Saturday, November 27, 2010

Plentong Epic Ride 2010

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!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Ramadhan NRs and Raya

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...........

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

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

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....

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...=)



 

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Batu Pahat Hash - 18/07/2010

 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

Monday, July 19, 2010

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

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....

Friday, July 16, 2010

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


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!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

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

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..

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Eky's CW Nite Ride 24/06/2010

 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!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Hey look?...I'm back!

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!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

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

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