UGI

Keith Bontrager said something like that

Upgraditis.

Once you're diagnosed with the virus infection, it's quite hard to get rid of. The virus is ever evolving by the hour; and you could only abate it with constant supply of information, or a flow of serious money. Or, just sit back enjoying whatever it is that you have and hope the itch would lessen as time goes by. It is by no means a rare disease, because there are many fellow riders infected too. Newbie, and seasoned alike.

Technology

Technology is one of the causes UGI. The mere hearsay of technology advancement currently brewing in a test lab could spur an epidemic in certain circles. Sometimes they are potent enough to cause a serious concern. But sometimes they do, in which there are no other cure except to fork out $ and go with the flow. Usually when industry-wide adoption takes place and certain parts are discontinued.

The push factor

Well, sometimes upgrades are unavoidable. Will 9-speed system fade away and 10-speed become the norm like what 9-speed had done to 8- and 7-speeds? Are v-brakes dying, in comparison to adoption of disc brakes?

Or is it actually a technological push created by the industry itself?

I don't really know but I do know that some 'old' things still have their places, in terms of usage. We have to look into what sort of parts do we really need, and good enough for our usage. My commuter bike do not need disc brakes and even 7 speed on the rear would suffice. However, I choose to use 9 speed cog on the rear (and shifters) due to parts and compatibility factor. All the bikes with gears at home are with 9. Easy for me to swap/interchange parts between them. Also, my spares inventory is kept to minimum.

Fad

Feel good factor?

Placebo effect?

Sometimes the upgrade that we are eyeing for are not really giving a positive effect on performance. Most of the time it's the bling factor, or the notion that 'new tech are better'. Or, the hype surrounding the product makes it like a cult or a must have 'upgrade'. Thus, we tend to feed our brains that by upgrading those new grips, our riding experience would be enhanced. Well, this fares a bit like the uplifted feeling that we have upon driving the car out from the carwash.

Take my recent experience with Fi'zi:k Gobi XM saddle. I have been aiming for it for a long time since all the good riders are using it. Plus, the fact that it is expensive would equate to the performance, right? Well, to put it simply, the rule does not apply to me in this case. My butt hurts on the 25km on it offroad. I have no choice other than to resell it. Hmm... I wonder if Brooks B17 is better...

:P

Anyway, if it would somehow make you feel better, by all means go for your cure. It's your money, right?

:)

The waiting game

If time = $, then you have to wait for the cure to become affordable.

It takes some time for the technology from the highest caste of a product line to trickle down to their humbler brethren. However, I'm happy to report that in recent cases the period is short. In not more than a year, the XTR tech would be seen on XT's. The same goes to XT curves would eventually show on SLX, Deore, etc. So, weight aside, to have the upper end tech available on your budget parts would need you to be patient.

Of course, if you have money, anything goes.

The real cure

It's not the bike, it's the rider.

The real defense against UGI is to develop yourself. Your strength, both physical and mental. While technology is needed to get the best machine possible (and lightweight), your strength is the core of it all. You're the engine, to get the machine works, above all. So build up strength and then only the best machine that you could afford would be much more enjoyable. Even if you're using 8 speeds, or singlespeed for that matter.

Sure, technological advances would always churn out better products and new ideas unleashed as offerings. However, they might not be necessary for you. This is where mental strength is required, to resist the temptation to UGI (especially when $ is of no object). Truthfully, you have to look at yourself (and your bike) and think honestly and deeply, do I need those upgrades?

When to upgrade

Bike parts are subject to wear and tear; that's the beauty of it for UGI sufferers. The best time to upgrade is when you're replacing your worn out parts. Start looking in advance what parts needed to be replaced; and if there are opportunities for upgrading.

One example is the drivetrain. When replacing the chain, it is imperative to change the cassette as well. And the crankset. Might be as well upgrade to 10 speed (if you see it as a necessity), if you're using 8 or 9 speed system, especially if the price for your favored 'old tech' would be more or less the same as the new ones.

Sometimes, the problem is solved for you whereby the parts you're looking for is now obsolete requiring for a necessary upgrade, or parts for your old system is now becoming rare and costlier than going for a newer system. In other words, no choice for you.

In any case, do not overdo it. Spending on bikes is not a profession for a weekend warrior. If you're starting to eat only rice and fried eggs for lunch in order to cure your UGI, it's a sure sign that you're in a critical stage. There are other things in life other than biking.

A friend would always ask:

Akaun Tabung Haji hang dah cukup?

Thanks for coming over, and have a good day ahead.

Ride safe, bros! 

RTW 14.02.2012 - flat tire

fellow cyclists

It has been quite some time since my last post on my RTW adventures. Well, perhaps mostly because they're now considered normal.  Which, I consider as a good thing.

:)

Note: I'm happy to report here that my goal for this year is going great so far. 5 weeklongs so far (another 15 to go), but no monthlong yet (4 to be completed).

The morning's ride was a bit different because my front tire gotten flat from hitting something on the road. I was riding swiftly on the Coastal Highway, and suddenly the front tire gave weird noise before getting totally flat in 5 seconds. I'm not sure what, but it caused a laceration about 3-4mm wide on the tire which went through to the inner tube.

I timed myself, and the tube change complete with pumping enough air inside took me about 8 minutes. Not bad. Luckily I was not in a rush (unusually!) and so I did not have to whip my ass out to recover the time. However, 8 minutes loss is quite big. I could finish my shower in 10.

This year I decided to take the safer route and had never gone against the traffic at the Pasir Gudang Highway coming out from the Coastal Highway slipway, until that morning which I took as an exception due to short of time. My (now) normal route from the Coastal Highway is to cross the main road in front of the Pasir Gudang Stadium towards the slipway to Pasir Gudang Highway then use the parallel road towards CCM Chemicals. From there, a right turn and cross the PGH heading towards MMHE (coming from TNB Generation). I consider that route to be safe as there are not as many cars and I could cross the highway safely.

On the coastal highway, I passed by a couple of casual riders on their mounties with lycra, helmet and all. It's nice to see fellow cyclists along the way. I hope that there are many more. Koh told me that he saw me on the road, too. Next time, I'll see you riding as well ya bro!

:)

I'm using Maxxis Detonator 26/1.5 front and rear. It's evident that the tires are without puncture protection. I can vouch that RiBMo would have no problem with that. Well, you get what you pay for in the end. Now I miss RiBMo badly.

:P

Link:

Sports Tracker entry

Have a great weekend y'all.

Thanks for coming over.

06.02.2012: Offroad in Kulai

The initial plan was to go for a touring ride to Gunung Pulai with Yad and Kadafi on Monday 6th February, taking advantage of the 4-day weekend (Maulidur Rasul, Thaipusam). I put up my status in Facebook, and there were a few responses from others on it. That includes by people from Kulai - Rahman of KBC and my schoolmate Fahmi. Apparently, they're going for a (part of Gunung Pulai) waterfall ride on the same date, riding up from Kulai. That, coupled with the absence of Kadafi, steered my decision to drop the initial plan and go to Kulai instead.

Fahmi my dormmate during my early days in Jasin, contacted me through fb a couple of weeks earlier. He's a native in Kulai all these years, hailing from Felda Taib Andak and been working and living in Kulai. Much of a surprise to me when he told me that we could have met earlier should he joined the Kota Tinggi ride. In fact, we were in the same event before this at the R&R Mega Ride; he saw me riding with Umar but did not notice that the cool guy with the baby in the carrier on bike was Akmal. Haha... am I really that different from my school days? Anyway, meeting Fahmi after 20 years is another reason to join the ride, too.

It was mentioned that the riders in Kulai are going to the waterfall in Gunung Pulai, but coming from the back route some 20km in. The plan was to go through a part of the KBC Nite Event route. Since Gunung Pulai offroad is one of my ride wishlist (see right-side panel) and I missed out on the KBC Nite Event, it seems all to fit in and reasons for me to join in the ride. Honestly, I was excited I can't sleep well the night before. The waterfall, the offroad ride on a foreign land and the reunion were constantly playing in my mind (or was I dreaming?). Yad agreed to follow along, and so we went out to Kulai very early in the morning on Monday.

The morning saw a bunch of riders congregating at Azizah Curry House having breakfast and ready to roll. The exact number was not known, but we were later on joined by another group making the total of 32 men and boys. Riders are also of a mixed level. There were newbies, seasoned, and intermediates as well; with age ranging from schoolboys to 40+ (kot). As you can expect from an mtb ride, you'll never feel like a stranger although the first time riding along. Of course, there were a few familiar faces, but you feel accepted by most if not all of them. Unfortunately Fahmi couldn't ride with us due to health reasons. Never mind, there's always a 'next time'. InsyaAllah.

The trailhead is just a few hundred meters from the rendezvous point (and a few of the riders' houses are nearby, lucky them). In no time, we hit the dirt of the palm oil plantation. The ride was leisurely all throughout, except for the lung-busting and leg-burning excursion uphill all the way to the communication tower. Albeit, I'd say that the trail mix is quite good. There were singletrack, wide offroad, uphill, sweet rolling downhill, and river stream as well (okay, we didn't cycle into the river lah). 

I tracked the trail via Sports-Tracker, and took a few photos along. However, the apps crashed suddenly while I was busy with taking photos and videos at the stream. Too bad, it was unrecoverable and I lost it. However, the photos are geotagged and I could track the trail later if I'm not lazy.

Anyway, the return trail was tracked and the data as thus:

distance: 11.6km

duration: 37' 57"

average speed: 18.3km/h

max speed: 40.2km/h

highest altitude: 74m

There were three highlights of the ride:

1. The killing climb to the transmission tower

2. Sallehuddin (aka Jalut) met with an accident while going downhill

3. Relaxing in the stream

I managed to get up to a certain level of the climb towards the tower, and decided to take a rest before continuing again. I don't know if I was already at halfway point or two-third up or anywhere it might have been, but it must've been a long rest. The moment I decided to put my butt on the saddle, people who went up earlier were bombing down already. Well, there it went. It was one long and steep climb. My hats off to Ah Chong (with 1x10), Rahman, Rudy, Tony and others who managed to climb up all the way.

After the climb, we proceeded to the stream. While going down a mild descend, Salleh hit the ground. Perhaps his pedal hit the higher ground while the tires were in the rut. Luckily he was able to walk and we were not far from the PLUS highway. We managed to get the highway support vehicle and send him to the hospital. He sustained a broken shoulder bone from what I gathered. Hopefully a speedy recovery for him. As a name would also serve as a do'a, friends decided not to call him Jalut anymore, only Salleh from now on.

:)

A few good samaritans chaperoned Salleh with his bike, while the others pursued to the main highlight of the ride - the river stream. It was not that far, really, with only mild climbing and relatively flat terrain. The part I like is upon entering the jungle trail towards the river. It's like being in the woods in a foreign land. Quiet, calm, shady, plus the mix of rustling leaves on the floorbed and green fresh ones on the bushes are absolutely breathtaking. It has been quite some time since I last had the same feeling (during my trekking days while in college). The waterfall during the ride in Kota Tinggi was awesome, but this one is different.

Before dipping into the cold water, I had the nasi lemak that Fahmi thoughtfully prepped for me and Yad (big thanks, der!). Of course, I learnt my lesson from the KSRP Jamboree in Melaka. But knowing that going back would only be some 6km, I dug it in and shared with Rudy. Anyway, who could resist sambal kerang and fried chicken? I could say a lot about the place, but I'll let the pictures do the talking. Scroll below for the link to the album on facebook.

Going back was refreshing, as we were out from the cold water and tummies filled. The 6km was an illusion really. My tracking showed 11+ km. Anyway, it was not as taxing as in Melaka. More than half of the journey back was on tarmac where I drafted most of the way behind faster and stronger riders.

Many thanks to riders in Kulai for an unforgettable ride that day. Keep on crankin'!

Links:

return route tracking (and some geotagged photos)

photos on facebook album

Thanks for coming over.

Have a safe ride. Enjoy it!

Public Bike Project

the donated Kona Nunu under test ride before possible swap with Giant Yukon

Hairi of Shah Alam commented on my post, suggesting for setting up a pool bike (not 'polo', ok).

A pool bike usage is meant for those who are testing the water (hehe... can't resist the pun) to start mountain biking before committing for a bike purchase. Some sort like 'meracun'. Well, he was not merely giving a suggestion, but offering his unused items from his parts bin too. So yes, why not. I'm keen with the idea and we agreed to meet up for him to pass over the parts for me to start with.

Boy I was in for a big surprise. It was not parts, but a full bike. It's an 18" 8-speed old skool blue Kona Nunu. The wheelset is an old Mavic X139. Along with that, there were also other loose parts (and a Lerun BMX) that he parted to me. Some I'd use it myself (and will pay forward to others) and some will go to the Public Bike. It astounds me until now how people could be so generous and contribute for the benefit of public. So, I felt obliged also to give back to the masses in a small way.

Okay, back to the Public Bike. Besides serving as a newbie's poison dart, it could also be used as a foster bike for those who come to JB without a bike but would like to ride with us in Pasir Gudang/Seri Alam/Plentong. There are a couple such initiatives that I know of. One is in KL, by the venerable BC Kelolo, and there's also a bike donated by Joe (parked at Jason's shop in Masai Utama).

I can't do it all by myself to build it. It would be good if I could get the support from bike shops and other individuals to get the project running. Alhamdulillah, Angah of Angah Bike Shack offered to help build it even before I send out the plead. Thanks, Angah! Hope that the project would take flight insyaAllah, for the benefit of the masses. Aamiiin.

My vision for the Public Bike is to have it as a 3x9-speeder with disc brakes and knobbies. This is how I take it:

I deem that the size that would be considered universal would be 17".

Vee-brakes are fine, but disc brakes would make the bike looks like a proper mountain bike rig. Not to mention of course, its superior stopping power compared to vees.

8-speed won't cut it for newbies. Minimum shall be 9-speed.

The first ride out on the Nunu, it felt awkward. I guess because of the frame size, coupled with the long stem. So that's the first stumbling block. The other thing is that the frame is an old frame. That means it is without rear disc brake bracket. So, vee-brake only for the rear.

However, I'm thinking of swapping my Giant Yukon frameset for this project and make the Nunu as my RTW Machine. The Yukon is 17", with disc brake bracket and multiple hose/brake bracket complemented also with pannier rack eyelets. Quite versatile, really.

Over the last weekend, I transplanted the front of the Yukon (cockpit, fork) and wheelsets to the Nunu for a test ride for RTW. For two days already, it seems okay to me albeit a liiiiittle bit stretchy. Tiny bit. But I think I could manage it. Don't know for long distances, but for my commuting, I don't have any big problem whatsoever. A tiny niggle is that my rear beamrack would need a thicker shim to attach to the skinny Ø27.0 seatpost (yes, not 27.2 - there's a huge difference on the 0.2mm, really!). Also, there's no pannier rack eyelet on the seatstay. I'll have to improvise on that later if the need so arises.

I'm gonna give it a week or two before deciding whether to carry on with Nunu as my new old RTW Machine (hey, I love the paradox). Meanwhile, time to discuss with Angah. Stay tuned.

Update: as you're reading this, a pair of pedals are coming their way all the way from Kelantan, courtesy of Mat Yoe. Thanks, man!

15.01.2012: Kota Tinggi Ride

the hills of Kota Tinggi (no, we didn't scale 'em)

It started with a phone call.

Sahri asked Ayub "Cap Ayam" Yahya of Cyclemotion for guides to chaperon around 15 MMHE riders through Kota Tinggi waterfall trail. At the same time, KBC and GACC riders were also planning for a ride at the same venue. Through Facebook, the number of riders ballooned to about 85. Awesome. It was like a mini jamboree for JB riders; something like what we had in Cahaya Masai a few years back (this one with a few Singaporeans and Americans too).

They say the more the merrier, but many are doubting that the ride would be enjoyable when you have that kind of number cramming through the trail. Honestly, I thought so too; but over the course of the trail, it turned out to be alright.

Kota Tinggi has been in my ride wishlist for a few years now, and finally I had the chance to experience it. The weather was nice - it rained briefly before dawn and the sky was clear throughout the day. Muddy and a bit humid but still it was good.

There were not one but two highlights of the ride. The best of all, they are presented right at the end of the ride and I savoured them. The obvious highlight was the waterfall where we dunked in and spent some time there (washed the bike in the stream, too). The other one was right before entering the trail to the waterfall. There was a magnificent reward after a long low-gradient climb at what seemed to be a quarry area. Reportedly, people hit up to 62km/h descending the long downhill. I did only 54km/h and the feeling was pure bliss. To top it off, the two rewards were only about 1km to the starting/finishing point. How about that.

I wouldn't mind to go for another round next time. Sure, insyaAllah.

To the good brothers from JB and elsewhere who joined the ride, it was nice having y'all around. Especially to Cyclemotion, here's a shout out for you guys.

Thank you, bros!

Photos are in here.

RTW 20.01.2012 - pano view

an attempt to capture the panorama view of the Coastal Highway with my XperiaActive

RTW: 2011

green: RTW

red: the broken streak

My RTW stats for 2011:

26 weeklong

4 monthlong

58 days longest streak

It was very much well above the target, and I'm not raising the bar for 2012 but just being modest.

The goal for 2012 insyaAllah:

4 monthlong - average once in 3 months

20 weeklong - that's basically 5 monthlong(!)

Specific? Yes

Measurable? Yes

Achievable? InsyaAllah

Realistic? I did it (and a bit more, weeklong) in 2011

Time-bound? Yes. It is about timing ;)

Join me, y'all.

Ride safe as always.

Oh, and a Happy New Year to you!

Thanks for coming over.

18.10.2011 - Ronda Riadah Mega Ride 2011: My Family Ride

the family

As the curtain closer for my biking calendar this year, I registered the family in what was targeted to be a record-breaking cycling event. It's been a week since my last offroad event in Melaka. Definitely it would be tiring for me to go for another long offroad, and I'd like to spend the day with the family. So it is befitting to have a 5km slow ride with my family instead of 50km offroad with thousands of brothers and sisters.


There are 5 of us in the family and I sorted out the bicycles so that everyone would be able to ride, except Umar. He'll be my pillion rider. Come to think of it, we used different types of bicycle for each of us. I'm riding my RTW machine - a 27 speed MTB with slicks and v-brakes - with child carrier on the rear for Umar to relax and enjoy the breeze. Naza riding her underused mountain bike. Marsya with my single-speed folding bike and Adam with his BMX.

It's not an easy task to load the 4 bikes into the Innova, with room for all of us. Thankfully, because the bikes are detachable and foldable (except the BMX of course), they fit in the MPV just nice. Well, I thought if we won the Viva for the lucky draw then it would be a huge relief for the Innova.
:)

Early morning we went off to Bandar Dato' Onn. The weather's nice, with a bit of drizzle along the way. When we arrived, the place was already wet but with no rain. Overcast sky, just perfect for a family ride. People have been filling in the parking lot when we arrived, and we found our own spot.

Naza and the children were excited with all the buzz around us; people with their bikes, cars with two-wheelers atop, tents on the field with music in the air, typical of a cycling event; an atmosphere they have never experienced before. And they love it.



unloading and getting the bikes ready

Unloading and assembling the bikes took me about 15 minutes and with ample time to collect our goodie bags (with t-shirts). Meanwhile, the rest of the family had their breakfast that Naza prepared from home. I've got t-shirts for everyone to wear except Umar. I thought XS would be suitable for him, but still he has to wait for few more years to fit in. Ready with our bikes and t-shirts, tummy filled, we went off to the field for the Family Ride flag off.
 

Umar among the crowd

I see many familiar faces from Pasir Gudang and around JB at the field. However, the focus is on the family. This is my family ride. We're going to have a good time rolling with thousands of others, albeit for only about 30 minutes completing the 5km. Looks like I'm the one who's very excited.

:D



Adam and Marsya

The flag off was a bit hectic with everyone trying to get their way through the bottleneck going out to the tarmac. I was a bit worried about Marsya and Adam, so I rode with them and guide them out to the road. Naza was already in front, but she waited for me to roll alongside.



Our pace was quite slow, a very relaxed one averaging at 10km/h. Not only for safety, but I want to savour the moments riding/dating with her (with Umar on my back). Marsya and Adam? Lost in the front pack, both speed demons.



happy riders

It all seems too short, time and distance; we were back at the field in no time. But I think the memory of it lasts longer. For me, the Family Ride is clearly a good move by the organizer to get everyone riding. And for that, the family and I thank you. I know not only for me but for many of my friends as well. They brought their family along and I guess they had a good time doing what they love with their families. Hopefully there'll be some more of this around JB next year insyaAllah.


Naza riding happy

In the mean time, Marsya needs her own proper bike, with gears. I'm thinking of a strider bike for Umar and his own helmet, too. Perhaps the Innova needs a proper bike rack on her top as well.

;)



Lucky draw? We didn't get any, but all of us went home feeling happy. Plus, there's no room for the Viva on the front porch anyway (yeah, right... sour grapes).

photos in facebook photo album

KSRP MTB Jamboree 2011 - 10.12.2011

Taman Scientex Riders

This event is special in many ways.

1. I participated under MMHE Cycling Club's flag

2. ...for free

3. Exclusive event - open only for Petronas fraternity (under KSRP)

4. I finished the ride with 6 km extra :P (albeit, managed to be top 100 finisher; #99 to be exact)

It all started with an email in my inbox from the good people in MR MoBiC (Melaka Refinery, Wahid and his gang). At around the same time, MMHE Cycling Club was newly formed. Thus, it fits perfectly for the club members to represent MMHE as our maiden activity. However, the road to that is quite tough, red tape and all. Alhamdulillah, it is over now and I'd say it's a successful one for everyone. Our big thanks to people in MR MoBiC especially Wahid and Iwan for their never-ending assistance to us. Right from the beginning and even continued until we were back in Pasir Gudang.

I don't want to dwell on how we got there, but rather on the event itself. The 'how' is actually quite a story, surely.

Long story short, we got all things sorted out - the fee, lodging, transport, meals; plus some extras to boot - club jersey, isotonic, Hammer gel and bar for all 19 of us - riders and chaperons.

We gathered at PPMSB Training Center on Friday night for the ride briefing, goodie bag and plate number collection, with dinner provided by the organiser. Right after that, we went off to the huge homestay bungalow in Cheng for the night's sleep (well, for most of us).

Before we departed from the house, we had a breakfast of nasi lemak and teh 'o' delivered to the homestay. At 7.00 am we hit the SPA highway from Cheng to Sungai Udang and entered PPMSB some half an hour later. Unloaded the bikes upon arrival, and we proceeded for rider's check-in. The usual, photo session and warm up before the flag off at 8-ish.

The total number of riders is actually very small - 145. I think the one held in July 2009 was with bigger crowd. Anyway, not a big issue at all. No congestion on the trail, guaranteed.

My ride was quite sluggish during the first 10 km. I have never felt that worse before this. To get to checkpoint 1 which is less than 10 km is quite taxing. Every small hill that I would usually blast uphill was a torture to climb; was reaching for the lower gear but I was already at the lowest and struggling. Upon arriving at the CP, I regrouped with fellow MMHE riders who were also having the same problem with me. What being concluded was the nasi lemak to be blamed. To think about it, yes, I never take nasi lemak for breakfast before a ride all this while. One lesson learnt there.

The effect of NL began to fade after about km 13, after which only I get to enjoy the ride. Coincidentally, the trail from CP2 to CP3 and CP3 to home are very nicely laid. The biggest hill (max 90m elevation) was before CP1. I really enjoyed the section from CP2 to CP3 especially where it is practically downhill most of the way. There's also a singletrack downhill where you could blast down and enjoy bumping over the roots. Pure bliss.

Well, it was also from CP2 to CP3 that I overshot the trail and missed the left turn. I saw ahead of me after the wide wooden bridge shredded paper markings; hence I followed, not noticing that there were no arrow or caution tape (white/red) accompanying the paper. I met with fellow (lost) rider and we tracked the bogus trail. It brought us to a section of the trail which I knew I had ridden before. Knowing that I have to ride the same trail twice was a mixed feeling. It will eventually bring me back to one of the CPs with extra mileage, but I get to enjoy the slalom like trail for the second serving.

Thankfully I met the marshalls who said that I am the last rider in the trail - some motivation, eh. Anyway, they escorted me back to the point where I went astray - about 6 km away. So I continued on towards CP3 and savoured the trail along.

I was already tired riding from CP3 to home. Muscle cramp on the thighs creeping in, but I didn't give in. Continued on spinning and enjoying the trail as much as I could. The finale was quite nice - a blacktop slope towards the main gate at PPMSB under the hot sun. Reached the finishing point and signed out at about 12.20pm, being the #99 finisher.

I like the trail very much. Of course, some of us cursed at Sulong for cutting short the downhill section and having to veer to the right midway of what was a nice slope. Well, we blasted downhill anyway, only noticing that we lost the marking and had to go uphill to get to the trail proper. It's a fun trail, very much suitable for beginners up to intermediate riders. Seasoned riders would have no problem at all. Kadafi, the fastest in our group arrived at the finish line at about 10 am, together with a newbie in the group. Well, if only I didn't overshoot the trail. And what if I had something other than nasi lemak for breakfast...

I'd say the 38km fun trail was nicely thought of - loaded with nice uphills and rolling downhills, some technical sections, technical downhills, flat sections too. CPs were adequately manned with enough water and bananas, and trail markings were ample. I would like to think that the 'extra' shredded paper that I (and few others) followed was by other group for their other event (running hash, maybe). Bike wash stations were also provided. Lunch and lucky draws completing the event. Kudos to MR MoBiC and KSRP Selatan for an event well organized and executed. Typical of them.

Well, what's also nice is that the event was on a Saturday. I spent half of my Sunday on bed, recovering.

:)

abbreviations:

MMHE: Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering

PPMSB: Petronas Penapisan Melaka Sdn. Bhd.

MR MoBiC: Melaka Refinery Mountain Bike Club

KSRP: Kelab Sukan dan Rekreasi Petronas

Petronas: Petroliam Nasional Berhad

MMHE Cycling Club

We had our first meeting on Thursday 17.11.2011, 12 members present and with Hasamuddin from Young Executive Club (YEC) Sports and Recreation unit.

The formation of the club is under the YEC banner for now, and once it is strong enough it would then fly (pedal?) by itself (read: bigger fund).

I'm hoping for a good future for this club, and insyaAllah it will as our brothers from Sime Darby Engineering will be joining MMHE next year. Familiar faces from PG Gerek, actually.

Elected:

President: Akmal

Vice President: Pak Din

Secretary: Yad

Treasurer: Zaid

RTW: 30.11.2011 - 4th monthlong

Just to share with you, I have completed the year's 4th monthlong this morning. That's 1 above my target, which is to have a monthlong for each 4 months this year.

Albeit, the monthlong started late which is during July, followed by August, September and November. Sadly it would have been  a 5-months back-to-back monthlongs if it were not because of the broken streak on October 5th. Never mind, as long as target is achieved, and now going beyond that. InsyaAllah in December too.

However, I have to say that November is a relaxed RTW because for the 30 days in Nov, my actual RTW is only for 15 days. This is due to annual leave, MC, public holidays, and outstation work in KL.

The odometer has gone beyond the 9,999 km mark now, and to my surprise it is continuing to 10,000. This morning it went to 10,134 km. Because of the extra digit in front, the meter dropped the decimal point. While it would be nice to see the odometer reaching 20,000 km, I prefer to have the decimal point displayed. Resetting soon.

Note: the odometer started from November 2007

Have a good ride, y'all.

Thanks for coming over.

Upcoming Event: 18.12.2011 Ronda Riadah Mega Ride 2011

it is a cycling event, not a car show; the Viva is the lucky draw prize

:)

I've registered for the family fun ride just now, and am excited to participate this event with the whole family at Bandar Dato' Onn insyaAllah.

There are a few categories for the mega event, namely:

MTB Offroad Jamboree 50km

Fixie Fun Ride 30km

Family Fun Ride 5km

I opted for the family ride, not because it is cheap (undeniably), but this time I want the family to join in the fun too. Including 2yo Umar. No regrets on not being able to take part in the offroad category. Really looking forward for the family ride.

You can register online here, after you transfered $ through Maybank to Ronda Riadah's account. Yes, that's a proper organisation account.

I did mine in a few minutes during lunchtime, a convenience of having a Maybank account. 

After multiple SMSes to Stephen, these are the additional info for the Family Fun Ride:

Family fun ride is 5km on road ride, flat route, you can chicken out anytime.

Fee is RM30, inclusive of two t-shirts and meals, plus 1 lucky draw. Additional t-shirts are at RM10 each, smallest size is XS.

For offroad and Fixie details, look for the info at the website. Or, call the people listed in the poster above.

Now that registration is done, it's time to get the bikes ready.

See you there?

Have fun rolling.

Thanks for coming over.

RTW Macnine Downgrading - SS

syok sendiri suka suka suaiubah single speed sikal saya

'Downgrading' to singlespeed, the obvious change on the RTW Machine is that it is getting simpler. Alongwith, the weight is also shaved considerably. I'm not a weight weenie through-and-through, so I did not really bother by how many grams the bike lost with this diet.

Off:

- 9 speed SRAM PG-970 cassette

- Deore 2009 FD

- Deore 2009 RD

- XT 9 speed chain

- Deore 2010 shifters

- 28T granny ring - I still have to put on the 48T ring because I don't have spacers for the ring bolts :P

- shifter cables with hoses

On:

+ DaBomb 16T SS kit

+ non-branded chain tensioner

+ China made chain (RM10 only)

Well, that's the physical change on the RTWM. On the riding aspect, the bike is painfully slower than usual. This is in direct relation with the choice of gearing pair, of course. That's normal, as the gearing pair has got to be catering for all riding gradient. In my case, I chose 38T in front and 16T for the rear.

Okay, not entirely true. I didn't actually get to choose the rear tooth count. The DaBomb 9-to-1 kit comes with 16T ring. It's on loan from Panjang/Atuk (together with the tensioner), so I had to make do with it; I'd go with 14T if I had it my way. The 38T ring comes from the 28/38/48 crankset.

Prior to the setup, I had a 2-weeks trial on my RTW route. I tried 38/16 and 38/14 with the 9 speed setup (heavier bike). I favoured the latter due to the speed on flats and downhills while still able to carve the two hills en-route to the office.

It has been more than a week now, and I must say that SS is not for me. Purely because I miss the speed on flats and downhill. With SS, I couldn't go more than 25km/h on flat road without spinning frantically. On flats, the normal speed would be 20 km/h, while to get to between 22 and 25 km/h it would warrant a considerable effort. Also it is rather frustrating to coast downhill while normally I could still mash the crank and get down faster.

Some would attribute simple setup, worry-free ride (due to the absence of the need to think and change to the optimal gearing) and lighter bike as being the pluses (and joy) of SS. Well, I don't really mind about the worry-free part. And as it is, I'm okay with the weight of the bike with 9 speed setup. Simple is nice, especially on the handlebar. Well, a gripshift could combat that, although I play down that option because I don't want to fork more $ to change to SRAM or get down to 7/8 speed with Shimano RevoShift. If options available, I'd shrink the 9 speed cassete to have only the first 5 rings. Not really using the rest of it, actually.

However, I'd like to point out that if you want to practice spinning/cadence, SS is good. I had to spin in order to get more than 25km/h on flats. Macam orang gila terhenjut-henjut. Of course, it would reward you with strong legs and heart also, conditioned with climbing up steep hills. That, I love.

So, it looks like I'm going back to 9 speed (or lesser), then. When? As soon as I get a new chain and if I could have a few hours to make the 'upgrade'. Until then, I'm spinning on the slow singlespeed still.

more photos here.

Have a good one.

Ride safe.

RTW: the completed L-Route

the connecting ramp to Pasir Gudang, from Sungai Masai

I pedaled out on the Coastal Highway on Sunday evening to recce on the connecting bridge over Sungai Masai. To my delight, the bridge is now completed, with tarmac and divider proper.

What's more important is that the receiving ramp from the bridge heading to Pasir Gudang is also connected, although not yet completed. Currently it is a single lane red earth and a bit bumpy but smooth surface. Good enough for motorbikes and bicycles to pass through, although would be no problem for a small lorry too. Just that if there are two vehicles coming head-to-head, either one would definitely have to give way.

So on Monday I went home using the full L-Route from the office. Distance as recorded from Sports Tracker is 8.8km. That's more than 1km shorter than normal.

Supposed to be faster getting home now; though I'm not using it in the morning towards office - no breakfast stalls along the highway.

:)

more photos here.

RTW: door-to-door transportation