The people in the family was quite excited when I told them that we are participating in the second installation of Mega Ride's Fun Ride. The advertised distance this time, however, is triple than the first's 5km. That got me a bit worried, especially for Adam's single speed BMX. For Marsya, I built her a 9-speed mountain bike 2 weeks before her birthday, so no problem there except for her handling of it.
We did about 4 training sessions with the kids, and once with the missus and Umar. It made a lot of difference, really, and I think they are fit enough for up to 10km ride on tarmac. I sensed that they enjoyed the small victories whenever we finished our training sessions. And I think more rewardingly the family bond is better when we go out cycling together. Getting the kids to get ready on time is still an area that we could greatly improve on, though.
:P
So, the D-Day arrived. I managed to load the Innova with 3 mountain bikes and 1 BMX while still having comfortable space to sit in (Umar as usual would hop around front and back, regardless). We got up early and drove out to Bandar Dato' Onn that Sunday morning. Such an awesome spectacle it was, a carnival of cycling enhusiasts gathering on a big open space of the grass hill.
As usual, the eventual flag-off was preceded by formailities of short speeches, safety briefing and anthems. We the Fun Riders had to wait from 8.00am to 8.50am before our turn arrive. By that time, Umar was a bit restless and sleepy. I managed to keep him interested although he refused to wear his helmet all the way.
I kept track of the distance and kept watch on Adam's condition. The gentle slope heading to Seri Austin was a bit tough for him, but he managed to pull through after a short rest for water halfway. The weather was nice and bright, but by the time we reached the turning point at Seri Austin, it was already a little bit hot. Nothing to complain, though, as it is much better than if it is raining. The total distance was only 8.6km according to my cyclometer. Well, I think it is just about the right distance for us, with the amount of training that we had.
After getting our meals and drinks, we went off. Not bothering too much on the lucky draw at all. We had what we wanted, and it was more than the measly RM50 entrance fee for the whole family. The goodie bags itself worth more than that (a good quality jersey with back pockets); plus the meal, free-flow drinks and satay provided. The family outing: priceless.
Looking forward for the next Fun Ride, and preferably with shorter waiting/idle time and suitable ride distance.
Thanks for coming over.
Have a good day!