tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10964337123838071662024-03-14T22:44:56.298+08:00akmal's bike parkakmal's digital depository of his cycling adventure | on road and offroad, on and off the saddle.akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.comBlogger487125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-65623807901341221632021-06-13T23:51:00.002+08:002021-06-13T23:56:01.119+08:00Super Randonneur 2020<p>With the road bike I’ve found something interesting and at the same time quite challenging: Audax rides. It is a self-support non-competitive endurance riding, over scneic routes (including hilly ones) throughout the country. Many of these rides are crossing multiple states along small towns, usually off the beaten path. In Malaysia the awesome folks of <a href="https://audaxmalaysia.com/" target="_blank">Audax Randonneurs Malaysia</a> (ARM) are the authorised organisers of Brevet rides, sanctioned by <a href="https://www.audax-club-parisien.com/en/welcomepage/" target="_blank">Audax Club Parisien</a> (ACP).</p><p>There are 200, 300, 400 and 600km rides organised throughout the Brevet calendar year. These are timed rides, meaning that there are cutoff time that the participants (Randonneurs) need to observe. The routes are predetermined with a few checkpoints scattered throughout, including perhaps a secret checkpoint just to make sure no one is skipping some part of the course*. The rides are roughly timed with an average pace of 15km/h. As an example, for a 200km Brevet the time limit is 200/15 = 13.33 hours, simplified to be 13.5 hours. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmCO_-hDU7OqaTTuat-Tj_NihrAaMtUS0GpwrPvSgJ3lZrIKCleDG2lGz80p-q2Mwte7C65ES4HGwGMCpiFKJ5M09K9aOLZfHJB1s82s1AOp4OTVbDPmmrcCYSgLKAXP9000y1Ss3sFM-/s1968/670F5A4D-D4B4-468E-BBBF-A2EFDA0283EC.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="1968" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmCO_-hDU7OqaTTuat-Tj_NihrAaMtUS0GpwrPvSgJ3lZrIKCleDG2lGz80p-q2Mwte7C65ES4HGwGMCpiFKJ5M09K9aOLZfHJB1s82s1AOp4OTVbDPmmrcCYSgLKAXP9000y1Ss3sFM-/w400-h266/670F5A4D-D4B4-468E-BBBF-A2EFDA0283EC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>With SR Adnan at Morib for our BRM600</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>For the brave and courageous souls who complete each of the distances of 200, 300, 400 and 600km in the Brevet calendar year, there is an accolade bestowed upon them - the coveted Super Randonneur Award. As I am writing this, those numbers appear not as unattainable as I would have thought a few years ago. I still remember how intimidating it was to ride a 200km Brevet. The rides are all by no means easy, even after having finished them multiple times now. What I’m saying is that they are now less terrifying as it used to be. Some experience and lots of preparation play big roles in that, I suppose.<p></p><p>Together with Adnan, a fellow Perpatih member, we did all 4 rides to earn the title for 2020 season. It was an awesome journey along the 1,500km that we rode. The roads were scattered with our stories full of drama, hardship, camaraderie as well as fun times amid the adversaries; with breathtaking sceneries and weather spells, both favourable and discouraging, as the backdrop. I’ll recollect and put in this blog later the stories for keepsake, insyaAllah.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Obcy0uX2gqyFMM757Mlb3cFWMZYRJslKAth1nhX9-W-lL7QdGfSPPJB4XeYZcQgRV7tpLJqm588m8AdZDT7WrUT5NjFF7aW9K6X3BqSL-hfb55fY17cBO3B_M_rIdhtE8CjUusmSlyyi/s1024/cert-2020.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="1024" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Obcy0uX2gqyFMM757Mlb3cFWMZYRJslKAth1nhX9-W-lL7QdGfSPPJB4XeYZcQgRV7tpLJqm588m8AdZDT7WrUT5NjFF7aW9K6X3BqSL-hfb55fY17cBO3B_M_rIdhtE8CjUusmSlyyi/w640-h389/cert-2020.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">SR2020 list: </span><a href="https://audaxmalaysia.com/2020/11/16/super-randonneurs-2020-2/" style="text-align: left;">https://audaxmalaysia.com/2020/11/16/super-randonneurs-2020-2/</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The rides I completed for SR2020 award:</span></div><p></p><p><google-sheets-html-origin style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></google-sheets-html-origin></p><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; table-layout: fixed; width: 0px;" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><colgroup><col width="61"></col><col width="63"></col><col width="66"></col><col width="75"></col><col width="80"></col><col width="334"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 21px;"><td colspan="2" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"event"]" rowspan="1" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 2px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">event</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"time, hours"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">time, hours</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"cutoff time, hours"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">cutoff time, hours</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"course distance, km"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">course distance, km</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"route"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">route</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://audaxmalaysia.com/2019/10/29/brm400-new-season-2020/" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"BRM400"]" style="border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; color: #1155cc; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: top;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://audaxmalaysia.com/2019/10/29/brm400-new-season-2020/" target="_blank">BRM400</a></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,5,"mmm yyyy",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":43770.0}" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">Nov 2019</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]\":\"mm",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":1.125}" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">27:00</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]\":\"mm",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":1.125}" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">27:00</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":408.7}" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">408.7</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Muar - Tanjung Piai - Muar"]" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Muar - Tanjung Piai - Muar</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://audaxmalaysia.com/2019/11/12/audax-makan-makan-brm300/" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"BRM300"]" style="border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; color: #1155cc; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: top;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://audaxmalaysia.com/2019/11/12/audax-makan-makan-brm300/" target="_blank">BRM300</a></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,5,"mmm yyyy",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":43800.0}" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">Dec 2019</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]\":\"mm",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.7534722222222222}" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">18:05</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"hh:mm",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.8333333333333334}" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">20:00</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":288.6}" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">288.6</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Sitiawan - Taiping - Kuala Sepetang"]" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Sitiawan - Taiping - Kuala Sepetang</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://audaxmalaysia.com/2019/11/15/pink-ride-3-0/" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"BRM200"]" style="border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; color: #1155cc; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: top;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://audaxmalaysia.com/2019/11/15/pink-ride-3-0/" target="_blank">BRM200</a></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,5,"mmm yyyy",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":43831.0}" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">Jan 2020</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]\":\"mm",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.4722222222222222}" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">11:20</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"hh\":\"mm",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":0.5625}" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">13:30</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":198.6}" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">198.6</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Nilai - Morib - Nilai"]" style="border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Nilai - Morib - Nilai</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-hyperlink="https://audaxmalaysia.com/2020/01/14/brm1000-brm300/" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"BRM600"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; color: #1155cc; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: top;"><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://audaxmalaysia.com/2020/01/14/brm1000-brm300/" target="_blank">BRM600</a></td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,5,"mmm yyyy",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":44044.0}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;">Aug 2020</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]\":\"mm",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":1.6458333333333333}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">39:30</td><td data-sheets-numberformat="[null,6,"[h]\":\"mm",1]" data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":1.6666666666666667}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">40:00</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":599.7}" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;">599.7</td><td data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Morib - Bahau - Segamat - Batu Pahat - Merlimau - Morib"]" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: top;">Morib - Bahau - Segamat - Batu Pahat - Merlimau - Morib</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzG4ndxwm9TLghWfy_Mg98qgQlSB2UcmYeKJGhHNfNzPsIQsd4whIsQkddwcwleS4W2f4qRF-Qbr6z-xEcnlkYIGf6kY4p5gnYloTTKqaZFPq_2GplkwfF9nqAPp4F1l-ZuFlCR9woBku/s2048/9A371C98-7F3F-4634-A87B-29A0A3DF8515.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzG4ndxwm9TLghWfy_Mg98qgQlSB2UcmYeKJGhHNfNzPsIQsd4whIsQkddwcwleS4W2f4qRF-Qbr6z-xEcnlkYIGf6kY4p5gnYloTTKqaZFPq_2GplkwfF9nqAPp4F1l-ZuFlCR9woBku/w640-h480/9A371C98-7F3F-4634-A87B-29A0A3DF8515.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBP0URm_Bbc3vnj3tGlEDAMKVXYa15fd8kgunxjH6ZqMvcdTXaY8AsYZXM9w90jBFUXSzdDxBhaoQS_OCqAESsUA0_RGMCb0igm2Zfua1f-PvPJ18cbzzndvF1AoKTg8xCzTBjHOSuH3r/s1024/SR2020+jersey.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="1024" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBP0URm_Bbc3vnj3tGlEDAMKVXYa15fd8kgunxjH6ZqMvcdTXaY8AsYZXM9w90jBFUXSzdDxBhaoQS_OCqAESsUA0_RGMCb0igm2Zfua1f-PvPJ18cbzzndvF1AoKTg8xCzTBjHOSuH3r/w640-h256/SR2020+jersey.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">*full rules of riding in here: </span><a href="https://audaxmalaysia.com/the-rules/" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">https://audaxmalaysia.com/the-rules/</a></div><p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i>Images are owned by ARM</i></p><div><br /></div>akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-22731426717602447722021-06-07T13:15:00.003+08:002021-06-14T00:03:34.792+08:00RoadieI switched to road bike riding since January 2017. Not exclusively, but significantly more of riding on tarmac with a road bike and close to zero offroad riding. I do still have my Surly Troll for occasional offroad rides, but sold off my Trance X4 to my neighbour.<div><br /></div><div>Since moving to Seremban, I’ve been riding with the awesome people of Perpatih Cycling Club. They ride both offroad and on road. And most of them own proper bikes for both types of riding. While riding on the road for night rides, they’d take out their road bikes and zip along the tarmac and LEKAS highway (while it was still okay) and I’m on a 26er with slicks. Sluggish due to the weight, and my fitness of course.</div><div><br /></div><div>It took me quite some time to come to terms with an undeniable truth: the best experiences are with using proper tools. I have been subscribing to the notion of MTBs are do-it-all machines. Yes, they are. But do-it-alls are jack of all trades, master of none. Except for this case, they are excellent offroad machines. While they can be converted to a touring rig or for riding on tarmac, there are trade-offs. With trade-offs, the full capacity is not being realised to be enjoyed. And that’s what I think I’ve been missing out on. </div><div><br /></div><div>So with this, I decided to get myself a road bike. With a decent budget, I set out to get a full carbon fibre road bike. After visiting many shops, I stepped into Cyclomotion Wangsa Maju and asked for a CF road bike. They told me that they’ve sold out during their recent sale. One of the guys in the shop suggested another bike that they’re clearing out if I’m interested in. The other guy mentioned that that one is with a titanium frame, not CF as what I wanted. My eyebrows lifted up and my sloppy shoulders were upright and I asked for the bike details. Long story short, a few weeks later I got myself a Charge Skewer Ti bike with 11 speed Ultegra 6800 groupset from them. I’m not going to reveal the price I paid, but its retail was RM11.8k.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidjk3hDN2pBd7S9DGiRUySXX-1gS0u5UD3yfyT12MLN85gW4wvj9iobVz8lDPyYUG9XbRjp-1iQpqMWHMiyEjDij2RB9MWAoNVhakJvW__Vx-T9Fu3jlDEvJJhVQfFIcBhpN7U-BbivO7/s2048/4D8513CF-6119-4721-84A2-BE122BB08D7C.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidjk3hDN2pBd7S9DGiRUySXX-1gS0u5UD3yfyT12MLN85gW4wvj9iobVz8lDPyYUG9XbRjp-1iQpqMWHMiyEjDij2RB9MWAoNVhakJvW__Vx-T9Fu3jlDEvJJhVQfFIcBhpN7U-BbivO7/w400-h225/4D8513CF-6119-4721-84A2-BE122BB08D7C.jpeg" title="Charge Skewer Ti - with stock parts, Jan 2017" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Charge Skewer Ti - with stock parts, Jan 2017</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>It has been more than 4 years now. At the time of writing, data from Strava shows that I’ve been clocking 17,880km on the road bike while the Troll has only seen 995km of riding. Granted, the Troll is an offroad rig, of course it wouldn’t go as far. Both are fun bikes, but I guess the Skewer makes cycling more accessible for me. Plus the fact that cycling on tarmac doesn’t require much time for post ride cleaning, even after riding in the rain.</div><div><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">:)</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Don’t get me wrong, I don’t take in one and ditch another. I do still enjoy offroad outings, but most of time (at least for now) I enjoy riding on road much more. Again, it is more accessible. I had once taken Troll riding up Bukit Putus just for the fun of it. It turns out that it is no fun at all. Its place is not on the tarmac, I learned. A mountain bike shines offroad covered in mud splatters and whatnots. Cycling on the road is best experienced on a road bike. It is that simple.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, just like mountain bikes, there are different types of road bikes for different disciplines of cycling on the tarmac (touring, Audax/randonneuring, TT, racing, etc.). We’ll talk about that later if I’m up for it.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnNfGvMaOoRAHsEHadcrdd18BMV5KZ1TKFG_hT0V7C6mxYJYFbquK79EXeaR1jgAZ01ZvRpnNF13pyrnDJxifZbCdC5tvqdkukkjqpBh8p7eDX2l_fTBnnUXTtrYqSFFFPCLCGHYhERx2/s2048/1AA7EA3E-800C-406C-8774-79143F194AAF.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnNfGvMaOoRAHsEHadcrdd18BMV5KZ1TKFG_hT0V7C6mxYJYFbquK79EXeaR1jgAZ01ZvRpnNF13pyrnDJxifZbCdC5tvqdkukkjqpBh8p7eDX2l_fTBnnUXTtrYqSFFFPCLCGHYhERx2/w400-h300/1AA7EA3E-800C-406C-8774-79143F194AAF.jpeg" title="Jan 2021, with some upgrades" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jan 2021, with some upgrades</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Ride on! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-24650268312210749052016-10-04T23:55:00.000+08:002016-10-04T23:55:00.457+08:00Build Your MTBI answered a question on Quora a couple of weeks ago, fresh from (re)building the XTC to be used by my neighbour for an upcoming short local ride.<br />
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For me, part of the joy in mountain biking is building the bike itself. From getting the parts right through to the actual assembly. I savour every moment. Except the hand cleaning at the end of each session.<br />
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Much of my knowledge about MTB assembly is from a good friend, BC Kelolo. I reached out to him before setting off on my first of many, many adventures and he unreservedly gave me good advices and tips. Over the years, I accumulated some more through my own readings, research, discussion with fellow riders and numerous trips to LBSes.<br />
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MTB evolves at a dizzying rate. I personally can't keep up with most of the tech (innovative or equally useless). Unfortunately due to this, there is a very steep learning curve if you're to dip your toe in building/assembling your MTB. So I only keep track with the ones that are particularly suited for my riding, $ and whatever I can easily source locally. There are one or two things that caught my attention, usually those which are practical and interesting to be tried out. And if my wallet could agree with them.<br />
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Many good riders I know are also good bike mechanics. The reverse may not be true, though. Anyways, knowing at least the basics about your machine would be good for you as a rider. Trust me on this.<br />
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Related links:<br />
My answer on Quora - <a href="http://bit.ly/buildMTB" target="_blank">How do I build a mountain bike, from just the frame all the way to the trail?</a><br />
<a href="http://akmalbikepark.blogspot.my/2015/02/modern-mtb-spoilt-for-choice.html" target="_blank">Modern MTB - Spoilt for Choice</a><br />
<a href="http://kelolo.blogspot.my/p/anatomi-sebuah-basikal-gunung.html" target="_blank">BC Kelolo's Anatomi Sebuah Basikal Gunung</a><br />
<a href="http://akmalbikepark.blogspot.my/2008/06/building-nazas-bike.html" target="_blank">My first adventure</a><br />
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akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-23661476660476588992016-07-05T23:34:00.000+08:002016-10-04T11:41:21.851+08:0022.05.2016 Troll's First Offroad<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCqzP_pHC69T_4Liw1YoSLH-RLsJNjzlz7ogjQIBYsCEp7V-egsitzCwCx84HRMXQz_TpXxuhqkYtOX2b8QLS_zszgQzlTtJIk6p5IcWJhoZYM_3K7x7fx0mxUd_Ctc1Z6Cqz9KsxUq6S/s1600/13256272_10209453651804072_1293667608685391373_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCqzP_pHC69T_4Liw1YoSLH-RLsJNjzlz7ogjQIBYsCEp7V-egsitzCwCx84HRMXQz_TpXxuhqkYtOX2b8QLS_zszgQzlTtJIk6p5IcWJhoZYM_3K7x7fx0mxUd_Ctc1Z6Cqz9KsxUq6S/s320/13256272_10209453651804072_1293667608685391373_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Troll's first taste of dirt</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: justify;">I wanted to know how it feels to ride the Surly Troll offroad, as it was meant to be. As a multi-purpose machine, I have ridden it for short rides to the market, around Seremban, and </span><a href="http://akmalbikepark.blogspot.my/2016/05/28042016-solo-mini-tour-seremban-sungai.html" style="text-align: justify;">a long ride</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. Never before offroad.</span><br />
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I transfered parts from XTC to Troll after Fajr. It took me about 1½ hours to complete the transfer, some tuning and clearing some snags.</div>
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Drivetrain is 9-speed SLX with LX crankset as it has been on the Troll. I decided not to use the rigid fork; I used the Epicon instead. Unless I have a bigger front tire (2.3 at least) and tubeless, I'd try out the rigid fork.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CqmmBm18cjIoh3oIDeiSiVJbC_rQ9iUU_ubOh2Dgdh7b7q1sPXka08PcdCKYyVouEl37ZPi8Vt-AMoSzed5Ay2F36H9LyjUVbWNIA5aL3gRVme0RuTE7mhK8kXO4YWkXFQIsGgE09Kxo/s1600/13221242_10209453663124355_6286990195402317142_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CqmmBm18cjIoh3oIDeiSiVJbC_rQ9iUU_ubOh2Dgdh7b7q1sPXka08PcdCKYyVouEl37ZPi8Vt-AMoSzed5Ay2F36H9LyjUVbWNIA5aL3gRVme0RuTE7mhK8kXO4YWkXFQIsGgE09Kxo/s320/13221242_10209453663124355_6286990195402317142_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>riders at Pylon</i></td></tr>
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At 8:00-ish, I cycled to TBS for the offroad ride with fellow Perpatih gang. With Remy, Kak Wan, Saiful and Abang Lias, we went into TBS offroad via Kacang. Then we ascended up to Pylon before resting at Leman Dawi with many helpings of its free refill Cendol. I cycled back home soon after we reached our morning rendez-vous point i.e. Petronas station at TBS.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0poQqOWRRaQRGNHmd8kMlWKdQ9iUivQcemRsRRiCYpXVvzB65J_gxsrGV9IdbizFk4L5nLrxOGNfjmt0OdByHCQq9MGJkOzGGRv3UWa9Zwfo0rh8yof_BMXY3Nx9axecAiSnOo9Zqoeq/s1600/13239388_10209453648883999_6528837571543679596_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0poQqOWRRaQRGNHmd8kMlWKdQ9iUivQcemRsRRiCYpXVvzB65J_gxsrGV9IdbizFk4L5nLrxOGNfjmt0OdByHCQq9MGJkOzGGRv3UWa9Zwfo0rh8yof_BMXY3Nx9axecAiSnOo9Zqoeq/s320/13239388_10209453648883999_6528837571543679596_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>me and my Troll</i></td></tr>
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My Surly Troll is fun and I could feel the difference compared to the XTC. Troll is a bit heavier than XTC due to the frame material. I do feel a bit relaxed when descending. The other thing that I really felt was that the Troll's handling is snappy. It just kind of do what I intended to do without delay. Turns are crisp, and much more focused. More impressions after few more rides perhaps.</div>
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More photos in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/akmalhizam/media_set?set=a.10209453632643593.1073741906.1408796996&type=3">here</a>.</div>
akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-35376129639133340552016-06-14T22:19:00.000+08:002016-06-21T13:50:06.823+08:00Tech: SRAM's 11s NX<h3>
Yet another 11s offering from SRAM, this one is an entry level grouppo for the masses (with a lot of mass, of course)</h3>
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After churning out their <a href="http://akmalbikepark.blogspot.my/2015/06/tech-srams-11s-gx.html" target="_blank">GX</a> range, SRAM released the NX groupset which is cheaper than GX. While GX is with an option of running either 1x11, 2x11 or 2x10, they set this one out as a 1x11 offering. However, unlike the previous 11s from SRAM, NX does not require the XD Drive freewheel body. Hence it is without the 10T in the cassette.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7C4Lf2hOm54b57KiOdQsgUxSKV-OrpO8QKcWVTv9kWVt7USHD0dvkaBgI0DN9pT9JOE793bnL28tuFJ7lcYITq86Jy6XdUB7w9mpFGMGSfFWpeRjkmevdi_lrIgjJE6epwba5QRtN5eo/s1600/SRAM-NX-1x11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7C4Lf2hOm54b57KiOdQsgUxSKV-OrpO8QKcWVTv9kWVt7USHD0dvkaBgI0DN9pT9JOE793bnL28tuFJ7lcYITq86Jy6XdUB7w9mpFGMGSfFWpeRjkmevdi_lrIgjJE6epwba5QRtN5eo/s320/SRAM-NX-1x11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The cassette in NX range is PG-1130, with 11-42T range and more than half a kilogram weight (538g to be exact). In front, the chainring offered are 30, 32, 34,36 & 38T. The crank is Boost 148 compatible , and also available for fatbike (4") as well as a plethora of different BB standards. This may be a cheaper option for getting 1x11 onto the fatbike, but you do have to consider the weight penalty to pair with the already hefty bike.</div>
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MTBR has put up a X1/GX/NX comparison chart - weight and price (USD). <a href="http://reviews.mtbr.com/sram-nx-drivetrain-most-affordable-1x-groupset-yet/sram-chart" target="_blank">Check it out</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbo-u7o_4j05B3G2G6tq9WYhvSuK25tXCRA3wOLGVRYGI9vcb9RHFEAsNDnLqxS4ysdE_6CrpOnaqKVWU-eimaJmjFmzW2cbJVWsV1KRzjV1DbqvD7QPU_GvPwOwQ1QwTbe1kiuEimTkkh/s1600/SRAM-Chart-900x238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbo-u7o_4j05B3G2G6tq9WYhvSuK25tXCRA3wOLGVRYGI9vcb9RHFEAsNDnLqxS4ysdE_6CrpOnaqKVWU-eimaJmjFmzW2cbJVWsV1KRzjV1DbqvD7QPU_GvPwOwQ1QwTbe1kiuEimTkkh/s640/SRAM-Chart-900x238.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Links:</div>
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<a href="https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain/family/nx" target="_blank">SRAM's NX page</a><span id="goog_1895766673"></span><span id="goog_1895766674"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>.</div>
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<a href="http://akmalbikepark.blogspot.my/2016/01/tech-srams-11-speed.html" target="_blank">Other SRAM's 11s family</a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo taken from <a href="http://bikemtb.net/sram-nx-il-nuovo-gruppo-1x11-entry-level/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></i></div>
akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-2225432706176524552016-05-12T22:36:00.000+08:002016-06-16T10:35:08.025+08:0028.04.2016 Solo Mini Tour: Seremban - Sungai Pelek - Seremban<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="font-weight: normal;">If Plan A is a no-go, proceed with Plan B. Else, proceed with Plan C.</i></h3>
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<i style="font-weight: normal;">Lemonade with extra pressing sort of thing.</i></h3>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9iz1_rHxiwyl8_aZdyNq-UAvRY5RL4L27YMazUtsXZkIj6CWg5jfyG2NqSk8JMvXtsNEEcVDAlhJa8bc13E1uQokmZxWp6ryRK8M-LdJbu5IM1PcvMBN28Fo2b4mNPh4opTW7zHL1ZG0/s1600/16+view+of+Sungai+Sepang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9iz1_rHxiwyl8_aZdyNq-UAvRY5RL4L27YMazUtsXZkIj6CWg5jfyG2NqSk8JMvXtsNEEcVDAlhJa8bc13E1uQokmZxWp6ryRK8M-LdJbu5IM1PcvMBN28Fo2b4mNPh4opTW7zHL1ZG0/s640/16+view+of+Sungai+Sepang.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the view of Sungai Sepang on board the ferry. On the right is Selangor, Negeri Sembilan on the left</i></td></tr>
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I took an annual leave on a Thursday and was ready to spend that day for a Masterclass wheelbuilding session. As Murphy's Law kicked in, at midnight I was informed that it has to be postponed (yes, not cancelled. Yeay!).</div>
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I was already in no mood to go to work, so I consoled myself to resort to Plan B i.e. a 42km mini tour from Sungai Pelek to Seremban via Lukut and Siliau. To get to Sungai Pelek, I'll be taking the bus from Terminal 1 in Seremban (cycling to T1 from home).</div>
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original route:</div>
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<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/GmQevSa98Y52">https://goo.gl/maps/GmQevSa98Y52</a></div>
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I took my sweet time prepping the bike after the rest of the family went out for school. For the first time I tested the bike bag that I had bought last year after the Labis to Seremban short tour. All okay, I set out to Terminal 1 at 9.00 am from home.</div>
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I reached T1 and went straight to the ticket counter to ask for the bus schedule to Sungai Pelek. I was told that there is none. </div>
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*blank*</div>
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Duhh... how uncharacteristic of me to not check for sure beforehand for such an important detail.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNPNThIcXKWzO43A8GJFNDJBLUFCb-0TWJp8JNWa0vTiUab1CY4xd-PVhEE4kITA8mex1DKl7nEQF0QtNXgxTe5vnFOFcLPCxo99s3AEeaOI91DH-vDgFhJ9nrkvGL9VQrjQ677U1GLF9/s1600/01+breakfast+stop+at+jalan+labu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNPNThIcXKWzO43A8GJFNDJBLUFCb-0TWJp8JNWa0vTiUab1CY4xd-PVhEE4kITA8mex1DKl7nEQF0QtNXgxTe5vnFOFcLPCxo99s3AEeaOI91DH-vDgFhJ9nrkvGL9VQrjQ677U1GLF9/s320/01+breakfast+stop+at+jalan+labu.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>breakfast stop at Jalan Labu</i></td></tr>
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Well, there's an impromptu Plan C, which is a bit crazy and unthinkable. Some sort of a gamble, but still doable. I think. While slowly pedaling out towards Jalan Labu, I thought 'hey, I've never been on Jalan Labu. This would be an adventure'. An adventure indeed. And I'm glad I did.</div>
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The very reason for the original mini tour is to get on board the infamous short ferry cruise crossing Sungai Sepang, the border of Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. That's the essence of it. And it is a very, very short ride. Not much of a drama, actually. So now the route has been extended extensively, I'm getting into the 'it's the journey that matters' state of mind.</div>
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The original route would have me pedaling about 42km, and with the additional adventure of about 60km (per Strava), the total is substantially extended to about 100km. Perhaps the longest I've ever pedaled in a day!</div>
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Not much preparation was made except on the bike that morning. A simple pack-up-and-go ride. Not even a proper breakfast (remind me not to do that again next time).</div>
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At 10:00-ish, I was on Jalan Labu and stopped for breakfast as soon as I spotted an eatery. After a plate of fried rice and iced tea (my current favourite drink), I continued on and headed towards Nilai on the spanking new road of Ainsdale after getting underneath the PLUS highway. It was already hot, but not to the point of getting exhausted and dehydrated. It was an okay kind of hot.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihY8rD89ZBh4a3eELEvvXGj_J8ynZN6Vb74j-JAuTb7ae5XzyiNDqXr1D1Ipkb0QXYM1pNoYw3GefilxBZXJAZDeOtYwuyQji3i0Uo8CUQn0cb0KDve9YAoCQI6LT2fas3gdj5BYrkXfTM/s1600/02+the+biggest+labu+seen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihY8rD89ZBh4a3eELEvvXGj_J8ynZN6Vb74j-JAuTb7ae5XzyiNDqXr1D1Ipkb0QXYM1pNoYw3GefilxBZXJAZDeOtYwuyQji3i0Uo8CUQn0cb0KDve9YAoCQI6LT2fas3gdj5BYrkXfTM/s320/02+the+biggest+labu+seen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>biggest pumpkin seen the whole day</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZowtfP5BlgRqlvJ_C7wq68k_j2Cqe1EWuqCKaRQ8kDlAL4Kyb9pG0R5SjRL2Yok7uEtSeacFOJmEPQgtlW4kdYXXoFkilmslK7vZSL1_ET1zEWVdVIUnIrOBvrpYOFgUSQq3KnPr4Sk1/s1600/03+Aunty+Aini%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZowtfP5BlgRqlvJ_C7wq68k_j2Cqe1EWuqCKaRQ8kDlAL4Kyb9pG0R5SjRL2Yok7uEtSeacFOJmEPQgtlW4kdYXXoFkilmslK7vZSL1_ET1zEWVdVIUnIrOBvrpYOFgUSQq3KnPr4Sk1/s320/03+Aunty+Aini%2527s.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Aunty Aini's near Nilai</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jalan Labu (route 362) towards SMAPL is a nice route. Perhaps due to a weekday morning, there were not many vehicles but still there were quite a number of lorries every now and then. At a T-junction, I veered right towards Nilai (N38) and carried on until I came at another T-junction where I turned left towards Sepang on route N28. Not far from Kedai Basikal Lasak Nilai, I stopped at a fruit stall for replenishing lost minerals. A cup of cold (diluted) coconut water did some work, and I moved on.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhava5eOLJD-Hy3VK-YdDD2H6Hz8Ef6KnXH7Qk8TdKcR9Zw1s8vechiq_889iYFj2W9H-5MUf_oG93rh6S1ieQAAv9oBLuuhMxZRm1Hok0SH4GSzdHN5SX5glNxVlepBQGzjbFcY3uO9C4y/s1600/04+coconut+stop+at+Nilai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhava5eOLJD-Hy3VK-YdDD2H6Hz8Ef6KnXH7Qk8TdKcR9Zw1s8vechiq_889iYFj2W9H-5MUf_oG93rh6S1ieQAAv9oBLuuhMxZRm1Hok0SH4GSzdHN5SX5glNxVlepBQGzjbFcY3uO9C4y/s320/04+coconut+stop+at+Nilai.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>not in Thailand</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I reached Salak and turned left at a T-junction towards Sepang on route B48. By that time there were many vehicles on the road as it was already nearing lunch time. I reached Sepang town at about noon and stopped for another cup of coconut water. I gave a call to Pak Ngah of DETC Bike Kitchen at Sg Pelek, asking if I could come around and say hi. Unbeknownst to me, I thought that Sg Pelek is not far from Sepang. It is actually about 12km. Seems a short distance by car. Hehe.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIjGfVkTCNEmCWDgjTaYig_X4hBW62YHYNFubrkQSzTnxP7PFetD_rzsIPr2N6ED215k5PY_penviXyJrdOHgdqy3kJQKJEVKrQbmYhQUPLplmQLNYqk7iGHP4x9y627NF5b4xaiOMseA/s1600/05+Sepang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIjGfVkTCNEmCWDgjTaYig_X4hBW62YHYNFubrkQSzTnxP7PFetD_rzsIPr2N6ED215k5PY_penviXyJrdOHgdqy3kJQKJEVKrQbmYhQUPLplmQLNYqk7iGHP4x9y627NF5b4xaiOMseA/s320/05+Sepang.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Nga9rDL5n9CygcHKB1SYu3BumZD5y9USQfitMfnEl-DUN253qW4aa86Byajkl2CFS2blPG1zSqdt3FexJRcuG6wtxf9FhQYFCFtHgMGpZaMEn5zIsOgr3Z2tZni3PTNcMe0Ag3aDas7j/s1600/06+Sg+Pelek+town.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Nga9rDL5n9CygcHKB1SYu3BumZD5y9USQfitMfnEl-DUN253qW4aa86Byajkl2CFS2blPG1zSqdt3FexJRcuG6wtxf9FhQYFCFtHgMGpZaMEn5zIsOgr3Z2tZni3PTNcMe0Ag3aDas7j/s320/06+Sg+Pelek+town.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>nearing Sungai Pelek town</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Just a little after 1:00 pm, I was already there and greeted by Pak Ngah's warm smile as always, and a few of his bikes on the ground of his backyard. Immediately he offered me a seat at the Bike Kitchen and he went inside his house. A couple of minutes later he had a jugful of cold sirap selasih on a tray for us. This was followed by two bowls of cold sagu dessert. Delicious is an understatement.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNXPq7jyEq4oo8VzT9mMYtY9IRt6jZ7aToNH6qIeF4SwjB_DUkrz3SwnUy4qZ66rDmaywqqzUzSNW19ULcBYNgakMVXFD1kWNyvDgVtzIAiTfHrDJajVemnLBf5sxsD3EI56yoSk70qNo/s1600/08+with+Pak+Ngah+Ishak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNXPq7jyEq4oo8VzT9mMYtY9IRt6jZ7aToNH6qIeF4SwjB_DUkrz3SwnUy4qZ66rDmaywqqzUzSNW19ULcBYNgakMVXFD1kWNyvDgVtzIAiTfHrDJajVemnLBf5sxsD3EI56yoSk70qNo/s320/08+with+Pak+Ngah+Ishak.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>with Pak Ngah at DETC Bike Kitchen</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have always admired Pak Ngah's generosity, be it in his sharing stories or knowledge or even the simple serving of cold drinks. Thank you, Pak Ngah. I pray that Allah would bestow upon you and family good health and wealth, and many more bikes (and fishing too).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
:D</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRTWEMp5Pf0vsaLhEzG5B9LqZ92jVMH1TYzq3LWMRkIkvXDHLFLshwpibhPIB-HCGCL_t1jdx8-ThhV1HF5uB3kxFrUXsNzEKokGWhfQFOm9YR_YcZwLuRMf1beBmKP_TiYZGdLsZgHgm/s1600/07+at+DETC+Bike+Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRTWEMp5Pf0vsaLhEzG5B9LqZ92jVMH1TYzq3LWMRkIkvXDHLFLshwpibhPIB-HCGCL_t1jdx8-ThhV1HF5uB3kxFrUXsNzEKokGWhfQFOm9YR_YcZwLuRMf1beBmKP_TiYZGdLsZgHgm/s320/07+at+DETC+Bike+Kitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>one for the road - photo by Pak Ngah Ishak</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At about half past two, I made a move and went out back towards Sg Pelek town for my lunch and solat. The small town and its nice masjid was quiet at that time. The weather was hot, but not too hot that I couldn't bear to go out. A little headache, yes, but not daunting.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpNug3Chdr3-6Cg4lG7IqE-mZSTt-8sIxE1WEwV5c2pwk2yQg_e8RiSBsWvQGcFj_HRT0u-fDaaEZbUKbmbtUTon0g2zsPjuluP7JcX6VYwvLy5ZzRoMHvwYm7qHEzImiVZd8zCpx3_NR/s1600/09+lunch+at+Sg+Pelek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpNug3Chdr3-6Cg4lG7IqE-mZSTt-8sIxE1WEwV5c2pwk2yQg_e8RiSBsWvQGcFj_HRT0u-fDaaEZbUKbmbtUTon0g2zsPjuluP7JcX6VYwvLy5ZzRoMHvwYm7qHEzImiVZd8zCpx3_NR/s320/09+lunch+at+Sg+Pelek.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>lunch stop at Sungai Pelek town</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After solat, and with the verbal instructions from Pak Ngah on how to get to the jetty, I pedaled slowly under the hot sun. There is not a single marking on the jetty. If you knew, you knew. Judging from the situation, I guess the ferry has never stopped getting back and forth with passengers since the morning. It was about 3:30 in the afternoon on a Thursday, and I was in the ferry with two others on their motorcycles. Over at the other side there were a couple more waiting for their turn. Also there were a husband and wife with their mountain bikes, just came back from their ride in Port Dickson.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehEM0kqftjF6aLQRgcPuCo8GPuKUUOMkbfMWJEAgrDKHGXPDDiMMg8HysYZaFJ2i3rf0opftEW5RYnwr09YtdQUbaitAACdTuXRoRdBtlydis0G3MdEsYfA9UvMnTU_WY9eOxcpPLAkgA/s1600/11+unmarked+lane+to+jetty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehEM0kqftjF6aLQRgcPuCo8GPuKUUOMkbfMWJEAgrDKHGXPDDiMMg8HysYZaFJ2i3rf0opftEW5RYnwr09YtdQUbaitAACdTuXRoRdBtlydis0G3MdEsYfA9UvMnTU_WY9eOxcpPLAkgA/s320/11+unmarked+lane+to+jetty.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>unmarked lane to the jetty</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7ZKQI5-_Xo43cJyokerHN1nPPicK9fEtXdqerns-kXmYKhiXPxMbQ9LjinaCvxz0QU_HsR6jN32OV-UsE34QuOkqfMDNxuJe4pQaIXq4LZX7U5D9ns9ELPfGuzyStx-KhG6Cn9yTM6-i/s1600/12+jetty+at+Selangor+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7ZKQI5-_Xo43cJyokerHN1nPPicK9fEtXdqerns-kXmYKhiXPxMbQ9LjinaCvxz0QU_HsR6jN32OV-UsE34QuOkqfMDNxuJe4pQaIXq4LZX7U5D9ns9ELPfGuzyStx-KhG6Cn9yTM6-i/s320/12+jetty+at+Selangor+side.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>jetty on the Selangor side</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_n_phislyr0Imro5ekDcdTkRo3LLLrw614ERcHTXJAhkODWo3K2etNMJn3B3Pr9XMi9PNULDZlBnN_5lAtbAf2nl3oYlALDahaMn-zBfWMsaxS7RQCRISKp8jFQdYlZk9VUO8PIJCydTG/s1600/13+jetty+at+Negeri+Sembilan+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_n_phislyr0Imro5ekDcdTkRo3LLLrw614ERcHTXJAhkODWo3K2etNMJn3B3Pr9XMi9PNULDZlBnN_5lAtbAf2nl3oYlALDahaMn-zBfWMsaxS7RQCRISKp8jFQdYlZk9VUO8PIJCydTG/s320/13+jetty+at+Negeri+Sembilan+side.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>ready to disembark at Negeri Sembilan</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GYuAPpd5OL3Gd0aXI3aSi800qJObqrWmBH9xCZ4HoWHiSPRkVe5OosKwr3niJVK1ZqZWIQEdo33bKRp85esR6lGfHtYQRthC6FBmlpIWCdhydCZXqqmGR1R-JnlgP3HWBEbjF1ZXs8h4/s1600/10+crossing+sg+sepang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GYuAPpd5OL3Gd0aXI3aSi800qJObqrWmBH9xCZ4HoWHiSPRkVe5OosKwr3niJVK1ZqZWIQEdo33bKRp85esR6lGfHtYQRthC6FBmlpIWCdhydCZXqqmGR1R-JnlgP3HWBEbjF1ZXs8h4/s320/10+crossing+sg+sepang.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Troll on the ferry</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4X3iGsK-4eqn5gKdHNGCwuzi2xRQbzWSgmu3s_0pVfcIerQly8Z10frHAUJsJAFF8YqC9RfLnjtrmq1DCzbFNevR_5VVxvKQaLsJD1Y3zGmRCqFAsvZr4onyD62KVpsNDxewr4ea9bXf/s1600/14+Mel+and+Penny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4X3iGsK-4eqn5gKdHNGCwuzi2xRQbzWSgmu3s_0pVfcIerQly8Z10frHAUJsJAFF8YqC9RfLnjtrmq1DCzbFNevR_5VVxvKQaLsJD1Y3zGmRCqFAsvZr4onyD62KVpsNDxewr4ea9bXf/s320/14+Mel+and+Penny.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mel and Penny</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In our short exchange, Mel told me that they moved to Sungai Pelek from their place in KL some time ago. I get acquainted with his wife Penny as well. It was a brief encounter while they embarked the ferry with their bikes; and as soon as I was about to get ready to disembark, the ferry had already made a turn to the other side. <br />
So I stayed for another cruise to get to Negeri Sembilan and enjoyed the view of Sungai Sepang with healthy mangrove trees on either sides. Not a bad thing to have a double dose of the essence of the trip. With no extra charge.<br />
:D<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xm9uZTyil4Cyr9eVG0_Jdsc9uwk3Ny7xsr15q_sxsV2pRbzzkIANDNlA9nlETpQssJWKMdrOLIAAUjF7hYygbD62czXxobcubGfhtLm5wQeqtj_9GmrNqiEEd72nLM6BfhspT62wIMSq/s1600/15+ferry+fare+FYI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xm9uZTyil4Cyr9eVG0_Jdsc9uwk3Ny7xsr15q_sxsV2pRbzzkIANDNlA9nlETpQssJWKMdrOLIAAUjF7hYygbD62czXxobcubGfhtLm5wQeqtj_9GmrNqiEEd72nLM6BfhspT62wIMSq/s320/15+ferry+fare+FYI.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>FYI</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now with the second leg of the whole thing in front of me, I started pedaling in Kampung India out to route N4 towards Chuah and moved further on to Tanah Merah. I took a right turn to route 5 to get to Lukut. Quite a boring route and the day was getting hotter. Mel told me that Siliau is a good route, so I was really looking forward to that.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxjhkamwxjUdy9e1iZf_dpu6B8cNB9UfIcPjIkGIkw38H_Hd7Uf7q2CQ8tksPbjfF4Z67Zn1yLDVAQkNCU5JlQLjrYsFHk0AN3I2Az4AFFVXw8mNkiq3xy7An5UDx_lV3-IGwxevGbNaq/s1600/17+at+Chuah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxjhkamwxjUdy9e1iZf_dpu6B8cNB9UfIcPjIkGIkw38H_Hd7Uf7q2CQ8tksPbjfF4Z67Zn1yLDVAQkNCU5JlQLjrYsFHk0AN3I2Az4AFFVXw8mNkiq3xy7An5UDx_lV3-IGwxevGbNaq/s320/17+at+Chuah.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>at Chuah</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To be frank, I was getting a bit tired by then. What with the little headache and muscle cramp setting up, it is too easy to give up. However, I stayed dehydrated and made sure I have enough water. I stopped at a petrol station to replenish water, and get some salty chewables to aid the muscle cramp. That was in the form of <a href="http://gihijia.blogspot.sg/2014/03/mo-far-kor.html" target="_blank">Mor Far Kor</a>. It worked, seriously. Gradually the niggling soreness died away. While the distance to Siliau got shorter, my motivation grew bigger.<br />
<br />
At the T-junction of routes 5 and 53, I went to the left and headed to Siliau passing by Lukut town. As I get nearer to the Seremban - PD highway, the surrounding became familiar. Not boring, rather exciting. I turned into the Springhill housing estate for a change of view and hoping for lesser rolling hills. Well, there were a few but not that bad.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGcnYXXh1zJ6DjyYsRE40DGqwOva5PLZ1Eb5OatbNqk9vqhuF5fP5h9GZYDHuVKA6tBCqMTbGMkMlMiPM21tcGKxV7HFXkxCyMdfFLsQq3BjBidN-Q0QD2sH9uJ_dnzjnDCQeZc4A1qBd/s1600/18+at+Lukut+towards+Siliau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGcnYXXh1zJ6DjyYsRE40DGqwOva5PLZ1Eb5OatbNqk9vqhuF5fP5h9GZYDHuVKA6tBCqMTbGMkMlMiPM21tcGKxV7HFXkxCyMdfFLsQq3BjBidN-Q0QD2sH9uJ_dnzjnDCQeZc4A1qBd/s320/18+at+Lukut+towards+Siliau.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>at Lukut towards Siliau and Seremban</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Not far after exiting Bandar Springhill, I carried on riding along route 53. A quick stop just before the underpass of the Seremban - PD highway to check on my phone. It was running out of juice, so I decided to end the tracking on Strava and switched it off completely.<br />
<br />
Very soon, I came around Siliau. And yes, the route is nice. There are many trees lining up the road. As it was already the end of the work day, the road got busier. Lorries were plenty. Buses too. I kept on pedaling steady while glancing once in a while on my side mirror assessing the traffic.<br />
<br />
I reached Mambau, which is very familiar. My wife's late aunt's house is in Taman Kelab Tuanku. It is not far to the roundabout towards Seremban. By this time I was already feeling hungry but didn't stop for anything. The next stop would be the final point of this whole thing - home.<br />
<br />
I passed by Hospital Tuanku Jaafar in Rahang and pedaled towards KGV. From there I went to Jalan Keliling and to Kolej MARA Seremban and got to Jalan Dato Muda Linggi (aka route 51 aka the road to Ampangan) via Jalan Penghulu Cantik. One of my favourite stretch of inner road in Seremban.<br />
<br />
Not long after that I reached Ampangan and up the hill at Taman Bukti before concluding the 100+ km journey at 7:00 pm.<br />
<br />
All in all, I enjoyed the ride. Simple as that. I learned a thing or two. I was on roads I haven't been on before. I finally did some things that I have wanted to do for a long time. A bonus too, for pedaling more than 100km in a day - my first. It was great.<br />
<br />
But no, I won't do it again.<br />
There are many more routes to be ridden on.<br />
Kan?</div>
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Captured routes on Strava:</div>
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1. home - Terminal 1 - Sg Pelek</div>
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<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/558874472">https://www.strava.com/activities/558874472</a></div>
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59.8km</div>
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<br /></div>
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2. Sg Pelek - jetty - up to Siliau (hp ran out of juice)</div>
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<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/558968037">https://www.strava.com/activities/558968037</a></div>
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32.3km</div>
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<br /></div>
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Photos are in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/akmalhizam/media_set?set=a.10209283159621874.1073741904.1408796996&type=3" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-51140043474684463282016-05-04T21:33:00.000+08:002016-05-04T21:33:08.271+08:0020.03.2016: Spartan Race Super 2016<h4>
<i style="font-weight: normal;">Sunburn, muscle soreness, skin abrasion and headache from March Equinox heat. All trumped by the high feeling of brotherhood and togetherness.</i></h4>
Venue: <a href="https://www.google.com.sg/maps/place/Khoo+Soon+Lee+Realty+Sdn.+Bhd./@2.961028,101.466148,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xb8476b4ead299c43" target="_blank">Canary Gardens, Bandar Bestari Klang</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wYQyeuIsmqWTUMu-j6G-bTDD6TvT88-gVVMcgt3CcW0yv261nJ7xKISvlowdLU_HWtBYJaEj7-Lug1skbkzFxQjTcCCXkQHqGY2O64nt8nsWSEsERljZYy_YuNo7QvoZrvuCS74h4Vyz/s1600/01+NCUK.Whattt+start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wYQyeuIsmqWTUMu-j6G-bTDD6TvT88-gVVMcgt3CcW0yv261nJ7xKISvlowdLU_HWtBYJaEj7-Lug1skbkzFxQjTcCCXkQHqGY2O64nt8nsWSEsERljZYy_YuNo7QvoZrvuCS74h4Vyz/s400/01+NCUK.Whattt+start.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Team NCUK.Whattt?<br />
Capt Izham<br />
Azwat<br />
Azman<br />
Hairul<br />
Akmal<br />
Ashraf<br />
Zaiman<br />
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(and team Bekamer, Zakuan, on his favourite couch at home)</div>
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The seven of us, whom we had known each other back in our college days in Shah Alam formed a team for the Super leg of the Spartan Race. An eclectic mix of triathletes, marathoners, CrossFitter and other mid-life crises outlets achievers.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Izham, Hairul and myself took part as individuals in the Sprint leg October last year in different heats. In our quest towards achieving the Trifecta (finishing the Sprint, Super and Beast courses), we decided to team up and enjoined by others as well.</div>
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What's beneficial in being this team is that we got the privilege of getting in the early heat, taking advantage of Izham's early registration. Indeed, it is quite an important one as the date coincides with the year's March Equinox, set to be the hottest day of the year. The best of it all, we were reunited after more than 20 years since college, and I'd say the bond is strengthen right there along the course with brotherhood and camaraderie.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczmAHLMQ_eLnzpubRv-p_lhAj8dal9C4J8ZCd2n3cQXoQeBQaGOMZFioBRTsWp_bD1DdbJRQ0-JNw52_Osec-2kZWBWf_PcADiUZKVXyf93D49COMsZQEg-UXZ4KkAFUm8rq4Ui99ytaJ/s1600/02+muddy+barbwire+crawl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczmAHLMQ_eLnzpubRv-p_lhAj8dal9C4J8ZCd2n3cQXoQeBQaGOMZFioBRTsWp_bD1DdbJRQ0-JNw52_Osec-2kZWBWf_PcADiUZKVXyf93D49COMsZQEg-UXZ4KkAFUm8rq4Ui99ytaJ/s320/02+muddy+barbwire+crawl.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>muddy barbwire crawl</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The objective of this leg was met; we stayed (strolled) together from the start until the end. All the way along the 13 km trail and trenches over (and under some) 20+ obstacles.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I prepared more of my upper body strength primarily doing pull-ups, chin-ups and biceps. Basically with the aim of clearing the rope climb obstacle which I failed miserably during the Sprint event. The other obstacles requiring upper body strength are the walls. 8 ft., 10 ft. and inverted walls. Overall I did better than Sprint in general although it could be better. I cleared the walls with a little help, but perhaps with 80% of my own effort. Believe me, to get that 20% more is quite a daunting task. For that I thank my team members for their literal support.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm happy to report that I was only a feet away from hitting the bell on the rope climb. Didn't manage to clear the obstacle, but almost there. Miles better that not being able to even lift myself up during Sprint. Hats off to Hairul and Ashraf for their victory against the rope's bell.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I found myself in a much better shape against many of the obstacles also featured in Sprint event; in part because of familiarity, but most of it due to the time spent at the gym and around the track at Kombes Paroi. The other thing that made it much more bearable is that we didn't run all along the course. Yes, we walked. Hehe. Of course, finishing the whole course in 5 hours is nothing much to shout about. Alas, we did it. Together.</div>
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*except for maybe the last few obstacles where Hairul sprinted off to catch up with the time; he had to get back home ASAP to fetch his boys for their afternoon events.</div>
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<br /></div>
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There were a few more additional obstacles not featured in Sprint leg; among them the Tyrolean Traverse, of which I had the same fate with my rope climb. Almost hitting the bell, but my hands just could not bear the grip anymore and I gracefully fell down on my back to the smelly bed of mud. Another one in my list to be cleared off during the Beast leg later this year.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Izham's pair of Salomons gave up on him from the 3rd kilometer on the course. We had to resort to on-the-trail McGyver fix. It lasted up until the 12th km, which is not bad at all. We went in the muddy trails, over numerous trenches and through the course obstacles, stopping at several places to refasten the makeshift broad lacing made out of the cordon tapes.</div>
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:)</div>
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<br /></div>
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There was a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/malaysiamet/photos/pcb.967283109988319/967282949988335/?type=3" target="_blank">circulation</a> issued by the Meteorological Department notifying the general public on the heatwave and March equinox a few days before the event day. Coincidentally, the event date is on the March equinox so it was making quite a stir among the participants. Taking cue from the worried cries on social media, the organiser announced that they are going to fortify the 6 water stations along the route. That in itself means that we won't have to bring along our hydration belts/packs on our waists/backs. Cold water and Lucozade were provided in adequate amount (well at least for our morning heat).</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KzHMoTXlJm1a_gejqpksYt6mWt7eDTfMxjVmkrl3QxVDneVsje7PzSe2l9VUstg2qJeHN2p_5KxrzuuBBlAVvZWQwNqmDDi42CVY_plz4fYZd_WEyKSRCmpknXXTt4qaEI1Y23XAZ6uC/s1600/03+finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KzHMoTXlJm1a_gejqpksYt6mWt7eDTfMxjVmkrl3QxVDneVsje7PzSe2l9VUstg2qJeHN2p_5KxrzuuBBlAVvZWQwNqmDDi42CVY_plz4fYZd_WEyKSRCmpknXXTt4qaEI1Y23XAZ6uC/s400/03+finish.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPiiG1AQ-SQzNipXPY3mu9a9pSO_7OKUkNGJP8t8HjNKoSURB7keuwnp4z0qjq3ezBNhJrOa2j_oulAGckL87DTwLv2GZLoV5z6oRh_3SXRnTlgCx-2k6LBkiwX_8vKKcA4t1vfziJdhdq/s1600/04+team+pose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPiiG1AQ-SQzNipXPY3mu9a9pSO_7OKUkNGJP8t8HjNKoSURB7keuwnp4z0qjq3ezBNhJrOa2j_oulAGckL87DTwLv2GZLoV5z6oRh_3SXRnTlgCx-2k6LBkiwX_8vKKcA4t1vfziJdhdq/s400/04+team+pose.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We finished at about 1.00 pm, and marched straight to the photo booth for the team's victory photo after collecting our medals. Before getting to the shower area, we collected our Finisher t-shirt and bags. In the end, I decided not to have shower at site, but to get a proper shower at my hotel room in Klang as I have arranged earlier for a late check-out.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCsNsk7Ot223SIZjsCQkgc1_Cjl5Ssw8f0fm1pr_vCewG8uoN8CpdxkkMLUonX3vWc-4HTtbsBHgoC4v-_9DxdU42KFJAVBKo1qgk9bks9Vjsi0dLSDYUXId4Dd-NXQ9e8HF2cqFEMS21/s1600/05+trifoota.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCsNsk7Ot223SIZjsCQkgc1_Cjl5Ssw8f0fm1pr_vCewG8uoN8CpdxkkMLUonX3vWc-4HTtbsBHgoC4v-_9DxdU42KFJAVBKo1qgk9bks9Vjsi0dLSDYUXId4Dd-NXQ9e8HF2cqFEMS21/s320/05+trifoota.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>trifoota featuring Izham's Salomon</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The t-shirt and bag collection were two places where the organisers failed quite miserably. We were handed a simple cutout red ribbon upon getting our finisher medals as a token for exchange at the t-shirt counter. Immediately I thought that it is a bad idea as it can't be controlled especially when I could easily pick up about ten of those red ribbons on the ground right there and exchange for equal number of t-shirts. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCpy5nXVFahFHlvtpNqKuvxMBjEDK6wvPqgJsAWohLsgVMWYx-rLwbMybsmOrEN6ip0elIiXsrziiaSW8CVHT6BjPSGa5oqNdhOV4Svgtju8LAjDKjx7Yoo-_z5BSNz-S-nJx0eQ-oYjO/s1600/06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCpy5nXVFahFHlvtpNqKuvxMBjEDK6wvPqgJsAWohLsgVMWYx-rLwbMybsmOrEN6ip0elIiXsrziiaSW8CVHT6BjPSGa5oqNdhOV4Svgtju8LAjDKjx7Yoo-_z5BSNz-S-nJx0eQ-oYjO/s320/06.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Of course I didn't, I'm a Spartan. Albeit, some did and poor Spartans for the later heats were left with bigger sizes to collect (as mere souvenirs or maybe repurposed as a wall decor). The sizing for this time is much different than the Super. The M size that I had last time was a bit tight, so I opted for an L. Fortunately my former teammate Sudi was around and he told me that it is a bit bigger compared to before. So I got myself an M size t-shirt, and it fits me just nice although a bit short.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeurwfmDBOzs6dLfTXsesKHty4lLgCoSI-5AjT7iEqwfDT1yqWuxg1NjCoaPjRC0_teC02kiqu0FCefCeFuAURyA2s4od2dvrNWKtE8sQaWc8RdDTw3P0lcTAdH1Q-Fn0GsZ6-ATQq2djC/s1600/07+two+third.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeurwfmDBOzs6dLfTXsesKHty4lLgCoSI-5AjT7iEqwfDT1yqWuxg1NjCoaPjRC0_teC02kiqu0FCefCeFuAURyA2s4od2dvrNWKtE8sQaWc8RdDTw3P0lcTAdH1Q-Fn0GsZ6-ATQq2djC/s320/07+two+third.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>two-third of the trifecta</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I got my bag at the chaotic bag counter quite easily as I could spot it from the outside, hung by the wall together with a friend's. Different story for many fellow Spartans though. Some found theirs appallingly laid outside the bag tent, and some separated from the bags checked in together, and some unlucky souls had their belongings lost.<br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Overall I think this Super leg is a mix of improvements from the previous Sprint but marred by lagging in some of the things they did okay before. I'm hoping that the next event - Beast - (which by default is a must due to the allure of completing the Trifecta) would be an avenue for the organiser to prove their mantle in getting things right if not better. <br />
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And of course on my part to get much better in clearing the obstacles, with minimum burpees to pay.</div>
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Aru!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>more photos in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/akmalhizam/media_set?set=a.10208894960277133.1073741898.1408796996&type=3" target="_blank">here</a>.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfyUv3usvmrHAGdrRocVIvhBL4oOwSQMO_ltNAhHIYgx7KOlI3LISkg-gVJe_XSxWuPVRkCGOtZThZatWQ4f0N04do3DxByUTGQu2Mka4oJcP2nqHXMeWozLhPNivle_oJVENtnvLae79/s1600/08+the+aftermath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfyUv3usvmrHAGdrRocVIvhBL4oOwSQMO_ltNAhHIYgx7KOlI3LISkg-gVJe_XSxWuPVRkCGOtZThZatWQ4f0N04do3DxByUTGQu2Mka4oJcP2nqHXMeWozLhPNivle_oJVENtnvLae79/s400/08+the+aftermath.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Spartans wash their clothes themselves</i></td></tr>
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<i><br /></i></div>
akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-76988280025196630462016-04-27T21:54:00.000+08:002016-04-27T21:54:02.209+08:00Gear Calculator: Compare your next possible drivetrainI've found a gem!<br />
<br />
Okay, here it is.<br />
Go to <a href="http://www.ritzelrechner.de/">http://www.ritzelrechner.de/</a> and have fun.<br />
<br />
I have been collecting data and putting them onto an excel spreadsheet and hoping that one fine day I could publish it here for your convenience. It shall be a comprehensive tool in aiding us finding the best possible drivetrain by way of comparing the gear ratio spread which would suit our riding style.<br />
<br />
While reading <a href="http://www.bikerumor.com/2014/03/28/gear-ratios-comparing-2x10-versus-1x11-mountain-bike-drivetrains/" target="_blank">this post</a> over at Bike Rumor, I found the link above posted by <a href="http://bikeshop.nl/">bikeshop.nl</a> in their simple comment.<br />
<br />
<i>*it goes without saying that it pays to read <u>everything</u> and explore the links to get useful information.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
That 2014 post by Tyler Benedict in Bike Rumor actually came from a forum discussion at MTBR, which originally posted by Daryl Smith; a gearing table for selecting chainring for XX1 drivetrain way back in 2013.<br />
<br />
The handy <a href="http://www.ritzelrechner.de/" target="_blank">Gear Calculator</a> is copyrighted by Dirk Feeken.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurout9qcTbfRmlAydFcjG481QBiR88dacNF1zSutfxHnI5PeLeLdNOytXdwQiHKIR7UcN-l_Jf_nXydYjTQXFEvju0cegerKYIBxuUti1n2jnbmoRc6TLFCTBCbTwL5aQYBoY2K1x4ZAV/s1600/gear-calc-compare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurout9qcTbfRmlAydFcjG481QBiR88dacNF1zSutfxHnI5PeLeLdNOytXdwQiHKIR7UcN-l_Jf_nXydYjTQXFEvju0cegerKYIBxuUti1n2jnbmoRc6TLFCTBCbTwL5aQYBoY2K1x4ZAV/s640/gear-calc-compare.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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What I like most about it is the Compare two Setups bit. In the image above, I compared my current 3x9 versus 1x10 with OneUp (40T). Click <a href="http://www.ritzelrechner.de/?GR=DERS&KB=22,32,44&RZ=11,13,15,17,20,23,26,30,34&UF=2100&TF=90&SL=2.6&UN=KMH&GR2=DERS&KB2=34&RZ2=11,13,16,19,21,24,28,32,36,40&UF2=2100" target="_blank">here</a> to play around with the setup.<br />
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3x9: 22/32/44T with 11-13-15-17-20-23-26-30-34T<br />
1x10: 34T with 11-13-16-19-21-24-28-32-36-40T<br />
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You can visually assess the gear steps and also other parameters such as the speed at a given gear ratio and cadence (90 in the above example), tire development for a single crank turn for the gear ratio and wheel/tire size, and many more display options.<br />
<br />
What blew me away is how updated the calculator is. In its Sprockets drop down list, SRAM's new <a href="https://www.sram.com/stories/introducing-sram-eagle-1x" target="_blank">12 speed Eagle</a> is there as well. Listed cassettes are from 9 speed up to 12 speed. If you wanted to see how a custom sprocket setup would fare, no sweat; just drag away the unwanted cassette sprockets from the graphical display and move it out of the line-up. Pretty versatile.<br />
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Internal gears are also listed. Have a look at the 'Gearing' list. Rohloff, Pinion, Shimano Alfine, Sturmey Archer and Brompton are a few among them. There's also Singlespeed as well.<br />
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For me, this convenience is blessedly an answered prayer.<br />
Thank you Dirk.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-88925770034481882862016-03-07T22:38:00.000+08:002016-03-10T10:44:08.083+08:00Drop That Post!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Basically influenced by Dino's <a href="http://norizzuddin.blogspot.sg/2015/09/dropper-post-on-on-one-456-evo2.html" target="_blank">experience</a> with his manual dropper on his steel hardtail, I jumped at the opportunity to own a rather exotic dropper post offered by a friend's friend in Shah Alam. One of the best in the market though a bit dated and basic, Thomson Elite Dropper is golden (in finish too!). Anyway, due to restriction in $ and time, I delayed the purchase for a month. Luckily for me, the seller is not in an urgent sale.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifstn4LWHlJsVMiJzuwz-hxsWaXZq8YL6HkXgemaCjtvq9TwAbbtHA0MwiI2dmzRliwx8J-4KzIYho-tCPGMo3hhfcF6fe4QSUAmCTx0nDWK34CpcNz5CptIQ1mBL0wnv8Y5KDYASTe8S4/s1600/01+dropper+post+%252B+handlebar+in+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifstn4LWHlJsVMiJzuwz-hxsWaXZq8YL6HkXgemaCjtvq9TwAbbtHA0MwiI2dmzRliwx8J-4KzIYho-tCPGMo3hhfcF6fe4QSUAmCTx0nDWK34CpcNz5CptIQ1mBL0wnv8Y5KDYASTe8S4/s320/01+dropper+post+%252B+handlebar+in+view.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I know that I don't have to think twice to own a Thomson given their reputation for quality and performance. Still, I read some reviews and watched youtube clips about it before getting my hands on this piece of top notch marvellous mechanical wonder. Simple, practical and best of all, it is maintenance free. I guess by the time I paid COD for the item its 2-year warranty period has lapsed. Not a bad thing for the price I paid, I'd say.</div>
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Primarily dropper posts are normally found (and perhaps expected) on Enduro bikes. Its weight at about 500-600 grams in a set comprising lever and cable/hose is a hindrance to have it installed on lightweight XC setups. I decided to put it on my already heavy Trance, hoping that it would add to the fun enjoying (mild) downhills.</div>
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I installed it the night before an offroad ride at Panchor. It didn't take me a long time to install (it's still a seatpost). I find that Thomson's simple saddle clamp design in particular makes it easy to adjust the position of the saddle - fore/aft and horizontal adjustment are dead easy.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJl7U9OCX7QdFIh073wiLhGo0iFFjCrob5ZgkkrHa2hPnHcln1a7CDp8CkaYowv78bALM-Mwy96fGnRzLT4Azt4VamubGwmDYzWxq3IlogMhNMuXFpGW9lue956WVOc4zZrmAan2cJz35m/s1600/02+lever+from+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJl7U9OCX7QdFIh073wiLhGo0iFFjCrob5ZgkkrHa2hPnHcln1a7CDp8CkaYowv78bALM-Mwy96fGnRzLT4Azt4VamubGwmDYzWxq3IlogMhNMuXFpGW9lue956WVOc4zZrmAan2cJz35m/s320/02+lever+from+front.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>there's still enough room for a bell,<br />but my thumb won't be able to reach it </i>:)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
However, my handlebar is now a bit cluttered with clamps at both ends; 4 on each - grip, brake, shifter and remote lever. There are 4 cables and 2 hoses sprouting out from the handlebar now, which is quite an overwhelming sight if I really look at it. Anyway, I wouldn't be bothered with it for now unless I want to revamp the whole drivetrain/brake/fork system as my next expensive tinkering/upgrade while getting the overall weight down a bit.</div>
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For now, call me Captain Handlebar.</div>
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A simple test ride around the neighbourhood past midnight after the installation was quite good. I love how the lever works. Press it down, and with my body weight the post drops all 125mm down in a smooth fashion. Press it again and the dropper goes up at a rate which is quite gentle to the bum (and balls). Depending on the rate of how the lever is pressed, the rate of the dropper going back up can be controlled. That means if I want to have it partially up, I just have to press down the lever up to a point where I needed the post to be. Simple and practical.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpaXJjbcTOpN8MEPLItzjOuwKGWhc35qZob6LjspfVj4-ssuI7JT9Tu4FjFOYsp04ng0hCwb29trFe2PlDy3pEzkPh9O9Q9xgGqFe7kA_VWIk1kIDsvfk7xQz9g9ZdXlFyvjOn-FL1pQLi/s1600/03+lever+from+aft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpaXJjbcTOpN8MEPLItzjOuwKGWhc35qZob6LjspfVj4-ssuI7JT9Tu4FjFOYsp04ng0hCwb29trFe2PlDy3pEzkPh9O9Q9xgGqFe7kA_VWIk1kIDsvfk7xQz9g9ZdXlFyvjOn-FL1pQLi/s320/03+lever+from+aft.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>simple remote lever</i></td></tr>
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Alas, there is one more item added on the handlebar, and one more decision to make on the trails now. Do I need to bring the post down? Should I bring the post back up? People who are using single chainring are now claiming that they are having one less burden of thinking about the front shifter (as well as the weight benefit). My Trance setup currently has everything. Triple front shifter, remote lockout for the fork, remote lever for the dropper seatpost, brakes and 10-speed rear shifter. I purposely didn't install a cyclometer on Trance to keep it as a fun bike. No need to bother myself on the ride data and such; rather relegated it to Strava on my smartphone (if it works correctly).</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Nhbbl9ojpVCfEw-x9UJ1pPxonW6Lbt7QdawKUkOC_UEEiAHeuOCegW-VcKMhZBmOJyDeF3nPnK8t4MJT0y4ZQrTKk8rFMBapyDSOhutN8t1BMSF2xjl6cgFg_OS8CRJBOHqwyJlOMiqt/s1600/20160309_212647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Nhbbl9ojpVCfEw-x9UJ1pPxonW6Lbt7QdawKUkOC_UEEiAHeuOCegW-VcKMhZBmOJyDeF3nPnK8t4MJT0y4ZQrTKk8rFMBapyDSOhutN8t1BMSF2xjl6cgFg_OS8CRJBOHqwyJlOMiqt/s320/20160309_212647.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>busy cockpit</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Having the service of the dropper post on an offroad descend is a bliss. It is simply awesome. I am now talking about the dropper post in general. The benefits are as mentioned by Dino i.e. better control of the handlebar and the bike in general while descending. In order to lower my center of gravity during steep/technical downhill, I don't have to bring my butt to the back past the seatpost as much. This reduces arm stretch. Hence, reduced fatigue as well as having better play of the elbows. There is now a 125mm clearance on my bum to negotiate the bumps while descending so no worries on the saddle hitting my rump. The result: I could go faster. And I did, I think. That certainly brought more fun to the already fun Trance. Worth the dough and the weight penalty.</div>
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Now, about the weight...</div>
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Hmm...</div>
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Thanks for dropping by.</div>
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Enjoy your rides!</div>
akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-19537846756458291592016-03-02T12:56:00.000+08:002016-03-02T12:56:10.844+08:00Take A Step BackWhile we are getting lost in our obsession and passion towards upgrading and adding our rigs, take a step back and remind ourself why do we take up cycling in the first place.<br />
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Take your time, and dive deep and rethink.akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-76955168616772231062016-02-21T21:12:00.000+08:002016-02-21T21:12:03.603+08:00Get the Rear Edge - Alternative Cassettes<div style="text-align: justify;">
Below is the lowdown on the alternative cassettes to give you the range for gear ratio on your MTB drivetrain, be it currently by Shimano or SRAM. Assuming that other things remain constant (chain, front chainring ratio, tire size, crank size, etc.), let's look at the possible range that you may employ for your rig.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm34X6VecJv-70fg-WJoHvlQlm7aoicqmM3Dd0LQ3oK1PqVzvPkQQNGO-Fmb3NEQ90oFpfXp7t75abEuj9vwuPPPKWe28dXCZ3yRE5F91yOHJwtZJH-iDm-URBXxpIdv80xePNqEKcFWoQ/s1600/praxisworks+10s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm34X6VecJv-70fg-WJoHvlQlm7aoicqmM3Dd0LQ3oK1PqVzvPkQQNGO-Fmb3NEQ90oFpfXp7t75abEuj9vwuPPPKWe28dXCZ3yRE5F91yOHJwtZJH-iDm-URBXxpIdv80xePNqEKcFWoQ/s320/praxisworks+10s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Praxisworks - </b><a href="https://www.praxiscycles.com/product/cassette/" target="_blank">10sp Wide Range Cassette</a></div>
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range: 11-40T</div>
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toothcount: 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-34-40</div>
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material: steel (11 through 28), hard anodized 7075-T6 aluminium (34 & 40)</div>
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weight: 322g average</div>
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price: USD130</div>
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Advantages:</div>
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1. low gear 40T without having to resort to 10s cassette modification (<a href="http://int.oneupcomponents.com/collections/all-products/products/40t-sprocket-16t" target="_blank">One-Up</a> at USD80, <a href="http://www.hopetech.com/product/40t-rex/" target="_blank">Hope</a>, etc.)</div>
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2. smooth transition between gear range</div>
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3. could achieve lower overall weight</div>
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However:</div>
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1. highest gear is with 11T</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLftAJibxqT3ETZasA5RO_OZYL-rBSlIiW-HVgjGMrdmX5ZEQO6ywFIhaMhBgBNgyGvpJ9KwdAhp-_ngk9TsDq3YKc3e86M19F0W3r0TWR-M6asL-ZZu5z6W2g_UtNFCeS0ZTl0mxaugi/s1600/TRS%252B+10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLftAJibxqT3ETZasA5RO_OZYL-rBSlIiW-HVgjGMrdmX5ZEQO6ywFIhaMhBgBNgyGvpJ9KwdAhp-_ngk9TsDq3YKc3e86M19F0W3r0TWR-M6asL-ZZu5z6W2g_UtNFCeS0ZTl0mxaugi/s320/TRS%252B+10.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>e*thirteen</b> - <a href="http://bythehive.com/e-thirteen/components/2016-trs-cassettes/" target="_blank">TRS+</a></div>
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range: 9-42T (10 speed), 9-44T (11 speed)</div>
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toothcount:</div>
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10 speed: 9-10-12-14-17-20-24-28-35-42</div>
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11 speed: 9-10-12-14-17-20-24-28-32-38-44</div>
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weight: 300g (10 speed), 320g (11 speed)</div>
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price: USD279 (10 speed), USD309 (11 speed)</div>
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Advantages:</div>
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1. <b>9T</b> high gear instead of SRAM's 10T</div>
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2a. low gear 42T (for 10 speed) without having to resort to 10s cassette modification (<a href="http://int.oneupcomponents.com/products/oneup-components-sprocket" target="_blank">One-Up</a> at USD80, <a href="http://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/collections/cassette-cogs" target="_blank">Wolftooth</a> at USD79.95, etc.)</div>
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2b. low gear 44T (for 11 speed) without having to resort to 11s cassette modification (<a href="http://int.oneupcomponents.com/products/x-cog-44t-sprocket" target="_blank">One-Up</a> at USD80, <a href="http://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/collections/cassette-cogs" target="_blank">Wolftooth</a> at USD79.95, etc.)</div>
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3. comparatively lighter weight (excluding the XD Driver) compared to Praxisworks' 'equivalent'.</div>
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However:</div>
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1. requires SRAM's XD Driver</div>
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2. price for 10s is more than double of Praxisworks' (however, it is not exactly apple-to-apple comparison as you won't get the advantage of 9T high gear).</div>
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<b>So?</b></div>
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Well, it is up to you to decide which one is best for your gearing needs. Bear in mind that it all depends on the gear ratio to be made available for you on your bike. Your riding style and strength are the factors dictating your gear ratio choice.</div>
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True, the free-market economy brings about choices for the consumers to get the best to suit their needs, but it is good only for those who <u>know</u> what they need. The above are represented for you to make that informed choice, and I hope that this would somehow help you to get what you need.</div>
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You may want to consider the combination of:</div>
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1. available gear ratio</div>
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2. overall drivetrain weight</div>
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3. overall price</div>
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Happy hunting!</div>
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<i>*respective prices are as at the date of this post</i></div>
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<i>**images taken from <a href="https://www.praxiscycles.com/product/cassette/" target="_blank">Praxisworks</a> and <a href="http://bythehive.com/collections/drivetrain/products/trs-cassette" target="_blank">e*thirteen</a> websites</i></div>
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akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-58649999726373005892016-02-20T17:48:00.000+08:002016-05-13T10:36:46.199+08:0001.02.2016: Ulu Bendul II with Yad and Pak Din<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWlNjeezfEAhDBgzsubyxAl12Db2Y_2aIhI8bkPzyX6Z-2Ar4HCr9fywX8qZVyfBXXQbPod8SZ4abHg3O7QCPPYAhujE1Db1z35wWkl6rZg1w8EgNyLVYGldmEtJJNZykBDNvk-_I9HNI/s1600/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWlNjeezfEAhDBgzsubyxAl12Db2Y_2aIhI8bkPzyX6Z-2Ar4HCr9fywX8qZVyfBXXQbPod8SZ4abHg3O7QCPPYAhujE1Db1z35wWkl6rZg1w8EgNyLVYGldmEtJJNZykBDNvk-_I9HNI/s320/04.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I let go to Yad several bike parts and a pair of used Cross Ride some time ago. He planned to come over my place to remove the cassette from his current wheelset and install it to the new one, and collect a pair of shifter mounts that I had kept for him.</div>
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I thought that it would be worthwhile to go for a ride as well, and I threw the idea of going up to Jeram Toi (via Bukit Tangga of course!) and have a simple breakfast picnic. Much like we did when we went to <a href="http://akmalbikepark.blogspot.my/2015/04/19042015-impromptu-touring-to-hutan.html" target="_blank">Hutan Lipur Lenggeng</a> last time.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWRjTWbIysq5nZqu8tWWtxhsj01VW7vh-xSY7Q99MfruW_iHQbhS51Ev0gL-PCixxW6B14DjZJrac3GiFXcvPmex8Zmqp7FE0k2-CE2hg2xHyKrD7tqQ_BumBlwNvrYBq0sMaFnLpPD3n/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWRjTWbIysq5nZqu8tWWtxhsj01VW7vh-xSY7Q99MfruW_iHQbhS51Ev0gL-PCixxW6B14DjZJrac3GiFXcvPmex8Zmqp7FE0k2-CE2hg2xHyKrD7tqQ_BumBlwNvrYBq0sMaFnLpPD3n/s320/02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>slowly uphill all the way</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, the plan didn't materialise as Yad thought we were only going to Ulu Bendul like we did before. It is still a ride nonetheless, while being a familiar one and less taxing. So we went, together with Pak Din, being his maiden ride this side of Negeri Sembilan - on a burly bike. We took the Bukit Putus old road and steadily climb up the gentle gradient <a href="http://akmalbikepark.blogspot.my/2015/12/27122015-impromptu-touring-to-hutan.html" target="_blank">like we did before</a>.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIqHvffevyWr8bH5QsZzAxWBB-8ZBPGT2NPDRJydYDXxd117aJ5f2e2IpvLH78zsTeFfCPJMCfZymLrK5aIvOjcFT5LF1F2yYo8TyOOhRpEG0Gjx7kwW1_4mb4Vm25tenyzyJbVtTXTg7/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIqHvffevyWr8bH5QsZzAxWBB-8ZBPGT2NPDRJydYDXxd117aJ5f2e2IpvLH78zsTeFfCPJMCfZymLrK5aIvOjcFT5LF1F2yYo8TyOOhRpEG0Gjx7kwW1_4mb4Vm25tenyzyJbVtTXTg7/s320/03.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>near the peak at Bukit Putus old road</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqA3gD4Gt8710QLFBG6Bm3KU-uhEM-Tvc0c74LIuX5JDdUwWyysmy8cRYHhPqp1tvttq3WpCqkqy7oRHm-1Z4_1v12_8pIkCrR_a2JL4l-znQlNmT1VsO-KlgjFiI6Hs-9OJEdIwTPHKkp/s1600/05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqA3gD4Gt8710QLFBG6Bm3KU-uhEM-Tvc0c74LIuX5JDdUwWyysmy8cRYHhPqp1tvttq3WpCqkqy7oRHm-1Z4_1v12_8pIkCrR_a2JL4l-znQlNmT1VsO-KlgjFiI6Hs-9OJEdIwTPHKkp/s320/05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This time at Ulu Bendul we went a little bit further up than our previous spot. We had our simple breakfast while our feet soaked in the cool water and butts resting on the rocks. Spent about half an hour of cooling our bodies in the river, and off we went back to my place.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXjQ01wWTw2_nEGJtMkUieJGQj0STbIgO6Mc78RrzbjVpuuyfYik-Gg1wp_K7iv5zmdwUPE2ma9idMAIPY2qvVhSjXB9Ua5dKpRHsNA_3WWemu8-XG1SBIS7q17pcZxJ2NHPN-euCWcVe/s1600/06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXjQ01wWTw2_nEGJtMkUieJGQj0STbIgO6Mc78RrzbjVpuuyfYik-Gg1wp_K7iv5zmdwUPE2ma9idMAIPY2qvVhSjXB9Ua5dKpRHsNA_3WWemu8-XG1SBIS7q17pcZxJ2NHPN-euCWcVe/s320/06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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...and stop by at a stall for a round of Rojak and Cendol.</div>
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;)</div>
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<br /></div>
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Simple pleasures. Alhamdulillah.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As for Jeram Toi and Bukit Tangga, that'll be another trip at another time insyaAllah. Looking forward for that.</div>
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<br /></div>
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More photos in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/akmalhizam/media_set?set=a.10208511539491853.1073741892.1408796996&type=3" target="_blank">here</a> (facebook album).</div>
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Thanks for coming by.</div>
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<u>Enjoy</u> your rides.</div>
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<b>Appendix:</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxafyEuprQO7rgNJWLJF5HkmAOSptclZ8NCRtbZPkVE5I26DAIEg_IK1A9row7Fz-NjVEOK8jUD5yVmC1hq39EpSsgB_WbxlIT64xcxtvzs4QWjYgEu2fvkpab0WijL9s2Ua1ZgyV4dDJ/s1600/07+app.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxafyEuprQO7rgNJWLJF5HkmAOSptclZ8NCRtbZPkVE5I26DAIEg_IK1A9row7Fz-NjVEOK8jUD5yVmC1hq39EpSsgB_WbxlIT64xcxtvzs4QWjYgEu2fvkpab0WijL9s2Ua1ZgyV4dDJ/s200/07+app.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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En route to Ulu Bendul we saw this big relic by the roadside at a shop. We spent quite some time pondering over to satisfy our inquisitive and appreciative minds for mech things. A simple research later I learned that it is a Traction Engine (aka Steam Tractor) built by Richard Garrett & Sons of Leiston, Suffolk, in England.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Richard Garrett & Sons:</div>
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<a href="http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Richard_Garrett_and_Sons">http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Richard_Garrett_and_Sons</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Garrett_%26_Sons#Traction_engines">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Garrett_%26_Sons#Traction_engines</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Some beautifully restored RG&S machines:</div>
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<a href="http://www.steam-up.co.uk/garrett/garrett.htm">http://www.steam-up.co.uk/garrett/garrett.htm</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This one is similar to the one that we saw:</div>
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<a href="http://www.steam-up.co.uk/garrett/garrett_no1186.htm">http://www.steam-up.co.uk/garrett/garrett_no1186.htm</a></div>
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<br /></div>
akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-57151450024990828472016-02-17T18:23:00.000+08:002016-02-18T11:58:57.086+08:00Tips: Reusable Cable Ties<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIbhxc-vn9LcY5TvjDf98I6PWr8K-iFAus_CvvEtrNglxde-pShh9mIAVdqidQ4T32_PL5KWdIsy0lMzJfqJQ50_3v18W1GGb9uz4-mNn1s27lA7FKbyUYhsYgR8RYD3np-I5ORPNlQed/s1600/Releasable+Nylon+Cable+Tie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIbhxc-vn9LcY5TvjDf98I6PWr8K-iFAus_CvvEtrNglxde-pShh9mIAVdqidQ4T32_PL5KWdIsy0lMzJfqJQ50_3v18W1GGb9uz4-mNn1s27lA7FKbyUYhsYgR8RYD3np-I5ORPNlQed/s320/Releasable+Nylon+Cable+Tie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the humble reusable cable tie</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Rider number plates in local events are usually secured onto the handlebar using a pair of cable ties. Simply thread one each through the punched holes on the plate and zip them tight. </div>
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<br /></div>
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It is however a hassle to look for (or bring along) a pair of scissors or other sharp objects to clip them off. Most of the time, I resorted to yanking off the plate and this resulted in two unavoidable things:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1. The cable ties are still there on the handlebar to be dealt with later at home (or not).</div>
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2. The number plate is damaged at the holes.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Okay, some may say that the scar at the holes adds to the aesthetics alongside with the mud splats especially for mtb events. I leave that to your preference.</div>
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<br /></div>
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What if there is a better way? And a little bit environmentally friendly too, I might add. May I suggest to employ the service of reusable and releasable cable zip tie. It is comparatively expensive, but it helps a lot.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Look for them in your local hardware store. I got mine at Ace Hardware. Price is about RM1.00 per piece (in average), sold in a pack consisting a number of them. The normal punch hole diameter on the event number plate is around 6 mm. I suggest to use the ones with a width range of 3 to 5 mm. Minimum length shall be 130 mm, this shall give a nice wrap around the handlebar with 3 cm to spare.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The 'normal' cable ties in your event goodie bags can be used as <a href="http://dirtragmag.com/riders-write-a-cable-tie-saves-the-day/" target="_blank">emergency trailside fix</a> instead.</div>
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Happy trails!</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-2943616655781168442016-01-23T11:47:00.000+08:002016-01-24T13:03:26.852+08:00Tech: SRAM's 11 speed<div dir="ltr">
SRAM has a lineup of groupsets featuring 11 speed cassette on the rear as below:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>XX1 - single chainring with 11 speed cog; top of the range</li>
<li>X01 - X0 in single chainring with 11 speed flavour</li>
<li>X1 - single chainring with 11 speed cog; higher weight</li>
<li><a href="http://akmalbikepark.blogspot.sg/2015/06/tech-srams-11s-gx.html" target="_blank">GX</a> - entry level 1x11 offering; available also as 2x11 (36/24 front) and 2x10 (36/22 front, 11-36 rear)</li>
</ul>
But why 11 speed? What are the advantages?<br />
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Personally, I'd like to analyse from gear ratio perspective; the performance side of it. Gear ratio is the tooth count ratio of front chainring over the cassette, e.g. gear ratio of 32T chainring and 10T of 10-42T cassette is: 32/10 = 3.2</div>
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<br /></div>
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SRAM's 11 speed is a bit special as it has the advantage of having the 10T gear on their cassette. This is made possible with the introduction of their new XD Driver body. Yes, another 'standard', but it makes sense and gives out performance advantage.<br />
<br />
Compare these two parameters below, on a 29er with 2.1 tires spinning at 90 rpm and 175mm crank length:<br />
1. 32T chainring with 11T gives out theoretical speed of 35.7 km/h (Fig. 1)<br />
2. 32T chainring with 10T gives out theoretical speed of 39.3 km/h (Fig. 2)<br />
<br />
1T more on the rear means <u>3.6 km/h faster</u>, <i>ceteris paribus</i>.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5dKSOqqW7CYVXQGPmnuhyphenhyphen2lplATG6_dbbjQ6FFs-fw0t2aohox4G_QXuVFvWC7HOXiB9xQbPAywX8wQfiEPj5LFbIZHuMnm4lKp1qIu9MXbOdG1eDCg6jygXswrxt4mzE4kqnQAV_c2L/s1600/Screenshot_2015-08-30-23-27-54.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5dKSOqqW7CYVXQGPmnuhyphenhyphen2lplATG6_dbbjQ6FFs-fw0t2aohox4G_QXuVFvWC7HOXiB9xQbPAywX8wQfiEPj5LFbIZHuMnm4lKp1qIu9MXbOdG1eDCg6jygXswrxt4mzE4kqnQAV_c2L/s400/Screenshot_2015-08-30-23-27-54.png" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fig. 1 - 32/11 gear combo at 90 rpm with 29x2.1 tires gives 35.7 km/h</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirp1iiKmh1wULJcsDzhA7dbT3J8Aq6_JTQQKe0yNu7y6N03vTjSPKYEijBOnv42nmDmJLY9RUqThyB5vzYaSxTkez3iDEEIRJkM1DcspqR0JHQNv_hWXnKTX2e95QIMnuDgT-j6ew9WIkT/s1600/Screenshot_2015-08-30-23-24-57.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirp1iiKmh1wULJcsDzhA7dbT3J8Aq6_JTQQKe0yNu7y6N03vTjSPKYEijBOnv42nmDmJLY9RUqThyB5vzYaSxTkez3iDEEIRJkM1DcspqR0JHQNv_hWXnKTX2e95QIMnuDgT-j6ew9WIkT/s400/Screenshot_2015-08-30-23-24-57.png" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">Fig. 2 - 32/10 gear combo at 90 rpm with 29x2.1 tires gives 39.3 km/h</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr">
For a racer, that is a lot and worthy the investment for upgrade/migration.<br />
But is it for you? Only you can decide.<br />
<br />
Now imagine if Shimano's <a href="http://www.sheldonbrown.com/capreo.html" target="_blank">Capreo</a> system which include <b>9T</b> on its cassette is introduced for MTB, that would be something big, at least for racers. And pretty attractive for those who are thinking of jumping into the 1x bandwagon.<br />
<br />
Well, while Shimano is working on it and churned out their new 11s systems (under <a href="http://bike.shimano.com/content/sac-bike/en/home/articles/shimano-deore-xt-m8000-delivers-premium-11-speed-performance.html" target="_blank">XT </a>and <a href="http://www.shimano.com/content/sac-bike/en/home/articles/introducing-the-evolution-of-xtr-.html" target="_blank">XTR </a>badges) with 11-40T and 11-42T cassettes, e*thirteen has spawned into production a 9-44T mega number - <a href="http://bythehive.com/e-thirteen/components/2016-trs-cassettes/" target="_blank">TRS+</a>. That's massive on both ends! Requires SRAM XD Driver freehub.<br />
*their 10s cassette is 9-42T.<br />
<br />
Holding all other parameters the same as in above figures, 32T chainring with 9T gives out theoretical speed of 43.7 km/h! How about that.<br />
<br />
<br />
Do visit and read further:<br />
<a href="https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain/1x">https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain/1x</a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://enduro-mtb.com/en/press-release-sram-xd-driver-body/">http://enduro-mtb.com/en/press-release-sram-xd-driver-body/</a><br />
<a href="https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain/products/sram-xd-driver-body">https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain/products/sram-xd-driver-body</a><br />
<a href="http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Inside-SRAMs-11-speed-rear-hub-and-XD-Driver.html">http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Inside-SRAMs-11-speed-rear-hub-and-XD-Driver.html</a><br />
<a href="https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain/products/sram-xg-1199-cassette">https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain/products/sram-xg-1199-cassette</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/article/sram-xd-driver-body-explained-44409/" target="_blank">http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/article/sram-xd-driver-body-explained-44409/</a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://www.xddriverbody.com/">http://www.xddriverbody.com</a></div>
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9T Extras:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: start;">
<a href="http://www.sheldonbrown.com/capreo.html">http://www.sheldonbrown.com/capreo.html</a></div>
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<a href="http://bythehive.com/e-thirteen/components/2016-trs-cassettes/">http://bythehive.com/e-thirteen/components/2016-trs-cassettes/</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: start;">
<a href="http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/2016-Mountain-Bike-Components-at-Eurobike-2015,9336/e-thirteen-10-and-11-Speed-Wide-Range-Cassette,96398/bturman,109">http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/2016-Mountain-Bike-Components-at-Eurobike-2015,9336/e-thirteen-10-and-11-Speed-Wide-Range-Cassette,96398/bturman,109</a></div>
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Happy trails!</div>
akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-9490213726860349042016-01-09T21:47:00.001+08:002016-01-20T10:22:38.750+08:00Cycling at Tasik Perdana (and its surrounding)There are many interesting places to visit in and around Tasik Perdana in KL (aka Lake Garden and now properly renamed as Taman Botani Perdana), interconnected by a network of roads. They are not busy with traffic and most importantly their surroundings are scenic, with shade from the canopy of huge trees lining up the roads. Perfect for tourists on bicycles.<br />
<br />
Here's a list of some of the places of interest around Taman Botani Perdana:<br />
Deer Park<br />
Hibiscus Garden<br />
KL Orchid Garden<br />
KL Bird Park<br />
Memorial Tun Abdul Razak<br />
Planetarium<br />
Islamic Arts Museum<br />
KL Butterfly Park<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23H0AlAp-30XSzSkbL3iVvbxEYlJog7HuOzik1zIHdgSasp270fMNaI2nCO5U6aeTehV6x9ClEQO1_5qL6eodeCMi80mBd6RwjPAcxJZ5PZDJa48tugEeuF6y8o1FEPwF27Z9fx9ix9jt/s1600/KL+BC+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23H0AlAp-30XSzSkbL3iVvbxEYlJog7HuOzik1zIHdgSasp270fMNaI2nCO5U6aeTehV6x9ClEQO1_5qL6eodeCMi80mBd6RwjPAcxJZ5PZDJa48tugEeuF6y8o1FEPwF27Z9fx9ix9jt/s640/KL+BC+map.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>our route - started and ended at Tugu Negara</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I rode around this part of KL in June 2016 with my daughter, taking the KL By Cylcle route as the rough guide. We included a stop at Sasana Kijang's cafe and Tugu Negara in our list of places to visit. Check out the photos <a href="https://www.facebook.com/akmalhizam/media_set?set=a.10206928139867852.1073741876.1408796996&type=3" target="_blank">here </a>in facebook album.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Give it a try. Perhaps if you do take part in the <a href="http://www.klcarfreemorning.com/" target="_blank">KL Car Free Morning</a> event, you could extend your ride by taking the KL By Cycle <a href="http://www.visitkl.gov.my/visitklv2/document/files/ByCycle.pdf" target="_blank">route</a>*. The KLCFM route usually starts and ends at DBKL Headquarters which is nearby the City Theatre (marked as number 9 in the KLBC map above). I strongly suggest that you bring with you bicycle lock(s) should you decide to hop off your ride and go around the place of interest e.g. Planetarium, Bird Park, Deer Park, etc. There are no dedicated bike racks, so be creative to secure your bike onto something sturdy and permanent.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Have a go, and do share with me about your adventure ya.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>*Check out the KL By Cycle (pamphlet in PDF)</i></div>
akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-43967531690523554082015-12-31T23:36:00.000+08:002016-01-01T07:07:43.134+08:0027.12.2015: Impromptu Touring to Hutan Lipur Ulu Bendul with YadThis is the second impromptu touring with Yad this year. The first was in April (read it <a href="http://akmalbikepark.blogspot.my/2015/04/19042015-impromptu-touring-to-hutan.html">here</a>).<br />
<br />
Yad was supposed to come by my house to fetch some bicycle items. I threw to hime a proposition as well: how about a ride up Bukit Putus via the old road and then soak in the river at Ulu Bendul?<br />
<br />
Seems like a plan and he agreed. As he was without his bicycle in Senawang, I offered my souped up XTC for his usage. We went out a bit later than the planned 8.00 am as I had to change the XTC clipless pedals to platforms and get my bike ready as well.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSeMkklDEsgC0gC7VpxUbC6Jg3-xqU18lzMNihnFriz3eFLRxjHX7ZPV3VC5ttuzfO27sZB1UJ22Mk6PWl5B0nB0nJeRCnjf9lqpa8k6Nvgn_EPzqmfurMb51ovsir5M_nX5PRkfkLohO/s1600/20151227_084352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSeMkklDEsgC0gC7VpxUbC6Jg3-xqU18lzMNihnFriz3eFLRxjHX7ZPV3VC5ttuzfO27sZB1UJ22Mk6PWl5B0nB0nJeRCnjf9lqpa8k6Nvgn_EPzqmfurMb51ovsir5M_nX5PRkfkLohO/s320/20151227_084352.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>riding into the sun</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUZwpTtNEAYgZxnGJIrNxH0XI2HmH6IwgwT7qOmLS6gc_C8-fUcUVxcQWTBO6AZywzj66PFAhWYK6JyzqBtpTXqq-qjfSiz6eMVEul7RMFnoHrjJRqja3X7wiDjdBHb9U0NXa-H-8d16s/s1600/20151227_090831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUZwpTtNEAYgZxnGJIrNxH0XI2HmH6IwgwT7qOmLS6gc_C8-fUcUVxcQWTBO6AZywzj66PFAhWYK6JyzqBtpTXqq-qjfSiz6eMVEul7RMFnoHrjJRqja3X7wiDjdBHb9U0NXa-H-8d16s/s320/20151227_090831.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the road was ours</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was Yad's first ride up Bukit Putus, and my third so far. I love the route as it is not busy with traffic nowadays, has a mild gradient up and the route is lined with greenery which also providing the shade; cool and breezy along the way. The only thing that poses a problem to cyclists is the known presence of a group of dogs nearby <a href="http://starfresh.com.my/">Starfresh Agro Park</a>. Never go up there alone. 2 is good, 3 is even better.<br />
<br />
It is unimaginable that such a busy road during my childhood is now a deserted recreational route. It was since the new wider multi carriage highway being commissioned that the choice of route has shifted. The old road (Route 361) would actually eventually take you to a higher elevation compared to the new highway (Jalan Kuala Pilah, Route 51). At which, is the usual starting point for hiking up Gunung Angsi.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VccPgUs3-n5R_3CN1n4Lt8UkpJEM3ZVvNZ35r-7bz8bCv8JI7pTkk4gKBC2uXuhPNXABkI6a7ZjjYAWWdIuUSw3l5azNxpX_4dPFviyHflMESgDKnTdHJKCmEdOXvsUFIqZZ93SxynGb/s1600/20151227_092401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VccPgUs3-n5R_3CN1n4Lt8UkpJEM3ZVvNZ35r-7bz8bCv8JI7pTkk4gKBC2uXuhPNXABkI6a7ZjjYAWWdIuUSw3l5azNxpX_4dPFviyHflMESgDKnTdHJKCmEdOXvsUFIqZZ93SxynGb/s320/20151227_092401.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>at the gantry - standard feature of<br />Hutan Lipur across Negeri Sembilan</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Past the highest point, we went down 2 km towards Kuala Pilah and went to Taman Rekreasi Ulu Bendul. We went straight to the gantry and on tarmac we cycled up to the campsite. There was a barrier on a bridge over the river, but we went on the side with our bikes and cycled further a bit offroad.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4sf9OnZjbuT2dpIBozHXnm2ZiCYXLnqgawHbJr0FAozVcfgnNIEht85TFLaNQmAL9HvZlOwkvNs9bDUiOaQBAestUN6A3NQ8a4mRF0tqsnzwaWwp6iao33qaaF_sq7WNlxOZCGUBMafk/s1600/20151227_092812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4sf9OnZjbuT2dpIBozHXnm2ZiCYXLnqgawHbJr0FAozVcfgnNIEht85TFLaNQmAL9HvZlOwkvNs9bDUiOaQBAestUN6A3NQ8a4mRF0tqsnzwaWwp6iao33qaaF_sq7WNlxOZCGUBMafk/s320/20151227_092812.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Yad in Taman Rekreasi Ulu Bendul</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We spotted a nice area with somewhat deep section of the river and some space for our bikes. It is a bit secluded so we didn't have to worry much about security. The water was cold as expected, with plenty of shade from the big trees around. It was quiet and no other people around. I think we spent some thirty minutes soaking in the water and chatted catching up with things.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiE8jerGJhx7w8lYlu-naxmHdtnLJB_YtwG8sCR2uGBDOs8CyMZzFKQyYPGC2p1Vw1l2XSjHP0-8RVG1emfbsF3NR_UTHkjVMq56KcehAu3vmPQ-9Zl6Wlmgk7yKlDexRKP2Sduz0q6Ekm/s1600/20151227_093341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiE8jerGJhx7w8lYlu-naxmHdtnLJB_YtwG8sCR2uGBDOs8CyMZzFKQyYPGC2p1Vw1l2XSjHP0-8RVG1emfbsF3NR_UTHkjVMq56KcehAu3vmPQ-9Zl6Wlmgk7yKlDexRKP2Sduz0q6Ekm/s320/20151227_093341.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>down to the water</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was about 10.30 am when we got out of the water and dried ourselves out. I brought along in my PakRak a change of clothes together with the mobile changing room - the ever versatile kain pelikat. My bum has to be dry as the Troll is with leather saddle; can't get it wet.<br />
<br />
We took an alternative route offroad out of Ulu Bendul to the main road, which bypasses the picnic area. We road a short distance uphill before stopping at the roadside to replenish my water bottle with natural water from the mountain. After continuing about 1 km uphill to the highest point on the old road, we started our descend back to Seremban. Reached home at about 11.30 am.<br />
<br />
From Strava, the total distance from the house to Ulu Bendul was about 15 km with some 300 m elevation climb. Average speed was 25.5 km/h with max speed of 63.4 km/h (!). Well, must be something wrong with the GPS. Definitely.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYMFy5HG3_k7OCln4UmG4j26x6f42HaqfJo4hORkkSi3ecQ2sCAckKJLSvnFWII0SnC7dbeDXlT35fXmjmswBrFn8tbFugUH7vUKBnAEPG2-lbio0EVmNkJw6rHwHn3ZTVvZKKj35Jj2n/s1600/20151227_093441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYMFy5HG3_k7OCln4UmG4j26x6f42HaqfJo4hORkkSi3ecQ2sCAckKJLSvnFWII0SnC7dbeDXlT35fXmjmswBrFn8tbFugUH7vUKBnAEPG2-lbio0EVmNkJw6rHwHn3ZTVvZKKj35Jj2n/s320/20151227_093441.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Troll in the nature</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mad8c8pdccZ2RaB8-Sph2pYLhOVPY_AK9TPS9vFGLJ_Yi-8avzMGwBSukNd46_djcXFI-zhkQlUEyP3aYumlF1SBFLOw3LYSs9o5uh-WWxJTha7ZD69VBJ0rp_WJPT2eDjBE2mbUkZBC/s1600/20151227_103205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mad8c8pdccZ2RaB8-Sph2pYLhOVPY_AK9TPS9vFGLJ_Yi-8avzMGwBSukNd46_djcXFI-zhkQlUEyP3aYumlF1SBFLOw3LYSs9o5uh-WWxJTha7ZD69VBJ0rp_WJPT2eDjBE2mbUkZBC/s320/20151227_103205.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>dual track out to the main road</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdo9mNOTIOkcP6VOjGbK1AQyE8XMdRAlt9g6hF0-l_vJIAPkzCzBDWyZ6uLFfZo0v4s4ao6xndBoVcdx5MFKRPameVGrijx7LcFu4_nMrrBZQNtOHbovnfV4PRhdpIYRBqc0YE46cbv37/s1600/20151227_103415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdo9mNOTIOkcP6VOjGbK1AQyE8XMdRAlt9g6hF0-l_vJIAPkzCzBDWyZ6uLFfZo0v4s4ao6xndBoVcdx5MFKRPameVGrijx7LcFu4_nMrrBZQNtOHbovnfV4PRhdpIYRBqc0YE46cbv37/s320/20151227_103415.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>climbing up towards the old road</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSrjcHQLIx3GN8Mpt1lht458jez4gKKp2kT_lQB9egPveKMp_TCGl5K-JUh6mBF_YOKydU5Zf931-nAO4_auPEwXvZdhs_m-bmSb5vGIWpHb0pb1_Hcaj7ckUK7AlUJae7aVUlE3q8Hu6/s1600/20151227_104039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSrjcHQLIx3GN8Mpt1lht458jez4gKKp2kT_lQB9egPveKMp_TCGl5K-JUh6mBF_YOKydU5Zf931-nAO4_auPEwXvZdhs_m-bmSb5vGIWpHb0pb1_Hcaj7ckUK7AlUJae7aVUlE3q8Hu6/s320/20151227_104039.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>free water</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEzgEa-GOgcAROOd3Gl9nSOPGKsRhE9_2-BKNMWqX6Kuyq2FLEi0cn1Dp3SZ2Gw-MPLzO5tq7GzTkqLvZpUE2wkupPhUJIosfQGVYfjvNyrUQnlhEeSo5uluCZqPPVOoMxTQv66XVf9ho/s1600/20151227_105402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEzgEa-GOgcAROOd3Gl9nSOPGKsRhE9_2-BKNMWqX6Kuyq2FLEi0cn1Dp3SZ2Gw-MPLzO5tq7GzTkqLvZpUE2wkupPhUJIosfQGVYfjvNyrUQnlhEeSo5uluCZqPPVOoMxTQv66XVf9ho/s320/20151227_105402.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>enjoying gravity</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
It was nice actually to be able to do such nature rides once in a while. And it is a big bonus that such things are accessible. Simple luxury that money can't buy.<br />
<br />
For the next one, Jeram Toi via Bukit Tangga is quite interesting. InsyaAllah.<br />
<br />
Enjoy your rides!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-48429555010107235522015-12-01T12:25:00.000+08:002015-12-01T12:25:00.276+08:00Upgraditis?<h3>
There's Nothing Wrong With Your Bike</h3>
Really. I agree with Aaron.<br />
<br />
There's simply no cure for upgraditis, but you can definitely do more to upgrade yourself. Soup up your leg muscles and better your heart rate.<br />
<br />
Do some circuit training, weight training and cardio workouts. The next time you tackle that familiar hill, take note of your heart rate and your timing. Can you clean it up with ease and have spare energy to keep going (for the next one!)? Once you have upgraded yourself, sprinting a short uphill or taking up the endurance challenge of a long hill climb will be your breakfast. In fact, you'll want them for dessert as well.<br />
<br />
Read on:<br />
<a href="http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-gear/opinion-theres-nothing-wrong-with-your-bike/">http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-gear/opinion-theres-nothing-wrong-with-your-bike/</a>akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-85941595967172400302015-11-13T12:15:00.000+08:002015-11-13T12:15:00.158+08:00Dingle Speed*<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I know that on the (English QWERTY) <a href="http://akmalhizam.blogspot.my/2010/06/re-finger-dance-ii.html">keyboard</a>, the letter S is just next to D. No typo in the title for this blog entry.</span></i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4w-SoAUSnr7_8zVariVb_iys8okwhMc22K_eKbEELotX5HM_JeNySOg9Lno0bKHqk7kGlqFMopyD2c7UdgINeZXExOkVft-Vu2jOpDBfQt601UhKB9Bp5ltBCettxSsxjpDZzdwP6lrg/s1600/cc267-3PW_quickbeam_dingle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4w-SoAUSnr7_8zVariVb_iys8okwhMc22K_eKbEELotX5HM_JeNySOg9Lno0bKHqk7kGlqFMopyD2c7UdgINeZXExOkVft-Vu2jOpDBfQt601UhKB9Bp5ltBCettxSsxjpDZzdwP6lrg/s400/cc267-3PW_quickbeam_dingle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>dingle cog on a track frame</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I just found out about DS yesterday. A simple concept, minimalist and practical. It is dual-speed single speed.<br />
Yes, if you're thinking about bailing out while riding the minimalist single speed, this may be for you.<br />
<br />
I'm keeping this entry simple, so you have to hop on to the links below as they are pretty much comprehensive.<br />
<br />
Explanation (a good one):<br />
<a href="http://wilddogbicycles.blog.com/dingle-speed/">http://wilddogbicycles.blog.com/dingle-speed/</a><br />
<br />
More explanation, rationale and uses (or excuses):<br />
<a href="http://dornochdingle.blogspot.my/2012/02/idea-of-dingle.html">http://dornochdingle.blogspot.my/2012/02/idea-of-dingle.html</a><br />
<br />
Parts (from Surly):<br />
<a href="http://surlybikes.com/parts/drivetrain/dingle_cog">http://surlybikes.com/parts/drivetrain/dingle_cog</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Photo credit:<br /><a href="http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/2007/cc267-philipwilliamson0307.html">http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/2007/cc267-philipwilliamson0307.html</a>akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-27547934419436403202015-08-17T18:17:00.003+08:002015-08-25T18:20:52.906+08:0009.08.2015: Putrajaya Inter Park Ride #29<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVs9fZs_7qmdrCjL1RBroubL5enGx1wb4hNdjOBN-AhuqrMFVcHIXLoadJfgE2a1xkp9BBs3c8PYyr6VjHuWJPkGr13qVbUsV4DvOwzD6n03AqGjfJJo-kujpLW_X_zwd6JioTQ2U5etVX/s1600/IMG_20150809_081836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVs9fZs_7qmdrCjL1RBroubL5enGx1wb4hNdjOBN-AhuqrMFVcHIXLoadJfgE2a1xkp9BBs3c8PYyr6VjHuWJPkGr13qVbUsV4DvOwzD6n03AqGjfJJo-kujpLW_X_zwd6JioTQ2U5etVX/s640/IMG_20150809_081836.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the crowd at Taman Perdana Putra</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the places that I would like to cycle before this is Putrajaya. Touted as a cyclists friendly township, I had high expectation about the place. Moreover, there are many parks around the area which I would like to explore with my family (later on). I joined a bash with KLMBH last year in Putrajaya, but that ride is different from PIPR. PIPR is specifically bringing the riders around the parks available in Putrajaya, introducing them what's available in the vicinity. Also, Pak Adib Noh had always posted many, many beautiful photos on his fb wall on the subject of the parks in Putrajaya.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And so I participated in PIPR for the first time on their 29th edition. RM25 fee before the closing date gets you an event t-shirt and a medal (if you finish the ride), a meal with drinks, a chance to win prizes in a lucky draw and a lucky dip.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1X0XOStRdRVybzACqCAhx5Y_3M67B4eb-akz6E0P0B4dAXqMrH1tq2ct0gCoXmiSthiSo7do-t9axkNs1i0RGDMHsLbh_WDb5O31e2knVvBYCH4EF4liv08wgFau4Hsz2UQuijzN_KkNA/s1600/IMG_20150809_082440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1X0XOStRdRVybzACqCAhx5Y_3M67B4eb-akz6E0P0B4dAXqMrH1tq2ct0gCoXmiSthiSo7do-t9axkNs1i0RGDMHsLbh_WDb5O31e2knVvBYCH4EF4liv08wgFau4Hsz2UQuijzN_KkNA/s320/IMG_20150809_082440.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>have handpump to lend, make new friends<br />from Seremban: Akmal, Hafiz and Firdaus</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I drove from Seremban at 7:00 and reached the place of event a bit less than an hour later, ample time to get my goodie bag and get my bike ready before the event starts. I didn't expect the crowd to be big, so I was surprised that the turnout for the event is very encouraging. As this is an event designed for all walks of life, it is nice to see the mixture of participants and their bikes alike. Personally, this is a leisurely ride and a 'fun ride' event. This, was reiterated by the organiser in their pre-ride briefing. The point being, this is not a race. My kind of ride, of course.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
:)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrLjlv2bwObXF8o7fMqjnZ0X2OBJum4j5P_frZ1rwpmhScp-dJSMCkRCaCge2QxFpP_0cxKS7rWpzJkwRvvnDMb3PAG0C4rNl2tejQz7tpnbCTQo-Sp6RBURShkZsOF0GTMGNiwU58V2K/s1600/IMG_20150809_082851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrLjlv2bwObXF8o7fMqjnZ0X2OBJum4j5P_frZ1rwpmhScp-dJSMCkRCaCge2QxFpP_0cxKS7rWpzJkwRvvnDMb3PAG0C4rNl2tejQz7tpnbCTQo-Sp6RBURShkZsOF0GTMGNiwU58V2K/s320/IMG_20150809_082851.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the crowd raring to go</i></td></tr>
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The ride eventually started at a few minutes before 9:00 am. Positioned at about two-third of the whole crowd from the starting line, I had to wait about a minute before rolling the tires. The event started at Taman Perdana Putra (Presint 1, the big oval roundabout at the heart of Putrajaya). Going down towards Lebuh Perdana Barat, we worked out about a quarter of the roundabout. The traffic is regulated, closed and therefore restricted momentarily only to cyclists. This in part is good as there are small children in the pack as well; the traffic safety thus is something less to be concerned about.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2nkdjRSN9oJpyyM1X-Hlvb7X_zUougZl0DAjz3QHf1ulTVlxSpi3Q_RjG4Ld-1pXAU2KBcMgQzQVcRBt-r6PtuvO4H1BsUSxStjEFrDZRx8IIwrRH1wjYN5Hx-vbSL7HtGDInUdME3-g/s1600/IMG_20150809_090638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2nkdjRSN9oJpyyM1X-Hlvb7X_zUougZl0DAjz3QHf1ulTVlxSpi3Q_RjG4Ld-1pXAU2KBcMgQzQVcRBt-r6PtuvO4H1BsUSxStjEFrDZRx8IIwrRH1wjYN5Hx-vbSL7HtGDInUdME3-g/s640/IMG_20150809_090638.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>a view of Putrajaya landmarks from Lebuh Perdana Barat</i></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-ovUJN8Nccp8UfMKEZbeiTwuzzdx52gs8QcbSPAkE2C0T8033t0HTG903KxepsG5QjhnFrnQqPIaUfPFsBOqqqsI4OURYe5yYKEPEsTM5qaQ-qas1ya6arUwRAGhhLFBVhgwO9RboowA/s1600/IMG_20150809_085557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-ovUJN8Nccp8UfMKEZbeiTwuzzdx52gs8QcbSPAkE2C0T8033t0HTG903KxepsG5QjhnFrnQqPIaUfPFsBOqqqsI4OURYe5yYKEPEsTM5qaQ-qas1ya6arUwRAGhhLFBVhgwO9RboowA/s320/IMG_20150809_085557.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the ride is for all ages, big and small</i></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsit-ssDSOmhvxUd8boeyyvw2LiEl-RHjao2tXkbuT0SyXvtt2FmkMQltZB1dDjfVgwIZbgbWNlIo3GxYd33Vkx_rD-OJ64nEISoYn3iH_CwKh3rLx93iQ6gYRCr8lSZzQqk3NvV1SC_Q/s1600/IMG_20150809_090655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsit-ssDSOmhvxUd8boeyyvw2LiEl-RHjao2tXkbuT0SyXvtt2FmkMQltZB1dDjfVgwIZbgbWNlIo3GxYd33Vkx_rD-OJ64nEISoYn3iH_CwKh3rLx93iQ6gYRCr8lSZzQqk3NvV1SC_Q/s200/IMG_20150809_090655.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>at Presint 11</i></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBewoiDdb3_XwP0k2NAFYmvlUw72mdZ1YtVhCJWK_V4_KYDZqsGgmlaxWarufWAei1F2WnocMz22M348DuOCxJn1PmGR4lGGtDGuxw78f_aWVcjlj_oCrmaKRupOgcWR957s1aD4_74ga/s1600/IMG_20150809_091400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBewoiDdb3_XwP0k2NAFYmvlUw72mdZ1YtVhCJWK_V4_KYDZqsGgmlaxWarufWAei1F2WnocMz22M348DuOCxJn1PmGR4lGGtDGuxw78f_aWVcjlj_oCrmaKRupOgcWR957s1aD4_74ga/s200/IMG_20150809_091400.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>at Taman Saujana Hijau, Presint 11</i></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
The destination is Taman Saujana Hijau at Presint 11 some 8 km away, through Jalan P11a and encircling a little bit around the bottom of the park via Jalan P11. Once we reached there, we took some time to recuperate and recharge, and took photos of course. Bottled water and bananas were handed out at the checkpoint set up at the park. Taman Saujana Hijau is a nice park atop a hill, with beautiful landscape and nice walk/jogging path cordoned with wooden fence. Being there is like being in a European garden.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyrOUiO-xfnZMkSuCW5WK32ADNU9Ur0zKAp6oYZmQdHY3xlgY63Uma7MBqTQ6ephQC6A1Pk-9ao9EkqXPEVLYd57mAfTQ0owps6xReJcvsZJm1dZacZtjQqvW-4E2F3qyg4tkMGVNYWaH/s1600/IMG_20150809_092845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyrOUiO-xfnZMkSuCW5WK32ADNU9Ur0zKAp6oYZmQdHY3xlgY63Uma7MBqTQ6ephQC6A1Pk-9ao9EkqXPEVLYd57mAfTQ0owps6xReJcvsZJm1dZacZtjQqvW-4E2F3qyg4tkMGVNYWaH/s640/IMG_20150809_092845.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the view at Taman Saujana Hijau, Presint 11</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgJ6SObrAMWBKKQzL8q2qLW_1sBgrhsffkMjE7Tc-Ph1mMohodpqAIvA6oHnK09HKP7PWMdmZX9bIAwtihFBSWnSWjQUE_kbXS540G3OeKed0V1ockUbxOuiE9iPaLceIXN1gLKKftqI1/s1600/IMG_20150809_092257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgJ6SObrAMWBKKQzL8q2qLW_1sBgrhsffkMjE7Tc-Ph1mMohodpqAIvA6oHnK09HKP7PWMdmZX9bIAwtihFBSWnSWjQUE_kbXS540G3OeKed0V1ockUbxOuiE9iPaLceIXN1gLKKftqI1/s320/IMG_20150809_092257.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the ride marshal still in Hari Raya spirit, dressed in traditional Baju Melayu</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4HU0dfxDqpQlM3Tb63CNAtvbZVHuaS3WpBFIhmByPkvE_jcKeoEfGp2MTJnUlpQ4uXYb0NbHBndzAeks52WrWgztOn-K5w70vkYS6kWyt8HrFDc9TTpCQ5w2s9XIBouKye0KEqGM7Qg0/s1600/IMG_20150809_093223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4HU0dfxDqpQlM3Tb63CNAtvbZVHuaS3WpBFIhmByPkvE_jcKeoEfGp2MTJnUlpQ4uXYb0NbHBndzAeks52WrWgztOn-K5w70vkYS6kWyt8HrFDc9TTpCQ5w2s9XIBouKye0KEqGM7Qg0/s320/IMG_20150809_093223.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the various parks at the area</i></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I had small chats with a few fellow cyclists while resting over there. One was from Sentul. He told me that he cycled all the way from Sentul with his son and a few others earlier that morning to get to Putrajaya. Another is a touring cyclist (with his Surly Cross Check), who introduced himself as Abang Din.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gAA6hZmlKm65zPLjmAKYiSEgXUm2UpvfozX2SduJetLikX3UHH61r9dJwSVotXO6FE6nqtsa40oW2N6iLeIZieZ84idEQmSWKmWeoCZYgAHvk8a_KoXdDb8VVqONItEGJXn2hWgqJ3uB/s1600/IMG_20150809_094344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gAA6hZmlKm65zPLjmAKYiSEgXUm2UpvfozX2SduJetLikX3UHH61r9dJwSVotXO6FE6nqtsa40oW2N6iLeIZieZ84idEQmSWKmWeoCZYgAHvk8a_KoXdDb8VVqONItEGJXn2hWgqJ3uB/s320/IMG_20150809_094344.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>segregated bike path marred by bumps resulted from tree roots</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBx0i6Rbzh7dZpZnLXTKl1xYeNWi6DXgE4hDSeV9hYFT-x9x54oWzwcInke9BptXGOYeMvFQ18FVDl3ZveY-M11nAi1FiOO8EPXruUvkKajEc8H2tsYMyq6QS4yxchTkMEywkpl_W5sjYw/s1600/IMG_20150809_094318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBx0i6Rbzh7dZpZnLXTKl1xYeNWi6DXgE4hDSeV9hYFT-x9x54oWzwcInke9BptXGOYeMvFQ18FVDl3ZveY-M11nAi1FiOO8EPXruUvkKajEc8H2tsYMyq6QS4yxchTkMEywkpl_W5sjYw/s200/IMG_20150809_094318.jpg" width="200" /></a>After 10 minutes or so, we moved on rolling down towards Persiaran Putra, going along a good distance of Jalan P11and a Jalan P11b, and headed to Persiaran Persekutuan. We went along the segregated bike path along Persiaran Putra. I like and applaud the implementation of the segregated bike path. Added to it are trees lining up the path creating a natural canopy for a cool ride. However, unfortunately the trees' roots crawled under the bike path towards the road, creating multiple mini bumps all along the way. This must be the reason why cyclists shy away from using the path. There was an accident in front of me whereby a young cyclist fell and scraped his skin.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLJGpigIS7nGgC857l4j4LDucYzlb5amsXr8Q8E9LdeW0JWWLLg3kwq_7vtqKL4IUjU33HBfFOUrpLB6q07uBAyqSL8n8zxN1ZumpROMBR7q5D-XDs5TG0VbMrdmG0ChixCkmpCLDO4tJ/s1600/IMG_20150809_100159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLJGpigIS7nGgC857l4j4LDucYzlb5amsXr8Q8E9LdeW0JWWLLg3kwq_7vtqKL4IUjU33HBfFOUrpLB6q07uBAyqSL8n8zxN1ZumpROMBR7q5D-XDs5TG0VbMrdmG0ChixCkmpCLDO4tJ/s640/IMG_20150809_100159.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>a view of the Wetlands from Persiaran Utara, with the bridge on Persiaran Persekutuan</i></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
We regrouped on the bridge at Persiaran Utara and took photos, particularly of the swans and the bridge of Persiaran Persekutuan (Taman Wetland, Presint 13). Not long after that, we continued our ride and shifted to Persiaran Persekutuan at the interchange and headed back towards the starting place at Presint 1.</div>
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I lost count of the number of hills that we went up and down. For me, on that particular day I was fit enough not to suffer any cramps, and alhamdulillah was able to climb each one of them without much difficulty. Hence, I enjoyed tremendously the whole ride. I also loved the housing township that we rode along. Nice houses, clean area and neat roads with many places are with trees providing shades.</div>
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Overall, I like the idea of the ride. It does many things in one go. It promotes healthy recreation, it tests one's fitness, it introduces the parks around Putrajaya and also familiarises the area around it. Splendid.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFccRRZV5DXP0BmsOB9u2TOOcIneCETe1ZMTTb_d99jKQbKR7miPa4phPPoW4qNGWWWQ4L17Yll27vk4PThLuuyKYX68SaPguFeLdhjZnPTXkA19ITMLvL2lOpD2fRqbesTJ-MKkU_ZrB/s1600/IMG_20150809_102105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFccRRZV5DXP0BmsOB9u2TOOcIneCETe1ZMTTb_d99jKQbKR7miPa4phPPoW4qNGWWWQ4L17Yll27vk4PThLuuyKYX68SaPguFeLdhjZnPTXkA19ITMLvL2lOpD2fRqbesTJ-MKkU_ZrB/s320/IMG_20150809_102105.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>queueing for post-ride meal and checking the lucky dip</i></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNw8qhZiFG7UseHRFlS9YAi6QOz607iPxKRd21FysE5J74ZYxEaZ2-jCcAq4qA3eozyzDS0ezNIOT02P_U0uJwhaMivUE5Q6PcQssIdjoeOXeRoohyphenhyphenhirGdK0Yr40dMvNp2Wjhi_rQO3x/s1600/IMG_20150809_104135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNw8qhZiFG7UseHRFlS9YAi6QOz607iPxKRd21FysE5J74ZYxEaZ2-jCcAq4qA3eozyzDS0ezNIOT02P_U0uJwhaMivUE5Q6PcQssIdjoeOXeRoohyphenhyphenhirGdK0Yr40dMvNp2Wjhi_rQO3x/s320/IMG_20150809_104135.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the finisher medal</i></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQMLZIhmeaKr3jIm-4vU1dt2eHlaVvao6QCG52J4eDr1hrh7dLcFm22PgZlOdGxKxXdXGZX8Z5Kednmr_wrFQ4gioyIVMds1fsKMKcIjcdt5x4GBnAVjggh49CWUHSugtTDqJEPNSXCp4/s1600/IMG_20150809_102132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQMLZIhmeaKr3jIm-4vU1dt2eHlaVvao6QCG52J4eDr1hrh7dLcFm22PgZlOdGxKxXdXGZX8Z5Kednmr_wrFQ4gioyIVMds1fsKMKcIjcdt5x4GBnAVjggh49CWUHSugtTDqJEPNSXCp4/s200/IMG_20150809_102132.jpg" width="200" /></a>I finished my ride, arriving at the end/start gantry at about 10:15 am and covered some 18 km in distance. I received my medal, got in the queue for the meal provided and while doing so, checked my number whether it is entitled to a prize in the lucky dip. Well, I got none, and moved on to find a spot to have my meal.</div>
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I had something else to do later in the afternoon, so I didn't wait around for long and forfeited the lucky draw. So I went down to where I parked my car and went back straight to Seremban.</div>
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Good experience, and I loved it.</div>
akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-15798085775222717512015-07-27T12:10:00.000+08:002015-08-17T10:22:56.923+08:0025.07.2015: Bukit Putus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was raining last night hence a scheduled charity ride with Perpatih was duly cancelled. I had an impromptu morning ride out to Bukit Putus. Partly because the weather is nice and partly because it has been quite some time since my last ride. Perhaps the other reason is I want to keep the exercise streak that I had over the week.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSV4PkcRIXOb8b3EmLViFQlU3ujd9gHtCroS9f9A8pVVkNah1Bt6OZorQRnyiKrtEo3lQbeYWoIrxyguhukzD3wacvqeAZHFH8YYOZh3Btq4WWpz_mShwQ9x4a2kgoXYRGkXh1-aSLmINu/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSV4PkcRIXOb8b3EmLViFQlU3ujd9gHtCroS9f9A8pVVkNah1Bt6OZorQRnyiKrtEo3lQbeYWoIrxyguhukzD3wacvqeAZHFH8YYOZh3Btq4WWpz_mShwQ9x4a2kgoXYRGkXh1-aSLmINu/s320/01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>choose your route here</i></td></tr>
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A couple of months ago I took the family for an outing at Ulu Bendul and deliberately drove up there through the old road. It is quite deserted and the lush greeneries either side of the route make the place cool and shady. Naturally I had the thought of cycling along the route.<br />
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I have cycled up to Bukit Putus before, with the gang from Perpatih during a night ride. However, it was on the new expressway, with a few hills along in between.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Vy_4CT-jarqBDb1f4jPdaxt4mhHYqj56uXWleujcF77DO3qUR9y5fAM-gN3if7J2x4Bo9KTgx9NOhLSFqHym-LydoLNzVviQqYiScvIOc_g23wO-7xbnHw6mXnHrrhq-XAkjwPottAgn/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Vy_4CT-jarqBDb1f4jPdaxt4mhHYqj56uXWleujcF77DO3qUR9y5fAM-gN3if7J2x4Bo9KTgx9NOhLSFqHym-LydoLNzVviQqYiScvIOc_g23wO-7xbnHw6mXnHrrhq-XAkjwPottAgn/s200/02.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Otais from Senawang: Pres Jamari and Zack</i></td></tr>
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En route from home, I stopped at a Petronas station to get me a bottle of isotonic drink. Bro Zack was sitting out there waiting for Pres Jamari, also heading to Bukit Putus on road bikes. I spilled out my intention to Zack and he advised me about the dogs at Bukit Putus old road. It is quite dangerous to go solo. I decided to enjoy the old road in reverse, and pedaled solo to the new expressway.<br />
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Just when I was near the junction to the old road, they caught up on me and signalled to turn right into the old road. Yeay! So we went up via the old road together.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjWauhb0FhSsscM4y6dcCOhyphenhyphenp4CgK4FoIWnnbUDWDIKHpbKj7ms9zS6dToszrzi2_7mDhfK2neEh9is6coMjf_AwAYALGPhkdibIHKhWOuaJsNHdohrP-6DQ_CSze651xcEf6Zc-igONw/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjWauhb0FhSsscM4y6dcCOhyphenhyphenp4CgK4FoIWnnbUDWDIKHpbKj7ms9zS6dToszrzi2_7mDhfK2neEh9is6coMjf_AwAYALGPhkdibIHKhWOuaJsNHdohrP-6DQ_CSze651xcEf6Zc-igONw/s320/03.jpg" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>taking a fiver for hydration</i></td></tr>
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Unlike the expressway, the old road is with a mild gradient steadily going up; no flat sections. I had no problems with my heart rate nor legs, alhamdulillah. The fruit of labour from my recent runnings (and burpees, of course!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoeFjhtpwcfm75A5ROeFWMjVp7gs40WaFlVZczr5wcGE_QFfzZ0Oy10_r0oP-efvANmFN68KfHnVRWzXVB7YTqacG6MBi-wULNaT4qMiyGwLIVilmWAIq3uL7zAqXpVY7qHAOk-RasQ6-_/s1600/07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoeFjhtpwcfm75A5ROeFWMjVp7gs40WaFlVZczr5wcGE_QFfzZ0Oy10_r0oP-efvANmFN68KfHnVRWzXVB7YTqacG6MBi-wULNaT4qMiyGwLIVilmWAIq3uL7zAqXpVY7qHAOk-RasQ6-_/s640/07.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the view from the new expressway, on the way back towards Senawang/Seremban</i></td></tr>
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I enjoyed tremendously this morning's ride. One thing I noticed, though, I was quite cautious during the descends and couldn't enjoy them fully. Thanks otai-otai Jamari and Zack for the company.<br />
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We parted our ways when we reached Panchor, at the bus stop. They climbed the steep hill towards Lavender Heights while I cycled towards home but continued to Seremban Jaya to my parents' house.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12Dc6GgPkuVOwJeZvfei72MW89FI8qBr4-ewLrr7oYURYmaiQ6wfN71-uGpfSUMqi9Zq79xGi_wRrTrL5fTOKIujuKRtZz8BIHXcADM_HWdKYIUiXE2tZq3LptR35WCoB5Ae7VWZUvd2Q/s1600/08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12Dc6GgPkuVOwJeZvfei72MW89FI8qBr4-ewLrr7oYURYmaiQ6wfN71-uGpfSUMqi9Zq79xGi_wRrTrL5fTOKIujuKRtZz8BIHXcADM_HWdKYIUiXE2tZq3LptR35WCoB5Ae7VWZUvd2Q/s320/08.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the flat rear</i></td></tr>
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After (a late) breakfast, I went home and concluded the morning's ride. As I reached home and took a photo of the cyclometer, my rear tire gave a loud bang and suddenly the rear gone flat. I don't know what happened, but alhamdulillah, it happened at home. Nope, I didn't replace the tube yet. Hehe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0V5ckNyXXGfaGMBLPWq6r-Z31fuYwFZQzbwEQ7o8eZgx8E5axtf_zQVJqeOb2MrBCnv63Yv3689wfDPteSVsPZJCj0m8i-qeJ5-qPKU4qPVibAQlVCzNsnJFE0apZLz67NnLHIbtybSz/s1600/09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0V5ckNyXXGfaGMBLPWq6r-Z31fuYwFZQzbwEQ7o8eZgx8E5axtf_zQVJqeOb2MrBCnv63Yv3689wfDPteSVsPZJCj0m8i-qeJ5-qPKU4qPVibAQlVCzNsnJFE0apZLz67NnLHIbtybSz/s320/09.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>total distance about 40km</i></td></tr>
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Photos are in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/akmalhizam/media_set?set=a.10207251472470965.1073741878.1408796996&type=3" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
Ride map and data of the Bukit Putus leg are <a href="http://www.sports-tracker.com/workout/akmalhizam/55b2e9dce4b0e6ddda540923" target="_blank">here</a>.akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-44984783636688167812015-07-19T18:37:00.000+08:002016-01-09T19:27:35.883+08:00Touring: Labis to Seremban - Day 3 (Part 2: Pantai Puteri to Seremban)22.05.2015, Friday.<br />
The ride home.<br />
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It was quite hilly to get from Pantai Puteri to Sungai Udang. I remembered from my journeys by car that it was not that far, but perhaps due to the rolling hills it took us quite some time to get there. I enjoyed very much the sight of traditional houses dotted along the main road. Much more, the ability to just stop whenever we wanted to and take a look up close of the house's general build and typical of Melaka's traditional houses - their artful main stairs.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Melaka traditional house</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDnNB6Q8V28eh0VPsB1ACL1UhiHfCZCs0SkWjTbp4P4lPlG-0Mgv2XVNKt3qcqSKbVguSTwfAUDf-YKPwEL4zhtFF9cGK3I3HFfyWCMCE-g7g3JWPN1HJJo5pz7WXD4at7isUEFDKdlMt/s1600/20150522_141346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDnNB6Q8V28eh0VPsB1ACL1UhiHfCZCs0SkWjTbp4P4lPlG-0Mgv2XVNKt3qcqSKbVguSTwfAUDf-YKPwEL4zhtFF9cGK3I3HFfyWCMCE-g7g3JWPN1HJJo5pz7WXD4at7isUEFDKdlMt/s320/20150522_141346.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
We went ahead to Masjid Tanah, again quite hilly at some parts. I must say that I enjoyed riding through the road nearby one picnic area very close to an army camp. There are big trees lining up the road giving shade from its canopy. Cool, shaded section.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Eb73osFi69siYm7ZRVS4uIW8582Ut17rzSzcmMllsFuGQ0z4PFnwAPigSZoBb7Il8V27KWFbngSp1as0n2yHxFDPZFn42k5r9eW6o6BjHr-HttzAuRvc5w54jmpLXdFk8g7hKK-vcFp_/s1600/20150522_144242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Eb73osFi69siYm7ZRVS4uIW8582Ut17rzSzcmMllsFuGQ0z4PFnwAPigSZoBb7Il8V27KWFbngSp1as0n2yHxFDPZFn42k5r9eW6o6BjHr-HttzAuRvc5w54jmpLXdFk8g7hKK-vcFp_/s320/20150522_144242.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>at Masjid Tanah</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2e-NWySqE3ejBMe-wWo8LSBEj5N5Hvi0qfRIDYINJjD8xK2_2O1Hu0BZ4c91VN2VuMsr52QexWbFNMP9nglzakYlBK_JUUGZ57COtbNNVMkGX9m4dyqc4SCyYmploa60IPjW2_nCFSXJR/s1600/20150522_144349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2e-NWySqE3ejBMe-wWo8LSBEj5N5Hvi0qfRIDYINJjD8xK2_2O1Hu0BZ4c91VN2VuMsr52QexWbFNMP9nglzakYlBK_JUUGZ57COtbNNVMkGX9m4dyqc4SCyYmploa60IPjW2_nCFSXJR/s320/20150522_144349.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>easily the biggest Chapal ever</i></td></tr>
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From Masjid Tanah, we went along towards Lubok China. By this time we were looking for a masjid or a surau for solat, and something to eat for lunch. Latfy saw a big Nasi Ayam sign by the roadside. I detected the word Cendol on the bunting. It's an eatery stall set up in front of a kampung house. We stopped over and parked our bikes in the house compound. The place was quite busy durint that time circa 3.00 pm, and unfortunately for us they ran out of Nasi Ayam. We had to settle for Mi Rebus instead. And cendol of course.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQYHKfMzcoxUqCzbdtOr9PrBUo9n7waap-zawauSoqLLIcZC1U4fjVd5BITwdQQ2_Bm49XGjwTkPhs-vUSILWLwnNvO3cABCd1q7cc6UZRGzS4MRqD3pWxyOwxnm31SR30Juwnue_0zIe/s1600/20150522_152645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQYHKfMzcoxUqCzbdtOr9PrBUo9n7waap-zawauSoqLLIcZC1U4fjVd5BITwdQQ2_Bm49XGjwTkPhs-vUSILWLwnNvO3cABCd1q7cc6UZRGzS4MRqD3pWxyOwxnm31SR30Juwnue_0zIe/s320/20150522_152645.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Latfy enjoying his cendol</i></td></tr>
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I have to say that the cendol is among the best that I've ever had. The al dente green cendol with its texture (the pakcik makes them himself) and rich coconut milk mixed with perfect amount of gula melaka make an unforgettable bowl of beverage. Granted that I was hungry and thirsty, but this one is quite special by its own right.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNZEss8U8ZjfyWf7kz6IdKVNWnU6j3qWfnMRvWCOfclxAyu1D58OyPXhYARrgtjWorojBi00vjm1Wn1iWy_rlJhihZw0IctcDyUBXyPXqoyn5fOgYkZAkQwhYnWl0hYHSUHHj840h6mqT/s1600/20150522_151239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNZEss8U8ZjfyWf7kz6IdKVNWnU6j3qWfnMRvWCOfclxAyu1D58OyPXhYARrgtjWorojBi00vjm1Wn1iWy_rlJhihZw0IctcDyUBXyPXqoyn5fOgYkZAkQwhYnWl0hYHSUHHj840h6mqT/s320/20150522_151239.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>durians on tree by the roadside</i></td></tr>
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After our simple meal, we went ahead to a masjid not far from there as guided by the locals at the eatery. I've been to that particular masjid a couple of times before this, and quite comfortable with it. Nice, clean and cool. We took our time, and went off on our way towards Negeri Sembilan at a bit more than half past four.<br />
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We reached Sungai Linggi which is the border of Negeri Sembilan and Melaka only 15 minutes after we started off from the masjid. We carried on to Linggi, reached there some half an hour later and stopped for some cold drinks. By 6.00 pm we have entered the Seremban border (still quite far from the town!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpIg_Y4IUQnxO2RkhwAHEFTsDmf6RMSeF1VlF7bxNvLv3RB2y_g9LTVWJH13FNHj1VPX6qAzzO8IyWnaQ7GJYufsUTTyBRIViR8fc7RFYPwtVr3x9AGgoC5Qwy6NKOQaOd-sbUNtPRg44/s1600/20150522_165103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpIg_Y4IUQnxO2RkhwAHEFTsDmf6RMSeF1VlF7bxNvLv3RB2y_g9LTVWJH13FNHj1VPX6qAzzO8IyWnaQ7GJYufsUTTyBRIViR8fc7RFYPwtVr3x9AGgoC5Qwy6NKOQaOd-sbUNtPRg44/s320/20150522_165103.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>at the states border, Sungai Linggi</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXCewrFYqhpnpusKPSJMg6_69RbNyEOnP9Bs_mgcMwI5YN0B7q1n_KNXh3nvJgYO8BcN6xUqXCkXbzSVu_w6wWT-x-DYM-wTg7szwCspMBOrDkWNxFTnVnHN48Xs5EHt8-4aqFa5fpM6l/s1600/20150522_172149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXCewrFYqhpnpusKPSJMg6_69RbNyEOnP9Bs_mgcMwI5YN0B7q1n_KNXh3nvJgYO8BcN6xUqXCkXbzSVu_w6wWT-x-DYM-wTg7szwCspMBOrDkWNxFTnVnHN48Xs5EHt8-4aqFa5fpM6l/s320/20150522_172149.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>brief stop at Linggi</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsoSv6KuL2BoqzKmZRSRMvtQW7NI9REfyRt5XevggIiDZzQF9NtEj3J3kdsZpn5CHkkoFVm5YJ86VhzlLvzI0IPSR24mL9Sy92q2cllnbjuoPlAnJ37lK2XG8CZ8g40nOkV5H7Tb1th2fT/s1600/20150522_180004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsoSv6KuL2BoqzKmZRSRMvtQW7NI9REfyRt5XevggIiDZzQF9NtEj3J3kdsZpn5CHkkoFVm5YJ86VhzlLvzI0IPSR24mL9Sy92q2cllnbjuoPlAnJ37lK2XG8CZ8g40nOkV5H7Tb1th2fT/s320/20150522_180004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>(technically) Seremban, baby!</i></td></tr>
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Not long after that we reached our next marked destination which is the small town of Rantau. It was getting dark, and we headed home via the Mambau roundabout and entered Ampangan. It was drizzling as we reached Ampangan and stopped for dinner. Rushed home for Maghrib as it was nearing Isya', and the journey ended just like that. Latfy had to get back to Ampang that night, so he loaded his bike into his car and said goodbye with his usual wide grin.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-f72kdqcejZNqjqTk8lGILRxWlV-1njSUM7-MK0FxoZgFZns1MxAi_fuJIZeaRGLUIf4PgxhBbgpcACgaUDH4Sn8mrpsXvNyQlQLzNSDV1AlkJzk5nYxiVKTUSE2UNqUO5Z-4_N8USrc/s1600/20150522_181723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-f72kdqcejZNqjqTk8lGILRxWlV-1njSUM7-MK0FxoZgFZns1MxAi_fuJIZeaRGLUIf4PgxhBbgpcACgaUDH4Sn8mrpsXvNyQlQLzNSDV1AlkJzk5nYxiVKTUSE2UNqUO5Z-4_N8USrc/s320/20150522_181723.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>taking a (sweet smelling) breather at Rantau</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXyJbPy0utND_2lHHZ8mC7ZJj7mCSHh3dDPn8gfqgdbSr0JBWv2-w3R4hfjrfXRDxMBtmubkyekkVRLmsWhNLZ0qBy4vM2gOooEsrtT1KBBsIBxYy9pra9tgWMEzvjMvS1SVOOmd4nYuG/s1600/20150522_182735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXyJbPy0utND_2lHHZ8mC7ZJj7mCSHh3dDPn8gfqgdbSr0JBWv2-w3R4hfjrfXRDxMBtmubkyekkVRLmsWhNLZ0qBy4vM2gOooEsrtT1KBBsIBxYy9pra9tgWMEzvjMvS1SVOOmd4nYuG/s320/20150522_182735.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>nice road heading towards Ampangan</i></td></tr>
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I was grinning too, and felt elated inside. 250+ km on a bike over 3 days with a good friend. It lasted me several weeks, that happy feeling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-o1y1U300FSu3z3nqojPerxPhChc4w8ZuAQKqeyCxhfT0wq10wtYct7lD0A9tW3eC_tRCVWr_xgvSHud23dQHX5wZU8SQ-EkqFJ2h9S4zjxv0_u_O9q8nqlFMqyUFi4iKfl3LjqIafhyphenhyphenC/s1600/20150522_201000WA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-o1y1U300FSu3z3nqojPerxPhChc4w8ZuAQKqeyCxhfT0wq10wtYct7lD0A9tW3eC_tRCVWr_xgvSHud23dQHX5wZU8SQ-EkqFJ2h9S4zjxv0_u_O9q8nqlFMqyUFi4iKfl3LjqIafhyphenhyphenC/s320/20150522_201000WA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>big boys flashing teeth</i></td></tr>
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I did something that I have always wanted to do and experience. The amount of money spent was quite minimal, I'd say, but importantly the experience simply cannot be bought.<br />
<br />
Until the next adventure...<br />
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Hope you enjoyed the details of our short touring as much as I had ridden and written.<br />
Thanks for stopping by.<br />
<br />
#LabisToSeremban<br />
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<a href="http://akmalbikepark.blogspot.my/2015/07/touring-labis-to-seremban-prologue.html" style="text-align: justify;">back to Prologue/menu</a>akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-63085487295457217912015-07-17T23:34:00.000+08:002016-01-09T19:27:04.136+08:00Touring: Labis to Seremban - Day 3 (Part 1: Batu Berendam to Pantai Puteri)<div style="text-align: justify;">
22.05.2015, Friday.</div>
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The leisurely ride to (impromptu) relax at the beach.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKMGu8IvkuJrZ4fB0lnn2iltRLbCtn_hQPs7e7NqPb72hq8FjigWaB8dP-yd__Yly9VnjHhgdujChJWksz2G-mZdp1mk-CZQ8EFSddtpTzHGOEIwPKw2dZRHTjePbb0lnF18N_FGtmR3Z/s1600/20150522_085259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKMGu8IvkuJrZ4fB0lnn2iltRLbCtn_hQPs7e7NqPb72hq8FjigWaB8dP-yd__Yly9VnjHhgdujChJWksz2G-mZdp1mk-CZQ8EFSddtpTzHGOEIwPKw2dZRHTjePbb0lnF18N_FGtmR3Z/s320/20150522_085259.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>me, Adlee and Latfy</i></td></tr>
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The Friday morning started early, with a breakfast. Abang Bakar drove us to a breakfast joint and we met up with Adlee over there. Adlee is Abang Bakar's son, who is also my schoolmate in Jasin. Latfy knew Adlee too, from our short 6 months together in MLA Cheras when we were 18. As we chatted along we discovered that we were interconnected within a circle of friends and close relatives.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dnbJKip55ubWL5BiGE-SyKmYARbuCVOOInFVPOKxPKHUKZmo086vpKzOhfXhXZKxuDMvzLL3yebJfIG2bJePRvXulKPN3g-9SepHC-MmkL80nKOLHDGk90b83xJaBaxrdk5wuvXOOEGF/s1600/20150522_101128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dnbJKip55ubWL5BiGE-SyKmYARbuCVOOInFVPOKxPKHUKZmo086vpKzOhfXhXZKxuDMvzLL3yebJfIG2bJePRvXulKPN3g-9SepHC-MmkL80nKOLHDGk90b83xJaBaxrdk5wuvXOOEGF/s200/20150522_101128.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Abang Bakar's little vineyard</i></td></tr>
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After breakfast we went back to Batu Berendam and got ready for the journey of the day. It's our last day and we'll be pedaling back to Seremban. It shall be a pretty interesting ride as we'll be passing by Ramuan China. A route that I have been dreaming of cycling on for so long since I first got along it many years ago by car. From Batu Berendam we'll get to Sungai Udang (route 33), Masjid Tanah and Lubok China (route 5), Linggi (route N7), Rantau (route N5), Senawang and finally my house in Seremban. The total distance is around 86 km (via Google Maps).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SP_wZ9CwiL7k3cZeQXEjbGuR6JKtWx4TNpI5Wys1A6Vticd7M6q1t6Q8ReWoFYEsI59UGaDzcTAQNLFHmUMvq7ZyxH3McH6E9TWPpZrjmjWV-t3v8FQLvnlWe3Yz16IgE1nq646PFIoP/s1600/20150522_101023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SP_wZ9CwiL7k3cZeQXEjbGuR6JKtWx4TNpI5Wys1A6Vticd7M6q1t6Q8ReWoFYEsI59UGaDzcTAQNLFHmUMvq7ZyxH3McH6E9TWPpZrjmjWV-t3v8FQLvnlWe3Yz16IgE1nq646PFIoP/s320/20150522_101023.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>one for the road</i></td></tr>
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We had some more catching up with Adlee at Batu Berendam after breakfast, and were ready to roll at just before 10.30 am. By that time the sun has already risen and it was a bit hot. We didn't really mind about it though. The morning thus far has been great.</div>
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We went to a Shell petrol station to get drinking water. Shell in particular sells them in a special sized PET bottle with flip top cover and valved spout. Pretty handy and relatively cheap option for a touring water bottle. I had this in mind when I bought the Topeak adjustable diameter bottle cage in Muar the day before.</div>
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The route was quite flat, and we somehow got lost somewhere but quickly navigated towards Tanjung Kling. We passed by a rice field along the way and also a private museum . We took another detour and got ourselves in a very nice neighbourhood located along the seashore.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lxaqdeECLnV3SE_roUE93gilfrmHOWt2JrRc2x0mKZxQS7YSo0GrZtXTPnLex0DR4L9HU_2QO4MT24GioA6YbzlTPG1CWcYoNODWyICxY2laiBfmZQAsM7SRjDkBvUT3rIz3lsEiOwVl/s1600/20150522_110400WA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lxaqdeECLnV3SE_roUE93gilfrmHOWt2JrRc2x0mKZxQS7YSo0GrZtXTPnLex0DR4L9HU_2QO4MT24GioA6YbzlTPG1CWcYoNODWyICxY2laiBfmZQAsM7SRjDkBvUT3rIz3lsEiOwVl/s640/20150522_110400WA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the rice field en route</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbcW2b5AzTU7J2QtXATrQTPO6toKh8U1inrZsWdkwkUIHPLR1Y0Dfx5MTVH8yrBPmAMd8ihzXsIs3JBC-ObKeXVB8xEFMYhWWPyZR6pXvU-fy_o9rEkudVhdeYDp2sTlUZf-UeM2h7tIu/s1600/20150522_111320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbcW2b5AzTU7J2QtXATrQTPO6toKh8U1inrZsWdkwkUIHPLR1Y0Dfx5MTVH8yrBPmAMd8ihzXsIs3JBC-ObKeXVB8xEFMYhWWPyZR6pXvU-fy_o9rEkudVhdeYDp2sTlUZf-UeM2h7tIu/s320/20150522_111320.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>we turned right at the T-junction</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYJpNYs914baQ2UvtiuBGAxmHNZvnABNRPI0Ka74599XKk83hxSDuLFR1EziLwjqNaBc9N2VaIIghUbxox7ORCb_F2mTpSppTtmj7Ru_zXHiNS813a6bz-mYYH2v75qODea02Nnn0hiAk/s1600/20150522_111539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYJpNYs914baQ2UvtiuBGAxmHNZvnABNRPI0Ka74599XKk83hxSDuLFR1EziLwjqNaBc9N2VaIIghUbxox7ORCb_F2mTpSppTtmj7Ru_zXHiNS813a6bz-mYYH2v75qODea02Nnn0hiAk/s640/20150522_111539.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>a nice private museum along our route</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdrc5JTN1It5ERNDQWDkJbB-57IanIzQYRsIPokrzaCrc_bhYB-oD0euC7g7zpMVjpqcFXCGFUDXoLAUWXAbEq6FEAY5dWlvPZJBoV28EEy2sfAGD4eYcKwlSwUh9iLg6XnorpsS8ESOh/s1600/20150522_113101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdrc5JTN1It5ERNDQWDkJbB-57IanIzQYRsIPokrzaCrc_bhYB-oD0euC7g7zpMVjpqcFXCGFUDXoLAUWXAbEq6FEAY5dWlvPZJBoV28EEy2sfAGD4eYcKwlSwUh9iLg6XnorpsS8ESOh/s320/20150522_113101.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>quite nice to have the sea breeze right at the back of your house, no?</i></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Eventually we reached Pantai Puteri and Latfy quickly spotted a stall along the road selling coconut water and snacks. It was about noon and I need something to eat as well. Naturally we stopped and ordered for ourselves coconut water, karipap and pisang goreng. We asked the seller if they can set up a table for us. He said yes and even offered us to have it by the beach. We had our table under the casuarinas shade and took our time there at the beach. With more helping of karipap and pisang goreng, of course.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJh7DBgHscun1aI9RCzsYOPVMsKPbsqk8ilw5FK-KJPTqktI2_oI4otXredLHcP2GolC9IVualnYf-iAGj4l0nwDFocSV1-Bhg4-y2P0VskEioSoDnaom6e6wCBG5VRmhuYMiZ8TdJb1dT/s1600/20150522_115614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJh7DBgHscun1aI9RCzsYOPVMsKPbsqk8ilw5FK-KJPTqktI2_oI4otXredLHcP2GolC9IVualnYf-iAGj4l0nwDFocSV1-Bhg4-y2P0VskEioSoDnaom6e6wCBG5VRmhuYMiZ8TdJb1dT/s320/20150522_115614.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>la table pour deux à la plage</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfXtgcIZe9YuqcEvhr6yNzhS9ZybbNkJPkdGIHPSltFIv3fVPTx1crJf-IJkeHU_BmR0QlUWC0zGU-kJpStl2t-XSrZ8ge54h4vTxtiLSu3tSxe1JtckhllSdVdbKk1CZIat97p7bHRfm/s1600/20150522_115945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfXtgcIZe9YuqcEvhr6yNzhS9ZybbNkJPkdGIHPSltFIv3fVPTx1crJf-IJkeHU_BmR0QlUWC0zGU-kJpStl2t-XSrZ8ge54h4vTxtiLSu3tSxe1JtckhllSdVdbKk1CZIat97p7bHRfm/s320/20150522_115945.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Latfy enjoying his coconut water</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKLxzllWcbljEHChyItjWq4ugUGbBi2TWIUyzEpM_qxrSUqT-13vN4QJVy4N2aQclf7UwegBQhzlNy24WY1T9uPknDM6oaaYlYGMxhg-c1yg-iWfDsUm4OpqTuX5Mx-KRArr6KSB2hWJ2/s1600/20150522_122000WA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKLxzllWcbljEHChyItjWq4ugUGbBi2TWIUyzEpM_qxrSUqT-13vN4QJVy4N2aQclf7UwegBQhzlNy24WY1T9uPknDM6oaaYlYGMxhg-c1yg-iWfDsUm4OpqTuX5Mx-KRArr6KSB2hWJ2/s320/20150522_122000WA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>serenity</i></td></tr>
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People were busy getting to the mosque some distance away, but we took our travelers grant and had our nap at the beach. I couldn't really get a decent sleep actually, but I did enjoy the relative tranquility and sea breeze.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOX9hlZ6xu5b7ayx-154rHWCfiI_tVX2GkvpwnYN1bONTMkeMmcoYmhHjJhCqbtAFcMgU7uzwjjq7vH-46sIaZK-Hqom4D-NkoAVGsG7W2qsIHBdsSdlwcMCZX1-ThyphenhyphenxqZcvb6vHb_5kb/s1600/20150522_124200WA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOX9hlZ6xu5b7ayx-154rHWCfiI_tVX2GkvpwnYN1bONTMkeMmcoYmhHjJhCqbtAFcMgU7uzwjjq7vH-46sIaZK-Hqom4D-NkoAVGsG7W2qsIHBdsSdlwcMCZX1-ThyphenhyphenxqZcvb6vHb_5kb/s320/20150522_124200WA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiiVscDz1_baUd5JPmIWHLx-LyS170G6b0tMB18PZ8pjErrOiiF8mTd9QWKqkHTZlSaC87bOJ6fx48lV8iebSrJm2HSf1zA5HRFdnrYrv8pHt4Q5T6daBjupiXfvBFvyLbfvf7lj2JzLr/s1600/20150522_131135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiiVscDz1_baUd5JPmIWHLx-LyS170G6b0tMB18PZ8pjErrOiiF8mTd9QWKqkHTZlSaC87bOJ6fx48lV8iebSrJm2HSf1zA5HRFdnrYrv8pHt4Q5T6daBjupiXfvBFvyLbfvf7lj2JzLr/s320/20150522_131135.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A few minutes after the Friday prayers adzan circa 1.30 pm, we went off on our way towards Sungai Udang.</div>
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#LabisToSeremban</div>
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<a href="http://akmalbikepark.blogspot.my/2015/07/touring-labis-to-seremban-prologue.html" style="text-align: justify;">back to Prologue/menu</a>akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-4594529237981150722015-07-14T21:25:00.000+08:002016-01-09T19:26:13.548+08:00Touring: Labis to Seremban - Day 2 (Part 2: Muar to Melaka)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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21.05.2015, Thursday.<br />
The interesting journey from Muar to Melaka<br />
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The goal of the day is to cycle to Melaka and go around the city by bike upon reaching Bandar Melaka. In my recent visits to Melaka before this, I was intrigued by the idea of going around the city by bike. There is so much to explore. Too slow by foot (and not to mention comparably tiring) and the area is quite vast to be covered. Bikes are accessible and simple. More importantly, they are much faster and less tiring. Of course, much more fun. However, I didn't have a plan laid out before hand on where and what to do in Melaka. Some sort of 'crossing the bridge when we got there' kind of plan. For the night's stay I've contacted my cousin Abang Bakar and he agreed to be our host in Batu Berendam, some 8km away from Bandar Hilir.<br />
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The route plan was to go to Tanjung Agas, Kesang, Sungai Rambai, Merlimau, Telok Mas, Bandar Hilir, Peringgit and finally to Batu Berendam. The estimated distance is about 52 km in total. We would be taking a coastal route, which is quite flat. So in theory it would be a fast ride and we would reach the destination in time. Of course, this did not happen, and we had to tweak our plan and route as we rode along.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfrmPGECNWC-oZkJPgiWdhLaTWLBP4jdludztflxBI57MhETmPsxmXA0RMV7Z2CH0-UXV_69ofDYGntbkT-LJMzLTrN8NXvFZOj2o3hsc_ykugixfjCCSHYJ1VgLb4DN9RPOMEpLGt_gM/s1600/20150521_133508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfrmPGECNWC-oZkJPgiWdhLaTWLBP4jdludztflxBI57MhETmPsxmXA0RMV7Z2CH0-UXV_69ofDYGntbkT-LJMzLTrN8NXvFZOj2o3hsc_ykugixfjCCSHYJ1VgLb4DN9RPOMEpLGt_gM/s640/20150521_133508.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the view of Sungai Muar from Jambatan Sultan Ismail</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogJMo4bQ8J_YpDFKJ5rJ_U8_qmbj6DSml0Cp1oN02Ge3GnKLRj-X4H7gzLgkh8nJRWGZUxl5BRgws8DtSI7FJF457uK9LQMwf5ydIlCdmmGRm_nrVzlwVJV8Srt77R1Dmoc-PgJ6DKboL/s1600/20150521_133524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogJMo4bQ8J_YpDFKJ5rJ_U8_qmbj6DSml0Cp1oN02Ge3GnKLRj-X4H7gzLgkh8nJRWGZUxl5BRgws8DtSI7FJF457uK9LQMwf5ydIlCdmmGRm_nrVzlwVJV8Srt77R1Dmoc-PgJ6DKboL/s200/20150521_133524.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>a little adjustment<br />for a smoother ride ahead</i></td></tr>
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We crossed Sungai Muar towards Tanjung Agas on the Jambatan Sultan Ismail at about 1.30 pm. From there we went along Jalan Kesang (Route 5) and got to Kesang. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4ICOyigOmSI7q9Ig2MAOjFc6SRfjcDRqoTN5DBu3vHCHys65rotcAKm217OC90EEjixgZI3LVQEqnI-LEncsvmPONHgwboaZwdCiW0z4R2hg1bzvRQezEHY6D7gAtP8QznwtetFID708/s1600/20150521_134216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4ICOyigOmSI7q9Ig2MAOjFc6SRfjcDRqoTN5DBu3vHCHys65rotcAKm217OC90EEjixgZI3LVQEqnI-LEncsvmPONHgwboaZwdCiW0z4R2hg1bzvRQezEHY6D7gAtP8QznwtetFID708/s200/20150521_134216.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the welcome sign at Tanjung Agas</i></td></tr>
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It appeared that we were riding on an expressway, so Latfy stopped and suggested for a safer route parallel to it. Hence a detour. The road we took was Jalan Kesang Laut (J134).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV10EhznFdiejjSQbZ4w2b8sJxYP01ENKInR8dbFqpCpCb7prIh6ko3u5nJaWAp7pCT97R-VC_tylSUHnvRdif1HGfdmBdoly3c5Euw7wbYdALY1wnSo_9Dci1ZOLGY5qA4mR0oXQwsPXL/s1600/20150521_142729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV10EhznFdiejjSQbZ4w2b8sJxYP01ENKInR8dbFqpCpCb7prIh6ko3u5nJaWAp7pCT97R-VC_tylSUHnvRdif1HGfdmBdoly3c5Euw7wbYdALY1wnSo_9Dci1ZOLGY5qA4mR0oXQwsPXL/s320/20150521_142729.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>a deer farm by the road side on Jalan Kesang Laut</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AXe1ghofqrLjv9t4popOhn1ujaPZhKHufL94ysszYTdQUQpOmco2_wVolMgT0CcM7SGooBHnDdH_aNKUb7isywiIAoHhWEuO4_gYUHpnqgt36PlNDxurkRDgPzSNunV5VlHiSgw9lxdx/s1600/20150521_143512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AXe1ghofqrLjv9t4popOhn1ujaPZhKHufL94ysszYTdQUQpOmco2_wVolMgT0CcM7SGooBHnDdH_aNKUb7isywiIAoHhWEuO4_gYUHpnqgt36PlNDxurkRDgPzSNunV5VlHiSgw9lxdx/s320/20150521_143512.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Latfy at the fishery jetty at Kesang Laut</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNT4qRpC4-ypZwKxY2VdN_Z1MSdE_j3jVrPn5b9Iks4ri7JPBXkzx3F21a9GDA0IzIXAnm5APaKmpCn7rj1540pCOzUb-nxEibNNQmUNZLLjjo7-nvX1fwfXVncYQoaPYjFOYqiuEj0I2m/s1600/20150521_143850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNT4qRpC4-ypZwKxY2VdN_Z1MSdE_j3jVrPn5b9Iks4ri7JPBXkzx3F21a9GDA0IzIXAnm5APaKmpCn7rj1540pCOzUb-nxEibNNQmUNZLLjjo7-nvX1fwfXVncYQoaPYjFOYqiuEj0I2m/s320/20150521_143850.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>across the jetty is Melaka and the river flows out<br />to Selat Melaka (the Straits of Malacca)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9vqF2RB56ZYnQBN3gQ9D8csa3j8aVYBv7sIQQlWEQIfBKCCQ5zPv2u-bWRM1SemsRwAjKPtfpdlVgbFco0iK3A3-1D4nO0-RXAvLzJ-DIhNYWTUYQUgqXSsIwmYlDyqqNOTObzs99YNm/s1600/20150521_144213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9vqF2RB56ZYnQBN3gQ9D8csa3j8aVYBv7sIQQlWEQIfBKCCQ5zPv2u-bWRM1SemsRwAjKPtfpdlVgbFco0iK3A3-1D4nO0-RXAvLzJ-DIhNYWTUYQUgqXSsIwmYlDyqqNOTObzs99YNm/s320/20150521_144213.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>some colourful (tiny) hermit crabs- see if you can spot them</i></td></tr>
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Boy, was I glad that we took the detour. The road was practically ours (again), breezy, lesser vehicles and interesting things to see. There's a small deer farm just beside the road. We went out further closer to the west and were brought upon a fishery jetty at Kesang Laut. On our way there, we spotted a cendol joint but upon second thought we went on our way instead of stopping for a bowl (or two).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aUpiKe5Zvci1I85SO7M1De1gnCbfYMXoARwAfyC9XemCUTGE62hsEsunb0Yvtailne_w9GcgNNdzB2pMpaWu3WtaXRW7uOE_3qO1VItYfpO-x8F4sjvRQv37Pp4Z2tteqM52g5KSwaj2/s1600/20150521_144946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aUpiKe5Zvci1I85SO7M1De1gnCbfYMXoARwAfyC9XemCUTGE62hsEsunb0Yvtailne_w9GcgNNdzB2pMpaWu3WtaXRW7uOE_3qO1VItYfpO-x8F4sjvRQv37Pp4Z2tteqM52g5KSwaj2/s320/20150521_144946.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>taking the route less travelled</i></td></tr>
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We made many stops and kept referring to the map on our phones. Latfy suggested the alternate routes, mostly, and I happily agreed. I'd say that I would stick to the main road and be quick but he seems unperturbed to have a more challenging route. Well, why not? There's nothing to lose but time, and gain things that we could not have otherwise if we were to drive a car. We actually didn't have much time as we started riding for the day quite late, but to miss the opportunity of going where normally we would not take by car could be remorseful. So we took the path less beaten, and I personally glad we did. For most of the part, I'm glad that Latfy suggested so.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Hulp9_OMtYzfHsbftnosG4tv-aV_E4NwhOzf4Zp5hLwZFh461wZWRukRLTCNMo02SnplW3kNG03PBwdp8s_67URCPGUzFAOtU2oEoucLckG1tfGdJ3Fv034COlna-xjPNNavQv0cWY8Z/s1600/20150521_145838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Hulp9_OMtYzfHsbftnosG4tv-aV_E4NwhOzf4Zp5hLwZFh461wZWRukRLTCNMo02SnplW3kNG03PBwdp8s_67URCPGUzFAOtU2oEoucLckG1tfGdJ3Fv034COlna-xjPNNavQv0cWY8Z/s320/20150521_145838.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>no smog here for sure. I love the tranquility of the surrounding</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIPEMzy9HOXo33UFEedFAISXCVk6RQUwZ62l-70lJFXjFW4SSaRuVlDf9p-HfCiXQ8HC3KJCxKAWQCBqzxXv1YxoFNs7ae3f1WTp4qUbzsGOLx-7P08cZPHxy9Q6-2TsmemWYJiObDw6u/s1600/20150521_150527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIPEMzy9HOXo33UFEedFAISXCVk6RQUwZ62l-70lJFXjFW4SSaRuVlDf9p-HfCiXQ8HC3KJCxKAWQCBqzxXv1YxoFNs7ae3f1WTp4qUbzsGOLx-7P08cZPHxy9Q6-2TsmemWYJiObDw6u/s320/20150521_150527.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the road (if you can call it so) ahead is not inviting,</i><br />
<i>but interesting nevertheless!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rxpPNynW98skotvG9fv22WF3KOfQo_FexoQZv3aZQpCwh54X8BSCy52EzAVGmDSRBzcR8GSWqqHdF-J0gkEl7GQ-fZRMtQuDBGiL2_HVpo_6NZVSElBvL2m3wnu9oTpm6sKaVu4HAPpe/s1600/20150521_150816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rxpPNynW98skotvG9fv22WF3KOfQo_FexoQZv3aZQpCwh54X8BSCy52EzAVGmDSRBzcR8GSWqqHdF-J0gkEl7GQ-fZRMtQuDBGiL2_HVpo_6NZVSElBvL2m3wnu9oTpm6sKaVu4HAPpe/s320/20150521_150816.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>donut!</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipafcosr9RY-AHHQ1JiGw6Xb5CTcIB5ysEcCig3OOaUrJs-Gi7OUAyPGodr0rlUynkqoVc5689e4Whdj0Qvqhl_HwnejSVh7piKMLUnW0XpMfpXd8FruYSvDbXKtjpHm0BLqjcrULFrj-v/s1600/20150521_151214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipafcosr9RY-AHHQ1JiGw6Xb5CTcIB5ysEcCig3OOaUrJs-Gi7OUAyPGodr0rlUynkqoVc5689e4Whdj0Qvqhl_HwnejSVh7piKMLUnW0XpMfpXd8FruYSvDbXKtjpHm0BLqjcrULFrj-v/s320/20150521_151214.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>happy old boy</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IdTaav62vQNB3iq3cpOmtFYrzICA8zA6DV1xTLdt4VBIOI1hV2E3dWm_zS3s-DDlvbGzmwWVw2kIXKb3OPe_0XWdojRBn1OdqbyHQHKSYODE98-V2Xnl2CCNr7rEw6C8ZNqXbe9j8CkG/s1600/20150521_151757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IdTaav62vQNB3iq3cpOmtFYrzICA8zA6DV1xTLdt4VBIOI1hV2E3dWm_zS3s-DDlvbGzmwWVw2kIXKb3OPe_0XWdojRBn1OdqbyHQHKSYODE98-V2Xnl2CCNr7rEw6C8ZNqXbe9j8CkG/s320/20150521_151757.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>finally out to the tarmac in the end</i></td></tr>
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I was surprised that the offroad route that we took en route to Sungai Rambai is actually charted in Google Maps as a viable road. It straddles along an inland waterline which I don't think a normal car would be able to go through it as there were bumps and potholes, and muddy. It was a slow ride, but we enjoyed it.<br />
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At the end of the offroad, we got onto Route 5 near the Lebuh AMJ exit towards Sungai Rambai. Not far from there is the small bordertown between Johor and Melaka, Sungai Rambai.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOk8YTVVe-s8xF45WOz1Ci4r0D3sUEX3qVoQUre05AhXZ_BDikFKBLmOpJO3MdXHqQr-qlEHsyOpAELKt9lmkfSZc1IHc8VMtTNkGxfTabFN6qr4SLUqCjE7APj0-DJeUpSxfpn1BmKQ0/s1600/20150521_152855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOk8YTVVe-s8xF45WOz1Ci4r0D3sUEX3qVoQUre05AhXZ_BDikFKBLmOpJO3MdXHqQr-qlEHsyOpAELKt9lmkfSZc1IHc8VMtTNkGxfTabFN6qr4SLUqCjE7APj0-DJeUpSxfpn1BmKQ0/s320/20150521_152855.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the gantry welcoming us to Melaka at Sungai Rambai</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VIZtePJblruksI56UJhc90lJFji8Wf3xRFnUuUS6sXnh_-9yDXurdY38PeBdNxEQ8XUov7OEw7BaPWcWGvxbfIXFuCWaX54lVitLo_yJoM8kXHD_HC9NUr8z0rxcExly9la7F2ohavaf/s1600/20150521_152627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VIZtePJblruksI56UJhc90lJFji8Wf3xRFnUuUS6sXnh_-9yDXurdY38PeBdNxEQ8XUov7OEw7BaPWcWGvxbfIXFuCWaX54lVitLo_yJoM8kXHD_HC9NUr8z0rxcExly9la7F2ohavaf/s320/20150521_152627.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>an obligatory shot</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6FTh4Gc6NWPEZbjwwkZxMkdRvQSi0HqqUqkJB80Rk-4oLVFEHXozdnsccN8rf5RyCyPF4ZYZaUNawxCCD2pdZSqOYZa00SfkDXE1Oi_VWAbjji2OYefZG9TfnjPPzsiyRvmSxfb8qVxp/s1600/20150521_153232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6FTh4Gc6NWPEZbjwwkZxMkdRvQSi0HqqUqkJB80Rk-4oLVFEHXozdnsccN8rf5RyCyPF4ZYZaUNawxCCD2pdZSqOYZa00SfkDXE1Oi_VWAbjji2OYefZG9TfnjPPzsiyRvmSxfb8qVxp/s320/20150521_153232.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>quiet small town of Sungai Rambai</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTllDwn7TDaTHw6dxIAFx4IWYanQqEgvb0w1DjaiXzY7jTpAqQmwP-C-cdbIsN3P8WkbOPezxZcO5CdMGGFGnWBoGoWRkwpd9t9AkA5YLfwTyBNhab_xmHMiO-cb09nIvkH-h8E3aD4sl/s1600/20150521_153241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTllDwn7TDaTHw6dxIAFx4IWYanQqEgvb0w1DjaiXzY7jTpAqQmwP-C-cdbIsN3P8WkbOPezxZcO5CdMGGFGnWBoGoWRkwpd9t9AkA5YLfwTyBNhab_xmHMiO-cb09nIvkH-h8E3aD4sl/s320/20150521_153241.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>old wooden shophouses lining the main road</i></td></tr>
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It was quite an exhilirating ride, and we were famished by then. We stopped at a Petronas station for the toilet and had a meal not far from there at a stall by the roadside. Nasi goreng and cold drinks on our table not long after; and in much lesser than the waiting time, they're already in our tummies.<br />
:)<br />
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The road ahead towards Merlimau is flat and featureless. However, it is lined with trees and kampung houses making it an enjoyable ride. Again, as we rode along, Latfy suggested another detour closer to the shore. Eventually, we came to another jetty at Kuala Sebatu.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvC05V-M9ycIx8Li82FmZ5rD9hkFtI2JLGzB4AUicZuEYwEpkb7BatKufJaPRSf_XqW5tX4gU00eF6pg3dnpUBvVN11idZ0Arwfgm4VFV16VUjAo8lWRyxr87IFZkMdPhlcC0yBibPF7re/s1600/20150521_162845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvC05V-M9ycIx8Li82FmZ5rD9hkFtI2JLGzB4AUicZuEYwEpkb7BatKufJaPRSf_XqW5tX4gU00eF6pg3dnpUBvVN11idZ0Arwfgm4VFV16VUjAo8lWRyxr87IFZkMdPhlcC0yBibPF7re/s320/20150521_162845.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>off on another detour</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3B2_NGLwy_u71wL7cfINWWHdGWoEWOVrVUZbz-_MPhc-NRrYEqINYtfMKxVlOPkZ0K6d3HxEuDtZdK3tiSmWmqCoPo6CmSGudMkgFr9tFiUKkKnDidzhbAvj4PTgR_WSi_fgu0i_J0GGu/s1600/20150521_164403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3B2_NGLwy_u71wL7cfINWWHdGWoEWOVrVUZbz-_MPhc-NRrYEqINYtfMKxVlOPkZ0K6d3HxEuDtZdK3tiSmWmqCoPo6CmSGudMkgFr9tFiUKkKnDidzhbAvj4PTgR_WSi_fgu0i_J0GGu/s320/20150521_164403.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VK6Pk4yBBwWPyIEbV2Uy9jFb0BJ2UGtl1QBMM5UzxRoQ1jmBLojsMAfnG_4DcSAlV4zb_Q5SfuKgAXa2oC6CHq8MTFwOT_O5vsJ6DZSGvXaJbTFSSnse0sV3aVR5YMMsyFaDkb_P1FBI/s1600/20150521_164613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VK6Pk4yBBwWPyIEbV2Uy9jFb0BJ2UGtl1QBMM5UzxRoQ1jmBLojsMAfnG_4DcSAlV4zb_Q5SfuKgAXa2oC6CHq8MTFwOT_O5vsJ6DZSGvXaJbTFSSnse0sV3aVR5YMMsyFaDkb_P1FBI/s320/20150521_164613.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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From the jetty, we took a kampung road (if we can call it a road) amidst palm oil plantation, local houses and eventually the road led to a dead end. Fortunately, there's a trail leading to a housing area and we got back out to the proper road. Albeit, we are still not on the main road towards Merlimau. Much to my surprise, we rode along a vast area of paddy field. It was scenic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-_QrgdPulPMluimqHJGXdSiFPwyRnwqHzMTksA5fH1uORifF7GtG8Ec-4k9BPQwfuXAsY_b0pOpjwXHpTQD79lytWs95T2em-LPxiFhZCeNZKBlo5wBDftoas1bofQ95r8XY6al0QuE9/s1600/20150521_165107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-_QrgdPulPMluimqHJGXdSiFPwyRnwqHzMTksA5fH1uORifF7GtG8Ec-4k9BPQwfuXAsY_b0pOpjwXHpTQD79lytWs95T2em-LPxiFhZCeNZKBlo5wBDftoas1bofQ95r8XY6al0QuE9/s320/20150521_165107.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>masked rider</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOejzZX89ShHPn5FVkLABVJ6OHcSixmrlWoFjQC9ifXlugrmeaxvdMMVPU35_REPcT1IPPITILxzJZBtQ4oBIvcbQJDuqRRXfADXK-dHCk9xakMpN75nl_U9Q8Fs_k4DVSBcZ8UGElkw_/s1600/20150521_165135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOejzZX89ShHPn5FVkLABVJ6OHcSixmrlWoFjQC9ifXlugrmeaxvdMMVPU35_REPcT1IPPITILxzJZBtQ4oBIvcbQJDuqRRXfADXK-dHCk9xakMpN75nl_U9Q8Fs_k4DVSBcZ8UGElkw_/s320/20150521_165135.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>we were actually smiling underneath our Buffs</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs98yEdVafyZOwF5McamPWuISKRTpM7yaWxRw2bvI5s5EuD2ruMAoHqWqFMwGkl4ejiF1TIWVWNjNBERoAGtUN25TjbTt8opKj2UQAJfMfTcRPFQnnSPzlmQLdGweBO90QUZz6jgSL9ndd/s1600/20150521_180054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs98yEdVafyZOwF5McamPWuISKRTpM7yaWxRw2bvI5s5EuD2ruMAoHqWqFMwGkl4ejiF1TIWVWNjNBERoAGtUN25TjbTt8opKj2UQAJfMfTcRPFQnnSPzlmQLdGweBO90QUZz6jgSL9ndd/s320/20150521_180054.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the vast paddy field in Merlimau</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuhLmdrhY4oFUiXPnv-c0xmqo4ODqGI_Yx-S24vUAP3ZOcjemWr1uIBfHdErJjtCjphJn-KG6OdK2rR06wKI7CMSg2AdMoQSKbBa2YQQlR9s1xCCit7W9Cxmra7ESjH0QYo_874LlALfZ/s1600/20150521_180445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuhLmdrhY4oFUiXPnv-c0xmqo4ODqGI_Yx-S24vUAP3ZOcjemWr1uIBfHdErJjtCjphJn-KG6OdK2rR06wKI7CMSg2AdMoQSKbBa2YQQlR9s1xCCit7W9Cxmra7ESjH0QYo_874LlALfZ/s320/20150521_180445.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>onthels make nice road decor too</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl01hbd9KI7Ev8SW-ATtvn4y87E8NbCwIv0vk9eLSNw539SDorq2I5ki3GVGGawucTylZN9xKBiNuJ695IDU4mEpSLhsKzo7FSWWXL641ldeTT4yx5IYZG9OiIVufbMB_BiNQfMzT0E3LD/s1600/20150521_181310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl01hbd9KI7Ev8SW-ATtvn4y87E8NbCwIv0vk9eLSNw539SDorq2I5ki3GVGGawucTylZN9xKBiNuJ695IDU4mEpSLhsKzo7FSWWXL641ldeTT4yx5IYZG9OiIVufbMB_BiNQfMzT0E3LD/s320/20150521_181310.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Masjid Jamik Serkam, built in 1853</i></td></tr>
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From Merlimau we headed to Telok Mas. We stopped by an old mosque, Masjid Jamik Serkam, which was built in 1853. I made a casual check on my drivetrain and was dumbstruck as I found out the chain was not properly routed on my RD. The chain was rubbing outside the RD cage all this while. Duhh!!! No wonder I felt a bit hard when pedaling. It took me some time to make it good and make thorough inspection on the whole drivetrain. Looks like the chainring tooth are a bit worn now, and those will be the next to be changed. Fortunately, my SLX RD cage is not suffering major damage, only a parallel cut from the chain plates which is not too deep as I had anticipated. Pheww...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxTNYIOsGZcoPlRHVDa580u_Lg_Z7fRnk7uwuBSQlyKiwz9Lfa2pSVcOsR9fVFsBYLEK5v6YXsLXbgeymyWKs9HkI9KC-1pHMsD2mxvtb4D9kgdSOhyphenhyphen4kZgz-xCsYQ1cMAH_i5F1Xwq-C/s1600/20150521_184036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxTNYIOsGZcoPlRHVDa580u_Lg_Z7fRnk7uwuBSQlyKiwz9Lfa2pSVcOsR9fVFsBYLEK5v6YXsLXbgeymyWKs9HkI9KC-1pHMsD2mxvtb4D9kgdSOhyphenhyphen4kZgz-xCsYQ1cMAH_i5F1Xwq-C/s320/20150521_184036.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>at the seashore towards Umbai, Pulau Besar in the background</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIb5ej5naPpHOTz22x8c8zLrX5I8Un9Ktm8JO1I8OCKfmTpfYpIrk78PeKUrXS_TiTRbd_0zG7i74owKMFLZ3Y0z925hLu9V_EpUfuqEtKNAUpM04csZ4IPhh4DJMnlA-rjTxVyFnwQKzS/s1600/20150521_185811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIb5ej5naPpHOTz22x8c8zLrX5I8Un9Ktm8JO1I8OCKfmTpfYpIrk78PeKUrXS_TiTRbd_0zG7i74owKMFLZ3Y0z925hLu9V_EpUfuqEtKNAUpM04csZ4IPhh4DJMnlA-rjTxVyFnwQKzS/s640/20150521_185811.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>at Umbai</i></td></tr>
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We headed on the coastal road and reached Medan Ikan Bakar at Umbai nearing dusk. Earlier on, Abang Bakar had contacted me and invited us for dinner with him in Melaka so we stopped at Umbai only for snack; I took out the cekodok pisang that we brought from the homestay. Seeing that we are short of time, we cancelled our initial plan of riding around Melaka. Personally, I think what we had en route was a much better substitute if not on par. So we proceeded out to the main road and hurried on towards Batu Berendam.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YfC5IvMZMRmWZg1yZMI4uPu7guEHvq-OdhuXDXcW5GvORzGqg_UQO-rXPKWM8iXdvEVoSXiGRp7g1BrYrZE1VZReP01vsXyv6HQtzJ8VX-W_pqhAJBvV7SxZHD35ObTMmolxA9axUsup/s1600/20150521_191842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YfC5IvMZMRmWZg1yZMI4uPu7guEHvq-OdhuXDXcW5GvORzGqg_UQO-rXPKWM8iXdvEVoSXiGRp7g1BrYrZE1VZReP01vsXyv6HQtzJ8VX-W_pqhAJBvV7SxZHD35ObTMmolxA9axUsup/s320/20150521_191842.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>night ride at Alai on Route 5</i></td></tr>
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The flat roads of Merlimau and Telok Mas were behind us and we rode on the rolling hills of Alai, Kandang and Semabok (Route 5) before getting onto Lebuh AMJ expressway en route to Peringgit and Taman Melaka Baru. It was already dark and we focused on getting to Batu Berendam as Abang Bakar was already waiting for us at his house. We reached safely at about 8.30 pm, with mixed emotions. Happy, tired, elated and famished of course.<br />
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After taking our baths and getting all freshen up, Abang Bakar took us out to a special dinner at Dima Nasi Arab restaurant at MITC area. I couldn't believe that I could down the whole plate with large serving of rice and lamb. It was good, and partly because I was hungry too. After solah, we went to bed with tummies full, alhamdulillah.<br />
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Night night, see you the next morning.<br />
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<br />
#LabisToSeremban<br />
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<a href="http://akmalbikepark.blogspot.my/2015/07/touring-labis-to-seremban-prologue.html">back to Prologue/menu</a></div>
akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-54859986674112606252015-07-12T21:47:00.000+08:002016-01-09T19:25:07.161+08:00Touring: Labis to Seremban - Day 2 (Part 1: Good morning, Muar!)<div style="text-align: justify;">
21.05.2015, Thursday.</div>
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Spending the morning in Muar</div>
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We got up for solat fajr, showered and got dressed. I didn't feel tired or anything like that, but looking forward for the day ahead. However, the mini mission for the morning is to have breakfast a la Muor. Satay!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmjWRisu_ZRJB3otzvmNsecka0mXK12PcOmlcqVZCrVWieia1lZHzI8daNLIIfgtriw-v8AG93a6BWtMf5KYsv1mZ4OCQEdkaJ14tSvR2ToWW82DMVksAvtzSMa5eBOcYYq4NomyCr_oq/s1600/20150521_072829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmjWRisu_ZRJB3otzvmNsecka0mXK12PcOmlcqVZCrVWieia1lZHzI8daNLIIfgtriw-v8AG93a6BWtMf5KYsv1mZ4OCQEdkaJ14tSvR2ToWW82DMVksAvtzSMa5eBOcYYq4NomyCr_oq/s320/20150521_072829.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the solid breakfast</i></td></tr>
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To my pleasant surprise, Fendi had sent for us a set of simple breakfast - cekodok pisang (banana nuggets) and tea. Latfy was taking a nap and I had some by myself. Not long after that, Mak Nah, another of Latfy's relative came by with a tray of heavier breakfast - nasi goreng telur mata! Fried rice with fried egg. Well, that was really, really nice and truly unexpected although it means we had to alter our morning plan a little bit (and perhaps the rest of the day's too).<br />
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<i>Rezeki jangan ditolak</i>, goes the saying in Malay. Never push away something good, sort of. My father would be cheeky with the saying, as he would quip "you have to 'push' it, into your mouth". So we had our breakfast at the homestay and linger around for a while to bring the food down in our stomach and hoping that it'd spare some space for the satay later on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uFHxNo8vd7PU6XKmlLa5Qic2GKWqnyQUHPUB9RFjOET51w7odRCoM1mXYSVgm4rz-1G001NMHkVSm17zDjfLd8iruL-BrayrZa6BZ-vBp8T5Pln3Ugr72ZfTabdhD1hh0x24fQ5fqQgT/s1600/20150521_090026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uFHxNo8vd7PU6XKmlLa5Qic2GKWqnyQUHPUB9RFjOET51w7odRCoM1mXYSVgm4rz-1G001NMHkVSm17zDjfLd8iruL-BrayrZa6BZ-vBp8T5Pln3Ugr72ZfTabdhD1hh0x24fQ5fqQgT/s320/20150521_090026.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kak Bone Homestay</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSE2e0rdUVrRLNJ02hPKqJXmlrYvAUvhiATDdse8ZsVjhgDnjLSoP4GAOJOzhg12Da7UejBIuWTaSe6eoPl3r7UApsmT0N5S3lJQmBBK8QMQm33EF9noNs7Aypn0y0p-Cbgp5KZbuSXLmW/s1600/20150521_090118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSE2e0rdUVrRLNJ02hPKqJXmlrYvAUvhiATDdse8ZsVjhgDnjLSoP4GAOJOzhg12Da7UejBIuWTaSe6eoPl3r7UApsmT0N5S3lJQmBBK8QMQm33EF9noNs7Aypn0y0p-Cbgp5KZbuSXLmW/s320/20150521_090118.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the cosy verandah is a nice place to laze around in the morning;<br />
no direct morning sun</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>a beautiful timber house opposite the homestay,<br /><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">lit by the morning sun</span></i></td></tr>
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We took some time to pack our panniers and rearrange our stuff for the day ahead. Also, I took the opportunity to get my bike ready. Simple ABCD checks - Air, Brakes, Chains and Drivetrain. I discovered that the teeth on my chainring has worn out, but more severe on the first three pieces on my cassette at the rear. The chain is new so I don't want to ruin it by having the worn cassette for long. I had the annoying chain skipping during the ride the day before and found the culprit now. So I guess an inevitable visit to the bike shop later on before we take off from Muar is in the plans for the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtQo-W0tw1MlSGm8OPbcjqraGAH4IxscjzFlLhBVDrsi7PT-Aga9SDMwdWjRmL7sB4cKoejfR_HKZJrYbCDhJwwPWUQfWdaeDzbY-6GzFKz9rhWcrRkWxfP75VnoUZRe59OFRa0VRPVwr/s1600/20150521_095838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtQo-W0tw1MlSGm8OPbcjqraGAH4IxscjzFlLhBVDrsi7PT-Aga9SDMwdWjRmL7sB4cKoejfR_HKZJrYbCDhJwwPWUQfWdaeDzbY-6GzFKz9rhWcrRkWxfP75VnoUZRe59OFRa0VRPVwr/s320/20150521_095838.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">besides satay, they serve other dishes too.<br />
Open from 7.30 am until 12.30 in the afternoon.</td></tr>
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At 9.20 am we took our bikes sans panniers and rode to the satay joint at R&H Cafe, Jalan Maharani, just on the opposite of Muar Bus Stand, next to the overhead pedestrian bridge. It is very nearby, less than five minutes' ride from the homestay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzmzDFWO0jnitlfYcBMU6_cug-cbLbaoaRfQXlBVy1Hi7irSCrhBIATHKOxqPRwZ1PvmTKy6Cq9bpnoX1N3IGzdIDCHMTTDmzNne9iVrNjTsteRYiDUrbcBQeHKqzqKCn7WXypL0z-IeY/s1600/20150521_092834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzmzDFWO0jnitlfYcBMU6_cug-cbLbaoaRfQXlBVy1Hi7irSCrhBIATHKOxqPRwZ1PvmTKy6Cq9bpnoX1N3IGzdIDCHMTTDmzNne9iVrNjTsteRYiDUrbcBQeHKqzqKCn7WXypL0z-IeY/s320/20150521_092834.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Latfy enjoying his satay</i></td></tr>
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By this time, the place was already full with customers. We were directed to a table near the front entrance. It was quite stuffy and gloomy, so I went looking for other tables deeper in the restaurant. To my surprise, there's a lot more tables at the back, and much better too. Airy, and brighter. Not long after we sat down, we ordered our drinks and satay. The manner of satay being served here is quite simple. In fact, this was the practice at the famous Sate Kajang long ago. A plate of a variety of satay will be served, about 25 sticks comprising of different satays: beef, chicken and tripe. Later on the waiter would come around and count the number of sticks of satay that you had for you to pay. The rest will be taken back. I myself had more than 10 sticks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_ahK4aHzuIo_qf_3rJFpt-r7gIUqm_ro_g5on-8lP5A5MibVbRLVfPy3pagCGHf_gpbI8-B1qvE0c1_CIVvdLlGt4Iw0q-7aFB1fPNNyusof3yVzYN1wSntq4Jz2JDXNORcZmpV60ZOH/s1600/20150521_093414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_ahK4aHzuIo_qf_3rJFpt-r7gIUqm_ro_g5on-8lP5A5MibVbRLVfPy3pagCGHf_gpbI8-B1qvE0c1_CIVvdLlGt4Iw0q-7aFB1fPNNyusof3yVzYN1wSntq4Jz2JDXNORcZmpV60ZOH/s320/20150521_093414.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the satay compendium and my iced coffee</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEXXEur_o6N2EVPOeg0YLBTJonHZocnXKNlbMk_EAJK_-PzjQavJ4d4Ciuy_ilc1zv8c2lvsS7kL53c2yY76HEP3ow-jrBiYIIH30QhyphenhyphenfVeH1PQw4UJTV1KYzUfemvXdYZeutIG4ssvuy/s1600/20150521_095914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEXXEur_o6N2EVPOeg0YLBTJonHZocnXKNlbMk_EAJK_-PzjQavJ4d4Ciuy_ilc1zv8c2lvsS7kL53c2yY76HEP3ow-jrBiYIIH30QhyphenhyphenfVeH1PQw4UJTV1KYzUfemvXdYZeutIG4ssvuy/s320/20150521_095914.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Thank you for choosing us for serving your breakfast.<br />From the workforce of R&H Cafe. Satay Maharani Muar"</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnkKl6kIGCQm62g_LZdVjxKO4wttjkj15PWcimurZ0agAM2_FmHLl6gr2GW-0hO0agDFXyhkm4PowDdOxjjnz7UmFFtInsqedIR80gw3fkxxwBiogu4Isnce0Q9ep4rdqO0Owpk6-Vi2W/s1600/20150521_100219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnkKl6kIGCQm62g_LZdVjxKO4wttjkj15PWcimurZ0agAM2_FmHLl6gr2GW-0hO0agDFXyhkm4PowDdOxjjnz7UmFFtInsqedIR80gw3fkxxwBiogu4Isnce0Q9ep4rdqO0Owpk6-Vi2W/s320/20150521_100219.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the satay man in action</i></td></tr>
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At about 10.00 o'clock we went off for some sightseeing, and headed to Tanjung Emas. There are many nice old buildings at this part of town. I like the masjid the most. There are also a school, district office, magistrate office, traffic police building, a park, a jetty for riverside cruise and a row of eatery shoplots among others. One can see another beautiful masjid, Masjid Sultan Ismail, on the opposite bank Sungai Muar. I love the area, especially for the vast landscape dotted with many old buildings. Also, the area is with lesser traffic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj827-jA1557d3hEn3I85MchfcvrjmKHMng9inXXsREIpDHsobFJEwGDM-YWW9CBHZklVRDQRtGlIgpY72qAeupZnW4qCuyx86OowE4tmszkpgFHXvgq0Bj28v2r-94J8B4TtFRqj5yUjwr/s1600/20150521_102017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj827-jA1557d3hEn3I85MchfcvrjmKHMng9inXXsREIpDHsobFJEwGDM-YWW9CBHZklVRDQRtGlIgpY72qAeupZnW4qCuyx86OowE4tmszkpgFHXvgq0Bj28v2r-94J8B4TtFRqj5yUjwr/s320/20150521_102017.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our bikes near the jetty at Tanjung Emas</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLimB0UgEeVJckDkUcuf_JFtHXQS4PxRjmo0o8MQF9s0jxEf3JLOlG0t_wz0Lf067HbI2Dn1nbZ5qA_N4RZhVkn5LkaDM5PEjPXZGF0mPDvFu_idC-fnWmBF0uTdmMzGdagFi64k2wxLu/s1600/20150521_102609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLimB0UgEeVJckDkUcuf_JFtHXQS4PxRjmo0o8MQF9s0jxEf3JLOlG0t_wz0Lf067HbI2Dn1nbZ5qA_N4RZhVkn5LkaDM5PEjPXZGF0mPDvFu_idC-fnWmBF0uTdmMzGdagFi64k2wxLu/s320/20150521_102609.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the river cruise jetty</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpb1kTskArCMV2srgSk7S44O0PaFlyauzXihyphenhyphenr_9MwqfPTtXXuOqJ5nN9lNXc2WVcirCJ4kZoy0vfHTyXDsQYcF5VBYBDrCg9pMl5Z6wSQwphYTLnfIWL8Xe5Mr72yU9RH001L2NKWksj/s1600/20150521_102437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpb1kTskArCMV2srgSk7S44O0PaFlyauzXihyphenhyphenr_9MwqfPTtXXuOqJ5nN9lNXc2WVcirCJ4kZoy0vfHTyXDsQYcF5VBYBDrCg9pMl5Z6wSQwphYTLnfIWL8Xe5Mr72yU9RH001L2NKWksj/s320/20150521_102437.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_simgTgCl5hMESRcv30MAL_hG6HS_R6CcRpr122ke6HTKC570o-PesbUNljv-zOuhNeB5T0nJEe3uAcvDfocICsejd5HlyOj9-adZqdk6zK-bx-15psN4KjCuXkEUmvT3nC3dvkChEn-/s1600/20150521_101241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_simgTgCl5hMESRcv30MAL_hG6HS_R6CcRpr122ke6HTKC570o-PesbUNljv-zOuhNeB5T0nJEe3uAcvDfocICsejd5HlyOj9-adZqdk6zK-bx-15psN4KjCuXkEUmvT3nC3dvkChEn-/s320/20150521_101241.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Masjid Jamek Sultan Ibrahim</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGP5HxB7phx2RPH1pYIC2DSRrx4LnSULzGvHvG0ypbXW41sbp7U7R14D1MYnWg2TORr_m0rowUfLmf3Y7cCvNKgYCkdCvN8mwx7aEKR-mURF2KrDvQjSCulmmfsMr_pva2TD_ql07t5Ymy/s1600/20150521_104931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGP5HxB7phx2RPH1pYIC2DSRrx4LnSULzGvHvG0ypbXW41sbp7U7R14D1MYnWg2TORr_m0rowUfLmf3Y7cCvNKgYCkdCvN8mwx7aEKR-mURF2KrDvQjSCulmmfsMr_pva2TD_ql07t5Ymy/s320/20150521_104931.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Muar District Office</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGp6FzIyFMdszY05JempGt0913MJ2UJNsnwvOlh0lifzIG02ytTtmM9jf2pLepCSoHWj7luF6hoO7ECqr-fvpxxw8J7kYcP-i-3YU8fte4OmR2jbYfMtcfcJKPvNUnn4pI1xmLOBA3BGe2/s1600/20150521_105054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGp6FzIyFMdszY05JempGt0913MJ2UJNsnwvOlh0lifzIG02ytTtmM9jf2pLepCSoHWj7luF6hoO7ECqr-fvpxxw8J7kYcP-i-3YU8fte4OmR2jbYfMtcfcJKPvNUnn4pI1xmLOBA3BGe2/s320/20150521_105054.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Traffic police building</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTI1WDuq-AA8H6MWveStwp-66td8xnOpVzd4u1KOkpN52EiUsPQs0i6GOYP0sRW0aVpJi-Llx-3os4F5v95W2FmiZlASzhukr0a_NJkbGlLBg4HXlD4SCuKstdSGfLrJXecagkoUpU5gA/s1600/20150521_105331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTI1WDuq-AA8H6MWveStwp-66td8xnOpVzd4u1KOkpN52EiUsPQs0i6GOYP0sRW0aVpJi-Llx-3os4F5v95W2FmiZlASzhukr0a_NJkbGlLBg4HXlD4SCuKstdSGfLrJXecagkoUpU5gA/s320/20150521_105331.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Latfy entering S2H bike shop at Jalan Abdullah</i></td></tr>
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We revisited the bike shop again from Tanjung Emas to get Latfy's rear hub and possibly a 9-speed cassette for me. Latfy got his, quite some time after the shopkeeper rummaging through the assorted parts box. As for myself, perhaps the dying of 9-speed breed was apparent in the shop. They have only 10- and 11-speed cassettes, new ones.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5ZP6uup_xVobK5ia2e-vixIp7dMaje-8cBZNKSZtB4kWrR5zNoSh1Tvv9r1DHroVMMxVwKoEjcRiEIZ6YTfTgp_cR525CWGCSIli-YM96tgmyBYXDSQjd4FDz_UyESGInc5cked15NiJ/s1600/20150521_113904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5ZP6uup_xVobK5ia2e-vixIp7dMaje-8cBZNKSZtB4kWrR5zNoSh1Tvv9r1DHroVMMxVwKoEjcRiEIZ6YTfTgp_cR525CWGCSIli-YM96tgmyBYXDSQjd4FDz_UyESGInc5cked15NiJ/s320/20150521_113904.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me in Muar</i></td></tr>
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As we went back to the homestay to pack up and get ready for Melaka, I noticed a gloomy bike shop on a row of old shops at Jalan Hashim. Less than 200 meters from the homestay. While Latfy went straight to the homestay's toilet, I stopped by the shop to have a look. There, 26" MTBs and old relics are still up for sale. And 9-speed SRAM cassettes too! However, the owner of the shop was not around. I was entertained by his mother who minds the shop next to his. I bargained with her for the cassette which is of the same model on my bike. The price is ok, and I was tempted to get a higher spec for about RM50 more, but heck, that amount of money could be spent on food instead.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlrmxhg6iyT1tyIl6SHfhAfKiuVYX4bFk7RD2YLCeg05UpADwitb9Xm9BKqv0ATZTMfh3wZT0wsQ_N7Vx7Mpv4teku0ckMduYe8h3hSSF7WTbLcPF9J4kukABjOCypjBicb-bLNkm-8F9/s1600/20150521_113958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlrmxhg6iyT1tyIl6SHfhAfKiuVYX4bFk7RD2YLCeg05UpADwitb9Xm9BKqv0ATZTMfh3wZT0wsQ_N7Vx7Mpv4teku0ckMduYe8h3hSSF7WTbLcPF9J4kukABjOCypjBicb-bLNkm-8F9/s320/20150521_113958.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><i>Latfy at the traffic light near the bridge to Tanjung Agas</i></td></tr>
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The parts was in my hands, but the only problem was to take out the old cassette and install the new one. As the shop mechanic was not around, I had to do it myself. I had the liberty of going through the (unorganized) tools at the shop. It required some work to find the tools. I found the cassette opener tool, but not the chainwhip. Dang! It was quite some time before I found the chainwhip in the tool chest. So I took the shop's stool, remove my rear wheel and went to work. Et voila! A new cassette and guaranteed no-skip trip ahead. I could have argued to the aunty for some discount as I had to do the labour myself, but I was<br />
too lazy for more bargaining and was eager to get back to the homestay and pack up for the day's journey. It was drizzling, and it was already 1.00 pm by that time. We were supposed to leave at 11.00 o'clock, actually.<br />
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Latfy was already waiting for me when I got back. I packed up and got my bike ready in a jiff. We left Muar for Melaka at 1.30 pm.<br />
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#LabisToSeremban<br />
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akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096433712383807166.post-18077821784066533962015-07-11T18:20:00.000+08:002016-01-09T19:24:12.221+08:00Touring: Labis to Seremban - Day 1 (Part 3: Pagoh to Muar)<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>20.05.2015, Wednesday.</b></div>
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<b>Pagoh to Muar</b></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDmSrbnVjpxE4y-dS0HFhQH5JgJ2ukBiVjiJ-X_9zu9Sspscn-THLmGTiLMGKMI-uDnECVCjRJgJg2-YvkEEd9ABdFeDSinV-W3l_AIrY0SNcBt-L1gpfBYVYZbqAnmy2_ynPP2REL062/s1600/20150520_173901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDmSrbnVjpxE4y-dS0HFhQH5JgJ2ukBiVjiJ-X_9zu9Sspscn-THLmGTiLMGKMI-uDnECVCjRJgJg2-YvkEEd9ABdFeDSinV-W3l_AIrY0SNcBt-L1gpfBYVYZbqAnmy2_ynPP2REL062/s200/20150520_173901.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>gayat!</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMeQlmu91wXRNW3fI6BjvAmihhSKoNzuTG3Y1khHhq3bY2bnRczzyvrCAbfZ9mbPx2EafNOOuZKjXoh_NDMktIw-zeT4CvkIt1aP32hWTjcvXbEJrgC6d7m3gxN52j8Dy2jrDN9obwQlgr/s1600/20150520_182310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMeQlmu91wXRNW3fI6BjvAmihhSKoNzuTG3Y1khHhq3bY2bnRczzyvrCAbfZ9mbPx2EafNOOuZKjXoh_NDMktIw-zeT4CvkIt1aP32hWTjcvXbEJrgC6d7m3gxN52j8Dy2jrDN9obwQlgr/s320/20150520_182310.jpg" width="320" /></a>After snacking at Pagoh, we pedaled on towards the final destination of the day to Muar. Some 30 km away. We are going to spend the night there, at a homestay owned by Latfy's in-laws family on Lorong Mastan off Jalan Abdullah.</div>
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We went along Jalan Muar-Labis (J32), practically right to its very end (or its beginning?). We passed by Nasuha Herbal Farm, Bukit Pasir, Sungai Terap and Kampung Temiang. Not long after that we arrived at an archway on Jalan Salleh welcoming us to Muar. It was already 7.00 pm by that time, early dusk. 4 km after that, we reached our destination safely.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lEKBQZOB1G6VMhp-eebsUcp5YnZczRECF0DWCamTVw7RT3a8HCd5RBCJzdhzg_9N_8oLIAsJUoz51PmjrPjpNBVOvVwxKvkcA9XPnRgdMSlzCX3sy4kOlOAuPRTr2gALr72WoUHCfYsy/s1600/20150520_182349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lEKBQZOB1G6VMhp-eebsUcp5YnZczRECF0DWCamTVw7RT3a8HCd5RBCJzdhzg_9N_8oLIAsJUoz51PmjrPjpNBVOvVwxKvkcA9XPnRgdMSlzCX3sy4kOlOAuPRTr2gALr72WoUHCfYsy/s320/20150520_182349.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>a nice looking house by the roadside</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr00_PAHJeag967fad8rI4GhD6AJ0WWkozkOB4HPJQ4ZPpgbq0G22QygHcFYzblKAqDxR4yCaGL5W1nEsmhnKTKmMHdNphqlmhkYr0NoANAtQDM98PqmO-dMZNiFm6PVEbxW5eWTL4LrZb/s1600/20150520_183438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr00_PAHJeag967fad8rI4GhD6AJ0WWkozkOB4HPJQ4ZPpgbq0G22QygHcFYzblKAqDxR4yCaGL5W1nEsmhnKTKmMHdNphqlmhkYr0NoANAtQDM98PqmO-dMZNiFm6PVEbxW5eWTL4LrZb/s320/20150520_183438.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>slowly reaching Muar</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhx-MHKhc2BJo13tIkT1CeK79-QHPWgluNmfldZjkFsLgtG1tFXjLPxHY46jN077DdbT9ri4TquAgD0eE1lJCeS-406Jkx70IfshhloSqEU47OHg6yS2JyTaTfjiorgYLtlpkEEpcUCV9V/s1600/20150520_184326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhx-MHKhc2BJo13tIkT1CeK79-QHPWgluNmfldZjkFsLgtG1tFXjLPxHY46jN077DdbT9ri4TquAgD0eE1lJCeS-406Jkx70IfshhloSqEU47OHg6yS2JyTaTfjiorgYLtlpkEEpcUCV9V/s320/20150520_184326.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the arch welcoming us to Muar</i></td></tr>
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I felt a bit slow when pedaling towards Muar at Pagoh. We stopped at Nasuha Herbal Farm to check if my brake pads are rubbing on the rim or tyre. None such things. When I turned around and looked back to where we came from, only then I noticed that we were actually climbing a mild ascend. And perhaps I'm already tired by then.</div>
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Latfy was looking for a thru-axle rear hub for his mountain bike, so we went on straight to S2H Cycles not far from where the homestay is, at Jalan Abdullah. Naturally, we spent some time (less than an hour - that's pretty quick!) browsing the shop. I bought a pair of spare cables and a rear view mirror for myself, especially for this touring. Also, I bought bottle cage which is adjustable for Latfy to use. It is convenient as it could accept various sizes of bottles - 500 ml mineral water, 500 ml soft drink PET and of course standard cycling water bottle.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6PyXyxrA3FTUi2QPJ0F1Ad8-P4nd4XaxD3XFt9qQQNzqpRJdpPxcFyYJS0bD9V213pjol96g6a3lj1QnraZ5JxZFCndBN6IPJ9GM5UZFXOg6PUx9QDMg2V2wwZuGhu0_MjlC9w_ANhjA/s1600/20150520_192623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6PyXyxrA3FTUi2QPJ0F1Ad8-P4nd4XaxD3XFt9qQQNzqpRJdpPxcFyYJS0bD9V213pjol96g6a3lj1QnraZ5JxZFCndBN6IPJ9GM5UZFXOg6PUx9QDMg2V2wwZuGhu0_MjlC9w_ANhjA/s320/20150520_192623.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kak Bone's Homestay and its welcoming verandah</i></td></tr>
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At about 7.50 pm we turned back to Lorong Mastan. Latfy's relative, Fendi, was already there to welcome us at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kakbonehomestay" target="_blank">Kak Bone Homestay</a>. We had a short rest on the nice, cosy verandah for a while before freshening up. Nothing beats the feeling of cold water splashing on my body and the soap removing dust and dirt from the road. Such simple bliss is very much enjoyable, and I savour the whole 10 minutes of my shower.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6tZtEoDikevaQnAaaAEfA8asObr5gRxN5z6HxFGrvdj2uBTsmiS96QLsfqMWlXDbQrjR10rHLORKZ76f7WbQDjTDIMzM3aF0t2-tqZs0Bb0lxtR4GpcDSk-ieYyi2WZvlRRq5hY03BWk/s1600/20150520_211041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6tZtEoDikevaQnAaaAEfA8asObr5gRxN5z6HxFGrvdj2uBTsmiS96QLsfqMWlXDbQrjR10rHLORKZ76f7WbQDjTDIMzM3aF0t2-tqZs0Bb0lxtR4GpcDSk-ieYyi2WZvlRRq5hY03BWk/s320/20150520_211041.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>spoilt for choice!</i></td></tr>
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We have reached our destination for the day, bodies cleaned and our tummies were famished begging for food. We walked out towards a stall at Jalan Abdullah. A plethora of food at the nasi campur food. They serve lots of delicious dishes to go with white rice and you're spoilt for choice; and they also have different kinds of food to appease your palate should you decide not to have rice - fried bihun, fried mee, nasi goreng, fried kuay teow and nasi lemak. Price is agreeable.</div>
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There's nothing much to do after dinner, really. Well, actually we were looking forward for a rest at the homestay; and a good night's sleep. We spent some time out at the verandah to loosen up and relaxed a bit over the hot tea served by the host. Then we retreated into the house and solat, rearranged our panniers and stuff and went off to sleep.</div>
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Lights off. Another adventure tomorrow.</div>
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#LabisToSeremban</div>
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akmalhizamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17385984942521565560noreply@blogger.com0