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!

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

Gunung Pulai trail ride - 27.12.2009

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