at 9:30pm to ask about my bike....which he took back home yesterday to check on my "jumping RD" problem....and oh yes....I've changed my RD to the new 2010 Deore which looks much better than the old ones...kinda resemblence the SLX and XT a bit....I haven't read the review but I hope it performs like them too.....cosmetically...it looks better...=)

Ali invited me to join him tomorrow for Pendas ride....it's a 75-80km ride...on road...ah?..the distance!...ah?...on road summore!.......oh..oh...and worst, the rest of the guys might be riding roadies!....with me on knobbies....I'll surely be left behind.....but I took the challenge...so it's fixed then....I'm off to Pendas tomorrow...with probability that I'm the only guy on knobbies...hehe....kerja gila! (this is crazy)...well it wouldn't be gila if Boboy would join me...at least there'll be two schmucks among the roadies instead of one...hahaha...but as usual..."Ali bawak apa?""MTB ke road?""Ramai tak?""Kul berapa mula?""Der nanti aku confirmkan balik" (which he never did!)...he asked too much questions instead of giving confirmation....excuse..excuse....=p

Well....since this Pendas ride has been given too much hype by the gang (including Boboy)....I guess I'll give it a try..no harm, right?...(rightttt......) hehehe...

I could also take it as a test ground for me....see how far can I go...endurance wise...they said it's quite tricky with several hill climbs...it's gonna be challenging....especially on a Panaracer Fire XC Pro....excellent off road...crappy on roads!!!...hehehe....

So...I'll be back with full story on the ride tomorrow....till then.....ride safe bro!......=)

what's so great about cycling?

2009-07-15T20:43:00.006+08:00

I'm bored....so I guess i'll write something in here....=p

A colleague had asked me recently, what so great about riding bikes?...I paused for a while..then replied..what do you like most about fishing?....he kept quiet for a sec...then replied...the thrilling and best part is when the fish bit the bait..."there's where the fun starts", he says....then he began explaining and talking about his craze for fishing...and so on and on and on....and then suddenly he came to a halt...."what does my fishing got to do with your cycling?"....I just looked at him and smiled.....it's not about what you do for fun or as a hobby....it's the passion that came with it....that's what I feel about cycling....it's something that I do with passion...something that's unexplainable...hehe

To me cycling is more than a hobby....unlike my other hobbies such as kit building....although it may cost me a fortune (for a small potato like me), at least my body and health benefit from it...kit building is another thing...you just stay put at one place trying to put together something and requires your full concentration to get a perfect scale model...but that's just it..the satisfaction is just when you've completed it..other than that...it's just another trophy in your cupboard or trophy wall....get me?

And so I quit kit building and starts something beneficial to my health and gave me unlimited satisfaction...cycling....

I bought my Merida in February 2009....you can say that I'm a newbie...heck...I admit I am...and there loads of things that I need to learn...and I guess I'm more than willing to learn stuffs related to MTB...the tips and tricks..the right techniques..and so on...that is why I do not attach myself to a particular group of riders..other than my colleague Boboy...I've rode with Ali and his gang.....Mohd Noor from Nur Ikhsan....and PG Gerekers...not to mention some other riders whom I met on the trails.....with these people who're more than willing to share their experience....(thanks guys!)

My health also benefited from this newfound hobby....believe it or not...I used to have severe back pains.....at first I was worried that the pain might get serious each time I ride my bike but the result is the other way round.....I felt better, fitter and my back pain is virtually gone (except when I do heavy lifting lah)....

To me...to each is his own....you choose what you want to do...what you wanna be....final...

Me...for now...I just wanna ride as much as I can....I wanna feel the whole enchilada...and savour every moment of it.....=)

Ride on guys....ride safe....

nite ride - JB town - 14/07/2009

2009-07-15T15:26:00.009+08:00

All I can say about yesterday’s NR is….exhausting….perhaps..too exhausting...I need more training....hehehe

I’m not sure what happened to me last night….but the trip was extremely tiring….I was catching my breath all the time. Maybe it was due to wrong breathing techniques or the bike set up…ooopppss!!….bike setup was excellent….thanks to Ali….hehe

I left work quite early as I don’t want to rush to the RV Point…..reaches home at 7pm, waited for my wife to have dinner at her mum’s…then started riding to Larkin at 8:05pm…..I decided to ride instead of driving there as I usually did….it took me exactly 30 minutes to reach the designated RV..quite slow paced…maybe I was trying to conserve my energy for the NR…or maybe the MPTI uphill climb slowed me down a bit….a bit?..yeah right!...hehehe

I was the second person to arrive at the scene….the other guy (don’t know his name) greeted me and we were minding our own business…dunno what to talk about coz he seemed like the quiet type….so I took out my tools and reset my handlebar angle as I noticed that the angle was quite off when I rode there…done…and then I begin testing the bike again to see if there’s any other adjustments needed….perfect…..

The rest of the guys started to arrive and finally at about 9:30pm, we were already on saddles and riding along Jalan Datin Halimah towards RTM….climbing the hill is usually a breeze for me but yesterday, the first sign of fatigue showed there…..I was struggling to reach the top…and was out of breath when I finally did….not want to think about it, I rode on going downhill towards the Chinese Cemetery, riding past the schools, downhill again at Saujana and finally reaches town…

I wore a buff headgear during the ride that I used as a face mask…as all my previous experience riding in crowded street reminded me to wear one due to the exhaust fumes from passing vehicles especially busses and lorries and any other unpleasant odours which you may smell along the ride…

Riding thru town was a breeze…no obstacles, no stopping to cross Jalan Ibrahim, then going pass the Post Office and then straight along the Lido stretch…usually at this point of the ride, I am still energetic, can easily sprint in the straight line but yesterday night, I was exhausted…not quite sure why….maybe because of the Maggi Goreng that I consumed at 6pm with Jeff or something else…

Reaches Danga Bay at about 10:15pm…we all stop at the usual RV point for a breather. I didn’t bring my water bottle as I thought my bladder bag could store sufficient fluid for the whole ride…I was wrong…..by the time I reaches Danga, the content was only enough for a few sip….not sure how…but I must’ve drank a lot while riding…

The break was until 10:45pm and we were back on saddles and riding past Skudai Kiri heading back to Larkin. I was riding leisurely..letting other riders to past me and not making any effort to give a chase…that is until I realised that I am at the back of the pack with only a few riders behind me….I sprinted going uphill towards the Angsana Flyover, I know…unnecessary use of strength but I was chasing the green light…I do not want to get caught in the traffic…I managed to beat the red light and head straight down to the Perodua/BBU intersection…red light again…there were few cars waiting….since there were no vehicles crossing the road, I decided not to stop but instead dashed pass it….managed to catch up with a fellow rider but since he was cycling slowly (maybe out of breath too), I decided to leave him and move on, trying to catch the front runners but they were already too far…I ended up riding alone at a steady pace (assuming 25km/h)…

I rode pass STF and climbed the killer MPTI hill….managed to get to the top and then straight to the final check point at a restaurant beside the public library…most of the guys were already there and I was a bit disappointed with the ride..I could’ve gone faster since the beginning …definitely need to improve on that in the next ride….

Another thing that I noticed was that, I kept on dehydrating during the ride…probably because of the use of face mask which prevent me from inhaling cool air…with no moist in my mouth, I tend to drink a lot which explains why my water reservoir dried up quickly…I guess that must be the case…so no more face mask for me….well maybe….

I hanged out for quite a while before heading home at 11:44pm….need to leave early as I need to ride home unlike most of the guys who drove there. I rode the same route as last week, Jalan Datin Halimah-FAMA-Kenwood and then reach home exactly at 12 midnight.

Overall I can say, it’s a good ride though exhausting….and my mission to test the new set up by Ali has accomplished. My next ride will be this coming Saturday – to the Loji Sultan Iskandar with Uncle….if time permits….and God willing….hehe…Sunday, I’ll be riding leisurely around town again before heading to Larkin for the @ctive JB event near the Sports Complex.

Till then….ride on..ride safe..

preparing for NR

2009-07-14T11:53:00.001+08:00

Yesterday night I went to Ali's after he called to inform that my bike was ready for pick up...I sent it to him the day before to fix the problem with my crank and presumeably chain......it turns out that my bike set up was incorrect....the previous shop had wrongly installed an 8 speed chain instead of 9 speed resulting unsmooth (betul ke ni?) ride since day one....ahhhhh...no wonder la my gearing tak betul?....hehehe

I end up forking out RM100 for a Dura Ace chain....and after a test ride, it felt just nice..nearly effortless to climb a small hill...(again..betul ke ni?)....I hanged out for a while at his place, talking about bikes and stuff....you know..it's amazing how we could learn a thing or two from the pro's...hehe....there are soooo many things that I don't know, and hanging out with guys like Ali, Akmal, Panjang and some of the bike shop owners really enhance your knowledge on bikes as long as you stay on the topic...bikes...

I really feel that I need to learn more on basic bike set up, technical and riding skills....I guess it's an ongoing lesson for me....I believe I need to experience it to really feel it....so that is why spend my weekend mornings with bike riding....even if I have to ride alone.....=p

Alhamdulillah my wife understands me and gave her full support...and I usually compensate by spending the afternoon with them.

Also, since I started riding, I have joined several riding groups to fuel my riding hunger..and of course, to gain experience and make new acquintence...groups like Ali and his gang, PG Gerekers and Mat Noor from Nur Ikhsan, they welcomes you to join them as long as you have a bike (how to join if you don't have any?...duhhhhh?)...they're a friendly bunch...and more than willing to teach you tricks and tips on mountain biking...

Back to the topic....after the set up yesterday, the bike felt somewhat lighter.....I will surely test it tonight during the Nite Ride (NR)...too bad Boboy won't be joining tonight (he never join NR!)...

When asked, he keeps on giving excuses....hehehe...I guess he prefers to ride at Impian Emas doing laps rather than riding around town which to me far better and more fun. I'm not keen on going round in circles.... =p

For tonight NR, I'll try to maintain my pace and see how fast I can go.... too bad I don't have any meters on my bike....to know my speed normally I'd stay in the main group and try to keep up with them....and then asked how fast they ride....then I'll know lah? =p

Till tonight then......

routine ride to Pekan Nanas 12/07/2009

2009-07-13T13:46:00.001+08:00

The day started with heavy downpour since early morning...I was unsure whether to proceed to the meeting point or just continue my sleep...so after a quick solat, I geared up and load my things in the car and starts driving to Pekan Nanas, some 45km away from my house.

Reached the location at 7 am sharp, called the "El-Presidente" Boboy just to find out that he's still at home. We're gonna start off late...again...sigh...

So I hanged out at the local mamak restaurant, waiting for HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS to arrive. After completing a glass of Teh Tarik and a roti telur, I decided to call him again but unanswered...double damn....so I proceeded to the RP at Ah Fan's and waited for about an hour before I decided to go on riding without him..it's just the two of us...the rest of the guys were unable to join in. Ai participated in the IronMan at PD...good luck to him...that leaves me with HRH Boboy...double sigh.....

It's 8 am, and the rain has stopped...the sky was clearing from the dark clouds...so I got out from my car and unload the bike and the rest of my gears...as I was assembling the front tire, Boboy arrives with a smirk on his face....hmm...I gotta admit..this guy must be "wearing" something (note:malay says it's like a tangkal @ talisman) so that people won't get mad at him or something......nahhh.....

Actually, I have made plans to join Ali and his gang to ride to Pendas this morning but since Boboy says that he has other plans in the afternoon, so we decided to ride Pekan Nanas instead.

We left Ah Fan's at 8.45 am and rode the wet and slippery road heading to Gunung Pulai Reserve Park. While riding past a Chinese house, I stumbled upon a dog whom was quite startled to see me...he had this undecided look on his face...whether to jump on me or to back away....maybe it's me giving him this fierce look or maybe he haven't gotten his breakfast yet that made him backing away and not giving me any problem...haha...Boboy rode past him cautiously....in case he changed his mind and decided to give us a chase.......=p

We were riding leisurely...enjoying the cool morning breeze after the rain.....and we thought we were the only schmuck riding that morning....when we come across this guy, Najib from Cyclemotion JB....he leads us to his gang, who were unloading their bikes from their cars. They were going for trail riding, surveying for new trails for their upcoming HASH in Pekan Nanas in early August...they invited us to join in but since Boboy could not commit...and I don't want my bike to get all too dirty..so we had decline the offer. But I will surely participate in their HASH..if God willing......just have to monitor for the latest updates in their website and see whether it's a go or no go....

We had our breakfast at the warong near the picnic area for about an hour before heading back to Ah Fan's...It was still early, so we decided to hanged out at the mamak till noon....

I left Pekan Nanas at 12.30pm...heading home..not quite satisfied with the ride this morning....if only it had'nt rain.....maybe I'd be trail riding to PUB reservoir....hmmm...

I have another plan with Leman in the afternoon - to survey riding route to Empangan Sultan Iskandar, Kongkong for our next riding event...but that's another story.....

mukadimah

2009-07-13T12:30:00.000+08:00

Mukadimah or simply in english, introductions means that I've to say something in advance before I start writting in this blog..hmm..

The reason I created this blog is to share my new found interest...cycling or to be more precise, mountain biking.....

I have always fond of cycling..ever since my school days...but gave it up as I entered Secondary 4 in '91....where I took public transport to school..and since then, cycling has been a long lost memory for me...

In '98-'99, the urged to start riding again kicks in when me and some colleagues starts renting bikes and cruising along the seaside in Desaru...we planned to get ourselves our own bikes but then the idea just dissappear...just like that...probably due to our busy schedules and workloads...

I have tried other hobbys such as mountain climbing (twice..hehe)....playing soccer, futsals and even kit building....but when I was re-introduced to MTB by a colleague in December 2008, I just don't hold back anymore..

After 3 months riding a loaned bike from a friend, I finally purchase my first real MTB in February 2009...a stock Merida Matts MD40...and since then has gone some upgradings till the bike it is today.

In this blog, I will share my riding experience, in hope to enlighten others to join in...with one aim in mind...to create a healthy society thru sports....err...I guess.....=p

Pardon me as I will be writting in both Bahasa and English or even sometimes "rojak" (mixed)...much easier for me to expressed myself....hehehe

So I guess this is it...my mukadimah......so till my next riding log.....ride on....